Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday

University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City is emblazoned on the front of the basketball jerseys, the words UMKC have been dropped from the road jersey.  Other than the metro area few have any idea where UMKC is located, Kansas City on the jersey helps.  As for the home jerseys unless there is a change those contain Roos which is short for kangaroo’s the school’s mascot.  That change occurred last season, as for this season the bar is not set very high.   Once again, we witness Kansas City’s Division I team swirling with questions, once again a new head coach is in place.  Will this school ever turn the corner on a successful season? 

Let’s check out the history, the school began play in 1954 but shut down the program at some point and it was not revived until 1989.  UMKC began as an independent competing at the NAIA level in the first five years, in 1994-95 the school joined the Mid-Continent League, UMKC had moved to Division I play by this time.  From that time-period up through the 2012-13 UMKC competed in the league re-branded as the Summit League.  In the 2013-14 season they applied for and joined the Western Athletic Conference.  In late spring or early summer UMKC announced the 2019-20 season will be the last in the WAC, the school is returning to the Summit League. 

In all the years of conference and coaching changes one fact is evident.  In 31 years of NAIA and Division I play UMKC’s only experienced five winning seasons.  I offer no proof just a theory, in 1989 someone or several someone’s looked at many of the nation’s urban schools.  They probably viewed UCLA, Georgetown or St. John’s compete successfully.  Perhaps it was Louisville, the University of New Mexico, or some school unmentioned.  It’s my belief the administration wanted the glamour but was unwilling (or unable) to secure funds to build a winning basketball program.  In closing the question is posed once again, is there a desire by the current administration to build a front-runner? 

SMH
The headline is an urban phrase meaning “shake my head”.  According to the Urban Dictionary “SMH is typically used when something is obvious, plain old stupid, or disappointment.”  We can toss out disappointment because it’s clear Stephen A. Smith is appreciative of Zion Williamson’s play, the first two definitions might apply, however. When asked about the scoring and physical presence of the Pelicans forward, Smith said; “It’s pre-season.” 

Well that might indeed be the case however the play at this point is certainly superior to that of Summer League play.  I wonder if Smith saw the highlight of Zion going up and over last season’s Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert? We still have no idea how Zion will adjust to the regular season however the belief is he’ll do okay.  Okay in that he experiences a good rookie year or outstanding in that he is named Rookie of the Year and provides us an idea he's going to have an outstanding NBA career? 

My second favorite
Last season I admitted my affinity for the Sixers, when they face the Lakers that’s a completely different story.  Josh Richardson moves into the vacated shooting guard position Jimmy Butler held last season.  Al Horford will now play power forward with Joel Embiid firmly installed at the center spot.  The 6 foot 10 Horford played center for the Hawks and later the Celtics during his NBA career.  

Tobias Harris returns as the starter at small forward.  This is the season point guard Ben Simmons demonstrates for all he’s got a jump shot (I hope).  He sunk a 3-point basket recently however as Stephen A. said earlier, “It’s the pre-season.”  The NBA season is long and enduring, the key is the bench.  Do the Sixers have enough depth to win at the playoff level, that and other questions will be answered in June? 

Division II
Ben McCollum is only 38-years old however he’s a wily veteran head coach despite his youthful age.  McCollum’s been head man at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville since 2009.  Maryville is located some 150 miles and a 2-hour drive north of Kansas City (MO).  Since McCollum arrived these are only a portion of the accolades, 2x NCAA D-II champion (2017, 2019) and 7x Mid America Intercollegiate Athletic Association winners. 

There are other indications of his success at the school however there is another question.  In the days of high-stake recruiting wars how does McCollum manage to secure talented athletes?  Not only recruiting them but the ability to glue them into his winning formula.  It’s likely NWMS will be favored once again in the MIAA, as for the championship we must wait until March to determine that fact.

Load management
We hear a term tossed about and we wondered, “What the heck does it mean?”  Load management was a term I’m unsure the time period I first heard it.  I decided to look for a definition, it’s really very simple.  An NBA team decides to rest a member of the roster although that player is not injured.  I’m unsure if there is a start date for this practice, it likely goes back to the days NBA officials first tossed up a basketball i.e. resting players.  As for the term load management it’s a new one for most of us.  We must presume load management might sound more professional than simply stating “John Smith is resting and will not play this game.”