Basketball from a fans perspective   

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It happens

The NCAA Tournament is strewn with land mines, lower seeded teams losing to higher seeds. That's what occurred Thursday night in overtime. Number 15 St. Peters beat number 2 Kentucky 85-79, yes the the game was a win in an extra frame but it was more. The St. Peters team wanted this game more than the Kentucky. Don't misunderstand Kentucky didn't roll over they just fail to hold a lead in the waning minutes leading to an overtime game.  

Why remain in school?

If the NBA draft were held this week the first name likely we hear announced is Jabari Smith. The 6-foot 10-inch power forward from Auburn has been listed as the top choice on most mock drafts for practically the length of the college season. I believe it was an age thing for me, I thought athletes attending school should remain in school and earn a degree. If not at least stay in school four years, that was then this is now. No longer a believer, if you are guaranteed to be drafted especially in the lower portion (below 20) of the draft why stay? 

Unlike other sports the $$$ in the NBA are guaranteed, if for some reason an athlete cannot make it, they are still compensated significantly. We can check Cade Cunningham the top pick in the 2021 NBA draft. According to information uncovered he signed a contract which guarantees him $8 million plus for his first two seasons. If we look at the tax table and other areas that should still leave Cunningham (and Smith) in a reasonably comfortable position if they fail to have long-term NBA careers. For others money is certainly not a solve all if one is seriously ill, as an example all the money in the world cannot cure you. 

A problem that appears to no longer exist is information, two former players come to mind. Both left school believing they would be drafted and in both instances it didn’t occur. That scenario appears to be in the rear-view mirror. As for the education part a number of high-profile players have returned to school to complete their education. Two of the well-known to complete their education later are Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. it might not be easy returning to complete your education but anything worthwhile shouldn’t be easy, should it?

His name is rarely mentioned

The Spurs David Robinson has faded into the background after retirement, that’s not been the case for Cavs Big Man Brad Daugherty. 7-foot Daugherty was the top pick in the 1986 draft but might be more widely known for his associated with NASCAR these days. As for basketball he was one of the keys to the Cavs success prior to the arrival of LeBron James. He along with Mark Price and John “Hot Rod” Williams were leaders during some of the Cavs most successful years.

The problem back then the Celtics and the Jordan led Bulls always managed to be a roadblock to the aspirations of the Cavs. Daugherty was a 5 time All NBA All Star, his number 43 has been retired by the Cavs. As for that NASCAR thing he became a co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing and served as an analyst for a NASCAR Program on the Showtime Cable Network. He’s also served as an analyst for college basketball and the NBA. He’s also served as analyst for NASCAR on NBC. Brad Daugherty is a name from the NBA’s past we should be familiar with.

“It’s the coach dude”

On March 17 I wrote of my worry for the Mizzou roster, I was particularly concerned about incoming prospects. We have no idea if 4-star prospect Aiden Shaw would have been successful at Mizzou, we don’t know because yesterday Shaw de-committed. His tweet indicated the coaching change impacted his decision to look elsewhere to play. For some reason a number of folks continue to believe a kid wants to play at Podunk University not realizing it’s the coach, it’s the coach and finally it’s the coach. The school academics depending on the student-athlete might be the last thought before enrolling at a particular school, just the facts.

Help Wanted

The sign is in the window, you know the one that reads Help Wanted. A quick search revealed there are numerous jobs open throughout the nation. Bruce Weber K-State and Michael Fly FGCU along with Tom Crean at Georgia are out at their respective programs along with several others. If you are a Power 5 school (such as Mizzou) do you take a chance and hire an assistant from a mid-major program? Hiring a mid-major coach certainly worked successfully for Kansas basketball. Bill Self, ex head coach of Tulsa prior to Illinois and later Kansas. Duke had a head start aware this would be Coach K.’s last season, Jon Scheyer will become the new coach next season.

Mark Turgeon stepped down in December at Maryland, will the interim coach take over the program on a permanent basis or will there be a new hire? How about Georgetown, will the school decide to retain Patrick Ewing for another season, or will he be gone? If we check the job openings there appear to be more mid-major job opportunities than ever. The next few weeks and months should prove interesting as athletic directors scour the nation for that right fit coach. I listened to Gary Parrish CBS Sports.com, briefly Parrish detailed the belief the coaching landscape has changed. With the transfer portal in place coaches are not allowed the 4-5 years to implement their program. NOTE: As this was being completed word came Will Wade of LSU, Frank Martin South Carolina and Ben Howland Mississippi State were fired.