Oh.My.God

Game over. Nothing can top this for the 2012-2013 NBA season. Maybe not for a few more seasons. That was just plain sick.

College Bball AP Poll

01. Kentucky (63) - picked up 2 road W's; conf schedule back-loaded (@MSU @Vandy @FL)
02. Syracuse (2) - Fab Melo still out, need to resolve this "issue" soon
03. Ohio State - back on top of the Big Ten; at Wisconsin this weekend
04. Missouri - judgment week for the Tigers, travel to Texas and host Kansas
05. North Carolina - Tar Heels keep surging since FSU beat-down; easy W's this week
06. Baylor - now 5-1 in games decided by five points or less (good stat for tourney)
07. Duke - treading water until traveling down the road to Chapel Hill
08. Kansas - was L at Iowa State an anomaly or true Jayhawks squad? @Mizzou on Sat.
09. Michigan State - @Illinois and Michigan this week, need to keep pace with OSU
10. Murray State - still undefeated, likely still that way entering next week
11. UNLV - picked up 2 road W's last week, should pick up 2 more W's this week
12. Florida - after early season identity issues, Gators are quietly moving up
13. Creighton - here's your mid-major Final Four threat this year
14. Georgetown - I still feel as though I know very little about this team
15. Marquette - down 18 to Nova, fought back and won - see last week's comment re Marq
16. Virginia - not buying it yet; is this really a 4 seed in the tourney?
17. San Diego State - road loss to unranked opponent is troublesome, but still solid team
18. St. Mary's - they keep winning, and nobody pays attention (games are too late)
19. Wisconsin - winning streak at 5; @Penn State and host the Buckeyes this week
20. Indiana - @Michigan and @Purdue this week; need to go 1-1 to remain .500 in conf
21. Florida State - host Ga Tech and Virginia this week, tied for 1st in ACC
22. Mississippi State - Arnett Moultrie is the guy nobody is talking about but should
23. Michigan - again, outside of Crisler, what has this team ever done?
24. Gonzaga - pass
25. Vanderbilt - rounding into form, still have 2 games against UK left (they'll win at home)

Super Bowl Week

Indianapolis is buzzing. On my walk into work this morning, I passed no less than five members of the media filming live, and I'm certain one of them was from ESPN Deportes. My office is located next to the JW Marriott hotel, where the media members are converging for the week, as well as the Indiana Convention Center, site of the NFL Experience (I am 100% going to challenge Old Man to a timed 40-yard dash at some point). The Final Fours have been fun, but this whole Super Bowl hosting thing is on a completely different level.

Spent Friday night scouting the scene with ToddFather and others, checking out the set-up downtown (no open container laws in the streets, yay!), while rockin' out to Bret Michaels, who was performing on the stage set up in the street featuring Conseco Fieldhouse as a back-drop. Though the temperature dropped to around 20 degrees that night, there were thousands of people everywhere, plus a few pets (why are you walking your dog through this scene on a Friday night, sir?), and far too many strollers - save the strollers for the NFL Experience where it is a bit more family-friendly, folks.

In any event, one of the reasons we wanted to scout things out: booze factor. Here's a little piece of advice - bring your own booze downtown. If you don't, you'll pay $8 for a can of Bud Lite. Everywhere you went, people were walking the streets with mixed drinks, bottles of beer, cans of beer, bottles of liquor, you name it. There's no way to tell where it came from, or from which vendor you purchased your libations, so just put some in your coat pockets or purses (in Statboy's case, your European man-bag), and don't pay the ridiculous marked up prices.

As far as local bars downtown, Kilroy's is likely your featured spot. Perfect location, large heated tent out back, and reasonable draft beer (domestics) inside. Question is, how many times will someone try to walk out of there with the Indian statue this week? I know I considered it many times back in college; even tried to negotiate a price with a manager once. It wasn't for sale. Whatever. If you're hanging with ToddFather, though, he'll demand that you go to Ike & Jonesy's at some point, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just don't go early. You'll regret it. Eh, you might regret the experience no matter what time you get there, depending on what you're looking for (here's a hint, if you aren't into the "older" crowd, don't waste your time). We didn't make it to "The Huddle" - a temporary venue set up in a previously vacated Nordstom facility downtown, which will become a make-shift bar/club/store/warming station for the week. To pique your interest, though, we saw a large number of scantily clad females walking in there at various points throughout the night.

