A dandy in Stillwater

This, right here, is why the college game will always have an edge on the NBA.

I haven't been able to watch a lot of D-I college basketball this season, but the last two overtimes of OK State's win over Texas last night reminded me why it's the greatest sport in the world, and it got me twitchin' and itchin' for March.

It was also the first time I got the chance to check out Texas phenom Kevin Durant. Man, is he something else. If I had the top pick in June's draft, it would be no automatic Greg Oden selection for me. This Durant kid has Kevin Garnett length and defensive ability with Tracy McGrady explosiveness and shooting touch. Scary.

Over the next two months, a lot of these exciting games will go down, but pay close attention to the teams that are winning them in late February and early March. That momentum will pay dividends in the Big Dance. I can't wait, baby!

State of the Pistons Address (Jan. 15)

I don't have TiVo or DVR, but if I did, there's no doubt what television spectacle I would record on Wednesday night: the Pistons versus the Jazz at the Palace. Luckily, I do have a VCR and some tape. Let's go.

Wednesday will be the sight of many returns at the Palace. First, and most importantly, there's the return of Mehmet Okur to the Palace. Memo is having a fine year with the Jazz, and the Pistons should probably be kicking themselves for not holding onto him after he helped them win a championship in 2004. But that's another story for another day.

The real important returns of Wednesday will be those of Chauncey Billups and Christopher Webber. Chaunce is back after missing eight games with a calf injury. C-Webb is back hooping for a Detroit team for the first time since 1993.

It will all be official after he signs tomorrow, and if he gets a practice in with the team, I wouldn't be surprised if Flip gives him a starting nod on Wednesday, the day the Pistons will dig themselves out of the hole in which they're currently writhing.

It's painfully clear that the Pistons are struggling, but what's odd is that their numbers aren't altogether horrendous.

In the eight games since Chauncey went down, they're 3-5. Some interesting stats:

-- They're scoring 92.5 ppg (down from 96.5 for the season).
-- They're giving up 92.5 ppg (down from 94.1 for the season).
-- They're dishing out 21.1 apg (up from 20.3 for the season).
-- They're turning it over 12.2 times per game (same as all season).

Flip Murray is averaging 12.4 points, 6.6 assists and 2 turnovers filling in for Chaunce. His season averages are 7 points, 2 assists and 1 turnover. So he hasn't done a bad job.

But there's something else Chauncey brings to the table other than his 18 points, 8 assists and just 2 turnovers each game. He brings a calm over the team. He gets Rip going while letting Tay and Sheed know they'll get their lifts, too. And he controls the tempo like a world-class maestro.

For as much as I dislike Flip's game in the Pistons' system, he has filled in valiantly. But he can't bring the familiarity Chaunce brings to the court, and it's clear that some of the players -- especially Sheed, who has made just 32 of his last 108 field goal attempts -- are less sure of themselves in Chaunce's absence.

Just as the general is back to make the Pistons recognizable again, though, there's another face to add to the team photo. C-Webb could initially take awhile to adjust to the Pistons' style, but once he gets comfortable, look out. I think he and Sheed will make a perfect high-low combination. If Flip can get the two to interchange frequently -- moving in and out and up and down -- the mere presence of C-Webb will encourage Sheed to post up more, something Pistons fans have been hoping for since Sheed came to Detroit in '04. C-Webb has an uncanny ability to dish the rock, and in that sense, he's a stark opposite to the two bigs that have flanked Sheed since his Motown arrival -- Big Ben and Nazr.

Whatever goes down Wednesday, it's an exciting time for Pistons fans, who now have added incentive to watch at a time of year when it's easy to let fandom go by the wayside. Excuse me while I go program my VCR.

New-look Pistons?

Chaunce has been injured. Sheed has been an enigma. And everybody else has been doing what they can, but it's clear that, at this point, the Pistons are not a championship caliber team.

That could all change in the next few weeks. Chris Webber could be suiting up in red, white and blue as early as Wednesday versus the Jazz. Chaunce is expected back soon, too. And with his return, it's likely Sheed will get out of his funk and start to assert himself like the All-Star he is.

If Joe Dumars is really feeling tricky, he might try to pull a few more strings in addition to picking up C-Webb. Jalen Rose has hinted he would love to return to Detroit, and if his former Fab Five teammate comes back home, well, no time would be better. I've also heard rumblings about Morris Peterson heading south, too. Assuming we'd lose Carlos Delfino, Flip Murray or Amir Johnson to get those guys (perhaps all three), let's just see what a potential playoff roster would look like, along with some career numbers...

