There was a minor fracas in the final minute of last Saturday's game between Tennessee and Memphis at FedExForum -- which led to Memphis coach Penny Hardaway labeling UT's Jordan Bone as the instigator. Hardaway then added that some Vols "ran over to fight … with their fists balled up." Rick Barnes mocked those words on radio Monday. Then Hardaway unloaded Tuesday. He first said it was "low-class" for Barnes to say what he said -- then concluded his press conference with the words, "Rick Barnes? Get the f--- out of here." So this has turned into a fun little rivalry, hasn't it? Needless to say, Matt Norlander and I opened this episode of the Eye On College Basketball Podcast with the Hardaway-Barnes war of words.
After that, the conversation went like this:
- 20:47: Buffalo is 11-0 with wins at West Virginia and Syracuse. Is it too early to put Nate Oats in the GOAT conversation? (Answer: Of course not!)
- 30:01: UCLA lost to Belmont at Pauley Pavilion this past weekend. The Bruins play at Cincinnati on Wednesday night. Then they get Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday. So Steve Alford could be on a three-game losing streak after this weekend -- which I'm sure will sit well with the UCLA fans who have, fairly or unfairly, been on his case for years.
- 36:05: No. 12 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 Duke at MSG in NYC on Thursday is this week's most interesting game. Can Chris Beard pull-off the upset? Will Zion Williamson hit his head on the backboard again?
The latest Eye on College Basketball podcast is below. Give it a listen. And if you're not already subscribed, please subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. If you are already subscribed, thank you. It's made a difference. And #ShoutsToDevanDowney.
