You know what happens to Political Science majors, right?

They either end up back in the classroom teaching or in Washington D.C. costing tax payers trillions!

And remember what fan is short for - FANATIC! “A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause,” according to Dictionary.com.

When I take a look at standings, teams and players, it’s easy for me to make a pretty decent judgment based on this and other tangibles.

For instance.

Syracuse is 17-5 and ranked 20th in this week’s Associated Press poll.

Pretty good overall record, huh? I’m sure some teams in the SWAC, MAC and Big West would love to have that record and ranking.

But take a closer look and you’ll see that four of those losses are in Big East Conference play. That puts Syracuse in seventh place at 5-4.

Pretty lousy for a top 25 team if you ask me.

Granted, there are about 20 teams in the Big East, but you know what I’m saying.

I’m not against the Orange and don’t wish them any ill will, or any team mind you. I watched gleefully as coach Jim Boeheim finally won a National Championship in 2002-03. It was fun to watch, but it didn’t change my life in any way. Just as a watching my favorite football team win the Super Bowl this weekend didn’t either.

That was great too, but life goes on here in pro football-less L.A.

There aren’t any teams out there that I really like or really hate. I’m more of a fan of the history and pagentry of the game. The post-Adolph Rupp Kentucky teams, Dean Smith’s North Carolina teams, and John Wooden’s UCLA teams. I find Bobby Knight to be as entertaining as most of you find him to be annoying. You know, that sort of stuff.

I love some of the great individual teams such as the 1966 Texas Western (now UTEP) team, the 1977 Marquette team, the 1983 North Carolina State team, the 1985 Villanova team, the 1988 Kansas team, the 1994 Arkansas team, the 1997 Arizona team and the 2002 Maryland team.

I fill out brackets every season only to be done by the second round, and begin wondering when baseball season starts. That’s what happens when I pick teams like Boston College TWICE to go to Final Four a few years ago.

I went to and live walking distance from a “Mid-Major,” Long Beach State of the Big West Conference(I don’t know why it’s called the “Big West, because there’s nothing big about that conference).

I support the 49ers and I’m happy when they win and only mildly annoyed when they lose, which is often these days.

The 49ers make an appearence in the Big Dance every five years or so after winning the conference, and is usually a 15th or 16th seed after winning 20-plus games.

Our biggest rival is Cal State Fullerton. I don’t like the Titans and openly boo when they play the 49ers. But after the games are over and during the offseason, I will get together with one of them every now and then to hang out.

Now if the 49ers win the championship that will change my life, because I would swear that the world is coming to an end. I will also rub it in the face of any Cal State Fullerton fan within an earshot until the lights go dark and the end of the world as we know it has come.

Recently I’ve wanted to come on this blog and boast about Long Beach’s current first place standing, but won’t because I don’t want to sound like a Duke football fan does in September. There’s plenty of basketball left to play.

The last time a “Mid-Major” made it to the NCAA championship game was Utah in 1998 when the Utes lost to Kentucky.

And where was Utah from at the time?

The Western Athletic Conference!

Which finally bring me to this week’s No. 25 team Utah State out of (you guessed it) the WAC.

I know the Aggies pretty well, because they used to play in the Big West and abuse Long Beach State every chance they got.

But keep in mind this isn’t college football where the WAC is very competitive. But this is college basketball and posting a 21-1 record and a 19-game winning streak (the longest in the nation right now) against slobs like Idaho, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State is not going to impress the powers that be that decide the pairings on Selection Sunday.

Syracuse and Utah State are more examples of rankings being useless, but we’ve already had that discussion.

When teams from confereces such as the WAC, MAC, Big West, Big Sky Atlantic 10, and the way they’ve been playing this year, the Big 10 (Plus One), they aren’t called “powers.” They’re called “Cinderellas.”

These are teams that unexpectantly make a nice run in the tournament upsetting one or two favorites along the way, only to have the carriage turn back into a pumpkin, and the dress turned back into a Goodwill hand-me-down in the round of 16 or the Elite Eight.

That’s one of the reasons why you will rarely see someone like a Utah State or Long Beach State break into the top 10 or top 15. It’s because their conferences are so lousy that you can’t possibly justify ranking them any higher than the lower half of the polls.

