Fun Fact Friday: The Madness

October 12, 2012. The official start of the basketball season. Today marks the first day that college teams can hold practice, most choosing for a "Midnight" Madness type of event. Up in Central New York, the 'Cuse figured if its not at midnight, why call it Midnight Madness? They opted for Orange Madness, which brings us to our first installment of #FunFactFriday.

Jasmine and Scoop prior to Madness (Post Standard)

This year's Orange Madness will be hosted by none other than, the Human Momentum Killer himself (nickname given by reader JaLil), Scoop Jardine. The fun fact comes here. Scoop's co-host is his girlfriend, Jasmine Jordan. Jasmine is a sophomore at Syracuse, and the daughter of some guy named Michael Jordan. And this is probably the only time Scoop's name will be used in the same sentence as MJ's (Although there were rumors back in August that Scoop was getting an invite to the Bobcats preseason camp - but a longer than expected recovery from a foot injury puts Scoop back at the Dome, instead of in Charlotte). Jasmine said she was asked to co-host the event by The First Lady of SU Basketball, Juli Boeheim. If Juli called you, you'd do whatever she asked as well.

Onto some other Midnight madness notes:

-Jimmy B is 10 wins away from 900, and 13 wins away from passing Bob Knight on the all-time wins list.

-Seth Greenberg thinks Syracuse's weakness this year is not having a "city" guard like Pearl Washington, Adrian Autry, or Dion Waiters. Brandon Triche, Jamesville-Dewitt (NY) and Michael Carter-Williams, Hamilton (MA) are all offended. Seth also thinks he should still be coaching at Virgnia Tech, though.

-Indiana opted for the televised day time practice with drills and Tom Crean pacing around the court chirping compliments and instructions faster than he chews his gum. No crowds, no smoke machines, no freshmen doing ballet numbers (UNC did this). The Hoosiers are ranked as high as #1 in some preseason polls and return ALL of their starters. They also have a guy named Maurice Creek on their team. Mo Creek, anyone?

-ESPN has placed their talent all over the map to report live from Midnight Madnesses. Syracuse got the short end of the stick with Dino Gaudio, while UNC and Pitt were the big winners with Doris Burke and Bill Raftery, respectively. Since Syracuse beat Pitt in football last week, they should have won the rights to have Raftery in town for the Madness.

-Kentucky's madness started with them raising their 2012 National Championship banner to the rafters. Reports out of Rupp Arena is that they are leaving the ladder out, since they will have to vacate that win within the next year or two. #tooeasy  Kentucky also has two players with Kid 'N Play type boxes, stud recruit, questionably eligible Nerlens Noel and transfer PG from NC State, Ryan Harrow.

-Andy Katz has Louisville ranked #1 in his preseason poll. Whatever that means.

-This is the final Midnight Madness for Pitt and Syracuse in the Big East. Next season the 'Cuse will be in the ACC House. Oh my god, oh my god. #RIPBigEast

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Weekend in College Basketball

The Good: I feel like this section should be entitled "The Great" or "The Unbelievable", because that's exactly what the Indiana-Kentucky game was. We predicted on Friday that IU would keep it close, but eventually UK would pull it out for a victory. Well IU did more than keep it close, and when they were down 2 (thanks to Doron Lamb only making 1 of 2 free throws) with 5 seconds to play, IU placed itself back in the national basketball picture.



A few things to note in this video:

• Check out Tom Crean's reaction at the 23 second mark. Hey Tom, you just had your biggest win at IU. We know you are a super hyper passionate guy. I get trying to act like you've been there before, but a smile would have been nice.
• Great court storming by the IU student section at Assembly Hall. Nice work on a very worthy storm.
• Nice job by ESPN's Dan Shulman staying quiet and letting the moment breathe. I'm guessing they had to unplug Dick Vitale's mic to keep him quiet at this time.
• Is there any camera shot cooler than the wide angle where you get to the see the entire stadium, arena, etc explode at the same time?
• A few thoughts on the game - best way to beat Kentucky is to get Anthony Davis in foul trouble, make some outside shots, and hope Terrance Jones is allergic to the basketball for the majority of the game.
• Its obvious Kentucky had a foul to give, and you know Calipari told his team to get one early. His young team didn't execute, and his first reaction to the made 3, was wondering why his team didn't foul (at about the 1:58 mark).

