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Happy Birthday Billy G!

(thanks to Mike Rutherford at Card Chronicle for the pic)

Well, that game Wednesday night was ugly. I retract my last post.

The defense was ridiculous, the turnovers were awful. Poor Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion are the two early leaders on this team, and they're freshmen.

Give it up to Ramel Bradley. At times, he looked like "Bad Ramel." But for most of the night, he was "Good Ramel." And that problem has been around before Billy G graced us with his presence. There are too many "Good" and "Bad" fill-in-your-favorite-player's-name-here. The inconsistency is the most frustrating thing a UK fan can go through. Another example: Tuesday night--"Good Joe", Wednesday night--"Bad Joe." Crawford is the epitomy of Wildcat inconsistency. Not the happiest of birthdays for Coach G, who turned 48 Wednesday.

But credit the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. This was not a fluke. GW was ready--UK was not. Billy G claimed responsibility for the loss. I'm glad he did. Who knows if it's his fault, really, or not. But the bottom line is, when a team looks ridiculous for the first four minutes of the game, and trail 14-0 in a blink, I'll put that on the coach.

But the Bulldogs went Princeton on the Cats, and it worked. The backdoors, the crisp passing, the solid three-point shooting, the I-don't-give-a-damn attitude as the little six-footers penetrated their way to the hoop.

Is it true, with this year's squad, that as Mark Coury goes, so do the Cats?

Somewhere in Minneapolis, there's a guy named Tubby, silently laughing.

But, that all being said, I do have faith that Gillispie will turn this around. But, they may just have to play the freshmen all year. Maybe even Mike Williams too. I saw heart from those guys.

Early thoughts on UK hoops

Sorry I haven't been posting, but it's going to get better.

The Billy Gillispie era has begun, and I'm really enjoying what I see so far.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not sure about the talent on the acutal team. Crawford scares me sometimes. He's very inconsistent. Having Bradley at the point guard position just hasn't worked out at this point.

It's early, but I do like what Patrick Patterson has to offer, and it looks like he wants to be a leader on this team (which is one thing I've always enjoyed about Ramel Bradley as well).

That all being said, I enjoy the way Billy Gillispie does things. He sits kids who don't do the things right on the court, he loves conditioning, he loves defense. He knows a good possession when he sees one.

So far so good in my book...

But it's very early.

Some Tuesday Night Links

Just thought I'd start off the new blog campaign with some interesting internet links... at least they're interesting to me.

• Pitino has been very busy recruiting, and he's real close to the # 1 class in 2009. [ESPN Insider]
• An AP article that is interesting regarding how life isn't over for UK football just because BCS chances probably are. [AP]
• Pat Forde's weekly Forde-Yard "Dash" is a weekly must-read. And while UK football isn't talked about, he's got a great quote from UK play-by-play man Tom Leach. [ESPN]
• Out of all the local kids that I can't wait to see in the NFL. The one I truly CANNOT wait to see is James Hardy. I think he's going to be sickening good in the pros, and finally, I find a legitimate columnist that agrees with me, ESPN.com's Bruce Feldman. [ESPN Insider]
• Reds fans, like me, always knew the Big Red Machine was great... but guess what. The Machine thinks the Rockies are awesome. [ESPN Insider]
• Pete Fiutak at CollegeFootballNews.com is always a fun read. Very reader-friendly articles. And this is another one... breaking down the current BCS rankings. [College Football News]
• Colts fans, before you start talking to the fellow Colts and NFL fans about the Patriots game, read this. [Scouts]

That's all for now. Enjoy the show tomorrow.

Back at it...

Forgive me for not posting on the blog. I know it's not real tough to keep up with it, and I didn't anyway, so really my excuses are ridiculously bad.

Now, onto the excuses: I'm trying to get my personal life in order. Trying to mix pleasure with hard work on the radio show, and in the gym. I just started a workout regimen and hired a personal trainer. It was definitely time to do this, and I'll keep you updated on the progress.

But the bottom line is that the free time has definitely been few and far between, but as one of my favorite radio hosts (that I never get to hear anymore) has always said, you either get busy living or get busy dying. I chose the former.

But for now, back to some blog posts. They'll be coming very soon.

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 21

Moving to the East Rutherford Region, our first game features a tournament favorite against a team that barely snuck by in its first round game. The #1 1996 Kentucky Wildcats pounded the #8 ’02 Indiana Hoosiers 83%-17% in its 1st round game. The Cats broke out to an early lead and never looked back. Behind the hot shooting of Tony Delk, the Cats won by the second largest margin in the 1st round. The starters were pulled very early in the 2nd half by Coach Pitino as he looked forward to the 2nd round. The #4 1953 Indiana Hoosiers did not have that kind of luxury in its 1st round game. The Hoosiers barely snuck by the #5 1958 Kentucky Wildcats in what turned out to be a thriller. The final score was 51%-49% in favor of the Hoosiers. Don Schlundt hit a big basket with only :05 on the clock to put the Hoosiers into the lead. The Cats had a chance to tie the game but Vernon Hatton missed a 15 footer as time ran out.

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 20

The bottom game in the St. Louis region provides the tournament with another All-Kentucky match-up. The #6 1984 Kentucky Wildcats upset the #3 1983 Louisville Cardinals easily by a score of 74%-26% in their first round game. The game was never really close due to Kentucky’s interior presence provided by Kenny Walker and Sam Bowie. This dynamic duo scored 16 and 17 respectively and blocked a combined total of 12 shots. They prevented the Cards from establishing any kind of post play. The #2 1954 Kentucky team won its opening game 69%-31% over the #7 2005 Louisville Cardinals. Frank Ramsey and Cliff Hagan led the Cats offensive output, scoring a combined 30 points while providing a defensive spark against the high powered Cardinal offense. The two held Taquan Dean and Francisco Garcia to a combined 24% fg shooting from the field on their way to victory.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
# 2 '54 Kentucky: 70%
# 6 '84 Kentucky: 30%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 19

The first game in the St Louis Region of the 2nd Round features two teams from the 70s. One blew out their first round opponent while the other squeaked by in the closing minutes. The #1 1978 Kentucky Wildcats destroyed the #8 1972 Louisville team by a whopping 94%-6%. The game got out of hand quickly when Goose Givens and Kyle Macy poured in 15 points each in the first ten minutes of the game. The Cats defense was stifling and held the Cards in check all game. They advanced to the 2nd round where they will meet the #5 1975 Louisville Cardinals, who upset the ’98 Kentucky Wildcats in the 1st round. The Cards needed the entire 40 minutes to put away the “Comeback Cats” who clawed and scratched their way back into the game several times. The Cards finally put the last nail in the Cats coffin when Jeff Sheppard fouled out of the game with just 1:23 left. Allen Murphy drained two free throws to ice the game for the Cards who were led by Junior Bridgeman and Wesley Cox with each scoring 17 points and pulling down 7 rebounds. The Cards won 52%-48%.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
# 1 '78 Kentucky: 92%
# 5 '75 Louisville: 8%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 18

Game 18 of the Big Three Championship features two teams with many of the same players. The #6 1993 Kentucky Wildcats face off against the #7 1992 Kentucky Wildcats after a stunning upset. The ’93 Cats won their opening round game 70%-30% over #3 ’86 Louisville. Jamal Mashburn dominated the Cards scoring a game high 25 points. Travis Ford knocked down a couple of late 3-pointers to widen the margin of victory. The ’92 Cats pulled away late from a tough ’87 Indiana team. The Hoosiers led most of the game but faltered midway through the second half when both Keith Smart and Steve Alford picked up their fourth fouls and had to sit on the bench for a while. During that stretch, John Pelphrey and Richie Farmer drained numerous 3-point shots to put the Cats into the lead. Once Smart and Alford returned, they were shut down and the Cats pulled away, winning 63%-37%.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
# 6 '93 Kentucky: 63%
# 7 '92 Kentucky: 37%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 17

