The 2011-2012 All McDonalds-American Team

No, you didn't misread that.

"All McDonald's-American Team".

America is consistently rated as amongst the most obese nations in the world (#9 in 2011, 74.1% overweight or obese).

Listen, there isn't anything wrong with being big. Don't tell me you don't secretly yearn to eat a Five Guys burger at least once a week. But alas, most normal human beings are either too self-conscious or are into staying fit and healthy all the time.

For the "All McDonald's Americans", laying off an extra helping of pie is never an option. But for many of them, working out and getting in shape has always seem liked one. Offensive lineman can get away with being well-over 300lbs because, well, they don't have to run the floor and finish transition plays. Unfortunately for the hippos of the hardwood, endurance and stamina are an important part of the game, and hauling 300lbs of body mass up and down the court can take it's toll.

You probably know some of them, but not all of them, which is why we are here. To provide you the list of the fattest fatties and the biggest bigs in college basketball this season.

This list wouldn't have been possible without the creative idea-making of Eric Angevine from Storming the Floor, who once again, beat me to the idea-punch by about two years.

After the jump, you'll get a chance to get-to-know the elite class of 2011-2012 rotund roundballers.

Renardo Sidney - 280lbs, 6'10, Mississippi State

What is there to say about Renardo Sidney that hasn't already been said? He's the most troubled, ill-mannered, and unguided big-man in the history of big-men. Essentially, he is the Oliver Miller of our generation .

We all know Sidney's story, Never attended USC, sat out a year at MSU, got into a fight with a teammate a week after getting suspended from practice. He didn't even go to Europe with the team this off-season and stayed in Houston to train with John Lucas.

In Mississippi State's first four games he spent the majority of crunch time on the bench due to lack of stamina and effort. Sidney will continue to be handed second chances because his talent potential could be through the roof. But having showed little to no effort towards getting in shape, Sidney will continued to be looked at as a bust. A massive bust. He's such a big bust that he has his own de-motivational poster

Josh Smith - 305lbs - 6'10, Soph., UCLA

Josh Smith is the quintessential "Burger King". He's the "Renardo Sidney of the West Coast". The UCLA big-man is about as big as somebody his size can get while still being a functioning member of society. He is so large that whatever size uniform he wears still seems like it's two sizes too small.

But what makes him special is that he refuses to get in better shape or work on his endurance. His talent potential is so high, yet he has no desire whatsoever to go on a diet get better.

Smith averages just under 20-mpg, yet scores roughly 10-ppg. Imagine what he could do if he could play a full game.

Smith may have not been involved in the "food poisoning" incident involving Tyler Lamb, Anthony Stover and some late-night chili fries, but I'd be safe to assume that Josh is probably a regular at the Fat Sal's in Westwood.

Davante Gardner - 290lbs, 6'9, Soph., Marquette

Davante Gardner is a big boy. His vitals might not indicate it, but he's one of the biggest players in Division-I. Reports out of Milwaukee are that he has slimmed down since last year, and has put in some off-season work towards getting in shape.

Last year he showed that he can be a dominant force on the low block. He just has to be fit enough to play more minutes. Last season he played more than 15 minutes just four times. So far this season, he has registered at least 15 minutes in three of five games. By the end of the season, Gardner may be one of the most-improved wide-loads in the country.

Andre Almeida - 310lbs, 6'10, Sr., Nebraska

The Sao Paolo-native is the the most "under-the-radar" big-man in the country. It's not because he's got supreme talent, but rather because he's just so damn big.

If he played for any true basketball school, his size and stature on campus would be of legendary status. But at Nebraska, he looks like any other ordinary 315lb offensive lineman.

But make no mistake, this behemoth can ball. He scored ten key points in the Cornhusker's upset-win over Texas last season, and even drew the attention of ESPN's Scott Van Pelt.

You can call him "Size", "El Blanco Gigante" or even "Bobo Brazil", but just remember this: That dude is HUGE.

Joe Burton - 280lbs, 6'7, Jr., Oregon State

Joe Burton holds the distinction of being the largest college basketball player of Native American decent. In fact, he may be one of the biggest Native Americans ever.

At 280lbs, the big-man has slimmed down from the 290lb-frame he carried around while playing basketball and volleyball in high school.

Burton may be the smallest guy on the First Team, but he's also the shortest, which makes his center of gravity just as massive as Josh Smith's.

In fact, when UCLA and Oregon State go at it during Pac-12 conference play, everyone else should get out of the way. Nearly 600lbs of body mass is going to be battling on the low block.

Reggie Johnson - 305lbs, 6'10, Jr., Miami

If it had not been for a knee injury late in the summer that set him back 5-6 months, Big Slim right here would have been a sure-fire first teamer. He's just so damn big.

Seriously, I'm at a loss for words as to how big he is. He's huge. Wide. Tall, big, massive. All of that. Plus, he's got some serious skills. His level for potential is as high as Sidney's and Smith's.

This would have been a big year for Johnson (pun definitely intended). He was working hard in the off-season, even shed some weight. But a productive junior year could have definitely improved his draft status, which was already trending upwards.

It will be interesting to see if being on the shelf for five months impacted his physique. It probably did. That's a scary thought, because he's freakishly-large already.

Derrick Nix - 270lbs - 6'9, Soph., Michigan State

We've written about this big-man before. Two years ago he entered East Lansing closing in on 300lbs.

Since then he's put the work in and lost a ton of weight. At the beginning of the preseason he checked in at 267lbs and had added a significant amount of muscle.

The big-man still needs to work on his agility and lateral movement, but an athletic Derrick Nix will be a useful weapon for the Spartans this year.

We all should be fans of Nix. I know I could benefit from shedding some extra mass, and you probably could too.

Jared Sullinger - 280lbs, 6'9, Soph., Ohio State

Sully is the superstar of this group. He uses his size masterfully and is arguably the most dominant low-post player in the country.

His merciless rebounds skills were made possibly by his giant legs and massive backside. There are not many players in the country with better pure rebounding skills thatn Sullinger.

Sully could have been a lottery pick, but decided to stay and school. He spent much of the off-season losing weight and adding muscle.

He might not be the wide-load he was last season, but he's still a big dude.



Honorable Mention

Matt Stainbrook - 290lbs, 6'9, Soph, Western Michigan
Matt Balkema - 285lbs, 6'10, Jr., Eastern Michigan
Rayshawn Goins - 279lbs, 6'6, Jr., James Madison
Chad Lang - 275lbs, 6'11, Fr., Belmont
Barry Honore - 270lbs, 6'7, Sr., Oklahoma
Daryl McCoy - 270lbs, 6'9, Jr., Drexel
Marvin Williams - 270lbs, 6'8, Fr., Lipscomb
Derrick Williams - 270lbs, 6'6, Fr., Richmond
Steve Moore - 267lbs, 6'9, Sr., Missouri
Devon Long - 260lbs, 6'7, Fr., Cleveland State Continue reading...

Its time to accept Renardo Sidney for what he is: mediocre

NEW YORK - Mississippi State doesn't need Renardo Sidney to be a good basketball team.

