College Basketball

College basketball writers Eric Prisbell and Steve Yanda were online Monday, Nov. 24 at 2:30 p.m. ET to take your questions about local and national men's basketball teams, the upcoming holiday tournaments and The Post's coverage of college hoops.

A transcript of the chat follows.

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Arlington, Va.: Do my eyes deceive me, or is Greg Monroe the real deal?

Eric Prisbell: Monroe has gotten off to a better start than I thought he would. I went down to Louisiana last year to watch one of his practices and do a story on him. I thought he was good, but not great. You always wonder if he is too good too soon, he will take off after a year. But he is a good character kid, and a player who I thought could be in the program for a few years.

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Arlington, Va.: I was shocked to see MSU ranked #5. Yeah, they made the Sweet 16 last year but they lost a couple of guys. As someone who admittedly starts watching at conference tourney time ... are they that good?

Steve Yanda: They may have lost some guys, but the Spartans have a lot of talent this season. Kalin Lucas is an extremely quick point guard, who will run the offense in a style more to Tom Izzo's liking. Expect the Spartans to be much more up-tempo this season. They've also got Raymar Morgan coming back. Morgan started out hot last season -- as he also is doing this year -- but then disappeared at times in the stretch. Izzo will need more consistency out of him this time around. And they've got some big mobile big men, as well. Goran Suton is one of the better post players in the Big Ten, and freshman Delvon Roe will be a big contributor if he can stay healthy after having multiple knee procedures in the offseason. The Spartans are a Final Four contender to be sure.

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Storrs, Conn.: It wasn't a fumble! Tyler's knee was on the ground!

But hey, the Molson Tim Horton's Back Bacon Bowl is something, I guess. Is it hoops season yet?

Eric Prisbell: Finally, it is basketball season. I am very happy about that. If you only knew ...

I was even happy to watch Oregon State, the worst power conference team in my memory, play recently at Howard.

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Rockville, Md.: Terps have any chance of pulling an upset in Orlando?

Eric Prisbell: In short, I don't see Maryland beating Michigan State. I see it as a 15-point game. Maryland has more athletes than I thought, but the front court is worse than I thought, which means it is very poor.

Maryland-Oklahoma State is pretty much a toss-up game. I would take Siena over Maryland but Maryland over a weak Wichita State team. Maryland wants no part of Gonzaga.

Steve is headed down there in a few days, so it's interesting to see how he feels about it...

Steve Yanda: Well, it depends on which opponent you're looking for the Terps to uspet. If you're talking about Michigan State, I don't think so. The Spartans run up-tempo, just like the Terps. The difference is Michigan State is much more well-rounded.

As for other potential match-ups, I could see Maryland beating Wichita State. Other than that, I wouldn't put money on the Terps.

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Baltimore, Md.: I do not want to put anyone's job on the line, but the coach in Kentucky must be at least plugging up his hot seat. The lost to the small program and then, not being competitive against UNC should not bode well in Lexington.

Steve Yanda: Listen, Billy Gillespie should have known what he was walking into when he took this job. The talent level wasn't what it once was and the pressure to succeed there is more intense than ever (they fired a guy in Tubby Smith who routinely took them to the NCAA tournament). At best, Gillespie has tried to bend the rules a little to get the Wildcats on a fast track back to respectability. So, to answer your question, yes his seat is hot. But Kentucky has invested a lot in him, so I think he's pretty safe for now.

Eric Prisbell: The loss to VMI is a concern, particularly after the rough start last season. But what's also a concern is that Billy has not made too many coaching friends recently while operating in the recruiting gray areas.

The one recruit's father was reportedly paid a few thousand dollars to speak at Kentucky, etc.

These things go on all over the country, they are legal, but Billy has become particularly good at finding recruiting loopholes. Some coaches have not, and it shows.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: What is your general opinion on post season conference tournaments? Do you think it's fair that a team's performance in the final week trumps its performance over the preceding 3-4 months? I think it's silly that a team could go sub .500, win its conference and steal an NCAA berth from a more deserving team. I think regular season college basketball is a joke. Unfortunately, I'm in the minority. Or am I?

Eric Prisbell: Well, I think the season is now split into three parts and there are often three champions (only one matters of course).

