FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Long Beach is Still No. 2 http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/02/01/long-beach-is-still-no-2/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/02/01/long-beach-is-still-no-2/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2008/02/01/long-beach-is-still-no-2/#comments Adam Rankby Adam RankDon't fret Long Beach, at least you still have, well, you have a pretty cool pyramid. Seems that Cal State Fullerton just has it all over Long Beach. The 49ers baseball program is dwarfed by Fullerton's nationally relevant baseball program. Now Fullerton's basketball program is in a position of strength following a 91-75 91-75 win in Long Beach.

The Fullerton/Long Beach rivalry has become about as one-sided as the battle between Coke and the Stater Bros. store brand cola.

And that's not even counting Fullerton's dynastic dance program that won another national championship. A point that Fullerton fans take great delight in deriding Long Beach about. The 49ers dance team has long been serenaded with chants of "You're No. 2" or "Second Place." Sophomoric? Sure, but it's about the only thing interesting in this lopsided contest.

This also was a special night for Fullerton because there was a Marcus Crenshaw sighting. For this first time in a long time, Crenshaw received more playing time that starter Junior Russell.

Of course, the cynic would point out that Crenshaw did get a considerable amount of time in a blowout at the Beach. But you have to take wins where you can get them. The key is that Fullerton didn't have any missteps as it looks ahead to playing at first-place Cal State Northridge on Saturday.

(If you want more pictures of the Fullerton cheer squad, go here.)

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2008-02-01T01:34:00 00:00 NCAA Being Sued by Pope's Lawyer http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2007/12/21/ncaa-being-sued-by-popes-lawyer/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2007/12/21/ncaa-being-sued-by-popes-lawyer/ http://backporch.fanhouse.com/2007/12/21/ncaa-being-sued-by-popes-lawyer/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank The Herb Pope situation at New Mexico has taken a turn for the bizarre. Pope has lawyered up according to Jason Grove of the Las Cruces Sun-News:

Herb Pope's attorney Stephen Hubert of Las Cruces said that the player has been cleared to play basketball for the Aggies. "(State District) Judge Jerald Valentine today signed a restraining order restraining the NCAA from declaring Mr. Pope ineligible and ordering New Mexico State University to give him his Pell Grant," Hubert said.

NMSU Athletics Director McKinley Boston confirmed the report.

"The judge did rule that Herb was eligible to be treated as a student athlete and we are now having conversations with the NCAA regarding the injunction as it relates to NCAA Bylaw 19," Boston said.

"There is an injunction and the judge ruled he was eligible pending the outcome of the initial eligibility certification process."

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-21T23:28:00 00:00 Hawaii's Sugar Bowl Bid Is a Joke http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/03/hawaii-s-sugar-bowl-bid-is-a-joke/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/03/hawaii-s-sugar-bowl-bid-is-a-joke/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/03/hawaii-s-sugar-bowl-bid-is-a-joke/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Hawaii is in the Sugar Bowl. The freaking Sugar Bowl. This has to be some sort of sick, perverse joke, right? Any astute observer of college football knows this can't be real. Like Ashton Kutcher is going to tell us today that we've all been Punk'd.

Hawaii should not be playing in the Sugar Bowl. They should be playing in a bowl where they belong.

The BCS Championship Game.

That's right, Hawaii deserves to be in the BCS Championship Game and it's a joke that they are not playing for the title.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-03T08:00:00 00:00 West Coast Mid Major Post Mortem http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/03/west-coast-mid-major-post-mortem/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/03/west-coast-mid-major-post-mortem/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/03/west-coast-mid-major-post-mortem/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Gonzaga is having the best week ever, going to the East Coast and smaking around St. Joseph's and Conneticut, this coming off the heels of playing in the Great Alaska Shootout. Punching those East Coast teams in the mouth is always a good thing. Not a bad thing, but a good thing. Everybody on the West Coast gets how good Gonzaga is, but it always seems that the East Coast needs a little reminder. And Gonzaga is always up for the challenge.