Game 17 of the Big Three Championship is the first game of the second round. It matches two National Champions against each other after each won easily in their first round games. The #1 1976 Indiana Hoosiers beat the #8 1959 Louisville Cardinals by a large margin in the opening game of the tournament 85%-15%. Scott May and Kent Benson led the Hoosiers in scoring and provided an early spark that sent the team out to a big lead. Early in the second half, Coach Bob Knight took out his stars to save them for the next game. The #4 1951 Kentucky Wildcats won their first round game by a comfortable 60%-40% margin. The game saw Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville lead the Cats over the #5 1940 Indiana Hoosiers. Coach Rupp left his starters in for most of the game due to a second half run put forth by the Hoosiers, but the Cats fought back and won easily.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - REGIONAL SEMIFINAL
# 1 '76 Indiana: 51%
# 4 '51 Kentucky: 49%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 16

The final game of the first round of the Big Three Championship features a one-loss team against a team that made an incredible run. The #2 1975 Indiana Hoosiers face-off against the #7 2003 Kentucky Wildcats. The '75 Hoosiers were 31-1 and Big Ten Champions. Under Coach Bob Knight, the Hoosiers did not lose a game until the NCAA Regional Final where they were defeated by Kentucky. The '03 Cats were SEC regular season and tournament Champions during a 26-game winning streak. The Cats were the second Kentucky team to go 16-0 in regular season play along with the '96 Cats. They were led by Keith Bogans, Gerald Fitch, and Marquis Estill. Many fans believe these two teams would have been National Champions if their star players hadn't got hurt. IU lost Scott May and UK lost Keith Bogans during their runs in the NCAA Tournament.

VOTING OVER!
INDIANAPOLIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 2 '75 Indiana: 51%
# 7 '03 Kentucky: 49%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 15

Game 15 of the Big Three Championship pits the #3 1948 Kentucky Wildcats against the #6 1981 Indiana Hoosiers. The '48 Cats were know as the Fabulous Five and won the school's first National Championship. The Cats were also named World Champions after winning the gold medal at the London Olympics that year. They were led by Alex Groza, Ralph Beard, and Wallace "Wah-Wah" Jones. The '81 Hoosiers were also National Champions as well as Big Ten Champions. The National Championship victory was the school's second in six years. The Championship game saw the Hoosiers avenge an early season loss to North Carolina. They were led by Isiah Thomas, Randy Wittman, Ray Tolbert, Ted Kitchel, and Landon Turner.

VOTING OVER!
INDIANAPOLIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 3 '48 Kentucky: 66%
# 6 '81 Indiana: 34%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 14

Game 14 of the Big Three Championship matches two teams from the same school. The game features the #4 1949 Kentucky Wildcats battling it out with the #5 1975 Kentucky Wildcats. The 49 Cats were 32-2 and 13-0 in the SEC on their way to SEC and National Championships. They were caoched by Adolph Rupp and led by Alex Groza, Ralph Beard and Wallace "Wah-Wah" Jones. The '75 Cats were 26-5 and the National Runner-Up. The Cats were SEC Co-Champions coached by Joe B. Hall. The Cats defeated Indiana in the Regional Final giving them their first loss of the season. The Cats were led by Kevin Grevey, Jimmy Dan Connor, Rick Robey, and Jack "Goose" Givens.

VOTING OVER!
INDIANAPOLIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 4 '49 Kentucky: 55%
# 5 '75 Kentucky: 45%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 13

Game 13 of the Big Three Championship pits the #1 1980 Louisville Cardinals against the #8 1973 Indiana Hoosiers. The ’80 Cardinals went 33-3 en route to winning the school’s first National Championship giving Coach Denny Crum his first Championship as a head coach. The Cards were Metro Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions. The Cards were led by Darrell Griffith, Derek Smith, Wiley Brown, Rodney McCray and Jerry Eaves. The ’73 Hoosiers were Big Ten Champions and advanced to the Final Four with a record of 22-6. The Hoosiers were led by Big Ten MVP Steve Downing and played in the Final Four in St. Louis, Missouri.

VOTING OVER!
INDIANAPOLIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '80 Louisville: 51%
# 8 '73 Indiana: 49%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 12

Game 12 of the Big Three Championship matches up a storied Kentucky basketball team against a very good Indiana team. The game features the #2 1966 Kentucky Wildcats against the #7 1992 Indiana Hoosiers. The ’66 Cats were known as Rupp’s Runts with no starter taller than 6 foot 5 inches. The Cats were 27-2 under Coach Adolph Rupp and advanced to the NCAA Championship game after winning the Sec Championship. The Cats were led by Pat Riley, Louie Dampier, Thad Jaracz, Larry Conley and Tommy Kron. The ’92 Hoosiers went 27-7 under Bobby Knight advancing to the Final Four before losing to Duke who was the defending champ and went on to win back-to-back titles.. It was the 7th Final Four appearance for Indiana. The Hoosiers were led by Calbert Cheaney, Alan Henderson, Damon Bailey and Eric Anderson.

VOTING OVER!
EAST RUTHERFORD REGION - ROUND 1
# 7 '92 Indiana: 56%
# 2 '66 Kentucky: 44%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 11

Game 11 of the Big Three Championship features a matchup between the #3 1997 Kentucky Wildcats and the #6 1982 Louisville Cardinals in the East Rutherford Region. The ’97 Cats were National Runner-up to Arizona and went 35-5 en route to winning the SEC Tournament Championship. The Cats made their second trip to the Championship Game in as many years and also won the Great Alaska Shootout. They were led by Ron Mercer, Derek Anderson, Scott Padgett, Anthony Epps, and Allen Edwards. It was Rick Pitino’s final season as UK coach. The ’82 Cards were Metro Conference Tournament Runner-Up with a record of 23-10. The Cards were led to the Final Four by a cast of great players. The team included Derek Smith, Jerry Eaves, Lancaster Gordon, Rodney McCray and Poncho Wright under Head Coach Denny Crum.

VOTING OVER!
EAST RUTHERFORD REGION - ROUND 1
# 3 '97 Kentucky: 60%
# 6 '82 Louisville: 40%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 10

Game 10 of the Big Three Championship pits the #4 1953 Indiana Hoosiers against the #5 1958 Kentucky Wildcats. The '53 Hoosiers went 23-3 and were Big Ten Champions as well as National Champions under coach Branch McCracken. It was Indiana's 2nd Championship win. They were led by Don Schlundt and Bob Leonard as they beat Kansas in the Championship game. The '58 Wildcats were coached by Adolph Rupp and won the school's 4th National Championship in 11 years. The Cats were SEC Champions with a 23-6 record. They were led by Vernon Hatton, Johnny Cox, John Crigler, Adrian Smith and Ed Beck.

VOTING OVER!
EAST RUTHERFORD REGION - ROUND 1
# 4 '53 Indiana: 51%
# 5 '58 Kentucky: 49%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 9

Game 9 of the Big Three Championship features two teams from not so long ago. The #1 '96 Kentucky Wildcats face off against the #8 '02 Indiana Hoosiers. Arguably one of the best college basketball teams of all-time, the '96 Cats went 34-2 and 16-0 in the SEC regular season, the first team to go undefeated in league play in 40 years. The Cats won the National Championship under Coach Rick Pitino, his only championship to date. They were lead in scoring by Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, Walter McCarty, Derek Anderson, and Ron Mercer. The '02 Hoosiers were Big Ten Co-Champions under Coach Mike Davis. They were National Runner-Up after losing to Maryland in the Championship in Atlanta, GA. The Hoosiers were led by Jared Jeffries, A.J. Moye, Tom Coverdale, Jeff Newton, Dane Fife, Jarrad Odle, and Kyle Hornsby. The Hoosiers advanced to the Final Four after defeating Duke in Rupp Arena in the Regional Final.


