Wow.  What a nerd. 

Thanks to Rick Bozich being the crack reporter that he is, we now learn that the USC Board of Trustees has called a meeting for tomorrow morning.  The reason?  USC’s current coaching situation.  Bozich had this to say on his blog.

 Since there are no details, we’re working off assumptions here, but it’s a pretty safe bet.  The only other coach who interviewed was OU head man Jeff Capel, and he turned it down. 

Horn should be a good fit, though I’m only saying that because everyone else is.  I know nothing about him, except Western won a few games in the tourney this year.  If that, coupled with the nice things his players said about him, is any indication, he should be a good fit at a program itching to return to the Eddie Fogler days.

For Western, this is a tough break, but one the Topper faithful had to see coming.  I would hate being the fan of a mid-major program.  You can never get too excited over success, because if you have to much of it, someone comes and snatches your coach and you have to start all over again.

Unfortunately, Jon Brady has already been snatched up.  I don’t know who that is unfortunate for, though.

*Official

Oh, Lunardi, you card!

There is little room at the top of the Wildcat Blitz bracket challenge, with A-Train’s T-Baggage of the Bracket leading the way.  In a three-way tie for second, we’ve got Coach Philly, Another Loser, and another loser, Beezner.  I’m in 75th place, but I expect to make quite a charge in the Final Four.

The prize has yet to be determined, but if Beezner wins, I’ll let him do the links for a month! 

The East region was heralded as the toughest heading into the tournament and, outside of Tennessee’s first two games, it has offered little in terms of close games or surprising upsets.  The whole bracket has been leading up to Louisville and North Carolina and both teams have looked dominant heading into tonight’s game and I am getting excited for a great one.  When I previewed the bracket, I had both teams in the finals and wrote this about the game:

“Ok, listen up kids.  This is the only time I will use my big blue mouth to compliment or champion the Filthy Cards.  This game is going to be the game on the tournament.  Louisville, if they can actually keep themselves from playing with the basketball IQ of a 5 year-old, will give North Carolina a battle for their tournament lives.  They match up very well and have the athleticism and size to thwart the UNC attack.  I just don’t think it will be enough in the end.  Thank God, disaster averted.”

I still stand firmly in regards to this being the game of the tournament.  Lost in the hype of the Roy Williams vs. Rick Pitino verbal battles over homecourt is the fact that Louisville might be the team posing the biggest threat to UNC’s march to the NCAA title.  These teams, despite their records, are very similar in terms of talent and both coaches are experienced in this situation.  Here is how they break down by position:

Andre McGee/Edgar Sosa v. Ty Lawson
Lawson is one of the best in all of college basketball and North Carolina goes as Lawson does. And, while Sosa had a great tournament last year, he’s been plagued by poor decision-making and foul trouble in his sophomore campaign. Even when the Filthy Cards have Andre McGee running the point, who has played spectacularly so far, it’s still not enough to keep up with the Heels.  This is the position where Carolina has the biggest edge.
ADVANTAGE: UNC

Jerry Smith v. Wayne Ellington
Nothing against Jerry Smith, but Wayne Ellington is a flat-out superstar.  Despite Ellington being a slightly bigger player, he also provides much more quickness on the perimeter and a better knack for getting to the hole.  Smith’s outside shooting always leaves the window open for a big game, but Ellington consistently plays to a high level and Smith might be in over his head tonight.
ADVANTAGE:  UNC

Terrence Williams v. Marcus Ginyard
Everything I said above about Smith being capable, but not at the level of Ellington, applies in reverse to this matchup.  Williams, who has been at U of L for around a decade it seems, is the heart and soul of the Filthy Cards and has an all-around game that puts him at an elite level in college basketball.  If Williams plays with his head, then Ginyard is in for a long night.
ADVANTAGE:  Filthy Cards

Earl Clark v. Deon Thompson
Juan Palacios will likely start, but he won’t log the majority of the minutes because of beast-man Earl Clark.  If Clark was on Kentucky, he’d be the biggest story in the bluegrass.  He is one of the most-skilled big men in the game and completely negates Thompson’s inside-outside ability that allows the Tar Heels to create matchup problems.  Clark’s development over the course of the year is one of the main reason that the Filthy Cards have become the legitimate title threat (excuse me while I puke) that they are today.  I have a pretty good feeling that Clark goes off and guarantees himself a spot in the NBA Lottery.
ADVANTAGE:  Filthy Cards

