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Khan  

If you are a Trekkie, you are familiar with the name Khan; Khan was the arch adversary of Star Trek’s Captain Kirk. While plotting his revenge against Kirk he was heard to utter this sentence, “Revenge is a dish that is best served cold? It is very cold…in space.” Remember the words of Patrick Beverley late of the Lakers now playing for the Bulls? He said and I paraphrase he would ensure the Lakers fail to make the playoffs.

Guess what, they might not earn a playoff berth however based on Beverley’s recent showing…well. In the Lakers 121-110 win over the Bulls this was the box for Mr. Beverley. He was 0 for 5 from the floor, 0 for 5 from three for 0 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. To top it off Laker guard Austin Reaves mimicked the gesture Beverley had done on Sunday after Beverley sunk a basket over LeBron. The 6 foot 5 Reaves took the shot and sunk the basket over the 6 foot 2 Beverley. It might have been a friendly gesture by Reaves toward Beverley but you know for sure I didn’t take it in that manner.

The NBA Draft

Over the last few days a number of underclassmen have declared for the NBA Draft. For the most part the names were expected, however one was a surprise although it might have been predictable. Markquis Nowell, point guard for Kansas State announced he was declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft. He played a steady game all season long but he especially came to the forefront during the NCAA Tournament, is he a legitimate NBA prospect?

Allow me to say I’m unsure, however nobody would question his desire. There is no doubt he is the smallest athlete in this draft, I know that without checking anyone’s stats, Nowell is 5 ft 8 inches and 160 pounds. I’ve made this statement in the past but its worth repeating, “A Big Man must prove he can’t play while a little man must prove he can.” I said this previously and it too is worth repeating, Nowell could duplicate what Austin Reaves did two years ago. Not wanting to be drafted by what he considered the wrong team Reaves said essentially “Don’t draft me.” Reaves preferred to choose his team rather than the other way around signing with the Lakers as a free agent.

It’s all critical

We have no issue discussing an athletes physical issues, what about his mental issues? Somehow anytime the subject of mental health is discussed we tend to skip over the topic. That might occur elsewhere, not here. Veteran Andre Drummond Bulls Center announced he was deleting his social media apps to focus on his mental health. Coach Billy Donovan ruled him out of Tuesday evenings game. Allow me to state at this point I have no expertise in the field of mental health.

His teammate DeMar DeRozan has gone on record indicating he suffers from depression and mental health issues. Somehow, we have a mistaken belief “That’s somebody else’s problem” or “It’s easy to pull out of it.” Both statements are far from the truth. My research indicates over time there have been 5 NBA players who committed suicide. John Wall admitted he considered suicide over the last three years dealing with family and his own health issues so the issue is certainly real. So there are terms we use in jest (I’m not going to name them) we should cease using.

McDonald’s

In this instance we are discussing the game and not the restaurant. My question is why vitriol is aimed at a 17-year-old kid. I can’t figure it out except perhaps it’s the father who is actually the target. It began when Bronny James was named a McDonald’s All American, “His father got him on the team” or other similar words were read by me and others regarding his inclusion to the team. Then it began in earnest when Bronny James’ photo was placed next to the write-up about the game over DJ Wagner. Letter after letter came pouring in despite an exceptional 15 points on 5 for 8 shooting from three.

Unfortunately Bronny shares the same fate of the Ball brothers, a large segment hate the father so the son becomes a target. As for Bronny’s selection as a McDonald’s All American I will forever remember the words of Shaquille O’Neal. The NBA in selecting its 50^th Anniversary team included Shaq’s name. This was the response by one media member, “How can you be included on this anniversary team when you’ve only been in the NBA 3 (or 4) years. Shaq said and I quote, “I didn’t vote for myself to be placed on the team.” Whatever the future holds for Bronny we’ll soon find out whatever he decides, will it be college or pro basketball in the G-League or maybe Australia. 

Prove it to me

Are the Clippers legitimate contenders for the NBA Championship this season? Unless I see something different, I’m going to answer in the negative. There was no Kawhi Leonard In 2021-22 the best the Clippers could hope for was a playoff berth, this season is far different. I continue to hear from TV guys who announce on a daily basis “how talented this team is.” My response is simple all the talent in the world fails to advance your team without the intangibles. What are the intangibles, they are whatever that team be it the Clippers or some other to succeed at the highest level. This team built to win an NBA Championship has fallen short since the time Doc Rivers led them and he’s been gone going on three years now.

Some of you might conclude “What should I expect from a Laker fan?” You might believe I’ve got a vendetta against the Clippers but that is not the case, there is an internal problem which cannot be fully detailed. If we look at Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, they have been in and out of the lineup for extended periods of time with the Clippers, this hasn’t aided the cause one bit. The Clippers will earn a playoff spot this season beyond that is an unknown. In any event the window might be gradually closing for them. The two anchors on the team Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are 32 and 31 years old now and both have injury histories. The window for top notch play begins to wane for athletes as they age, LeBron James is an exception. 

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What are the absolutes for you

Your absolutes might be different from mind, as an example I know the Sun will rise in the east and set in the west. There are certainly others but that comes to me first. Another absolute, the Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic. How about another one, John Calipari has allowed the game to bypass him…whoa, hold on a moment who said that? Local radio guy’s said it twice and has included this at the end. “Calipari only recruits NBA talent nowadays”, that’s certainly a confusing statement to me. The radio guy believes or at least his job that day, is to convince us of that fact.

How about a closer inspection to determine if the radio guy is on to something? The covid season 2019-20 Kentucky finished with a 25-6 record but the NCAA Tournament was cancelled. That was followed by an un-Kentucky like 9-16 record, the next season it was 26-8 then the most recent 22-12 won-loss season. The Wildcats lost in the first round (26-8) and this tournament saw a second-round loss (22-12). Radio guy claims Kentucky’s failure to advance is based on “NBA players”, that’s nonsense. A roster full of players headed for the NBA should excel over most teams IF THEY play as a team. One other consideration, tournament play is often a roll of the dice, the better team fails to win and advance. I’m sure that’s occurred for Kentucky and other teams. I wonder if the radio guy is making the Calipari claim because Kentucky’s failed to advance in the tournament the past two seasons.

There are other programs suffering the same fate and it’s nothing to do with the NBA. Let’s check out another Blue Blood program, the Kansas Jayhawks. The Jayhawks won it all last season, however prior to that was a second-round loss, the covid year, and another second-round loss. My single criticism of Cal and it might not even be valid, I’m unsure about his game management. In my opinion I’m not bold or brave enough to decide the game’s bypassed Calipari. On the other hand maybe the radio guy is fanning the flames aware his take will cause guys like me to become offended.

I still don’t know

This is written ahead of the Lakers-Bulls game, I have no idea of the winner but it will impact the Lakers playoff status. Just as interesting, their opposition is in the same position. You might not be aware of this fact, I’m the Kansas City representative for the Lakers. This duty means I am responsible to analyze their status, which includes player acquisitions, front office moves etc. I might add this is an unpaid position for me. This is how a portion of my duties unfolded, in January I was asked, “Are the Lakers going to make the playoffs?” My quick answer, “I have serious doubts, but we shall see.” The February trade deadline occurred and we discovered the Lakers made several trades.

