Nick Fasulo is an RTC correspondent who writes the column College Basketball By the Tweets, a look at the world of college hoops through the prism of everyone’s favorite social media platform. You can find him on Twitter @nickfasuloSBN.
We are now one month in to the college basketball season. What does that mean? It’s probably fair to start making definitive “this team is good, this team is bad” statements… only more eloquently. This week, Twitter was rife with negativity, as the reality of some team’s deficiencies were confirmed in week four.
Texas is Bad, Jaded
Take Texas for example. Sure, the absence of Myck Kybongo is killing this team, but offensively the Longhorns are an absolute mess, and simply plopping an above-average sophomore point guard into the rotation isn’t going to just fix everything. It’s even put the Worldwide Leader in a tenuous situation!
UCLA is Bad Too, And Texas Is Still Bad!
Following that drubbing against Georgetown, the Longhorns were unfortunately back on national television. They could not hide, playing against an equally disappointing UCLA team in Reliant Stadium. Two high-level programs failing miserably to meet preseason expectations makes for an empty football stadium.
Honestly, I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, a moist basketball court on an aircraft carrier, or crickets.
November Uncontrolled Madness
Speaking of gimmicks, the Mad Scientist Mark Hollis is at it again… sitting in the lab thinking up crazy ideas to present the game of college basketball. His latest concept of an AAU-style event at Cowboys Stadium sparked polarizing opinions.
My take: Gimmicks will not save college basketball. A better quality product and match-ups against top teams on college campuses (see: North Carolina vs. Indiana; Ohio State vs. Duke) will improve college basketball.
Jay Wright’s Alleged Infidelities
It was the worst game of telephone we’ve ever played. According to Twitter, Jay Wright impregnated a Villanova coed, and this baseless rumor spread like wildfire.
There were thousands of tweets just like this, and we also learned that the rumor had started in small Villanova circles back in June. Naturally, things started to get a bit weird.
Then reality, thankfully, intervened.
Wright has plenty more to worry about. The Wildcats are 5-4 and looking like an incredibly underwhelming team that could really struggle in the Big East.
The Emergence Of Victor Oladipo
I have a confession to make: I did not know who Victor Oladipo was entering last season. Indiana had yet to make that next step under Tom Crean, and the 6’5″ guard put up average stats on a bad team. Last year Oladipo made a splash with his athletic play on the both ends of the court. This season, he’s becoming a star, and making sure everyone knows, from dunks gone viral…
… to his tenacious on ball defense.