Courtesy the Houston Chronicle

(March 25, 2011) As was the case with Billy Packer and Saint Joseph’s a few years ago, among the top off-court topics of the NCAA Tournament thus far is VCU’s success after having so much Selection Sunday asparagus tossed in its direction by ESPN’s field of analysts, including Jay Bilas.

Bilas, fortunately, takes a free enterprise approach to the art of rhetoric and the science of bulletin board motivation.

"I don’t have any problem with anything that has been said," Bilas said. "I get to say what I want, and everybody else gets to say what they want.

"Those arguments for Selection Sunday are Selection Sunday-only arguments. They have nothing to do with performance. The fact that VCU has played extremely well and won does not make my arguments wrong, just as the fact that UAB lost and did not play well does not make my arguments against them right. That’s not the way the world works."

Bilas said VCU’s success is the product of a simple formula: few turnovers, good shooting. Fewer turnovers mean more shots, he said, and more shots generally mean more buckets.

"I applaud them for what they have done in the Tournament," he said. "They’ve got a great draw (tonight against Florida State) in terms of continuing to advance and play well."

Bilas also takes some broadsides in Tom Penders’ new book Dead Coach Walking, which my colleague Jerome Solomon discussed earlier this week. Penders, who wrote the book with Dallas-Fort Worth sportswriter Steve Richardson, says Bilas "takes himself and his opinions far too seriously," is inclined against schools from smaller conferences and "tries to dominate the telecast with his academic ‘know it all’ approach to basketball."

Once again, Bilas doesn’t begrudge Penders his opinions.

"I can dish it out, and I can take it. It’s part of the game," he said. "(Penders’) opinion is just as valid as mine. I have zero problems with it. If I get to say what I want, everybody gets to say what they want."

Penders also writes that ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla "wants to get back into college coaching because he never criticizes or second-guesses anybody" and gives too much credit to Big 12 coaches.

Fraschilla, who shared the line this week on a conference call with Bilas, said he appreciated some kind words that Penders had for him in the book but noted that he has been out of coaching now for eight years.

"I like Tom, and I think maybe because of the way his TV career started and finished so quickly that it’s easy to take shots at people," Fraschilla said. "… It’s easy to be a little bitter, and I understand that. I hope I’m never in that situation as either a coach or a broadcaster."

Penders’ book, which depicts him on the cover o in mock convict garb with his career record (648-438) as his number and shows him holding two basketballs, one from an NCAA Tournament run at Texas and one from his 600th career win at Houston, goes on sale next weekend.

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