Hoops: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's No. 1 coach

This is dictionary-definition ass-talking, but strictly for grins, it's worth sharing that the blog America Least would really like to see the University of Maine look north for its next basketball coach:

"You know how every year NCAA teams take a trip up to Canada and play schools and lose or only win by one point? Well, the school they are usually losing to is Smart's. This season they knocked off Northeastern, South Alabama and Buffalo. They only lost to Kansas by one. Yes, of course one will argue that the NCAA teams are playing everyone so players get game experience and would kill them in a "real game," but you have to respect that Carleton is giving them a challenge and putting a good product on the floor no matter who they play.

"Winning is winning, and Smart has won. I think the link between Maine and Canada would be very beneficial to the university. The hockey team goes up there all the time, why not basketball? Maine is practically Canada anyways. The players will be used to cold weather and nothing to do on campus."

Please, please don't read anything more into this than a respectful nod to the Canadian university game.

The really important question is whether there is really that little to do on the Carleton campus? That might have subconsciously influenced a certain Eastern Ontario boy's university choice in 1996, although back in those days, Homecoming parties were relatively tame -- not a car-burning in sight.