Now let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers in this week's edition of the WCMMPM.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-03T03:29:00 00:00 St. Mary's Gets Another Big Win http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/st-marys-gets-another-big-win/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/st-marys-gets-another-big-win/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/st-marys-gets-another-big-win/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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You have to love this time of the year in college basketball, when some of the mid majors pull major upsets of ranked teams, only to fade into oblivion.

You don't have to worry about that with St. Mary's.

The Gaels made headlines with a stunning "upset" over No. 11 Oregon. But St. Mary's 85-70 beat down of Seton Hall might be even more impressive.

When a team like St. Mary's upsets a West-Coast power like Oregon, the East Coast voters tend to dismiss it as the Pac-10 being soft as opposed to the Gaels actually being a good team. That is, assuming that those on the East Coast notice at all seeing as the box score is buried in the following day's agate. But when you can come out and smack one of their own -- especially from that pompous Big East conference -- that is a win that will make people take notice.

Seton Hall came into the game ranked ninth in unofficial RPI and were undefeated at 6-0. The Gaels not only defeated the Pirates, they absolutely buried these guys. St. Mary's is going to be hard to ignore when the new Top 25 poll comes out. Seton Hall had been one of those teams who had been earning votes. Not now. At least not ahead of St. Mary's who left no doubt who was the better team. This team had better be ranked on Monday.

Patrick Mills (pictured here in his Team Australia uniform) continues to impress with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. This guy isn't your average freshman. Omar Samhan also had 19 points Diamon Simpson had 15. St. Mary's also played some good defense, holding Larry Davis to only six points as he was saddled with foul trouble.

St. Mary's is 6-0, and off to its best start since 1988-89, when the team started 9-0.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-02T04:20:00 00:00 Round Up: Vegas Gets Some Scoring http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/round-up-vegas-gets-some-scoring/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/round-up-vegas-gets-some-scoring/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/round-up-vegas-gets-some-scoring/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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UNLV received some much-needed scoring from one of the guys they were counting on this season -- Joe Darger -- in a 84-71 win over UTEP. The Runnin' Rebels (5-2) had been doing a pretty good job of shutting people down this season, but have had trouble putting the ball in the basket. Darger had a career-high 23 points (including a perfect 7-for-7 on free throws) to lead UNLV, while Curtis Terry added 20. This was the most points that the Rebels have scored since they put up 97 points on Dixie State. So let's just say this was the most points they put up against a real opponent this season. The Rebels are still looking for Wink Adams to get some more consistency to lead this team, but this was a pretty good start.

You have to like the way the Rebels have bounced back after losses this season. UNLV rebounded from a loss with a good win against Nevada, and now they followed up a tough loss at UC Santa Barbara with the win on Saturday. The team now has a chance to get some wins strung together because of a favorable schedule, so hopefully the can go into the Arizona game on a roll.

Let's take a look at some other key Mid Majors, starting in the Mountain West.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-02T04:00:00 00:00 Bulldogs Don't Need Sleep http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/bulldogs-dont-need-sleep/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/bulldogs-dont-need-sleep/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/02/bulldogs-dont-need-sleep/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Although, Jeremy Pargo looked a little sleep deprived as he made that silly foul towards the end of regulation, fouling one of Connecticut's three-point shooters that nearly allowed the Huskies to tie the game. But in the end, Gonzaga overcame a highly motivated Huskies team to win its fourth game in a five-game road stretch that took the team from Alaska to Boston.

No. 19 Gonzaga has had some pretty impressive wins over the years, but you would be hard pressed to find a win that was bigger than this 85-82 win over U Conn.

Gonzaga has beaten better teams, certainly, but there was something about this win. Coach Mark Few said that his team spent maybe 48 hours in Spokane, Wash. Then they had to play in a hostile gym at St. Joseph's and then go up to Boston to play a Connecticut team that desperately needed this win to be viable in the national basketball scene. The Bulldogs looked like they might be blown out early as you could clearly see that Jim Calhoun had his team ready to play. But Gonzaga kept chipping away, finally taking the lead on the final play of the first half. There was a sense watching in the second-half that no matter what U Conn threw at Gonzaga, the Bulldogs were going to come away with the win.

