Ken Davis

The college basketball expert would like to wish Happy New Year to all our readers! Wild things are happening already with College of Charleston knocking off North Carolina. Here’s a look at this week’s mailbag:

Q: What do you think of Georgia Tech? Has Derrick Favors turned the Jackets back into a Final Four contender, or should I just wait for Paul Hewitt to botch it up in ACC play again?
—
Reggie Ray, Atlanta

A: Reggie, at first glance I thought you were being a little harsh on coach Hewitt and the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech went into Tuesday night with two losses. But they came out of Tuesday night with a third loss, a very bad loss that will turn up the heat on Hewitt no doubt. I understand strange things can happen in rivalry games, but a 73-66 loss at Georgia does not bode well for Tech with ACC play looming.

There’s no other way to say this: Georgia is not a good basketball team. New coach Mark Fox is in rebuilding mode and a win of this magnitude is big for the Bulldogs in bragging rights and recruiting. On the other hand, it is a major setback for Tech. Derrick Favors is part of tremendous recruiting class. Favors has been pretty steady, but he has not blown me away at this point. He shouldn’t be held to eight points against Georgia. Favors had eight rebounds but he has to assert himself more on offense. Favors is talented enough to be Tech’s go-to guy on any night and he was 3-for-8 from the field. 

Tech should be the third best team in the ACC behind Duke and North Carolina, with a chance to vault over the Tar Heels. But the Yellow Jackets already have one ACC loss (to Florida State) and jump into conference play with a home game against Duke, followed by road games at Virginia and UNC. This is a big stretch ahead — and you can be sure Hewitt feels it. And unless Favors really turns on his jets, I don’t see Tech as a Final Four contender at all.

Q: Ken, is the Texas free throw percentage their Achilles’ heel? If so will the Longhorns be another Memphis?
— Julie Tuggle, Las Vegas

A: That’s a great question Julie. I bet Texas coach Rick Barnes would like to know the answer and the sooner, the better. The Longhorns are not walking in Memphis, but they are very close. If the poor charity shooting continues into Big 12 Conference play, it could cost the Longhorns eventually.

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I was hoping Arkansas coach John Pelphrey would start fouling sooner Tuesday night so that we could get a better feel for the situation. Arkansas trailed 90-85 with 40 seconds left when the Hogs sent Damion James to the line. He hit both shots and Texas remained undefeated with a 96-85 victory — despite shooting 64.7 percent (11 of 17) from the line.

Texas is missing an average of almost 10 free throws a game. But until the Longhorns have a dangerously close game — and the misses start playing with their minds — it won’t be like Memphis in 2008. Barnes has said the coaches emphasize routine. “But sometimes when you try to make a big deal about it,” Barnes said, “it gets worse.”

Don’t blame Texas guard J’Covan Brown for these problems. He’s No. 4 in the nation with a 94.6 percentage. That tells you how bad his teammates are.

Let’s crunch the team numbers: Through games of Jan. 3, NCAA stats showed Texas was shooting 62.9 percent from the line (236 of 375). That means Texas ranks 313 of 334 Division I teams. Memphis shot 61.4 from the line on the way to the 2008 national championship game (and those misses at the end of regulation really cost the Tigers). That ranked 318th out of 328 Division I teams. Good comparison.

Texas is last in free-throw percentage in the Big 12. Last year, the Longhorns shot 66.8 percent and only Kansas State (64.8) was worse in the Big 12. What does it mean? Who knows? Colorado leads the nation with a 78.9 free-throw percentage. And I don’t think that’s going to take the Buffaloes very far.

Q: How many of Kentucky's young stars will be one and done?
— Tony Powell, Murray, Kent.

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A: It would be the upset of the new decade if guard John Wall decided to come back. Wall is one of those guys who is well equipped to make the transition from high school to the NBA. And unless this week’s appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated somehow jinxes Wall for the remainder of his freshman season, he will be the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft (just over six months from today).

The only other Kentucky freshman who should even consider the one-and-done route is DeMarcus Cousins. Reports have his stock slipping since the start of the season, so Cousins should evaluate his situation at the end of the season. Scouts are worried about him losing his focus. Maturity is a big concern too. If he’s not projected in the lottery, he might be well served to come back for a second year.