Quality, from the opening tipoffs
NEW YORK -- Phil Martelli fired the 2003-04 season's first shot Wednesday. Appropriately enough, he was standing aboard the USS Intrepid.
During a tipoff function for the two-day Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, which begins Thursday night, the head coach of 18th-ranked Saint Joseph's said he wanted to play No. 12 Gonzaga to open the season. Apparently, No. 21 Wake Forest didn't. But the Demon Deacons didn't get off too easily, either, with a matchup tonight against Memphis.
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser's attempt to play more of a "major conference team," may end up backfiring. The Tigers -- who upset eventual national champion Syracuse to open last season -- are a bit more prepared to play tonight (at least health-wise) than the Bulldogs. But at least Wake Forest, Memphis, Saint Joseph's, Gonzaga, Pittsburgh, Alabama, St. John's and Marquette get points for showing up at Madison Square Garden in New York.
All eight teams are playing Game 1 against quality teams.
College basketball will never be confused with college football when it comes to scheduling. Every game may not mean as much in hoops as they do in the BCS era of college football. But that's what allows for matchups like those in the Garden.
The four teams who lose over the next two nights aren't eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. These games do matter, and the NCAA résumé does begin to take shape Thursday night. But Syracuse's loss to Memphis 12 months ago in the Garden was forgotten as quickly as Carmelo and company cut down the nets in New Orleans.
Memphis' victory over Syracuse, meanwhile, certainly aided in some way its at-large bid in March. And a win for Memphis over Wake Forest, or Saint Joseph's over Gonzaga, or St. John's over Marquette, or Alabama over Pittsburgh will resonate come March.
"We don't need to play Popcorn State," said Memphis coach John Calipari, who has traditionally been known to schedule tough non-conference games when he coached at UMass and now at Memphis.
"After this event, we may need to play Popcorn State, but John won't give us their number," joked Marquette coach Tom Crean.
Both coaches know the reality is that the CVC, as well as other events that tip off next week, are a must to build a résumé for the tournament. Calipari said the NCAA Tournament selection committee loves to use wins and losses however it sees fit. And he's right. At times, the committee will cite wins in the last 10 games. Other times, the "quality" wins early in a season hold more weight.
But no matter the effect on its NCAA future, playing tough competition gives a team a good read on itself -- even in November. A win is just a bonus and has shelf life for over the next five months.
Crean, Martelli, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and Gonzaga's Mark Few, said they have all tried to get into this event for years. Each understands the national stage of playing the first two nights of the season on ESPN2 carries plenty of weight.
"For two days, this is all people are watching (in college basketball)," Crean said.
There is always the chance that a team's flaws will be exposed, but the positives always seem to outweigh the negatives from games against top competition. And there is probably no team that is giving itself as tough a non-conference schedule as Michigan State.
The Spartans may not be opening the season in prime time, but MSU will be featured plenty over the next two months. Michigan State plays Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 3, hosts Oklahoma at Auburn Hills, Mich. (Dec. 6), plays Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit (Dec. 13), and then goes to UCLA (Dec. 30). Oh, and then there is a little game on Jan. 3 in Syracuse against the defending champs. All this before the Big Ten season tips off.
The Spartans are all but a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but their seeding could ultimately be affected by how well they play in what is arguably the toughest schedule in the country.
So tonight the 2003-04 season tips off. But there is plenty else to watch for over the next few weeks, months and new year:
Most anticipated debuts: Duke's Luol Deng, Oklahoma's Drew Lavender, Missouri's Jason Conley and Linas Kleiza, New Mexico's Danny Granger, Utah's Andrew Bogut, Boston College's Uka Agbai, Gonzaga's Erroll Knight, Florida's Christian Drejer, N.C. State's Illian Evtimov, Iowa's Pierre Pierce, North Carolina's Sean May and Kansas' Wayne Simien.
No, these aren't all new names to the college game. But each has a unique story that could dramatically affect their team.
Coaches Stories: Ohio State's Jim O'Brien and New Mexico State's Lou Henson.
O'Brien plans on coaching throughout the season, even though his voice is barely audible due to a vocal cord injury after neck surgery Oct. 1. Henson is coaching despite undergoing cancer treatments throughout the week. He remains strong in his quest to continue coaching. He is just taking more naps when he needs to during the week.