This certainly has a chance to be one of the best Gonzaga teams in recent history. Even better than the Adam Morrison team that lost to UCLA. Once Josh Heytvelt gets healthy, this should be a very good team.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-02T00:26:00 00:00 Gonzaga Now the Hunted http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/01/gonzaga-now-the-hunted/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/01/gonzaga-now-the-hunted/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/01/gonzaga-now-the-hunted/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Gonzaga will face Connecticut in the Hartford Hall of Fame showcase this afternoon, and it's amazing how this game is perceived. There was a time -- in the not too distant past -- that Gonzaga would be the team looking to prove themselves among the big boys of college hoops, while U Conn was a fixture in the rankings and on ESPN.

Now the Huskies find themselves looking for respect, looking to take aim at the Bulldogs who continue to build an impressive resume of non-conference opponents. A look around the New England papers and some of the U Conn message boards show that the fans are looking at this contest against No. 19 Gonzaga as some sort of barometer game.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-01T04:59:00 00:00 Round Up: Fullerton Rebounds http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/01/round-up-fullerton-rebounds/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/01/round-up-fullerton-rebounds/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/12/01/round-up-fullerton-rebounds/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Cal State Fullerton rebounded from a demoralizing loss at Arizona to defeat Montana, 100-91, on Friday night. You don't play "must win" games in November, but this was one that the Titans (4-1) desperately needed. Frank Robinson looked lost at Arizona on Wednesday, but had 30 points against Grizzlies. Josh Akognon added 26 as the Titans shot 56 percent from three point land (14-of-25) for the game. (The Titans shot 52 percent from the field overall.)

Where the hell was this on Wednesday night? Arizona is obviously one of the top teams in the country, but there should been a little bit more fire from this team. You want players who relish the spotlight, not run from it, so there is a little disappointment here. The Titans, as evidenced by Wednesday night, are nothing without Robinson and Akognon. Fullerton can't have games where they disappear and expect to have a winning season. Or at least a season that extends past the semi-finals of the Big West tournament.

Still, this team could have easily gone into the tank after such a demoralizing loss and the key here was to just get the win. Even if you have to give up 91 points to do it. You know this must have been a very important game to coach Bob Burton who played Scott Cutley for 30 minutes after he returned early from an ankle injury. Marcus Crenshaw also had another solid game with 13 points and five assists. Crenshaw was third on the team with 29 minutes, but he is clearly the catalyst for the Titans and needs to be on the court at all times.

(Thanks for Dr. Buzan for the scoring updates tonight, too.)

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-12-01T01:00:00 00:00 Bulldogs Win Crazy Game http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/30/bulldogs-win-crazy-game/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/30/bulldogs-win-crazy-game/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/30/bulldogs-win-crazy-game/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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There are a couple of different ways you could look at No. 19 Gonzaga's 70-65 win over St. Joseph's on Wednesday night. Are the Bulldogs underachievers who squandered a 17-point lead, had to rally to force overtime and were fortunate to get the win?

Or, were they a gutty team who displayed a lot of poise in a hostile environment, who were able to overcome adversity and notch a pretty good road win?

Saying that the win was a combination of both is kind of a cop-out, so let's go with second choice. Although it was a little of both.

College basketball is a game of streaks and runs, so it's important to not get really bent out of shape when your team kind of stumbles on a lead. Especially on the road. Getting upset on these things are like getting mad at idiots who stammer when ordering at the drive through. These things just kind of happen. Teams lose leads all of the time. The only thing is, these teams normally lose the game at the end.

But Gonzaga was able to hold on. Matt Bouldin hit some key shots when they were needed and the Bulldogs came away with a pretty solid win. Austin Daye also continues to impress, and even he had a big shot in overtime.

That should make this team a little bit tougher later in the season. It would be easy to just be like Duke, and have every team come to your own gym while you get fat on the cupcakes on the world. That's why Duke always gets eliminated early in the NCAA tournament. They don't learn to win tough games like this one the road.

Don't despair Gonzaga fans, this was a pretty good win.

