Basketball from a fans perspective   

Published Monday through Friday

Single minded  

This account is being repeated for those who might not be aware or ask the question, a writer wanted to know how Ochai Agbaji a Kansas City basketball product came to choose Kansas. The explanation is simple Agbaji wanted Bill Self and Kansas basketball more than Mizzou. On the other hand, Mizzou might not have made much of an effort to recruit him, Agbaji wasn’t considered a high-profile prospect while enrolled at Oak Park HS. He arrives at Kansas as a redshirt prospect, even the coaching staff believed the 6-foot 5 shooting guard needed work. It just so happened Kansas had a down year and were desperate for help on the court, Agbaji’s “red shirt” was taken off and he began play as a freshman.

That first season, he finished with 8.5 points a game but displayed his budding talent in all areas. By his sophomore season he raised that scoring to 10.0, he ended his junior year at 14.1 points per game and a declaration for the NBA Draft. Fortunately for Kansas basketball Agbaji would withdraw his name and return to school in the fall. In his senior year, the scoring has risen to almost 22 points a game and he is the clear leader of this Jayhawk team. Is the NBA in Agbaji’s future, that certainly appears to be the case, he’s moved from a possible 2^nd round pick into the first round in at least two mock draft sites? Will Agbaji hear his name called in the NBA June draft, we don’t know that to be a fact. So, thus the story how a relatively unknown Kansas City kid came to be enrolled at Kansas rather than Mizzou. In addition, how he managed to blossom into a genuine NBA prospect.

Nets drama continues

The Nets have dealt with no Kyrie Irving since the beginning of the season based on his anti vax stance. They finally relented and decided he could play on the road and practice with the team. (See a related Irving account below) Now for the latest news, on Sunday the team announced Kevin Durant had suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee. The preliminary indication is Durant will be out a minimum of 4 weeks, but it could be up to 6. We acknowledge the fact he’s been the offense for the Nets this season with James Harden playing up and down. So, we shall see what prevails over the next few weeks with a part-time Irving and Harden forced to expand their roles.

Hot dog

According to the dictionary the word hot dog has more than one definition. For our purposes, the main focus will be on two.

“A frankfurter, especially one served hot in a long, soft roll and topped with various condiments.”

Informal-North American

“A person who shows off, especially a skier or surfer who performs stunts or tricks.”

It’s interesting the second definition is informal and likely used in North America more than other parts of the world. The definition says “a skier or surfer” it’s my contention the term could also be applied to any athlete, and it’s been used in the past to describe a few basketball players. There have been plenty of Big Men passers but for purposes of this discussion we feature point guards only. There was Pistol Pete Maravich, Maravich toned his game a bit in the NBA but the “hot dog” in him continued to exist throughout his NBA career. Later Earvin Johnson arrived in the NBA from Michigan State, he was nicknamed Magic for one reason.

It was Magic’s basketball handle; many of the no look passes the late Chick Hearn would describe some of them as “dipsy doo” whatever that meant. In 1998 the Kings drafted Jason Williams from the University of Florida, J-Will or White Chocolate was also a magician with the basketball as he zipped passes to his teammates. The point, the NBA’s always contained a player usually a guard with an unusual flair for passing the basketball. Currently we have Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball who is the best of the best with his nifty passes, he might also be considered the best “hot dog” performer in the NBA. Purest of the game detest the behind the back or no look passes, I say bring it on I love it. Check out the YouTube videos below for evidence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nBAv8dIVe8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhJYZo6ZSKQ

He’s got a point

You know if you’ve read this blog over the past few weeks this writer has been rather critical of the Nets Kyrie Irving. I considered him being shortsighted in his anti vax stance, during a conversation with a friend he defended Irving and I had to admit my friend made a valid point. When I voiced my concern about Irving this is what I got back. “At least he’s not doing an Aaron Rogers, (Green Bay QB) lying about his condition, Kyrie’s been up front with his view on the vaccine.” I thought a moment and concluded he is right, there was no question, Irving didn’t lie he told the truth even though guys like me didn’t appreciate his opinion.

Big House

Big House was only his nickname, his full name was Clarence Edward Gaines Jr. We might ask the question how did he acquire the nickname, as a 6-foot 3 265-pound football player he was given the tag “Big House” while playing at Morgan State? Gaines found time to play basketball and even played the trumpet in high school. How did he become known more associated for basketball than football is an easy explanation? At the time he first began coaching at Winston-Salem there was a single coach for all sports, Gaines coached football and basketball.

In 1949 he quit coaching football to concentrate on basketball alone. Gaines was head coach for the Winston-Salem Rams from 1946 to the 1993 season, he would lead the Rams to 18 20-win seasons. His 1967 team was Division II NCAA Champions, this along with a sparkling win-loss record of 828 wins and 447 losses. The coach became a legend long before he retired in 1993, Gaines was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. This but a brief look at one of the games great coaches and one who few might be familiar with. There is much more information on the honors and impact made on the college basketball game. Gaines died in 2005 at the age of 81 from a stroke, R.I.P. coach.