Observations on The Game

Well, I've been busy. I had plans to write, but spring break and a deep NCAA Tournament run by my favorite team got in the way.  So after the Final Four (and a week of depression) I decided I better write again.  Well it turns out I find watching 10 hours of Masters coverage every day more entertaining than, well, anything.  Then it was back to school, and two weeks later, I still hadn't written anything.  So after several hours of procrastination, here I sit, finally writing that ever elusive blog post.  It's great to be back.

You may be thinking "Ugh, he's going to skip over all of that great stuff that happened", and to that, as Lee Corso would say, I give a "Not so fast my friend" in your general direction.  Because even though I might have been gone, I might have been down, but I was not out.  No, not even close.  You see, I have been observing.  Very closely in fact.  These are my observations.  Fittingly, they will be called "Observations on The Game".  I feel like David Hartley right now, writing a philosophical narrative about one man's cunning observations.  Except these aren't exactly cunning, nor are they going to change philosophy forever. This is a  stream of consciousness. About a game.  And it just might be one of the best we will ever see.

Observations on The Game:  
     I sat in my seat and prepared myself for the game of a lifetime.

     Michigan vs Louisville for the national championship.  It did not get any better than this.  I expected great things, but little did I know that the spectacle that was about to appear in front of me would be one of the greatest games in the modern era of basketball.  The fans were great.  The atmosphere was electric.

     The game started, and it was an epic, back and forth affair.  Then a small kid that can shoot the lights out decided to get hot.  Michigan's back up point guard Spike Albrecht made 4/4 threes in the first half, finishing with 17 points at the break in relief of star point guard Trey Burke, who had to sit with 2 fouls.  Spike's performance was inspiring, and raised a chorus of "Who the heck is this kid?" from the Louisville fans in my section.

      Louisville tried everything they could to stop Spike.  But he's an Indiana kid.  "Hoosiers" is probably his favorite movie.  He was unheralded  He was unappreciated   He was just a freshman.  But on the big stage in the big dance everyone is equal.  And Spike proved he belonged there.

      Louisville was out of sorts.  They were getting beaten in every way possible.  Their coach Rick Pitino called a timeout with about 3:40 left in the half.  Whatever he said in that huddle must have worked. Because  Louisville's Luke Hancock looked at what Spike just did, and said to himself "I can do that".  He did just that, and with Louisville down 12, with 3:00 to go in the first half made a three.

     And then on the next possession, made another.  And on the next trip down made another.

      Michigan called a timeout, came out of it, and missed a shot.  Louisville took it down, gave it to Hancock, who just wildly heaved it up from about 28 feet out.  It was an off balance, one footed, going away from his dominant side, shoulder heave.  From where I stood, I had a perfect line on this shot.  My mouth slowly fell open in awe as the ball arched on a perfect trajectory towards the hoop, going through with a perfect swoosh.  That's a 12 point lead eliminated by one player in four possessions in less than 2 minutes on 4 shots. Utter. Pandemonium.

      Michigan managed to take a one point halftime lead.  It didn't feel like a lead thought.  The look on the faces of Michigan fans were that of fans whose team was down 20.  But it felt like that.  Everyone in that building knew that there was a storm coming in the second half.  But there was an air of anticipation   Because that was the greatest first half of basketball I had ever seen, and I couldn't even begin to fathom what the second half had in store.
      This epic back and forth battle between these two heavyweights continued into the second half.  This was Ali vs Foreman. This was The Rumble in Downtown Atlanta. These teams were trading blows, and it was only a matter of time before one of them would become the knockout punch. Michigan took an early lead, and then Louisville, and then Michigan, and then Louisville again.  This was the type of game you never wanted to end.  Just two teams of athletes at their physical and mental best giving everything they had and then some at the pursuit of a National Championship.  That's what it was, and everyone in that building that night knew it.

       This was the most beautiful thing until just over 5 minutes left in the second half. Michigan had just cut Louisville's lead down to three, and there was a buzz in the building.  Was the momentum going to switch back Michigan's way? Could Michigan, the youngest team in the tournament, pull this win off? All they needed was a spark.  Both teams had some momentum when Spike Albrecht missed a layup and Louisville forward Chase Behanan grabbed the rebound. He looked and found Louisville guard Peyton Siva streaking alone in the open court.  The pass was perfect and Siva started to glide in for a layup.  Michigan guard Trey Burke was the only one in the vicinity, he slowed a bit to time his leap.

