Basketball Jones
Posted February 5, 2006, 8:55 AM ET

Many guys fall into a state of depression this time of the year. The football season has ended and it will be six months until the NFL players report to camp.

As the football season comes to a close, we make that transition into basketball. And let's face it, the next two months are pretty good...March Madness will be here before you know it, and if anybody follows the NBA anymore, the All-Star weekend is just a few weeks away.

Since we're reaching the halfway point of an endless NBA schedule, and the college teams start jockeying for seeds in the Big Dance, it is time to let loose on a few thoughts.

Let me start with the NBA.

The National Basketball Association unveiled the starting lineups for the All-Star game. In case you didn't know, the event will take place in Houston in two weeks.

I found it interesting that the East starting lineup didn't include one player from the Detroit Pistons. Why is this a big deal?

Well, the Pistons have the best record in the East and the NBA...they are 39-7 as of this blog entry. Once again the NBA continues to spotlight "star-power" and somehow refuses to accept "team-power".

When I look at the starting All-Star lineup in the West, something else jumps out at me, too. The Dallas Mavericks don't have a member on the starting five, either. Right now, the Mavs are 37-10 and have the best record in the West along with the Spurs. I appreciate David Stern finding a way to get the Spurs' Tim Duncan in the lineup.

But it is hard to believe that two teams that combined to go 76-17 can't put one single player in the starting lineup of the All-Star game.

One more note about the upcoming festivities in Houston...the Slam Dunk competition should keep all of us glued to our seats. This year's dunkers include Andre Iquodala, Nate Robinson, Josh Smith and Hakim Warrick. I have a better question...why even hold the event?

Where is LeBron James when we really need him? I think LJ would win the dunk contest against those guys if he was allowed to dunk with his left hand only. By the way, after seeing LeBron play in person last week during his visit to Charlotte, I came away impressed...he's even better than the hype. And that's saying something given the build-up of his arrival in the NBA.

Let's move to college hoops.

The NCAA actually did a smart thing and released the RPI schedule it uses to determine the teams that qualify for the tournament. It is not every day that these morons come up with a good idea, but this will be helpful for everybody that follows college hoops and March Madness.

As of this blog, the updated RPI shows an amazing stat...the ACC has only one team ranked in the Top 25. One. That team of course is Duke, but it goes to show you how far the ACC has fallen from the top of the heap....For the record, UNC is 26th, BC is 27th and the Wolfpack is 29th.

Speaking of falling from grace, how about Skip Prosser at Wake Forest? The Deacs have mailed it in...once a preseason Top 20 team, Wake is now ranked 117 in the latest RPI and in the cellar of the ACC standings. Nice job, Skip.

The Charlotte 49'ers are a tough team to figure out. Every time I think they are going to turn the corner, they lay an egg....and vice-versa. It looks the only way for the Niners to get in the Big Dance is to win the A-10. I'm starting to wonder if any team other than George Washington gets in the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina beat Clemson in Chapel Hill. So what else is new? The Tar Heels have never lost to the Tigers in Chapel Hill....the record now stands at 52-0. The streak ties the record that once stood between Princeton and Brown. But I'm going to tell you something, and you can take it to the bank...I'll guarantee you that the Tar Heels won't beat Clemson next year at the Dean Dome. There's no way Roy's guys can beat Clemson next season...and I don't care how good the UNC freshmen will be.....they won't beat Clemson in Chapel Hill next season.

I love the "Infamous ACC Index Card"...it creates quite a stir with my radio listeners. I also started to laugh when I saw the conclusion of the Duke - Florida State game this past weekend in Durham.

It was a great game; Duke won 97-96, in overtime. The game had 26 ties and 17 lead changes, and it was an evenly contested game. But according to the "Infamous ACC Index Card", Duke attempted 43 free throws...Florida State went to the line only 11 times. That seems about right...welcome to Tobacco Road.

One more item to note...I love ESPN's coverage of college football. "College Gameday" with Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit is the best....However, ESPN falls short with their duplication in college hoops.

I really like Rece Davis and Jay Bilas...they are outstanding on the air, but the whole fabrication of taking their gig on the road just doesn't fit in college hoops.

College football gives you the natural tailgating feel...you don't get it, or need it, in college basketball. The guys and the show would be better served in Bristol.

So guys, there is no need to be down in the dumps...the countdown to March Madness starts right now.