College Basketball Nation: Fran McCaffery
For Matt Gatens, timing is everything
February, 24, 2012
Feb 24
5:15
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
Consider, for a moment, the kind of week Iowa guard Matt Gatens just had.
On Sunday, he set a then-career high in points, scoring 30 in a 78-66 win over Indiana. Four days later, Gatens scored 33 -- yes, another career high -- in a 67-66 win over Wisconsin. Taken as a whole, Gatens was 22-of-36 from the field, including a scorching 14-for-20 from 3-point range. On Thursday night, he hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining, enough to hold off Wisconsin's final push.
"My teammates are like, 'What's gotten into you, man?'" Gatens told ESPN.com by phone Friday. "It's just one of those things. It feels good. It's all been clicking. It's great."
Wherever the hot stretch came from, its timing couldn't be better. That's true of the Hawkeyes, who are suddenly, desperately clawing their way toward fringe NCAA tournament consideration.
Few people are lucky enough to know what they want to do in ninth grade. Gatens was one of them. That's when Gatens, a top-100 recruit in the class of 2008, committed to then-Iowa coach Steve Alford. This may have been the least surprising commitment of all time. Gatens was born and raised in Iowa City. His father, Mike Gatens, played at Iowa in the 1970s. His mother, Julie, is a former Hawkeyes cheerleader.
Gatens remembers visiting practices as a kid, watching Tom Davis' old teams, idolizing point guard Andre Woolridge -- whose No. 5 jersey Gatens adopted as a child (and still wears today) -- lead the Hawks on the break in front of a rocking Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd. Back when Carver-Hawkeye used to rock.
Since he was born, Gatens has bled black and gold. If only he'd been born at a different time.
"When I came to Iowa, my goal was to get to NCAA tournaments and compete on a national level," he said. "We obviously haven't done that."
Gatens couldn't have known it at the time, but his commitment would be followed by one of the more fallow periods in Iowa hoops history. Before 2006-07, Alford's final year with the program, the Hawkeyes had reached the NIT or NCAA tournament in 24 of the past 28 seasons. This dated back to Lute Olson's tenure in the late 1980s and early '90s. Alford resigned at Iowa after the 2006-07 season, just one year before Gatens was set to enter the program.
He was replaced by former Butler coach Todd Lickliter, whose tenure at the school might charitably be described as a "disappointment." "Disaster" is probably a better word. Lickliter went 38-57 overall and 15-39 in the Big Ten in three seasons. His final season, a grating 10-22 campaign, pushed football-obsessed Iowa fans away. In 2010, Lickliter was replaced by former Siena coach Fran McCaffery, and Gatens faced the prospect of playing for the program's third coach in five years.
Through no fault of his own, the hometown kid who only ever wanted to play for Iowa found himself caught in a vicious rebuilding cycle. He was a talent, perhaps Iowa's only talent, capable of scoring in bunches -- Gatens has averaged double-digit points in each of his four seasons -- but not quite good enough to carry a program on his back. The easy thing to do -- what many college players do, and understandably so -- is transfer. But Gatens never gave it a thought, never wavered on his teenage commitment. Why?
"I grew up loving the Hawkeyes," Gatens said. "It was always my dream to play here. Iowa fans have a saying: 'Once a Hawkeye, always a Hawkeye.'"
In McCaffery's second season, the Hawkeyes are still rebuilding. McCaffery has two ESPN top-100 recruits, both Iowa natives, on board for 2012. Which is all well and good, Gatens said, but as a senior with just a few more weeks left in his career, he isn't content to go down without a fight. Frankly, he's running out of time.
"I'm just trying to get this program back to where it deserves to be," he said. "We've got a lot of young guys here. The program is going to be fine. But we seniors want to go out and create our own memories for the fans too.
"You just want to get everything you can out of it. We want to get the tournament. We haven't done it, but if we keep playing the way we are down the stretch, I think we can get into that conversation."
It isn't going to be easy. Iowa, which is 2-8 away from Carver-Hawkeye this season, will travel to Illinois and Nebraska for two of its final three games. Both are must-wins, and they're followed by a home date against bubble team Northwestern in the March 3 season finale. After wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, the Hawks' at-large résumé is much better than it was, but their bad RPI (No. 126) and ugly nonconference strength of schedule (No. 305) mean they have to win out (for a 10-8 Big Ten record) and possibly make a run in the Big Ten tournament to get within striking distance of at-large consideration.
It's a long shot, sure, but it's one that didn't even exist before Gatens dropped 63 points and 14 3s on two ranked teams this week. As his career winds down, and the prospect of life after Iowa basketball comes into stark focus, Gatens is trying to be remembered as more than the hometown kid whose career came at the worst possible time.
"Hopefully the fans will remember me as a guy who loved Iowa, whose dream it was to play here, a guy that remained loyal to the fan base through good times and the bad," he said. "But hopefully, they'll remember me as someone who went out on a higher note. Hopefully they can remember me a winner too."
On Sunday, he set a then-career high in points, scoring 30 in a 78-66 win over Indiana. Four days later, Gatens scored 33 -- yes, another career high -- in a 67-66 win over Wisconsin. Taken as a whole, Gatens was 22-of-36 from the field, including a scorching 14-for-20 from 3-point range. On Thursday night, he hit two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining, enough to hold off Wisconsin's final push.
"My teammates are like, 'What's gotten into you, man?'" Gatens told ESPN.com by phone Friday. "It's just one of those things. It feels good. It's all been clicking. It's great."
Wherever the hot stretch came from, its timing couldn't be better. That's true of the Hawkeyes, who are suddenly, desperately clawing their way toward fringe NCAA tournament consideration.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallMatt Gatens and the Hawkeyes must win out to have a shot at making the NCAA tournament.
AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallMatt Gatens and the Hawkeyes must win out to have a shot at making the NCAA tournament.Gatens remembers visiting practices as a kid, watching Tom Davis' old teams, idolizing point guard Andre Woolridge -- whose No. 5 jersey Gatens adopted as a child (and still wears today) -- lead the Hawks on the break in front of a rocking Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd. Back when Carver-Hawkeye used to rock.
Since he was born, Gatens has bled black and gold. If only he'd been born at a different time.
"When I came to Iowa, my goal was to get to NCAA tournaments and compete on a national level," he said. "We obviously haven't done that."
Gatens couldn't have known it at the time, but his commitment would be followed by one of the more fallow periods in Iowa hoops history. Before 2006-07, Alford's final year with the program, the Hawkeyes had reached the NIT or NCAA tournament in 24 of the past 28 seasons. This dated back to Lute Olson's tenure in the late 1980s and early '90s. Alford resigned at Iowa after the 2006-07 season, just one year before Gatens was set to enter the program.
He was replaced by former Butler coach Todd Lickliter, whose tenure at the school might charitably be described as a "disappointment." "Disaster" is probably a better word. Lickliter went 38-57 overall and 15-39 in the Big Ten in three seasons. His final season, a grating 10-22 campaign, pushed football-obsessed Iowa fans away. In 2010, Lickliter was replaced by former Siena coach Fran McCaffery, and Gatens faced the prospect of playing for the program's third coach in five years.
Through no fault of his own, the hometown kid who only ever wanted to play for Iowa found himself caught in a vicious rebuilding cycle. He was a talent, perhaps Iowa's only talent, capable of scoring in bunches -- Gatens has averaged double-digit points in each of his four seasons -- but not quite good enough to carry a program on his back. The easy thing to do -- what many college players do, and understandably so -- is transfer. But Gatens never gave it a thought, never wavered on his teenage commitment. Why?
"I grew up loving the Hawkeyes," Gatens said. "It was always my dream to play here. Iowa fans have a saying: 'Once a Hawkeye, always a Hawkeye.'"
In McCaffery's second season, the Hawkeyes are still rebuilding. McCaffery has two ESPN top-100 recruits, both Iowa natives, on board for 2012. Which is all well and good, Gatens said, but as a senior with just a few more weeks left in his career, he isn't content to go down without a fight. Frankly, he's running out of time.
"I'm just trying to get this program back to where it deserves to be," he said. "We've got a lot of young guys here. The program is going to be fine. But we seniors want to go out and create our own memories for the fans too.
"You just want to get everything you can out of it. We want to get the tournament. We haven't done it, but if we keep playing the way we are down the stretch, I think we can get into that conversation."
It isn't going to be easy. Iowa, which is 2-8 away from Carver-Hawkeye this season, will travel to Illinois and Nebraska for two of its final three games. Both are must-wins, and they're followed by a home date against bubble team Northwestern in the March 3 season finale. After wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, the Hawks' at-large résumé is much better than it was, but their bad RPI (No. 126) and ugly nonconference strength of schedule (No. 305) mean they have to win out (for a 10-8 Big Ten record) and possibly make a run in the Big Ten tournament to get within striking distance of at-large consideration.
It's a long shot, sure, but it's one that didn't even exist before Gatens dropped 63 points and 14 3s on two ranked teams this week. As his career winds down, and the prospect of life after Iowa basketball comes into stark focus, Gatens is trying to be remembered as more than the hometown kid whose career came at the worst possible time.
"Hopefully the fans will remember me as a guy who loved Iowa, whose dream it was to play here, a guy that remained loyal to the fan base through good times and the bad," he said. "But hopefully, they'll remember me as someone who went out on a higher note. Hopefully they can remember me a winner too."
Iowa auctions McCaffery's infamous chair
February, 13, 2012
Feb 13
12:59
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
On Jan. 10, the Hawkeyes were in a tough spot. Michigan State was doing what Michigan State often does to teams like Iowa -- defending like crazy and scoring at will and blowing the Hawks off the floor in East Lansing, Mich. -- and by the 11-minute mark in the second half, with MSU leading 69-41, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery had seen enough.
You've seen what happened next: McCaffery lost it. He directed his ire first at the referees, for which he received a technical foul, and he was arguably lucky not to be thrown out of the game. A minute later, he turned his anger inward, gesticulating wildly during a timeout before picking up a padded MSU bench chair and slamming it forcefully down on the Breslin Center court.
McCaffery's actions were met by the Big Ten with something less than enthusiasm. League commissioner Jim Delaney said the conference "communicate[d] its concern" to Iowa's athletics department about McCaffery's outburst, and Iowa athletic director Gary Barta had to walk the line between supporting his coach and agreeing that the chair toss was slightly over the line. When asked about the incident, McCaffery was largely defiant, saying he wasn't going to sit on his hands and watch his players get blown out by 40 points without "fighting" and "coaching with passion." All in all, the chair-slam ended up being less controversial than funny, the subject of more amused ("Ha, look at McCaffery lose it! And here comes the chair! Bam!") reactions than outrage. Really, the whole thing seemed premeditated: McCaffery was trying something, anything, to snap his team out of its doldrums.
And that was the last of it, or so we thought. Turns out, McCaffery's infamous chair found another use this weekend: fundraising.
Per Iowa communications director Matt Weitzel, the chair was sold Sunday at an auction/steak fry (mmm, steak fry) benefiting the Iowa baseball program. The chair included McCaffery's signature and two handwritten messages: "Go Hawks!" and "Coach with passion!" The going price? $2,100. You can see a large image here.
Really, it's a win-win: Iowa raises a bit of cash, McCaffery turns his follies into a benefit for his athletics program, and some lucky fan with moderately deep pockets adds a rather hilarious memento to his rumpus room collection. In the meantime, McCaffery's signed message -- "Coach with passion!" -- may just become his trademark calling card. Given McCaffery's typically demure demeanor, perhaps that's the biggest surprise of all.
(Hat tip: The fine folks at Midwest Sports Fans)
You've seen what happened next: McCaffery lost it. He directed his ire first at the referees, for which he received a technical foul, and he was arguably lucky not to be thrown out of the game. A minute later, he turned his anger inward, gesticulating wildly during a timeout before picking up a padded MSU bench chair and slamming it forcefully down on the Breslin Center court.
[+] Enlarge
Mike Carter/US PresswireFran McCaffery was able to turn a negative incident into something positive for Iowa athletics.
Mike Carter/US PresswireFran McCaffery was able to turn a negative incident into something positive for Iowa athletics.And that was the last of it, or so we thought. Turns out, McCaffery's infamous chair found another use this weekend: fundraising.
Per Iowa communications director Matt Weitzel, the chair was sold Sunday at an auction/steak fry (mmm, steak fry) benefiting the Iowa baseball program. The chair included McCaffery's signature and two handwritten messages: "Go Hawks!" and "Coach with passion!" The going price? $2,100. You can see a large image here.
Really, it's a win-win: Iowa raises a bit of cash, McCaffery turns his follies into a benefit for his athletics program, and some lucky fan with moderately deep pockets adds a rather hilarious memento to his rumpus room collection. In the meantime, McCaffery's signed message -- "Coach with passion!" -- may just become his trademark calling card. Given McCaffery's typically demure demeanor, perhaps that's the biggest surprise of all.
(Hat tip: The fine folks at Midwest Sports Fans)
How many NCAA tourney bids will the Big Ten receive? Five seem safe at this point, but beyond that is anyone's guess -- especially after Illinois' home loss to Northwestern on Sunday.
1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes went to Madison and beat the Badgers at their own plodding game Saturday. Thad Matta's squad isn’t just the best team in the Big Ten right now. It’s arguably the top squad in the country based on the way it’s played during its five-game winning streak. The Buckeyes could really pull away from the rest of the field with a win against Michigan State Saturday.
2. Michigan State: Spartans fans can exhale now. Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 64-54 win over Michigan Sunday, days after leaving the team’s road loss at Illinois with a knee injury. The Spartans get a shot at Ohio State Saturday in Columbus. And they possess the physical style to stifle the Buckeyes.
3. Wisconsin: Can’t knock the Badgers for putting up a 40-minute fight against an Ohio State team that’s been the league’s best squad for weeks. A few late mistakes cost the Badgers. Their challenges from the 3-point line (18.5 percent against the Buckeyes) continue to hurt a team without an inside force. But they’re going to challenge every team in the Big Ten with their stingy defense.
4. Michigan: Yes, the Wolverines had their fourth conference loss of the season Sunday against Michigan State. No, they’re not out of the Big Ten title race. The Wolverines get Ohio State, Purdue and Illinois at home in the coming weeks. And they play Nebraska, Illinois, Northwestern and Penn State on the road. The Wolverines, however, continue to suffer inside with their limited frontcourt depth.
5. Indiana: The Hoosiers have won three of their past five games. Saturday’s 78-61 win at rival Purdue served two crucial purposes for Tom Crean’s program. It saved Indiana from a 5-7 Big Ten record and it snapped its four-game road losing streak in conference play. Only two of Indiana’s final seven games will be played outside of Bloomington.