No celebrity scene on Friday night, but that's expected to change this week as people start landing at the Indianapolis airport on a daily basis. For the sports junkies, ESPN and various national outlets are set up on "Radio Row" in front of Union Station, so you can watch/listen to all of your favorite sports talk shows throughout the day, or catch a live taping of The Michelle Beadle Show - err, Sports Nation (with her douche-bag co-host). For the TMZ crowd, I'd give it a few days before the likes of the Kardashians, Diddy, Jay Z, etc. make their way here. It's cool and all, but not cool enough to entertain those folks for more than a couple of days at a time.

Here's the view from outside my office:

One of the Worst Flagrant Fouls You'll See

LSU's Malcolm White should be suspended for at least 1 game after that garbage. He could have broken Davis's back, collarbone, shoulder, you name it. That's the future #1 pick in the NBA right there, son. "Throw his ass out!" - Calipari (they did ...)

It even got my girl Ashley upset, and that's never a good thing:

NCAA Clears Boatright ... Again

It's thing when you take impermissible benefits prior to enrolling at school, and agree to pay them back. In my opinion, you're still ineligible, but whatever. However, once you go and take impermissible benefits AGAIN, while you're IN SCHOOL, you should not be allowed to play college basketball. That's just blatantly violating the rules of amateurism, and flipping the NCAA off, isn't it? Take the case of UConn's Ryan Boatright, who was suspended at the start of the season for the first set of impermissible benefits, only to be reinstated, then suspended again as the NCAA learned of more, those being received while enrolled at UConn. Well, the NCAA has now cleared Boatright and he is eligible to play today against Notre Dame, after he agreed to pay the money back. From the NCAA press release:

This situation involves many of the specific concerns expressed by NCAA membership regarding improper third party influence over student-athletes and their families. Specifically, it included more than $8,000 in cash and other impermissible benefits, including a car. These benefits – which are not allowed because they are inconsistent with the principles and values embraced by the NCAA membership – were provided to Mr. Boatright and his mother both before and while he was at UCONN. These impermissible benefits were provided by at least two individuals linked to nonscholastic basketball and professional sports.

It's a shame that the NCAA is not bound by its own precedent. Some guys (ahem, Marcus Camby) fess up to taking improper benefits and their school's Final Four banner gets vacated. Then there are guys like Boatright who are allowed to play after admitting they took improper benefits. At this point, I think it is safe to assume that Jim Calhoun has incriminating photos of NCAA President Mark Emmert.

Colts Staff Coming Together

Coach Pagano appears to have added former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians to the same position on his Colts coaching staff, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

I have to say, I like the make-up of this staff thus far. In Pagano and Arians, you have guys from proven, winning franchises that play hard-nosed football. We could be seeing a completely different Colts team in the next couple of years, strictly from a toughness standard.

Livin' Large

In case you were wondering, Tom Brady and Gisele live in this:



God loves Tim Tebow, but I'm pretty sure he (or she, if you're into that) has a soft spot for Tom Brady, too.

Game On!

Prop bets are one of the best aspects of the Super Bowl each year. Where else can you actually make money (other than w/ your friends) betting on the duration of Kelly Clarkson's national anthem, the color of the Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, the number of times Peyton Manning is shown on tv, whether or not the MVP will thank God or his teammates first, and so on? There are far too many this year to post a comprehensive list, but this ought to give you a taste:



And for a more local flavor, a few more:

Poster Time

I present to you the point guard who will likely be taken ahead of all others at that position in the next NBA Draft (in my opinion) ... Washington's Tony Wroten, Jr. (surprised they didn't call this a charge, given how officials have botched those calls all season long):

Just Delaying the Inevitable?

Slowly but surely, this relationship is starting to go sour:

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jim Irsay expects Peyton Manning to keep his complaints to himself. Or at least within the confines of the Colts' team complex. Shortly after introducing Chuck Pagano as Indianapolis' new coach, the team owner responded to the comments Manning made earlier this week by referring to the only four-time league MVP as a "politician."

