Midnight Is Upon Us (So is Soulja Boy)

Well kids, It's finally here. The start of practice!

Well when you put it that way, it really doesn't that exciting. But Midnight Madness, that's a way to put some zest into practice. Whatever way you put it, we are finally getting close to the start of college basketball. Teams will begin practicing (officially) tomorrow, STF can finally start reporting on things other than arrests and season ending injuries.

Since I went to undergrad at a Division III school, I've never experienced Midnight Madness. And because of work tonight, I won't be able to travel to see one tonight either. So if anyone out there is heading to Midnight Madness, feel free to email on pictures or stories that you have to stormingthefloor@gmail.com. We'll be posting everything on Monday and Tuesday.

As for those you not in college, you can check out the Midnight Madness from Georgetown, Davidson and Memphis tonight on ESPNU (if you get it)

While a surprising number of schools (UCLA, Duke, Louisville) don't have any events planned for tonight, here are best Midnight Madness celebrations that I could find.


Kentucky: Big Blue Madness
Kansas: Late Night in The Phog

North Carolina: Late Night With Roy

Marquette: Marquette Madness

Memphis: Memphis Madness

USC: Midnight Madness

Connecticut: First Night

Georgetown: Midnight Madness

Indiana: Hoosier Hysteria

Michigan State: Madness at Munn


Saving the Best For Last......

Texas A&M: Maroon Madness featuring Soulja Boy!

Midnight Madness Memories: Georgetown 2002

Midnight Madness Memories : Georgetown 2002 by Ted





I think, before we begin, we should hold one truth to be self-evident: my life is a complete and utter sham.

My senior year of college at Georgetown, I was coming off a summer where I had been hooking up with one girl - who I started hooking up with because my ex-girlfriend had ended things when she went to Argentina for the semester/summer - only to get back to school and, at an Orioles game no less, reconnect with the latter girl.

I had two girls circa September of 2002, and managed to blow it with both. That's a long story, probably best saved for another blog, or a long leather couch. Actually, it's been discussed in both another blog (no chance you're getting a Hyperlink) and on a long leather couch, and my life is pretty much still a cross between a game called by Solomon Wilcots and the lower rungs of SEC hoops.

Regardless, the first girl - the Summer '02 one - was actually in charge of Midnight Madness my senior year. This was part dubious distinction, kind of like Crash Davis' career in the minors: I mean, we had TURNED DOWN A BID TO THE NIT just the season before. Not many people on campus were excited about this squad, except in the sense of most undergrads not even realizing we had a football team and needing something to cling to - or, at the very least, a rationalization for drinking before noon on a Saturday.

I realized around this point that not only was I a Class-A d-bag, but I had attended three Midnight Madness celebrations yet never participated in one. I quickly began lobbying Girl No. 1, which was hard because she wouldn't speak to me for several weeks, but finally managed to grab this lil' slice of heaven: One of three coaches for the student team in the Student vs. Faculty Game.

This game tipped around 11:10pm and lasted till 11:30, slated right after cheerleaders doing a bunch of ish and right before some low-grade rap act. The other two coaches were the Student Body President (a female) and my friend Nick, a.k.a. "Squid" (he got the nickname from a video game of his youth).

Because the SBP was a pushover in some respects, and Squid and I emanated from the same vague social circle, I loaded the team with our friends, but to protect the innocent, I'll change up some names. We had "The Good Doctor," arguably the best player on the squad, as well as "Wolf," so named because of the main host on the show he now works within. "The Fatal One," a chain-smoking, globe-trotting two-guard, was another friend of the family on board.

For no truly apparent reason, I felt the need to wear a suit - n.b. it was the only one I owned - to coach this game. I strapped up around 10:50pm, and by 10:54pm I was not only nattily attired, but had a margarita in my hand. A bit fruity, yes, but at the time it seemed like the most logical thing possible. Wolf and The Good Doctor were doing some calf stretches in my living room - Wolf lived there - when the door knock yielded Squid, also wearing a suit and carrying a handle of Jack.

I'm not sure how a completely un-necessary position as part of Midnight Madness for a team that hadn't participated in any postseason the year prior became cause for rampant alcoholism, but it did. And you know what? It was vain glorious.

We downed shots and I finished my cocktail (just remember the first sentence of this post, OK?) before running over to McDonough Gymnasium, best known as the place where Georgetown annually loses to a suspect opponent sometime in late November or December. When we arrived, the reception from my girl was icy - she may have been busy, but the death stare and the "Don't do anything stupid" might have given it away as something else.

The game was ref'ed by then Head Coach Craig Esherick - interestingly, I saw him at a restaurant in New York recently - who one of my friends admitted bore a strikingly similar resemblance to Hitler, "and my feelings about him are virtually identical."

The faculty team was mostly Jesuit priests topping 50, so the game wasn't very close. The theatrical high point may have been Squid ripping off his tie and chucking it at Esherick during a brief hotly contested moment around the mid-point.

The game, however, did contain a seminal moment of my life. As we held a scant three-point lead over the staff, Wolf raced down court with the ball. I'd seen Wolf ball at many a time in my life - I'd written a student newspaper cover story about the culture of pick-up basketball in the District with him, actually - but his speed was absolutely blistering right now. Part Leandro Barbosa before Leandro Barbosa was anything vaguely relevant, and part Kenny Anderson before the child support drama, Wolf got by one Jesuit, then two, then three. Finally, all that stood between him and the lay-up was one graying old Catholic.

