DAILY DISH: Early observations from the college basketball season

By: Kels Dayton

“Day damn one, Vivian. Day damn one.” Like most things in life, the first week of the college basketball season can be summed up by an episode of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This quote comes from the pilot, when an exasperated Uncle Phil learns that Will vandalized the desk at Bel-Air Academy in his first day at school. Not sure if that has anything to do with anything, but it’s 1 a.m. and I couldn’t come up with an introduction.

Butler was waxed by Xavier, 63-47, in what had to be the most surprising game of the 24-hour college hoops marathon that ESPN put on from Tuesday-Wednesday. The Bulldogs were supposed to handle the Musketeers, who lost do-everything guard Tu Holloway, big man Kenny Frease and point guard Mark Lyons from their Sweet 16 team last season. In fact, Xavier had zero returning players and just eight guys on scholarship heading into the game. X was picked ninth in the 16-team A-10, but they rolled right over Butler, which will be joining the league later this season.

Nerlens Noel and the 'Cats will be tough to deal with come March. (Paul Abell/US Presswire)

It’s way too early for Bulldogs fans to start worrying, but it’s not a good sign when only one guy on the team scores in double figures and that guy is reserve Kellen Dunham, . There was a lot of hype surrounding Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clarke, and he had a rough first big game for the Bulldogs, shooting 3-for-11, including 1-for-7 from three-point range. The Bulldogs shot a whips-cold 36.5 percent from the field as a team. That’s not going to get it done.

Kentucky has not been overwhelmingly impressive, but the Wildcats still played well in a win over Maryland and a close loss to senior-laden Duke. Forward Alex Poythress has been beastly, putting up 20 and 8 in the loss to Duke. UK might be 0-2 if it wasn’t for the heroics of Jarrod Polson, who came out of nowhere to steal the game against the Terps at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Asked how much attention he had paid to Polson before the game, Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said, “Zero. We weren’t thinking about him. Then he was the key to the whole game.” Gotta love the honesty.

Despite the rough start, it’s clear that John Calipari’s Cats aren’t going to have a down year. For a team filled with freshman to hang in with Duke, just months removed from their respective high school proms, is remarkable. I know that Dickie V practically caused another condensation delay by drooling all over Kentucky, but he’s right: this team is going to be dangerous come March.

Connecticut has got to be thrilled with its 2-0 start. New head coach Kevin Ollie has brought energy, passion, and intensity to the program and has done a terrific job of getting his young Huskies to buy in. Like his predecessor, Ollie is even fun to watch on the sidelines. He plays defense with his team, sliding and bending his knees and calling out screens. Unlike Calhoun, Ollie won’t rip guys off the floor the millisecond they screw up. He lets his team develop a rythym, and sometimes it pays off, as they aren’t afraid to mess up and wind up on the bench. Sometimes though, like when Shabazz Napier threw three fingers behind his back and gave the ball to Ryan Boatright for an insane 30-footer with 20 seconds left on the shot clock, it backfires.

St. John’s came up with a huge second half effort and delivered head coach Steve Lavin an impressive win in his first game back from prostate cancer. The Johnnies used a 48-point second half to defeat defending Horizon League champion Detroit, 77-74 at Carnesecca Arena on Wednesday. It may not look like an impressive win, but the Titans led by double digits throughout the first half and boast one of the nation’s more underrated players in Ray McCallum Jr.

The NCAA has got to stop this fad of scheduling games on ships. Sure, it’s cool and everything, and it’s a nice way to pay respect to the military during Veteran’s Day Weekend, but there’s not much point if the court is going to resemble a Slip and Slide. The whole thing was embarrassing.

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