Syracuse's Bubble Burst

By Trashtalk Superstar

Syracuse, which for the third straight year is squarely on the NCAA Tournament "bubble," got embarrassed by Villanova 82-63 in the Big East Tournament yesterday. It has practically become an annual early March right of passage for the national sports media to devote seemingly unlimited airtime and print space to obsessing over the merits of "the 'Cuse's" Tournament prospects. That's, no doubt, because so many of the people who work in the national sports media -- particularly on the East Coast (and especially at ESPN) -- are Syracuse alumni who bleed Syracuse Orange.

But, whether they realize it or not, the folks in the national media who eat, sleep and breathe Syracuse basketball are little more than Syracuse homers/cheerleaders. And when they whined ad nauseam because "the 'Cuse" was left out of the Tournament field last year (despite the fact that Syracuse's case for being invited to the Tournament was thinner than the Olsen twins), they served as nothing more than Syracuse apologists.

Expect more of the same this year when the Tournament Selection Committee leaves "the 'Cuse" out of the Tournament ... again.

And expect Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim to make the rounds on all the national sports shows in order to whine about being left out of the Tournament ... again.

By the way, to further exemplify my point about the national media's (especially ESPN's) Syracuse-centric disposition, consider the fact that the above linked article about Syracuse's plummeting Tournament prospects was the top story on ESPN.com early this morning.

Aloha means hello-Mark Buckets is back

By Mark Buckets

The college basketball season began in earnest tonight as a slew of classics and foundation-based games tipped off. We'll get to the rest in a moment. As a devout follower and worshiper of Duke University basketball, I was pleased to receive communion tonight in the form of live competition for the Devils(no pun intended). And no, North Carolina Central's foray into the deep end of college basketball's highest division does not qualify. Tonight, it was time for the New Mexico State Nomads - I mean Aggies - to have a stab at the home standing Blue Devils. Yes, I'll admit, Duke's 52-game home non-conference winning steak that dates back a decade doesn't include a whole lot of blue-blooded programs. Regardless, tonight - with Duke hosting an undermanned Aggie team (without blue chip recruit Herb Pope, who would have been extremely useful for NMSU tonight) - the games began.

Over on ESPN 360 (which is unavailable to people using Comcast in the Chicagoland area without a fee) Syracuse was trying to tame the Siena Saints. Winning the game wasn't a problem for the home standing Orange. Rather, performing with panache and flash was of paramount importance tonight...it was a night to round up the faithful at the Carrier Dome, with an exciting new brand of Boeheim Basketball. Johnny Flynn, whose 28-point opening performance trumped even that of the debut of one Carmelo Anthony, led the way. Although the cancer that is Eric Devendorf remains fully malignant at this time, Coach Boeheim and staff seem to be soothing the Devendorf ailment. A good night, indeed, for all of those involved at the country's number one broadcast journalism school (No need to mention alumnus Dick Stockton's putrid performances on FOX NFL Sundays this year).

And how about Marquette? Talk about a team that is stumbling out of the blocks. Sure, their record remains unblemished at this early point in the season, but things haven't been all roses in Milwaukee. When you're being outrebounded by the likes of Utah Valley State and IUPUI, things can't be running smoothly. Maybe Tom Crean needs to strap his players up with football pads and put a lid on the net a la mentor Tom Izzo of Michigan State. But although toughness may be instilled through the personality of a coach, but height certainly isn't.

Speaking of teams that are vertically challenged, exhibit B, the Duke Blue Devils. Talk in the preseason centered around what kind of production (or lack thereof) that post men Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek would contribute this year. After two games, the results are mixed. Both are extremely energetic players who leave it all on the court, and still, both are powder puffs around the goal.

Let's set the scene:
Zoubek gets a weakside rebound, has a chance to take it up strong against another fairy tale of a center, Martin Iti (he really needs to lay off the Edy's Ice Cream, but I digress). Instead of squeezing the air out of the ball and taking it up strong, Zoubek proceeds to - to put it bluntly - get his shit packed. This is supposed to be a player that was coming into the year with a renewed toughness and grit, not the blocking dummy he was last year. To be fair to the kid, he is only a true sophomore.

More disconcerting for Duke fans, however, is the tentativeness that Lance Thomas has shown around the basket. Let me make this abundantly clear: Both Thomas and Zoubek are schooled in the way of K on defense, and play it to a "T" (no, not like Psyco T, but you get my point). But what worries me most about Thomas and Zoubek is that this isn't a fundamental or strategic error. It's that both players lack that killer instinct, and it may ultimately lead to Duke's demise down the road.

That's all for now, but be sure to check back periodically for more updates. As the season swings into full gear next week, posts will be coming fast and furious.