Guess which upper echelon hoops program nabbed the best junior forward in the land over the weekend? Ho hum, it’s the Tar Heels. The rich continue to get richer. Kid’s name is James McAdoo. That sure sounds familiar. I wonder if he’s relatedto   . . .

No American man has made it to the quarter finals of the U.S.Open Tennis . . . for the first time ever.

Crispest pigskin performance over the weekend might have been Cincy’s. On national TV on Labor Day, Brian Kelly’s Bearcats controlled Rutgers in Piscataway with stellar D and innovative, effective offense. They appear to be the cream immediately rising to the top of Big East. Wow . . . I could swear that two years ago it would been Louisville we’d be talking about, right? Young, overachieving coach on the make. Players achieving above their expected levels. Unstoppable offense. Stalwart defense. Excited fan base. Sigh.

Overlooked in the malaise that’s befallen the Sooner Nation and the Heisman race because of the injury to Sam Bradford’s shoulder is the play of Brigham Young in the “upset” over Ooooooooklahoma. The men from Provo — and they are men, many having done their two year stint proselytizing to the unwashed masses — looked ready to compete for a BCS spot. They make up for lack of team speed with smarts and stability. They kept their final, winning drive alive with a quick count play, while the vaunted Sooners were running around with their thumbs up their butts. Plus BYU’s coach is named Bronco. So they got that goin’ for them.

I said it before and I’ll repeat: Can’t wait to watch BYU, TCU, Utah round robin in Mountain West. While Boise State is Western Flavor of the Week, at season’s end the Broncos might be undefeated but will have a mighty thin portfolio compared to any of the MW trio that might sweep.

One more race and NASCAR will be down to The Dozen who will sprint for this year’s title. My man Jeff Gordon is hanging second in the point standings despite fighting back problems all year. Hey, I’m fighting a bit of sciatica myself these days and I get to hurting driving a few blocks to Walgreens. Can’t imagine what it’s like at NASCAR speed for 500 miles. Former Cup winner Matt Kenseth is hangin’ on for his life.

If there’s a better, more entertaining battle this season than Miami/ Florida State, we be in for a real treat. How much fun was that to end a butt sore weekend in the recliner? Love the poise and talent of Jacory Harris. Good for Cane coach Randy Shannon. He’s always seemed a decent sort of fellow. I’m glad he’s found some success.

Wasn’t Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz supposed to be the next great coach? Good field goal defense is only gonna carry you so far.

Keep the faith, Hilltoppers.

Tiger Woods.

Am I the only one who would like to see Brett Favre fail miserably at Minnesota?

Jay Bilas predicts that the Big 10 will be the toughest hoops conference this coming season. He has BEast 4th, UK and 11 Dwarfs ranked 5th.

U of L’s basketball luncheon is October 8. It will be interesting to observe how Rick Pitino is received by the Cards’ faithful and their response to him.

I haven’t the slightest idea who I think will play in the Super Bowl. As a football fan, I watch NFL games but with emotional detachment. Which might change if my Detroit Lions show any signs of life this season at all. But I do read Peter King every Monday morning. The pro football scribe is both passionate and analytical. It’s a good combo.

On the other hand, my Detroit Tigers Magic Number to win the AL Central is 20. Closer Fernando Rodney was suspended three games for throwing the ball into the stands while celebrating a recent win in Tampa Bay. And I thought it was just another of his wild pitches.

– Seedy K