Roundball Chatter
Each week I'll write about the sport I love, college basketbal...
•Every year I get on a soap box and talk about how college basketball is light years ahead of college football in the method of determining a national champion. Take a look at what happened last week when USC lost to Oregon State and Florida fell to Mississippi on the gridiron. You can't turn it on and off when you want. What does it all amount to? Very simply, college basketball has an easy formula where one slip isn't costly. You can still compete for the national title. In college football one loss often means that the dream and goal for the championship is over. I have said it many times, college football needs to have a playoff system. It would generate excitement, interest and lots of money. You would not have to get rid of the bowl system, either.
•Tubby Smith and Rick Pitino enjoy great success during their rivalry while coaching Kentucky and Louisville. Of course it was Smith who replaced Pitino in Lexington. This season, the Smith-Pitino rivalry will take place as the two match wits on the sidelines. That's right, Smith's Minnesota squad meets Pitino's Louisville team December 20th at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The Minnesota-Louisville game is part of a doubleheader which also includes Arizona State against BYU.
•There has been a recent trend of former stars returning to their schools and working on the basketball staff in the role of student manager. At Baylor, the Bears recently named former NBA star David Wesley in that role to help out current coach Scott Drew. Wesley, who played two seasons and averaged 17 ppg. at Baylor, decided to return to school after finishing 33 hours short of his degree in physical education. I think it is great when athletes return to complete their work and get that diploma. It really means a lot, and Wesley will be an asset to a Baylor program that is on the rise in the competitive Big 12.
•I want to send my wishes for a speedy recovery to Santa Clara center John Bryant. The big man, who led the WCC in rebounding and blocked shots (9.6 rpg, 2.3 blocks per game) while finishing second in scoring (18 ppg.), recently suffered stab wounds in an attack during an off-campus incident. Reports indicate he will be available to play this season, as a senior for the Broncos.
•I am so thrilled with the way my new book turned out. I collaborated with N.Y. Daily News sportswriter Dick "Hoops" Weiss on the project, entitled "Dick Vitale's Fabulous 50 Players and Moments in College Basketball: From the Beat Seat in the House During My 30 Years at ESPN." I ranked the top 50 players and moments during my time calling games at The Worldwide Leader. It was a lot of fun and it was my opinion. I know there will be arguments and debates about the lists, but my friends, that is the beauty of sports. There are opinions galore!
•I have often said that the fans at Kentucky are among the most passionate in the sport. Proof of that came when all 23,000 tickets to the school's Big Blue Madness celebration were gone within 40 minutes after they became available. Big Blue Madness, the first open practice featuring Kentucky's men's and women's teams, will take place October 10. That's right, over 23,000 for the first practice, baby!
•Congratulations to Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon. He recently received three additional years to his contract, making him the boss of Panthers basketball through at least 2015-16. Entering his sixth season as Pittsburgh's head coach, Dixon has posted an impressive 132-40 record.
