NCAA Olympic Team

I realize that I am completely ripping this idea off from Storming The Floor, but I've always loved drafts and making fantasy teams. The idea here is that we pretend that it is 20 years ago and that NBA players are not allowed to play in the Olympics, meaning that our national team is to be made up of strictly college players. A couple of ground rules - they must be players that were on a 2007-2008 roster (so sorry Demar Derozan and BJ Mullens, maybe in 2012) and no one that was drafted can make it because, well, they are professionals now. And it would ruin the fun.

Before I get into the team, I want to lay a few things out there. First of all, in this scenario, the US team is going to be lacking some size inside (actually sounds like the current Olympic team) because most of the big centers are either foreign or, well, in the NBA already. I also picked the team with a preference to the style of play I like to watch and that I think would be most effective.

So without further ado, here is my hypothetical 2008 US Olympic Team.


Coaching Staff:

Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Assistants: Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun, Roy Williams, Ben Howland

I don't think much argument can be made that Coach K isn't the best coach out there right now, especially considering he is currently the national team's coach. I put Calhoun and Williams on there because both of them preach pressure defense (more Calhoun) and fast break offense (more Williams). I think Howland has got to be on there. He is the only coach that I even considered over Coach K (I like a more uptempo style of play then Howland teaches), and having a defensive mastermind like that can only help. You have to throw Boeheim on there because of the likelihood you face a zone, and who better to teach a team how to beat a zone.

Starting Line-up:

G: Darren Collison, UCLA
G: Stephen Curry, Davidson
F: Gerald Henderson, Duke
F: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
C: Tyler Hansbrough, UNC

Bench:

G: Ty Lawson, UNC
G: AJ Price, UConn
G: Jerel McNeal, Marquette
G: Jack McClinton, Miami
G: Nick Calathes, Florida
F: Terrence Williams, Louisville
F: Raymarr Morgan, Michigan State
F: Kyle Singler, Duke
F: Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
C: Jordan Hill, Arizona

Last cuts:

G: Levance Fields, Pitt
G: Chase Budinger, Arizona
G: Lee Cummard, BYU
G: Kyle McAlarney, Notre Dame (replaces AJ Price if we're counting injuries)
F: Damion James, Texas
F: Sam Young, Pitt
F: Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

I'll take you through my thought process. With the lack of size inside (tallest is about 6'9"), I figured that in order to be successful, I would need to put together a team of guys that were athletic, play-makers, could shoot threes, and were able defend. So a lot of guys (like McNeal, Henderson, Calathes) that don't really get a lot of publicity or notoriety got a shot because they do a lot of different things.

The biggest issue I saw with the team was defense. There really isn't any shot-blocking presence on this roster (except maybe Jordan Hill), so I was looking for guys that played in programs that were known for their defense. Without someone an eraser at the rim to save you, this team is going to be good on the ball and help-side defenders. When I envision this team competing at the international level, I see them playing tough man-to-man in the half court, and (with the right guys of the floor) using some pressing and trapping defenses in the full court.

Other than Griffin and Hansbrough, there really isn't anyone on this team that can create their own shot in the post (and even those two get by more on strength and/or athleticism than they do their post moves). So I tried to put guys out there that know how to run the floor on a fast break, and guys that not only could create, but could also finish, be it at the rim or the three point line.

The style I see this team playing is that of Duke's team last year, kind of similar to what UConn does (pressure defense for 40 minutes, running the floor on offense), only with more fluidity on offense and less reliance on the blocked shot.

I think I've assembled a pretty good team here, but let me know if I've missed or overlooked anyone. Keep an eye out for a post from Ross giving you his NCAA Olympic team. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Ed O'Bannon

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Ed O'Bannon, UCLA

Ed O'Bannon was a big time recruit, graduating from Artesia High School in Southern California as a McDonald's all-american. He originally committed to UNLV, but once the program came under probation as a result of Jerry Tarkanian's NCAA violations, he decided to attend UCLA. He joined the Bruins with huge expectations, but had to redshirt during the 1990-91 season after undergoing knee surgery for a torn acl. He came back the next year, but only averaged 12 minutes and thus put up mediocre numbers. The Bruins had a great season, however, going 28-5, winning the Pac-10, and advancing to the Elite 8.

But he exploded during his sophomore year and never looked back, averaging 16.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg, improving those numbers to 18.4 ppg and 8.8 rpg his junior campaign. The Bruins did not experience the same team success during those two years, getting knocked out in the second and first rounds, respectively. His senior year was his best, when he averaged 20.4 ppg and 8.3 rpg, as UCLA went 32-1 en route to a Pac-10 title, number 1 seed, and national title, UCLA's first since the days of John Wooden. O'Bannon was not only named most outstanding player in the Final Four (which included a 30 point and 17 rebound performance in the finals), but he was named NCAA Player of the year by multiple sources, including winning the Wooden Award.

O'Bannon slid to the ninth pick in the draft, mainly because of concerns over his knee, his size, and the fact that he was 23 years old when he graduated. Those concerns would prove to be warranted. O'Bannon's surgically reconstructed knee meant that he no longer had the athleticism to be a small forward at the NBA level, and he was too small and slender to be an NBA power forward, which means he was stuck with the dreaded "tweener" label. He hung around the league for two years, averaging 6.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg for the Nets in 1995-96 and 3.7 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 1996-97 for the Nets and the Mavs. During that season, O'Bannon was traded to the Magic, who promptly waived him.

Over the next seven years, O'Bannon bounced around the lesser international leagues. He played in Spain, Italy, Greece, Argentina, and Poland, where he once had to leave the court as the teams were pelted with snowballs. In 2002, at the age of 30 and coming off another knee surgery, O'Bannon decided to retire. He was trying out in Portland for a new league in China when he realized that no one there knew who he was.

O'Bannon moved with his wife and three kids to Las Vegas, where he completed his degree at UNLV and now sells cars for a living. As he told Bill Plaschke of the LA Times, "I always wanted to make a living as something other than a basketball player. I wanted my life to go into another direction. People see me and remember me, and I’m proud to tell them — ‘No, I don’t play. No, I don’t coach. Yes, I sell cars.'" Continue reading...

BYU: 2008-2009 Team Preview

2007-2008 Record: 27-8, 14-2 MWC

Key Losses: Trent Plaisted (15.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg), Sam Burgess (8.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Ben Murdock (3.5 apg, 2.5:1 a/to)

Key Returnees: Lee Cummard (15.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.6 apg), Jonathan Tavernari (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.5 3's)

Newcomers: Charles Abouo, Michael Boswell

Trent Plaisted and Lee Cummard have had a huge effect on the BYU program, as the Cougars have enjoyed three straight 20 win seasons since the two arrived in Provo. The loss of Plaisted, a first team all-MWC performer, to the league is going to leave a void in the middle, but the Cougars caught a break when Cummard, the reigning MWC co-player of the year, decided to withdraw from the draft.