Almost immediately they began playing better basketball. The question arose again, “Are the Lakers going to make the playoffs?” By this time my response changed to a degree, “It’s possible although it really appears next season might be more logical.” We arrive at the end of March with but a few weeks remaining in the NBA season and the question might be asked again. The Lakers appear in a position to qualify for the play In tournament but even that’s not a sure thing at this point. We shall see what eventually prevails, however there is at least one Red Flag. If the Lakers fail to make the playoffs in whatever level they can check out the mirror for the failure. So in conclusion that’s all I can offer for now, will I be disappointed if they fail in their playoff effort?

The first

In the era of the transfer portal Mizzou received its first of what is likely to be more than one off-season acquisition. Arriving in the fall will be John Tonje a 6-foot 5 210-pound shooting guard who played at Colorado State, he brings a veteran presence to the roster. Tonje will enter his 5^th year in August having been granted an extra year of eligibility due to covid. Mizzou’s roster is guard heavy; they lose 4 seniors whose eligibility has expired. The question might be what’s next for Mizzou, I’m glad you asked because the future certainly looks bright? Incoming for Mizzou is freshman point guard Anthony Robinson arriving in August, in addition from John A. Logan College this fall is shooting guard Curt Lewis, that’s what we know…now for the question marks.

The status of shooting guard Isiaih Mosley is unknown although he could return. The same could be said for seniors Sean East II and Kobe Brown who could leave although they also have a covid year should they choose to use it. Their status is unknown as this is written. Back to Tonje a moment, he is a capable shooter at the Division I level. It’s likely this is not the last transfer player to be brought in by Dennis Gates and his coaching staff. Mohamed Diarra 6-foot 10-inch post has entered the transfer portal so he’s headed for another local. There are a couple of Big Men Mizzou might offer a scholarship to replace Diarra. Kadin Shedrick at Virginia is 6-foot 11-inch 230 pound forward and Essam Mostafa who played at Coastal Carolina is a 6-foot 9 inch 250 pound forward, I’ve seen neither play however Mostafa’s numbers are clearly better.    

Thanks but no thanks

We can debate all day long regarding the talent level of Bronny James. This was written prior to his playing in the McDonald’s All-Star Game however that’s not the basis for this account. I read the headline and the first few sentences; I didn’t bother with reading the entire piece. You remember LaVar Ball don’t you, father of Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo. Two of the son’s earned their NBA stripes although Lonzo has been injured for a period. No disagreement on my part, whether it their talent or LaVar’s training methods it is certainly noteworthy to have two son’s in the NBA.

At this point the praise ends and the statement is made by me, thanks but no thanks. LaVar has suggested Bronny needs to head to Australia after high school rather than college. I stopped reading at this point, we know LaMelo didn’t attend college (he probably wouldn’t have been eligible anyway). My question for you to mull over is this, why in the world would Bronny James need to take advice from LaVar Ball? Don’t get this confused, rest assured LaVar is not texting or calling Bronny James, the suggestion as to what to do is coming by way of the media.

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It’s more than this two

I haven’t completely turned off local sports talk radio. I especially appreciate listening to the “experts”, in this instance I’d attached the names of Gary Parrish CBS Sports and Mike DeCourcy Sporting News. There are others but since I listen to them on a weekly basis my ears are attuned to their insight into college basketball. They are opinionated without going over the top, they are informed and always provide vital information. This is the part I love the most, they are not “actors”, there are many print, radio or television folks who are just that, actors. I’ve often discovered these actors are not fully informed yet make up for this by over the top bravado.

I’ve always approached sports news from this position, “Tell me something I don’t know” rather than provide me a theatrical style to the question. DeCourcy provided a bit of controversy listening to his comment while driving to work this morning. He claims American High School basketball is no longer preeminent in the world, talent continues to exist but nothing like the recent past. DeCourcy cited his belief “there is no Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett” among the crop of talent graduating high school up to 1996. He cited James Wiseman (Class of 2019) as another example, “He has all the physical tools but is not where he should be on the talent scale.

Bits n Pieces 

The NBA in Canada, no this is not the Raptors or the Grizzlies who departed Vancouver in 2001. This is the first Canadian NBA team, or maybe we should say Basketball Association of America team. The Toronto Huskies were a charter member beginning play in 1946. The Huskies lasted but a single season, the history indicates poor play (22-38) led to less-than-ideal attendance as well. We could add the ownership into the equation they ceased operations in 1947. It would be 48 years before Toronto would see another NBA team in the city, in 1995 the Raptors were born of expansion. I also discovered there was an effort to resurrect Huskies for a team name, but it failed to materialize. It was said management ruled it out because a logo couldn’t be designed that didn’t resemble the T-Wolves. 

You ever read something and say, “That ain’t right?” That was me conducting research on college Big Men. My initial research led me to the 7-foot Bill Spivey who played at Kentucky from 1949-1951. Spivey was vital to the success Kentucky experienced while he was there, but he wasn’t the first. I believe that the first 7-foot player to taste success in college was Bob Kurland. Kurland played at Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) from 1944-1946, he changed the game while playing. It was said Kurland would leap above the rim for opponents shots which led to the NCAA banning defensive goal tending in 1945. It’s also claimed Kurland was the first player to dunk a basketball in a game. So there is your brief history of Big Man play in NCAA basketball.

Some are shocked others might be surprised, I have friends who work at Kansas University I also have colleagues who are fans of the basketball program, truth is I have kinfolk too. Recently I was standing in line at a local BBQ restaurant and walking in my friend. I was the one who mentioned the Mizzou and Kansas loss in the NCAA, we both expressed our disappointment and then Jim told me a story which had both of us laughing. He said, “I met Dennis Gates right after he got here.” Jim proceeds to tell me the story Gates saw the Jayhawk lapel pin on his suit jacket, he immediately said “We are coming after you guys.” Jim and I both had a laugh about the story. I said, “He’s coming at you about your association with the program.” 

Speak it

There are things we desire and there is a belief that a segment of folks believe you can speak whatever it is into existence. That might be the hope for a sector of the populace in San Antonio who identify as Spurs fans. The Spurs have long been out of the playoff picture, as the season is in its final days thoughts of the NBA Draft are on the mind of Spurs Nation. As this is written the Pistons have the worst won-loss record in the association followed by the Rockets and finally the Spurs. The lottery is weighted in favor of the team with the worst won-loss record.

If the season ended today the Pistons would have the most ping-pong balls in the hopper followed by the Rockets and Spurs. Despite that fact the Spurs intend to speak to Victor Wembanyama in Silver and Black. An artist in the city has painted a mural of the French teen in a Spurs jersey, the mural is placed in front of a San Antonio restaurant. I read this comment a week ago by Wembanyama, he said it doesn’t matter. Whatever team drafts him just being in the NBA is okay for him. Technically speaking the youngster is correct, you can be drafted by a team with a “bad front office” or a “bad team.” Despite that fact you only must live in that city 6 months of the year so just being drafted ensures you are a winner.

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The man deserves it

I could be incorrect on this; it appears the University of Texas is going to remove the interim tag from Rodney Terry’s name and hire him as head coach. Nothing official has been announced to date, in addition the dollar numbers are yet to be publicized or the actual hire at this point. Terry’s performance this season was certainly noteworthy based on what he and Texas were able to accomplish. You are familiar with the story but just a brief reminder.   

