What we're reading while we use the cold as an excuse to bust out the Blu-Ray copy of “Fargo.” Submit links via Twitter.
Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn is back with another edition of his enjoyably wonky Power Rankings, where San Diego State checks in as a top-10 team and this week’s Aaron Craft hyperbole proved totally out of whack -- especially in relation to Michigan State guard Gary Harris: “Friend-o'-the-Rankings Chris Mackinder compiled Defensive Score Sheets from the Spartans' overtime win over Ohio State on Tuesday, and his charting suggests that ESPN's lovefest should have been for Gary Harris instead of Craft. Craft's loose-ball dive near the end of regulation was one of the game's signature plays, and he did force four turnovers, but by DSS' standards -- which take into account field goals and free throws allowed, as well as rebounding -- it was not a Craftacular performance. Harris, meanwhile, forced seven (!) turnovers and 4.5 misses while yielding just three points in 42 minutes, which is incredible.”
On Wednesday, Creighton guard Grant Gibbs made his blog debut for USA Today’s “For The Win.” His first post is as funny and well-done as you’d expect, though the timing of his injury Sunday (right after he filed this first dispatch) rearranges the perspective just so. Gibbs will blog periodically for FTW, though, when you think about it, what is a blog, really? (Don’t answer that.)
CBS analyst Doug Gottlieb picks Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim as his midseason coach of the year, Orange Nation reacts with a resounding “wait … huh?”
UNC put all of coach Roy Williams’ post-Miami-loss press conference on YouTube, and the whole thing is worth a watch -- if you’re the kind of person who likes to watch people not having fun, anyway.
Via r/CollegeBasketball: Vanderbilt is offering giveaways to fill the student section … for the Kentucky game. Yeah. Yikes. (Good prize, though!)
