CBS Sports Fooled by College Message Board Trolls

An article by TJ Corbs Corbs, which a source in-the-know tells us is a fictitious and satirical author on Bleacher Report (a content partner with CBS), was featured On the main page of the CBSSports.com college basketball page.

The article essentially was about how Seton Hall should be kicked out of the Big East. Granted, it is positioned as editorial, but the fact of the matter is that the piece was written as a ruse...for no other reason than to incite Seton Hall fans.


Evidence of this can be seen by simply looking at the VU Rivals message board.

Clearly, Wildcat fans are in on the joke. Comments include:

• TJ Corbin is a compelling journalist. His career began 2 days ago and already he is an internet sensation.
• Buzz Bissinger's head would explode if he knew about these journalistic shenanigans.
• Remind me never to go to cbssports for sports news.
• Can someone post this link on PirateScrew?
• Finally broken through. This is an unbelievable development - one that we will look back on in ten years as a major accomplishment.
• Thats unbelievable. CBS sports is a joke.
• it's official - reliable, credible journalism is dead - long live the internet where fans can author articles made from whole cloth for no reason other than to tweak fans of rival teams
• please make Providence your next victim - a buddy of mine went there and it would make my year
  
  

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The Big (L)East

The Big East Tournament gets started today. As we have said time and again, this is hands down the best conference tournament in all the land. Many of the men that start play today will one day wear an NBA jersey. With that in mind, let's talk about the Big East studs that never quite lived up to the hype in the NBA. Of course, names will be forgotten and omitted so please chime in with your choices. Also, this will kick start at the year 1990. So there. These are in no particular order.

1. Derrick Coleman, Syracuse - Most noted for coining the phrase "Whoop-de-damn-doo" Coleman didn't have a terrible NBA career which gives you the idea of the kind of player people thought he would be. Top pick of the New Jersey Nets he was a five tool player that never really seemed super interested in dominating the way he was capable. Still made an All-Star team and helped rejuvenate the Nets but I think we can all agree, we expected more. Bright side to this, since retirement DC has done amazing things for the city of Detroit in trying to that area back on its feet, and there is your silver lining for the day.

2. Hasheem Thabeet, UCONN - The jury is still very much out on Thabeet but since he just got sent down to the D-League and was the second overall pick in the NBA draft last spring he has to find his way onto the list. Personally, doubts started creeping in on this guy after Dejuan (I'm missing both ACLs) Blair absolutely owned him in a Big East showdown last year. Still, he is still very much a raw talent who will be given a chance to right the ship.

3. Scoonie Penn, Boston College - Scoonie get's thrown in the mix here for his time at Boston College before they left for the ACC and Scoonie left for Ohio State. This guy was a heck of a player in college and ended up not really putting together much of an NBA career. Teamed with Michael Reed on OSU, I thought Penn would be the better NBA players, which shows why I have no personnel responsibilities in the NBA. Won Big East Tourney MVP in 1997, eventually drafted by the Hawks but has spent most of his time playing for a variety of clubs overseas.

4. Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh - Another guard that was electric, the Co-Big East Player of the Year in 2002 Knight was a game changing player for Pittsburgh and it feels like he was the guy that helped get them on this prolonged run of success we have seen the Panther enjoy over most of this past decade. After college it was a few years in the D-League, some overseas action and now he is back coaching. The fact that big brother Brevin Knight who perhaps didn't have the NBA build was able to sustain a nice run in the NBA always kind of surprised me when Brandin wasn't able to hook on with a team.

5. Tim Thomas, Villanova - I read the book "7 Seconds" a few years back and it chronicled the Phoenix Suns for an entire season. Late in that season the Suns need Tim Thomas and it's mentioned that the coaches let TT know if he just turns it on for a few months they will help him find a nice contract in the off-season. Tim Thomas puts on a stellar run and that is all you need to know about him. A world of talent, great size, can shoot from deep, and spent just enough time on the Knicks to rile up that whole toughness episode with the New Jersey Nets. Was only in college briefly which tells you alot about his NBA expectations at the time.

6. Felipe Lopez, St. John's - Felipe Lopez's wikipedia page says it all, "Unrealistic expectations hounded López from the start, beginning with an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated before he even played one college game." Lopez still had a stellar freshman season putting up a little over 17ppg in attempting to be the latest savior for St. John's. He goes down as one of the greats of all-time for St. John's but it never translated for the NBA. Drafted in the first round by the Spurs he ultimately bounced around the league before ending up overseas.

7. Jason Lawson, Villanova - He was a power in the middle for Villanova in the late 90s, think the Kerry Kittls era. There isn't much on the net about him but going off memory he was a force and pretty much balanced out what Kittles was doing on the outside. From there he parlayed his Nova days into just one season in the NBA. Honestly my first thought here was Eddie Griffin of Seton Hall. Talk about talented, and hyped. Then he got into a fight with Ty Shine in the locker room, spent a short period in the NBA and sadly passed away not that long ago.