Maybe it was last season or the year before, but when Butler and my man AJ Graves beat everyone in the Big Apple, Butler had the best resume by far by New Year's.

Then there is the conference season. Take 2006, UConn dominated the season and was the most talented team. But then came the third season, the NCAAs, where Florida turned it on and won the first of two titles.

The regular season might be watered down some, but the tournament makes up for it at the end.

And every selection committee member looks at the body of work differently. Some put more emphasis on how a team is playing now, others look at the entire resume more. Both are right.

Steve Yanda: I love the NCAA tournament because I believe it offers the best range of the top talent in the country. There are teams each year who will be able to argue that they got hosed and showed have received a tourney invite, but if you're looking for the best teams playing at that time of year, there's no better set up. I would much rather see a team that's hot right now play, than a team that was good early on and then fumbled its way down the stretch. I'm all for the sub-.500 teams that unexpectedly win their conference tournaments. It only adds to the excitement.

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Super Froshes: So far I do not see any that should be thinking the NBA draft. I see some upsides but they are no one and done. Am I missing any player?

Eric Prisbell: I have always liked Samardo Samuels on Louisville since I watched him at the high school camps. But I could see him coming back for a year. As for freshmen who could leave, I'd say Demar DeRozen on USC, Tyreke Evans on Memphis and BJ Mullens. Brandon Jennings, over in Italy, should also be a lottery pick.

As for the top pick, I'd be hard-pressed not to pick Blake Griffin at this point.

Steve Yanda: I agree with Eric on Blake Griffin. That kid is a monster.

But to your question, I think Wake Forest frosh Al-Farouq Aminu will be a stud. DeRozen and Evans, I think will turn out well, also.

I disagree with Eric on his Jennings pick, though. Don't think he'll end up being a lottery pick if he enters the draft after one Euro season.

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OSU-Howard: So who won? I couldn't tell from the HORRIBLE Howard Web site.

Eric Prisbell: The Oregon State game?

Howard beat them in one of the biggest Howard wins in recent memory. Howard shot well from 3 early on, and the Beavers struggled in a game no other Pac-10 team really would schedule. Thank you, Jay John.

The Pac-10 is down this season. Look at some of the losses so far from Washington, Oregon State, Oregon and UCLA. I like ASU to make some noise and James Harden is still under-valued in terms of what most of the nation knows about him.

ATTENTION PLEASE: I forgot to mention this above, but we are starting a new college basketball soon, and I am very excited about it. It will have all things college basketball, including lots of bracketology. So I'm fired up about that.

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New York, N.Y.: Is it a bad sign that the Terps needed o/t to be UVM or is it a good sign that they were tested and persevered?

Eric Prisbell: Good question. I think it is a sign of things to come. It was the game I expected, which is why I went to it.

Vermont has a good team this season, but not a great team, even with Blakely on the squad. I could see Vermont making the NCAAs but not really winning a game.

Maryland needs to learn to win with no front court, and this was one step in that direction. I still see about 17 wins from Maryland. But some games will be very important, like American, the second game in Orlando and the Michigan game.

Gary has some athletic options in the backcourt to compensate for the lack of front court anything.

Steve Yanda: Both.

It is always a good sign when a team shows some mettle in the early season. Being forced to battle down the stretch of regulation, to hit a game-tying shot and to continue pressing forward in an OT period all build character, no matter what the talent level of your opponent may be.

On a side note, it's not like Vermont was a horrible team. They've got great shooters. I mean GREAT shooters. And Marqus Blakely will play in the pros some day.

That said, Vermont is a team Maryland is supposed to beat. And the Terps struggled more than I would imagine they thought they would. The game exposed (even more so) the fact that Maryland doesnt have much in the frontcout and that if its guards will carry one heck of a burden this season. For proof, look no further than Landon Milbourne, a swingman being forced to play power forward. He struggled against Vermont, and Gary Williams said afterward he thought Milbourne was pressing.

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Fairfax, Va.: UVa freshman Sylvan Landesburg is lighting it up. Seems like he's the real deal. But he definitely needs another star to help this struggling UVA team. Rinardo Sidney was in C'ville last weekend. Have you heard anything in the scouting world about his visit and his commitment?

