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Roundball Chatter
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
September 15, 2006
Each Friday I will write about the sport I love, college basketball
Down at Notre Dame, it was heartbreak city last season. Nobody in America suffered more tough losses than the Fighting Irish. Mike Brey and his kids had so many close contests go the other way. Now there is good news for Brey and the Irish as the schedule is a little more favorable. The Big East round-robin this season worked out as Notre Dame doesn't have to meet Connecticut or Pittsburgh, while there is just one meeting each against Syracuse, Georgetown and Louisville. The non-league schedule includes Alabama, Maryland and a potential showdown vs. Indiana in the NIT season tip-off. It gives them a great opportunity to make a run for an NCAA tournament bid. The Irish will need big-time performances from guys like Luke Zeller and Colin Falls. They have a nice nucleus returning.
When you think about Tommy Amaker, he is a super guy, just like Brey. You have to respect and admire Amaker, but now is the time for Michigan to make some noise and get into the NCAA tournament. Amaker will rely on seniors to come through; namely Courtney Sims on the interior, while Lester Abram and Deon Harris must lead the way for the Maize and Blue.
Baylor coach Scott Drew has to be happy starting the season in November instead of January. You probably remember the NCAA penalized the Bears last season, taking away its non-conference schedule. This season, the Bears will compete in the NIT Season Tip-Off, going out to Spokane to play in Gonzaga's bracket. Baylor also visits Syracuse and has a home game against South Carolina on its non-league agenda. Drew's squad is led by standout Aaron Bruce.
Nice to see the Big Five will continue its format to 2009-10. Talk about intense battles and emotion, it always happens when those schools tip it off. This is great news for basketball fans in the Philadelphia area.
A really interesting game that popped up right before the Christmas holiday features Boston College's experienced team at Lawrence. That's right, Allen Field House will be rocking and rolling as Al Skinner's Eagles come to town. Kansas will be a top five team in the preseason rankings. That will be a battle as the kids from BC won't back down from anyone. Jared Dudley, Sean Marshall, Sean Williams, Tyrese Rice and company will be a tough opponent for Bill Self's squad.
Matt Painter suffered a setback when 6-3 Nate Minnoy, who averaged 10 ppg. and five rpg. last season as a freshman, decided to leave the program. Painter has a good recruiting class down the line, so the Boilermakers have the potential to turn things around in a positive way.
Bob Huggins is the latest recipient of good news with the NCAA's new rule allowing students in a graduate program to transfer and compete immediately. Kansas State added 6-4 guard Jermaine Maybank, who had an injury-plagued career at St. John's. Maybank also gained experience at Independence Community College earlier in his career.
There is an interesting tournament in November. An eight-team, 12-game college basketball event will be played over three days Thanksgiving weekend at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla. The first-ever "Old Spice Classic" will tip off Thursday, November 23 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The inaugural tournament field will feature a number of top quality teams, including Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana, Southern Illinois, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. The tournament will feature four games on each day with each team playing. The two undefeated teams will face off for the championship on the final day.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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