David Padgett v. Tyler Hansbrough
I hope you’re a big fan of white guy-on-white guy action.  Prepare yourself for tons of references to their “heart” and how they “bring their lunchpails”.  Padgett, while somewhat serviceable on his gimpy knees, is not one-tenth of the player that Louisville fans think he is.  And even they know that he has nothing on Hansbrough.  Amazingly, the pick and roll that no one in the Big East could figure out how to stop, has become ineffective in the tournament and Padgett hasn’t been getting his wide open layups.  Hansbrough has the game of his life.  Padgett - and Palacios or whoever else - will get abused all night.
ADVANTAGE:  UNC

BENCH
Palacios and Caracter are certainly good players for spurts and Preston Knowles has developed nicely this year, but the depth of North Carolina is simply amazing.  Kentucky and Duke killer Danny Green and Alex Stephenson and Quentin Thomas are head-and-shoulders above the Louisville bench.  Neither team likes to go very deep for long periods of time but, if forced to for fouls or whatever reason, the Tar Heels have the advantage.
ADVANTAGE:  UNC

Rick Pitino v. Roy Williams
Both coaches are among the best in the game and both have one national title to show for it.  While Williams had a strong history of choking when he was at Kansas, Pitino’s coaching ability over the past few years has definitely left room for questioning.  The days of just recruiting talent and letting them play left guys like Pitino - great recruiters, less than stellar X’s and O’s guys - by the wayside.  With the new rules requiring players to play at least a year, Pitino has found the magic again through just accumulating talent.  But, in games like this where it might come down to strategy at the end, I like Williams to make the right move over Pitino.
ADVANTAGE:  UNC

So, after breaking it all down, I’m still sticking with my original projection.  This is going to be a great game, but I like the Heels to advance to the Final Four.

Charge!!!!!!!!!!!

According to ESPN’s Andy Katz, the Indiana job has not been offered to Washington State’s Tony Bennett, as Fox Sports’ Jeff Goodman had reported. However, the university is hopeful that they will find a coach by the Final Four.

In the ESPN article, Katz cites both Bennett and Washington State’s AD.  Goodman cites “a pair of sources.”

I don’t trust Goodman.  I’m surprised Goodman didn’t even attempt to speak with Bennett or Washington State before reporting the offer.

It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.  Will Bennett be alienated from IU?  Is Bruce Pearl even on their radar? 

I will say, the masses in Bloomington seriously believe that Rick Pitino still wants to come north to the “wintry mix” capital of the universe. 

Be warned.  Curry has already ripped the heart out of Gonzaga, Georgetown and now Wisconsin.  He’s already stolen LeBron James’ Duke-loving soul and replaced it with Davidson red.  Some might say that his array of 3-point bombs and highlight-reel layups are miracles of God, but I think they’re rather un-Godly.  I’m fairly convinced he’s made a pact with the devil and now he’s after the rest of us.

Next up?  The heartland of America and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Repent now.

B.E.E.F 

I’m sure if Beisner had an update, it would have outlined Stephen Curry’s ability to absolutely ball.  I don’t like making empty statements that are unwarranted, but he’s the best player in history. 

Seriously, if Davidson beats Kansas (after they maim ‘Nova) and advance to the Final 4, Curry will be sainted.

Prepare yourselves for the 10,000 David v. Goliath headlines.

Remember when I said I sucked at brackets?  Well, 83 people signed up, and I am in 68th place.  That’s misleading, though, because many of the folks below me didn’t finish filling out their bracket.  Beisner, on the other hand, is tied for third.  The leader, as of today, is dwool68. 

Beisner will fill you in on this evening’s games sometime.  He’s complaining about “work” again. 

As Evan so duly noted in the links below, the enigma of enigma’s, the prodigal son, the walking Cardinal disaster, Derrick Caracter has declared for the NBA Draft.  This news was met with absolutely no interest from anyone - especially the Cardinal fan base.

This might be the least heralded decision since I opted for Five Guys Burgers and Fries over Chick-fil-A yesterday on my lunch break and to be totally honest, I can’t find blame with the Cardinal fans.  Caracter hasn’t brought much to the table in his time with the Filthy Cards besides a few flashes of greatness, usually followed up with a disappointing rule break or a dumb foul and I’m sure they’re ready for someone who is going to be consistent - or at least play hard. 

The only question I have about his NBAdraft.net comparison to Robert “Tractor” Traylor is whether they think their games are the same or if Caracter is likely to end up running with drug lords in a few years like Traylor.  I’ll take the latter based on public displays of immaturity.

So in the end Card fans, you just got slapped in the face by a guy who never appreciated the opportunity that was handed to him time after time.  And now, you have at least one more game of a player that came in to the Filthy Cards under the accolades of possibly being Greg Oden’s equal, and now leaves with a handful of suspensions, a knack for fouling and a draft declaration aimed to get some attention for his fat, lazy ass in the middle of the greatest team success of his college career.

Maybe that’s why there isn’t as much fanfare.  No one is surprised.