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By Shawn O'Neal SportsLine College Basketball Editor |
Feb. 7, 2000
When the NCAA Selection Committee announces its field of 64 teams in five weeks, the answers to the mysteries of the college basketball universe will be self-evident.
Until then, here are a few questions to ponder:
Is Florida a fraud?: With their biggest wins coming over a who's who in young and erratic teams -- Georgetown, Vanderbilt and Louisiana State -- the Gators, thus far, deserve that tag as well. That could change this week as they host Kentucky on Tuesday and travel to Tennessee on Saturday. A split makes the Gators legit. If they get swept, it will be hard not to think this team was included among the nation's elite a season too soon.
Is there any way North Carolina will not be in the Tournament?: Sure, if the Tar Heels start dropping home games to teams like Wake Forest, Virginia and Georgia Tech, they could miss the draw for the first time since 1974.
A more likely scenario, though, has the Tar Heels building on their overtime setback to Duke, going at least 5-2 the rest of the way and making a run in the ACC Tournament. That (and their No. 26 RPI) should be enough to get them in, though it might be their lowest seed since the 1990 team went in as a No. 8. That team still went to the Sweet 16.
Will there be a Los Angeles team in the Tournament?: Probably, though both UCLA and USC took it on the chin last weekend, getting swept at home by California and Stanford. USC is starting to show the effects of losing leading-scorer Sam Clancy and sixth-man Jarvis Williams to injury. UCLA, meanwhile, is still trying to figure itself out -- a process that might not get accomplished this season.
But with the Pac-10 sitting No. 2 in the latest SportsLine RPI, it's a safe pick five teams from the conference will get into the draw. Stanford, Arizona and Oregon look like shoo-ins. That leaves Arizona State, California, UCLA and USC fighting for at least one spot and probably two. It's hard to see both teams missing out.
Will Brian Ellerbe be out at Michigan if the Wolverines miss the Tournament?: A better question might be, will Ellerbe be out at Michigan come season's end regardless of what happens? After getting his team off to a 12-3 start, turmoil has dogged Ellerbe -- much of it surrounding freshman point guard Jamal Crawford.
An assistant coach was demoted after an altercation with Crawford early in the season, then the team's leading scorer started talking transfer. Now, Crawford has been suspended for six games by the NCAA for his living arrangements prior to his enrollment at Michigan. There were also reports that Ellerbe played a role in covering up allegations of theft against two players. Ellerbe and the female student who eventually dropped the complaint deny any cover-up, but the damage might be done.
Athletic director Tom Goss has denied reports that the AD is planning to step down, though it's hard to imagine the athletic department being terribly pleased with Ellerbe no matter who's running the show. A coach who inherited a team saddled with major NCAA violations, even if all this fuss is over nothing, it's hardly helping the program's image makeover, and that was supposed to be Ellerbe's top priority. That the Wolverines enter the week on a four-game losing streak doesn't help, either.
Game of the day: Whatever is eating Oklahoma State point guard Doug Gottlieb isn't going to help the Cowboys when Kansas visits Stillwater. The point guard still can't get past his mental block, and has hit five of 27 shots from the floor in his past six games. He's still a fine playmaker and runs an offense as well as any point in the Big 12, but Kansas is the kind of team that will take advantage of such a problem. The Jayhawks are tough enough defensively with a point guard who can pull the trigger. Without one, the Cowboys will have a hard time earning a win in their only regular-season meeting against Kansas this season.
Keep an eye on: The Mid-American Conference's East Division is a crazy place to play ... especially with a solid team like Marshall sitting in a fourth-place tie. Kent was expected to run away with the division, but with several teams making runs at tournament bids, every night has been a trial. ... Winners of five of six, Miami is back on track toward a spot in the postseason, but can ill-afford to trip at home against teams like Georgetown.
Game of the day: Three days after their 85-66 trashing of Connecticut, Michigan State travels to West Lafayette, Ind. for what promises to be a physical affair with the Boilermakers. There's no way Purdue's guards can hang with Mateen Cleaves and Charlie Bell, so look for the Boilermakers to try to muddy up the track and turn this one into a battle beneath the glass. At home, it just might work, as Brian Cardinal usually has big games when they're needed. It will be Andre Hutson's job to keep Cardinal in line while the rest of the Spartans take advantage of mismatches.
