Theme of the Offseason: NCAA Violations

Right now, we're approaching June, a time of year I'd have to consider to be among the best in all of sports. Think about it, there's the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals, the NBA Draft, some great baseball and to top it all off, there's the World Cup this year.

People who read this blog fairly regularly, however, know that I'm a college basketball fan, first and foremost. And June, quite frankly, sucks for college hoops. The season's been over for a good two months, the coaching carousel has finished up and recruits have all signed on for next year. Basically, there's nothing.

There are always storylines that pop up in the sport in this dead period, and they're usually the sort of unexpected things that are always news-worthy. As a Louisville fan, I can reasonably admit last offseason sucked and then sucked some more. First, the team bowed out way earlier than expected in the Elite Eight, largely due to Michigan State's slow play and the leaking of some incriminating info against Rick Pitino, namely an extortion case he was involved in. Turns out that he had a one night stand with a middle-aged woman with clown make-up in an Italian restaurant, knocked her up, then paid for the abortion. Most of this I really didn't mind. Having sex in the back of a restaurant, a classy five-star establishment like Porcini no less? Absolutely pimp. I'm pro-choice so the abortion didn't bother me and the fact that he paid for it makes Coach P a gentleman in my book.

I did, however, have problems with his blaming the situation on 9/11 and the fact that if you're gonna make news for infidelity, at least get with someone hot. Virtually any hot woman in Louisville would bang you, you're Rick Pitino for Christ Sake! You're the second most famous athletic figure in this city, and the No. 1 person (Muhammad Ali) has Parkinson's, so he's exempt.

Moving on, these offseason woes were compounded when John Calipari became the new coach at Kentucky. Cal's not that great of a coach and he's a complete scumbag, but the man can recruit better than anyone in college basketball and I knew he'd bring UK back to national prominence. I miss laughing at Billy Gillispie.



I thought this upcoming offseason would be taking a similar note, what with losing out on Marquis Teague, UK coming up with another No. 1 recruiting class and U of L guard Preston Knowles being arrested for beating the living shit out of his girlfriend's stepfather.

No need to panic however, for the tables have truly turned for me, with my least favorite team in all of sports, UK Basketball, and one of my least favorite teams in college hoops, UConn, both getting in trouble with a regular storyline in the college basketball offseason: NCAA violations.

Let's begin with UConn. I'm a little surprised by this one. I've never liked this program, largely because of their location, their fans, and Jim Calhoun, but they were never a program I'd put in the same breath with a UNLV or a Memphis. Sure, I didn't like Calhoun, but I always assumed he ran a clean program.

That all changed this week. A report came out that an NCAA investigation found the UConn basketball program to be guilty of 8 major rules violations. Among them were about 160 impermissable phone calls and 191 text messages, impermissable benefits given to a recruit, complimentary admissions and discretionary tickets to high school recruits, and an overall lack of promoting an atmosphere of compliance.



As much as I dislike Calhoun as the grumpy old man that he is, a lot of this cannot be placed on him. Most everything, from the phone calls to the admissions and the tickets and benefits, were done by assistants and trainers, not by Calhoun directly.

What does fall on Calhoun, however, is the lack of promoting compliance in his program. While he may have not done anything directly, the reality is that this man is the face of this program. Any leader, be it a president, CEO or coach, should be aware of all that goes on in his operation. Not only is it his responsibility, but it's his job. Yes, the assistants did a lot of these wrong-doings, but who hired these assistants, trusting them with helping run a clean and successful program? Calhoun.

Andy Katz over at ESPN doesn't seem to think of this as a drastic, Doomsday situation for UConn basketball. The recruit most of this revolved around, Nate Miles, never actually played for the team, so evidently that doesn't make it as serious. However, I can remember a situation a few years back with Kelvin Sampson at Indiana committing a similar series of illegal phone calls and text messages with several players who never amounted to much at IU. You know what happened to them? Indiana, one of the top five programs in the history of the game, has yet to recover from what happened, having occupied the Big Ten cellar for the past couple of years, even losing to BU this year.