They can make the NCAA Tournament team with their most talented player filling a role. They don't need Sidney to be an all-american -- or even an all-league -- caliber player to compete with anyone in the SEC, save Kentucky. They don't need their 6'11", 290 lb big man to utilize his quick feet, soft shooting touch and powerful body on the block to win games; they only need him to be 6'11", 290 lb.

The Bulldogs proved as much on Thursday night at the Garden.

Mississippi State hit five threes and forced six turnovers in the first 10 minutes as they opened up a 31-9 lead on Texas A&M. The Aggies made a push at the end of the first half, cutting the lead to nine, but they were never able to get closer than eight down the stretch. When it was all said and done, Mississippi State earned a trip to tomorrow's Coaches vs. Cancer final on the heels of a 69-60 win over the No. 18 Aggies, one that wasn't as close as the final margin indicates.

The game was never in doubt, meaning that its fair to say Mississippi State beat the pants off of a top 20 team.


Sidney's line? Three points on 0-8 shooting from the field, five boards, a block (on the first possession of the game) and three fouls in 22 minutes.

"I thought he played with pretty good effort," Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury said of Sidney after the game. "What he didn't do was finish some shots. He's going to finish those shots. He goes 0-8, but only two of those shots were out of the paint."

"I'm not concerned about him finishing shots. Its the last thing on that check list."

He's got a point. Sidney missed five or six point blank shots, one of which was a put-back dunk. Lazy or not, out of shape or with the endurance of a Kenyan marathoner, Sidney is not going to miss those shots too often. It was just one of those nights. That should give you an idea of the kind of performance that the Bulldogs had tonight.

But where Stansbury errs is when he says Sidney played with pretty good effort. Sidney lolly-gagged up and down the court. He looked allergic to contact, content to stand on the weak side of the floor offensively and simply become a space-eater defensively. The fact that performance is considered a "pretty good effort" for Sidney should provide a glimpse into why he is a non-existent entity on NBA Draft boards.

"If I can get him to play hard," Stansbury said after the game when asked about what he needs from Sidney. "[Tonight] he didn't give up much in transition, he was playing with pretty good effort on ball screens, and one of the best things I liked? Late in that basketball game there's a loose ball and he dove on the floor right in front of our bench. That's what I need from him."

But how often is Stansbury going to get that out of Sidney? Every other game? Every other week?

At this point, Sidney is a known quantity. Instead of talking about his potential if this, that and the third happens, its time to accept the fact that he will never reach the level of superstardom he experienced at a 15 year old on the AAU circuit. Sidney is a role-player, plain and simple. For whatever reason, he just doesn't have the desire to be a great player. Maybe he doesn't like basketball. Maybe he's burned out on the public attention. As of today, Sidney's approach to basketball can best be described as apathetic.

But apathy on the part of Sidney is acceptable as long as he isn't a trouble-maker. If he is able to keep the peace in the Mississippi State locker room, the Bulldogs are going to be just fine this year.

Dee Bost is a terrific point guard, and while he tends to get a bit out of control -- ill-advised shots, difficult passes, too many turnovers -- he's a go-to player and a guy that is capable of scoring and creating shots for his teammates. Arnett Moultrie is a rebounding and shot-blocking presence that has shown to be an improving, albeit inconsistent, scorer on the block. Freshman slasher Rodney Hood has emerged as a secondary scoring option on the perimeter, freshman point guard Deville Smith is an exciting penetrator that allows Bost to spend time playing off the ball and Brian Bryant is a do-it-all glue guy.

There are plenty of pieces on this roster, enough that it isn't necessary for Sidney to be in a featured role.

Mississippi State fans are allowed to be disappointed and frustrated by Sidney, however. I don't blame them; he's frustrating for me as well.

Because if Sidney ever decided that basketball, that this team's success, was a priority for him, the Bulldogs would have a much, much higher ceiling than they do today. A top five finish in the SEC and an NCAA Tournament bid should be expected for this group with the current version of Sidney; winning a tournament game would make the season a success.

How good would they be if Sidney played to his potential? Would a second-place finish in the SEC be out of the question? Could that group make a run to the Elite 8?

That's a question we'll likely never get an answer to, which means that it is a question we need to stop asking.
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Renardo Sidney still doesn't care about basketball

Renardo Sidney is a frustrating player to watch.

I think its fair to say that he may actually be the most frustrating player in the country to watch.

I understand now why everyone -- from agents to runners to the shoe companies to the people that write about high schoolers -- was so enamored with this kid. You can see it in glimpses. He's probably a good 30 pounds over weight, but he's nimble and he's coordinated. He's quick on his feet. It makes you salivate thinking about the kind of mobility and athleticism he would have if he dropped the baby weight.


Its not just his physical tools, either. He understands how to make a rim-run in transition, sealing his defender under the basket. He can move without the ball and knows how to operate in the pick-and-roll. He has some moves with his back-to-the-basket. For a power forward, there really isn't much that Sidney isn't able to do.

The problem is how long he is able to do it for. Three minutes into Mississippi State's 68-58 loss to Akron, Sidney made a terrific rim-run, sprinting the length of the floor and sealing Zeke Marshall, a seven-footer currently on the NBA radar, for what would have been an easy lay-up had he been given the entry pass. That sprint, however, gassed Sidney. He barely made it back to the other end to play defense and, after the Bulldogs got a stop, he didn't come within 25 feet of the rim on MSU's ensuing possession.

And therein lies the problem.

There was some significant discussion on twitter during the game about whether or not we are too quick in judging Sidney two games into the season. Matt Norlander wrote a post of his own on it after the game. While I don't disagree per se, I think its quite obvious just how little actual work Sidney did on his conditioning this offseason. He may have dropped some pounds and streamlined his body a bit, but looking better for the beach doesn't mean you got yourself into shape to play basketball at the SEC level.

Sidney's conditioning is so bad that Rick Stansbury hasn't used him -- his most talented player -- in crunch time of Mississippi State's first two games. On Wednesday, Marshall fouled out of the game with 3:17 left on the clock, and Stansbury left Sidney sitting on his bench despite being down 62-56 at the time.

Stansbury said after the game that he left Sidney on the bench because the big fella would have been a defensive liability against a smaller lineup. Well, Sidney was also a defensive liability when Akron had their starters on the floor. Its just another symptom for what truly ails Sindey -- apathy. He just doesn't seem to care.

If he does care, he will get himself into shape. If he does care, he won't be ok with sitting on the sidelines while his team's games are won and lost. If he does care, getting outplayed by mid-major big men will be an issue.

There is still time for Sidney to change the direction this season is heading in.

But 80 minutes in, the new Renardo Sidney doens't appear to be any different than the old Renardo Sidney.
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Renardo Sidney is actually finishing conditioning drills now

Usually, media day quotes are worthless.

Its coaches and players giving typical coach-speak and player-speak. They are quotes that feed the starving masses of hoops fans looking for filler to read about their team. Its nothing but the kind of cliches you expect to hear at the start of every season -- "I really like this team" or "I think we're better than all the so-called experts do" or "we determine our own future". You've all seen them, you know what I'm referring to.