Former Texas head coach Chris Beard had been suspended in December over a domestic violence charge. In January the school decided to part ways with Beard rather than wait for a possible trial. The charges were later dropped against Beard but it was too late for him since the school decided it’s intent was to go in another direction. As associate head coach Terry took over the program and guided Texas to a Final Eight round where they lost to Miami. I have no idea if this guy can recruit, we know he can coach based on his job performance up through this past weekend. (The hire is now official, a 5-year contract). 

That day has come

I attempt to refrain from dwelling on negative stuff but it does exist. When it exists its covered although it’s always been my plan “To hit it and Quit it” as James Brown might say. This has been mentioned in the past so it’s not exactly a new subject for me. I’ve never been a fan of Patrick Beverley, the belief by me he’s always been more mouth than actual talent. At the time the Lakers decided to trade for him my first thought, “What in the world are they trying to accomplish?”

I can state in February when Beverley was traded, I said to myself “good.” He touts himself as a great defender but that’s his mouth more than actual fact. Criticism has been leveled at players in this blog in the past, however I’ve never referred to any of them as clowns. That goes away today with this announcement, Patrick Beverley is a clown. “I was a spoon and they used me as a fork” was the comment he made about his time with the Lakers. I will leave you to decide what he meant by that statement and end it here.

It’s the NIL, transfer portal or something else

The world is aware of this declaration, UConn is the only one of the Final Four to win an NCAA Championship. The Huskies have won four, the last occurring in 2014. As for the others Florida Atlantic, San Diego State and Miami have never been crowned NCAA Champions. Other than UConn is there a reason for a different number of potential winners? You’ve heard and read plenty on this so what I am about to add is not going to be different. In fact in some instances it might read the same as one of the talking heads you’ve heard. There was no cataclysmic shift in college basketball, several of the “Blue Blood” programs could have won however they were outplayed at a crucial time in their games.

One area I believe might have been missed is the coaching, a few veteran coaches might have missed making that key move. You and I saw turnovers at key in opportune times costing that team(s) a win, I could make the same statement regarding missed shots. In conclusion it’s probable college basketball has been impacted by the NIL, transfer portal but certainly not to the degree some wish to believe. There is information to share which you might find interesting. Should San Diego State win it won’t be a first championship, in 1941 the school was NAIA Champion victorious over a field of 32 teams. Years later the school moved to Division II and finally became a Division I program. One other note, Florida Atlantic and the University of Miami are located about an hour’s drive from one another. FAU is located in Boca Raton and Coral Gables is home to the University of Miami.

I cannot validate this story

This was said to have occurred, in the 1984 NBA Draft the world was aware the Rockets with the number one pick would choose Hakeem Olajuwon from the University of Houston. The Blazers held the second pick and were unsure who they should choose. That particular draft was quite deep with talent including Charles Barkley and Sam Perkins among the number. In addition there was the talented 7-foot 1-inch Big Man Sam Bowie from Kentucky, in addition Carolina’s Michael Jordan was also believed to be a budding star, so what happened?

A Blazer official was reported to have contacted Bobby Knight then Indiana basketball coach, “Who should we draft was the question” by a Blazer official? “Draft Michael Jordan” was supposed to have been the word from Knight. There was pushback from the Blazers with this response from the Blazers, “We need a center.” Knight said, “Draft Jordan and play him at center.” If this actually occurred Knight wasn’t suggested Jordan become a center it’s my belief, he saw in advance the raw talent of MJ and might have believed you can’t pass on this guy. Draft the athlete with the greatest potential even if there is no position for him to play.

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Is the NBA in his future

There's an old saying, "Big Men must prove they CAN'T play, little men must prove they CAN." An outstanding NCAA Tournament and it's possible K-State's Markquis Nowell could see himself in the NBA. Yes, he stands but 5 foot 8 and 160 pounds but he's got the heart of a player much larger than himself.  I'm seeing a few mock draft sites claiming he might receive a look from the NBA. If that's not the case surely, he might have a future in Europe or Australia. Nowell has become a hero to every little man in the nation, perhaps even the world.

Re-seed

I posted this on my social media page yesterday, did anybody mention re-seed the tournament? Next week the nation will crown the 2023 NCAA Champion. We have a choice between two number 5 seeds (San Diego State/Miami (FL), one a four seed (UConn) and the other a 9 seed (FAU). Don’t you think the committee did a bang-up job with their seeding process? I cannot remember a time when the field was this wide open as to who becomes the NCAA Champion. I have an early indication of the winner but I’m afraid to mention a school for fear you will laugh at me for picking the wrong school.

Undefeated you say

The Kentucky Wildcats might have come nearest to an undefeated season. In the 2014-15 season they went through the season without a single loss, many including me was hoping for them to finish the season without a blemish. That would not be, Kentucky lost in the Final Four to Wisconsin finishing with 38 wins and the one loss.  In 2020-21 it would be Gonzaga attempting to win the NCAA Championship undefeated. They would lose in the Finals to Baylor and finished 31-1.

That was the recent history of Division I basketball but what about Division II that would be a slightly different story. Nova Southeastern, located in Fort Lauderdale (FL) beat West Liberty 111-101, West Liberty is in West Liberty West Virginia Division II has seen undefeated champions more recently than Division I in fact there have been 5 undefeated champions the most recent Northwest Missouri State 38-0 in the 2018-19 season. Prior to that it was the 2008-09 season when Findlay finished 36-0 in winning the Division II Championship. 

What do you think

From an unknown period of time the ESPN NBA box score contains a +/- placed in front of a players point total. It reads: “+/= denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.” To my knowledge this issue pre-dates analytics I believe there are questions on my part. The box for a recent Rockets game details three players scoring 20 or more points, all three are -20. In other words they were on the floor when the opposition succeeded in outscoring the team.

There is no requirement to inform you of this, basketball remains a team sport. More interesting to me not a single Rockets player is given a +, there are 10 players all receiving -scores. Was the margin of the score the deciding factor in the +/- analysis? The Rockets were losers against the Grizzlies 151-114. The final statement of fact, I could understand and appreciate this “measurement” if I located other sites using a similar tool. I first noticed this on the ESPN NBA page but have since discovered SI.com uses a similar tool. I don’t understand analytics either so the +/- is placed next to it. 

Magic Johnson in the…NFL

Some might be aware the NFL Washington Commanders are on the market. It’s being reported Magic Johnson has joined a group interested in purchasing the team. Magic is an owner with the baseball Dodgers, it’s stated he owns 2.3% of the team. The 2022 Forbes value of the Dodgers is an estimated $4.08 billion, you do the math if you care to determine how much Magic must have contributed to the purchase. The announcement provided us with no indication of the amount Magic had to guarantee to be part of the group attempting to purchase the Commanders. It is unlikely to occur but should the Buss family decide someday to sell the Lakers more than likely Magic Johnson would be at the front of the line hoping to purchase the team he once wore number 32.

Only important to me

I should have known some of this, I didn’t realize since Mizzou basketball began play in 1906-07 there have been a number of conference changes. In that first season Mizzou played as an Independent but back then there probably wasn’t a great number of conferences. The following season the school would become a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and remained in the Valley until the 1928-29 season. That year Mizzou would join the conference they would remain in until 2012-13. The conference didn’t always contained the same number of teams, as an example was the Big 6 Conference at the time.

