# College Basketball: It's Here! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161 "2005-11-09T03:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/21 "2005-11-09T20:45:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Riley wasn’t hatable at UK, and neither were Mashburn or Magloire. Mercer and Walker, I might give you. > > I really think that any hatred directed at those guys would be as a result of their NBA careers, though. Keeping in mind that I don’t (at least off the top of my head) personally hate any college basketball player that didn’t go to Carolina, here’re some UK players with hateable qualities: Magloire definitely qualifies. Rashaad Carruth Rodrick Rhodes Saul Smith Tayshaun Prince Wayne Turner Richie Farmer Rodney Dent Cliff Hawkins Tommy Parker Eric Manuel Kenny Walker Mel Turpin Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, and Dale Barnstable I’m sure I can come up with more if I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/22 "2005-11-09T20:46:03Z")
Well, I can’t speak to the Riley situation, but you deserve punishment for him nonetheless. Al the others, I can definitively state that they were hatable in the NCAA. Magloire the least so, but Mashburn, Walker and Mercer were the most whiney, preening and struting players I can recall in the NCAA outside of UNC, Duke or Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/23 "2005-11-09T20:59:16Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > Keeping in mind that I don’t (at least off the top of my head) personally hate any college basketball player that didn’t go to Carolina, here’re some UK players with hateable qualities: > > Magloire definitely qualifies. > Rashaad Carruth > Rodrick Rhodes > Saul Smith > Tayshaun Prince > Wayne Turner > Richie Farmer > Rodney Dent > Cliff Hawkins > Tommy Parker > Eric Manuel > Kenny Walker > Mel Turpin > Ralph Beard, Alex Groza, and Dale Barnstable > > I’m sure I can come up with more if I think about it. Carruth was hated while he was here (mainly because he’s an idiot.) Saul was hated because he was the coach’s son. I can only imagine that The Hawk was hated for his incredible on-the-ball defense, Tayshaun because of his shooting and Kenny “Sky” Walker for being Kenny “Sky” Walker. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/24 "2005-11-09T21:04:30Z")
So you agree with me that all top programs have a brace of players hated by fans of other schools? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/25 "2005-11-09T21:08:24Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > So you agree with me that all top programs have a brace of players hated by fans of other schools? 🙂 Perhaps, but not in the same way that I hate Christian Laettner, J.J. Redick, Trajan Langdon, Shane Battier, Jason Williams, Chris Duhon, Elton Brand and Shelden Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/26 "2005-11-09T21:12:59Z")
Not in the same way for you. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/27 "2005-11-09T21:14:57Z")
(Elton Brand? Chris Duhon? Jason Williams? Odd choices of players to hate. Still pissed at Duhon for not choosing UK?) ---
**Author:** ![Kyyrewyyoae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Kyyrewyyoae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyyrewyyoae)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/28 "2005-11-09T21:55:49Z")
Kansas lost a lot of players to graduation and transfers, and starts out unranked. We have a lot of talented freshmen but they’re young and have no real experience. Self brought in one of the top recruiting classes in the country and it’ll be interesting to see how they work together, particularly Brandon Rush. I don’t expect to be contending for the national championsip this year, but reaching the sweet sixteen isn’t unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/29 "2005-11-09T22:00:43Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > (Elton Brand? Chris Duhon? Jason Williams? Odd choices of players to hate. Still pissed at Duhon for not choosing UK?) No, it’s because of ESPN. I also hate Jay Bilas, because he seems to spend 99% of his time fellating Coach K. And don’t even get me started on that mouth-breathing idiot Billy Packer. Man makes me want to shoot my TV. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/30 "2005-11-09T22:14:49Z")
> [@](#): > > No, it’s because of ESPN. I also hate Jay Bilas, because he seems to spend 99% of his time fellating Coach K. Wow, you _are_ strange. Bilas – like Brad Daugherty – is nearly universally acknowledged as one of the more objective analysts around. I mean, most Carolina fans like the guy. Which is really saying something. And nobody likes Billy Packer. Because Billy Packer doesn’t like anybody. (And, yes, nobody likes Dick Vitale. Because Dick Vitale likes everybody.) ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161/31 "2005-11-09T22:45:12Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Well, I’m going to take a few minutes and appraise you all of the team that will win the Big Ten for the second consecutive year. As an Illinois alum, I’m going to try and restrain my vitriol regarding the BS that was the Championship game. However, there’s reason to hope that the Illini can rectify that injustice this year. While I love the Orange & Blue Koolaid, MSU is freaking stacked this year. I think we’ll split with them, and end up second in the Big Ten and a 4th or 5th seed in the tournament. Pruitt is looking more confident, and he’ll be a nice addition to the front court with Auggie. I’m excited about Jamar Smith, but he’s still a freshman, so we might not see consistent productivity from him for a few seasons yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-basketball-its-here/330161.md?page=1)