Tagliabue Will Not Save The Big East

The Big East Conference is preparing for war once again. Seven years ago Miami, Boston College, and Virginia Tech ditched the Big East in light for the ACC and changed the college athletics landscape. With talks of the Big Ten looking to expand, the Big East has looked to a former son to help keep the conference in tact.

Paul Tagliabue, the former NFL commissioner and alum of Georgetown University, was hired last week as an unpaid consultant to help the conference survive if the Big Ten comes picking for teams. Tagliabue may be a consultant but his strategy to protect the Big East has started in an interesting way. His unique strategy apparently consists of demeaning teams already in the conference.

"Is Minnesota and Rutgers going to get a big rating on Long Island?" Tagliabue said in an interview with the New York Times. "Give me a break. Every game isn't Michigan and Michigan State."

Well so much for being nice to teams like Rutgers in hopes of convincing them to stay in the league if the Big Ten comes calling. Tagliabue said his statement meant that the Big Ten is over reaching its boundaries by coming east if it decides to expand.

But Taliabue may be a bit naive. Will Rutgers and Minnesota peak the charts? Most likely no, but if teams like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State come to New Jersey I have a feeling there may be some true interest. Rutgers would easily sell out every home game with teams like that visiting the Garden State.

Taliabue then went on to question what teams like Rutgers or Syracuse could do for the Big Ten Network. There is no question the Big Ten Network would love to expand east and bring in the New York market. Rutgers has had record number of viewers the past three seasons on ESPN for prime time college football.

So what does the Big East have to offer that is better than the Big Ten? Tagliabue clearly doesn't have an answer but instead likes to focus on shaping the future.

"You shouldn't just try and sit back and try to anticipate a future created by someone else." He said. "You are in a position to shape the future. Let's figure out how to do it."

The honest truth though is if the Big Ten wants to grab teams from the Big East or Big 12 they can and they will. The Big East is too late to start shaping the future now. The Big Ten members each make $22 million annually in television revenue, four times more than the Big East members according to NJ.com. I think the advantage is clear.

Let's also not forget about the bowl tie-ins for football in the Big Ten, which blow away those from the Big East. I think most Rutgers fans would take the Outback Bowl over the Papajohns.com bowl.

The bottom line is the Big Ten talks are starting to get serious. The Big Ten will expand, it is just a matter of when. And when they make the move, the college landscape will change once again like it did seven years ago. Tagliabue can try and make the Big East football teams seem unattractive but the fact is they are attractive to the folks in the Midwest.

My advice to Tagliabue is simple. Like Georgetown and the other small, private catholic schools their primary focus is on basketball. The Big Ten will come calling east, and the Big East will not be able to stop them from raiding the conference once again. Start looking for other schools in the area that can fill your "basketball" conference and give up on keeping the conference how it is now.

Teams like Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and West Virginia are all good fits for the Big Ten and its apparent by Tagliabue's quotes that he knows it as well. Tagliabue may want to stay away from Rutgers this fall because those "Long Island" people may be interested in teaching him a lesson about running your mouth.

No Fun in College Football

The NCAA rules committee is once again taking the fun out of college football. The focus this year will once again be on "excessive celebration". Officials will be able to call spot-fouls on players who celebrate before the end zone and...wait...write messages on their eye black (gasp).

I do not have a problem with officials flagging players who taunt their opponents or who showboat as if they are Ochocinco or TO, but for the NCAA to put in a rule in where officials have the power to take points off the board in ludicrous.

If a kid fakes a player out of his shoes and then runs 85-yards for a touchdown, then it's a touchdown. If he flips into the end zone or does the primetime dance before crossing the goal line then throw a flag and enforce it on the PAT or kickoff, do not take away the score. These are young kids showing emotion and passion for the sport they love. They are not robots or even worse the emotionless players in the NFL who only care about money.

College football is all about emotion. The bands, fans, rivalries, stadiums, and traditions are what college football is all about. The game is built around excitement. I'm all for sportsmanship, it's what the NCAA is all about according to those annoying commercials we see on CBS or ESPN, but let's not get carried away with it.

And the eye black ordeal, really? I have yet to see a player write a curse word on their eye black, or even their phone number for girls to give them a call after the game. Give me a break, if a player writes the zip code of their hometown or the name of their late mother then let them do it. Don't become the NFL who fines players for the wrong towel or sock length. Would the NCAA really penalize Tim Tebow for writing scripture on his eye black?

The excessive celebration penalty falls under rule 9-2, Article I (a)(1)(d) which says that "any delayed , excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves)", the rule also goes on to say the player must return the ball immediately to the official after a score.

The NCAA is simply scared of the past. The rules for excessive celebration were created because of the Miami teams of the '90's. The "U" portrayed the image that the NCAA hated. Miami wasn't like old fashion Notre Dame or Nebraska, they were rough and tough and enjoyed the spotlight. Players like Michael Irving thrived on talking trash and backing it up with his play.

I don't want to see players celebrate like X-PAC and give the "suck it" sign but let the kids enjoy themselves a bit. The stupid celebration rule cost Georgia its game against LSU last season and cost Washington its game against BYU two years ago. In both cases the flags were called on players celebrating as a team, high-fiving and hugging each other. The celebrations were not choreographed or prolonged, they were simply the result of the emotion and excitement of the game.

The NCAA is acting like players are truly offended when someone celebrates against them. What is this, one of those little league functions where everyone gets a trophy?

Rutgers Guard Rosario to Transfer

Rutgers has granted sophomore guard Mike Rosario a conditional release from his scholarship after meeting with athletic director Tim Pernetti and informing him of his intent to transfer. Rosario leaving is just another chip in the glass that is surely about to bust by weeks end with the turmoil going on in the Scarlet Knights basketball program.

