They're Playing Basketball

Big Saturday

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of today's 116 games is the "battle of the Bay," featuring surging Cal at #4 Stanford. The Bears were the last conference team to defeat the Cardinal, five years ago. Can they do it again?

In other Pac-12 action, Oregon's civil war will play out its first installment at Oregon State, who hosts the Ducks. Liz Brenner was playing volleyball for Oregon, and last month became a walk-on to the basketball team. She's a key factor for them now.

OSU coaches, meanwhile, have restored the good will of the program since being left with ashes two years ago. Today should be a heck of a battle.

Personally, I'll be checking out some Big West action today, as Cal State Bakersfield (coached by DeWanna Bonner and Erica McCall's dad) visits Cal State Northridge (headed by coach-on-the-rise Jason Flowers).

Mid-season candidates for John R. Wooden Award

2012-01-27T16:03:00.001-08:00

The list:

Alex Bentley, Penn State
Elena Delle Donne, Delaware
Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame
Shante Evans, Hofstra
Brittney Griner, Baylor*
Bria Hartley, Connecticut
Glory Johnson, Tennessee
Shenise Johnson, Miami
A’dia Mathies, Kentucky
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut
Natalie Novosel, Notre Dame
Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford
Nneka Ogwumike, Stanford*
Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State
Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown
Odyssey Sims, Baylor
Shekinna Stricklen, Tennessee
Alyssa Thomas, Maryland
Elizabeth Williams, Duke
Riquna Williams, Miami (FL)

Bowling Green State University Coach Curt Miller has mild stroke

2012-01-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

Scary - and during a game:

The episode occurred late in the Falcons' 70-54 win over Eastern Michigan at the Stroh Center Sunday. Miller spoke with EMS workers at the game following the win, his 250th career victory at BG, and went home immediately following the contest. He rested at home Monday but was back with the team Tuesday, taking part in practice and then traveling with the Falcons to Ball State.

Uppers:

Cal's Brittany Boyd has skills that can't be taught.

Duke freshman Elizabeth Williams has grabbed the spotlight early.

USA Basketball has named Breanna Stewart its 2011 Female Athlete of the Year. The Cicero-North Syracuse High School star was a member of both the U19 World Championship Team and USA Pan American Games Team.

Lessons:

Three suspended Central Michigan University freshman ballers have apologized for their unspecified actions.

Trinity Valley still atop NJCAA poll

2012-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

This week's junior college top 20 poll sees no change at the top, but plenty of shuffling - and a few new entries - further down on the list:

1 Trinity Valley Community College
2 Hutchinson Community College
3 Central Arizona College
4 Pensacola State College
5 Northwest Florida State College
6 Casper College
7 Gulf Coast State College
8 Seward County Community College
9 North Idaho College
10 Northern Oklahoma College-Enid
11 Arizona Western College
12 Shelton State Community College
13 Otero Junior College
14 Paris Junior College
15 Monroe Community College
16 Hill College
16 Independence Community College
18 Walters State Community College
19 Chipola College
20 New Mexico Junior College

To tweet or not to tweet?

2012-01-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

North Carolina Coach Sylvia Hatchell banned twitter use for the Tar Heels. That distraction eliminated, the team has won two in a row.

I understand where Hatchell is coming from. I cringe at some of the things I see young people put on twitter.

Do you think athletes should be banned from twitter use? Vote.

Other stuff:

Dishin & Swishin talked to Lisa Leslie this week.

Tonight's upset (so far): Virginia Tech over #7 Maryland, 75-69.

There are other games in progress, and the final games of the night begin in 20 minutes, so there may be more later.

Bit of everything

2012-01-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

Kelsey Bone is embracing the challenges at Texas A&M.

In case you all haven't noticed, San Diego State is kicking booty this year.

UTEP guards Ryah Lacy and Chrishauna Parker are suspended from the team indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

Tonight's upset (because there's one every night this season): Kansas over #23 Texas Tech. Carolyn Davis lead the Jayhawks with 34 points.

Brace yourself: this Saturday there are 116 college games on tap.

The WNBA will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day Feb. 1, with events across the USA.

High school ball mid-season check-in: who's hot and who's not

2012-01-25T12:19:00.000-08:00

Class of 2013 check: Mercedes Russell continues to deliver. The Springfield, Ore. junior last night posted 32 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks in a game against a big rival, because her coach asked her to do so. At least two Division I coaches had traveled to witness the game in person. Russell has been taking unofficial visits to colleges since last year.

(This morning I tweeted, "everyone wants Mercedes," and a car dealer promptly followed me)

Other hot sophomores, juniors and seniors, as noted by ESPN.

In no particular order

2012-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Vice President Joe Biden was on hand Sunday for the Delaware-Drexel game. He met with Delaware players after the game and told them they're "the happening thing right now." (Awesome!)

Former Virginia Coach Debbie Ryan will be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Hard to believe it's the third anniversary of Coach Kay Yow's death. A flashback from Dishin & Swishin.

The Big South Conference is adding Longwood University.

Former Kentucky star Merlene Davis discusses her family's slave heritage in a new book.

In the wake of their thrashing of Tennessee last night, ESPN says the sky is the limit for the Notre Dame Irish.

Tonight's upset:

Oklahoma State over #13 Texas A&M.

And also, LSU barely escaped East Tennessee State, in overtime.

Mid-major top 25

2012-01-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

Interesting list:

1. Green Bay (30) 17-0 774 1 Horizon
2. Delaware 16-1 739 2 Colonial Athletic
3. Florida Gulf Coast 17-2 697 3 Atlantic Sun
4. Gonzaga (1) 17-3 681 4 West Coast
5. Princeton 13-4 637 5 Ivy League
6. BYU 18-3 624 6 West Coast
7. Hampton 15-3 567 7 Mid-Eastern Athletic
8. Middle Tennessee 16-5 527 8 Sun Belt
9. Bowling Green 16-3 498 10 Mid-American
10. James Madison 14-4 472 9 Colonial Athletic
11. McNeese State 16-4 441 12 Southland
12. Appalachian State 14-3 399 13 Southern
13. Hofstra 14-4 384 11 Colonial Athletic
14. Northern Iowa 12-6 366 14 Missouri Valley
15. Sacred Heart 14-5 303 16 Northeast
16. Missouri State 11-6 271 15 Missouri State
17. Central Arkansas 14-4 242 17 Southland
18. Eastern Illinois 15-4 226 19 Ohio Valley
19. Chattanooga 13-6 166 18 Southern
20. Saint Mary's 15-6 165 20 West Coast
21. Toledo 11-7 151 21 Mid-American
22. Wichita State 13-5 147 23 Missouri Valley
23. Stetson 16-5 101 20 Atlantic Sun
24. Oral Roberts 13-7 87 24 Summit
25. Marist 13-6 86 NR Metro Atlantic

Agree? Disagree?

Powerade Fab 50 rankings: week seven

2012-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

This week's rankings include some shake ups - most notably Nazareth dropping from two to seven. This follows last week's matchup with #3 Riverdale Baptist:

The No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup on Saturday did not live up to its billing. Nazareth still is reeling emotionally over the death of coach Apache Paschall, and the Lady Kingsmen were playing for the first time since he was put to rest.

Understandable.

The top ten:

1. Saint Mary's
2. Riverdale Baptist
3. McEachern
4. Bolingbrook
5. Riverdale
6. Windward
7. Nazareth
8. Cicero-North Syracuse
9. Clarksville
10. Hoover

Enhanced role for Los Angeles Sparks majority investors

2012-01-24T18:04:00.000-08:00

From the LA Sparks today:

Los Angeles Sparks Are Pleased To Announce Enhanced Role For Majority Investor Williams Group Holdings LLC

WGH Managing Partner Paula Madison to be CEO

Los Angeles – The Los Angeles Sparks are pleased to announce that majority investor Williams Group Holdings LLC, (WGH), has increased its investment in the team and has taken a more active role in the day-to-day business.

WGH became an investor in September 2007, and has seen the team grow both on the court and in business over the past two years, prompting their decision to increase their involvement. As part of this transition, Carla Christofferson and Katherine Goodman will resign from the Board of Directors, but will retain their financial investment in the Sparks.

The enhanced role demonstrates WGH’s support of the Sparks and their business goals. This will allow the Sparks and WGH to utilize each of their assets to continue establishing a strong foundation with an emphasis on strategic growth. WGH Managing Partner Paula Madison will become the CEO of the Sparks.

“I am excited that Williams Group Holdings is able to have a more substantial role with the Sparks,” said Madison. “I am honored to serve as CEO and I look forward to working closely with the Sparks as we meet the challenges and successes of the future. I plan to continue to execute our strategies and help lead us into the next phase of the growth of our business.”

USA Today/ESPN poll says.......

2012-01-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

Georgia Tech and North Carolina are back in this week's poll, and there's a three-way tie for ninth place. Gonzaga and Nebraska take big jumps:

1. Baylor
2. Notre Dame
3. Connecticut
4. Stanford
5. Duke
6. Kentucky
7. Maryland
8. Miami
9. (tie) Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin-Green Bay
12. Rutgers
13. Texas A&M
14. Louisville
15. Georgia
16. Delaware
17. Purdue
18. Georgetown
19. Penn State
20. Gonzaga
21. Nebraska
22. DePaul
23. Texas Tech
24. Georgia Tech
25. North Carolina

Feels like a Monday

2012-01-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

Not only did Notre Dame crush Tennessee, the Vols set a school record for fewest points scored in a game.

Yet another ACL tear, and this time it's Miami's Morgan Stroman. Is it just me, or are there more ACL tears this year than usual? It's painful to witness.

A couple bright spots:

The Minnesota Lynx have re-signed Taj McWilliams-Franklin, aka "Mama Taj." Terms of the deal for the 41-year-old forward were not disclosed.

Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve will be honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.

Olympics:

Assistant Coach Doug Bruno shares the same philosophies as head Coach Geno Auriemma.

Oregon State 65, USC 61

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Game story.

Full photo gallery - check it out!

Jacki Gemelos watches USC vs. Oregon State

Game notes:

- Jacki Gemelos, who had surgery Jan. 17 to repair her torn left ACL, returned to Galen Center for Saturday's game to cheer on her teammates. She came in on crutches and sat beside the team bench. Gemelos went into the locker room with the Trojans both at halftime, and after the game.

- A lively crowd of 1,803 was on hand for the contest. The excuse that Los Angeles residents don't attend women's basketball games because there are too many things to do in the city is untrue in Troy. A big crowd almost always shows up for weekend games, and they are loud, too. Several kids wait outside after the game for players to come out and sign autographs.

- Lisa Leslie and several other former USC players were recognized at halftime. Leslie became like the Pied Piper as she walked around the arena, attracting groups of kids wherever she went. At one point she stopped to give Gemelos a hug. When she turned to leave, she found herself surrounded by children who had spied her, ran over and lined up to talk to her. Leslie took time out to sign autographs for them.

- Oregon State is a very well-coached team. Coach Scott Rueck has done an admirable job of schooling players in the fundamentals; they don't miss many buckets, wherever they are. The team's outside shooting is exceptional. Not many are looking to Oregon State for anything in the Pac-12 over the next few years, but they will be surprised. The Beavers are going to sneak up on everyone.

- It was unfortunate to see how upset USC players were after the game. Not only did they feel the win should have been a "give me," but they wanted to take the victory for Gemelos.

Thinking ahead to the Olympics

2012-01-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

Who will make the 2012 Olympic basketball team this year?

Both myself and my favorite Division I assistant coach and columnist agree that there will be a change of the guard this time. He says there are five locked positions: Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus and Candace Parker. He also sees Brittney Griner making the squad.

Here is the list of probables:

Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars)
Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx)
Alana Beard (Washington Mystics)
Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)
Rebekkah Brunson (Minnesota Lynx)
Swin Cash (Chicago Sky)
Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever)
Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun)
Shameka Christon (Chicago Sky)
Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury)
Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky)
Brittney Griner (Baylor University)
Lindsey Harding (Atlanta Dream)
Ebony Hoffman (Los Angeles Sparks)
Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun)
Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun)
Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)
Renee Montgomery (Connecticut Sun)
Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)
Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)
Cappie Pondexter (New York Liberty)
Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury),
Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky)
Kia Vaughn (New York Liberty)
Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx)
Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx)

Whom should be chosen? Speak.

Where it stops, nobody knows

2012-01-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

Elena Delle Donne made Sports Illustrated, and today she and her team took charge to put the hurt on Drexel.

Kentucky struggled to overcome Florida.

Upsets:

Iowa State beat #20 Texas Tech and snapped their five-game winning streak.

South Carolina continued their hot streak, upending #22 Vanderbilt in overtime.

Pac-12:

Cal defeated Washington State today, while Colorado barely bested Arizona. Here are the current conference standings:

Team Conference Overall

Stanford 8-0 17-1
California 6-2 15-5
USC 5-2 10-7
Arizona St. 4-3 13-5
Colorado 3-4 14-4
Washington St. 3-4 9-10
UCLA 3-4 8-10
Oregon St. 3-5 12-7
Oregon 3-5 11-9
Arizona 2-5 13-6
Washington 2-5 10-7
Utah 2-5 9-9

I'll be posting something on the OSU at USC game tomorrow morning.

109-game day

2012-01-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

Where to start when there's 109 games in a day?

There were no upsets in the top 25, for once, but there were some notable milestones reached:

Wisconsin-Green Bay is 17-0.

Notre Dame is unbeaten in the Big East.

Baylor's home game winning streak is at 34.

Other hot starts belong to:

San Diego State, who is at 4-0 in the Mountain West Conference after grabbing their tenth consecutive win today.

