It's gameday so here's a few fun facts about this year's Memphis Tiger basketball team, as posted at ConferenceUSA.com:

• Memphis' 23 victories are the second-most in the nation (trails only Duke with 24).
• The Tigers' are tied for third-best won-loss percentage in the country (91.7 percent).
• Memphis is playing its school-record 18th-straight game ranked in the AP and Coaches' Poll Top 5.
• The Tigers' 12-game winning streak is second longest current one in the nation - trailing only George Washington's 13-game streak.
• Memphis has a 9-0 road record, making them the nation's only unbeaten road team - including wins at Providence (Big East), Cincinnati (Big East), No. 14 Alabama (SEC) and Mississippi (SEC).
• The Tigers have a 9-0 Conference USA record and are one of only six teams in the nation to have an undefeated league mark (joining Bucknell, Penn, Duke, George Washington and Gonzaga).
• Memphis has played more games (four) against teams currently rated in the RPI Top 10 than any other team in the country.
• Has a 7-2 record vs. Top 50 RPI teams and 10-2 against the Top 100 RPI (still has Top RPI 100 games left to play vs. #48 UAB, #59 Houston, #95 UTEP).
• The seven Top 50 RPI wins for Memphis are the fourth most of any team in the current RPI top 10 (Duke, UConn 10; Iowa 8).
• Of the Tigers' seven Top 50 RPI wins, six were against non-conference opponents, the most of any squad currently rated in the RPI Top 10. • The two losses were to teams currently ranked in the RPI Top 10 (Duke and Texas). Memphis is the only team in the RPI Top 10 that can claim that status.
• Ranked in the Top 15 of seven different NCAA statistical categories (NCAA has 15 categories); ranked in scoring offense (5th), scoring margin (7th), field goal percentage defense (11th), rebound margin (10th), blocked shots per game (7th), steals per game (14th) and won-loss percentage (T3rd).
• In its 10-man rotation, the Tigers are playing six first-year players (includes sophomore Andre Allen who sat out last season), three second-year players (includes JUCO-transfer Waki Williams) and one four-year player (Rodney Carney).

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SMU's basketball team is under investigation by the NCAA. The AD has confirmed the investigation, but released no other details. Let's hope SMU is not cheating & the best they can do is their current record of 11-12, 3-7 CUSA.

Meanwhile, St. John's could face some form of punishment after meeting the with NCAA Committee on Infractions yesterday regarding alleged payments to Abe Keita from 2001-04. The university has already self-imposed penalties & hope that will satisfy the NCAA.

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Georgia football coach Mark Richt is trying to avoid the same off-field problems some of his Dawgs put him through last year. Still, so far this season one player has been arrested & another faces removal from school for violation of the university's code of conduct.

"If a guy admits he made a mistake and he wants to make it right I will work with that guy. If he takes his punishment like a man and proves [he's willing to change] and learns a lesson in life, that is what it is all about. But if a guy acts like he didn't do anything wrong and feeds me a bunch of baloney, those guys go. They don't stay here. I owe it to these players that are here to their families and to the Bulldog nation that we set a standard and that we live up to it. But because a guy makes a mistake, do you just throw him out of the program on a first-time basis? That is very difficult to do. I look back on my life and I would've been thrown out of college if I had been caught for all the things I did."
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No surprise yesterday as the Tennessee Titans opted not to exercise the 50-million dollar option on quarterback Steve McNair's contract. McNair is still signed with the Titans through next season for nine million bucks. I really believe Tennesse wants to find a way to keep McNair for the rest of his career, but I agree with management: 50-million was too high of a pricetag.

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A medical examiner confirmed Friday the death of the son of Indy coach Tony Dungy was a suicide.

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Despite Dodge's problems, my pick to win the Daytona 500 tomorrow is Ryan Newman. Then again I wouldn't be surprised to see Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. take the checkered flag.

Meanwhile, it has been five years since the death of The Intimidator. Fans of the sport will never forget the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 as teammates Dale Jr. & Michael Waltrip duked it out for the win, while Dale Earnhardt was poised to capture third... then the unthinkable. It what appeared to be a typical NASCAR wreck was much more violent behind the wheel & took the life of one of the greatest to ever race.

Some say NASCAR is still desperately seeking its heir apparent to the Earnhardt throne. Well, I think they arleady have it & that will the topic of a column I write next week & will be published at FocusOnRacingRadio.com.

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After almost missing the cut yesterday, Tiger Woods withdrew this morning from the Nissan Open.

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Music quote of the day:

"Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could play the guitar just like a ringin' a bell
Go! Go! Go, Johnny, go! Go!"

Chuck Berry - "Johnny B. Goode"