Eric Prisbell: Well, you have come to the right place. If anyone can link my story about Renardo from summer 2006, that would be great.

I spent three days with Renardo and his family in LA when they were moving out there two years ago. I have watched him play since he was in 8th grade at ABCD Camp. I would be borderline shocked if he went to Virginia.

He is on the fast track for the NBA draft. He is one year and done, at the most. Would not be surprised if he went the Europe route for a year.

He gained some weight in recent years, but it might be down now. He is a nice kid. He has a good outside shot, although he sometimes shoots it too much. Aggressiveness is at times a concern. I saw him playing PG, seriously, back in 8th grade. He also used to play on the best AAU team I have ever seen, along with Brandon Jennings, Kevin Love, Daniel Hackett and Taylor King.

His father liked D.C., but I still would expect Renardo at a national title contender for a year.

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Rockville, Md.: So there's going to be a Terps blog and a college basketball blog? Awesome.

Steve Yanda: Agreed.

Eric Prisbell: Yup, there is a lot of college hoops interest in this area. So I plan to overload the college hoops blog with local, regional and some national coverage. And Steve will fill the Terps blog, and there may be some overlap. And March, as always, will be totally nuts.

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Orlando: How good is this year's Duke Blue Devil team? Is Coach K's team better than their ranking?

Eric Prisbell: Gerald Henderson has gotten off to a little bit of a slow start. Reasonable people can disagree, but I have Duke fighting it out with Wake and Miami for the 2-3-4 slots in the ACC. Would not be surprised if Wake matures by the time ACC season rolls around and shows itself to be the second-best team in the ACC. When I look at Duke, I do not see a Final Four team. Sweet 16.

Steve Yanda: I don't think, right now at least, they are better than their ranking. Last year, Kyle Singler wore down because he had absolutely no help in the post, and it doesnt look as though this year will be any different. Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas are inconsistent and injury-prone, which is not a good combo. They'll hang in the top third of the conference, but, like Eric, I don't see them as a Final Four squad.

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Kentucky: The problem is they thought they were getting Billy Donovan, but instead they got Billy Tubbs.

Eric Prisbell: I'm actually not as down on Billy as some others. He did a great job at UTEP and at Texas A&M. But you develop a reputation over time, and his rep in the recruiting world is of someone who operates in the gray area. Whether that is good or bad, that's what it is. But, yes, you need to beat the VMIs of the world.

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Anonymous: I thought the Big East was overrated, but watching a few of these early games the toughness and competitiveness their league plays with is just remarkable. They may not have the talent of UNC, but they all tend to play hard for 40 minutes and adjust their games to win. There's great coaching in that Conference.

Eric Prisbell: It is the best league in the nation this season and -- sorry, Gary Williams -- it is not close. Louisville, UConn, ND, Pitt will all challenge for the national title. Marquette is strong. Syracuse, West Virginia and Georgetown are all formidable. I might be forgetting someone. And then Seton Hall and St. John's are off to good starts.

Northeastern beat Providence, though, right? I have Northeastern as my CAA favorite.

I'd say the ACC is the second-best conference, a shade better than the Big 12.

Steve Yanda: I very much agree with Eric on this. The Big East is head and shoulders above the other conferences. Louisville and UConn both could be Final Four teams. I like to looks of Notre Dame, too. Not as high on Pitt, but they'll certainly make the Big Dance, as will four other Big East teams.

The common agrument against the Big East is that while the top half is very good, the bottom teams are horid. And that may very well be true. But I still say the Big East's top half is good enough to compensate for its bottom-dwelling brethren.

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Terp City, Md.: If Vasquez is going to be the best person on the floor for Maryland, this is going to be a rough season. Has Hayes improved his game any bit from last season where he was basically invisible? And are we to assume that almost NONE of the "big" men are capable/able to play on the 1st team? They all turned out to be bums? This was not evident during recruiting?

Steve Yanda: I think Hayes has improved since last season, but not in a way that will be blatantly obvious. At least in the early going, Hayes is going to shoulder most of the ball-handling duties, and so far, he has proven capable of such a task. He makes smart decisions and he leads the fast break well. He's not going to score a lot of points on most nights, but he will set up his teammates, including Vasquez.

