BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — Once upon a time, the annual “From the Swamp Tour of the Magazine Rack” used to be a much anticipated event. Okay, so maybe you guys didn’t look forward to it nearly as much as I did. However, there is something to be said for taking stock of what the supposed hoops cognoscenti think about our favorite college team, even if it was written 3 months before in order to meet a printing deadline.

To give you a sense of what I’m talking about, here is the last edition of “FTSTotMR” which was penned in 2010:

https://www.udpride.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15531

Prior to that in 2008, the tour went ‘virtual’:

https://www.udpride.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6305

There were a few logistical problems in embarking upon the tour this year.

First off, I had to find a bookstore. Since Ann Arbor-based Border’s bit the dust I no longer have easy access to a college basketball yearbook retailer.

Once I got to Barnes & Noble in downtown Royal Oak, I found a grand total of one — count ‘em — one CBY, that being Lindy’s.

Thirdly, upon inspecting Lindy’s content I wondered why I had even bothered. They have the Flyers picked for 9th in the A-10. Okay, I can live with that. Lindy’s “experts” then proceeded to place Kevin Dillard on the 3rd Team All A-10 squad, despite the fact that he was a 2nd Team performer in 2011 and the guy ranked in front of him — Tu Holloway — is gone. How does that work? However, Lindy’s totally lost me with their piece entitled “The Fight Does Not Define Us” about our friends to the south and their embarrassing brawl with the Bearkitties.

I’ve got three words for you, X fans:

Yes. It. Does.

Here’s a link to Lindy’s website which includes pretty much everything they have published except their college basketball content:

http://lindyssports.com/

The opposite tactic is being taken by Athlon. Couldn’t find their rag at B&N, but it doesn’t matter as the content is available gratis on their site. Here is a link to the Athlon A-10 Preview:

http://www.athlonsports.com/college-basketball/atlantic-10-conference-2012-13-college-basketball-preview

— Basketball Prospectus has ranked every single Division 1 hoops program, from #1 thru #345, with Archie’s Flyboys checking in at a rather pedestrian #109:

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2426

— Ken Pomeroy went thru the same exercise and he has UD ranked only 5 positions higher:

http://kenpom.com/index.php?y=2013

— At last, a poll that has the Flyers in the Top 50! Okay so it’s not the Flyers it’s a Flyer, as Vee Sanford checks in at #42 in “The Top 50 Names in College Basketball” as compiled by rushedthecourt (not to be confused with the more established RushtheCourt.com):

http://rushedthecourt.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/top-50-names-in-di-college-basketball/

Eagle-eyed UD Director of Media Relations Doug Hauschild noticed that former UD player Makor Shayok’s son — Shayok Shayok — is also on the list at #52. That’s hard to do in a “Top 50” list, aint’t it?

— Kyle Whelliston’s most excellent college hoops site The Mid-Majority is ready to rock for their ninth season:

http://www.midmajority.com/

— Tremendous profile done by Leigh Montville from Sports on Earth on the ageless Kevin Garnett:

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40114908/

— Gotta love this “Uncle Drew” mini-movie featuring another ageless wonder, Bill Russell and starring Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. The pickup game sequences and makeup jobs are hilarious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLyvkBifQ3w&feature=player_embedded#!

— Also from Sports on Earth, the great Joe Posnanski writes about Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and his ill-advised “guarantee” that Cleveland would win an NBA championship before LeBron James would. I love how Pos posted the article in the same Comic Sans font Gilbert originally used in his letter to Cavs fans:

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/40140172/

— I’m not a gamer, but if you happen to be one then you are well aware that Halo 4 is being released on Tuesday, featuring my old UD roommate and WVUD legend Steve Downes reprising his role as the voice of Master Chief. In this article, they reveal that for the very first time, Steve and Jen Taylor (who plays Cortana) recorded their parts together in the same sound booth:

http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/30/halo-4-acting-is-more-emotional-then-previous-games-says-cortana-actor/

— Speaking of WVUD legends, here is a profile on the former morning person at “The Radio Station” Patty Spitler, who is now co-hosting Pet Pals TV in Indy:

http://community.petpalstv.com/page/meet-patty-spitler

— “The Sweet Tweet of the Week” this time is not a single tweet, but rather an entire Twitter site — the one devoted to updates for “The First Four”:

http://twitter.com/FirstFourDayton

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: [email protected]