East Coast guy catching up. Here's some older blogs:
I don't think anyone saw this quick of a turnaround for Zona(Pac12) after Tommy Lloyd was named its head coach last April after serving as an assistant coach at Gonzaga(WCC) for the last 22 seasons. Zags have remained top notch w/o Lloyd and Saint Mary trails them by 3 in the conference.
Arizona is up by three games on USC and UCLA and by four games over Oregon ASU is 5-9 in P12action and I wonder if Hurley will be hurled out of town.
New Mexico St(11-2) remains a #WAC powerhouse, but the infusion of new teams has shaken up the top top tier. Seattle(11-2) is finally having some success, and newcomer Sam Houston (11-3) has been a revelation. Darrion Trammell leads with Seattle with a16.3 PPG, and Savion Flagg leads SHS with a 19.5 PPG. Exploration of small conferences forthcoming.
Feb 20, 2022
Bennedict Mathurin(24 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST) helped the Cats survive the Ducks AZ 84, OR 81. UCLA crushed UW 76-50
Zags beat Santa Clara to remain undefeated in WCC play, and St Mary's beat BYU, who have one more season to get in gear for a Big 12 schedule.
NMST, SHS, and Seattle won WAC games yesterday. Riley Grigsby(23 PTS, 5 REB, 1 STL) had a solid game for Seattle in 67-64 win over Cal Baptist.
In Big West action Ajay Mitchell scored 20 points for UC Santa Barbara in an 84-71 win that snapped Long Beach State's 11-game winning streak.
Feb 22, 2022
I don't know if it's good enough for the NCAA committee's NET tool but keep your eyes on San Fran in the WCC. Khalil Shabazz had 21 points as San Francisco(22-7,9-5) rolled past Pacific 104-71.
NMST beat Seattle and remains the WAC boss.
Feb 25, 2022
I tuned into the start of the Gonzaga/San Francisco, game and the Zags didn't miss a shot in the first few minutes and went on to a 89-73 win. St Mary's handled San Diego and will remain in the top 25.
In Pac 12 play Oregon upset UCLA, USC beat Oregon St, and Zona beat Utah to reach 15-1 in conference play.
Feb 27, 2022
St Mary's upset of Gonzaga kept them firmly in the bubble picture. San Fran, Santa Clara, and BYU won WCC matchups to maintain a pulse for Dance hopes.
I'm unsure what to make of Zona 's loss to Colorado, and USC survived Oregon in Pac 12 news.
Chicago St has been horrible for years, however yesterday's 61-59 win over NMST(WAC) on Brandon Betson's game-winning layup with 2.4 seconds fits into yesterday's pattern of big upsets. Some chatter about Chicago St joining the Summit Conference, which is a better geographical fit.
March 5, 2022
In the WCC, Zags and St Marys will be dancing but other teams need big wins and probably to win the WCC tourney. BYU rolled LMU and will face San Francisco while Portland beat San Diego and will face Santa Clara.
March 6, 2022
Shabazz (22 PTS 4 REB 2 AST) lead SANFRAN over BYU and faces the Zags next
Santa Clara rolled Portland 91-67 and plays St Marys
Ducks are sinking under water. They got crushed 91-71 by Wazzoo and are in a three way tie for 5th with Wazzoo and UW in the Pac 12.
March 8, 2022
WCC final at Orleans Arena in Vegas has its top two teams, Gonzaga/St Marys which will likely mean these are its two Dance ticket teams.
March 9, 2022
Zags were ready to play last night and beat St Marys 82-69.
Former WAC member Cal St Bakersfield beat CSU Northridge in rd1 of the Big West T. Both teams have had bad seasons.
Cal Baptist beat UTRGV in rd1 of the WACT.
March 12, 2022
Big West: CSU Fullerton beat Hawaii and Long Beach St beat UCSB to make it the final tonight.
WAC: Well, we have an all southwest flavor to the WACT final. New Mexico St beat GC, and Abilene Christian beat Seattle last night. AC(Southland Conference) beat Texas in rd1 of the 2021 Dance , which was the final straw for Shaka in Austin,TX, and also led to Joe Golding leaving AC for the UTEP HC job.
Pac12: Zona beat Colorado and UCLA beat USC to reach the Pac12 final. Both these teams are dancing, and USC will slide in and possibly CU, but I think the Ducks played their way out.
March 13, 2022
Before I get to tournament. title games, it appears that Grand Canyon(WAC) HC Bryce Drew is headed back to the SEC. He coached Vandy from 2016-19 and is high on the list to replace Will Wade at LSU.
Big West: E.J. Anosike scored 22 points for CSUF to escape with a 72-71 win over Long Beach in the title game.
Pac 12 : Zona beat UCLA 84-76
Big Sky: X. Bishop(19 pts, 8 assists) led Montana St to an easy 87-66 win over Northern Colorado.