6. Illinois: The Illini followed Tuesday’s 42-41 home win over Michigan State with a 74-70 loss to Northwestern Sunday … in the same arena, Assembly Hall in Champaign. Really? You try to figure out this up-and-down Illini team because I can’t.
7. Purdue: The Boilermakers have lost three of four. And they play Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana in their last eight Big Ten games. Why are those opponents significant? Because they all have the inside threats that can expose Purdue’s void in the paint.
8. Minnesota: The Gophers have won five of their past seven games. After losing their best player, Trevor Mbakwe, to a season-ending knee injury in November, they could easily be at the very bottom of the Big Ten standings.
9. Iowa: The Hawkeyes are 3-2 at home in 2012. Fran McCaffery’s team has won two in a row. That’s certainly an accomplishment for this rebuilding team.
10. Northwestern: The Wildcats entered the season amid ongoing hope that this would be the first time the program makes the NCAA tournament. That’s not going to happen this season.
11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have the worst record in the Big Ten at 2-9. But there’s just something about State College. Big Ten teams always seem to encounter trouble when they play there. Plus, Tim Frazier (18.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 6.3 apg) is one of the top players in the league. That’s why they avoided the No. 12 slot.
12. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ introduction to the Big Ten hasn’t been a smooth one. And that’s too bad because Bo Spencer (15.3 ppg and 3.5 apg) is a special player and he deserves more praise.
1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes went to Madison and beat the Badgers at their own plodding game Saturday. Thad Matta's squad isn’t just the best team in the Big Ten right now. It’s arguably the top squad in the country based on the way it’s played during its five-game winning streak. The Buckeyes could really pull away from the rest of the field with a win against Michigan State Saturday.
2. Michigan State: Spartans fans can exhale now. Draymond Green scored 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a 64-54 win over Michigan Sunday, days after leaving the team’s road loss at Illinois with a knee injury. The Spartans get a shot at Ohio State Saturday in Columbus. And they possess the physical style to stifle the Buckeyes.
3. Wisconsin: Can’t knock the Badgers for putting up a 40-minute fight against an Ohio State team that’s been the league’s best squad for weeks. A few late mistakes cost the Badgers. Their challenges from the 3-point line (18.5 percent against the Buckeyes) continue to hurt a team without an inside force. But they’re going to challenge every team in the Big Ten with their stingy defense.
4. Michigan: Yes, the Wolverines had their fourth conference loss of the season Sunday against Michigan State. No, they’re not out of the Big Ten title race. The Wolverines get Ohio State, Purdue and Illinois at home in the coming weeks. And they play Nebraska, Illinois, Northwestern and Penn State on the road. The Wolverines, however, continue to suffer inside with their limited frontcourt depth.
5. Indiana: The Hoosiers have won three of their past five games. Saturday’s 78-61 win at rival Purdue served two crucial purposes for Tom Crean’s program. It saved Indiana from a 5-7 Big Ten record and it snapped its four-game road losing streak in conference play. Only two of Indiana’s final seven games will be played outside of Bloomington.
6. Illinois: The Illini followed Tuesday’s 42-41 home win over Michigan State with a 74-70 loss to Northwestern Sunday … in the same arena, Assembly Hall in Champaign. Really? You try to figure out this up-and-down Illini team because I can’t.
7. Purdue: The Boilermakers have lost three of four. And they play Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana in their last eight Big Ten games. Why are those opponents significant? Because they all have the inside threats that can expose Purdue’s void in the paint.
8. Minnesota: The Gophers have won five of their past seven games. After losing their best player, Trevor Mbakwe, to a season-ending knee injury in November, they could easily be at the very bottom of the Big Ten standings.
9. Iowa: The Hawkeyes are 3-2 at home in 2012. Fran McCaffery’s team has won two in a row. That’s certainly an accomplishment for this rebuilding team.
10. Northwestern: The Wildcats entered the season amid ongoing hope that this would be the first time the program makes the NCAA tournament. That’s not going to happen this season.
11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have the worst record in the Big Ten at 2-9. But there’s just something about State College. Big Ten teams always seem to encounter trouble when they play there. Plus, Tim Frazier (18.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 6.3 apg) is one of the top players in the league. That’s why they avoided the No. 12 slot.
12. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ introduction to the Big Ten hasn’t been a smooth one. And that’s too bad because Bo Spencer (15.3 ppg and 3.5 apg) is a special player and he deserves more praise.
It's been a pretty great week for the state of Iowa. On Tuesday, 140,000 or so Iowan Republicans got together and proved that local politics -- the idea that actually going door-to-door and meeting people on the campaign trail, radical though it may be -- actually matters. In the process, CNN aired the greatest, most adorable, most Iowa phone call of all-time. (Edith did not like the suggestion that her numbers did not add up.) Whatever concerns you may have about the impact a minuscule number of Iowans may have on the future of the American presidency, those of us from the state tend to think we do a pretty good job, regardless of political belief.
If anything can overshadow the gleeful democratic enthusiasm in the Hawkeye State this week, well, it may just be the Hawkeyes themselves.
OK, that may be a slight exaggeration. OK, the exaggeration probably isn't "slight." But either way, it's worth taking a step back and noting exactly what this Iowa team has done in the past week. On Saturday, Fran McCaffery's team got one of the more surprising road wins in this season or any other, a 72-65 road win at Wisconsin. Yes, you read that right: "road win at Wisconsin." Four days later, I'm still processing this. But it happened.
The question going forward was whether that performance was a fluke -- an aberration borne of some unusually poor Wisconsin shooting, not unlike the Badgers' first home loss of the season to Marquette -- or the real deal. Before Wednesday night, I was leaning toward fluke. How could you not? Sure, Iowa nearly toppled Purdue in Iowa City a week ago, but how significant is that? After Wednesday night, when the Hawkeyes escaped The Barn with a 64-62 win over Minnesota, I think the answer might be "pretty significant." "Real deal" might not be quite so far off.
Which is not to say the Hawkeyes are setting the world ablaze. Still, the contrast from where this team was early in this season is impossible to miss. Iowa's nonconference performance was ugly, and that's being polite. The Hawkeyes were trounced by Creighton. Clemson easily handled them at home. They put up minimal fight at UNI and Iowa State, losing by a combined margin of 36 points. And I haven't even mentioned the coup de grace, a Nov. 23 77-61 home loss -- yes, home loss -- to Campbell. The Fighting Camels were 16 points better than Iowa on Iowa's home floor. For a rebuilding team that entered the season with sneaky expectations -- of the "hey, Iowa could be respectable this year, look out" kind -- the Campbell loss was an apparent confirmation of how deep a hole this program is in. If you get blown out by the Camels on your own floor, chances are you're taking your licks in the Big Ten.
And that would have been OK! McCaffery is in his second year of a deep rebuilding project; his best player last season (Melsahn Basabe), impressive though he was, was originally recruited to play in the MAAC at Siena. McCaffery has a good recruiting class arriving in 2012, the first Hawkeyes fans have seen since the Steve Alford years. Iowa fans could afford to be patient.
If the past week's performances are any indication, they may not need to be. At the very least, Iowa has proved that it won't be terrible. The Hawkeyes rank No. 87 in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings; their offense is averaging 1.08 points per possession on the season. Defense has been an issue, but in the past two games the Hawks have allowed an average of 1.0 ppp -- a massive improvement made all the more impressive by the fact it happened twice on the road. If Iowa can maintain that level of defense, it can score with Big Ten opponents.
Of course, the Hawkeyes are hardly a Big Ten title contender. A top-half Big Ten finish, a .500-or-better record, is still a long way off. But Iowa has, at the very least, proved one thing: It isn't terrible. Given this program's struggles in the past decade, its desperate search for relevance both locally and nationally, and its early-season performance -- again: this team lost at home to Campbell -- that alone is an accomplishment.
If anything can overshadow the gleeful democratic enthusiasm in the Hawkeye State this week, well, it may just be the Hawkeyes themselves.
OK, that may be a slight exaggeration. OK, the exaggeration probably isn't "slight." But either way, it's worth taking a step back and noting exactly what this Iowa team has done in the past week. On Saturday, Fran McCaffery's team got one of the more surprising road wins in this season or any other, a 72-65 road win at Wisconsin. Yes, you read that right: "road win at Wisconsin." Four days later, I'm still processing this. But it happened.
The question going forward was whether that performance was a fluke -- an aberration borne of some unusually poor Wisconsin shooting, not unlike the Badgers' first home loss of the season to Marquette -- or the real deal. Before Wednesday night, I was leaning toward fluke. How could you not? Sure, Iowa nearly toppled Purdue in Iowa City a week ago, but how significant is that? After Wednesday night, when the Hawkeyes escaped The Barn with a 64-62 win over Minnesota, I think the answer might be "pretty significant." "Real deal" might not be quite so far off.
Which is not to say the Hawkeyes are setting the world ablaze. Still, the contrast from where this team was early in this season is impossible to miss. Iowa's nonconference performance was ugly, and that's being polite. The Hawkeyes were trounced by Creighton. Clemson easily handled them at home. They put up minimal fight at UNI and Iowa State, losing by a combined margin of 36 points. And I haven't even mentioned the coup de grace, a Nov. 23 77-61 home loss -- yes, home loss -- to Campbell. The Fighting Camels were 16 points better than Iowa on Iowa's home floor. For a rebuilding team that entered the season with sneaky expectations -- of the "hey, Iowa could be respectable this year, look out" kind -- the Campbell loss was an apparent confirmation of how deep a hole this program is in. If you get blown out by the Camels on your own floor, chances are you're taking your licks in the Big Ten.
And that would have been OK! McCaffery is in his second year of a deep rebuilding project; his best player last season (Melsahn Basabe), impressive though he was, was originally recruited to play in the MAAC at Siena. McCaffery has a good recruiting class arriving in 2012, the first Hawkeyes fans have seen since the Steve Alford years. Iowa fans could afford to be patient.
If the past week's performances are any indication, they may not need to be. At the very least, Iowa has proved that it won't be terrible. The Hawkeyes rank No. 87 in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings; their offense is averaging 1.08 points per possession on the season. Defense has been an issue, but in the past two games the Hawks have allowed an average of 1.0 ppp -- a massive improvement made all the more impressive by the fact it happened twice on the road. If Iowa can maintain that level of defense, it can score with Big Ten opponents.
Of course, the Hawkeyes are hardly a Big Ten title contender. A top-half Big Ten finish, a .500-or-better record, is still a long way off. But Iowa has, at the very least, proved one thing: It isn't terrible. Given this program's struggles in the past decade, its desperate search for relevance both locally and nationally, and its early-season performance -- again: this team lost at home to Campbell -- that alone is an accomplishment.
Anthony Hubbard lands at Morgan State
September, 3, 2011
9/03/11
12:10
AM ET
By Diamond Leung | ESPN.com
Anthony Hubbard will get his second chance from a coach who knows all about second chances.
Iowa had taken a chance on signing Hubbard before abruptly releasing the junior college transfer and 26-year-old ex-felon from his national letter of intent in July so he could attend school closer to his Virginia home.
Now according to the Des Moines Register, Hubbard has enrolled at Morgan State to play for coach Todd Bozeman, who received an eight-year show-cause penalty for paying the parents of a Cal player before landing his current job.
Bozeman told the paper he didn't have any indication that Hubbard was forced out at Iowa, but the circumstances of the departure remain unclear.
The Hawkeyes have not said much about Hubbard's departure since announcing his release, with coach Fran McCaffery saying it was the player's decision. The team had explored Hubbard's background before signing someone who had served nearly four years in prison after being convicted in connection with a 2003 home robbery.
Athletic director Gary Barta has since said Hubbard did not have added restrictions while at Iowa without confirming or denying whether the 6-foot-5 guard was dismissed.
McCaffery told the Des Moines Register last week that he wished Hubbard the best at Morgan State.
Iowa had taken a chance on signing Hubbard before abruptly releasing the junior college transfer and 26-year-old ex-felon from his national letter of intent in July so he could attend school closer to his Virginia home.
Now according to the Des Moines Register, Hubbard has enrolled at Morgan State to play for coach Todd Bozeman, who received an eight-year show-cause penalty for paying the parents of a Cal player before landing his current job.
"Everybody I talked to told me Anthony was a good kid," Bozeman said. "People make mistakes in life. Some of us get more attention than others. But everybody deserves to move on. I made a mistake in my professional career, got another chance and made the most of it."
...
Bozeman had a question of his own: How is Hubbard [in deciding to leave Iowa] any different from all the coaches who change jobs?
"How's that different from Dana Altman going to Arkansas and coming back to Creighton? People change their minds."
Bozeman told the paper he didn't have any indication that Hubbard was forced out at Iowa, but the circumstances of the departure remain unclear.
The Hawkeyes have not said much about Hubbard's departure since announcing his release, with coach Fran McCaffery saying it was the player's decision. The team had explored Hubbard's background before signing someone who had served nearly four years in prison after being convicted in connection with a 2003 home robbery.
Athletic director Gary Barta has since said Hubbard did not have added restrictions while at Iowa without confirming or denying whether the 6-foot-5 guard was dismissed.
McCaffery told the Des Moines Register last week that he wished Hubbard the best at Morgan State.
"Things happen in recruiting," McCaffery said. "I don't take anything personally. I still think the world of the kid. I think he’s going to be great. I hope he gets his degree, has two good years and then hopefully plays some professional basketball."
McCaffery discounted speculation that Hubbard was told to leave because he didn’t fulfill a set of standards put in place for him after he signed.
"He decided to transfer," McCaffery said. "That was it."
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- During last week's EYBL Peach Jam, ESPN.com surveyed 15 head coaches on a range of topics. Here are their responses on a topic involving their fellow coaches.
There are five seconds left in a tie game. Your opponent has the ball. What coach would you most worry about diagramming the last play?
Rick Barnes, Texas: Dean Smith. “No question. He was a great situation guy.’’
Mark Fox, Georgia: “It’s the guy with the best players. I don’t care what the play is.’’
Darrin Horn, South Carolina: “It’s about the players, not the pen. Whoever has the best players wins.’’
Ben Howland, UCLA: Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim or Jim Calhoun. “Those three guys have been through just about every situation you can imagine.’’
Bob Huggins, West Virginia: Rick Pitino. “I think he’s a pretty good coach but I also think he inspires confidence in his players and that’s so important in those end-game situations.’’
Tom Izzo, Michigan State: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s been doing this a long time and his track record speaks for itself. Plus he can say, ‘Eenie, meenie, miney mo and pick the guy who will beat you.’’
