Three Point Play: February 16, 2010

1. North Carolina should still make the NIT, and Ed Davis’ injury helps their case

The defending national champion Tar Heels were left for dead after losing seven of eight games and four straight. Following the 64-54 loss to Duke, the team announced that Ed Davis would be out for the season with a broken wrist. His loss seemed to spell doom for the struggling Heels. Instead, UNC played perhaps its best game in weeks in a win over North Carolina State on Saturday.

The absence of Davis actually may have helped the Tar Heels’ hopes. Against the Wolfpack, John Henson was able to play his natural position of power forward, and the team’s offense played much more fluently. Davis commanded the ball too much while producing an insufficient amount of effort that actually hindered the team’s production.

With six games left, UNC needs to win two more in order to be eligible for the NIT. The most winnable games in that span are at Boston College on Feb. 20, and Miami at home on Mar. 2. The other games include trips to Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke and a home game with Florida State. Maybe with the improved outlook on offense, the Heels might have a chance.

2. Game of the week: Purdue at Ohio State, Wednesday 6:30 ET

With the recent slide Michigan State is on in conference play, this is a pivotal game involving two of the Big Ten’s best teams. The Boilermakers have not lost in a month, and are led by the dynamic trio of E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, and JaJuan Johnson. The Buckeyes enter the game on a six-game winning streak; they also defeated Purdue in West Lafayette earlier this season 70-66 in one of the best games this season.

Evan Turner returned from a serious back injury to play in the first Purdue game, and delivered a memorable performance. The national player of the year candidate scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half to help erase a 12-point halftime deficit. It was a complete turnaround from the first half, when Robbie Hummel scored 29 of his game-high 35 points. He also made eight three-pointers in the game, tying a school record.

The Buckeyes sit at 10-3 in Big 10 play, while Purdue is only a half game behind them at 9-3. A win in this game would put that team in prime position to win the regular season conference championship. Both teams are red-hot coming into the game, and if it turns out anything like last month’s tilt, it should be an exciting match-up.

3. Whatever happened to William and Mary?

Remember earlier this season, when the Tribe, picked to finish at the bottom of the Colonial Athletic Association, were knocking off ACC teams like they were Duke? That is a distant memory now, as they sit in fourth place in the CAA at 10-5 in the conference.

The Tribe currently hold victories over Richmond, Wake Forest, Radford, and Maryland to their name, and as of the beginning of January they looked to be a bona fide NCAA tournament team. Instead, they lost four of five games starting Jan. 20 and took themselves out of consideration for an at-large bid.

They have righted the ship to some extent by winning their last three games but the damage has already been made. The best they can hope for at this point is to win the CAA Tournament and finish the season strong, earning at best a 12 seed in March.

Three-point play: February 10, 2010

1. The Big Ten could put five teams in the Sweet Sixteen

A little more than a week ago, the Big Ten Conference appeared to be a race for second place. Michigan State was unbeaten in conference play and the class of the league. Fast-forward to today, and the Spartans are in the midst of a three-game losing streak and a tie for first place in the conference.

Illinois (17-8, 9-3) is surging, after beating the Spartans over the weekend then Wisconsin on the road Tuesday night. Purdue and Ohio State (8-3 in the Big 10) are both a half game behind the Illini and Spartans for the league’s best record. Wisconsin, at 8-4, is in fifth place but only a game behind the leaders.

Every one of those five teams has played a quality out of conference schedule and proven they can win on the nation’s biggest stage. Of those five teams, all are likely to be top five seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

2. The Big East could put four teams in the Elite 8

While not as deep as it was last year, the Big East has four of the nation’s best teams this season, and they are all playing like it right now. Georgetown has recovered from earlier struggles and sit in fourth place. This past Saturday, they were most impressive in beating conference leader Villanova at home.

Despite the loss by the Wildcats, they still look very strong and are easily the deepest team Jay Wright has had with the program. Scottie Reynolds has developed into a real leader for this team, rather than just the most talented player.

