Beltway Basketball

Sometimes words aren't needed...

2010-04-04T22:44:00.001-04:00

My letter to Rick Reilly

2010-03-30T22:21:00.004-04:00

Mr. Reilly -

Before I begin, let me start off by saying that although I wholeheartedly disagree with your opinion of West Virginia and our basketball coach, I will respect your right to say it with all the fight that I have in me. That being said, I would like to offer a response on behalf of West Virginians all over the world to your recent negative article about the state of West Virginia and the beloved Mountaineers who represent that great state.

After reading your sarcastic, disdainful and to be brutally honest, ignorant words, I would like to give you a brief history lesson of the place that I am so proud to call home. I believe it’s probably a safe assumption judging by the tone of your article that you don’t know much about the history of our state or of the group of people that you are insulting.

Coal, in West Virginia, is king. The miners who risk their lives on a daily basis to bring that coal to the surface don't do it because they are "gritty", uninterested, or dirty. And they certainly don't do it because they "don't care" about their appearance or what people think about them. They do it because it keeps our state's economy going and it puts food on the tables of their families. Some of these men dig in the very mines that their fathers and their grandfathers did, going about their business without knowing that prejudice like yours exists. Would you believe, Mr. Reilly, that it wasn't even us dirty West Virginians' idea to begin mining in the hills of our state? Actually, speculators from out of town discovered that coal deposits ran rampant in our mountains and they tried for years, beginning in the 1840s to figure out a way to begin mining that coal because they knew it would make them rich, West Virginians be damned.

Ironically enough though, the very mountains that contained the coal were the obstacles keeping these money hungry speculators away from their prize. Because the state is so mountainous there was no railroad in and out in the mid 1800s, and without a lot civilized communities, there was no bank to finance such a project. Actually, after the Civil War, West Virginians lived relatively peacefully and happily until companies in Europe and New York saw the potential for the money they could make by mining the coal from the West Virginia hills and decided to go ahead and make an investment. So in came the railroads, ripping through the beautiful mountains of our majestic state at the cost of many lives. The coal industry in our state has taken thousands of lives since the 1880s and thousands more have been sickened with diseases like black lung. Just think, if it weren't for the sacrifices of such men, you may not have had the electricity to write such a well-informed article.

The big companies that owned these mines hired immigrants who they thought were disposable, immigrants who started families who remain in West Virginia, working hard and earning their keep. These families have become the backbone of our state and will most likely remain there for years to come. Sometimes, these miners would work from morning to night without a break on their hands and knees in cramped, dark spaces miles underground. With just a pick or a small shovel, these miners could dig up to ten tons of coal per day. Ten tons of coal in one day. Imagine putting your laptop down and working that hard at something. It's a good thing us West Virginians don't like places with a lot of light, huh Mr. Reilly?

Not only did miners work in these conditions, but entire mining towns were owned by the mining companies. Instead of making money, these hard working men would be paid something called "scrip" which was only good at company stores. If a miner didn't do everything according to the mining company's plan, then too bad for that miner and his family. Soon, because of the deplorable conditions of the mines and the way they were being treated, the miners began to stand up to th evils they were facing. These hard-working West Virginia miners began trying to organize a union so that they could be ensured some fairness and some safety. The mining companies, owned by the above-mentioned speculators were afraid that this would cause them to lose money and even access to the coal in the mountains, so they responded with a type of brutality that can't be imagined.

In the early 1900s, when miners pushed toward organizing a union for these rights, the coal companies began to fight back and soon a period of time in West Virginia known as the mine wars began. You're a journalist so you can research the mine wars on your own, but the violence toward these men in our state who simply wanted a better life for themselves and their families became so bad that martial law was declared. Since you clearly are not above the stereotypes, you should realize that this is the period of time when a lot of them started. Surely because of all of the violence, we were just an uneducated, barbaric lot. You should know though, that the violence was not caused on the part of the hard working miners, but because of a security force hired by the coal companies that began killing unsuspecting men. It got so bad that in 1921, President Harding sent troops into West Virginia to control the situation. Obviously, conditions have improved outside of the mines immensely as time has passed, but there isn't much to be done to improve conditions underground, where miners still spend hours a day risking their lives to provide our great country with the natural resources necessary to keep on functioning.

