Basketball season begins by default this weekend...

  • How funny is it that Dallas is better suited to host the Winter Olympics this weekend than Vancouver thanks to record snow in DFW? 
  • With all the hype surrounding Shannon Brown, like letshannondunk.com, I'm expecting him to walk away with the title.  Nate Robinson is stale and DeMar DeRozan might have to waste some of his creativity in Friday night's dunk-off with Eric Gordon, who I think meant to sign up for the 3-point contest and got confused.  Gerald Wallace could not win it when he had young legs, so don't expect him to do much now.
  • As for the 3-point contest, "The Rooster" will crow loudest.  Danilo Gallinari will live up to the incredibly high standards of New York Knicks basketball and set the competition record.  For an awful team, the Knicks are all the sudden well-represented with Robinson, Gallo and David Lee, who will sub in for Allen Iverson.
  • And most importantly, the WNBA shootout with old people and Tim Duncan will go to...the team with the least fat old guy (not Bill Laimbeer).  Is David Robinson going to be there?  "The Admiral" stays in shape.
  • As for the actual All-Star game, what is the over/under on alley-oops?  I'll take the over and Dirk Nowitzki to win the MVP.
  • On a weekend when college basketball has the stage to itself, there is only one game matching ranked teams, ESPN's Gameday game featuring Tennessee at Kentucky.  I continue to be skeptical of the Cats, but I'm downright negative on the Vols, so I'll take John Wall and the emerging DeMarcus Cousins on their home court.  The real battle will take place off the court as Digger Phelps and Dick Vitale will undoubtedly trade uncomfortable and inappropriate comments about Ashley Judd, which will be ratcheted up to a new level if she dares sit on set with the boys. 
  • John Calipari will win National Coach of the Year awards for immediately turning around a woe-begone Kentucky program.  I assume Lane Kiffin will win the award if he finishes in the Top 4 next year.  I didn't think so.  Where was all the outrage about Coach Cal taking DeMarcus Cousins with him to Kentucky after he had already committed to Memphis?  Mr. National Media, you're double-standards make me nauseous.
  • Speaking of non-sensical arguments, let's talk about Pac-10 expansion.  I hope they keep it as is, but I understand the benefit of a 12-team league and the resulting Pac-10 Championship Game.  But, I don't want them to give into the morons.  The dumbest argument in college football, which is famous for its dumb arguments, is that the SEC and Big 12 are harder because they have to play a conference championship game.  They play the extra game because they don't play each other during the regular season.  The Pac-10, other than the 8-team Big East, is the only major football conference that plays a true round-robin.  You don't need a championship game when everybody plays everybody in the regular season.  Plus, the Pac-10 plays nine conference games, whereas the SEC and Big 12 play eight unless they make it to the championship game.
  • Anyway, money talks, so they'll do their best to wedge two more teams into the Pac.  Utah is the automatic.  They hit the Salt Lake City market and they're a research institution.  The Utes obvious pair (remember, the Pac-10 works in geographic pairs like USC/UCLA, UW/WSU, etc.) is BYU.  However, the Cougars are a religious institution and a general pain in the ass, which does not fit in with the rest of the model.  Boise St. fits best for competitive reasons, but Boise is far too small of a market.  Colorado-Boulder is the dream choice.  But, why would they leave the Big 12?  They might have to settle for Colorado St. or San Diego St..
  • For the record, I'd go with Boise.  You'll get the Salt Lake market with Utah and the national attention will override the small Idaho city.  Does the Pac-10 need Wazzu to get the Seattle market?  No, the Huskies cover that.  Think of Boise as a Washington St., but competitive.
  • After my annual bashing of Gary Williams and Maryland, they have rallied again and will play Duke for first place in the ACC Saturday.  If the Terps win, Greivis Vasquez will get serious Brian Cardinal Award consideration.
  • Otherwise, the weekend is all about bubble trouble.  Bootsy projects six teams will get into the Big Dance from the Big East.  He has Louisville "out" after getting thrashed by St. John's last night, but Connecticut "in".  I'm not saying he's wrong, but there will be a huge storm if UConn gets the nod despite a below .500 conference record.  Currently, they are 4-7 in league play with @Villanova, West Virginia, @Notre Dame and @South Florida still on the slate.  They need to go 5-2 in their last 7 to get to 9-9.
  • If the Big East gets 6 and the Pac-10 gets 1, who is playing in March?  The SEC and Big 10 are not pretty.  The Atlantic 10 could pull in a big number with six teams in the discussion. 
  • Syracuse's Andy Rautins is the most instinctive player in the country.  If he played for Duke, he'd be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  If you appreciate the nuances of the game like seeing passing lanes or anticipating defensively, this kid checks every box.  Not to mention, he is a knock down shooter and the clear leader of the #3 team in the nation. 
  • The best game of the week is the coin-tossing contest between West Virginia and Pitt on Friday night.  I was shocked to hear that the Mountaineer faithful classlessly pegged Pitt's coaches with objects during the first match-up.  They are usually so buttoned-up and well-behaved.  (The beauty of the last two sentences is that they don't get sarcasm, so we're still cool if they offer me a gig.)  As a European soccer fan, I am 100% on board with making them play in an empty arena if something happens again.  However, I won't be happy if they just throw out the students.  From what I understand, the locals were equally as culpable.

I judge too harshly.  He looks like a very nice mountain man.