‘He’s the new Indiana coach!?’

We here at the Big Picture usually don’t have any problems forming an opinion. Kobe Bryant, for instance, will be a really good basketball player (rapist) until he dies, as far as we’re concerned.

Then we heard that the University of South Carolina (USC — no, not that one, though Matt Leinart was seen there frolicking with hot chicks) won its second straight NIT in New York Thursday night.

Really, we just don’t know how to feel about this.

On one hand, you have a team that plays great under tournament pressure, going on an impressive run to cut down the nets at Madison Square Garden.

On the other, shit-palmed hand, you have a team who can’t even make the real tournament and is getting way too used to having bragging rights about being No. 66.

What we do know is that Gamecocks’ (oh, and we’re so fucking sick of those hats that say ‘Cocks’ on them. That’s not how you spit game, fellas.) head coach Dave ‘Weirdo’ Odom has fighting words (like a Gamecock, we presume) for the Indiana athletic department.

“I win two straight NITs and I don’t even get a lousy phone call?” he said after the 76-64 win over Michigan Thursday. “Kelvin (Sampson) loses in the first round and wears denim shirts and gets the job? He’s the new Indiana coach? Weird.”

Making things more complicated is that Odom also won the NIT in 2000 when coaching Wake Forest, where, coincidentally, he turned into a Demon Deacon. His solid 21-3 NIT career record furthers our predicament.

We’re still trying to decide if winning consecutive NIT titles is bogus. Feel free to weigh in on this one, ‘cause we sure as hell can’t make up our minds.

In other news: BALCO dude Victor Conte said Thursday that he didn't supply Barry Bonds with any steroids, just lots of cupcakes.

-Adam Landres-Schnur