VOTING OVER!
EAST RUTHERFORD REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '96 Kentucky: 83%
# 8 '02 Louisville: 17%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 8

Game 8 provides the tournament with a little old school versus new school match up. It features the #2 ’54 Kentucky Wildcats versus the #7 ’05 Louisville Cardinals. The ’54 Cats went 25-0 and were SEC Champions. The Cats declined an NCAA Tournament bid due to sanctions from the ’53 season. The team was led by seniors Cliff Hagan and Frank Ramsey. The ’05 Cards featured a high-powered offense led by Taquan Dean and Francisco Garcia along with Ellis Myles, Juan Palacios, and Larry O’Bannon. The team made the Final Four in St. Louis, their first in 19 years. They were coached by Rick Pitino and lost to Illinois in the National Semifinal.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 2 '54 Kentucky: 69%
# 7 '05 Louisville: 31%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 7

Game 7 matches #3 ’83 Louisville versus #6 ’84 Kentucky. The ’83 Cards, under coach Denny Crum, went 32-4 and advanced to the Final Four after winning the Great Alaska Shootout and Metro Conference regular season and conference tournament. The Cards were led by sophomore Milt Wagner, junior Lancaster Gordon, senior Rodney McCray, junior Charles Jones, and senior Scooter McCray. The ’84 Cats were SEC regular season and tournament champions under Joe B. Hall and finished the season 29-5. They advanced to the Final Four in Seattle where they were defeated by Georgetown. The team was led in scoring by senior Melvin Turpin, sophomore Kenny Walker, and senior Sam Bowie.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 6 '84 Kentucky: 74%
# 3 '83 Louisville: 26%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 6

Game 6 pits the #4 ’98 Kentucky Wildcats against the #5 ’75 Louisville Cardinals. The ’98 Cats were SEC regular season and tournament champions. The “Comeback Cats” were NCAA Champs coached by Tubby Smith. They were led by seniors Jeff Sheppard and Allen Edwards along with juniors Nazr Mohammed, Scott Padgett, and Wayne Turner. The ’75 Cards advanced to the Final Four with a record of 28-3. The Missouri Valley Conference Champions were led by seniors Allen Murphy and Junior Bridgeman as well as sophomore Wesley Cox.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 5 '75 Louisville: 52%
# 4 '98 Kentucky: 48%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 5

Game 5 is a match up between the #1 ’78 Kentucky Wildcats and the #8 ’72 Louisville Cardinals. The ’78 Cats won both the SEC and National Championship under Joe B. Hall. The team was led by Co-Captains Jack Givens and Rick Robey along with senior James Lee and Sophomore Kyle Macy. The ’72 Cards were Missouri Valley Co-Champions and advanced to the Final Four. The team was led in scoring by five seniors including Jim Price and Ron Thomas.

VOTING OVER!
ST. LOUIS REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '78 Kentucky: 94%
# 8 '72 Louisville: 6%
UPDATED BRACKET

NEXT GAME COMES OUT WEDNESDAY, JULY 11.

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 4

Game 4 features the #2 ’87 Indiana Hoosiers versus the #7 ’92 Kentucky Wildcats. The ’87 Hoosiers compiled a record of 30-4 on their way to the school’s most recent National Championship and last under Coach Bob Knight. The Hoosiers were Big 10 Conference Co-Champions and won the championship in New Orleans, Louisiana. They were led by seniors Steve Alford and Keith Smart. The ’92 Wildcats were one of the most beloved teams in UK history. The “Unforgettables” were SEC East Champions and Tournament Champions. They were led by sophomore Jamal Mashburn and seniors John Pelphrey, Deron Feldhaus, Richie Farmer and Sean Woods. The Cats were coached by Rick Pitino.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 7 '92 Kentucky: 63%
# 2 '87 Indiana: 37%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 3

Game 3 is a match up between the #3 ’86 Louisville Cardinals and the #6 ’93 Kentucky Wildcats. The ’86 Cardinals were National Champions under coach Denny Crum. They went 32-7 won the Metro Conference Regular Season Championship and the conference tournament. They were led by Seniors Billy Thompson and Milt Wagner along with sensational freshman Pervis Ellison. The ’93 Wildcats went 30-4 and was Rick Pitino’s first Final Four team at Kentucky . The Cats, led by juniors Jamal Mashburn and Travis Ford along with senior Dale Brown, were SEC Tournament Champions and advanced to the Final Four in New Orleans .

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 6 '93 Kentucky: 70%
# 3 '86 Louisville: 30%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 2

Game 2 features two teams from way back. It pits the #4 ’51 Kentucky Wildcats against the #5 ’40 Indiana Hoosiers. The ’51 Cats had a record of 32-3 and were SEC Champions. The team won UK ’s third National Championship in four years under Head Coach Adolph Rupp. The Cats were led by juniors Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville along with team captain Walt Hirsch. The ’40 Hoosiers won IU’s first National Championship under Head Coach Branch McCracken. The Hoosiers went 20-3 and were led by senior Marvin Huffman and junior Jay McCreary.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 4 '51 Kentucky: 60%
# 5 '40 Indiana: 40%
UPDATED BRACKET

BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP: Game 1

The first matchup of the tournament matches the #8 '59 Louisville Cardinals against the #1 '76 Indiana Hoosiers. The '59 Cardinals went 19-12 under coach Bernard Hickman. They were lead to the Final Four by captains Harold Andrews and Don Goldstein. The '76 Hoosiers were undefeated under coach Bob Knight and won the NCAA Championship. They were led by Scott May, Kent Benson, and Quinn Buckner.

VOTING OVER!
PHILADELPHIA REGION - ROUND 1
# 1 '76 Indiana: 85%
# 8 '59 Louisville: 15%

UPDATED BRACKET

ALL-TIME BIG THREE CHAMPIONSHIP

For the rest of the summer, we here at The Big EZ Show thought it would be fun to find out (via the listeners) who the best teams in the history of IU, UK, and U of L were. And this is, by far, the most fun way to do it. MAKE A BRACKET.

So start up that July office pool. This should be a lot of fun.

Now, don't hold us to the seeding. We admit, we didn't spend a whole lot of time on it. And yes, we know we left some teams out (I hate that the '04 UK team didn't make it, but they lost in the 2nd round). If there are any obvious errors, speak now, or just don't. All these teams made it to the Elite Eight or better (EXCEPTION: '54 UK team, who was undefeated but declined an NCAA bid).

We'll do one game a day for the rest of the summer, and you can vote online at http://www.bigezshow.com/. Stay tuned to The Big EZ Show for the start date. You can post in the comments section, or you can e-mail EZ at mailto:ez@1570thezone.com.

Back from Out of Town

Just wanted to get some thoughts off of my chest while I was thinking about them, as I am back in town and will be back in the driver's seat tomorrow on the Friday edition of the show.

1. I am just really saddended by the passing of Indiana University head football coach Terry Hoeppner. The rumblings began (at least the ones I heard) about a month or so ago that it wasn't looking great, but still, no one thought he'd be gone this soon. It's a shame. I hope the players and fans will appreciate what he did for the program by playing hard and attending and cheering at the games respectively.


2. The U of L-UK football game will be on television, I'm fairly certain of that. But it will be on some obscure network and if you don't have a ticket or you don't subscribe to all the "cool" sports networks, you'll probably have to go to a bar. My question: how much will this UP the value of the ticket for the game?


3. Sammy Sosa is a hall of famer, no question. So are Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, and others. There was a steriod era of baseball and other players used it that we don't know about it, some of which are already in the Hall of Fame. So, for about the tenth time I say, they're all IN!


4. Rosie O'Donnell is taking over for Bob Barker on The Price Is Right. Short term, I think it's a great idea. Long term, it'll be terrible, and Rosie won't last more than 18 months. You heard it here first.