Florida Gulf Coast University, who is at 9-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

American University, now 5-0 in the Patriot League.

Sacred Heart, 7-0 in the Northeast Conference.

Florida A&M, at 6-0 in the MEAC.

Wichita State, which is 7-0 in MVC play.

Idaho State, at 6-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

Middle Tennessee, 8-0 in the Sun Belt Conference.

McNeese State is 5-0 in the Southland Conference.

Marist is 8-0 in MAAC.

Eastern Illinois is 5-0 in the OVC.

High Point is 6-0 in the Big South.

Let's give it up for the smaller schools.

And Cal State Northridge Coach Jason Flowers was one of my top mid-major coaches to watch last month. The Matadors are getting better at finishing games, and are tops in the Big West Conference at the moment. But they couldn't quite close out in double overtime today, losing to UC Santa Barbara.

It seems to be an intense day of play on both the women's and men's side of the basketball world. I went to the Oregon State at USC game today, which went to overtime. My story should be posted tomorrow morning on hoopfeed.com.

News for days

2012-01-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

College news:

Tamika Catchings and the SEC support Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt during the conference's "we back Pat" week.

Jim Littell, who replaced Kurt Budke at Oklahoma State, has received a huge raise.

Kean University has removed Michele Sharp as basketball coach.

North Dakota Coach Gene Roebuck will retire after this season, which is his 25th.

I've said before that San Diego State point guard Chelsea Hopkins is the real deal. Check her out in this interview.

LSU starting point guard Destini Hughes is out for the season with torn knee ligaments and a torn meniscus.

Last night's games:

Tennessee beat LSU in an injury-prone game.

Tulane snapped a two-game losing streak by putting away Alabama-Birmingham.

Cal whooped Washington.

In USC's victory over Oregon, Trojan forwards Briana Gilbreath and Christina Marinacci each had a double-double.

Cal State Northridge edged Cal Poly, 79-77, in a game with a wild finish.

Wisconsin-Green Bay overcame Youngstown State and are now 16-0 - the best start in program history.

UConn's Tiffany Hays passed the 1,500-point mark in the Huskies' win over Cincinati.

San Diego's Dominique Connors also surpassed 1,500 points.

Olympics:

It's official: Marynell Meadors, Doug Bruno and Jennifer Gillom are the assistant coaches for this summer's Olympic Games.

Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli talk with Geno Auriemma and Tamika Catchings.

Jennifer Gillom will join an exclusive club of those who have been both a player and a coach at the Olympic Games.

McDonald's All-American nominees announced

2012-01-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe, but it's time to start preparing for this year's McDonald's All-American game. This year, it's in Chicago on March 28. Here is the list of nominees (girls begin on page eight).

McDonald's All-American website.

Buy tickets.

Mid-day hits

2012-01-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

College:

Michelle Smith checks in with Arizona State's Charli Turner Thorne, who is on sabbatical this year.

Dishin & Swishin talks to South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley.

Every possession counts for St. Bonaventure.

High school:

Erica McCall - #16 in the class of 2013 - has posted triple-doubles in each of her last three games in Bakersfield, Calif. You go, girl.

WNBA season schedule released

2012-01-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

The season will begin May 18 and end Sept. 23, with a one-month break in the middle to facilitate the Olympics.

Team-by-team schedule.

National TV schedule.

Bonus: yesterday's chat with 2011 MVP Tamika Catchings.

This week's National Junior College Athletic Association poll

2012-01-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

NJCAA rankings for this week....Northwest Florida State falls and Midland College enters:

1 Trinity Valley Community College 14 17-0 160 8 1
2 Hutchinson Community College 6 16-0 152 0 3
3 Central Arizona College 1 17-1 139 0 4
4 Pensacola State College 8 15-2 138 0 5
5 Northwest Florida State College 8 18-1 127 0 2
6 Casper College 9 14-1 121 0 6
7 Gulf Coast State College 8 15-2 111 0 7
8 Seward County Community College 6 15-2 101 0 8
9 Walters State Community College 7 14-1 93 0 9
10 North Idaho College 18 14-2 85 0 10
11 Northern Oklahoma College-Enid 2 13-2 72 0 11
12 Arizona Western College 1 16-2 70 0 12
13 Shelton State Community College 22 15-2 69 0 13
14 Independence Community College 6 13-2 57 0 15
15 Otero Junior College 9 17-0 48 0 17
16 Weatherford College 5 12-1 47 0 16
17 Paris Junior College 14 14-3 26 0 19
18 Chipola College 8 14-5 21 0 14
19 Midland College 5 15-4 10 0 NR
20 Middle Georgia College 17 11-1 9 0 18

Injuries, looking to tomorrow's games

2012-01-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

College items:

Alabama's Ericka Russell has been granted a medical disqualification for previous knee injuries, ending the senior's college career.

Oklahoma has lost starting forward Joanna McFarland indefinitely. She had surgery Monday for a broken jaw.

The Washington schools are in Northern California for Pac-12 play. Washington State's loss record against Stanford dates back to 1983 - 52 games ago.

Texas A&M beat Missouri tonight, and gave Coach Gary Blair his 200th win.

#15 Louisville is unbeaten at home.

Missouri guard Bailey Gee uses music to fend off stress.

Vol news:

Tomorrow is the Tennessee-LSU showdown (and I know two UCLA fans who will be there). The Vols, reeling from injuries, will have to dig deep for a win.

Nikki Caldwell says she's committed to LSU and isn't looking to be Tennessee's next coach. She says associate head coach Holly Warlick has a resume that more closely matches Coach Pat Summitt's.

Olympics:

Sources say three assistant coaches for this summer's Olympic games have been named, and are Marynell Meadors, Doug Bruno and Jennifer Gillom. Interesting combination.

Some various

2012-01-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

Each night the question grows louder in my mind: who will win this year's NCAA championship?? It's wide open.

NCAA news:

St. John's stays hot and upsets #8 Rutgers tonight, 62-57.

Not-so-surprising: South Florida downed #19 DePaul.

Oklahoma took down #22 Kansas State.

What did Notre Dame eat for breakfast? They beat Pitt 120-44. Utah Valley beat Walla Walla by almost the same margin: 104-46.

Ariel Massengale has broken Tennessee's freshman record for assists - and this after being out with an injury for two weeks.

Pro items:

The Mystics have hired Jennifer Gillom as assistant coach.

Tamika Catchings will chat tomorrow on SportsNation.

Powerade Fab 50 rankings, week six

2012-01-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of change in this week's Powerade Fab 50, but not at the top:

1. Saint Mary's
2. Nazareth
3. Riverdale Baptist
4. McEachern
5. Bolingbrook
6. Riverdale
7. Windward
8. Cicero-North Syracuse
9. Clarksville
10. Hoover

West Coast woes

2012-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

The super-cranial Division I assistant coach who penned the "Mid-Major coaches to watch for" column in December is back. This time he's tackling the gigantic subject of NCAA disparity in the West, and what he says should be done about it. As always, your input is appreciated.

The need for a dominant major (BCS) women’s basketball team in Southern California

Twenty years. That was the last time a school west of Lubbock, Texas has won a NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball championship. Twenty long years: That’s pre-iPod, pre-OJ Verdict and pre-Bill Clinton being President. And in over the double-decade drought since Stanford last cut the nets and a West coast team has worn the crown, women’s basketball has undergone some significant changes. However, the one constant is that there has been only one BCS program in the west in the national championship discussion every year.

So while there are a myriad of reasons why the title drought has occurred, rather than delve into the reasons why there hasn’t been a champion west of Texas in the last twenty years, let’s examine why can be an argument made that of importance of why a BCS-level championship program NEEDS to emerge in Southern California is just as important.

The Cardinal Conundrum

First things first, let’s state the obvious about elite level college basketball on the west coast - Stanford is good. In fact, check that: They’re REALLY good. And if you aren’t sure that they’re good, rewind the DVR to watch the show put on by Stanford when they easily dispatched Tennessee 97-80 earlier this year at Maples Pavilion. But what makes Stanford special is not only are they good this year, its that the Cardinal have been a model of consistency for the past two decades. Just consider a few accomplishments of JUST the past ten years for a moment:

Haven’t had a season with fewer than 20 wins (one of the benchmarks of BCS success)
Finished first in the Pac-10 regular season each year
Finished with 30 or more wins 6 times
At least one NCAA tournament win each year

There have been challengers who make an occasional two- to three-year run, but as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in west, Stanford seems to always be there at the end making another Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight run. And armed with athletic administration committed to success, a Hall of Fame coach in Tara VanDerveer and tons of talent still flowing into Palo Alto, it also stands the reason that Stanford isn’t going anywhere.

Nice, So what’s the issue?

The problem isn’t that women on ‘The Farm’ are too good. The problem is that there hasn’t been a consistent BCS challenger on the west coast to act as a counterbalance - Specifically to draw more media and fan interest. Like Bird needed Magic, Batman needed the Joker and Coke needs Pepsi. Stanford needs a counterbalance out west, a true competitive rival.

Why Not Cal?

At first glance the Cal Bears could provide that rival. One could argue that the rivalry could be a situation similar to Duke-North Carolina in men’s basketball on Tobacco road. The hiring of former UCSB Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb was a savvy hire by Cal’s AD Sandy Barbour. Gottlieb’s bright (former Ivy leaguer), understands the Pac-12 (was a former Cal Assistant) has already made waves on the recruiting trail (securing the services of top ten recruit Justine Hartman last year) and appears to be committed to being at California for the long haul.

But while Cal appears to be set up for long-term success and has a chance to battle Stanford for Bay Area supremacy, it’s not Los Angeles. And the sheer number of eyes and ears of media and potential fans in Los Angeles is what would move the proverbial meter in terms of coverage and viewers. And while one can look for Cal to rise in the near future, there is an inherent need for women’s basketball to be firmly entrenched in the nation’s second largest media market outside of New York. Southern California and women’s basketball needs a perennial Elite Eight women’s basketball program.

The Argument for Los Angeles: Media and Market

Though the most of the influential sportswriters in America reside in the eastern or central time zone, recently there been a subtle movement of more western attention. Online bloggers and social media have help turn attention westward. The company News Corp Digital Media Group (Fox Sports) is now a dominant fixture in sports broadcasting and are centered on the West Coast. Even ESPN has opened a studio in Los Angeles.

With this rise of media power, slowly the Pac-12 and its members are positioning themselves as major players in television and online distribution of its members content. Examine for a moment some of the moves that Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott has made after taking over in 2009.

Expanded to add Utah and Colorado (Salt Lake City & Denver TV markets)
Negotiated a twelve-year deal with ESPN/Fox Sports for close to $2.7 billion for the length of the contract
Agreed to a long-term inter-conference scheduling collaborations with the Big 10

These are moves that are primarily initiated by football and increasing leverage with television contracts, however each of these moves have a significant effect on women’s basketball in terms of additional financial stability to fire or keep coaches in place and for scheduling should not be. But also relevant to the discussion of basketball are that the moves also create a tremendous window of opportunity for women’s college basketball in the west in terms of viewership – Which could be generated by a Bay Area-Greater Los Angeles-area rivalry among two BCS teams playing at an elite level.

An USC-Stanford or UCLA-Stanford rivalry immediately has the potential to register much like a Tennessee-UConn rivalry in the east. A rivalry with Stanford and either would provide two major things: Combatants with a tradition (which Stanford and both USC and UCLA have) and cache (BCS “Name” schools) in and two large media markets.

There would also be an added plus: recruiting.

Ratings means recruits are also watching

For years, recruits on the west coast saw Tennessee and UConn on television. In fact, they almost ONLY saw Tennessee and UConn on national television. And subsequently, seeing these two on national airwaves helped the schools become real and tangible viable options as destinations to play. Mega-prospects like Diana Taurasi and Sade Wiley-Gatewood, who have National High School player of the year credentials headed east.

Was television the only the only reason? Probably not. But the influence of seeing those only two eastern teams on national television does make a tremendous impact. Those far away schools suddenly seem less “foreign” and become more familiar to west coast recruits. And seeing the Lady Vols and the Huskies on television or highlights from a living room three time zones away, may allow prospects to think: “Maybe I ‘could’ go all the way there AND they win.”

In college athletics, recruiting, especially accumulating the 5-Star recruits, is the name of the game if a program is to be successful at a level to compete for national championships (For comparison UConn has three players in the Top 15 in the country in most recruiting rankings). And keeping California talent in California and is the first step to maintain elite level success for both UCLA and USC. The buzz of a hotly-contested rivalry with two state teams from different regions, that could win a national championship, just may help keep some of that Golden State talent at home to help get these programs over the hump and win the NCAA title.

Imagine what may of happen if Diana Taurasi had decided to stay “home” and of been a Bruin and played in Pauley Pavilion or decided to wear the Cardinal & Gold of USC. How would the history books been rewritten? What other recruits would she of attracted to either program? Could there of been a USC dynasty like the Cheryl Miller-Cynthia Cooper-McGee Twin era, but only this time in the digital 24 hour media age? Intriguing to think about, isn’t it?

Los Angeles: Who’s Got Next

Both the Women of Troy and Bruins have the financial resources, the access to recruits and the opportunity to make a dent in the Stanford dominance of the Pac-12. Both institutions haves hired coaches in the last few years who are committed to staying each school and building strong programs nationally. Each have made or in the process of making upgrades in facilities. Each has begun to creep higher in the national recruiting ratings. The only question is which program can make the final leap.