      With 5 minutes to go in a national title game, you don't concede uncontested layups. Burke and Siva both leaped at the same time, Burke on the inside, closest to the basket.  This all seemed to happen in slow motion to me.  Burke extended his left hand as far as he could, grabbed the ball, and pressed it against the glass.  What. A. Play!

      Almost the moment he did this, a short, shrill noise erupted from near the sideline.

      The whistle of a referee.  At the same time, a Michigan player grabbed the rebound, and looked to start a fast break going in the other direction, because according to him, and most of the stadium, this was the spark that Michigan needed.  This game was theirs for the taking.  Except for that whistle.



     Trey Burke had just made the best play of his incredible career.  And this is what it looked like in the play by play:

5:09	Foul on Trey Burke

5: 09 Foul on Trey Burke. Foul on Trey Burke. Foul.
      Trey Burke couldn't believe it.  His reaction is exactly that of someone that knows he has been robbed of possibly the most athletic and greatest play of his career.

     I knew it. The Michigan bench knew it.  Their coach John Beilein knew it.  The crowd knew it, and immediately erupted into boos.
      Peyton Siva silenced those boos with two free throws, pushing the Louisville lead to 5, a lead that they would not relinquish.  Another Luke Hancock three made it a 10 point game, but like they did all year, and all tournament long, Michigan fought back, pulling it to 4 points with 1:20 remaining.  But they were unable to get that clutch bucket to turn it into a real nail-biter, and a key turnover sealed the deal for Louisville, who after some free throws won 82-76.

     Walking off the court while confetti that could have been for you rains down and another team celebrates a victory has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.

     The way the teams celebrated were total opposites, as one would expect.  For Michigan, it was a solemn handshake between coach John Beilein and freshman forward Mitch McGary.

     For the players it was a simple hug.  No words are needed.

     For Louisville, it was a time for celebration, for rejoicing, for joy.  It was time to cut down the nets.  The hoop was lowered so that Kevin Ware, a sophomore guard who broke his leg in Louisville's Elite Eight game could cut down the final strand. 

 
     They truly won that game for Kevin Ware. They stood for endless pictures, posing with various signs, and of course, the National Championship Trophy.

     When Louisville coach Rick Pitino finally made his way off the court to go celebrate with his players and conduct all of the necessary interviews, he flashed one last sign of victory to the remaining crowd.  He formed his hand into a "L" and held it there for a minute before finally succumbing to a wash of security, fans, and reporters who were all pushing him towards the exit.

     This was truly a game for the ages.

     Something about this game's finish was melancholy for me when it ended.  As I sat there, surrounded by some fans who had tears of joy in their eyes, others had tears of sadness.  In front of me, as confetti streamed down from the rafters, I came to a stark realization.  This is the only time I would ever see something like this ever again.  If this epic of a game had happened in the NBA, both teams would simply resign everyone to a contract, and there was a good chance that this same matchup would happen again next year.  But this is college basketball. This will never happen again.  I'd seen Trey Burke's last game in college. I am very confident that he will have a long and extremely successful NBA career, but there was something magical about that night.  This is what makes college basketball so painful, but so beautiful.  The rosters are always changing, the game is always evolving.  This is what makes it great, but for once, I wish I could have a time machine, so I could go back and see them play this game again.  Not because I didn't like the result the first time, but because it was such an incredible battle between two teams who left everything they had on the court.  That was a game that even Hollywood couldn't have scripted.  But we must move on from the past.  Michigan is losing 7 players from that roster, Louisville only 1 (they have a TON of juniors).  But for about 3 hours in downtown Atlanta, time seemed to stand still.  There was nothing going on in the world except a duel to the death between two opponents on a basketball court.  It was beautiful.  It was a work of art.