It is painfully obvious that you are ill-informed when it comes to the past experiences of the very miners who you insinuate are lazy. Then again, maybe you're right. They must be lazy. I mean, do you realize they pipe the play-by-play into the mines now so that they will actually show up for work? It's just a basketball game. A basketball game coached by such a bad guy with players who probably haven't even gone to class this semester anyway. What's the big deal, right?

I don't read many of your columns. To be honest, this might be the first one. Forgive me for that, but I'm just not that impressed. I can only hope that since you are paid to do this for a living, you are a little more well-informed about sports than you are about the character of the men and women. If you know about basketball, hopefully you know that the fast break was created by Davis and Elkins College Coach Cam Henderson or that Neal Baisi took it one step further at West Virginia Tech. Or that Danny Heater scored 135 points in one game for little known Heaters High School. Or that Georgeanne Wells was the first woman to dunk a basketball in a college game at the National Guard Armory in Elkins. Or about the great West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference that ruled college basketball in the middle of the 20th century. You probably also know about other great coaches like Clair Bee, Fred Schaus, George King nad Press Maravich (Pete's dad) who coached in the state. And surely you know the long list of basketball players who have come from there: Rod Hundley, Jerry West, Rod Thorn, Hal Greer, Mike D'Antoni and Bimbo Coles just to name a few.

These names and events are all important to us for many reasons. It's no secret that we get very little respect as a state. Admittedly, some truth lies in a lot of the stereotypes. We are poor and therefore do not have many opportunities economically. Coal is our saving grace. Other than its natural beauty, the simple, refreshing way of life,and the wonderfully rich Appalachian culture full of wonderful people, West Virginia doesn't provide much of a path to success for it's residents. For many people growing up there, athletics provides an escape from the sometimes crippling poverty and circumstances that are responsible for the disrespect we receive and the jokes that are made about us.

Without a professional sports team, we tend to follow small town athletes instead. From the time they loft their first jump shot until they walk into the locker room after their final play, they remain in the spotlight. The one thing that each one of these school boy athletes have in common, is that they typically dream of one day running out of the tunnel at the Coliseum as a West Virginia Mountaineer. Most times, their careers end at small in-state colleges and they become successful in other endeavors. Chances are though, that because of the nature of our state and our peoples' appreciation of hard work, years after their careers have ended, they'll still be recognized when they walk down the street and reminded of their glory days. Every once in a while though, somebody makes it just a little further and it gives the rest of us hope.

This year, somebody has made it just a little bit further. Somebody has given the rest of us hope. West Virginia University has made it to their first Final Four since 1959, when the school boy running out of that tunnel was none other than Jerry West, the NBA logo. The view of West Virginia is not new, and it clearly hasn't changed. Long before he was given the nickname "Mr. Clutch", his nickname was "Zeke from Cabin Creek." No matter if he was from a small town called Cheylan that acted as very important hub in industrial southern West Virginia. Back then, West Virginia University boasted the number one basketball program in the country, and much like now the entire state was stricken with basketball fever. Also much like now, the Mountaineers were giving a downtrodden state that most people looked down upon some hope. That team lost in the 1959 National Championship game to a California team coached by Pete Newell, who would go on to Coach Jerry West in the 1960 Olympic games.

History has a funny way of repeating itself. This Saturday, after fifty one long years, the people of our great state have a chance to be a part of something once again bigger than the stereotypes. A chance to prove to the rest of the country that yes, we can be the best at something. A chance provided to us by none other than the ulcerous porcupine himself, Coach Bob Huggins. We still don’t get a lot of respect, as evidenced by articles like yours. All one has to do is listen to a nationally televised broadcast to realize that even the announcers are cheering against us. When WVU's starting five takes that floor on Saturday night, millions of proud West Virginians from the deepest coal mines in the state to military bases on the other side of the world will be right there with them. Collectively, we will be bigger than any of the negativity that has shone through in your writing. If we prevail, it will mean more to our state than you will ever know. That in itself is something for us to be proud of, because judging from your cynicism; I would imagine that you've never been lucky enough to feel that way.

