Every Friday I will give my thoughts on the game I love, college basketball.
First of all, I want to thank everyone who wrote, e-mailed and called me following my throat surgery earlier this week. I am truly blessed to have so many good people in my corner. As I said, I can't wait to get back with all my colleagues at ESPN. Visiting college campuses and interacting with the fans has kept me so young and energized. I'm looking forward to returning, having a blast with all of you.
What a great weekend of college basketball. There is a battle of top five teams with Georgetown visiting Memphis. It should be a physical battle, especially inside with Roy Hibbert going up against Joey Dorsey. We'll see what diaper dandy Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts do against the Hoyas tenacious defense. John Calipari has put together a number of challenges prior to Conference USA play and this figures to be the stiffest test.
Texas and Michigan State hook up in a showdown of top 10 squads. D. J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams match-up against Drew Neitzel and company. One player to keep an eye on is Longhorn big man Connor Atchley, who has really improved this season.
Congratulations to Louisville coach Rick Pitino as he earned college win number 500. The Cardinals knocked off Marshall to give Pitino the milestone victory. There was more good news as Derrick Caracter returned to the Louisville lineup. He scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds before fouling out.
Great news for Stanford fans as big man Brook Lopez regained his eligibility. Lopez was sidelined due to academic woes during the first semester. Trent Johnson had to be thrilled with that news.
Syracuse received a really tough break when Eric Devendorf was lost for the season due to a torn ACL. Jim Boeheim may have to rely more on diaper dandies Donte Greene and Jonny Flynn, as well as super soph Paul Harris. That is a rough blow with Big East play right around the corner.
Averaging almost 18 points and eight rebounds a game doesn't guarantee your jersey in college basketball. You have to be held accountable for your actions. Time and time again I talk about making good decisions in life, and former Oklahoma State player Torre Johnson made a horrible one recently. He was thrown off the Wisconsin-Milwaukee team following an incident where he allegedly struck a female. He is a talented athlete whose poor judgment has ended his career with the Panthers.
Georgia Tech also suffered a loss when center Ra'Sean Dickey, who missed the first eight games of the season sidelined with an injury, was redshirted. Dickey has acute tendinitis in his right knee.
Indiana should head into Big Ten play in pretty good shape. The lone Hoosiers' loss so far this season came against Xavier. Only one game (vs. Georgia Tech) was decided in single figures. Kelvin Sampson's team hosts Coppin State and Chicago State before beginning conference play with a pair of road tests, at Iowa and Michigan.
UAB had a week off to enjoy the big win over Kentucky in Louisville. Wow, Robert Vaden put on a show in the second half of that contest; if he keeps it up, watch out for the Blazers. Mike Davis' club has a tricky challenge at Wichita State this weekend.
How about a salute to coach Larry Hunter, a veteran mentor, who was not afraid to have several tough tests on Western Carolina's non-league schedule. In a three-day span, his Catamounts played at Indiana and at Illinois. Give Hunter credit for taking on that challenge. Western Carolina closes the month of December at NC State in another battle.
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.