March Madness - Hot or Cold

As March plods on, so do I.  Here is a list of hot and cold teams that could potentially bust your brackets.  The hot teams are mostly just teams that have either won their conference tournament or are playing very well.  Note that these are not upset picks (I will have a sleeper picks segment coming soon).   The cold teams are teams that have limped to the finish or struggled down the stretch.  It's always good to pick a team that has been hot down the stretch- remember Connecticut in 2011? They won their last 5 games of the regular season, then the Big East tournament.  They of course went on to win the national championship.  Remember Missouri last year? They didn't play well in the Big 12 tournament and lost in the first round to Norfolk State even though they were a 2 seed.  How hot/cold a team is going into the tournament not only gives a glimpse into how they are playing, but how they might be looking at the games from a confidence aspect.  Is it a "Let's go out and win the whole thing" type mentality, or a "Let's not lose" mentality.  While I can't give you a glimpse into the psyche of the teams, I can tell you who is playing their best (or worst) basketball at the moment.  Here is my 2013 March Madness "Hot or Cold" post. (All times Eastern)

HOT: (4) Saint Louis - There might not be a team playing better basketball at the moment than the Saint Louis University Bilikins. They are 27-6 on the season with a 13-3 conference record out of the Atlantic 10. They won both the regular season crown and the A-10 conference tournament.  On January 19th they lost to lowly Rhode Island.  It seemed like Saint Louis was destined for mediocrity, and they would once again be on the bubble.  But since that day they have won an incredible 16 out of their last 17 games, including 4 wins over ranked teams, including 3 wins over Butler, and 2 against VCU.  Their only loss in that stretch was in overtime on the road against Xavier.  Saint Louis has a great group of seniors and can shoot the three very well.  They have a dynamic backcourt, and if history is any indicator, it helps to have one of those if you are going to make a deep tournament run. They take on 13 seeded New Mexico State on Thursday, March 21 at 2:10 pm. 

COLD: (4) Michigan - Another 4 seed, but Michigan is in a completely different situation than Saint Louis. After starting the season 16-0, and at one point boasting a 20-1 record, Michigan has fallen from grace over the last few weeks.  The various bracket projections had them as a 1 seed all year until they fell all the way down to a 4.  How did this happen? They only managed 5 wins in their last 12 games.  A 5-7 record down the stretch is nothing to write home about.  Some of these losses are justified (Indiana twice, a half court buzzer beater against Wisconsin), but it's how the Wolverines are losing that bothers me.  They blew 8+ point leads against Wisconsin twice, Indiana, and against Penn State, one of the Nittany Lions' two Big Ten victories.  Michigan's overall body of work is still very impressive, but they are not playing they best ball, and rely too heavily on All-American point guard Trey Burke.  He's good, but he can't do everything.  Michigan will take on a tough 13 seeded South Dakota State team led by star guard Nate Wolters Thursday, March 21 at 7:15 pm.  The good news for Michigan: they are playing close to home in Detroit; just a 55 minute drive from the Michigan campus.

HOT: (1) Louisville - Yeah, I know you would imagine that the number one overall seed would be playing pretty well.  Honestly, "pretty well" is a total understatement.  Louisville is playing OUT OF THEIR MINDS right now.  10 straight wins in the tough Big East, and they have won 13 of their last 14, on their way to a 29-5 record.  The only loss was a 5 overtime contest at Notre Dame.  I'm pretty sure we can excuse that as a good loss.  Louisville has beaten 5 ranked teams during that stretch, including Syracuse both on the road and on a neutral court.  They don't have an obvious weak spot in their lineup, and even if they did, their amazing guard play would make up for it.  This is a team that went to the Final Four last year, and returned many players from that team.  They have experience playing good teams in tough environments.  They probably wont get either in their first game: they are playing the winner of a First Four play in game (more information on that HERE), and they are playing very close to home in Lexington, Kentucky.  Louisville will play either North Carolina A&T or Liberty on Thursday, March 21 at 6:50 pm.  If/When they win, they will play the winner of Colorado State and Missouri.  

COLD: (11) Minnesota - Once upon a time the Golden Gophers were 15-1, ranked #8 in the land, and playing incredible basketball. And then the flood gates broke open and they finished the season on a 5-11 run to end up with a 20-12 record.  That's not very good, regardless of what conference you are in.  Luckily, they had enough quality wins that they could still make the tournament as an 11 seed.  Amazingly, they still have 5 wins against ranked teams, but during that 5-11 cold spell they lost to the likes of Purdue, Nebraska, Iowa and Northwestern. None of those teams made the big dance.  I'd say that's a little more than a cold spell: that's an ice age! But the NCAA Tournament is redemption time, and Minnesota will get that chance against 6 seeded UCLA on Friday, March 22 at 9:57 pm. 