But every once in a while you get something juicy. Cue Rick Stansbury. Clearly, the hot-topic heading into Mississippi State's media day was Renardo Sidney, and Stansbury had a couple of enlightening quotes about Sidney's conditioning and teamwork. Like, for example, the fact that Sidney is finishing conditioning drills for the first time in his career.


"That doesn't mean he was winning every race," said Stansbury, "but he made it through it. For him, that's a step in the right direction. We've just got to keep stepping the right way and not step back."

Stansbury also lauded the fact that Sidney is finally being a "good teammate" by saying "We haven't had any blow ups."

"Call it maturity, call it whatever you want to call it," Stansbury said. "That's what we want. I don't care what you call it. Thats what we expect and need from him."

Think about that for a second. Stansbury is calling it a step in the right direction that Sidney is finally able to finish conditioning drills and that, in mid-October, he hasn't gotten into it with a teammate or a head coach. What does that say about Sidney, the kind of teammate he was and the kind of effort he gave last season? Its not exactly high praise.

But, as Stansbury said, it is a step in the right direction. It is a good sign that Sidney is apparently starting to accept the fact that he has to work on his game and work on his body if he wants to make a career out of basketball. That he is starting to get along with his teammates may be even better news.

If you've forgotten, Sidney spent the summer working out with John Lucas down in Houston. He was supposed to return to Mississippi to travel with the Bulldogs on their trip to Europe, but Stansbury made the decision to send Sidney back to Houston for more face time with Lucas. This summer was Stansbury's last chance at getting through to him. After all of the embarrassment that Sidney has put the Mississippi State program through over the past two years, he no longer has a margin of error. He no longer has room to make a mistake. By sending Sidney back to Houston and banning him from the trip to Europe, Stansbury was trying to send the message that anything less than full and complete dedication to the team and to bettering himself as a person and a player would not be tolerated.

It looks like Stansbury may finally be starting to get through to Sidney. There is a long, long way to go this season and there is no guarantee that Sidney doesn't regress.

But at least the season is starting on a positive note. You can't ask for anything other than that.
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So it was Rick Stansbury's choice to send Renardo Sidney back to Houston?

It appears that, as we speculated back in July, Renardo Sidney's decision not to travel with his Mississippi State on their European tour was not actually his decision.

It was Rick Stansbury's. Check out the quotes Brandon Marcello of the Clarion-Ledger got from Rick Stansbury:

"Let's make sure to get this clear: it was not his decision to go to Houston," Stansbury said. "Everybody understand that. I made that decision, nobody else made that decision. I made the decision, OK? That’s where that is and, again, would I have liked for him to have been on the trip? I would have and it would have been good, but there are some things he had to handle that he hadn’t handled. Since then, he has."

"He fulfilled some obligations he had to have for the team," Stansbury said. "And he did that. So, we'll see if he keeps progressing. We all want to hope and believe he can."

If you've forgotten, Sidney returned to Houston to train -- both mentally and physically -- with John Lucas instead of hopping the pond with his teammates. Lucas, who has a history of substance abuse, has a reputation for being able to straighten out athletes that are trending in the wrong direction. The fact that Sidney made the effort -- whether forced or not -- to train with Lucas is a good sign; that he was in a place where that decision had to be made is not.

Honestly, there isn't much to say about the situation that I didn't write here or here other than this -- Stansbury now has some insurance in the form of Arnett Moultrie.

Moultrie, a transfer from UTEP that sat out last season, dominated during Mississippi State's trip through Europe, averaging almost 17 points and 12 boards. Granted, the competition wasn't exactly up to the level of the SEC, but the performance -- and the numbers (9.8 ppg and 6.7 rpg) he averaged as a sophomore at UTEP -- are enough that Stansbury can feel more comfortable if the worst-case scenario were to arise with Sidney.

Stansbury has a lot riding on Sidney's success -- his reputation, the reputation of his program and his university, his team's success, possibly his job. That's why he risked team chemistry by sending Sidney to better himself as an individual.

Stansbury will still be in trouble if the bottom falls out, but with Moultrie, the ground doesn't look quite as far away.
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Rick Stansbury is hoping John Lucas gets through to Renardo Sidney

By now, you've probably heard the latest twist in the saga that is the career of Renardo Sidney.

The talented-but-mercurial Mississippi State junior will not be traveling with the Bulldogs on their trip to Europe in August. There are conflicting reports out there, but whether or not you believe that Rick Stansbury is keeping Sidney stateside or Sidney made the decision on is own is moot. The bottom line is that instead of taking a chemistry-building trip to Europe with his teammates Sidney is going to remain in Houston, working out with John Lucas.

Before I go any further, the statements.


"Renardo Sidney has returned to Houston, Texas, to continue working out with John Lucas,” Stansbury said in a statement. “He will not accompany the team to Europe next month, but he is expected back on campus for the start of the fall semester in mid-August."

"Everybody has their own opinion but I'm doing what I have to do," Sidney told The Clarion-Ledger. "There's nothing else going on. They can say what they want to say but, like I said, I know what I have to do basketball-wise. I wasn't ready to go and I felt like I really wasn't in shape. I wanted to come back down here and get some more work."

From an individual's perspective, its difficult to criticize Sidney for returning to Houston to workout with Lucas.

Lucas has a reputation for being a guy that helps get troubled talents back on the path to greatness. At this point in his career, Sidney is the epitome of a troubled talent. Between the season and a half he missed due to his acceptance of illegal benefits while in high school to the suspensions he received for fighting last season, from his continuing battle with weight issues and his lack of conditioning, Sidney has a long way to go to learn how to be a functioning member of a basketball team.

The program that Lucas runs is not easy, and the fact that Sidney wants to return should be a good sign for him as a person. He wants to be better. He wants to be able to capitalize on the gifts that he was blessed with.

Sidney, who worked out with Lucas in May and June before attending summer classes in July, is expected to return to the Starkville campus on August 14th. Stansbury "expects" him to be a member of the Bulldog team in the fall. If Sidney feels that it is in his personal best interest to avoid a trip overseas and to continue to learn from Lucas, than he shouldn't be criticized for it. He's trying to get better, and he's already shown some improvement. He lost 23 pounds in May and June.

The question I want answered is how long Stansbury is going to put up with Sidney.

While its commendable that Sidney is putting in the effort to get in shape and better his work habits, missing this trip makes it abundantly clear just how little he cares about the MSU basketball team. The Bulldog's success next season doesn't matter to him. He's not working out because he wants to win an SEC title, he's working out because he wants to be able to play in the NBA and make NBA money.

You see, for all his issues and off-the-court problems, Sidney is an untapped gold-mine of potential. If it ever clicked for him, Sidney would be a dominating force in the SEC. He has enough talent to be worthy of a lottery pick. That kid of player doesn't come along too often, especially when you coach at Mississippi State.

Maybe, for Stansbury, this trip back to Houston is a last ditch effort to turn Sidney around. Stansbury has invested so much time and so much energy into creating the perception that bringing Sidney into his program was a good idea that he can't turn-around. He's pot-committed. He needs this to work out well.

He needs Renardo Sidney to dominate.

He needs to be able to say to the fans and the boosters and the athletic department that it worked out; that he took a risk on a kid that no one else wanted and helped change that kid's life while landing himself a star player.

