Hawaii Tournament

[Oliver]

I Really am not sold on USC. I think Tennessee just played an awful game. Both LA schools should finish around 5th or 6th in the Pac 10, but neither will pose any real threat in March. While the Pac 10 was certainly the best conference in basketball the last few year, I think the best teams coming out of the Pac 10 this year will barely make it past 2 or 3 rounds. Just my opinion.

Hold on, when has the Pac-10 been anything better then the 3rd best conference again?

2007 was strong, 6 teams in the tourney, oregon and ucla were both in the final four, and after beating texas in the second round, usc blew the lead against #1 ranked UNC. The Next year stanford, washington state, and UCLA were all in the sweet 16, but i think the reason I felt the pac 10 was the strongest conference again was the depth form top to bottom. I know no one east of phoenix really watches west coast basketball, so I probabaly wont have many backers, but I think one thing to take note of is the success of the young pac 10 players in the NBA right now.

I also realize just looking at the tournament is no way to judge a conference, but those are just some easy tangible results to look at. I'm obviously a little biased being from Los Angeles, but I've watched guys like roy, brockman, hawes, love, collison, mbah a moute, westbrook, bayless, hill, harden, pendergraph, lopez, mayo, derozan, gibson, et al in the last few seasons. I think the Pac 10 has put out the best and most consistent NBA talent in the last 3 years or so.

The Pac-10 is certainly down this year, a lot more so than last year even. And again, just my take on it.

[mustangklick]

It is clear that CUSA is the best backetball conference in the league. Don't even try to disagree, because I am prepared to make stuff up.

[mustangbill67]

Met and talked to Papa and faye this morning at the SW. Both are great representatives of SMU.

[PonyDoh]

Great to hear about Papa and Faye.

St mary's beat Northeastern in the first game of the tourney. Both are solid, if unspectacular clubs. May not be tonight, but I feel better about our chances to win a game or two, after watching the first game. stupid optimism

[indianmustang]

western Michigan leading 42-38 USC

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

This PG transfer Garritty also had a double double in his first game eligible this year.

OK, so a guy who just became eligible had a big game and USC upset a team that wasnt prepared for him. Good for them, it's a real surprise and they should be happy. Gerrity is apparently a difference maker, they would have lost to Western Michigan tonight without him, he had almost all of his 17 points during their 2nd half come back. But, when I made the post you quoted above, USC was 2-4, including a home loss to Loyola Marymount, and I still dont consider them a good team. If you think that aquiring a new star somehow makes them retroactively good while they were struggling with teams like Idaho State, then that is your opinion, and you're welcome to it. You're just not going to get me to agree. USC has another ineligible player they may get back in January, and that may help them as much as Gerrity, but that doesnt mean they were good without them.

Even with Gerrity and Leonard Washington, I'm not convinced that USC wont struggle in conference play. Tennessee may have been an aberration more than anything else. Look at the 2 games before and after their upset of the Vols, USC struggled against 2 very weak teams, Idaho State and Western Michigan. So, which is their real level of play?

For what its worth, Kevin O' Neill and Bruce Pearl both seem to agree with me. I can show you quotes from each that say so.

[Balatro Diabolus Ex]

do we have a chance to play USC

No. While they were trailing I thought there might actually be a chance we could see them in the third round, but since they won their first round game they are now on the other side of the bracket.

We'll play College of Charleston next, and then either Western Michigan, or Northeastern.

[Charleston Pony]

UNLV vs USC should be an interesting championship game

hope we can beat C of C and play Western Michigan

[CA Mustang]

In case you missed it:
USC beats UNLV in Diamond Head Classic final

HONOLULU (AP)—Marcus Johnson had 19 points and nine rebounds to help Southern California beat UNLV 67-56 on Friday night in the Diamond Head Classic final.

Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound senior forward, was 8 of 14 from the field. Dwight Lewis added 14 points for the Trojans (8-4), and tournament MVP Mike Gerrity had 13.

Oscar Bellfield led UNLV (12-2) with 17 points. The Rebels shot 34 percent (17 of 50) from the field, going 5 of 22 from 3-point range.

USC had a 12-0 run late in the half, capped by Lewis’ layup, and the Trojans had a 39-25 lead at the break. The Trojans led by 19 late in the second half.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball ... 09&prov=ap

[Northwatcher]

In case you missed it:
USC beats UNLV in Diamond Head Classic final

HONOLULU (AP)—Marcus Johnson had 19 points and nine rebounds to help Southern California beat UNLV 67-56 on Friday night in the Diamond Head Classic final.

Johnson, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound senior forward, was 8 of 14 from the field. Dwight Lewis added 14 points for the Trojans (8-4), and tournament MVP Mike Gerrity had 13.

Oscar Bellfield led UNLV (12-2) with 17 points. The Rebels shot 34 percent (17 of 50) from the field, going 5 of 22 from 3-point range.

USC had a 12-0 run late in the half, capped by Lewis’ layup, and the Trojans had a 39-25 lead at the break. The Trojans led by 19 late in the second half.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball ... 09&prov=ap

I went to the Final. Gerrity played all 40 minutes and was incredible. He controlled the ball for much of the game including breaking the full court trap press by himself most of the time. What a performance...