Cummard had a great season last year, leading the team in scoring, FG and 3 PT percentage, but he also led the team in blocks and was second in rebounds at the guard position. The lanky, 6'7", do-it-all Cummard should have a great season as the focal point of the Cougar offense and will be a trendy all-american pick. Sharpshooter and third-team all-conference Jonathan Tavernari also returns.

BYU's biggest problem will be replacing Plaisted's production in the middle. They also lost big man Chris Collinsworth to his Mormon mission (he won't return until 2010-2011) and Vuk Ivanovic to graduation, and they did not bring in any recruits of note, meaning that the Cougars will have to rely heavily on Chris Miles (junior) and James Anderson (RS freshman), both of whom returned last season after their two-year missions.

Outlook: With Cummard on the roster, BYU will continue to get mentioned as a favorite in the MWC, but their success this season will depend on the production they get out of their big men. Continue reading...

8/11 - Some Links, Some News

-About a week ago, we wrote (here) about how Baylor, in an attempt to better their chances of signing John Wall coaching staff, hired Dwon Clifton, Wall's AAU coach, as their director of player development. On paper, the reasons for hiring Clifton seem legit - he played at Clemson and then UNC Greensboro, with a short career in Portugal and was recruited and coached by Baylor assistant Matthew Driscoll when Driscoll was at Clemson. But then you read something like this:

As for his recruitment, Wall acknowledged Baylor's hiring of Dwon Clifton matters.

Big surprise, huh?

"It might give them a little edge because (Dwon has) helped me out a lot," Wall said. "He's my AAU coach. He talked me through a lot and worked me out and things like that. I feel like all the schools are the same. But (Dwon) gave (Baylor) a little bit of an edge."

So there you go, Baylor fans.

You have the edge.

I bet you thought that was it. Well, no actually. It gets worse. Brian Clifton, Dwon's brother and co-founder/co-head coach of D-One Sports (Wall's AAU team) was actually a licensed sports agent up until April. The rumor is that any coaches that are interested in recruiting Wall must contact one of the Cliftons rather than Wall or his mother directly, which means that the #1 recruit in the country is being controlled by two brothers, one of which was just hired by a school competing for Wall's services and the other who was a licensed sports agent as of April.

And that's not even the end of it. Remember Bill Duffy Associates? They were the agency that was affiliated with Ronald Guillory, the runner who was giving OJ Mayo all his money. According to Gary Parrish

Brian Clifton has helped Bill Duffy Associates sign players in the past. Yes, that's the same Bill Duffy Associates in the middle of the Mayo scandal. Small world, huh? But Clifton categorically denied the assertion and insisted he has never worked for or been a "runner" for BDA, though he did acknowledge assisting former N.C. State player Cameron Bennerman throughout the agent-selecting process.

Bennerman signed with BDA.

Would anyone really be surprised is Brian Clifton applies for reinstatement as an agent and winds up with Wall as a client?

-I know I'm a little late with this, but former Toledo player Sammy Villegas has finally been indicted in the point shaving scandal from the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. For what its worth, his coach doesn't believe Villegas did anything wrong.

There are a few things that don't make sense in this case. First of all, there are people that actually bet on Toledo basketball games? How much money could possibly be made? The game mentioned in the indictment was the night of February 4th, when 11-9 Toledo were 15 point favorites against 3-17 Central Michigan. Toledo won by 16 (covering the spread) and Villegas was 1-1 from the field (hitting a three) with six boards and 6 assists, while missing both of his free throws. What?

Clearly, something was wrong with Villegas during his junior and senior seasons. Just look at the dramatic decline in his numbers (h/t Rush The Court):

Everything is down across the board. Why? Who can really say, but it is not often that you see someone who is a four-year player have their production drop off so dramatically without something else being involved. Maybe he was shaving points, maybe he owed a lot of money to the wrong people, or maybe he had some undisclosed injury or illness in the family which weighed on his mind. I don't know, but given reports that say he is cooperating with investigators, things aren't looking good for him.

-Arkansas, who just signed coach John Pelphrey to a bigger and longer contract, was dealt a huge blow to their hopes for the 2008-09 season when guard Patrick Beverly was ruled ineligible for the entire year due to academic issues. Apparently, the Arkansas coaching staff had been trying to get him more dedicated in the classroom for a while, and it still wasn't enough. Beverly, who was the only returning starter, was going to be counted on to shoulder a large load of the scoring.

-Winning the National Championship not only was great for Bill Self's career and legacy, it also has dome wonders for his bank account as Kansas signed Self to a 10-year, $30 million contract, making him the second highest paid coach in the country (to Billy Donovan's $3.5 million a year). Continue reading...

November is coming! Get excited!

Let me begin this post by offering full disclosure. We "journalists" are supposed to be fair and balanced, neutral at all times. Whether or not you believe this is possible, this is the goal. A college basketball journalist can't write that Duke will win every game if he is a Duke fan (although this one would like to). Likewise, a political journalist shouldn't favor one candidate or one party over another, and if they do, it should not affect the integrity of their work.

I consider myself a journalist. I work hard to write fair, balanced stories. In my role as a television producer, I take pains to tell all sides of the story and give justice to them as best I can. But now, I have taken a leave of absence from the world of journalism to work on Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Last week, I loaded up my car and drove from New York to Missouri to help BO get elected.

Throughout the 15 hour drive, as I meandered through towns and past farms and into America's heartland, I could not stop thinking about what will come a few months from now. In November, Americans from all corners of the country will come together in the hopes of new beginnings and a chance for victory. Obviously, I'm talking about college basketball season! (You were expecting something else??)

My drive from the Atlantic to the Mississippi was long and arduous, but it gave me a chance to think about all the basketball that is coming soon. And it also gave me a mini-tour of some notable hoops hotbeds in this country.

Around 9:00 AM on Sunday, August 3, I left New York, the home of the point guards. From Pee Wee Kirkland to Sebastian Telfair, lead guards have dominated the NYC blacktop. I thought about the time one of those point guards, nicknamed Showtime (former St. Johns guard Darryl Hill) bounced the ball off my head in a summer league game. Embarrassing.

Around 10 AM, I got to William Patterson College in NJ, former home of D-III superstar and Pistons guard Horace Jenkins. Love for D-III hoops!

Around 1 PM, I reached Pittsburgh, home of the Panthers. Will they contend for the National Championship this year? It should be Pitt and UConn all year long fighting for the Big East crown.

Around 3 PM, I saw the first signs for Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes are known as a football school, but have quite the basketball tradition. From Jerry Lucas to Greg Oden, THE Ohio State University has had some quality ballers. Can freshman center B.J. Mullens lead them back to the top of the Big 10 this year?

