Basketball from a fan’s perspective

Division III basketball

During the NBA draft, don’t hold your breath waiting to hear a name from one of these schools. I discovered there are more than 436 schools competing at the Division III level. Just three of the top schools from their basketball record include Hampden-Sydney, Keene State and Oswego State. All those mentioned and scores of others play competitive basketball. There is a unique difference, competing at the Division III level, a student can earn a scholarship but it will not be an athletic one. These schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, if you are enrolled at a Division III school and play sports it’s because this is the school of your choice.

We are nearly at the halfway point of the collegiate season I thought it would be neat to take a look at a few of these schools. The first school mentioned is Hampden-Syndey located in Hampden-Syndey Virginia. They are 11-2 in the conference plus 19-2 overall. Keene State is 12-0 in their conference and 19-2 on the whole, the school is in Keene New Hampshire. Oswego State is located in Oswego New York on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Lakers are 13-0 in the conference and sport a 20-1 record. Right now you are thinking these guys are not talented enough to play in the NBA consider this story. Devean George attended Augsburg University in Minneapolis Minnesota a Division III school. George was a late first round pick in 1999 by the Lakers and managed to have an 11-year NBA career.

The NBA’s future

I have continued to chronicle what I consider the bright future of the NBA. There is expansion at some point in the future but currently the potential stars are the focus. I’ve written a great deal about Victor Wembanyama this season but he is not the only talented rookie. Although he’s out currently Dereck Lively II has shown flashes of brilliant play for the Mavs. We didn’t know what to expect from this 7-1 230-pound former Duke center but he appears to be a keeper. The Heat are certainly excited about adding guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. to their roster. The 6-6 guard played at UCLA but has been a valuable addition to the Heat rotation in his rookie season. Brandon Miller moved from the Alabama roster into a starters role with the Hornets, the 6-6 Miller has become the teams small forward.

The Thunder also have a tall one, 7-1 Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga also finds himself in the starting lineup. He’s proven quite a skillful shooter and 3-point threat and adds to a potent lineup for this team. There is one more rookie who impresses me, Brandin Podziemski. He’s a 6-4 guard who played at Santa Clara, although he’s in a reserve role with the Warriors he looks as if he too has all the necessary tools. These are the standout rookies to me for 2023-24 and the main reason I approach it from that standpoint is simple. There might be a first-year player biding his time until the opportunity to play presents itself. No matter the sport without the break to prove you can play at the NBA level how does anyone know? In closing I’m going to say this, be on the lookout for other rookies who might be included in this brief look at the rookie class.

Laker moves?

The reported moves by the Lakers appear to have slowly wilted away. One of the names mentioned the Lakers wanted to acquire was Zach LaVine of the Bulls, he sustained an injury recently. LaVine will undergo surgery and is expected to be out between 4-6 months from now. That certainly fails to fit the timeline of the Lakers, their desire is for a player to insert into the lineup immediately. There is another name we’ve continued to read, Dejounte Murray of the Hawks. A possible trade between the Lakers and Hawks has also died down but for a different reason.

There are reports indicating the Hawks want a third team added as a trading partner. The guy the Lakers appear to have fallen out of favor with is D’Angelo Russell, which is strange to me. He was acquired about this time last season. I along with you have no idea what is going on behind the scenes, are the Lakers truly intending to trade for Murray? We continue to read Austin Reaves has become an exclusive commodity, there is no desire by the Lakers to include him in any trade attempt. In conclusion don’t misunderstand I have no inside information, I’m unsure about you but sometimes I wonder if these accounts are media driven rather than the teams actually talking to one another.   

Georgetown basketball

Having the Hoyas on your schedule once struck fear in the heart of the opposition. Under Big John Thompson it seemed the school never produced great shooters but they played defense, boy could they play great defense. The Hoyas played what I’d describe as “belly button” resistance, simply stated all the fakes and moves in the world do you no good, concentration on the oppositions mid-section that’s the direction they intend to go. Georgetown won nearly 600 games under Thompson including an NCAA championship, all that ended when Thompson resigned January 8, 1999. 

The coach was replaced in succession by Craig Esherick, John Thompson II and Patrick Ewing. Although the school had a modicum of success it was nothing close to the good old days. The school turned to its best player Patrick Ewing however he could not turn the program around. After 6 losing seasons Ewing was fired and replaced by Ed Cooley hired from Providence. Cooley won nearly 250 games while head coach at Providence a clear indication he is a winner. I have no idea what the roster appeared like before the coach was replaced. As this is written the Hoyas remain a work in progress, Cooley needs at least one season to begin the process of turning the program around. He’s not been able to match the first-year success of Dennis Gates at Mizzou however I must state Mizzou’s coach sat a doggone high mark. Despite that fact given time Cooley will return Georgetown to winning ways.