Syracuse is also extremely dangerous. They are tied atop the standings with Villanova at 10-1. The biggest concern for the Orange involving the tournament is inexperience at point guard. Brandon Triche has surprised everyone with his steady play as a freshman (9.5 ppg, 3.1 apg,), but history tells us it’s near impossible to win a championship with a rookie at that position.

The Orange also shoot 65% from the foul line as a team…not the most comforting of statistics for Syracuse fans. Still, it’s hard to argue that at 23-1, the Orange are not one of the best three or four teams in America.

West Virginia will also make a strong push in March. The Mountaineers are one of the more lengthy teams in the country, although they lack physicality inside. De’Sean Butler, Kevin Jones, and Devin Ebanks are all stars on the wing, and fit in perfectly with Coach Bob Huggins’ trapping defensive schemes. West Virginia traditionally plays very well during the postseason, and this is the most talented team the program has had in years.

3. Cinderella Alert: Siena, Butler, Northern Iowa

The Siena Saints, who knocked off Ohio State in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, are riding high again this season. The Saints are 21-4 and 14-0 on the season. In the non-conference schedule, they faced both Georgia Tech and Temple on the road. Those types of games will prepare them well for the tournament.

When they make the big dance, you’ll be sure to hear about the Saints’ reserve player, Just-in’love Smith. He’s only played in four games, but that’s too cool of a name to keep off the air.

They’ll be known as a Cinderella, but if Northern Iowa makes it deep into March, it would not be that much of a surprise. The Panthers are 12-1 and in first place in the Missouri Valley Conference, which has produced several bracket busters this decade.

The Panthers are ranked no. 18 in the AP poll, so they have been recognized for their strong play thus far. They beat Boston College earlier this season on a neutral court, and they should easily earn an at-large bid should they falter in the conference tournament.

Butler also falls under a similar category as Northern Iowa. The Bulldogs were ranked in the top 20 of every preseason poll you could get your hands on. Now ranked 15^th in the country, Brad Stevens’ team has recovered from a few disappointing early-season losses to be 21-4 and 14-0 in the Horizon League. Their best win so far this season came against Ohio State in December, but the Buckeyes were without Evan Turner.

All three of these programs hail from little-known conferences, but they have been on cruise control over the past month and a half and could make serious noise during March Madness.

College Football 2010 Top 10 – earliest look

There is no time like the second week of January to begin looking ahead to the next college football season. The memory of Alabama's victory over Texas in an unusually thrilling national championship game is still fresh in everyone's minds, but that is no reason to start taking a look at who could lift the trophy a year from now.

1. Alabama

Virtually the entire offense returns for the Crimson Tide, including Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram.

Greg McElroy had his ups and downs in his first season as the starting quarterback, but he should be more consistent as a senior.

Trent Richardson will spell Ingram at tailback, and it’s not too crazy to say he may be more talented than Ingram. In fact, Ingram himself has said before that Richardson has more natural ability.

Julio Jones figures to have his best season ever with such a loaded backfield, which will force opposing defenses to play a lot of man coverage while loading the box to stop the run. He is easily one of the early favorites for the 2010 Fred Biletnikoff award.

On defense, many pieces will need to be replaced, including Terrance Cody, Javier Arenas, and Rolando McClain. D’onta Hightower figures to replace McClain at linebacker; McClain is probably the biggest loss from this year’s national championship team.

A tough departure for Alabama will be kicker Leigh Tiffin, the program’s all-time leading scorer.

As long as there is experience on offense and Nick Saban on the sidelines, any team with that situation is in great shape.

2. Ohio State

Terrelle Pryor finally validated himself with a two touchdown, 266-yard performance in the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl victory over Oregon. After all of the criticism that, fair or not, came his way in his first two seasons in Columbus, Pryor put out most of that fire with the stellar game in Pasadena.

Brandon Saine and Daniel Herron, who rushed for 739 and 600 yards, respectively in 2009 both return next season, giving Ohio State one of the most feared backfields in the country. Inexperience plagued that unit this season, but next year it will turn into the team’s strongest link.

The Buckeyes return six starters on defense, including Cameron Heyward at defensive end. He will be the star of that side of the ball in 2010.