Which of the two LA programs can catch “The Big Red Machine” up north? Only time will tell. But for the potential boon it could be in terms of exposure for women’s basketball in the nation’s second largest media market and on the West coast, the hope and the need, is sooner rather than later.

ESPN/USA Today poll

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

Maryland and Texas A&M take tumbles this week; Kansas State enters; Delaware continues to rise:

1. Baylor
2. Notre Dame
3. Connecticut
4. Stanford
5. Duke
6. Kentucky
7. Maryland
8. Rutgers
9. Tennessee
10. Miami
11. Wisconsin-Green Bay
12. Ohio State
13. Texas A&M
14. Georgia
15. Louisville
16. Delaware
17. Georgetown
18. Purdue
19. DePaul
20. Texas Tech
21. Penn State
22. (tie Kansas State and Vanderbilt
24. Nebraska
25. Gonzaga

Tony Matson Memorial Classic

2012-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Orange Lutheran High School hosted the third Annual Tony Matson Classic yesterday. There were five girls games played and one boys game scheduled as the nightcap. All proceeds go to help the Matson family after the untimely death of the Orange Lutheran coach in 2009. Tony was extremely well-liked by his peers, his players and the Orange Lutheran community.

The game that appeared to be the most competitive turned out to be the closest game of the day: Brea Olinda vs Troy. Brea is coached this year by Kim Cram-Torres, who came from Villa Park High School. She replaced longtime coach Jeff Sink, who now coaches the Brea boys team. Troy is coached by Roger Anderson.

The one thing that is noticably different from past Brea teams is their size. Without Justine Hartman, Jeanir Olekumi, Amanda Arter and Amber Van Deudekom, the Ladycats not nearly as big as they were over the past four seasons. Brea still has three exceptional players in Anna Kim, Keitra Wallace and Taylor Spears, and all three played strong games yesterday.

Troy is led by Gabby Hanson, Shelby Dougherty, and Alicia Dimas. Hanson and Dougherty played well for Troy while Dimas was in foul trouble early in the game and only saw limited action. The game started out strong for Brea as they led 10-2 in the first quarter, Brea extended their lead to 24-12 in the second, and led 34-25 at halftime. At the end of three quarters Brea led 46-31, and it appeared not to be Troy's night. However, the fourth quarter saw Troy storm back to trail by two points at 53-51, with 27 seconds left on the clock. Troy had two or three chances to tie the game during that period, but couldn't get their shots to fall. Brea won 53-51.

The other games saw Rosary defeat Mayfair 50-39; Yorba Linda beat Santa Margarita 55-33; Mater Dei defeated Canyon of Anaheim 63-27, and both Jordan Adams and Nirra Fields played strong games. The final girls game saw host Orange Lutheran stomp the Santa Monica Vikings, 64-36. Orange Lutheran plays very good "team" game under current coach Tom Howard as they did under Tony Matson. They may not be the most talented team in the area, but every time I see them play, they always work the ball for the open player. Tony would be very proud of them.

There were several college coaches or assistants at the event, including coaches from UCLA, USC, UC Davis, Santa Clara, USD, and a couple of Juco coaches from Orange Coast College and Santa Ana College. There were also several high school coaches and players from teams not playing, which I thought showed great support for a good cause.

The box scores can be found on the OC Register web site: http://www.ocvarsity.com/sections/schedules/?sportID=3&gender=G

Make sure you click on January 16.

- IM in OC

Future college players: Jordan Adams (USC) waits to shoot free throws while Mater Dei teammate Nirra Fields (UCLA) and Canyon's Christina Salvatore (University of Idaho) await the shot.

Brea's Taylor Spears, at the foul line, Anna Kim behind the arc, and Keitra Wallace, on the left of the picture, all had strong games for the Ladycats. Troy's Gabby Hanson, #11 in white, also played well.

UCLA assistant coach Tony Newnan, in the blue and gold jacket, chats with Nirra Fields after the game.

Orange Lutheran's Abbey Goodsell, (#24) scored 18 points to lead all scorers in their rout of Santa Monica.

All pictures by IM in OC.

Just a few things

2012-01-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Women's Sports Centrals podcast features Brenda VanLengen and Mechelle Voepel discussing the Big 12, SEC, ACC, and Big East.

Checking in with Yolanda Griffith, who is an assistant coach at Dartmouth.

That knee injury Tennessee forward Shekinna Stricklen sustained in yesterday's Vanderbilt game? It's a sprain. And she's day-to-day.

Kentucky tops the SEC at the moment.

Real life - not a movie

2012-01-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

The Sacred Heart High girls basketball team in Los Angeles walks through the 'hood everyday to get to the gym for basketball practice; it's a facility they rent out with what money they have. Every day, they confront dangers along the way. Story.

Wow.

Martin Luther King weekend action

2012-01-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

Sunday........

Upset: #25 Penn State over #23 Nebraska, 93-73.

#11 Miami barely survived Florida State, 60-57.

Florida beat LSU 62-58, snapping the Tigers' 10-game winning streak.

Please, not again: Tennessee defeated Vanderbilt, and Vol forward Shekinna Stricklen scared the crap out of her team when she clutched her knee and started screaming. It looks like it's just a knee strain, though.

Elena Delle Donne also sustained a leg injury in Delaware's victory over Northeastern.

Kentucky remains undefeated in SEC play after today's win over South Carolina.

Cal took Utah, making for a sweep of the Pac-12 mountain schools.

ESPN's Graham Hays has a (so far) weekend wrap up, which he calls "all hail the Big Ten."

Many smaller schools have games tomorrow, on the Martin Luther King holiday.

Club ball:

Exodus Coach Apache Paschall was laid to rest yesterday.

NCAA business:

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors wants a new stipend proposal, since the one to give athletes $2,000 a year was tabled.

This parity thing is crazy

2012-01-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

The new basketball: anyone can win at any time.

Upsets today:

Kansas State handed #14 Texas Tech its second consecutive loss.

Saint Mary's upset #22 Gonzaga in a close one.

Almosts:

#19 DePaul hung on to beat Pittsburgh.

Rutgers held off Louisville in overtime.

Other close ones:

Cal State Northridge rallied to take Pacific, 72-68, and end their eight-game home winning streak.

San Diego State defeated UNLV in overtime, 66-62.

UC Irvine squeaked past Cal Poly, 62-60.

Arizona overcame Oregon State, 58-56.

Arizona State snapped a three-game losing streak by eeking one out over Oregon, 53-49.

What was in the air today with all these close games?

USC 47, UCLA 43

2012-01-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

Today's Southern California Pac-12 showdown was every bit the bloodbath battle fans expected it to be. The Trojans got off to an early lead and kept the lead at eight for a while, midway through the first half. The Bruins then went on an 8-0 run and tied things up at the 6:14 mark. They were up by four points before USC went on a run of their own, and took the lead back 26-25 at the half.

UCLA took the lead back to start the second period, pushing it to four again, 34-30. But the Trojans put up four points, and then the score remained knotted at 34 for seven minutes before USC was again able to score. The Bruins didn't put up a field goal for over nine minutes. Crucial free throws by Trojan forward Cassie Harberts in the game's final minutes sealed the win for her team.

Only two players scored in double figures: USC's Ashley Corral and UCLA's Rebekah Gardner. Box score.

Corral's eight assists pushed her past Cheryl Miller on the all-time assists list. She is an underrated player, to be sure.

The game was one of the best defensive battles I've seen in a while. Both teams kept each other out of the paint and forced outside shots, which no one was making in the second half, as USC shot 18.2 percent and UCLA, 24 percent. The game was also predictably physical, with much wrestling for the ball, hand-checking and numerous fouls.

Some game photos are blow, but the entire game album is HERE.

Both teams get props, as each are missing key players. USC guard Jacki Gemelos tore her left ACL in December, as did UCLA guard Antonye Nyingifa. Bruin guard Moriah Faulk also tore her ACL last Saturday in the Arizona State game.

Thea Lemberger contemplates getting past Briana Gilbreath in the second half.

Cassie Harberts' free throws in the final minute sealed the win for the Trojans.

Jacki Gemelos, at top, watches Coach Michael Cooper break down the game strategy before tipoff.

Jacki Gemelos injury is a rallying point for USC

2012-01-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

The USC Trojans are finding a way to cope without Jacki Gemelos - it's because they're playing for her. In researching for this piece, I also found a star player who is doing a noble job of moving through the grieving process. USC coaches also care about Gemelos and the rest of the team a great deal.

It's common for teams who lose a key player to rally for a couple games before their performance declines. The fact that the Women of Troy made it through last week with two wins in Arizona, and a victory today at UCLA, says a lot about their drive and focus. They have lost only one game since losing Gemelos, who will have her fifth knee reconstruction surgery Tuesday.

The photo gallery with this piece on www.hoopfeed.com is from a recent practice. Below are some extra shots.

Jacki Gemelos throws up shots on the sidelines while her teammates practice.

Freshman Thaddesia Southall, who is sitting out this season with an ACL tear of her own, rebounds for Gemelos.

Gemelos works on her handles while her teammates scrimmage.

The Trojans run 17s.

Gaaaaaaaaaame daaaaaaaaaay!!!!

2012-01-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Pac-12:

A depleted UCLA Bruins squad hosts USC today at 2 p.m. PST. I'll be there like the Jackson Five. The Women of Troy are second place in the Pac-12 going into today's contest.

Have you noticed Washington State isn't sucking this year? So has the Kitsap Sun, scout.com and Jayda Evans. The Cougars are tied for second in the Pac-12 going into today's match ups.

The rising Oregon State Beavers are focusing on "winnable games."

In facing Oregon today, Arizona State is trying to snap a three-game losing streak.

Here's a headline for you: Colorado hopes to keep their composure against Stanford today.

Rivalry turns to unity:

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State created a bond after the November deaths of OSU coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna that has lasted.

Miami projection:

ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli projects that the Hurricaine's Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams will both go first round in this year's WNBA draft.

Rutgers:

Fans seem to be worried that Rutgers' incoming freshman class will unravel like the class of 2008. Coach C. Vivian Stringer shakes off the comparison.

Yesterday and tomorrow

2012-01-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

Purdue's Brittany Rayburn put up a whopping 38 points last night in the Boilermakers' win over Minnesota, including an NCAA record 12 three-point shots.

Cal trailed Colorado by 12 last night before surging back to win by 13. A very impressive display.

UConn will play at Villanova tomorrow, and the very idea makes Huskies Coach Geno Auriemma ill.

Stanford will take on Colorado tomorrow, and you better believe the Cardinal will be prepared.

NCAA president Mark Emmert's contract has been extended.

Pro business:

Candace Parker talks about her favorite destinations, playing in Russia and traveling with kids.

Angel McCoughtry provides a sneak peek of her upcoming music video.

Ivory Latta will become a Parkinson's Disease ambassador.

You know it's the heart of the season when......

2012-01-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

Big NCAA games tonight:

You knew that #5 Maryland loss was coming, and #11 Miami pulled off the upset, handing the Terps their first defeat.

Clemson upset #21 North Carolina, ruining Tar Heels Coach Sylvia Hatchell's chance at a 600th win.

#8 Kentucky overcame #7 Tennessee by one point.

LSU came from behind to beat South Carolina by ten. Wonder why this write-up doesn't mention Gamecock Coach Dawn Staley being ejected from the contest.

College news:

ESPN's "hoops across America" series checks in on Old Dominion.

Pro items:

The Shock and Mercury exchanged point guards: Andrea Riley and Temeka Johnson. That trade makes absolutely no sense to me.

Dishin & Swishin talks to Gary Kloppenburg and Carol Ross about their new coaching gigs with the Shock and Sparks, respectively.

Right now I'm tracking all four Pac-12 games, so I gotta go...............

More upset city

2012-01-11T20:38:00.000-08:00

Two NCAA upsets tonight:

Oklahoma handed #14 Texas Tech their first loss.

Texas upset #10 Texas A&M.

Full scoreboard.

After tonight's Baylor-Oklahoma State game, players from both teams prayed together. This is a beautiful picture.

Pro news:

Coach Joe Ciampi is back - as assistant coach of the Atlanta Dream.

High school:

Seattle high school star Katie Collier's comeback from leukemia is an inspiration to many.

Pat Summitt:

Mickie DeMoss knew she had to come back to Tennessee five years ago.

Junior college rankings

2012-01-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting and waiting for the National Junior College Athletic Association rankings to have a new poll (last one was Dec. 17). My wish has been granted:

1. Trinity Valley Community College
2. Northwest Florida State College
3. Hutchinson Community College
4. Central Arizona College
5. Pensacola State College
6. Casper College
7. Gulf Coast State College
8. Seward County Community College
9. Walters State Community College
10. North Idaho College
11. Northern Oklahoma College-Enid
12. Arizona Western College
13. Shelton State Community College
14. Chipola College
15. Independence Community College
16. Weatherford College
17. Otero Junior College
18. Middle Georgia College
19. Paris Junior College
20. Southwest Tennessee Community College

Freshmen making a splash

2012-01-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

You can see it in teams across the country, whether they're bigger schools or mid-majors: this year's freshmen class is making waves. ESPNW agrees. Their top five are:

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis of Connecticut
Elizabeth Williams of Duke
Ariel Massengale of Tennessee
Bria Smith of Louisville
Reshanda Gray of Cal (pictured below)

St. Johns and St. Bonaventure also get shout outs.

Cal freshman forward Reshanda Gray waits to check into last Saturday's game against Oregon. Gray leads the team in scoring and is third in rebounds.

