Man how times have changed.

I’m perusing the sports page this morning and see that the Wildcats were involved in an upset last night. Only they were the unranked slobs pulling off the upset against No. 24 Tennessee 92-72 at Knoxville.

Tennessee? Men’s basketball? Being upset? This is supposed to be a football school.

Coach Bruce Pearl has done a great job in turning the Volunteers (10-4) into one of the top teams in the Southeast Conference and the nation. Last season after a two-day stint at No. 1, there was even talk about a national championship.

Kentucky (13-4) on the other hand has struggled since winning the school’s last national championship under Tubby Smith in 1998. The Wildcats, with seven national titles and have been a NCAA tournament and top 25 fixture since the 1930’s, have fallen off the map in recent years.

The win against Tennessee was impressive and may be a sign of normalcy as the Wildcats try to regain its national swagger.

Junior guard Jodie Meeks scored 54 points, breaking Dan Issel’s 39-year-old school record of 53 in the win.

Man. Talk about your Bizaro World. Tennessee is now a men’s basketball power while its traditional national power football team struggles and loses to teams like UCLA.

Kentucky basketball is down and the football team is playing in bowl games every year now.

What’s next? The Arizona Cardinals going to the Super Bowl?

Post from: EveryJoe

Things sure have changed at Kentucky and Tennessee

And please don’t tell me that these games don’t matter because they are in the “pre-season”.

They DO matter…

Last night, Division II school Findlay upset Ohio State 70-68. This is the same Ohio State squad that lost to Florida in last year’s NCAA title game. Yes, they lost Greg Oden, Mike Connelly Jr., and Daequan Cook from last year’s squad. But they were ranked just outside the top 25 and figured to contend for another Big 10 conference title.

Oops.

Last Saturday, another Division II school, Grand Valley State, beat Michigan State 85-82 in double overtime. The Spartans are ranked #8 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 rankings and were picked by many analysts as the favorite to win the Big 10 championship.

Double oops.

I don’t care that these games are considered “exhibitions”. To quote Herm Edwards, “You play to win the game”. Period.

The Buckeyes and Spartans had better turn things around quickly, or else they will get eaten alive in the Big 10 this year.

UPDATED: another stunner from college basketball Wednesday night as Gardner-Webb, who was picked to finish 8th in the Atlantic Sun Conference this year, went into Rupp Arena and smoked the Kentucky Wildcats 84-68.

Welcome to Lexington, Billy Gillespie. I hope you enjoy your stay in the Bluegrass State.  And it won’t be a very long stay if you let middle-of-the-pack Atlantic Sun teams come to town and take you out to the woodshed.

Somewhere in the Twin Cities, Tubby Smith is smiling…

Post from: EveryJoe

UPDATED: And this is why you play the games, take 3…

• Air Force – Jeff Bzdelik out, Jeff Reynolds in
• Arkansas – Stan Heath out, John Pelphrey in
• Coastal Carolina – Buzz Peterson out, Cliff Ellis in
• Colorado - Ricardo Patton out, Jeff Bzdelik in
• Iowa - Steve Alford out, Todd Lickliter in
• Kansas State – Bob Huggins out, Frank Martin in
• Kentucky – Tubby Smith out, Billy Gillispie in
• Michigan - Tommy Amaker out, John Beilein in
• Minnesota - Dan Monson out, Tubby Smith in
• New Mexico – Ritchie McKay out, Steve Alford in
• New Mexico State - Reggie Theus out, Marvin Menzies in
• Princeton – Joe Scott out, Sydney Johnson in
• Saint Louis - Brad Soderberg out, Rick Majerus in
• Texas A&M – Billy Gillispie out, Mark Turgeon in
• Utah - Ray Giacoletti out, Jim Boylen in
• Wake Forest - Dino Gaudio replaced Skip Prosser who passed away

The most intriguing situations from this list are Rick Majerus at Saint Louis and Tubby Smith at Minnesota. Majerus came out of retirement to coach the Billikins, while Smith surprised many basketball fans by leaving Kentucky and the SEC for Minnesota. Both schools should be thrilled at these two hirings. Dino Gaudio faces the difficult task of replacing popular coach Skip Prosser who tragically passed away over the summer.

Post from: EveryJoe

2007 coaching carousel