This is truly a delicate situation for UConn because, as I have said for quite some time, UConn basketball is a delicate program itself. It's been a very successful program for these past twenty years, but what was it before that, in it's entire history? Nothing.

This is not a personal knock at UConn, but when the success of a given program is tied completely to one individual and the work they've done, in this case Calhoun, success is not something that is guaranteed. What makes a program truly great is that success is something that can be sustained over long periods of time. Look at any of your elite programs out there. Kansas has had Phog Allen, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and now Bill Self. Kentucky had Adolf Rupp, Joe B Hall, Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith. UCLA had John Wooden, Larry Brown, Jim Harrick (cheater that he is) and Ben Howland.

Great programs are great over time and not with just a single person. Calhoun will probably be on the outs up in Storrs sooner rather than later (health and age and what not), and I do hope that the Huskies can keep up all the success with whoever they bring in, which given the NYC talent pipeline they've developed, I think things should turn out okay. A delicate situation nonetheless.

The second college basketball story making waves is from Kentucky, with an ongoing investigation into the high school academic career and the recruitment surrounding former Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe.



The accusations, in a nutshell, are that Bledsoe's handlers, aka high school and AAU coaches and family friends, asked for money from schools and coaches in return for betterind their chances to land Bledsoe and, more seriously, his college eligibility has been called into question.

The latter of those two accusations is more incriminating for the following reason: if it is found to be true, which I'm assuming it will be, that Bledsoe's GPA was a product of academic fraud then this means that Bledsoe was an ineligible player, regardless of whether he was cleared by the NCAA.

This is similar to what happened with Derrick Rose at Memphis. Rose was found to have had a false SAT score, but was cleared by the NCAA originally. However, it doesn't change the fact he was still ineligable to play and Memphis had to vacate it's 38 win season and Final Four berth in 2008.

If the same fraud is found with Bledsoe, then guess what? The same fate awaits Kentucky: their 35 wins from this past season will likely be taken away, giving us a great twist of comedy with Kentucky having to forfeit their 2,000th win in program history. Good news is that their fans will be able to break these bad boys out again.



It will also meant that John Calipari would have landed his third program in trouble with the NCAA. He won't get fired over this, which he probably shouldn't given the fact that too much of the blame can't be placed on him. But this is basically Calipari's career script playing itself out: guy goes somewhere, has success, trouble emerges, but we can always point to the fact that "Oh it's not his fault, he's not directly involved".

Kentucky fans would always use this defense when people would accuse their coach of being a cheater, and while it's true that he's never been directly involved, the fact remains that trouble follows this guy. I don't know whether it's the environment he fosters with such an emphasis on top-notch recruiting and professional basketball placement, but his programs end up rubbing the NCAA the wrong way- this much cannot be denied. It does not matter what that he's never technically been involved, but the point is that he lands these programs into trouble, and worst yet, when this trouble emerges, he bails on them. People, namely Kentucky fans, can make this same defense for Calipari as much as their heart desires, but if he gets UK basketball into trouble, will they present this same defense? It doesn't matter about his involvement, all that matters is his record- two vacated Final Fours, making him the only coach in the history of college basketball to have to do so.

We will see how each of these situations pans out, but it will be far from a quiet offseason in college basketball, unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons, a product of ills of the modern game.

Franky Frost's America East Mascot Rankings

Differences of opinion are what make life great...unless you're a pacifist of course. Anyhow, Teddy's unexpected appearance with his America East Mascot Rankings ruffled a few feathers from a dear friend of H & V, Mr. Franky Frost. I would like to give away his name, but he's not so comfortable with his government being given over the Internets.

Frosty's gonna be a semi-regular contributor to the blog for the near future, so look forward to some more of his stuff down the line.

For now, here are his esteemed America East Mascot Rankings:

Teddy’s an idiot. What’s he gunna say next, the Marlins have the best cap in the MLB followed by the Rockies? Come on! To read Teddy’s rankings of America East Mascots scroll down.

