Basketball from a fans perspective 

Surprise, surprise
Gonzaga is the number one team in the nation, the AP poll is not surprising considering Marquette beat number one Villanova.  The shock for me is the USA Today Coaches poll taking into consideration the weekend events.  Number one Kansas managed to slip past Kentucky at Rupp Arena.  Gonzaga sitting in third place leap-frogged over Kansas into the top spot.  So there you have it Gonzaga becomes number one for the second time in history.  Polls don't mean a thing just something folks like me get caught up in.  

Remain more than 15 minutes
Attention relatives and friends of Cheick Diallo this is not an indictment of his skill.  The 6-9 Diallo arrived at Kansas a McDonald’s All American and highly touted.  After but one season he decided he was ready for the NBA, draft night the Clippers chose him traded him to the Pelicans.  Since the draft it’s been trips back and forth between the NBA to D-League. Was he ready to play in the NBA might be the question?  

Diallo started exactly one (1) game at Kansas and scored exactly 3.0 ppg.  For a number of prospects college has become a way-station on the road to the NBA.  The problem there have been a number of “Diallo’s” entered the NBA who have no clue the difficulty of not only playing but at a high skill level.  The latest news has the Pelicans assigning Diallo to the Greensboro Swarm. I hope Diallo makes it back to the NBA and is successful in the future but this is the downside to leaving early.  

More fall out
Two American basketball players are stranded in Dubai unable to return to Iran.  They play for an Iranian team and after the Trump administration ban on Iran and 6 other nations decided to retaliate. Iran has banned the two Americans from entering the country; the players can return to the U.S. however their property remains in Iran.    

This is interesting
Our eyes have been focused on Russell Westbrook’s assault on duplicating Oscar Robertson’s’ triple-double season.  The break-out year of the Sixer rookie Joel Embiid sidelined for the past two years and buzzer beating shots all over.  Pop and his Spurs kept rolling on despite no Timmy.  The George Karl scathing biography and Kings center Boogie Cousins occasional explosions.  Should the Cavs trade Kevin Love for somebody?    

Is Carmelo Anthony staying or is he going the daily drama for the Knicks.  We discussed Warrior Kevin Durant but not a great deal of reflection on the Warriors.  Last year they had the world holding its breath as they broke the NBA’s all-time won-loss record.  I just checked this time last season they stood 43-4; in 2016-17 they stand 41-7.  They probably won’t duplicate last season but note how close they are.  

Bits n Pieces
If I make a statement I believe of note few outside of Words eye view are aware.  We love to compare players of different eras; I’ve stated on several occasions I believe it’s unfair but understandable.  How about the assessment when it’s the player himself making the observation. Hakeem Olajuwon made a comparison between himself and Joel Embiid.  Is it the footwork both played soccer as youngsters, Olajuwon in Nigeria and Embiid in Cameroon.  

I’m late to the party because I never noticed this previously.  The Northeast Conference has two St. Francis schools, St. Francis College located in Brooklyn (NY) and St. Francis University in Loretto Pennsylvania.  Loretto is located about 100 miles east of Pittsburg.  Both schools became conference members in 1981.  The late Maurice Stokes who played for the Cincinnati Royals graduated from St. Francis University.  Kevin Porter from St. Francis College had an 11 year NBA career from 1972 to 1983.

Has George Karl mistakenly taken himself out of the running for the Hall of Fame?  ‘After the vote of the screening committees, the finalists will first be reviewed by the BHOF Board of Trustees.  At this time, should it be determined by the Board of Trustees that a Finalist has damaged the integrity of the game of basketball, he/she will be deemed not worthy of Enshrinement and removed from consideration.’ Its possible six years from now this could be forgotten.    

I didn’t see the game so I have no idea of the events however the Kansas Jayhawks slipped past the Kentucky Wildcats 79-73 on Saturday.  Most noteworthy in the victory Kentucky rarely ever loses games at home so it’s quite a feat.  Next up they play Baylor at Allen Field house on Wednesday where they rarely lose.  Could the Jayhawks complete the balance of the conference season undefeated it’s possible.