Friday’s 6-pack:
Six college basketball teams with most experience in country:
1- Ole Miss
2- Kansas
3- Xavier
4- Kentucky
5- Nevada
6- Memphis
Quote of the Day
“I’m kind of an asshole when I’m bored. I don’t have enough hobbies. I just think I can be irritable. … For me, I don’t know how I’d be not having a team, not having a purpose for a year. And if there’s a couple opportunities, or an opportunity that kind of grabs my heart, then I need to take advantage of that.”
DePaul basketball coach Chris Holtmann, on why he took over a struggling program
Friday’s quiz
Who was head coach of the Washington Redskins/Commanders last time they won a playoff game?
Thursday’s quiz
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels played college football for Arizona State and LSU.
Wednesday’s quiz
Klay Thompson played his college basketball at Washington State
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College basketball teams that will be interesting to follow this year…….
— Connecticut
UConn won last two national titles, winning title games by 17-15 points.
Huskies were first team since Florida (2006/2007) to win consecutive titles.
Last team to win 3+ consecutive national titles? UCLA, from 1967-73
UConn lost four starters from LY; they’re #199 in experience this year.
— Arkansas
Hard to process, but John Calipari is now the Arkansas coach.
Arkansas was in 3 of last 4 NCAA’s, making two Elite 8’s and a Sweet 16 under Eric Musselman.
Calipari hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since 2019.
Hogs are #232 in experience, #327 in continuity; Calipari is used to that.
— USC
Speaking of Musselman, he is now the Trojans’ coach, as they join the Big 18.
This year’s Trojans are #31 in experience, #349 in continuity; 10 transfers.
USC is 3-0; they struggled to beat Texas-Arlington 98-95 Wednesday.
— Southern Methodist
Andy Enfield bolted USC for SMU and ACC; Dallas is nowhere near the Atlantic Ocean.
Mustangs are #29 in experience, #209 in continuity; Enfield’s teams usually defend well.
So far, SMU scored 93 ppg in beating three stiffs (schedule #331)
—
Whats left of the Pac-12? (they’re playing in WCC this year)
Oregon State went 11-49 in Pac-12 the last three years, after an Elite 8 in 2021.
Seven players bolted the Beavers’ program after last season.
This year, OSU is 3-0 vs schedule #322; they’ve continuity team #260.
Washington State
New league, new coach, new players after Coogs went 25-10 last year.
David Riley is the new coach; he went 31-5 in the Big Sky last two years.
Wazzu has only one guy back from LY; they’ve scored 97 ppg in a 3-0 start.
— Villanova
Wildcats made Final Four three years ago, then Jay Wright abruptly retired.
Since then, Villanova is 37-35, 20-20 in conference games, 0-0 in NCAA’s.
This year, Villanova is #34 in experience, #261 in continuity; lot of transfers.
Wildcats are 2-2 this year, with losses to Columbia/St Joe’s. No bueno.
—
Famous birthdays, November 15th:
Sam Waterston, 84
Bob Dandridge, 77
Greg Anthony, 57
Sasha Pavlovic, 41
Asia Kate Dillon, 40
Trevor Story, 32
Karl-Anthony Towns, 29
Wyatt Langford, 23
— Fresno State
68-year old Vance Walberg is the coach; he coached Pepperdine (2006-08), was an NBA assistant for four years, was a high school coach the last eight years, at a school five miles from the Fresno State campus.
Fresno hasn’t been in NCAAs since 2016; they’ve got only two players back from last year, but Walberg recruiting last year’s junior college player of the year, so they’ve got talent. Bulldogs lost an 82-possession game 91-86 in Santa Barbara Wednesday. Walberg’s teams play fast.
— Seton Hall
Shaheen Holloway led Saint Peter’s to the Elite 8 three years ago; his 2nd Seton Hall team was 25-12 last year, 13-7 in Big East but they didn’t make the NCAA’s.
So far this year, Seton Hall has scored only 53.7 ppg in a 1-2 start, losing to Fordham/Hofstra. Pirates are experience team #88, continuity team #240; they’ve got three top 100 games before Big East play starts December 17.
— Louisville
Pat Kelsey is Louisville’s 5th coach in nine years; they went 11-49 in the ACC the last three years and haven’t made the NCAA’s since 2019. Kelsey’s teams have been in three of last four NCAA tournaments, at Winthrop/Charleston— his teams play fast.
This year’s Cardinals are experience team #9, continuity team #350— Kelsey pounded the transfer portal. Louisville split its first two games, forcing turnovers 28.9% of the time. Won’t be long before Louisville is back in the field of 68.
— St John’s
Rick Pitino was Louisville’s coach the last time they won an NCAA game, in 2017.
St John’s hasn’t won an NCAA game since 2000; this year’s Red Storm is experience team #91, continuity team #264- they’ve beaten three stiffs, by 32-23-21 points.
Pitin0 is a great coach; he plays his son’s New Mexico team Sunday, then has three more top 100 games before Big East games start. Chances are St John’s will be in March Madness for the first time since 2019.
— Richard Pitino’s New Mexico Lobos are playing the fastest tempo in America so far this year; Lobos are 3-0 with a win over UCLA- they’ve forced turnovers 24.6% of time (#30). Lobos were in NCAA’s last year for first time since 2014.
— Siena had its first losing season in six years last year, but they fired the coach anyway and hired Syracuse assistant Gerry McNamara- the rumor was he could add some boosters to help Siena’s NIL situation, which wasn’t good.
McNamara’s best recruit might be special assistant Brian Beaury, who won 654 games at St Rose, a Division II team in Albany (the school went out of business LY). Beaury is a great coach who will help a rookie head coach.
Siena is off to a 3-0 start, beating Brown/Bryant in overtime; they’re #19 in country on offensive boards, #301 on the defensive end. Saints are #349 in experience, #331 in continuity.
— Steve Alford’s Nevada Wolf Pack is #5 in experience, #107 in continuity; they’ve scored 80.7 ppg in their 3-0 start, making 49.1% of their 3’s, best in the country so far. Nevada was 25-11 in the Mountain West the last two years and figure to contend there again this year.