They are now listed below mine, appropriately. While I disagree with his rankings I still recommend you read his article, being an election year and all. It’ll serve as good practice for the all bullshit you’ll read in the coming months.

Before I drop knowledge allow me to thank Craig Moonshine, the Dr. James Naismith of H&V. I am unsure whether or not he’ll submit rankings or even comment on any mascot article. After being fondled by Buddy Bat as a child it surprises me Craig even allows these articles to be posted (Editor's Note: I was extremely uncomfortable with Buddy reaching towards my shaft, but he told me he was measuring my inseam. C'mon, I was like six of course I believed it.)

By the way, I’m posting with the worst first. Making lists in ascending order is as intelligent as the writing on Family Guy.

9. Wolfie- Stony Brook

"I look like Fonzi standing next to this fruit"

Wolfie should be hunted down and shot. Simple as that. Not only does the jackass live in Long Island, (The only good thing to ever come from Long Island is Rakim, everything else can meet the same fate as Wolfie) but his name is “Wolfie.” If you think this name is nifty like Teddy does, I beg you to name your first born child “Homo-sapiens-ie.” See how cute it is when your kid comes home from his first day of Kindergarten with Indian (err…Native American?) burns on his neck.

8. Gnarlz and Wild E. Cat- UNH

More than Friends...

Teddy points out that these two mascots don't look related, I'm not too sure about his assessment but I hope he's right. Simply put, Gnarlz and Wild E. Cat seem like they enjoy weekend trips and vow exchanges across the border in Vermont. Also, again with the names! The only Gnarlz I know is a pop music star, and if your first name and middle initial are Wild E. you better be a damn Coyote.

7. Rally Cat- UVM


Threatens Freedom

Since the first time I met the Rally Cat I had suspicions about him. What kind of rallies does this guy attend? Then I found the picture posted above. This cat is an environmentalist, and therefore most definitely a fascist. (Think about it, the two go hand in hand.) I ask you all to look closely at what this guy is attempting to recycle. My attention is first drawn to the frying pan. This God damn cat wants
to ban trans fats! The Commie Bastard! The boxes he wants to recycle haven't even been opened. Rally Cat is about to throw out Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa! I don't wanna incriminate myself (5th Amendment WIN) but I've murdered for less. I don't mean to rant here, but if you see this Cat at the next Nazi Rally you attend, don't say I didn't warn you.


6. Damien and Lil D- Albany


Take Care of Your Responsibilities As a Father

Lil D is Damien's son, but there is nothing great about either of these Great Danes. In fact, Damien is a dead beat. I remember going to UAlbany games before Lil D was cramping Damien's style, when he lived for car rides over to Siena and pissing on that ugly Saint Bernard's fire hydrants. But one day Damien came to a game talking about the "bitch" he knocked up. (His words, not mine.) Ever since Damien has ditched his fun loving ways and each night fills his water dish with
whiskey and downs bags of bacon flavored treats. Damien is an ass. Damien's litter, comprised of only Lil D due to a narrow urethra, is illiterate much like everyone else who puts Lil before their name.


5. Baxter- Binghamton


Good Samaritan

Unlike a lot of these other mascots Binghamton's Baxter is a good guy. He's the only bilingual mascot on the list, and is rumored to have once ate an entire wheel or cheese. You may notice his eyes, which are bugging out. Baxter has had drug problems in the past, but entered rehab and has come out clean. A few years ago Baxter would have found a spot closer to number 1 on this list, but a former drug addict mascot is not nearly as funny as a mascot fiend.


4. Rhett- BU


Rhett Lets It All Hang Out

Anyone who knows me knows that Rhett and I have had our differences in the past. Rhett is a wimp, a punk, and most of all a mark ass mark, but compared to these other buffoons Rhett's alright. While he may get confused as to which uniform to wear to which sport, at hockey games he's in his zone. No Pants, No Problem. Rhett doesn't play by the Puritan's rules. Sure he wears 6 scarlet letters across his chest, but frankly my dear, he don't give a damn.


