A very exclusive fraternity

The last team to come close to finishing a regular season undefeated was St. Joe's back in 2004. In fact, they did technically go unbeaten in the regular season (27-0), before losing the quarter-final round game of the A-10 conference tournament heading into March Madness.

As talented as Syracuse, Baylor, Missouri and Murray State may be, all four of the nation's currently undefeated teams have just started conference play and have a ways to go in terms of proving themselves.

16 teams have finished the regular season undefeated but lost in the NCAA Tournament (or a different post season playoff) and only seven have gone unbeaten throughout the season and playoffs to win the national championship. Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers were the last team to accomplish that feat back in 1976.

I'm giving you the history lesson because I don't know if we will EVER see an undefeated college team in men's basketball again. Could it happen? Sure, of course it could, but I'll believe it when I see it.

For discussion's sake, lets take a look at the four (of 345) remaining Division I unbeaten men's basketball teams. We'll go in order from lowest to highest AP poll ranking.

No 19. Murray State 15-0, Ohio Valley

Should Murray State go undefeated, nobody will give them any credit for it anyway because they are in a mid-major conference. The truth is that undefeated is undefeated, whether its in the NFL, college hoops, synchronized swimming or little league baseball, it should always be regarded as a major accomplishment. If anyone can do it at this point, it's probably the Racers given their schedule. But even in the Ohio Valley conference, going unbeaten won't come easy for Murray State.

The Racers beat Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday in their first game without the team's leading rebounder, forward Ivan Aska. The senior is out indefinitely with a broken right hand. The Racers will have to account for his 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. In fact, Aska is one of only three Racers who averages double figures in scoring.

Murray state is among the country's best in terms long-distance shooting, hitting 43.7 percent from 3-point range. But you know what they say; Live by the 3, die by the 3.

While losing Aska indefinitely worries me a lot, the good news for the Racers is that not only are the other teams in the Ohio Valley conference not "big name" programs, but many of their OVC opponents look horrendous this season. Only 7 of the 11 teams are .500 or better, but most are on the lower end of that spectrum.


No. 7 Missouri 14-0, Big 12
I feel like Missouri will always let you down when it counts so several years ago I decided never to count on them. But damn, they look good this season! Whoa. They rank first in D-1 in field goal percentage (shooting 52%) and second overall in scoring, averaging 86.2 points per game. The Tigers also dish the ball out around 17 times per game, good for 16th in the nation in assists. This Mizzou offense is FOR REAL.

The Tigers dropped 92 points on then-ranked No. 18 Cal, and held the Golden Bears to only 53 pathetic points. To humiliate another ranked team 92-53 is mighty impressive (even if it was Berkeley, coming from a weak Pac-12 conference).

I like the Tigers because they have been somewhat tested in playing two ranked teams thus far (Mizzou squeezed out a four-point win over then-No. 24 Illinois), which cannot be said for Murray State, Baylor or Syracuse. Then again, neither Cal nor Illinois are currently ranked.

It's hard to know just how good their defense is because to use the phrase, "they held Niagra to 52 points" would be an oxymoron; I could probably hold Nigara to 60 by myself. I can't gauge their defense just yet, but once the Tigers have more than one conference game under their belt, we'll get a much better picture of the D.

I would say that Saturday's game against No. 23 Kansas State should be a great measuring stick for the Tigers since the Wildcats has showed such strong defense all season. Unfortunately, KState got hammered by Kansas on Wednesday, allowing the Jayhawks the freedom to do whatever they desired in a 67-49 win over the Wildcats. Should Missouri beat Kansas State this weekend, it might not mean as much as we thought it would have before the Kansas game.

The Tigers' problem will be the same as Baylor and Syracuse; they play in a strong conference that will make an undefeated regular season incredibly hard to pull off. Mizzou reminds me a little bit of the Patriots in that you really aren't sure what you'll get on the defensive end, but you can't really root against them because of the strength of the Tigers offense.



No. 4 Baylor 14-0, Big 12
What a year for Baylor University. First, Robert Griffin III goes berserk, leading Baylor to only its second 10-win season in school history en route to a bowl game victory AND the school's first ever Heisman Trophy. Who thought there would be room for another top team within the same school? Apparently, there's plenty of room at the top as Baylor is the only D-1 school currently ranked in the coaches polls in football, men's and women's basketball.

If the Baylor men's basketball team goes deep into the tournament, much less finishes the regular season undefeated, the Bears would easily be the best story of a young 2012 year.

It feels like just yesterday when I first heard the news that Baylor forward Patrick Dennehey went missing and was subsequently found murdered at the hands of his friend and Bears teammate Carlton Dotson, who is now serving a 35-year prison sentence. Investigations into the 2003 incident uncovered drug use among the men's program, cover-ups by then-head coach Dave Bliss, illegal payments from coaches to players and other violations resulting in several sanctions (probation, loss of non-conference games, reduced scholarships and recruiting visits, etc.) levied by both the university itself and the NCAA.

Had this scandal occurred at a school with a more storied basketball program in this age of the internet and social media, it would've taken on a magnitude of Penn State/Sandusky proportion.

