A fan’s perspective

Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

New team with an old name

The Monarchs name has deep roots in Kansas City. The original team was a charter member of the Negro Leagues, beginning play in 1920 and lasting until 1948. Jackie Robinson briefly played for the Monarchs before breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier. His arrival helped open MLB rosters to Black players, which also contributed to the decline of the original Monarchs. In 2021, the minor league Kansas City T-Bones team adopted the famous Monarchs name.

You might be wondering what two baseball teams have to do with basketball, glad you asked. The newest Kansas City Monarchs is a basketball prep school focused on developing elite talent. According to its website, “Monarch Academy partners with TPH Academy to deliver a blended academic program designed around the student-athlete schedule. Monarch Academy will compete in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League.” Because the team will play a national schedule, there is a good chance they will appear somewhere near you in 2026-27.

It’s Blue

If you say Kentucky generally two thoughts come to mind for most, the annual Kentucky Derby horse race and Kentucky’s  love affair with basketball. Basketball is as Blue in Kentucky as it is in the nickname, The Blue Grass State. How did it all begin, can you say James A. Naismith, no the inventor of the game did not coach at the university however there is this connection. Adolph Rupp was head coach 41 seasons 1930 to 1972, his Wildcats won nearly 900 games and 4 NCAA Championships the last in 1958. Rupp was a student of Naismith at Kansas although reports indicate he was a reserve player. Rupp would not be the only player of marginal success as an athlete shine brightly in the role of head coach. The basketball landscape began changing in the 1950s and 1960s as more institutions began recruiting black players.

March 19, 1966, historical change would occur, Texas Western now the University of Texas-El Paso with 5 black starters played Kentucky with their all-white team. It should be of note Don Haskins Texas Western team was comprised of white players however his starting lineup was all black players. The undefeated Kentucky Wildcats finished the season with a 27-1 record, the one loss---Texas Western 72-65 in the championship game. Rupp was a product of the times, teams in the south simply didn’t recruit black players. That would change in 1969 as Kentucky added its first black player to its roster. This brief history of Kentucky basketball concludes here but there is certainly much more to this rich basketball program at the school. Just a thought, we refer to outstanding basketball institutions as Blue Blood, I wonder if it has anything to do with Kentucky basketball and its dominance at a point in the games history.

No power game

We discover for the second consecutive summer Victor Wembanyama is training with former Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon to improve his footwork. Working out and dedication to the craft is required to become a better performer no matter the occupation. I believe those are two key elements that comprise a major portion of Wemby’s continuing developing game. Until I am proven wrong expect to see an improved version over the play we saw of Wemby last season. Before I go any further allow me to lay this out before you, there will be no Kareem/Shaq version of Wemby. Some elements of Wemby’s game exceeds both of these hall of fame performers in my view.

As for the other stuff former NBA player Chris Bosh issued a warning, Wemby should remain on his medication. Some might remember blood clots caused Bosh to retire earlier than plan. As for Wemby you might remember a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder in February 2025 caused him to miss the balance of that season. No such issues were detected this past season, we don’t know for sure but tend to believe he is adhering to the medical advice he was given. With the budding potential of talent plus other Spurs it’s easy to understand why the Spurs have developed plans for a new arena to display Wemby and the team’s talent.

From the land down under

Jongkuch Mach is 18 years old and believe it or not Wemby would be forced to look up at him, he stands 7-foot-6. Born and raised in Perth, Australia, he is the son of parents who emigrated from South Sudan. Mach currently plays for the BA Centre of Excellence in the NBL1 East, Australia’s second-tier senior league. My best guess it could be compared to high school level competition in the United States. Reports indicate Mach has received offers from LSU, Colorado and Santa Clara.

Video of Mach in action details clearly there are areas requiring improvement even to play at the collegiate level. One of these can be fix easily his thin frame, nutritionist can bulk him up with high carb meals. The other area he appears extremely raw, dedicated training and coaching can address that issue. AI reports list him at 197 pounds, so he has quite a bit of work ahead for him in both skill development and adding weight to his boney frame. And to think all this time you thought Victor Wembanyama was the skinniest basketball player you’d ever seen.