Kerry Keating, Santa Clara: Eric Reveno. “He went to Stanford. He has three degrees. One of them has to help him come up with a good endgame play.’’
Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s: The tree of Thad Matta. “Matta, Sean Miller, Chris Mack. They have so many plays that they can cover just about anything.’’
Fran McCaffery, Iowa: Tom Izzo. “He runs really good late-game stuff. You have to be concise with your switching and your trapping.’’
Josh Pastner, Memphis: John Calipari. “In those situations you have to be quick with your thinking and he really is. He grabs the board and draws up something immediately. It’s a gift, really.’’ Pastner also named Jeff Van Gundy.
Rick Pitino, Louisville: Dean Smith. “He was a great timeout guy. He lived for that. Plus he had great players. Who do you want, Jordan or Worthy to beat you?”
Mark Turgeon, Maryland: John Beilein. “He’s a terrific X's and O's guy.’’
Bruce Weber, Illinois: Kevin Stallings. “I coached with him and I know how good he is. I always say he’s an offensive genius.’’
Roy Williams, North Carolina: Dean Smith. “We practiced it every day. There was nothing we could face that he hadn’t practiced, so when it happened you were ready.’’
Jay Wright, Villanova: John Beilein. “I know he lives and dies by the 3 but he’d also have an option, a guy driving to the rim. He wouldn’t go to a player but to a play.’’
There are five seconds left in a tie game. Your opponent has the ball. What coach would you most worry about diagramming the last play?
Rick Barnes, Texas: Dean Smith. “No question. He was a great situation guy.’’
Mark Fox, Georgia: “It’s the guy with the best players. I don’t care what the play is.’’
Darrin Horn, South Carolina: “It’s about the players, not the pen. Whoever has the best players wins.’’
Ben Howland, UCLA: Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim or Jim Calhoun. “Those three guys have been through just about every situation you can imagine.’’
Bob Huggins, West Virginia: Rick Pitino. “I think he’s a pretty good coach but I also think he inspires confidence in his players and that’s so important in those end-game situations.’’
Tom Izzo, Michigan State: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s been doing this a long time and his track record speaks for itself. Plus he can say, ‘Eenie, meenie, miney mo and pick the guy who will beat you.’’
Kerry Keating, Santa Clara: Eric Reveno. “He went to Stanford. He has three degrees. One of them has to help him come up with a good endgame play.’’
Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s: The tree of Thad Matta. “Matta, Sean Miller, Chris Mack. They have so many plays that they can cover just about anything.’’
Fran McCaffery, Iowa: Tom Izzo. “He runs really good late-game stuff. You have to be concise with your switching and your trapping.’’
Josh Pastner, Memphis: John Calipari. “In those situations you have to be quick with your thinking and he really is. He grabs the board and draws up something immediately. It’s a gift, really.’’ Pastner also named Jeff Van Gundy.
Rick Pitino, Louisville: Dean Smith. “He was a great timeout guy. He lived for that. Plus he had great players. Who do you want, Jordan or Worthy to beat you?”
Mark Turgeon, Maryland: John Beilein. “He’s a terrific X's and O's guy.’’
Bruce Weber, Illinois: Kevin Stallings. “I coached with him and I know how good he is. I always say he’s an offensive genius.’’
Roy Williams, North Carolina: Dean Smith. “We practiced it every day. There was nothing we could face that he hadn’t practiced, so when it happened you were ready.’’
Jay Wright, Villanova: John Beilein. “I know he lives and dies by the 3 but he’d also have an option, a guy driving to the rim. He wouldn’t go to a player but to a play.’’
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. -- During last week's EYBL Peach Jam, ESPN.com surveyed 15 head coaches on a range of topics. Here are their responses on a topic involving their fellow coaches.
Who is the smartest coach in college basketball right now?
Rick Barnes, Texas: “I don’t know if I can name one guy.’’
Mark Fox, Georgia: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s on a different level than everyone else. Conceptually, philosophically he’s just ahead of everyone else.’’
Darrin Horn, South Carolina: Tom Izzo. “His consistency and to do what he’s done at a place that isn’t Kansas or UCLA, with 50 years of amazing tradition, that’s just incredible.’’
Ben Howland, UCLA: Brad Stevens and Jamie Dixon. “He looks pretty darned smart to do what he’s done. And Jamie’s winning percentage at Pittsburgh is incredible.’’
Bob Huggins, West Virginia: John Calipari. “I cannot understand how he can have all these things going on and still be as good as he is. Who can do that? To be involved in all he’s involved in, that’s incredible. I don’t think anyone realizes what a great job he’s done the past two years basically starting over with a new team. And he’ll do it again this year and still be good.’’
Tom Izzo, Michigan State: Mark Fox. “I watch what he’s been able to do with his program and I’m really impressed. His demeanor, the way he runs his program and handles his players. I think he’s a really great young coach.’’
Kerry Keating, Santa Clara: Jim Calhoun. “Whoever won the last championship has to be the smartest guy because he figured it out. We are all only as good and as smart as our last game. Plus, Coach Calhoun was smart enough to recruit Kemba.’’
Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s: Jim Boeheim. “I don’t think people appreciate how well he knows the game. You could ask him the top freshmen right now and he could tell you. He really studies the game.’’
Fran McCaffery, Iowa: John Calipari. “He’s so innovative, off and on the court.’’
Josh Pastner, Memphis: Mike Krzyzewski. “He takes everyone’s best shot every night and he never wavers. The teams that they’re supposed to beat by a large margin, they beat by a large margin. To be up like that all the time just speaks volumes to the level of motivation he gives that team.’’
Rick Pitino, Louisville: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s the most experienced and no matter what the situation, he never panics.’’
Mark Turgeon, Maryland: Kevin Stallings. “He’s a very intelligent guy and an excellent coach.’’
Bruce Weber, Illinois: Tom Izzo and Roy Williams. “They both run competitive programs. They recruit kids that graduate. They win championships and they have good reputations.’’
Roy Williams, North Carolina: Mike Montgomery and Mike Krzyzewski. “I think Mike Montgomery is pretty darned sharp and I have no problem saying that I think Mike Krzyzewski is, too.’’
Jay Wright, Villanova: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s got it all. He’s a great X’s and O’s coach. He has the personality. He’s a great motivator and he develops his players.’’
Who is the smartest coach in college basketball right now?
Rick Barnes, Texas: “I don’t know if I can name one guy.’’
Mark Fox, Georgia: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s on a different level than everyone else. Conceptually, philosophically he’s just ahead of everyone else.’’
Darrin Horn, South Carolina: Tom Izzo. “His consistency and to do what he’s done at a place that isn’t Kansas or UCLA, with 50 years of amazing tradition, that’s just incredible.’’
Ben Howland, UCLA: Brad Stevens and Jamie Dixon. “He looks pretty darned smart to do what he’s done. And Jamie’s winning percentage at Pittsburgh is incredible.’’
Bob Huggins, West Virginia: John Calipari. “I cannot understand how he can have all these things going on and still be as good as he is. Who can do that? To be involved in all he’s involved in, that’s incredible. I don’t think anyone realizes what a great job he’s done the past two years basically starting over with a new team. And he’ll do it again this year and still be good.’’
Tom Izzo, Michigan State: Mark Fox. “I watch what he’s been able to do with his program and I’m really impressed. His demeanor, the way he runs his program and handles his players. I think he’s a really great young coach.’’
Kerry Keating, Santa Clara: Jim Calhoun. “Whoever won the last championship has to be the smartest guy because he figured it out. We are all only as good and as smart as our last game. Plus, Coach Calhoun was smart enough to recruit Kemba.’’
Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s: Jim Boeheim. “I don’t think people appreciate how well he knows the game. You could ask him the top freshmen right now and he could tell you. He really studies the game.’’
Fran McCaffery, Iowa: John Calipari. “He’s so innovative, off and on the court.’’
Josh Pastner, Memphis: Mike Krzyzewski. “He takes everyone’s best shot every night and he never wavers. The teams that they’re supposed to beat by a large margin, they beat by a large margin. To be up like that all the time just speaks volumes to the level of motivation he gives that team.’’
Rick Pitino, Louisville: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s the most experienced and no matter what the situation, he never panics.’’
Mark Turgeon, Maryland: Kevin Stallings. “He’s a very intelligent guy and an excellent coach.’’
Bruce Weber, Illinois: Tom Izzo and Roy Williams. “They both run competitive programs. They recruit kids that graduate. They win championships and they have good reputations.’’
Roy Williams, North Carolina: Mike Montgomery and Mike Krzyzewski. “I think Mike Montgomery is pretty darned sharp and I have no problem saying that I think Mike Krzyzewski is, too.’’
Jay Wright, Villanova: Mike Krzyzewski. “He’s got it all. He’s a great X’s and O’s coach. He has the personality. He’s a great motivator and he develops his players.’’
Anthony Hubbard spurns Iowa after all
July, 15, 2011
7/15/11
2:35
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
If you don't recall the ballad of Anthony Hubbard, start here. The short version is as follows: At the age of 18, Hubbard committed armed robbery with a group of friends, a crime that sent him to prison for four years. After he served his sentence, Hubbard discovered his basketball ability -- he didn't even play in high school -- ability that eventually landed him at Frederick Community College, where he has shone on the floor ever since.
That ability led college coaches to come calling, but it's not exactly easy to recruit a 26-year-old felon to your program. A fair amount of hesitation is par for the course. So Iowa coach Fran McCaffery tentatively reached out. He did some homework. He spoke to Hubbard's coaches. He learned of Hubbard's work with disaffected youth and his attempts to rectify the mistakes he made as a lookout driver for an armed robbery and home invasion. He met with Hubbard in Iowa City.
After it all, McCaffery came away convinced Anthony Hubbard had changed, that his life was on the right track, and that he was "somebody we'd like to have in our program," as he said in April.
The feeling is no longer mutual. According to a release from Iowa athletics, Hubbard has decided he wants to find a college destination closer to his current home at Frederick Community College in Frederick, Md. From the release:
If we had to guess, "disappointed" is a very diplomatic, restrained way of saying "absolutely furious." Coaches hate losing players to transfers; it amounts to a huge waste of resources and time. They especially hate losing talented contributors, and Hubbard was projected to be one of those, too.
In this case especially, however, those resources and time -- the effort and energy spent shepherding Hubbard through the letter of intent process at Iowa, the interfacing with various university and athletics officials, the extensive background checks and meetings, the vouching for character, all of it -- was all done in vain. Hubbard's decision doesn't invalidate his character, but it is a stomach-punch level bummer for a program that just spent much of its summer on a risky proposition.
In the end, Iowa deserves a lot of credit here. Not only was it willing to give Hubbard a shot, but it greeted this decision with a fair amount of class. The Hawkeyes have placed no restrictions on Hubbard's potential transfer destinations, nor have they acted to stall the process or prevent the player from leaving. Instead, Iowa took its licks, let Hubbard do what he felt was best for him and moved on. That's as praiseworthy as the original story and arguably no less difficult.
That ability led college coaches to come calling, but it's not exactly easy to recruit a 26-year-old felon to your program. A fair amount of hesitation is par for the course. So Iowa coach Fran McCaffery tentatively reached out. He did some homework. He spoke to Hubbard's coaches. He learned of Hubbard's work with disaffected youth and his attempts to rectify the mistakes he made as a lookout driver for an armed robbery and home invasion. He met with Hubbard in Iowa City.
After it all, McCaffery came away convinced Anthony Hubbard had changed, that his life was on the right track, and that he was "somebody we'd like to have in our program," as he said in April.
The feeling is no longer mutual. According to a release from Iowa athletics, Hubbard has decided he wants to find a college destination closer to his current home at Frederick Community College in Frederick, Md. From the release:
"Obviously, we're disappointed. We invested a substantial amount of time and energy in the recruitment of Anthony. The positive is that we learn today of Anthony's decision versus learning of it in August or September," said UI men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery. [...]
"I am disappointed for Fran, our staff and the other staff on our campus that were involved from the start on what was clearly a very unique recruiting process. It's unfortunate it hasn't worked out as we had hoped. We, of course, wish Anthony the very best," said Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta.
If we had to guess, "disappointed" is a very diplomatic, restrained way of saying "absolutely furious." Coaches hate losing players to transfers; it amounts to a huge waste of resources and time. They especially hate losing talented contributors, and Hubbard was projected to be one of those, too.
In this case especially, however, those resources and time -- the effort and energy spent shepherding Hubbard through the letter of intent process at Iowa, the interfacing with various university and athletics officials, the extensive background checks and meetings, the vouching for character, all of it -- was all done in vain. Hubbard's decision doesn't invalidate his character, but it is a stomach-punch level bummer for a program that just spent much of its summer on a risky proposition.
In the end, Iowa deserves a lot of credit here. Not only was it willing to give Hubbard a shot, but it greeted this decision with a fair amount of class. The Hawkeyes have placed no restrictions on Hubbard's potential transfer destinations, nor have they acted to stall the process or prevent the player from leaving. Instead, Iowa took its licks, let Hubbard do what he felt was best for him and moved on. That's as praiseworthy as the original story and arguably no less difficult.
Rapid Reaction: Michigan State 66, Iowa 61
March, 10, 2011
3/10/11
7:30
PM ET
By Pat Forde | ESPN.com
INDIANAPOLIS -- With its NCAA tournament bid hanging in the balance, Michigan State rallied from a seven-point deficit midway through the second half and then held on in the final minutes to beat Iowa 66-61.The Spartans overcame a second-half right leg injury that limited guard Kalin Lucas and made just enough plays to eke out a victory over the 11-20 Hawkeyes.
Turning point: Down 52-45, State got some key stops and scored on five straight possessions to take a 55-54 lead. The Spartans never again relinquished the lead, although it got down to a single point in the final 90 seconds.
Key player: Durrell Summers. The senior guard has had a horrible season, but he scored the Spartans' final seven points to pull them through.
Key stat: Facing at-large bid elimination, Michigan State reverted to an old staple to pull this one out. It hit the glass. Michigan State outrebounded the Hawkeyes by eight, led by Draymond Green's 14 total rebounds and six on the offensive glass.
Miscellaneous: All-Big Ten freshman Melsahn Basabe was benched by Iowa coach Fran McCaffery for the final minutes after some poor possessions in which he turned over the ball on a somewhat selfish offensive move and failed to hustle back defensively.
What’s next: Michigan State will face Purdue on Friday in a game that would seemingly cinch a bid. Iowa's season is over.
Turning point: Down 52-45, State got some key stops and scored on five straight possessions to take a 55-54 lead. The Spartans never again relinquished the lead, although it got down to a single point in the final 90 seconds.