"I don't think it's in the best interest to paint the horseshoe in a negative light, I really don't," Irsay said, referring to the Colts' logo. "The horseshoe always comes first, and I think one thing he's always known, because he's been around it so long, is that, you know, you keep it in the family. If you've got a problem you talk to each other, it's not about campaigning or anything like that."

Should I go ahead and pre-order my Dolphins #18 jersey w/ the name Manning on the back? Sorry, Jets fans, but I see zero chance he ends up there. If so, well, consider me completely stunned.

#400

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo picked up win #400 last night as the Spartans took down Minnesota's Golden Gophers, 68-52. We are certain that G2 reader The Kid is declaring this Tom Izzo Day throughout the state of Indiana, as the Spartans coach is his personal hero and long-running man-crush.

Only 500+ to go before catching Coach K ...

The New Coach of the Indianapolis Colts

Chuck Pagano, now former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator -- did someone say defense? -- is the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

Is it too soon to register www.firecoachpagano.com? I'm just askin' ...

$$$

9 years, $214 million

Can someone please explain this to me?

Have to Set the Alarm

I've been getting up pretty early these days (for me), but tomorrow morning will require something a little different ... 3:30am ET type of different. Why? Because I want to catch the Australian Open semi-final match-ups between the top 4 tennis players in the world:

(2) Rafa Nadal v. (3) Roger Federer
(1) Novak Djokovic v. (4) Andy Murray

Who's with me? If you need a little inspiration, know that tennis offers in-game, live betting options. What's better than that?

"Don't Be a Douchebag"

It comes at the 2:39 mark of this clip ... bless you, Terrell Suggs, for saying what all of us have thought for years.

New AP Poll

[Back on top ... but for how long?]

01. Kentucky - I jinxed Baylor last week; UK goes on road twice this week
02. Missouri - my pre-season dark-horse Final Four squad is looking like a favorite
03. Syracuse - loss of Fab Melo is huge; if academics, isn't he out all semester?
04. Ohio State - quietly hovering in the top 5, need signature conference road win
05. Kansas - are they this good, or playing over their heads a bit?
06. Baylor - duh, I put them #1 on my ballot knowing they had to go to KU and host Mizz
07. North Carolina - loss of Dexter Strickland for season will be costly re depth
08. Duke - same old story: athletic FSU team comes in, beats Duke at Cameron
09. Georgetown - the team nobody knows anything about
10. Michigan State - pummeled Purdue on Saturday ... tough loss by 1 at Michigan
11. Murray State - about to get their 2nd leading scorer back from injury
12. UNLV - since their big win over UNC, treading water in the 10-15 range
13. San Diego State - this will be a trendy Sweet 16 pick in the bracket pools
14. Florida - playing better since getting shell-shocked at Tennessee
15. Creighton - one of few teams I've yet to see in action, McDermott this year's Jimmer
16. Indiana - starting to hit reality a bit, travel to Wisconsin this week, need W
17. Marquette - team will not likely get blown out by anyone; always in it 'til the end
18. Mississippi State - huge road W at Vandy to remind people they are decent
19. Virginia - not impressed; if this team is top 20, then end polls at 19
20. Michigan - I'm in the minority, but they've never impressed me outside of Crisler
21. St. Mary's - blah
22. Kansas State - blah
23. Florida State - starting to find their groove; smacked UNC and Duke? hello
24. Connecticut - without Boatright, they're more lost than ever; season on brink?
25. Wisconsin - I'm bored just typing their name ...

The Next Secretariat?

If ever a colt had the genes, surely this is the one, right?

Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year, gave birth Sunday in Kentucky to a 125-pound colt by Curlin, the 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year, according to a press release.

Place Your Bets

Patriots (-3.5) v. Giants

Chip Kelly To .... Remain at Oregon

While the Giants and 49ers were busy fighting over the right to play in the Super Bowl, news starting breaking (via Twitter, obviously) that Oregon's Chip Kelly was close to finalizing a deal that would make him the head coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Odd timing, given that Signing Day is one week away, and the Oregon Ducks are expected to be a preseason top 10 squad next year, even without QB Darron Thomas (who inexplicably entered the Draft) and RB LaMichael James. That said, the NCAA had been snooping around Eugene, OR this past season -- there's that whole Willie Lyles recruiting mess -- so to me, it made sense. Can you say Pete Carroll?