Don't look now, but Santa Clara is now 5-1 after beating Eastern Washington. The West Coast Conference is looking pretty solid behind Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Santa Clara. The Bulldogs are obviously the front runner, but the Gaels and Mustangs might be looking at tournament bids, too.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-30T02:40:00 00:00 Bzdelik Gets Last Laugh http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/30/bzdelik-gets-last-laugh/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/30/bzdelik-gets-last-laugh/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/30/bzdelik-gets-last-laugh/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Sometimes a hostile crowd can actually bring out the best in an opposing team and that certainly seemed to be the case in Clune Arena on Wednesday night. Air Force cadets wore shirts with ex-coach Jeff Bzdelik's face crossed out and heckled the "traitor," but that only seemed to motivate Colorado -- Bzdelik's current team -- who prevailed 60-50.

The Buffalos snapped Air Force's 38-game non-conference home winning streak (man that's a lot of words). Bzdelik at least admitted that this was a game that he wanted, saying that his emotions were all over the place because he loved the Air Force Academy.

That'' cool, why didn't you stay? You're at Colorado for crying out loud. What, was the San Jose job filled? Don't come back to Clune Arena and act like you loved the place when you treated the place like a "John" treats a prostitute.

In the end, this was a pretty bad loss for Air Force. They really need to make a statement against their former coach and failed to deliver. Colorado was obviously stirred by a hostile crowd, protecting their coach and overcoming the embarrassing loss at Boulder last year.

The Falcons will get a chance to regroup against the non-challenge portion of their schedule before facing Wake Forest on Dec. 30.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-30T02:01:00 00:00 Air Force Faces Former Coach http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/air-force-faces-former-coach/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/air-force-faces-former-coach/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/air-force-faces-former-coach/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Air Force basketball players are saying the right things in former coach Jeff Bzdelik's return to Clune Arena on Wednesday night -- his first after pulling a Josh Duhamel and moving on to his own Fergie, Colorado.

Senior guard and the Falcons' leading scorer Tim Anderson told writers that he respected his decision and that he doesn't hold a grudge.

Can we cut the crap for a moment please?

Not to pretend that we know what was said during the recruiting process, but what kind of sales pitch do mid major coaches give to these guys? They likely talk about opportunity to play and building a new tradition. Most mid major coaches preach about being a part of the building process. Yet, these coaches have no problem jumping at the first big-time offer that comes their way.

The Mountain West is currently a two bid conference, but growing. There is something to build on here, especially at Air Force where the team did so well last year in the NIT. Why not stick around and build a legacy instead of hiking up your skirt and running to Boulder?

And really, that's the most disturbing thing. Hey, if a coach leaves for UCLA or some traditional college basketball power, that's cool. But Bzdelik left for freaking Colorado. Not exactly one of the powerhouses in college basketball. Not even the Big XII. What is the school known for other than hippie chicks and a Promise Keeper football coach, Bill McCartney? Nice lateral move, Bzdelik. Hell, it's a step-down considering the beating that Air Force leveled on the host Buffaloes last year.

Hopefully the Falcons can put Bzdelik in his place this time. Air Force is led by Jeff Anderson who was reprimanded for questioning an official in a loss to Montana on Saturday. (Although Anderson was totally right, why was a referee on the opposite side of the court making that call?) Anderson was Bzdelik's top assistant and personal recommendation for the Air Force gig.

Despite a few speeds bumps (most recently to Washington State), Air Force has been playing pretty well. Look for the Falcons to win this game, despite Bzdelik's familiarity with the program. Colorado is 4-2 this season, but got spanked in their only real games so far, against Wisconsin and New Mexico. Hope it was worth it, Jeff.

The players may be saying the right things leading up to the game, but expect them to not grant permission for a flyby as the roll past Colorado.

AOL's preview page.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-29T04:00:00 00:00 Finding the Positive for Fullerton http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/finding-the-positive-for-fullerton/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/finding-the-positive-for-fullerton/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/29/finding-the-positive-for-fullerton/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Hey, at least the game was only 40 minutes long, or who knows how much more damage Arizona could have done in its 91-65 win over CS Fullerton. (Dig the new graphics, too, on the AOL page. That's sweet.)

