by Ray Mernagh

MernaghR@aol.com

January 11th, 2004

Conference play has started and as many of us realize this means that the real season is now underway. I got a chance to see what looks like a vastly improved Georgetown team - under the guidance of John Thompson # 3 - come into Pitt, shoot lights out, and then hold on for a three point victory. I'll be in Kalamazoo, Michigan later this week for what looks like a great Mid-American Conference game between Western Michigan and Kent State. Some of you might not be aware that Western has the second-longest home winning streak in the nation at 23 games. The last team to beat them at University Arena was none other than - drum roll please -- the Kent State Golden Flashes. As Keith Jackson would say: it should be a dandy…or something like that. One last thing: if any of you are looking for a great read, check out John Feinstein's latest book with Red Auerbach: Let me tell you a Story: A lifetime in the Game.  Best Christmas gift I got this year.

Oklahoma A-OK
Kelvin Sampson has his Sooners back in the national picture - after missing their first NCAA tournament in a decade last season -- with a huge win earlier tonight over Uconn 77-65. Taj Gray - the best JC transfer in the country - went for 23 points and 10 boards against the vaunted Uconn frontcourt of Villanueva, Boone and Nelson. 'Drew Lavender is becoming a big-time point, while Kevin Bookout seems fully recovered from injuries that eventually made him shut it down last year. Jim Calhoun's biggest problem is at the point. And that's a bad problem to have in January - just ask Tom Izzo how that worked out for his Spartans last year.

Kansas Answers Doubters
How does a nationally ranked team (Kansas) answer all the haters about not going on the road enough? By going into Rupp -- in front of 24,000 blue bloods -- and handling Kentucky 65-59 without their best player. I didn't get to see much of it, but my brother said that Billy Packer was his usual negative self -- this time towards Kansas' schedule and team -- and only changed his tune with about two minutes left in the second half. I guess Bill Self and the crew answered everyone on Sunday. Any questions?

Pitt Needed to Foul
While talking about the negativity of Mr. Packer, let me get on the bus a bit. Pitt was a team in near-crisis mode Saturday going into the game at the always-tough RAC to play Rutgers. They'd lost two-straight at home -- to Bucknell and Georgetown -- and a 0-2 Big East start was staring them in the face as they entered the final minute of the game. Just when nothing could seem to go right -- especially for a flu-ridden Carl Krauser -- fellow Bronx baller, Ronald Ramon (career-high 21 points on 7-11 shooting) hit a tough, clutch three-pointer to put the Panthers up three with seconds remaining. The freshman standout should have had the game winner right there, but Pitt made - in my opinion - a huge error by not fouling Ricky Shields before he could get off a game tying three. Rutgers isn't known for much in the college basketball world (besides the RAC's hostile environment and losing good players via the transfer route), but everyone knows they've got capable bombers from beyond the arc. So what does Pitt do? Foul right? Nope, they let Ricky Shields get off a wide-open three to send it the game to overtime. The Panthers were lucky to pull this one out. They should have fouled before Rutgers even got across halfcourt -- they had a foul to give for crying out loud! Big win for a struggling Pitt team, but a bad decision not to foul.

Christie Traded to Orlando...for Cat Mobley and Michael Bradley
Well, this adds all sorts of intrigue to the first season of the rumored Doug Christie/Mrs. Christie reality show -- how a whipped NBA player deals with not only his overbearing wife, but new surroundings as well! The basketball side of this deal intrigues me. Geoff Petrie just pulled off a steal in my eyes -- Cuttino Mobley (and Michael Bradley) for an aging, often-injured defensive stopper? How does he do it? Mobley instantly becomes a force on the Kings -- a team in need of fresh blood if there ever was one. Hell, maybe even the big (6-11) some-what-skilled Bradley can live up to his first- round potential in Sac-Town's offense, one that lets bigs handle the rock out top instead of down low. Great trade for the Kings. If Christie can stay healthy -- and convince his wife to stay off the team -plane until he gets to know his new mates -- maybe it works for both sides. But it says here that the Kings were big winners.
 

Each week, CHN will be bringing you Ray's Roundball Blog.  Its not really just a blog, but we just call it one.  Ray Mernagh touches on the hottest news in college basketball, plus he occasionally touches on the NBA and high school hoops.

Ray writes for both Basketball Times and Eastern Basketball, and also publishes his own website called HoopFactor.com