But then he pulled a Billy Donovan, according to CBS Sports:

Two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told CBSSports.com that Oregon head coach Chip Kelly had agreed in principle to take the same position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was in the process of finalizing details of a multi-year contract but has changed is mind and will stay at Oregon. The Register-Guard first reported the news of Kelly's departure and that he would be staying in Eugene Sunday night. "I don't know what to say ... he changed his mind," one source said via text message.

Further ...

One report from a Portland radio station Sunday stated that Kelly was "working to finalize a deal that would make him head coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs,” and the Tampa Bay Tribune wrote that the Glazer family had met with Kelly last week and “both Kelly and the Bucs are proceeding down a path they mutually hope will result in an agreement in the next 24-48 hours."

Early Monday morning, the Eugene Register Guard reported simply that the deal “was done.” But apparently, soon after he had made a decision, he reversed course and decided to stay in Eugene. "His heart is with college football and Oregon and he's no longer being considered," general manager Mark Dominik told the Tampa Bay Times.

The person who is probably most disappointed by this news:

Take Two

Either Tom Brady or Eli Manning will win another ring on this field as Peyton Manning watches from a luxury box. What's the over/under on how many times the camera pans to the Manning family box during the game? I can almost guarantee it is a Super Bowl prop bet (as always, we'll post our favorites when they are available).

It's time to party, fellow Naptown residents. Festivities begin Friday night with the one, the only, Bret Michaels. See you there.

Bigger Picture?

Most of you heard (or watched) that previously unbeaten, number one-ranked Syracuse lost at Notre Dame yesterday. Road losses happen, even to sub-par squads, so that's not a complete shock to me. But there's a bigger issue here for the Orangemen - 7'1" center Fab Melo did not make the trip to South Bend - and since their next game is at Cincy, he won't play there, either - due to some "academic issues." Syracuse would not elaborate, citing "privacy laws" for the student-athlete, but I received a tweet from a follower on Friday informing me that Melo was going to be ruled academically ineligible and miss the next several games. Sure enough, news starts breaking shortly before tip-off yesterday that Melo did not make the trip to South Bend and would not be playing for Syracuse.

As the anchor for that 2-3 zone of Jim Boeheim's, and a much-improved weapon on both ends of the floor, Melo's absence could change quite a bit in college hoops this season. Syracuse was starting to get a little separation from the rest of the pack after jumping out to a 20-0 start, but without Melo, teams like Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio State, Kansas, and North Carolina have to feel more confident about their title chances than they did a week ago. It's still unclear just how many games Melo will miss, or whether he'll even return to the floor for Syracuse this season. Something to keep an eye on, for sure.

Been waiting for this one ...

Only in Utah

This made me laugh.

Another Cursed Former #1 Pick

I just read that Kwame Brown -- who is somehow still in the NBA, primarily because teams just refuse to give up on him -- is now out for the season with a torn chest muscle. Remember when Michael Jordan drafted this "can't miss" high school phenom with the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft? The year was 2001, and boy did this draft ... umm, suck. Take a look at the top 15 picks that year:

01. Kwame Brown - High School
02. Tyson Chandler - High School
03. Pau Gasol - Spain
04. Eddy Curry - High School

*Are we sure the 1-and-done rule is bad for basketball?

05. Jason Richardson - Michigan State
06. Shane Battier - Duke
07. Eddie Griffin - Seton Hall (RIP)
08. DaSagana Diop - Senegal
09. Rodney White - Charlotte
10. Joe Johnson - Arkansas
11. Kedrick Brown - Community College
12. Vladamir Radmanovic - Yugoslavia
13. Richard Jefferson - Arizona
14. Troy Murphy - Notre Dame
15. Steven Hunter - DePaul

Here we are, 10 years later, and not a single guy on that list is / was a star in the NBA other than Pau Gasol (unless you want to count Joe Johnson?), who was a relative unknown at the time compared to the other names listed. That said, Tony Parker and Gilbert Arenas came out of this draft - though much later. Some other blast from the past names? Kirk Haston (16th overall!), Omar Cook (think he regrets leaving St. John's after his freshman season?), Joe Forte (left UNC as a sophomore, likely flipping burgers now), Jamaal Tinsley (ugh), and Brian Scalabrine (forget what I say about very few impact players - this guy still gets run in the League). Wow.