Stansbury needs this saga to have a storybook ending, and he's hoping that John Lucas will be the answer.
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Don't hold your breath that Renardo Sidney will be in shape

Last week, it was Jared Sullinger.

Reports started to leak out of the Lebron James Skills Academy that the hefty Buckeye was cutting some of the baby fat he had last season. There was some dissent around the blogosphere as to whether or not this was a good idea. Sullinger was an all-american last season with the extra weight, and the size of his behind was a large reason he was so effective in the post.

This week, its Renardo Sidney who is reportedly shedding the pounds.

He's been down in Houston for the summer, working out with John Lucas, a man that specializes in helping kids with baggage. Sidney spoke with reporters yesterday, telling them that he has lost 23 pounds from the 320 that he played at last season and that he still has more than 20 to go.



Don't get your hopes up, Mississippi State fans.

We've heard this before. We've been down this road. We've heard Sidney say that he is getting in shape during the offseason. That didn't turn out too well last year, when he struggled to get up and down the court once he finally got eligible.

Look, I'm rooting for Sidney. I don't want to see him fail. I can honestly say that I am rooting for every kid around the country that plays hoops to find personal success and happiness, both on and off the court. The same is true for Sidney. The kid is a product -- and in some ways a victim -- of the AAU culture and summer camp basketball. He's a mega-talent that has never learned how to tap into his ability.

It would be a great story if he could bounce back from the issues that have plagued him since his family decided to move from Mississippi to Southern California, but I'm not expecting anything. We've heard he's changed his ways before with no results, why should we be excited that Sidney is talking a good game again this offseason?

In other words, I'll believe he's getting in shape and taking basketball seriously when I see it.
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Who made the right early entry decision?: Renardo Sidney will be back for another season

Renardo Sidney is the stereotypical one-and-done prospect.

His family moved from Mississippi to LA when he was 15 years old so they could capitalize off of the hype Sidney produced with impressive performance after impressive performance. He was a product of the summer, making his name on the AAU circuit and ABCD camp and infamously telling the Washington Post high school ball is "not that important". His father was employed by Reebok while coaching Sidney's Reebok sponsored AAU team. He was turned down by both UCLA and USC before enrolling at Mississippi State. After sitting out for a year due to illegal benefits that he received while in high school, Sidney tweeted "NYC #2011 Believe Dat" last summer despite still having to sit out nine more games.


It only made sense that Sidney would bolt for the NBA at the first opportunity.

Which why its a mild surprise that Sunday's early entry deadline came and went and Sidney's name was not entered, living up to the promise he made on facebook back in March.

Sidney needs another year in school. Right now, the only thing worse than his reputation as a basketball player is his reputation as a person and a teammate. Sidney was twice suspended for fighting with a teammate (one of those times came in the stands during an ESPN telecast) and was largely ineffective for much of the season due to the fact that he was completely out of shape and lacked the desire to a) change that fact and b) give consistent effort when he did have energy.

While most of the focus on a basketball player's time in college is on his development as a player, its also true that these players develop and mature as people. That is why Sidney needs another year in school. He needs to learn how to be a man. How to be a professional.

Derrick Caracter agrees.

The first step in that process? Making the choice to come back for another year at Mississippi State.


Who else made the right early entry decision? (Looking past the Kemba Walkers and Derrick Williams' of the world)

• Brandon Knight, Kentucky: Entered, no agent
  
  Knight is likely going to be a top ten pick in this draft after averaging over 17 points and four assists per game and proving that he had the ability to perform in the clutch in the tournament. But if Knight had returned to school, he likely would have been forced to, at the least, split the point guard duties; most believe that Marquis Teague would have started over him.


• Jeremy Lamb, UConn: Returned to school
  
  Lamb was a breakout performer in March. The 6'5" guard with the wingspan of a pterodactyl developed the aggression and the confidence to be a serious scoring threat for the Huskies in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments. But the lack of consistency during the season and a frail frame put doubt into some NBA GM's minds. With Kemba Walker going pro, Lamb will have a chance to prove his mettle as the Huskie's offensive focal point.


• Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State: Entered draft, no agent
  
  Leonard might be the best physical specimen in this draft class. He's 6'7" with big hands, long arms, and terrific athleticism and explosiveness. He's relentless on the offensive glass and is a very good defender, both on the perimeter and in the paint. But Leonard's offensive repertoire has a ways to go. He can develop that in the NBA with a guaranteed contract as a lottery pick locked up. Coming back, especially considering the drop off in talent for the Aztecs next season, Leonard risked exposing his faults.


• Thomas Robinson, Kansas: Returning to school
  
  Robinson is a terrific prospect based on his size (6'9"), strength, and athleticism. The only thing missing in that equation is consistent production. He was impressive in the short time that he was on the floor, but on the season Robinson only managed to average 7.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Coming back for another season with both of The Morrii off in the NBA, Robinson will have a chance to prove what he can do as the go-to option in the post.
  

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10 Things I won't miss about the 2010-2011 Season

The 2010-2011 is long gone, and there is no getting it back. We now have to wait roughly 175 days until sanctioned college basketball begins again. Some of us will fill the void it by projecting next season's field of 68 or the top recruits in the class of 2013. But for us, at least at the current moment, it's high time we start reflecting on what made the past season both special and frustrating.

First up, the top-ten things that we won't miss about the 2010-20112 season. We laud college basketball as the greatest sport on the planet, which it most certainly is. But that doesn't mean it doesn't come with baggage. In order to get the good, you have to deal with some of the bad that goes along with it.

Now, some of these things may return next season, but the next few months will provide some sanctity for our tortured ears and eyes.

The Top 10 Things I Won't Miss About the 2010-2011 Season:

10. The Kansas State Catastrophe

With every day that passed, a new issue arose in "The Little Apple".

Let's see, where to begin.

Well, before the season even began, Dominique Sutton decided to transfer.

But things really went south once the season actually started. (Try to follow along, there's about to be a lot of news thrown at you)

Curtis Kelly was benched early in the season for not living up to the program's standards, then was suspended for receiving illegal benefits, a.k.a he got free swag from a clothing store. Even after those two incidents, he reportedly violated the school's student-athlete honor code. You really have to make an effort to get in trouble that much.

Wally Judge sat out due to personal problems for a few games then sparked controversy for his in-game salute to the Pinstripe Bowl controversy. FIU-transfer Freddy Asprilla left the program, reportedly because he couldn't "handle it". First it was reported that he was going to play pro ball in Europe in order to raise money for his ill mother. Then it was reported that he would be transferring to Canisius.

Jacob Pullen lashed out at fans on twitter, said he wouldn't play in the N.I.T. and was also suspended for receiving illegal benefits. When you add in Frank Martin's ever-colorful demeanor both on and off the court, the Wildcats were almost always in the news. It was good to see K-State turn things around at the end of the season, because we respect Jacob Pullen far too much to wish any of that upon him.

But seriously, that's just way too much news on one team for us to cover.


9. Wiz Khalifa/YouTube Remixes

Who doesn't love hip-hop? If you love hip-hop, like us, then you probably love remixes. I mean, who doesn't?