Around 5 PM, I got to Dayton, Ohio. The Flyers are one of those under-the-radar programs that always surprises people in March. I thought about why people are so hesitant to give the Atlantic 10 love. They have quality programs and great coaches. Just because they don't play BCS football doesn't mean it's not a great basketball conference. I think Xavier proved that last season.

By 8 PM, I reached Indianapolis, and I thought not about the Hoosiers, but about when my father took me to the Final Four in that city in 2000. I watched Mateen Cleaves and Mo-Pete cut down the nets that year. Now that was a great college basketball team.

By 10 PM, I saw signs for Indiana State University. It was dark and there were no lights anywhere. I could have sworn I heard Larry Legend's jumpshots lightly grazing the net, and then bouncing back to him on his Indiana farm. Spooky.

By Midnight, I passed Southern Illinois University, home of the Salukis. Another great mid-major program that everyone forgets about until they make the Sweet 16. I wish casual basketball fans knew more about teams like this.

Finally, around 3 AM, I pulled into St. Louis, home of the SLU Billikens (what up, Larry Hughes) and the 2008 D-III national champions, Washington University. Yeah, that's right, I got recruited by them...

A long drive, and an exciting time ahead. College basketball is just around the corner, and everyone of the schools that I saw (and hundreds more), are gearing up for November. Oh yeah, and I hear there's an election too...
Continue reading...

Arizona: 2008-2009 Team Preview

2007-2008 Record: 19-15, 8-10 Pac-10 (7th)

Key Losses: Jerryd Bayless (19.7 ppg, 4.0 apg), Jawann McClellan (8.6 ppg, 33 starts), Brandon Jennings (does he count?)

Key Returnees: Chase Budinger (17.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Jordan Hill (13.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Nic Wise (9.2 ppg, 4.0 apg)

Newcomers: Jeff Withey, Kyle Fogg, Brandon Lavender

Arizona suffered through one of the more turbulent off-seasons in recent memory (although it pales in comparison to Indiana's), with Lute Olsen coming back after a year off and the subsequent firing of his coaching staff. Then, what was once a top 10 recruiting class had Emmanuel Negedu (a consensus top 40 player) back out of his letter of intent and Brandon Jennings (maybe the best player in the class) head to Europe to play his one-and-done year. Couple that with Jerryd Bayless leaving school for NBA riches, and you are looking at a less than ideal situation in Tuscon.

Things could be much bleaker, however. Chase Budinger, who looks like a pre-season favorite for Pac-10 player of the year, decided to withdraw from the draft and PG Nic Wise, who is talented but inconsistent, decided not to transfer. The Wildcats also return the up-and-coming Jordan Hill, an athletic, 6'10" forward that is quietly becoming one of the best big men in the Pac-10. Arizona also adds 7'0" freshman Jeff Withey, a top 50 recruit, and SG Kyle Fogg, a 6'3" defensive stopper.

The biggest issue for the Cats last year was their depth, and after losing Jennings, Bayless, and Negedu, it looks like they will face the same issue next year. Budinger and Hill are both potential first-team all-conference players, and Wise is an above average point guard, but beyond that, there is not much talent on the Arizona roster. Olsen has always had a reputation for throwing the ball out there and letting his superior recruiting win him games (which is why talented Arizona teams always seem to underachieve), so without the talent on his roster that he is used to, it could be a long season in Tucson.

Outlook: Budinger may be the best player in the Pac-10, and Hill could end up averaging a double-double, but Arizona simply does not have enough depth to compete for a Pac-10 title. Continue reading...

8/6 - Some Links, Some News

-Syracuse players Jonny Flynn, Scoop Jardine, and Rick Jackson won't be prosecuted for sexual assault charges after an Onondaga county grand jury decided against charging the players. 

These situations are always tough because unless there is some type of physical evidence (which there apparently is not here) they almost always break down into a he-said, she-said, it was consensual, it wasn't consensual back-and-forth argument. Hearing that a grand jury failed to indict the players makes me believe that they are telling the truth, but reading something like this makes me believe otherwise:

Before the end of the year, however, Fitzpatrick said, he met with lawyers for the university, the woman and the players. He was told a resolution had been reached that included some punishment of the players and precluded the need for any criminal investigation, the DA said.

Why would they need a resolution that included some punishment if the players did nothing wrong? Besides, its not the first time Syracuse basketball has had to deal with sexual assault charges - remember Billy Edelin?

Now let me preface this by saying that I know nothing of the case, but if the grand jury did not choose to press charges, then it seems like this is a case of a girl being star struck by these basketball players and getting into a situation that went a little further than she would have liked (read this article, h/t Troy Nunes- apparently there were two incidents, which makes me believe the above theory even more). Right or wrong, I don't want to get into specifics here, like did the players push the girl too far, but what I do want to get into is what has happened to the Syracuse program since their 2003 national title. If it wasn't for a miraculous run (and some unbelievable play by Gerry McNamara) in the 2006 Big East tourney, the 'Cuse would be looking at three straight years of missing the NCAA's (OK, they got jobbed in 2007, but a team four years removed from a title with Jim Boeheim as a coach should not be anywhere near the bubble, especially not three years in a row). I mean, Boeheim has lost 10 or more games 11 times in his 32 year career, and 3 of those 11 were the last three years, including a career high 14 in 2008.

Maybe it has been extenuating circumstances - injuries, suspensions, a bad-luck stretch of recruiting - but the bigger question might be does Boeheim still have it? He's 63, already with 700 wins, a title, and a plaque in the Hall of Fame, and he has a smoking hot wife. My question is, does he still have the drive? With Flynn, Paul Harris, and Arinze Onuaku returning, and Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins coming back from knee injuries, this might be the most talented team Boeheim has had since the back-to-back Big East titles ('05 and '06), and they still aren't a top 5 team in the conference this year.

-The NCAA has released the fields for the Maui Invitational, the Old Spice Classic and the Anaheim Classic. My picks: UNC over Notre Dame in Maui, Gonzaga over Michigan State in the Old Spice, and Wake Forest over Arizona State in Anaheim.

-Luis Fernandez at Draft Express is fast becoming my go-to source for international basketball. Here, he gives up power rankings for the 12 teams playing in the Olympics. Side note, did anyone else see how good Patty Mills of St. Mary's played for Australia against the US. He was getting to the rack pretty easily against the likes of Chris Paul and J-Kidd.

-Good news and bad news for Michigan State. Freshman forward Delvon Roe underwent surgery on his left knee to reduce swelling on it, only seven months after a December surgery on his right knee. But word is that the surgery should heal in about six weeks, and that Roe will be ready to go come October.

