BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE

March Madness 
Is your bracket busted? Mine is now that Villanova has been defeated. 

No disagreement from me FSU certainly played a superior game to Murray State.  I really enjoyed seeing Ja Morant play and hoped Murray State would win.  Now I’ve got to find another team to root for.  As for Morant he’s not committing on the NBA and that’s understandable. For those who wonder about the high school AAU team of Morant and Williamson consider this fact.  Both exhibited talent but certainly nowhere near the level of what we’ve seen in 2019. 

Final score Duke 77-UCF 76, 7-foot 6-inch 310-pound Tacko Fall versus 6-foot 7-inch 285-pound Zion Williamson.  Williamson with 32 pits 11 rebounds and 4 assists led Duke.  Fall had 15 points 6 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, teammate Aubrey Dawkins led the way for the Knights with 32 points.  This was a game you wanted both teams to win however that’s not the way the game is played.  We know for sure Williamson is headed for the NBA as for Fall I’m still unsure.  

Not exactly tourney news but it was announced during the time period.  Mizzou’s Jontay Porter re-injured the torn ACL that sidelined him for the 2018-19 season.  Many were unsure if he was going to return to Mizzou anyway, his name continued to be listed on NBA mock draft sites.  The decision would appear easy now, he could take the route of brother Michael Jr.  The elder brother drafted by the Nuggets is spending the season rehabbing and preparing for the 2019-20 NBA season.      

Remember what I wrote on March 19, that’s okay if don't recall.  “Sorry fans of KU basketball they ain’t likely headed to Kansas City except to maybe land at the airport and then be bussed to Lawrence Kansas.  I say they don’t make the Sweet 16, you can laugh at me in a couple of weeks.” Check it out just in case you don’t believe me. 

Coaching moves, as reported the other day its now official Avery Johnson at Alabama secured a buyout.  Where he goes from here is unknown currently.  Out west Cal fired Wyking Jones an assistant under Cuonzo Martin.  He took over the program after Martin left for Mizzou.  Jones only held the top position two years.  The report I read indicated the school was looking at former NBA coach Jason Kidd who played at Cal. 

The teacher and the pupil
Watching the Duke-UCF game, teacher (Coach K.) versus pupil (Johnny Dawkins).  How about the coaching tree of the long-time Duke coach?  Those listed either played for was an assistant and is now serving as a head coach themselves?

Jeff Capel – Pittsburg
Mike Brey – Notre Dame
Steve Wojciechowski - Marquette
Chris Collins - Northwestern
Tommy Amaker - Harvard
Bobby Hurley - Arizona State 

No, I don’t think so  
One more story which gained little traction except in the KC metro, it was the report Bill Self was headed to the Bulls.  A Chicago radio station claimed Self was to leave Kansas after the season and take the head coaching job for the Bulls.  It is certainly possible Self might want the NBA, but this is not a good job for a coach who is accustomed to winning. 

I say he remains at Kansas where he’s paid very well and wins his 20+ games every season, his teams qualify for the NCAA tourney annually.  A dream job for Self would be the Warriors, Spurs and several other NBA teams who continuously win.  On the other hand, the graveyard is full of college coaches who moved into the NBA without much success.  Popovich has been coaching in the NBA for so long we forget he arrived from the college ranks.  The other successful example would be former coach Larry Brown.