Wiz Khalifa absolutely blew up in late 2010/early 2011, in large part to his single "Black and Yellow". Listen, I really liked the song, and I still think it's good, even after the unnecessary radio overkill.

But what really tested my limits was the endless, countless college remixes in which some "budding" artist (and I use that term loosely) replaced "Black and Yellow" with the colors of his school. A few of the remixes weren't THAT bad, but some of them were flat-out dreadful.

Listen, if your school colors don't rhyme with "Black and Yellow", you shouldn't make a remix of the song.

End of Story.

Here are some of the examples of people who didn't get the memo.

(The following list is just a small sample size. There are plenty of more out there. But I couldn't bring myself to listening to one remix an infinite number of times)
Alabama - White and Crimson
Central Florida - Black and Gold
Georgetown - Blue and Gray
Kansas - Red and Blue KU
Oklahoma - Boomer Sooner
South Carolina - Black and Garnet
Syracuse - Orange and White
Tennessee - Orange White
UConn - Kemba Walker
VCU - Black and Gold, Black and Yellow

There were a few exceptions to this rule. But it just so happens that these exceptions didn't use Wiz Khalifa's song. Indiana student's put together a solid one, made all the better by featuring some rather attractive co-eds. The Gaels of St. Mary's were repp'd well by "Gaels Gone Wild" which featured a pretty solid beat and a well-produced music video.

Again, these were more "exception" than they were "rules".

This Duke rap however, was no exception. It's awful, and it's not even a Wiz Khalifa remix.

Listen, I'm all for fan-creativity. But a line needs to be drawn. You need to know when enough is enough.

If "Black and Yellow" is still catchy in 2012, or if crappy remixes are still being made, I may have to double-Van Gogh myself.


8. RCN not getting the Big-Ten Network

The B.I.A.H HQ is fully equipped with what-we-were-made-to-believe is the most comprehensive sport-package available from RCN, our trusty television service providers.

It's true, we don't get The Mountain, and we only get a limited number of FSN-West games, but with the innovations in pirated Internet streaming, adjustments for the most part could be made. That is, of course, with the exception of the Big-Ten Network.

All the Google searching in the world couldn't help us find a good stream of the Big-Ten Network, and RCN was not able to help us with explaining why we didn't get The BTN and how we could get it. Now with 374 teams in D-1 hoops, there were almost always a game or two on TV, and with ESPN3 and online streaming, we could almost always watch the games we wanted to see.

At this point, you are probably wondering, "Why do you care if you don't get The BTN?"

I have but one simple answer: GUS JOHNSON.

Sure, Gus-Jeezy is on CBS every week or so after the NFL season concludes. But you have to understand our frustration if the man is providing the public with the sounds of his golden pipes on a weekly basis and we aren't able to listen to him do so. I mean, we did fine with limited coverage of the Big-Ten Network, but everybody could use more Gus Johnson in their daily lives. I know I could.

Do you know how many times I had to listen to Steve Lappas and Sean Farnham? More than I ever cared too. You know how many times I listened to Gus-Jeezy? Not nearly enough. So, RCN, it's your move. Time to step your game up for next season.


7. Bruce Pearl's lack of decision-making skills

Have you ever watched somebody from afar try to pick their nose and eat what they find?

They look around to see if anybody is watching, dig in, pause, look around again, double check, and sneak in the nasal treat, all while you are watching, going "Ahh man, no, don't do it" and "Oh man, he's totally going to do it.....ewwww".

That's kinda like how I will remember Bruce Pearl's final 14 months at Tennessee. He broke a rule, which is fine I guess, everybody isn't perfect. You can't look at me with a straight face and say you have never picked your nose. You'd be lying if you did. But instead of just admitting he was wrong, or flicking the booger away, he decided to see if he could get away with it. But once you do something for the first time, and like it, you are bound to do it again, and that's what Pearl did.

He didn't just break one rule, he broke numerous rules. You know the NCAA was sitting there knowing what he was doing, and just waiting for him to either come clean or continue to dig at his nose. And that's just what he did.

Even in as late as March, Pearl committed an NCAA violation, and it eventually cost him his job.

I know this analogy has been pretty bizarre but hopefully you get the idea.

I will miss Pearl's bravado, but I won't miss his lack of judgement.


6. Twitter Misuse

If it was not for my involvement in sports media, I would never EVER use twitter.

I believe it is a valuable resource for people in marketing, promotions, and public relations. But unfortunately, twitter is over-run by classless fans, athletes who can't spell, people who try to communicate with celebrities and college students who are unaware of twitter's functionality.

Sure, I guess twitter can be used to express your opinions, feelings and frustrations. But it seems like a majority of the D-I college basketball players are unaware that when they tweet something, it's likely to be re-tweeted by thousands of people. Every tweet they send out is eventually seen by TV analysts, national writers, head coaches, and athletic directors.

I'm aware that twitter only provides 140 characters for each thought. But would it kill you to use correct spelling? Oh and by the way, don't try to pull this "my account got hacked" stunt. That doesn't happen. Even if it does, how come people's accounts only get hacked when they say something controversial?

But the athletes are not the only ones to blame. Have you ever seen some of the things people have tweeted at Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas or Terrence Jones? I understand that fans get frustrated. Hell, I do. But I also realize that these athletes are kids working their asses off to represent their school.

Twitter isn't going anywhere, and we will likely see the same type of shenanigans next season. But hopefully fans and players decide to ease up during the off-season.

Do it for the sake of my sanity.


5. JimmerMania

Don't get me wrong, I love watching Fredette play. Every time he brought the ball over half court, I would urge him through my TV to "make it rain" from 40 feet. The kid is polite, full of swagger and has a nice, attractive Mormon girlfriend.

But I liked Jimmer when he was our little secret. I liked it when only the basketball media would drool over his circus shots and his Mormon-moxie. I liked it when "You Got Jimmer'd" was in it's infancy, before he became a regular on every "talking heads" sports show across the country.

I guess I'm taking the indy-hipster-emo-jam band music approach. You know, like when an unknown band that you love suddenly blows up and becomes famous. Once the band becomes mainstream, the longtime supporters decide the music isn't good anymore.

Well, I don't think Jimmer "sold out", but I certainly could have done without the music videos, parodies, and letters to the editor.

For us uncoordinated, unathletic white kids, Jimmer was our hero, our cult-icon. But then the media had to go all ga-ga over him and ruin the special bond we had.

While I will miss watching Fredette launch shots from the souvenir booth, I won't miss the mass hysteria that he produced.


4. Renardo Sidney

There aren't many things more compelling than watching two guys try to punch each other unconscious.

I love fights: schoolyard fights, locker room brawls, donnybrooks, melees, bench-clearing brawls, cages fights, slobber-knockers, street fights, cat fights, pretty much all fights with the exception of boxing matches.

But despite all of this, I found the Renardo Sidney vs. Elgin Bailey bleacher brawl to be somewhat un-nerving.

This wasn't Sidney's first mistake, and while he wasn't the instigator of the fight, he should have known better. Up until December 24th, 2010, Sidney had played in a grand total of two college games. Yet I was forced to read and hear about his attitude problems, weight issues and NCAA violations.

Once he actually started to play, he showed actually showed some signs of promise. He even proved some doubters wrong by deciding to return to Starkville for his junior year.

