I’m a Duke hater. I’ve never said anything different but my level of respect for that team, program and coach continues to increase. Don’t get me wrong, I still hope they lose every game but it’s more out of jealousy than anything else and I’m ok to admit that.

Where I am growing up is in my area of really understanding how great of a job Coach K really does and it hits me more every time I watch them play. Jon Scheyer isn’t a pro or close to it. Kyle Singler is a pro and Nolan Smith is questionable right now but those 3 kids play great together and have bought in 100% to the team philosophy. Lance Thomas would be an all conference player in the Big 10 but on Duke he’s bought into the role of rebounder and physical presence. I remember when Jon Scheyer chose Duke over Illinois and everyone was mad. Illinois was the home school and Scheyer played for Bruce Weber’s brother in high school. He was a high school legend in Illinois and everyone wanted him to come to Illinois. He chose Duke and at the time I ridiculed him and said that it wasn’t the best choice, that he would’ve been a legend in Illinois and never had to work again. He would have been like Dee Brown was to the school. Now, I must eat my words because Scheyer is playing for a national title tonight at his dream school. He’d always wanted to play for Duke and for once I get it. I actually get it. They don’t get better than Coach K.

Now, please BUTLER JUST WIN.

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This is going to be a great basketball game and in reality should decide the National Title. West Virginia plays tough hard nosed defense and is very physical. Duke has experience and plays very tough defense as well. Both come from great conferences and are teams that won their conference tournaments.

While West VIrginia is missing one of their best players, I dont’ think he’ll make that big of a difference. When I watch Mazzulla play point guard I see a true leader out on the court who directs his team very well and gets them in their sets. He played very well against arguably the most talented team in the country and more than held his own. West Virginia is long, athletic and physical and will have the players to guard Singler, Scheyer and Smith.

On Duke’s end they have experienced players who are playing very well as a team right now. They are very streaky shooting the ball but it is rare that all 3 are off at the same time. Scheyer has shot the ball horribly lately and that will have to change as West virginia will play a little zone in the game. Kyle Singler is a matchup problem for most teams because he can play the post or a wing but in this game he’ll be guarded by Ebanks who can do the same thing. The wild card is Nolan Smith. If Smith comes in and penetrates and causes problems inside of 15 feet then Duke will win this game but if Smith struggles they are going to need someone like Zoubek to do some damage on offense.

I like West Virginia in this game despite the fact that I believe it will be a very close game that could come down to foul shots. West Virginia is not a great foul shooting team so that edge does go to Duke. We’ll see…

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It is tough not to cheer for this team to make the National Title game isn’t it. Many people had them pegged to lose in the opening round yet they keep going playing teams from all conferences and continually beat them with tough defense.

When I became a believer was in the first 5 minutes against Syracuse. I watched Syracuse a bunch this season and Butler came out and was prepared for them. They weren’t going to give them fast break chances and were going to play them physically and that’s what they did. It was a great coaching job and better execution by the players. Then against Kansas St they did the same thing and just played them tougher than most thought. Michigan St is a physical team with a lot of athletes who get up and down the court but I have a feeling that Butler will be able to match them and that we’ll have another typical close game.

If Butler wins the Final 4 I predict a movie will be made. I know that 5 seeds winning it aren’t the highest longshots ever, but Butler, from a mid major playing in the same state where they reside is a Hollywood story.

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I am so excited I can’t stand it. This is one of my favorite days of the entire year for good reason as the tourney starts today.

Last year I sat in Vegas with some very good friends and we had a great time. Sure, we put some money down on games and for the most part lost a lot of it but it was a great time. I would recommend it to anyone because there is nothing like watching the tourney in Vegas surrounding by people who have hundreds or thousands on teams covering the spread or not because it brings such excitement to the game.

I woke up today after a tough night of moving (we are moving again for the 5th time in 6 years) and I am sore and stressed about life and what it brings. Then I had that awakening of what today is and what it means in my life. No matter what is happening to me I’ll be able to watch games all day long and forget about my problems and just sink into the game I love. Today is Christmas morning to me and it feels like I got just what I wanted.

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Joe pump faked me and I bit on it and I learned my lesson.

On Saturday night I couldn’t sleep at all. I tossed and turned as I thought back to all the missed chances Illinois had against Ohio St. I was upset that Utah St and UTEP had both lost and that took up some spots for some bubble teams. I knew the ILLINI had lost 14 games but I was hoping they’d get Arizona’d into the tourney. (Arizona went 18-14 last year and still got in the tourney and I was hoping for the same)

3 pm MST on Sunday and Lunardi announces his bracket. ESPN talks him up and says he is 97.6% accurate since 2000 so I was ready to take him at his word. If he said illinois was out then they would be out but if they were in then I was going to buy in. Why wouldn’t I when he’s 97.6% correct? Then I saw it…Illinois as a 12 playing Butler as a 5. I was ecstatic. I made some phone calls and some plans for the tourney and I was pumped. All I needed was the confirmation that was going to come in about an hour and that would seal the deal. Instead it was like trying to tackle Barry SAnders in his prime. I was juked out of my shoes because the ILLINI didn’t get in.

I’m not going to rant about bubble teams and how Illinois deserved it because they blew it, not the committee. The committee didn’t lose a couple games to utah and Bradley, but Illinois did. My rant today is about Lunardi and his power. It’s really useless if you ask me. I’m sure he knows all about where the teams play and the rules but beyond that he is just like you and me. I put together my own list of which teams would make the tourney after the automatic bids were all done and I only missed one team and that was Virginia Tech. No ACC team in the history of the conference had that many conference wins and didn’t make the tourney. I buy so much into Lunardi and I won’t ever again, not because he crushed my dreams like the Cubs every season, but because we don’t need Lunardi to tell us things we already know.

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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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