John has parsed the conference season's first per-possession performances, and he has superlatives to offer for Creighton's offense (insane), the Big Ten's overall strength (incredible), and USC's timing (interesting).
In 2007 Bill Simmons tagged Rick Barnes as "Dubya-esque," and the Texas coach has been a punchline in hoops circles ever since. There's just one problem: Barnes is actually an excellent coach.
John says Duke needs a healthy Ryan Kelly, Kentucky needs to play like previous (older) teams in its position, and Missouri needs both a healthy Laurence Bowers and some efficient backcourt scoring.
Smarter After Saturday: Duke Needs Kelly