PG 1 Chauncey Billups 14 ppg 3 rpg 5 apg
SG 32 Richard Hamilton 18 ppg 3 rpg 3 apg
SF 22 Tayshaun Prince 12 ppg 4 rpg 2 apg
PF 36 Rasheed Wallace 16 ppg 7 rpg 2 apg
C 2 Chris Webber 21 ppg 10rpg 4 apg

G 10 Lindsey Hunter 9 ppg 2 rpg 3 apg
G 42 Morris Peterson 12 ppg 4 rpg 2 apg
G 5 Jalen Rose 15 ppg 4 rpg 4 apg
F 13 Nazr Mohammed 7 ppg 6 rpg 1 apg
F 24 Antonio McDyess 15 ppg 8 rpg 1 apg
F 54 Jason Maxiell 4 ppg 2 rpg
F 34 Dale Davis 8 ppg 8 rpg 1 apg

Quite an experienced squad. And in the playoffs, that counts more than anything. While these three additions would make the Pistons one of the oldest teams in the league, I truly think they could help.

C-Webb sure ain't the C-Webb he used to be, but even on one wheel he's more effective than Nazr. I must admit, Nazr has exceeded my expectations of him this year. But he's a liability defensively, and his touch around the basket cannot outweigh his negatives. There's no reason to start him over C-Webb.

Jalen ain't what he used to be, either. He's not as intimidating a scorer as he was seven years ago, when he led the Pacers to the Finals. (He was the go-to guy for Indiana that year, not Reggie Miller.) But man, can Jalen still dish the rock. He and Linds could come off the bench together and really get guys like Maxiell, Dyess, Rip and ... Mo Pete going.

Yes, that's right: Morris Peterson. What the Pistons do not have this season is a dead-eye 3-point shooter off the bench. While Mo is only shooting 35 percent from behind the arc this year, in Toronto, he's asked to do a lot more than shoot. In Detroit, that would be his main -- and maybe his only -- responsibility: knock down the open trey.

I'll shed no tears saying good-bye to Los and Flip if these acquisitions somehow happen, but I will be sad to see Amir go -- if that's what Joe D chooses to do. I still maintain he could be the next T-Mac. Unfortunately, Pistons fans have had little opportunity to see him do much of anything in two years.

The boys are at Atlanta tonight, then back home tomorrow against Boston in what could be Chauncey's much-welcomed return. If we're lucky, it won't be the only return for Detroit fans in the next few weeks. I can hear George Blaha already...

And Jalen feeds C-Webb on the lob for the super slam! The Pistons lead by 12 with TWO and TWENTY-TWO to play! What a pass by Jalen!

Tim Higgins, National Champion

Every time the Florida Gators football team played on national TV in the last four years, I surveyed the sidelines for one player -- Tim Higgins.

I went to high school with Tim in Northville. When I found out he was going to the University of Florida to play football, I kind of scoffed at it. After all, he was only 5'7'' and 160 pounds -- give or take. I thought he would have been better off playing Division III ball, perhaps becoming a big contributor for some team, somewhere.

Today, Tim has the right to scoff at me. He's a National Champion, and that's not all. He made the most of his four years there, graduating early and even having a "Rudy" moment. His story was picked up by papers nationwide, courtesy of the AP. Give it a read.

And congratulations to Tim. Come flaunt that ring back in Northville anytime you please.

Kudos to Creativity

In an adidas commercial from about five years ago, Kobe Bryant said, "I think that creativity comes from within." My buddies and I used to make fun of this statement for its apparent simplicity yet its valiant attempt at provoking something philosophic.

But you know what? Kobe may have been onto something profound. Creativity does come from within. It involves thinking outside the normal realm of thinking. It means refusing to conform. It takes a willingness to fail. It demands guts. Cojones. Bollocks. Huevos. Take your pick.

You know who's creative? You know's got a pair? Boise State coach Chris Petersen.

You know who's a gigantic sissy on the brink of expiration? Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.

For an exercise in perfect juxtaposition, let us examine Monday's Fiesta Bowl winner and Rose Bowl loser. Petersen and Carr. Boise State and Michigan. Creativity and predictability.

Football play-calling is one of the less discussed topics among prognosticators, analysts and the like. (Call them what you will, but I prefer: Run-Of-The-Mill Former Player Who Jumps On With Some Random Networks Once He's Washed Up And Spits Out Drivel Every Sunday. There are a few exceptions. I really like Mark Schlereth on ESPN. Not over the top like most everyone else. And Matt Millen was great back when he sat in the broadcast booth, where he belongs. In general, though, there's way too much football coverage on TV. Anyway, back to my point. I apologize for the digression.) But for all the talks that go on about matchups and personnel in football games, one thing matters most, and that's play-calling.

