Jimmy V Classic

The headline game was the nightcap between USC and Memphis but lets not forget the first game in Notre Dame and Kansas State.

Notre Dame 68 vs Kansas State 59

First things first, the best player of the doubleheader was Notre Dame PF Luke Harangody. He put on a fundamental clinic in the first half with hook shots and fancy footwork. He is not the most athletic big man out there but he compensates very well with the use of his wide body and terrific positioning. He went right at Mike Beasley the whole game and never looked intimidated or scared.

Speaking of Beasley, I was a fan of his until last night. He plays without heart and hustle. He is always the last man on defense and always looks disinterested. It seems like he would rather be out on the town than on the court. He is a tremendous offensive talent but until he plays hard on defense for 40 minutes, he will always be just a one-dimensional offensive player. He came with all the accolades and his playing style comes off as very arrogant. Hopefully he does not think he is entitled to being the man and getting away with not playing hard all the time because the life in the league will be a rude awakening for him.

A positive for Kansas State was sophomore F Billy Walker. Many of you will recall Walker as the sidekick to the O.J. Mayo show back in Cincinnati but Walker moved on early and left O.J. to go to Hollywood. Walker has great size at around 6-6 and maybe 215 to 220lbs. He has a game that breeds in transition but what surprised me was how he used his superior athleticism to beat his defender in the post. His bread and butter move was going at his man and elevating above him so he could just drop the rock in. Once Walker develops a better jump shot, watch out because he will be a terrific player.

The biggest applause of the first game went to Staten Island hero Kyle McAlarney. The junior guard missed last season after being suspended from the team for possession of marijuana. He has come back with great intensity and is fitting in just fine. His steady and sometimes flashy handle helps hype the crowd and his teammates. But what this ND team really needs from him is his consistent three point shot. He made only two three's in the game but both came down the stretch in the second half and both helped ice the game for the Irish.

#2 Memphis 62 vs #24 USC 58 (OT)

O.J. Mayo can play defense, really well. He had two steals but more importantly, held fellow freshman phenom Derrick Rose to only nine points and five turnovers. He was in his face the whole night and really was a factor in Rose struggling to set up the offense for Memphis. On offense Mayo led USC with 16 points and really was a terrific one-two punch with fellow freshman Davon Jefferson. They shouldered the load when USC would struggle and Jefferson had one very exciting reverse alley-oop dunk that simply can be described as "Showtime".

Very interesting things about Memphis is where the starters are from. Coach John Calipari seems to be a very successful recruiter nationally because of his five starters: One is from Georgia (Robert Dozier), One from Illinois (Rose), One from Massachusetts (Antonio Anderson), One from Michigan (Chris Douglas-Roberts), and One from Maryland (Joey Dorsey). His national appeal has really helped this program go to new heights and Memphis very well could be taking home the title in April.

Memphis really struggled with 22 turnovers and that can be attributed to the team defense of USC as well as individual efforts. Memphis pulled this game out because of their determination and athletic ability. They were beat on the glass, beat at the line, and had more fouls than USC. If this is the bottom of the barrel for Memphis, than when they play well they are virtually unbeatable. They have depth, speed, and experience, both on the court and on the bench. This team is very good and will make noise very soon.