In 1947-48 it became the Big 7 adding an additional team, this configuration would last until 1957-58 when another team was added becoming the Big 8. The conference would remain with 8 members until the Southwest Conference went out of business. In the 1996-97 season most of the defunct Southwest Conference teams were additions and it would become the Big XII. In 2012-13 Mizzou departed the Big XII for the SEC dissolving a conference affiliation dating back to the 1928 season some 84 years. At the time the move occurred I was opposed based on finding no common denominator with other SEC teams. Since that time I have become accustomed to playing Arkansas, Kentucky and the others. As with the rate of current movement it is possible Mizzou might move again although no such plan exist currently.   

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No number one

I’m not providing news; you were aware of this fact prior to reading this assessment. For the first time since 1979 when seeding first begun there is no number one remaining in the Elite Eight. Two number one’s Houston and Alabama both lost on the same evening. I’ve asked the opinion of several friends and their views vary but they are saying the same thing, this paraphrases their comments. It was said “Some Division I teams believe they are better than a mid-major team they might face.”

Power 5 teams such as Kentucky, Duke, UCLA and Kansas along with others no longer strike fear in the heart of opponents at tournament time. Maybe a portion of the leveling of competition is a result of increased participation in AAU basketball. It matters not if you played at Murray State or Tennessee, you’ve played against a player or maybe two or three on the same team. This statement has been made recently and it will be repeated again, the seeding part will always exist. After a 15 seed wins a game do, we truly consider it an upset?  

Speaking of the NCAA Tournament

I informed you no bracket this year for me but I had interesting pushback. A co-worker asked me who I thought would be the NCAA Champ, I didn’t hesitate in my response, I said UConn and he looked as though he was saying what is wrong with this guy. I followed that up by saying “It could be Alabama, Texas or Houston.” As this is written the only teams that remain standing are Texas and UConn. Reminds me of the Jamie Foxx commercial, “Always go with your gut” when placing a bet. In this instance no money will exchange hands, I could be wrong because Saturday morning Texas remains in play too.

Next

If you’ve followed the NBA or Thunder any length of time you are aware of this information. The Thunder managed to assemble a group of talented players, it was accomplished through the draft and trades. Who were they, different city but same GM, it was Seattle and the Sonics drafted Kevin Durant. Durant spent his rookie year in the Emerald City and in his second year was in OKC. I’m unsure of the order, however Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Steven Adams along with Serge Ibaka and other draft picks were later added.    

There was a period when the Thunder added numbers of veteran talent in the name of Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. The team moving from a pseudo expansion franchise began a steady climb in the standings. The 2012 team played for the NBA Championship losing to the Heat, from that point through the 2019-20 season they were plus .500 and playoff contenders. The last two seasons have witnessed the Thunder finishing below .500 but change is in the air. Thanks to skillful and talented draft choices (Josh Giddey) along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander obtained in a trade they are moving. The Thunder might earn a playoff berth this season, if not it certainly will occur next season.

Junior College basketball

I’ve covered this subject previously; junior college basketball fails to attract the attention of Division I ball. You do realize a significant number of NBA players began their basketball careers at a junior college. Three that come to mind are Heat guard Jimmy Butler who played at Marquette but first played at Tyler Junior College in Tyler Texas. We also have Jae Crowder of the Bucks, Crowder played at South Georgia Tech in Americus and later at Howard College in Big Spring (TX). From Howard he arrived at Marquette and eventually the NBA. Prior to Oregon State it was Salt Lake Community College for the Warriors Gary Payton II.

Those names are just a few of the present-day NBA players who came from the junior college ranks. How about the present day, on Saturday NW Florida State Niceville (FL) number 7 in the nation was matched against John A. Logan College from Carterville (IL) number 1 for the National Junior College Men’s Basketball Championship. In a hard-fought contest John A. Logan managed to beat NW Florida State 73-70. Mizzou has a committed player in the game, guard Curt Lewis is headed for Mizzou in the fall. This 6-foot 5-inch shooting guard scored 18 points but after scoring 27 points in the victory over Tallahassee on Friday he shot poorly in the championship game. It’s possible after a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday game Lewis just plain ran out of gas. In any event keep in mind a number of players begin their basketball careers at a nearby junior college.    

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It matters not where you start, it’s more important where you end 

Dennis Gates at Mizzou and Jerome Tang at K-State share a common trait. Both were hired in the same year and they certainly tasted success in their first season. I’ve covered Gates how about a bit of coverage on Tang. Similar to 98% of you I’d never heard of Jerome Tang until K-State hired him last spring. Let’s check out some stuff about him, stuff I believe you’d find interesting. He was born in the Caribbean Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago 56 years ago.

His parents moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands when he was 10 and from there to Texas. From all indications Tang never played the sport but after graduating college became head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland Texas. He went from high school coach at Heritage to Baylor when Scott Drew hired him in 2003 as an assistant, Tang would become associate head coach of the Baylor program in 2017. March 1, 2022, he was named head coach of K-State replacing Bruce Weber. Now we all know where Jerome Tang’s been in the past, where he’s headed…the sky is the limit.

The top NBA teams 

In this instance we are not discussing standings or even playoff position of the teams. We are examining their net worth, how about a Top 10 list of NBA franchises. The list is compiled based on data provided by Sportico’s total valuations. As for the team in the number one position it’s a surprise to me and you, this team replaces the Knicks. Keep in mind there is a B representing billions in net worth after each of the franchises listed.

Golden State Warriors $7.56  

New York Knicks $6.58

Los Angeles Lakers $6.44

Chicago Bulls $4.09

Boston Celtics $3.92

Brooklyn Nets $3.86

Los Angeles Clippers $3.73

Toronto Raptors $3.34

Houston Rockets $3.3

Dallas Mavs $3.26

It was reported earlier Michael Jordan intends to sell his majority portion of the Hornets. MJ would retain shares in the team but would reduce his partnership role. Although the amount he owns and its value is unclear let’s check out a few things. MJ purchased his share for $245 million and according to Sportico the Hornets net worth is $1.77 billion. Exactly how much he’d clear on any sale is unknown however we could state MJ will remain a rich man. We can easily conclude this is an age when only those with deep pockets can afford to own an NBA team. Back in 1983 the Kansas City Kings franchise was purchased by Sacramento interests and moved. The reported sell price for the team back then was $10.5 million, even more interesting there are always deep pocketed individuals ready to purchase NBA teams.  

A bunch of moving parts

That’s what I’ve got to title this story because of all the suspects. We have the Pete Maravich scoring record, we also have Antoine Davis Detroit Mercy guard. The other moving parts are the 14-19 record Detroit Mercy registered in 2022-23 and Jaeson Maravich eldest son of Pete. The last moving part is the College Basketball Invitational which is a “pay to play” post-season tournament. Now for the balance of the story, Davis is upset because he didn’t have the opportunity to break the Maravich record coming up 4 points short. In addition he’s annoyed for another reason, he claims the tournament received letters persuading them to not invite Detroit Mercy.

Detroit Mercy with a losing record the question should be why they would be invited anyway, just to see Davis break a record which would be tainted in my view. Jaeson Maravich stated there was no argument against Davis he is upset the tournament would even consider inviting Detroit Mercy. Just for the record let’s check the numbers again. The late Pete Maravich scored 3,667 points in three seasons while enrolled at LSU, freshmen were ineligible at that time he played. As for Davis he scored 3,664 points in five seasons at Detroit Mercy, he like others was granted an extra year due to covid. Maravich had no three-point line since it wasn’t added until 1986, Maravich concluded play in 1970 at LSU. Davis was the beneficiary of scoring additional points due to this rule change. I said it at the time and will say it again IF the record had been broken it would have been blemished anyway.