Key player: Durrell Summers. The senior guard has had a horrible season, but he scored the Spartans' final seven points to pull them through.
Key stat: Facing at-large bid elimination, Michigan State reverted to an old staple to pull this one out. It hit the glass. Michigan State outrebounded the Hawkeyes by eight, led by Draymond Green's 14 total rebounds and six on the offensive glass.
Miscellaneous: All-Big Ten freshman Melsahn Basabe was benched by Iowa coach Fran McCaffery for the final minutes after some poor possessions in which he turned over the ball on a somewhat selfish offensive move and failed to hustle back defensively.
What’s next: Michigan State will face Purdue on Friday in a game that would seemingly cinch a bid. Iowa's season is over.
Expert predictions: ACC/Big Ten Challenge
November, 29, 2010
11/29/10
7:24
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be the dominant storyline in college basketball over the next few nights, so might as well put our writers and contributors on the spot with predictions, right?
For what it’s worth, the group consensus for each game adds up to a 6-5 Big Ten victory over the ACC. But it’s actually even closer than that. In the highly anticipated Iowa-Wake Forest matchup, our panel took the Hawkeyes by a 5-4 margin. If one of those five had picked the Deacons, we’d be projecting an ACC overall victory.
Sounds to us like an event worth tuning in to …
MONDAY
VIRGINIA AT MINNESOTA (ESPN2, 7 ET)
Jay Bilas: Minnesota -- Tubby Smith has depth and guard play, and Tony Bennett doesn't.
Eamonn Brennan: Minnesota – The Gophers are a complete and balanced team, even if Al Nolen and Rodney Williams miss the game due to injury; Tony Bennett's rebounding Virginia squad is, well, not.
Fran Fraschilla: Minnesota -- The Gophers are one of the country's early-season surprises and they are at home in the friendly confines of Williams Arena. This will be ugly.
Doug Gottlieb: Minnesota -- Despite not having Al Nolen, Minnesota is still loaded. Maverick Ahanmisi was a late signee who is a year older than most freshmen, and that maturity will come in handy.
Andy Katz: Minnesota – The Gophers are depleted with injuries, but likely get Devoe Joseph back and are too strong, too tall and too deep for rebuilding Virginia.
Diamond Leung: Minnesota -- Minnesota might be banged up, but Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe should be able to dominate.
Joe Lunardi: Minnesota -- The shorthanded Gophers are still too much for the Cavs at this point.
Dana O’Neil: Minnesota -- Even without Al Nolen and Rodney Williams, the red-hot Gophers are too talented for the still struggling Cavaliers.
Jay Williams: Minnesota -- Even though they won't have starters Al Nolen and Rodney Williams due to injuries, I expect Blake Hoffarber, Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III to dominate.
TUESDAY
GEORGIA TECH AT NORTHWESTERN (ESPN2, 7 ET)
Bilas: Northwestern -- The Wildcats will spread the Jackets out and keep them on a string between open 3s and backdoor cuts.
Brennan: Northwestern -- Facing its first real "test" of the season, Northwestern's matchup zone and tricky Princeton offense will give Georgia Tech fits.
Fraschilla: Northwestern -- Sadly, even a win over the Yellow Jackets won't mean much in March. Too much John Shurna in this one.
Gottlieb: Northwestern -- Tech played well this weekend, but the travel and Juice Thompson will be too much.
Katz: Northwestern -- If we’re going to take the Wildcats seriously, they have to win a game like this at home against the inferior Yellow Jackets.
Leung: Northwestern -- The Wildcats should stay undefeated playing on their home court and with John Shurna playing well.
Lunardi: Northwestern -- A solid win over Creighton sets the Wildcats up nicely for another victory.
O’Neil: Northwestern -- John Shurna has been terrific all season for a Wildcat team dreaming of -- gasp! -- an NCAA bid.
Williams: Northwestern -- This is the year Northwestern makes the NCAA tournament because of Shurna and Thompson.
IOWA AT WAKE FOREST (ESPNU, 7 ET)
Bilas: Iowa -- Wake Forest will have a hard time beating anyone this season.
Brennan: Iowa -- Because as bad as Iowa is, Wake Forest is -- somehow -- worse.
Fraschilla: Wake Forest -- Someone has to win, right?
Gottlieb: Iowa -- Hawkeyes are coming off a win. Fran McCaffery will dial up something.
Katz: Wake Forest -- I can’t see the Demon Deacons losing four home games before Dec. 1.
Leung: Iowa -- Between the two, Iowa has shown a few more signs of life.
Lunardi: Wake Forest -- Neither team has played a true road game, so you have to go with Wake at home.
O’Neil: Wake Forest -- Because as bad as the Demon Deacons have looked early, the Hawkeyes have looked worse.
Williams: Iowa -- After watching Wake lose to Stetson, VCU and Winthrop, I give the edge to Iowa on the road.
OHIO STATE AT FLORIDA STATE (ESPN, 7:30 ET)
Bilas: Ohio State -- Florida State can really guard, but scoring efficiently is a problem the Seminoles have and the Buckeyes don't.
Brennan: Ohio State – FSU’s defense will keep this one close, but the interior offensive rebounding of Jared Sullinger and Dallas Lauderdale will be too much for the Noles to manage.
Fraschilla: Ohio State – The Leon County Civic Center is not the home court the Seminoles deserve.
Gottlieb: FSU's Chris Singleton has put up insane numbers with two triple-doubles, but OSU has the athletes to guard him and his compadres.
Katz: Ohio State -- The Buckeyes won at Florida and have a better inside game than Florida State, although FSU’s Chris Singleton will likely put up the best numbers.
Leung: Ohio State -- Despite the all-around talents of FSU's Chris Singleton, Ohio State has too many weapons, including Jared Sullinger in the middle.
Lunardi: Ohio State -- Buckeyes complete the Sunshine State sweep in Tallahassee.
O’Neil: Ohio State -- Tough follow for the Seminoles after an emotional, disappointing loss to the Gators. Plus, Jared Sullinger is the why to all questions about the Buckeyes.
Williams: Florida State -- Yes, I call the upset here. Xavier Gibson and Bernard James will give Mr. Sullinger a lot to deal with down low.
MICHIGAN AT CLEMSON (ESPN2, 9 ET)
Bilas: Clemson -- The Tigers are at home, and Michigan hasn't won away from home.
Brennan: Clemson -- Michigan might not be as bad as we thought, but it is not good enough to beat a capable Clemson team, whose only loss was a one-point neutral-court defeat to ODU.
Fraschilla: Clemson -- Early returns about new coach Brad Brownell are positive.
Gottlieb: Michigan -- Searching for an upset here, the 1-3-1 proves tough to tame. The Wolverines appear a bit better than expected, though they will suffer in conference.
Katz: Clemson -- The Tigers, regardless of coach, are too tough at home against similar-level teams.
Leung: Clemson -- Tigers coach Brad Brownell is fitting right in and has enough weapons to win this one.
Lunardi: Clemson -- The Wolverines are a long way from being able to win at Littlejohn.
O’Neil: Clemson -- The Wolverines have done little to prove they're over what ailed them last season.
Williams: Clemson -- After losses to both Syracuse and UTEP, I don't see the Wolverines bouncing back at Littlejohn Coliseum.
NORTH CAROLINA AT ILLINOIS (ESPN, 9:30 ET)
Bilas: Illinois -- North Carolina doesn't push the ball and get easy baskets, and Illinois is at home.
Brennan: Illinois -- The Illini have home-court advantage, but they also have the benefit of a veteran team that can match up with the athletic -- and as yet thoroughly disappointing -- Tar Heels.
Fraschilla: Illinois -- Are the Heels losing their mystique?
Gottlieb: Illinois -- Better guards, at home, and though Illinois does not have great strength inside, neither does UNC. Illini by more than 10.
Katz: Illinois -- The Tar Heels are still searching for a leader and the Illini need this game too much to prove their relevance.
Leung: Illinois -- It appears that catching the Tar Heels early is the way to go, and an Illini team with size can play with anyone.
Lunardi: Illinois -- What once looked like a toss-up should be a comfortable win for the Illini.
O’Neil: Illinois -- The Illini play with grit and determination, traits sorely lacking so far this season for the Tar Heels.
Williams: Illinois -- UNC does not have the poise or experience to win this one on the road.
WEDNESDAY
NC STATE AT WISCONSIN (ESPN2, 7:15 ET)
Bilas: Wisconsin -- The game is at the Kohl Center, isn't it? Next question.
Brennan: Wisconsin -- Besides the immense advantage provided by the Kohl Center, the Badgers are, for all their early-season warts, one of the better rebounding teams in the nation. The Wolfpack without senior forward Tracy Smith are one of the worst.
Fraschilla: Wisconsin -- Anywhere but the Kohl Center, I'd give the Wolfpack an even chance to win.
Gottlieb: Wisconsin -- NC State has better talent, but Wisconsin will use Jordan Taylor off ball screens and Jon Leuer is a great fit for what Wisconsin does and Bo Ryan is great at what he does. Frankly, the Wolfpack might become bored with the tedious pace of the Badgers.
Katz: Wisconsin -- The Wolfpack are without Tracy Smith and to beat the Badgers at the Kohl Center you have to be full strength.
Leung: Wisconsin -- Jon Leuer is just too much to handle, and the Badgers are playing at home.
Lunardi: Wisconsin -- The Badgers figure to be extra cranky after losing the Old Spice title game.
O’Neil: Wisconsin -- I’m guessing practice hasn't been fun for the Badgers since their uncharacteristic slide against Notre Dame. Someone will feel the brunt of that frustration.
Williams: Wisconsin -- The Badgers have compiled a 138-11 (.926) home record under coach Bo Ryan heading into the season. Enough said.
INDIANA AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ESPNU, 7:15 ET)
Bilas: Boston College – The Eagles are at home and Reggie Jackson can really score.
Brennan: Boston College -- Boston College has one awful loss (to Yale) and one solid win (over Texas A&M), so let’s give it a slight advantage over an Indiana team that has yet to leave Assembly Hall -- or play a non-cupcake opponent.
Fraschilla: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson hits it out of the park in the Eagles’ win.
Gottlieb: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson is the best player on the floor. The Eagles use the lessons learned in giving away leads in Orlando to help them beat IU.
Katz: Indiana -- The Eagles own more talent but lack focus in finishing games, something the Hoosiers seem to have now.
Leung: Boston College -- The easy part of Indiana's schedule is over.
Lunardi: Boston College -- BC is coming off a very good showing at the Old Spice and should win at home.
O’Neil: Indiana -- The recruiting good news for the Hoosiers spurs a much-needed good win on the court.
Williams: Boston College -- When Reggie Jackson is allowed to probe with the dribble and is on his game, BC is a tough team.
PURDUE AT VIRGINIA TECH (ESPN, 7:30 ET)
Bilas: Virginia Tech -- Purdue is not only missing Robbie Hummel, but really missing Chris Kramer.
Brennan: Purdue -- Both teams have played solid defense and both have had their struggles offensively, but JaJuan Johnson should provide too many matchup problems for a shallow Va. Tech front line.
Fraschilla: Virginia Tech -- Hokies are desperate for a quality nonconference win.
Gottlieb: Virginia Tech -- Virginia Tech struggles with pressure defense (see Purdue). Purdue struggles to score against legit defenses without Robbie Hummel. Hokies in a great game.
Katz: Virginia Tech -- The Boilermakers are still a formidable bunch, but winning in Blacksburg is hardly an easy task, especially when the Hokies are a top-three ACC team.
Leung: Virginia Tech -- The Boilers are showing they're not the same team without Robbie Hummel, and they'll have their hands full containing Malcolm Delaney.
Lunardi: Virginia Tech -- The Hokies want to stockpile every nonconference scalp they can get.
O’Neil: Virginia Tech -- Neither team has exactly been lighting it up offensively, but the Hokies have Malcolm Delaney, who can score, and the home court.
Williams: Virginia Tech -- Purdue simply doesn't have the same scoring punch like the Hokies' Malcolm Delaney, Dorenzo Hudson and Jeff Allen.
MARYLAND AT PENN STATE (ESPN2, 9:15 ET)
Bilas: Maryland -- Although a road game, the Terps have more talent.
Brennan: Maryland -- Maryland forward Jordan Williams is a budding star, and unless Talor Battle can sprout about 10 inches by Wednesday night, the Nittany Lions won’t be able to stop him.
Fraschilla: Maryland -- The Terps should grind out a road win in State College.
Gottlieb: Maryland -- The Terps are better inside with Jordan Williams and though Talor Battle can win a game on his own, Maryland's size and pressure in the backcourt should hurt his percentages.
Katz: Maryland -- Penn State is having a hard time being relevant while the Terps continue to play tougher, no matter the venue.
Leung: Maryland -- The Terrapins' only losses are single-digit ones to Pitt and Illinois, so Penn State should be no problem.
Lunardi: Maryland -- Penn State isn't the most athletic bunch and was already exposed by Ole Miss.
O’Neil: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions would need to borrow one of JoePa's linebackers to have a player to contend with Jordan Williams.
Williams: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions will have no answer inside for the Terps’ Jordan Williams.
MICHIGAN STATE AT DUKE (ESPN, 9:30 ET)
Bilas: Duke -- Michigan State is turning it over too much right now, and Duke's defensive pressure should capitalize.
Brennan: Duke -- After Duke’s dominant win over Kansas State and Michigan State’s sluggish start in Maui, the Blue Devils look miles ahead of the field. This early in the season, the Spartans won’t be able to close the gap in Cameron.
Fraschilla: Duke -- Tough place for ANYONE to win.
Gottlieb: Duke -- Derrick Nix is back and he should help with the depth of Michigan State inside, but MSU struggled with the quickness of Washington and UConn. Duke's pressure and athleticism are similar.
Katz: Duke -- The Spartans aren’t in March form yet, while the Blue Devils look like they’ve already made plans for Houston.
Leung: Duke -- In case you missed the CBE Classic, the Blue Devils are just better than everyone else right now.
Lunardi: Duke -- Won't make the same mistake of picking against Duke this week.
O’Neil: Michigan State -- I'll admit I'm not 100 percent in on this pick, especially with Duke playing at home. But after a few humbling visits to the other part of Tobacco Road in recent years, a disappointing loss to UConn and a tongue-lashing after a lackluster effort against Tennessee Tech, I think the Spartans are due for a show-me win.
Williams: Duke -- Duke is hands-down the best team in the country and the energy within Cameron will be too much for Michigan State to handle.
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be the dominant storyline in college basketball over the next few nights, so might as well put our writers and contributors on the spot with predictions, right?