It started two weeks ago when head coach Fred Hill Jr. got into a verbal scuffle with Pittsburgh's head baseball coach Joe Jordano at a Rutgers baseball game.

Fast forward to today and now Rutgers is on the verge of a legal battle with Hill after the 51-year-old declined a $600,000 buyout before receiving his letter of termination from the university on Monday. Add to the drama that incoming freshman Gilvydas Biruta, a 6-8 power forward from St. Benedict's Prep, asked Pernetti to get out of his letter of intent two weeks ago.

As for Rosario, the Jersey City native certainly had his ups and downs at Rutgers. Fans need to be honest and realize Rosario was over hyped coming to the Scarlet Knights. He was the first ever McDonald's all-American to come to Piscatway and hopes were high when he arrived in 2008. But two seasons of sub-par shooting percentage and brutal turnover to assist ratio exposed the guard's weaknesses.

It's been rumored that Rosario is interested in transferring to Southern California, Kansas, or North Carolina. Rosario's friend and former teammate at St. Anthony's Jio Fontan is at USC now, but Rutgers plans to sue the school for tampering charges. In his freshman season, Rosario and Rutgers traveled to Chapel Hill to face the Tar Heels--it was believed that after a strong performance Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams approached the young guard and had a lengthy conversation, it was unknown what they talked about.

Rosario was an outcast in his two years at Rutgers. At times he oddly used third-person narrative to respond to reporters and always seemed distant from his teammates. The school's newspaper, The Daily Targum, even had an article last week citing sources saying that teammate's never liked him and wanted him to leave.

It's very doubtful that Rutgers was hampering Rosario's chances of making the NBA. Rosario is a slim-built, 6-3 guard, who has a weak left hand and has a knack for horrible shot selection. Unlike former Rutgers guard Quincy Douby, Rosario is not a long range shooter. It's surprising enough that Rosario's ego will let him sit out a year before he can return to college basketball.

Rosario had a perfect situation in high school. His coach, Bob Hurley Sr., was able to keep his star guard's ego in check with team style basketball. Not to mention that Rosario had Dominic Cheek, Jio Fontan, Tyshawn Taylor, and A.J. Rodgers on his squad--all went on to play at big-time schools.

Rosario is the last thing Rutgers needs to worry about at this time. They first must settle the dispute with Hill and replace him within the month as spring recruiting heats up. Then the school can worry about who is coming back next season and incoming freshman there are.

Rosario may wind up at a place like UNC, but he is no Dahntay Jones who transferred from Rutgers to Duke in 2000 and now plays for the Pacers. At best, Rosario is a sixth-man on a mid-level ACC team. Could he wind up in the NBA? Yes, but Rosario must reshape his attitude and start from scratch at a new school with only two years left to do so.

Like always, fans will have to get over this departure. It's like a marriage that wasn't solid from the start, and both parties new it and now they're acting on it. Rutgers basketball will move on and Rosario will too, only time will tell which party benefits from the split.

The Coaching Carousel

Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio is the latest casualty of the college basketball world-- the Deacons head man was fired today after three seasons in Winston Salem. March Madness doesn't just refer to the tournament action, but the month is a time where coaches come and go and the next Brad Steven's are given their big shot.

Here are some of the schools that let coaches go and made new hires.

Seton Hall- Fired Bobby Gonzalez-- Hired Iona's Kevin Willard

The Pirates bowed out in the first round of the NIT at home to Texas Tech, but it wasn't the loss alone that did in Gonzo. Gonzalez conduct on and off the court was an issue ever since he came to South Orange from Manhattan. Kevin Willard will be the new replacement at Seton Hall, and the Pirates have to be happy with the hire. Willard took the Gaels from a two-win season to a 21-10 record just two year's later. Willard is a Big Easy guy-- he played his college ball at Pittsburgh and was on Rick Patino's Louisville staff before going to Iona.

Final ruling: Upgrade!

Boston College- Fired Al Skinner-- Hired Cornell's Steve Donahue

In 1997, Skinner was hired at BC to salvage a program devastated by a gambling scandal. Skinner did a terrific job bringing the program back to life-- taking the Eagles to the NCAA tournament seven times since 2001. Reports are conflicting, but it appears the university decided to part ways with the long time coach after he was rumored to interview for the St. John's position.

Boston College now turns to long time Cornell coach Steve Donahue-- who led the big Red to a 29-5 record this season before losing to Kentucky in the Sweet 16. Donahue is a local guy who preaches discipline and hard work. Donahue was emotional while speaking with his players before leaving for Chesnut Hill, but Donahue will have a lot to prove at a big time school. He'll have to bring in local talent to compete in one of the toughest conferences in the country. The debate is still out on whether this hire will help or hurt the Eagles.

Final Ruling: Downgrade!

Depaul- Fired Jerry Wainwright-- Hired Clemson's Oliver Purnell

Wainwright was fired midway through this season as the Blue Demons fell to the bottom of the Big East for a second straight season. Depaul went winless in the Big East in 2008-09. Wainwright had two years left on his contract when he was let go.

The decision to fire Wainwright wasn't a shocker to most, but Oliver Purnell's decision to leave Clemson was. Purnell took the Tigers to a 21-11 record this season and another appearance in the NCAA tournament. Purnell had struggles winning a tournament game once his teams got to the dance, but now Purnell will have the job of rebuilding a struggling program. Purnell calls this job a great opportunity and believes the Depaul is Chicago's team. One thing is certain, Purnell is a good coach with great experience, and Depaul maybe made the best hire of the off season so far.

Final ruling: Upgrade!

Wagner College- Fired Mike Deane-- Hired St. Benedict's Prep HS Danny Hurley

Deane coached the Seahawks since 2003 without much success. Wagner finished this year with a 5-26 record-- not much to say for the firing.

