UCLA went all USC football on Notre Dame and put a 89-63 beat down on the “Fighting” Irish yesterday at UCLA. If you watched the game there was really no “Fight” in the Irish from the start.
The loss was Notre Dame’s seventh straight as it dropped to 12-10 overall and 3-7 in the Big East. The Irish is now somewhere in 25th place in the Big East (honestly, just how many teams can be in one conference?).
Before the game, the local hacks out here were saying how big of a game this was for UCLA against this mighty Big East …read more

The number two team in the nation is pounded by No. 8 Georgetown 74-63 in a Big East showdown a few minutes ago in Hartford and televised nationally on ESPN.
The Hoyas (10-1) never trailed in the game.
Who will be the next undefeated team to fall?

Some of the Wooden Preseason Top 50 players had great games on Friday.
– Boston College guard Tyrese Rice scored 24 on 7-9 shooting (5-5 from downtown) in a 6 point win over UAB.
– Wake Forest super sophomore James Johnson scored 18 on 8-13 shooting in a victory against UTEP. Star guard from UTEP, Stefon Jackson, scored 31 and pulled down 9 boards in the loss.
– Tennessee forward Tyler Smith shot 50% from the field and 90% from the line en route to a 21 point effort in a win over Georgetown.
– Syracuse shifty sophomore guard Jonny Flynn scored …read more

Looking for something to watch on Thanksgiving Day as you have that second and third helping of homemade yams and stuffing?
You think that it’s time for the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions to stop playing on Thanksgiving Day (especially Detroit! They’re awful!).
And college football doesn’t float your boat? Please! It doesn’t even have a playoff system (at least Division I doesn’t).
The NBA and NHL? Talk to me after their all-star breaks.
There’s is hope for all of us with plenty of college basketball on television to fall asleep to after that big dinner.
There are three tournaments on Thanksgiving Day featuring …read more

My reaction when I first that Billy Packer will be replaced by Clark Kellogg as CBS’ college basketball analyst was shock at first.
After all, Packer has been covering college basketball for CBS and NBC since 1975 and was on board for 34 consecutive Final Fours.
The 68-year-old Packer, who without a doubt was one of the smartest people to ever cover college basketball, he was opinionated and could break down a team or game like no one else in the business. Put him alongside with Dick Enberg, Jim Nance or the late Al McGuire and you were in for a great …read more

We’re only a few days removed from the 2008 National Championship game, but it’s never too early to talk about next season.
ESPN’s Dick Vitale gives his Top 5 teams for the 2008-2009 season.

I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but what did I tell you earlier today about not trusting Georgetown?
I love it when my gut instinct is right.
Onto more thoughts from today’s action:
- If anybody doubted that North Carolina was the prohibitive favorite to win the championship, they shouldn’t doubt that now. All of the other top seeds have struggled, and in some cases, barely escaped. Not UNC. The Tar Heels are in full demolition mode.
- Memphis received a big time scare today from Mississippi State, and it is close games like that where I don’t trust Memphis because …read more

First off, I hope everybody has a great Easter today.
Now, on to the early thoughts from Day 4 of the NCAA tournament.
- Anybody who doesn’t think that Texas is vulnerable should think again. Yes, they are a #2 seed, but they are definitely beatable. Same goes for #2 seed Tennessee, and their game with Butler isn’t even over yet. Both “UT” schools have some deficiencies that you can’t overlook.
- While I’m hammering the #2 seeds, I might as well hammer Georgetown as well. Davidson is giving the Hoyas all they want right now. When the Hoyas are on, they are …read more

The 16th ranked Connecticut Huskies received a boost to their lineup on Tuesday as suspended forward Jerome Dyson was reinstated to the squad.
Dyson was suspended for nine games after he was cited by campus police for possession of alcohol by a minor. Following the citation, Dyson failed a drug test and was suspended.
Dyson was averaging 14 points per game before his suspension, and his presence will give the Huskies another weapon on the offensive end of the court. Connecticut currently sits fourth in the Big East standings, but they are only one game behind leaders Georgetown and Louisville in the …read more

There are some incredible college basketball games on tap for this week. Here are the best ones to watch:
Wednesday February 6th: #2 Duke at #3 North Carolina – Tar Heels versus Blue Devils. Dean Dome. Nothing more needs to be said.
Thursday February 7th: #4 UCLA at #17 Washington State – terrific Pac 10 contest. Can Kevin Love and the Bruins overcome Derrick Low and the Cougars?
Saturday February 9th:#6 Georgetown at Louisville – Roy Hibbert and the Hoyas face a tough road challenge against the Cardinals at Freedom Hall.