I’m a giant Big Ten (11) fan and I have to say that I am embarrassed by what the conference is doing this season.  They get beat every year in the Big Ten/ACC challenge and this year was no different there, but it’s the other things that make me really scratch my head.

The Big Ten features 3 good teams this year in Indiana, Michigan St and Wisconsin.  All 3 would be middle of the pack a few years ago when Illinois and Michigan St both made the final 4.  What has happened?  I watched last saturday as a very very average UCONN team came into Indiana without two key players and beat Indiana in every facet of the game.  Indiana was ranked 8th at the time but that is clearly way too high.  I’m no fan of Kelvin Sampson at all because I don’t think the guy is a great coach or an honest coach but that’s beside the point.  The same day Wisconsin lost to a decent Purdue team that starts 3 freshman who were marginal recruits. 

Traditional power schools like Illinois and Iowa just aren’t cutting it either.  Illinois has 2 conference wins and they are over the two teams below them.  Maybe the Big Ten should be classified as a mid major because they honestly aren’t playing any better than the Sun Belt at this point and I’m embarrassed by it.  I’ve heard Bruce Weber talk about Illinois being the best 10-11 team in the country and I don’t get it.  He lost at home to Penn st., some Tennessee school and some other schools that I don’t even want to discuss.  That shouldn’t happen.

The Big Ten network is supposed to be a strong recruiting tool for the conference teams and it looks like it may be helping as each team has some strong commits or recruits coming in but they can’t get here soon enough.  The conference needs Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan st. to be good every year and when they aren’t like this year it makes everyone look average.  I expect Michigan and Minnesota to both be good very soon and for Illinois to have this year be the off year of the program and bounce back next year.  For now, I’ll turn off the Big Ten network because I’d honestly rather watch Quinnipac play IUPUI at this point.

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We had a number of different things take place over the weekend and I didn’t want to devote all my attention to just one of them.  But let’s start with Damon Stoudamire. 

Stoudamire hasn’t played in weeks and is/was under contract for the next two years but the Grizzlies just agreed to buy him out of the contract.  Is this ideal for Stoudamire or what?  Yes, he misses out on some money that he wouldn’t have received for a couple years, but he’s free now to sign with a possible playoff team and get to play again.  Not to mention that the lump sum he gets is probably in the neighborhood of 3-4 million dollars for the remainder of this season and the guaranteed portion of next.  Probably a win/win for both parties.  I expect Damon to end up with the Celtics or the Nuggets.  The Celtics because Rondo is not an outside shooting threat and the Nuggest because they lost their backup point guard.  If I were Damon I think I’d pick Boston.  What about you?

Chris Webber could be on his way back to the NBA.  Webber apparently is going to sign with the Golden St. Warriors.  This doesn’t make much sense to me because Webber is not an up and down type player anymore at all and Golden St thrives running the ball up the court and shooting from outside.  I’ve always loved his ability to pass the ball and shoot the 15-18 footer but this signing doesn’t make much sense unless the Warriors just aren’t happy with Al Harrington.  Webber has pride and if he doesn’t come back and do well I can see him stepping away and hanging them up.  Webber will make the vets minimum of 1.2 million which is pro rated for the rest of the season.

Lastly, Chris Anderson is looking to come back to the NBA.  This is an amazing story of what a drug addiction can do to someone.  Anderson, if you’ll remember, was given a 2 year suspension in 2006 for repeatedly violating the substance abuse policy.  The sad part is that Anderson had just signed a 14 million dollar contract when he was suspended and the Hornets didn’t have to pay him at all due to his indescretion.  The Hornets get the first crack to sign him after reinstatement but that is highly unlikely.  The Hornets are currently the best team in the Western Conference and to add someone now to the mix would do more harm than good.  I don’t expect Anderson to get picked up and if he does it will be by some team who is desperate and willing to take a chance on a high energy player with a shaky past. 

 other notes:  Celtics lost for the 5th time in 10 games.  Kobe loses to Lebron again.

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The Miami Heat lost their 15th in a row and are a lock to miss the playoffs this year.  What happened to the team that won the title just two years ago?  It’s amazing to me how quickly this team aged right before our eyes.  The Heat have suffered from injuries to some of their key big men, losing Alonzo Mourning for the season and Shaq having serious hip problems.  Other than that Dwyane Wade this team is all but dead in the water.  Wade himself is coming back from injuries and isn’t even 100% yet.  He doesn’t have the explosiveness that he had last year and is playing his way into Dwyane Wade shape but he can’t play 45 minutes a night and when he comes out this team is terrible. 