The hiring of Danny Hurley says a lot for the son of Hall of Famer Bob Hurley Sr-- legendary coach at St. Anthony's High School. Hurley has some college experience, he was an assistant coach at Rutgers under Kevin Bannon from 1997 to 2001. Hurley compiled a 223-21 record at St. Benedict's and had four teams ranked in the top five in the country. One advantage Hurley will have is his family connections. It's already rumored he will hire his brother, Bobby Jr.- formed Duke star-- as an assistant coach. If Hurley can bring in some players from St. Ben's and St. Anthony's, Wagner may be a dangerous team in the NEC.

Final Ruling: Upgrade!

Hill May Cause His Own Departure

Three weeks ago, Rutgers basketball head coach Fred Hill Jr. met with athletic director Tim Pernetti about his future at the University-- and Pernetti decided to give his vote of confidence in Hill to return for a fifth season after another sub par year. Now the exit door has reopened a bit after a series of transfer, recruit, and behavioral problems surfaced over the weekend.

Fred Hill's father, Fred Hill Sr., has coached the baseball program at Rutgers for 27 years. This past weekend the baseball team was home against Pittsburgh. In the first game of the series on Thursday, the ballgame ended in a controversial safe-out call. After Pitt coach Joe Jordano went to argue the call to the umpire, the Rutgers coaching staff starting jawing at the Panther dugout.

According to eye witnesses at the game, both set of coaches emptied out onto the field where a yelling match ensued. Apparently, Fred Hill Jr. took offense to Pitt screaming at his father and decided it was OK to shout obscenities towards Pitt. Hill's outburst according to the eye witnesses was embarrassing and unnecessary.

The next day, Pitt's athletic director called Pernetti about the scuffle and was alarmed that the basketball coach had anything to do with the altercation. According to Jerry Carino and Keith Sargeant on their blog Scarlet Scuttlebutt-- Pernetti took action after the call by telling Hill Jr. to stay away from the Bainton Field complex for the remainder of the weekend series.

Hill did not oblige to his boss's recommendation. On Saturday Pernetti took a trip to the baseball field where he usually sits out in the left field hill with the players parents. There, Pernetti saw Hill in his car behind some trees, scrunched down watching the game.

There are no reports that Pernetti confronted Hill at the game but it was reported that the Rutgers AD did see his basketball coach at the baseball game.

And if that alone wasn't enough to stir up trouble, it was reported yesterday by Tom Lucci of the Star-Ledger that Rutgers guard Mike Rosario is seriously considering transferring because Hill is coming back for another season.

Hill already lost two players in the past three months to transfer, and 11 overall in his short tenure at Rutgers. This does not bold well for a coach that has a Big East record of 13-57-- the worst record by any coach in the past few seasons in the conference.

Aside from the transfer issues the program has had, it is now in even more trouble with future talent coming to the state university of New Jersey. Gilvydas Biruta, a 6-7 forward out of St. Benedict's who signed with Rutgers last November, has reportedly asked out of his letter of intent according to Zagsblog.com. The site also reported that Biruta went to Pernetti directly, instead of Hill. If Biruta does not come to Rutgers, the program will have only one incoming recruit for next season.

This leaves Pernetti with an enormous decision on the horizon. Hill has a behavioral clause in his contract-- and with the baseball outburst it is possible that Pernetti can terminate Hill for violating his contract. If Rutgers fired Hill without cause, the school would owe him $1.8 million.

The debate now becomes will Pernetti fire Hill? And if he does, who does the school go after to be its next coach? Those questions need to be answered within the week no matter what. The longer Rutgers waits, the more the damage already done could get worse.

One thing is certain, you would think a coach on the hot seat would be on his best behavior after getting a free pass on a joke of a coaching career-- but then again we've seen odder things in New Jersey before.

A Championship for the Ages

The Hollywood script would have had a different ending-- a last second buzzer beater to have the small town school knock off the big boys-- but last night's NCAA championship game wasn't meant to end that way. Instead, Duke won it's fourth national title defeating Butler 61-59 in front of 70,930 fans in Indianapolis.

The game wasn't decided until Butler's Gordan Hayward's last second half-court heave hit off the backboard then rim and rattled to the floor, setting off a Blue Devil celebration all the way to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tobacco Road. It was a game for the ages-- it was David vs. Goliath-- and this time Goliath came out on top.

The game never got out of hand last night, as neither team led by more than six points. Duke was led by their big three as Singler, Scheyer, and Zoubek all played key parts down the stretch.

It was Zoubek who had the monstrous rebound off Hayward's miss with 3.6 seconds left as the Bulldogs had an opportunity down one in their half court to take the lead. Zoubek made his first free throw, and intentionally missed the second when Hayward got the rebound and got a pick at half court from Matt Howard-- almost making what would have been the greatest shot in college basketball history.

And even though Butler lost, they still proved their point. Butler played on behalf of all the other "mid-major" teams out there who don't have a budget like the Duke's of the world, and they showed they belonged in the title game.

It was the typical Butler game-- play tough defense, contest shots, come up with steals, and take advantage of half court opportunities. As head coach Brad Stevens said, Butler was one possession away from winning in a game with 145 possessions.

Butler was America's team last night, and most fans wanted the Cinderella story for Hooisers part II. But people will soon realize the amazing stories that will come from the Duke side as well, that would be just as a good for a Hollywood movie.

Nolan Smith-- son of Louisville great Derek Smith who passed away when his son was only eight-- won a championship in the same town where his father won one back in 1980. In 1991, Christian Laettner led the Blue Devils to their first title in Indy, the same place Duke won last night. And coach Mike Krzyzewski passed his mentor, Bob Knight and tied Adolph Rupp for coaches with at least four national titles.

Last night's game was an instant classic. A game that's final margin was the closet since 1989 when Michigan defeated Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime. And though the scenes were different last night at Cameron Indoor and historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, both schools have much to be proud of.

