By Gregory Crawford---- TV, Radio and Print Basketball Analyst---- on twitter @wchoops @crawssportsbiz @kcsportsmgmt
Hall Of Fame---- Is this really fair. Today, Coach K will probably get his 1,000th win as a college basketball coach. Coach K entered the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. Herb Magee is the coach at D-2 Philadelphia University (formerly known as Philadelphia Textile) for 47 years as the head coach and 56 years at the school. Magee entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 and at present has 997 career wins.
Danny Miles has been the head men's basketball coach at Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls, Oregon for 44 years. In February of 2014, Miles won his 1,000th game, up to date he has 1,016 career wins, all at Oregon Tech. Oh by the way, Danny Miles is not in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bottom line, huge omission that Miles has been left in the dust.
Oregon State---- There is no question that the Oregon State Beavers' men's basketball team is having a magical season, led by their 1st year head coach Wayne Tinkle. Heading to the Desert this week to meet ASU and Arizona State, the Beavers are tied for 3rd in the Pac-12, with 14 total wins on the season.
The Beavers have not been to the NCAA tournament since 1990, so the talk is starting is this the year. As much as all of basketball would love to see it, it probably will not happen. Besides this week in the Desert on the road, the Beavers still must play the L.A. schools on the road as well as Stanford and Cal.
My handicapping the schedule has Oregon State finishing the regular season with a record of 18-12. Now, a great run in the Pac-12 tourney and me being wrong, could change things lots and make the Beavers a bubble team for the NCAA tournament.
Crawford's NWAC Sports Women's Power Rankings-----It is Sunday, so that means another edition of Crawford's NWAC Sports Women's Power Rankings. Hard to do, but lots of fun, so many good teams. Of course per usual, we do everything in 9s, out of respect for the great game of golf.
9. Clark
8. Walla Walla
7. Centralia
6. Lane
5. Skagit Valley
4. Bellevue
3. Columbia Basin
2. Lower Columbia
1. Umpqua
Unbalanced Is Out Of Balance---- There is a guarantee from Greg Crawford On Basketball. I will never stop complaining, arguing and adamant about leagues playing unbalanced schedules. Of course covering the West in college basketball, the two biggest villains for me are the Pac-12 and Big Sky.
This I can tell you, with TV every year playing a larger role in college basketball, do viewers really want to see some of those horrid non-league games, as compared to a great league contest.
Let's take my home state of Oregon as an example. This year, in the Pac-12 Oregon Ducks do not have to travel to Utah and Colorado, but do not get to meet Stanford and California at home.
Portland State of the Big Sky does not travel to meet the Montana schools and does not get to play Idaho State and Weber State at home.
An unbalanced schedule is just flat unfair and quite frankly their should be an asterisk put by the regular season champion of any league that plays an unbalanced schedule. As they would say in boxing, that team is a closet champion, not their fault, but certainly the fault of leagues that want this type of unbalanced schedule.
Crawford's Best Nine----It is Sunday still, so it is time for another edition of Crawford's world famous Best Nine. The best nine, from the six D-1 leagues out west. This is fluid each week, lots of changes, but a good indicator of who is playing well during the season and currently.
9. St. Mary's 8-1, 16-4----Crushed by Gonzaga, but still deserve to be in the picture of Crawford's Best Nine.
8. Utah 5-1, 15-3---- Best Utah men's basketball season in many years
7. Sacamento State 7-1, 13-6---- The surprise team of west coast basketball.
6. Stanford 5-2, 14-5---- Johnny Dawkins finally has the Cardinal where they need to be.
5. Oregon State 5-2, 14-5----Wayne Tinkle has to be in the talk for national coach of the year.
4. Colorado State 5-2, 18-2---- The Rams are really good and will be a tough out in NCAA tournament.
3. Wyoming 6-1, 17-3---- Best team in the country, no one is talking about.
2. Arizona 6-1, 18-2----Only Pac-12 loss, to Oregon State on the road
1. Gonzaga 9-0, 20-1---- 37 straight home wins, destroyed their closest WCC competition St. Mary's and my pick to be in the Final Four this year.
Cascade Collegiate Conference---- In my hometown of Portland, Oregon, there will be a big time match-up, this Friday in the best NAIA men's basketball conference in the country. College of Idaho visits Concordia, both teams nationally ranked and tied for the league lead.
Two outstanding coaches in Brad Barbarick and Scott Garson, it is a game if you are in the area, you should attend.
more of Gregory's blogs---- http://crawfordsgolfdaily.blogspot.com (golf and sports biz, 360 days per year)
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