None of the big mouths predicted little Boise State to beat the tried and tested Oklahoma squad Monday. The Broncos were too slow, too weak, too inexperienced. Petersen found a way to trump that.

After squandering an 18-point lead and falling behind 35-28 on an interception that would have taken the wind out of most teams' sails, the Broncos persisted. Quarterback Jared Zabransky had just thrown one of the all-time worst passes ever in a pressure-packed situation. Then, he showed what true resiliency is all about, coming back to lead the Broncos to pay dirt with just less than a minute to go. The fashion in which they tied it is grabbing all the headlines.

Fourth and 18. Down seven. Half a field to go. Hook and ladder. Yep, the Broncos pulled out one of the greatest trick plays in the book, and it worked to perfection. But it didn't stop there.

The Sooners scored first in OT, on a 25-yard scamper from Adrian Peterson. He went in virtually untouched, almost as though the Broncos were conceding it to him. It didn't matter.

From the 25, Boise launched into a series where every play seemed like a trick play. Running backs looking to pass to the quarterback. Wide receivers taking direct snaps. Not exactly plays you see every day.

But what the Broncos did so well was recognize when the big strike was UNAVAILABLE, turning it down, and taking their medicine. It took eight snaps, and they eventually got their touchdown on an alley-oop pass from a receiver to a tight end. What guts.

Then came two more bits of courage. First, Petersen decided to go for two, to go for the win. Second, he did so by ordering up another trick play -- a fake screen, Statue-of-Liberty call that worked to perfection. Game, Boise. Kudos, Petersen. Without question, it was the greatest end to a football game I've witnessed.

Would I have said that if Boise's trickery had failed? Probably not. Some of what occurred in Glendale Monday was luck. But, to me at least, Petersen's inkling to go to all corners of the playbook gave his team its best chance to win. Not necessarily its only chance, but its BEST chance.

Now let's hop a few miles north to Pasadena, where the USC Trojans made the Big Ten team from the state of Michigan look more like Spartans than Wolverines. Michigan was out-run, out-tackled, out-jumped and, most of all, out-witted. Bill Plaschke of the LA Times called it the most "jangling, jitterbugging, joyous win" of the Pete Carroll era at SoCal. Really? After all, Carroll HAS won two national titles. Pretty high praise from one of the best sportswriters in the land.

Regardless of whether that's warranted, Carroll made one of the premiere defenses in the country look like hole-y socks. He, too, showed Petersen-like guts, going to the air time after time after time and tearing U-M's secondary to shreds. And ultimately, he shined a bright, Californian light on the only real weakness of one of the great college football coaches of the last decade.

Lloyd Carr's predictable play-calling has finally reached its last straw. For years, it's been lamented, but only halfheartedly. Michigan racked up enough wins to keep the majority of fans content and hungry for the possibility of a better season next year. Next year. How many next years can there be?

Too many for Carr. Year in and year out, Michigan has one of the two or three most talented teams -- from top to bottom -- in the nation. And to have only one National Championship and a bowl game record of 5-7 to show for 12 seasons at the helm is not good enough.

Now, it's unfair to say that Carr's conservative play-calling hasn't won him his share of games. Tailbacks galore have come through U-M and single-handedly won games by wearing down tough defenses to the point where they're ineffective in the second halves of ballgames. A steady dose of Michael Hart and Chris Perry and Tim Biakabatuka surely secured the Wolverines a few victories through the years.

But just imagine how fun a high-octane, innovative Michigan team would be to watch. The supreme talent gives Carr all the MORE reason to open up the playbook and let loose. You think Hart couldn't have done some damage on direct snaps or an option play with Steve Breaston as his QB or a few more screen passes on Monday? Of course he could have. Sure would have been more exciting than his runs to the short side of the field which were stopped repeatedly and without much effort on the part of the Trojans.

Not to take anything away from USC's defense, either. It was great, partly because its schemes were creative, as well. The Trojans blitzed with backers, linemen, corners and safeties. The patterns were random and kept Henne off balance all day. If only Michigan had done likewise.

So am I calling for Lloyd's head? Not unless he refuses to change. If he can recognize that the days of pounding the rock, regardless of the opponent, are done, and if he can borrow a few pages from Boise State's book, that would be a beautiful thing. Heck, bring in Petersen to run the offense. I'm sure he'd catapult us back to the top. Just leave the blue field in Boise, Chris.