March 18, 2022
WAC: I didn't pick them and good for NMST upsetting UConn. Allen NMST (37 PTS 6 REB 3 AST)
WCC: Zags rolled Ga St. ,St Mary's crushed Indiana and San Fran got close but fell in OT to Murray St.
Pac 12- UCLA got a scare from Akron but prevailed.
March 19, 2022
USC lost a tough one to Miami (FL). Trojans didn't have consistent go to guy on offense. Zona got a battle from Wright St before pulling away in the second half.
It didn't take long: Florida hired San Francisco's Todd Golden to be its men's basketball coach just hours after SF lost to Murray St 92-87 in OT of rd1. He was an assistant at Auburn (2014-16)
March 20, 2022
Tigers had no answer for Timme of Gonzaga. Arkansas contained New Mexico State's Teddy ''Buckets'' Allen and survived 53-48. NMST represented the WAC well in this Dance. UCLA beat Saint Marys 72-56 .
I forgot that Larry Brown was on the Memphis staff.
March 21, 2022
Zona survived OT and beat TCU. Two Pac 12 teams and a WCC team in the Sweet 16.
Jans leaves NMST for Miss St (SEC)
March 26, 2022
St Peters knocks out Purdue. Nine Dance tickets for the Big 10, zero spots in the E8. ACC(3) , SEC (1), B12(1), MAAC (1), Big East(1) AAC(1)
March 29, 2022
Wazzoo(Pac12) is in the F4 of the NIT and will face TAMU(SEC) tonight, and that winner faces the Xavier(Big East)/St Bonaventure(A10) winner on Thursday.
New Mexico State(WAC) hired former Northwest Florida State coach Greg Heiar to replace Jans who took the Miss St job. Heiar led NFS to a NJCAA Division I national championship in 2021.
March 30, 2022 NIT
Xavier 84 St. Bonaventure 77
Texas A&M 72 Washington State 56
April 5, 2022
For the second year in a row, Dana Altman will need to replace one of his assistant coaches and top recruiters. Last season Stubblefield left for the Depaul HC gig. And now, Chris Crutchfield will be the next head coach at Nebraska- Omaha(Summit) after spending just one year in Eugene and recruiting Dior Johnson , a five star player, to Oregon for 2022. Johnson says he's staying with the Ducks. Hectic is a mild description of how it is to run a big time program.
April 7, 2022
I guess dusting off Fran Dunphy to take over as HC at Lasalle has started a trend. San Diego(WCC) hired Steve Lavin who last coached at St Johns in 2015. Let's see if he can get the Toreros to compete with the Zags.
June 2, 2022
Timme pulled his name from the NBA draft pool and will be back with the Zags. Jules Bernard(UCLA) is rolling the dice by staying in. Most folks see him in the G League.
WAC news: Chicago St hasn't found a conference since it's WAC exit. Dixie St changed it's name to Utah Tech.
July 30, 2022
Gonzaga(WCC) will play Michigan State(Big10) on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of San Diego for Veterans Day 2022. Humidity has forced cancellations in the past for some hoops games on carriers.
Aug 3, 2022
Kentucky(SEC) and Gonzaga(WCC) agree to home-and-home series starting in Spokane. WA in 2022.
BTW, St Marys(WCC) will play Houston in Fort Worth TX and also has games versus San Diego St, and Vandy which could help its Dance resume.
Nov 3, 2022
Gonzaga has been transparent with the WCC about its conversations to join the Big 12.
Bill Walton hopes UCLA's move to the Big 10 is rescinded.
Nov 8, 2022
Per Dan Patrick: San Diego St is Pac 12 bound.
Nov 10, 2022
A decade after Enfield coached Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16, his USC squad lost to his former team, 74-61, in LA on Monday night in the season opener for both teams. Enfield played hoops at Johns Hopkins U in Baltimore city.
Nov 11, 2022
I used to enjoy complaining about Tobacco Road hoops in North Carolina when Terps were in the ACC, now I just miss it. Typical November FGCU loses to San Diego(WCC) after beating USC. UCLA hosts Illinois and visits MD in OOC play.
March 25, 2023
Jason Hooten joins New Mexico St after 13 seasons as the HC at Sam Houston State(WAC). He's got a tough task ahead after ex HC Heiar was fired in mid-season due to the numerous scandals on /off the court with the hoops squad. NMST and SHS will be in the CUSA in July 2023.
Circling back to Enfield, the USC HC who will soon be coaching regularly in the Big 10. He was an assistant at Maryland a long time ago.
April 8, 2023
Utah St(MWC) hires Montana State(Big Sky) HC Danny Sprinkle as Ryan Odom’s replacement. Sprinkle led Montana State to back-to-back Big Sky tournament championships the past two seasons.
July 1, 2023
Pac12 stumbling and bumbling toward a media contract to save it's a^s has San Diego St stuck in limbo, and they will be a great addition, particularly for hoops to the Pac12. Yes, I think the Aztecs will land in the Pac12.
All the neon shining on Deion's football hopes has me wondering if Colorado basketball get some better players out of all the media attention.
