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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, the Duke-North Carolina game was awesome, baby, with a capital A! Duke got to the winner's circle thanks to the trifecta. You don't have to go to Harvard to realize that when a team makes 10 more three-pointers (Duke hit 13, North Carolina 3), that's a 30-point swing and difficult to beat. The Tar Heels are not the same team with Ty Lawson out of the lineup (sprained ankle). My friends, North Carolina could not attack in transition, no run-baby-run on offense with Lawson sidelined. The teams will meet in Durham at the end of the regular season and I can't wait to call that one!
Bob Knight's resignation earlier in the week did not surprise me. My gut feeling is Knight will come back and coach again if he finds the right place, somewhere that he felt he could win. I don't believe 902 will be his final win total. If the right opportunity comes along he will come back and if I was an athletic director I would pick up the phone and call him. I really feel he has 10 more good years of coaching left in him. Knight could be like Joe Paterno is at Penn State, coaching on and on and still winning.
Congratulations to Maryland coach Gary Williams on career win number 600, a victory at Boston College Wednesday night. The Terps have really improved after struggling early, including losses to Ohio U. and American U. With James Gist inside and Greivis Vasquez on the perimeter, the Terps are contending for upper echelon status in the ACC.
I was really surprised that the Phoenix Suns acquired Shaquille O'Neal from Miami. I thought giving up Shawn Marion hurt the continuity of the offense and having Shaq in the paint could take away from the driving ability of Steve Nash, clogging the middle. I do believe Shaq will be dedicated and committed to winning, rejuvenated by this deal away from a club trying to avoid the worst record in the NBA. Phoenix is a legit contender to win it all.
Tennessee guard Chris Lofton has been coming on. He had 26 points in a big win over Florida on Tuesday. Lofton is on the verge joining the 2,000-point club; he's currently at 1917. The last Vol to reach that 2,000-point plateau was Allan Houston (1989-93). Tennessee currently sports a 28-game homecourt win streak; the last loss in Knoxville came in 2006 against Kentucky.
Ohio State's Thad Matta has never won less than 20 games in a season as a head coach. After losing the likes of Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. some experts believed that streak was in jeopardy this season. It looks like Matta is well on his way to another 20-victory campaign as the Buckeyes now sit at 16 entering this weekend's home game against Indiana. Speaking of Ohio State, Jamar Butler had nine assists in a win over Michigan. Butler now has 505 assists and is closing in on Kelvin Ransey's school record of 516.
Oklahoma has had some tough luck up front. First, Blake Griffin was sidelined with a sprained knee ligament. Now Longar Longar is out with a broken bone in his leg. It has been a rough stretch for coach Jeff Capel, and life in the Big 12 doesn't get easier.
Arizona survived without guard Jerryd Bayless for several games. Now the Wildcats will be without guard Nic Wise, who had knee surgery and could miss up to six weeks. Coach Kevin O'Neill has dealt with the injury bug too.
Butler found a way to get to the winner's circle against Valparaiso and it was a rare close call. This season, AJ Graves and company have now played just four games decided by five points or less. With Tuesday's win, Butler is now 2-2 in those tight contests.
When the pairings were announced for next year's SEC-Big East Invitational, it was interesting to see that former Arkansas coach Stan Heath gets a shot at his former league. On Dec. 16 in Nashville, Vanderbilt will face Heath's South Florida squad, while Marquette squares off with Tennessee. On Dec. 18 in Cincinnati, Mississippi State will face Cincinnati and Ole Miss will play Louisville.
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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