It's good to be back. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

Someone at the Herald should be shot

I am sorry, but the Herald-Leader sports department just needs a quick little slap on the wrist. This is beginning to become comical.

I am big fans of the Herald. I read their stuff everyday. I am big fans of Mark Story and John Clay, Herald sports columnists. I think Clay's blog is one of the best on the web.

Both have been on my radio show before, and I am truly grateful, and I hope this blog post doesn't sway them from ever coming on my show again, because this has nothing to do with bashing their opinions or the content of their columns.

In fact, I think they should receive just a small portion of the criticism I am about to hand out.

Over the last three weeks, I have seen columns from both Story and Clay that have had really BAD errors in them. Am I nitpicking? Oh, maybe. But when I see two mistakes like these in a matter of weeks, I begin to think that the editor is out to lunch, smoking some crack, or maybe trying to hang Story and Clay out to dry.

What am I talking about? Well, on May 25, Mark Story had a different name for the Louisville Cardinals' wide reciever:

"GOOD NEWS is that Keenan Burton was tabbed as the 14th-best wide receiver in
the country (and, if he and Woodson stay healthy, that's way, way low).

BAD NEWS is that Louisville has two wide receivers ranked higher (Henry Douglas eighth and Mario Urrutia 11th) on the same list."

Come on Mark. It's Harry. It makes you look stupid, and I KNOW that you aren't. I hope you punched your editor in the face.

But then, just today (June 14) John Clay made a 20-question list, and missed a number on the list and listed another number twice.

The content of both of these articles was great. Two fine reads. But it makes you just sit back and think "uhhh, come on guys."

But the blame should be put mostly on the editor who should FREAKIN proofread! It's one thing if you misspell on a blog, or screw up numerous times on a radio show (that's me). It's entirely another when you have time to write a well-thought-out column, proofread it, proofread it again, give it to an editor for him to proofread, proofread, and proofread again, and then get this.

These errors are not good for the reputation of their sports section, one of which I am still a fan of. Just be careful boys. Proofread your work, because no one else there is.

Is Pitino an NBA candidate?

Now, please... don't just go to the next webpage without reading me out here.

First off, there is one HUGE reason why you should think that Pitino IS a candidate for the NBA. And it's the only reason you need to know:
BECAUSE HE'S TELLING US HE'S NOT A CANDIDATE.

Rick is one of the best coaches to have ever coached the game. I truly believe that. So why wouldn't an NBA team call on him when a job is open? I am truly praying that he remains the head coach at the University of Louisville. I think he belongs here and I think he's got this program heading to heights we haven't seen since the 80's.

But, if you know Rick, you know that it would be wrong of us to take every word he said and believed it as if it were the holy word.

And there's at least one writer in Orlando that thinks Ricky P may still be the way to go.

Now, obviously, the chances are the Cardinal coach won't go anywhere. But, lets just say I'm keeping my eyes open. I'm not getting fooled again!

STAY RICKY P!

Thoughts on a Monday

While I'm thinking about it...

(1) Doesn't the whole Billy Donovan thing just make you laugh? Donovan deciding to reneg on his contract with the Magic. What the hell? Did you not think it through before? And what happened with him this weekend? What changed? I'm very pumped for the next Donovan presser. What will he say?

(2) The Sports Mob has Billy Gillispie today. That should be interesting. My top question for Billy: Do we really have to call you Billy Clyde? Or can we all be grown up and not sound like we're from Hicktown, USA and just call you Coach Gillispie?

(3) We're starting to put a whole lot more video on here. And in the spirit of that, how about on of the coolest experiences of my life... the Colts winning the Super Bowl! I was at the Hooters in Downtown Indy watching it with tons of crazy Colts fans! Here was the scene as time ran out on the victory!

Sights and Scenes From Vacation

Well, I am back from a relaxing vacation. We went to Sandestin Beach Resort in Destin, Fl. What a great time. Not a drop of rain (they deperately need it, evidently). Thought I'd share a couple of photos of my fat ass relaxing and playing a little golf, just to make you jealous!

My trip buddy Todd and I about to hit the links at The Raven at Sandestin, which is hosting the Boeing Championship this weekend (June 1-3, 2007).	Todd and I in front of one of the signs at the tee box	A putt from the tough 17th hole, with the corporate boxes in the background

And finally, Lady EZ and I at the Baytowne Wharf. Now, that's a good lookin' woman!

You guys be good, and if you want to listen to an hour of the show each day, subscribe to the Big EZ Show podcast on iTunes (just search "big ez" in your iTunes Music Store) or just click here (this link makes it easy).

Good to be back.

Big EZ Show MySpace Page

Well, I guess I might as well copy off of everyone else and make me a MySpace page for my show.

Love the show or hate it, be a MySpace friend and share your thoughts on a regular basis, and get the inside scoop on what I do and who I make fun of and so on and so forth.

http://www.myspace.com/bigezshow

Thoughts From Vacation

I've got to be honest folks, I'm DYING not being able to be on the air. I feel like I got a TON to say, and have no platform to say it all right now (which pleases many, yet they continue to listen). But this blog will suffice.

Now, onto some things that are bugging me at the moment:

1. I'M SUNBURNT! It's bad. And I'm scheduled to play some golf in a little while. It could be fairly miserable. I was putting on the sunscreen with some serious regularity. But to no avail... and I'm pissed.

2. Junior varsity place kicker and resident drunk Nasty Nate is BOASTING on my show (without me there, mind you), that he correctly predicted the triefecta in the Preakness Stakes. Wow, Mr. Kicker, what a fabulous prediction. What'd that tri pay? $2.60?

3. Speaking of the Preakness, to the novice horse racing eye (a.k.a. my eye), it appeared as though Street Sense jockey Calvin Borel just wasn't real sure what kind of trip he wanted to take in the Preakness. Borel got the trip of a lifetime in the Derby. But in the Preakness it seemed as though Borel wanted to steer away from the eight other jockeys that know that he likes the rail, and tried to go elsewhere, and it just didn't seem comfortable.

And Street Sense's "other gear" had to show up a little earlier to get back up front, and he fizzled late. Call me critical, but it doesn't seem that Borel is the jockey to lead a dominant horse to a Triple Crown. But I'll say this... Borel is undoubtedly my favorite new jockey. Not a more gracious winner and loser, and he sounds like Dell, the mouse-loving prisoner, from The Green Mile (a fantastic movie).

4. UK fans are calling ESPN.com's Andy Katz a 'hater' today. And I can understand where they're coming from. I don't necessarily agree with them, but I can understand. This after Katz reports that Kentucky is bailing out of the UMass game this year.

Hey, if UK wants to change the schedule, they did it by the rules. That's cool with me. They abided by the contract. UMass can be upset because they lose out on potential money that would've been brought in with the game. I guess UMass should've made the buyout a little higher.

But, I am a bit confused by the fact that Gillispie basically says he's in the dark on this whole mess. I find that SO hard to believe. If you want more home games, that's fine. But, Billy, you are in control of one of the most prestigious programs of the country. Tell us that you have some say in YOUR schedule. PLEASE!

Well, it's time to throw some aloe on this sunburn and then get out the Cleveland 9 1/2-degree driver.

And until I get back, enjoy some of New Albany Tribune/Jeffersonville Evening News sports editor Mike Hutsell's favorite celebrity, 'The Hoff.'

Jai Lucas and Playboy (thankfully not related)

Just to reiterate what I said on the show today regarding the Jai Lucas decision to go to Florida. Civil UK fans (and I know you're out there, you called and e-mailed today), please smack your wacky UK cohorts and tell them not to call into radio shows or post on message boards and spit out something like "oh, we didn't need Jai anyway." Uhhh, that's NOT what you said for 18 FREAKIN' MONTHS.

You, Mr. wacky UK fan, sound like Mr. Popular high school jock who was the coolest guy ever before the head cheerleader finally decided she was going to break up with you. That guy was saying "oh, I didn't need that skank anyway," but was crying himself to sleep that night and nights after that.