8. Troy Bell, Boston College - MVP of the 2001 Big East Tourney, another inclusion prior to Boston College leaving the Big East (why did they leave again?). Was named Big East Player of the Year over Carmelo Anthony and broke the BC record for scoring held by Dana Barros. So you get the idea, he was nasty in college. Drafted high by the Celtics at 16 overall, ended up doing most of his damage in the NBA with the Grizzlies. Tried to catch on with Hornets in 2005 and that was that.

9. Joe Alexander, West Virginia - We heard for a long time about his impressive hops, they are still there as far as I can tell. Alexander was a big contributor for the Mountaineers in the post Gansey-Pittsnogle era. The 8th overall pick of the draft in 2008 Alexander was picked by the Bucks and now is on the Bulls where he hasn't done a whole heck of alot. Somewhat in the same boat as Thabeet in that his career is still very early and he was sent down to the D-League, but there is time to get things turned around.

10. Terry Dehere, Seton Hall - Perhaps the best player Seton Hall had in the 1990s, Dehere was Big East Player of the Year and Tourney MVP in 1993. Holds a bunch of Pirate records including most points scored in a career but was then drafted by the Clippers, a bad omen for even the most talented. Strung together a six year career with stops in Sacramento and Vancouver before calling it a career. Averaged just 8 points per game over the course of his career.

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10 Great Ensembles Of the Big East - Last 15 Years

With the Big East Tournament starting this week at Madison Square Garden, arguably the greatest post-season conference tournament gets underway in all of college basketball. (I await the ACC backlash.)

That said, let's take a look back at 10 of my favorite ensemble casts from awesome Big East teams in the last 15 years. By "ensemble cast" I mean a great group of guys that played together at some point on the same team. For example we could cite the Cuttino Mobley, Lamar Odom, Tyson Wheeler Rhode Island squad of the mid 90s.

These are in no particular order and I say the last 15 years because that is far back as I can reasonably discuss. With that I present "the man" - the clear leader of the team, the "best supporting actor" - a great sidekick who was nasty in his own right, and "the big cat" generally a center or forward that was also a beast. Please feel free to comment with your own favorites.

Georgetown Hoyas - 1995-96

The man - Allen Iverson - Before he was tatted up and talkin' about practice, this guy did it all for the Hoyas and for the first time in a while had G-town led by someone other than a center.

Best supporting actor - Victor Page - God knows where he is now but the lefty had a smooth jumpshot and took some of the offensive pressure off A.I.

The big cat - Othella Harrington - Another southpaw that could clog the middle and score, he eventually made a decent little NBA career for himself.

UConn Huskies - 1995-96

The man - Ray Allen - Ray Ray's jumper was the smoothest thing in the big east that year and let's not forget his off balance floater that dumped the above Hoyas out of the tourney.

Best supporting actor - Doron Sheffer - Saw an increase in Connecticut housewives naming their newborn's Doron and this guy also provided some scoring punch hitting 41% from 3.

The big cat - Travis Knight - Your classic white center that was reliable in college but not great in the NBA. Decent outside shot and he got to play with Ray Allen. I'm bitter from Knight's tenure with the Knicks.

St. John's Red Storm- 1998-1999

The man - Ron Artest - Ron put the Redmen, Red Storm, whatever, back on the map for the first time since the Mullin years. Sadly they are back off the map these days, while Ron has gone on to show he's very talented and possibly insane.

Best supporting actor - Eric Barkley - Just a frosh on this team, Barkley would later become the face of the Johnnies. He, like Omar Cook and a host of others, has vanished.

The big cat - Bootsy Thornton - Really a guard but could play a ton of minutes and took pressure off Artest. It's sad he wasn't big in the league because a name like Bootsy doesn't come along very often.

UConn Huskies - 2003-2004

The man - Ben Gordon - Born in England, he dominated New England for a span and led the Huskies to an NCAA title. He has now been underused in the NBA for reasons only known to Vinny Del Negro.

Best supporting actor - Rashad Anderson - Wins the memorial "Scotty Thurman" award for lights out college shooter who dropped off the face of the earth after college. Also, sported a money beard.

The big cat - Emeka Okafor - Just a beast on defense and in the rebound column while also putting up points at a solid clip. Is now carrying the Bobcats on his oft injured back.

Providence Friars - 1996-1997

The man - God Shammgod - Ridiculous handle on this guy to go with a great name, he may have deferred to the big cat in overall best player status, but he was pretty good.

Best supporting actor - Jamel Thomas - Another member of the Marbury clan strikes, by all acounts Jamel is normal and has had a solid career overseas.

The big cat - Austin Croshere - His NBA career has really revealed his outside shooting, but could do it all for PC back in the college days.

Pittsburgh Panthers - 2002-2003

The man - Brandon Knight - A stellar point guard following in the footsteps of brother Brevin, but with a better build. Seemed to have an eternally injured ankle but still made plays.