-Mick Cronin just landed his biggest recruit, both literally and figuratively, to date at Cincinnati in 7'2" center John Riek. Now the question becomes, will he be healthy and will he be eligible.

Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Bootsy Thornton

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Bootsy Thornton, St. John's

After starring for famed Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Maryland (where NBA players Sam Cassell, Muggsy Bogues, and David Wingate went), Thornton failed to qualify academically, so he went to Tallahassee Community College for two years, where he scored 1,329 points and earned first team NJCAA all-america honors. After TCC, Thornton went to St. John's, where he helped to lead the Johnnie's back into the national spotlight. As a junior, Thornton led the team in scoring at 14.9 ppg as St. John's reached the finals of the Big East tournament and eventually the Elite 8 in the NCAA's. His most memorable performance was an early-season outburst against Duke when he put up 40 points, although the Red Storm eventually lost to the Blue Devils in OT. Thornton was named 2nd team all-Big East. As a senior, Thornton averaged 15.3 ppg and 5.5 rpg and led St. John's to the Big East tournament title, where he was named the most outstanding player. The Johnnies earned a two-seed in the NCAA tournament, but were upset in the second round by Gonzaga.

After St. John's, Thornton went undrafted by the NBA, and despite being selected by some minor league teams, he decided to head overseas, where he joined the Italian League team Pallacanestro Cantu. In his third season with Cantu, Thornton averaged 17.9 ppg, which was enough to get the attention of Montepaschi Siena, who not only play in the Italian League, but also are a Euroleague competitor. Thornton was a key addition for Siena, averaging 15.9 ppg and 14.1 ppg in his first two seasons. In 2003-04, Thornton's first year with Siena, the team won the Italian League title and advanced all the way to the Final Four of the Euroleague. The following season they won the Super cup title.

Thornton has garnered a rep in Euro basketball similar to that of Robert Horry here, meaning that he is considered a "winner" because he always plays a significant role for very good teams. In 2005-06, Thornton signed with Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona, where he teamed with NBA-ers Juan Carlos Navarro and Marc Gasol, as well as former Tar Heels Ed Cota and Shammond Williams. Thornton struggled with injuries during the year, averaging just 6.2 ppg, but was a key contributor down the stretch as Barcelona reached the Final Four of the Euroleague.

Thornton moved onto Akasvayu Girona the following season, where he played even fewer minutes (15 mpg, 5.2 ppg), but helped lead Girona to the FIBA Eurocup title in 2007. This past season, Thornton resigned with Siena. He averaged 9.0 ppg in Italian League play as Siena won the Italian League championship, and then averaged 10.5 ppg as Siena advanced to the Final Four of the Euroleague. He was voted second-team all-euroleague.

Thornton has signed a contract with the Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilsen for the 2008-09 season. There, he will team with former collegians Drew Nicolas (Maryland), Kenny Gregory (Kansas), Scoonie Penn (Ohio State), and Loren Woods (Arizona). Continue reading...

Alabama: 2008-2009 Team Preview

2007-2008 Record: 17-16, 5-11 SEC West (5th)

Key Losses: Richard Hendrix (17.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg), Mykal Riley (14.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Key Returnees: Alonzo Gee (14.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Ronald Steele

Newcomers: JaMychal Green (McDonalds All-America), Tony Mitchell, Andrew Steele, Anthony Brock

The loss of Hendrix (NBA) and Riley (graduated) leaves Alabama without their two leading scorers from last season, but the Crimson Tide return every other player from their rotation last year, including Alonzo Gee and Ronald Steele, who decided to withdraw their names from June's draft to return to Tuscaloosa for their senior years. Mark Gottfried was also able to land one of his best recruiting classes, which includes Mickey D's all-american JaMychal Green, top 100 recruits Tony Mitchell and Adrew Steele (Ronald's brother), and JuCo PG Anthony Brock.

Look for Gee and Green to both have big years for the Tide. Gee is a 6'6" athlete on the wing, who can slash, get to the rim, and is one of the best rebounders at his position in the country. Green, who is coming off a very good showing at the U-19 Fiba Championships, is a force under the basket, He is 6'9", athletic, and strong, but his ball skills are still a bit raw (think Patrick Patterson). Demetrius Jemison, the other projected front-court starter, should complement those two well, as he is a 6'7" ball of muscle. The freshman Mitchell (UPDATE: Mitchell was declared ineligible and will not join the team until at least December), who plays a similar style to Gee, should also provide quality minutes off the bench.

But how good Alabama will be probably depends on how well Ronald Steele is able to come back from his (multiple) knee surgeries. If he is anywhere near where he was in 2006 and 2007, Alabama could be a sleeper to win the SEC. If not, they are going to have to rely on freshman Andrew Steele and sophomore Rico Pickett to run the team. Pickett was inconsistent as a freshman, but the younger Steele could turn into a solid contributor. The Tide also return sharp-shooter Brandon Hollinger and high-flying Senario Hillman.

Outlook: The Tide return a lot of guys from last year's team, and combined with their recruiting class and the (hopefully) healthy Ronald Steele, expect Alabama to be in the thick of things in the SEC. Continue reading...

Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen

In February, mid-way through the Big Ten season, the Indiana Hoosiers were a top-ten team in the nation, led by star freshman guard Eric Gordon, bruising big man D.J. White, and a marquee coach in Kelvin Sampson. They were a trendy Final Four pick, and basketball-mania was alive and well in the Hoosier State.

And then things got ugly. Sampson accepted a buy-out from the school after it was revealed that he engaged in unsavory and illegal recruiting tactics. His indiscretions were particularly bad considering he left Oklahoma University surrounded by similar allegations. Assistant Dan Dakich took over and did the best he could, but the team collapsed. There was even a period of time when it was unclear if the players would show up to play for their new coach.

The Hoosiers lost unexpectedly to Minnesota in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and slipped to an 8th seed in the Big Dance, where they promptly lost to Arkansas. Not exactly the results you would expect from one of college basketball's powerhouses.

And then things got really ugly. Despite hiring Tom Crean from Marquette, a terrific coach and recruiter, the team began to disintegrate. Gordon declared for the NBA draft (no surprise there), and White and forward Lance Stemler graduated. Sophomore Armon Basset and junior JaMarcus Ellis, two key contributors that were suspended by Dakich, were thrown off the team for good and transferred. Another forward, DeAndre Thomas, decided he wasn't going to come back, and little-used freshman center Eli Holman left the school after getting into an argument with Crean in his office. He apparently threw a potted plant and Crean had to call the police. You know it's bad when bench-warmers are throwing potted plants. Finally, talented guard Jordan Crawford transferred to Xavier, completing the exodus and depleting the Hoosiers.