For Duke, they're back on top of the college basketball scene. And will have bragging rights for a year over their arch enemies of North Carolina-- a team that won two national titles since Duke's last trip to the final four in 2004. This year's Duke team was unlike the ones of '91, '92, and '01. These Blue Devils weren't made up of lottery picks and top NBA talent-- this year's team had gritty players who lived up to and passed their potential to take the crown.

For Butler there is much to be optimistic about. Unlike many of the "mid-majors", Butler returns most of their keys players from this year's squad. Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward are just sophomores, while Matt Howard and Zach Hahn will return next year as seniors. The Bulldogs will be a top five team next year, and they deserve to be. They have a great coach, great talent, and even more determination.

This is what March Madness is supposed to be about. And even though it will be hard to explain to a young fan why the little team didn't upset the big bullies-- there is still honor in how both teams performed, and everyone who watched last night's game should feel lucky they had a chance to see it.

Spring Break Death A Lesson to All

Matt James, a 17-year-old Notre Dame football recruit, was "drunk and belligerent" according to authorities when he fell from a fifth-floor balcony on his high school spring break in Florida. James fell from the balcony at the Days Inn Motel in Panama City Beach over a week ago.

According to officials, James was on the trip with 40 fellow classmates and about a half-dozen parents from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. The hotel's balconies were up to the normal height standard, but two questions must be asked from this tragedy.

Why were the kids allowed on the balconies on spring break and what parents allowed James to get drunk while in Florida?

I recently went on my college spring break to Daytona Beach a few weeks ago and stayed in a hotel similar to the one James was in. But unlike the Days Inn Motel, my hotel locked their balconies during spring break. It is no secret that young students go on spring break to escape from school and enjoy the ability to live care free and drink themselves into oblivion. It makes no sense to me why hotels in all the spring break hot spots would not have the policies to lock their balconies. Keeping balconies open only creates a huge liability issue for these hotels.

Although some blame must be put on the motel, much of it must go on James himself as well as the parents who were supervising the trip. For starters, James is underage, and as a future collegiate athlete he should have known better than to get drunk and put his future at risk. Many young people feel invincible, but these stories are not uncommon and prove that kids make mistakes and sometimes pay the ultimate price, especially on spring break.

But James could have had help. James somehow found a way to get alcohol in his system, and because he was "drunk and belligerent", there were most likely plenty of classmates around that noticed his disturbing behavior. There were most likely a few parents who noticed his demeanor as well. As soon as James opened the balcony door, someone should have grabbed him and made him realize what harm he was in.

This story isn't about sports. James was a talented athlete and had a bright future ahead of him. He was not just a football player but a varsity basketball athlete as well, but being an athlete alone does not make you invincible.

I feel bad for his parents and for his friends. Cause at the end of the day, James was the one who chose to drink and chose to go on the balcony. And unfortunately, his decisions cost him his life. And many friends and family probably feel like they're solely to blame, but they're not.

Too many times we see athletes in society think they are free from the rules that everyone else adheres to. Just look at athletes like former Net Jayson Williams and NFL player Donte Stallworth. Both men killed innocent civilians while under the influence of alcohol.

The death of Matt James can be a lesson to many people. It should open the eyes to students who go away on break and think they won't get hurt, it should open the eyes of high school coaches around the country to teach their players that there are consequences for drinking, and it should open up the eyes of parents to teach their kids how valuable life is.

My heart goes out to the James family and the St. Xavier school.

The New "SAINT" John

Former UCLA coach and ESPN analyst Steve Lavin was hired yesterday as the newest head coach of St. John's. Lavin replaces Norm Roberts, who could not bring the Red Storm to the dance in six seasons as head coach.

Lavin coached six seasons at UCLA after replacing Jim Harrick in November of 1996. Lavin compiled a 145-78 record with the Bruins, and took his teams to the sweet 16 five times, and the elite eight once.

Florida coach Billy Donovan, former Boston College coach Al Skinner and Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt were all in consideration for the job after Roberts was fired, but after Donovan and Hewitt said no, St. John's turned to Lavin.

Lavin may not be the number one choice for St. John's fans, but the Red Storm got what they wanted, a semi-big name coach with a high-profile personality. Lavin should easily challenge MTV's The Situation and Pauly D for who uses the most hair gel at one time.

Lavin has one thing going for him that every Big east coach needs, experience. Lavin started out as an assistant at Purdue under legendary coach Gene Keady, and then moved back out west to coach with Jim Harrick in 1991 at UCLA. It's one to thing to say you want to win, but Lavin knows what it takes to win.

Lavin has been to a total of 13 NCAA tournaments as a coach, and guided the Bruins to six years of 20 plus win seasons. Lavin is also 10-1 in the first two rounds of the tournament as a head coach.

Most importantly, Lavin can recruit, and being in New York will certainly help his job. At UCLA, Lavin compiled seven McDonald's all-Americans on his rosters including NBA players Trevor Ariza and Baron Davis. If Lavin can higher a few New York assistants, maybe someone like former Duke star Jay Williams, then the newest head coach of St. John's should have Madison Square Garden rocking next year.

There is no doubt St. John's is in the best shape of any college team in the New York/New Jersey area. Rutgers decided to keep Fred Hill Jr. as its head coach, even though Hill is 44-77 overall in four seasons with the Scarlet Knights. If the state University of New Jersey is in trouble, Seton Hall may be in even worse shape. The Pirates recently fired Bobby Gonzalez after four seasons and hired Iona's Kevin Willard as its new coach. Three players have already declared for the NBA draft, leaving Seton Hall with few scholarship players.

St. John's returns 94 percent of its offense from last season, a team that went 17-16 overall with a first round loss in the NIT. It is not a given that Lavin will be the next Lou Carnesecca, but the Red Storm now have an experienced coach, with an experienced team, playing in the world's most famous area, the future looks bright for St. John's.

