There’s no need to rehash the basic facts of the past two days of Big Ten games. If you need to know who won, shooting percentages, how many possessions, tempo-free stats, and other numerical data, a plethora of news outlets and various blogs fit that bill.
Rememeber to Give Thanks
As Iowa progresses through the Big Ten Tournament, leaving Minnesota and the Spartans in their wake, Steve Alford should remember to send a thank you card to Jeff Horner. The senior from Mason City, Iowa has single-handedly kept Alford in the mix for the IU job or a massive contract extension, and for that, Alford should be grateful. For Alford, Brunner and Horner have been a security blanket for four years but one that will be placed in moth balls next season.
Sanctions and Ohio State
So, the Ohio State men’s basketball program will not be penalized with a post-season ban by the NCAA for violations committed during the tenure of former coach Jim O’Brien. While not unexpected, this decision almost clears up the uncertainty surrounding the future of the nation’s top 2006 recruiting class. As is well known, Ohio State had agreed to let the high school players out of their commitment letters if Ohio State was given a post-season ban. What remains unclear, however, is, now that the Buskeyes do not face a post-season ban, (1) will Thad Matta stop hedging his bets as he did failed to do Xavier and demand the removal of his name from consideration for the IU gig and (2) if Matta oddly enough gets an offer from IU and bolts, what happens to that terrific recruiting class? It’s not likely Ohio State will release them from their commitments.
As to Matta’s purported interest in the IU job, unless he’s pined for the job since Quinn Buckner and Scott May were chasing coeds around Bloomington, it doesn’t compute. Not with the recruiting class; not with the enormous amount of money he makes; not with the wide latitude he has to run the program; and especially not with the hero worship Columbus would bestow upon him if he dropped to a knee and declared Columbus was his last stop. If he’s dropping to a knee, Matta might as well put on a black baseball cap with a red Block O. That wouldn’t hurt.
Where’s Spencer
Here’s a question. On Friday Vincent Grier put in quite a performance but he just didn’t get the help from his teammates the Gophers needed to pull off an upset of Iowa. So, where was Spencer Tollackson? He contributed energy and passion in the victory against Michigan and the Gophers could’ve used some of that toughness against Iowa. There must be an underlying rationale for Monson to keep him on the bench. Or maybe Monson just forgot about him.
Steering a Ship into the Rocks
For the pride of Michigan’s basketball program, Tommy Amaker has to go. Whatever happens this afternoon with the NCCA Tourney selection, Michigan fans can no longer afford to be passengers on this imminent ship wreck. If Michigan was going to turn the corner, it was this season, with a talented senior class led by Daniel Horton. It hasn’t happened. Next season, the picture is bleak in Ann Arbor: with Horton gone; with Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, among others, continuing to bury the Wolverines in recruiting battles; and with Michigan out-coached by every other team in the league, the University of Michigan has turned into a Big Ten afterthought. Once Matt Painter gets the pipeline back up and running in West Lafayette (and he will), Michigan will be battling Northwestern for the bottom of the conference. That’s reality. If Gene Keady ever had the players Amaker had this season, he’d contend for a National Title.
Note to Commissioner Delaney
Finally, memo to Jim Delaney, Commissioner of the Big Ten. If you have any clout, throw it around and demand CBS send two announcers to the B10 Tourney who actually know something about (1) basketball (Jim Nance) and (2) Big Ten basketball in particular (Billy Packer). Packer is an ACC relic with little interest in the Big Ten and Nance is a corporate shill, more interested in his new Big Bertha driver than basketball. Commissioner Delaney, protect the integrity of the league and get rid of these two imposters. Through these two characters, CBS gives a platform for these two tv personalities to malign the reputation and character of the Big Ten Conference to a national audience. As Commissioner, you can do better, much better.