3. True Grit- UMBC


Unquestioned Alpha Dog

Let me start with the picture. That's a gang right there and the leader or that gang is undisputed, it's the one standing on two legs with opposable thumbs. Now onto the name True Grit. Amazing. Anyone who's seen the film knows that this mascot must be some kind of thug. John Wayne as a US Marshall hunting for the murderer of a foxy lady's father in Indian (err...Native American) territory is good enough for me to include True Grit, the mascot, in the top 3 of this list.


2. Howie the Hawk- Hartford


"Howie Saved My Marriage"

Teddy states, "What's with the short shorts? I had the unfortunate privilege of meeting Howie?" Is Howie wearing short shorts? Yes. Is he pulling them off? Hell Yes! Teddy, don't be jealous of my boy Howie. Later Teddy says, "What I dislike most about Howie is his facial expression." Once again, I'm left baffled by Teddy's analysis. Howie has a reason to smile. It's a little known fact that he is Big
Birds cousin. How could you not smile if your big cousin was one of the coolest mofos on Sesame Street?


1. Bananas- Maine


Ladies Going Bananas for Bananas

If you don't think Bananas is the Best Mascot in the America East please check yourself into a mental health facility. This mascot is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! I actually made a few calls and got Bananas on the line. When I reported that he had been ranked number 6 on the list below this one he seemed upset. "Is Bananas gunna have to choke a bitch?" he asked. He just may.

-FF

America East Mascot Rankings

It has been a few months since the last BU basketball game, but that doesn't mean I have not been keeping up with the good old America East conference. There are plenty of recruiting signings going on, but I figured it would be good to focus on something of a lighter note, such as mascots. I have always complained about how lackluster the mascots in the America East conference are, but I have never sat down and actually ranked them.

Keep in mind that just how America East basketball sometimes leaves much to be desired, so do these mascots. They are nowhere close to the elite mascots such as the Saint Joseph Hawk and Big Red, the Western Kentucky mascot.


No. 1- Rally Cat- UVM


I love the "What's a Catamount?" chant as much as the next guy, but the truth is a Catamount was a cat-like mammal that is extinct that used to live in Vermont. Rally Cat has one of the best names in the conference and it also is one of the better known mascots of the conference. If I hadn't gone up to UVM for the America East Basketball Championship I doubt that Rally would be on the top of my list. What impressed me the most was how fans, players, and cheerleaders all loved Rally. Clearly he and Marqus Blakely represent school spirit for UVM and the local community, which unfortunately I cannot say is true for Rhett at BU.


No. 2- Rhett - Boston University


As a student at BU some may say I am biased towards Rhett, but I do believe Rhett is one of the top mascots in the conference. He has an original name, no stupid accessories like a hat, and is an accurate representation of what the athletic logo entails. The spiked collar is a great touch. Rhett has been present on two ESPN commercials which makes him one of the better known mascots outside the conference. Best thing about Rhett is he is a real creature unlike a few mascots in the conference.


No. 3- Wolfie- Stony Brook


I hate the name and I hate the hat, other than those two flaws this mascot is great. Wolfie resembles the big bad wolf, but just happens to be decked out in Stony Brook attire. It doesn't have a stupid smile like Howie the Hawk, but isn't exactly angry either. He looks to be the most well made mascot in the conference, and certainly brings respectability to Stony Brook Athletics. He looks like the type of mascot who would be able to withstand crowd surfing or a chest bump from Tommy Brenton. If Wolfie traded in his shirt for a jersey, his hat for a headband, and got a new name he would be on the top of my list.


No. 4- True Grit- UMBC


UMBC has one of the worst logos of all college teams, although recently they made a new one which looks much better in my opinion. It is nice to see that True Grit doesn't resemble the logo at all, which looks much like statue in the picture. I really like the name True Grit and it is also refreshing to see a mascot that does not have huge smile, as is the case with most mascots in the America East conference. The only problem with True Grit is that he is kind of boring. The nickname retrievers is boring in itself, but at least the mascot demands some respect.