The last game the Heat won was a 104-102 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz and that was before Christmas.  The Heat are bound for the lottery and maybe it is time that Dwyane Wade just shut himself down for the year and Shaq hung them up.  Should Shaq retire?  I watched him a few games ago and he looked really good.  He’s still clearly better than most centers in the league and shouldn’t retire based on his play.  However, he is making way too much money for what he brings to the table now.   After getting beaten up for years now maybe his body is finally shutting down.  Shaq has been one of the most dominating centers to ever play this game and it’s been great to have been able to watch him like we have. 

I broke down the past 15 losses for the Heat and they’ve had a number of chances for wins.  In fact, they have lost these games by an average of 11 points.  In those games you have mixed in a few embarrassing losses by 25-30 points but most of them are under 10 with a number of losses under 5 points or overtime. 

What is it exactly about this team?  They have no depth.  They come off the bench with guys that have no real business being in the league or at least on an active roster.  Let’s face it, Ricky Davis teams never win and never will.  That’s like acquiring a Cub for a playoff push in baseball.  Don’t do it if you want a chance to go the World Series.  Other than Wade and Shaq the Heat have nobody that puts fear into the opposing team and it’s time to blow it up and start over.  I have a feeling Pat Riley won’t stick around for the blow up but I think he’ll bring himself back in 5 years when the Heat are good again.

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In a weekend where 2 of the top 5 teams lost, the polls have officially been shaken up.  Memphis and Kansas sit at 1,2 right now but being in a virtual deadlock if you look at the votes.  The votes look at tight as the current political races that are going around our country right now, but frankly i don’t want to waste any of my time or your time discussing politics.  Let’s get to the good stuff.

 North Carolina lost a close game to Maryland on Saturday and it showed teams in the country that Carolina can be beaten.  After overcoming near losses against Clemson and Georgia Tech, the ‘heels’ couldn’t stop Maryland when they needed to.  The win clearly shows how strong the ACC is and that any team can still be beaten in college basketball.  After all, this isn’t your old Maryland team.  This is the Maryland team that earlier in the year lost to American university at home. 

#4 ranked Ucla lost to USC on saturday at home also.  USC has been very inconsistent this season but showed the ability to beat any team over the weekend by simply outworking UCLA.  I was impressed with USC and I wouldn’t want to play them in the tournament if they make it, but this win surely helped their cause.

That leaves Memphis and Kansas as the last two real threats to go undefeated this year.  Memphis has a real chance because of their conference.  I’ve talked about them many times but they seem to be getting better.  Kansas on the other hand is making a mockery of the BIG12 so far this season.  Kansas is so deep and athletic, but Texas should give them a very good game coming up. 

We all know that until College football comes up with a playoff that March Madness is the best thing in sports.  With top teams getting beaten this weekend it just reminds me why I love college basketball so much.

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900 wins and counting…

Bobby Knight started coaching when he was 25 years old and is known for his outrageous temper and strong opinions on things.  Knight is infamous for throwing chairs across the gym floors and for his public dismissal from Indiana.  Knight’s 1976 Indiana team remains the last team to go undefeated throughout the season and win the National title.  He won a few titles at Indiana but it seems more focus is always on the extra curricular activities that happen much like is being done in this article.

My favorite Bobby Knight story was when i was a 9th grader.  I was watching an interview that he was having with Connie Chung and the topic was brought up about a recent game that had taken place and what Knights feelings were about the refs.  He responded by saying “I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it.”  He seems willing to share these comments and opinions and much of it has taken away from what he has accomplished.  I like him for his ability to be honest and share his opinion and I listen when I see him in a press conference. 

His teams aren’t as feared anymore and he won’t win any national titles at Texas Tech, but he will run a clean program and teach kids his version of respect and committment.   He’ll make the tournament every few years until he retires and maybe even produce another pro, but nothing can take away the 900 wins that he has pulled off or the countless coaches that have followed in his footsteps.  Bobby Knight is a coaching legend for good and bad and when he’s gone I’m going to miss him.

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As we near the halfway point of the season I thought I would compile a list of my 5 top NBA teams as they sit right now.  Feel free to disagree with me on any of these:

1.  Boston Celtics-  How could any other team be listed here.  The Celtics sit 30-5 today but have lost 2 games this past week including one to the Bobcats at home.  Every team is going to struggle at some point of the season and Ray Allen isn’t completely healthy either.  If they continue to get strong play from Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins and the BIG 3 keep playing well together then Boston will be a tough team to beat in the East.