For what it’s worth, the group consensus for each game adds up to a 6-5 Big Ten victory over the ACC. But it’s actually even closer than that. In the highly anticipated Iowa-Wake Forest matchup, our panel took the Hawkeyes by a 5-4 margin. If one of those five had picked the Deacons, we’d be projected an ACC overall victory.
Sounds to us like an event worth tuning into …
<strong>Monday</strong>
<strong>Virginia at Minnesota (ESPN2, 7 ET)</strong>
Jay Bilas: Minnesota -- Tubby has depth and guard play, and Tony Bennett doesn't.
Eamonn Brennan: Minnesota – The Gophers are a complete and balanced team, even if <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36271">Al Nolen</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=45983">Rodney Williams</a> miss the game due to injury; Tony Bennett's rebounding Virginia squad is, well, not.
Fran Fraschilla: Minnesota -- The Gophers are one of the country's early-season surprises and they are at home in the friendly confines of Williams Arena. This will be ugly.
Doug Gottlieb: Minnesota -- Despite not having Al Nolen, Minnesota is still loaded. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=51535">Maverick Ahanmisi</a> was a late signee who is a year older than most freshman, and that maturity will come in handy.
Andy Katz: Minnesota – The Gophers are depleted with injuries, but likely get <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41567">Devoe Joseph</a> back and are too strong, too tall, too deep for rebuilding Virginia.
Diamond Leung: Minnesota -- Minnesota might be banged up, but <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36270">Blake Hoffarber</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36628">Trevor Mbakwe</a> should be able to dominate.
Joe Lunardi: Minnesota -- The shorthanded Gophers are still too much for the Cavs at this point.
Dana O’Neil: Minnesota -- Even without Al Nolen and Rodney Williams, the red-hot Gophers are too talented for the still struggling Cavaliers.
Jay Williams: Minnesota -- Even though they won't have starters Al Nolen & Rodney Williams due to injuries, I expect Blake Hoffarber, Trevor Mbakwe and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41568">Ralph Sampson III</a> to dominate.
<strong>Tuesday</strong>
<strong>Georgia Tech at Northwestern (ESPN2, 7 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Northwestern -- The Wildcats will spread the Jackets out and keep them on a string between open 3s and backdoor cuts.
Brennan: Northwestern -- Facing its first real "test" of the season, Northwestern's matchup zone and tricky Princeton offense will give Georgia Tech fits.
Fraschilla: Northwestern -- Sadly, even a win over the Yellow Jackets won't mean much in March. Too much Shurna in this one.
Gottlieb: Northwestern -- Tech played well this weekend, but the travel and Juice Thompson will be too much.
Katz: Northwestern -- If we’re going to take the Wildcats seriously they have to win a game like this at home against the inferior Yellow Jackets.
Leung: Northwestern -- The Wildcats should stay undefeated playing on their homecourt and with <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41742">John Shurna</a> playing well.
Lunardi: Northwestern -- A solid win over Creighton sets the Wildcats up nicely for another victory.
O’Neil: Northwestern -- John Shurna has been terrific all season for a Wildcat team dreaming of -- gasp! -- an NCAA bid.
Williams: Northwestern -- This is the year Northwestern makes the NCAA tournament because of Shurna and Thompson.
<strong>Iowa at Wake Forest (ESPNU, 7 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Iowa -- Wake Forest will have a hard time beating anyone this season.
Brennan: Iowa -- Because as bad as Iowa is, Wake Forest is -- somehow -- worse.
Fraschilla: Wake Forest -- Someone has to win, right?
Gottlieb: Iowa -- Hawkeyes are coming off a win. Fran McCaffery will dial up something.
Katz: Wake Forest -- I can’t see the Demon Deacons losing four home games before Dec. 1.
Leung: Iowa -- Between the two, Iowa has shown a few more signs of life.
Lunardi: Wake Forest -- Neither team has played a true road game, so you have to go with Wake at home.
O’Neil: Wake Forest -- Because as bad as the Demon Deacons have looked early, the Hawkeyes have looked worse.
Williams: Iowa -- After watching Wake lose to Stetson, VCU and Winthrop, I give the edge to Iowa on the road.
<strong>Ohio State at Florida State (ESPN, 7:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Ohio State -- Florida State can really guard, but scoring efficiently is a problem the Seminoles have and the Buckeyes don't.
Brennan: Ohio State – FSU’s defense will keep this one close, but the interior offensive rebounding of <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=51405">Jared Sullinger</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36134">Dallas Lauderdale</a> will be too much for the Noles to manage.
Fraschilla: Ohio State – The Leon County Civic Center is not the homecourt the Seminoles deserve.
Gottlieb: FSU's <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=40974">Chris Singleton</a> has put up insane numbers with two triple-doubles, but OSU has the athletes to guard him and his compadres.
Katz: Ohio State -- The Buckeyes won at Florida and have a better inside game than Florida State, although FSU’s Chris Singleton will likely put up the best numbers.
Leung: Ohio State -- Despite the all-around talents of FSU's Chris Singleton, Ohio State has too many weapons, including Jared Sullinger in the middle.
Lunardi: Ohio State -- Buckeyes complete the Sunshine State sweep in Tallahassee.
O’Neil: Ohio State -- Tough follow for the Seminoles after an emotional, disappointing loss to the Gators. Plus, Jared Sullinger is the why to all questions about the Buckeyes.
Williams: Florida State -- Yes, I call the upset here. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=40971">Xavier Gibson</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=51353">Bernard James</a> will give Mr. Sullinger a lot to deal with down low.
<strong>Michigan at Clemson (ESPN2, 9 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Clemson -- The Tigers are at home, and Michigan hasn't won away from home.
Brennan: Clemson -- Michigan might not be as bad as we thought, but it is not good enough to beat a capable Clemson team, whose only loss was a one-point neutral-court defeat to ODU.
Fraschilla: Clemson -- Early returns about new coach Brad Brownell are positive.
Gottlieb: Michigan -- Searching for an upset here, the 1-3-1 proves tough to tame. The Wolverines appear a bit better than expected, though they will suffer in conference.
Katz: Clemson -- The Tigers, regardless of coach, are too tough at home against similar-level teams.
Leung: Clemson -- Tigers coach Brad Brownell is fitting right in and has enough weapons to win this one.
Lunardi: Clemson -- The Wolverines are a long way from being able to win at Littlejohn.
O’Neil: Clemson -- The Wolverines have done little to prove they're over what ailed them last season.
Williams: Clemson -- After losses to both Syracuse and UTEP, I don't see the Wolverines bouncing back at Littlejohn Coliseum.
<strong>North Carolina at Illinois (ESPN, 9:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Illinois -- North Carolina doesn't push the ball and get easy baskets, and Illinois is at home.
Brennan: Illinois -- The Illini have homecourt advantage, but they also have the benefit of a veteran team that can match up with the athletic -- and as yet thoroughly disappointing -- Tar Heels.
Fraschilla: Illinois -- Are the Heels losing their mystique?
Gottlieb: Illinois -- Better guards, at home, and though Illinois does not have great strength inside, neither does UNC. Illini by more than 10.
Katz: Illinois -- The Tar Heels are still searching for a leader and the Illini need this game too much to prove their relevance.
Leung: Illinois -- It appears that catching the Tar Heels early is the way to go, and an Illini team with size can play with anyone.
Lunardi: Illinois -- What once looked like a toss-up should be a comfortable win for the Illini.
O’Neil: Illinois -- The Illini play with grit and determination, traits sorely lacking so far this season for the Tar Heels.
Williams: Illinois -- UNC does not have the poise or experience to win this one on the road.
<strong>Wednesday</strong>
<strong>NC State at Wisconsin (ESPN2, 7:15 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Wisconsin -- The game is at the Kohl Center, isn't it? Next question.
Brennan: Wisconsin -- Besides the immense advantage provided by the Kohl Center, the Badgers are, for all their early-season warts, one of the better rebounding teams in the nation. The Wolfpack without senior forward <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36377">Tracy Smith</a> are one of the worst.
Fraschilla: Wisconsin -- Anywhere but the Kohl Center, I'd give the Wolfpack an even chance to win.
Gottlieb: Wisconsin -- NC State has better talent, but Wisconsin will use <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41152">Jordan Taylor</a> off ball screens and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36138">Jon Leuer</a> is a great fit got what Wisconsin does and Bo Ryan is great at what he does. Frankly, the Wolfpack might become bored with the tedious pace of the Badgers.
Katz: Wisconsin -- The Wolfpack are without Tracy Smith and to beat the Badgers at the Kohl Center you have to be full strength.
Leung: Wisconsin -- Jon Leuer is just too much to handle, and the Badgers are playing at home.
Lunardi: Wisconsin -- The Badgers figure to be extra cranky after losing the Old Spice title game.
O’Neil: Wisconsin -- I’m guessing practice hasn't been fun for the Badgers since their uncharacteristic slide against Notre Dame. Someone will feel the brunt of that frustration.
Williams: Wisconsin -- The Badgers have compiled a 138-11(.926) home record under head coach Bo Ryan heading into the season. Enough said.
<strong>Indiana at Boston College (ESPNU, 7:15 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Boston College – The Eagles are at home and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41460">Reggie Jackson</a> can really score.
Brennan: Boston College -- Boston College has one awful loss (to Yale) and one solid win (over Texas A&M), so let’s give it a slight advantage over an Indiana team that has yet to leave Assembly Hall -- or play a non-cupcake opponent.
Fraschilla: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson hits it out of the park in the Eagles’ win.
Gottlieb: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson is the best player on the floor. The Eagles use the lessons learned in giving away leads in Orlando to help them beat IU.
Katz: Indiana -- The Eagles own more talent but lack focus in finishing games, something the Hoosiers seem to have now.
Leung: Boston College -- The easy part of Indiana's schedule is over.
Lunardi: Boston College -- BC is coming off a very good showing at the Old Spice and should win at home.
O’Neil: Indiana -- The recruiting good news for the Hoosiers spurs a much-needed good win on the court.
Williams: Boston College -- When Reggie Jackson is allowed to probe with the dribble and is on his game, BC is a tough team.
<strong>Purdue at Virginia Tech (ESPN, 7:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Virginia Tech -- Purdue is not only missing Hummel, but really missing Chris Kramer.
Brennan: Purdue -- Both teams have played solid defense and both have had their struggles offensively, but <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36150">JaJuan Johnson</a> should provide too many matchup problems for a shallow Va. Tech front line.
Fraschilla: Virginia Tech -- Hokies are desperate for a quality nonconference win.
Gottlieb: Virginia Tech -- Virginia Tech struggles with pressure defense (see Purdue). Purdue struggles to score against legit defenses without <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36149">Robbie Hummel</a>. Hokies in a great game.
Katz: Virginia Tech -- The Boilermakers are still a formidable bunch, but winning in Blacksburg is hardly an easy task, especially when the Hokies are a top-three ACC team.
Leung: Virginia Tech -- The Boilers are showing they're not the same team without Robbie Hummel, and they'll have their hands full containing <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36544">Malcolm Delaney</a>.
Lunardi: Virginia Tech -- The Hokies want to stockpile every nonconference scalp they can get.
O’Neil: Virginia Tech -- Neither team has exactly been lighting it up offensively, but the Hokies have Malcolm Delaney, who can score, and the homecourt.
Williams: Virginia Tech -- Purdue simply doesn't have the same scoring punch like the Hokies' Malcolm Delaney, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=40725">Dorenzo Hudson</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=31599">Jeff Allen</a>.
<strong>Maryland at Penn State (ESPN2, 9:15 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Maryland -- Although a road game, the Terps have more talent.
Brennan: Maryland -- Maryland forward <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=45916">Jordan Williams</a> is a budding star, and unless <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36465">Talor Battle</a> can sprout about 10 inches by Wednesday night, the Nittany Lions won’t be able to stop him.
Fraschilla: Maryland -- The Terps should grind out a road win in State College.
Gottlieb: Maryland -- The Terps are better inside with Jordan Williams and though Talor Battle can win a game on his own, Maryland's size and pressure in the backcourt should hurt his percentages.
Katz: Maryland -- Penn State is having a hard time being relevant while the Terps continue to play tougher, no matter the venue.
Leung: Maryland -- The Terrapins' only losses are single-digit ones to Pitt and Illinois, so Penn State should be no problem.
Lunardi: Maryland -- Penn State isn't the most athletic bunch and was already exposed by Ole Miss.
O’Neil: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions would need to borrow one of JoePa's linebackers to have a player to contend with Jordan Williams.
Williams: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions will have no answer inside for the Terps’ Jordan Williams.
<strong>Michigan State at Duke (ESPN, 9:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Duke -- Michigan State is turning it over too much right now, and Duke's defensive pressure should capitalize.
Brennan: Duke -- After Duke’s dominant win over Kansas State and Michigan State’s sluggish start in Maui, the Blue Devils look miles ahead of the field. This early in the season, the Spartans won’t be able to close the gap in Cameron.
Fraschilla: Duke -- Tough place for ANYONE to win.
Gottlieb: <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=46227">Derrick Nix</a> is back and he should help with the depth of Michigan State inside, but MSU struggled with the quickness of Washington and UConn. Duke's pressure and athleticism is similar.
Katz: Duke -- The Spartans aren’t in March form yet, while the Blue Devils look like they’ve already made plans for Houston.
Leung: Duke -- In case you missed the CBE Classic, the Blue Devils are just better than everyone else right now.
Lunardi: Duke -- Won't make the same mistake of picking against Duke this week.
O’Neil: Michigan State -- I'll admit I'm not 100 percent in on this pick, especially with Duke playing at home. But after a few humbling visits to the other part of Tobacco Road in recent years, a disappointing loss to UConn and a tongue-lashing after a lackluster effort against Tennessee Tech, I think the Spartans are due for a show-me win.
Williams: Duke -- Duke is hands-down the best team in the country and the energy within Cameron will be too much for Michigan State to handle.
For what it’s worth, the group consensus for each game adds up to a 6-5 Big Ten victory over the ACC. But it’s actually even closer than that. In the highly anticipated Iowa-Wake Forest matchup, our panel took the Hawkeyes by a 5-4 margin. If one of those five had picked the Deacons, we’d be projecting an ACC overall victory.
Sounds to us like an event worth tuning in to …
MONDAY
VIRGINIA AT MINNESOTA (ESPN2, 7 ET)
Jay Bilas: Minnesota -- Tubby Smith has depth and guard play, and Tony Bennett doesn't.
