With my lovely rant yesterday against North Carolina I’m sure you’d assume that I want them to keep losing and that isn’t true. Those that know me know that I never cheer for Duke. In fact, Duke is on my list for top 5 most hated sports teams. I don’t want to get into the reasons just know that for me I am nearly as happy when Duke loses as when Illinois wins.

This game though is going to be won by Duke. I’m accepting it now and buying into it so that when it happens I won’t be dissapointed. North Carolina is coming off some horrible losses and is just in a funk right now. Duke will pressure those weak Carolina guards into some bad choices and Carolina is still a year away in my opinion. This year just isn’t the same and Carolina had better win at home cause they for sure aren’t winning at Duke.

I do think the game will be close and I will be watching very closely just in case Carolina wins. If that happens my night will be better and I’ll take the family out for ice cream.

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FALL OF CAROLINA BASKETBALL

I normally write every couple days but I read this article today and had to laugh. I actually read this and laughed out loud. How ridiculous is it to call out Carolina as ‘the Crash of Carolina basketball’? Then i had to read through an article about Roy Williams not being able to sleep at night. Name one college coach who feels envy right now. Sure you’ll get sympathy from Calipari and coach K but not the coaches in 4th place in the atlantic 10 who have their life riding on this. I look at the roster of UNC and I see 7 mcdonald’s all americans. Do you realize that most programs in the country won’t have 7 EVER in the history of their program let alone at one time? I know he lost players to the pros but he also is coming off 2 titles in 5 years.

I’m sure Bill Carmody at Northwestern is crying for Roy. HIs team has never been to the tournament ever and he has to scrape for every high level recruit he can get. He doesn’t get Mcdonalds AA’s. I wonder how he sleeps at night.

The article just bothered me in a number of ways and I love Roy Williams. He recruited a teammate of mine in high school and i got to deal personally with him and he is class all the way. This just might be the first time he’s experienced life on this side of coaching and I’m sure it isn’t fun. Luckily he has his two titles and other final fours to fall back on and doesn’t have to worry about being fired. Other coaches aren’t so lucky.

I don’t want to make this seem like Roy doesn’t work hard either because he does. He’s a great recruiter but he also has the benefit of recruiting for Carolina and that’s a big big thing. I love Roy but I know he’ll be just fine. Those kids have no leader on the floor right now and that person may not be on their roster. I have a hunch they’ll be just fine. Anyone agree?

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I love when teams do things like this and really push the NCAA buttons. One of the rules the NCAA has implemented is allowing teams 2 hours worth of workouts a week starting in mid september. Illinois and Kentucky were two teams who took those two hours and put them to good use. Illinois held what was called the ‘WORLDS LARGEST BASKETBALL PRACTICE’ and actually put a mobile basketball court on the football field to take advantage of the homecoming events at the school that day. It was estimated that over 30,000 people attended the event and it will not happen again.

The NCAA has made it clear what the purpose of the 2 hours per week is for and it apparently isn’t to hold this type of event. They allowed the schools to do the event this time but this will be it. At Illinois, it is being reported that they had more recruits there than they would’ve ever had at a Midnightt Madness type of event and even had 6 of the 7 commits show up. The NCAA is very clear about getting a possible advantage but you can’t fault a school for taking advantage of a loophole and getting attention for it.

In fact, if I’m a recruit I’d be excited to play at a program who held this type of event because I would know they were about getting fans involved, being creative and willing to do what it takes to get kids at the school. All legal and all within reason.

I have to say that I am a giant Illinois fan and any advantage they get is alright by me.

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It isn’t like a foot is that big of a difference is it? 

Last week I went to the gym and shot a few hundred shots like I usually do a couple times a week.  I enjoy it.  I’m getting older now and I don’t use my legs as much as I should but I really focus on trying to shoot jump shots and using good form and everything.  I analyze each shot way too much and try to make corrections almost in between each attempt.  I usually keep track of percentages in sets of 50 shots and i usually do ok with nobody guarding me as anyone should.  This certain day last week I was playing on a court that had the old college line on it as well as the NBA line on it.  I decided to give it a try for 50 shots.  On the college line I made 35 of 50 shots from all over the arc while the pro line I only hit 20 of 50.  It was a huge difference for me.  I was having a hard time shooting a jump shot from that distance and as a result everything else was off for me.  I was compensating to get the ball there and it messed up my balance, rhythm and everything.  Not good at all and very humbling.

The college line is only a foot back and will cause a drop in percentages for sure.  I think it will cause more of a drop than most people think.  When you adjust everything based on a certain distance and now move that back it has to make a difference.  I think the big man stepping out and shooting the 3 is out the window.  We won’t see as many miracle comebacks this year as in the past because it will be a tougher shot to make.  Players that can stretch defenses will really stretch them now and zone defense teams will be a little happier now.  Teams like Syracuse get wing defenders that are long and that can get out and defend the 3 pointer.  Now it will be tougher for them to get out and defend it but for good reason, the shot will be longer.  More teams will fall back on some sort of zone defense because that one foot will make the middle more vulnerable or so it should.  I expect that teams will test the line early and let teams try to make the shots.  Teams will double team dominate big guys like Hansbrough or Harangody and let the guards try to beat them from the new distance.  If not, those guys can expect double teams all season long. 

