Dick Vitale Still Hasn't Forgiven Texas

For losing to A&M in late January. Vitale, best known for turning enthusiastic babble into an art form, and for becoming the face of College Basketball for ESPN is at least consistent. He doesn’t think Texas deserves a Top Ten spot, much less a #1 seed.

Since the A&M loss on Jan.30th, Texas is 8-0,having gone unbeaten in the month of February for the first time in 45 years. The streak includes wins over Kansas, Kansas State and A&M. The Horns have given up 70 or more points just twice (both times to Baylor), and have held those eight opponents to 37% shooting. But Dickie V. isn’t convinced that the Horns are "PTP’ers."

Vitale has a vote in the AP Basketball Top 25, and his February ballots put Texas lower than just about any of the 71 voters. There is a great website, Pollspeak that lets you follow any voter or team through the weekly collegiate polls. Here is Vitale’s ballot for Feb. 25th.

1. Tennessee
2. Memphis
3. UNC
4. UCLA
5. Georgetown
6. Duke
7. Kansas
8. Stanford
9. Xavier
10. Indiana
11. Texas

No one has Texas ranked lower than Vitale.

Three teams that the Horns have beaten (Tennessee, UCLA & Kansas) are in Vitale's top 7. The main beneficiary of his ballot is Georgetown. The Hoyas are 22-4 on the season. They have no real quality non-conference wins (at Alabama is probably the best) while they have home wins against Connecticut, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh. Their losses are at Memphis, at Pittsburgh, at Louisville and at Syracuse.

Texas lost to the Aggies 83-60 on Jan. 30th, and dropped to 12 on the Feb.4 AP basketball poll. Vitale had the Horns at 18 on his ballot, the lowest placement of any voter for that week. After the Horns beat Kansas Vitale moved them all the way up to 13 on his ballot -- Texas was 7th in the AP poll that week. Over the past month, Vitale has had Texas 5 or 6 spots lower on his ballot than the consensus.

Vitale was more forgiving when Georgetown lost two out of three games in one week (at Louisville, at Syracuse). He ranked the Hoyas 7th the next week (the highest of any voter) and bumped them up to 5th this week – again higher than anyone else.

Of course, the basketball polls mean little to the post-season, but maybe a 3rd straight Big Monday win will get Vitale to pay enough attention to at least put Texas in his Top Ten.

That would be "AWE-SOME WITH A CAPITAL A BAY-BEE!!!"">