Roundball Chatter
Each week I'll talk about the sport I love, college basketball:
• Rick Pitino's Louisville squad is starting to make some noise. The Cardinals beat Villanova and Notre Dame in back-to-back outings and now there is momentum going into this weekend's test against #1 Pittsburgh. I expected Louisville to be a contender for the Final Four this season, and losses to Western Kentucky, Minnesota and UNLV had some questioning the Cardinals. Pitino has the ship right on track in the toughest conference in America. Terrence Williams has been playing outstanding basketball, with 24 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists against the Irish. Keep an eye on the Cardinals as they round into form.
• What a performance by Jodie Meeks of Kentucky. He was playing in a hostile environment at Tennessee, and he put on a show. Meeks hit 10 trifectas and finished with a school-record 54 points in a blowout victory over the Vols. Meeks was the only Wildcat to score in double figures and the rest of his teammates totaled 36 points. Meeks shattered the prior Kentucky single-game scoring mark by Dan Issel, a record that stood since 1970.
• Oklahoma sent a message to the Big 12 with its impressive win over Texas on Monday night. Blake Griffin has been one of the premier players in America all season long. The Sooners have just one blemish on their record, the loss at Arkansas. Jeff Capel's squad is capable of making a run at the big dance this season and the victory over the Longhorns just proves it.
• Seton Hall did not receive the boost it hoped for. A request for transfer Keon Lawrence's immediate reinstatement was denied by the NCAA. Instead, Lawrence, who transferred from Missouri, will have to sit out the remainder of this season before he is eligible to play during the 2009-10 campaign. Previously Seton Hall's attempt to get transfer Herb Pope from New Mexico State eligible for this season was also turned down.
• We will find out how good Clemson is this week. The next two games in front of the Tigers: Wake Forest and North Carolina. K.C. Rivers and company have beaten the likes of Miami-Florida, Illinois and Temple, but these two games will give Oliver Purnell a true indication of how far this team has come. Remember, the Tigers lost Cliff Hammonds and James Mays from last year's club, and both were key contributors a season ago. Trevor Booker has been a big-time factor up front for the Tigers this season.
• It was nice to see that the Pac-10 will honor former Arizona coach Lute Olson at this year's conference tournament in Los Angeles. Olson will be part of the Pac-10's Hall of Honor. It is a tribute well deserved!
• Also nice to see that Michigan State is honoring Morris Peterson by retiring his number 42 jersey this weekend. It will be displayed along with the numbers of eight other Spartan greats. Mo Pete was a key member of Michigan State's run to the 2000 national title.
• I have spoken about athletes making poor judgments in the past. At Missouri, forward Leo Lyons was suspended following his arrest on traffic charges and for failing to pay a traffic fine from 2006. Lyons was arrested for driving without the vehicle's lights on and failing to display proof of insurance. Police then learned there was a warrant for Lyons for an unpaid fine for making an illegal turn in 2006.
• Then there is the case of former Oklahoma State player, Kenny Cooper, who transferred to Louisiana Tech. He was suspended for the remainder of the season for repeatedly violating team rules. He averaged 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs this season.
• It has been a rough season for Kansas newcomer Mario Little. The junior guard has decided he will play the remainder of the season and not apply for a medical hardship due to injuries. Little missed the first 12 games due to injuries and made his first appearance of the season against Tennessee Jan. 3. The 2008-09 Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Little suffered a broken left hand in practice on Dec. 16. He had just returned to practice on Dec. 5 after suffering a stress fracture in his lower left leg that put him on crutches in mid-October.
• How about a salute for IUPUI coach Ron Hunter. For the second straight year, he has organized basketball coaches in a event to raise awareness of poverty throughout the world. Hunter and a number of coaches will work this weekend without wearing shoes.