But for all the buzz around this kid, nothing he accomplished last season made up for the fact that he was the biggest headache in college basketball for a good 12 months.

Seriously, I've never met the guy, and I already hate him.



3. Rule 9, Article 13, Sections 1-3

The elbow rule. Hands-down the most stupid thing done to college basketball since, well, ever.

Coaches and camp counsellors have been teaching rebounding fundamentals since the beginning of time. You can't just decide to implement a rule that would change the way basketball is played right before the season starts. Rules like this need implementation, regulation and most importantly, education. All we got was a graphic during Marathon-Madness and some re-hashing during in-studio halftime reports.

I understand that it was a safety concern, but again, swinging your elbows to clear out space has been part of the game for so long, it's hard to tell gifted athletes to just stop doing what they are doing.

Even if they had decided to make it a rule, which they did, why make it a "flagrant two with possession"? The rebounder is only doing what he has been taught over and over and over again. If anything, the NCAA should just fine players for flagrant contact (Oh wait, I forgot, players don't get paid).

I hope to God the NCAA does some serious thinking during the off-season. This rule needs to go back to whatever dark crevice it came from and should stay there for all eternity.


2. UPS Logistics Commercial

Companies use many advertising tactics in order to make their commercials and marketing campaigns stick. Fresh slogans, celebrity endorsements, even catchy jingles. Some work, others don't.

UPS clearly forgot to schedule any focus groups and must have ignored all feedback and viewer response, because the "logistics commercial" they marched out for the 2010-2011 season had the most annoying, brain-numbing jingle I havee ever listened too.

I never liked the song "That's Amore". So why on Earth would I enjoy that same tune describing the benefits of logistics?



I don't know a god-damn thing about logistics. I've been made to believe that it has something to do with making sure small businesses save money on shipping and handling fees.

Even the overly-repetitive "NAPA know-how" commercial seemed pleasant compared to the "logistics commercial". I know we weren't the only ones who frequently used ESPN3.com and their wonderful replay streams of college basketball games. But did ESPN3 really have to choose the "logistics commercial" as the only advertisement to use over-and-over again?

It got so bad that @ballinisahabit quickly muted his computer or television every time this disaster-of-a-jingle would come on. If you every wanted to add just a bit of misery into his day, tweeting a link of the commercial to @ballinisahabit would do the trick.


1. Jimmy's Jet

Not every production idea or programming segment is a hit, I get that. For every "Pardon the Interruption" there is a "Steve A. Smith Show".

But the "Jimmy's Jet" segment during ESPN-televised games was by far the worst in-game segment I have ever seen, bar-none.

Did not a single programming director realize how corny it was? Did nobody ever wonder to ask if people enjoyed it? How many executives OK'd this idea? I really feel like somebody should have been fired for allowing this to run week after week after week.

True, it was only a 30-60sec segment, but man, those seconds were rather brutal. Just give me a standard-issue Bubble Watch. I don't need aww-shucks-Jimmy Dykes using airplane analogies and foolish graphics to tell me who is on the bubble and who isn't.

I would have paid to see a camera-shot of Brad Nessler's reaction during those segments.

Jimmy Dykes is OK at his job (although if you check any SEC message board, you will realize many fans don't share my sentiments). His southern accent gets on my nerves sometimes, and sure, he has an over-abundance of unnecessary catch-phrases, but ussually he does adequate work.

But this "Jimmy's Jet" thing has to go.

Take it from me, the broadcast production major still toiling in the Internet ranks, "Jimmy's Jet" doesn't work. It never worked, and if I see it again, I may have to do something drastic.

Somebody call Amilia Earhardt, we have another mission for her.


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Renardo Sidney returning to school, commencing the worst part of the season

My least favorite part of the college basketball year is when the coaching carousel goes into full-fledged spin cycle.

The speculation. The ridiculous expectations of delusional fan bases. Folks losing their jobs. Families getting uprooted. Its necessary, but it isn't enjoyable to write about.

My second least favorite part of the season?

Early entry to the NBA Draft.


Its not that I don't support it. I do. If these kids have a chance to make real money off of their talent, I think that they should. I think Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes and Jared Sullinger would be fools if they stayed in school next year.

That said, I'm a college basketball writer. This is a college basketball blog. I like watching good college basketball and writing about good college basketball. I'm happy for the players that declare for the draft and get to fulfill their dreams, but it also saddens me in a selfish way. I want to watch and write about those kids for four years.

Which brings me to Renardo Sidney.

Today, Sidney posted on his facebook account that he would be returning to school for his junior season:

YES for all you BULLDOG fans I will attend MSU another yr and I promise to work even harder than I have ever work b4 getting in shape is my main focus... watch out for them DOGS next season!!!

It is probably a good decision for Sidney.

He is the draft equivalent of hiring Kelvin Sampson. Radioactive does not begin to describe his reputation. The talent is there, but he needs to come back for a season, prove that he can be a teammate, get his behind in shape, and who knows, maybe he will end up living up to the first round potential that the recruiting experts saw in him as early as junior high.

The thing about playing college basketball is that it not only prepares a kid for a career in the NBA on the court, it does off the court as well. The best coaches not only teach their players how to be better shooters and scorers, they teach them how to be better people and how to function in society when there are behavioral expectations and professional responsibilities.

If anyone needs an extra year in college, its Sidney.
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As expected, Renardo Sidney and Dee Bost don't change Mississippi State

Renardo Sidney made his triumphant return to the Mississippi State basketball team on Saturday afternoon.

Just two weeks after an ugly brawl in the stands of the Lahaina Civic Center during the Diamond Head Classic -- a fight that was caught by ESPN's cameras -- Sidney was back in uniform for the Bulldogs.

So how did he do?

Ehh. I've seen better.

Sidney finished the game with two points on 1-8 shooting from the field. He also committed five turnovers and, since he is still out of shape, allowed JaMychal Green to score 14 of his 16 points in the second half as Alabama turned a 27-26 halftime lead into a 75-57 win in the SEC opener for both teams.

Saturday's game also marked the debut of Dee Bost, the MSU point guard that declared for the draft last season only to pull his name back out after the deadline had passed. Bost played a bit better than Sidney, finishing with 14 points and five assists, although his 5-16 shooting performance and three turnovers were less than promising.

All told, Stansbury lost by 18 at home to an Alabama team that isn't expected to contend for anything beyond a .500 record in SEC play with his team at full strength. I'm sure Stansbury saw it going much differently in his head when he decided to take on Sidney and rework his entire season around the return of his two "stars".

Who wants to bet that Stansbury is regretting the personnel decisions he's made the past two years?

At this point, I'll refer you back to what I wrote here.
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Reactions to the Renardo Sidney ruling from around the web

For better or worse, Renardo Sidney is a polarizing figure that certainly has been able to get the intertoobz talking. As you almost certainly know by now, Mississippi State announced yesterday that Sidney will be allowed to return to the Bulldogs for the start of SEC play while Elgin Bailey has been cleared to return but is instead opting to transfer.