But we all love Cinderella teams and stories, right? That’s why college basketball is one of the most exciting spectator sports around.

Does last year’s Davidson team ring a bell? How much fun was that watching them on that insane run?

But let’s not get too carried away when a Utah State goes on a big run and is given a token top 25 ranking in February. Nor should we get too carried away when a seventh place team gets dissed for being a seventh place team.

It’s all about who comes out on top in the end. And right now, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be Syracuse or Utah State.

Where: Honda Center (Home of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks)

When: Today– San Diego St. vs. St. Marys at 1.30… then UCLA vs. Depaul at 4.00

Established in 1994, the Wooden Classic is an annual tribute to the legendary former coach and the excellence he personifies.

John Wooden’s many accomplishments: From woodenclassic.com

Born:
Oct. 14, 1910 in Martinsville, IN

Home:
Encino, CA

Family:
Wife Nell (passed away 1985), son James, daughter Nancy, seven grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren.

Education:
Purdue Univ., English, 1932

Player Highlights:
Led Martinsville High School to 1927 Indiana State title… Won All-State honors in basketball for three years (1926-28)… Lettered in basketball and baseball as a freshman at Purdue, then earned All-America honors as a point guard from 1930-32… Led Purdue to the National Collegiate Basketball Championship and was named College Basketball Player of the Year in 1932.

Coaching Highlights:
Finished 11-year prep coaching career with a record of 218 wins and 42 losses… Coached Indiana State to a 47-14 record in two years while also serving as the school’s athletic director… Led UCLA to an unprecedented 10 NCAA Basketball Championships in 12 years, including seven in-a-row… Owns the NCAA’s all-time consecutive win streak record of 88 straight games, compiled over four seasons from 1970-74… Is the only coach to compile four undefeated seasons of 30-0… Led UCLA to 16 conference championships… Finished 27-year UCLA coaching career with a 620-147 record.

Patriot:
Served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

San Diego St. (7-2) vs. St. Marys (6-1)

This year will mark the second appearance in the Wooden Classic for both Saint Mary’s and San Diego State. Last year Saint Mary’s defeated San Diego State 69-64, in a thrilling finish that featured a series of remarkable plays in the final minutes by both teams.

After a third straight appearance in the postseason and its third 20-win season in as many years, San Diego State heads into the 2008-09 campaign with all five starters and its top seven scorers returning. Finishing last year with a record of 20-13, Head Coach Steve Fisher and the Aztecs have won at least 20 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time in their Division I history and for the first time since 1939-41. This year, SDSU will look to run its streak to four with all-conference performers Lorrenzo Wade (1st team), Ryan Amoroso (3rd team) and Billy White (3rd team, freshman of the year) manning the frontline.

West Coast Conference Co-Coach of the Year, Randy Bennett, will attempt to lead the Gaels to their first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Saint Mary’s will be led on the court by sophomore guard Patrick Mills.

UCLA (5-2) vs. Depaul (4-3)

The appearance will mark the 12th overall and sixth in a row for UCLA. Their record now stands at 8-3 in the Wooden Classic, with their last win coming in 2007 when they defeated Davidson 75-63.

Depaul making its first Wooden Classic appearance, welcomes back five letter winners and two redshirts from last season including four of the top seven scorers and its top two rebounders. The Blue Demons are led on the court by sophomore Mac Kashwal who is the team’s top scorer and rebounder. Dar Tucker is coming off a solid freshman campaign as well. He was a member of the Big East Conference All-Rookie team and was named to the national All-Freshman team by The Sporting News.

Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 List (Based on a preseason poll)

(Freshmen are not eligible for the preseason list)

My ingenious comments in italics.

