There are beauties and there are beasts. In the NBA both are considered for MVP consideration. Chris Paul with his 21 points, 11.6 assists to only 2.5 turnovers, and league-leading 2.7 steals per game is a beauty. Kevin Garnett, who led the Boston Celtics to 66 victories and was the Defensive Player of the Year, [...]
This NBA Season Resembles Another in the Distant Past
Every NBA pundit tells us that this season’s Western Conference teams are like no other in NBA history. With a win over the Memphis Grizzlies last night, the Denver Nuggets became the eighth team in the West to reach the 50-win mark. Golden State, the ninth-place team in the West, wound up with 48 wins, [...]
The Final Four: What’s In a Name?
Next Saturday in San Antonio will mark the first time four number one seeds will do an on-court two-step in the Final Four. UCLA-Memphis, Kansas-North Carolina will be the matchups.
Saturday, UCLA Boa Constrictor-ed Xavier, 76-57. The Bruins choked off most forays to the basket and in the process made 5′7″ Musketeer point guard Drew Lavender [...]
A March Madness Recruiting Tale
ESPN’s Bob Ley, in Sunday’s excellent Outside the Lines segment on women’s college basketball, illuminated the “feud” between University of Tennessee Women’s basketball head coach, Pat Summit, and the University of Connecticut’s head coach, Geno Auriemma. The rivalry that was reached nasty status this summer when UConn extended a contract to continue the annual regular [...]
March Madness: Key First-Round Matchups
Let’s take the key first-round matchups and begin to dissect them starting within the East bracket. I’ll be writing throughout the evening, so check back often.
East
#6 Oklahoma Sooners 22-11 vs. #11 St. Joseph’s Hawks 21-12, Friday, 7:10 p.m.
Has Blake Griffin fully recovered from minor knee surgery? Has Longar Longar fully recovered from his broken leg? [...]
Tommy Amaker, Harvard and the Conundrum of 21st Century NCAA Hoops
A basketball team with an 8-22 overall record that went 3-11 in conference play should raise few eyebrows. But when the name Tommy Amaker is attached to that record, brows furrow. At a distance the wrinkles can be seen on the foreheads of coaches and athletic directors across the Ivy League’s men’s basketball programs.
Amaker replaced [...]
Return of the Birdman
After a two-year absence from the NBA due to a drug suspension, Chris Anderson, aka “Birdman” is making his return to the League. The New Orleans Hornets, the team Anderson played for when he was suspended, are expected to sign the 6′10″ forward. According to reports, Anderson is in great shape and is excited about [...]
The First Important Late-Season Game
For SEC ball, this is the game I was waiting for. March 2, Kentucky at Tennessee.If Tennessee put their energy into proving they could beat Memphis, which they did, they would lose to Vanderbilt. If Tennessee lost to Memphis, they’d turn around and clamp the Commodores. With the quick turn around time, neither game was [...]
A Taste Of Playoff Ball For The Lakers
If you just look at the score of the Los Angeles Lakers-Portland Trail Blazers game the other night - 96-83 - you’d think, oh the Lakers routed the Blazers.
Not true.
The Brandon Roy-less (sprained right ankle) Trail Blazers played with an urgency befitting a team in freefall in the ultra-tough Western Conference. After going 17-1 in [...]
How About Those New Look Suns?
The Phoenix Suns showed how far they have to go with their new lineup, one that includes Shaquille O’Neal. The Detroit Pistons absolutely waxed the Suns 116-86 yesterday afternoon. Chauncey Billups shut down Steve Nash on one end of the floor and made him play defense on the other end. Rasheed Wallace abused Amare Stoudemire. [...]