HOT: (8) North Carolina - Sometimes you can determine the "hotness" of a team based on the numbers.  Sometimes you have to use the good ol' fashioned eye test.  UNC (24-10) meets that test.  They struggled with team chemistry for most of the season, but really got it together late and have been really clicking on offense.  They have ability to go out any day and outscore any team that they play against.  They are 8-2 in their last 10 games, and even though they lost to Miami (FL) in the ACC championship game, they are still a very dangerous team.  They will play 9 seeded Villanova on Friday, March 22 at 7:20 pm.  If they win, they will (most likely) have a huge showdown with 1 seeded Kansas.

LUKEWARM: (4) Syracuse - If Syracuse aggravates me, I can't even imagine how their fan base feels, or even their coach.  On one hand, they beat 2 ranked teams and make it to the Big East tournament championship game.  On the other hand, they are 4-5 over their last 9 games.  On one hand, every loss was to a ranked team.  On the other hand, several of them were at home, and several others by double digits. So, I'm just going to categorize Syracuse as "lukewarm" because that's exactly what they are.  They have splotchy big man play, and their guards have a horrible tendency to get themselves into foul trouble. The Orange (26-9) will take on the 13 seeded Montana Grizzlies on Thursday, March 21 at 9:57 pm.

HOT: (2) Ohio State - The Buckeyes (26-7) are on fire right now.  They are on a 8 game winning streak that includes wins against 4 ranked teams, including at Indiana.  They just won the Big Ten tournament over Wisconsin, and they made it look easy.  They have great weapons, but the key right now is Aaron Craft.  He is a prototypical passing point guard.  He racks up the assists and steals first, and looks to score second.  This was no the case over the last few games, as Craft has somehow flicked a switch, and is averaging 13 points over his last 5 games.  Craft, along with Deshaun Thomas, will be the keys for Ohio State to make a deep run this year. Ohio State takes on 15 seed Iona on Friday, March 22 at 7:15 pm.

UNBELIEVABLY SCALDING FIERY HOT: (6) Memphis - If you haven't already figured it out, Memphis is playing some very good basketball right now.  They are on a 24-1 streak.  That's incredible. They are 30-4 overall, and currently on a 6 game winning streak after losing to Xavier in late February. They had a perfect 16-0 record in Conference USA, and won the conference tournament with an overtime thriller against Southern Mississippi.  Memphis is extremely athletic, and is poised perfectly to make a good run.  They will take on an 11 seed that will be determined in the First Four, in a game between Saint Mary's and Middle Tennessee State (Preview of that game HERE).  That game will be played on Thursday, March 21 at 2:45 pm.  

So there you have it. The hot and cold (and Syracuse) teams in the tournament.  I hope that this helps you so you can fill out a great bracket and beat your coworkers, or friends, and you HAVE to beat your boss. There will be a sleeper picks post coming out tomorrow, along with continued March Madness coverage every step of the way.  Happy bracket fillings. 'Til next time.

2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (Part III)

This is the final edition of my 2012-13 College Football Preview.  I thoroughly enjoyed writing these, and there has been a a lot of positive response about them.  This is definitely something that I will do again next year! (as always, all times are Eastern)

The Chick-fil-A Bowl: Monday December 31st, 7:30 pm.
#8 LSU (10-2) vs #14 Clemson (10-2) - This is the first matchup of the bowl season that features two teams that are ranked in the top 25.  These two teams make for a great matchup, with LSU's running game and defense going up against one the top offenses in the nation, led by Tajh Boyd and Clemson's group of dynamic receivers. LSU has thrived in games against top 25 opponents, going 3-2.  Clemson, on the other hand, has lost to the only ranked teams that they faced: South Carolina and Florida State.  LSU also played South Carolina, and beat them 23-21.  I guarantee there will be a trick play at some point, as these teams are led by two of the most gutsy (and some times crazy) coaches: Les Miles for LSU, and Dabo Swinney for Clemson. Straight Up Pick: LSU.

