PSYCHO T

      

PSYCHO T:  "Psycho T" is the nickname for Tyler Hansbrough, the freshman center/forward for North Carolina.  On Wednesday, Hansbrough dropped 40 pts on Georgia Tech, setting the UNC and ACC record for scoring by a freshman [the record was 38 by Clemson's Skip Wise in 1974].  He also set the Dean Smith Center scoring record.  I may be biased, but he is the ACC rookie of the year and in my mind should win the national honor as well.  With Hansbrough manning the center next year, Carolina should be scary with their NEXT big crop of freshman coming in.  Darn you Marvin Williams!!  Why didn't you stay!!!

BRACKET BUSTER WEEKEND:  In the world of UNC, Duke, UConn and the rest of the high profile NCAA games....one of the best niche events in basketball goes down this weekend.  The Bracket Buster Weekend pits some of the top mid-majors in the land for a few days of national exposure and RPI flavored fare.  Not only can TEAMS amp up their resumes....but CONFERENCES can as well.  The Mid-American Conference can make a good case for multiple bids if their teams perform well this weekend.  This year 100 teams are participating in the fiesta.  I implore you to check out these games.  You have Bucknell, the team that smacked down Kansas in the tourny last year....and are ranked this year.  You have the Albany Great Danes who have matched their combined wins in their first 6 years of D-I ball in this season alone.  Another 2005 tourny story, UW-Milwaukee, will also have an important game against a tough Missouri State squad.  Northern Arizona and Western Kentucky meet in a battle of 10-1 conference teams.  The Missouri Valley and Colonial leaders, Wichita State and George Mason, face off.  You have Samford, statistically the slowest team in the NCAA.   Check out ESPNU, 2 and 360 for some of the action!

                   

MIKE DAVIS TO QUIT INDIANA:  I'm sure the fellas at FIREMIKEDAVIS.COM will love the news that....well....Mike Davis is going to resign at season's end.  Citing stress, and just the overall mood about him around Indiana, he will let someone else try to take a shot at being Bobby Knight's replacement.  On a personal note, I like Davis...and I think he could/should get another shot somewhere else.  I think he'd be a good coach at a southern school, since he did have an ability to recruit southern kids to Indiana. 

EDDIE SUTTON GOES TO REHAB:  In yet another turn in the week in the life of E-Sutton, he told reporters that he will enter rehab for alcohol abuse during his leave of absence....the 2nd time he will have done so.  This adds to his week of car crashes, DUI arrest, medical leave and stories about his deteriorating body.  Odds are that Sutton won't be back as Oklahoma State's coach....as his successor, son Sean Sutton, has been taking over for his dad. 

DARKO DEALT:  I won't call him a bust yet, because he hasn't really played....but the Pistons are ridding themselves of their "project".  Detroit dealt Darko Milicic to Orlando for Kelvin Cato.  Cato brings a big body inside and a shotblocker [read: a guy to body Shaq].  Darko will get a chance to play for Orlando, a team going nowhere and most likely willing to develop a few guys.  For those who don't know, Milicic was picked right after LeBron James and right before Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade in the 2003 NBA Draft.  Just imagine.....IMAGINE....what the Pistons would look like if they had drafted either Anthony, Bosh or Wade.  WOW!!

G'BYE SAMMY:  With no more roids....ride off into the sunset, Sammy!

JAIL BLAZERS CONTINUE:  Sebastian Telfair was fined for having a gun hidden in his pillowcase on the team's plane.  It was his "girlfriend's gun" and that he "grabbed the wrong bag".  Don't worry, Bassie!  You are now a true Blazer!!  I'm sure Ruben "Hey nanny, wanna see my junk" Patterson and Zach "Momma Said Knock You Out" Randolph will embrace him into the Blazer lore.  Wherever Qyntell "Dog fighting" Woods or Damon "Hippie Lettuce" Stoudamire are....they are proud! 

ISIAH THOMAS SUCKS PT 2:  A month or so ago, I clamored on and on about how much Isiah Thomas sucks.  Striving to stay consistant, rumors are that he is aggressively trying to bring Steve Francis into the fold.  Sure, 4-5 years ago a Stephon Marbury-Steve Francis backcourt would make most GMs drool....well, not now.  Both have well earned reputations as problems....and expensive ones at that.  Thomas can do this move by sending Penny Hardaway and his horrible, but expiring contract down to Orlando.  The Magic gets rid of their biggest headache, and gets some financial freedom heading into this offseason [and will get rid of Grant Hill's contract the next summer].  The Hardaway contract is like a "free coupon" that's burning in Thomas' pocket.  Sure, they are the Knicks and have the resources to keep making these boneheaded financial moves.  I mean, that's fine.  However, none of these moves makes any real sense.  Nabbing Francis is like getting another Marbury...something they don't need.  They just dealt for over-expensive Jalen Rose, a player that "needs" the ball in his hands constantly and loves to get his shot too [and a guy that both Thomas and Larry Brown had issues with in the past].  And this comes after they dealt for Quentin Richardson after last season.  They have, like, 5 small forwards and 5 small power forwards on their team.  And the biggest bust in the NBA free agency, Jerome James, who was rewarded for having a DECENT playoff showing last season by Thomas.  Actually, the biggest bust could be Larry Brown who has done nothing to show that his $10M per year deal is worth any penny.  Of course, Thomas is using his "Penny" to add more headaches to a team with a massive migrane.  Good luck!