Thankfully for Baylor, the only small, private school in the Big 12, the worst is behind them and the men's basketball program has recovered in a truly incredible fashion.

From RGIII on the football field to Perry Jones III on the hardwood, Baylor basketball is now off to its best start in school history to match it's highest poll ranking ever at No.4 AP.

For whatever its worth, Jones, a 6'11 sophomore, was voted the Big 12 preseason player of the year and hasn't disappointed as he leads the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game in nine games (he served a six-game suspension for taking improper benefits before arriving at Baylor) and ranks second in rebounding with 7.3 per contest.

The great thing about Baylor is that they aren't a one-trick pony as FIVE guys on the team are averaging double figures in scoring and no player is averaging more than 14 minutes per game. The team is pretty well-balanced in most areas.

The problem here is that the Big 12 is quite competitive this season with three other teams ranked in the top 25 (including unbeaten No. 7 Missouri, as mentioned above), none of which Baylor has faced yet. Even the unranked teams are decent, if not pretty good, which has my instincts telling me the Bears could easily suffer an upset by Texas or Oklahoma.

If any team were to finish the season undefeated, or come close to doing so, Baylor would be at the top of my wish list.

No. 1 Syracuse 16-0, Big East

For starters, the 'Cuse is second to none in the name game as the Orangemen have the nation's best-named team with a roster full of gems like Christmas, Fab, Scoop and Mookie

The team is deep in great names and solid ability, with ten players averaging between 15 and 16 minutes of playing time per game. No player averages more than 16. That's pretty impressive and tells you that with every point scored and every rebound grabbed, "there's more where that came from." The Orangemen might not have the most talented roster pound-for-pound, but they are deep as hell with a second unit just as strong as their starters which is a rare luxury to have.

If you're a stats junkie, this team sure look good as it's ranked in the top 15 nationwide in points, assists and field goal percentage per game. The Orangemen have hot hands, shooting nearly 50% from the field.

Unlike Murray State, Syracuse plays in the Big East, a perennial power house year in and year out. Thing is, they've only played 3 conference games thus far and only played one ranked school, Florida.

Sure, against crappy programs (sorry if that sounds harsh, but you guys know what I mean), the Orangemen have won by a fairly large margin, but the same cannot be said in games against more reputable teams. At the end of the day, a win is a win, but yes, margin of victory does help me gauge where a team is in it's development and how it's evolving throughout a season.

Is the margin of victory smaller to begin the season, and larger toward the end, proving that a team is gelling and running like a well-oiled machine? Or are the wins harder to get, perhaps indicating stamina issues, health problems, etc.?

Assuming the Orangemen are still undefeated by February, perhaps their real test will come with a three-game stretch at the start of the month playing No. 9 Georgetown and No. 8 Connecticut at home followed by No. 10. Louisville on the road. If Syracuse can make it through that, they would be at 26-0 with only four games to play, including rematches with UConn and Louisville. With an experienced coach like Jim Boeheim, if the Orangemen do make it to 26-0, I would give them a pretty damn good shot in finishing the regular season unbeaten.

Early Season College Grades

We have finally seen enough from some of the big boys of the college basketball landscape to start making judgment on whom, or who appears to be legit to contend for the 2011-2012 NCAA Title. Now granted we’re only six or seven games into a season that will last until the end of March for some. So improvements, injuries and bad breaks will all play a role in who can reach New Orleans with a chance to dance like no other!

To no surprise, 6-0 Kentucky is ranked as the top team in the land and the Wildcats have played like it. John Calipari sports a starting five of three freshman and two sophomores and so far inexperience due to youth has not been a problem. The bluegrass blitzkrieg has averaged 84 points per game with a margin of victory averaging 30 points. Kentucky’s lone top-ten test was passed with flying colors, a 75-65 win over #11 Kansas at Madison Square Garden. U.K. has all five starters averaging double-figures along with sixth man Darius Miller. Their early season test gets tougher this week however with St. John’s visiting Rupp Arena tonight and #5 North Carolina rolling into Lexington on Saturday. Things could change for the Wildcats by next week, but so far you have to give Big Blue an “A” for both effort and results.

4th ranked Duke experienced its first growing pains on Tuesday as the Blue Devils were embarrassed on national television at #2 Ohio State 85-63. Now the Buckeyes are no joke, but Coach K’s crew appeared to be overmatched for most of the night. Thad Motta’s team jumped on the visitors for an 11-0 lead and never trailed in the game! When was the last time a Duke team got beat like that? It’s hard to remember as much as it was hard to take for the Dukies. Now Duke was coming off wins over both Michigan and Kansas which led them to the Maui Invitational Championship, but these are the type of things that happen when young players are in the fore-front. Freshman Austin Rivers did score 22 points but he took 18 shots to do it while adding just three assist. Junior guard Andre Dawkins contributed zero points in 19 minutes. Despite the loss, quality wins over Tennessee and Michigan State earlier in the year have made the Duke start very successful and a solid “B” is the worse grade they could possibly receive.