The Gator Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 12:00 pm.
Mississippi State (8-4) vs #20 Northwestern (9-3) - The first of several great SEC vs Big Ten matchups; this one might be the best.  Both teams come in with something to prove.  Northwestern has not won a bowl game in 64 years (!) and they need this game to get the monkey off of their back.  Mississippi State needs this game to prove that they belong in the top of the SEC, even though they can't beat a ranked SEC team (0-3 this year).  Both teams have been exposed by the better teams on their schedule so we will see who is able to capitalize. Straight Up Pick: Northwestern.

The Heart of Dallas Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 12:00 pm.
Purdue (6-6) vs Oklahoma State (7-5) - Defensively, these teams are almost the same: not good (ranked 72nd and 73rd in total defense).  It's when you look at the offenses where you see a difference. Oklahoma is 4th in points scored, 7th in passing, and 22nd in rushing.  Purdue is 54th or worse in all of those categories.  To their defense, Purdue won their last 3 games to become bowl eligible, including a great comeback win against Iowa.  But they are 0-1 against ranked teams, while Oklahoma State is 2-3.  Straight Up Pick: Oklahoma State.


The Outback Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 1:00 pm.
#10 South Carolina (10-2) vs #18 Michigan (8-4) - In this marquee Big Ten-SEC game, South Carolina and Michigan square off in what should be one of the more entertaining games.  Michigan's elite dual threat quarterback Denard Robinson has been relegated to receiver running back because of an arm injury.  But he might be even more dangerous, because Michigan went 3-1 after backup Devin Gardner stepped in to take his place.  South Carolina has taken care of everyone on the schedule save their two losses against LSU and Florida, but they do boast a 35-7 win over Georgia.  However, they are missing a key piece to their offense in running back Marcus Lattimore, who is out with a broken leg.  Straight Up Pick: Michigan.

The Capital One Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 1:00 pm.
#7 Georgia (11-2) vs #16 Nebraska (10-3) - Both losers of their conference championship game, Georgia and Nebraska clash in a battle of quarterbacks   Nebraska's Taylor Martinez and Georgia's Aaron Murray, will attempt to lead their teams to victory against a couple of tough ball-pursuit defenses.  Georgia will be without DT John Jenkins, who is a key part of their rush defense.  They will need every bit of that rush defense against Nebraska's attack, which ranks 8th in the nation.  Straight Up Pick: Georgia.

The Rose Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 5:00 pm.
#6 Stanford (10-2) vs Wisconsin (8-5) - There is nothing better than the "Granddaddy of Them All" - The Rose Bowl.  Thanks to the NCAA bowl bans against Ohio State and Penn State, Wisconsin received the Big Ten Championship Game big and took advantage of it. Wisconsin comes in an interesting situation, demolishing Nebraska in the Big Ten Championship Game 70-31, having their coach leave, and then using their athletic directer, Barry Alvarez, as an interim coach.  But this isn't just any athletic directer: Alvarez led Wisconsin to 3 Rose Bowl victories in the 1990's.  Does the magic remain, or will Stanford's top notch defense and stellar running game put Wisconsin in a sleep that they will not be able to rise from? Stanford was 5-1 against ranked teams this year, including their last 4 games against teams that were all ranked in the top 25.  Straight Up Pick: Stanford.

The Discover Orange Bowl: Tuesday January 1st, 8:30 pm.
#15 Northern Illinois (12-1) vs #12 Florida State (11-2) - If you love an underdog, you have to love Northern Illinois.  They busted the BCS by beating Kent State 44-37 in a dramatic double overtime MAC Championship Game.  Their only loss of the year came by one point against Iowa, and they are led by incredible quarterback Jordan Lynch.  Lynch has compiled almost 3000 yards passing and over 1700 yards rushing.  Northern Illinois is up against a tough task, however.  Florida State boasts the number 6 ranked defense, a win against Clemson, and an ACC championship.  With senior signal caller EJ Manuel at the helm, the Seminoles are in a good place for a victory.  Straight Up Pick: Florida State.

The Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday January 2nd, 8:30 pm.