_______________________________________________

ESPN recaps what fans have learned so far this season, and it's an interesting list. I am more intrigued by the "five things we already suspected" list:

3. It's a young woman's world out there: There are some notable exceptions -- Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis and Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen among them. But senior stars are usually the rule in women's college basketball, not the exception. For whatever reason, and we don't have early entry to blame on this side of the college game, this season's senior class lacks oomph at the top of the sport. Senior stars such as Missouri State's Casey Garrison, VCU's Courtney Hurt, Eastern Michigan's Tavelyn James and Gonzaga's Katelan Redmon are wrapping up special careers out of the spotlight, but it looks like the players who have the most to say about what happens at the Final Four in Denver will be around for at least one more season. Of the teams in the first Top 25 of the calendar year 2012, only 10 were led in scoring by seniors.

And the "revision of conventional wisdom" list.....no player of the year, and the title is up for grabs. True that.

Finally, there is
trouble for Duke, as sophomore guard Chloe Wells will miss the remainder of the season due to a violation of university policy.

A quadruple-double, and other amazing performances

2012-01-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

These last two weeks have seen an outburst of outstanding performances in high school ball.

Guard Liz Wood of Virginia had a quadruple-double in her team's thrashing of a rival high school Friday night. She recorded 19 points, 14 rebounds, 12 steals and 10 assists.

Another guard, New Jersey's Amanda Berntsen, set a school record at Chatham High School last Thursday. She has 1,492 points.

Ohio guard Kailee Howe reached the 1,000-point mark on Dec. 30.

Point guard Whitney Bunn of North Carolina eclipsed 1,000 points this past Friday.

Congratulations to these young ballers.

Powerade Fab 50, week five

2012-01-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

No changes in the top 10 of the Powerade Fab 50 this week, but there are more changes further down on the list. Top ten:

1. Saint Marys
2. Nazareth
3. Riverdale Baptist
4. McEachern
5. Windward
6. Cicero-North Syracuse
7. Bolingbrook
8. Riverdale
9. Clarksville
10. Hoover

This week's USA Today/ESPN poll

2012-01-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Notre Dame, predictably, has swiped the number two spot this week. Among the rises and falls, previously-unranked Nebraska enters at the 23rd position:

1. Baylor
2. Notre Dame
3. Connecticut
4. Stanford
5. Maryland
6. Duke
7. Tennessee
8. Kentucky
9. Rutgers
10. Texas A&M
11. Miami
12. Wisconsin-Green Bay
13. Ohio State
14. Texas Tech
15. Louisville
16. Georgia
17. Georgetown
18. Delaware
19. DePaul
20. Purdue
21. North Carolina
22. Gonzaga
23. Nebraska
24. Vanderbilt
25. Penn State

Injuries, podcasts and standings

2012-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

DePaul is going through it like never before. Keisha Hampton's season-ending injury means five key players are now out for the Blue Demons. Coach Doug Bruno hasn't seen anything like it before.

Podcast: Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli interview Maryland Coach Brenda Frese and Taylor Hill of Ohio State.

Pac-12 standings -

How quickly things change when conference play begins. Here's what it looks like today:

Team Conference Overall

Stanford - 4-0, 13-1
USC - 3-1, 8-6
Washington St. - 3-1, 9-7
Colorado - 2-1, 13-1
California - 2-2, 11-5
UCLA - 2-2, 7-8
Arizona - 1-2, 12-3
Arizona St. - 1-2, 10-4
Utah - 1-2, 8-6
Oregon St. - 1-3, 10-5
Washington - 1-3, 9-5
Oregon - 1-3, 9-7

The Saturday scoreboard saw Oregon State almost upset Stanford; USC beat Arizona to sweet both desert state schools; UCLA defeated ASU, leaving the Sun Devils swept; and Utah garnered their first Pac-12 victory by putting away Washington.

Stanford is struggling more than expected.

The WNBA on age difference in eligibility

2012-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Friday I published the player eligibility requirements for both the WNBA and NBA, as provided to me by the respective leagues. I had hoped to receive a response to a question I had about those stipulations before then, but I just obtained that answer this morning.

I asked, "Can you tell me why WNBA draftees are required to be 22 and NBA draftees are required to be 19?"

Of course there are exceptions that are laid out in the rules. But to be able to be drafted into the WNBA before age 22, an American player must have already graduated from college, or be about to graduate. (The only requirement for international players is that they are 20 years old).

The WNBA issued this answer statement to my question: "All of the WNBA's eligibility requirements were negotiated with the Players Union, and have been working well for the league, the players and our friends at the NCAA for 15 years. Players come into the WNBA with a great maturity and readiness as athletes and as young women."

What do you think about this? Why do you think males are allowed to be "less mature" to enter the NBA?

Hot hoops weekend

2012-01-08T22:20:00.000-08:00

While I was in the Bay watching the Cal-Oregon game yesterday, #3 Notre Dame was upsetting #2 UConn, 74-67. The Irish have now become the Big East team to beat, ESPN says.

Earlier today, St. John's upset #12 Louisville 72-64. I was watching the first hour of the game as I packed up my stuff at the hotel, and I had a feeling the Red Storm would do it.

Elena Delle Donne put up a whopping 40 points in #20 Delaware's win over George Mason. She is ridiculous.

#5 Maryland needed an overtime to fend off #23 North Carolina. The Terps seem like they're about to have an upset.

Sadness: DePaul senior forward Keisha Hampton is out for the season with knee trouble.

Bonuses......

WNBA:

Carol Ross held her first press conference Friday. Check the audio.

International news:

Australian basketball star Rachel Jarry and a friend were assaulted by an armed gang, but are OK.

Cal 90, Oregon 67

2012-01-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Berkeley, Calif. - I checked out the Oregon at Cal game yesterday, making the trip to Haas Pavilion for the first time. I loved the intimacy of the arena and the caring of the fans. They know each player by name, and are very supportive.

After the Bears won, the entire team divided up at tables and signed autographs for long lines of fans - many of them children.

Story.

Box score.

My full album is HERE.

Oregon's Jasmine Holliday drives around Cal's Talia Caldwell in the second half.

Cal's Reshanda Gray tries to block the inbounds pass.

The coolest college fan giveaway ever: a team picture puzzle.

Tidbits from the Arizona desert

2012-01-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Chandler's point guard, #3 Dezirae Ellis at 5-foot-1, can play against the bigs of St. Marys: #0 Chantel Osahor, at 6-foot-2, #13 Cortnee Walton at 6-foot-3, and #22 Courtney Ekmark at 6 feet.

___________________________________________________

The homey IM in OC is in Arizona right now, taking in the USC Pac-12 games and some high school action. Here is his report:

USC 60, ASU 48

USC did not make a basket in the final 5:45 of the game, but did make eight of 11 free throws to beat ASU by 12. The Sun Devils only hit two baskets in the last 8:50 of the game, and missed seven of their last 10 charity shots. ASU had no players with double-digit scoring, and no player made more than three field goals in the game. Kimberly Brandon had three field goals and two of those came in the last 8:50 of the game. She scored her team's last buckets.

ASU had big trouble with the USC press in the second half, as there was no Dymond Simon to help this year. Promise Amukamara ran into a blind screen set by Cassie Harberts of USC. Last season Simon ran into the same type of blind sceen, and missed several games with a concussion. You would think someone on the court or on ASU's bench would yell it out to their teammates. USC walk on Dominque Scott (Pasadena CC) made her first appearance for USC with 1:42 left in the first half.

Former Trojan Kari LaPlante (class of 2011) was at the game to root for her former teammates. LaPlante currently plays for Alexandria, in Romania and was home for the holiday break.

St. Marys 68 (Phoenix) vs. Chandler 62

St. Marys is the number one high school team in the nation, according to ESPN Rise. Tonight they faced off against Chandler High School, which is #5 in Arizona. Both teams have players going on to the next level. St. Marys has Shilpa Tummala, who verballed to Harvard in 2013. Also on St. Marys is a freshman guard Courtney Erkmark. She scored 27 points in the contest and has nearly all the skills that you would expect a high school senior to have. I believe she is the daughter of St. Marys coach Curtis Erkmark. Cortnee Walton (2013) is going to Louisville, and she also played a strong game.

Chandler has senior Simone Westbrook going to Arizona. Je Zhe Newton is highly-ranked, but didnt dress for some reason. Chandler also has an outstanding point guard in Dezirae Ellis; she hustles all over the place. She can go to the hoop, shoot the three and she can pass as well as anyone I have seen recently in the high school game. She had around 25 points tonight, and was the spark plug for the Chandler team all night. If she hasnt been signed by someone, she is a senior, she is a steal, She is only 5'1" but plays big for her size.

St. Marys pulled out the game 68-62, but not without a struggle. It was a tight game for the first half with St. Mary's leading 33-30 at the break. They were able to open up a 55-44 in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, and then Chandler went on a 11-1 run to trail by one point 56-55 with 4.21 left in the game. St Marys went on a streak to make it 63-55, and the rest of the game was foul shots made by St. Marys to hold on for the win.

There is no shot clock in Arizona high school games. UCLA coach Cori Close was at the game scouting some of the players, and spoke to both coaches after the game.

On to Tuscon on Saturday for the USC vs. Arizona game

- IM in OC

UCLA Coach Cori Close talks with a parent after the game.

Chandler's gym is called the "House of Payne," and IM in OC didn't find out why that is.

St. Mary's players gather at center court after team handshakes....a hard-fought win.

All pictures by IM in OC.

WNBA vs. NBA draft eligibility

2012-01-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

Fans have been speculating as to whether or not Baylor star Brittney Griner would forego her senior year to enter the 2012 WNBA draft in a few months. The question is, could she be eligible? I took the query to the offices of the WNBA and NBA, and below are the stipulations as they were sent to me.

It looks like Griner couldn't enter this year's draft, because she won't be 22 until October (unless she was a candidate for early graduation). If Griner were a male, however, it appears she'd only have to be 19 to be drafted.

WNBA DRAFT 2011 Eligibility

A player is eligible to be selected in the Draft at the earliest
occurrence of the following: A. She had (or will have) her 22nd
birthday during the calendar year in which the draft is held, and she
either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her
remaining intercollegiate eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at
least ten days prior to such draft. B. She has graduated from a
four-year college or university, or “is to graduate” from such college
or university during the three-month period following such draft and
she either has no remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces
her remaining intercollegiate eligibility by written notice to the
WNBA at least ten days prior to such draft. For the purpose of this
subsection B, “is to graduate” means that such player would graduate
from the college or university she is currently enrolled in if she
were to successfully complete the coursework she is enrolled in at the
time of such draft and such course load is commensurate with previous
course loads she has successfully completed. C. She attended a
four-year college or university, her original class in such college or
university has already been graduated or “is to graduate” during the
three-month period following such draft, and she either has no
remaining intercollegiate eligibility or renounces her remaining
intercollegiate eligibility by written notice to the WNBA at least ten
days prior to such draft. For the purpose of this subsection C, “is
to graduate” means that the majority of the students in such class
would graduate from such college or university upon successful
completion of the coursework the members of such class are enrolled in
at the time of such draft. D. She is an international player (meaning a
player who was born and resides outside of the United States) who has
had (or will have) her 20th birthday during the calendar year in which
the draft is held. E. The league will circulate a list of any otherwise
eligible players who renounce their remaining intercollegiate
eligibility on April 4. Please note that a player who: (i) is
competing in the NCAA tournament during the period that begins ten
days prior to the draft; (ii) has remaining intercollegiate
eligibility beyond the 2010-11 season; and (iii) is otherwise eligible
for the draft, may make herself eligible for the draft by renouncing
her remaining intercollegiate eligibility within the period beginning
at the conclusion of her final NCAA game and ending twenty-four hours
thereafter. If any such players still playing on April 4 renounce
their remaining intercollegiate eligibility, we will circulate a
second eligibility e-mail as soon as we receive written confirmation
of the renouncement.