Other goodness from Saturday - Syracuse remains unbeaten by taking care of business with George Washington. Bottom line, GW isn't very good, and the Orange jumped on them right away and never looked back. That's what good teams are supposed to do. Thanks to a couple of loses elsewhere, Syracuse should be #1 in the new polls.

The Bad: We won't necessarily saw this is bad, but rather unfortunate. It was unfortunate that Jared Sullinger wasn't able to play at Kansas on Saturday. The Jayhawks ended up winning, but OSU was right there most of the game. If Sullinger is healthy, I think OSU wins. KU's Thomas Robinson continues to impress. He was 7-9 from the field, 7-8 from the line, 7 rebounds and 21 points.

The Ugly: To say that the end of the Xavier - Cincinnati was ugly would be a huge understatement. As bad as the scene was with punches being thrown, sucker punches being landed and bodies trying to be stomped on, the post game comments from Xavier's Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons were almost just as worse.




This video doesn't show Holloway's comments, but he basically said that his own team had a bunch of "gangstas" in the locker room (he clarified by saying, not thugs, but gangstas). He then went on to say that he had no regrets for anything that happened, and that's what you want to see in the XU-Cincy rivalry. Not sure if Holloway and Lyons have a nickname yet, but it should be Dumb and Dumber.

On Saturday, everyone gave credit to Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin for his post game comments. Here's some of the best:

“We represent an institution of higher learning. It’s way more important than basketball games. I made everybody take their jersey off and they will put it on again until they have a full understanding of where they go to school and what the university stands for and how luck they are to even be there let alone have a scholarship. Because there’s a whole lot of kids that can’t pay for college and don’t get to go to school....

......they are all sitting in there (the locker room) with no jersey on. Some of them I physically took them off........

.....We talk all the time, toughness is doing the right thing in life. That is what we talk about. If that is the case, you are being provoked, this or that, true toughness, you walk away from it. You take your ass whipping and you go home and you get better."

Cronin talked the talk on Saturday, but he along with the University and the Big East did not walk the walk on Sunday when handing out punishment. The fact that Yancy Gates, who connected on a sucker punch, threw numerous other punches and could barely be restrained, was suspended a total of 6 games is absolutely ludicrous. After the game Cronin talked about not knowing who would even be on the team anymore (you have to think he was referencing Gates), to now having one of his best players only miss the next 6 games, and only one of those being on the Big East conference schedule.

In my opinion, 10 games would have been acceptable, 15 games would have probably be right on, and being kicked off the team would not be out of the question. Six games? Six lousy out of conference games doesn't send a message. Cronin said he was embarrassed after the game. Well he should be embarrassed by what he thinks is an acceptable punishment.

Holloway will get one game, while Lyons gets two games for their role in the brawl, but mostly for their post game comments. Both of these suspensions are probably a bit light at well. It's obvious Holloway and Lyons didn't "get it" after the game. Let's hope they do, sooner rather than later.

+1: Since we don't want to end on such a sour note, let's give you a bonus video from the weekend. One of the coolest traditions in college basketball comes from Taylor University and their annual "Silent Night". Spend the next 3:27 watching this video. It's worth it.

Workin' for the Weekend

Now that we have the Loverboy hit in your head for the rest of the day, let's talk about the evolution of workin' for the weekend (also if you get the chance to check out the video for this song - its all kinds of amazing).

When we first got out of college and started in the "real world", we weren't used to working 8-9 hour days, 5 days a week, every week. We were coming off our last semester of college, or if we were lucky, a summer following college graduation. Working for the weekend meant we needed the the weekend to sleep in, go out at night and make questionable decisions, all mostly for a good story to tell our buddies.

Sullinger probable for match up with KU

As we grow up, working for the weekend has been given new meaning. Adult things like wedding planning, kids (don't worry, First Lady and I are not expecting a little one any time soon), trips to Bed, Bath and Beyond (Frank Ricard knew what he was talking about) and other domesticated related things make up the weekend activities. One thing that stays consistent though, is looking forward hanging on the couch, watching the big games of any given weekend (yes, I know this is going to change when little ones are around - that's why naps and DVR were invented). I might start listing "Strategically scheduling my weekend plans around games I want to watch" as a skill on my resume.