No. 5- Gnarlz and Wild E. Cat- UNH



I really like the names for both of them, but I don't see why they have two mascots. Gnarlz looks to be a more updated and intimidating version of Wild E. Cat. Unlike the Albany mascots, these two don't seem to be related, which makes it even more odd for two mascots. If Gnarlz was the lone mascot I would have him probably near the top, if not at number one, but the lackluster Wild E. Cat puts them in the middle of my rankings. Wild E. Cat looks like one of the costumed characters at Chuck E. Cheese's.

No. 6- Bananas - Maine


Bananas is a far cry from what the Maine logo displays. If he looked anything like the ferocious black bear on their logo I would probably put him in the top three, but unfortunately he looks more like something you would get from Build-A-Bear. The name Bananas is also pretty stupid in my opinion. I know there is a story behind that name, but I still think it was stupid to name a bear Bananas. Lastly, why the hell is he wearing a hat. Any animal mascot who wears a hat loses points in my book.


No. 7- Damien and Lil' D - Albany



I am not a fan of the two mascot system. One mascot can be the face of an athletic program, so why do you need two? I am a fan of Damien, and he would be ranked much higher if it wasn't for his counterpart. Lil' D is just a prepubescent version of Damien, who clearly was brought in to help bring in younger kids to games. Lil D' looks like he is about to get hit by a car, or maybe he just saw the Albany men's basketball team play, your call.


No. 8- Howie the Hawk - Hartford


What's with the short shorts? I had the unfortunate privilege of meeting Howie when I went to the BU vs. Hartford game during the 2008-2009 season. Howie looks more like an eagle or a duck than a hawk. Compared to the Hawk of Saint Joseph's University, Howie looks like Division Three mascot. What I dislike most about Howie is his facial expression. Why are you smiling Howie? The Hartford men's basketball team just fired their coach, and the one sport Hartford is good at, women's basketball, lost to UVM in the conference championship.


No. 9- Baxter - Binghamton

Binghamton has one of the cooler logos of all the teams in the America East conference. The green Bearcat draws intimidation with its teeth, muscles, and claws. Unfortunately, Baxter lacks all three of those attributes. It is a boring shade of gray, which doesn't make much sense considering their logo is green. I would understand if this was the mascot for UNH, but this bearcat looks more like a domestic cat. Baxter is clearly in need of a makeover, just like the men's basketball team.

Rondo Stirs the Drink for the Celtics

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is the best player in the NBA right now. Period.

Better than Kobe Bryant, the “Black Mamba” himself. Better than Steve Nash. Better than Dwight Howard. Sure, he’s not averaging 28.2 points this postseason like Bryant, or 10.2 assists like Nash, or 11.1 rebounds like Howard – heck, Rondo’s averaging 16.7 points, 10.5 assists and 5.6 boards per game during the 2009-10 playoffs.

The 6-foot-1, 171-pound speedster from the University of Kentucky has been the biggest reason why the Celtics find themselves one win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals – the C’s lead their best-of-seven series with the Orlando Magic 3-1 with Game 5 tonight in Orlando.



“Anybody got a BROOM” The Celtics certainly had no reason to use their own at the Garden two nights ago, as they fell to the Magic in overtime, 96-92, in the most thrilling and competitive game of these playoffs. How effective was Rondo in that contest? Let’s just say that he wasn’t that much of a factor. Rondo picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, which forced coach Doc Rivers to sit him out for most of the first half. Rondo finished with only nine points on 3-of-10 shooting, eight assists and three rebounds – he also had to deal with some muscle cramps early in the game. Rondo was not himself and neither were the Celtics, although the C's did have the opportunity to pull out the victory in the final seconds of regulation.

Rondo’s performance in Game 4 was the polar opposite from his Game 3 showing (11-12-3) – a game that will live in Celtics lore for a play that Rondo was involved in midway through the second quarter. If for some reason you haven’t seen the clip (I can’t imagine why, I mean, it’s been on everywhere!), check it out below. And if you have already seen it countless times on ESPN, just check it out again.