But, my man did the unthinkable.

He dropped a dime.

That's right - but not just any dime.

He threw it BEHIND THE BACK to The Good Doctor.

Former roommates to each other. Friend circle connected. My boys, as poetry in motion.

The Good Doctor, momentarily shocked, kissed one off the glass and our lead extended.

I took off running down the sideline, looking up to make eye contact with every member of our entire friend circle that I could find. I'm sure I looked like part Chris Farley doing his "Van down by the river" bit, part Kenny Thomas in his heyday at New Mexico after a thunder dunk, and part sputtering animal transport plane just trying to taxi, but I had never been happier. I was screaming, whooping, hooting and hollering as if I had done anything.

I hadn't. And by the time I reached the faculty bench and realized I was taunting men of God, I really felt like shite.

In a way, though, it didn't matter - and it never has. The dime spoke volumes about our friend circle, and is referenced to this day: classic, surprising, wholly irrelevant, and unifying. It was the greatest thing I ever witnessed at a sporting event live.

And sometimes, when I'm really wistful, I recall the fact that later that night - probably because of the suit - I ended up with a third girl who would become a factor in my senior year experience. And oh yea, we lost in the NIT Finals. It's all good, though: we'll always have the dime and the ruthless taunting of Jesuits to speak of about that 2002-2003 campaign.

Roll With the Changes - The Mid-Con becomes the Summit League

This story probably falls in that shadowy realm between what you actually care about as a dedicated college hoops fan, and what you feel like you probably should care about, but you can't quite muster the energy.

So I'm going to care about it for you.

Conference affiliations are extremely malleable things. And I'm resisting adding "in this day and age" because I think this has always been the case. Once upon a time, South Carolina was a member of the ACC, but they've been SEC so long that it's become difficult to think of the Gamecocks in any other conference. The history of the NCAA is littered with these regional re-definitions.

This season, we see a mid-major conference struggling with its identity once again. In some cases, such as that of the CAA, expansion has been undertaken from a position of strength, but in the case of the Summit League--which was called the Mid-Continent from 1989 until this season--the re-shaping is involuntary and undertaken in a bit of a crisis-prevention mode.


The tailspin began when Chicago State announced that their teams would leave the Mid-Con and go independent, searching for a more "urban" conference to call home. At that time, the Mid-Con had nine members, and this defection left the conference on the verge of falling below the NCAA-mandated number for automatic tournament bid status. Yikes. I mean, how bad was it that a bottom-tier team would leave without even having someplace to go?

But then it got worse - the high-profile Valparaiso Crusaders jumped ship to the hot, hot Horizon League, ready to do battle with the likes of Wright State and Butler, who were more their size. Their appearance brought the Horizon to a balanced 10 members and solidified them as a Mid-Major to keep an eye on. Now the Mid-Con is down to a measly seven, so what to do?

Easy - raid the Independents. There is always a pool of teams who have moved to D-I in hopes of just such an occurrence, and the Mid-Con grabbed three of them to expand to today's group of ten. Brought aboard were Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne (12-17 last year), South Dakota State (6-24), and the gem, North Dakota State (20-8). Left on the outside was Chicago State, who no doubt now wish they had stayed put.

The problem with this conference, whether you call it the Mid-Continent or the Summit, is its sprawling size and lack of a center. A look at last year's teams vs. this year's will bear out the notion that nothing has changed:

2006-07: Oral Roberts (Tulsa, OK), Oakland (Rochester, MI), Valpo (Valparaiso, IN), IUPUI (Indianapolis, IN), Southern Utah (Cedar City, UT), UMKC (Kansas City, MO), Centenary (Shreveport, LA), Western Illinois (Macomb/Moline, IL), Chicago State (Chicago, IL).

Spread out,but pretty well centered until you throw Utah and Louisiana into the mix. But then CSU and Valpo leave, and the midwestern locus is suddenly riddled with holes.

2007-2008: ORU (Tulsa), Oakland (Rochester), IUPUI (Indianapolis), Southern Utah (Cedar City), UMKC (Kansas City), Centenary (Shreveport), Western Illinois (Macomb), North Dakota State (Fargo, ND), South Dakota State (Brookings, SD), IU-Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, IN).

The league survives, but travel budgets explode. You have to fly over a whole lotta nothing to get to the Dakotas, especially when you're coming from Shreveport or Cedar City. The league is not so much redefined as simply preserved to fight another day.

And honestly, the name change to Summit League seems a little bush league. It's way too easy to confuse "Summit" with "Horizon", though there is little to compare between the two. If anything, this supports my theory that the Horizon is what the Mid-Continent always wished it could become. Changing the name isn't going to make that happen. Upgrading facilities and hiring coaches like Brad Brownell (Wright State) will.



Regardless of what we think of this conference, someone will emerge to grab that one bid to the NCAA tournament, and that's all that matters to them right now. Perhaps North Dakota State can build on their 20-8 from last year and win their new conference, as Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi did in the Southland last year. More likely, Oral Roberts will continue to build their giant-killing resume and become bait for another conference shift down the pike.

