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Roundball Chatter
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
It seems like each week I talk about injuries being part of the game, but more big names are going down. Louisville coach Rick Pitino has received tough news with Juan Palacios sidelined, but now comes word that David Padgett may be out for the rest of the season due to a fractured kneecap. Pitino said that Padgett could return in two months if the knee heals quickly. If he can't return and sits out this season, Padgett, a fifth-year senior, would have to appeal for a sixth year of eligibility. It is so sad that his career has been plagued by leg injuries since transferring to Louisville from Kansas. Padgett's injury puts more pressure on Derrick Caracter to perform well. Caracter looks like he is in good shape and looked good early on. Louisville will also rely more on 6-8 Earl Clark.
UAB also suffered a major blow when guard Paul Delaney III was lost for the season with a torn ACL. He is also expected to apply for a medical redshirt. Delaney III was a workhorse last season, averaging over 37 minutes per contest while leading the Blazers in scoring at over 15 ppg. Coach Mike Davis had a rough stretch at the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach. That is where Delaney III was injured, and UAB lost three close games, falling to Rhode Island, Georgia Southern and Florida State.
How about a salute to Baylor for winning the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands? The field included the likes of Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Wichita State and Winthrop. Aaron Bruce is a standout and Curtis Jerrells deserves more ink, baby. The Bears also have an underrated diaper dandy in 6-4 guard LaceDarius Dunn, plus a member of my all-name team in Tweety Carter. Scott Drew has done a nice job revitalizing this program and Big 12 have to keep the Bears in mind as a sleeper.
Miami got off to a fast start by winning a tournament in Puerto Rico, beating Providence in the finals. Frank Haith feels his team is better than many of the experts think since the Hurricanes were picked in the lower echelon of the ACC coaches poll. Jack McClinton showed last season he can flat out shoot.
Georgia coach Dennis Felton has had to deal with a lot already. Guard Mike Mercer, who was previously given a 15-game suspension, has now been thrown off the team. Hopefully things will work out for the Bulldogs down the line. Billy Humphrey was reinstated after a one-game suspension for a violation of Georgia athletic policy, reportedly possession of a knife in his dorm room.
Another coach who deserves a salute is Belmont's Rick Byrd. The veteran mentor has done a nice job for years and his squad pulled an early upset at Cincinnati. Now Belmont has scored another shocker, winning at Alabama earlier this week. It is another big W for the Atlantic Sun, which enjoyed Gardner-Webb's stunner at Kentucky and Mercer winning at USC.
For those who felt the Florida Gators were going to struggle after losing so much talent, think again. Billy Donovan has assembled a young, talented nucleus that will be trouble for opponents night in and night out. The blowout win over Rutgers was a positive sign. Marreese Speights is a sophomore who deserves more publicity, and diaper dandy Nick Calathes has been super early on. Players love to be on teams coached by guys like Donovan and Tom Izzo.
UCLA is going to be very special when Darren Collison returns to the lineup. The Bruins showed a lot of heart coming back to beat Michigan State to capture the CBE event in Kansas City. Coach Ben Howland said he is not going to rush Collison back and that is a good decision. Kevin Love is one of the premier diaper dandies and I was so impressed seeing him in person. He is tough to stop on the glass and he has a keen knowledge of the game.
Watching Missouri in person, I feel Mike Anderson's team has to do a better job of buying into the defensive concepts. There were times in the first half against Michigan State that the Spartans got too many easy baskets. Missouri played better defense against Maryland. Anderson has a lot of talent on the roster and the addition of transfer DeMarre Carroll makes the Tigers an NCAA tournament contender.
I have noticed a number of former starters have moved into roles coming off the bench to help their respective teams. Guys like Jon Scheyer of Duke, Travis Walton of Michigan State, Byron Eaton of Oklahoma State, Willie Kemp of Memphis, Garrett Temple of LSU and Michael Flowers of Wisconsin have contributed early coming off the bench. That adds depth to their teams.
A lot of people talk about strength of schedule in college basketball, but they should do so in relative terms. A lot of the mid-majors and lower-tier programs don't always get the opportunity to face the big boys. The major conference squads don't often go on the road to face mid-majors. That makes it tougher for the smaller conferences, though early-season tournaments provide more opportunities for these schools to make a name for themselves.
When watching games in person lately, I have noticed that younger players have to learn to be more active without the basketball. They need to work more in setting screens and learning more team skills. A lot of times these kids have been so used to having the ball in high school and not getting challenged on their shots. My friends, it is so different when you get to the college ranks.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
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