As for the big men, at least one will be on the floor in most instances. Four guards is a risky scheme, but Maryland has the backcourt depth to pull it off. Five guards? I don't think so. So, as for being capable, you can assume some of the big men at least have potential. Braxton Dupree has the size to be a physical rebounder and defender, just not the confidence or proper mentality. Dino Gregory has the energy, just not the consistency. Dave Neal has the know-how, just not the athleticism. Capability is not the issue. Execution, however, is.

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Formerly Chapel Hill, N.C.: How much will injuries affect the Tar Heels? Hansbrough is back (kind of), and Ginyard will be back in January , but Zeller is probably out for the season. Is it too early to think how this will affect conference play?

Eric Prisbell: I was higher than most on Zeller after watching his very, very good Indiana AAU squad a few years ago. I feel for Zeller, but honestly I think it reduces their chances of going undefeated slightly, but I don't think it will hurt their national title aspirations too much. Ed Davis should get a good amount of playing time, and of course another dude named Tyler.

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Leesburg, Va.: Will the Hokies actually make the tournament this year? Or are we going to be one of those dreaded "Last 5 Out" teams again in favor of teams with arguably worse credentials who have a loftier basketball pedigree?

Eric Prisbell: The Hokies have not looked too good so far. I did envision Tech slipping in, barely. But I do think they will be on the bubble again until the very end. I have them around sixth in the ACC.

The Xavier game could have helped them from the standpoint of securing what should be a top 50 victory on a neutral court. Xavier is the pick to win the A-10. Now the selection committee will look at the game and say, "Okay, they were within a heave of winning the game." But they won't get the benefit of the doubt from the RPI.

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Fact or opinion: Submit for your consideration as fact or opinion:

1) Tubby Smith was fired from the Kentucky job in small part due to his race. He was given less chance than another coach.

2)The Terps have capitalized less on their National Championship than just about any other basketball team in recent memory.

3)The Terps overachieved the year they won the championship (I actually am a Terps fan).

4) College basketball is great because so many teams have a chance of being good and matchups can allow a nominal underdog to actually be better against a team that is stronger on paper.

Eric Prisbell: 1) That is a strong statement to agree with if I have no proof either way. And I don't. So I say no comment.

2) Agree. I cannot name another team that won the national title in the past 18 years that has capitalized less on winning it. Maybe UNLV, but that was an odd situation.

3) I disagree. I predicted they would win it from the start, and I was living on the West Coast at the time.

4) Agree. College basketball is great because of players like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, coaches like John Calipari and Gary Williams, programs like Butler and Duke. in other words, players, coaches and teams of all shapes, sizes and personalities.

Steve Yanda: 1) Much like Eric, I have nothing to support either side of that argument.

2) In recent memory, it's hard to argue otherwise. Three NCAA tournament trips in six seasons would be great for most programs, but not one coming off a natioal title victory. Look no further than the team Maryland will play Thursday night. Michigan State won the title in 2000 and has made a pair of Final Fours (and been in every NCAA tournament) since.

3) Disagree. I didn't predict they would win it all before that season, but I did think they would be one of the last few standing.

4) Sorry to disappoint you, folks, but I agree with Eric once again for all his stated examples. (One of these times, I'll vehemently disagree with him just for the heck of it. I promise.)

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Vienna, Va.: UVA is 3-0 but barely beat teams that they would've by double digits in prior years by last minute shots. Is UVA playing at the level of the lesser team or are they just plain bad? I don't think they can compete in the ACC the way they have been playing. Your take?

Eric Prisbell: Among the predictions I feel most comfortable with is this: Virginia will finish last in the ACC.

maryland might have the ACC's worst front court, but Virginia is the worst team in the league.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Does UCONN deserve the No. 2 ranking? What are they basing it on? Do they have a great freshman class or is it returning players?

Steve Yanda: Both, actually.

As for returning players, they've got Hasheem Thabeet (a 7-foot-3 nightmare for anyone who dares penetrate into the post), Jeff Adrien (maybe the Huskies best all-around player) and A.J. Price (very talented point guard).

In terms of freshman, they've got Kemba Walker, a McDonald's All-American whose prospects are high.

