Basketball from a fans perspective

Forget it, Kansas never loses in Allen Fieldhouse

I believe a trip to play Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse might be thoroughly intimidating for Texas Tech or any visiting team.  I also believe many of those in attendance expected Tech to show up take their beating and limp back to Lubbock Texas.  Although that might have been the belief there was a strange occurrence on the road to victory for the Jayhawks, they lost the game. 

The Jayhawks lost a game in Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas never loses in Allen!  The final score read Texas Tech 85 Kansas 73.  Another interesting point, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attended Texas Tech, he was in Allen Fieldhouse supporting  his former school.  A number of the Kansas faithful were likely cheering for Mahomes on Sunday and booing him on Tuesday.   

Undefeated and un-tied

You cannot tie a basketball game however the title sounded good.  In any event last week, we discussed the fact every Division I team has experienced at least one loss.  What about undefeated NCAA Championship teams, there have been none in recent years.  In an earlier period college teams were able to retain players.  There was no early entry to the NBA or any other league.  Today the vast majority of college players in the NBA play but one year their freshman year, check this out:

1976 Indiana 32-0

1973 UCLA 30-0

1972 UCLA 30-0

1967 UCLA 30-0

1964 UCLA 30-0

1957 North Carolina 32-0

1956 San Francisco 29-0

There you have it, seven undefeated teams in over 100 years of collegiate basketball.   

D-League, or G-League it’s still a failure 

I know the headline requires clarification, allow me to explain, the D-League founded in 2001 was intended to curtail one and done college players.  It was believed high school players who wanted to play in the league but didn’t have the desire to pursue a degree (at least for the present) would be its calling card.  A funny thing occurred on the road the NBA D-League (now G) never took off.  Sure, it’s been operating since its inception, sure several present-day NBA players have spent time in the league. 

The question remains is it the draw it was intended to be at its founding? 

My response is an emphatic NO, any high school you’ve read of said; “That’s where I’m headed?  The idea of providing an alternative path to the NBA was an innovative idea it’s just never met with the success intended and likely never will.  Eventually the one and done rule will be repealed and the NBA will again draft high school players.  Do you need further proof, NBADraft.net is not 100% accurate but this is their mock from December 14?  Of the first 20 players projected to be drafted there are only 6 sophomores and juniors and one international athlete.  Youth continues to be served.   

Who is he   

I knew of Cuonzo Martin prior to his hire at Mizzou, it was easy to locate the bio information but what about the man?   He’s from East St Louis (IL), he played his college ball at Purdue under Gene Keady.  Martin was a second-round pick who played for two NBA teams a CBA team and in Italy.  His playing career ended due to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, after treatment and rehabilitation he began his coaching career at the high school level.  Martin was hired as an assistant coach at West Lafayette High School in West Lafayette (IN). 

From that point on Martin moved to Purdue as an assistant then Missouri State, Tennessee and Cal.  In 10 years of Division I coaching Martin’s only had one losing season.  His Missouri State team went 11-20 in his first season, the following year 24-12.  The single complaint I’ve read about Martin he’s not much of an X and O coach.  We are so new into Martin’s first season at Mizzou I cannot address that issue at this point.  I must evaluate that observation over the course of the 2017-18 season.