3. Oregon

Ducks’ coach Chip Kelly is quickly becoming one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game. His Oregon team broke through this season with the first Pac-10 championship in eight years by a team not named USC. He returns rising sophomore phenom LaMichael James at running back, and thick-skinned Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback.

Oregon suffered a disappointing loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, but leave it to Kelly to let that defeat serve as the driving force behind his team’s off-season preparation for 2010.

4. Boise State

Poor Kyle Wilson. The Broncos’ star cornerback in 2009 will be the only starter from this past year’s team not to do it again in 2010. Every other starter is back, including rising junior quarterback Kellen Moore, who finished second in the nation in passing efficiency behind only Tim Tebow.

Boise State faces Oregon State and Virginia Tech in the first month of the season, giving it all the opportunity it needs to prove to the country that it belongs in the national championship game once and for all should they go unbeaten.

5. Nebraska

This may surprise some folks, but make no mistake about it: Nebraska is back. Starting quarterback Zac Lee returns, continuing the trend set by the first four teams in this list. After nearly being benched during a midseason cold streak, Lee bounced back to finish the year strong in 2009.

A 33-0 drubbing of Pac-10 runner-up Arizona in the Holiday Bowl was proof enough that Nebraska was a force to be reckoned with. The Huskers were literally seconds away from beating two top-10 teams in 2009. They lost to Virginia Tech on the road in the final minute 16-15, then allowed a last-second field goal by Texas to lose 13-12 in the Big 12 Championship Game.

They lose all-world defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is likely to be the first player taken in April’s NFL Draft. Jared Crick will fill his shoes. Crick is a rising junior who has high expectations within the Husker community. While nobody can fill the gargantuan shoes of Suh, Crick could eventually help the memory of Suh fade if he lives up to his potential.

6. Virginia Tech

The Hokies return every skill player on offense, and they also will receive the services of running back Darren Evans, who in 2008 set the school record for rushing yards in a season by a freshman. He suffered a torn ACL in fall practice, though, setting up Ryan Williams to shatter record after record, including the mark set by Evans.

Tyrod Taylor has come a long way from the freshman scrambler whose confidence throwing the ball was comparable to the high school science fair champion asking the prom queen for a date. In 2009 he made great strides with his patience in the pocket, as well as his accuracy, and he should have his best year yet in 2010.

The defense replaces seven players with starting experience, but leave it to Bud Foster, one of the most well respected coordinators in America, to have his bunch ready to go come September.

7. LSU

The Tigers better live up to this projection, or there will be Bedlam in Baton Rouge. Ironically, Bedlam is the nickname given to the rivalry game at head coach Les Miles’ former school, Oklahoma State. Since arriving at LSU, Miles has won a national championship, but lost nine games in the following two seasons.

Jordan Jefferson must improve at quarterback; he was much too error-prone and never seemed to have command of the team like a starting quarterback should. That is a problem that can be solved with off-season development, but how committed Jefferson is to improving is anyone’s guess.

Russell Sheppard was a highly touted athlete in the Percy Harvin mold, but never saw significant action in 2009. The coaching staff said he was having trouble adjusting to the speed of the game mentally, and he was not ready to handle the schemes the Tigers implored. Scary note for the rest of the SEC: the Virginia Tech staff said the exact same thing about Ryan Williams during his redshirt year in 2008. You see how that turned out.

8. TCU

Gary Patterson has developed a mini-dynasty in Fort Worth, mostly because of great defense. Next year, however, it will be his experienced offense that will be his strongest unit. Andy Dalton will be a senior at quarterback, and for most of 2009, he was everything the Horned Frogs needed him to be: a leader and an efficient passer. Next season, his role will take a big leap, as he will be called upon to make more plays.

The defense will be solid, despite losing end Jerry Hughes, arguably the best player to come through the program since LaDanian Tomlinson. Patterson always has a respectable unit on the field, and 2010 will be no different. It could be scary to think how good they could be given the experience returning on offense.

