Apr 03, 2015 by Robb Todd
“40-0.”
Everyone is talking about it. But the Wildcats say that belongs only to them, 38 games into the season.
Check out the legal battle that’s brewing over “40-0”: last week, the University of Kentucky “sent a cease-and-desist letter to Louisville lawyer David Son, whose company is selling blue-and-white ‘40-0’ T-shirts on his website, 40and0.com.”
None of that will matter if Wildcats don’t win two more games. But how could they possibly lose? Here’s one answer.
It’s a good question, indeed, but maybe people should be a little more concerned about Duke, which faces a 7 seed in its game. (No disrespect, Michigan State.) Duke seems to be peaking and that peak extends all the way to the NIT. Stanford beat Miami in OT, 66-64, to win... Read More
Mar 27, 2015 by Robb Todd
Kentucky’s record-setting destruction of West Virginia makes it easy to forget there are other teams in the Sweet 16.
Oh, but there are other teams. Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Arizona made that clear last night, and tonight Duke—hey, remember them?—will have a chance against Utah to put its stamp on things. As will a few other talents squads.
But does even mentioning teams other than Kentucky feel like whistling past a graveyard? Here’s a warning from the Wildcats’ latest victim:
“They were what I thought they were,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said after the 78-39 blowout. “That’s the best defensive team I think that I’ve ever coached against. And when they’re making shots, there’s nobody going to beat them.”
Here’s what else you need to... Read More
Mar 16, 2015 by Robb Todd
The basketball gods giveth, the basketball gods taketh away—and dunk one right in your face.
Right, UCLA? Right, Temple? Right.
Temple wasn’t the only snub Sunday but the Bruins were the most shocking inclusion. Here’s a rundown of some other teams that might be more than a little upset that UCLA is in and they are out.
But, hey, let’s look at one of the positives of UCLA’s gift from the committee: it sets up a great storyline with second-round opponent SMU. Former Bruins coach Larry Brown, who led them to a national title in 1980, now helms the Mustangs. This contest is Brown’s first NCAA tournament game since 1988 when he led Kansas to a title, the same year that SMU last won a tournament game.... Read More
Mar 13, 2015 by Robb Todd
The field will be set Sunday and the mayhem—dare we call it “madness”?— will begin Tuesday. But a lot of the wagering has already begun, surely only where it’s legal.
Did you know that about $9 billion is bet on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?
That was question No. 1. Here are a few more.
2) Can anyone beat Kentucky?
This might be the only question that matters. We should have saved it for last.
3) Is North Carolina State, despite coming of a loss to Duke on Thursday, the team most likely to shock the nation by upsetting a one or two seed in the second round?
The answer is no because if you know anything at all about... Read More
Feb 17, 2015 by Robb Todd
The rivalry between Duke and UNC’s men’s basketball teams never needs an emotional boost.
However, Wednesday’s contest at Cameron Indoor Stadium between the No. 4 Blue Devils and No. 15 Carolina is shadowed by the loss of legendary Tar Heel coach Dean Smith, who passed Feb. 7.
“We have lost a man who cannot be replaced,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who wore a Carolina blue tie to Smith’s funeral. “He was one of a kind and the sport of basketball lost one of its true pillars. Dean possessed one of the greatest basketball minds, and was a magnificent teacher and tactician. While building an elite program at North Carolina, he was clearly ahead of his time in dealing with social issues. However, his greatest gift was his... Read More
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