The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 28

This week the Trap is still coming to you from Knoxville, ahead of next week’s quick trip to the spiritual homeland of Las Vegas. The preliminaries are over. Each team has essentially wrapped up their conference crown. It’s time to let the ESPN hype machine wash over us all until 9 PM EST Saturday night. This game has about 1,220 storylines. Here are the six that intrigue me the most.

1. Something Borrowed To Use Against The Blue. While I have no actual proof, I would be stunned to find out that Bruce Pearl and Co. have not gone to school on the gimmick defenses Tim Floyd used to gring the Tiger offense to a standstill back in December. I can’t imagine Bruce has any intention of there being substantial minutes played in which Jordan Howell is guarding any of the Memphis perimeter players.

2. Rose v. Ramar. I have long trumpeted Ramar Smith’s NBA potential. Saturday, against a player certain to be one of the top 5 picks in this year’s NBA Draft, he has his chance to show off for a building full of League decision makers.

3. Law and Disorder. Given what has been, to this point in the season, as bad a year for officials’ performance as I can remember, it will be very interesting to see which refs get this marquee assignment.

4. CDR v. Billy Owens, Version II. Two of the most versatile players in America will be front and center in this one. Whoever has the better game, Chris Douglas-Roberts or Tyler Smith, will go a long way to deciding this clash. They may not guard each other, but each is the operation center of their team’s halfcourt offense.

5. PT Barnum Will Be Proud. Two of the game’s best salesmen are at work in this one. I’d be thoughly shocked, and wildly disappointed, if Coaches Calipari and Pearl don’t treat us to some devilishly entertaining mindgames.

6. Uncivil War. Given the level of discourse between the fan bases in cyberspace, I’ve got to think working the Beale Street beat before and after the game will not be a favorite assignment for Memphis’ Finest.

Until next week, when the Trap will originate from the Thomas & Mack Center and Piero’s, stay classy, Volnation.