You can talk about the mistakes Coach Huggins has made. Like everybody else, he's human and he has made a poor decision or two. He'll be the first to admit that his DUI in 2004 wasn't the smartest decision he could've made. You can talk about the "zero point zero" grade point average of one of his players until it is revealed that the player was an NBA prospect who wouldn't have been given a chance at all without Coach Huggins and who, you guessed it, ended up playing in the NBA. You can talk about his sledgehammer style and the fact that you can't find one "shining moment" or the fact that he demands that his players give so much of themselves that they leave practice with an occasional bump or bruise. What you can't talk about though, because it’s immeasurable, is what Coach Huggins has done for countless players, our state and our people.

There is a lot of talk about Coach Huggins not being "huggable", but I would challenge you to find one former player, or even an average citizen in our state, who would agree with your assessment. After he was dismissed from Cincinnati, much to the chagrin of all around him, his team invited him to back to sit courtside at their last home game to show their appreciation. After he took the West Virginia job, and the Mountaineers played at Cincinnati, the people honored him with a pre-game tribute. He's done so much for so many people, but he gets such a bad rap because he, like many other people in our great state, keeps his mouth shut and goes to work day after day. Did you ever stop to think that if he's done such a good thing for a kid like Joe Mazzulla, that maybe he's done something similar for numerous other players and even coaches? When he left Kansas State to come home to West Virginia, he did so knowing that Frank Martin, a deserving candidate who had been loyal to him for years, was going to get the coaching job. In your article, you called Coach Martin a "crazy-eyed, death-staring Huggins wannabe", but nowhere in your article did I see you acknowledge Kansas State's spectacular run in the tournament.

Coach Huggins left Kansas State to pursue his dream job and because he believed in us. He's just another West Virginia school boy who dreamed of running out of that tunnel and worked hard enough to do it. As an athlete, he was an Academic All-American at the University who graduated near the top of his class. When he took the job at West Virginia, he did so with the intention of winning a national championship. Now, he has the Mountaineers in a position to do just that.

Say he's emotionless if you must. Ignore the tears in his eyes upon hearing Country Roads in Madison Square Garden after winning the Big East Championship. Ignore the fact that he has gone on countless tours throughout the state because he knows just how big Mountaineer basketball is to us. Ignore the fact that he plans on doing it again, but this time with a championship trophy in tow, just to give everybody in the state a chance to be a part of something that doesn't happen to our state very often.

On Saturday night, millions of current and former Mountaineers will be glued to their televisions and radios, living or dying with every possession. Regardless of the result, we will have Coach Huggins to thank for that. Because for one shining moment, which believe doesn't exist in the steep plateaus of our state, for all of us who believed, we will have been at the top of the world. Just knowing that his belief in our state and the values of hard work he instills have paid dividends for a group that nobody has given a chance is enough. And in the words of another proud West Virginian, it will be a great day to be a Mountaineer. Should we hoist that trophy on Monday in Indianapolis, hopefully Coach Huggins will be one step closer to a Hall of Fame that you will never, ever see.

Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer.

My turn...

2010-03-07T13:55:00.001-05:00

My dad and I had many traits in common. One was our longevity, as evidenced by this post.

He always dubbed me as the emotional one of the family. Looking back I wonder if he noticed the many nights that I went into my bedroom, shut the door and cried because he was in so much pain that I didn't think he would make it through the night. I tried to never show that to him in person, because I thought if he saw me feeling sorry for him, he might start feeling sorry for himself and we would all be without him.

On Memorial Day, Judy called me. She summoned me home to West Virginia. She said, "Your dad's very bad and he's made the choice to quit fighting." Considering that Judy has never purposely cried wolf over the years, I immediately scrapped my Memorial Day plans, packed my bags and went home. Judging by the tone of Judy's voice and her raw emotion, I wasn't sure if I would make it in time, but I hurried as fast as I could.

When I walked through the front door of their house, the one they so proudly built as a reward for years of hard work, I heard a loud boisterous voice. It was a voice I hadn't heard in a long time. My dad had been very ill and was exhausted, so many times when I would go home we would sit and watch a basketball game without saying much. This time though, as I walked into our living room, my father was sitting with my step-sister and her husband, giving them one of his countless life lessons about supporting each other, loving each other and standing beside one another always. Before day's end, he had sat with each of us and given us each the advice and words he wanted us to live by as we continued on our own path after he was gone.

