Basketball
from a fan’s perspective
Next stop…. the NBA
A report arrived late Sunday night indicating Obi Topping has
played his last game at Dayton. This
certainly wouldn’t be shocking news if true, the 6-foot 9 small forward is a
probable lottery pick. Scouting reports indicate Topping is a capable athlete
with potential NBA skills. One report
indicates on the defensive end it might be better for him to guard opposing
power forwards. If Topping is indeed
leaving it’s goodbye Dayton…hello NBA.
Help is on the
way…maybe
Once I bowled with a team member, a very good bowler much better
than me. He was our anchor, whenever it
was his turn to bowl he’d always say, “Help is on the way.” That might be the case for Mizzou with the
arrival of 7-3 245-pound Jordan Wilmore.
After experiencing an unspectacular 2019-20 season hopefully Wilmore
will provide an upgrade in the performance of the Mizzou Tigers. He will arrive in
August, his high school play was at The Skill Factory in Atlanta Georgia. 247 Sports awards Wilmore 3 stars out of 5,
he’s listed on Rivals.com however they award no stars.
Video of Wilmore in action at the high school level indicates
he possesses a variety of moves in and around the basket. The issue that always seems to exist with
YouTube videos is the emphasis on the offensive side of the ball with few
defensive highlights. We could see a
3-way tie for minutes at the center position.
Jeremiah Tilmon was injured for a major portion of the conference season,
6-10 and 260 pounds. Although he played
little in his first season junior college transfer Axel Okongo 7 foot 240
pounds will be looking for more playing time as well. If we toss in Wilmore’s name all three could
all battle for the starting position for Cuonzo Martin’s Tigers.
It’s far different
for the NBA
Commissioner Silver indicates the NBA might restart in 30
some days. For college basketball it’s a
different matter, we are too far down the road.
Several fans of the Kansas Jayhawks have declared them national
champions. The basis, Kansas won the Big
12 championship and finished number one in both polls. On Friday we heard from another party or at
least the Florida Senate.
By a vote of
37-2 a resolution was passed naming Florida State national champions. The senator
sponsoring the resolution stated the Seminoles finished first in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State was 4th in both polls. Gonzaga finished
first in the West Coast Conference and lost a single game in conference play and 2
overall. Dayton went undefeated in the Atlanta 10 Conference with an 18-0
record and a total of only 2 losses.
No NCAA championship
play and any of the three could claim the honor. All I can do is make what I believe to be a
valid point, with the tournament usually being upset city would Kansas have
been crowned national champion? That
question will never be answered however they along with the others are to be
congratulated for outstanding seasons.
The disclaimer
Former Memphis Tiger center James Wiseman is a new era
center. He stands 7-1 and weighs 240
pounds ideal for an NBA center but there’s more. Wiseman’s no back to the basket center in the
manner of Wilt, Kareem or Shaq. The
youngster has range out to and including a 3-point shot. It’s important for Wiseman to land with the
right time once the NBA concludes its June draft. There are several teams he could impact dramatically
however the best fit in my view is the Warriors.
With an arsenal of shooters (Curry & Thompson) surrounding
him there would be no requirement for him to carry the bulk of the team’s
offense. How exactly do the Warriors
acquire this talented prospect, I’m glad you ask the question? “Each team's odds at landing the top pick are
based on each team's regular-season record. The team with the worst record have
the best odds and the team with the best record among those that missed the
postseason have the worst odds.
Tiebreakers will be used if teams end up tied
with the same record to decide which will have the more advantageous spot in
the draft lottery order.”* This account
was titled “The disclaimer” and there is a basis, this is no guarantee of
future success regarding Wiseman. This
assessment is based on all we know at this time. There is your solution to a successful
2020-21 season Dub Nation you can thank me later.