ID, please: USC has two sets of twins playing for the Trojans this season -- Derrick and Errick Craven, as well as Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart.
NCAA pressure: The pressure is on Dixon at Pittsburgh, at least it's coming from UCLA's Ben Howland. The former Panthers coach set up Dixon well with 20 home games this season.
NCAA-worthy? Michigan received a reprieve from the NCAA when its 2004 postseason ban was lifted. Michigan should be a contender for an NCAA spot led by sophomore guard Daniel Horton. The cases to watch throughout the season will be Missouri and Auburn, two programs that could see their postseasons taken away if investigations go against them in the coming months.
A few quick thoughts after visiting 20 schools in October and November ...
Most underrated teams seen: Stanford and Cal, but for different reasons. Stanford is a Final Four contender because it has veterans at four of five positions. The frontline is as good as any in the country with a slimmed-down Rob Little, Josh Childress and Justin Davis -- as good a threesome inside as any team in the country. Chris Hernandez returns at the point and Matt Lottich on the wing. Don't sleep on this team. Cal could be better by March if Leon Powe continues to develop into a dominant low-post player. He has the potential to be a West Coast Deng for the Bears. Neither team gets the necessary airtime, but both are players nationally.
Best fan: Adam Duritz, lead singer for the Counting Crows, is a huge Cal and Pac-10 fan. Following a benefit concert for the Bridge School in the Bay Area, Duritz only wanted to talk Cal and Pac-10 hoops. He makes a point of going to as many Cal games whenever he's in town.
Most intense practice: Crean was carrying around a hockey stick signed by Mark Messier on Wednesday night, and you would have thought his Marquette team uses similar sticks during practice. Marquette's practices were the most intense, the loudest and the quickest paced of the ones watched (we didn't see all 20 schools practice). Runnerup: Baylor. New coach Scott Drew and assistant Matt Driscoll get an "A" for effort and ingenuity with music pumped in to end practice to avoid any lax behavior.
Best drill: Wisconsin runs a "beep" drill that forces the players to run back and forth to the tone of beeps. The beeps get quicker and the players have to keep the pace. The drill is about endurance, and players drop out when they can't finish it. But then the remaining players become the story as the ones on the side cheer them on. Devin Harris beat Kirk Penney's record of 14 beeps and proved that he may be in the best condition to last through an arduous Big Ten season.
Most honest answers: Duke players. The Blue Devils were quick to say Deng is the team's best player. They didn't even hesitate, and gladly said he will be their top talent this season. That takes a quite a lot to shelve some of those egos.
Best digs: Texas. The Longhorns' practice facility was nice enough that if there was a room with a bed you would probably rather stay there than the local Marriott. There was a Jacuzzi, a workout room fit for an army, a beautiful court, leather seats, flat screens, everything you would want -- at a Spa, not just during your four-year basketball experience. Why would any Longhorn want to leave early?
Best characters: Vermont's Tom Brennan and everyone at the six Philadelphia schools -- Temple, Saint Joseph's, LaSalle, Penn, Drexel and Villanova. The two days going from Philadelphia to Vermont were by far the most entertaining. These programs all have fun at what they're doing and bring a refreshing approach to the sport.
Best talent: Connecticut. It's easy to pick the Huskies No. 1 after watching them work out. They simply have the most talent. That doesn't mean it will translate into a national title.
The loosest team: Syracuse. The Orangemen were at ease during workouts, but didn't slack one bit. This team mirrors its coach maybe more than any other.
Most teaching: Dick Bennett, Washington State. This shouldn't come as a surprise, but this practice was more like a clinic than just an everyday college basketball practice.
Most confidence:: Gonzaga. Few didn't like to hear it, but the players (not just Knight) do believe they will be in San Antonio.
Most at ease: The colors of their shirts changed, but Howland, Bill Self (Kansas) and Roy Williams (North Carolina) seemed so comfortable in their new digs. That bodes well for a smooth transition this season.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com. Katz' Weekly Word on college basketball will return Friday, Nov. 21. Click here to send Andy a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
- Rumors: Trent Lockett now a national name
- The Mag: Confidential player surveys
- NBA Draft Blog: Most volatile draft stocks
- Pick Center: Simulate the scoreboard