Memphis

Three games are on tap tonight, with two ranked teams looking to make a statement on a day dominated by the MLB playoffs and the vice presidential debate. Last night's game wasn't much of a test for #17 Boise State, as they extended their home win streak to fifteen games with a 38-3 pasting of Louisiana Tech. Hopefully the games tonight will offer more in the way of suspense, and I think they will.

Pittsburgh (3-1, 1-0 Big East) @ #10 USF (5-0, 0-0) 7:30 PM EST on ESPN

Clip of the Day

Thanks to the genius of YouTube, the world has access to thousands of great college  basketball videos to watch every second.  Every day (or so) we'll feature a new movie to whet your college basketball appetite. Even if you've seen them before, some clips are just too good not to watch again and again.

The UMass at Memphis basketball game will be the first in a bonanza of 14 games on the ESPN Networks as part of the College Basketball Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 18. The game at the FedEx Forum pits new UMass coach Derek Kellogg against his mentor and friend John Calipari, the former Minuteman bench boss. The game will begin after ESPN's Monday Night Football (Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns) and starts 23 hours of coverage.

The 2008-09 University of Memphis basketball schedule was released Wednesday, and fans will get to see plenty of their Tigers this season with 18 home dates at FedExForum. Times and television games will be announced at a later date.

"Everywhere I've been recently, fans have been asking about this season's schedule, and I'm excited to get it out there," said Memphis Director of Athletics R.C. Johnson. "As John likes to do, the schedule has a national feel to it, and I know our fans enjoy those high-profile games.

With the dust from the draft now settled, it's time to look at how some teams will be filling in the considerable holes left by draftees. Here's a look at some teams who need both returning players and incoming freshmen to step up in a big way.

UCLA
Early entries: Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
Seniors: Lorenzo Mata-Real

They don't get to shake David Stern's hand. They don't get to show off new suits, try on their team hats, or get interviewed by Stephen A. Smith.  Occasionally, the television audience has to wait until the commercial break ends to see who was selected. They only get to listen to the analysts talk about them for about two minutes before they move onto the next pick. Yes...the life of a second-rounder isn't easy.