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Plenty to be grateful for on the basketball beat

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Jeff Goodman

Jeff Goodman is a senior college basketball writer for FOXSports.com. Check out his Yardbarker blog. MORE>>
 
Updated Nov 28, 2009 6:18 PM ET
     
 
There should be a lot of coaches and players appreciative on a day like today for the opportunities they have been given to do something that they are passionate about (at least most of them). Trust me, I realize how fortunate I am to be able to attend and write about college basketball for a living — and don't even have to pay for a ticket. In honor of Turkey Day, I give you 10 things I am thankful for: 10. John Calipari going from Memphis to Kentucky: Now those diehard, insane Wildcats fans finally have something to cheer about instead of constantly arguing with me when I said that Billy Clyde Gillispie wasn't the right man for the job. 9. That the Final Four isn't in Detroit this year: I am glad it gave the city an economic boost last April, but thankfully it's back in Indy this year — and then goes to some warm-weather climates for the following four years: Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta and Dallas. 8. I attended a Pac-10 school, but am fortunate I don't reside in Pac-10 country this year: The league will struggle to get three teams in the Big Dance. And other than Washington, I don't see anyone from the league making any significant noise come March. 7. That I'm not Georgia coach Mark Fox: The former Nevada head man, one of the most underrated coaches in the country, took the job at the wrong time. The SEC East is loaded with Kentucky and Tennessee as legitimate top 10 teams — and Florida, Vanderbilt and South Carolina are all potential NCAA tournament clubs. 6. UConn coach Jim Calhoun didn't retire: Whether you love him or not, the Huskies head man is entertaining — whether it be on the court or in the postgame news conference. As long as Calhoun is in Storrs, I'll be able to see a top 25 team not too far down the road from me. 5. Many of the top players in the country this season are also terrific kids: Whether it's freshmen such as John Wall (Kentucky) and Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech) or veterans Luke Harangody (Notre Dame), Kyle Singler (Duke) and Evan Turner (Ohio State), we're talking about quality people. 4. I don't live in Chapel Hill: After saying that North Carolina isn't a Final Four-caliber squad this season due to various weaknesses, I can only imagine what it would be like to live down there this year with all the unrealistic Tar Heels homers who are unable to see that Larry Drew II isn't Ty Lawson or Raymond Felton, that the Tar Heels don't have enough perimeter shooting and they lack a guy who can get his own with the game on the line. 3. NBA commissioner David Stern: If the NBA hadn't put in the oft-criticized one-and-done rule, we still would never have gotten a chance to see guys like Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose. 2. To a handful of the best kids I have ever had the chance of watching through the years: Kids like Jimmy Baron and Hasheem Thabeet, who improved as much as anyone; Greg Paulus, who endured a lot in his college career; Kevin Durant, who may be as humble a superstar as there is on this planet; and Paul Harris, who is one of the most respectful and toughest kids I have ever come across. 1. My family: I've got a terrific, understanding wife and daughter. For about half of the year, I'm traveling, my cell phone constantly rings and when I am home, I'm watching college basketball. But they put up with me, anyway — and the other half of the year I suck it up and watch those ridiculous reality shows that my wife loves. Thanks, guys.
Tagged: Georgia Tech, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Connecticut, North Carolina, Nevada, Vanderbilt, New Orleans, Duke, Kentucky, Georgia, Memphis, Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Syracuse, South Carolina, Detroit

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