The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated

Author Mark Twain once made the above statement, he made it due to his obituary appearing in a newspaper. I missed this one but so did a bunch of other folks. I had predicted the demise of the Big 12 conference but it appears the conference will survive at least for awhile longer! Is expansion in the picture, as this is written no decision is forthcoming however it would make sense. Big 12 with nine teams doesn't make a great deal of sense, on the other hand the Pac 10 remained the Pac 10 for years after they expanded to 12 teams.

Can you say "Brooklyn" Nets
I guess we could say this is kind of, sort of news. Jay-Z one of the Nets owner announced he will have 2 or 3 concerts in the Barclays Center as a portion of it's September 2012 opening. In addition he announced the team will become the Brooklyn Nets next year. Many might wonder why the name Brooklyn might have been chosen rather than New York Nets? The borough considered itself "major league" with nearly 100 years of baseball history. When the Dodgers left in 1957 for Los Angeles many in the borough felt as though they'd lost their identity! Brooklyn on the front of a jersey will allow the long ago pride of the past to return. Will this effort steal fans of the Knicks?

You can't always tell in advance
NBCSports.com ran a column on "The worst busts in NBA draft history!" The list contained the names of 31 players, the 31 had come into the NBA highly regarded but failed to make any sort of impact. Several had such short careers I'd completely forgotten them or the time period they played. Being fair to the players profiled injuries shortened several careers (Jay Williams) and often they just can't play at the NBA level (see Adam Morrison). We assume basketball talent can run in a families lineage, ask Sebastian Telfair, Stephon Marbury's cousin. Many are superior high school and collegiate players but are unable to hang with the big guys.  

Man-Cave stuff
Remember my story on completion of my man-cave? Well here goes, I'm surveying the cave and kept thinking "I need some more stuff!" As I explained the cave is not that big, what could I add that wouldn't overwhelm me or anyone in the cave? The financial issue is always looming in the decision, how much should the cap be on any purchase? Exactly how much should I spend? After some indecision on my part I purchased three additions for the cave. I added two photos (neither autographed) of "Big Game" James Worthy and "Cap", Kareem Abdul Jabbar. I also added a case for the autographed basketball I will eventually purchase, is the cave complete? It's complete for now but stay tuned.

Will he be given a chance?

They say "dynamite comes in small packages!" Justin Coleman is 5-10 155 pound package of dynamite. Coleman of Birmingham Alabama is a 2014 prospect and is considered great at running the point. Don't sleep on his offensive game, has a mid-range offensive game and can shoot the 3-ball from the high school line. I'm curious if he will be given an opportunity to display his skills at a Division I school only time will tell?

"I've never been afraid to fail."
Michael Jordan quote

I hope I'm wrongThat thing I said I wouldn't write about, well I'm going to write now. I tried to not focus on the the NBA lock-out hoping instead owners and players would come to an agreement. I refused to believe the worst case scenario many in the media and that of several players. Last week it was announced training camp and the pre-season have been cancelled. As I write this we are now in day 80 something and no closer to resolving this impasse than 80 something days ago. How did we arrive here---I have but one word greed! I'm not calling either side out because I think both parties must share blame equally, most owners are probably not in as bad a financial shape as voiced. The 11 or 12th player on most NBA rosters with even a 5-year career might possibly earn half the lifetime earnings of an hourly wage earner. The real losers are not the fans, fans can focus on the NFL, college basketball or finger painting if they desire. Many (like me) will miss the NBA but we can manage to discover other pursuits. The real losers are those working class folks who depend on the NBA for their very employment. The arena and concession personal plus satellite employees who sustain their families through their NBA wage. Shame, shame on the owners, players and sports agents, this is not the NFL or Major League Baseball. They cannot cancel the season without consequences, casual fans already have a negative view of the NBA!  A shortened or no season at all will aid the view these casual fans all ready hold.  In any event I'm making advance preparations just in case. My plan is to focus on the college game in person and on television, in addition to check out some of the significant area high school teams.

Please excuse me
It's not my wish to overload you with Barclays Center stories however this one is noteworthy. Bruce Yormark, CEO of Net Basketball said "they have had to weather 40 lawsuits and numerous community lawsuits. We will officially open the building September 28, 2012." I knew the number of lawsuits was tremendously high but had no idea the number was that high. (Hoopsworld.com.)

Perry Ellis
The Kansas Jayhawks scored a major coup the other day. Perry Ellis 6-8 forward from Wichita gave his verbal intention to the school. Ellis is the number one high school player in the State of Kansas, ESPNU lists him number 37 in the class of 2012. In other border war news Tony Criswell, 6-9 230 pound forward gave Mizzou's Frank Haith his verbal commitment for 2012. Criswell rated 3-stars by Rivals is from Independence Kansas Community College and will enroll in the fall of 2012.

You cannot hid
Proof positive it is impossible to hid, you will be discovered if you exhibit any degree of basketball talent. Chris Haynes of Slam Magazine wrote an article on 5-9 point guard Colin Slater II. Slater is 13 years old, yes that's correct I said 13. This eighth grade prodigy averaged 28.1 points, 10.5 assists, 10.1 steals and 8.2 rebounds per game for Granite Ridge Intermediate School, Fresno California. Those are certainly impressive numbers don't you agree?  At this young age no one is certain if his game and height continue to grow. His grades, interesting you should ask Slater has a 3.7 GPA. With those grades if he continues to excel in the classroom will have no problem qualifying for any university. A key too, the kid appears to be pretty humble in the interview. (Chris Haynes, Slam.com)

Change your tune
Viewing old NBA film of my Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn pronounced them "World Champs!" Yes, the term might have been prevalent at the time Hearn was broadcasting but no more. You know the story, the "American" game was invented by a Canadian YMCA teacher James A. Naismith. The growth of the game over the last 30 years has been noteworthy---this in part by the NBA. Of course numerous college coaches have journeyed to Europe, Asia and Africa to conduct clinics. I've stated before the game will never eclipse soccer (football) as the world's number one sport but I'm comfortable with this view. I would wager a young citizen of the world would be able to identify a photo of LeBron James or Kobe Bryant over that of Peyton Manning. I'm not kicking dirt in Manning's face it's fact, kids in Europe, Asia and Africa are probably more familiar with NBA stars than any NFL or Major League Baseball players.