In any event, I was curious about Kwame's stats, seeing as how this is the 10-year anniversary of him being drafted #1 overall. It is ... well ... as disappointing as you envisioned:



Now, before you say, "That isn't terrible," let me point out that he has banked over $100 million in his 10-year (not counting this season) NBA career. He averaged 57 games per season (out of 82), boasts a career scoring average of 6.8 ppg, along with 5.5 rebounds per game, and a Shaq-like 57% clip at the free throw line.

At 6'11" 270 lbs, drafted #1 overall, I think we're gonna go ahead and label this one a bust and move on. Perhaps he'll be inspired by Eddy Curry's transformation (lost 100 lbs?!) and come back better than ever.

Lob City, USA

It must be nice to know you've got Blake Griffin trailing you in the open court; you can just toss it up without worrying whether the pass is just right:

Rise & Shine

[Get to know Murray State's Isaiah Canaan sooner rather than later ...]

-Stop me if this headline actually surprises you: "Roddick Out at Aussie Open." Heavily favored over fellow aging former tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick found himself behind 2 sets to 1 this morning and went ahead and retired from the match. I think it's time he *retires* from the sport. Go enjoy the good life with your smokin' hot wife and stop pretending to be relevant in the sport.

-Don't look now, but Steve Fisher has jumped to the top of the list of nominees for National Coach of the Year. His San Diego State squad is 16-2, ranked in the top 15, and picked up a huge road win at New Mexico last night as 10-point underdogs (which was absurd, but the Pit is a really tough environment). All that after losing most of his starting lineup, including lottery pick Kawhai Leonard. SDSU doesn't exactly re-load with blue-chip recruits each year, either.

-I know absolutely nothing about this Japanese pitcher that the Rangers just signed to a 6-year, $60 million contract, but can I just chalk this up as another overpaid reach on a Japanese pitcher? Oh, the Rangers paid $51.7 million to his former team just for the right to negotiate with him. That seems reasonable. I'm going to start charging a "posting fee" next time a prospective employer indicates some interest.

-If Murray State was going to lose a game this year, I sure thought it would be last night at Morehead State. The gym was rocking, Morehead's players were amped up, and the Racers trailed the first 35 minutes of the game. Final score: Murray State 66, Morehead State 60. At 19-0, you have to wonder whether we're looking at the next undefeated regular season in college basketball.

-Yep, after sleeping on it, I'm still pissed at Tom Crean and his Indiana Hoosiers.

Thought so ...

Indiana 69
Nebraska 70

Let's review this one, shall we? Indiana posts a 7-point halftime lead, which was decent on the road, but the perimeter defense was a bit of a concern. Surely Coach Tom Crean would make a slight adjustment there, since Nebraska was just chucking open looks all night, right?

Wrong. Even though IU posted a 13-point lead midway through the second half, and held a 10-pt lead with just over 5 minutes remaining, they continued to allow Nebraska to shoot their hearts out ... eventually that catches up to you. And Nebraska started hitting. IU forgot about Zeller and Watford. All I know is I saw Pritchard on the floor, along with Matt Roth. Sorry, Coach, but you can't have both Hulls and Roth out there trying to guard athletes on the perimeter. What happens is you allow the man with the ball to have 5-6 feet of separation and he ends up pulling up and nailing a shot in your face. Where was Remy Abell? IU didn't need Roth in the closing minutes, they needed someone who could play a lick of defense. Or grab a rebound (I'm looking at you, Oladipo).