This weekend, which will be sprinkled with holiday festivities, wedding checklists, laundry and grocery shopping, will also feature some can't miss college hoops games.

Crean and IU fired up for UK on Saturday

Saturday kicks off with #2 Ohio State at #13 Kansas. An asterisk next to this game as it could be short all of its star power if Jared Sullinger's back spasms keep him sidelined. Let's hope he plays since he'll be matched up with Kansas's Thomas Robinson in the post. Sullinger and Robinson considered two of the best big men in the country. Don't forget about Aaron Craft and William Buford for the Buckeyes, and Tyshon Taylor, Elijah Johnson and an annoying "Rock Chalk" chant for the Jayhawks.
Daily Onions pick: If Sullinger plays, we like OSU. No Sullinger, gotta go Kansas.

That game should be getting over just as #1 Kentucky travels to Assembly Hall to take on undefeated Indiana. Interesting matchup here. Arguably the best team in the land going up against arguably one of the greatest traditional basketball programs in the land. One program has been in the Top 5 consistently the last few years, the other team hasn't sniffed the NCAA tournament in years. Both coaches are two of the most energetic and passionate you'll see roaming the sidelines, with one a favorite of Daily Onions (Crean), the other not so much (Calipari). Saturday's game marks the first true road game for Kentucky and their young freshmen. Indiana's best win this year is either home against a young Butler team, or on the road at North Carolina State. If IU pulls it out, they'll join the Top 25, and will have a huge resume win for March.
Daily Onions pick: IU keeps it close, but UK wins.

Not Exactly Street Legal

With the recent rumors/allegations/stories of Jets QB Mark Sanchez having a relationship with a 17-year old girl, we got thinking about some of the underclassmen in college basketball the Daily Onions has a "crush" on (you see the connection, right? A little weird, bit of a stretch, yes...but just go with it). The requirements for our list include the player being a freshman or sophomore, and that's about it. Let's get to it:

The Well-Known: These four individuals have been talked about in Daily Onions previously.

Jared Sullinger - Freshman - THE Ohio State University: We've said it before and we'll say it again. Sullinger is close to a lock for Big Ten player of the year, and is at least in the conversation for National Player of the Year. He is a very important reason that the Buckeyes are one of our Final Four teams as of now.

Barnes and UNC are back on track

Terrence Jones - Freshman - University of Kentucky: Athletic player with lots of different tools - can score inside and outside, can rebound (11 last night, including 5 on the offensive glass, block shots (4 last night). He loves to take a few dribbles and spin when he drives, and teams are starting to pick up on that, so he'll need to add something else to his repertoire (yes, I just said repertoire).
Tobias Harris - Freshman - University of Tennessee: As we mentioned yesterday, Harris spurned Syracuse for Tennessee. He's got a great basketball body at 6-8, 225 - and is averaging a solid 14 and 7 this season. Projected to be a late first rounder, let's hope he's on our favorite sophomore list next year, and not riding the pine in the Association.
Harrison Barnes - Freshman - University of North Carolina: We felt a little bad for Harrison, since he was named to a preseason 1st Team All-American without playing a college game. He had a very slow start, which made that honor even more puzzling. But he, and UNC, has started put things together as they are 7-1 in the conference. BIG test for Harrison and Co. tonight at Cameron Indoor.

Sneaky: These players aren't going to wow you every game (maybe a play here and that as you'll see), but they do the little things, fill up the stat sheets in a lot of different areas and are players most coaches would love to have as their supporting cast.

Dominic Cheek - Sophomore - Villanova University: Despite playing for one of the biggest rivals of my alma mater, Cheek is a Jersey kid (St. Anthony's) that played for Bob Hurley Sr., so you know he plays hard. He can knock down the open shot, can defend and will do the dirty work for you.
Alex Oriakhi - Sophomore - UConn: Jeez, another player from a rival school. The man in the middle for UConn isn't quite raw, I'd say medium rare. He's a big body and has some nice moves and a nice touch around the basket (averages 10 and 8 this season). Should aspire to be the next Rick Jackson.
CJ Fair - Freshman - Syracuse University: Finally, someone in Orange. For those Cuse fans out there, Fair is Josh Pace 2.0. His coming out party was his performance at Pitt when Kris Joseph was out. Since then, when given the opportunity, he's been a spark off the bench. He's what you'd call a glue guy.