#21 Louisville (10-2) vs #3 Florida (11-1) - Louisville had a great year this year, winning the Big East and landing a BCS Bowl bid.  But the good news stops there.  They have yet to play a ranked team, and their season included losses to Syracuse and Connecticut. They do have a great playmaker in quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but that might not be enough against Florida's 3rd ranked defense.  Sometimes stats lie, but this was a defense that held LSU to 6 points, South Carolina to 11, Missouri to 7, and Georgia to 17.  More impressively they held Heisman Winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M to just 17 points.  On offense they always seem to have just enough to win, with their only loss coming to Georgia when they simply could not move the ball.  Straight Up Pick: Florida.

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Thursday January 3rd, 8:30 pm.
#4 Oregon (11-1) vs #5 Kansas State (11-1) - With a few weeks left, many people thought that this would be the matchup in the National Championship.  But Stanford took down Oregon in OT and the next week Baylor pulled a gigantic upset of Kansas State, throttling them 52-24.  Both teams have great conflicting styles.  Kansas State is content to bore you to death with a power running game and solid defense, while Oregon tries to run as many plays as they can.  Oregon has the number 2 scoring offense, and number 3 rushing attacks in the nation.  They don't play much defense, so it's safe to say that is will be a relativity high scoring game.  Straight Up Pick: Oregon.

The AT&T Cotton Bowl: Friday January 4th, 8:00 pm.
#9 Texas A&M (10-2) vs #11 Oklahoma (10-2) - Now THIS is a game.  Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M take on Landry Jones and Oklahoma.  Both teams bring average defenses and top level offenses to the table. These former Big 12 foes will be sure to duke it out to rabid crowds in Dallas.  A&M had one of the best upsets of the year, beating (then #1) Alabama, but lost to LSU and Florida.  Oklahoma lost to Notre Dame and Kansas State, but beat the other two ranked teams on their schedule.  Straight Up Pick: Oklahoma.

The BBVA Compass Bowl: Saturday January 5th, 1:00 pm.
Ole Miss (6-6) vs Pittsburgh (6-6) - Pittsburgh might be the most inconsistent team ever.  They took Notre Dame to the wire in 3 overtimes and beat Rutgers, but lost to the likes of Youngstown State and Connecticut. They do boast an above average defense, and leadership at the quarterback position in senior Tino Sunseri.  Ole Miss on the other hand has been one of the nation's rebuilding projects over the last few years, and has started to climb back into the thick of things with a 3-5 record in the SEC this year.  They are pretty balanced in all phases of the game, but can really sling it around on offense if they need to.  Straight Up Pick: Ole Miss.

The Godadyy.com Bowl: Sunday January 6th, 9:00 pm.

#25 Kent State (11-2) vs Arkansas State (9-3) - Kent State was in position to land a BCS berth before Northern Illinois mounted a comeback and won the MAC Championship Game in triple overtime.  Now, the Golden Flashes are taking on Arkansas State.  Both teams have average defenses and great running games.  Both teams are under the leadership of senior quarterbacks, Spencer Keith for Kent State, and Ryan Aplin for Arkansas State.  This looks like it will be one of the best under-the-radar bowl games. Straight Up Pick: Kent State.

You may have noticed that I left one very important game out: The BCS National Championship.  That is because I am doing a special game breakdown post just for that game.  It's that important.  But sadly, this is the last post of the Bowl Preview series. 'Til next time.

College Basketball November Recap

2011-2012 was a great year for college basketball.  But if what has happened so far this year is any indication for this season, we are in for a treat! Here is my recap of the first month of college hoops:

Team of the Month: The Duke Blue Devils. Ranked #2 in the nation at 8-0, Duke went into November facing an absolute gauntlet of a schedule.  They beat then #3 Kentucky, and in back to back games toppled #2 Louisville and #4 Ohio State.  The #1 ranked team, Indiana, has impressed as well, but has only faced one ranked team, a #14 North Carolina squad, who they crushed by 24 points.  The rest of the road was not a cake walk for Duke however: they beat now ranked Minnesota, and a tough VCU team. One interesting thing to watch with Duke is the fact that they have yet to play in a true road environment, with four of their eight wins coming on neutral court.  They will play two more neutral court games against Temple and Davidson before heading down the road to take on NC State on January 12th.  Mark that one on your calender!

