Phil asks, "Other than Illinois, what chances do you give the Big 10 of not only receiving NCAA tournament bids, but having some level of success?
Phil, what makes you so sure Illinois is a lock to get in? You must be from Illinois, or a big Luther Head fan. I'm just kidding. But I'll guarantee you this: the Big 10 will receive at least one bid, and if that bid is extended to Illinois, they will be a number one seed. And here's where I go out on a limb: the Illini will wear orange.
Okay, enough with the B.S. Illinois has a great chance to make history and become the first team since Indiana in 1976 to win a national championship while going undefeated. Should the Illini do so, it would be a more impressive feat than Indiana's. Why, you may ask? Well, it's got nothing to do with "parity" or "balance of power" or some other overworked college basketball catchphrase. It's because the Illini have run the table so far on the Big "10" that features 11 teams, including the 7-20 Penn State Nittany Lions. Indiana ran the table when the Big 10 inexplicably had ten teams. "Big" deal.
Okay, I'm done with the nonsense. Illinois will win their first-round NCAA game by 40. As much as the NCAA likes to say they reward No. 1 seeds, they will punish Illinois with the toughest No. 8/No. 9 opponent, something the NCAA likes to call an "intriguing" matchup. Illinois will demolish that team by 20, and waltz into the Sweet 16.
As far as the rest of the Big 10, Michigan State and Wisconsin are certain to join the Illini in the Big Dance. MSU will advance to the Sweet 16 with a fairly easy first-round win and a tight second-round victory. Wisconsin will win a tight first-rounder and then bow out in the second-round because they just don't score enough points. Illinois will advance, but MSU will likely fall to a team from one of the stronger conferences, namely the ACC, Big 12, or Pac-10.
Minnesota and Indiana will battle to represent the Big 10 as the fourth team. Give Minnesota a huge edge; they face three of the four bottom teams in their remaining games. The Gophers will probably be a 10-, 11-, or 12-seed, so expect them to fall in the first round to a 5-, 6-, or 7-seed. The Hoosiers, after Tuesday's loss at Wisconsin, probably would have to beat MSU, then win at least two games in the Big 10 Conference tournament to secure an at-large bid. An unlikely scenario. Were he still coaching Indiana, it would be enough to make Bobby Knight toss a chair across the court, head butt a player, assault a Puerto Rican policeman, and utter a stream of 150 straight profanities.
Bottom line: four Big 10 squads in the tournament. Two in the Sweet 16.
Nikki from Clayton, NC asks, "How do you think John Smoltz will perform as a starter again with the Atlanta Braves?"
Good question, Nikki. I'm no expert, but I'm willing to bet a case of Big League Chew and a 1974 Rick Monday 3-D baseball card from a box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran that Smoltz will win 15 games. If the Braves can find a reliable setup man for new ace closer Dan Kolb, formerly of the Brewers, then Smoltz could flirt with 20 wins. All signs indicate that the Braves think Smoltz will be their most consistent starter. It looks like Smoltz will be the Braves' opening day starter on April 1st against Cleveland. Most big league analysts have the Braves contending with the Phillies for the NL East title, so apparently good things are expected of Smoltz.
On the other hand, Smoltz is 37, entering his 17th major league season, and throws with an arm that has been under the knife for four elbow surgeries. So, if Atlanta is not careful with Smoltz's early innings, he could suffer later in the season, and the results could be more disastrous than a John Rocker New York subway ride. The last things Braves' fans want to see is pitching coach Leo Mazone rocking back and forth while manager Bobby Cox limps to the mound to pull Smoltz. It's the worst-case scenario, but there's a handbook for that, so no worries for Atlanta. Smoltz has served the last three seasons as the Braves' closer, so his innings were limited during that time. That in itself gives Smoltz the stamina to have a productive season.
Justin from Memphis asks, "Should John Chaney be fired as head coach of Temple for his actions against St. Joseph's on February 22nd?"
Derek, although Chaney's actions were reprehensible, he should not be fired, if for no other reason than he's the only head coach in college brave enough to wear a sweater vest while coaching. College basketball would not be the same without Chaney's sense of style and decorum. But seriously, let's get one thing straight: Chaney was not the first coach to send in a "goon" to get a few hacks in on a team he felt was roughing up his guys without being called for fouls; he's the first one dumb enough to admit he did it.
To his credit, Chaney quickly admitted his mistake and suspended himself for one game. One game! Keep in mind that North Carolina's Raymond Felton was suspended for one game for playing in an unauthorized summer league game last year. So Chaney could have at least suspended himself for an amount of games that would fit the crime. But he didn't, and the Temple administration was left to suspend Chaney for the rest of the regular season, which amounted to three games. Chaney has further chosen not to coach in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
It all boils down to this: Chaney made a horrible mistake, his second such grievous error of his career (back in 1994, Chaney stormed a post-game press conference and threatened to "kill" and "kick" the "ass" of then-UMass coach John Calipari. Chaney's sitting on two big strikes; if he suffers a third, he should certainly be fired and disgraced. But should Chaney be fired now? No. Let's not ruin Chaney's history and legacy as a talented coach and academic advocate for one slimy decision made in the heat of an already heated game, as well as rivalry. At the very least, Chaney should be given the option of resigning. At the very worst, he should be forced to engage in a contest of full-contact HORSE with Bill Laimbeer, Wes Unseld, and Ron Artest.
Take a good look at Chaney — time and the pressures of coaching have taken their toll. He's weathered. It may be time to get out of the sport, anyway. He's beginning to look like a hangdog, basketball version of the Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards; I think the skin on Chaney's face may slide off at any minute.
And really, this whole controversy didn't start to gather negative momentum until it was discovered that St. Joseph's John Bryant, the player injured one of the hard fouls, had a broken arm. Just think, if Bryant had not have been injured, this probably would not be an issue. That is, until Temple and St. Joe's met in the A-10 Tournament and something worse, like a full-scale brawl, went down. Or even worse, Chaney and St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli exchanging punches. That would have been a classic.
In short, despite his actions on that fateful day, Chaney still has some integrity. Allow him to use that to make his own decision about his future. I think he will realize that making next year his last will be his chance to redeem his stature. Let the John Chaney farewell tour begin next year, not now.
Get Your Questions Answered!
Do you have a question or a comment? Want to verbally assulat me? Incarcerated? Need a pen pal? Then send me your questions/comments/innermost desires with your name and hometown to [email protected]. You may get the answer you're looking for in the next column on Friday, March 18th.
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