Just say "man, that sucks... would've really liked to have him. But Coach Gillispie will right the ship." This is what I think will happen and that's what civil UK fans said on the show today. If you ALWAYS sounded like that, this world would be a lot better.

Now, onto Playboy. US olympic swimmer and gold medal-winner Amanda Beard will pose nude in the July issue of Playboy. Fan-freakin-tastic. Now, there's a good number of female athletes that are way better looking than her, but she's still way up there.

For all you women out there that say that stories like this are bad for female sports, GIVE ME A BREAK! Why don't you go and find me a female whose career was NOT elevated by a Playboy photo shoot.

It's a win-win for everyone.

Now, if we can just get LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis to pose, we'll be in some serious business.

If you don't know who Gulbis is, now you do (she's to the left).

Mark Story, what the?

I'm not sure what Mark Story was smoking when he wrote this, but I'd love to have some.

Story, a friend of the show who I enjoy reading, is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Evidently he writes what is now an annual column called the Kentucky 25. The subtitle to the column explains the list as "A LOOK AT THE STATE'S MOST INTRIGUING STARS AND STORIES BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR'S DERBY."

I'll put it this way. If Brian Brohm is less intriguing in the next 12 months in the Commonwealth than Jerry Carroll's attorneys, I'll get a NASCAR tat and make out with Brian's ex-girlfriend.

Bottom line: Brian Brohm should be number one or two on a list like this. Easy.

Rick Pitino and Jodie Meeks will be less intriguing than the new women's basketball coaches at UK and U of L? Come on! Tell me that's a joke.

Now, I read Story on a regular basis, so to criticize the column is to show that I am a regular reader. But more like this, and I'll be turned off in a hurry.

I hate to bring up the race card again, but...

I never thought about it, but I can't say that the following story (which is linked here and below) surprised me one iota.

It's very sad.

The best quote comes from the professor who put this together, Justin Wolfers, whose done other sports-related studies before:

“Basically, it suggests that if you spray-painted one of your starters
white, you’d win a few more games.”

Study of N.B.A. Sees Racial Bias in Calling Fouls

We're LIVE and STREAMING now

The wait is over. Having a problem with the signal in your car or at your house? No problem. Just grab a computer. Go to www.1570thezone.com, click on 'Listen Live', and fire away and call us from wherever you are at 800-510-ESPN.

In fact, check out all the shows, including the Rock & Jock Wake Up Zone, the Midday Melee, and the Sports Mob (aka UK sports radio).

Thanks to all who have hung with us through the thick and thin. For me personally, this is big considering where we were just about a year ago! Kudos should go out to our new management, Chilltown Broadcasting, who has made this station a great marketable product, with this website and streaming audio unveiling being just the latest step in the process. Stay tuned for more.

The discovery of the TextMap

I would assume that TextMap is pretty popular in some media circles. I've just been turned onto it recently.

This is something very interesting. Instead of trying to explain it myself, this is TextMap's own definition (and a much more understandable one than the one I would've tried to throw out) of what they do:

TextMap "tracks references to people, places, and things appearing in news text, so as to identify meaningful relationships between them. TextMap monitors the state of the world by analyzing both the temporal and spatial distribution of these entities. We currently analyze over 1000 domestic and international news sources every day. TextMap uses natural language processing techniques to identify entity references and a variety of statistical techniques to analyze the juxtapositions between them."

With that in mind, just for fun, check out the textmaps for:
Rick Pitino
Billy Gillispie
Kelvin Sampson
Steve Kragthorpe
Rich Brooks
Terry Hoeppner

and hell, while we're at it, let's throw out a real interesting one--Tubby Smith.

Enjoy.

Random thoughts... long time coming

My apologies for having not posted in awhile. And I appreciate the e-mails (even the critics who say "freakin blog or delete the blog you retard") that asked/demanded that I put up a blog post every once in awhile. The fact that you care is cool... all apologies.

There's been one question that I've received a lot as of late, and that's "do you see the people ripping you on the message boards?"

The answer: absolutely.

I think it's great. It always make me think about how when I was little, I wanted to be in sports radio. And when I was younger, I idolized college basketball in this area. LaBradford Smith was my hero. I would try and imitate Jamal Mashburn on my backyard basketball court.

Now, message boards came around much later than LA and Mash, but I've got to be honest. It's an honor, knowing that I've always wanted to do something in sports, that I'm even a topic of any thread on a college sports message board. I had no idea I had any influence at all, but I guess I do. To some the influence is negative, to some it's positive. Some think I'm great. Some think I suck. It's all okay either way.

To me, it's just a laugh. All I care about is that you listen. When my bosses see the message boards, all they see is people that are listening, which is all they want--and all I need--to keep my job.

My main purpose for visiting the message boards is to check the pulse of the "lunatic fringe" fan base. You guys are passionate. You care.

But I can't take you seriously all the time. You are a fraction. A SMALL fraction, of the fan base. You all are just the only ones with the time and energy to post on your favorite teams. For most boards, even the listed record number of posters wouldn't fill up an ordinary D2 basketball gym.

Nothing wrong with that, but to answer the number of e-mails and phone calls I'll get from friends and listeners: yes, I see people blast me on the message boards, and no I don't care. There's certainly not enough of them to care, and at least they're listening, and at least they care enough to post about me...

which I think is really cool.

Now, hopefully my next post won't be that far off.

Greetings from Georgia, UK's got a new coach

I got to be honest, there's a part of me that was glad I wasn't in the middle of all of the hoopla today when Billy Gillispie was named the new head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky.

Don't get me wrong, I thought it was an outstanding hire. He's turned programs around in short time at both UTEP and A&M.

I'll say this. He IS in for something a little different when he coaches in basketball-crazy Kentucky for a living. Playing second fiddle to everyone who plays football while in Texas had to be a little easier on the heart.

But I'm very excited for Gillispie. Class guy who deserves to be treated with class as well. I hope UK fans will do that. But I fear some of the wacky ones (and there are many) will always be upset that Donovan didn't come.

Also, you got to hand it to Mitch Barnhart. He had all of his ducks in a row when he found out that Donovan was going to stay at Florida. He had already been in contact with Barnes' people and Gillipie's people before ever hearing from Donovan post-championship. And many fans were nervous to see how long the post-Donovan search would last. It didn't last long, which means that Barnhart was prepared. I like that.

Here's to another UK tenure. Hope this one is not as wacky.

After a short layoff, here are some thoughts...

Obviously, it's been a very busy week. And after being out of town for Final Four weekend, and leaving again tomorrow to head down to Georgia for another weekend of fun.

Here are some things that I want to mention.

1. Billy Donovan spoke today at a press conference at Marshall University, where he is speaking at an event tonight. Still no news. Here are some quotes.

“I understand everyone’s got a job to do, but this is not the time or place for me. Tonight is all about Marshall and all about myself trying to help them. That’s all I came here to do.”

“I didn’t leave the University of Florida today to come down here and give a press conference for myself. I could’ve stayed at home. I came here for Marshall to try to help them.”

“I have not even spoken with our athletic director since I got back.”

“It hasn’t even been 48 hours since the game, so there will be a time for that.”

Asked on how long he needs, he jokingly responds “Probably a month or two,” then laughs hysterically.

“I really need time to think. Decompress is probably a good word.”

“I don’t feel pressure to be rushed. I’m very happy at the University of Florida… I still, to this day, haven’t talked to anybody… If it takes me longer, that’s fine.”

2. According to FoxSports.com, Louisville assistant basketball coach Kevin Willard has been named the new head coach at Iona.

3. From the Cincinnati Reds:

"Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. called Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig and received permission to wear uniform Number 42 on Sunday, April 15th to honor Jackie Robinson on the 60th anniversary of his Major League debut."