"There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going."

Unknown

They have an international roster

I checked New Mexico State's roster for Sim Bhullar. If you remember I had written earlier there were classroom issues which prevented him from being eligible for a scholarship at Xavier. Bhullar is a 7-5 360 pound giant from Canada, New Mexico State has quite an international roster. There are 18 players on the roster 9 of whom were born outside the continental United States. Counting Bhullar the team is comprised of 6 Canadians, 2 Frenchmen and 1 South African.  Bhullar's parents emigrated to Canada from India. 

I like him!
The NCAA is yet to provide a report on their investigation of Mizzou Coach Frank Haith, I don't care I like him anyway. In keeping with my international theme Mizzou was host last weekend to 6-10 Stefan Jankovic for his second visit and first timer 6-7 Negus Webster-Chan. Jankovic is originally from Croatia, both players hail from Canada and attend Huntington Prep (WV). Of course this is the same prep school that produced O.J. Mayo and several other NBA players. At this point the verbal commitments and campus visits are non-binding, the players are there. We are witness to players former Coach Mike Anderson would have never recruited. This is not a knock on Anderson it's just that in all probability Haith has a more conventional offense and defense. In addition he and his staff are not searching for specialty players as was the approach by the former coach. The record at Miami was less than stellar which caused a mini-revolt in the ranks of Mizzou alumni and the recruiting (at Miami) certainly didn't help. No excuse offered but it might be difficult to win facing the Duke's, Carolina's and Florida State's of the ACC.

He was the man
Most of us are not old enough to remember the dominance of Wilton Norman Chamberlain. For many the only view of Chamberlain is grainy black and white film on NBA TV and other programs. Many historians will say Bill Russell was the greatest big man, not in my book it was Chamberlain at 7-1 275 pounds. Russell's teams almost always won NBA Championships, Chamberlain's teams almost always finished behind those Celtic teams. Leaving KU early 1958 (unheard of in that day) he played for the Globetrotrotters for one year before he was eligible for the 1959 NBA Draft. His hometown team the Philadelphia Warriors then chose him as a "territoral choice" which existed in the NBA of the time.  No one had ever seen the scoring prowess he exhibited, he once scored 100 points in a game against the Knicks. One season he averaged 50 points a game, imagine that we make it a big deal when a player averages 30 points a game. Rebounding, he was a double-double man every night he played, one year he averaged 44.8 and grabbed 24.3 rebounds per game, quite an amazing feat.  Power he possessed it, I remember watching a game on television I don't even remember who the 76ers were playing. The guards continued all game long to toss the ball inside to Chamberlain, he went up for dunk after dunk. The force of his dunks all game eventually broke the cylindrical frame of the basket, the game was stopped and a new basketball rim had to be installed. Of all his accomplishments the one he was proudest of, never fouling out of a game during his NBA career. Chamberlain played from 1959-1973, this Hall of Fame player died far to young at age 63.

"Timing is everything"
Many might be familiar with that often quoted statement. For me it sometimes becomes a problem, Words eye view is printed every two days. Basketball news (Big 12, SEC, Big East and ACC) is actually breaking so fast what you read might seem dated. That is not the intent, the desire is to be as up to date as possible with the news. Example, writing two or three days ahead of publishing several stories have been deleted because they were either partially or completely resolved. Stay tuned, I will continue to be as topical as possible. Thank you.

Do you remember?
The Darth Vader line from Star Wars; "Luke, I am your father!" A respondent pulled the same line with LeBron James but this time it didn't work. I think it's common knowledge LeBron was born to single unwed mother Gloria James.  Ms James was 15 years old at the time of his birth, Stovell claimed he was in his early 20's when he met Gloria James.  It's interesting all through LeBron's youth Leicester Bryce Stovell was no-place too be found, once James gained fame (and money) out of the woodwork comes Stovell claiming he was the father.  He filed a $4 million dollar lawsuit against James claiming a DNA test was "rigged" against him. Needless to say the court dismissed this frivolous lawsuit. Two questions, I didn't think 15 was the age of consent in any state in the union? Second question, is there as statue of limitations on rape of a minor? Even if Gloria James gave her consent if nothing else Stovell might be guilty of statutory rape.

"I don’t discuss basketball. I dictate basketball. I’m not interested in philosophy classes.” Al McGuire, former Marquette Coach and broadcaster

I wonder

Will Kobe Bryant adjust to not being the focal point of the offense? That's the key question if the NBA ever begins play this upcoming season. Coach Mike Brown has kinda talked out of both sides of his mouth. Early on he stated this was Kobe's team now in September the tune has changed slightly. Brown is now stating the offense will run through the two 7-footers Gasol and Bynum. It really makes sense to maximize your offensive scheme as much as possible. Of course game on the line, seconds on the clock I still want the ball in Kobe's hands. I believe if there is an open player nearer the basket he will pass the rock.

