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		Michelle Touson on the NCAA By Michelle Touson January 25, 2009

	Sportstalk: Michelle, Oregon State 7-10 (2-4) head coach Craig Robinson started his week off last Tuesday in Washington congratulating his brother in law Barack Obama at his inauguration and then coming to Berkeley and stunning the Bears with a 69-65 win over the Cal 15-4 (4-2). Would you lend the win by the Beavers to inspiration of the standing ovation that their coach got by the Cal students before the game or the Beavers high scoring efforts by Roeland Schaftnaar 22 points and Calvin Haynes who scored 21? Craig Robinson is not the President of the United States, and applause does not win basketball games. The credit goes to the Beavers re-grouping from their slow start and not thinking that the season was over simply because you suffered losses from teams you should have beaten. I believe the applause that Robinson received was not necessarily for him as much it was a message to President Obama. Sportstalk: The Stanford Cardinal 13-3 (3-3) last Thursday took control with a 22 point win over the Oregon Ducks 77-55; 6-13 (0-7) and wound up winning their second straight game and are now 5th in the Pac Ten. Anthony Goods like you said last week didn't disappoint and played solid defense and his offensive game was tops leading the team in scoring with 20 points. How huge is Goods commodity to the Cardinal? He is a huge commodity . . . he's an upperclassman, with playing experience. Every good team need good leadership, and Goods leads on the floor through his actions. You need someone who the younger players can look to on the court for some direction. Coaches look for that type of person when they go recruiting, and Stanford has that in Anthony Goods. Sportstalk: The UCLA Bruins 15-3 (5-1) and the Washington Huskies 14-4 (5-1) met on Saturday for the battle for first place in the Pac 10 the Bruins took top scorers Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Jrue Holiday, and Alfred Aboya. Washington countered with Isaiah Thomas, Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon, and Quincy Pondexter. I'll keep saying it UCLA is not as good as they have been in past season, so they must play harder and stronger to stay on top. Ben Howland knows this and has had to develop a game plan that involves all five players instead of two or three. Sportstalk: It looked like the makings of an All-Star line up. How much did the country enjoy the match up of these two teams going head to head for the top spot in the Pac 10 Saturday night? The Pac-10 is wide open, and February is going to be a big month. Cal is playing good ball as well as Oregon State. Oregon State at the beginning of the year looked as though they were out of contention from the beginning with losses to Howard University and Montana. But, Craig Robinson has got his guys re-focused and playing like they have a chance to win it all (which they do). Final Thoughts: 1. Basketball lost a warrior woman on Saturday. North Carolina State University Head Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow lost her 10 year battle with breast cancer. She was a woman of great character who brought out the best in those around her. She will be missed. My prayers go out to the family of Kay Yow, NC State Women's Basketball team, and the NC State Community. 2. The NCAA has passed legislation that will allow colleges and universities to recruit basketball players in the 7th grade. Are you freaking kidding me???? It is hard enough being a kid, now you have college recruiters looking at you and offering you scholarships. There are a lot of changes that happen to kids mentally and physically from grade 7 to 12. A 7th grader is not mentally ready to deal with the pressures of being recruited. The NCAA will be taking the joy of the game away much earlier, and making basketball a job. Did we learn nothing from Elena Delle Don??? You are opening the door to predators. THIS LEGISLATION IS JUST WRONG!!!!! Let kids be kids as long as they can. 3. Next week we will be firing up the grills for Superbowl Sunday. I grew up a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, and nothing has changed. I think this game is going to be a lot closer than most people think. Both teams are very evenly matched and the real battle will take place on defense. Both team have good QB's and wide receivers. I will give the edge in the RB department to the Steelers. Pittsburgh is known for their defense and Arizona's defense is feeling a little disrespected. I am staying with my original pick from weeks ago . . . Go Steelers!!