Mid-Season Report...

Gomez here...

Well we're halfway home and since everyone else is passing out awards and stuff, I guess I will too. It will help us pass the time until the end of the work day and until we get the latest report of whatever coach has turned down the Tennessee football job next.

First of all, I'll say the biggest surprise team is Pitt. They're 14-2 and 4-0 in the Big East, including wins on the road at Syracuse, Cincinnati and UConn. Keep in mind, Pitt was not ranked in the preseason and was expected to finish towards the bottom of the Big East. However, at this point, their demise was predicted prematurely.

That's why I also have to give my mid-season coach of the year award to Jamie Dixon. Now, I know many of you would go with Vitale and Bilas and pick our own coach, Calipari, but I have to rank him a close second. What Cal has done at Kentucky is remarkable, but when someone does something like Dixon has at Pitt so far this season, it should not go unheralded. Sure, Cal has pieced together remnants of recruits from two other coaches (Tubby and Clyde) and joined them with an outstanding freshmen class, but he still has something that Dixon is well short of... NBA level talent. Kentucky has probably four or five first round draft picks, if not more. Pitt doesn't, yet they're still knocking off good teams left and right, and that's why I'm giving Dixon the nod. Of course, we'll have to see how the season plays out because this could very easily change before March.

I guess if you're unhappy with my pick for coach of the year, you'll like my pick for player of the year a little better. I have to go with John Wall of the University of Kentucky. Maybe you've heard of him. Wall is averaging 17.3 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. His lightning fast moves are really what sets him apart and makes him the most outstanding player in Division 1 basketball, but his shooting is probably the most underrated part of his game. Wall is shooting 50% from the field, 35% from three point range, and 78% from the free throw line. What's even better is actually when these shots are falling, because its usually when the game is on the line. No other player in college basketball has put his team on his back and willed them to victory like John Wall has. Even when Wall has somewhat of an off game, you know he'll snap out of it at crunch time and start making big shots. Case in point: the Florida game.

If you start looking at teams that haven't performed as well as expected, there's a ton to pick from. Rather than just decide on one, I'll name a few... North Carolina, UConn, Louisville and Mississippi State. It doesn't really bode well for Kentucky that these teams haven't been as strong as many thought they would, because that could hurt is in the end. However, you can't really make a case for them either. They've all lost games that they really should have won, and none are performing as well as the pre-season predictions they received.

What says you? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below or send us an email at bigbluenation@wk.net.