Did you see this?
People have been complaining about officiating since the beginning of time---but! One of the all-time great officials is retiring his whistle, Steve Javie is retiring after 25 years as an NBA official. Players where all aware when Javie was on the court he was the man in charge. From what I'm reading on the internet a number of NBA fans are preparing to dance in the streets with the news of his retirement. Not me, I think he was a good official. My only complaint I think at times he was too quick to T a player.

Football or Basketball
I was reading an article about the Big East Conference and it caused me to ask a question. Is the school in the conference you follow know for it's football or basketball teams or maybe both? Certainly this isn't intended as a scientific poll just an observation, your conclusions might be totally different from mine and that's okay. At the top of the list is the Atlantic Coast Conference, they play football but if you say ACC your thought is basketball not football. The dominant teams North Carolina, Duke and other ACC schools especially in NCAA tournament history paint this a basketball conference. Same situation with the aforementioned Big East Conference, UConn, Syracuse, Georgetown to name a few. Missouri Valley schools are considered mid-major's however their basketball programs are top notch, ask Kansas fans about Northern Iowa? Conference USA was begun as a basketball conference however most of it's founding schools are affiliated with other conferences now. Despite the conference dominance of Kansas basketball the Big 12 is football driven as is the Big 10. The rich history of the Kentucky Wildcats and conference basketball inprovement overall the Southeastern Conference is still football, football and more football.

Check this out
A few weeks back I discovered Satnam Singh from India for you, check out this video of the 15-year old. Will Satnam impact the game in 5-6 years? I have no idea just thought you might enjoy the story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p70zKDo0O24

We are suffering
The metro Kansas City area is in the midst of a depression! The gloom has nothing to do with the economic condition of the nation it's the areas professional sports teams. The baseball Royals stink big time and the football Chiefs are not much better, 0-2 and being blown out 48-3 by the Lions. The NBA Kings left in 1985 and the NHL Scouts even earlier. The soccer team Sporting Kansas City is the only team winning anything currently. If I were in a position I'd trade the Royals and Chiefs for an NBA team any one's NBA team, I'd keep Sporting Kansas City because they win, I can't wait for basketball to begin play

"A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
Bill Cosby

I was looking in the wrong direction

The trend of schools moving continues. I was so pre-occupied with the disintegrating Big 12 I almost missed this story. Reports are circulating the ACC has been approached by Pittsburg and Syracuse. If this move does occur the Big East will be certainly searching for replacement teams. Can you say Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State in the Big East? Mizzou, well the Tigers are likely headed to the SEC. As for the balance of schools Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State will likely follow any Oklahoma, Texas move. Of course all is highly speculative on my part but probable.

Coaches versus Cancer

There are changes forthcoming for this annual game that benefits cancer research. It was announced Turner Network's TruTV had outbid ESPN for the telecast rights. I was a little surprised with the announcement, TruTV was launched originally as Court TV and the bulk of it's programming has been reality programming. I assume this is a push at expanding it's line-up and viewership. The location of the game was almost as interesting, it will be played in the Nets new home Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The fight for the hearts and minds of NYC fans has begun, this game had been held in Madison Square Garden since it's inception in 1995. This is a multi-year deal beginning in 2012.

You say what?

Several news sources are reporting (if true) Isiah Thomas is "talking" to Chris Paul about the Knicks. Paul will be one of the premier free-agents next season and on the radar of several teams. The NBA has forbid Thomas from holding dual jobs with the Knicks and Florida International, I must assume it's okay to act as an unpaid advisor. I do have a question for Thomas, if he is so interested in working for the Knicks and Dolan why not tender his resignation at Florida International? I don't have a vendetta against the man I just happen to think at times he's been less than honest. The key question for me and I'm sure others is how he maintains such a close relationship with James Dolan. The sexual harassment lawsuit (whether you believe Thomas was guilty or not) was settled in favor of the plaintiff Anucha Browne to the tune of $11.5 million dollars. The $11.5 mill was paid by the Knicks and not Thomas before you attempt to mention Kobe Bryant in the same breath. Bryant's rape case was settled, the plaintiff chose to not proceed with the trial. Bryant made an out of his pocket settlement to the plaintiff, the Lakers paid squat unlike the Knicks.

Did I mention

In the middle of summer I'd indicated my man-cave was complete, or at least I thought. One of these days when I conquer (or receive help) with the technology I'll include photos of my cave. You'll be able to make your own judgment of my interior designer's work, my suggestion if you have limited interior design skills hire a professional. In any event I've been surfing sports websites for additional memorabilia which prompts a further statement. I'm trying real hard to limit myself on the amount of money I should spend per item. A key question, is an autographed photo or jersey worth the extra dollars over an unsigned version? For example I could purchase an autographed Norm Nixon (look him up) basketball for as little as $106.00. The Nixon basketball is on the low price end, they rise significantly in price up to $1,386.00 for a Wilt Chamberlain autographed ball. Another question how much stuff is too much, I certainly don't won't the cave to resemble the rooms I've seen on A&E's "Hoarders"! Please stay tuned as I attempt to resolve this key decision for me.

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
William James

Basketball savvy

Kansas fans would do well to read SI.com Seth Davis's latest column. Davis is stating with conviction and very eloquently many of the same views I'd expressed earlier. There is a prevailing thought by the Kansas faithful that when Big 12 breaks up conferences will come rushing after Kansas. I'm not going to steal Davis's thunder read it for yourself. People unfamiliar with the area are sometimes confused, you state "I'm from Kansas City" and their usual response is "you live in Kansas right?" That conclusion is totally incorrect however if you were to leave any location in metro Kansas City Missouri and drive 15-20 minutes you're in Kansas. In addition Kansas City Missouri is about 45 miles from Lawrence Kansas home of the Jayhawks and that's the problem. A percentage of the populace even on the Missouri side are KU fans, these I contend are "brain-damaged" they don't realize what side of the state line they live in.