Tom Crean is something like 2-57 on the road as IU's coach, with both wins coming at Penn State. Congratu-f*cking-lations. You just lost at effin' Nebraska after posting a double-digit lead near the final tv timeout. Please send your "We're Back" t-shirts to Haiti or some third world country that needs them. And keep celebrating your buzzer-beating win over a young Kentucky team playing their 8th game of the season not to mention their 1st road game back in early December. Anthony Davis played about 19 minutes in that game, and Terrence Jones went full retard (you never go full retard) and didn't even play the final 7 minutes. The players might want to walk by the display case that holds the net from that game, or look up at the banner I heard IU hung in the practice facility to remind themselves what it takes to beat a team now that we're in conference play. Same goes for the Ohio State game on New Year's Eve. You know, the one where the referees basically forced Ohio State's entire starting lineup to sit on the bench for the latter stages of the first half as the Buckeyes were set to pull away? The members of the G2 executive board of old were out there in OSU uniforms at that point. Nice wins over two really talented teams, but get over it. Start playing basketball like you care, not like you already won your national championship.

You're getting a letter, Coach. Along with an invoice for my lost bet, as well as ToddFather's, Gunner's, and Old Man's, you Dwight Schrute look-a-like hack. There was no excuse for losing this game the way it went down. Period.

Tweet Heard 'Round the World?

[Photo (c) Indianapolis Star]

Twitter nearly crashed this afternoon. Why, you ask?



I think many just sat there for a few minutes, waiting for the "just kidding, guys" follow-up from Lowe. But it didn't -- and still hasn't -- been sent out. Lowe, seen above wearing a Colts hat in a picture that was taken on the sidelines of a Colts home game, is reportedly friends with Jim Irsay. Surely Irsay -- who is nuts -- wouldn't mention something this big to one of his friends, right? Ahh, but then we get the "hedge" from Lowe:



Let's just assume for a second that Lowe has accurate info -- and that is a huge assumption -- would this be the most bizarre source for breaking news in sports history? In any event, Gregg Doyel sums it up nicely:

Stop Toying With Me!

Indiana (15-3) is favored by just 3 points at Nebraska (9-8) tonight. I know IU has struggled lately (3-3 in conference play) -- and I include their win at Penn State when I say "struggled" since they would have lost that game but for hitting nearly 20 three-pointers -- but they are too damn talented to lose to this Nebraska squad, and I don't care that it's being played in Lincoln.

The Cornhuskers have lost 5 of their last 6, with the only win coming at the expense of -- who else? -- Penn State. Wisconsin won in Lincoln by 24, Michigan State beat them by 13, and let me add that a putrid Wake Forest team won there earlier this year by a few points, as well. The home-court advantage is so strong in Lincoln that they were able to pummel Florida Gulf Coast by 1 (51-50). Recently, the 'Huskers lost by 5 at both Illinois and Wisconsin, so perhaps that's the root of this problem. Something tells me, however, that the Illini and Badgers didn't take them seriously, especially Wisconsin since they had just beaten Nebraska by 24 points in Madison.

Sigh. I've been doing this long enough (since '97, to be exact) to know a trap line when I see one. I know how conference road games go, and to generally avoid road favorites in conference play. Most books written on sports betting will dictate that you stay away from this one. Blah blah blah. Someone needs to talk me out of hammering the Hoosiers tonight, going against everything I know about this little "hobby" known as sports betting.

The decision whether to click "submit wager" -- and to be clear, I'm looking at the money line (IU just has to win the damn game) -- or not will haunt me all day. If I don't bet it, IU will certainly house these bums, and I will txt Old Man relentlessly with things like, "I f**kin' knew it! This sucks! Why didn't you make me bet this game?! This line was a JOKE!" And if it's tight, or IU loses to these jokers, I will tell myself (yelling), "I knew it! I told myself all day to stay away from this trap line! I've been doing this long enough to know it was a bullsh*t line but I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker! I'm done betting IU forever!!" It'll likely stress me out more than a chick staring at that dress in her closet that she has 3 days and 5 pounds to lose before fitting into prior to the big day.

I'm a mess.

What the Hell is Going On?

Surely I can't be the only person around here who notices that the block/charge calls in college basketball have become a joke. Officials are completely blowing it on these this season, and I think the major factor is the new block/charge semi-circle that was placed under the basket. I was all in favor of this prior to the season, thinking it would actually help the refs as it concerns these wildly inconsistent calls; instead, it appears to have made refs lazy. Essentially, if you're not standing inside the circle, you might as well head the other way because you will be whistled for a charge ... even when the defender is sliding under you, moving, or initiating the contact. It seems like the refs are now focusing solely on a defender's feet, in terms of their location, as opposed to any other aspect of the play being made. I've never seen so many charges outside of Cameron Indoor.

