A basketball fans outlook

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MVP

As the NBA regular season winds down Victor Wembanyama is stating; “Hey, I’m here too!” I happen to believe his talk of being included in the MVP conversation is not done from a position of arrogance, he is  simply saying he is aware of his numbers and the team. Much of the media talk has surrounded SGA with The Joker also being mentioned for MVP. I’m sure some in NBA circles have cited Wemby’s name in the discussion but tend to believe he’s clearly in third place. My statement to you is why, if we look at the Spurs their improved won-loss record provides evidence of the Wemby impact.

The Spurs have won 50+ games this season and only trail the Thunder in the won-loss column in the NBA. The Alien will lead the NBA in blocked shots, the nearest player to him is 7-feet 5 inches distance (that’s a joke). Check this out, he is shooting nearly 51% from the floor and 36% from the 3-point line, no athlete that tall should be capable of shooting from distance with that accuracy. Big Men don’t shoot free throws but Wemby does, 82% is outstanding. There are 11 rebounds a game plus nearly 25 points a game average. It’s likely SGA or The Joker win it but Wemby belongs in the conversation too. If not this year certainly next, I could foresee him winning Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same year.

Little joy

Basketball fans in border states Missouri and Kansas are disappointed. They have the Monday Morning Blues asking why the expectations of victory in the tournament came crashing down so soon. Much of what occurred for Missouri was detailed earlier although it will be covered again as well later. As for Kansas I believe the team was flawed in that it was never as good as the Jayhawk faithful believed. There is a conviction by “them” Bill Self will perform a miracle which will lead Kansas basketball to victory.

This team was going nowhere, they lost a heartbreaker but would have been defeated in the next round, they were not prepared for a deep tournament run. Was it the loss or something else…Self was non-committal on whether he decides to return next season. Having at least two health issues in the recent past are likely the basis for mentioning this fact. Self’s ability to turn victory into defeat continues in the mind of scores of fans, this is an example from a local media member. At this point I am going to insert the name of Tyran Stokes, this 6-foot 7 wing is a 5-star prospect by Rivals, 247 Sports and ESPN. Stokes is being heavily recruited by Kansas and several other schools, this local media person said on Sunday evening after the loss; “If Stokes chooses Kansas _____________.” At this point I’m gonna say slow your roll media guy, after all Kansas had Darryn Peterson the presumed top pick in the NBA but still failed to advance in the tournament.    

Stokes might be headed to Kansas, is advancement guaranteed by him choosing to play in Lawrence? Some of you reading this will consider “This is written by a Missouri guy what should we expect?” The first portion of that statement is true, I am part of the Missouri faithful however I am a realist as well. I continue to point to the fact Self remains a good coach, the basketball landscape has changed and that’s why Kansas has failed to advance in the tournament for the 4th year in a row.

Meanwhile….

The conclusion of the college basketball season has seen several coaches depart their positions, including one retirement as of this writing. Greg McDermott served as Creighton’s basketball coach for 16 seasons; despite a challenging recent season, the Blue Jays have consistently delivered strong performances under his leadership. With the exception of the 2014-15 season, McDermott’s teams qualified for postseason play each year. He amassed 365 wins against 188 losses at Creighton, and across his overall coaching career, holds a record of 645-383, yielding a .627 winning percentage. The Omaha, Nebraska university maintained a competitive standard throughout McDermott’s tenure as head coach. Named as his replacement is Allen Huss, the Associate Coach at Creighton, he will succeed McDermott in this role.

Karim Lopez, unsurprisingly, announced his intention to enter the 2026 NBA draft on Monday. Over the last two seasons, he has played for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia's NBL. As for the history, Horacio Llamas became the first Mexican player in the NBA when he joined the Suns in 1996, while Eduardo Najera was a second round draft pick by the Rockets in 2000, marking the first time a Mexican athlete was selected in the draft. Karim Lopez is set to become only the second athlete from Mexico to be drafted into the NBA. Lopez was born and raised in Hermosillo, Mexico and will celebrate his 19th birthday in April.