So what can we expect from Crean's team? Indiana's fans are perhaps the most passionate in the country, and while they have to know that this will be a down year, Crean will still be on a short leash. He only has one returning player, forward Kyle Taber, who averaged a whopping 1.6 points per game last year. The rest are newcomers, and since Crean didn't have much time to hire a staff and recruit, he wasn't able to compile a top-shelf incoming class. Uh oh.

This situation reminds me of North Carolina's predicament in 2001, when they went 8-20 under the overwhelmed Matt Doherty. The talent level was low, the coach was unprepared, and the fans were ravenous. I would expect a similar record in Bloomington this year.

But there is hope, and it lies in Crean. By all accounts, he is a terrific coach, able to motivate his players and get the most out of their talent. The Hoosiers will struggle mightily this year, but if the fan-base is patient enough to let Crean recruit and develop his own talent, Indiana will be back at the top of the Big Ten soon enough. Just look at what happened to UNC. They were awful in 2001, but won the national championship only four years later.

My advice to Hoosiers fans is this: wait it out. It will be tough losing in East Lansing by 25 points. It will be even tougher sweating out close games with Northwestern. But the allure of playing for Indiana will bring talented players and Crean will mold them into a winning program soon. He transformed Marquette from Wisconsin's ugly step-sister into a perennial Final Four contender. He will do the same for the Hoosiers.

And if that doesn't console you, at least the Colts should be good.

Posted by Ross Weingarten Continue reading...

8/1 - Some Links, Some News

-For those of you that aren't interested in reading about recruiting issues, well then you should probably just skip this edition of Some Links, Some News. On Tuesday, we at BIAH discussed (here) how teams will try and land recruits by hiring their summer or AAU coaches as assistant coaches. Well, it looks like it is happening again. It has long been rumored that OK State, Baylor, and Oregon were the front runners for '09 PG recruit John Wall (which in itself is pretty startling, considering Wall is from Raleigh, NC - only a stone's throw away from ACC powers NC State, Duke, UNC, and Wake Forest). Yesterday, Dwon Clifton, Wall's coach at D-One Sports (the runners-up at the Reebok Las Vegas Tournament), was hired as Director of Player Development at Baylor.

This hiring (especially if it leads to Wall playing at Baylor), and the overall recruitment of Wall, does not sound right to me at all. If Wall, probably the #1 player in the class of '09, signs with a school in Waco, TX with absolutely no basketball history or legacy AND is only five years removed from what may be the worst scandal in the history of sports (OK, the Black Sox fixed the World Series, but a Baylor player was murdered and the coach tried to cover it up by saying the deceased was a drug dealer), something has to be off. If I was the best player in the country and I could play ANYWHERE I wanted to, I would go to one of three places: somewhere with an outstanding basketball legacy where I know I would be playing for National Titles (a la Duke); somewhere with beautiful weather, women, and a great party scene (a la Arizona); or the place that gave me and the people around me the most money and benefits. Which one of these sounds like Baylor to you?

-So you are an ordinary, customer-service rep at FedEx, and you happen to get a call from the CEO of your company. A bit surprised, no? What if you also had a son that was one of the top unsigned basketball players in the class of '08, and that the CEO of FedEx was one of the top athletics boosters for the University of Memphis. Would you still be surprised? And not only is FedEx CEO Dave Bronczek a huge booster (most likely giving more than $1 million to the Tigers), but the Memphis home arena is called FedEx Forum.

David Bronczek's phone call to Abdul Gaddy's mother, Oseye Gaddy, has landed Memphis in a bit of hot water, and it could even result in Gaddy being ineligible to play for the Tigers. According to NCAA rule 13.01.1:

The recruitment of a student-athlete by a member institution or any representative of its athletic interests in violation of the Association's legislation, as acknowledged by the institution or established through the Association's enforcement procedures, shall result in the student-athlete becoming ineligible to represent that institution in intercollegiate athletics. The Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement may restore the eligibility of a student involved in such a violation only when circumstances clearly warrant restoration.

I doubt I really hope Calipari had no idea this was happening, although in the article, Jeff Goodman says that the call by Bronczek was made in lieu of Cal's request..

-I know it is taboo in the blogosphere to like anything put out by the worldwide leader, but I have a confession: I love Dana O'Neill. I think she is a fantastic writer, and I thoroughly enjoy just about every piece she writes. Her most recent article is about how coaches have not changed their recruiting ways during July, even after Skip Prosser's death.

-It's not recruiting, but here is a list of the Vegas Odds to win a National Championship. How is Florida third? Continue reading...

Eric Montross Cares About Politics?

I don't know all that much about politics, and I don't think I actually know why John Edwards is important, but I do know that he has a mistress and a love child with her (maybe I should put down US and pick up Time). Yesterday, it was reported that someone who is closely tied to Edwards has been paying as much as $15,000 a month to Rielle Hunter and to Andrew Young, who claims he is the father of the child.

Well today, it is being reported that former UNC Tar Heel and 1st round NBA draft pick Eric Montross is Edwards' money man, as well as providing Hunter a place to live. Radar Online reports:

the Enquirer reported that after word of the affair got out, Hunter moved into a home owned by an Edwards supporter in the exclusive Governors Club, a gated community less than five miles away from the Edwards HQ in Chapel Hill and only a few blocks away from the Young residence.

Here's where things get weird: five days later, a right-wing blog called Death By 100 Papercuts received a tip that the house Hunter had moved into was owned by a former NBA player who had contributed money to the Edwards campaign. Doing some digging, Doug Ross reported that the only former NBA player who had donated money to Edwards was Eric Montross, a UNC graduate who was drafted by the Boston Celtics back in 1994 and ended his NBA career in 2003. Montross gave $4,600 to Edwards during the 2008 election cycle; he was described as a "big backer of John Edwards' White House bid" by CNN. (Edwards went to UNC law school.)

I don't like getting into that tabloid news too much, but this was too good to pass up. Continue reading...

Top 10 Dunks in College Basketball History

Now I know I'm not the only ones out there that loves watching clips of great plays, and given the fact that I just wasted about three hours watching some of the best dunks ever, I figured I'd save you the trouble of youtube browsing and give you a list right here - the top 10 college basketball dunks.

A couple of things before we get to the BIAH top 10: there were a couple dunks not on this list because I simply could not find a video of them - see Hakim Warrick's ****** (hint: its what you dip in hot water to make tea, this blog is strictly PG-13) on Royal Ivey to the right. I also am an 80's baby, so there might be a lot of dunks that I simply don't remember or know about because I am too young. That said, if you know of any that are missing, post a comment and let me know what they are, and I will do everything in my power to get a clip up for you, or just leave us a link to your favorite dunk.

So without further ado, follow the jump for the top 10, plus a few extra just because we at BIAH like you guys that much.