During tonight's Arkansas-Kentucky game, I saw something I have never seen before. Marquis Teague was driving the lane, the defender slid into him, they both hit he floor, and one official whistled the defender for a blocking foul. A few seconds later, the officials go to the monitor -- had no idea they could do that to review a basic foul (pretty sure they can't, unless it is to make sure they call it on the right person or to check for elbows thrown) -- and decide to call a charging foul on Teague, as well. Yep, a double foul. Excuse me?! It's either a charge, a block, or no foul. You simply cannot have a double foul in that situation. It doesn't make any sense. The officials were so damn confused on this one that they just decided to call a double-foul, resulting in a jump ball. Ridiculous.

The charge/block arc has to be taken away, or everyone needs to get together in the off-season and figure out how to develop some consistency on these calls.

Breaking News

The Colts have fired head coach Jim Caldwell, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. In other words, this guy was wrong.

I knew this would happen within days of renewing www.firecoachcaldwell.com ... duh.

Third Time's a Charm

Gunner Kiel made national headlines when he committed to in-state school Indiana, but quickly jumped ship after remembering that IU's football program is a disaster. Not too long after, he gave his verbal pledge to LSU.

Over the weekend, rumors began swirling that Kiel was going to renege on his pledge to LSU and likely end up choosing to play his college ball at Notre Dame. Perhaps he got a good look at LSU's inept offensive scheme and didn't want any part of that. Or, he realized that SEC defenses are no joke. Actually, according to this, the biggest factor was his mother. Aww, that's sweet.

Now it is "official" (can't be 100% until signing day, I suppose) - Gunner Kiel has enrolled at Notre Dame.

The Greatest

Muhammad Ali is 70 years old today.

Do I have to renew the domain name?

... based on this. $*&%@!%&!

G2 College Bball Top 10 Rankings

[Get ready for the jinx ...]

Each week I post the AP polls for college football and basketball. Often, I disagree with a few of rankings and believe certain teams should be higher than others. Prior to this week's AP poll being released for college basketball, here's what I put together as far as what the top 10 would look like if the G2 were given an official ballot:

01. Baylor (17-0) - I am sure most will agree with this if they collect a road win at Phog Allen tonight, where the Bears are 7-point underdogs, but to me, their resume warrants a number one ranking as of today. After all, rankings are what you believe a team should be ranked right now, not what they'll be at the end of the season. They've won at Northwestern by 28 points (where Sparty just lost), at BYU by 26 points, St. Mary's, West Virginia, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, at Kansas State, and just beat Oklahoma State by nearly 50 points in a televised beat-down.

02. Syracuse (19-0) - really talented, and I expect them to collect a number one seed in March, but thus far they have been relatively untested for the most part ... their resume shows wins over Florida and Marquette at home. Given the Big East's performance this season, it isn't unreasonable to think Syracuse will only lose 1-2 games in the regular season.

03. Kentucky (17-1) - arguably the most talented team in the country, many have said this is Calipari's best shot at cutting down the nets; frankly, I disagree. Not suggesting they won't do it, but the competition in the top-tier (thanks to a lot of individual talent that stayed in school), combined with an overall lack of depth (they can really only go 6-7 deep w/ any confidence) suggests to me that it'll still be a major accomplishment to get to the Final Four, as opposed to an expectation. The offense has not looked fluid lately, but it didn't at this point last year, either. After a 1-5 start on the road last year, the Wildcats are 2-0 this year, scratching out a comeback win in Knoxville this past weekend. Resume includes wins over North Carolina and Louisville at home, and Kansas on a neutral court. Their only loss is ... well, you already know. Big test comes Saturday when they take on an improving Alabama squad.

04. Ohio State (16-3) - three road losses (Kansas - without Sullinger, IU, Illinois) don't scare me away from the Buckeyes that much, to be honest. They just blew IU's doors off yesterday, and I expect them to do the same to Illinois when they host them later this season. The talent is there, so long as Thad Matta doesn't over-coach them. The Buckeyes have wins over Florida and Duke at home, but need to collect a few road wins; that said, they only go to Nebraska and Wisconsin prior to Valentine's Day.

