Basketball from a fans perspective
Will they compete?
The Pacers finished the 2013-14 season with a 56-26 record. They lost to the Heat in the Eastern Conference playoffs two years in a row. 2014-15 was the year of the breakthrough they would beat the Heat and play for an NBA Championship. Paul George sustained a serious leg injury in August 2014 while working out for Team USA. He would not return to action for the Pacers until April 2015. The George injury was the beginning of what would become a 38-44 season.
The Pacers would finish out of the playoffs even in the weak eastern conference. Pacer fans are expecting more from their team this upcoming season with the return of George the addition of veterans Jordan Hill and Monta Ellis and others. Does Coach Vogel have enough horses to overcome the Cavs or Heat? That question will remain unanswered for awhile but I’m sure Pacer fans look forward with anticipation to improved play on the court.
He’s that good
The Associated Press released its 2015-16 All American team; the team is comprised of three seniors one junior and one freshman. It’s certainly occurred in the past however its uncommon for a first year player to be selected as a member of the AP first team. Ben Simmons of LSU is that freshman All American and he really is that good.
Simmons was born and grew up in Australia however his dad holds dual citizenship.
The elder Simmons an American migrated to the South Pacific nation to pursue a basketball career. Dave Simmons played basketball at Oklahoma City University then several Australian teams from 1989 through 2001. While playing basketball he met and would marry Julie and they would have two children daughter Olivia and Ben. Although Ben is slightly taller than his dad (6-10) at 225 pounds he weighs considerably less than dad (225 versus 247).
Illinois Wesleyan
Is a liberal arts college located in Bloomington located about 120 miles southwest of Chicago. The last NFL player from this Division III School made it to the NFL in 1952. MLB is a different matter there are six current and former players who honed their baseball skill at Wesleyan. As for the NBA only one athlete has made it into the NBA and he was good one. Jack Sikma was the 8th pick in the first round of the 1977 draft by the Seattle Sonics.
The bulk of his 14-year career was spent as a member of the Sonics although he spent five years playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Sikma was a 7X NBA All Star and NBA Champion (1979). Sikma was an excellent free-throw shooter for a 6-11 center; he managed to lead the NBA in free-throw shooting (92.2) during the 1987-88 season. For his career Sikma shoot nearly 85% from the free-throw line. Why Sikma isn’t in the Hall of Fame is a mystery to many his career numbers are superior to several others already enshrined.
Oh really?
This might appear aimed at Kansas basketball that’s not the case. It’s actually aimed at a Kansas City Star reporter. Earlier we reported 2016 Big Man Harry Giles announced he was committing to Duke. Later in the week Schnider Herard a 6-10 255 pound center announced his choice. The Plano (TX) youngster is headed to Mississippi State in the fall. Rustin Dodd writes as if this is the end of the world, he uses words like “spurn” to describe this latest Kansas development. Kansas basketball will be fine despite the dire warnings of Mr. Dodd.
Carolina Blue for him
Pre-season favorite North Carolina picked up another commitment. Surely there must be sort of significance to this prospects name but so far it remains unclear. Seventh Woods is a 6-2 point guard and is headed to North Carolina. Woods is the number 35 prospect in the nation by Rivals and is from Columbia South Carolina. So far at least the anvil hanging over the head of the Carolina program seems to not have affected recruiting. As you might be aware an investigation into academics at the school uncovered “bogus” classes on a number of athletes transcripts. The NCAA was conducting an examination but so far to my knowledge nothing has come forth from the organization.