It's hard out there for a Mid-Major.

STF Super Awesome Team Preview: #21 Arizona Wildcats

#21 Arizona Wildcats



Team: Arizona Wildcats

Conference: Pac 10

2006 Record and Ending: 20-11 Lost to Purdue in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Key Players Returning: Superstar in the making Chase Budinger is back in the desert, but this more about who is not returning. Mostly, moody troublemaker Marucs Williams is gone and so is the "ultra-average for a cool sounding name" Mustafa Shakur. At the very least, look for this be a more cohesive unit in Tucson.

What's to Love: The return of Budinger is enormous. He's as athletic a big man as you are going to find with a nice stroke. Throw in super freshmen point guard Jerryd Bayless, veteran post players Kirk Walters and Jordan Hill, plus tough guy Jawaan McClellan and the Wildcats have all of the necessary parts to make a run at the Pac 10 title.

What's not to Love: The reason that Arizona has become a prominent fixture in the 8-9 games over the past few season isn't talent, it's been a lack of discipline. Players seemed to be playing with their own agendas and there was no sense of leadership on the floor, this includes Lute Olsen. Have all the bad apples left, or will this problems crop up again?

Key Player: Chase Budinger. He's as athletic a big man as you are going to find with a nice stroke. Altought he's pretty well know around the country, Budinger could become a superstar this season if he can lead a Wildcat revival. What needs to happen for both the Wildcats and Budinger to thrive is for him to take over as the unquestioned team leader.


Best Case: Budinger becomes a superstar, Bayless is the best UA point guard since Mike Bibby, Hill and Walters provide a viable post presence. UA is top three in the Pac 10.

Worst Case:No one can score outside of Budinger, who fails to develop into a team leader, an undisciplined team unravels midseaosn once again leading to a 3rd straight disappointing season in the desert.

STF Prediction: 4th to 6th in the Pac 10, Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

STF Conference Preview: The SEC

Conference: The SEC

Last Season Recap: If you don’t know, you weren’t watching basketball last year. The Florida Gators locked down NCAA championship #2 by overwhelming opponents with experience and a fantastic blend of talented players. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Arkansas each made varying degrees of noise on the big stage as well. The SEC West sent three teams to the postseason NIT, along with Georgia from the East.

Team to Beat: Tennessee. The Gators are going to have to reload, while the Volunteers will have the luxury of just revving the engine. Lofton and the Smiths will keep filling up the nets and running opponents ragged with their high energy style. A third Smith - Tyler, is transferring from Iowa and will be eligible to play in December. Yes, they are SOL with the suspension of Duke Crews, but something tells me this team will soldier on. If you see them on your TV schedule, make time.

Second Tier: Much like last year, the SEC East is likely better than the West, but not by nearly as much. Vanderbilt was solid last season, and has had less off-court drama than their peers. Florida lost their big names and will likely struggle, but I don’t want to count Billy Donovan out just yet. Kentucky has a new head man in Billy Gillespie, who takes charge of an underachieving roster that should respond to the new blue blood.

In the West, look for Arkansas to rebound with a new coach and the return of 40 minutes of Hell. The class of the West may be Mississippi State, however. Look for them to do big things.

Sleeper: Georgia was on the verge last season. They have senior leadership in Takias Brown and Sundiata Gaines. Senior Center Dave Bliss has regressed every year he’s been in Athens, so if either Albert Jackson or Rashaad Singleton is ready for his closeup, this team could surprise.

Overrated: It sort of pains me to say this, but it’s Kentucky. Gillespie is a good coach, but he has an understated style and limited experience as head man. Rome was not re-built in a day. In that respect, overrating the team this season is exactly what Wildcat fans should do, lest they get used to settling for less.

Worst Team: The woeful South Carolina Gamecocks had the worst record in the SEC last season, going 4-12 in a nightmarish conference run. Worse yet, coach Dave Odom looks down the bench at just three upperclassmen as he attempts to improve this season.

STF Prediction: I may be going out on a limb to say that Florida’s double-championship hangover begins this season with a trip to the NIT for an inexperienced group. Tennesee, Vandy, and Kentucky will win games and dance again this March. Mississippi State should be the class of the East, with Arkansas making the post-season as well. Alabama dropped precipitously with the news that Ronald Steele is out for the season.

1. Tennessee (1E)
2. Vanderbilt (2E)
3. Mississippi State (1W)
4. Kentucky (3E)
5. Arkansas (2W)
6. Georgia (4E)
7. Florida (5E)
8. Auburn (3W)
9. LSU (4W)
10. Alabama (5W)
11. Ole Miss (6W)
12. South Carolina (6E)

STF Super Awesome Team Previews: #22 Syracuse Orange

#22 Syracuse Orange



Team: Syracuse Orange

Conference: Big East

2006 Record and Ending: 24-11, Lost to Clemson in NIT quarterfinals

Key Players Returning: Eric Devendorf is the returning player with the most experience and will be looked upon to be the leader of this squad. Paul Harris, who was somewhat of a disappointment in his first season, will need to step up his game if the Cuse are going to compete.