Just some stuff I wanted to throw out there. Going to grab dinner. Hope you guys listen to my God-forsaken show tomorrow.

A busy Tuesday night

I must say that I'm the kind of guy that needs entertainment 24-7. Whether it be in the form of a game in person or on TV, a good television sitcom (What About Brian on ABC is totally underrated), or a sports podcast on my iPod. I've GOT to be stimulated constantly. I can't just sit and nap or relax, ever, for better or worse.

So in between listening to PTI on my iPod and doing some research on some of the players for the McDonald's All-American Game broadcast that we got on 1570 tomorrow night, I came across some things that may or may not be of interest to you.

(1) I'll be talking about this on the show tomorrow, but a little heads up... John Wooden sincerely thinks Ben Howland can flat coach. When all of your opinions on an underdog can be confirmed by THE BEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH OF ALL TIME, it makes you sleep a little easier.

(2) Not to knock on dead people, but I think it's very interesting that Anna Nicole Smith's anus "is unremarkable" according to her autopsy report. I think that's their opinion.

(3) Ridiculously-good 1570 The Zone contributor Keith Conrad writes a very good blog post on his newly-revived blog. Definitely a good read. And for the record, Kent Taylor is one of the most fun Louisville sports media members to be around.

(4) Subscribe to The Big EZ Show podcast for free. Here's how. You can either just download it directly by clicking here, or you can go to iTunes, click on the "Advanced" menu, then click on "Subscribe to Podcast..." and then type in http://feeds.feedburner.com/bigezshow. Simple as that.

That's all for now. Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe will be on tomorrow, along with Yahoo! Sports National NFL Writer Charles Robinson to talk about what's up at the owner's meetings. And Greg Hammond from WTVQ in Lexington (and no, he didn't leak any false UK coach information) to talk about the most popular job vacancy EVER in Lexington. 10 AM to 1 PM tomorrow.

Final Four set... I've got three

Well, some great games over the Sweet 16 weekend. And some funny moments with my dad as well (check previous post).

How about Georgetown!?! Roy Hibbert is a friggin monster. He's one of my favorite players in the entire NCAA Tournament, if not my absolute favorite. Florida's Corey Brewer is right there as well.

In fact, Corey was my favorite, until he hit a free throw with two seconds left in the Oregon game that pushed the Gators past the spread. They covered the seven-point spread, and I lost some donuts. Brewer, you owe me. When you go to the NBA, I want your first paycheck.

I did feel bad for Roy Williams and the Tarheels. It's a helpless feeling when your team can't hits a drought like I've never seen before from a 1-seed in the tourney.

My final four were Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and Texas A&M. A&M should've been in there... damn you Acie Law.

However, after all my magnificent picks, I still trail in the Big EZ Bracket Battle, but not by much. Thanks to all of the 50+ participants, and good luck in the Final Four. Here's how it shakes out at the moment.

Group Standings
Rank Team Name Score Correct Best PS Best PC Champion
1 Rick Decker 276 50 346 53 Georgetown (145)
2 Scott Brooks 274 48 342 51 Florida (154)
3 James Glass (1) 269 48 321 50 UCLA (145)
4 Terry Cook 267 48 335 51 Ohio St. (122)
5 Big EZ         261 46 331 49 UCLA (133)
6 nathan gibson 257 47 326 50 Georgetown (136)
6 scott porter 257 47 325 50 Florida (145)
8 George Martin 254 44 322 47 Florida (133)
9 Jeffrey Stanley 252 47 322 50 Georgetown (134)
10 John McGarry (2)250 47 317 50 Florida (161)
10 Ryan Lykins 250 46 317 49 Florida ()

My NCAA Friday night on the couch

I have to tell you. I'm having such a fun night with my buddies on my couch at home in front of the 55" HD TV. Here are some random thoughts I had tonight while taking in good friends, good basketball and GREAT BEER!

• I hope you don't think of me or my 'gang' differently when I tell you that my 28-year-old buddy told me he was coming over after he took care of his "nine-month-old baby and 14-inch dick." I know, that's just plain wrong. That's just not good blog quality.
• My dad is also over here. We wager on the games. It's fun. Usually, we pick against each other (sometimes, he can be a moron when it comes to picking games). But tonight, we have the same parlay: Vandy +8 vs. Georgetown, Butler +10 vs. Florida, USC +8.5 vs. North Carolina, and Oregon -3.5 vs. UNLV. We'll see what happens.
• Dad is watching the Roy Williams "there was a dime on the counter" Coke commercial.
  
  And after Roy finishes his story, my pops blurts out "bullsh*t." Pretty funny.
• We all like the Cingular commercials. All of them. The "dropped call campaign" with the boy asking the girl if she "felt a connection", along with the "tennis ball in the kitchen."
• Georgetown beats Vandy on a Jeff Green shot with two seconds left. I think Green travelled. But I'm not telling, because I got Georgetown in the championship game.
• James Brown and Len Elmore are doing the Midwest Regional in St. Louis. And, to put it bluntly, they suck. I don't know if I'll ever get used to James Brown doing play-by-play of college basketball. Keep him on The NFL Today, and let's move on.
• If I had to rank my two favorite play-by-play men: 1. Jim Nantz, 2. Gus Johnson (huge love affair here, for reasons like the one below).
  
  
• We think it's cool that Thad Matta has a superstition that his little daughter must pick out dad's tiewear before every game, regardless of his ridiculous he may end up looking.
• Don't look now, but Billy Packer, for some reason, is growing on me. And I can't figure out why. Since the whole Duke-UNC catastrophe where he took up for Gerald Henderson--where Packer totally sounded like a nimrod in my opinion--he's been surprisingly good and interesting. Nice work Billy. At the moment, I like you, for the first time.
• Dad thinks there should be a "line cam." Where refs could replay an "out-of-bounds" call. OK Dad.
• You know, I really think I'm going to have to have my dad on for a segment. He's very opinoinated tonight. Right after I give Billy Packer a compliment, I hear Pops on the other side of the room yelling "ahhh shut up Billy."
• The two most annoying commercials remaining on television: 1. Obviously, the John Mellancamp "This Is Our Country" campaign, and 2. The Hampton Inn "I've Been Everywhere, Man" song. For the love of all that is March Madness, please!
• What a run by North Carolina in the second half. And, no Mr. Packer, USC aren't tired. They just lost it whenever Gibson picked up his fourth foul for USC. Great game... one of the best of the tournament, except for the fact that there wasn't some crazy finish.
  

First Tubby, now Morris

Well, not only is Tubby out at Kentucky and in at Minnesota, but now Morris has signed a contract to play for the New York Knicks.

Let the fireworks officially begin. UK fans, let the rejoicing continue.

Random thought: Isn't it interesting that when Bobby Knight got fired from Indiana, they promoted an assistant to head coach in Mike Davis. Could you imagine if that were the case at Kentucky?

Food for thought.

Alonzo Mourning on the show Thursday

Talking NBA and getting you set for the NCAA Sweet 16 action with Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning on Thursday on The Big EZ Show. Should be fun. Make sure to listen, 10-1.

Face EZ in the Big EZ Show Bracket Battle

Alright, who wants some?

http://bigezshow.mayhem.sportsline.com/e
password: nate

Make sure you have a CBS Sportsline username.

May all that pass through Bracketville be welcomed kindly and then thoroughly beaten down.