NBA Draft Eligibility

section 1. Player Eligibility.
(a) No player may sign a Contract or play in the NBA unless he has been
eligible for
selection in at least one (1) NBA Draft. No player shall be eligible for
selection in more
than two (2) NBA Drafts.
(b) A player shall be eligible for selection in the first NBA Draft with
respect to which
he has satisfied all applicable requirements of Section 1(b)(i) below and
one of the
requirements of Section 1(b)(ii) below:
(i) The player (A) is or will be at least 19 years of age during the
calendar year in
which the Draft is held, and (B) with respect to a player who is not an
international
player (defined below), at least one (1) NBA Season has elapsed since the
player’s
graduation from high school (or, if the player did not graduate from high
school,
since the graduation of the class with which the player would have
graduated had he
graduated from high school); and
(ii)
(A) The player has graduated from a four-year college or university in the
United
States (or is to graduate in the calendar year in which the Draft is held)
and has no
remaining intercollegiate basketball eligibility; or
(B) The player is attending or previously attended a four-year college or
university in
the United States, his original class in such college or university has
graduated (or is
to graduate in the calendar year in which the Draft is held), and he has no
remaining
intercollegiate basketball eligibility; or
(C) The player has graduated from high school in the United States, did not
enroll in
a four-year college or university in the United States, and four calendar
years have
elapsed since such player’s high school graduation; or
(D) The player did not graduate from high school in the United States, and
four calendar years have elapsed since the graduation of the class with which the player
would have graduated had he graduated from high school; or
(E) The player has signed a player contract with a “professional basketball
team not
in the NBA” (defined below) that is located anywhere in the world, and has
rendered
services under such contract prior to the Draft; or
(F) The player has expressed his desire to be selected in the Draft in a
writing
received by the NBA at least sixty (60) days prior to such Draft (an “Early
Entry”
player); or
(G) If the player is an “international player” (defined below), and
notwithstanding anything
contained in subsections (A) through (F) above: 16 (1) The player is or
will be twenty-two (22) years of age during the calendar year of
the Draft; or (2) The player has signed a player contract with a
“professional basketball team not
in the NBA” (defined below) that is located in the United States, and has
rendered
services under such contract prior to the Draft; or
(3) The player has expressed his desire to be selected in the Draft in a
writing
received by the NBA at least sixty (60) days prior to such Draft (an “Early
Entry”
player).
(c) For purposes of this Article X, an “international player” is a player:
(i) who has
maintained a permanent residence outside of the United States for at least
the three
(3) years prior to the Draft, while participating in the game of basketball
as an amateur
or as a professional outside of the United States; (ii) who has never
previously enrolled
in a college or university in the United States; and (iii) who did not
complete high school
in the United States. section 6. application to “Early Entry” Players.
If a player who is eligible for the Draft pursuant to Section 1(b)(ii)(F)
or (b)(ii)(G)(3)
above (an “Early Entry” player) is selected in such Draft by a Team, the
following rules
apply: (a) Subject to Section 6(b) below, if the player does not thereafter
play intercollegiate basketball,
then the Team that drafted him shall, during the period from the date of
such
Draft to the date of the Draft in which the player would, absent his
becoming an Early
Entry player, first have been eligible to be selected, be the only Team
with which the
player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract, provided that such Team
makes a
Required Tender to the player each year by the date specified in Section 4
(a) above. For
purposes hereof, the Draft in which such player would, absent his becoming
an Early Entry
player, first have been eligible to be selected, will be deemed the
“Subsequent Draft” as to
that player, and the rules applicable to a player who has been drafted in a
Subsequent
Draft will apply. If the player, having been selected in a Draft for which
he was eligible as
an Early Entry player, has not signed a Player Contract with the Team that
drafted him in
such Draft following a Required Tender by that Team and is not drafted in
the Subsequent
Draft (as defined in the previous sentence), he shall become a Rookie Free
Agent.
(b) If the player does thereafter play intercollegiate basketball, then the
Team that
drafted him shall retain the exclusive NBA rights to negotiate with and
sign the player
for the period ending one (1) year from the date of the Draft in which the
player would,
absent his becoming an Early Entry player, first have been eligible to be
selected, provided that such Team makes a Required Tender to the player each year by the date
specified in Section 4(a) above. For purposes hereof, the Draft in which
such player
would, absent his becoming an Early Entry player, first have been eligible
to be selected,
will be deemed the “Initial Draft” as to that player. The next NBA Draft
shall be deemed
the “Subsequent Draft” as to that player, and the rules applicable to a
player who has
been drafted in a Subsequent Draft will apply.

From every corner of the hoops world

2012-01-06T20:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight's NCAA action:

Duke freshman Elizabeth Williams made quite a statement in her team's win over Wake Forest - she had 18 points, 16 rebounds and 12 blocks. Williams broke the Atlantic Coast Conference blocks record.

#5 Maryland was down 20, but rallied to beat Georgia Tech 77-74.

UNLV outlasted Fresno State in a close one, 73-71.

Injury report:

Virginia guard China Crosby had surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ACL, and will miss the remainder of the season.

Duke freshman Amber Henson is also out for the season after her patella was fixed.

Pro tip:

New Sparks Coach Carol Ross is about to bring Southern charm to Los Angeles.

The Atlanta Dream have signed assistant coach Fred Williams to a two-year contract extension.

Dishin & Swishin's podcast for the week features Chicago Sky Coach Pokey Chatman and Seattle Storm Coach Brian Agler on this week's trade between the two teams.

USA Basketball:

Jennifer Rizzotti is USA Basketball's national coach of the year for 2011.

Club ball:

More on the death of Coach Apache Paschall from Helen.

What?:

Knox County officials will discuss selling the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

How should the Los Angeles Sparks use their number one draft pick?

2012-01-05T22:43:00.000-08:00

I started out a recent morning messaging with two different coaches - one high school and one college - about various topics in basketball, which is a great way to start my day. The high school coach said he thinks Elena Delle Donne should be chosen first in next year's WNBA draft. I asked him why he thought so, and also who he thought the Los Angeles Sparks should take with their first pick this year. Below is the response he sent me.

Some of Jermy "Jersey" St. Louis' proposals seem radical to me, but I've heard some of his thoughts expressed by other fans. And in the spirit of an old-school journalist, everyone has the right to express their opinion. Feel free to express your own on these matters.

by Jermy St. Louis

The Los Angeles Sparks have the number one pick in the 2012 WNBA draft, and I can assure fans that they are going to have a hard time making a choice. This year’s draft class is one of the weakest I’ve seen in a very long time, which means that improving from last year’s team is a long shot, in my opinion.

Most pundits and draft engines have Stanford forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike as the first draft pick and yes - they should and probably will take her at number one - but only because she’s the best SENIOR in the draft. Yes, there’s Shenise Johnson from Florida; Tiffany Hayes of UConn; Tennessee's Glory Johnson, and a host of other players that are pretty much lackluster role players off of some of the top teams in the country. But Ogwumike has the most talent by far.

She is not going to wow you with deep threes and no-look passes, nor is she going to average 40 points a game, (although she did give the Lady Vols 40 this year....sorry Sue). Ogwumike WILL work hard - very hard. She is going to cause a lot of trouble on the boards but most importantly, she will be the kickstart into getting past the Tina Thompson and Delisha Milton-Jones era.

If the Sparks draft Ogwumike, they will have to make a decision on whether or not to trade those two veterans, which makes this draft the most interesting and important draft maybe EVER for the Sparks. This is only due to the fact that the tide is changing in the WNBA, and this will hopefully be the push the league needs to make names for the new faces of women’s basketball and the Sparks as a whole. Most of these kids coming into the draft this year are all 90’s babies, which means that when the WNBA kicked off in 1997 and the Sparks picked Thompson in that inaugural draft, the majority of this year's draft class was around six years old. And if you’re Sparks General Manager Penny Toler, you have to know when to cut your losses and start fresh.

The WNBA roster limitation of 11 is tough when it comes to drafts, because in the blink of an eye, you can be here today and down to a skeleton roster with injuries tomorrow. The Sparks currently have five forwards on their team, which means somebody has to get either traded or waived. Right now, it’s looking like the Sparks should definately go younger. I think they should trade DMJ or Thompson while they can still get something for them, and attempt to get a back up center and a draft pick for the motherlode of all drafts: 2013. I would even go as far as trading Noelle Quinn and unloading one or two of the 2012 picks this year for some late round picks next year, being that Quinn is still young and can play.

The Sparks need help at point guard like how old people need help getting out of bed. Ticha Penichiero is well beyond her Sacramento Monarch days. Kristi Toliver should be given the point guard reins after averaging 11.2 ppg and almost three assists last season. She is young, can push the tempo and has a great pull up jump shot, although it’s sometimes ill-advised. Now why wouldn’t the Sparks pick a PG this year instead of a post player? Great question - glad you asked! Here’s why: the best point guard in this years draft is Samantha Prahalis from Ohio State, and if you’ve ever seen her play, you know that she can and will wow you with her passing. But Prahalis' decision-making may or may not be what the Sparks need. Some would even say, pick Ogwumike and then trade her for a top five pick for next year. There are so many dimensions to how you could approach it but it all boils down to one player and one player only: Candace Parker.

I have never been sold on Parker. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Are you crazy?” Yes, I actually am. Let me show just how crazy I really am. I would trade Parker and Ogwumike to whichever team has the #1 pick in the 2013 draft. I would actually unload the entire Sparks team except Jantel Lavender and Kristi Toliver, because let’s be honest: this year’s draft should be called the trade bait draft because there are only role players and no real stars. I would trade all of those picks the Sparks have in the second round of this year’s draft for picks in the 2013 draft because of how deep that class is. I would try my hardest to move up to get either Brittany Griner, Skylar Diggins or Elena Delle Donne. All three of these players are game changers.

Theres nothing else to be said that you don’t already know about Griner and Diggins. Delle Donne went AWOL from basketball for volleyball for a few years, but I would still go after her because she’s 6-foot-5 and can flat-out score the ball from inside and out. She is a better and much more polished player than Griner, and should go #1 followed by Griner, and then Diggins.

The bottom line is this: the Sparks need a spark. They need to jump start the franchise, which has been sputtering the last few years. The Sparks need to unload, rebuild and get ready for the new wave of WNBA stars. They need to be major players in the league, because they are in a huge metropolitan area and have media and other resources at their ready that smaller cities don't have. They need to continue growing the Sparks brand by bringing in the brightest of talent to the city.

The 2012 WNBA draft is just a set up for the 2013 draft, which will probably go down as the greatest draft class in league history. So I say, take drastic measures to ensure the Sparks legacy stays intact. It may be a long-shot, but it’s still a shot nonetheless, and as a wise coach once said to me, “A shot not taken is a shot not made."

Jermy St. Louis is a Los Angeles-area high school girls basketball coach and a lifelong student of the game.

The opinions above are those of the author only.

Powerade Fab 50 rankings, week four

2012-01-05T21:45:00.001-08:00

Long Beach Poly is back on the list, and rising. Here's the top 10:

1. Saint Mary's
2. Nazareth
3. Riverdale Baptist
4. McEachern
5. Windward
6. Cicero-North Syracuse
7. Bolingbrook
8. Riverdale
9. Clarksville
10. Hoover

Much Thursday action

2012-01-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

South Carolina is indeed finally on the rise: they upset #21 Vanderbilt tonight, 65-55.

#23 North Carolina needed two overtimes to outlast Virginia, 78-73.

#20 Delaware's Elena Delle Donne went nuts again, going off for 37 points and breaking the school's scoring record in her team's rout of Towson. Delle Donne is the country's leading scorer with a 28.8 point-per-game average.

#22 Purdue defeated Wisconsin for their sixth straight win. Boilermaker hoops is rooted in history.

Tennessee freshman point guard Ariel Massengale almost handled Georgia single-handedly in their crushing of the Bulldogs.

Pac-12 scoreboard:

USC 60, Arizona State 48
Cal 73, Oregon State 56
Arizona 74, UCLA 66
Stanford 93, Oregon 70
Washington 75, Colorado 67
Washington State 60, Utah 43

Full NCAA scoreboard.

San Diego State University 79, Longwood University 37

2012-01-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

San Diego - The San Diego State Aztecs routed the Longwood Lancers last night, 79-37.

SDSU commanded at the start, and though Longwood got on the scoring board at the charity stripe, they didn't score a field goal until the first half 12:31 mark. The Aztecs lead 45-19 at the break.

The Lancers went on a run to start the second period, and cut their deficit to 22 points before SDSU kicked their play up a few notches and bolstered their lead.

Sophomore Kiyana Stamps and freshman Ahjalee Harvey each put up 15 for the Aztecs. Senior Brittanni Billups lead Longwood with 14 points.

SDSU has now won five consecutive games, as they prepare to begin Mountain West Conference play next week. They are a young team with several new players, and they are still working on chemistry and cohesion of all the athleticism on the squad. Duke transfer Chelsea Hopkins continues to be a bright spot, and may be the key to leading the Aztecs to the next level. Her ability to see the entire court, her ball handling and ball distribution and her quickness is just what SDSU needs.

The Lancers have had a tough year, beginning in December, 2010 when former coach Kristin Caruso was fired after being suspended twice. Assistant coach Bill Reinson was named interim head coach to finish the season, and then last spring was named permanent head coach. Longwood has trouble handling pressure defense, needs to work on passing and has weak defense, to name a few issues. But Reinson has instilled in them a "never give up" mentality, as they played hard until the end of last night's game - while he clapped on the sidelines. That was inspiring.

SDSU has one more pre-conference game this Saturday, at Cal State Bakersfield.

Longwood's Chelsea Coward prepares to pass the ball to a teammate in the first half.

Heather Tobek is smothered by the Aztec defense.

SDSU guard Courtney Clements launches a drive for the basket in the second half.

Point guard Chelsea Hopkins on the fast break.

Kiyana Stamps weighs her passing options.

Malia Nahinu, at 6-foot-6, prepares to score against the Longwood defense.

Chelsea Hopkins drives for the bucket. She finished the night with 13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals - two of which resulted in her scoring.

News you can use

2012-01-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

Former Clemson guard Kelia Shelton has transferred to Louisiana Tech.

South Carolina is finally showing improvement.

Kansas State and Kansas both took down ranked opponents on opening day of conference play yesterday.

Carol Ross named head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks

2012-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Atlanta Dream assistant and former NCAA coach Carol Ross is the Los Angeles Sparks' new head coach.

Pac-12 Ratings Percentage Indexes

2012-01-04T23:50:00.000-08:00

IM in OC graciously compiled Pac-12 Ratings Percentage Indexes from four different sources for us. The ratings are as of Jan. 3, 2012.

NCAA RPI:

Stanford 4
ASU 29
USC 36
Arizona 38
WSU 39
Cal 53
OSU 79
UCLA 84
Colorado 88
Washington 129
Oregon 155
Utah 159

http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d1/ncaa_womens_basketball_rpi

Real Time RPI:

Stanford 4
Arizona 27
ASU 30
USC 36
WSU 40
Cal 54
OSU 78
UCLA 80
Colorado 89
Oregon 127
Washington 128
Utah 162

http://www.realtimerpi.com/rpi_pac12_Women.html

Saragin RPI

Stanford 4
Cal 33
USC 35
ASU 37
WSU 42
Colorado 53
Arizona 54
UCLA 67
OSU 78
Utah 100
Washington 115
Oregon 168

http://www.rpiratings.com/womrate.php

Warren Nolan RPI

Stanford 4
ASU 28
Arizona 37
USC 38
WSU 43
Cal 56
UCLA 80
OSU 85
Colorado 90
Washington 124
Oregon 160
Utah 161

http://warrennolan.com/basketballw/2012/conference/Pac%2012

Cool SEC bits

2012-01-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

Georgia Coach Andy Landers and Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt have much in common, and a lot of shared history.