What's to Love: You may be asking "How can an NIT team that lost three starters be expected to improve"? Combine arguably the best recruiting class in the country plus that fact that the departed Watkins and Roberts caused more problems than they were worth, and you can see where the optimism comes from. Incoming freshmen Johnny Flynn and Donte Green are going to be expected to be the next Carmelo and Gmac to anxious Cuse fans. If they can play half and as good as those two, there is a good chancethat this year's team won't be left at the Selection Sunday alter again.

What's Not To Love: Anytime that you are resting your hopes on three freshmen starters (Flynn, Greene, Arinze Onuaku), you are taking a major risk. The Cuse will also be without last season's unquestioned leader in Demteris Nichols. Can Devendorf fill that void? There are also some doubts about Paul Harris' actual ability compared to the hype. The Cuse also took a hit in the offseason when potential sixth man Andy Rautins suffered a season ending ACL tear playing for Team Canada.

Key Player: Paul Harris. Last year's super recruit failed to live up to the hype, averaging just 8.6 ppg. He's moving to small forward to make room for Flynn, and Boeheim is hoping for better results. For the Cuse to return to the Dance, Harris needs to step up as a viable second or third scoring option.

Best Case: Greene and Flynn become Melo-Gmac II, Harris steps up his game and averages close to a double-double, Devendorf takes the leap from role player to leader, Cuse knock some Big East powers in the Dome.

Worst Case: The freshmen play like, well, freshmen, the team struggles without a consistent outside threat thanks to the loss of Rautins, the team struggles to rebound because of a lack of frontcourt depth, the Cuse miss the tournament for the second consecutive year.....causing the school to go back to the "Orangemen" nickname (wishful thinking) .

STF Prediction: We like Boeheim in revenge mode and the outstanding recruits. 4th to 6th in the Big East, Round of 32

Mason AD To Head Selection Committee

Think that mid-majors get the shaft on Selection Sunday? Well, you're going to have to take that up with the man who was in charge of the greatest mid-major in tournament history. George Mason Athletic Director Tom O'Conner has been named chairman of the Selection Committee. O'Connor had been a board member for the past four seasons, but as the chair, he will take the heat for who gets in and out. How many BCS schools will gripe about O'Connor playing favorites with mid-majors when their teams are on the outside looking in? 15? 20?

Virginia's Midnight is... not so Mad.

The University of Virginia has Sean Singletary returning to run their basketball team this year. They have an up-and-coming coach in Dave Leitao. And they have one of the premier new venues in college basketball in John Paul Jones Arena.

What they don't have, apparently, is a true Midnight Madness event.

I have been fishing around the internet looking for information about Midnight Madness because I wanted to go this year and take some photos for you fine readers. But when I went looking, this is what I found:

Homecomings 2007

The headline event is a concert by Morris Day and the Time, who weren't even relevant back when they were charter members of Prince's posse. Tickets go to season ticket holders and anyone who bought their way in to this weekend's UVA/UConn football game.

When I was a student at Kansas (back in my day...), we showed a student ID and went inside for goofy athlete skits, player introductions, and a full blue-on-red scrimmage with the clock running. There was drinking (in the stands) and dunking (on the court). This Homecomings deal sounds... boring.

UVA has always battled a certain wine-and-cheese reputation, and this isn't helping. The new building is a major revenue-enhancer for the university and the town of Charlottesville, bringing in headline music acts year-round. For one night, even if it's only that one night, the building should be turned over to a rabid, basketball-starved group of orange-and-blue clad partisans. I hope that's in the cards for next year.

Do Something With Your Life....Be a STF Correspondent

Know something about college basketball and want to be a part of the Storming the Floor team? Think you know a conference or region better than anyone else? Then sign up to be a STF Correspondent. Each week starting the first week of December, you will be the official correspondent for your conference or region, filing a report on the comings and goings of your conference. If you are a college hoops fan, it's a great way to blog about hoops, get some exposure and free links to your blog, as well as showing that you know more than the founder of this site. Interested? Send an email to stormingthefloor@gmail.com and say what conference or region you would be interested in covering. Here are the conferences that STF currently needs correspondents is for: (Big 12, MVC and Atlantic 10 are already spoken for)

ACC - Matt Cornelius
BIG 10 - Matt Matucci of the Naperville Sun
BIG EAST - Ted Bauer from ESPN the Magazine
PAC-10 - Brandon Darling from Epic Carnival
SEC - Chris Richardson from Fox Sports
CAA - MGL from The CAA: Life as a Mid Major

also in the fold:

MAC: Graig Bachman The Musings of GMoney
Big West: The Sports Logo Pundit
Ivy: Eric Gordon Philadelphia Bulliten

STF Super-Awesome Team Previews: #23 Davidson

Team: Davidson Wildcats

Conference: SoCon

2006 Record and Ending: 29-5 (17-1) The Wildcats lost to Maryland in the first round of the NCAA tournament The game was an up-and-down endurance contest which was tilting Davidson's way in the first half, before the Terps wore them down.

Key Players Returning: Everybody. The Wildcats used only nine players in the NCAA tournament, and every single one is back. The highlights are Stephen Curry, Jason Richards, Boris Meno, and Thomas Sander.

What's to Love: Stephon Curry's shot is absolutely frickin' beautiful to see. This crew is battle-tested and hungry to build on their success. They may very well have cornered the market on Quebecois talent with Mark Paul Gosselaar, er, Max Paulhus Gosselin and William Archambault. Regardless, this is a complete team, not Curry and some dead wood.