So far this postseason (15 games), Rondo has exploited the different mismatches at his position. In the first round, Rondo matched up against the Miami Heat’s Carlos Arroyo. Yes, that’s correct. Carlos Arroyo. This was a no-brainer – Arroyo stood no chance. The only time I ever remember Arroyo having a decent game was when he lit up the U.S. men’s basketball team in the ’04 Olympics for 24 points in Puerto Rico’s 92-73 upset of the Americans. After eliminating the Heat in five, the Celtics faced the Cleveland Cavaliers and Prince James in the Eastern Conference semis. Rondo outplayed the Cavs’ Mo Williams and his performance in the final three games of the series (including a triple-double in Game 4), which the Celtics won 4-2, sent them to the Eastern Conference finals and began the “Where will LeBron James play next season?” debate among sportswriters and basketball fans in mid-May, and not in late-June, as was meant to be the case after James won his first NBA title.

The Magic’s Jameer Nelson was supposed to present a much tougher matchup for Rondo, but evidenced by the Celtics rolling to a surprising 3-0 series lead over the Magic, that hasn’t been the case – with the exception of Rondo laying an egg in Game 4 and being unable to stop Nelson (23 points, 9 assists) whenever he penetrated into the lane or played the pick and roll with Howard. Rondo must step up in Game 5 tonight and play like the superstar that he has become in these playoffs. He must put the Celtics on his back once again and carry them to the Finals for the second time in three years, where this time around, he wouldn’t be the Celtics’ weakest link, but their greatest asset.

And for the first time in his career, Rondo finds himself on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.



Move over Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. You ain’t the Big Three anymore.



You have some company.

-RR

New Writer On Board

Very happy to announce that H & V will be adding a new member to the staff here. Teddy's going to be in Syria for the next month and a half, meaning he'll be able to write about as often as he has been for the past eight months: namely, never. Do make sure to pray that people over there don't realize he's Jewish and chop his head off with a machete.

Anyhow, I'd like to say that BU sophomore and Daily Free Press writer Rene Reyes will be joining us, doing pieces for the site that should provide a different point of view. We'll start posting initials at the bottom of each article, be it RR or CM so people can be sure on who wrote the articles.

Any other reader of this blog who wants to join in and write is more than welcome to; just shoot me a call or an e-mail.

Welcome on board, Rene.

Is BU Basketball Better Than Louisville?

Anyone who reads this blog who personally knows H & V's er....more incognito half knows that Teddy's good at a few things. One of them is exaggeration. Repeatedly, you'll hear him make bold claims, usually regarding BU Athletics, that really cannot be backed up with any sort of justifiable evidence. It's honestly one of his more entertaining qualities, annoying as it can be some times.

Another one of his big qualities is intentionally trying to annoy me, usually with sports. Over the past few months, Teddy has combined both of these qualities in an attempt to really pester me. Knowing full-well my love of Louisville basketball, Teddy has made the following claim over this period of time: he believes that the BU basketball team will be better than the Louisville basketball team next year, during the 2010-2011 season. At first, I thought he was presenting this for mere shock value, but the argument persisted over the past several months.

At first I dismissed it, but it looks like Teddy honestly believes this. With summer in full swing and with BU-related topics at a minimum, I'll bestow it upon myself to break this down. Could the BU basketball team for this upcoming season beat Louisville's team this upcoming season. The hypothetical matchup between my two favorite college basketball teams thus begins:


The Returning Players

BU

John Holland, SF/SG



2009-10 Stats: 19.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 apg

Holland is obviously the star of this BU team and is the epitome of a small forward: a versatile player who can shoot from beyond the arc and penetrate and play above the rim. Considered an NBA talent, a matchup against a Big East team does not bode well seeing as Holland usually comes up small against top-level competition. Cue film from games against UConn and Dayton (especially the latter) to see this.


