A fans perspective

Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Sunday

Missouri debacle

There were no highlights to present only lowlights if you are part of Mizzou Nation as I am. What can I say, Illinois had a 20-6 run in the first half of the annual Braggin’ Rights game on Monday, that allowed them to lead 41-25 at the half. Mizzou managed to shoot 28% to Illinois’s 51% shooting from the floor in the first half. The second half of the game didn’t improve any for the Black & Gold, Mizzou was a loser with the final score of 91-48. They did improve their shooting a bit from the first half raising it to 29% for the game, the only problem Illinois raised theirs as well improving to 52%.

It’s difficult to detail when one team was completely outclassed by the other. I almost forgot, Mizzou had 10 TO’s to Illinois’s 11 so they exceeded them in that department. After this spanking Dennis Gates has got to gather the troops together and clarify for them they cannot continue to perform at this level. I’ve heard it said, “It’s easier for a team to recover from a blowout loss than a game of one or two points.” I don’t agree with anyone who could come to that conclusion. For me it’s the other way around, it’s easier to recover from the latter type of game. The consolation in a close game, a missed shot or free throw. A critical TO or a miss at the buzzer, those would be far easier for me to recover, this game Mizzou was outclassed from the center jump.

The biggest disappointment to me is the coach, I have defended Dennis Gates in the past when others were shouting for him to be replaced. Although they came up short in the NCAA field they were a much better team than most of the so-called experts predicted last season. It serves no real purpose to continue outstanding recruiting (which Gates has done) only to see them come up short in Big Games. The players were on the floor but this loss I pin on the coach, his teams seemed unprepared and whose job is that? There, I wrote far more than was intended based on this beat-down received by Mizzou. I feel much better now after venting my frustration.

Four games

Victor Wembanyama has made his return to the San Antonio Spurs lineup on a time-limited basis. Since his return to the lineup the most minutes he’s played in a single game was the 25 minutes in the Emirates championship game. During his absence, the young Spurs demonstrated admirable play. Wemby has resumed his role with the team leading them in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots although not from the record keeping standpoint. See current NBA regulations require individuals to meet specific criteria to be eligible for postseason honors. Wemby is focused primarily on team success however I’m sure individual honors remain significant goals. For further information about these rule changes, refer to the resources below.

This from AI Overview: “The NBA's 65-game rule, introduced in the 2023-24 season, requires players to participate in at least 65 regular-season games (with at least 20 minutes played in all but two) to be eligible for major individual awards like MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-NBA teams, aiming to curb excessive "load management" and reward player availability, but it significantly impacts contracts and award races. Players who miss too many games, even due to injury, risk missing out on substantial contract bonuses tied to making All-NBA teams.”  As of late December, given that Wemby has already missed 14 games, he can only afford to miss four more for the balance of the remaining Spurs games. As we always say injuries are part of the game but consider this fact if the Spurs play deep into the playoffs or win it all Wemby will be all right with that development.

Pay me

Los Angeles Laker guard Austin Reaves is not making the demand as this is written. Let’s just say his action on the court is representative of a huge pay increase. He is having a career year in all aspects of his game, either the Lakers trade him or pay him. I hope they decide to keep him because the trifecta of the Lakers has become Luka/LeBron/Austin. It is amazing to witness the growth of his game from 2021 when he first joined the Lakers. I said ‘joined’ not drafted, some might say it was confidence others might claim arrogance but this is how it unfolded. Either through his agent or him speaking the NBA was placed on notice, “Don’t draft me…I want to choose the team I intend to play for.”

Reaves would sign a two-way contract with the Lakers and the balance of the story is recorded in the Lakers annals as Reaves earned a spot on the roster. Playing first as a reserve and occasional spot starter, he played 19 games in his rookie year as a starter. After the trade deadline in February 2023 Reaves moved into the role of as the Lakers permanent starter at shooting guard. From AI Overview: “Austin Reaves is on a 4-year, $54 million deal signed in 2023, currently in its third season (2025-26), and he has a player option for the 2026-27 season, which he is widely expected to decline to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026 for a much larger contract, having already turned down a $89.2 million extension offer from the Lakers.” At this point it’s unclear of Reaves intention except to play good basketball, the other issue will be determined in the summer.

Meanwhile…

Last season, many considered the SEC to be the nation's top basketball conference. Will the 2025-26 season bring a repeat? The latest AP Top 25 poll suggests it might, as seven SEC teams—Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, and Georgia—earned spots in the rankings. The Big 12 follows with six representatives: Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, BYU, Kansas, and Texas Tech. Next, the Big Ten claims five teams: Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Indiana. The ACC features four schools: Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, and Virginia. UConn and St. John’s represent the Big East, while Gonzaga holds the spotlight for the West Coast Conference.

JJ Redick has a problem on his hands by the name of Jarred Vanderbilt. No, as far as I am aware the wing player has not made any demands on his coach. Vanderbilt has been removed from the rotation due to his poor shooting. Notice nowhere in that statement did I mention defense, he is a standout defensive player. His below par shooting has been the problem but it wasn’t recently against the Suns. Inserted into the Laker lineup again he provided proof of his defensive prowess. If only he can improve his shooting in order to hear his number called more often by Redick.

Cooper Flagg former Duke standout is not the only one experiencing a strong rookie season. Flagg’s Duke teammate Kon Knueppel is undergoing a solid rookie season as well for the Charlotte Hornets, they made him the number 4 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Reports indicate that Knueppel’s 466 points over his first 25 games set a new rookie scoring record for the franchise. Notably, Knueppel has surpassed previous records held by notable prior Hornets such as Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Emeka Okafor, and Brandon Miller. His performance places him among an elite group of former Hornets distinguished by their early success. On the topic of Flagg, his influence on the NBA is already evident. How do I know? At my workplace, where many members of the public come in daily, I recently saw a visitor wearing a Cooper Flagg T-shirt. You might wonder if that's noteworthy—it definitely is, given that my office is in Kansas City, Missouri, not Dallas, Texas.

This account came about by chance. I found a social media site listing the names and years of top scorers for boys' basketball teams on Long Island, New York. Several of the names went on to play college and in some instances in the NBA. A couple of the names stood out requiring a double check. Jim Brown led Manhasset High School in scoring with a 38.1 ppg average in 1953, surely that can’t be THE Jim Brown legendary running back of the Cleveland Browns, enshrined in the College and NFL Hall of Fame. That was indeed the case it was that Jim Brown. The next name was Carl Yastrzemski, that’s not a common name so it had to be the Hall of Fame Red Sox player. Yas as he was nicknamed led Bridgehampton High School in scoring in 1957 with a 31.1 ppg average. As you can see their professional careers took them away from the basketball court however it offers us proof, they were genuine all around athletes. Who knowns, They might have played professionally in the NBA if they had decided in favor of pursuing basketball as a career.