EZ MONEY: THURSDAY PICKS

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK - THURSDAY 3/8/07
Big Ten (1-2)
Minnesota +8.5 vs. Michigan (MICH, 49-40) ** LOSS **
Northwestern +11.5 vs. Michigan State (MSU, 62-57) ** WIN **
Illinois -11 vs. Penn State (ILL, 66-60) ** LOSS **

Big East (1-3)
Georgetown -4.5 vs. Villanova (G'TOWN, 62-57) ** WIN **
Syracuse +2 vs. Notre Dame (ND, 89-83) ** LOSS **
West Virginia +3.5 vs. Louisville (UL, 82-71) ** LOSS **
Marquette +5.5 vs. Pittsburgh (PITT, 89-79) ** LOSS **

ACC (3-1)
Florida State (pick 'em) vs. Clemson (FSU, 67-66) ** WIN **
Miami +13 vs. Maryland (MIA, 67-62) ** WIN **
Duke -9.5 vs. NC State (NC ST, 85-80) ** LOSS **
Wake Forest +10 vs. Georgia Tech (WF, 114-112) ** WIN **

Atlantic 10 (0-1)
Dayton +9.5 vs. Xavier (XAV, 72-51) ** LOSS **

MAC (1-0)
Eastern Michigan +9.5 vs. Toledo (TOL, 62-54) ** WIN **

Big 12 (0-1)
Oklahoma -7 vs. Iowa State (OKLA, 68-63) ** LOSS **

SEC (1-0)
Kentucky -6 vs. Alabama (UK, 79-67) ** WIN **

Conference USA (1-0)
Rice +5.5 vs. UCF (RICE, 53-51) ** WIN **

THURSDAY RECORD: 8-8 (.500)

CONFERENCE TOURNEY RECORD: 20-14 (.588)

EZ MONEY: WEDNESDAY PICKS

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK - WEDNESDAY 3/7/07
Big East (3-1)
Villanova -5 over DePaul (NOVA, 75-67) ** WIN **
Connecticut +3.5 over Syracuse (CUSE, 78-65) ** LOSS **
West Virginia -3 over Providence (WV, 92-79) ** WIN **
Marquette -7 over St. John’s (MARQ, 76-67) ** WIN **

ATLANTIC 10 (4-0)
Dayton -2 over Charlotte (DAY, 81-63) ** WIN **
Richmond +8 over Fordham (FORD, 63-61) ** WIN **
Duquesne +9.5 over St. Louis (STL, 78-77) ** WIN **
St. Joe -2.5 over Temple (STJ, 66-62) ** WIN **

MAC (2-2)
Eastern Michigan +2.5 over Ball State (EMU, 51-48) ** WIN **
Bowling Green +7.5 over Ohio (Ohio, 69-59) ** LOSS **
Central Michigan +2 over Buffalo (CMU, 80-74) ** WIN **
Western Michigan -6.5 over Northern Illinois (WMU, 67-62) ** LOSS **

CONFERENCE USA (2-2)
Rice +4 over UTEP (RICE, 77-74) ** WIN **
Southern Miss -4 over SMU (So Miss, 59-52) ** WIN **
UAB -4 over Marshall (MARS, 53-52) ** LOSS **
Eastern Carolina +11.5 over Tulsa (TUL, 65-50) ** LOSS **

PAC 10 (1-1)
Cal -5 over Oregon State (CAL, 71-50) ** WIN **
Arizona St. +6 over Washington (WASH, 59-51) ** LOSS **

WEDNESDAY RECORD: 12-6 (.667)

My Big East votes

I am a contributing voter for the Big East Basketball Blog online. It's a site that I look at regularly just as another avenue to keep tabs on Big East basketball, which I am a HUGE fan of.

We were asked to send in our ballots for the Big East postseason awards. I figured I would go ahead and post them on here.

I'll be honest, I struggled with Big East Player Of The Year. I was torn between a couple different suitors. Anyway, here you go. If you have any questions or inquiries, e-mail me at zach[@]espnlouisville.com.

EZ'S BALLOT
Big East Player of the Year:
Herbert Hill, Providence

All-Big East First Team:
Demetris Nichols, Syracuse
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
Jeff Green, Georgetown
Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh
Dominic James, Marquette

All-Big East Second Team:
Curtis Sumpter, Villanova
Russell Carter, Notre Dame
Lamont Hamilton, St. John's
Frank Young, West Virginia
David Padgett, Louisville

All-Big East Third Team:
Colin Falls, Notre Dame
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut
Sammy Mejia, DePaul
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
David Padgett, Louisville

Freshmen of the Year:
Eugene Harvey, Seton Hall

All-Freshmen Big East First Team:
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
Edgar Sosa, Louisville
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut

All-Freshmen Big East Second Team:
Deonta Vaughn, Cincinnati
Tory Jackson, Notre Dame
Paul Harris, Syracuse
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
Derrick Caracter, Louisville

Big East Coach of the Year:
John Thompson III, Georgetown

Now, here's how the official results went. Check out the contributing voters as well at http://bigeastbasketball.blogspot.com.


BIG EAST BASKETBALL BLOG POSTSEASON AWARDS
BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Jeff Green, Georgetown

All-Big East 1st Team:
Herbert Hill, Providence
Demetris Nichols, Syracuse
Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh
Curtis Sumpter, Villanova

All-Big East 2nd Team:
Dominic James, Marquette
Russell Carter, Notre Dame
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Colin Falls, Notre Dame
Jerel McNeal, Marquette

All-Big East 3rd Team:
Frank Young, West Virginia
Kentrell Gransberry, South Florida
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut
Sammy Mejia, DePaul
Terence Williams, Louisville

All-Big East 4th Team:
Sharaud Curry, Providence
Lamont Hamilton, St. John's
Wilson Chandler, DePaul
Levance Fields, Pittsburgh
Brian Laing, Seton Hall

All-Big East Honorable Mention:
Eric Devendorf (SU), David Padgett (UL), Jonathan Wallace (GT), Geoff McDermott (PC)


BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:
Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)

All-Big East Freshman 1st Team:
Eugene Harvey (Seton Hall)
Jerome Dyson (Connecticut)
Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)
Edgar Sosa (Louisville)
De'Sean Butler (West Virginia)

All-Big East Freshman 2nd Team:
Paul Harris (Syracuse)
Deonta Vaughn (Cincinnati)
DaJuan Summers (Georgetown)
Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut)
Tory Jackson (Notre Dame)

All-Big East Freshman 3rd Team:
Derrick Caracter (Louisville)
Lazar Hayward (Marquette)
Chris Howard (South Florida)
Jerry Smith (Louisville)


BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR:
Mike Brey, Notre Dame

BIG EAST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
Jerel McNeal, Marquette

MY CONFERENCE TOURNEY HOOPS PICKS

I didn't make many friends today in picking the winners of all of the conference tournament games. Here they are. Let's stick with the three teams that we cover, and their conferences.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE
ROUND 1 (Thursday, March 8)
# 8 Michigan vs. # 9 Minnesota MY PICK: MICHIGAN
# 7 Michigan State vs. # 10 Northwestern MY PICK: MICHIGAN STATE
# 6 Illinois over # 11 Penn State MY PICK: ILLINOIS

NOTE: Probably the most uninteresting first round of the Big Ten Tournament EVER

QUARTERFINALS (Friday, March 9)
# 1 Ohio State vs. # 8 Michigan MY PICK: OHIO STATE
# 4 Iowa vs. # 5 Purdue MY PICK: IOWA
# 2 Wisconsin vs. # 7 Michigan State MY PICK: MICHIGAN STATE
# 3 Indiana vs. # 6 Illinois MY PICK: ILLINOIS

NOTE: I know, I know... I can't help it. I don't like IU on the road (or the pseudo-road in Illinois against the Illini), at least not against a Big Ten foe. In the NCAA Tournament, against an opponent that may not know as much about Indiana, then let's talk.

SEMIFINALS (Saturday, March 10)
# 1 Ohio State vs. # 4 Iowa MY PICK: OHIO STATE
# 2 Wisconsin vs. # 6 Illinois MY PICK: ILLINOIS

NOTE: Another upset here. I like Bruce Weber, I really do. And that team has struggled at times, but I'm seeing some tournament magic.

