EveryJoe » Kansas

The New Top 5 College Basketball Teams

Lyndsey D'Arcangelo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:33:33 +0000

There was plenty of action in college basketball this weekend. Kansas fell to Oklahoma State, a team that isn’t even ranked in the top 20. And both Kentucky and Purdue (number two and three respectively) were upset as well.

Kentucky lost to Tennessee. And Purdue lost to Michigan St. Only Duke and Syracuse continued on with their winning streaks.

So, what does all of this mean exactly? Well … as far as rankings go, there should be a new number one team in college basketball.

And that team should be Syracuse.

Even Syracuse fans know that their team should be ranked number one.

The Orange Men are rolling. They handled Villanova (a team that many analysts believed could win the whole NCAA Tournament this year) with impressive ease, winning 95 -77 in front of over 34,000 screaming ‘Cuse fans.

With a 26 -2 overall record, and an incredibly effective two-three zone defensive scheme, Syracuse should be the new number one team in the country. In fact, I’m picking them to go all of the way in the NCAA Tournament.

We’ll know for sure once the new rankings are announced today. But in the meantime, here is my list of the new top five teams in college basketball:

1. Syracuse
2. Kentucky
3. Kansas
4. Duke
5. Purdue

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Grading the New 2009-10 FBS Coaches, part 2

Allison Boyer — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:00:11 +0000

There have been a number of new coaches hired for the upcoming year, and some of them were great changes. Others? Not so much. You can read part 1 of this list here.

Florida State

Will Jimbo Fisher be able to fill Bobby Bowden's shoes? Image: Newscom

Out: Bobby Bowden
In: Jimbo Fisher
Grade: A

It’s the end of an era at Florida State. However, as sad as we all are to see Bowden go (especially being forced out a year or two earlier than he wanted), Fisher is ready for this job. He’s been waiting for it for years, and he knows this program inside and out.

Kansas

Out: Mark Mangino
In: Turner Gill
Grade: B

There are few coaches that I dislike more than Mangino, so I was glad to see him go at Kansas. Gill is coming from Buffalo, and while he did well there, this is his first chance at head coaching on a major stage. Will he succeed? I hope so. He certain has the tools for it now.

Kentucky

Out: Rich Brooks
In: Joker Phillips
Grade: C

Brooks should have never left Oregon. He was doing well there, and was mediocre at best when he left to coach in the NFL. When returning to the college stage with the Jayhawks, his coaching was also luke-warm, and assistant coach Phillips was announce as his predecessor in early 2008. Honestly, I’m not sure he’ll be able to create a winning program at Kentucky. I certainly don’t think that he’s a bad coach, but Kentucky really needs some fresh blood, in my opinion.

Louisiana-Monroe

Out: Charlie Weatherbie
In: Todd Berry
Grade: B

Berry’s skills as a head coach are questionable. At Illinois State, he took the team to a conference championship. But when he was hired at Army? Failure. Out of the four years he was there, they finished last three years and next to last the fourth year. Since then, he’s bounced around in assistant coaching positions. So why did I give him such a high grade? Because I think he has potential. He’s not a bad coach, and I think at a school like ULM, he could really shine. Berry may never coach at USC, but he’s not a bad coach, and he deserves a chance.

Louisiana Tech

Out: Derek Dooley
In: Sonny Dykes
Grade: A+

At a school like Louisiana Tech, you aren’t going to attract major names in college football. Sonny Dykes is about as major as it gets, and I think he’s a great choice for the program. This past season, Dykes was a finalist for the Broyles Award, and he’s often been called one of the best recruiters in the country. Personally, I think he could have landed a job at a better school, and I think that he will eventually…but in meantime, I think he’s going to take this team to a whole new level.

More grades to come!

Post from: EveryJoe

Is Kansas For Real?

Lyndsey D'Arcangelo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:42:01 +0000

Now that the pro football season has come to end (shout out to the Saints — Who Dat!), we can concentrate fully on basketball without any needless distractions.

There is so much parody in college basketball this season. Every time a new team reaches the number 1 spot in the polls, they get beat. The movement between the top 25 teams has been so fluid that you can’t really figure out who’s got a leg up on who?

Kansas protected the number one spot on Monday with a win against Texas.

That’s why when Kansas took over at number 1, I thought, “this is only going to last so long.” But the Jayhawks proved Monday night that they not only have the talent to reach number 1, they have the drive and fight to stay there.