The strange saga of Greg Oden

After reading the first report on high school player Greg Oden I looked forward to his appearance on ESPN later that season. I try to refrain my praise about high school big men, most often their competition is not as talented as they are. Once Oden enrolled at Ohio State I watched every game available to view his development. Although I could clearly see he was talented he appeared extremely raw at times. In truth I can state I wasn't real surprised when he chose to enter his name in the 2007 NBA draft. The Blazers had the first draft choice but who should they choose? Their choices were the Texas scoring machine Kevin Durant or the 7-0 285 Greg Oden. NBA logic is "draft the big man" which resulted in the selection of Oden, Durant was selected second by the Seattle Sonics. You know the balance of the story although drafted in 2007 he's managed to play just 2 full years in the NBA and in neither did he come close to 82 games. Injury on top of injury have continued to plague this young man since his arrival in the NBA. The question might be asked can he play, after being drafted in 2007 he missed the entire 2007-2008 season. The following year ('08-'09) he managed to play in 61 games before injuries once again forced him to the sidelines. The 2009-2010 Oden was limited to 21 games, 2010-2011 0 games. You can definitely see a pattern here despite the limited number of games he's played when fully healthy he's been a defensive center with a limited offensive game. Folks continue to mention him in the same breath as LaRue Martin or Sam Bowie which I think is unfair.

Continuing international updates

Thanks to Draft Express I was able to discover Steven Adams. Adams is a 6-11 240 pound center from Wellington New Zealand, this talented athlete will be playing for Jamie Dixon at Pitt in 2012-13. Interesting that Adams admits he's never visited Pennsylvania but his brother played basketball with him in New Zealand. I was unsure how much basketball was played in the nation so I did an internet search. The National Basketball League (New Zealand) has been in existence since 1982 and currently has 9 teams in the league. The Auckland Stars have been the most successful team winning 9 championships since the league was founded. In a nation dominated by soccer and rugby basketball has managed to gain a toe hold. (Google)

The downhill side

Over the course of this summer I'm sure you read many of the same stories I have one in particular Kobe "Bean" Bryant is on the downhill side of his career, "he'll never play at the level he once did." At age 33 Bryant's knees, legs and feet have absorbed a great deal of wear and tear over other athletes of a similar age. The Lakers with few exceptions have played deep into the playoffs during the course of his NBA career. Bryant has played well into June most years of his illustrious career. The Lakers didn't defend their NBA Championship but it wasn't entirely Bryant's fault the team after successive championships appeared to run out of gas. I can't predict the future with any degree of accuracy but I can make this statement with assurance. When the NBA season opens Bryant will be there, in addition he will compete at a high skill level. 5x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, NBA Most Valuable Player and so many more highlights and awards. In the 5th year of his retirement Bryant will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame that's fact.

It's funny

This story is not funny ha-ha but funny how a persons perspective might change after time. Louisiana State University honored Shaquille O'Neal recently by erecting and dedicating a statue in his honor. Earlier he'd expressed to Clearwater patch two of the three highlights in his NBA career were as a member of the Lakers. "When I scored 61 points on my birthday (March 6, 2000, against the L.A. Clippers); winning the three-peat (from 2000-02 wearing a Lakers uniform); and winning the championship with Miami (in 2006)." I was as upset with him as I was Kobe at the time that team was broken up, I really thought they could have won 2 maybe 3 more championships. As you can see Shaq looks back on his Laker years with fondness I'm anxious for his jersey to be retired at Staples Center. (Los Angeles Times, September 9, 2011)

 

"Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple."Barry Switzer former Oklahoma football coach

Did you know or see this?

Due to that thing I wasn't going to discuss NBA TV is filling a portion of it's schedule with basketball theme movies. I just witnessed (again) one of the very worst--Teen Wolf. On second thought there  is actually a tie between Teen Wolf and The Fish that saved Pittsburgh!  Speaking of Michael J. Fox, Nike is releasing the Mag's from Back to the Future. Nike will auction off 1,500 pairs of these shoes through EBay, this will be done as a benefit for the Michael J. Fox Foundation of Parkinson's research. The Star Tribune is reporting Rick Adelman wants $25 million to coach the Wolves 5-year contract at $5 mill a year. It appears it's gonna happen, no wonder the players are complaining about owners out of control spending.  Wonder how long the NCAA is going to leave Frank Haith twisting in the wind, probably till Mizzou loses all it's commits.  Big man Tyker Coger has withdrawn his commitment for 2013. Kids change their minds all the time but maybe, just maybe the cloud hanging over the coach caused Coger some concern.

If true I'm unsure if I like this
ESPN is reporting if (hmmmmm) the Big 12 blows up Mizzou, KU, K-State and Iowa State would be invited to the Big East. I'm not really sure of my feelings, I don't consider Missouri a southern state however in geographical terms we are certainly nearer the majority of SEC schools. I looked at the conference and Louisville is the nearest Big East school to Columbia Missouri. I checked airline miles and in this day of charter flights it's 2.5 hours flight time to the farthest SEC school. I didn't check but It's got to be much further flight time to Storrs Connecticut or Syracuse New York. This reported mad rush for a conference to reach 20 teams is crazy and is driven by greed alone, in addition you just might lose natural rivalries Mizzou-Kansas in basketball or Oklahoma-Texas in football. 