The Titans couldn't shoot, couldn't rebound and seemingly couldn't get off a shot without an Arizona player swatting it back in their face. (The Wildcats had nine blocks.)

Other than that, everything went great.

(Get more on the Fullerton game and a round-up from the West.)

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-29T02:27:00 00:00 Are Titans Ready for Tucson? http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/are-titans-ready-for-tucson/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/are-titans-ready-for-tucson/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/are-titans-ready-for-tucson/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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The Big West conference has ridden a wave this week, much like those crashing on the shores outside the campus of UC Santa Barbara. Cal Poly and Long Beach State thoroughly embarrassed the conference with a pair of poor performances on the road at Arizona State and Washington respectively. This on the heels of UC Irvine's 0-for-Anaheim trick in something we will now refer to as the Eaters' "Disneyland Disaster."

The conference did get a boost with the Gauchos impressive win over UNLV on Tuesday night. Now the Titans (3-0) find themselves at a crossroads -- do they joined the unwashed masses dragging the conference to further depths, or do they want to join Santa Barbara at the big boys table?

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-28T10:00:00 00:00 NMSU Still in Limbo on Pope, Young http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/nmsu-still-in-limbo-on-pope-young/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/nmsu-still-in-limbo-on-pope-young/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/nmsu-still-in-limbo-on-pope-young/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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New Mexico State should summon up former Astros players Bob Watson, Enos Cabell and J.R. Richard for a rousing rendition of "Let them play," much like they did in The Bad News Bears: Breaking Training.

Hey it worked for them.

But New Mexico State has received both good and bad news regarding freshmen Jahmar Young and Herb Pope. Coach Marvin Menzies reported that the NCAA didn't say "no" to Young, but the NCAA might need more convincing on Pope. The NCAA did request more information on Young, which was sent out on Monday. As for Pope, Menzie's said.
He went through a waiver process, and we are now in an additional stage of submitting additional documentation based on the answer of what we submitted. So they came back to us and said no because of this, that and the other. We are saying that that is not accurate so here is additional information that you need to evaluate.
What this means is that Pope will likely be denied any chance of playing this season. This is one of those situations where the longer it goes, the worse the outcome is going to be. And you have to wonder if, after missing all of this time, it would just be better if the pair took the redshirt. Although, this probably isn't the opening season that Menzies had in mind when he took over the program from Reggie Theus. This whole situation as been an unfortunate distraction.

One that the NCAA could have easily avoided.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-28T04:31:00 00:00 UC Santa Barbara Rains Tortillas, Threes http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/uc-santa-barbara-rains-tortillas-threes/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/uc-santa-barbara-rains-tortillas-threes/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/28/uc-santa-barbara-rains-tortillas-threes/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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One of the other great traditions at UC Santa Barbara -- aside from the tortillas -- was the couch burning. (As pointed out by one of our readers today.) And you can imagine that many a Lazy Boy were torched on Tuesday night following UC Santa Barbara's stunning 63-60 win over UNLV. Watching the fans storm the court following a big win over the Rebels made me want to crank up the C & C Music Factory and E.M.F. and dance like it was 1990 again.

But hey, you were told to watch out for Santa Barbara.

James Powell hit the winner as time expired to give the Gauchos the win. Powell was unstoppable from three-point-land as he connected on 5-of-9, and finished with 15 points. Santa Barbara finished the game shooting 50 percent from behind the arch (12-of-24). Alex Harris (pictured) had 19 points to lead all scorers. This was a great win for Santa Barbara (5-1), who were able to come back from a 10-point halftime deficit to win the game. UNLV had done a pretty good job of containing the guards, but they just heated up in the second half.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-28T03:29:00 00:00 UCSB Needs to Revive Tradition http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/ucsb-needs-to-revive-tradition/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/ucsb-needs-to-revive-tradition/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/ucsb-needs-to-revive-tradition/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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UNLV at the Thunderdome tonight in Santa Barbara stirs memories of Big Monday on ESPN. Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Anderson Hunt, Greg Anthony and the top-ranked Runnin' Rebels would be fighting off a talented Gauchos team, playing in a glorified high school gym packed with rowdy students. This was easily one of the most anticipated regular-season college hoops games of the year.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-27T10:18:00 00:00 Is the Anaheim Classic Worth Saving? http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/is-the-anaheim-classic-worth-saving/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/is-the-anaheim-classic-worth-saving/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/is-the-anaheim-classic-worth-saving/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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Sure. USC won the inaugural Anaheim Classic in front of a sparse crowd. Probably not what organizers had imagined when the dream scenario of the local team playing against a ranked opponent worked itself out. The numbers had to be a little disappointing.