Eamonn Brennan: Minnesota – The Gophers are a complete and balanced team, even if Al Nolen and Rodney Williams miss the game due to injury; Tony Bennett's rebounding Virginia squad is, well, not.
Fran Fraschilla: Minnesota -- The Gophers are one of the country's early-season surprises and they are at home in the friendly confines of Williams Arena. This will be ugly.
Doug Gottlieb: Minnesota -- Despite not having Al Nolen, Minnesota is still loaded. Maverick Ahanmisi was a late signee who is a year older than most freshmen, and that maturity will come in handy.
Andy Katz: Minnesota – The Gophers are depleted with injuries, but likely get Devoe Joseph back and are too strong, too tall and too deep for rebuilding Virginia.
Diamond Leung: Minnesota -- Minnesota might be banged up, but Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe should be able to dominate.
Joe Lunardi: Minnesota -- The shorthanded Gophers are still too much for the Cavs at this point.
Dana O’Neil: Minnesota -- Even without Al Nolen and Rodney Williams, the red-hot Gophers are too talented for the still struggling Cavaliers.
Jay Williams: Minnesota -- Even though they won't have starters Al Nolen and Rodney Williams due to injuries, I expect Blake Hoffarber, Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III to dominate.
TUESDAY
GEORGIA TECH AT NORTHWESTERN (ESPN2, 7 ET)
Bilas: Northwestern -- The Wildcats will spread the Jackets out and keep them on a string between open 3s and backdoor cuts.
Brennan: Northwestern -- Facing its first real "test" of the season, Northwestern's matchup zone and tricky Princeton offense will give Georgia Tech fits.
Fraschilla: Northwestern -- Sadly, even a win over the Yellow Jackets won't mean much in March. Too much John Shurna in this one.
Gottlieb: Northwestern -- Tech played well this weekend, but the travel and Juice Thompson will be too much.
Katz: Northwestern -- If we’re going to take the Wildcats seriously, they have to win a game like this at home against the inferior Yellow Jackets.
Leung: Northwestern -- The Wildcats should stay undefeated playing on their home court and with John Shurna playing well.
Lunardi: Northwestern -- A solid win over Creighton sets the Wildcats up nicely for another victory.
O’Neil: Northwestern -- John Shurna has been terrific all season for a Wildcat team dreaming of -- gasp! -- an NCAA bid.
Williams: Northwestern -- This is the year Northwestern makes the NCAA tournament because of Shurna and Thompson.
IOWA AT WAKE FOREST (ESPNU, 7 ET)
Bilas: Iowa -- Wake Forest will have a hard time beating anyone this season.
Brennan: Iowa -- Because as bad as Iowa is, Wake Forest is -- somehow -- worse.
Fraschilla: Wake Forest -- Someone has to win, right?
Gottlieb: Iowa -- Hawkeyes are coming off a win. Fran McCaffery will dial up something.
Katz: Wake Forest -- I can’t see the Demon Deacons losing four home games before Dec. 1.
Leung: Iowa -- Between the two, Iowa has shown a few more signs of life.
Lunardi: Wake Forest -- Neither team has played a true road game, so you have to go with Wake at home.
O’Neil: Wake Forest -- Because as bad as the Demon Deacons have looked early, the Hawkeyes have looked worse.
Williams: Iowa -- After watching Wake lose to Stetson, VCU and Winthrop, I give the edge to Iowa on the road.
OHIO STATE AT FLORIDA STATE (ESPN, 7:30 ET)
Bilas: Ohio State -- Florida State can really guard, but scoring efficiently is a problem the Seminoles have and the Buckeyes don't.
Brennan: Ohio State – FSU’s defense will keep this one close, but the interior offensive rebounding of Jared Sullinger and Dallas Lauderdale will be too much for the Noles to manage.
Fraschilla: Ohio State – The Leon County Civic Center is not the home court the Seminoles deserve.
Gottlieb: FSU's Chris Singleton has put up insane numbers with two triple-doubles, but OSU has the athletes to guard him and his compadres.
Katz: Ohio State -- The Buckeyes won at Florida and have a better inside game than Florida State, although FSU’s Chris Singleton will likely put up the best numbers.
Leung: Ohio State -- Despite the all-around talents of FSU's Chris Singleton, Ohio State has too many weapons, including Jared Sullinger in the middle.
Lunardi: Ohio State -- Buckeyes complete the Sunshine State sweep in Tallahassee.
O’Neil: Ohio State -- Tough follow for the Seminoles after an emotional, disappointing loss to the Gators. Plus, Jared Sullinger is the why to all questions about the Buckeyes.
Williams: Florida State -- Yes, I call the upset here. Xavier Gibson and Bernard James will give Mr. Sullinger a lot to deal with down low.
MICHIGAN AT CLEMSON (ESPN2, 9 ET)
Bilas: Clemson -- The Tigers are at home, and Michigan hasn't won away from home.
Brennan: Clemson -- Michigan might not be as bad as we thought, but it is not good enough to beat a capable Clemson team, whose only loss was a one-point neutral-court defeat to ODU.
Fraschilla: Clemson -- Early returns about new coach Brad Brownell are positive.
Gottlieb: Michigan -- Searching for an upset here, the 1-3-1 proves tough to tame. The Wolverines appear a bit better than expected, though they will suffer in conference.
Katz: Clemson -- The Tigers, regardless of coach, are too tough at home against similar-level teams.
Leung: Clemson -- Tigers coach Brad Brownell is fitting right in and has enough weapons to win this one.
Lunardi: Clemson -- The Wolverines are a long way from being able to win at Littlejohn.
O’Neil: Clemson -- The Wolverines have done little to prove they're over what ailed them last season.
Williams: Clemson -- After losses to both Syracuse and UTEP, I don't see the Wolverines bouncing back at Littlejohn Coliseum.
NORTH CAROLINA AT ILLINOIS (ESPN, 9:30 ET)
Bilas: Illinois -- North Carolina doesn't push the ball and get easy baskets, and Illinois is at home.
Brennan: Illinois -- The Illini have home-court advantage, but they also have the benefit of a veteran team that can match up with the athletic -- and as yet thoroughly disappointing -- Tar Heels.
Fraschilla: Illinois -- Are the Heels losing their mystique?
Gottlieb: Illinois -- Better guards, at home, and though Illinois does not have great strength inside, neither does UNC. Illini by more than 10.
Katz: Illinois -- The Tar Heels are still searching for a leader and the Illini need this game too much to prove their relevance.
Leung: Illinois -- It appears that catching the Tar Heels early is the way to go, and an Illini team with size can play with anyone.
Lunardi: Illinois -- What once looked like a toss-up should be a comfortable win for the Illini.
O’Neil: Illinois -- The Illini play with grit and determination, traits sorely lacking so far this season for the Tar Heels.
Williams: Illinois -- UNC does not have the poise or experience to win this one on the road.
WEDNESDAY
NC STATE AT WISCONSIN (ESPN2, 7:15 ET)
Bilas: Wisconsin -- The game is at the Kohl Center, isn't it? Next question.
Brennan: Wisconsin -- Besides the immense advantage provided by the Kohl Center, the Badgers are, for all their early-season warts, one of the better rebounding teams in the nation. The Wolfpack without senior forward Tracy Smith are one of the worst.
Fraschilla: Wisconsin -- Anywhere but the Kohl Center, I'd give the Wolfpack an even chance to win.
Gottlieb: Wisconsin -- NC State has better talent, but Wisconsin will use Jordan Taylor off ball screens and Jon Leuer is a great fit for what Wisconsin does and Bo Ryan is great at what he does. Frankly, the Wolfpack might become bored with the tedious pace of the Badgers.
Katz: Wisconsin -- The Wolfpack are without Tracy Smith and to beat the Badgers at the Kohl Center you have to be full strength.
Leung: Wisconsin -- Jon Leuer is just too much to handle, and the Badgers are playing at home.
Lunardi: Wisconsin -- The Badgers figure to be extra cranky after losing the Old Spice title game.
O’Neil: Wisconsin -- I’m guessing practice hasn't been fun for the Badgers since their uncharacteristic slide against Notre Dame. Someone will feel the brunt of that frustration.
Williams: Wisconsin -- The Badgers have compiled a 138-11 (.926) home record under coach Bo Ryan heading into the season. Enough said.
INDIANA AT BOSTON COLLEGE (ESPNU, 7:15 ET)
Bilas: Boston College – The Eagles are at home and Reggie Jackson can really score.
Brennan: Boston College -- Boston College has one awful loss (to Yale) and one solid win (over Texas A&M), so let’s give it a slight advantage over an Indiana team that has yet to leave Assembly Hall -- or play a non-cupcake opponent.
Fraschilla: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson hits it out of the park in the Eagles’ win.
Gottlieb: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson is the best player on the floor. The Eagles use the lessons learned in giving away leads in Orlando to help them beat IU.
Katz: Indiana -- The Eagles own more talent but lack focus in finishing games, something the Hoosiers seem to have now.
Leung: Boston College -- The easy part of Indiana's schedule is over.
Lunardi: Boston College -- BC is coming off a very good showing at the Old Spice and should win at home.
O’Neil: Indiana -- The recruiting good news for the Hoosiers spurs a much-needed good win on the court.
Williams: Boston College -- When Reggie Jackson is allowed to probe with the dribble and is on his game, BC is a tough team.
PURDUE AT VIRGINIA TECH (ESPN, 7:30 ET)
Bilas: Virginia Tech -- Purdue is not only missing Robbie Hummel, but really missing Chris Kramer.
Brennan: Purdue -- Both teams have played solid defense and both have had their struggles offensively, but JaJuan Johnson should provide too many matchup problems for a shallow Va. Tech front line.
Fraschilla: Virginia Tech -- Hokies are desperate for a quality nonconference win.
Gottlieb: Virginia Tech -- Virginia Tech struggles with pressure defense (see Purdue). Purdue struggles to score against legit defenses without Robbie Hummel. Hokies in a great game.
Katz: Virginia Tech -- The Boilermakers are still a formidable bunch, but winning in Blacksburg is hardly an easy task, especially when the Hokies are a top-three ACC team.
Leung: Virginia Tech -- The Boilers are showing they're not the same team without Robbie Hummel, and they'll have their hands full containing Malcolm Delaney.
Lunardi: Virginia Tech -- The Hokies want to stockpile every nonconference scalp they can get.
O’Neil: Virginia Tech -- Neither team has exactly been lighting it up offensively, but the Hokies have Malcolm Delaney, who can score, and the home court.
Williams: Virginia Tech -- Purdue simply doesn't have the same scoring punch like the Hokies' Malcolm Delaney, Dorenzo Hudson and Jeff Allen.
MARYLAND AT PENN STATE (ESPN2, 9:15 ET)
Bilas: Maryland -- Although a road game, the Terps have more talent.
Brennan: Maryland -- Maryland forward Jordan Williams is a budding star, and unless Talor Battle can sprout about 10 inches by Wednesday night, the Nittany Lions won’t be able to stop him.
Fraschilla: Maryland -- The Terps should grind out a road win in State College.
Gottlieb: Maryland -- The Terps are better inside with Jordan Williams and though Talor Battle can win a game on his own, Maryland's size and pressure in the backcourt should hurt his percentages.
Katz: Maryland -- Penn State is having a hard time being relevant while the Terps continue to play tougher, no matter the venue.
Leung: Maryland -- The Terrapins' only losses are single-digit ones to Pitt and Illinois, so Penn State should be no problem.
Lunardi: Maryland -- Penn State isn't the most athletic bunch and was already exposed by Ole Miss.
O’Neil: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions would need to borrow one of JoePa's linebackers to have a player to contend with Jordan Williams.
Williams: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions will have no answer inside for the Terps’ Jordan Williams.
MICHIGAN STATE AT DUKE (ESPN, 9:30 ET)
Bilas: Duke -- Michigan State is turning it over too much right now, and Duke's defensive pressure should capitalize.
Brennan: Duke -- After Duke’s dominant win over Kansas State and Michigan State’s sluggish start in Maui, the Blue Devils look miles ahead of the field. This early in the season, the Spartans won’t be able to close the gap in Cameron.
Fraschilla: Duke -- Tough place for ANYONE to win.
Gottlieb: Duke -- Derrick Nix is back and he should help with the depth of Michigan State inside, but MSU struggled with the quickness of Washington and UConn. Duke's pressure and athleticism are similar.
Katz: Duke -- The Spartans aren’t in March form yet, while the Blue Devils look like they’ve already made plans for Houston.
Leung: Duke -- In case you missed the CBE Classic, the Blue Devils are just better than everyone else right now.
Lunardi: Duke -- Won't make the same mistake of picking against Duke this week.
O’Neil: Michigan State -- I'll admit I'm not 100 percent in on this pick, especially with Duke playing at home. But after a few humbling visits to the other part of Tobacco Road in recent years, a disappointing loss to UConn and a tongue-lashing after a lackluster effort against Tennessee Tech, I think the Spartans are due for a show-me win.
Williams: Duke -- Duke is hands-down the best team in the country and the energy within Cameron will be too much for Michigan State to handle.
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be the dominant storyline in college basketball over the next few nights, so might as well put our writers and contributors on the spot with predictions, right?
For what it’s worth, the group consensus for each game adds up to a 6-5 Big Ten victory over the ACC. But it’s actually even closer than that. In the highly anticipated Iowa-Wake Forest matchup, our panel took the Hawkeyes by a 5-4 margin. If one of those five had picked the Deacons, we’d be projected an ACC overall victory.
Sounds to us like an event worth tuning into …
<strong>Monday</strong>
<strong>Virginia at Minnesota (ESPN2, 7 ET)</strong>
Jay Bilas: Minnesota -- Tubby has depth and guard play, and Tony Bennett doesn't.
Eamonn Brennan: Minnesota – The Gophers are a complete and balanced team, even if <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36271">Al Nolen</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=45983">Rodney Williams</a> miss the game due to injury; Tony Bennett's rebounding Virginia squad is, well, not.
Fran Fraschilla: Minnesota -- The Gophers are one of the country's early-season surprises and they are at home in the friendly confines of Williams Arena. This will be ugly.
Doug Gottlieb: Minnesota -- Despite not having Al Nolen, Minnesota is still loaded. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=51535">Maverick Ahanmisi</a> was a late signee who is a year older than most freshman, and that maturity will come in handy.
Andy Katz: Minnesota – The Gophers are depleted with injuries, but likely get <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41567">Devoe Joseph</a> back and are too strong, too tall, too deep for rebuilding Virginia.
Diamond Leung: Minnesota -- Minnesota might be banged up, but <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36270">Blake Hoffarber</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36628">Trevor Mbakwe</a> should be able to dominate.