A second look
Let's explore this supposed controversial trade almost four years later. Immediately after the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Grizz I listened to plenty of howling and gnashing of teeth. The Lakers had "stolen" Gasol from the Grizz, keep in mind one fact Gasol wanted out people seem to forget that. I remember Spurs coach Greg Popovich even suggesting the commissioner look at this unbalanced trade. Some years later I not sure if Popovich was serious however he was only echoing what I was reading and hearing by several in the sports media. Despite his recent troubles Jarvaris Crittenton 6-5 200 was considered a keeper, the Lakers hoped he would become that tall point guard Phil Jackson has always coveted. One of the other players sent east was Kwame Brown, 6-11 270 pounds whom if he'd been kept might have eventually thrived in the triangle offense. Look what the offense did for Luc Longley and Will Perdue players of limited skill but functioned well in the triangle offense. The last player is Marc Gasol 7-1 265 pound center, Gasol has shown steady growth and has become an integral part of the Grizz offense. This was actually a 4-1 trade but Aaron McKie was included for dollars only and retired soon after the trade.

I'm old

A highly recruited basketball player refused a scholarship, it wasn't the school nor the coach or the region. He said he didn't bother him the school was an Adidas school, his refusal was simply based on the fact he didn't like the team colors. True story and the school was Baylor University and I don't get it, I don't get it because I'm old. Dan Patrick briefly discussed the uniform issue on his radio program and made several valid points. He mentioned "the number of uniform changes Phil Knight (Nike) has provided for Oregon, he went on mentioning the blue football field at Gonzaga." Patrick's view is we (older generation) don't get it kids like this color issue. Maryland has new football jerseys and Georgia's changed their jerseys too. I would assume these uniform changes will reflect the basketball teams too.

"I haven't been able to slam-dunk the basketball for the past five years. Or, for the thirty-eight years before that, either."

Dave Barry

I still don't think it's going to work

$400 million isn't a great deal of money compared to $1 billion (Barclays Center). Mayor and former point guard Kevin Johnson rolled out the plan for a new arena in downtown Sacramento. Several different revenue streams would be utilized to pay for construction, no taxpayer vote would be required to approve the project according to the Sacramento Bee. In the past residents of Sacramento have been reluctant to sign off on anything that would raise their taxes. Until the economic picture improves in the nation Barclays might be the only arena completed over the next several years. A key theme from me reading many emails there was hope in the community to retain the team Sacramento residents just didn't want to pay for it. I thought for sure this new proposal would be met with a little more optimism but that does not appear to be the case. Maybe the opposition emails I'm reading are from a smaller group of citizens and there is a silent majority of people okay with the proposal. What do you do?

Did you know or see this?

The video of Justin Bieber "breaking" Steve Nash's ankles? It looked real but I really question if it might have been staged. Think you still got game why not an NBA D-League tryout for you? Chicago and Los Angeles are the sites chosen for September 24th. There is a $150 participation fee which will certainly be returned 10,000 fold and more once you make an NBA roster. My home Kansas City will be a big loser with the demise of the Big-12 Conference. The Big 12 post-season basketball tournament is a financial winner for metro merchants, the same applies for the Border Showdown football game between Mizzou and Kansas when held at Arrowhead. Remember a few weeks back the feature on smallish players, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has a 5-4 player on it's roster. Eric Valentin wanted to play at a D-1 school but found few schools were willing to take a chance on him strictly because of his height. Valentin had averaged 13 points and 8 assists a game during his senior year at Orlando (FL) Christian. As a walk-on player his desire and work ethic resulted in him being awarded a full scholarship.

I would defend my story too

The bombshell Miami story has slipped from the front page of various sports websites. At the time this story broke on Yahoo Sports several in the media were hinting Miami's football team would receive the "death penalty" for all the improper ties the story detailed. There was an indication Mizzou's Frank Haith was involved, one of his players had received a $10,000 payment to attend Miami. After Jason Whitlock attacked the story the writer began a process to defend his work. I can't blame him working on a story for a year naturally he'd feel defensive regarding any criticism. The problem for me the basketball portion of the story is questionable in several areas, and keep in mind this is information provided by sources beyond Yahoo and Nevin Shapiro. Nevin Shapiro claims he gave DeQuan Jones $10,000 at some point during the summer of 2008. A yet to be identified family member is supposed to have asked Shapiro for the money, Jone's mother claims it wasn't her. The exchange of money might have occurred but during the summer, Jones had signed a letter of intent in November of 2007. Shapiro provided the writer photos one in which Haith, Shapiro and Miami President Donna Shalala appear. Shapiro is presenting Shalala with a booster check at a Miami bowling alley. Second photo, Shapiro, Haith and an assistant coach are seated at a restaurant table we assume eating dinner. Shapiro then retreats a bit claiming most of his dealings were through this assistant coach but Haith "must" have known the full story. Are we to believe Shapiro gave someone $10,000 in cash with a "promise" this player would be attending Miami? I will leave the football portion to others, the basketball part is plain fuzzy. As I almost always say, I've from Missouri "Show Me!"