UPDATE: I found the Hakim Warrick dunk.

Honorable Mention:

Stew Hare of UNC-Wilmington clinching the Seahawks first round upset of USC by dunking on the Trojans entire front-line. The only reason this even makes this list is because of the situation when it occurred.

Baron Davis with a fake behind-the-back and dunk. The move is better than the dunk, but it is still pretty sick.

Chris Porter with a ridiculous tip-dunk (a theme you will come to see). Would probably be higher if the video quality was better.

Senario Hillman of Alabama with a HUGE facial dunk on a fast break against Auburn.

Hakim Warrick dunks over a defender from Pitt, off the vert, from five feet away from the basket. How does he get up that high? Best part, though, is Bill Raftery yelling "Bring your lunch!!" What does that even mean?

10: Grant Hill catches a (almost) half court alley-oop from Bobby Hurley in the 1991 Final Four.

9: VC with a two-handed dunk on Tim Duncan's head.

8: Ismael Muhammad of Georgia Tech jumps over Engin Atsur of NC State. It has gotta be pretty embarrassing to get completely jumped over and dunked on.

7: Jerry Stackhouse on 14 feet of Blue Devil (am I the only one that loves seeing a Dookie get dunked on). Anyway, I promise this is the last ACC clip.

6: Melvin Levitt from Cincinnati soars for a one-handed put-back dunk. The announcers reaction is great.

5: Nate Robinson. I chose this video because it also has some insane highlights of the midget dunking, but the #5 dunk is actually his put-back dunk against Arizona.

4: Darvin Ham breaks the backboard with a tip dunk ... IN THE NCAA TOURNEY.

tie 3: JR Rider posterizes two guys. I have no idea who they are playing, but listen to the sound the dunk makes.

tie 3: Dirk Nowitzki Minnifield from Kentucky. He just looks like he keeps going up and up, even after he hits the guy taking a charge.

2: Shaq jumps over someone trying to box him out on a put-back dunk. Listen to a young Dickie V announcing.

1: "SEND IT IN JEROME"

Here's a better look at the dunk itself, with music in the background.

So there it is, the BIAH top 10 list for greatest college dunks of all time. I know I missed some, so leave a comment and let me know. Continue reading...

7/30 - Some Links, Some News

UPDATE: Mississippi State guard Phil Turner was arrested at an off-campus party after refusing to comply with an officer's requests to sit on the ground. Bad day for college hoopers.

-Maybe Huggy Bear isn't the best coach to use as a role model. Two West Virginia players, Joe Mazzulla and Cameron Thoroughman, got arrested after a scuffle at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. Apparently, the two twenty year-olds were putting away a good number of beers at the game, and when police asked to see ID's, Thoroughman told the cops he didn't have his. He resisted as the cops tried to arrest him, and that's when Mazzulla stepped in and punched one of the cops. Thoroughman was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and underage drinking while Mazzulla got charged with aggravated assault, hindering prosecution, and underage drinking.

How dumb do you have to be to resist arrest or hit a cop? Is it really worth all the trouble they are facing now to get an underage drinking offense? Whoever was serving them beer would be in more trouble than the players. But to hit a cop? Mazzulla deserves whatever he has coming.

-Illinois guard Jamar Smith, who was the (drunk?) driver of the car in the accident that severely injured teammate Brian Carlwell, may never suit up for the Illini again. Apparently, he was questioned by an officer outside a campus bar about an incident (which he was not involved in) and he admitted he had been drinking, which was a violation of the two year probation he received. If he is not allowed to return, Illinois could be in for another long season, as he was expected to shoulder a huge load for this team.

-Jonathon Givony of Draft Express got an interview with an assistant coach from the Greek club team Olympiacos, who recently signed Josh Childress. It is a pretty interesting read.

-Along those same lines, The Sports Agent Blog takes a look at why agents and players will look overseas - to drive up his salary here. They use Delonte West as an example.

-The NBA is playing Euro teams?

-More from Draft Express - if anyone wants some up-to-date information about some of the best recruits in the '09 class, click here and here.

-Skip Prosser's son, Mark, is an assistant at Wofford. Andy Katz wrote a nice piece about him for ESPN.

-I don't know why you would need it, but Rush The Court put together a great database of all the NBA Draft picks from 1949-2008 and where they went to college. Continue reading...

Wednesday Where Are They Now?: Troy Bell

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

Troy Bell, Boston College

Despite being fairly lightly recruited out of the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minnesota (he was only offered by Xavier and Tennessee, and UT coach Buzz Peterson wasn't even on campus during Bell's official visit), the 6'1", 180 lb Bell went on the have one of the greatest careers in Big East history. Bell was setting scoring records from the minute he stepped on campus in 1999, as he averaged 18.8 ppg as a freshman, setting the rookie scoring record. For his career, Bell averaged 21.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 3.5 apg, and established a BC career record (good for 21st all-time) with 2,632 points. As a senior in the 2002-03 season, he averaged 25.2 ppg (27 ppg in Big East play, another record) and won his second Big East player of the year award, joining Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Troy Murphy, and Rip Hamilton as the only players to achieve that feat.

Despite winning a share of the Big East regular season title Bell's senior season, BC did not make the NCAA tournament. But Bell was selected with the 16th pick in the NBA Draft by the Celtics, before being traded to the Grizzlies. He only saw action in six games his rookie year, and four days before the opening of summer league before his second season, Bell injured his knee and needed surgery. After reinjuring the knee during training camp, the Grizzlies released Bell, who then signed with Real Madrid in Spain. Bell only stayed in Spain for two months during the 2004-05 season, and ended up sitting out the entire 2005-06 season after being cut by New Orleans after their first exhibition game.

During his season off, Bell moved back to the Midwest, where he started working out in Michael Jordan's gym (apparently he beat MJ 1-on-1). Eventually, in an effort to build up strength in his knee and in his core, Bell started working out in a boxing gym. After a couple of months he decided to try his in luck in the ring. He ended up going 2-0 in amateur boxing matches, but was drafted in the D-League in August of 2006. He played in the D-League during the 2006-07 season for Albuquerque and Austin, averaging 14.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 3.5 apg on the season.

In 2007-08, Bell signed with the Italian team Angelico Biella, where he led the team (which also had former Kansas guard Keith Langford and for Georgia Tech guard BJ Elder) at 15.6 ppg. He just inked a deal to play the 2008-09 season for Vanoli Soresina, another Italian league team. Continue reading...

Who you callin' a mid-major?

College basketball is a lot like the Hollywood scene: the rich get richer, while it is increasingly difficult and competitive for an unknown or "small-time" actor to become one of the marquee names.

(Ed. Note: For his wondering fans, a picture of BIAH contributor and through-and-through Blue Devil fan, Ross, can be seen below).