CHAMPIONSHIP (Sunday, March 11)
# 1 Ohio State vs. # 6 Illinois MY PICK: OHIO STATE

NOTE: No upset here... Ohio State has an easy top half of the bracket, and whoever comes out of the bottom half to face them in the final will probably be wiped. I'd be VERY surprised if anyone other than the Buckeyes came away with the Big Ten Tourney Title.

===================

BIG EAST CONFERENCE
ROUND 1 (Wednesday, March 7)
# 8 DePaul vs. # 9 Villanova MY PICK: VILLANOVA
# 5 Syracuse vs. # 12 Connecticut MY PICK: CONNECTICUT
# 7 West Virginia vs. # 10 Providence MY PICK: WEST VIRGINIA
# 6 Marquette vs. # 11 St. John's MY PICK: MARQUETTE

NOTE: No real surprises here, except for UConn. I'd like to think that teams with better talent will find a way to pick up their play a notch, and we all know who has the better raw talent here.

QUARTERFINALS (Thursday, March 8)
# 9 Villanova vs. # 1 Georgetown MY PICK: GEORGETOWN
# 12 Connecticut vs. # 4 Notre Dame MY PICK: NOTRE DAME
# 7 West Virginia vs. # 2 Louisville MY PICK: WEST VIRGINIA
# 6 Marquette vs. # 3 Pittsburgh MY PICK: MARQUETTE

NOTE: Yeah, I know, U of L fans hate me. Listen, I really like the way Louisville is playing. I'll just say this... a team that heaves a lot of threes against a team who plays zone (albeit a good zone) defense with a backup man-to-man (not a great defense for U of L) has got me worried about that defensive team. If this game gets in the 70's, I don't like Louisville's chances. Under 70, I feel a little better.

SEMIFINALS (Friday, March 9)
# 1 Georgetown vs. # 4 Notre Dame MY PICK: GEORGETOWN
# 7 West Virginia vs. # 6 Marquette MY PICK: MARQUETTE

NOTE: The bottom half of the Big East bracket is completely up for grabs, but I like Marquette, who is a little better of a defensive matchup against West Virginia than Louisville is, even though Marquette has already had their trouble with West Virginia this season.

FINALS (Saturday, March 10)
# 1 Georgetown vs. # 6 Marquette MY PICK: GEORGETOWN

NOTE: Revenge for Georgetown.

=================

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
ROUND 1 (Thursday, March 8)
W5 Alabama vs. E4 Kentucky MY PICK: KENTUCKY
E6 South Carolina vs. W3 Arkansas MY PICK: ARKANSAS
E5 Georgia vs. W4 Auburn MY PICK: GEORGIA
W6 LSU vs. E3 Tennessee MY PICK: TENNESSEE

NOTE: Finally!!! I pick a local team to win a conference tournament game. The Kentucky players will win one for ORLANDO! After all, Ramel Bradley STILL calls this the "Wildcat Invitational." It'll be time for him to put up or shut up.

QUARTERFINALS (Friday, March 9)
E4 Kentucky vs. W1 Mississippi State MY PICK: KENTUCKY
W3 Arkansas vs. E2 Vanderbilt MY PICK: ARKANSAS
E5 Georgia vs. E1 Florida MY PICK: FLORIDA
E3 Tennessee vs. W2 Ole Miss MY PICK: TENNESSEE

NOTE: Of course, Kentucky fans wouldn't call a win over Mississippi State an upset. I wouldn't either, but remember, Mississippi State throttled 'Bama just last week. I like underdog Arkansas to upset Vanderbilt, a team who is obviously better, but I think they'll fold under the lights of a tournament situation, as we see most teams do when they become favorites in a tournament situation for the first time in a long time.

SEMIFINALS (Saturday, March 10)
E4 Kentucky vs. W3 Arkansas MY PICK: KENTUCKY
E1 Florida vs. E3 Tennessee MY PICK: FLORIDA

NOTE: UK in the tourney final... all will be well (momentarily) in Wildcat Nation. Florida gets revenge after UT bashed the Gators in Knoxville last week.

CHAMPIONSHIP (Sunday, March 11)
E4 Kentucky vs. E1 Florida MY PICK: FLORIDA

NOTE: The magic ends here for the Cats. Florida is just better, especially when the game isn't at Rupp. If this game were to go down, I see it going a lot like the game last Sunday in Gainesville. Close for awhile, high-scoring. But in the end, Florida takes control. It should be closer though.

NO DOUBT THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!

Some random college basketball thoughts

I just wanted to drop some things off here at the blog. I've had a lot of things on my mind, especially from the weekend, that I can't really get on my show that I've been meaning to talk about, so I'll use the blog to air them.

1. Greg Oden is a very good player, and the best player on the best team (especially after Wisconsin loses Brian Butch) in the Big Ten. And in the 12 or so games I've seen of Oden, I HAVE NOT SEEN ONE game where he's taken over, or shown me some sort of NBA-like performance.

Now, don't read into that the wrong way. Anyone who knows anything about basketball knows that Greg Oden has NBA talent. Consistent as all get out? Absolutely. But has he taken over one game this year? Not that I'm aware of.

2. In fact, let me stay in the Big Ten. Before Brian Butch's season-threatening injury, I thought Wisconsin was the best team in the Big Ten, and behind only Florida as the best team in the country. Experience is a factor that I CANNOT ignore. Alando Tucker is one of the best players in all of the country, and Kammron Taylor as the "supporting actor" (guiltfree Oscar analogy) give this team something that few teams do, a veteran backcourt.

3. The Big East is not great, but is still good. There are many national analysts that aren't real high on the Big East. I can understand why. But, there are many cases I will make for the Big East.

• Rick Pitino gets Louisville healthy, adds "The President", Derrick Caracter and wins on the road at Pitt AND Marquette IN MID-FEBRUARY.
• John Beilein takes a West Virginia team who lost nearly everything last year and makes a crazy run, including a out-of-conference February win over the then-number one team UCLA.
• In January, Syracuse was collapsing in games much like Kentucky is now. Something has changed. Jim Boeheim has found a way to look past all of Eric Devendorf's tattoos, and win big games late, including a win over Georgetown (and say what you will, Georgetown is one of the best teams in the country).

We live in a place that verbally kills coaches for lackluster performances. Let's take the time to credit them in times like this, when teams are starting to shine. Yes, the Big East has a LOT of teams. But there are so many great coaches in this league--Hall of Fame caliber--that will probably make this a 7+ NCAA-team league year-in and year-out.

4. You know how we LOVE to watch "train wrecks", like American Idol auditions and plastic surgery shows like Dr. 90210. Well, here's another one. I've had two pretty horrific knee injuries and subsequent surgeries, and I feel the pain shoot right through my knee when I see this train wreck, Los Angeles Clippers' Shaun Livingston dislocating his kneecap on a seemingly innocent play. And now, there's news that it may be career-threatening. Very sad.

5. I received this from an e-mailer, and never got to it. It deserves a little pub. Pretty funny.

"Tubby's Mantra"

One game winning streak!

Thank God for LSU

Too bad Vandy

didn't let it be two.

I'm trying anything to appease this fan base.

I guess I just need Ricky P.

to set me up

for another title chase.

Spot 'em double digits,

on the road or at Rupp.

Maybe it'll be more exciting

if we're down before we're up.

These fans hate my

slow it down style.

I'd mention my Final Four,

but that's been a while.

They want Pitino, Donovan, or even Ford.

Always saying,

"At least with their style,

we're not quite as bored"

Thanks EZ,

Jody in Jeffersonville

GO CARDS!!!!

6. Now on to the NBA. Do you want to know how I will automatically become a Dallas Maverick fan? I mean, I already like Mark Cuban. The only thing left to do is for my all-time favorite player to go play there as well. And that would mean he'd have to come out of retirement.

Reggie Miller a Maverick? Please, Dallas Morning News. You wouldn't kid, would you? That would be freaking AWESOME!