Playing against a Jeckle and Hyde Texas team (you never know which one is going to show up), Kansas stepped up big time in order to distinguish themselves from past number 1 ranked teams. They beat the Longhorns decisively down the stretch, hustling and muscling their way to an 80-68 win.

As we head into rivalry week, we’ll get a closer look at how many of the top 25 teams match-up with their rival counterparts. While other teams continue to bounce up and down the ranks, one thing is for certain — Kansas is staying put at number 1.

The only question is — for how long?

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Should Mangino be Fired?

Allison Boyer — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:50:21 +0000

Mark Mangino isn’t known for being a nice guy. People may have put up with his rants in the past, but with new allegations from players who say that the Kansas coach was abusive during practices, some people are, of course, calling for his head on a platter.

Says Mangino of the issue,

“I run this program with a lot of integrity. I have been in this conference for nearly 20 years, and what I can tell you is that our coaching intensity is not largely different from the rest of the Big Eight and Big 12 teams I’ve observed.”

Mangino was accused of poking linebacker Arist Wright in the chest at a recent practice. Former KU running back Jocque Crawford chimed in when he heard the accusations, saying that he transferred because of Mangino’s “disrespectful” coaching tactics. He was joined by two other former players who wished to remain anonymous, but who say that they were also personally attacked by the coach.

Mark Mangion, Image: Newscom

Some players, however, are on Mangino’s side. Senior captain Kerry Meier says that he never knew there was angry tension between Mangino and the rest of the team. He was surprised by Wright’s accusations and had nothing but praise for the coach, who had taken the team to a 5 – 5 record so far this season. The Jayhawks need one more win to qualify for a bowl game.

Some critics, however, have called Mangino “an abusive bully.” Is that enough for him to lose his job?

Let’s say, for a second, that the accusations against Mangino are completely true. Some are saying they’re not and the coach himself denies the claims, but let’s just pretend that they’re completely true, with no exaggeration. Is the lack of respect enough for the coach to be fired?

I don’t think it is, as long as the team is winning games. This isn’t summer camp. This isn’t high school football. If the coach is an ass, these players can make the choice not to play for him. They’re adults. It’s like working for a boss who is an ass. You either deal with it to make your money or you find another job. That’s what these players can do – deal with it to play for Kansas or find another team.

I don’t necessarily think that being disrespectful to the players is a good idea. It isn’t a way to make your team want to play well for you, and it isn’t a good way to grow closer to win games. Mangino will probably have problems recruiting players because of this issue, too. If all of that means that he’s not the best coach possible, then yes, Kansas should fire him.

But if he’s just a jerk…then players need to suck it up or go play for another school. It’s that simple.

Post from: EveryJoe

2009 Midseason Undefeated and Winless

Allison Boyer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:02:10 +0000

We’re about at the mid-season point for college football. I always think it’s interesting to see which teams have gone undefeated so far and which teams have yet to win a game. By this time, most teams have had at least ONE tough opponent and at least ONE game where they had a chance to win. Here’s how the lists look this year:

Undefeated:

Alabama
Boise State
Cincinnati
Florida
Iowa
Kansas
South Florida
TCU
Texas

Winless

Ball State
Eastern Michigan
Florida Atlantic
Miami (OH)
New Mexico
Rice
Western Kentucky

Really, I think the big surprises here are that there are no major surprises. Few people would have put Iowa on the undefeated list when predicting records at this point in the season, considering that they played Penn State, but once again, the boys at Happy Valley choked.

I guess South Florida on the list is a little surprising too. They haven’t had a totally easy season. Cincinnati has (sorry, I know ya’ll love ‘em, but I’m not sure they aren’t totally overrated). Next week, they play one another, so that will end for one team.

WR Mardy Gilyard has been important for the Bearcats so far this season. Can they continue to charge ahead as they meet harder opponents on the field? Image: Newscom

I’m hoping that Cincinnati proves they deserve to be ranked so high, but I don’t think South Florida will just roll over.

As for the winless list…well…let’s just say that Michigan is happy to not be on it.

Post from: EveryJoe

2008 Week 11: Blogging about the Big 12

Allison Boyer — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:14:29 +0000

I can’t watch every game, and there are tons not on TV every week. So, instead of blogging about every game, I’ll link you to the people who are talking about it (by conference). If I missed your link, leave a comment!

#4 Texas 45, Baylor 21