A.J. Abrams, G, Sr., Texas- No more D.J
Wink Adams, G, Sr., UNLV- Anybody gonna cover Jo’Van?
DeJuan Blair, F, Soph., Pittsburgh- Skilled big
Jon Brockman, F, Sr., Washington- Rebounding machine
Derrick Brown, F, Jr., Xavier- Trenton Hassell 2.0
Chase Budinger, F, Jr., Arizona- Style over substance?
Nick Calathes, G/F. Soph., Florida- Multidimensional
Dionte Christmas, G, Sr., Temple- It won’t come early
Earl Clark, F, Jr., Louisville- Upside city
Sherron Collins, G, Jr., Kansas- Stocky playmaker
Darren Collison, Sr., UCLA- All around fundamental
Lee Cummard, G-F, Sr., BYU- Mormons think he’s crazy good
Stephen Curry, G, Jr., Davidson- Baby faced assassin
Devan Downey, G, Jr., South Carolina- 5′9 scorer
Robert Dozier, F, Sr., Memphis- 104 and counting
Wayne Ellington, G, Jr., North Carolina- Can he step it up?
Jonny Flynn, G, Soph., Syracuse- E.X.C.I.T.I.N.G.
Taj Gibson, F, Jr., USC- Leaper
Blake Griffin, F-C, Soph., Oklahoma- Scary
Tyler Hansbrough, F-C, Sr., North Carolina- Quit reading this and vote in the poll!
Luke Harangody, F-C, Jr., Notre Dame- Power Forward.
James Harden, G, Soph., Arizona State- Can he carry the team?
Gerald Henderson, G/F, Jr., Duke- Jerome McKinley thank you very much
Lester Hudson, G, Sr., UT Martin- Mid-major delight
Robbie Hummel, F, Soph., Purdue- Keith Van Horn, or Larry Bird?
Stefon Jackson, G, Sr., UTEP- Drains jumpers
Dominic James, G, Sr., Marquette- Free fallin
Damion James, F, Jr., Texas- Man among boys
Curtis Jerrells, G, Sr., Baylor- Streaky
James Johnson, F, Soph., Wake Forest- Under the radar
Marcus Landry, F, Sr., Wisconsin- Gritty
Ty Lawson, G, Jr., North Carolina- Little engine that could
Eric Maynor, G, Sr., VCU- The Show…

Jack McClinton, G, Sr., Miami- Sweet string music
Jerel McNeal, G, Sr., Marquette- Competitor
Patrick Mills, G, Soph., St. Mary’s- Boomer!
Raymar Morgan, F, Jr., Michigan State- Teaser
A.J. Ogilvy, F-C, Soph., Vanderbilt- Easy goin
Jeremy Pargo, G, Sr., Gonzaga- Explosive
Patrick Patterson, F, Soph., Kentucky- High goal setter, real high.
A.J. Price, G, Sr., UConn- The missing link?
Scottie Reynolds, G, Jr., Villanova- Allen Iverson fan
Tyrese Rice, G, Sr., Boston College- A team kinda guy
Kyle Singler, F, Soph., Duke- Smooth
Tyler Smith, F, Jr., Tennessee- Dude has 3 arms!
DaJuan Summers, F, Jr., Georgetown- It’s his now
Hasheem Thabeet, C, Jr., UConn- Imposing
Robert Vaden, G/F, Sr., UAB- Don’t throw it away
Terrence Williams, F, Sr., Louisville- Solid
Sam Young, F, Jr., Pittsburgh- Creative muscle

The Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden is celebrating his 98th birthday today.

Wooden was the first to be enshrined to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach.

He also won a whole bunch of NCAA championships at UCLA - 10 to be exact in 12 years. A feat we are not likely to see ever again in any sport.

You’re coming off your first national championship and the first for Kansas in 20 years. You have been rewarded with 10-year, $30 million contract extension.

One or two more titles in that time span and you’ll be an icon not only in Kansas, but in the world of college basketball. You will be mentioned in the same conversation as Mike Kryzewski, Dean Smith, Bobby Knight and others, as well as the coach you replaced - Roy Williams as one of the all-time great coaches.

But not John Wooden. Nobody comes close to Wooden.

Your legacy is just about set and that means others will want piece of you. So no matter how tempting, no matter how much money, glamor and fame you are offered, please, please, please, I beg you for your sake, because I, along with the entire University of Kansas are looking out for your best interests….

Stay where you are and do not take the Los Angeles Clippers job when it is offered to you!

Once or twice a year ESPN does some wacky poll of some sort to find out who’s the best in this and that for sports. From greatest athlete to biggest bust.

Now the Worldwide Leader in Sports is seeking to find out which United States city is TitleTown USA.