The analogy is simple: big-name programs like Duke, Kansas, North Carolina (and for you, Rob, UConn) are granted unspoken (and perhaps unfair) privileges. They have the biggest recruiting budgets, the most recognizable logos and uniforms, and play on national television multiple times a season. As a result, recruits across the country see these teams play, and these powerhouse programs are able to afford to go see any recruit they choose. It is no surprise that every year, the best high school players in the country routinely select the same schools (by my count, there are anywhere from 18-24 of these schools in the country). The proof is everywhere: look at the rosters from some of college basketball's most storied and successful programs. A few of the players will be local, but many will be from all over the country. Players that grow up in California see Duke and North Carolina just as much as they see their local school. The flip-side is true, as well: players in New York can watch UCLA all the time.

Now, what happens if you are a small school with little or no prestigious basketball history? For the most part, schools like this work hard to attain moderate levels of success, and reaching the NCAA tournament seems like the ultimate prize (I am mostly talking about schools outside of the BCS Conferences). These schools recruit mostly local players, develop them over three or four years, and then hope that a team of upper-classmen can beat more talented freshman from bigger schools. Schools like Penn, Bucknell, Tulsa, New Mexico and others have achieved success like this for years.

Now, all of this is changing. Watch out, Jayhawks and Bruins, Huskies and Hoyas! The mid-majors are coming! This trend has been written about exhaustively in the past few years. It started with Gonzaga's success at the beginning of the decade. Players like Blake Stepp, Dan Dickau and later Ronny Turiaf and Adam Morrison transformed the tiny Spokane school into a basketball powerhouse. Butler followed, beating numerous BCS schools over the past few years and becoming a team that no one wants to play. The fears of college basketball's blue bloods were confirmed when George Mason, a commuter school outside of Washington, D.C., with no basketball history and a wacky coach, made the Final Four in 2006.

The next team to follow in this tradition seems to be tiny Davidson College, a 1,600-student school outside of Charlotte, NC. Their march to the Elite Eight, led by guards Stephen Curry and Jason Richards, riveted a nation. Now, with Curry back as a pre-season All-American, people are starting to notice the tiny Wildcats.

But here is the difference: national television is starting to take notice as well. As a recent ESPN.com article (insider needed - Andy Katz's blog )outlined, as many as seven Davidson games will appear before a national audience this season. While ESPN did create "BracketBuster" games to showcase mid-major teams that might make trouble for a traditional power in the NCAA tournament, this is the first time that the network has gone out of its way to showcase a school like Davidson.

So what does this mean? Well, for starters, it's hard to call Davidson a mid-major anymore. The national television exposure will give high-school players around the country a chance to watch their style and imagine themselves in Wildcat red. Their basketball budget will rise. Curry will be on the cover of magazines and on television around the country, giving the program a face. All of these sound like trademarks of schools like Duke and North Carolina. And to think, Davidson is brash enough to creep onto the scene in their own backyard.

Parity in any arena is hard to come by. Directors in Hollywood will always want to cast Tom Cruise or Matt Damon, rather than take a chance on an unknown actor. And ESPN or CBS will always want to show a school from the ACC or Big East that even casual fans have heard of, rather than an unknown team that no one cares about. Yet Davidson, Butler and George Mason prove that the glass ceiling can be broken. Teams that were afterthoughts one year can become darlings the next. As Curry and Davidson are about to find out, the trick is sustaining it. Continue reading...

7/29 - Some Links, Some News

-Before I get to the main point of this edition of Some Link, Some News, let me update you on a couple of transfers. Jordan Crawford, who averaged 9.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg for the since-imploded Indiana Hoosiers, has decided that he will transfer to Xavier (where he will coincidentally join prep player Terrell Holloway, who originally committed to Kelvin Sampson at Indiana). Crawford fits in well with the Musketeers system, but don't they already have about eight versatile wing players (Derrick Brown, CJ Anderson, Dante Jackson, BJ Raymond)?

These next two are a bit older. Curtis Kelly, the UConn transfer, has decided that he will play for Kansas State where he will have two years of eligibility left after sitting out the 2008-09 season. A big, athletic, lefty power forward playing for K-State. Sound familiar? Derrick Jasper has decided he will join UNLV.

-Now to the main theme: the way that coach's get around recruiting restrictions. We talked about this on BIAH a while ago, but Jeff Goodman gives another look at Bruce Weber and his recruiting of younger players. The more I think about the younger recruitment, the more I am torn on an issue. For one thing, it is a very effective tool for a coach whose team has been struggling in recent years to build a rapport with local talent. And regardless of whether or not coaches are allowed to recruit these guys, scouting agency's and recruiting websites are still going to rank them, so does it really hurt for coaches to watch them or recruit them?

The biggest problem I see is the effect it will have on the player's. It can put unneeded pressure on a player to commit to a college before he has even decided on where he will attend high school, especially in places in the midwest where high school sports are so important. It could also be a deterrent to the player's work ethic. It is hard enough to convince young stars who dominate their competition to work on and develop their game, but if they already have big 10 coaches on their doorstep when they are 13, it could convince the kid that he has already "made it", when in fact they still have a very long way to go. The most detrimental effect, however, could be to the kids psyche. Let's say, for example, that the player in question happened to hit puberty early, and is, in effect, a "man" when he is 13 or 14 - he is stronger, taller, and more athletic then everyone he is playing against at his age (hopefully, for a kid like this he will be playing up a level, i.e. against older players, but you never know). What happens to him when everyone else catches up, and the school he committed to decides they do not want him anymore. That would be pretty humiliating and depressing for anybody, and could ultimately effect his career.

-Another interesting, and kind of funny, recruiting trick is one that Dana O'Neill wrote about over the weekend. Apparently, Indiana assistant coach Bennie Seltzer got word that a player he went to watch didn't think that any Indiana coaches were in the crowd. So to avoid having to face that problem again, Seltzer has taken to wearing Indiana's red and white pinstripe warmup pants everytime he goes to watch a recruit play.

-Gary Parrish has written two very interesting pieces (here and here) on some of the more subtle recruiting techniques that you rarely hear about, both coincidentally involving summer and AAU coaches. The first is about Miles Simon, who after being let go by Arizona has started coaching the LA based Pump N Run Elite. They just sent Jrue Holiday to UCLA and Larry Drew to UNC, and still have Solomon Hill, Tyler Honeycutt (both '09), Tyler Lamb and Kendall Williams (both '10) on the roster. The article talks about how summer coaches use their connection with these star recruits to land themselves jobs at big time schools. He also highlights Chris Walker's hiring at New Mexico and Emmanuel Richardson at Xavier (and how they coincided with the recruitment of players from the T-Mac All-stars and the Gauchos). As Parrish says:

Simon will be an intriguing candidate for some West Coast school, because he now knows the SoCal kids on a personal level thanks to this summer spent developing relationships without NCAA guidelines hindering his moves. That's a huge bonus, and if you don't believe me you should've seen Richardson and Walker in their Xavier and New Mexico shirts this past season, working the jobs they "officially" got a little less than a year ago.