05. Missouri (16-1) - I like this team a lot, and they are a Final Four contender for sure, but in terms of ranking them ahead of OSU, I can't do it just yet; they got worked at Kansas State, and other than a win over Illinois on a neutral court, their resume doesn't jump out at you like some of the others in the top tier. Ricardo Ratliffe, Marcus Denmon, and Phil Pressey make for a great trio, and they run like crazy, but an overall lack of size (no contributor over 6'8") could cost them in March.

06. Duke (15-2) - I am certain the actual AP poll will have the Blue Devils at 4, but I have not been convinced based on watching them 5-6 times this season. Their resume shows neutral court wins over Michigan State (Coach K's big night), Kansas, and Washington, but they got dominated in Columbus in what looked like a mis-match, athletically speaking. This Duke team has several flaws that will likely get exposed in March - no post play not named Plumlee, no reliable point guard, Austin Rivers has been a mess, and they don't have a slashing wing scorer (see Gerald Henderson). Who gets the ball when they need a clutch basket? That said, they are winning games, and are in contention for a number one seed.

07. North Carolina (15-3) - the Tar Heels have lost to UNLV (in Vegas), Kentucky (at Rupp), and Florida State (in Tallahassee), with wins over Michigan State (on an aircraft carrier) and Wisconsin. Their resume doesn't blow you away, but their pure talent does ... at least on paper. The epic failure of a performance against FSU over the weekend is cause for some concern - no team that talented should ever lose a basketball game, regardless of location or opponent, by 30+ points, even on a bad day where shots aren't falling. If they don't win the next 5 games before Duke rolls into town, there is a problem.

08. Kansas (14-3) - this team is on a roll since losing to Davidson -- 7 in a row, though only Kansas State registers to me all that much -- and might find themselves ranked higher than UNC in the actual poll, but my ranking is based on what I believe would happen on a neutral court (in other words, I think UNC beats KU). Thomas Robinson is either the front runner or runner-up for Player of the Year at this stage. The Jayhawks get Baylor at home tonight, thus an opportunity to remind everyone that they are lurking. Bill Self has done a nice job with this team, given what they lost (3 NBA draft picks), and the fact that a couple of recruits were deemed ineligible before the season started.

09. Michigan State (15-3) - the Spartans' 15-game win streak ended at Northwestern this past weekend, and it doesn't get much easier for Izzo's crew as they travel to Ann Arbor. Draymond Green has played like an All-American at times, but he needs a little more help for Sparty to be a realistic contender. They have an impressive home win over IU (80-65, but it was much closer than the score indicates), and a road win at Wisconsin (which is starting to look a little less impressive as the season rolls on - not your brother's Wisconsin squad), but need to win either at Michigan or at Illinois here in the second half of January to solidify their positioning.

10a. Indiana (15-3) - rough week for the Hoosiers with back-to-back losses to Minnesota (at Assembly Hall, where I didn't think they'd lose all season, especially to Tubby's 0-4 Gophers) and a revenge-minded Ohio State in Columbus (game wasn't even close to the 17-point margin of defeat). They can get some confidence back, though, as they travel to Nebraska (which sucks) and return home to host Penn State - a team that gave them a run in their gym, but should get beaten up in Assembly. Overall, the resume still includes those wins over Kentucky and Ohio State at home, and those will carry a lot of weight when the Committee meets (UK more so than OSU, since OSU neutralized that win on Sunday). When IU is hitting threes, they can beat anyone; when they're not, anyone in the top 30-35 can beat them.

10b. Georgetown (14-3) - the Hoyas dropped back-to-back games to West Virginia and Cincinnati prior to getting back in the winning column at St. John's yesterday, but still feature a solid resume with two wins over Memphis, Marquette, and road wins at Alabama and Louisville. On a neutral court, I believe Vegas would make a game between the Hoosiers and the Hoyas damn-near a pick'em, and that's why they share the 10th spot in my poll as of today. The trio of Jason Clark, Hollis Thompson, and freshman Otto Porter are a nice nucleus for JT-III to work with this season.