Monday, January 12, 2009

our man fish-eye rich

There was a time when I couldn't stand Louisville. Actually, it was Denny Crum who I couldn't stand. His style was too rigid and he relied too much on post play to make his teams exciting to watch. Yeah, he won, but he didn't win pretty.

I love watching Louisville now because Denny Crum is a bad memory in Kentucky. Fish-Eye Rich Pitino is a coach's coach. His teams play the lines like pool sharks. His back court is deep, fast, and smart. He coaches to his team's strengths while exploiting all of the weaknesses on the floor -- and the bench. His under-rated and exhausted Cardinals just beat an over-rated, over-performing Notre Dame team. Luke Goonygoogoo went into OT with four fouls like the stiff that he is. Fish-Eye went into OT with a whole different game plan and made Brey look like a CYO coach.

Remember back in the day when every team in the Big 10 had top-25 billing. This time of year they'd knock the snot out of each other in barn burners that rattled the rafters. In the last couple of years the action shifted a few states to the right. The Big East is now putting the absolutely best college basketball on the hardwoods that's been seen in a long time. The Big 10 and ACC need not apply. The PAC 10 -- don't even go there. No, the Big East is right where you want to be this year.

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