BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
The college basketball season isn't over
“Why you talkin’ bout next season when this one is not over?” Well that’s the topic of discussion based on a March 12 news announcement by the College Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Classic as it’s known is the B to the A, the A of course is the College Basketball Hall of Fame banquet and enshrinement. Every year a group of athletes, coaches and contributors to the game elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Why you talkin’ bout next season when this one is not over?” Well that’s the topic of discussion based on a March 12 news announcement by the College Basketball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Classic as it’s known is the B to the A, the A of course is the College Basketball Hall of Fame banquet and enshrinement. Every year a group of athletes, coaches and contributors to the game elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
As for the game
itself it will be played in the Sprint Center Kansas City beginning Monday
November 25 with semi-final games and conclude with the championship match on Tuesday
November 26. The games will begin at 6:00
p.m. both nights, the field is comprised of Mizzou, Oklahoma, Stanford and
Butler. At this point there’s no
indication of who faces who, as soon as the information is available it will be
passed on.
Is
he even eligible to play?
Spire Academy’s season has concluded, where does that leave the youngest brother LaMelo Ball. We are not exactly sure, this is not an assessment on talent rather eligibility. Example basketball recruiting doesn’t begin and end with Rivals.com. At the same time this site provides us evidence of the recruiting efforts of colleges and universities. If you check the Class of 2019 you will note 150 athletes named and nowhere is the name LaMelo Ball listed.
Spire Academy’s season has concluded, where does that leave the youngest brother LaMelo Ball. We are not exactly sure, this is not an assessment on talent rather eligibility. Example basketball recruiting doesn’t begin and end with Rivals.com. At the same time this site provides us evidence of the recruiting efforts of colleges and universities. If you check the Class of 2019 you will note 150 athletes named and nowhere is the name LaMelo Ball listed.
The issue is
eligibility more than talent, the family is reporting Kansas and one other high-profile
program has contacted him although that’s highly doubtful. At this point we are unsure if Ball is
eligible to play at the collegiate level.
All this revolves around the decision his dad made to allow he and his
older brother to play in Lithuania. As
mentioned previously they claim “no
compensation” was received. The NCAA
is archaic and slow in its actions so it might be a good idea for the Ball
family to begin right now (March 2019) in hopes of gaining eligibility for
LaMelo.
In
an unexpected place
The Celtics are 41-27 as this is written, they will earn a playoff berth in the east. They are in 5th place certainly nowhere near where we expected. Remember last season no Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving missing for a great portion of the season. The Celtics are in an unexpected place in the playoff race. If they go on a run, they could win the championship its certainly possible, it’s possible but not likely.
The Celtics are 41-27 as this is written, they will earn a playoff berth in the east. They are in 5th place certainly nowhere near where we expected. Remember last season no Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving missing for a great portion of the season. The Celtics are in an unexpected place in the playoff race. If they go on a run, they could win the championship its certainly possible, it’s possible but not likely.
Hayward has not
returned to the level witnessed while a member of the Jazz. In fairness to him the devastating injury
suffered might be as much physical as mental.
Irving although playing “well”
is in and out of the lineup, not physically…. his is mental. Jayson Tatum appears to the only teammate
whose game has risen over that of last season.
Perhaps they make a stretch run and improve their playoff position prior
to the playoffs.
Is
there an NBA team in the future?
The NBA will place franchises in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest, the cities are Seattle and Kansas City. You might say why, “I’ve been hearing this same story for years, why are you so positive now?” This move will not occur in 2019 it won’t be as soon as 2021, it will occur in 5-8 years. It’s highly unlikely either will involve a team move both are likely to be expansion franchises. Let’s check out Seattle first, it contains the 15th largest metro population (3,867,046) in the nation. The Key Arena name has been changed, pending a corporate name it’s become Seattle Center Arena for now. Although the renovation is begun primarily for an NHL expansion franchise can the NBA be far behind, the NBA would share the 18,600-seat arena. Currently the NFL Seahawks, MLB Mariners currently refer to the city as home. Can you say Seattle Sonics once again?
The NBA will place franchises in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest, the cities are Seattle and Kansas City. You might say why, “I’ve been hearing this same story for years, why are you so positive now?” This move will not occur in 2019 it won’t be as soon as 2021, it will occur in 5-8 years. It’s highly unlikely either will involve a team move both are likely to be expansion franchises. Let’s check out Seattle first, it contains the 15th largest metro population (3,867,046) in the nation. The Key Arena name has been changed, pending a corporate name it’s become Seattle Center Arena for now. Although the renovation is begun primarily for an NHL expansion franchise can the NBA be far behind, the NBA would share the 18,600-seat arena. Currently the NFL Seahawks, MLB Mariners currently refer to the city as home. Can you say Seattle Sonics once again?
Kansas City will also be included in the
NBA’s expansion plans, it tackles an old problem never addressed. This from the Kansas City Pitch a weekly
magazine in 2011. Ask about Kansas City
this is the response from the former commissioner, “Stern didn't hesitate to name-drop Kansas City when asked
about cities with "NBA-ready buildings." So, there are lots of potential cities, but our goal
here is to keep all of our teams where they are ... but recognizing that
that hasn't been a goal that we have successfully achieved in the past." An ownership group willing
to invest in an NBA franchise is the key component to the NBA returning to
Kansas City. The metro is smaller than Seattle (2,128,912) but its NFL
Chiefs and MLB Royals offer proof these teams are a draw over a wide region of
Kansas, Mid-Missouri, Southern Nebraska and Iowa. Sprint Center opened in 2007 is NBA ready,
the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament offers proof basketball is home in
the city. You ask the question “What occurred with the Kings, why did they leave?” Rather than bore you with all the details
let’s just say it was 1984-85 and the team was under financed and operated an in-effective
front office for most of the time they were in Kansas City. The last time the NBA expanded was 1995, the
Raptors and Grizzlies were born that year.