You can find my take over at Beyond the Arc. Here is what everyone else had to say:

Pat Forde, ESPN.com: "To pay back the shameless enabling of his coach, Renardo Sidney's task the rest of this season is pretty simple: Average a triple-double, lead Mississippi State to a Southeastern Conference championship and NCAA tournament berth, get a 4.0 GPA and somehow play the next 2.5 months without any more bratty behavior. Sidney owes Rick Stansbury that much. The coach of the Bulldogs has turned this season into a mockery in an effort to mollycoddle his 6-foot-10 prep All-American."


Jeff Eisenberg, The Dagger: The strong message would have Stansbury admitting he erred taking Sidney in the first place and dismissing him from the program. Instead Stansbury's actions suggest that immaturity and embarrassing behavior will be tolerated if you're potentially an impact player (Sidney) but not if you're an expendable role player (Bailey). You can argue Bailey may have been the instigator or that others have committed worse offenses than a fist fight without facing severe punishment, but the pattern of behavior with Sidney is what's disturbing.


Matt Norlander, CBSSports: What message is Sidney receiving? That multiple chances for bad behavior, a defiant attitude and fighting with teammates is the normal, real-world end result for those actions? Sidney's pure basketball ability is the only thing that's kept him on a BCS conference team, a team that's a mess and probably had its season go down the drain already. Remember, if it wasn't for his attitude and reported lazy work ethic, Sidney would've already tried to give the NBA a shot. You know this drill. The one with more talent gets more chances. Stansbury had waited SO long to get Sidney on the court. So, if there was reasonable doubt, he wasn't going to kick the kid off the team. With enough evidenced piled up against Bailey, a separation needed to happen."


Jeff Goodman, FOXSports: "No matter who was at fault in the fight, Stansbury has way too much invested in Sidney – the highly touted and talented forward who was suspended by the NCAA for nearly a year and a half. Bailey may have been the team captain, but the bottom line is that the 6-foot-8 redshirt junior is expendable. He was averaging just 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds – both career-highs in his four seasons in Starkville. Sidney – if he buys in and plays hard – is a difference-maker. Stansbury and the Bulldogs even tried to make it look like Bailey wanted to transfer. C'mon, Rick. How naïve do you think we all are?"


Rush The Court: "From here, we can only say…are you kidding with this? How was that message sent? Sidney gets to stay in school and can play immediately. Elgin Bailey gets to leave school and has no idea where he’ll play the rest of his college career. Stansbury seems to placing everything on the criterion of who started the brawl to determine where the fault lies and whom shall be punished. Interesting, since we don’t recall the "But s/he started it!" defense ever working with our parents and teachers when we were children getting into arguments and tussles with our siblings and friends. What we saw was two college-age men throwing punches at each other — actually, though we’re sure only part of the scuffle was shown on television, it was Sidney doing most of the punching, some of it while his opponent was already on the ground – and evidently it was all because one guy wouldn’t move his feet."

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Mid-Season Additions Update

Renardo Sidney missed 42 straight college basketball games.

Because of the illegal benefits that Sidney and his family had received while he was a prep, the NCAA ruled that, among other things, Sidney had to sit out for the first year and a half of his collegiate career.

When Sidney finally got eligible, it only took one game -- an 88-57 blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Bahamas in which an out of shape Sidney had 12 points and 3 boards -- before Sidney got himself suspended again. After an altercation with a walk-on at a Bulldogs practice in Hawaii before the Diamond Head Classic started, Sidney was suspended for Mississippi State's opener against Washington State.

Sidney returned for a loser's bracket game against San Diego, and he played well. He went for 19 points on 7-12 shooting and six boards in just 20 minutes of play. MSU won 69-52. But after that game is when things got crazy. According to Doug Gottlieb, who was doing play by play for ESPN at the Diamond Head Classic, Renardo Sidney wanted to get by junior captain Elgin Bailey to get to the concession stand. Bailey was sitting with his legs on the back of the seat in front of him. Bailey wouldn't move, words were exchanged, and this happened:



Both Sidney and Bailey have been suspended indefinitely and were immediately sent home (on separate flights, I might add) by head coach Rick Stansbury.

The question that has to be asked now is what to do with Sidney. As Jeff Goodman correctly explains here, Sidney is not completely to blame for his actions. Yes, he was the one that threw the punches and that exploded in practice. He was responsible for his actions. But would he be behaving the same way if his enablers -- his AAU coaches, his Reebok reps, even his parents -- hadn't made him believe he was allowed to act this way because he is a "star".

Sidney is a supremely talented young man. He's 6'10", 275 lb with quick feet and a perimeter game. He's got everything that you look for in an NBA big man.

But at this point, Stansbury may be better off playing this season without Sidney. This is the third time this season that Sidney has been suspended -- one more than the number of games he has actually played in.


Stansbury gave this kid a chance when there weren't many other schools willing to take the risk. He got up every morning and did P90x workouts with him to try and help him get into shape. And he repays the coach how? By getting into fights in practice and then trading haymakers in the stands where ESPN cameras can catch the action?

I don't care if Sidney didn't start the fight. He finished it.

Even without Sidney in the lineup, Mississippi State will likely be the best team in the SEC West. At some point, Stansbury needs to ask himself if a chemistry-killer with all-american talent is worth risking an entire season on.


Renardo Sidney was far from the only impact mid-season addition. We wrote about a group of kids that could have an affect on the college hoops landscape a few weeks ago. Let's check in on how they are doing.


Josh Selby, Kansas: 19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg

Selby has been terrific in his two games with the Jayhawks, scoring 21 and hitting the game winner against USC in his first game and following that with 18 points, including 13 in the first half when he hit his first five shots of the game, in a win at Cal. The question with Selby is what role he will eventually play down the road. Right now, he's been more of a spot up jump shooter than anything. That's not really his game. He's more of a slasher. What does look clear at this point, however, is that Selby has played his way into the starting lineup.



Drew Gordon, New Mexico: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 21.0 mpg

Three games into his Lobo career, and Gordon hasn't exactly had the impact that many expected. He's coming off the bench as Steve Alford tries to slowly integrate him into a team that has already had their rotation set. Gordon reached double figures in his first two games, including a 10 points, 7 rebound performance in a win over Colorado. But he shot 3-10 and fouled out in 23 minutes as Northern Iowa knocked New Mexico. He'll get better has he used to playing in Steve Alford's system.


Jio Fontan, USC: 16.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 2.3 apg

Fontan has been terrific in three games for USC. You can see the stats he's put up, but its more than simply numbers. USC is playing their best basketball of the season. They were a couple of clutch Josh Selby jumpers away from beating the Jayhawks in Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and three days later went into Thompson-Boling Arena and beat Tennessee. As good as Josh Selby has been, Fontan may go down as the most valuable mid-season addition this season.



Jon Kreft, Florida State: 2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 8.0 mpg

Its been a long road for Kreft, a 24 year old, 7-foot junior center, but after stints in both prison and at Chipola Junior College, the former five-star recruit has finally made it to the D-I ranks. His impact, however, has been a bit muted early on. Florida State has a deep and talented front court, and its not a surprise that it is taking a mid-season JuCo transfer a while to really make an impact. But in watching Kreft, its clear that his skills are still there. Florida State is 4-1 in Kreft's five games, including a third place finish in the Diamond Head Classic. With starting center Xavier Gibson out with a sprained knee and a broken hand (suffered in the same, scary fall) don't be surprised if Kreft starts to play a bigger role.


Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee: 4.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 11.3 mpg

Maymon finally got a passing grade in his bowling class and was cleared for Tennessee's game at Charlotte. Unfortunately, his addition coincided with the Volunteer's collapse. Tennessee has lost one point decisions to both Charlotte and USC before barely squeezing out a win against Belmont. Maymon has been rebounding well in his limited minutes, but the versatile forward is still finding his role in the offense.


Roberto Nelson, Oregon State: 8.5 ppg, 15.5 mpg

Nelson has been inconsistent in his first four games with the Beavers. He scored three points in a win over Texas Southern and four points in a loss to George Washington, but he also had 13 in a loss at Montana and 14 in a win over Illinois-Chicago. Right now, Craig Robinson is trying to work Nelson into the rotation, but with how much the Beavers have been struggling this season, maybe its time to start allowing Nelson to play a bigger role.


Gregory Echenique, Creighton: 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 bpg

Echenique has proven to be a competent addition to the Bluejays. Playing just 19.7 mpg, Echenique is averaging 11.3 ppg and has given Creighton a shot blocking presence. Combined with Antoine Young and Doug McDermott on the perimeter, along with Kenny Lawson inside, Creighton has a team that might be able to compete with Northern Iowa and Wichita State for the MVC title. Now, the question becomes whether or not Gregg McDermott can find a way to use Lawson and Echenique at the same time.


Olex Czyz, Nevada: 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg

Czyz, a Duke transfer, has played three games with the Wolfpack since joining the team. He's started, but unfortunately he hasn't been the savior. Nevada is 1-2 since Czyz became eligible, with a win over Portland State and losses to Arizona State and Washington by 30. Even with Czyz, Nevada appears to be a long way from competitive in the WAC.


Mike Holmes, Coastal Carolina: 13.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg

The South Carolina transfer has been just as good as expected. Holmes is averaging 13.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg in three games, including wins over both LSU and East Carolina. The Chanticleers are once again the best team in the Big South, and with Holmes on the roster, they can boast a high-major caliber post player on their roster.


Alex Legion and Dominique Ferguson, Florida International: 11.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg, 10.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg

Legion, whose collegiate career has taken him to both Kentucky and Illinois, has scored 11 points in each of his first two games with FIU, while Ferguson, a top 50 recruit that was unable to get academically eligible until the second semester, had 10 in his debut against Florida A&M. The addition of these two, along with Erick Ferguson and Marvin Wright, makes FIU yet another dangerous team in the Sun Belt.
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Renardo Sidney cramps, has "a lot of fatigue" in his debut

Renardo Sidney officially began his career as a Mississippi State Bulldog last night.

Well, maybe not quite officially. You see, Sidney became eligible to play at the end of the first semester this season. Thanks to a bit of tricky scheduling by Rick Stansbury -- which included four games in four days, spanning Dec. 11th to Dec. 14th -- the Bulldogs have already played all nine of the games that Sidney was suspended for.

So he will be playing in Saturday's game against Virginia Tech in Puerto Rico.


But since Sidney has been at Mississippi State for a year and a half now without seeing a single second of action in a real, live game, Stansbury scheduled a scrimmage last night -- which, technically, would make it five games in five days -- against Belhaven.

The Bulldogs won 101-76.

More importantly, Sidney had 10 points and 6 boards in 15 minutes.

That doesn't mean he had a promising start to his college basketball career.

This quote from Rick Stansbury from Gary Parrish's blog is worrisome:

"Renardo had a lot of fatigue," Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said after the Bulldogs' 101-76 win over Belhaven. "He will have to get in better shape if we are going to use him a lot."

As is this from the AP's write-up of the game:

By his own admission, Sidney is still out of shape. He's been doing P90X workout routines with coach Rick Stansbury over the past few weeks to try and shed some unwanted weight, but still tips the scales at about 275 pounds—10 pounds above his target weight.

Look, I don't want to rip the kid too much here. Sidney's always had weight issues, and going through what he went through and being forced to sit out for a year and a half is not exactly the best way for a kid with conditioning issues to stay in shape.

There is also a reason that people use the term "game-shape". As many wind sprints as you run, as much as you practice, playing in a real game is different. A game is going to be more physical and more emotionally and mentally taxing than any practice. I would have been shocked to see Sidney come in and look like the kid that was a top ten player in his high school class at one time.

Generally the problems you run into when you aren't in game shape is that your timing is off, the ball feels heavy on your jump shot, and you struggle to get your legs under you. Is that the issue here? From the Clarion Ledger:

"I was cramping real bad. It's just a poor game decision, of not hydrating real well. I've got to do better and hydrate and eat more bananas."

I'm not going to speculate on Sidney's condition.

I've done enough.

We'll all find out Saturday.
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Renardo Sidney still wants to be 6'3"

Mississippi State held their Maroon and White scrimmage on Saturday, and as you would probably guess, all eyes were on big man Renardo Sidney.

Most came away relatively unimpressed. Sitting out for a year didn't seem to have anything to do with it, either. Let me explain. This line is from a February, 2009, entry into Sidney's recruiting profile on ESPN.com:

To read the rest of this post, go to Beyond the Arc.
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Rick Stansbury won the offseason

I doubt you will find any coach that earned his salary more than Rick Stansbury did this summer.

He managed to help convince Renardo Sidney to get back into shape. He threw a Roy Halladay curveball to the NCAA, convincing them to reinstate his star point guard Dee Bost. And now, he's managed to rig Mississippi State's schedule so that he will play every single SEC game at full strength.

Rick Stansbury won the offseason.
(photo credit: The State)

Renardo Sidney is going to miss the first nine games of the season regardless of when they are played. Dee Bost is academically ineligible for the first semester, but if he gets his act together in the classroom, he will become eligible Dec. 11th. Well, that's not exactly true, as Bost will be begin to serve his nine-game suspension on that date.

So what did Stansbury do?

He moved a game against Alabama State from Dec. 4th to Dec. 14th so that it will count against Bost's suspension. Then, he landed a date with St. Mary's in Las Vegas on Dec. 29th, which will be Mississippi State's last game before SEC play begins, doubling as the ninth game of Bost's suspension. The end result: Mississippi State will play the bulk of their schedule with Sidney on the roster (their first nine games are against a bunch of low-majors schools at home) and will be at full strength for the duration of SEC play.

Stansbury also added a scrimmage for Dec. 15th so that Sidney will play some game minutes before kicking off his collegiate career against a top 25 team in Virginia Tech.

The schedule changes did make things difficult, however. By moving the Alabama State game to Dec. 14th, Stansbury's club will be playing four games in four games. The scrimmage, then, will essentially create a fifth game in five days. Their game with St. Mary's comes on the back end of a trip that takes them to a Dec. 18th date with Virginia Tech in the Bahamas, to Honolulu for the Diamond Head Classic, which takes place from Dec. 22nd-25th, and finally to Vegas for their Dec. 29th date.

It won't be easy, but Stansbury certainly put his team in great position to make a run at the SEC West title.

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