In episode #21 of The Bottoms Line College Basketball Podcast, host Andy Bottoms is once again joined by Troy Machir of Ballin’ Is a Habit to discuss all the latest news and events in college basketball.
The Bottoms Line College Basketball Podcast: Whither Duke, UCONN, and Alabama?
February 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Bottoms Line College Basketball Power Rankings: Week of January 30th
January 30, 2012 By 1 Comment
It sounds a bit odd to say this, but last week was relatively tame in the college hoops world since “only” nine teams in the Top 25 lost. Even so, there are no new teams in this week’s edition of my power rankings, just some jostling of positions.
Bottoms Line College Basketball Power Rankings: Week of January 23rd
January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Saturday was arguably the best day of college basketball so far this season, as a pair of Top Five sqauds squared off, the top-ranked team went down, and a buzzer-beater ended a lengthy home winning streak just to name a few of the notable happenings.
And as usual, that led to plenty of shakeups in this week’s Top 25.
Bottoms Line College Basketball Power Rankings: Week of January 16th
January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
After yet another week where nearly half of the Top 25 suffered at least one loss, the exercise of putting together my latest power rankings has proven to be challenging once again.
The middle of the list has proven to be a complete mess, but since road wins have been so tough to come by, there are some teams that actually stayed put or even moved up despite losing.
Bottoms Line College Basketball Power Rankings: Spartans Rise Edition
January 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It’s been a couple weeks since the last edition of my power ratings, and a whole lot has changed since then thanks to some surprising results from early conference play, meltdowns from Pitt and Xavier, and a couple more teams falling from the ranks of the unbeaten.
College Basketball Power Rankings: ‘Murray State Races In’ Edition
December 21, 2011 By 2 Comments
Since last week’s installment of the power rankings, Illinois, Marquette, and Xavier have fallen from the ranks of the unbeaten, leaving just six teams with an unblemished record. One of those teams, Murray State, makes their debut in the Bottoms Line College Basketball Power Rankings this week.
College Basketball Power Rankings: Indiana Returns Edition
December 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I’m a couple days late on the power rankings this week, but there is no truth to the rumor that I went on a five-day bender following IU’s win over Kentucky. In case you forgot what happened, here’s the video. And in case you want to see a complete moron preview the game, here’s another one.
College Basketball Power Rankings
December 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Now that the college basketball season is about a month old, it’s time for the first installment of the Bottoms Line College Basketball Power Rankings.
Putting these together is my attempt at balancing how teams are playing as well as who they are playing (and ideally beating) to rank the top teams in the nation. So before you get bent out of shape and call me an idiot for having North Carolina at number four, make an argument that they aren’t among the four best teams in the country based on how they played against Kentucky.
That’s what I thought.
Is Duke’s Austin Rivers The “Next Big Thing”?
November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I am a diehard Dukie. Have been since I was a little kid.
I have seen some talented players come through the ranks; from Jay Williams to Shane Battier to Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer.
Is Doc Rivers’ kid Austin the next big thing?
The Bottoms Line: Duke-Kansas Maui Championship Game Preview and Prediction
November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
As usual, the Maui Invitational features the best top-to-bottom field of any preseason tournament, and there have been a number of exciting games leading up to Wednesday night’s final between #6 Duke and #14 Kansas, which can be seen at 10:00 EST on ESPN.
The Bottoms Line College Basketball Podcast: Episode 10
November 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
In episode #10 of The Bottoms Line College Hoops Talk Podcast, host Andy Bottoms is joined by Troy Machir of Ballin’ Is a Habit to discuss all the latest news and events in college basketball.
This week, they touch on several important items from the season’s first week, including the many upcoming early season tournaments. Among the teams and conferences discussed: Vandy, Michigan State, the MAC, MVC, and WAC, as well as Duke and UCLA to name a few.
ESPN College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon Schedule, Preview, and Predictions
November 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
While the college basketball season began in earnest over the weekend, there weren’t too many marquee games on the schedule, and the sport was forced to compete with college and pro football. That won’t be the case when ESPN’s fourth tip-off marathon begins. The event features 19 men’s games spanning roughly 25 hours, starting at 12:00 Tuesday morning.
I’m too old to stay up for the whole thing, but for those of you wishing to check it out, I can offer you two things: 1) a link to the complete schedule of the games and commentators and 2) my thoughts and predictions for each contest.
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The Bottoms Line College Basketball Weekly TV Schedule
November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
On Monday, the college basketball season officially tips off. Just take a minute to let those words sink in.
Throughout the season, my goal is to highlight notable games so you can plan your weeknights and weekends accordingly. This week is fairly light until we get to Friday…when there are over 120 games to choose from, including the much anticipated Carrier Classic between Michigan State and North Carolina.
Reconsidering the Fab 5, the Context of Jalen Rose’s Controversial Comments, and the Reality of Duke
March 16, 2011 By 17 Comments
Update: It’s a Fab 5 kind of morning here at MSF. Once you get done reading Jon’s take on the Fab5, check out Jerod’s latest photo story entitled The Truce. It features Jalen Rose, Coach K, Grant Hill, and others, and like this article challenges the common perceptions of the latest controversy surrounding the Fab 5.
I am a 24 year-old white male. I grew up smack-dab in the middle of Indiana but have lived in the Deep South for the past seven years.
It would be naive and foolish of me to even pretend that I’ve really “been around the block.” When it comes to culture, I know a little, but I don’t know a lot. When it comes to racism, I have seen my fair share (I live in Charleston, SC), but to be honest, I have never truly experienced it. When it comes to basketball, I know just about everything you could possibly know from 1995 to the present, but I must remain a student of the game to discover what happened before my time.
So when ESPN announced that they were going to broadcast a documentary on the Fab Five, I was pumped. Literally one of my first basketball memories ever was when my dad bought me a basketball from Hardee’s when I was only five years old. It was a “Final Four” basketball and had four logos: Duke, Indiana, Cincinnati, and Michigan. I can still remember looking at the big yellow “M” and my dad telling me that the Fab 5 played for them.
I had heard and read so much about them, but I had never actually SEEN them. SO I made it a point to clear my evening this past Sunday and set up my DVR so that whatever happened, I wouldn’t miss the chance to see the immortal Fab 5.
When it was over, three things stuck out to me:
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Duke-Butler Preview: Spread, Analysis, and Prediction
April 4, 2010 By 18 Comments
Monday night, tiny Hickory High with battle mighty South Bend Central for the 1954 IHSAA Championship Game.
Wait…what?
If you watch enough ESPN or read enough AP reporting about the 2010 Final Four, you might start to confuse the 2010 Final Four with the 1954 Indiana high school basketball tournament.
And while Butler is an underdog, and they are an unlikely participant in the title game based on their conference affiliation and enrollment, by now the prevailing feeling about Brad Stevens’ team should be what Coach K said tonight during his press conference: ”I don’t really consider them a Cinderella.”
So let’s retire that word and simply analyze the for-all-the-marbles matchup between this season’s two best teams: the Duke Blue Devils and the Butler Bulldogs.
