more randomness

To those who know me, don’t ever – ever – allow me to bad mouth Jim Boeheim again. This team is not that good, but they knocked off Florida and Kansas in two days. They are, however, better coached than 25 teams ranked ahead of them in the pre-season, and every team with the exception of UConn in the Big East pre-season rankings. I’ve seen them play more man-up in the last two nights than I’ve seen over the last 20 years. Uncle Jim is coaching to the talent on the floor, like great coaches do.

Have you seen the first couple of ESPN games with The General doing analyst work? He has forgotten more about the game of basketball than the average person will ever want to know. I’ve concluded that the people who don’t like Knight are the same people who talk like they know college hoops. Not to sound too ridiculous, but there is a beauty, rhythm, structure and – most importantly – history to the game that gets harder and harder to connect with. Knight is connected.

My sister and brother-in-law get major props for being Ball State Cardinals. This is not the same team that Rutgers shellacked last year in Toronto. Don’t count Buffalo out of the conference championship game in Detroit. Regardless of what The Idiotman says, Turner Gil is on the short list to replace G-Rob. Buffalo is a good defensive team, but holy crap, can Ball State spread the field.

Dilbert’s lock of the week: The Oregon St. Beavers over the Oregon Ducks for a Rose Bowl berth. The Beav’s haven’t been there since 1965. I like the nostalgia and the fact they have the best team name in college sports.

Dilbert’s lock prediction for March 2009: The Big East will absolutely dominate the early rounds of the tournament and have two teams in the Final Four.

Dilbert’s lock prediction for 2010: I will always hate the NBA for what it has done to the game of basketball. However, one cannot help but to be amazed at what Lebron James does – coast-to-coast, half-court, posting up, one-on-one. The Knickerbockers will get their smack together and put James on The Garden floor in 2010.