2.  San Antonio Spurs-  I still think they are the second best team in the NBA.  They have lost 11 games but been injured like crazy.  They have lost games with Duncan, Parker and Ginobili so I don’t really look at those 11 losses and take them serious.  The Spurs know that the season isn’t about December and January either.  How many times has this happened where it looks like the Spurs are just coasting along and then all of a sudden they look unbeatable.  They are very well coached and are one of the few teams that make it look like they can turn it off or on.

 3.  Dallas Mavericks-  I would’ve had the Pistons here but they got beat by the Knicks last night by 24 points.  They’ve been playing great over their last 17 games going 14-3 and are finally getting some consistent play at point guard.  I’m not a Devin Harris fan but he’s been doing well for the Mavericks at point guard.  Dirk is declining but still one of the league’s most talented big men ever.  I like the two headed center approach with Diop and Dampier because they both know their roles so well.  The team needs good minutes from Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse if they want to make another run at the finals.

4.  Detroit Pistons-  I covered them a few weeks ago and the feeling still holds true.  The Pistons just might be the team to beat in the East when all is said and done.   It is interesting to note that the Pistons and Celtics lost the home and home to each other and I can see that happening in the playoffs also.  They both play very good defense and have players who are considered clutch performers.  The Pistons are very deep upfront but they need Rasheed to perform every night and he doesn’t do that, he never has.  When Billups and Hamilton play well the whole team flows.  However, talks have surfaced lately about Tayshaun Prince being shipped out and I think that would be a mistake.  Tayshaun knows his role and does it every night.  He is a team player and a solid defender.  They’d have to get someone back who didn’t mess up the chemistry they have going despite their recent loss to the Knicks.

5.  Charlotte Hornets-  The Hornets feature my MVP for the season so far in Chris Paul.  All Paul is doing is leading his team night in and night out with a motivation and energy that the league hasn’t seen in a long time.  He is an incredible team leader and is looked to to perform every night.  Paul makes players like Tyson Chandler and David West shine and if Peja ever comes around Paul will be the one to get him there.  Recently the Hornets won 7 straight road games and they have to get some credit for that so I listed them 5th.  If there was one team I would want to see in person it would be Chris Paul and the Charlotte Hornets.

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                              Kenny George (the guy next to him is 6*8)

Have you seen this guy?  Had anyone really heard of this guy before yesterday?  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing out there on the court.  North Carolina played UNC Asheville last night with Asheville’s center, Kenny George, standing 7*7 inches with size 28 shoes.  This is the biggest person i’ve seen in  a long time.  I’ve heard rumblings today about Yao Ming being the same size but we see Yao against pros and large people all the time.  Kenny George looked like Goliath on the court last night.  Tyler Hansbrough, Carolina’s all american power forward, looked like a small point guard when up against him.  My favorite highlight showed George dunking the ball and it looks like he doesn’t leave his feet.  I thought he had to have jumped a little bit.  Upon further review and slow motion assistance I realized that he never left his feet to dunk it, he did go up on his heels but that was it.  I mean, with shoes on, the guy measures 7*9!!!  I had the opportunity to play against Shawn Bradley numerous times growing up and he was always an intimidating player to go against because he was tall but he weighed nothing and wasn’t as imposing as other players who were shorter but filled out.  This guy weighs 360 pounds.

I’ve already been asked today if he has a future in the NBA and i say that no he doesn’t.  The NBA is a very quick, fast paced game and Kenny simply can’t run very well and his moves down low are very methodical.  However, he will make some money playing this game overseas if he wants to and who knows, maybe some team will take a chance on him.  I know that it was fun to watch him last night and not in the ‘hey look at the big tall circus guy’ way.  It was fun because he was competing against a very good team and giving them some problems with his size.  It can’t be easy being that big because he has to draw attention to himself all the time.  I expect Kenny George to get a lot more attention after last night.

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It’s always fairly easy to project the top 4 seeds this time of year.  After all, conference games are just started and most teams have beaten up on the non conference teams that they’ve faced so far.  Some of them haven’t even really been tested yet.  Only one of the 4 teams in my projected top 4 even has a loss though North Carolina came awful close last night.