Women's Basketball in Need of "Miracle in March"

The Conneticut women's basketball team is on a 69-game winning streak and one win away from tying a record for most consecutive victories, set by the Huskies from 2001-2003. But what women's college basketball needs most is their version of the 1980 U.S. Hockey team. For as unbelievable as the streak is, this year's UConn team winning the NCAA title will not help the sport of women's basketball.

On Monday, UConn capped off their regular season with a 76-51 win over No. 8 Notre Dame, finishing this year 30-0. Tina Charles surpassed Nykesha Sales as the school's all-time leading scorer and Rebecca Lobo as the Huskies all-time leading rebounder in the game against the Irish.

If the record of 69 wins in a row isn't enough, how about winning each game by double figures? UConn has established their dominance in the women's game and it doesn't seem like anyone will contest them for their year's crown.

What should the NCAA want? Do they want the streak to continue and want the Huskies to continue to blowout team after team? Do they want the tournament to become an event to see who will finish behind the Huskies? The NCAA needs a women's basketball Cinderella this year, now more than ever.

There is almost no doubt UConn will get to the final four, and most likely play for another national title. The NCAA can hype up the streak as much as they want, and ESPN can play all the highlights from the UCLA dynasty, but UConn losing in the title game is just what women's basketball needs.

This sport needs their own miracle on ice. People will watch the championship game if (when) UConn gets there. But people will be turned off if Geno Auriemma's squad blows out another Top Ten team. People will start to call the sport a joke, and start to blame Auriemma for the lack of parity.

Yes, players like Charles only come once in a lifetime. But if UConn continues to dominate, expect more once in a lifetime players to appear on the Huskies roster. Not that players like Lobo, Diana Taurasi, and Sue Bird aren't once in a lifetime players also.

It is unclear which team can challenge the Huskies. Teams like Stanford, Notre Dame, Texas, and Duke have all been thrashed by UConn this season. It will take a miracle for this year's Huskies team to lose, but it's something women's basketball needs.

If a team can knock off UConn in the title game, it will not just be one of the greatest upsets of all-time, but it may spawn some high school players to look elsewhere other than Hartford, CT.

It's time for March Madness

Even the weather today in New Jersey was pointing to signs of better times. With February here and gone it's time for the best month of the year in sports, March Madness. Cue up the CBS music, the bands, the cheerleaders and of course the Cinderellas. Get your brackets ready and enjoy the best month in sports.

The regular season is winding down and one thing is for sure, there is no favorite to take home the title this year. This past weekend alone showed the crazy carousel that is college basketball.

Former No. 1 Kansas lost to Oklahoma State 85-77 and showed the country the Jayhawks may not be top dog in the Big 12. Kentucky was at No. 2 last week before losing to Tennessee 74-65. There is no doubt John Wall is the best player in the country, but DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Paterson are going to need to step up for the SEC tournament.

Purdue may have had the worst week of any team in college basketball after losing star player Robbie Hummel to an ACL injury as well as falling to Michigan State 53-44. It will be up to E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson to pick up the slack for the Boilermakers.

Syracuse is the new No. 1 this week and may be the favorite to be the top seed in the tournament if they can survive the Big East tournament. The Orange were able to crush No. 8 Villanova 95-77 in front of a record crowd of 34,616 at the Carrier Dome. Jim Boeheim has him team on track at the right time as March Madness nears.

Many "bracket experts" love to focus on the potential Cinderellas but who knows who the next George Mason or Valpo will be? So here are a few more top 25 teams to look out for in March.

No. 7- Ohio State (23-7)

This Big Ten team may have been overlooked by many in the beginning of the season, but Evan Turner has certainly opened the eyes of many college basketball fans. With a core set of guards the Buckeyes are poised to make a run deep into the tourney. Thad Matta's team stumbled early against North Carolina and Butler, but his team has stepped up recently with wins on the road over Illinois and Michigan State.

No. 10- New Mexico (27-3)

Too bad the Lobos huge win over No. 11 BYU will be over shadowed by Steve Alford's potty mouth. Darington Hobson and Roman Martinez can score at will and should help push the Lobos past the first two rounds. This should be one "mid-major" team that can take care of business and represent the Mountain West well.

No. 16- Temple (24-5)

With signature wins over Villanova, Seton Hall, and Xavier, the Owls may be the best Atlantic-10 team in the field of 65. If Lavoy Allen can start scoring more, it will help out the likes of guards Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez. The Atlantic-10 is getting loads of respect this year but the Owls will have to be the team to carry the conference in March.

No. 23- Maryland (21-7)

Gary Williams was on the hot seat early after losses to Cincinnati, Villanova, and William & Mary, but the late surge by the Terrapins has put them right behind Duke in the ACC. Greivis Vasquez is averaging 19.5 ppg, but the senior will need help from a depleted bench in order to score more points. Maryland has key wins over Virgina Tech and Florida State, but the Terrapins will be tested if they are matched up in the tourney against a team with size down low.

There is no doubt March Madness is my favorite time for sports. On any given day a team can salvage their season or have it come crumbling down. As the next weeks move on, more teams will creep into the top 25 and over and over again we will hear the term bracket buster and Cinderella. The best part about March Madness is that it is unpredictable, it is the ultimate Craps shoot and I can't get enough of it. As Gus Johnson says, it time to "RISE AND FIRE".

The Wrestling Version of Greg Schiano

Scott Goodale was hired as the Rutgers wrestling coach just three years ago. Now, Goodale has his Scarlet Knights headed into the EIWA championships as the No. 22 team in the country.

The Jackson, N.J. native coached seven years at Jackson Memorial High School before coming to Rutgers where he had an overall record of 155-16. His teams of 2006 and 2007 earned the top ranking in the state both years. While at Jackson, Goodale earned coach of the year three times.