Can he play

Once upon a time the only consideration for the NBA “Can he play the game.” The NBA grew because of this, quality players from HBCU schools arrived by the dozens in the ‘50’s, 60’s and into the ‘70’s. Who were they, Sam Jones of the Celtics who played at North Carolina College (now University). Then we had Earl “The Pearl” Monroe of the Bullets and Knicks, he came into the NBA from Winston-Salem State. We add Willis Reed from Grambling to the list, those names are just three of the tidal wave from HBCU institutions. There would be others, the schools themselves might not be small in student enrollment however they generally were not considered prime territory for finding NBA talent.

We could begin with Larry Bird Indiana State, Steve Nash Santa Clara, Scottie Pippen Central Arkansas or George Gervin Eastern Michigan. Steph Curry might be the best pure shooter in a generation, he played at Davidson. We had “The Chief”, Robert Parrish at Centenary College (now University), he was a key contributor to the success of the Celtics during the Bird era. How about Jack Sikma who played at NAIA Illinois Wesleyan or Rik Smits from Marist College in upstate New York. We could include the late Bill Russell in our account since he attended the University of San Francisco. Some might consider Elgin Baylor (6 foot 5) the most prolific rebounder for his size in NBA history, Baylor played at Seattle University. This is only a thumbnail look at a number of outstanding talent that played at smaller schools and in some instances schools that were not considered prime territory for producing NBA talent.

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Is this the real Lakers

The Lakers faced the Suns who were minus Kevin Durant, what should Laker Nation expect. We certainly got more than expected as they finished off the Suns 122-111. It makes most of us wonder “What happened pre-trade deadline?” The Lakers haven’t set the world on fire but have played so much better despite the fact LeBron James has been missing for a time. Austin Reaves was inserted into the starting lineup, and he responded with 25 points and 11 assists. Also contributing to the win was D’Lo with 26 points and 8 assists along with Anthony Davis 27 points and 9 rebounds. 

The Lakers were en fuego for the game shooting a sizzling 55.7% from the floor along with 47.1% from three. I admit it, I was fooled by the summer and fall moves made by the Lakers. I mistakenly believed they were ready to compete for an NBA Championship. The tradeline deadline moves have caused me to grin from ear to ear, will they earn a playoff berth now? It appears currently they will be in the play in however the team apparently wants the 8^th or 9^th playoff spot. Can they, do it? The next few weeks will truly tell the story. If they don’t earn a playoff berth they are in a position to do great damage in the Western Conference next season.

Big Man play

Sometimes stories are blended into another, that is the case here. Tell me if you’ve heard this previously, “A Big Man must prove he can’t play while a little man must prove he can.” I have no idea who originated that statement, but it is pretty much true. As evidence most of you are aware of the sparkling game K-State point guard Marquis Nowell registered against Kentucky in their recent game. Nowell scored 27 points on 50% shooting from the floor (37.5% from three) and dished out 9 assists. His game was key to their victory over Kentucky 75-69. John Calipari might wish to have taken back his comment. When asked about the game, among the things he said was “That little guy” referring to Nowell. I’ll save yup, from looking it up this Harlem New York point guard stands 5 feet 8 inches and weighs 160 pounds.

But what about Mizzou, that was a swift move on my part in another direction. The writers of Rock M Nation are looking at the transfer portal for potential additions for Mizzou next season. My focus was post play because that was certainly one area that could stand improvement. One of the names mentioned was Jamarion Sharp 7-foot 5-inch center at Western Kentucky. It was pointed out Mizzou has yet to reach out to him but tried last season. For unknown reasons Sharp turned the Tigers down…is it worth it to contact him again? The guy that looks good to me is Elijah Hutchings-Everett who played at Austin Peay. Hutchings-Everett stands 6 foot 11 and checks in at 255 pounds, his numbers while certainly not outstanding, look good.

There is one additional post player I’d certainly desire Mizzou check out. Fardaws Aimaq played at Texas Tech this past season after playing at Utah Valley. His numbers at Utah Valley were outstanding at Tech not so much as he battled injuries, he was only able to play 11 games. Who remains, how about Mohamed Diarra 6-foot 10 post player, he registered minutes and even started a few games for Mizzou. Diarra after playing at a community college now realizes what is required to play in the SEC. We close with Mabor Majak, a 7-foot 2 245-pound center, although he came with Dennis Gates from Cleveland State, he hardly saw the floor. Can Majak be ready for a breakout year, as Keenan might say “It depends on his mindset.”

I didn’t read it, only the headline

The Joker is an outstanding talent, he’s been league MVP for two consecutive seasons now. I believe it’s time Joel Embiid supersede him, please note I didn’t say he was better than Jokic. George Karl has bothered me for a time, in recent years the former NBA player and coach has become a hater. I had to state that upfront before proceeding with this account. Although it’s not set in stone most of the numbers express the belief Sixer post Big Man Joel Embiid should be NBA MVP.

That might be the prevailing thought except by Karl, I didn’t read his account only the headline and it expressed his belief Embiid did not deserve the award. Fast forward to Thursday and I read Tim Legler ESPN basketball analyst view of the subject. Legs as he is nicknamed didn’t share Karl’s view and that makes me feel good for a couple of reasons. The chief reason I’m no fan of Karl but you might be inclined to lean toward a former player and coach over my opinion. I can counter that with the opinion of my guy Legler former NBA player and analyst. 

A new MSG

There will be a new Madison Square Garden at some point in the future. What I’m reading this is so far in the future a projected date cannot even be estimated. In Kansas City we opened a new airport at the end of February 2023, it took what seemed like two years before an initiative was even placed on the ballot for a vote. Much earlier I can remember the same sequence of events prior to Sprint Center (now T-Mobile) and the Power & Light Entertainment District ready for citizens to vote on the proposal. We are close to two million in area population but a little over half a million inside the city limits.       

I can imagine in New York City with its population, politics and other special interest groups it’s probably 10-15 times more difficult than Kansas City to move urban projects along. This is more than the Knicks and Rangers playing in a 60-year-old arena, urban development is screaming loudly DO SOMETHING. I will attempt to follow this story as best I can as it continues to develop, I make that statement because a new arena will be built someday but nobody has an idea of the date. I followed the progress (or lack of) with Barclays Center, it seemed like it was 4-5 years the project was “stalled” before ground was finally broken on the arena.    

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He’s at the front of the line

A number of college and international players are thinking of the 2023 NBA Draft. Taylor Hendricks is saying not only am I thinking about the NBA draft I’m doing something about it. The 6 foot 9 inch 210 pound Taylor becomes the first to declare for the draft. Taylor a UCF freshman decided it was time to move to the next level…the NBA. Three mock draft sites predict Taylor as a first round choice so he’s hired an attorney in preparation.

Who were they

You’ve read the account, the late Willis Reed hit the first two shots he took in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Championship. Reed went to the bench and didn’t re-appear for the balance of the game although the Knicks won the championship easily thanks to two Knicks. Neither of them are named Walt Frazier although his scoring and assists were key to the win. Replacing Reed in the lineup was the Bowman/Stallworth tandem. These two would face off against 7-foot 1 inch Wilt Chamberlain.

