Checking Out

As with every sports match that comes along it seems that some teams simply forget to show up.  This week's stinkers in the college basketball tournament arena are definitely teams that may have been on the court in person but definitely not there in any other way, shape, or form.  Here's a rundown of the college basketball players and their teams that may have been better off staying in their locker rooms instead of stepping foot on the hardwood.

Savannah State

We're not exactly sure where the college basketball players for Savannah State were hiding this week in the college basketball tournament, but the Tigers definitely forgot what they were doing against the Georgetown Hoyas.


Losing to the Hoyas with a final embarrassing score of 100 to 38, the Tigers were simply lambasted by the Hoyas throughout the entire game in this college basketball tournament.  They started out strong, scoring 17 to 3 but simply lost that edge in a grueling loss.  So far the Tigers are 0 and 4 away from home this year. 

Northwestern

Could 2008 be the year Northwestern makes it to the Big Six college basketball tournament?  Not highly likely.  The team hasn't seen the Big Six college basketball tournament in the teams seventy year history.  Only four of last year's starters are returning this year, and whether you want to blame their long run of college basketball player's bad luck on the fact they are a small school with few college basketball players that can play on the college basketball tournament circuit or on some other quirky twist of fate, 2008 is not going to be the year for them. 

Miami's Jack McClinton

Jack McClinton definitely had his head in the locker room in this college basketball tournament during last week's game against the Ohio Buckeyes.  And his body soon followed after he slapped David Lighty of the Buckeyes during the game.  The team already has Eddie Rios suspended indefinitely and after McClinton was ejected from the game thanks to his smack down of Lighty, Miami may have a hard time bouncing back from the loss. These college basketball players are facing the consequences.

Arizona Sun Devils

The college basketball players on this team are not doing as well as Arizona's NFL team, that's for sure.  The team is relying on James Harden to produce shot after shot on a nightly basis, and if they expect to have any chance in making it to a college basketball tournament then Jeff Pendergraph and Rihards Kuksiks are going to have to step up to the free throw line and start being more reliable. 

Memphis Tigers

While the Tigers won against Marist, the team is about to face the Georgetown Hoyas, one of the best teams currently on the college basketball tournament circuit.  Shawn Taggart, Robert Dozier and the rest of the team are going to have to get into the game full on if they plan on delivering a loss to the Hoyas.  Otherwise, they may find themselves getting all walked over in D.C.  The Tigers have one week to do it. 

For the record, there is one college basketball player that was not on the locker room dud list this week that is well worth mentioning.  73 year old Ken Mink is stepping back onto the hardwood after years of not being a college basketball player.  Mink is playing for Roan State Junior College with men fifty years his junior and doing a good job at it.  Way to go, Mr. Mink!