The Big 12 Conference is riding the wave of last season’s success, and it has Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas and Texas among others to thank for bringing it back to the top of the college basketball pecking order.
Big early-season wins have been the norm for a couple of teams, as the Big 12’s cream continues to [...]

Fool me once…
Congrats to Mercer Bears for pulling the upset trick in consecutive seasons and shame on us in the college basketball world who were just as gullible to watch in shock once again.
After ruining the Hollywood debut of O.J. Mayo out west during Southern California’s home opener last season, [...]

In my humble Big East predictions, these are the bottom eight teams. Can any of them climb out of the bottom half?

In this week’s Beast Report, paths to ascension are devised.

Marquette
Most experts will disagree with my placement of Marquette in the bottom half of the Big East. The Golden Eagles, [...]

Terrence Williams is back in the red and black. For all his flaws (wild, misguided passes, embarrassing outside shooting), T-Will has great value for this particular Louisville team. With Earl Clark also back in the fold, UL is a favorite to reach the Final Four for the second time in five seasons.

Rick Pitino [...]

Make it 10 straight for the ACC.
This one, however, came a little bit harder than most of the conference’s previous nine wins in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, and was a little bit more difficult than expected.
So bragging rights go to the ACC yet again, but let’s be honest, this is pretty much all about the [...]

The Old Spice Classic was slated to be the monster among monster pre-conference tournaments. Thanks to Michigan State (or Maryland, depending on how you view the situation), the tournament didn’t live up to the hype.
When it was all said and done, the four “big boys” all showcased their stuff. But Michigan State’s shocking thumping at [...]

Is 10 the lucky number for the Big 10?
The tenth annual ACC-Big 10 Challenge tips off on Monday and the score is ACC 9, Big Ten 0. That’s right; the Big 10 has never won, and it has only been remotely competitive once since 2003 (losing 6-5 in 2005). Overall, the ACC is 56-30 in [...]

Thousands of fans took in the College Basketball Experience, many expectant of a Kansas championship. While Syracuse spoiled that dream 89-81 in overtime, the fans did bear witness to the greatest display of point guard play in the nation thus far.
They led in different ways, but both KU junior Sherron Collins and SU sophomore Jonny [...]

Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners deprived the Madison Square Garden faithful of a chance to see Davidson star Stephen Curry. But the fans, at least, will get to see another Pre-season First-Team All-American in Griffin, himself. The semifinals of the Pre-season NIT tip off in New York on the day before Thanksgiving, pitting Boston [...]

Unlike the 2k Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, where organizers had an idea of who would play for the title, the organizers of the 2008 Old Spice Classic left the future open to interpretation.
That is what happens when an 8-team tournament features five teams from last year’s NCAA Tournament. Moreover, we’re not talking about [...]