I'm guilty

The demise of print journalism can be pointed at me! I can remember a time and this is after television print was vital to allow you to follow any sport. Even the expansion of sports programming on television failed to provide the nuts and bolts many of us sought. Many in my generation sought newspapers, magazines anything we could locate to read about our favorite sport or it's individual athletes. Every year about this time I began my quest to acquire Street & Smith's NBA publication, in November the collegiate version of the same magazine was available. Of course Street & Smith published similar versions for football, baseball and hockey, in more recent times they might have provided a soccer edition. In any event the magazine provided top notch writing and coverage of the NBA, college and high school basketball. The magazine is still published I just don't purchase it anymore---no need with ESPN.com, CBSSports.com and others available. Now you see why I'm pleading guilty.

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."

Winston Churchill - British politician, 1874-1965

This Brit has game

I'm attempting to provide you and me updates of international players and Devon van Oostrum is that player.    Oostrum was born in the Netherlands but now lives in Great Britain, he is a 6-2 point guard and he's only 18 years old. Oostrum has honed his skills playing for Caja Laboral in the Spanish Basketball League. It's quite possible the NBA might be in this young man's future. Watch this video as he posterizes a 6-10 Danish player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iWcUG54nlGM

Spotted on campus

Visiting Columbia (MO) and Mizzou Labor Day weekend was Stefan Jankovic. Jankovic originally from Serbia is now a Canadian citizen who hails from Mississauga, Ontario. He's currently attending Huntington Prep (WV) the same high school that produced O.J. Mayo. In addition to Mizzou this 6-9 200 pound forward is on the radar of four other schools. According to Power Mizzou.com "Stefan Jankovic said he didn't know too much about Missouri before this weekend but would return before September was over." Jankovic was one of several prospects which included Tony Criswell from Independence (KS) Community College. This 6-9 225 pound power forward indicated he too was impressed and will make a second visit to Columbia. (PowerMizzou.com)

He's M.I.A.

In other Mizzou news after announcing in the spring he was headed to Missouri George Goode is nowhere to be found. Goode from Raytown (MO) is a 6-8 230 pound forward who would have had a strange collegiate journey. Goode's four year career at Louisville was complete however he could have enrolled and immediately played for Mizzou in what would have been his 5th year.  This story appears to have no connection with the Haith NCAA investigation however he is past the time-frame to enroll in school so I guess it's safe to say he's not coming.

The wrath of Celtic fans
I'm sure fans of the Boston team will boo and hiss this story but that's really okay. Kevin Garnett was interviewed on the Dan Patrick Show recently and among several topics was his trade to the Lakers. Of course this proposed trade would have occurred prior to his arrival in Boston, he claims reports of feuding between Phil Jackson and Kobe caused him to veto it. The Jackson-Kobe is true however they eventually concluded their differences. Mr. Garnett I am totally pleased you chose to not become part of my team, this latter day incarnation of you I don't like very much.

Wake up and smell the coffee

There are a number of Kansas fans who appear to be stuck on stupid. This eventual breakup of the Big 12 is causing many of them to think of their school in empirical terms. They seem to think KU basketball is an admit one ticket to any conference in the nation. They fail to realize big-time successful football programs drive the car, basketball occupies the passenger seat. There is no doubt in the world their basketball team has reached great heights winning NCAA and conference championships in the Big 8 and 12. One BCS Orange Bowl victory despite what they might think ain't gonna cut it. Almost any conference in the country would gladly accept KU on the basis of basketball, KU football is another matter.


I always dreamt of being a basketball player. A dream that only I believed in. David Duchovny

Did you know

Nets fans can now lay claim to the world's most expensive basketball arena ever built. According to Wikipedia construction cost for Barclays Center will top out at $1 billion dollars, if you thought that was a typo wrong, I correctly typed $1 billion dollars. The figure must be considered a projection because we are still 11 months away from the building's completed date, who knows the cost could rise even more. Now if the Nets can only provide fans a team that might match the cost of the arena.

The journey

A couple of months ago the Orange County Register published several photos of Laker Coach Mike Brown's home. This $3 million dollar home contains 15 rooms and covers 9,500 square feet. Get this the home came with a 350-gallon aquarium and a temperature-controlled fur closet. Anaheim Hills is almost an 80-mile roundtrip from Staples Center, an 80-mile drive in Los Angeles traffic----ugly! Once upon a time a friend was giving me the blues about Kobe Bryant, he informed me Bryant sometimes utilized a helicopter for trips to practice and games. If that is the case instead of carpooling maybe Coach Brown could hitch a copter ride with Bryant?

Do you share my doubts

In the past there have been many uncomplimentary stories emanating from me regarding Ricky Rubio. After receiving so much hype I questioned if he was a good as the Wolves and others claimed. My primary concern was the game Rubio's agents kept playing "maybe he will maybe he won't." He "wants to play in a warmer climate, he wants to play in New York City" all sorts of stories floating about. In any event while all this back and forth was going on Rubio's overall game (at least numbers) didn't appear to improve if anything his game tailed off. Even more distressing is what I'm reading in the Sporting News, Rubio was injured during a portion of last season so he gets a pass for last seasons poor numbers. As for the EuroBasket games that's a totally different story. He's averaging 3.0 points and 2.0 assists to date and is shooting only 29% from the field. (Sean Deveney, Sporting News, September 2, 2011)

Is this true

Interesting if the story is true. Texas A&M had a chance to become part of the Longhorn Network. That's the story the Associated Press story is reporting. Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds is supposed to have pitched the idea to A&M four years ago but he claims they weren't interested. He said they did this because they (Texas) were unsure if they could carry a network by themselves. I guess that's all water under the bridge as A&M has made their break for the door.