Summitt spoke at the Big Orange Tipoff Club luncheon, and again utilized her assistant coaches.

Pro bonus:

Swin Cash on being traded.

High School bonus:

Mater Dei star Jordan Adams has been out for over two weeks with a knee injury. She will return to the court for a Saturday game.

A bit of podcast

2012-01-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

Podcast:

Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli talk with Miami's Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams.

Today's upset:

#18 DePaul upended #16 Georgetown, 59-50.

Tennessee news:

The SEC has designated Jan. 15-22 as "we back Pat" week.

Lady Vol guard Kamiko Williams returned to the court tonight to play Chattanooga, less than six months after knee surgery.

Lauded girls basketball coach Apache Paschall passes away

2012-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Sad news today: Apache Paschall, the popular and successful coach of Nazareth High School in Brooklyn and director of the Exodus NYC basketball club died from skin cancer. He was only 37 years old.

Hoopfeed dug up this great story about the early days of Exodus - one of the country's top club programs.

Longtime assistant Gary Kloppenburg named Tulsa Shock head coach

2012-01-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a hire that makes sense: Gary Kloppenburg is the new Tulsa Shock head coach. The longtime assistant for the Seattle Storm, NBA's Charlotte Bobcats and Indiana Fever has the blessing of his boss, Fever Coach Lin Dunn, who called Kloppenburg "a great hire."

Oklahoma State football coach dedicates win to plane crash victims

2012-01-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Upon winning the Fiesta Bowl yesterday, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy dedicated the win to Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other two victims of the Nov. 17 plane crash that killed all board. He also presented the championship trohpy to Budke's wife, Shelley Budke, with a hug.

What an incredible gesture.

USA Today/ESPN poll says.......

2012-01-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

The top five and a few other positions are the same, but there are also some changes in this week's poll:

1. Baylor
2. Connecticut
3. Notre Dame
4. Stanford
5. Maryland
6. Duke
7. Tennessee
8. Texas A&M
9. Kentucky
10. Rutgers
11. Ohio State
12. Louisville
13. Miami
14. Wisconsin-Green Bay
15. Georgia
16. Georgetown
17. Texas Tech
18. DePaul
19. Penn State
20. Delaware
21. Vanderbilt
22. Purdue
23. North Carolina
24. Gonzaga
25. Texas

Games of 1/2

2012-01-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

Upset in the ACC: #23 North Carolina beat #10 Florida, 65-63.

In the Big Ten, #21 Purdue needed a buzzer-beater from Courtney Moses to overcome Illinois, 64-63.

Ohio State defeated Iowa, but the story was the performances of two Buckeyes: Samantha Prahalis with 30 and Tayler Hill with 28. Prahalis also had five rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

ESPN's Graham Hays looks at last week's best performances, and previews this week.

Pro bonus:

The Seattle Times talks with Storm forward Camille Little.

Storm-Sky trade seems to be a win-win

2012-01-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, the Seattle Storm and Chicago Sky announced a major trade: Swin Cash and Le'coe Willingham to Chi-town for their #2 draft pick. It looks good for both sides, as the Sky needed some experience and the Storm needs some youth. Sky Coach Pokey Chatman is elated, and Storm Coach Brian Agler is "remaking the roster." This will be the Seattle team's first top-four pick since 2002, when they selected Sue Bird.

Fans assume that the Los Angeles Sparks, who get first pick, will take Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike. If they do that, who will the Storm take at number two?

There has also been hypothesis that Baylor's Brittney Griner will forego her senior year for the draft. If she does this, should the Sparks take her or Ogwumike? Who would the Storm choose then?

Lots of unknowns right now, but many thoughts.

Amber Gray has made "close to incredible" recovery

2012-01-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Here's some great news: Xavier forward Amber Gray has fully recovered from the stroke and brain aneurysm she suffered in the summer of 2009.

In today's opening SEC games:

#6 Kentucky squeaked by Florida, 59-56.

#8 Tennessee rolled over Auburn, 73-52.

#15 Georgia defeated Arkansas, 67-57. Jasmine Hassell lead the Dogs with 19 points.

South Carolina beat Alabama, for their first SEC winning opener since 2002-2003.

LSU crushed Ole Miss, 83-44.

Out of tomorrow's 57 games, the one that intrigues me most is Georgia Tech at North Carolina State.

Last games of the year

2011-12-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

#19 DePaul beat Northern Illinois 65-46, and gave Blue Demons Coach Doug Bruno his 500th win.

Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike each posted double-doubles to lead #4 Stanford in smashing UCLA, 77-50.

Some other spots in the Pac-12 were hot today - especially in Oregon less than an hour ago.

It took two overtimes, but Washington State prevailed over Oregon State, 61-54.

Oregon rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat Washington, 88-86. (It was exciting - I watched it)

Colorado had to come back to overcome Utah, 58-52. The Buffs remain unbeaten.

Arizona State bested Arizona, 60-45. And in the other Southern California, it was USC over Cal, 74-54.

Full scoreboard.

Twenty-two teams start 2012 off with a game tomorrow, including #6 Kentucky, #8 Tennessee and #24 Gonzaga.

Like many do this time of year, I've been reflecting this week, and I can't think of too many things that make me happier than basketball. I have a good feeling about 2012 hoops.

Happy New Year.

Year in review

2011-12-30T19:48:00.000-08:00

I've never been one for end-of-the-year reviews, so I'll let Mechelle Voepel and Brenda VanLengen discuss it.

David Siegel and Angela Taylor also have a good take on 2011.

For me, the basketball year began wonderfully with an exciting NCAA Final Four. Then Pat Summitt's announcment made the landscape turn bleak. Three weeks later came the devastating killing of New York high school basketball star Tayshana Murphy. Then the WNBA Finals series was thoroughlly enjoyable. Six weeks later, Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna died.

Bring on 2012.

First night of Pac-12 competition

2011-12-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

Just seconds ago, UCLA prevailed in a hard, hard-fought game over Cal, 60-55. From my witnesses, it was a hell of a thing down the stretch. Looking forward to seeing the write up on that one.

Stanford pulled away from USC to win, 61-53.

Oregon State, now 10-2, boosted that record by defeating Washington 60-55.

Washington State blew Oregon out, 75-47.

A big gift

2011-12-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

Chamique Holdsclaw had a tremendous gift for Coach Pat Summitt: a collection of 60 letters from former players and managers detailing what she's meant to their lives. Summitt called the gift "unbelievable."

USC plans to fight on after the loss of Jacki Gemelos to injury.

Dishin & Swishin interviews Geno Auriemma's daughter Alysa.

Pro:

Seimone Augustus is the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's sportsperson of the year.

Big Ten, Pac-12 will "grow schedules together"

2011-12-28T21:16:00.000-08:00

The Big Ten and Pac-12 have announced that they'll "collaborate" on long-term, interconference scheduling:

Likely beginning as early as next year, the Pac-12 and Big Ten are going to significantly reconfigure their future football, basketball and Olympic sports schedules to feature games between their combined 24 member schools.

Wonder what watered the soil for this?

Hitting the ground running

2011-12-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

Some teams came back from the break today without missing a beat. Surprise upset: Middle Tennessee upset #6 Kentucky 70-58.

#3 Notre Dame began their romp of Longwood with a 27-0 run. Devereaux Peters put up 19 points, and in the process eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career.

Full scoreboard.

There are 82 games tomorrow (!!). Including the beginning of Pac-12 play.

Bonus:

"Guru" Mel Greenberg names his top stories of the year, which include Pat Summitt's announcement that she has early-onset dementia, the death of coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna, the annual coaching carousel, and more.

Powerade Fab 50 rankings, week three

2011-12-27T22:27:00.000-08:00

The list features a major entry by Windward, of California, who was not previously ranked:

1. Saint Mary's
2. Nazareth
3. Riverdale Baptist
4. Windward
5. McEachern
6. Cicero-North Syracuse
7. Bolingbrook
8. Mater Dei
9. Riverdale
10. M.X. Shabazz

Part two of the college season is set to kick off

2011-12-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

Helen has a great list of links previewing each NCAA conference, as play begins this week.

The Eugene Register-Guard has its usual well-thought-out Pac-12 team previews. Here are their predictions for the season:

1. Stanford
2. Cal
3. USC
4. Arizona State
5. UCLA
6. Utah
7. Washington State
8. Oregon
9. Arizona
10. Oregon State
11. Washington
12. Colorado

Stories about people:

Elena Delle Donne is back to superstar form for Delaware.

Louisville's Becky Burke is more than "big shot Becky."

Tennessee assistant coach Mickie DeMoss broke her arm and sprained a finger on the Vols' recent road trip to California.

Business news:

More women are moving into college athletic departments.

Seventy-five colleges are objecting to a multi-year scholarship plan.

USA Today/ESPN poll sees changes

2011-12-27T21:47:00.000-08:00

This week's top 25 list looks a little different from last week's:

1. Baylor
2. Connecticut
3. Notre Dame
4. Stanford
5. Maryland
6. Kentucky
7. Duke
8. Tennessee
9. Texas A&M
10. Miami
11. Rutgers
12. Ohio State
13. Louisville
14. Wisconsin-Green Bay
15. Georgia
16. Georgetown
17. Penn State
18. Texas Tech
19. DePaul
20. Delaware
21. (tie) Purdue, Vanderbilt
23. North Carolina
24. Gonzaga
25. Texas

Boxing day

2011-12-26T20:15:00.000-08:00

College athletes are either making their way back to campus, or they're already there. High school tournaments have begun. And the basketball world begins to come out of the holidays.......

Mechelle Voepel, Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli, Michelle Smith, Wendy Parker and Doug Feinburg discuss rule changes, conference realignment and outlooks for the rest of the NCAA season.

Dayton's Justine Raterman has not only come back from an ACL tear last March, but she's stronger than ever. Raterman said the key to her comeback is staying positive.

There are only four games scheduled for tomorrow. There are 59 games Wednesday. Most teams begin conference play this week.

On the high school tip, ESPN ranks their top stories of the year.

A little Diggins, a few coaches

2011-12-23T20:20:00.000-08:00

It's quite possible you didn't know just how smart Skylar Diggins is, until you read this great story about her.

ESPN calls it a balancing act.

Suzie McConnell-Serio is the pride of Pittsburgh, says ESPN.

This week, Dishin & Swishin talks to Maryland Coach Brenda Frese and Kentucky Coach Matthew Mitchell.

New champs at Nike TOC

2011-12-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

St. Mary's took the Smith Division, beating Riverdale Baptist. La Jolla Country Day won the Anderson Division.

Last day scores:

SMITH DIVISION

Championship: Phoenix St. Mary's 79, Riverdale Baptist 69
St. John's College 68, Christ the King 60
Stockton St. Mary's 65, Buford 43
Wesleyan 61, Incarnate Word 48
Windward 49, Cicero-North Syracuse 45
Marion County 49, Dr. Phillips 47
Mater Dei 62, Good Counsel 54
Bolingbrook 72, Irving MacArthur 61

ANDERSON DIVISION

Championship: Country Day 58, Holy Cross 44
St. Joseph's Academy 55, Brea Olinda 38
Bishop O'Dowd 65, LV Centennial 50
Dillard 62, Sacramento 59
Regis Jesuit 54, Archbishop Wood 38
Bishop Gorman 59, Konawaena 47
Huntington Beach Edison 61, Villa Maria 50
Long Beach Poly 54, Edgewater 44

BLACK DIVISION

Championship: Chandler 69, Mission Bay 56
Monte Vista 55, Flagstaff 45
Warren 65, Seton Catholic 58
Marin Catholic 40, Piedmont 32
Westview 55, Palisades 42
Huntington Beach 66, St. Bernard 52
Oaks Christian 51, Chaminade Prep 45
Eastlake 46, ThunderRidge 36

DESPER DIVISION

Championship: Mesa Mountain View 51, Pinnacle 47
Vanden 54, Indio 45
St. Francis 50, Auburn Mountainview 41
Canyon Springs 54, Rosary 34
Dougherty Valley 48, Tolleson 35
St. Mary's Portland 66, Monarch 52
Pocatello Highland 57, Narbone 50
Highlands Ranch 62, Lynwood 48

GRAY DIVISION

Championship: Corona Centennial 69, Desert Vista 58
Buchanan 45, Los Banos 37
Desert Mountain 75, Horizon Christian Academy 61
Hamilton 56, Chaparral 30
Rock Canyon 60, Xavier 52
Livermore 54, Harpeth Hall 36
Cleveland 54, Cherry Creek 43

WHITE DIVISION

Championship: Bishop Alemany 55, Thornton Horizon 49
Mullen 46, Perry 27
Williams Field 42, Betty Fairfax 40
Marlborough 65, Chatsworth 45
South Torrance 48, Marymount 41
Clovis West 49, Basha 17
Saguaro 40, Palos Verdes 37
Fortuna 36, Jefferson 25

All-tournament team.

Photo gallery.

Six tournament stars.

More injuries

2011-12-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I loathe and detest player injuries.

Louisville senior forward Monique Reid will miss the rest of the season with a (non-ACL) knee injury.