Goodale's presence can be felt as soon as he enters a room, very similar to Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano. Like Schiano, Goodale took over a struggling program in need of a revival. Both coaches are very savvy, know how to recruit and above all command respect. Not to mention they both happen to look and sound alike.

Goodale's first recruiting class composed of top wrestlers from the state including the No. 2 wrestler in the country, Scott Winston. Dan Rinaldi and Trevor Melde were also in his first class, both were top 20 recruits.

In his second year as head coach, Goodale coached Rutgers to a school record 20 wins. That year, three wrestlers earned bids to the NCAA tournament. This year, Goodale led the Knights to a school record 15-win dual match win streak. As of now, Rutgers heads into the EIWA championships at 19-5-1.

Goodale is not just a good fit for Rutgers because of his coaching ability, but because of the type of person he is. Goodale understands that his sport is rising in popularity throughout the state, and Goodale has enormous aspirations for his team. This year, Rutgers wrestled No. 23 Virginia at the RAC and defeated the Cavaliers in front of a raucous crowd.

Goodale's team's aren't afraid to wrestle the best in the country either. Rutgers has faced top teams like Iowa and Michigan State this year away from New Jersey and in the future Goodale plans to continue to bring top opponents into the RAC.

Goodale is also a great PR guy. Anytime someone wants an interview, Goodale will do it. This coach will do whatever to bring Rutgers wrestling to the top, and you have to respect that. Goodale is on his phone almost as much as Schiano is now, texting nonstop to make sure everything is running smooth.

Who knows if Rutgers wrestling will ever make it to the likes of Iowa, Michigan State or Ohio State? But if there is one guy that has the tenacity and drive to do so, it's Goodale. Rutgers made a great choice in hiring Goodale, and as odd as it may sound, wrestling could be the next sport at the school to bring in actual revenue. The program is continuing to rise, and it appears like the limits are endless.

The Immature Athlete

Athletes can be quite dumb sometimes. Just take Oregon wide receiver Jamere Holland for example. The Ducks senior WR decided to mouth off on Facebook after his teammate Kiki Alonso was kicked off the team for a DUI, just hours after head coach Chip Kelley held a press conference about his team's off the field issues.

Holland decided to use some choice expletives for his head coach as well as some racial slurs we are taught to not say when we are children. But that is exactly what some of these college athletes act like, children.

Here is just some of Holland's Shakespearean literature, "how the f*** you kick kinko off the team...I'm still here, that s*** weak buff cuh could have done damage for the ducks, that s*** is weak, weak a** f***, quote me".

Forget about how immature Holland is, how about using some proper English to show you are part of an academic institution? The more freedom these college athletes have, the more they mess up. How can you be this stupid to put this on Facebook (a public profile as well) and still think you won't be reprimanded?

Well guess what, Holland is now gone. This issue is not foreign to other schools as well. Former Rutgers basketball player JR Inman sounded off on two different Facebook posts this year. Each time Inman called for the firing of head coach Fred Hill Jr. Like Holland, Inman used racial slurs and even went as far as to call some of the coaches homosexuals.

And it doesn't stop at Facebook either for some of these athletes. This past November, three Tennessee football players were charged with attempted armed robbery. Even the Tennessee basketball program had four players arrested in early January on gun and marijuana charges. Urban Meyer's Florida Gators were without star defensive end Carlos Dunlap this season for the SEC title game after he was arrested on DUI charges.

When will these supposed "grown men" start acting their size? A coach should not have to babysit players and coddle them throughout school. College is supposed to be a time for individuals to learn how to make it in the real world. It is obvious some of these athletes just don't get it.

The problem won't be fixed in a day and the solution isn't 24-hour surveillance. Yes, coaches are part of the problem, but you have to believe that some of these head figures are astonished at some of the trouble their players get into.

Will Winning Now Hurt Rutgers?

The Scarlet Knights improved to 14-12 (4-9) last night after coming back from a 17 point deficit to beat DePaul 68-64 at Allstate Arena. Rutgers has won four out of its last five league games and two in a row including an upset of No. 8 Georgetown last weekend. Less than a month ago Rutgers fans were calling for the firing of head coach Fred Hill Jr. Now fans are scratching their heads wondering where this play was a few weeks ago and if Hill has done enough to keep his job.

Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti will have an important decision to make at season's end on whether or not to keep Hill at the helm of the program. College basketball is a game of momentum and it's easy to get caught up in the heat of a winning streak.

Rutgers would owe Hill at least $1.8 million to buy him out if Pernetti decides to let him go. Through almost four seasons, Hill is 46-72 overall and 12-53 in the Big East as the head coach of the Scarlet Knights. Over the last few seasons, Hill's team has lost to the likes of Vermont, Jackson State, Saint Peters, Lehigh and St. Bonaventure. Rutgers has not fared much better in conference play being blown out numerous times at home and on the road by league opponents.

With Rutgers playing so well lately, fans are starting to question whether or not Hill and his program are starting to turn the corner. But can one season salvage a coaches career that has been marked with embarrassing losses, a depleting fan base and six transfers, including Gregory Echenique who left midway through this season to go to Creighton?

To me, it seems like these late season heroics may be a bit too late to save Hill and his staff. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for players like Hamady Ndiaye who have suffered throughout their collegiate career at Rutgers. It's great to see young talent like Dane Miller take the floor at the Louis Brown Athletic Center and showcase his skills in front of a national audience. But this season cannot make up for the utter disaster that has been Rutgers basketball the past few seasons.

Next year, Rutgers will be without a big man after Ndiaye graduates. With Echenique now at Creighton, it leaves Brian Okam as the only center on next year's squad. It is hard to see next year's team winning more than 12 games with such a lack of depth.

