basketball

South Region: The Wildcat Region

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The #1 overall seed, the #1 NBA prospect in the NCAA, the #1 team in the American Conference and the #1 team in the SEC (tied with Auburn in regular season).   The South region of the 2018 NCAA tournament has some real hard nosed competition.  I Talk Sports and That’s It contributor talked with me about the highlights of these region.  Let’s break it down!!

First Round Upsets to watch: Wright State over Tennessee, Loyola- Chicago over Miami

Potential Bracket Buster: Loyola- Chicago

Loyola-Chicago, champions of the Missouri Valley, come into the tournament with a lot of confidence. The Ramblers play a ball control and efficient style.  MO Valley player of the year Clayton Custer leads a team with multiple long range threats, while freshman Center Cameron Krutwig plays at a 5 star recruit level. Miami can sometimes have problems scoring, this matchup favors Loyola.  If they get by Miami , most likely Tennessee will be waiting, another matchup that can be favorable for the Ramblers.  Remember this team took down Florida this year, they are not afraid of the big boys.

Most Intriguing Potential Matchup: Kentucky vs Arizona

If the south plays out a we all hope a potential Wildcat matchup could be the highlight of the first week of action.  John Calipari seems to be pushing the right buttons of late for Kentucky as they impressively took care of business in the loaded SEC tournament.  Arizona has the scandals behind them, while also featuring the hottest player in the Country right now Deandre Ayton. The future lottery pick led his team through the PAC12 tournament without breaking a sweat.  NCAA fans coaches and multiple agents would really enjoy this matchup.  A game of great talent and great controversy, but damn it will be fun.  Keep your fingers crossed we get to see this.

Bracket Winner: Arizona Wildcats

The selection committee made it clear, if you are being investigated by the FBI we are going to make excuses why you don’t belong.  Arizona got a 4th seed,  most would argue that they really were more of a 2 or 3 seed.  Arizona, has the best player in the country and is loaded with talent at multiple positions.  Virginia is a great team but Arizona has so much size and athleticism, its is going to be tough to matchup.  Virginia will breeze into this matchup but they do not possess the scoring necessary to stick with Alonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton.  The PAC12 Champs toughest matchup will be Kentucky, but we believe Kentucky will be tested big time by Davidson.  Deandre Ayton will dominate this bracket.

 

 

 

 

Time has come to Fire Paul Lusk

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In 2010-11 Missouri State University was able to win its first and only Missouri Valley Championship behind Cuonzo Martin’s leadership.  I was at JQH Arena storming the court as we took down the mighty Creighton Blue Jays and their star Doug McDermott on ESPN2.  The Bears fell short of making the NCAA tournament despite an RPI of 44, Martin was able to transition his success to a job at the University of Tennessee, then University of California, finally ending up at his current position as Head Coach of University of Missouri. With Martin gone, Missouri State hired Purdue Assistant Paul Lusk, at the time a hiring made sense as Lusk came from a similar coaching tree as Cuonzo Martin.  The results however have not been as favorable.

Paul Lusk entered the 2011-2012 season with lofty expectations as the Missouri Valley Player of the Year, Kyle Weems was returning for a senior season.  The team did not live up to expectations finishing a feeble 15-16, highlighted only by their victory over 21 ranked Creighton.  It was understandable that a first year head coach can have struggles out of the gate, but the struggles continued.  Entering the 2012-2013 season Lusk had begun to rebuild his team, a roster of six incoming freshman and one returning senior made the Bears the youngest team in the Missouri Valley Conference.  The Bears played like a young team, taking until December 30th to get their first Division 1 victory.

In Lusk’s third year at the helm, he lead the Bears to a 20-13 record and an invitation to the CIT (losing in the first round).  That highlighted Lusk’s coaching career as over the next three season the Bears finished middle of the pack in the Missouri Valley.

As Missouri State entered the 2017-2018 season hopes were high.  Missouri Valley’s last powerhouse team Wichita State had moved on to the American Conference, leaving the door open for the conference title.  The Bears entered the season as the preseason favorites, winning their first game against a strong Western Kentucky team, beginning the season 15-3 (3-0 MVC).  They then proceeded to take major steps in the wrong direction, finishing the season tied for 7th place.  This marked the first time in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference that the team picked to win the conference in the preseason finished any lower then 5th place.

Lusk’s inability to even live up to the most modest of expectations has to be the final straw at Missouri State.  Blessed with a roster that includes the only real NBA prospect in the Missouri Valley, forward Alize Johnson, he was unable to build around this superior athlete.  Lusk will enter the Missouri Valley tournament on Thursday against Valparaiso, if this is anything less then a blowout, it has to be the final straw.  As Missouri State continues to grow, exceeding previous years enrollment every year for the last three years, the sports programs have to grow with the university.  Missouri State has made a commitment to improving itself it is time to stop settling in it’s athletic programs.  Lusk’s time in Springfield has to come to an end unless he can make a miracle happen and get this team to play to it’s preseason expectations over a week in St. Louis.  Missouri State is not Mizzou, the alumni and the fans understand that but 7 years with a combined record of 88-106 shouldn’t be acceptable.  The time has come to fire Paul Lusk.