Basketball from a fans perspective

Win or go home

How many times have we heard the term used in the headline you just read? Unlike the NBA which conducts a playoff series the NCAA Tourney is one and done. That’s what occurred for my Missouri Tigers Thursday evening against the Drake Bulldogs, the score read Drake 67 Missouri 57. Drake managed to beat Missouri in all facets of the game holding them to 33% shooting, 25% from three. Missouri did manage to outshoot Drake from the free-throw line but that was about it. Oftentimes we don’t give the other guy his or her their just do, sometimes I’m unsure why.

Much as I hate to write this it was plain and simple Drake was the better team on Thursday. As for preparation, I borrow a line from Mike Tyson former heavyweight boxing champion. Ben McCollum won 4 NCAA D-II Championships while at Northwest Missouri State, he knows a thing or two about preparation. Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until you get smacked in the mouth the first time” or something similar. Believe me as soon as the opponent was known on Selection Sunday both Ben McCollum and Dennis Gates and their staffs went to work. Each coach and staff had all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for the late Thursday night game. No amount of practice (or video study) for that matter prepares you for the action and speed of an actual game. Missouri was prepared, did they execute their game plan…I would say NO. We might add this to the discussion, how much did Drake’s play impact what Missouri intended to accomplish? It appeared early on Drake was comfortable and moving at a pace they dictated, Missouri was on its heels for much of the first half of the game.

As a member of Mizzou Nation I am extremely disappointed, despite that fact the loss is not the end of the world for me. After all it’s just a game, recovery is possible but I know members of Mizzou Nation want satisfaction right now. I’ve got news for them that it won’t occur until next season which I can look toward next with enthusiasm. I believe in the coach and what he is trying to accomplish, he’s a good recruiter and provided the freshman who played little will be prepared to assume their role next season. My hope is Missouri fans keep this in mind and try not to fire Gates again. It was a different time but how would history have turned out if Duke had pulled the plug? Coach K. was 17-13, 10-17 and 11-17 in his first three years at the helm.

Meanwhile….

A friend provided me this information and I am sharing it, like me you might not have been aware of this data. Most are familiar with the fact Cooper Flagg of Duke is from Maine, he attended and played for Montverde Academy in Florida. Last year’s Montverde lineup was impressive in addition to Flagg. Derek Queen (Maryland), Liam McNeeley (UConn), Asa Newell (Georgia), Robert Wright III (Baylor). This contingent of athletes made a name for themselves in their freshman year at their respective schools. Coach Kevin Boyle left Montverde for SPIRE Academy (OH) after winning 8 out of the last 12 national championships. SPIRE is located in Geneva about 47 miles west of Cleveland.

Sterling Young is a 6 foot 1 guard who calls Queens, New York home. Young played for Florida A&M an HBCU school, this recently completed season he led the Rattlers in scoring with a 17 points a game average. Young has entered the transfer portal and I wonder if some Division I school is interested in him. You might remember in the 1950’s and 1960’s HBCU schools were once fertile ground for producing NBA talent. Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe, Willis Reed, Sam Jones and a number of past NBA greats matriculated at HBCU schools.   

The Lakers would be extremely shorthanded for their Thursday game against the Bucks. Number 77 is still managing a gimpy ankle, he sat out this back to back game. There was no LeBron…no Rui, a makeshift lineup appeared for the game. The Bucks were expected to win, which they did 118-89 however there was other related news. Bronny James came off the bench and experienced his best game as an NBA pro. He shot 70% from the floor, had 5 assists and 3 rebounds for the shorthanded Lakers.

It’s not always been this way

Baltimore Maryland is similar to my hometown Kansas City. We had NBA basketball but it went away years ago, truth is Baltimore lost its team long before we lost the Kings. In 1973 the team relocated to Landover Maryland and later Washington D.C., they are now today’s Wizards. Most are unaware there were two Baltimore Bullets teams, the first began play in 1944 and were members of the defunct American Basketball League, they played in that league until 1947. The records are not clear so I am unable to provide the complete story.

In the fall of 1947 the Bullets moved to the Basketball Association of America or BAA. In 1949 the BAA and National Basketball League merged becoming the NBA we recognize today. Early in the 1954 season the Bullets franchise closed, there is no indication what occurred with the players. Baltimore would remain without NBA basketball until the 1963-64 season, the expansion Packers would move from Chicago after two seasons. Arriving in Baltimore the team would take up the name of the city’s first professional team…the Bullets. Due to the city being so nearby to Washington D.C. there will be no third edition of the Bullets. Today there would be no Milwaukee-Chicago, two franchises short distance travel wise from another.