AthlonSports.com - National Notebook

NCAA Tournament stage is set

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:00:00 -0500

Memphis coach John Calipari was singing the No. 2 seeding blues on Selection Sunday, but Ken Davis says the NCAA men’s basketball committee got the No. 1 debate between Memphis and Connecticut right.

Handing out 08-09 college hoops awards

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0500

Championship Week is upon us. Where did the time go? Before Selection Sunday arrives, let’s pause to reflect on the top performances of the regular season. We present the Athlon college basketball awards for 2008-09:

James' injury a major blow to Marquette

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:33:41 -0600

Just imagine the disappointment that had to be flooding the senses of Marquette guard Dominic James as he sat on the bench in the second half of a loss to Connecticut last Wednesday. James’ season – and his career at Marquette – ended with a freakish foot injury about four minutes into that game.

Aldrich growing into a leader for Jayhawks

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0600

The emergence of sophomore center Cole Aldrich is one of the big reasons why Kansas has surprised as a Big 12 contender. Tonight, he matches up against Blake Griffin in a battle of the league's best teams.

Pennell has done an outstanding job at Arizona

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Not much had gone right for Arizona at the beginning of this season. But now, the Wildcats have won seven straight games and are on the verge of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. All things considered, interim head coach Russ Pennell has done an amazing job.

Final push for NCAA Tournament begins

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:00:00 -0600

We’ve reached that critical stage where teams make or break their seasons. This is that final stretch that is so closely observed by the NCAA tournament selection committee. A winning streak can suddenly lift a team into the postseason debate. An extended slump can put a team on the bubble — or worse.

Calhoun, Pitino have lengthy history

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0600

UConn's Jim Calhoun and Louisville's Rick Pitino have a history of disagreements but they have since put their differences behind them and lead two of the nation's best teams against each other this week.

Five guys who don't get enough respect

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:50:00 -0600

There are several players around the country who don’t get enough credit on their teams. With that in mind, Ken Davis fills out his starting lineup on the 2009 Can’t A Guy Get Some Respect Team.

OSU's Robinson joins Obama on Capitol Hill

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:01:00 -0600

Craig Robinson has never been to the White House, but that is about to change. The Oregon State coach and his family will rest tonight in Blair House, the President’s official guesthouse. And if there is any spare time, Robinson will get a personal tour of the White House from his sister, Michelle Obama.

New coaches seeing immediate success

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0600

New coaches generally need some time to turn struggling teams around, but five first-year guys are having great success during their initial season at their new school.

Boston College knocks off top-ranked Heels

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:33:09 -0600

North Carolina's loss to Boston College Sunday leaves only four undefeated teams in Division I basketball, but it will take more than one loss for anyone to dispute that the Tar Heels are not the team to beat.

Huskies return to earth after loss to Hoyas

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:54:19 -0600

UConn began Monday's game as the No. 2 team in the country, sporting an 11-0 record, and were generally considered the top threat to No. 1 North Carolina. But the Huskies fell back to earth with a resounding thud, manhandled by No. 12 Georgetown 74-63.

Smith has Gophers on top of the Big Ten

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0600

After a week of interesting developments in college basketball, we offer two general observations. First, the Big Ten Conference suddenly is looking much stronger than expected. And second, Tubby Smith can coach.

Atlantic-10 boasts a trio of huge victories

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0600

It had been a relatively quiet season for Atlantic 10 teams, but all of that changed on Saturday. Perhaps it’s just a matter of national television exposure and playing against nationally prominent programs, but the conference certainly woke up Sunday morning feeling better about itself.

Beilein doing something right at Michigan

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0600

John Beilein is doing something right at Michigan. That’s obvious with the Wolverines off to a 6-2 start, including wins over UCLA and Duke that give Michigan two victories over teams ranked No. 4 in the AP poll in two consecutive weeks.