Don’t let this tourney catch you by surprise. It tips off Feb. 28 and the league champ will be crowned in two weeks. After the nets are trimmed, the last team standing can go on spring break and wait for Selection Sunday. My pick is Michigan State – to win in the Big Apple and to win the NCAA Tournament. There are a lot of problems at Michigan State, but the basketball team’s on-court play isn’t one of them.
Speaking of the Big Ten, is it just me or do Dan Dakich and Jon Crispin sound exactly alike? I mean, like twins. The two basketball analysts work a lot of games on BTN and it's difficult to tell them apart. I've always liked Dakich and don't understand all the negativity sent his way. No reason to rip someone for giving an opinion.
The NCAA is forcing Notre Dame to "vacate" 21 football wins from the 2012 and 2013 seasons because of academic fraud involving a handful of players. What happened if Notre Dame ignored the NCAA and kept the records intact? What happened if Ohio State did the same thing with its 2010 season? The Buckeyes weren't 0-1, as it says in their media guide.
Alabama could do the same thing for the 2005 season, and USC could reinstate its records from the Reggie Bush years. Vacating wins is a stupid punishment; you can’t rewrite history. If these powerful schools and others stood up to the NCAA, there isn’t a thing Mark Emmert and his suits could do.
The Dayton Flyers are bad and headed toward a losing season. This much is clear. But all is not lost, Flyer Faithful. If you long for the good ol' days of UD victories, consider checking out the Flyers women's basketball team. They play Fordham at 2 p.m. today at UD Arena. UD is 13-0 in the Atlantic 10 and Fordham is tied for second at 11-2. A much better option than prepping for the NBA All-Star Game.
AJ McCarron has won his freedom. The Bengals backup quarterback is an unrestricted free agent, receiving a favorable ruling from an arbiter. That means he'll soon be able to pick up the tab when he takes his offensive line to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Maybe the Browns will snap him up and add some spice to the Cincinnati-Cleveland "rivalry."
Trending up: New Cavs, Danielle Herrington, Chloe Kim. The Cavaliers are 2-0 since The Trades. Everyone's happy. Even J.R. Smith is hustling on defense. We'll see how long this honeymoon lasts, but early reviews are positive. The new guys are bringing energy and offense (Jordan Clarkson's jumper is sweet). Cleveland has three tough games coming off the All-Star break, including a home tilt against the Spurs next Sunday. That will be worth a look.
Trending down: Shaun White, Esteban Loaiza, Andy Kennedy. The Flying Tomato won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics and proceeded to drag the U.S. flag in the snow. White also is dodging allegations of sexual assault from a woman who played drums in White's band. A band? Guess we know what snowboarders do when the snow melts. The IOC doesn't seem concerned, but White's corporate sponsors might be circling the wagons.
Knucklehead of the Week
Tennis needs more badboys, and Patrick Kypson is auditioning for a starring role. Kypson is a freshman at Texas A&M. He was the No. 1 recruit in his class, which means he’s a special kind of entitled tennis brat. After his first loss at the collegiate level — a three-set defeat last week to Ohio State freshman J.J. Wolf — Kypson approached the net for the obligatory post-match handshake. Before extending his hand, he spit (or fake spit) in it. Wolf, showing reflexes that earned him a hard-fought victory, avoided Kypson’s hand. Kypson has been disciplined by the A&M coach, who was appalled by his display of poor sportsmanship.
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