V-MAIL: DEC. 18
Q: Do you think that a lack of depth and size in the post will hurt Duke in the NCAA Tournament? -- Merrill Murphy, Statesville, N.C.
VITALE: That has to be a concern for Mike Krzyzewski. When you look at the minutes played right now, it is basically the super six in there. Mike has to be concerned about his team's fatigue when March Madness rolls around. Remember, Duke always takes everybody's best hit. Teams like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, those are the marquee programs and they take everyone's best hit. Everyone plays with emotion and passion against them. I think it is important for the Blue Devils to get minutes for Casey Sanders and Nick Horvath. Having those two contribute is important, maybe 10-12 minutes a game. They need to be productive, giving quality time. When you are talking about scoring inside, Carlos Boozer seems to be the only weapon on the interior. If he gets in foul trouble or doesn't produce inside, they may be a little limited since Shane Battier, an excellent face-up player, drifts to the perimeter. They have such a lethal perimeter game that it makes up for a lot of liabilities.
Q: I have heard many people discussing the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to include all Division I teams and a possible cancellation of the conference tournaments. I would welcome this idea because it would prolong the greatest event going in sports. What do you think about the tourney expanding and do you feel it is likely? -- Rick Hunt, Indianapolis
VITALE: I feel that everyone already gets a shot right now. They get that last chance to fulfill that dream, except for the Ivy League since the Pac-10 has now adopted a tournament in the future. With the conference tournaments, teams with a sub-par year can get on a hot run. Just look at Arkansas last year; what an amazing achievement it was to get through a difficult SEC tournament to the Big Dance. I like the system the way it is, the debates we have for the last few slots. I think that is healthy for the game. The one thing I would like to see changed is, when you get to the Final Four, a reseeding of the top four teams instead of going with the predetermined East vs. West, etc.
Q: How do you think the "big three" at Iowa (Recker, Oliver, Evans) compare with other similar threesomes in the Big Ten and around the country? Where do you see the Hawkeyes finishing in the Big Ten given their 8-0 start? -- Mike Kolb, Atlanta
VITALE: The Hawkeyes have certainly created a good winning attitude and spirit with the good start. The victory over Missouri was a quality win. Iowa is getting good interior play from Evans, our PTPer of the Week. Recker is scoring and Oliver is a solid playmaking guard. The key is when Iowa steps away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, performing well on the road. I feel they should be in the Big Dance.
Q: I am a big UConn fan and I was wondering if you think their talented freshmen are ahead of their expected pace and if Edmund Saunders is really stepping up as one of the leaders on the team, given his past history. -- Mark O'Daniel, Hanover, Ind.
VITALE: The Huskies have great balance, with both experience and youth on the roster. Caron Butler has been a major factor, everything projected of him. Taliek Brown has gone through some growing pains but he has good skills. Saunders gives them experience and a post presence on the low box. If they get solid play from the improved Justin Brown and Soulemayne Wane on the interior, this club can be the one to beat in the Big East. I know the Big East is a deep conference, with Villanova and Georgetown sleepers. Connecticut, despite all the national acclaim for Seton Hall and Syracuse right now, is the one to beat in the league.
Q: What are your thoughts on Arizona? Although
disappointed in the season so far, I must say that I'm
very confident in Lute Olson's ability to bring this
talented team together by March. -- Scott Pinkerton, Scottsdale, Ariz.
VITALE: If I was picking my Final Four right now, Arizona would still be there, along with Michigan State, Duke and Illinois. The Wildcats' record at 5-3 is so misleading. With all the emotional setbacks and turmoil, they are still the team to beat in the Pac-10. When March rolls around, they will have a great chance to win it all like they did in 1997.
Q: Can the Illini knock off Michigan St. this year and win the Big Ten, or is Michigan St. still too tough? -- Abe, St. Louis, Mo.
VITALE: Obviously playing in Champaign the one time they meet this year, I would say Illinois would be favored in that game. This is a very good Illinois team, as we saw against Arizona. We've seen the Illini are a solid club, even in the loss against Duke. Illinois has been strong on the boards and their bench play has been a plus with Sean Harrington providing a lift. Lucas Johnson is a force on the defensive end and this team plays well as a unit. This is an unselfish club which will get better and gaining confidence.