All this month they are visiting places like Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Massillon, OH, Parkersburg, WV, and Valdosta, GA with entertaining and interesting stats ranging from some high school with a boatload of state championships to professional franchises with a long history of winning to justify them being named TitleTown USA.

Whatever!

When it comes to college basketball there’s only one TitleTown USA.

You guessed it - LOS ANGELES!

Just head north on the 405 freeway from L.A. International Airport, exit Wilshire Blvd. and you’re there.

UCLA!

With 11 national championships, 40 conference titles, a legendary coach, legendary players, dozens of players sent to the NBA and numerous hall of famers, there’s no question that Los Angeles and UCLA is TitleTown USA for college basketball.

John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor during his playing days with the Bruins), Bill Walton, Marcus Johnson, Gail Goodrich and Reggie Miller are some that have become household names in the world of college basketball.

UCLA continues to be a college basketball power with three consecutive final four appearance, and many believe (including yours truly) that a fourth appearance and another championship could happen next year.

I know many of you in places like North Carolina, Kentucky and especially Indiana are frowning and think you can make an argument for your town and school to be called TitleTown USA.

Go right ahead.

I would never disrespect other great college basketball programs such as North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas or Connecticut or the people who live and attend the schools there. I’m actually a big fan of some of those programs. I’m just stating a fact. No other school has had a greater impact on college basketball than UCLA.

Some of you will also try to make an argument that UCLA’s 1,642 wins doesn’t come close to Kentucky’s 1,966, North Carolina’s 1,950 and Kansas’ 1,943 on the all-time wins list.

But I’m not talking about wins. I’m talking about titles baby!

Kentucky is second behind UCLA in national titles with seven, Indiana has five, North Carolina has four and Kansas and Duke have three each.

Kentucky has seven titles overall. Hey, UCLA won seven straight from 1967-73! During that period the Bruins had an 88-game winning streak. They also have an NCAA record four undefeated seaons (1964, 67, 72 and 73).

We’ll have to wait until July 28 on ESPN’s SportsCenter to find out who will be named TitleTown USA (my bet is that it’ll be the small town with the boatload of high school state championship).

But college basketball’s TitleTown USA is in Los Angeles and UCLA!

Soon after I wrote about how Davidson Coach Bob McKillop received a contract extension through the 2015-16 season and won’t be around long enough before heading for the bigger and better, UCLA’s Ben Howland signed a deal lasting through the 2014-15 season this week. The new extension will pay Howland $1.97 million next season and $2.3 million in the final year, plus incentives that could top out at $235,000 a year.

And again I say, yeah, right!

Howland won’t see that $2.3 million because he won’t be at UCLA to collect it.

Howland is an even bigger commodity than McKillop. First off, he’s been to the Final Four three consecutive times. Second he coaches in the media capital of the world where everyone is watching him – especially NBA executives. And third, he coaches at UCLA, not known for keeping coaches for a long time unless their name happens to be John Wooden.

I’m predicting that Howland and the Bruins will win a national title or multiple titles before the 2014-15 season. And when that happens the NBA will call. Hey, it may even happen before the Bruins finally win one under Howland. All Howland needs is a few more solid seasons and some pro team in desperate need of a new makeup, new direction, or someone fresh to lead a team that just stinks will call him.

The NBA is tempting for just about every college coach. It was for Larry Brown, Jerry Tarkanian, Tim Floyd, Mike Montgomery and Rick Pitino just to name a few. Only Brown was able to win at both levels – at the University of Kansas and with the Detroit Pistons.

Howland is a good if not great coach. There’s no way he will resist the temptation of the NBA before 2014-15, especially since he plays in the same town that houses the Los Angeles Clippers.

Many pearls of wisdom have come out of the world of college basketball. Some are profound…some are humorous…all are enjoyable. Here is today’s Quote of the Day from the Coach himself, John Wooden:

Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.

Many pearls of wisdom have come out of the world of college basketball. Some are profound…some are humorous…all are enjoyable.

Here is today’s quote of the day from The Wizard of Westwood - John Wooden:

“Success is a piece of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Many pearls of wisdom have come out of the world of college basketball. Some are profound…some are humorous…all are enjoyable. Here is today’s quote of the day from the legendary Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden…

Talent is God-given: be humble.
Fame is man-given: be thankful.
Conceit is self-given: be careful.