So, yes, I believe they deserve their current ranking.

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VaBeach: UCLA losing to Michigan...A sign of things to expect from the Bruins this year or an early season aberration or a much improved Michigan team?

Eric Prisbell: A sign that Michigan is on a little faster track than I thought. once John gets his players in Ann Arbor next year, especially with the guard coming from CA, they will really shine.

UCLA has issues. The front court is challenged. The offense, once again, is a plodding attack that is anti-Hollywood and very Big East. I don't see a fourth straight Final Four. but they could still win a Pac-10 that is not as strong as recent years.

Steve Yanda: I know more about Michigan than I do about the Bruins, so I'll speak to the Wolverines. Based on what I've seen (was in Ann Arbor last month) and heard, this team might surprise some folks in the Big Ten. DeShawn Sims, despite always looking half-asleep, is legit. And Manny Harris will be better down the stretch this season because he won't be asked to do it all like he was last year.

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Hawk Hill: How do you think St. Joe's stacks up against the A10 this year?

Eric Prisbell: I like the Hawks. I like them to put up a fight against Xavier, but I still lean toward Xavier. And Sean Miller should be a hot coaching name once again. As if he ever isn't, right?

Jim Baron, one of the best shooters in the country, and Rhode Island could be contenders perhaps.

I'm a little down on Charlotte now.

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Fairfax, Va.: Going back to Renardo Sidney, he said he wants to go to a no name school and bring them to a national level the way Michael Beasley did to K-State. Do you not see that with him?

Eric Prisbell: I do, if he develops more of a killer instinct. I also watched Beasley at his prep school and he looked, at least in one game, lazy. Then we saw what he did at K-State last season. Renardo will put up numbers and could dominate in a year, but he needs to develop a killer instinct. He has been pushed hard through the AAU circuit the past several years, and he is less than two years away from the NBA at this point. He has the physical skills, that's not the issue. But he is still a kid, in more ways than one. He is not a troubled kid by any means, he is simply a kid, as he should be, and as Beasley was as well when he was in high school.

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Washington, D.C.: What are the Top 5 DC area men's programs right now?

Eric Prisbell: 1) G-town

2) Maryland

3) V-tech

4) VCU

5) American

It's all fluid at this point. And that's how I would rank them this season. it's not a state of the overall program type of thing.

Steve Yanda: 1) Georgetown

2) VaTech

3) Maryland

4) VCU

5 American

13) UVA (just kidding)

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Cheverly, Md.: Is it an anomaly or have a few of the usual teams paid to lose, making a few of the big programs a little nervous? Kentucky even lost to theirs.

Steve Yanda: Not sure it's an anamoly. A few underdogs shock some of the big name schools on their schedule every season. Part of it has to do with the big schools being overconfident and getting caught off-guard. Part of it is the big schools still trying to find their identities and knowing that in three or four months, a close win or even a loss, won't hurt them as bad as if they have a terrible conference season.

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Atlanta: Went to the GW-Auburn game this weekend and witnessed the GW collapse. Is it just the sign of a young team taking its lumps on the road or that Hobbs still hasn't mastered any offensive schemes? From the two prior games, I'd say GW looks much improved from last year now that they actually have a pg. What do you think?

Eric Prisbell: Yes, I have not watched them yet, but I would say they will be better. I expect a middle-of-the pack A-10 finish. College basketball in this area is better when GW is good, just remember a few years ago. So here's hoping they take a step forward.

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Big East Bottom Feeders Hurt the RPI: Yeah, but there are 97 teams in the conference! You don't denigrate the entire NFC just because the Lions are in it...

Eric Prisbell: I think the top half of the big east confederacy makes up for the bad teams at the bottom.

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Arlington, VA: There is a recruit at UAB who wants it in his NLI that he will be released to go elsewhere if Mike Davis isn't there. Thoughts?

Eric Prisbell: Is that Demarcus Cousins? A highly regarded player from Bama.

I think it is a good move. So many of these things favor the coaches and the kids have no power at all. Good for him.

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Eric Prisbell: Ok, everyone, thanks for coming. The season is upon us. Check out the new hoops blog soon. See everyone soon. Have a great holiday.

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