Now that we are about halfway through the 2009 college basketball season, I have decided to talk about a few things I have noticed about this season. 

One thing that really sticks out to me about this college basketball season is that it reminds me of the 2007-2008 college football season.  There isn't a single team in the country that wants to hold onto the #1 or #2 spots int he country for very long.  North Carolina held onto the top spot for 8 weeksbefore losing two straight ACC games.  Pittsburgh held onto the top spot for 2 weeks, Wake Forest for 1 week, and now Duke has lost the top spot after losing this week.  There are a lot of really good basketball teams out there this year, but I am not sure there is a dominant one.  The only true team that I believe can dominate is the North Carolina Tar Heels, but only if they "feel" like it.  They really do out class almost every team in the country and can their own biggest enemy if they don't take someone serious enough!

Another thing that has really stuck out this year, is that no team really wants to win the Big East Conference.  Louisville and Marquette are the two front runners right now with similar 7-0 conference records, and the two teams on the outside looking in are Pittsburgh and UConn, both clubs are hoping for the teams above them to stumble so they can have an opportunity to tangle with them, and hopefully give them another conference loss.  All is not lost for the outside looking in, this league is unbelievably deep and could have a legitmate shot at putting double digit teams into the big dance...I know its unlikely that they will put that many in the big dance, but there are 11 teams in that league that deserve to go!!!

I end this blog by talking about one of the most surprising teams in college basketball this season...the South Carolina Gamecocks.  YES, I said the South Carolina Gamecocks who were picked to finish dead last in the SEC east and the conference for that matter by every major sports publication.  They are now 15-4, 4-2 in the SEC and have reeled off three straight conference victories.  They had a unbelievable victory over the Florida Gators when Zam Frederick and Mike Homes hooked up on one of the most improbable plays to beat the Gators 70-69 at the buzzer after a missed free throw.  That victory snapped the Gators 10 game winning streak, and gave the Gamecocks a huge boost in their confidence.  The Gamecocks have two huge road tests next on the schedule having to travel to Kentucky and Florida over the next two games.  Most people still don't think very highly of the Gamecocks, but a win at Lexington in Rupp Arena and/or a victory in Gainesville and people will have to start giving the Gamecocks a shot.  If they somehow do the unprobable and win both games they will be atop the SEC, and have an inside track to the NCAA's big dance!  Win just one and the eyes of the prognosticators across the country had better start opening...the biggest problem that I have is that no one outside of Columbia, South Carolina has noticed this team yet!