What's not to Love: Not much. This team is full of confidence and hungry for respect. So much so that they've agreed to go on the road for three marquee big-conference matchups, starting the season at UNC, then going to Duke a few days later, then UCLA. And throw in NC State just before Christmas. They can and probably will lose these games, but that's a great schedule for a team like this - they could shock at least one of these big-name schools.

Also of note is the fact that the rest of the SoCon will not lie down for Davidson. Their only conference loss last season was to Appalachian State, who will challenge them again. And don't forget that former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins now heads up College of Charleston.

Key Player: I try not to be obvious about these things, but in this case, it's Curry, of course. Will he be able to deal with the extra attention that comes his way? Will he show UNC and Duke why they should have signed him? Everyone else knows their role and how to play it, so excellence is in Curry's slender hands.

Best Case: A repeat of last year, along with an upset of one major player on the road. My vote goes for Duke.

Worst Case: Sadly, the improved SoCon is still likely to be a one-bid conference, so a stumble in the conference tourney, coupled with no wins at the big boys, would leave the Wildcats sitting needlessly at home come March.

STF Prediction: Curse me for a fool, but I think they will beat Duke. Wishful thinking? Perhaps, but Duke is the most vulnerable of the three big blue beasts the Wildcats will see this year. NC State is also a doable win, so this could be just what the doctor ordered for at-large consideration (nobody asked you, Bruiser).

21-6 overall, with a win at NC State. A national ranking to defend. Three losses in conference to Charleston, UNCG, and App State. Make the championship game in the SoCon tourney, and Davidson goes back to the show.

The STF Q&A;: Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Every other Friday, Storming the Floor will run a question and answer series with people who know much, much more about college basketball than we do. Look for insight and analysis from some of the top professionals in the world of college hoops.

Q&A With Dan Wolken, Memphis Commerical Appeal

STF: After back to back trips to the Elite Eight, many people are expecting this team to make the leap to Final Four this season. What can you tell us about the attitude of this team given the added pressure to advance?

DW: I don’t know if pressure is the right word, but there is a very different buzz around this team. In 2005-06, Memphis kind of came out of nowhere. A year ago, they were ranked anywhere between 12th and 16th in the preseason polls. To me, the question isn’t so much how they’ll handle the pressure but whether their personality is going to change.

For two straight years, Memphis has drawn a lot of inspiration from playing the “lack of respect” card, and rightly so. All these guys have heard is that they’re overrated, they didn’t deserve a No. 1 or No. 2 seed, their conference stinks, their schedule was weak and they’d flame out early in the NCAA Tournament. Now, all the sudden, everybody thinks they’re a juggernaut. Will they still play with that same chip on their shoulder? Time will tell. So far, I haven’t seen any signs of complacency. This group is pretty hungry to break through and make a Final Four.


STF: Compared to the last two seasons, what needs to improve with this team to advance to the Final Four?

DW: It’s hard to pinpoint one thing specifically. In last year’s Elite Eight, Memphis had the misfortune of running up against a team with the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 21 picks in the NBA Draft. Still, the Tigers had the lead deep into the second half and were kind of controlling the game until some foul issues caught up to them. But in general, you’d like to see Memphis shoot a little better from the 3-point line than last year, and they feel pretty good about guys like Doneal Mack, Willie Kemp, Jeff Robinson and Chris Douglas-Roberts being able to make jump shots. The other key will be the play of Shawn Taggart. Last year, Memphis didn’t have many answers in the post if Joey Dorsey got into foul trouble. Taggart is 6-11 and athletic, but he’s still unproven. His freshman year at Iowa State was a bust due to injuries and illness, so it’s hard to say exactly what to expect out of him. Memphis certainly needs one more big body to contribute, or else it’s very easy to see them being vulnerable inside against certain teams they might have to play in an Elite Eight or Final Four game.

STF: You are one of the few people that have been able to see Derrick Rose play with the Tigers.... Is he as good as advertised?

DW: This is a complicated question because Rose is a unique player. Here's what is obvious about Rose: He's a spectacular athlete. Memphis is perhaps the fastest, most athletic team in the country, and Rose is the fastest, most athletic guy out there. He looks like he's running at regular speed, and he's still twice as fast as everybody else. He's also spectacularly unselfish, sometimes to his detriment. You'll see him drive in, have a lane to the basket and make a sick no-look pass when he could have just dunked it. When it works, it looks genius. When it doesn't work, he gets yelled at. The biggest thing Rose will have to learn is how to always make the easier play, whatever that is. To steal a phrase from John Calipari, this isn't Showtime. You're trying to win. A lot of stuff Rose was able to do in high school won’t work in college, at least not right away. But he’ll figure it out.

I think for people that watch Memphis play, especially early in the season, it will be difficult to convince them that he's as good as advertised. The hype is so out of control, and usually that kind of hype is reserved for guys who can take over like an O.J. Mayo. Rose is a guy who just blends, and I'm not sure he really has the personality to take over, especially when you're playing with guys like Chris Douglas-Roberts, Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, Joey Dorsey, etc. Rose will also be under the microscope for his outside shooting, which, honestly, isn't very good at this point. Having said all that, by the end of the season, I think Rose will be recognized as the premiere point guard in the country.