Keep an eye on: Florida has won three in a row since losing to DePaul, but is in desperate need of a win over Kentucky to stay in the SEC East race. If the Gators are ever going to develop into the team they were expected to be, this seems to be the time. Up next is a swing through Tennessee and Arkansas. If Billy Donovan's team doesn't win two of three in this string, it can forget about a top seed to the SEC Tournament.
Game of the day: After only three ACC teams made it into the dance a year ago, teams Nos. 4 and 5 will be holding their breath come Selection Sunday. Which is to say, life would be a lot more comfortable in third place. As the week begins, Maryland is tied with North Carolina State, Virginia and North Carolina for second. The Terrapins would love a road win, but haven't played well away from College Park this season, picking up its lone road win at Florida State, 82-63. Duke, meanwhile, continues to run rampant through the conference, getting All-American seasons from Chris Carrawell (18 points, 6.2 rebounds) and Shane Battier (16, 6.1).
Keep an eye on: Surprising as it might be, Virginia might be that third team in the ACC standings once the season ends. Donald Hand is giving the Duke duo a run for ACC Player of the Year, leading the Cavaliers in scoring (15.5) and assists (4.6). Few teams in the nation are struggling the way Georgia Tech is, losing seven of nine before taking out its frustrations on Florida A&M Saturday. This is a prime opportunity for the Wahoos to pick up an ACC road win. ... Louisiana State is still a team that needs to worry about its NCAA Tournament chances, though a win over Auburn might push the Bayou Bengals into the draw for good.
Game of the day: Oregon goes into Stanford's Maples Pavilion looking to avenge its only conference home loss of the season. The Ducks certainly want to represent themselves better than they did the first time the teams met, when Stanford finished off a weekend junket in the Willamette Valley with an 85-71 laugher in Eugene. What made the loss worse was that Stanford power forward Mark Madsen was still in the midst of post-injury funk, scoring just four points and grabbing five boards. He had a five-point, six-rebound game against an abysmal Washington State team, but aside from that has averaged 13.5 and nine since.
Keep an eye on: With their early-season ACC struggles, North Carolina needs to steal one on the road eventually. The Heels won at Clemson on Sunday, but so does everybody else (see: Appalachian State). A win at NC State would be a good sign that things are returning to normal for UNC. ... Louisville has lost six of eight and the last thing the Cardinals need is a visit from Syracuse. The Cardinals have struggled to stop big players this season, so the Orangemen's Etan Thomas should feel right at home in Freedom Hall.
Game of the day: Penn has won 15 of 17 from Harvard, and the Crimson hasn't won at the Palestra since 1991. If the Crimson break that string here, the Ivy League might be more interesting than it appears.
Game of the day: Notre Dame is going to be a bubble team come March despite road wins over UConn and Ohio State and another at home over St. John's. The Irish just haven't won consistently, with losses to Rutgers, Miami of Ohio and Pittsburgh damaging their stock. If the Irish can complete the season sweep of the Huskies, it might be hard to keep them out. When the teams met in Hartford, Troy Murphy went off for 33 points and 16 rebounds while Khalid El-Amin hit for 34 on 11-for-26 shooting. If both players end up in the 20s, it favors UConn, a team that's at its best when everybody is involved in the offense.
Keep an eye on: Gonzaga will be looking to stay perfect in the West Coast Conference with a win at Malibu. The Bulldogs came back from double-digit deficits to win Thursday night in Spokane, 62-57. ... Every now and again, Iowa looks like a tournament team. Remember the UConn win? And, more recently, the Hawkeyes cruised past Kansas. Then they turn around and get their clocks cleaned at home by a Purdue team they should at least compete with. Their RPI makes them better suited for the NIT, but a road win over youngish Illinois will show the committee that they have it together down the stretch.
Game of the day: Is anybody in the Conference USA capable of staying with Cincinnati? A better question might be, does DePaul have any chance of getting into the NCAA Tournament? The answer to both questions might be "no," though the Blue Demons can change both of those with a win at the Shoemaker Center.
Keep an eye on: Michigan would dearly love to gain some sort of vengeance for the brutal 85-50 beating it took in Bloomington Jan. 25. Unless they can win at Illinois on Wednesday, the Wolverines will be trying to snap a five-game losing streak against an Indiana team that seems to be developing a killer instinct. ... The common denominator for UCLA's success appears to be the play of post men Dan Gadzuric and Jerome Moiso. If they step up, the Bruins are a Top 25 team. If they play dead, Etan Thomas will make them look silly and the Orange will send Steve Lavin's team home with yet another black eye.
Billy Donovan and the Florida Gators will be tested this week.(Allsport) Monday's highlights
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