Joe Lunardi: Minnesota -- The shorthanded Gophers are still too much for the Cavs at this point.
Dana O’Neil: Minnesota -- Even without Al Nolen and Rodney Williams, the red-hot Gophers are too talented for the still struggling Cavaliers.
Jay Williams: Minnesota -- Even though they won't have starters Al Nolen & Rodney Williams due to injuries, I expect Blake Hoffarber, Trevor Mbakwe and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41568">Ralph Sampson III</a> to dominate.
<strong>Tuesday</strong>
<strong>Georgia Tech at Northwestern (ESPN2, 7 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Northwestern -- The Wildcats will spread the Jackets out and keep them on a string between open 3s and backdoor cuts.
Brennan: Northwestern -- Facing its first real "test" of the season, Northwestern's matchup zone and tricky Princeton offense will give Georgia Tech fits.
Fraschilla: Northwestern -- Sadly, even a win over the Yellow Jackets won't mean much in March. Too much Shurna in this one.
Gottlieb: Northwestern -- Tech played well this weekend, but the travel and Juice Thompson will be too much.
Katz: Northwestern -- If we’re going to take the Wildcats seriously they have to win a game like this at home against the inferior Yellow Jackets.
Leung: Northwestern -- The Wildcats should stay undefeated playing on their homecourt and with <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41742">John Shurna</a> playing well.
Lunardi: Northwestern -- A solid win over Creighton sets the Wildcats up nicely for another victory.
O’Neil: Northwestern -- John Shurna has been terrific all season for a Wildcat team dreaming of -- gasp! -- an NCAA bid.
Williams: Northwestern -- This is the year Northwestern makes the NCAA tournament because of Shurna and Thompson.
<strong>Iowa at Wake Forest (ESPNU, 7 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Iowa -- Wake Forest will have a hard time beating anyone this season.
Brennan: Iowa -- Because as bad as Iowa is, Wake Forest is -- somehow -- worse.
Fraschilla: Wake Forest -- Someone has to win, right?
Gottlieb: Iowa -- Hawkeyes are coming off a win. Fran McCaffery will dial up something.
Katz: Wake Forest -- I can’t see the Demon Deacons losing four home games before Dec. 1.
Leung: Iowa -- Between the two, Iowa has shown a few more signs of life.
Lunardi: Wake Forest -- Neither team has played a true road game, so you have to go with Wake at home.
O’Neil: Wake Forest -- Because as bad as the Demon Deacons have looked early, the Hawkeyes have looked worse.
Williams: Iowa -- After watching Wake lose to Stetson, VCU and Winthrop, I give the edge to Iowa on the road.
<strong>Ohio State at Florida State (ESPN, 7:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Ohio State -- Florida State can really guard, but scoring efficiently is a problem the Seminoles have and the Buckeyes don't.
Brennan: Ohio State – FSU’s defense will keep this one close, but the interior offensive rebounding of <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=51405">Jared Sullinger</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36134">Dallas Lauderdale</a> will be too much for the Noles to manage.
Fraschilla: Ohio State – The Leon County Civic Center is not the homecourt the Seminoles deserve.
Gottlieb: FSU's <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=40974">Chris Singleton</a> has put up insane numbers with two triple-doubles, but OSU has the athletes to guard him and his compadres.
Katz: Ohio State -- The Buckeyes won at Florida and have a better inside game than Florida State, although FSU’s Chris Singleton will likely put up the best numbers.
Leung: Ohio State -- Despite the all-around talents of FSU's Chris Singleton, Ohio State has too many weapons, including Jared Sullinger in the middle.
Lunardi: Ohio State -- Buckeyes complete the Sunshine State sweep in Tallahassee.
O’Neil: Ohio State -- Tough follow for the Seminoles after an emotional, disappointing loss to the Gators. Plus, Jared Sullinger is the why to all questions about the Buckeyes.
Williams: Florida State -- Yes, I call the upset here. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=40971">Xavier Gibson</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=51353">Bernard James</a> will give Mr. Sullinger a lot to deal with down low.
<strong>Michigan at Clemson (ESPN2, 9 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Clemson -- The Tigers are at home, and Michigan hasn't won away from home.
Brennan: Clemson -- Michigan might not be as bad as we thought, but it is not good enough to beat a capable Clemson team, whose only loss was a one-point neutral-court defeat to ODU.
Fraschilla: Clemson -- Early returns about new coach Brad Brownell are positive.
Gottlieb: Michigan -- Searching for an upset here, the 1-3-1 proves tough to tame. The Wolverines appear a bit better than expected, though they will suffer in conference.
Katz: Clemson -- The Tigers, regardless of coach, are too tough at home against similar-level teams.
Leung: Clemson -- Tigers coach Brad Brownell is fitting right in and has enough weapons to win this one.
Lunardi: Clemson -- The Wolverines are a long way from being able to win at Littlejohn.
O’Neil: Clemson -- The Wolverines have done little to prove they're over what ailed them last season.
Williams: Clemson -- After losses to both Syracuse and UTEP, I don't see the Wolverines bouncing back at Littlejohn Coliseum.
<strong>North Carolina at Illinois (ESPN, 9:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Illinois -- North Carolina doesn't push the ball and get easy baskets, and Illinois is at home.
Brennan: Illinois -- The Illini have homecourt advantage, but they also have the benefit of a veteran team that can match up with the athletic -- and as yet thoroughly disappointing -- Tar Heels.
Fraschilla: Illinois -- Are the Heels losing their mystique?
Gottlieb: Illinois -- Better guards, at home, and though Illinois does not have great strength inside, neither does UNC. Illini by more than 10.
Katz: Illinois -- The Tar Heels are still searching for a leader and the Illini need this game too much to prove their relevance.
Leung: Illinois -- It appears that catching the Tar Heels early is the way to go, and an Illini team with size can play with anyone.
Lunardi: Illinois -- What once looked like a toss-up should be a comfortable win for the Illini.
O’Neil: Illinois -- The Illini play with grit and determination, traits sorely lacking so far this season for the Tar Heels.
Williams: Illinois -- UNC does not have the poise or experience to win this one on the road.
<strong>Wednesday</strong>
<strong>NC State at Wisconsin (ESPN2, 7:15 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Wisconsin -- The game is at the Kohl Center, isn't it? Next question.
Brennan: Wisconsin -- Besides the immense advantage provided by the Kohl Center, the Badgers are, for all their early-season warts, one of the better rebounding teams in the nation. The Wolfpack without senior forward <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36377">Tracy Smith</a> are one of the worst.
Fraschilla: Wisconsin -- Anywhere but the Kohl Center, I'd give the Wolfpack an even chance to win.
Gottlieb: Wisconsin -- NC State has better talent, but Wisconsin will use <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41152">Jordan Taylor</a> off ball screens and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36138">Jon Leuer</a> is a great fit got what Wisconsin does and Bo Ryan is great at what he does. Frankly, the Wolfpack might become bored with the tedious pace of the Badgers.
Katz: Wisconsin -- The Wolfpack are without Tracy Smith and to beat the Badgers at the Kohl Center you have to be full strength.
Leung: Wisconsin -- Jon Leuer is just too much to handle, and the Badgers are playing at home.
Lunardi: Wisconsin -- The Badgers figure to be extra cranky after losing the Old Spice title game.
O’Neil: Wisconsin -- I’m guessing practice hasn't been fun for the Badgers since their uncharacteristic slide against Notre Dame. Someone will feel the brunt of that frustration.
Williams: Wisconsin -- The Badgers have compiled a 138-11(.926) home record under head coach Bo Ryan heading into the season. Enough said.
<strong>Indiana at Boston College (ESPNU, 7:15 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Boston College – The Eagles are at home and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=41460">Reggie Jackson</a> can really score.
Brennan: Boston College -- Boston College has one awful loss (to Yale) and one solid win (over Texas A&M), so let’s give it a slight advantage over an Indiana team that has yet to leave Assembly Hall -- or play a non-cupcake opponent.
Fraschilla: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson hits it out of the park in the Eagles’ win.
Gottlieb: Boston College -- Reggie Jackson is the best player on the floor. The Eagles use the lessons learned in giving away leads in Orlando to help them beat IU.
Katz: Indiana -- The Eagles own more talent but lack focus in finishing games, something the Hoosiers seem to have now.
Leung: Boston College -- The easy part of Indiana's schedule is over.
Lunardi: Boston College -- BC is coming off a very good showing at the Old Spice and should win at home.
O’Neil: Indiana -- The recruiting good news for the Hoosiers spurs a much-needed good win on the court.
Williams: Boston College -- When Reggie Jackson is allowed to probe with the dribble and is on his game, BC is a tough team.
<strong>Purdue at Virginia Tech (ESPN, 7:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Virginia Tech -- Purdue is not only missing Hummel, but really missing Chris Kramer.
Brennan: Purdue -- Both teams have played solid defense and both have had their struggles offensively, but <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36150">JaJuan Johnson</a> should provide too many matchup problems for a shallow Va. Tech front line.
Fraschilla: Virginia Tech -- Hokies are desperate for a quality nonconference win.
Gottlieb: Virginia Tech -- Virginia Tech struggles with pressure defense (see Purdue). Purdue struggles to score against legit defenses without <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36149">Robbie Hummel</a>. Hokies in a great game.
Katz: Virginia Tech -- The Boilermakers are still a formidable bunch, but winning in Blacksburg is hardly an easy task, especially when the Hokies are a top-three ACC team.
Leung: Virginia Tech -- The Boilers are showing they're not the same team without Robbie Hummel, and they'll have their hands full containing <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36544">Malcolm Delaney</a>.
Lunardi: Virginia Tech -- The Hokies want to stockpile every nonconference scalp they can get.
O’Neil: Virginia Tech -- Neither team has exactly been lighting it up offensively, but the Hokies have Malcolm Delaney, who can score, and the homecourt.
Williams: Virginia Tech -- Purdue simply doesn't have the same scoring punch like the Hokies' Malcolm Delaney, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=40725">Dorenzo Hudson</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=31599">Jeff Allen</a>.
<strong>Maryland at Penn State (ESPN2, 9:15 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Maryland -- Although a road game, the Terps have more talent.
Brennan: Maryland -- Maryland forward <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=45916">Jordan Williams</a> is a budding star, and unless <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=36465">Talor Battle</a> can sprout about 10 inches by Wednesday night, the Nittany Lions won’t be able to stop him.
Fraschilla: Maryland -- The Terps should grind out a road win in State College.
Gottlieb: Maryland -- The Terps are better inside with Jordan Williams and though Talor Battle can win a game on his own, Maryland's size and pressure in the backcourt should hurt his percentages.
Katz: Maryland -- Penn State is having a hard time being relevant while the Terps continue to play tougher, no matter the venue.
Leung: Maryland -- The Terrapins' only losses are single-digit ones to Pitt and Illinois, so Penn State should be no problem.
Lunardi: Maryland -- Penn State isn't the most athletic bunch and was already exposed by Ole Miss.
O’Neil: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions would need to borrow one of JoePa's linebackers to have a player to contend with Jordan Williams.
Williams: Maryland -- The Nittany Lions will have no answer inside for the Terps’ Jordan Williams.
<strong>Michigan State at Duke (ESPN, 9:30 ET)</strong>
Bilas: Duke -- Michigan State is turning it over too much right now, and Duke's defensive pressure should capitalize.
Brennan: Duke -- After Duke’s dominant win over Kansas State and Michigan State’s sluggish start in Maui, the Blue Devils look miles ahead of the field. This early in the season, the Spartans won’t be able to close the gap in Cameron.
Fraschilla: Duke -- Tough place for ANYONE to win.
Gottlieb: <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/profile?playerId=46227">Derrick Nix</a> is back and he should help with the depth of Michigan State inside, but MSU struggled with the quickness of Washington and UConn. Duke's pressure and athleticism is similar.
Katz: Duke -- The Spartans aren’t in March form yet, while the Blue Devils look like they’ve already made plans for Houston.
Leung: Duke -- In case you missed the CBE Classic, the Blue Devils are just better than everyone else right now.
Lunardi: Duke -- Won't make the same mistake of picking against Duke this week.
O’Neil: Michigan State -- I'll admit I'm not 100 percent in on this pick, especially with Duke playing at home. But after a few humbling visits to the other part of Tobacco Road in recent years, a disappointing loss to UConn and a tongue-lashing after a lackluster effort against Tennessee Tech, I think the Spartans are due for a show-me win.
Williams: Duke -- Duke is hands-down the best team in the country and the energy within Cameron will be too much for Michigan State to handle.
Fran McCaffery and the 'Color Paper Caper'
November, 5, 2010
11/05/10
10:11
AM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
When you've just taken over a program in the sort of rebuilding straits as the Iowa Hawkeyes, it's important to maintain a sense of humor. Laughter is the best medicine. I'm pretty sure Albert Einstein said that, and he was a real Einstein, am I right?
Such is the case with Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. After settling the rather laughable issue of whether prospective basketball recruits met Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore on a recruiting visit at the Iowa vs. Iowa State game on Sept. 11 -- they did, and the NCAA ruled that meeting to be a harmless secondary violation brought on by actions it deemed "unintentional and accidental" -- McCaffery revealed an even sillier secondary violation he dealt with when he was coaching at UNC-Greensboro:
Well played, Mr. McCaffery. Suffering a potential program setback because of color vs. black and white is much funnier than suffering a potential program setback because of the guy who starred in "Dude, Where's My Car?" Can 2010's 18-year-olds even remember that movie? Or "That '70s Show"? To them, Kutcher is probably just some dude who endorses digital cameras and, for some reason, has a gazillion Twitter followers. Color paper might actually be a more effective recruiting tool.
Such is the case with Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. After settling the rather laughable issue of whether prospective basketball recruits met Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore on a recruiting visit at the Iowa vs. Iowa State game on Sept. 11 -- they did, and the NCAA ruled that meeting to be a harmless secondary violation brought on by actions it deemed "unintentional and accidental" -- McCaffery revealed an even sillier secondary violation he dealt with when he was coaching at UNC-Greensboro:
“We sent recruiting mail out in color on plain white paper,” McCaffery said. “If it was on letterhead it would have been legal. If it was in black and white on plain white paper it would have been legal. But since it was in color on plain white paper it was a violation and we self-reported. So that’s the extent of my transgressions with the NCAA, but it gives you an idea of what we deal with. We called it the ‘Color Paper Caper.’”
Well played, Mr. McCaffery. Suffering a potential program setback because of color vs. black and white is much funnier than suffering a potential program setback because of the guy who starred in "Dude, Where's My Car?" Can 2010's 18-year-olds even remember that movie? Or "That '70s Show"? To them, Kutcher is probably just some dude who endorses digital cameras and, for some reason, has a gazillion Twitter followers. Color paper might actually be a more effective recruiting tool.
