Two years ago, Kay Yow was so ravaged by cancer that she had to take a leave of absence from her position of head basketball coach at North Carolina State. She was gone two months and 16 games. When Yow returned to the bench, her team and many fans across the nation brought overwhelming support. In two remarkable weeks, NC State knocked off the top two teams in the nation, won 10 of 11 and made a heartening NCAA Tournament run.

That season was emblematic of Yow’s life – decades of victories in one of the most storied coaching careers in college history.

Kay Yow coached college basketball almost until the final horn sounded on her life last week. Yow took another leave of absence from North Carolina State in early January to continue her 21-year battle with breast cancer. This time, there was no glorious return to the bench; there are only incredible memories of one of college basketball’s finest people.

In 34 years as NC State’s head coach, Yow won 733 games. She coached the U.S. to gold in the 1988 Olympics. Yow also coached teams to gold medals in the Goodwill games and the FIBA World Championships. She was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002.

Kay Yow’s life may have ended with a loss, but she’ll be remembered as one of the world of sports’ greatest winners.

A better way to rank No. 1

North Carolina looked unbeatable, while perched at the number 1 position in college basketball’s top 25 for two months – until the Tar Heels were upset twice. Pittsburgh got its turn, which lasted about as long as it takes Stephen Curry to free himself for a long-range jumper. Then voters gave unbeaten Wake Forest its shot at the top spot.

Before the ink dried on the rankings, The Demon Deacons lost to ACC rival Virginia Tech. Another ACC team, Duke, was bumped to the top spot by the Associated Press. Just days later, the Blue Devils were toppled by Wake. Now, we’ll get a fifth number one team in roughly half a season.

This revolving door at the top makes me wonder if college basketball simply doesn’t have a dominant force or if the voters just aren’t very good at evaluating quality and strength of competition.

In order to eliminate this weekly rotation of top-ranked teams, I suggest a new and very simple philosophy. Take a winning team from a mid-major conference, and rank this squad number 1. Consider the Horizon League’s Butler Bulldogs, for example. Butler is currently 13th and a very solid 18-1. With only Horizon games remaining, there’s a good chance that Butler could run the table and finish the regular season 32-1. I say pencil the Bulldogs into the top spot and laminate the paper. If Associated Press voters used this philosophy, they’d look like geniuses come March.

Hey Mom, I should have gone to college

Brandon Jennings is ranked as a top-10 prospect in the upcoming NBA draft. A super slick point guard in the Russell Westbrook mold, Jennings could have played college ball just about anywhere in America. Instead, he chose the almighty dollar in Italy, since by NBA rule a player must be at least one year removed from high school before he gains NBA draft eligibility.

Now, Jennings is second-guessing his decision, as things are going poorly in Europe and his draft stock is slipping.

In an e-mail message sent to his fan web site, BrandonJennings.net, Jennings writes: “I’ve gotten paid on time once this year.

“They treat me like I’m a little kid. They don’t see me as a man. If you get on a good team, you might not play a lot. Some nights you’ll play a lot; some nights you won’t play at all. That’s just how it is.”

Jennings is averaging just 18 minutes of playing time per night. Had he made a different decision, he could be playing at Connecticut, Kansas or USC, as each school offered him a scholarship. Based on his remarkable skills, it stands to reason that Jennings would be a star on any college team, featuring his talents for NBA scouts and improving his status.

It appears that Jennings made a big mistake.

It’s surprising what it takes before some people realize just how good college basketball players have it.

Who fits Cinderella’s slipper

As we fast break toward March and the NCAA Tournament, it’s time to look for a few of this year’s Cinderella teams. Here are two teams I love for upset specials in your office pool.

Northern Iowa. The Panthers bring the sort of methodical team play that can frustrate a high tournament seed. Ten players contribute significant minutes, and all bring excellent defense and shooting. The Panthers shoot 37 percent from 3-point range as a team and 74 percent from the free throw line. Perhaps the most impressive stat for the 15-6 Missouri Valley Conference leaders is that they turn the ball over just 11 times per night. Excellent shooting coupled with few turnovers usually spells upset in March.

Utah State. The 19-1 Aggies have a gaudy record but their weak competition keeps them in relative anonymity. Like Northern Iowa, Utah State is built for victory in March. The Aggies shoot extremely well and have great depth. Plus, they have a guy named Pooh Williams. How can you not expect good things from someone named Pooh?

From the Department of Quirky Statistics

* Northwestern is a respectable 10-7 overall but just 2-5 in the Big Ten. Last week’s stunning victory over 9th–ranked Michigan State, however, is an eye-opener. This win alone, though, is not so quirky. How about the fact that Northwestern has never been to the NCAA Tournament? Give the Wildcats 7 more victories and this ignominious streak may be broken.

* St. Mary’s, 18-1 and ranked 22nd, has five players from Australia on its roster, including leading scorer Patrick Mills, arguably one of the best unknown guards in the nation.

* Unless you spend a lot of time in the Northwest, you probably have not heard of North Dakota State guard Ben Woodside. The senior sharpshooter has connected on 41 percent of his 488 career 3-point attempts. Woodside is shooting an amazing 47 percent on treys this year, while averaging 24 points per game for the Bison.

* Virginia Military has four starters averaging 15-plus points per game. The Keydets opened the season with a big win over Kentucky and are now 16-3 and on top of the Big South Conference. VMI has tallied 100 or more points six times and leads the nation in scoring, behind twin brothers, Travis and Chavis Holmes, averaging a combined 42 per game.

* Chicago State’s David Holston is averaging just shy of 13 shots per game from beyond the 3-point arc. The 5-8 guard has hit at least 5 shots from long distance in six games this year.

Photo Credit: ICON Sports Media

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