Q: I was at the Illinois-Arizona game and thought it was a great game between two very good teams. Do you think Illinois is a dirty team? After seeing a replay of the game, I believe Loren Woods intentionally stepped on Archibald and Arch was just retaliating -- and Lucas Johnson was just playing to the whistle and Jefferson deserved the intentional foul more than Johnson since Jefferson pulled Johnson to the floor. Thanks for your time and I love the job you do for ESPN. -- Trent Vandersnick, Rock Island, Ill.
VITALE: No, I just believe they play hard, aggressively and physically. Sometimes that style gives people that impression. I feel they are hard-nosed competitors.
Q: Will Maryland truly be able to recover from three big early losses, or will they be out of Final Four contention? Before the season, many people picked Maryland to be a serious contender (some still do.) What do you think about that? -- Zack Moscow, College Park, Md.
VITALE: Maryland is right there with the starting five they have right now. Byron Mouton has come in and given more offensive productivity. One key is point-guard play and Steve Blake seems to have snapped out of an early slump. I think the Terps have the potential as a threat to make the Final Four. They are ready to go on a roll.
Q: What do you think of the A-10 this year? Who do you think will make the Big Dance this year from the A-10? I go to St. Bonaventure University, where we have had some quality wins this year, yet we can't make the top 25. What do the Bonnies have to do to prove that they are a legit force in the NCAA this year? I would also like to hear your thoughts on the play of Kevin Houston. -- Aaron Wagner, Olean, N.Y.
VITALE: I think the Atlantic 10 has a lot of talented teams. I was very impressed with the quickness of Xavier when I called the game against Cincinnati. Certainly Jimmy Baron's team is off to a great start with the wins over Fresno State and Charlotte early. The A-10 could be wide open since Fordham is off to a great start, Temple should bounce back, and there is a lot of depth. Houston, who came over from Miami-Florida, has been one of the early impact transfers. He has had a number of big games and he hit the key shot against Charlotte.
Q: So everybody looks at Kentucky and says 3-5, count 'em out. Five losses by a grand total of 14 points, including a one-point squeaker to the best team in the nation (MSU). ... What do you have to say about the 'Cats this year? Count 'em out or keep 'em in? -- Ed Corfman, Lexington, Kty.
VITALE: The schedule has been unbelievable but I believe Tubby Smith will straighten out the ship. The heartbreaking loss to Michigan State showed they could play with one of the best teams in America. Defensively the 'Cats showed a lot in that contest. They need to get productivity on the offensive end. When you have the talent and coaching they have, they can go on a big run. The game against Indiana in Louisville is a big one. If Kentucky wins that, there is a big difference between 4-5 and 3-6, especially with High Point after that, a game it should win. Then at .500, with Louisville, the 'Cats have the edge in talent -- though you never know in that rivalry. The potential is there to be back at 6-5.
Q: You ARE the MAN IN THE KNOW, so here's my question: Why all the disrespect to LSU (in the polls, in media attention, etc.)? Yes, they lost Stromile and Jabari Smith, but Top Ten teams (like they were last year) go through that almost every year. LSU is 6-0. OK, they haven't "played anybody" but they've smoked every team they played except Houston. ... They didn't get EVEN ONE VOTE in the coaches poll. That makes me nauseous. So why the disrespect? Don't they at least deserve the benefit of the doubt? Nobody thought they would be any good last year either. -- Kenneth Cobb, Houma, La.
VITALE: John Brady has done a fantastic job with the program. Obviously, LSU would have been a dynamite team if Stromile Swift had stayed in school. A number of clubs right now have no losses, so it is hard to say how much respect they deserve because you can't truly measure them on the quality of opponents. You will get a true read on LSU if they can compete at Arizona. If they want respect, they need to play well against the hungry Wildcats, especially with them coming off a loss to Illinois. This is not a time you want to play Arizona.