STF: Out of all of the high profile non-conference games on the Tigers schedule, which are you most excited for?

DW: Wow, that's like asking me which flavor of Ben & Jerry's I want before I've even had dinner. Obviously, the possibility of Memphis and Tennessee both being ranked in the top-5 when they play in February would make for an epic event around here. On the other hand, I'm very excited to see Georgetown play here; I think that's a great inter-sectional series. I'm rooting hard for a Memphis-UConn matchup in the Coaches vs. Cancer championship game. Any time John Calipari goes up against a coach he doesn't get along with -- and Jim Calhoun falls squarely into that category -- you never know what kind of great copy might fall into your lap.


STF: Is it a positive or negative that Memphis plays in Conference USA, given the fact that it allows the Tigers the ability to play such a high profile and challenging out--of-conference schedule?

DW: If you were to give everybody at Memphis a dose of truth serum, they would tell you the program -- viewed in macro -- would be better off in a BCS Conference, whether it's the Big East, SEC, Big 12 or whatever. On the other hand, being in C-USA has helped Memphis in a profound way. Why have they gone to the Elite Eight two years in a row? Of course, they've had very good teams. But also, they were a No. 1 seed and a No. 2 seed. If you're in the Big East, SEC, Big 12, Pac 10, Big 10 or ACC, you better win that league if you want a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. If you finish third or fourth in one of those leagues, you're probably looking at a No. 4 seed or No. 5 seed, and if that's where you are, the odds of making a deep NCAA Tournament run are stacked against you from the start. John Calipari says it all the time, and it's true: Be careful what you wish for.

STF: Can any CUSA teams give Memphis a challenge?

DW: On a given night, sure. Southern Miss is the one team in the league that isn't scared of Memphis, and they've got enough good athletes to really make Memphis work hard on every possession. If Houston goes crazy one night and makes 20-of- 34 from the 3-point line or something like that, they can beat Memphis. UAB will be a tough road game. Doug Wojcik at Tulsa always comes up with some interesting stuff defensively to give Memphis a few problems. If Memphis were to lose to anybody outside of those four teams, however, it would be a monumental upset.

STF: Best and worst case scenario for this team?

DW: Best case, obviously, is winning a national title. I would defy you to find any credible basketball person who doesn’t think Memphis has a good enough roster to do it. That doesn’t guarantee a thing, of course, but there’s no ceiling on this team. The worst-case scenario is probably a second-round NCAA Tournament exit if they have bad luck with injuries or one of their key players like Dorsey has an off-the-court issue.

Spare a Thought for Lefty

Lefty Driesell was always one of college basketball's greatest characters. But we often forget that he was an innovator, as well. As you all roll out to your midnight madness events, in gyms packed to the rafters with inebriated students, and often including skits along with the highly organized scrimmage, spare a thought for the humble origins of the midnight practice. The place is the University of Maryland, the year is 1971:

"Look. Oct. 15 starts at one past midnight," (Driesell) told his staff and players before that day rolled around in 1971. "We're going to get started before anybody this year."

Word had leaked out on campus of the unorthodox time for the run and about 1,000 fans sat in the stadium bleachers for their first look at their team. Driesell parked cars on the football field and turned on their headlights to illuminate the track so he could spot any players trying to cut corners to make the designated time.

At 12:03 a.m. (he waited a couple of minutes just in case his watch was running a bit fast) the Maryland Terrapins officially began the season. They also unintentionally began a signature event:

"Midnight Madness."

Saint Petersburg Times

A few of us who write here have been to some of these events, and we'll try to recall the atmosphere and tell our stories this week. But better yet, a few of us plan to attend festivities this year, and take a few photos. If you're doing the same, give us a shout at stormingthefloor@gmail.com. If you have a photo or story you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you.

Now let's get out there and practice!

STF CONFERENCE PREVIEW: PAC-10

LAST SEASON RECAP: The Pac-10 was arguably the toughest conference top-to-bottom last season. With the expected (UCLA) to the surprising (Wash St., Oregon, USC), the Pac-10 managed to send six teams to the big dance and those teams made plenty of noise when they got there. With three of those six reaching the Sweet 16, and one (UCLA) reaching the Final Four before falling victim to the eventual National Champion Gators. Before the big dance started however, it was UCLA once again taking home the regular season crown while Oregon managed to win the conference tournament. It was about as good a year as anyone could have have expected from the Pac-10.

TEAM TO BEAT: It has to be UCLA doesn't it? Despite losing go-to guy Aaron Afflalo the Bruins return their offensive catalyst Darren Collison, second leading scorer Josh Shipp and the forward duo from Cameroon in Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah A Moute. Insert the #1 ranked recruit in all the land in freshman center Kevin Love and it doesn't look like the Bruins will miss a beat.

SECOND TIER: I'm rolling with Arizona here despite the disappointment the Wildcats have been the last two seasons. With perennial headache Marcus Williams out of the picture and Chase Budinger returning the talent rich roster in Tucson should cash in on all of that potential. USC will be dynamic offensively with O.J. Mayo and will be able to keep up with anyone, but it's hard not to imagine what would have been had Gabe Pruitt and Nick Young stayed in school. Washington State returns most of it's roster, including stars Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver and will once again contend for the Pac-10 crown. A year older Stanford will be even better than last year and possess the toughest match up for UCLA up front with the Lopez twins.

