Highlights from the latest ESPN Magazine Issue!

Just received my ESPN magazine for November and other than having to Harrison Barnes on the cover, has some nice material in it.  I tend to not pay much attention to it.  Like ESPN is, it is typically pro centered and I will watch the pros but don't follow it like I do college.  I also have little interest in what some pitcher I've never heard of likes to do on the weekends and what their favorite tv show is.  Plus there are a millions adds. 

That being said this one has some interesting stuff:

1) Some great pictures into the arenas of some schools like Butler.  You can't tell all the details from just tv, especially for the smaller schools.

2) Timeline on Terrence Jones including text messages between Jones and Sullinger when Jones was considering coming back to school.

3) Their top 25, of course we are number two.  They show one picture of a player from the team, the ranking and then a break down of the team.  You can see it at KSR.  I like the subtle shot at Miller.  They show his picture, then list all our stars and say that Miller might as well be an assistant coach.  I took it as Miller is just going to be deferring quite a bit, which is probably true but I hope he steps it up.

4) Interesting article with the insights from Gary Williams.  He talks about recruiting challenges.  He said one time he called a player on the first hour you could contact a recruit and not only had the guy already talked to tons of other coaches, he had already cut his list to five that did not include Maryland.

He also discussed how the NCAA is joke, well not exactly.  He was a little more pc about it.

5) A poll was made polling division 1 head men's head basketball coaches on how many teams should be in the NCAA tournament.  Surprisingly 42% said 96, 43% said 68.  96 teams would be nuts but I'm sure a ton of the 42% were from coaches who are not getting into the tourney year in and year out but would be invited to the party if it was at 96.  I like the 68 but find it confusing and odd that the play in games are not all 16 seeds. 

The argument is the mid majors will feel shorted by having to play in the play in game.  My solution is don't call it a play in game, call it, I don't know, how about: round 1.  It's catchy enough don't you think?  The play in game lingo makes it sound like their conference championship doesn't get them necessarily in the tourney and they have to win the play in game to get there. 

If it is just round 1, where most schools get a bye, that isn't the case anymore.  I don't see why these scores would want their only national exposure to be a blow out route by the big powerful #1 seeds.  Have one game where you are playing on the blue ncaa logo and actually have a legit shot at winning, then you can go and get blown out.

I've always found it funny watching the mid major celebrate their championship win, knowing in the back of their mind, "Yey! Time to get creamed in front of millions of people! Yey."

6) There was a breakdown of the one and done players and how great of a decision that was to go pro after one year. Of course some "Cal guys" were listed.  They were broken up into the following categories: Valedictorians, Dean's List, Honor Roll, Bell Curvers, Study Hall, Incomplete and then James Crittenon from Georgia Tech had his own category for flunking out after he awaits trial for a drive by murder shooting in Atlanta.

Here is the breakdown of the Cal's guys along with where ESPN ranked them in the NBA.  Rankings are for all players in the NBA, not just guys who left college after one year.

Valedictorian-Rose #8

Dean's List: Wall #40, Evans #47, Cousins #82

Bell Curvers: Knight #267 Irving is ranked #140 and in the Dean's List...such a Duke homer apparently, no way is there that much difference between the two

Bledsoe-#194 Can of surprised to see Bledsoe higher than Knight but Bledsoe does have one year of NBA experience under him

Incomplete-Orton #431

7) Article on the Super Conferences potentially being formed in the next five years.  Pitino discusses how he doesn't want it.  Which is interesting because there is a large picture of all the flags that would make up the power conferences (four conferences with 16 teams each) and there isn't a Louisville flag.  

Sounds like Pitino is aware that Louisville is likely not going to be invited to the big boys party... 

Pat Forde who we all know is a Pitino homer, did write he believed the ACC would take Louisville at some point because of their basketball tradition and ACC unlike the other conferences are adding basketball powers not football powers.  

As for the SEC, ESPN speculates that we will add Texas Tech and TCU at some point to make our conference 16.  The SEC commissioner discussed his belief that the super conferences would be 16 at some point to allow for two smaller regions of 8, or four groups of 4.  This will make scheduling much easier.  

There was even talk that this could cause the 64 powers to defect from the NCAA to form their own league.  The winner from each league could play in a final four playoff type of match up in football.

So there you have it a little insight into the latest ESPN magazine!