Aaron is "Crafty" (heyooo) with the ball for the Bucks

Aaron Craft - Freshman - THE Ohio State University: You can book Craft as an extra in the Hoosiers remake as well (Central Casting: Craft and Sheehey are both white with buzzcuts. Sullinger, Lighty, Diebler, Lauderdale, and Buford are the names most people know, but Craft is starting to make a name for himself at the point position. He comes off the bench, runs the team, makes a few defenders look stupid here and there, and goes about his business. The Buckeyes only go seven deep, so he is an important piece off the bench.
Will Sheehey - Freshman - Indiana University: An under recruited swingman from Florida, Sheehey puts the myth that "white men can't jump" to rest. Don't believe me - check this out. Blake Griffin watched this clip and was impressed. If they were remaking the film Hoosiers, Sheehey could be one of the players. Tom Crean has Sheehey and the rest of the squad playing hard as heck, and they've had some decent wins in the last two weeks (Illinois, Minnesota).

In Name Only: These three deserve to be at least mentioned on this list. To be quite honest though, because of their west coast location (woo hoo East Coast Bias!!!), Daily Onions hasn't been able to see many of their games. Instead of just rehashing their stats of the web, we'll just leave it as a mentioning of their names. In case you get stuck at a dinner party discussing the best underclassman in the country - make sure you mention these three.

Perry Jones - Freshman - Baylor University - Projected as the a top 3 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Jordan Hamilton - Sophomore - Texas - Has the Longhorns as a potential 1 seed in the tourney.
Derrick Williams - Sophomore - Arizona - Best player in the Pac-10, potential top 3 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.

The Weekend that Was

Let's take a quick look at some of the happenings in the college hoops world from this weekend:

-Just over one month ago, University of Tennessee men's basketball program was in the news for a variety of wrong reasons. From off the court issues like coach Bruce Pearl's admission to committing NCAA recruiting violations, to on the court issues like his team losing an exhibition game to Indianapolis (Lemoyne, anyone?), it was a not the greatest start in Knoxville.

Hopson is boxin' it up this season. (AP Photos)

Amazing what a month can do. The Vols are 7-0 now, including wins over two of the Big East's top teams, Villanova (at MSG) and most recently Pitt (in Pittsburgh) on Saturday.  Leading the way for Tennesse has been Scotty Hopson.  Daily Onions contributing reporter, Ramy Nammour, had a front row seat at Saturday's game and said Hopson "has the game and the look to be a top player.....great shooting form, athletic, put on a few pounds and he is set..." Not sure if "the look" had to do with Hopson's "Kid 'n Play" hairstyle, but Scotty has been the Vols leading scorer with 17.9 ppg.  The rest of his game needs to come around a bit, as he only averages 3.7 rpg, and has 21 turnovers compared to 10 assists on the season. UT, however, definitely a team to watch in the SEC.

-Following their showdown at MSG on Tuesday night, Syracuse and Michigan State went in opposite directions in their next game.  Syracuse pasted Colgate (athankyou) 100-43, while Michigan State struggled to beat Oakland, winning by 1 point.


-With Kyrie Irving on the sideline, let's welcome Jared Sullinger to the #1 spot on the Freshman of the Year Leaderboard.  The 6-8, 280 lb freshman forward dropped a 40 spot on Friday night against the Palindromes from IUPUI.  Yes, I know its IUPUI...but still, 40 for a freshman big man is impressive.

-The comeback story of Indiana University isn't ready to make that next step....at least not yet.  After starting the season 7-1, IU lost its first true test, on the road at Kentucky.  The score doesn't do the Hoosiers justice (81-62), as it was a 4 point game with about 5 minutes to play. But not making a FG from the 9 minute mark until 45 seconds left, isn't the best way to win basketball games.  Daily Onions is a big fan of Tom Crean, and knows he will bring IU back to the national stage within the next few years.