What I’m saying is we won’t know until we tip off in a few months…I know it has only been a couple months since Kansas beat Memphis but do you think Chalmers hits that shot if he’s a foot deeper.  I don’t.

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After I watched the draft last night i got thinking about a concept that’s been out there for a couple years now and that’s the idea that a top high school player is better off in Europe than in the states at a University.

The idea is strong now after Brandon Jennings, an Arizona commit and top player in the country, isn’t getting the grades to go to school and is being forced to look at his options.  If he doesn’t get the grades he will sit out the year and go into the draft next year but lose a year of growth as a player and person.  He could skip school altogether and just run to Europe to play.  Jennings is arguing that he doesn’t want to attend school anyway and that the NBA is making them go to college for a year when they don’t really care about it anyway.  He’s right.  The NBA should let these kids make a living at whatever age they want but they also shouldn’t punish them for a possible wrong choice.  What I mean is that players that declare and are drafted in the 2nd round shouldn’t lose eligibility and that team should retain their draft rights. 

Brandon Jennings is overrated if you ask me and isn’t near ready for the NBA.  He is frail and couldn’t guard a full garbage can.  He needs time to develop and that time for him should be wherever he wants it to be.  Since the NBA won’t let him in then he should go where he can develop as a player or at least have that chance. 

If he chooses Europe he’ll be forgotten about in the states and miss out on some marketing and face time.  You can’t tell me Rose didn’t make himself the number 1 choice based on the NCAA tournament.  He did.  Rose was a top 10 before the tourney and a top 3 after.  Jennings will be forgotten about and fans won’t have the connection that they developed with Mayo, Rose, Beasley and Love.  If you ask me it is a tough call because if he goes to Arizona he’ll become a nationally recognized player and become the face of a school.  If he plays in Europe he’ll develop quickly and either help or hurt his stock.  It isn’t easy competition so i think he’ll get better as a player that way. 

Jennings made a statement earlier that this hurts college basketball and I couldn’t disagree more.  I think it helps it more.  If players like him go overseas then coaches know what they are getting for multiple years.  You can’t tell me coaches like players that go one and done.  It helps the program only in a sense that the player that was there for a year got them notoriety but always having to recruit around positions instead of counting on someone for a few years can be taxing.  Coaches want the best players possible and they all want the ring so they’ll take whoever but teams that have experienced players generally win the title anyway.  Kansas won with 5 draft picks from this years squad and when it is said and done will have a lot more and they were all juniors and seniors.  Coaches know it and they’ll take a 3 year good player anyday over a 1 and done that they won’t win it all with.  I could be wrong but I don’t think so.

I wish Brandon Jennings luck and to follow his dream and pray he doesn’t get hurt.

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In case you haven’t heard, OJ Mayo is in the news again for ‘allegedly’ receiving gifts while enrolled at USC.  Wen the news came out yesterday I wasn’t surprised at all.  This kid was one of the top 5 kids coming out of high school and if they NBA didn’t adopt the wait a year from high school policy he would’ve come out this year.  Instead he chose to go to USC and as a result might do more harm than good for his college.

Then I got thinking, if the allegations are true, who got more stuff or money while in college was it Reggie Bush or Oj Mayo?  After the report came out last night on ESPN, most people would strongly have to look at Mayo as the winner of the battle.  He was reportedly getting paid for a long time dating back to his endless time in high school.  We are talking about a kid here who wasn’t your typical freshman.  Like Derrick Rose, Mayo is a very old freshman having pushed the high school age rules to the limits.  From the time he was 15 years old he was regarded as a can’t miss kid who is bound for NBA greatness.  Some placed him on a level with Lebron James as a high school player.  He’s no Lebron but he’s a lottery pick in the draft. 

Reggie Bush ‘allegedly’ got his money and benefits after he was a near sure thing while at USC.  He supposedly got in the hundreds of thousands but this one hasn’t been finalized yet so we don’t know all the numbers.  My money is still on Bush because of the guaranteed money a top 5 pick in the NFL draft would get as compared to an NBA deal for the first 3-4 years.  I mean that someone would pay Bush more knowing they would get more money back because of the amount and timing of the contract.  Sure I’m speculating here but there might be some merit to it.

What happens to OJ Mayo?  Nothing really.  He didn’t violate a law if we was receiving gifts.  He won’t go to jail or anything like it.  He’d be the latest of many who have taken gifts while in school and all that are hurt are the programs that are left behind.  Since Chris Webber and the Fab 5 left Michigan where have they gone?  They left that program with a wake of problems that they are still recovering from.  Is USC next to go through it?  I hope not because there has been no proof of their involvement in the deal but maybe they should have been more on top of things.  Who knows at this point? 

The only thing I know is that Mayo is a lottery pick regardless and that his agent of choice is the one that is reportedly behind the whole deal.  Not surprising to me.