Jake O'Brien, F



2009-10 Stats: 13.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.2 bpg

O'Brien, despite some shortcomings, is by all means a good player. He's clearly one of the best players on BU's team, but almost more importantly, the guy's a matchup nightmare. He may not have the strongest low-post game (I mean, c'mon, the guy can't shoot a baby hook consistently), but he stretches the court with a lethal three-point shot. Especially lethal because of his size and wingspan.


Jeff Pelage, C



2009-10: 3.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.7 bpg

The Junkyard Dog undoubtedly improved from his freshman season, even if the stats didn't exactly reflect it. He cut down on his fouls, he improved drastically on defense and he seemed more poised and collected out on the court. With a series of transfers and freshmen coming in next season, though, don't expect the kind of PT he got last year.


Louisville

Jared Swopshire, PF



2009-10 Stats: 7.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.3 apg

Swop's a mercurial player for a lot of Louisville fans like myself. Two years ago, I'd find myself groaning if he came in the game for Earl Clark or Terrence Williams, but he improved a lot his sophomore year with some increased playing time. It seems like Rick Pitino is set on him playing the 4, so bulking up will have to be a priority for him. If he adds on some weight, you're looking at a potentially very good player.


Preston Knowles, SG



2009-10 Stats: 7.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.1 spg

Coming in as an unheralded recruit from in-state, Knowles has been a strong player from three point range and a top defender for this program. He had by all accounts a down year last year, but he'll likely be starting at the shooting guard spot, and I really don't see him ending his Cardinal career on back-to-back down years.


Terrence Jennings, C



2009-10 Stats: 5.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.4 apg, 1.3 bpg

Perhaps no player is more critical to the success of Louisville's team next year than Jennings. Samardo Samuels' unexpected early entry into the NBA Draft has thrust Jennings into the starting lineup down low. He's looked great in limited time over the past couple of years, providing great defense and a legitimate scoring threat. Can he perform well for 25-30 minutes a game, though, is the make or break question


Kyle Kuric, SF



2009-10 Stats: 4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.4 apg

Most well-known for his breakout 22-point performance in a win over top-ranked Syracuse that closed out Freedom Hall, Kuric is another guy who has shown some great promise in limited minutes. Nobody expects him to replicate that Syracuse performance, but he'll need to at least be decent for this team to succeed.


Peyton Siva, PG



2009-10 Stats: 3.9 ppg, 1.8 apg, 0.8 rpg, 1 spg

A lot was expected of Siva heading into his freshman campaign last season: highlight-reel quality player, McDonalds All-American, it was all there. However, Siva was stuck on the bench playing behind a senior in Edgar Sosa, but as is the theme, showed flashes of brillaince.


Rakeem Buckles, PF



2009-10 Stats: 3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.5 apg

Another heralded freshman, Buckles saw limited action, but was usually a nice spark off the bench. Expectations have risen for Buckles entering his sophomore season because of a breakout 20 point performance he had in the team's first round loss in the NCAA Tournament to Cal.


Mike Marra, SG



2009-10 Stats: 3.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.6 apg

Pitino says Marra is the best guard he's ever coached at Louisville. With all due respect to The Godfather, I disagree.


George Goode, PF



2009-10 Stats: 0.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg

Goode was highly touted coming out of high school, but injuries have derailed any progress he could have made at Louisville. If he gets healthy, maybe he gets better?


Stephan Van Treese, PF



2009-10 Stats: 0.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.2 apg

Love the guy, love the effort, but that's about it. Yup, I couldn't find a Google Image picture of SVT in a Louisville uniform.



Transfers

BU

Daryl Partin, SG



2008-09 Stats: 4.6 ppg, 0.7 apg, 0.9 rpg

Partin seemed to have a decent run at LaSalle, considering he only averaged about 12 minutes a game his sophomore year. Guy's a gunner, we do know that much.


Matt Griffin, PG



2008-09 Stats: 2.9 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.3 apg

Griffin looks to be in line to be the team's starter at point guard heading into the season and had some well-rounded, albeit meager, stats at Rider.


Patrick Hazel, F/C



2008-09 Stats: 2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Hazel's who a lot of us are excited about in terms of the recruits, largely because of his Big East pedigree. His stats, however, aren't exactly overwhelming. Change of scenery might do him some good, though.


