Basketball from a fans perspective

　

The first
I guess this might be considered payback in a manner of speaking. Guard Jimmy Whitt left Columbia (MO) home of Mizzou for Arkansas. Whitt played for Columbia Hickman so the Mizzou staff had plenty of opportunity to witness his play. It was considered a coup for Mike Anderson’s staff to “steal” this talent from under the noses of the Mizzou coaches. Van Buren (AR) is about 60 miles from Fayetteville home of the University of Arkansas, Mizzou counters the Arkansas accomplishment.

Mizzou served as host for two prospects over this past weekend. Mitchell Smith is a 6-10 195 pound center is from Van Buren and rated a 3-star prospect by Rivals. As you might note he’s thin for a 6-10 athlete, we can be assured Smith might be spending considerable time in the weight room. Whitt leaves Missouri for Arkansas and now Smith will leave Arkansas for Missouri. For those who might be unfamiliar with the geography the two states share a common border. It should be noted this is not a done deal Smith is a verbal at this stage and has plenty of time to change his mind.

Change
Has the NBA changed its mind regarding college coaches? For years NBA teams avoided hiring college coaches and there was a reason. With the exception of Larry Brown few managed to taste success at the NBA level. The Celtics had reached into the college ranks and hired Brad Stevens from Butler University. Stevens has made a smooth transition into the NBA while he re-builds the Celtic team and its image. The next coaches’ name was first circulated several years ago; Billy Donovan was announced as the incoming head coach of the Magic.

Prior to a scheduled press conference Donovan changed his mind. Since then his name would occasionally be mentioned as an NBA candidate. Last spring the NBA came calling once again and this time Donovan accepted. Donovan may have believed this might be his last opportunity to coach at the NBA level; he will coach the Thunder when the season begins. Fred “The Mayor” Hoiberg worshiped in Ames (IA) was finally lured from Iowa State; he replaces Tom Thibodeau as head coach of the Bulls.

Well read or he was informed
I’m not Shawn Bradley” so said Kristaps Porzingas number one draft choice of the Knicks. You might remember a couple of weeks ago President Phil Jackson compared the slender Porzingas to former NBA player Shawn Bradley. Porzingas indicated he was aware Jackson often uses statements to fire-up players. His response leads me to believe he’s read one of the many books written about Phil Jackson or somebody informed him the tune the Zen Master often “sings.” Not satisfied with simply being the top pick Porzingas has been working all summer in the weight room in addition to playing for the Knicks Summer League team. It’s reported he’s gain 11 pounds which places him in the 235-240 pound range which is still light for someone nearly 7-2.

The Big East Conference
The ESPN college page ran a headline about The Big East Conference which prompted this account. I give credit where due however I didn’t read the story just based this on my research. The Big East Conference continues to exist today but certainly not in its original form. I’m not sure of the forces that transformed the conference but football has got to be one of the culprits. At its founding in 1979 we could state with conviction the conferences emphasis was on its basketball programs rather than football.

After schools begin defecting to the ACC the Big Ten and other conferences a name change was in order. It’s now the American Athletic Conference and is no longer east coast only, Tulsa (OK) and Tulane (LA) would be examples of new schools. The Big East (restructured in 2013) could easily be named the “Catholic” conference. Of the 10 schools only Butler University is not affiliated with a church or other institution. Original members Georgetown and St. John’s remain in place.

A Reconnect
Those who might live in Metro Detroit have received the news already. The Pistons are utilizing former Piston All Star (and former mayor) Dave Bing in a series of ads. The Pistons are attempting to connect with the City of Detroit and its residents. The Palace at Auburn Hills has served as home base since the “Bad Boy” days. Prior to Auburn Hills the team played in the Pontiac Silver dome a football built stadium for a number of years. Truth is told the Pistons have not legitimately worn a jersey with Detroit on the front since 1978 when they move to the Silverdome. Perhaps it’s a location issue more than anything since The Palace is located some 32 miles from downtown Detroit.

I once drove from Kansas City (MO) to Lawrence (KS) a one-way trip of 36 miles to see a basketball game. I’m sure I wouldn’t make that round trip of 72 miles two or three times a week no matter how much I loved the game. Pistons management has expressed good intentions and a desire to connect with Detroit residents. Unless the team moves back to the city I’m unsure if Dave Bing, Kid Rock, Aretha Franklin or anyone else from Detroit might be able to convince residents this is their team. Once upon a time stadiums and arenas were being built in the suburbs of metro areas. For the most part that thought process no longer exists as we’ve witnessed a trend back to the city and downtown.