SLEEPER: Cal - Though they were disappointing last season finishing with a 16-17 (6-12) record and getting bounced from the conference tournament easily by Oregon. That was without 6-foot-11 center DeVon Hardin who missed the season's final 22 games with a leg injury. If guards Theo Robertson and Jerome Randle can keep defense's honest for Hardin and leading scorer Ryan Anderson the Bears can make some noise. I think they will, so don't be surprised when Cal knocks off a few of the Pac-10 giants.

OVERRATED: Oregon - Some would argue Tajuan Porter was the true catalyst for this team last year and they won't miss much with Aaron Brooks departure as they return the rest of their core. I disagree though, defense's keyed on Brooks and allowed Porter and everyone else to flourish. Plus this team is unbelievably streaky as they rely heavily on the three ball and when that's not falling they can't get anything done. Sure they'll still be good, but their an upset waiting to happen against the bigger, stronger, more balanced teams at the top of the Pac-10.

WORST TEAM: Arizona State - This isn't a slam dunk as they could jump Oregon State, but with the import of C.J. Giles from Kansas OSU should be just good enough to hold off the improving Sun Devils. ASU has added talent, but it's young and the Pac-10 should be even better. The Sun Devils probably won't have another 15-game losing streak, but they won't be winning any conference road games, either.

STF PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. UCLA
2. USC
3. Arizona
4. Washington State
5. Stanford
6. Oregon
7. California
8. Washington
9. Oregon State
10. Arizona State

STF Super Awesome Top 30 Team Preview: #24 Arkansas Razorbacks

#24 Arkansas Razorbacks





Team: Arkansas Razorbacks

Conference: SEC

2006 Record and Ending: 21-14 Lost to USC in first round of the NCAA Tournament

Key Players Returning: This seems to be a reoccurring theme with our first few teams, but everyone is back. Most importantly, SEC Freshmen of the Year Patrick Beverley and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Steven Hill are back.

What's to Love: Everyone is back from a team that really seemed to come together towards the end of the season, resulting to a berth in the SEC Championship game. Super freshmen G Patrick Beverley returns with a trio of talented seniors (C Steven Hill, F Charles Thomas, G Sonny Weems). Despite last season's success, the Razorbacks showed Stan Heath the door, replacing him with John Pelphrey of South Alabama. With much rejoicing from the Razorbacks faithful, Pelphrey has promised to return the "40 Minutes of Hell" pressing defense made famous by the Backs in the early 90s. The combination of the returning seniors, returning "Hell", Patrick Beverly, and a Steele-less Bama squad could give the SEC West to the Razorbacks.

What's Not to Love: The exit of Stan Heath following the team's recent success was slightly puzzling. The decision was made even more controversial after first choice Dana Altman accepted the head coaching position, only to change his mind a few days later. Who knows if the Razoracks made the right by firing Heath after he seemed to be making progress with back-to-back Tournament appearances? It's anyone's guess how the young players (Beverley) who were recruited to play Heath's style react to Pelphrey.

Key Player: Simply put, Patrick Beverley is a stud (14 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg). Looks like the reincarnation of Joe Johnson. I only got to see him play during the Razorbacks run to the SEC Championship game, but the man can do everything. He was the Razorback version of Kevin Durant, only with more defense and rebounding. With Durant gone to the NBA, expect Beverley to become a household name.

Best Case: Beverley continues to progress into one of the most talented guards in nation, the transition from Heath to Pelphrey goes over seamlessly, Steven Hill develops his offensive game, Ervin plays more consistently at point, Hell returns, the senior leadership of this team finally leads this squad to a victory in the NCAA Tournament

Worst Case: The seniors on this squad have a difficult time adjusting to Pelphrey, defenses key on Beverly and put the game in the hands of Weems and Ervin, the transition to a pressing defense takes away many of Hill defensive specialties, this team once again fails to win a Tournament game.

STF Prediction: 1st or 2nd in the SEC West, 7-9 seed, advance to Round of 32.

Marquette's Fantastic Retro Jerseys

Nice Q&A by Luke Winn with Marquette guard Jerel McNeal, one half of the best defensive backcourt in the country. The answers were interesting and all, but all I couldn't come away thinking about else in the Q&A except the pic of Marquette's throwback uniforms that are going to be worn this season.





Holy turquoise, that is one badass retro uniform. That has to be the only uniform in history to throw turquoise, yellow and a checkered collar into a jersey. I tried to contact some people at Marquette to find out when the uniforms were going to worn, but got no reply. No respect for STF in Milwaukee! Still, that's a badass uniform that I'm going to be on the lookout for this season.

Brook Lopez Out For Stanford

Remember last week when we called Stanford the #27 best team heading into the season? Scratch that. Forgot that happened. It looks like the better half of the Lopez isn't going to be starting the season for the Cardinal. Brook Lopez, offensively the better of the twins, has been ruled academically ineligible for the fall semester.