9. North Carolina

Sleeper Alert: North Carolina may have the best defense on paper coming into next season. Quann Sturdivant, Robert Quinn, Marvin Austin, Kendrick Burney and Deunta Williams are all back for another season to play for what was already the best defense in the ACC in 2009.

They allowed an average of 15.5 points per game last season, and with most of the players returning, they should shut down most of the teams in a conference that does not lack for meek offensive attacks.

T.J. Yates will be in his fourth season as the starting quarterback after a rough 2009. He showed promise during his sophomore season before being lost to injury, then this past season he threw more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (14).

With Greg Little back at receiver and Ryan Houston back at running back, he will have plenty of help and set up for a surprisingly strong farewell campaign in Chapel Hill.

10. Texas

Garrett Gilbert’s performance in the second half of the BCS National Championship Game told everyone all they needed to know about the fate of the Longhorns’ program. He shredded the nation’s best defense in Alabama for back-to-back touchdowns, nearly leading one of the most memorable comebacks in college football history.

Although Texas would have traded nothing to have had Colt McCoy healthy for the game and taken home the national title, the experience Gilbert gained from that game was invaluable.

The running game should be a strong point next season in offensive coordinator Greg Davis’ zone-read attack, and with Gilbert they will have the best pure passer the Longhorns may have ever seen. Colt McCoy was an accurate short to mid-level passer, but Gilbert’s arm is twice as strong and is a much more polished quarterback at the same stages in their careers.

Tournament of the Decade

Pardon me as I channel my inner Martin Luther King/Brent Musberger:

"I have a dream, that one day you will be looking live at a sold-out Orange Bowl, as the 2001 Miami Hurricanes prepare to face the 2006 Boise State Broncos in the first round of the Team of the Decade Tournament!"

That's right, we're going way outside of the box to determine who is the best team of the decade. Here's the best part: I assume the role of selection committee, but you determine the results. What you are about to see is the 16-team field of the best squads in the past 10 years.

In the following days, match-ups will be broken down one-by-one, and you the readers will vote for who you think would win that game. In a few weeks, we'll know who YOU guys think is the best team this decade.

And the bracket looks like this:

(1) – 2001 Miami vs. (16) – 2006 Boise State

(8) – 2005 USC vs. (9) – 2006 Florida

(4) – 2008 Florida vs. (13) – 2000 Oklahoma

(5) – 2002 Ohio State vs. (12) – 2002 Georgia

(6) – 2002 Miami vs. (11) – 2003 USC

(3) – 2005 Texas vs. (14) – 2009 Alabama

(7)- 2004 Auburn vs. (10) – 2003 LSU

(2) – 2004 USC vs. (15) – 2004 Utah

Outside looking in (by year)

2000

Miami

Virginia Tech

2001

Oregon

2002

USC

Iowa

2003

Miami (Ohio)

2004

Louisville

2005

West Virginia

Penn State

2006

Ohio State

2007

LSU

2008

USC

Utah

Texas

2009

Texas

TCU

Boise State

On the Docket - Rose Bowl: Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2)

Synopsis:

Ohio State was left for dead midway through the season when the offense couldn’t even score as much as the defense, and they were upset at the hands of hapless Purdue. Oregon is arguably the best two-loss team in football, and one of the best stories of the season after the infamous fiasco that ensued after the season-opening loss to Boise State on the road. Oregon is one of the most fun teams to watch, and head coach Chip Kelly is on the rise as a big name in the industry.

Player to watch: There are two dual-threat quarterbacks in this game in Jeremiah Masoli for Oregon and Terrelle Pryor for Ohio State. However, the name from this game that fans will hear most over the next three seasons is LaMichael James. James replaced Legarrette Blount as the starting running back after the season opener, and all he did was rush for 1,476 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2009. The diminutive back is an energetic piece to the Oregon offensive attack.

Who has the edge?

For Ohio State, a program which has been trying to discover the nuances of a successful spread offense, what better way to learn some of these than to see the best in the business first-hand? Masoli is a magician in the backfiled when it comes to executing play fakes and running the option. Pryor should pay close attention to his counterpart when he’s on the sideline.

Prediction:

Oregon 38

Ohio State 31