Big versus small

Their is an argument that says only the Lakers, Celtics and Bulls can win NBA Championships. The cynics state "small market teams cannot compete" with their larger brethren. This statement is a little confusing in one regard, these "small markets" they point out are not really small. They use Milwaukee as an example, it's metro populace is 1,751,316. I think many of us might find difficulty referring to it as small, it's small comparing it to Chicago or New York. In my view there are several reasons why these teams don't compete. First and foremost many of these teams are incompetent (example the Wolves) in the front office, if you check their history most have a continued pattern of poor trades and even poorer draft choices. In addition an almost continual pattern of hiring and firing head coaches certainly cannot add to any teams stability.

"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."

- Plato (427-347 B.C.)

Did you read or hear?

I always held several concerns regarding reality television. My chief concern the "realism" might be faked due to the presence of television cameras. Either this scene was scripted or Kris Humphries is dumber than a sack of rocks. On "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" Humphries appeared shocked when he was informed his bride Kim had been married previously. What's even worse (for me) I spelled Kardashian correctly on my first effort! Among the celebrities invited to "Dancing with the Stars" is Metta World Peace the artist formally known as Ron Artest. I was correct regarding Texas A&M's desire to leave the Big 12. I wonder if my buddy will admit I was right and he was wrong? Andre Drummond at UConn might be a one n done, do you still recruit him and others who might be on the same path? Not so fast, at least that's the comment from Yao Ming's agent. Almost immediately after his retirement a Chinese media person announced he'd nominate Yao as a contributor to the game. As a contributor the 5-year rule is waived and Yao could be inducted in 2012. Yao's said in so many words let's put the brakes on this speeding train for now.

Do New Yorkers (Brooklyn in this instance) love to complain?

The Barclays Center and Atlantic Yards project has been delayed numerous times over the years. Lawsuits, environmental impact studies, eminent domain and other issues set the project back 3-4 years behind it's original completion date. The end is in sight at least for completion of Barclays but the complaints continue to roll in. A couple of weeks back I read in a local paper citizens were upset due to a sports bar opening a block from the arena. The article pointed out no rowdiness or other issues had come to the forefront. The common complaint "we don't want this to look like 42nd Street (NY) or Bourbon Street." Adding to their complaint was the prospect of other businesses opening to take advantage of the arena, I think several should be welcomed into the world of free enterprise. L Magazine reports the sidewalks surrounding the Barclays Center will be smaller than the 2006 environmental impact statement. I'm no engineer but from the design information it appears the sidewalks will be about two feet smaller than originally projected. The column closes by stating "And Bruce Ratner (Nets) retains his spot in the pantheon of Brooklyn supervillains. There is at least one more complaint on the horizon, Coke versus Pepsi. The present agreement is with Pepsi, Barclays has signed an exclusive deal with Coca-Cola for Barclays. (thelmagazine.com)

No matter where you begin your journey

The name Josh Harrellson might cause many of you to scratch your head----who is this guy? Harrellson was the Hornets 2nd round pick in the 2011 NBA draft who was traded to the Knicks. This St. Charles Missouri native and Kentucky player began his NBA journey at a junior college. He played at Southwestern Illinois College Belleville Illinois (near St. Louis) for one year prior to signing with Kentucky. By no means am I predicting a long and distinguished NBA career for the 6-10 275 pound Harrellson. The point is if you have a little talent and continue to work on developing your game you are sometimes only limited by your desire. This story is intended to provide a thought for my wife's cousin, he's at Southwestern on a basketball scholarship.

Life support

The bison that once roamed the American plains were almost hunted to extinction, they were saved by conservationists and other well intentioned groups. Although their numbers have dwindled herds of bison still exist today. Too bad another group of persons can't save the Big 12 which is about to become extinct. The conference will not survive, it's falling apart in front of our eyes. How did we arrive here, there are probably several issues but the chief culprit might have been members of the old Big 8 Conference. When the Southwest Conference folded the thought might have been "let's merge with those Texas schools and all that money." Little did they realize eventually the money meant Texas (University that is) would receive a larger share of the pie and have the greatest clout in the direction of this conference. This Big 8-Southwestern Conference football merger that became the Big 12 will fall apart within the next three years.

Funny

Celtic fans might not be amused by this story. SI.com columnist Joe Posnanski recently wrote "In 1986, Michael Jordan scored 63 in the real Boston Garden." I didn't focus on the point totals just the last portion of his sentence "real Boston Garden." I guess the name TD Garden doesn't hold the same legitimacy to him of the old Garden.

"Everybody on a championship team doesn't get publicity, but everyone can say he's a champion."

Magic Johnson

Mark Twain

This quote is attributed to him. "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on it's shoes." The link is from the Miami Herald, and before you do keep in mind Frank Haith might indeed be guilty! The problem believing the statements of a convicted felon offering no proof other then his word I find difficult. I'm on the side of truth no matter the outcome. By the way remember "balloon boy?"
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/02/2385623/um-hoops-player-dequan-jones-mom.html

Basketball in the great north

Last week in our discussion of Canadian basketball I overlooked Sim and Tanveer Bhullar. In an earlier story I detailed how his parents emigrated to Canada from India. Sim (7-5 338 pounds) had committed earlier to Xavier (OH) he's now switched to New Mexico State University due to an eligibility issue. Credits from Canada to the United States were not all honored he would have been enrolled but ineligible to play in the 2011-12 season. He was led to New Mexico State due to it's lower tuition and the five Canadians on the roster several he was acquainted with. Ineligible to play might be a blessing in disguise, Sim towers over his competitors and is a standout on offense and defense. The problem, at 7-5 there were probably few in high school who could really challenge him. Other than playing high school talent the other issue might be his conditioning he appears a little slow moving up and down the court.