Dark Horse of the Month: This was a tough category for me to pick one team, but I went with the 8-1 Bucknell Bison. Bucknell started the year off well with a 15 point road win against Purdue, and has built on that upset with wins against New Mexico State, Columbia, and Kent State.  They did lose to a decent Penn State team on the road, but look for Bucknell to turn some heads in the Patriot League and be very dangerous come March and tournament time.

Surprise Team of the Month: Everyone likes surprises. The Virginia Tech Hokies, who entered the season with low expectations and a new coach, like them too. Off-season hire James Johnson has turned this team around in an unbelievable way. At 7-0, the Hokies look like ACC contenders under the leadership of senior guard Erik Green, who is averaging almost 25 points per game. After playing a pretty soft schedule early, Virginia Tech beat Iowa and then upset Oklahoma State (then ranked #15) by ten points. This team still has challenges before conference play starts, like a tough road matchup against West Virginia, but it's time to start believing in the Hokies!

Player of the Month: Many players impressed in November with great stats like Lehigh's C.J. McCollum who averaged 26.3 points per game to lead the nation. But the best player was Duke's Mason Plumlee.  The 6 foot 11 inch senior has been the key to Duke's undefeated start, averaging 19.9 points and 11 rebounds per game. The combination of his smart play and size make Mason Plumlee someone to be feared in the ACC this year.

Freshman of the Month: Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State. Smart has led the Cowboys to a 5-0 record in November. He is averaging an incredible 13.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game.  How good is that? Well, the last freshman to reach those numbers in November was Dwyane Wade in 2001. Smart will try to lead his Cowboys to a championship in what looks like a pretty wide open Big 12 this year.

6th Man of the Month: Just because you don't start doesn't mean you don't have game.  Syracuse senior forward James Southerland would agree with that statement.  The Bayside, New York product is averaging an extremely efficient 16.7 points off the bench this year in 26 minutes per game. His presence has been felt off the bench, helping Syracuse to an undefeated start.

Shot of the Month: You can always count on Butler for some drama.  Brad Stevens' squad was down 2 points late against Marquette in the first round of the Maui Invitational when this happened:

Upset of the Month: Non conference play is always good for some upsets, and we are going to stay in Maui for this one, where Division II host school Chaminade knocked off the Texas Longhorns.  It wasn't a fluky upset either. After leading by 4 at the half, Chaminade outpaced the Longhorns in route to a 86-73 victory. Thirty years after upsetting Ralph Samson's #1 ranked Virginia Cavaliers, the Chaminade Silverswords struck once again, and took down another quality opponent in the Maui Invitational.

Game of the Month: With so many tournaments and high powered non conference matchups, it was hard to choose just one, but Duke's nail biting win over Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament final got my vote.  Featuring two of the top 5 teams in the country, Duke jumped out to an eight point halftime lead before Louisville clawed their way back, forcing Duke to nail several clutch threes down the stretch to close the deal, 76-71. It looked like a preview of what we might see come tournament time in March.

November was an awesome month for college basketball, and I can't wait to do the December Recap. Here are some great high-powered games that you can't miss for December (rankings are as of December 6) (all times Eastern):
December 8th: 
#8 Arizona @ Clemson (8:00 pm), #13 Illinois @ #10 Gonzaga (10:00 pm)
December 15th:
#1 Indiana @ Butler (2:00 pm EST), West Virginia vs #3 Michigan (8:00 pm), #6 Florida @ #8 Arizona (10:00 pm)
December 19th:
Xavier @ #11 Cincinnati (7:00 pm)
December 22nd:
#9 Kansas @ #7 Ohio State (4:00 pm), #13 Illinois @ #12 Missouri (6:00 pm)
December 27th:
#18 New Mexico @ #11 Cincinnati (9:00 pm)
December 29th:
Kentucky @ #5 Louisville (4:00 pm)
December 31st:
#11 Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh  (12:00 pm), #19 Michigan State @ #14 Minnesota, #10 Gonzaga @ #23 Oklahoma State (6:00 pm)

There you have it. Happy watching! 'Til next time.