Still, this was the first year so you can't expect a jam-packed crowd, but maybe just a slightly enthused one. And let's be honest, when you watch any preseason tournament, there are loads of empty seats, be it the Las Vegas Invitational or the Maui Classic. So there is no need to push the panic button.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-27T07:58:00 00:00 BYU Ranked, Big West is Spanked http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/byu-ranked-big-west-is-spanked/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/byu-ranked-big-west-is-spanked/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/27/byu-ranked-big-west-is-spanked/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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BYU moved into the Top 25 following a very good showing in the Las Vegas Invitational. The Cougars knocked off No. 6 Louisville to make it's debut at No. 21. There is no complaining here, that's a pretty good leaping off point for BYU, who figure to keep climbing up the polls. Don't be fooled, BYU is for real.

The notable exception is St. Mary's, fresh off a big win over Oregon. The Gaels are currently No. 36, which seems a little low. Especially if you want to count RPI, where St. Mary's is currently No. 11. But you have to admit, RPI is a little biased because it ranks St. Mary's higher than Oregon just because they beat the Ducks. It is starting to look like St. Mary's will be this year's UNLV, a darling of the RPI, but can't get any respect in the polls or in seeding come tournament time. Not this again.

And does anybody else think that Gonzaga is a little underrated? Maybe nobody is paying attention to Josh Alper's "They came from somewhere," but they should because the Bulldogs are pretty good. Austin Daye just seems like a stud and I still firmly believe that this is one of Mark Few's best teams.

Don't look for any Big West teams to make the charge into the Top 25 anytime soon. Cal Poly was humiliated at Arizona State, 75-41 and Long Beach State didn't do much better at Washington, losing 84-69. Way to represent fellas, you might as well schedule some NAIA schools or something. Seriously, what the hell happened to Cal Poly? That win over Utah State doesn't seem as impressive now.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-27T03:29:00 00:00 Big West vs. Pac-10 Showdown Tonight http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/big-west-vs-pac-10-showdown-tonight/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/big-west-vs-pac-10-showdown-tonight/ http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/big-west-vs-pac-10-showdown-tonight/#comments Adam Rankby Adam Rank

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The Big West has a chance to make a statement tonight as Cal Poly plays at Arizona State and Long Beach State plays at Washington. But if either team is looking to make a splash like St. Mary's did last week, well, that just isn't going to happen.

Seriously, can't we get some better representatives? Alright, we at least one more decent club?

Cal Poly (3-2) is a pretty good team, with a good wins over Utah State and Southern Utah. Chaz Thomas leads the Mustangs in scoring, with just over 11 points-a-game, shooting 37 percent from three-point range. Not a bad percentage, but he's going to need to shoot a bit better than that to unseat the Sun Devils who finished fifth in the Maui Invitational. Including a thrilling overtime win over LSU. Cal Poly has another player to watch, Titus Shelton, who has been pretty good recently. This would be a nice win for Cal Poly and the Big West, but don't hold your breath.

The best you can hope for from Long Beach State is that they don't embarrass themselves against the Huskies. The 49ers are in serious rebuilding mode under first-year coach Dan Monson. You figure the former Gonzaga and Minnesota coach will have things rolling again in Long Beach, but it's just not going to be this season. The 49ers opened the season with a 40-point home loss to BYU, but have look better in recent weeks. The tough schedule is also admirable for a coach that was left with nothing in the cupboard. Just please, Huskies, don't hurt them ... they are only kids.

This looks like it will be a tough night for the Big West.

 

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]]> Adam Rank adam-rank 2007-11-26T14:18:00 00:00