Coaching encompasses many aspects. It means recruiting Big East talent to a Big East school, keeping those players there, being a good X's and O's guy and winning games you are supposed to win while winning a few that you are not supposed to win. Hill has done very little of those things. He has brought in players like Mike Rosario and Miller, but has yet to recruit good big men to complete his teams. He has been out coached numerous times and has not won the games he is supposed to win each year. And don't forget about turning one of the greatest home venues in the country into a morgue.

Pernetti is a smart man, and he should be able to weigh out the benefits and disadvantages of keeping or getting rid of Hill. Fans should not root for Rutgers to loose in order for Hill to loose his job. If a winning record and a possible NIT berth saves Hill's job, then maybe Pernetti needs to take a deeper look into his decision making.

Fans should enjoy the recent success of the team because there hasn't been much in the past few years to cheer about. Rutgers could easily finish the season with a winning record and it would be a great way to send out a senior like Ndiaye. But when it comes down to it, the recent play of the Knights cannot make up for the play the last three seasons. Rutgers fans deserve better and it will be Pernetti's job to deliver the basketball version of Greg Schiano to Piscataway.

Rutgers has at least six games left on the season, and who knows what can happen in March. I guess that's the real beauty of college basketball.

Maybe winning now will hurt Rutgers. If the team can pull off a Georgia type miracle and make the NCAA tournament (long shot I know) then Hill would stay. If Hill remains for one more year it will mean another year of mediocrity and maybe worse than that. It could set the program back another year and just frustrate fans even more. No one is saying Hill has not given it his all, but maybe being a head coach in the best conference in the country isn't the job for him.

A Glance at Super Bowl Weekend

WHO DAT NATION

The main story of the weekend has to been the Saints and the city of New Orleans receiving a long overdue championship. The scenes from Bourbon Street with people dancing in the streets and Drew Brees with tears holding up his son speak volume to how important this game was to that city. Whether people want to admit it or not, you have to feel good for a city that was nearly wiped off the map just a few years ago after Katrina. Who knows when the party will end, but with Mardi Gras coming up, there is no end in sight for the biggest party of all-time.

HELLO DREW BREES

Talk about MVP. Drew Brees turned the attention away from Peyton Manning last night and showed the nation just how good he can be. Brees went 32 of 39 for 288 yards and threw for two touchdowns. He completed 18 of his last 19 passes and finished the game with a QB rating of 114.5. Brees orchestrated one of the best game winning drives with just minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. This is a quarterback who most people left for dead in San Diego, now he's a Super Bowl MVP.

PORTER PICK SIX

Tracy Porter helped put an end to the thought of a Colts comeback with his 74-yard interception return for a touchdown. Porter jumped Peyton Manning's pass to Reggie Wayne and sprinted toward the end zone and immortality. Most people will choose to focus on the play of Brees and Manning in the aftermath of the game, but much credit is deserved for the Saints defense. Porter was also the player to intercept Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game.

EASY ON PEYTON

Peyton Manning did not have his best game as a Colt, he did not solidify himself as the best of all-time, but he did not choke. Manning went 31 of 45 for 333 yards with one touchdown and one huge interception. Looking at the interception, it appeared that Reggie Wayne ran a hook instead of a slant on the play. Tracy Porter beat Wayne to the ball and the rest is history. Peyton is not a choker, he has one ring already and should still be in the argument for the best quarterback of all-time.

SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS

It's part of the Super Bowl that everyone loves, the commercials. But this year's Super Bowl commericals lacked the spunk the game thankfully provided. I'll give credit to Doritos and Bud Light for providing some light entertainment, but the rest just didn't tickle my fancy. My favorite had to be the little kid slapping his mom's boyfriend in the face, but Danica Patrick's appearance for GoDaddy.com didn't impress many. Tim Tebow's commercial was way overblown and the use of animals in commercials is starting to get old. Trying to out due a Zebra looking at instant replay or a streaking sheep is hard to do, but I guess there is always next year.

RUTGERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The Scarlet Knights had two former players in the Super Bowl yesterday. Gary Brackett and Eric Foster came up clutch on a goal line stand late in the second quarter for the Colts defense. With the emergence of Ray Rice as a standout running back, the State University of New Jersey's football program had a pretty good postseason.

SUPER GAMES ON SUPER SUNDAY

Fans have been treated to some outstanding football the last few Super Bowls. The last three games have featured game winning, fourth quarter drives with some last minute heroics. Eli Manning and the Giants in 2007, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers last year and now Drew Brees and the "Who Dat" Saints. Many people forget how many blowouts there were in the 90's, but recently the biggest game in America has lived up to its hype.

Super Bowl Prediction

Super Bowl weekend is a time for drinking beer, watching funny commercials, pigging out on food and betting on boxes. There's even some time to watch the actual game. So here are some humorous predictions for this weekend's big game between the Colts and Saints.

1. Brett Favre's name will somehow be mentioned on the television broadcast at least ten times (Maybe 50 if Joe Buck can find his way from FOX to CBS).
2. Chad Ochocinco will find a way to rename the Super Bowl after himself.
3. Dwight Freeney will play on crutches and still sack Drew Brees.
4. Tiger Woods will host the coin toss from sex rehab.
5. Jim Nantz will reference the "situation" from the Jersey Shore.
6. Sun Life Stadium will be renamed three times before the game ends.
7. Peyton Manning will still be wearing a Colts hat on the sidelines that is too small for his head.
8. Vince McMahon will suggest using the XFL rules to decide who will kick and receive.
9. Derren Sharper will then body slam Mr. McMhon.
10. President Obama will suggest having workers paint the first down lines on the field to stimulate the economy.
11. Lane Kiffin will leave USC midway through the first quarter to coach the Saints.
12. Tim Tebow's anti-abortion commercial will be cut because the Christian group "Focus on the Family" was disappointed with his Senior Bowl performance.
13. Godaddy.com will have the Octomom in a commerical.
14. The cameras will catch Archie Manning making out with Kim Kardashian.
15. Donovon Mcnabb will predict a tie because still does not know NFL overtime rules.