While researching information on the brothers Bhullar I came across a story I thought might detail the continued growth of the international game. There are 4 boys and 4 girls from India training at IMG Academy in Bradenton Florida for three months. One of the players is 7-1 242 pound Satnam Singh Bhamara who is all of 14-years of age. He was spotted along with the other kids by IMG coaches on a visit to India, Satnam's dad is 7-2 and paternal granddad 6-9. At age 14 it's extremely difficult to determine if he's headed to the NBA, at this stage college is not guaranteed. It proves one point the game continues to grow in popularity around the globe. (NDTV.com, August 27, 2011 & Yardbarker.com August 25, 2011)

Is it broken?

Stan Van Gundy is a nice enough guy, I'm unsure if his view is correct. He says in a CBSSports.com column "the NCAA should drop the myth about amateurism and education." I'm sure his response was based on the improprieties at the University of Miami and earlier at Ohio State. It seems every year a major institution is caught with it's hand in the cookie jar, Southern Cal and Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo. Van Gundy says "do away with all the rules" which sounds simple but could open a gigantic can of worms. Maybe the amateur system is broken beyond repair and the NCAA cannot properly police member institutions. In fairness to the NCAA they have a limited enforcement staff to oversee scores of football and basketball programs. The NCAA must depend a great deal on the institutions to maintain policies in keeping with the guidelines. Unfortunately the failure to win often forces schools to cheat, students, alumni, boosters and university presidents all want winning programs no matter the cost.

The Chief

I saw a Robert Parrish interview on NBA TV the other evening and his comments were interesting. We think of Parrish we routinely see him in Celtic Green and automatically all those Celtic Championships come to mind. He reminded the host the Celtics didn't originally draft him the credit goes to the Golden State Warriors. My research pointed to the fact he played from 1976-1980 before he was traded to the Celtics. What did Parrish accomplish, 4X NBA Champion, NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  "His nickname was "The Chief", after the fictitious Chief Bromden, a silent, giant Native American character in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. According to Parish, former Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell gave Parish this nickname because of his stoic nature." (Wikipedia)

The time is always right to do what is right.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Another commit

The NCAA is yet to announce it's completed investigation of Mizzou's Frank Haith. Apparently the investigation is not as important in some circles as the media would have you believe. Mizzou received another commitment, Travis Jorgenson a 3-star 5-11 162 pound point guard has given his verbal to the school. Jorgenson from Columbia (MO) is verbal for 2013 which means he has plenty of time to de-commit if he should desire. Haith and staff have a total of 6 commitments over the next two years.

I'm not connected

Larry Laker is not compensated or connected in any manner to this business venture, I'm providing you this disclaimer. Michael Jordan has returned to Chicago not with the Bulls however. This Chicago connection is related to the stomach of hungry patrons. Jordan has opened a steak house in downtown Chicago at 505 N. Michigan Avenue. You can check out the menu and other information at: mjschicago.com

When to re-tool
The team needs fixing, that statement might reflect several perennial playoff teams. The Lakers, Mavs, Spurs and Celtics all have ageing rosters which require an overhaul. The question is when to begin the process. With the Lakers the Janet Jackson tune comes to mind "What have you done for me Lately."  It seems there are "experts" willing to write the Lakers off because the team didn't 3-peat. Do you realize how difficult an accomplishment that is? 'll focus on the Lakers first, it takes no rocket scientist to realize Derek Fisher should be replaced. The triangle offense did not require a traditional type of point guard, that's changed. I have no idea how the offense will look but it will be nothing similar to the triangle of Phil Jackson. All the starters are 30+ with the exception of Andrew Bynum. The situation is not as bad as it might first appear, for reasons unknown Pau Gasol's play suffered in the playoffs. I have no doubt Gasol can return to form, as for the others they have at least one more serious playoff run left. The key is still Kobe Bryant, he must adapt his game to Mike Brown's offense while deferring more of his game to the inside crew of Bynum-Gasol. A Brown offense might actually work in Bryant's favor, I have little if any defensive concerns Brown's forte is defense.

Another father-son combo
I make no claim junior is headed to the NBA, you might remember the dad Tim Hardaway. Dad had a 14-year career in the NBA, the bulk of it with the Golden State Warriors. The son Tim Hardaway Jr. just completed his freshman year at the University of Michigan. Junior is a 6-5 shooting guard much taller and heavier than his
6-0 point guard dad. His freshman numbers, 13.9 pts .420 fg% .367 3p% not outstanding but certainly appear to point out his talent. It will be interesting over the next several years to see his future development as a player.

Ol Skool
Seeing Kevin Durant for the first time I was immediately reminded of George (Iceman) Gervin, this time I didn't repeat the mistake I'd made with Gervin. Prior to the NBA-ABA merger I followed Gervin's career as best I could, no national television contract meant keeping up with him through newspapers and sports publications. Once the merger occurred I thought the NBA would prove to be far more difficult for this 6-7 180 pound player, I said "as skinny as he is they will eat him alive in the NBA." If you check his stats out his NBA numbers were significantly higher than those he accumulated in the ABA. Career scoring average ABA, 21.9 per game, the NBA he was at 26.2. Field goal percentage ABA, .480 in the NBA it was .511. Over the course of his 13-year career he accumulated 26,595 points, 20,708 in the "tough" NBA. The 50th Anniversary of the NBA he was selected as one of the 50 greatest players and after his retirement was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Yes, although I thought Ice was too skinny for the rough and tumble world of the NBA he sure proved me wrong. (statistics, Basketball reference.com)

"Don't let other people tell you what you want."
Pat Riley