"This is disappointing for all of us, including Brook," coach Trent Johnson said in a statement. "He has fallen short on his academic responsibilities and is aware of what needs to be done in order to improve his academic standing with Stanford and our basketball program. At the same time, we feel that this could be a positive learning experience for him."

The good news for Stanford fans is that there is good chance Lopez could return for the spring semester and be ready for Pac-10 play. But without Brook Lopez in the lineup, it's hard to see where the already offensively challenged Cardinal will get enough offense to compete in the ultra-competitive Pac-10.

STF Super Awesome Top 30 Team Preview: #25 Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Team: Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Conference: Colonial

2006 Record and Ending: 28-7 (16-2) knocked off Duke in the NCAA tournament and lost to Pitt in the second round.

Key Players Returning: First and foremost, coach Anthony Grant, who almost became the domino that fell into the Florida job before Billy Donovan waffled on going pro. Eric Maynor is back, as are Wil Fameni, Jamal Shuler, and Michael Anderson, all of whom saw significant minutes in the tournament last year.

What's to Love: Maynor, obviously. His breakout performance against the Blue Devils made him a star. He scores, he dishes, and he's an emotional leader. And he's still a Junior. His front line returns to help him out.

What's not to Love: The Rams were highly successful with what amounted to a three-guard lineup last season. Two of those guards (B.A. Walker and Jesse Pellot-Rosa) have graduated. Shuler can step into one spot, but if 3G continues to be the template, a Freshman is going to have to step up.

Key Player: Maynor is a given, but he can't carry the team alone, so let's pick someone else. Shuler was a streaky scorer last season, so if he's going to help anchor the backcourt, he'll need to become more reliable.

Best Case: The expectations are clear - dominate the CAA and return to the dance. Heady stuff for a second-year coach, but Anthony Grant is up to the challenge. With Maynor as the superstar, that's exactly what should happen. The Rams go back to the tournament, and their notoriety will gain them a slightly higher seed.

Worst Case: This is not a league of cupcakes. The college basketball world knows that you never, ever sleep on Jim Larranaga and the George Mason Patriots. Drexel and Old Dominion challenge for the conference lead with experienced coaches every year as well. If any of those teams gets hot, VCU could come in third or fourth in the conference and miss the dance. Oh, and Hofstra's pretty good, too.

STF Prediction: VCU is the team to beat in the CAA, and I don't think anyone's got the horses. Last year's 16-2 in conference is doable, though my gut tells me they'll lose more than two this year. VCU is back in the tournament next year, and will escape the first round.

I see the Rams going 22-5, losing at Maryland and at Bradley. In-conference, the mark will be 15-3, with losses to ODU, Drexel, and GMU. That's still enough for the #1 seed in the conference tourney, which will lead them back to the promised land.

Washington State Already a Lock For The Sportsmanship Award

It's an old cliche to say "Take one for the team", but man, this is taking that to a whole different level. Washington State guard Talyor Rochestie is giving up his senior year scholarship (he's currently a junior) so that it can go to WSU recruit Marcus Capers.

Rochestie said his family can afford the tuition, so he felt like he was in a position to give up his scholarship.

"When I first learned of this option to open up a scholarship by giving up mine, I thought it sounded great," Rochestie said in a press release. "I am thankful that I was fortunate enough to be in a situation where I could help the team out."

Rochestie, a transfer from Tulane, isn't even some bum on the bench who is being slightly forced to give it up; he's expected to start this season. Extra damn. Don't be surprised if this good karma leads to a Pac 10 title for the Cougars.

An Open Letter to USD Opponents

By my count, the University of San Diego is scheduled to play fourteen basketball games on the road in the upcoming season. On their roster will be a 6’6” freshman forward by the name of Rob Jones. One man out of fourteen, but he is the one most likely to test your willpower and class.

The stories are already beginning to make the rounds, outing Jones as the grandson of legendary cult leader Jim Jones, who induced his followers to commit mass suicide in Guyana in 1978. Jim Jones, Jr. was in a rebellious phase, playing basketball with his friends and ignoring his father’s wishes when the bad deal went down, and he survived to father this young man who will now take the floor in the West Coast Conference.

Rob Jones is pretty good. You will want to get in his head, and rattle his teammates by heckling him at some point. Go for it.

But don’t go there. You know where I mean. Don’t sink to the level required to dabble in a family’s personal pain, which is very real and very current, despite the fact that these events happened nearly 30 years ago. This generation of college students - including Rob Jones - didn’t yet exist in 1978, so don’t go there. If someone else in the arena gives in to the temptation, boo that person mercilessly.

Don’t shout Jonestown. Don’t mention Kool-Aid. It’s beneath you. The Jonestown Massacre was a tragedy, and it should be off-limits. You don’t want to be mentioned in the same breath with opposing fans who once taunted Arizona’s Steve Kerr with chants of “PLO! PLO!” in reference to his father’s assassination in Beirut. It’s not funny, and it never has been. It elicits sympathy for your opponent and leaves a permanent stain on an enjoyable competition.

So be patient. Wait until Rob Jones makes a freshman mistake - let him brick a free throw, get dunked on, or toss up an airball - and then ride him hard. That is the stuff that home-court advantage is made of, and you won’t have to hate yourself in the morning.

Here’s looking forward to a great season of college basketball! Let's keep it clean.