Barstool Speaks the Truth About College Hoops
Timidity has never been Barstool's style. We don’t sit on civility and we don’t sugarcoat things. We don’t like a team or a coach or a player and we'll let you know in no uncertain terms.
So when it comes to breaking down the upcoming college basketball season, we don't waste time trying to find something good to say about every team. We don't have some alumni base to placate. We're not going to be sitting down for any one-on-one interviews with Roy Williams anytime soon so we aren't going to worry about annoying Roy by saying that his UNC team is going to be an embarrassment this season. We aren't nervous to proclaim that Rick Barnes is a great recruiter who couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag because Barstool probably wasn't on the short list for Final Four media credentials anyways.
With that in mind, here are ten truths about the 2005-06 college hoops season that Barstool isn't afraid to say.
1. White is the New Black. Since a large percentage of our readers were once slow, white high school basketball players, we aren’t afraid to admit that there are a lot of really good, goofy looking white players in college hoops all of a sudden. It's like 1955 all over again. J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison are serious National Player of the Year candidates. Paul Davis remains a major Big Ten force and Gerry McNamara is still chucking 3's for Syracuse. Nik Caner-Medley has All-ACC written all over him. Josh McRoberts and Tyler Hansbrough are the two best first year players in the ACC. What in the name of Bobby Hurley is going on?
2. Boston College is Overrated. There, we said it. Barstool Sports hates BC. We want to the Superfans wiped from the face of the earth. Please. Here's the thing- BC is good, very good in fact. But are the Eagles a legitimate Final Four contender? No. Is there a major difference between the Big East and ACC versions of the Eagles? Nope, so why the sudden belief that BC is a lock to be a force in March? BC still has major problems keeping up with running, athletic teams and until they prove otherwise Barstool isn't jumping on the Eagles' bandwagon.
3. Some Teams Don't Need Point Guards. Guard play dominates college basketball. It's a fact…except when it's not. There is one team in America that doesn't need a point guard to be successful and they're right down the road in Storrs. Sure, the Huskies point guards are better known for racking up felonies instead of assists but the presence of Rudy Gay makes good point guard play less of a priority at UConn. Gay should be the Huskies' primary ballhandler for much of the early season with Marcus Williams suspended and UConn shouldn't skip a beat.
4. NBA Players Win NCAA Championships. Want to find out who is going to win the National Championship? Find the teams with the most NBA prospects. Don't worry about senior leadership or three point defense or any other worthless statistic. Talent wins championships. End of story. Who has the most NBA worthy talent this season? Check out UConn, Texas, Louisville, Kansas, Michigan State and Gonzaga.
5. Freshmen Don't Stay Freshmen For Long. This isn't forty years ago when freshmen weren't eligible to play their first season. Freshmen make major impacts, especially later in the season when they are more settled and comfortable with the college hoops environment, like in conference tournaments and the NCAA's. Under-the-radar teams like NC State, Washington and Kansas could blow up some brackets come the tourney when their stud frosh start dominating.
6. Jim Calhoun is a Snake. And Barstool doesn't give a shit. Every college coach steals recruits from other programs. I believe the practice is called "recruiting." And Barstool also doesn't care that Calhoun is letting Marcus Williams come back after Williams' impromptu foray into information technology sales. Barstool knows plenty of college kids who have done a lot worse and were allowed to stay in school. And, trust us, those other kids weren't helping their schools raise millions in ticket and merchandise sales like Williams does.
7. Thank God T.J. Sorrentine Is Gone. Sure, UVM's upset of Syracuse was one of the decade's great college basketball games but it was getting mind-numbingly annoying having to listen to crazed Catamount fans explain why Sorrentine and Taylor Coppenrath were the best two players in college basketball. Now Barstool is preparing to puncture our eardrums so we don't have to listen to deranged Northeastern fans screaming about how good Jose Juan Barea is.
8. Al Skinner Needs to Stop Recruiting the Craig Smith's of the World. No question, Skinner has done a super job of finding no-name high school players and molding them into quality college contributors. But for every Craig Smith, BC has been stuck with five other players who ended up sitting on the bench and doing nothing. Sure, every college coach blows some calls on recruits- Shavlik Randolph ring any bells- but BC can't survive in the ACC by hoping that a kid develops by the time he's a senior. The Eagles need to start recruiting blue-chip recruits who can step right in and contribute. Don't think so? Six ACC teams- UNC, Georgia Tech, Duke, Florida State, Maryland, and Wake Forest- are ranked in the Top 25 in the Class of 2006 recruiting rankings.
9. J.J Redick is Better Than You Think. There is nothing like going to a Duke away game and watching the treatment Redick gets. He is absolutely hated in the ACC and with good reason. Redick talks more smack than practically any player in the country, has a knack for drawing controversial fouls and isn't afraid to mix it up with the crowd. But there isn't a better big game player in America. Redick thrives of opposing crowd's venom and plays his best the more vicious the crowd gets. Redick may never make it as a NBA player but he is the most dominant player in college hoops.
10. Predicting This Season's Final Four is Too Easy. The staff at Barstool has already given you our 2005 Final Four picks but everyone does that. So, if you want to get a jump on filling out next season's bracket just in case you are really busy in March, 2007, Barstool is here to help. Heck, we'll give you the Elite Eight just for kicks. The four teams that get knocked out in the regional finals- Wisconsin, Ohio State, Duke, Oklahoma. The 2007 Final Four- Louisville, Kansas, Syracuse, UCLA. Kansas cuts down the nets.
Jamie Chisholm