Best supporting actor - Julius Page - Another great scoring option on this squad to assist Knight, who wins in a Page vs Page match? I can't tell.

The big cat - Chevon "Chevy" Troutman - Built like a truck, Troutman looks like a poor man's Tyson Chandler but was a physical presence for the Panthers that, as this season has shown, is often their m.o.

Syracuse Orangmen - 2002-2003

The man - Carmelo Anthony - Only took one season for 'Melo to get Boehim that elusive NCAA title, the rest (as you know) is history. He's had a nice little run in the NBA.

Best supporting actor - Gerry McNamara - A few seasons before Gerry single-handedly willed the Orange through the Big East tourney and into the dance, but he was gunning threes even in his first year.

The big cat - Hakim Warrick -His tea bag dunk on Royal Ivey puts him on hallow ground forever, and I believe he blocked the shot to secure the title game win, so double bravo, Hakim!

Seton Hall Pirates - 1999-2000

The man - Ty Shine - Took over for an injured player (see below) to help spur this squad on to the Sweet 16. A year later, newcomer Eddie Griffin would say, "Let's have a punch fight. I go first."

Best supporting actor - Shaheen Holloway - Love what this guy did a few years later with Cohen's Optical in the Jersey Shore Basketball League. Was a leader on the Pirates' team until an ankle injury hurt him.

The big cat - Darius Lane - Just a hustler, could can the medium range J and provided some toughness down low for a guard-orientated team.

West Virginia Mountaineers- 2005-2006

The man - Mike Gansey - Transferred in from St. Bonaventure and did wonders as a driver and perimiter player. Really made the squad one of the fun teams to watch over the years.

Best supporting actor - Patrick Beilein - The coach's kid, he brought the pain from downtown. Able to stretch the D and nailed a host of outside J's in a shoot happy situation.

The big cat - Kevin Pittsnogle - Now a little over his playing weight and teaching grammar school in the boondocks, he was a fan favorite for the Mountaineers. A big man who could also bury the big shot from deep.

Villanova Wildcats - 2005-2006

The man - Allan Ray - A solid scorer who became a household name on the Villanova scene along with the two others on this list. Damn him, however, for helping defeat the Monmouth Hawks in the 2006 Big Dance.

Best supporting actor - Randy Foye - Could also have been tabbed "the man" as he was equally important to the success of these Wildcats. They perhaps didn't reach their total potential with this solid group.

The big cat - Will Sheridan - The next in a line of lanky athletic big men to roam the middle for the Wildcats.

Note: Shoutouts to the Kerry Kittles era at Villanova and the John Wallace era at Syracuse.

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Caracter Counts

Apparently, Derrick Caracter may be walking through that door.

After months of publicly insisting that he had kicked Derrick Caracter off the University of Louisville men's basketball team for good, coach Rick Pitino has apparently come to the realization that 6-9 power forwards who can score in bunches and rebound in traffic are generally good for the overall health of your basketball program.

Granted, Caracter is not without fault - to hear Pitino say it, he's apparently the laziest person on earth. He misses curfew, loafs in practices, not a team first guy ... you get the idea.

However, and unless things have been completely kept under the tightest lock-and-key possible, Caracter's transgressions pale in comparison to those of other notable Louisville athletes in the past year.

And by pale in comparison, I mean robbing a convenience store with an Uzi. Subtle, I know.

Under the terms of Pitino's about face, Caracter will sit out this upcoming season. He'll have to pay his own way to school (I have a hard time believing that), will have to work out and stay in shape without the assistance of team trainers and physicians, and get his grades in respectable shape.

Pitino did the same thing years ago during his tenure at Kentucky with Scott Padgett, a talented-yet-unfocused freshman who showed up at UK not ready to buy in to what Pitino was selling. Padgett sat out, got his act together, became a dagger thrower for UK's 1998 championship squad, had a respectable NBA career, and now hosts a local sports radio show that airs on top of Mike and Mike.

If Caracter can get his act together, it's tough to imagine that his upward projection wouldn't rocket past that of Scott Padgett's (the radio gig notwithstanding).

So go to class Derrick and practice your free throws. Obviously coach thinks you'll be needed in 2009-2010.

Capital Punishment

Not in first place? No foul for you.

What a terrible end to an otherwise hard-fought game.

As Monday's Georgetown-Villanova tilt at the Verizon Center entered its final moments - any by final moments, I mean 0.1 seconds left in regulation - the teams were tied at 53. That is, until Georgetown guard Jonathan Wallace was brushed by a Villanova defender during a loose ball scramble and granted a miraculous foul some 80 feet from his own basket.

Wallace, Georgetown's best free throw shooter, of course iced the game, sending Nova to their 6th loss in their past 7 conference games.

In a league where the refs view WWE-style takedowns around the basket as sound, fundamental basketball, this particular call was, as Bill Raftery would say, "a nickel-dimer".

In fact, I think he did.

Big East basketball. Excellence in officiating on display nightly at 7.

Good Sex in the Big East

HT: Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician