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Roundball Chatter
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
Every Friday I will give my thoughts on the game I love, college basketball.
Wow, Tennessee against Memphis should be something special. I have heard reports that the stars will be shining at the FedEx Forum, including the likes of Peyton Manning and Priscilla Presley. My friends, it is No. 1 vs. No. 2 and the Gameday gang will be there. I can't wait to get there and call the game with Dan Shulman and Erin Andrews. John Calipari and Bruce Pearl have done a super job with their respective programs and this should be an incredible atmosphere. It is also a revenge game as the Vols won easily last year behind 34 points from Chris Lofton. It will be a battle between the Chris' as Lofton and Chris Douglas-Roberts will shine.
This weekend is also special because of the Bracket Busters. It is great to see the mid-majors, the little guys, get a chance to improve their strength of schedule and help raise their RPI, even though I prefer the VBDI (Vitale Bald Dome Index). The marquee match-up features a pair of top 20 teams as Drake meets Butler. Keno Davis' club has struggled a bit lately with losses to Southern Illinois and Bradley.
Is there any player in America with a hotter hand that Xavier's 6-9 senior forward Josh Duncan? In a win over Rhode Island earlier this week, he had a perfect shooting night, hitting all eight field goal attempts and all four free throws. Over the last two games, he has converted all 15 of his field goal tries. Another player with a hot hand is Santa Clara's John Bryant, who scored more than half of his team's points (36 of the 66) in a win over Loyola-Marymount.
If I was South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman (the former AD at TCU), I would make a call down to Lubbock, Texas to try to secure the services of Robert Montgomery Knight. The Gamecocks are looking for a replacement for Dave Odom at the end of the season and Knight would be a great fit as a teacher who can help the program grow.
Wake Forest has become a good story after its win over Duke. Dino Gaudio has done a solid job with a very, very young squad. I know the late Skip Prosser, who died so prematurely, would be proud of this team. The Demon Deacons are in the upper echelon of the ACC even though many picked them to finish near the bottom in the preseason poll. With a super recruiting class coming in, the future is very bright in Winston-Salem.
I have talked about accountability a lot this season. UNLV's Marcus Lawrence has been kicked off the basketball team, a few days after the sophomore was charged with driving under the influence. Athletes have to be responsible for their actions and they can only get so many chances before they lose the opportunity to play. It is a disappointing story but the kind we have heard too often this season.
When you talk about the Kansas Jayhawks, you should think about the job Bill Self's team does defensively. Think about some of these numbers for the 24-2 Jayhawks: 25 straight games holding opponents below 50 percent shooting from the field (and 97 of the last 100). Kansas is averaging almost four turnovers forced per game more than its opponents. The Jayhawks have held five opponents below 50 points this season. Kansas is doing its job on offense, averaging 82.4 ppg while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
While talking about defense, look at what Rick Pitino's club has done lately. The Cardinals have allowed 70 or more points just once in its last nine outings. Pitino's team held Syracuse to just 50 on Monday night. This team is healthy now and will be dangerous come tournament time.
Georgetown's offense has struggled a bit lately. The Hoyas, just 3-2 in the last five games, have averaged under 62 points per game in those contests. That should change in the next few games as Georgetown hosts Cincinnati and St. John's. Remember the Hoyas beat the Red Storm 74-42 in the first meeting this season.
Kalin Lucas of Michigan State is so quick, he reminds me of Wake Forest's Chris Paul. I love his penetration ability and feel he will be a star in the future with more experience.
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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