A lot has happened in the 13 days since I last wrote a blog post. A lot.
Duke beat archrival UNC at home, coming from behind in the second half. Super Bowl 45 MVP Aaron Rodgers went to Disney World and threw a pass to David Letterman. Three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols cut off contract negotiations with his current (and only) team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in order to "not be distracted" during spring training and the regular season. Basketball star Carmelo Anthony (of the Denver Nuggets) took Pujols' place as the star-with-future-in-question and has seen his name included in potential deals with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, including swaps of seven players. Tiger Woods lost another golf tournament. Los Angeles Clippers' star Blake Griffin jumped over a car en route to winning the NBA Slam Dunk Competition. And sixteen-year-old pop idol Justin Bieber knocked down a three-pointer en route to winning NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP honors, beating out former Chicago Bulls' great Scottie Pippen in the process.
The Dayton 500 is also in progress. Fan favorite Jeff Gordon is out of commission after an early wreck (Gordon himself is frustrated but unharmed).
But the week's biggest story comes from the world of men's college basketball, where a series of upsets have turned the NCAA Top 25 Rankings (even just the top 5) on its head. After the previously-undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes lost to Wisconsion last week, they took a fall from the number one spot, and Kansas was named #1 in a controversial pick (beating out Texas by a point). But Kansas lost, 84-68, Monday night to archrival Kansas State, who were playing at home and led by Jacob Pullen's career-high 38 points (said Kansas coach Bill Self sarcastically: "Hey, if you look on the bright side, we held them to just 46 points if Jacob didn't play."). While Kansas wiped out Colorado last night, 89-63, its clear they won't be #1 in this week's poll.
But who will? Favorite-to-take-over-with-Kansas-down Texas lost to Nebraska last night, 70-67, with a final three-point attempt clanging off the rim. In all 11 other Big 12 conference games this season, the Longhorns had dominated, with the nation's best defense allowing only one team (Baylor) the honor of losing by less than 10--and Baylor lost by 9.
Before Texas' swoon, the fourth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers took the floor at a packed Madison Square Garden against the St. John's Red Storm (the team that dealt the current-number-5 Duke Blue Devils their second of the season three weeks ago), and lost, 60-59, on a last-second layup by Dwight Hardy, who had 16 points for St. John's. Hardy drove inside the basket, nearly stepping out of bounds, before a twirling layup that had the eager fans rushing the floor literal seconds later.
And just minutes ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes, with all their major competition knocked out of contention for No. 1, lost to No. 11 Purdue, 76-63, stumped particularly by E'twaun Moore, who had 38 points including Purdue's last 13 of the first half. Buckeyes' freshman star Jared Sullinger had 25 and Ohio State dominated in the paint with their bigger bodies, but Purdue had a raucous home crowd and a locked-in Moore its side. They won with their biggest lead of the night.
It was the first time since November 2003 that the nation's top four teams lost in the same week.
Ohio State, the former No. 1, is now 25-2.
Texas is 23-4.
Kansas is 25-2.
Pittsburgh is 24-3.
And Duke, Coach K's crew, which plays at home tonight against unranked Georgia Tech, is 24-2. Both its losses came against unranked teams (Florida State, then unranked, and St. John's).
Could Duke be No. 1? And if they are, who's second? Third? Fourth?
Quite a week to be a voter.
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