Louisville

Chris Smith, SG



2008-09 Stats: 13.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.2 apg

Unlike the BU transfers, Smith is going for something of a promotion, leaving a successful career at Manhattan for brighter pastures. He's a bit of a wild card for Louisville next year: could be a revelation, could be a non-factor


Freshmen

BU

Travis Robinson, SF/SG



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 89

A versatile, athletic small forward in the mold of Holland. Should be an immediate impact player.


Mat Piotrowski, C



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 87

A hyped 7'1" prep school recruit who looks to be a high-reward prospect. Only time will tell. Should be a bit of a project.


Dominic Morris, PF



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 86

A powerful low-post player and teammate of Robinson's at Friends Central (Teddy's alma mater) in Philly. Probably should produce the most immediate impact of any of these newcomers.


DJ Irving, PG



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 85

The point guard of the future by all accounts. Extremely speedy and a true playmaker. Chambers almost seemed higher on this recruit than any of the other guys.


Mike Terry, SG



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 85

Another Philly player (shocker) who is the only true shooting guard in this recruiting class.


Malik Thomas, SG



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 79

Another shooting guard but someone who could possibly be a small forward if he bulks up a little bit. Based on pictures of him, though, I'd highly doubt it.


HJ Gaskins, PG



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 72

For all intents and purposes, a third part of a package deal with his HS teammates Morris and Robinson. Still could be a good piece off the bench.


Louisville

Justin Coleman, SF



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 95

The marquee player of this class. Could have an immediate impact on this team. Extremely athletic with some major hops.


Gorgui Sy Dieng, C



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 91

An import from Senegal, Dieng has developed rapidly as a player and is a defensive stopper. He's also far more offensively-advanced than most African imports. Hasheem Thabeet comparisons have been drawn, but we'll see if that pans out.

As a side note, a sick dunk with Dieng on the assist and Coleman on the dunk:




Russell Smith, PG

ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 88



A New York City point guard that lives up to just that billing. Should be the primary back up at the position.


Elisha Justice, PG



ESPN.com Recruiting Ranking: 85

Mr. Kentucky Basketball this year. Originallly a walk-on, but was rewarded a scholarship once Samuels opted to go pro.



The Verdict:

Teddy first started making these "BU > Louisville" claims around late March/early April of this year. I didn't believe him at first, but Samuels opted to leave the school and BU picked up a huge (no pun intended) recruit in Piotrowski.

I'll acknowledge this much: I think it would be a close game, no doubt about it. No more than a 15 point difference between the two teams.

However, these are both teams with a lot of question marks going into next year. How does BU replace nine seniors? Will these freshmen live up to the hype? Will the transfers?

For Louisville, how will players like Jennings and Siva make up for the loss of Samuels, Sosa, and Jerry Smith? Can Pitino focus on making this team better, shunning a lot of the problems in his personal life?

Let's look at the predicted starting lineups for these two teams, as well as the top three subs:

BU

Matt Griffin, PG
John Holland, SG
Jake O'Brien, SF
Patrick Hazel, PF
Dominic Morris, C

Top Subs

Travis Robinson, SF
DJ Irving, PG
Daryl Partin, SG


Louisville

Peyton Siva, PG
Preston Knowles, SG
Justin Coleman, SF
Jared Swopshire, PF
Terrence Jennings, C

Top Subs

Kyle Kuric, SF
Rakeem Buckles, PF
Gorgui Sy Dieng, C


A ton of question marks on both sides, and honestly, you've got to side with the program with the two national titles, led by the future Hall of Fame coach. BU's recruiting class is likely the best class ever in the program's history, but it's still worse than a Louisville freshman class that's widely-regarded as a huge disappointment.

This is no offense to BU: these are just two programs that are on different levels. BU Basketball will be great one day, I can truly feel it, but it will never be among the top programs of the history of the game, and in a hypothetical matchup, this would come through very clearly.


The Prediction:

Louisville 77 BU 65