**DISCLAIMER**

None of these things may actually happen, and more likely they won't. But it would be pretty cool if they did. So have some fun this weekend, ignore your girlfriend because she doesn't "understand" football and enjoy watching the best athletes in the world run around in tight pants!

My Super Bowl Predicition: Colts 27 Saints 20

The Big East Dream

One thing is for certain, no one knows what the Big Ten plans to do with the idea of expansion. Many people expect the conference to expand to 12 teams in order to have a conference championship for football. If the Presidents decide to OK the idea, who will the Big Ten go after? Notre Dame, Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pittsburgh are some teams to name a few. But what if another conference decided to act before the Big Ten makes a final decision?

If a team like Rutgers, Syracuse or Pittsburgh is lured in by the Big Ten then the Big East will certainly lose some luster and possibly its Bowl Championship Series automatic bid. So how can the Big East avoid another conference taking away members?

Many forget that an original east coast conference was in the making with Penn State’s Joe Paterno leading the way back in the 80’s. Paterno’s vision was that of a conference with major schools in the east coast market that could compete in football and basketball. Teams like Rutgers, Syracuse, Maryland, West Virginia, Temple and Pittsburgh would all be a part of the plan. But once the Big East basketball league formed Pittsburgh decided they would not play second fiddle to Penn State. And overnight Pittsburgh and Syracuse were gone while Penn State was eventually added to the Big Ten. The rest is history.

Today, the Big East is mediocre in football but dominant in basketball. But what if a Big East member is taken by the Big Ten if the conference decides to expand? Would schools like East Carolina, Central Florida or Memphis really be able to replace one of the existing conference teams?

The Big East teams that compete in football and basketball need to act before the Big Ten does. There is no reason for an 18-team conference in basketball, and only an eight team conference in football. Schools like Rutgers and West Virginia do not belong in the same conference as schools like Providence, Seton Hall, St. Johns, and Villanova.

These schools that play football and basketball in the conference need to split away from the private catholic schools that are not part of the football mix. Those schools are Syracuse, Rutgers, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, Connecticut and South Florida. Let Villanova, Georgetown, DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, Providence and St. Johns find another league to play basketball in.

The power in the Big East remains in the hands of Providence guys who only care about basketball. It shows in the Big East bowl tie-ins and lack of marketing for Big East football.

The next move once the schools split should be to talk to other major institutions in the east coast market and see if they would be interested in forming an east coast conference. Schools like Maryland, Boston College, Temple and Penn State are just four to name a few.

Yes it would be hard to pry these schools away from its current conferences, but it’s been done before. A team like Maryland is solid in the ACC in basketball but not football. Why wouldn’t the Terrapins want to have a better opportunity to be a football power while remaining strong in basketball?

A team like Boston College can make up for its mistake of leaving the Big East for the ACC and return to playing teams they are more compatible with. Temple would leave the Atlantic-10 in a flash to play basketball in the Big East. The Owls were kicked out of the Big East before due to a poor football program. But with Al Golden running the football program the team could compete in the sport.

Penn State would be the hardest school to convince to leave but the man in Paterno who had the dream in the 80’s to have an east coast conference could make that dream a reality. Penn State is undoubtedly a football power but its basketball program has been horrific the past few seasons. High school players would still want to go to Happy Valley for football and the school could resurrect the basketball program by playing in a better basketball conference.

The idea of an east coast conference is a long shot but it has some potential. A conference consisting of Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Connecticut, Louisville, Cincinnati, Boston College, Maryland, Temple and Penn State could compete with every conference in football and basketball.

It would have 12-teams and be able to have a conference championship game for football while having major powers in basketball. Natural rivalries would still exist. Madison Square Garden could still hold the conference basketball tournament and better bowl tie-ins could be arranged for football.

The eight Big East schools who play football and basketball in the conference need to act as a group. If one of the eight leave for the Big Ten then football will die and only basketball will survive. Football is the money making sport, and schools like Rutgers and West Virginia who pump millions of dollars into its football programs would suffer if one team left for the Midwest.

The UConn Women: Put It In the Books

The only record standing in the way of the UConn women's basketball team is one set by themselves. The Huskies embarrassed Big East rival Rutgers last night 73-36 and extended their win streak to 59. And believe or not, UConn struggled against the Scarlet Knights missing ten shots in the opening minutes.

Can any team in women's college basketball compete with the Huskies? Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer told reporters after the game that this UConn team is the best she has ever seen, and that is saying a lot.

UConn is now 20-0 (7-0) this season with wins over top ten teams against Duke on the road and Notre Dame at home. In those two games, UConn outscored their opponents 151-94. This year alone the Huskies are beating teams by an average of 39.2 ppg.

How can this be good for the women's game? If teams like Stanford, Texas and Duke cannot compete against UConn, who can?

You cannot blame UConn for beating up their opponents. The Huskies are playing the game the right way, from start to finish. It's not fair to tell Tina Charles or Maya Moore to stop hustling or to stop scoring.

Now a new question arises. Will America beomce interested in this win streak? Most college basketball fans remember UCLA's 81-game win streak being snapped by Notre Dame, but will fans tune in each week to see if this UConn team will lose?

After awhile, people don't want to see teams be as dominant as UConn. Viewers want to see tight ballgames, not blowouts. Just over a week ago, ESPN's College Gameday visited Storrs, CT to hype up the UConn and Notre Dame game, a No. 1 vs. No. 3 match-up. Instead of a game that could have turned many American's on to women's college basketball , it most likely turned them off. UConn dismantled the Irish 70-46.

More ranked teams lie ahead for UConn, and most likely the Huskies will not be challenged. It will be a great accomplishment for UConn to go undefeated once again and win a national championship. But sooner or later, if women's college basketball wants to become relevant, other teams will need to start challenging the Huskies.