#1…North Carolina:  Top Ranked team in the country right now and they are loaded and deep at most positions.  They recently lost backup point guard Bobby Frasor for the year and it hurt them last night.  I’ve never been a Frasor fan but he has been very solid for the Tarheels and they’ll miss him.  I see North Carolina losing a few conference games because the ACC is just that tough but I don’t expect them to be anything but a number 1 seed come tourney time.

#2…Kansas-  This is the best team I’ve seen so far.  They put pressure on the ball and have players all over the court.  They have incredible team athleticism at every position.  To me their best player is Sherron Collins and he doesn’t even start.  Bill Self usually isn’t the greatest at developing talent once he gets it but he has these guys playing very hard.  On saturday they went into Boston College and beat them by nearly 30 points and it could’ve been worse.  Self needs this team to go deep into the tourney so he can get rid of the ‘can’t win the big one’ label.  I think he will.  Kansas will be a #1 seed come tourney time.  I see them being upset once or maybe twice and that’s it.  This team is loaded and the Big 12 isn’t this year outside of Texas.

#3…Memphis-  Memphis is a team I’ve talked about over and over.  They will now breeze through conference games being upset maybe once or twice but I would not want to play them ever.  If they control tempo they win.  The only way a team will beat them is if they completely handle the pressure with composure and control the pace of the game.  If Memphis is allowed to play out of control and Derrick Rose gets to freelance then they will not be beaten and that includes against teams like North Carolina or UCLA.  However the game I want to see is Kansas and Memphis.  These teams both like to run like crazy and have athletes all over the court.  It would be a game in the 80’s or 90’s and be something to see.  I’d love to see Derrick Rose matchup with Chalmers and see how Joey Dorsey would do against Darrell Arthur and Sasha Kaun of Kansas.  I hope both of them make the final 4 so i can see that game.

#4…UCLA-  This was my toughest one to put in because Washington St is playing so well.  However, when all is said and done the Bruins will be a tough team to beat come tournament.  I love the way they play hard nosed defense and they have had some injuries so far this year.  They beat a very good Michigan St. team with Collison out and now they lost shooter Roll for a month or so.  Still, they are very athletic and very well coached.  They don’t take any possessions off and are very prepared for each team they play.  They also have several players who can get them key baskets at any time with Shipp, Collison and Kevin Love.  I love UCLA.

 I’m not predicting a title team just yet.  Gimme till March and i’ll break down my bracket.  Copy it if you want and we can split the pool money when you win.

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1.  The Knicks need to fire Isiah Thomas.  They got killed last night by Sacramento who was playing without Kevin Martin and Ron Artest.  It is time Mr Dolan to try something new.  The Knicks got Marbury back but he’s been on nothing but losing teams since he came into the league.  Marbury needs to be dealt while he still has any value at all.

2.  Boston is good.  Danny Ainge should get the exec of the year award right now.  He did trade away a portion of his teams future but he got some value for those picks he gave up.  So far the Big 3 or the Boston Three Party, as they are being called now, are not disappointing at all and are playing very well together.  I like the growth of Rondo at point guard but he is still the weakness come playoff time.

3.  Detroit and San Antonio are two teams you don’t want to play in the playoffs.  Detroit looks hungry again and they are getting some great play from their second unit.  Maxiell is a beast and would start for a lot of teams.  If they can get Rasheed to play consistently in the playoffs they will come out of the East.  San Antonio just tries to get through the regular season in decent position before really turning it on.  I would hate to play them in the playoffs because they know exactly what it takes.  I’m hoping the Tony Parker issues off the court have an effect on the team and it gives the West an opportunity to knock them off.

4.  Dwight Howard is the next Shaq.  I really believe that this kid is going to be even more amazing.  I don’t think he’ll put up Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell numbers but he isn’t even close to his prime yet.  When he gets there he will be unstoppable and the Magic are going to be very very good. 

5.  The Heat players belong in Miami.  I say that because these guys need to retire and what better place than Miami.  They tried the Penny experiment and that failed of course.  Shaq is done.  Mourning is out for the year.  They are just slower, older and washed up.  Blow up the Heat and build around WAde before he leaves.  Either that or trade him while the iron is hot. 

6.   Lebron is the league MVP so far.  No player makes more of a difference for his team than Lebron.  When he was out his team averaged 20 points less than normal and never won a game.  With him on the squad nobody wants to play them come playoff time because he’s that good.  He carried them last year to the Finals and he could do it again this year.

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