Nate Bowman would be considered a journeyman NBA player, the 6-foot 10 Bowman played his college basketball at Wichita State and the Bulls prior to the Knicks. Bowman would battle Chamberlain and then turn over the job to teammate Dave Stallworth. Stallworth gave up even more height since he only stood 6 foot 7, it’s ironic but he too played at Wichita State. Nobody stopped Chamberlain but these two managed to hold their on despite the fact they only scored 10 points, 4 by Stallworth and 6 by Bowman. Two unsung heroes who died much earlier but were instrumental in the Knicks winning that first NBA Championship.

Pay the man please

History sometimes tends to repeat itself, in this case I hope that is not the outcome. Some might remember the Lakers lost valued reserve Alex Caruso to the Bulls. They either couldn’t or wouldn’t match or exceed what was available to him on the open market. Has the loss of Caruso changed the Lakers, we can debate that although he was a valued reserve. Once again, the Lakers find themselves in a similar situation this time it’s shooting guard Austin Reaves. You remember his story I hope, coming out of Oklahoma he informed NBA teams “Don’t draft me, I prefer to choose my own team.”

The team of choice would become my Lakers. His rookie year the 6-foot 5-inch Reaves proved he had swag and lived for the moment; I remember one game he took the winning shot as the clock was ticking down. Reaves sophomore year has provided us proof he continues to work on his game or is it just adjusting to the NBA? Whatever the case in Sunday’s game against the Magic these are his numbers. Emerging off the bench he scored a career high 35 points on 64% shooting from the floor. Also included was 6 rebounds and 6 assists key to the 111-105 win over the Magic. I have no idea what it make take for Reaves to remain in Purple and Gold I can only say please, please.   

Focus on something else

Those outside the Kansas City metro are unaware of this story. The sports talk radio guys are stoking the flames regarding Eric Musselman. It seems they were offended with the behavior of the Arkansas coach after his team’s victory on Saturday. You might have seen Musselman pull off his shirt in celebration of the win but that was the problem. Kansas fans believe he was shaming them and their team. I say Kansas fans need to get over it, evidently, they can dish it out but cannot accept it.

It’s okay for them to razz Mizzou fans when the shoe is on the other foot that’s a different matter. I cannot detail for you all the time Kansas fans have given us their opinion on a Mizzou game when the teams are not facing one another. I thought some of the animosity would cease once the teams were in different conferences but that has not been the case. Anytime the subject is mentioned its always “Mizzou fans writing the letters or making the disparaging comments.” That truly could be the case, however I try in this blog to cover what I believe is relative and not personal. We shall see if this story leaves in a few days, I will keep you posted.

Change the name please  

I’m sure those in Dub Nation will not be satisfied reading this but here goes. Ownership should change the team name to back to the San Francisco Warriors, allow me to explain my reasoning. The Pistons until recently played home games at Auburn Hills about 50 miles from downtown Detroit. They never became the Auburn Hills Pistons, Detroit remained in front of Pistons. Let’s check the history, in 1962 the Philadelphia Warriors moved to San Francisco and took on the name of the city. Over the course of time the team played in various arenas around the Bay, never having a true home.

In 1971 the team began to play in Oakland and at that point they were retitled the Golden State Warriors. It’s clearly understandable why the name change, the team was playing in Oakland and the prevailing thought might have been “We cannot be the San Francisco Warriors if our home arena is not in the city. This name would remain in place and then came the news. A new arena which became the Chase Center was planned, the building was across the Bay. The Warriors returned to San Francisco and their new home in 2019, I thought a name change would occur again. That was not to be I guess fans are comfortable with Golden State in front of the Warriors name.

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The Captain

On the drive home from work I’m listening to the sports news of the day. Radio guy read, “Legendary Knick center Willis Reed died today.” I thought back a moment, Reed was the heart and soul of his team in the 1960’s through 1974 a total of 10 seasons. Reed drafted from Grambling State in 1964 got off to a swift start in his rookie year being named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1965. It would be the 1970 NBA Championship where his star might have shone brightest. It was Game 7 of the NBA Finals; the game would be played at Madison Square Garden and the gathering crowd was apprehensive. It was more than Game 7 jitters; Reed had been injured with a severe thigh injury and didn’t play in Game 6.

It was believed Reed would miss Game 7 as the Knicks were on the court warming up before the start.  Just before the start of the game Reed came walking out to the court. Once the game started Reed hit his first two baskets and the four points would be his only scoring for the game, but it was enough. The Knicks inspired by Reeds play went on to beat the Lakers as Wilt Chamberlain was guarded by a succession of much smaller Knicks. Walt “Clyde” Frazier took up the slack scoring 36 points along with 19 assists as the Knicks won Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Championship 113-99. The Knicks won an additional championship in 1973 with Reed again being a vital key. I cannot do justice to Willis Reed there are so many noteworthy events during his basketball career. I’ll just close by stating Reed’s enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame, he was a giant aside from his 6-foot 10-inch height, R.I.P. sir.

Coaching change

Ed Cooley left Providence to take over the Georgetown program, Providence needs a coach maybe. This might not be official yet however a Rhode Island television station is reporting the school has settled on the Cooley replacement. They intend to hire Kim English former Mizzou basketball player turned coach. English has turned the basketball program around at George Mason in just his second year at the helm. As soon as the English hire is affirmed this story will be updated, English at 34-years of age might be the youngest head coach in Division I basketball.

Where is he headed

I guess we can debate the success or lack thereof regarding Emoni Bates. After an uninspired freshman season at Memphis he returned home and began play for Eastern Michigan. His numbers were certainly satisfactory (19.5 points along with 5.8 rebounds a game) however the less than poor play of the team had most of us scratching our heads. EMU failed to qualify for the conference tournament with their overall 8-23 record. Despite that negative Bates was selected to the third team of the Mid-America Conference by the coaches. Where does the once highly touted Bates head next, according to the broadcaster for the team he believes it won’t be EMU?

He indicates his belief Bates is headed for the NBA or G-League. We’ve heard nothing from Bates camp at the time this is written. Earlier I reported Bate’s name’s been listed as a second-round draft choice on a number of mock draft sites. We realize mock draft sites are not always an indication of certainty, but they often come somewhat close. My only hope is Bates makes the decision in his best interest. As this was completed, I decided to examine several mock draft sites, I checked out four and all list Bates as a second-round choice. Insert disclaimer here, as all are aware mock drafts are not always accurate especially in the late stages of the first round and into the second. It does appear at least the NBA has eyes on Bates, whether that translates will not be known until June.

Inside his head

Kentucky’s John Calipari doesn’t require me to defend his reputation but I’m going to do it anyway. It’s my conviction it’s impossible to “get inside” someone’s head and decide what they are thinking. The opinion voiced is more important than what we believe and that includes me. In this instance we are discussing Kentucky’s John Calipari. His Kentucky team losing to Kansas State made him ripe for attack and this is what we heard from radio guy. Radio guy claims “Jerome Tang recruits players for his system while Calipari recruits NBA talent. He’s not recruiting kids who play the game today. He likes the idea of informing kids I can get you in the NBA.”