Gatens injury another tough break for Iowa
October, 27, 2010
10/27/10
3:30
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
Jinxes are not real. Whether you're watching baseball, navigating ladder-strewn sidewalks, or squaring off with the judge on the U.S.-Mexico border, it's important to remind yourself: jinxes do not exist.
So, no, I do not have the power to jinx Iowa forward Matt Gatens. This is just really awful timing.
A mere two days after lauding Gatens as a potential individual breakout pick in the Big Ten this season, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery told the Associated Press that Gatens tore a tendon in his left hand and will be out indefinitely. McCaffery didn't offer much in the way of specifics, but an Iowa spokesman did say that the injury isn't expected to be season-ending. Gatens will have surgery Thursday.
Even if the injury isn't season-ending, the Hawkeyes just went from really bad to really, really, really bad, and Gatens just went from a potential star to an outpatient. It's another bad break for an Iowa program that seems to be stacking those up in the past three years, and it's another bummer for Gatens, a promising player whose career has been marred by forces outside his control. Here's to a speedy recovery. Karma may be no more real than the jinx, but still, Iowa could use a little good karma right now.
So, no, I do not have the power to jinx Iowa forward Matt Gatens. This is just really awful timing.
A mere two days after lauding Gatens as a potential individual breakout pick in the Big Ten this season, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery told the Associated Press that Gatens tore a tendon in his left hand and will be out indefinitely. McCaffery didn't offer much in the way of specifics, but an Iowa spokesman did say that the injury isn't expected to be season-ending. Gatens will have surgery Thursday.
Even if the injury isn't season-ending, the Hawkeyes just went from really bad to really, really, really bad, and Gatens just went from a potential star to an outpatient. It's another bad break for an Iowa program that seems to be stacking those up in the past three years, and it's another bummer for Gatens, a promising player whose career has been marred by forces outside his control. Here's to a speedy recovery. Karma may be no more real than the jinx, but still, Iowa could use a little good karma right now.
Iowa's Matt Gatens potential breakout pick
October, 25, 2010
10/25/10
2:55
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
You have to feel for Matt Gatens. He did, after all, come to Iowa in a torrent of optimism. New coach Todd Lickliter had just finished his first season, and at that point could be reasonably expected to rebuild the Hawkeyes in the manner of his former Butler program. Gatens was ranked No. 99 overall in the class of 2008, the sort of impact recruit Iowa desperately needed. And, to top it all off, Gatens was a hometown kid, an Iowa City native that committed to Steve Alford as a high school freshman and stuck with Lickliter when Alford was unceremoniously let go.
Needless to say, things have not gone well. Lickliter presided over sub-.500 seasons; the Hawkeyes never won more than six games in the Big Ten and never qualified for the NIT, let alone the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, fans abandoned the program, and the rollicking Carver-Hawkeye Arena of Gatens' youth (Jess Settles: never forget) fell silent.
Now a junior, Gatens is playing under his second coach (third, technically, if you want to count the commitment to Alford), and Iowa is again in the first year of an entrenched rebuilding process. It's probably not quite the tenure the Iowan envisioned for himself.
Still, there might be one bit of positive news here, and that's that in 2010-11, under new coach Fran McCaffery's up-tempo system, Gatens will have every opportunity to make a name for himself. Why? Pace. From Basketball Prospectus:
There are at least four encouraging signs in those two paragraphs. The first is McCaffery's desire to play up-tempo. That's nothing new, of course; the former Siena coach has been touting the benefits of high-speed hoops since he got the job this spring. The second is Gatens' usage rate, which doesn't figure to dip thanks to a rather shallow Iowa roster. The third is the guard-forward switch. The fourth is Gatens' weight loss.
All four factors figure to make Gatens a much more statistically impressive scorer. Gatens was already putting up solid, if not great, numbers in Lickliter's brutally slow system. Even if Gatens doesn't get any more efficient (and he might), a drastic increase in possessions is bound to significantly improve his counting stats. Throw in the position switch (more time facing the hoop can't be a bad thing) and the weight loss (physical fitness is always good, right?) and you've got a potential breakout candidate on your hands.
Of course, that doesn't mean the Hawkeyes will be good. They, um, won't. But for a player that has stuck by his hometown school after two regime changes and two years of horrendous performance, a little individual recognition might be the next best thing.
Needless to say, things have not gone well. Lickliter presided over sub-.500 seasons; the Hawkeyes never won more than six games in the Big Ten and never qualified for the NIT, let alone the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, fans abandoned the program, and the rollicking Carver-Hawkeye Arena of Gatens' youth (Jess Settles: never forget) fell silent.
Now a junior, Gatens is playing under his second coach (third, technically, if you want to count the commitment to Alford), and Iowa is again in the first year of an entrenched rebuilding process. It's probably not quite the tenure the Iowan envisioned for himself.
Still, there might be one bit of positive news here, and that's that in 2010-11, under new coach Fran McCaffery's up-tempo system, Gatens will have every opportunity to make a name for himself. Why? Pace. From Basketball Prospectus:
Iowa was 341st with a 58.5 adjusted tempo in the 2008-09 and 333rd with a 60.4 mark in 2007-08. The Hawkeyes failed to score 60 points in 54 of Lickliter's 96 games. Not surprisingly, Iowa's attendance dropped to an average of just 9,550 a game last season. By comparison, McCaffrey's Siena teams were held under 60 points just nine times in 163 games in five seasons. [...]
Gatens was Iowa's leading scorer last season when he averaged 12.3 points/4.3 rebounds/3.3 assists/36.7 minutes a game while ranking 20th in the nation in percentage of minutes played with 91.3. Slimmed down to 208 pounds, Gatens is moving from forward to guard this season and McCaffrey is expecting big things, saying "He's actually driving and dunking the ball like he used to.”
There are at least four encouraging signs in those two paragraphs. The first is McCaffery's desire to play up-tempo. That's nothing new, of course; the former Siena coach has been touting the benefits of high-speed hoops since he got the job this spring. The second is Gatens' usage rate, which doesn't figure to dip thanks to a rather shallow Iowa roster. The third is the guard-forward switch. The fourth is Gatens' weight loss.
All four factors figure to make Gatens a much more statistically impressive scorer. Gatens was already putting up solid, if not great, numbers in Lickliter's brutally slow system. Even if Gatens doesn't get any more efficient (and he might), a drastic increase in possessions is bound to significantly improve his counting stats. Throw in the position switch (more time facing the hoop can't be a bad thing) and the weight loss (physical fitness is always good, right?) and you've got a potential breakout candidate on your hands.
Of course, that doesn't mean the Hawkeyes will be good. They, um, won't. But for a player that has stuck by his hometown school after two regime changes and two years of horrendous performance, a little individual recognition might be the next best thing.
Despite the fact that his name is "Brennan" and he hails from Iowa, I am sorry to say that Iowa forward Brennan Cougill and yours truly have no relation. Despite what some of the more confused and less friendly commenters on this here blog may think, my last name is Brennan, not my first. Close, but no cigar.
Still, that doesn't mean I can't empathize with the common Iowa basketball fan, who just got another bit of bad news -- the latest mile of a four-year bad news marathon -- that Cougill has been deemed academically ineligible for next season. Instead of playing for the Hawkeyes, Cougill will enroll in nearby Kirkwood Community College. Cougill says he still hopes to rejoin Iowa in the future.
It's another blow for a program mired in a brutal rebuilding phase, and it's especially tough for Iowa fans to swallow. Cougill's departure leaves "the interior of Iowa's team comically thin," in the words of always-excellent Black Heart Gold Pants scribe Adam Jacobi. Jacobi, like most Iowa fans, was hoping Cougill's size and three-point shooting touch would make him a unique weapon in new coach Fran McCaffery's uptempo offense. Instead, the Hawks will likely roll with senior Jarryd Cole, who's rehabbing from an injury and managed a mere 8.1 points per game in 2009-10. He'll be joined by true freshman Melsahn Basabe, the No. 63 overall power forward in the class of 2010. After that, there's not much there. Comically thin, indeed.
Yes, the state of affairs in Iowa City is depressing. But there is some hope on the horizon. Our own Dana O'Neil profiled McCaffery today, and the good news for Iowa fans -- besides the truckloads of dollars currently being pumped into the previously decrepit Carver-Hawkeye Arena -- is that McCaffery isn't backing down from his promises of an up-tempo, fast-paced offensive attack.
Despite what Malcolm Gladwell might think, up-tempo hoops isn't always the best strategy for undersized, under-athletic teams. But Iowa's going to lose games anyway. Until the talent level improves, McCaffery might as well lose those games in style. Winning will really bring the fans back to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. In the meantime, aesthetics will have to do.
Still, that doesn't mean I can't empathize with the common Iowa basketball fan, who just got another bit of bad news -- the latest mile of a four-year bad news marathon -- that Cougill has been deemed academically ineligible for next season. Instead of playing for the Hawkeyes, Cougill will enroll in nearby Kirkwood Community College. Cougill says he still hopes to rejoin Iowa in the future.
It's another blow for a program mired in a brutal rebuilding phase, and it's especially tough for Iowa fans to swallow. Cougill's departure leaves "the interior of Iowa's team comically thin," in the words of always-excellent Black Heart Gold Pants scribe Adam Jacobi. Jacobi, like most Iowa fans, was hoping Cougill's size and three-point shooting touch would make him a unique weapon in new coach Fran McCaffery's uptempo offense. Instead, the Hawks will likely roll with senior Jarryd Cole, who's rehabbing from an injury and managed a mere 8.1 points per game in 2009-10. He'll be joined by true freshman Melsahn Basabe, the No. 63 overall power forward in the class of 2010. After that, there's not much there. Comically thin, indeed.
Yes, the state of affairs in Iowa City is depressing. But there is some hope on the horizon. Our own Dana O'Neil profiled McCaffery today, and the good news for Iowa fans -- besides the truckloads of dollars currently being pumped into the previously decrepit Carver-Hawkeye Arena -- is that McCaffery isn't backing down from his promises of an up-tempo, fast-paced offensive attack.
Despite what Malcolm Gladwell might think, up-tempo hoops isn't always the best strategy for undersized, under-athletic teams. But Iowa's going to lose games anyway. Until the talent level improves, McCaffery might as well lose those games in style. Winning will really bring the fans back to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. In the meantime, aesthetics will have to do.
Can McCaffery make Iowa hoops fun again?
March, 29, 2010
3/29/10
5:37
PM ET
By
Eamonn Brennan | ESPN.com
Reading the Associated Press' description of the Iowa basketball program under Todd Lickliter, you'd be forgiven for confusing the former Butler coach with the Grinch Who Stole Fun. For example:
Todd Lickliter wasn't just bad. The former coach's style was apparently so excruciating that he managed to bore Iowans. Think about that. (And yes, as an Iowa native, I'm totally allowed to make that joke. Nice try, angry Midwestern commenter. No East Coast bias here.)
Of course, had Iowa had the same success with that "boring" downtempo grind-it-out style that Brad Stevens and Lickliter's former program is currently having, I doubt Iowa fans would have minded. But there is a tradition, especially among the younger Iowa fan in their 20s and 30s, to feel particularly passionate about uptempo basketball. Dr. Tom Davis, the man who took over three years after the Lute Olson era ended, went to nine NCAA tournaments in his 11 years at Iowa by pressing his opponents for entire games and subbing a flurry of players in and out of the game to maintain a physical advantage. Davis also had fun little quirks in his style, like the fake-shot-alley-oop pass that fooled Iowa's opponents until the very end. (Why did this work? I have no idea. Theoretically, if the defense boxes out on every shot, it shouldn't matter whether the shot was a fake or the real deal. But it always worked.)
In other words, Fran McCaffery is on the right track here. Iowa basketball was interminable these past three years. If McCaffery can appeal to the Iowa fan who grew up in the Tom Davis era and make Iowa hoops fun to watch again, he can count on plenty of support in the Hawkeye State. Even if he doesn't win right away.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallFran McCaffery takes over a Hawkeyes program that fans weren't coming to watch this season.
AP Photo/Charlie NeibergallFran McCaffery takes over a Hawkeyes program that fans weren't coming to watch this season.Iowa introduced the 50-year-old [Fran] McCaffery as its new coach Monday, ending a 13-day search to replace the fired Todd Lickliter after one of the most disastrous seasons in the history of the once-proud program. McCaffery said he's up to the challenge. "Our players are going to have fun, they're going to enjoy what they do on the floor," McCaffery said. "This place is going to be rocking again."
... Of course, Iowa is counting on McCaffery to be more than a responsible manager. Lickliter's teams were remarkable only for their predictability. He brought a grinding, plodding offense to Iowa that allowed the shot clock to tick down while players looked for the best shot. Hawkeye fans weren't receptive. [...] Iowa was bad last season, but most disheartening were listless, double-digit losses to rivals Wisconsin and Minnesota. Attendance slumped to just 9,550 per home game. ...
Todd Lickliter wasn't just bad. The former coach's style was apparently so excruciating that he managed to bore Iowans. Think about that. (And yes, as an Iowa native, I'm totally allowed to make that joke. Nice try, angry Midwestern commenter. No East Coast bias here.)
Of course, had Iowa had the same success with that "boring" downtempo grind-it-out style that Brad Stevens and Lickliter's former program is currently having, I doubt Iowa fans would have minded. But there is a tradition, especially among the younger Iowa fan in their 20s and 30s, to feel particularly passionate about uptempo basketball. Dr. Tom Davis, the man who took over three years after the Lute Olson era ended, went to nine NCAA tournaments in his 11 years at Iowa by pressing his opponents for entire games and subbing a flurry of players in and out of the game to maintain a physical advantage. Davis also had fun little quirks in his style, like the fake-shot-alley-oop pass that fooled Iowa's opponents until the very end. (Why did this work? I have no idea. Theoretically, if the defense boxes out on every shot, it shouldn't matter whether the shot was a fake or the real deal. But it always worked.)
In other words, Fran McCaffery is on the right track here. Iowa basketball was interminable these past three years. If McCaffery can appeal to the Iowa fan who grew up in the Tom Davis era and make Iowa hoops fun to watch again, he can count on plenty of support in the Hawkeye State. Even if he doesn't win right away.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Eamonn Brennan
Brennan joined ESPN.com in 2009 after several years of blogging at Yahoo! and other places around the Internet. The Iowa native lives in Chicago with his roommates, his dog, and a crippling addiction to caffeine.
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