Stanford freshman guard Jasmine Camp is out for the year with a foot stress fracture. She had become a starter.

Nike TOC finals are set

2011-12-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

In the Joe Smith Division, it'll be Riverdale Baptist vs. St. Mary's, which ESPN says is "a dream match up."

The John Anderson Division will see two very different teams face off in La Jolla Country Day vs. Maryland's Academy of the Holy Cross.

Five rising tournament stars.

Day three scoreboard:

SMITH DIVISION

Good Counsel 63, Dr. Phillips 57
Stockton St. Mary's 78, Christ the King 69
Mater Dei 60, Marion County 42
Bolingbrook 58, Wesleyan 43
Phoenix St. Mary's 63, Cicero-North Syracuse 55
Buford 64, St. John's College 63
Riverdale Baptist 70, Windward 61
Irving MacArthur 59, Incarnate Word 55

ANDERSON DIVISION

Long Beach Poly 68, Villa Maria 45
Edgewater 64, Huntington Beach Edison 45
Country Day 67, Brea Olinda 50
Regis Jesuit 47, Dillard 35
Bishop O'Dowd 75, Bishop Gorman 59
Holy Cross 51, St. Joseph's Academy 35
Archbishop Wood 52, Sacramento 44
LV Centennial 70, Konawaena 46

BLACK DIVISION

Mission Bay 58, ThunderRidge 26
Seton Catholic 52, Monte Vista 39
Oaks Christian 58, St. Bernard 40
Chandler 68, Eastlake 61
Westview 35, Marin Catholic 28
Warren 55, Flagstaff 24
Chaminade Prep 60, Huntington Beach 59
Palisades 52, Piedmont 36

DESPER DIVISION

Tolleson 52, Rosary 36
Dougherty Valley 47, Canyon Springs 45
Narbonne 42, Monarch 39
Pocatello Highland 59, St. Mary's Portland 50
Mesa Mountain View 45, Lynwood 42
Auburn Mountainview 50, Indio 40
Pinnacle 63, Highlands Ranch 62
St. Francis 50, Vanden 45

GRAY DIVISION

Rock Canyon 43, Cleveland 36
Xavier 53, Cherry Creek 42
Hamilton 46, Harpeth Hall 32
Desert Vista 61, The Bishop's School 55
Horizon Christian Academy 59, Los Banos 31
Chaparral 66, Livermore 55
Corona Centennial 52, San Diego Mater Dei 41
Desert Mountain 33, Buchanan 26

WHITE DIVISION

Marlborough 47, Betty Fairfax 38
Chatsworth 45, Williams Field 38
Saguaro 47, Mullen 40
Bishop Alemany 66, Basha 47
Marymount 38, Jefferson 27
South Torrance 44, Fortuna 38
Palos Verdes 39, Perry 34
Thornton Horizon 46, Clovis West 44

USC 75, Pepperdine 71 (OT)

2011-12-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Malibu - USC surged in overtime to beat Pepperdine today, 75-71.

The Trojans came in at 4-5, after losing two games by a total of three points on their recent road trip to Arkansas State and Texas A&M. Pepperdine was 5-5 entering the matinee, also losing its last two games, to Oregon State and UC Santa Barbara. This was USC's first game since losing star guard Jacki Gemelos to another ACL injury Sunday during the TAMU game. Gemelos was at today's contest to support her teammates. The Trojans now have eight healthy players.

The game went back and forth for most of the first half. Neither team had more than a five-point lead until late in the first half, when Pepperdine went up 40-30, but USC was able to narrow the lead to 42-35 at the half. The Waves hit an amazing 8 of 11 from outside the arc (72 percent), with Lauren Bell hitting for four three-pointers and 18 points in the period. Trojan scoring was spread out among several players, and all eight players played and contributed in the first half.

USC came out early for warmups for the second half. At eight minutes to go, the Women of Troy were on the court running drills. With about two minutes left, the team stopped their warmups and gathered under the basket. It looked like each player had something to say to pump the team up.

The Trojans then came out and scored the first 10 points of the second half to take a 45-42 lead. It also appeared they were taking their game inside, as forwards Cassie Harberts and Christina Marinacci were both posting up to take shots. Ashley Corral and Briana Gilbreath were both moving the ball inside (Gilbreath finished the game with nine assists).

The Waves were having difficulty defending Harberts, who finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. Stephanie Gilbreath played 27 minutes and had 10 points and seven rebounds, which was great to see after the injuries she has sustained. Pepperdine missed all nine three-point shots that they took. After USC's initial run, the lead changed hands a few times, but neither team could open up a lead bigger than four points. Both the Trojans and Waves had a chance to win the game in the last 15 seconds, but both squads missed their shots.

Pepperdine scored the first two points of overtime and then couldn't hit again until around 30 seconds left. The Trojans able to open up a five-point lead in the extra session, and were mostly able to keep that lead at two posessions. Harberts scored six points in the extra period.

USC out-rebounded the Waves 52-33.

Box score.

Both teams will begin conference play next week, when they return from holiday break.

Jacki Gemelos dribbles the ball while her teammates shoot around before the game.

The Trojans run through warm ups.

USC's Christina Marinacci vs. Pepperdine's Jazmine Jackson in the second half.

Just before the start of the second half, the Women of Troy called their own player's meeting under the basket. There appeared to be a lot of tough talking in the huddle.

- Game report and all pictures by IM in OC

Gettin' big

2011-12-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it last night, Nnemkadi Ogwumike went nuts last night in Stanford's win over Tennessee: the forward had 42 points and 17 rebounds. Is it too early to call her player of the year? It was also the Cardinal's 68th consecutive home win.

Speaking of big things poppin', "we back Pat" T-shirts have been selling at record pace.

On the sad news tip: only 13 years for the woman who killed former Oklahoma star Rosalind Ross.

True strength: St. Bonaventure freshman Tatiana Wilson's home burned down last week, and her mother and two siblings sustained major injuries. But she is persevering.

Nike TOC day two

2011-12-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Day two results:

SMITH DIVISION

Bolingbrook 60, Stockton St. Mary's 39
Wesleyan 54, Christ the King 39
Phoenix St. Mary's 71, Good Counsel 48
Incarnate Word 54, Buford 23
Cicero-North Syracuse 48, Dr. Phillips 28
Windward 53, Marion County 37
Riverdale Baptist 56, Mater Dei 46
Irving MacArthur 72, St. John's College 62

ANDERSON DIVISION

Bishop Gorman 66, Dillard 65
Bishop O'Dowd 49, Regis Jesuit 37 Country Day 53, Long Beach Poly 41
Las Vegas Centennial 61, Sacramento 54
Brea Olinda 74, Villa Maria 49
Konawaena 36, Archbishop Wood 32
Holy Cross 54, Huntington Beach Edison 46
St. Joseph's Academy 55, Edgewater 41

BLACK DIVISION

Piedmont 52, Flagstaff 38
Eastlake 73, Huntington Beach 64
Marin Catholic 47, Seton Catholic 31
Mission Bay 62, Oaks Christian 44
Chandler, 70, Chaminade Prep 54
Avondale Westview 56, Monte Vista 19
Palisades 52, Warren 41
ThunderRidge 60, St. Bernard 56

DESPER DIVISION

Tolleson 53, Auburn Mountainview 49
Dougherty Valley 54, Vanden 37
Lynwood 51, Narbonne 31
Mesa Mountain View 63, Monarch 42
Highlands Ranch 55, Portland St. Mary's 49
Canyon Springs 50, St. Francis 46
Pinnacle 59, Pocatello Highland 43
Rosary 46, Indio 32

GRAY DIVISION

Livermore 59, Horizon Christian Academy 56
Scottsdale Chaparral 54, Los Banos 39
Desert Vista 52, Cleveland 38
The Bishop's School 77, Rock Canyon 54
Harpeth Hall 50, Desert Mountain 40
Corona Centennial 59, Cherry Creek 26
Hamilton 62, Buchannan 30
San Diego Mater Dei 67, Xavier College prep 53

WHITE DIVISION

Perry 46, Betty Farifax 34
Thornton Horizon 47, Jefferson 32
Palos Verdes 60, Marlborough 54
Basha 42, Fortuna 41
Saguaro 51, Williams Field 36
Mullen 57, Chatsworth 39
Clovis West 53, Marymount 13
Bishop Alemany 57, South Torrance 29

Anderson Division wrap-up.

Smith Division wrap-up.

Scoring machines.

Standouts.

High school bonus:

Kelli Kingma, sister of Kristi, has committed to Washington.

Pac-12 strength of schedule rankings

2011-12-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, I checked the Pac-12 standings and saw this:

Standings Overall

Colorado - 9-0 1.000
Arizona - 9-1 .900
Stanford - 7-1 .875
Oregon St. - 9-2 .818
Arizona St. - 7-2 .778
Washington - 7-2 .778
California - 8-3 .727
Oregon - 8-3 .727
Washington St. - 6-5 .600
Utah - 5-4 .556
UCLA - 5-4 .545
USC - 4-5 .444

It wasn't right.

So I asked my resident stats dude, IM in OC, to do the rankings based on strength of schedule. Here's what he came up with:

Standings SOS-Rank Overall Pac12 Rank on SOS

Colorado 59.2/331, 9-0, 12
Arizona 67.67/195, 9-1, 9
Stanford 79.2/9, 7-1, 2
Oregon St. 67.8/186, 9-2, 8
Arizona St. 71.1/104, 7-2, 6
Washington 63.9/281, 7-2, 11
California 75.9/26, 8-3, 3
Oregon 64.4/266, 8-3, 10
Washington St. 75.7/29, 6-5, 4
Utah 67.9/184, 5-4, 7
UCLA 75/37, 5-4, 5
USC 81.5/4, 4-5, 1

Here's what it would look like:

1. USC
2. Stanford
3. Cal
4. Washington State
5. UCLA
6. Arizona State
7. Utah
8. Oregon State
9. Arizona
10. Oregon
11. Washington
12. Colorado

That makes more sense.

IM's footnotes:

I used the SOS rankings from Saragin rankings: http://www.rpiratings.com/womrate.php.

The numbers in the bottom chart reflect the team, the SOS/National Ranking, based on SOS only. I then ranked the Pac-12 teams based on their SOS National rankings. USC had the strongest SOS of the Pac-12 teams and Colorado the lowest, at 331.

These rankings were done before tonight's games, thus Stanford's SOS will get stronger after playing Tennessee. Cal's should go down based on playing unranked Dartmouth.

Five teams have played very good SOS's: USC/4 ; Stanford/9; Cal/26; Wash St/29 and UCLA/37. The rest are over 100.

Jacki Gemelos: left ACL is torn

2011-12-20T19:07:00.000-08:00

USC guard Jacki Gemelos did indeed tear her left ACL in Sunday's game against Texas A&M, the Trojans announced two hours ago.

Gemelos is going through a range of emotions, as she faces the end of her college career. But she said today she will rehabilitate from her fifth ACL reconstructive surgery and play again.

The Northern California native told ESPN Los Angeles she knew immediately what had happened:

Although the diagnosis was just confirmed Tuesday, she said she knew immediately that her season, and college career, was over.

"I knew right when I came down," she said. "The tears, the screaming, the slamming the floor, that wasn't because it hurt.

"I'm so mad. I've never been more mad at an injury than this one. This time around I'm more mad than I am sad, which is saying a lot.

Nike TOC day one results

2011-12-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Several upsets yesterday.

The main upsetters may be meeting up by the end of the week.

Yesterday's stars include two from Los Angeles and the Cal Sparks club team.

Can Mater Dei defend their championship?

Scoreboard:

SMITH DIVISION

Good Counsel 71, Wesleyan 64
Windward 56, Irving MacArthur 50
Riverdale Baptist 53, Incarnate Word 44
Marion County 56, St. John's College 52
Dr. Phillips 73, Stockton St. Mary's 55
Mater Dei 60, Buford 47
Cicero-North Syracuse 43, Bolingbrook 40
Phoenix St. Mary's 66, Christ the King 37

ANDERSON DIVISION

Country Day 67, Bishop Gorman 55
Villa Maria Academy 60, Bishop O'Dowd 52
Brea Olinda 60, Regis Jesuit 51
Long Beach Poly 48, Dillard 40
St. Joseph's Academy 52, Archbishop Wood 36
Holy Cross 45, Sacramento 34
Huntington Beach Edison 67, Las Vegas Centennial 51
Edgewater 39, Konawaena 34

BLACK DIVISION

Chandler 52, Palisades Charter 44
Mission Bay 53, Seton Catholic 22
Oaks Christian 52, Marin Catholic 31
St. Bernard 62, Avondale Westview 29
Chaminade College Prep 60, Warren 35
ThunderRidge 56, Monte Vista 30
Eastlake 63, Piedmont 44
Huntington Beach 75, Flagstaff 23

DESPER DIVISION

Lynwood 51, Tolleson 30
Monarch 61, Rosary 33
Portland St. Mary's 57, Dougherty Valley 48
Highlands Ranch 67, Vanden 41
Pocatello Highland 61, Sacramento St. Francis 54
Narbonne 52, Auburn Mountainview 42
Pinnacle Canyon 60, Springs 58
Mesa Mountain View 74, Indio 51

GRAY DIVISION

Cleveland 55, Livermore 32
Desert Vista 54, Horizon Christian Academy 18
Rock Canyon 64, Los Banos 30
The Bishop's School 83, Scottsdale Chaparral 45
Xavier College Preparatory 58, Buchanan 56
Corona Centennial 57, Harpeth Hall 46
San Diego Mater Dei 65, Hamilton 55
Cherry Creek 51, Desert Mountain 47

WHITE DIVISION

Marymount 42, Perry 32
Fortuna 47, Mullen 40
Clovis West 52, Betty Fairfax 29
Thornton Horizon 51, Palos Verdes 35
Basha 44, Chatsworth 20
El Paso Jefferson 42, Marlborough 36
South Torrance 44, Williams Field 22
Bishop Alemany 59, Saguaro 24

Not much movement in USA Today/ESPN poll

2011-12-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Looks kind of the same as last week:

1. Baylor
2. Connecticut
3. Notre Dame
4. Stanford
5. Maryland
6. Tennessee
7. Miami
8. Kentucky
9. Duke
10. Texas A&M
11. Rutgers
12. Louisville
13. Ohio State
14. Wisconsin-Green Bay
15. Georgia
16. Penn State
17. Georgetown
18. Texas Tech
19. DePaul
20. Delaware
21. Purdue
22. North Carolina
23. Vanderbilt
24. Gonzaga
25. Texas

Junior college rankings

2011-12-19T21:39:00.000-08:00

Going into break, here is the list:

1. Trinity Valley Community College
2. Northwest Florida State College
3. Hutchinson Community College
4. Central Arizona College
5. Pensacola State College
6. Casper College
7. Gulf Coast State College
8. Weatherford College
9. Walters State Community College
10. Seward County Community College
11. Independence Community College
12. Northern Oklahoma College-Enid
13. Chipola College
14. Hill College
15. North Idaho College
15. Shelton State Community College
17. Jefferson College
18. Middle Georgia College
19. Arizona Western College
20. Paris Junior College

Should Tennessee commit to Holly Warlick, too?