I can agree with a portion of radio guy’s statement, the game has changed there is more emphasis on shooting the three etc. etc. I cannot debate how good an X and O guy Calipari is but this I believe. Prospects can look at the number of Kentucky players in the NBA but that’s only part of this discussion. Radio guy is informing his audience his belief Calipari has not made adjustments in his coaching style. He basis his belief on the fact Kentucky has failed to advance very far in the tournament in recent seasons. Radio guy fails to see the Big Picture, college teams are more competitive than ever. The driven competition has caused Calipari teams to come up short, radio guy it’s more than simply recruiting NBA players.

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Coulda woulda, shoulda

I intended to leave this subject alone, it’s been a source of sports conversation since Saturday evening. Kansas Coach Bill Self was not present for the Arkansas game. The medical procedure he underwent last week kept him sideline and we must believe the medical staff advised him to not return to coaching. That’s the problem the Jayhawks lost a close game 72-71, they could have won the game but came up short.

All I’ve heard since late Saturday is this. “If Bill Self had been on the bench, he’s worth one or two points” or this one, “Bill Self wouldn’t have taken the timeout as Norm Roberts did.” Let’s check out a couple of facts, Texas which is still alive in the tournament beat Kansas twice in the span of 8 days. Self was on the bench for both losses, evidently his presence didn’t help. Roberts is not Self, but the long-time assistant has seen plenty of action over the years. If Self had been on the bench the outcome coulda change or maybe it woulda or it shoulda. Shocking as this might sound, I feel sorry for Kansas players, they put forth their best effort. As for those who make excuses for the loss get over it.

Coaching news

St John’s is expected to hire Rick Pitino former longtime Louisville coach and currently at Iona. In the meantime the fired coach Mike Anderson indicates he intends to sue St. John’s over his firing. I’m going to leave that one to the courts to decide. Ed Cooley who’s been at Providence for the last 12 seasons is reported to replace Patrick Ewing at Georgetown. Texas remains in the hunt for the NCAA Championship so it will be a while before the school makes a decision. I’m reading there is a mix of thoughts regarding Rodney Terry, perhaps that might be the basis for the interim tag never being removed.

Maybe Texas moved too fast in firing Rick Barnes but that’s another story. Former NBA player Damon Stoudemire was hired as head coach at Georgia Tech, I mentioned this earlier long-time Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is gone replaced by his top assistant Adrian Autry. A number of jobs remain open, and these teams are attempting to find that right coach to hire. We in the middle of the country know it’s possible, Kansas State and Mizzou struck gold with the hire of Jerome Tang and Dennis Gates. Tang was a long-time assistant at Baylor, the story was different for Gates. He arrived at Mizzou from mid-major Cleveland State so hopefully these other teams will look far and wide to fill out their head coaching positions.

Why   

Local sports television and talk radio is amazing, they chatter as if Mizzou losing to Princeton is the worst thing in the world. Surely, I’m disappointed, Mizzou Nation is saddened but look where this team came from in under a year. Mizzou was projected by the media to finish near the bottom of the SEC and look where they finished. In the loss to Princeton they failed to provide us any brand-new information. We knew ahead of time Mizzou didn’t rebound the ball well, we knew in advance Mizzou didn’t defend the three. Then I thought back to last March and at the time I wondered, what would this collection of players from all over the nation be able to accomplish.

In truth the hope on my part was a .500 season, anything beyond that would be extra but I certainly wasn’t looking for the additional. The non-conference schedule in my words didn’t appear imposing, only Kansas and Illinois appeared to be wrecking balls for Mizzou. Fast forward to the present, this coach and this team have exceeded my wildest expectations. An NCAA invite in Gates first year on the job, this bodes well for the future of the program. It’s wonderful to recruit McDonalds All Americans or lottery bound NBA talent but that’s not really necessary. Gates has proven to me and maybe you talent abounds other than with 5-star kids. Save us, quit talking about how Mizzou lost the game. I believe the culture has changed regarding Mizzou basketball; I am excited for the future of the program despite the negatives I’m hearing from the local sports crew.

MVP, MVP  

You’ve heard MVP chanted at NBA Arenas across the nation. This season I believe it will be Joel Embiid Sixer center, the 7-foot Big Man might be having the best season of his career. It seemed such a short time ago he was that fresh faced kid we saw play at the University of Kansas. Many NBA fans don’t realize Embiid only spent his freshman year at Kansas, many like me believed he should have remained in school another year. I realize we are in the age of “go get your money” which Embiid did in 2014 becoming the third pick by the Sixers.

Early in his NBA career injuries sidelined him for extended periods but when healthy he’s been a dominate force. There was a change in his life last year which had nothing to do with basketball, in September 2022 Embiid originally from the African nation of Cameroon became an American citizen. Question, because Embiid is an American citizen do we place him with the international team or American? Just kidding folks, the 7-foot 280-pound Embiid is a genuine player no matter what nation he might represent. We do have a detractor regarding MVP Embiid, that is former NBA coach George Karl. I’m not going to detail his reasoning but just say to you I believe its whack.

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Best in the State of Kansas

I have my doubts if the most loyal Jayhawk fan would argue with me. The best college team in the state is the Kansas State Wildcats, they beat the other Wildcat team the one from Kentucky 75-69 on Sunday.  I’m quite sure Jayhawk loyalist will proclaim “If Bill Self had been there the outcome in the Arkansas game might have been different.” I cannot disagree with that statement however there is no way to prove it. After all Kansas lost twice to Texas in the space of 7 days with Self on the bench. As for Kansas State I thought they were playing at a high level anyway, Jerome Tang has managed to raise the level of play even more. Oscar Tshiebwe allowed Kentucky to have a huge advantage in rebounds.

Double-double machine Tshiebwe scored 25 points along with 18 rebounds, Cason Wallace also had a good game for Kentucky but that was about it. Markquis Nowell is totally amazing at the point, this 5-foot 8-inch point guard led the way for Kansas State scoring 27 points along with 9 assists. Nowell was 50% from the floor shooting and 37.5% was from the 3-line, three other Kansas State players scored in double figures. Whenever you had a smallish player on the court one who excelled at the game there was a saying. “Don’t mind his size, dynamite also comes in small packages too” I certainly believe that statement reflects Nowell.

Prove it

I realize Kevin Durant has yet to make an appearance, but I have concerns about the play of the Suns at this time. I am not impressed by the look of the Suns thus far. They should be among the best in the NBA especially in the West, this is not a doom and gloom report 38 wins is a respectable number. Their win total places them behind the Nuggets, the surprising Kings and Grizzlies. Now that we’ve discussed the negative this is the good part of this account

The Suns will earn a playoff berth, they will not be forced to play all three of the teams to compete for the Western Conference Championship. As they often say it’s a long season perhaps the Suns are in cruise control. Don’t misunderstand that last statement, I’m not saying they are not giving their all-out effort. As this is written there remain about 2-3 weeks in the season. Perhaps Kevin Durant can become that spark needed to speed them up to a degree. The hope is the Suns can hold the present pace until Durant is able to return, the projected date for Durant to return to action currently is March 1.

Part Deux

If we look at the Field of Number one seeded teams, half the field has vanished. Purdue and Kansas both number one seeds have been eliminated before we reach the field of 32. Houston and Alabama remain, and both have exhibited shaky play thus far. Princeton (15) advances to the Sweet 16 after beating my Tigers (7). As for Kansas they were losers to the Arkansas Razorbacks (8). No one expected FDU to upset number one Purdue, yet it occurred. How about Pitt (11) beating Iowa State (6) and also included is Furman (13) over Virginia (4). Can that number of losses really be termed upsets?