If you had to find a surprise in the top 25, then just go ahead and take a hit on 18. This is the one time in Vegas; it’s actually a good move! The Runnin’ Rebels are off to an 8-0 start! First year coach David Rice has people taking notice has it took the Rebs double overtime to escape Isle Vista with a win at UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday 94-88. Mike Moser is off to early recognition has one of the top players in the country. He dropped 34 on the Gauchos and leads the country in rebounding. He also can get it done from beyond the arc as he dropped home six 3-pointers. Now normally a win over a Big West school would really be no big deal. But UNLV was coming off a 90-80 victory over then #1 North Carolina on Monday Night. Games at Big-10 powerhouses Wisconsin and Illinois loom on the Runnin’ Rebels schedule but it takes more than stacked dice or lucky cards to beat what should be a final four Tar Heels team. We’ll see how long what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas before the word is really out. Runnin’ Rebels get an easy “A+” three weeks into the season.

March Madness Hero that will live forever

One of the truly great moments in NCAA Basketball History was brought back to life on Tuesday, but in June not March. The rebirth took place once again, because the architect of the high-lite passed away. On a stretch of Interstate-40 in Raleigh, North Carolina, not far from where he was still worshipped as a godlike figure around North Carolina State’s William Neal Reynolds Coliseum, Lorenzo Charles died. Charles was driving a charter bus, something he’d done for the Elite Coach Company for over a decade. The vehicle swerved off the road, ran up a hill and into some trees. He perished at the scene.

But you see, Charles will really never leave our world or college basketball fans for that matter. His memorable play in the 1983 NCAA Championship Game is burned into the fabric of the March Madness, while it’s also of course, caught on video tape.

His one shinning moment was more than just being at the right place at the right time. It was about desire and determination, something his Wolfpack teammates that season rode all the way to a title. Playing against Akeem Olajuwon and the famed Phi Slamma Jamma team from the University of Houston, N.C. State was a heavy underdog. But that is just where they wanted to be. You see, Houston had won 26 games in a row coming into the final, so no one gave the Wolfpack much of a chance. So when Dereck Whittenburg rose up and lofted a 30-footer with the score tied at 52, and almost no time remaining, no one thought the shot was going in. Even game announcer Gary Bender said while calling the play… “Oh that’s a long way.” But only one player saw the play all the way through, it was Charles. While everyone in Albuquerque’s Pit watched the jump shot float towards the rim only Charles anticipated and reacted. Like a perfectly timed ally-opp he leaped, grabbed and dunked the air-ball, all in one motion. As the leather passed through the goal, the scoreboard clock read triple zeros and bedlam erupted! N.C. State players looked on in disbelief. Head Coach Jim Valvano raced onto the court running around in need of a hug and of course Houston players fell to the ground in despair.

It was one of not only the greatest moments in tournament history but sports history. It was one of those plays that have helped build March Madness into a cult like ritual with every spring that dawn, three months into the new year.

Every March when the tournament rolls around, you see the young man and his unending quest for the basketball and finish that has stood the test of time for almost 30 years. So even in on this day in June, when Charles has left this world for a seat on Valvano’s bench in heaven, the spirit of his memory and iconic play will stay with us. So, no need to be sad. Because Lorenzo Charles may now be gone, but he will never be forgotten.


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Regardless of the winner, it’s going to be a great comeback story

National Championship Game Chat Room - Chat live with fans from both schools

No if the TV ratings back this up that’s another issue, but the storyline itself has all the intrigue, fodder, and fuel for CBS to hype this a classic and have already stated that if the Bulldogs win it would trump the 85’ Villanova upset over Patrick Ewing and Hoya Paranoia. I wouldn’t go that far but to get back to TWO consecutive NCAA Finals has been reserved in history for teams with 3 or perhaps 4 NBA players in their starting lineup. This team has done it with one or perhaps two, with one of them already leaving at the end of last year as Gordon Hayward moved on to become a first rounder. Because of that they will never go down as one of the best teams by the modern day definition of a “collection of athletes” but certainly should in the literal sense of “a number of persons forming one of the sides in an athletic contest” and one of the best stories. As Bill Self, Urban Meyer, and others from small schools that had the light come on and leave for greener pastures, I’m tuning into the Butler story just to see how long Bradley Stevens can keep the faith. And there that is that beast from the Big East that saved the reputation of the conference as ten of the record eleven representatives fell by the waist side, most in the early rounds, and had the sports nation wondering what all the hype was about. Well, that same conference that started with just over 16% of the tournament field now as 50% and maybe 100% in a few hours. The Huskies finished ninth in the conference and arguably needed to win a couple of games in conference tournament to get their party invite. They did more than that by winning five games in five days, mostly over ranked opponents and then five more to get to this point. If they were going to run out of gas they’d have done it by now and Walker’s stock has risen so much it has made people rethink their valuations of the internet “bubble”. But as a fan of the game and one that still thinks this is the greatest event in sports, I want to see a legendary finish so both these schools get their just due in NCAA Tourney history, and hey, a 80% shooting night and last second inbound to run out the clock sounds good to me.

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