The second article by Parrish highlights a little known technique schools use to get players onto their campus. They are called Elite Camps. What the school does is hold a camp for 15-20 players that they are recruiting, and hire the player's summer league coaches to give a speech. It doesn't matter what it is about, because the only reason they are hired is to get the players to come to the camp. Let me explain. Let's say I am living in DC and coaching a team with two top recruits on it. UCLA (a school the players would never be able to afford to visit on their own) will pay me, say, $5,000 to come give a speech at their elite camp, with the (unwritten) understanding that a portion of that money is to be used to get the players to LA. This is all legal, apparently (Billy Donovan is even quoted in the article - he says some interesting things as well).

Now I know what you're thinking: How exactly is this legal?

Answer: It's legal because the NCAA does not regulate who universities hire to work summer camps, meaning Oklahoma State's Travis Ford could hire my uncle or John Wall's AAU coach to work his camp, and there's no NCAA guideline preventing him from doing it.

Furthermore, the NCAA can't regulate how much AAU coaches can be paid for working a camp any more than it can regulate how much Louisville pays Rick Pitino for doing a radio show or how much Washington spends on pregame meals. Everything is OK as long as the pay is consistent -- meaning Oklahoma State is in the clear provided it pays every AAU coach who works a camp roughly the same amount, regardless of whether the pay is $500, $2,500 or $5,000.

(It's also worth noting there is nothing preventing a school from hiring the same AAU coach to work five different camps in one summer. In that case, a $5,000 payday for one afternoon of talking could turn into a $25,000 windfall for five afternoons of talking, and do you see how this is a slippery slope?

Continue reading...

ESPN Prestige top 50

Last Friday, ESPN finished their list of the top 50 most prestigious college basketball programs since the NCAA tournament was changed to 64 teams. As much as I hate Duke, there is no way you can argue against them being #1. They have had 10 #1 seeds, 10 Final Fours, 3 National Titles, and 21 combined conference regular season and tournament championships in the past 23 years, all while maintaining a squeaky clean program.

In general, I think this is a pretty good list. The only major issue I had with the list was how high UNLV was rated. How can the most scandal-plagued program in college basketball be ranked in the top 10 of a prestige ranking? Maybe it is just me, but can a program really be considered "prestigious" when all of its success came while its coach faced numerous NCAA accusations, including recruiting violations, ineligible players, and the infamous photos showing three Runnin' Rebels in a hot tub with a convicted sports fixer. To me, for a program to be considered prestigious, they not only have to win, but win in the proper way (although, it is probably pretty likely that UNLV just happened to get caught, while others schools on this list didn't).

One of the reasons I've heard a lot of people discrediting this ranking is that some mid-major and low-major teams that are very successful get ranked ahead of average high-major teams. I guess it all depends on your personal definition or prestige, but personally, I feel it is more impressive to be a school like Murray State (30th), Penn (34th), Princeton (40th), or Gonzaga (26th), and dominate a conference for an extended period of time that it is to be a school like Wake Forest or Purdue, a middling power conference that's never made a Final Four. Fellow BIAH writer Ross pointed out that recruits almost always would rather play most schools in the big six conferences as opposed to a good mid-major team, but I don't think that indicates prestige. Isn't part of the reason you go to play at a Georgia Tech or a Villanova that you get to play against (and the chance to beat) the UNC's and the Duke's, the UConn's and the Georgetown's every year? Can the fact that you get to play another team really have an effect on your team's prestige? I don't think so.

Here is Andy Katz and Doug Gottlieb giving their opinions on the list.

Continue reading...

RIP Skip Prosser: the one-year anniversary

Today marks the one year anniversary of the sudden and tragic death of Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser. I never had the chance to meet him, but by all accounts he was one of the great teachers and most well respected coaches in the game. His coaching accolades speak for themselves: a 291-146 career record (.666 winning percentage), 2003 ACC coach of the year, regular season titles in three different leagues (MCC, A-10, ACC). And in a state where college basketball is synonymous with Roy Williams' and Dean Smith's, Coach K's and Jimmy V's, Prosser was able to create a name, a reputation, and a legacy for himself.

For Prosser, it was always about more than just basketball. For example, during his tenure, 100% of the players that played for four years earned their degrees. 100%. How often do you see that. And where most coaches use the cliche, "Give 110%!!" quotes to inspire and motivate their team, Prosser had a reputation for quoting his favorite authors - be it Thomas Paine or Shakespeare - before games (the link is to a great article Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports wrote the day after Prosser died).

Most college teams take a summer exhibition tour, usually to a place like the Bahamas or Puerto Rico or Canada. Prosser, who never lost the student in him, would always bring his Demon Deacon teams to Europe, to places where his players could take in some of our world's greatest historical monuments. He would line up a professor to teach a one credit course on the history of their destination during the spring semester, requiring his team to take the class. What's more is that Prosser would take the class with his players, even going as far as writing the final paper for it. How many coaches can say that.

Maybe the most telling aspect about the effect Prosser had on his players is that this year's recruiting class, which is top 3 in the country, all decided to honor their oral commitments to Wake Forest. Ty Walker, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Tony Woods all were recruited by and committed to Prosser last summer as high school rising seniors. All were pursued by other schools and other coaches, pretty heavily I might add, after Prosser's death, but decided to honor Prosser by attending Wake. Walker even got a tattoo saying "RIP Coach Prosser" on his arm, commemorating a coach he never played for.

Dino Gaudio, who considered Prosser a best-friend and a mentor, took over the Wake Forest program, which after a couple of down years looks to be back in the thick of things, at least on paper, atop the ACC. The Deac's return essentially their entire team, who went 17-13 last year, highlighted by an upset of then No. 2 Duke, and were at one point midway through the year third in the ACC. Last year Wake was led by two freshman. PG Jeff Teague, who averaged 13.9 ppg on the season and 19.1 ppg in the last nine games, anchors an experienced backcourt. Forward James Johnson, who put up 14.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg, will combine with the trio of freshman to form what may be the best front court in the ACC. Wake is probably the pre-season favorite to finish third behind Duke and UNC.

All the success Wake had last year and (presumably) will have this year is bittersweet for Gaudio, who is reminded of Prosser everywhere he goes. Hopefully, the 2008-2009 Wake Forest team, on which all of the players were recruited by Prosser, can live up to his lofty standards.

RIP Skip. In a profession where morals are decaying by the hour, you did it the right way. Continue reading...