Basketball from a fans perspective
Publishing note
The close of the collegiate basketball season would entail lesser amounts of basketball news. Due to this factor beginning Monday April 18 Words eye view will return to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday format. Thanks to each of you who read Words and hopefully enjoy it. I never claimed to be correct so if you disagree with a take of mine that is okay just continue to read.
Sign on the dotted line
The spring National Letter of Intent signing period for basketball begins April 13 and runs through May 18, for Division II the end date is August 1. The early signing period in the fall begins November 9 and concludes November 16. A perspective student-athlete can verbally commit at any point he is unable to sign with a school.
All though the majority of prospects have signed LOI (Letters of Intent) there are a few key who yet remain unsigned. 6-7 guard Josh Jackson Rivals number one is yet to sign, in addition number 12 prospect 6-6 guard Terrance Ferguson remains uncommitted. NOTE: Before I could publish this account Jackson announced via twitter he was committing to Kansas.
Haters
Over the years I’ve encountered a significant number of Laker haters. I didn’t realize until recently hatred of teams exists at the collegiate level as well. Walk into a room in the nation and say; Duke, unless you are in Durham it’s likely your reception would be met with boos and hisses. The same might go for Kentucky or North Carolina. There are other teams in the land I’ve failed to mention but I hope you get the picture. Certainly in recent years I cannot add winner behind the name of the Lakers. As for the others notice they all have successful programs maybe that’s what brings out the haters you suppose.
In second place
Finishing behind Warren Jabali in Kansas City basketball days gone by is most likely Lucius Allen. Allen played on the Kansas side of the metro at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City Kansas. How good was Allen, he was good enough to receive a basketball scholarship to UCLA. This was the ‘60’s a time-period UCLA ruled the basketball world. Allen would team with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and win two championships.
Allen was the number three pick in the first round of the 1969 by the Seattle Sonics; he would play for three other NBA teams during his 10-year NBA career. He would return home in 1977 and play for two more years with his hometown Kansas City Kings. Allen was a 2X NCAA Champion at UCLA and second team All-American in 1968. Allen would become an NBA Champion with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
Larry Laker held hostage
Okay I exaggerate I’m not really being held hostage; this is day four but comes a further explanation. It’s ESPN’s First Take I’m boycotting because the other co-host Skip Bayless is a slight notch below that of his broadcast partner. Guess what----when 9:00 a.m. Central Time rolled around I almost changed the channel. I thought why provoke myself so I turned the channel to a movie. I enjoyed the movie far more than hearing Smith and Bayless going back and forth, all is good.
