Here’s a few highlights from Midnight Madnesses around the country…
**Kentucky coach John Calipari —whose team is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Coaches’ poll — fired up the Big Blue Nation fanbase with his annual State of BBN speech. Here’s the line of the address that has gotten some fans outside Kentucky a little riled up: “We are the place to help you achieve your dreams. We don’t just play college basketball, we ARE college basketball. As you know, we are everyone’s Super Bowl.”
Cal’s comments prompted some feedback on Twitter, including this comment from @IndyMattO: “If Kentucky ‘is college basketball’, what does that make Robert Morris?'”
**Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s club is the preseason No. 2 team in the Coaches’ poll and they will face Kentucky Nov. 12 in the Champions Classic in Chicago.
“They should be playing at a different level when you look at them,” Izzo told ESPNU of Kentucky. “I don’t think there’s any question that John’s got maybe his best talented team, and whether that forms into the best team will be what the year is all about…They’re definitely the deepest. They’re young but they have some veterans compared to what Kentucky usually has..So that’s going to be an incredible test for us.”
In terms of complementing 6-10 senior Adreian Payne down low, Izzo said freshmen big Gavin Schilling and sophomore Matt Costello have impressed so far, and that 6-6 junior Branden Dawson is finally healthy. Sophomore guard Gary Harris dealing with an ankle sprain but his shoulder is fine and Izzo called him “95 percent.”
**At Louisville, coach Rick Pitino gave Jeff Goodman this update on recently suspended forward Chane Behanan. “He’s off the team right now but we didn’t put him off the team. He put himself off,” Pitino said, adding that Behanan could eventually work his way back onto the defending national champs.
**Memphis coach Josh Pastner —whose team was picked third in the AAC behind Louisville and UConn — told Bruce Pearl that he thinks the AAC is the best basketball league in the country. “Us and the ACC,” he said.
**Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has always been high on for former St. Benedict’s Prep star Tyler Ennis, telling SNY.tv last year that Ennis would be ready to take over for Michael Carter-Williams as a freshman. At Midnight Madness, Boeheim arrived in a yellow cab and then reiterated his Ennis point on ESPNU: “Tyler Ennis is more advanced, steadier than most freshmen.”
**Kansas coach Bill Self says Andrew Wiggins is handling all the hype (cover of SI, for example) well so far. “I think he’s handled it great,” Self told ESPNU. “All the great players have to deal with stuff….He’s gotta learn to deal with this. He’s gotta learn to deal with pressures and things like that. It’s been a great learning experience for him.”
Self also said freshman big man Joel Embiid could be special.
“He’s got a chance to have a great impact and his ceiling is very, very high,” he said. “…I’m really excited for him and I’m real excited about him.”
Photo: CoachCal.com
