Category Archive

This should have been mentioned in the local papers somewhere. UW-Platteville’s NCAA Division III men’s basketball team beat the NCAA Division I Bradley Braves in a Peoria, IL exhibition on Sunday. Way to go, Pioneers!

I should mention that in other NCAA Division 3 news, UW-Whitewater’s women’s team is ranked #1 in the nation and the men #4 in the D3HOOPS pre-season polls.

College basketball teams reap what they’ve sown. The NBA rule restricting players from going directly from high school to the pros has created the one-and-done team. Ohio State may have had the best big man in college basketball in Greg Oden last year and made it to the finals. Then he left. Ohio State didn’t make it into the tournament this year. Kansas State has a brilliant player in Michael Beasley, but he will leave now to become a man who will command tens of millions of dollars before the leaves change, while Kansas State might not be back in the tournament next March.

Then there are the Badgers of Bo Ryan. A couple may pick up big pay checks from the NBA because you can’t teach someone to be 7 feet tall, but most of them will be consigned to being the best player in their muni rec league after their college days are through. But the Badgers are likely to be back next March. By not recruiting super stars, Ryan has created a winning basketball program which should continue until Ryan retires. In computer-speak, his players are plug and play. Player A graduates, replace him with Player B, who will be around for four years and at the end of that time will be not be able to jump as high or shoot as far as your sure lottery pick, but will be packing his bags for a trip to the sweet sixteen. Yours will be meeting with his agent.

Continuity, consistency and experience are the bedrock of Ryan’s program. As yesterday’s game came to a close, I realized why Ryan never looked concerned on Thursday about anything. He reminds me of a good sheepshead player, who after the first one or two tricks are played, knows exactly which cards everyone is holding. It almost looks as if the game is fixed and in a way it is. He knows the other team is going to score 60 points or less. Therefore, all he needs from his offense is to score 61 points or more. All the rest of it is just details.

Watching North Carolina’s path to the Final Four starting 25 miles from the Dean Dome, I was thinking it would be like UWM playing its first round games at the Bradley Center and having the regional in Madison. C’mon Rob Jeter, let’s get that #1 seed next year.

Knowing the lack of respect the NCAA has shown towards UW, I wondered if the Badgers got a regular bus to take them from the hotel to the arena or if the NCAA made them ride one of those half-size ones.

Here’s a pet peeve about the CBS coverage of the NCAA which doesn’t involve every game’s “analyst” trying to imitate Bill Rafferty or Dick Vitale: You come back from a commercial time out in Game A to Greg Gumble saying, “Before we take you back to Game A, let’s take you over to Game B for an update.” They switch to Game B, which after 10 seconds of action has a time out. Instead of then switching you back to Game A, they go to the commercials of Game B so I get to watch the same commercials I just watched less than 30 seconds ago.

After watching Marquette lose to Georgetown in overtime, two things:

1. How un-Dwayne Wade-like Dominic James turned out to be in his career. Missing a three-pointer which could have buried the Hoyas in regular time. Fouling a player in the act of shooting outside the three point line, resulting in the tie game. Missing free throws late in the game. Throwing the ball away in the last moments of overtime with a chance to win or tie. All of these situations, any of these situations, a star comes through and that’s what makes him a star. James, all too often, does not come through, but looks like he should have. As freshman, I saw a star in the making. As a junior … well I hope he’s getting a degree. Did he lose the game single-handedly? No, wait’ll you see what Marquette shot at the line as a team. My point is that a star could have single-handedly won that game.
2. Jeremiah Rivers played some significant minutes for the Hoyas. Jeremiah is the son of ex-Marquette great Glenn “Doc” Rivers and Kris (Campi) Rivers. Kris is a Brookfield girl and I’m pretty sure they married at St. Mary’s in Waukesha.

Marquette University announced the position opening to be athletic director yesterday. The new athletic diretor would be replacing Bill Cords, who retired December 31, 2006. The interim athletic director has been Steve Cottingham.

Well they’ve got one today!

Carroll played UW tough but finally succumbed 81-61 in Madison last night. It might be worth your time and save you money and you wouldn’t have to cross 124th St. to visit Van Male to see some top 20 college basketball. How about Saturday night when they take on #25 UW-Stevens Point, for instance?

Marquette plays Cardinal Stritch on Sunday? Cardinal. Stritch. Was John Roberts Modeling School already booked? I e-mailed a season ticket holder and they are paying full price for this game. Being a capitalist, I can justify (sort of) charging rubes full price if they’re dumb enough to buy a ticket to this game outside of a package, though a reduced price might entice more rubes. But there is no justification, business-wise or morally, in this dimension for charging season ticket holders full price for this dog.