In the calm before the storm… it’s midweek mayhem.

Really? No... Really??

The rest of the week will be dedicated to hoops, particularly the matchup with folks from Cincy, but I thought I’d drop a little mascot knowledge on you. While that thing above may technically be a “bearcat”, I’m still convinced that the official team name should be “UChickFilAs.” According to some, it’s a version of a wolverine found in Asia, so strike two. And finally, the pajamas… with stripes… like the Bengals, but not like a bearcat. Ah well- if you want good UC coverage, you’ll need to go to the source.

The Scoops In Hoops

• Closure- We haven’t heard much from our friend Robby since he moved down south (guess he’s got all SEC- uppity), but he did give the world a great article about one of our favorite non-Buckeye basketball players, looking at the end of Robbie Hummel’s career-

All of this pain, it multiples by 50 when you see a player like Robbie Hummel break down.

His career, his unbelievable and shining career at Purdue has come to an end. All of those clutch shots, all of those hustle plays, they’re all memories from now on.

But those memories have left a legacy on a program that needed something. Purdue Basketball NEEDED something to re-energize it.We were blessed to have #4 for FIVE years. We didn’t make it to any Final Fours, we didn’t win any National Championships…but we didn’t have to.

We won SO MUCH more than a trophy in the last five years at Purdue. We won excitement, memories, moments. Those stand the test of time, you can’t put that on a trophy.

• Best Wishes- Go out to former Buckeye Greg Oden, who was released by Portland this past week after a career cut short by continual knee issues.  As someone who only marginally follows basketball, it does seem odd that three epic big men had their legacies fall to pieces in the Rose Garden- Walton, Bowie, and now Oden. Either it’s a) bad luck, b) poor scouting, c) horrible facilities, d) overwhelmed athletic training staff or e) a combination of the above.  Maybe they should have some sort of parade for the situation. While the folks in Wyoming think there’s still hope for Greg’s career, I’ll prefer to remember what was rather than think on what might have been.
• I!L!L! – I!N!I Don’t Know Who Our Coach Is- While everyone keeps pointing to VCU’s Shaka Smart as the new Illinois Coach, there are indications that he’s not ready to jump ship just yet.  He’s a good coach, and would be a great addition to the B1G- plus, how would you like to be an Illini fan who lost out to VCU? At any rate, here’s a quick  introduction to what will probably be a new Illinois Pep Band song. Read More

Tags: Ann Arbor, Cincinnati Bearcats, Greg Oden, Illinois, Maurice Clarett, Michigan State, Mizzou, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Robbie Hummel, Robby Donoho, Santonio Holmes, Shaka Smart, Southern Cal, TBPU, Wisconsin Badgers
Categories: College Basketball, College Football, Humor, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football