BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
“Close
the borders”
I mentioned this quite a while ago, the headline is from former Mizzou football coach Gary Pinkel. He said it was his intent to sign all the high-profile football talent in the State of Missouri. Mizzou’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin’s adopted the Pinkel viewpoint to a degree. Martin’s done a great job of recruiting in the St. Louis Metro which extends on the Illinois side too.
I mentioned this quite a while ago, the headline is from former Mizzou football coach Gary Pinkel. He said it was his intent to sign all the high-profile football talent in the State of Missouri. Mizzou’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin’s adopted the Pinkel viewpoint to a degree. Martin’s done a great job of recruiting in the St. Louis Metro which extends on the Illinois side too.
For the most part the west side of the
state’s been neglected. Part of that
might be based on the coaches view there is little talent that might fit his program. There is a capable youngster in Kansas City
whose interested in Mizzou or at least Rivals.com claims that to be the
case. 6-foot 11-inch 220-pound Roman
Wilson is a junior at Park Hill High School.
Rivals grades him a 4-star
prospect in the Class of 2020, he’s a prospective talent who might blossom at
Mizzou.
Rookie of the Year
Winning the honor of Rookie of the Year is no guarantee of future success, we need look no further than Michael Carter-Williams as evidence. You remember him don’t you, he was the 11th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft. Carter-Williams was a big (6-foot 6 inch) point guard who would lead the Sixers out of the muck and mire they presently occupied. The Sixers believed they had drafted a gem with the gaudy numbers Carter-Williams displayed throughout his rookie year. Rookie of the month throughout that first year they had no choice but to award him the NBA’s top prize for a rookie.
Winning the honor of Rookie of the Year is no guarantee of future success, we need look no further than Michael Carter-Williams as evidence. You remember him don’t you, he was the 11th pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft. Carter-Williams was a big (6-foot 6 inch) point guard who would lead the Sixers out of the muck and mire they presently occupied. The Sixers believed they had drafted a gem with the gaudy numbers Carter-Williams displayed throughout his rookie year. Rookie of the month throughout that first year they had no choice but to award him the NBA’s top prize for a rookie.
They awarded him Rookie of the Year despite
the fact Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams and a guy by the name of Giannis
Antetokounmpo was also in that draft. Of course, the three mentioned have gone
on to more successful NBA careers than Carter-Williams. Later it was discovered Carter-Williams
couldn’t shoot with any accuracy.
Shoulder issues (at least one requiring surgery) have left him a shadow
of the player once thought to be one of the building blocks to Sixer success. Carter-Williams is only 27-years old however
his NBA career might be in the rear-view mirror. Early this month traded to the Bulls for cash
and a second-round draft pick, the Bulls his 6th NBA team released
him. Luka Doncic is the odds-on favorite
to win Rookie of the Year, the award alone is no indicator of future success,
just ask Michael Carter-Williams.
I don’t believe I covered
this
Anytime we discuss pro basketball in Indiana we immediately think of the Pacers, doesn’t matter if it’s the teams American Basketball history or its more recent tenure in the NBA. The State of Indiana has witnessed 11 teams playing in several different leagues. Most interesting Indianapolis had an NBA team prior to its entry in the ABA. The Indianapolis Olympians were a founding member of the NBA, they came into being in 1949 and lasted until 1953.
Anytime we discuss pro basketball in Indiana we immediately think of the Pacers, doesn’t matter if it’s the teams American Basketball history or its more recent tenure in the NBA. The State of Indiana has witnessed 11 teams playing in several different leagues. Most interesting Indianapolis had an NBA team prior to its entry in the ABA. The Indianapolis Olympians were a founding member of the NBA, they came into being in 1949 and lasted until 1953.
They replaced the Indianapolis Jets a
Basketball Association of America team which had folded. The Olympians were given the nickname because
Alex Groza and Ralph Beard were key to Olympic gold in 1948 for the USA. Both players would later be suspended and
banned for life due to a point shaving scandal.
I was unable to locate any information why the Olympians went out of
Will he ever be healthy?
That’s the question regarding K.J. Santos, sorry if the name might not be familiar to most of you. The 6-foot 8-inch 220-pound Santos arrived on Mizzou’s campus with promise last fall. He transferred from the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle, Santos had not played in two years due to injury. It was hoped the injury bug was behind him however that’s not been the case at least as this is written, he’s played in 13 of Mizzou’s 23 games to date.
That’s the question regarding K.J. Santos, sorry if the name might not be familiar to most of you. The 6-foot 8-inch 220-pound Santos arrived on Mizzou’s campus with promise last fall. He transferred from the University of Illinois-Chicago Circle, Santos had not played in two years due to injury. It was hoped the injury bug was behind him however that’s not been the case at least as this is written, he’s played in 13 of Mizzou’s 23 games to date.
He didn’t play in the missing games due
to the coach’s decision, you guess it, he was injured. The few games Santo’s has played he appears “lost” on the floor, he’s failed to play
adequate offense and worst, yet his defense has been missing. I truly hope Santos can play at the level the
Mizzou coaching staff hoped, we must wait till next season to witness it. Santos cannot extricate himself from the
training room.