Those games standout, looking back at the history an 8-9 match could hardly be considered an upset. I again offer the argument upset might not be the term to apply to tournament games this season and those of the recent past. We could use it during the conference season but once we begin play for the NCAA Championship, we can toss that term out the window. Why the upsets (if we wish to continue using the term) college basketball like other sports continues to evolve. There is not a single team that could dominate the game in the manner of John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty today. One of those changes I believe evident is the increase in utilization of the three-point line.

I witnessed it up close with the Mizzou Tigers, Dennis Gates re-built the team quickly after taking over. The Mizzou team might have deficiencies but one thing they did well most of the season…shoot the three. Once upon a time teams would drive for layups with an open court that no longer exists. One other factor similar to the NBA there’s been less emphasis on playing the game with traditional Big Men. We witnessed Zack Edey at Purdue and Arizona’s tall front line being neutralized in teams loss. On the other hand I could be completely off base in my study of the game. What do you think, is “upset” a valid term in 21^st Century college basketball?

Don’t tell me

My occupation requires I meet with the public on a daily basis what they wear especially sports apparel is of interest to me.  Of course you would imagine with a twice Super Bowl winning NFL team there is plenty of Chiefs apparel about even in the off season. I see a smaller number of Royals baseball stuff, but the soccer team Sporting Kansas City might have eclipsed the Royals in my unofficial tally. What about the NBA in my city you might ask?

At a point in time there was plenty of Bulls apparel about not so much anymore. Trust me on this one, the most apparel I see is Lakers. Behind them in order are Warriors, Grizzlies, Thunder, Hornets and Celtics things. I’ve seen few children or adults wearing Knicks, Heat, Spurs, Bucks or Wizards paraphernalia. This morning a customer walked into the building, and I noticed atop his head was a Seattle Sonics baseball cap, now there’s a real throwback. Despite no NBA team in my hometown since 1985 there remains a presence here.

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It’s been a good run

You live by the jump shot and you die by the jump shot, the old adage continues to apply. Mizzou couldn’t put the ball in the basket all afternoon and early evening. Princeton didn’t actually shoot that well, but they were good enough to beat these, Tigers 78-63. Those of us in Mizzou Nation now must look forward to August 2023 and the incoming class. This will not be an unknown this time, we are familiar with Dennis Gates, and this is what I expect next season.

A better rebounding Mizzou team and less emphasis on shooting from three. They are likely going to continue to attack the opposition with a pressing style defense. There are plenty of unknowns, they have a number of seniors but there is a belief several will return in the fall. This will still provide Mizzou with a veteran presence on the court. I have a fellow Mizzou friend, and this was his statement to me, “I don’t have the patience for freshmen to develop.” He is probably looking at the transfer portal and as we have seen not only at Mizzou and other locations the portal works. Despite the Saturday outcome the disappointment should soon leave.

Health

As humans we are generally concerned about our health especially when there appears a medical irregularity. As most are aware Kansas coach Bill Self has dealt with a recent health issue. This is written ahead of the Kansas-Arkansas game, the news is full of will he or won’t he. You will read this after we discover if Bill Self coached the Jayhawks yesterday or not. Your health is nothing to mess with especially since it appears this is heart related.

It would seem Self is sitting on top of the world based on his past coaching record. There is a factor we have no idea, that is the stress this job entails over time. It is important Self is able to return coaching the Jayhawks however his health is the prime consideration. Norm Roberts has served as an assistant for a number of years, he’s not a clone of Self but certainly has an idea what the head coach desires. The stakes are certainly higher however the head coach was on the sidelines for 7 games they lost this season. My final word…listen to the medical team, if they indicate it’s okay to coach so be it.

Victor Wembanyama

This is a different story on the French teen phenom or alien as LeBron calls him. We have a lottery in place to determine the top pick, ping pong balls placed in a hopper to govern the order of selection of a prospect. There is one other area to consider, teams making trades and giving up draft choices. That’s what occurred for the Lakers in acquiring Anthony Davis, they surrendered their first-round draft choice in the 2023 NBA Draft. Based on the Lakers stumbling out of the blocks and playing subpar basketball for much of the early season up till the All-Star break. It appeared the Pelicans might have an opportunity to draft Wembanyama due to the position of the Lakers. Of course this was not set in stone the Pelicans would have won the lottery first, but the possibility certainly existed.

After the All-Star break thanks to a few trades the Lakers have played improved basketball, on the other hand the reverse has occurred for the Pelicans. With Zion Williamson out at times and injuries to others the Lakers have passed them in the standings. Before you read something into this that is not there allow clarification. The Lakers might still miss the playoffs, they must still surrender the draft choice but there is a difference. As mentioned at the top unless the Pelicans lose the balance of their games it’s unlikely, they would have enough ping pong balls to change the outcome. There are doubts in my mind if Wembanyama would be available once we are past the third pick. At one time it appeared the Lakers might be giving the Pelicans the opportunity to draft Wembanyama but not now.

The Knicks are for real

Saturday’s game became win number 42 for the Knicks as they beat the Nuggets 116-110. In addition to solidifying their playoff position they have now won more games than any Knicks team dating back to 2012-13 season. Acquiring free agent Jalen Brunson has been key to the success however as you know basketball is a team game. The usual suspects Julius Randle and RJ Barrett have also been key contributors to better play this season.

Jason Hart and Emanuel Quickley have been valued reserves, Quickley stepped in while Brunson was out and provided valuable scoring and leadership. I don’t believe this Knicks team is equipped to compete for an NBA Championship, but next season might be a different story. While applauding the team I cannot overlook the coach, Tom Thibodeau has done a magnificent job providing leadership. The only negative is center Mitchell Robinson, the Big Man indicates he’d like to be involved more in the team’s offense. Other than this issue it appears the Knicks are prepared for success now and into the future.

Bits n Pieces 

We discuss upsets in the NCAA Tournament but is there really such a thing? This was the topic for a sports radio talk guy recently, he said “Upsets in the NCAA Tournament no longer exist.” He went on to explain the basis for his reasoning and I tend to agree. This 2023 tournament has witnessed team after team (other than my Mizzou Tigers) losing to a team with a higher seed. There is no single explanation except this one, parity. Talk all you want about Fairleigh Dickinson or Furman being mid-majors, they no longer exist. Let me not mislead, there are conferences that are tougher than others. As for the teams in a single elimination tournament not so much. I certainly am in no position to tell you to quit using the term an upset it’s just that I’m unsure it exists anymore.  

I have no vote in the MVP voting, last season I pronounced Joel Embiid MVP. Of course you realize he didn’t win, do I dare repeat my statement of last season….yes  I will. He is the 2023 NBA MVP, and his numbers speak volumes. For the last 10 games check this out, Embiid’s shot 60% from the floor. Almost 46% of that from the 3-point line this for a 7-foot Big Man. Part of that number included 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 block shots while averaging 35.7 points per game. Fans of the Joker are going to claim his numbers are comparable, I’m not going to argue that. I still believe Joel Embiid is this seasons NBA MVP.  

Stanford is The Cardinal, without checking I’m guessing it’s the bird. I have a question for you, we’ve seen a number of mascots NBA and college, but have we ever seen a tree? The information I located on the net claims the school doesn’t have an official mascot. If that’s the case, why do we see a student dressed as a “tree” on the sidelines at football and basketball games?