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The University of Tennessee and the University of Indiana have some interesting decisions to make over the coming year after losing some key players.

For Tennessee they lost two key players in Ramar Smith and Duke Crews after they reportedly failed several drug tests.  Bruce Pearl took a strong stand with these two because they were both very highly rated coming out of high school and were big pick ups for the Volunteers.  However, they both have underperformed collegiately and will finish up their college careers at other schools.  Both would have been significant contributors next season.

As for Indiana, the University upheld the earlier decisions by interim coach Dan Dakich to get rid of starting guard Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis and announced that DeAndre Thomas and Eli Holman would leave and be transferring to other schools.  This leaves Indiana with only 3 scholarship players remaining and 8 players in all.  Indiana made a great hire getting Tom Crean to come in and clean up the mess left behind by Kelvin Sampson and he’ll fix it but not without some growing pains.  Sampson was fired after violating several rules and lying about it to investigators.  The team also lost DJ White to graduation and Eric Gordon to the lottery of the NBA draft.

Both teams wont’ be as strong as they were this year but both teams will be better off than before by making the changes that they did.  I’m proud of both coaches and universities for their actions.

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National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough has decided to stay at North Carolina and enjoy a 4th season with the Tarheels.  Hansbrough’s decision comes as a bit of a shock to those who look at basketball from the outside, but those inside the program and University figured it would take place.  Hansbrough is regarded as an incredible college player whose size and athleticism might not play so well on the pro stage.  Think of JJ Redick but an inside player. 

Hansbrough has done everything he can short of winning a national title.  He is going to come back and give it a 4th shot at a title and hopefully set the Tarheel record for points and rebounds.  I’m glad I get to see him play more because he’s a great example for young players on how to play the game.  He hustles every play, rebounds, finishes around the basket and has really worked on his jump shot.  He does all this while knowing that the opposing team is doing all they can to stop him.  While he isn’t as athletic as some pro scouts would like, he’s much more talented than Mark Madsen ever was and will be a pro.  I can’t knock his choice at all and I won’t.

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Keno Davis, son of former Iowa head coach Tom Davis, left Drake today to accept a 7 year 7 million dollar contract to coach the Providence Friars.  Why am I blogging on this?

In high school I played against Keno Davis or at least the short time he was on the court.  He wasn’t a great basketball player at all and rarely played.  When he was in the game I scored and my team scored a lot.  Am I jealous that he’s making a mill a year plus all kinds of perks for getting this job?  YES.  Of course I am.  In my mind I keep saying, “Keno Davis could barely walk and chew gum at the same time.  He got mocked by all the opposing fans because he was Tom Davis’ son and he was horrible at basketball. ”  I have issues.

However, Keno can coach but he has his work cut out for him.  He is going into the toughest conference in the country and taking over a senior laden program.  He’ll have to recruit fast but win today.  If he stayed at Drake he could coach there for the next 25-30 years and be a legend like his father is in the state.  By going to Providence he is going to have to work some magic if he is even to stay for the 7 years of his contract.  I’m not saying that he can’t coach because he can but the Big East is no Missouri Valley and the man is very brave to make this move. 

Keno wasn’t just taught by his father but by Bruce Pearl as well.  Keno was an assistant at Southern Indiana while Pearl was there and as much as I dislike Pearl for what he tried to do to Illinois, I respect him greatly as a basketball coach.

Do I think Keno Davis will make it as a coach at Providence?  No, but he will make it as a coach in collegiate basketball somewhere else.  This is his first real experience at a big time university in a big time conference and he’s going to have a tough tough time recruiting against the big boys. 

 I hope he makes it because he took a lot of grief as a high school kid being Tom Davis son.  Maybe if he makes it Tom Davis will be known as Keno’s dad.  That’d be nice.

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This could be the dumbest sports story of the entire month.  The Kansas coach wins a national title and then he is supposed to leave one of the top 3 jobs in the country for his alma mater in a not so good situation.  Give me a break here. 

Self was never going to go anywhere because he has reached his pinnacle and the pinnacle of college coaching.  He is exactly where he wants to be in regards to fan following, ability to recruit, administration and his school is a basketball school despite their recent football success.  Bill Self was never going to leave Kansas for Oklahoma St no matter what money was paid him.  As it is right now, Self is set to make millions and millions of dollars at Kansas and they have players in the system to make a run year after year.  Why would he risk that for a rebuild at Oklahoma ST?  Does he have to prove he can coach again?  Why start at the bottom when you can enjoy the ride on top?

I heard some arguments this week that Self is confident enough to turn every program around and that’s true.  I believe that Bill Self could go to Kentucky Wesleyan and make them good and respectable.  However, the point of doing that is to get that team to where Kansas already is.  Does that make sense?  When I play playstation football I always get Illinois to the national title game and then I get offered all kinds of jobs but I’m not taking them because I don’t want to start at the bottom again and build it up because I know how much of a pain it is. 

What I’m saying is Bill Self doesn’t need to start over at any school and that it never should’ve even been a story.  Bill Self will coach Kansas for as long as he wants.

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