2011-12-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

One website says Tennessee should name longtime associate coach Holly Warlick the "coach in waiting," for when Pat Summitt eventually retires:

UT should name associate head coach Holly Warlick as its coach in waiting, making it clear that whenever Summitt steps down, her former point guard and longtime assistant would step up.

It's clear that Warlick, who has been with the program 35 years as both player and coach, will be the heir to the throne. But should Tennessee take this step? What do you all think?

Smatterings

2011-12-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

College today:

Gonzaga upset #12 Georgia tonight, thanks to a Haiden Palmer last-second three. Final was 71-68.

College tomorrow:

The annual Stanford-Tennessee showdown is tomorrow at Maple Pavilion. This year they're ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, and the battle promises to be epic, as usual.

The game was sealed with a handshake.

Nike TOC:

The ESPN staff has been tweeting from the Tournament all day, aka day one. Their stories won't be posted until way after I go to bed, but they cast their bracket predictions this morning.

Jacki Gemelos:

No official word from USC yet on the senior forward's injury yesterday, but I have heard the news is not good.

Sunday = game day

2011-12-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

#1 Baylor rallied from behind to beat #2 UConn 66-61. Brittney Griner was the difference for the Bears, with 25 points and nine blocks, which broke the Big 12 career record, previously held by Oklahoma's Courtney Paris.

#3 Notre Dame handed #7 Kentucky its first loss of the season with a 92-83 win.

Interesting blowout: South Carolina over #16 North Carolina, 79-48.

North Carolina survived a run by #18 Vanderbilt to upset them, 66-59.

Jacki Gemelos injured in USC's loss to TAMU

2011-12-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

No words can fully express my sadness and hurt at this:

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Southern California coach Michael Cooper cried during his postgame news conference — an injury to a star player caused the tears, rather than a tough defeat.

Senior guard Jacki Gemelos might be done for the season after hurting her left knee late in the first half of Sunday’s 71-70 loss to No. 10 Texas A&M. Sydney Carter hit a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to lift the Aggies.

Gemelos, who entered the game averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 8 rebounds, was injured as she drove the lane 3:37 before the break. She writhed on the floor beneath the basket and sobbed in the hushed arena.

Pat Summitt fights Alzheimer's with laughter

2011-12-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

Washington Post columnist and author Sally Jenkins produces another great piece on legendary Lady Vols Coach Pat Summitt, who is dealing with her early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis with humor, among other things. She also has a differentn approach to coaching these days:

Pat, by contrast, was uncharacteristically cool. When sophomore guard Meighan Simmons nailed consecutive three-pointers to finally put the Lady Vols ahead, Pat merely leaned over and said with a sardonic mildness to her staff, “That helps.”

The demeanor, partly a result of the need to manage stress for her health, is a startling role reversal. It used to be that Pat was the most intense member of the bench and her assistants softened her blows. Now it’s Pat who is the softer presence. “More motherly,” Spani says. “Obviously she still gives us the stare when we need it, but she’s had a very calming effect.”

It was Pat, the Lady Vols say, who restored the confidence of Simmons, a frenetic young guard who was in the grip of a bad slump. In the days before the Rutgers game, Pat corrected her shooting motion in individual teaching sessions and kept a consistently comforting arm around her — while refusing to tolerate any pouting. The result was a timely, explosive performance.

“Pat had a lot to do with those shots,” Spani says. The light went on for Simmons just in time. “Hallelujah,” Pat says.

Yet, these Lady Vols are one of Pat’s most characteristic teams in the way they battle, too. After they overcame a five-point deficit in the final minutes in front of a roaringly hostile crowd, Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer remarked ruefully, “They’re playing in her image.”

It was a gratifying comment. Pat has worked for four years to instill her brand of fight in the senior class, a group led by Stricklen that has failed to reach a Final Four, and in the past exhibited a lazybones quality, but no more. Pat used to tease Stricken about her lack of intensity and complained she would rather sit by a pond with a fishing pole back in Arkansas. But against Rutgers, Stricklen went 40 minutes without a blow, led the team in scoring, provided lockdown defense grabbing three steals, and played so hard her calves cramped in the final minute.

“I love who they’ve become,” Pat says. “We were on our toes instead of our heels. Aggressive. I haven’t always seen that from them.”

Today and tomorrow

2011-12-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

Cal came so very close to beating #14 Ohio State today, but they fell short and the Buckeyes won 77-75.

Tomorrow is the big UConn-Baylor matchup, and it'll be in Waco, where Kim Mulkey rules the roost. Who will win?

"Guru" Mel Greenberg has a good point: rookie coaches aren't finding it easy going this year.

A day in Westwood: #6 Tennessee 85, UCLA 64

2011-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

The line to get into the John Wooden Center extended far to the right of this shot, around IM in OC, who took the picture, and then snaked to the left.

______________________________

My numerous photos of this great game and exciting day are HERE, so feel free to consult them as I narrate.

The sold-out crowd showed up an hour or more before the game to stand in line at the small John Wooden Center. There were a lot of UCLA fans, but there were more orange-wearing people than blue-wearing. I didn't know there were that many Lady Vol fans in Los Angeles. And they donned all kinds of Tennessee gear, from T-shirts to sweatshirts to hats to orange "we back Pat" shirts.

They were a little late opening the doors for us, but once they finally did, the crowd flowed smoothly into the arena. We got to see both teams stretch and then warm up. As in 2007, when Tennessee played UCLA here before, the Vols greatly out-sized the home team in height and stature.

When Coach Pat Summitt walked in, the crowd stood and applauded. She smiled and gave them a "thumbs up" sign.

The Bruins began the game attacking on defense, but it did them no good as the Vols made 18 of their first 20 shots. Eventually they missed a few more, but still ended up shooting 76 percent for the first half.

Tennessee's only fault was that their defense wasn't up to its usual snuff. Associate head coach Holly Warlick had been leading timeout talks, as she has done since the beginning of the season. At a 14:11 timeout, ahead 17-8, Warlick had assistants Mickie DeMoss and Dean Lockwood in discussion when Summitt whirled around to the team and yelled at them for a few sentences. It was nice to see; just like old times.

UCLA never gave up. They cut the lead to 24-20 at 10:34 in the first half. Tennessee went on a run to go up by 16 with just under six minutes to play, but the Bruins fought back and narrowed the gap to 34-45 at the break. Junior Rebekah Gardner was especially impressive, putting up a career-high 24 points, including 15 in the first half. They played hard until the final buzzer - a respectable showing.

The Vols missed their last shot before halftime, following a sloppy offensive stanza. As the buzzer sounded, Summitt turned around to UT media relations wizard Debby Jennings and said "ugly." So you know what happened at halftime. And predictably, Tennessee came out swinging, and went on a 9-2 run to pull away for good. The closest the Bruins were able to get was 13 points with 15:50 to play.

Meighan Simmons lead the Vols with 18, while Glory Johnson added 17, Vicki Baugh and Taber Spani each 14, and Shekinna Stricklen put up 11. After Gardner for the Bruins, Markel Walker and Thea Lemberger each added 11 and Antonye Nyingifa had 10, before going down late in the game and not returning. She emerged afterwards on crutches with an ice bag on her knee. No word yet on the UCLA website as to the extent of her injury.

Game story from the Associated Press.

Tennessee post-game quotes.

Other observations:

- I sat right behind the bench. Heaven.

- Stricklen seemed to be feeling sick late in the first half. She was taken into the locker room, where she stayed, but she came back to start the second half and jumped right in.

- The Tennessee entourage is pretty amazing. There are four coaches, the media relations rep, the director of basketball operations, the athletic trainer, the strength coach, the radio guy, and three young assorted water/walk-you-to-the-locker-room attendants. They also come with two stools (see photos) and several big bags worth of game stuff.

- Baugh is incredibly poised on court. She has grown a lot the last few years.

- The Vols have defensive plays with hand signals the same as all teams do with offense. They are really serious about their D. And they talk to each other on defense a lot, as well as scream at their opponents. Johnson is particularly good at the latter.

- I'm still getting used to associate coach Holly Warlick conducting timeouts. She's excellent at it - don't get me wrong. It's just something I and the University of Tennessee have never seen before: someone else leading the huddle for the Lady Vols besides Summitt.

- I'm really proud of UCLA. They're out there playing their asses off, and they're doing better than fans expected them to do. They have a lot of heart, a lot of will, and they play together as a team. They're doing a hell of a job considering the teammates they're missing, and next year once those bigs are back, the Bruins will be major contenders again.

- Summitt and assistant coach Mickie DeMoss came out after the game to do the post-game interview with the Tennessee radio guy (who is very nice, by the way). Fans completely circled the area and everyone pulled out cameras; it was so Hollywood. Then when Summitt got up she was mobbed by autograph-seeking fans, who she generously obliged until the director of basketball operations began shutting it down and guiding Summitt toward the door. I talked to her for a moment myself, which made my entire year.

- I think one of the major reasons Tennessee has been so successful over the years is that the team and staff operate like a family. It's really apparent sitting behind them and watching them interact.

Two of LA's best high school coaches join forces

2011-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

What do you get when you put Marcel Sanders and Ricky Blackmon together? A lot of great coaching.

Huge week begins tomorrow

2011-12-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tennessee is in Los Angeles, and will play UCLA tomorrow and Stanford on Tuesday. One news source says the Lady Vols have been making adjustments on the fly.

Scout.com members can read Maria Cornelius' preview.

(Update at 10 p.m.): The Lady Vols are happy to see Alyssia Brewer, and the John Wooden Center is tiny.

Tyler Summitt's letter in support of his mother Pat Summitt's Foundation.

The Nike Tournament of Champions begins Monday in Phoenix, Ariz. Brackets are here. The Smith Division is tops, and the Anderson Division follows.

ESPN has a Smith Division preview and an Anderson Division preview, as well as a visitor's guide.

I will be at tomorrow's Tennessee-UCLA matchup, though not in an official media capacity for hoopfeed.com, as I usually am. This is because the UCLA Athletic Department doesn't credential website media. (They are the only college or pro team I've come across that has this policy). If I were in my usual reporting capacity, you better believe I'd bring you the best Pat Summitt interview ever. But I'll do the best I can with my sideline reporting.....you all know I watch everything.

The business before a big hoops weekend

2011-12-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Bidness:

ESPN will have the rights to broadcast the NCAA Tournament through the 2023-2024 season, thanks to a new agreement.

Former NCAA vice president Sue Donohoe has been named executive director of the Kay Yow Fund.

The petition against stipends for NCAA athletes reached 125, so the governing body is putting the proposal on hold.

NCAA team news:

#1 Baylor and #2 UConn face off Sunday. ESPN's Mechelle Voepel wonders if this is the next big basketball rivalry.

Coaches Kim Mulkey and Geno Auriemma speak.

Kara Lawson breaks it down.

The Tennessee Lady Vols arrived in Los Angeles a couple hours ago, in preparation for their game Saturday against UCLA (YEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!) They are not planning to "freak themselves out."

Dishin & Swishin has a cool conversation with Nnamkadi and Chiney Ogwumike and Ros Gold-Onwude about hoops and Nigerian heritage, among other things.

At Wisconsin, it has been a slow start to the Bobby Kelsey era.

Former Washington State Cougar Ki-Ki Moore has made an immediate impact for Fresno State.

Nirra Fields' hardship approved; will play for Mater Dei

2011-12-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

UCLA-bound Nirra Fields, ruled ineligible a few weeks ago, will get to play this season after all. The Mater Dei guard's hardship application was approved by the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section office.

Petition mounting against athlete stipends

2011-12-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Ninety-seven schools have signed a petition against the NCAA's plan to give athletes a $2,000 stipend.

Other interesting news:

Love this piece about Missouri player's various pre-game rituals and routines.

ESPN's Graham Hayes notes that Tennessee's work on offense last night was particulary impressive for a team that's always been defensively-focused.

Nike TOC star watch.