He also informed us that he was in very bad shape, which we saw. He informed us that the skin was falling off of his body, which we saw. The excess fluid caused by the inability of his heart to pump hard enough had begun to build up and spread, which we saw. He told us that his heart was failing and he was intense pain, and that frankly, he was ready to give up. I had never heard this type of talk from my dad before. It was pretty alien to me, and very difficult for me to take. He always was a fighter and the words "quit" and "give up" were just not in his vernacular. In fact, he had a disdain for people who weren't strong enough to play the hand they were dealt or finish the game that they started playing. After listening to this all day, I sat down with him and had a very serious talk about his life, my life and our future without him.

He insisted that he didn't want to give up, but that it seemed like he didn't have a choice. "I'm failing," he said. At a loss for words, I responded, "Dad, we only have one choice in life that we really have no control over, and that is when we come to the natural end of our life." Everything else is a choice. Sometimes you have to pay the consequences of these choices, but you always have a choice. Everything is a choice, including fighting another day. The following day, I came in fully prepared to say goodbye for the last time to my father. To my surprise, after spending hours the previous day talking him into trying to fight, he had decided that he would.

A couple of days later, he sent me an e-mail thanking me for talking him out of making the most erroneous decision of his life. Looking back, I'm not sure whether it was right or wrong to ask him to keep fighting and suffering, but it's totally irrelevant. The point is that he made a choice to fight just a few more days, and we enjoyed each other's company immensely until it was time for me to return home to DC. It was probably the best visit with him in years. On the first night there, the whole family stayed up until 5:00 AM laughing, telling stories and having a good time. It was, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable nights of my life. When it was time to finally get some sleep, the hospice nurse and I looked at each other knowing that this was probably just the calm before the storm. His loud, booming voice was interrupted only by her administering medication to try to get him to sleep for just a few hours.

As I've reflected over the past few months, trying to take everything in and figure out a way to move on, I've pondered many things. The choice he made to keep on fighting that night a few months ago made me begin to evaluate the other important choices that he had made throughout his life. Through my own observation, I believe that there are four very important choices that shaped my dad's life and the lives of many others.

Believe it or not, my dad was a nerd, which is another trait that we share. He loved computers, collecting stamps among other hobbies. It's hard for some people who witnessed him on the sidelines to believe that. For some reason though, and it's a story that I readily admit I don't know all of, he decided that he was going to try out for his junior high basketball team. From my understanding, it was a complete disaster. Needless to say he didn't make his team. That day, my dad made his first important choice. Rather than giving up, he made the choice that he was going to be the best that he could be. His choice literally changed his life and the lives of everybody around him. That day he began working to improve himself. He would go to the park in his hometown before daybreak because he was too embarrassed to play with the other kids. He played day after day making only time to do the other things in his life he absolutely needed to do. His practice paid off. He earned accolades and honors that we had never talked about and I didn't even find out about until after his death. Not because I wasn't interested, but because those things were pushed to the side as he began to try to help others achieve their own honors. A young coach named Carl Hartman convinced my father and my dad's father that my dad should go to Davis and Elkins College. Coach Hartman convinced him that a "dynasty could be built at D&E" nd that "a new gym would be erected in his honor". Sadly, his dream never came to fruition as he suffered an injury that almost took his life and most certainly altered it.

That choice, however, to not give up when he faced adversity changed my father's life. He learned to be passionate. Dedicated. Persevere. And boy was he passionate about everything, especially competition. Whether he was playing cards or coaching, he wanted to win at all costs and it didn't matter how he achieved that end. The only time we were ever able to play H-O-R-S-E, I beat him. I know that he was proud, but I also know that it probably hurt him immensely to have lost at something that he had once been so successful at doing. I'm convinced that my dad always had these traits, but being cut from his junior high team simply lit the fuse.

The second choice that changed my dad's life was a choice he made after he got hurt. He began dating my mom. My dad took my mom to an Elkins High School basketball game for a date. During the game, my dad who was a pre-law student, pointed to the basketball coach and told my mom that coaching and teaching was what he wanted to do with his life. She supported him. He changed majors and he ultimately became a teacher and a coach. It was a decision that he cherished and he loved. For the next 15 years, my dad was either in the classroom or on the basketball court teaching the fundamentals of life. He enjoyed it so much, and from the comments, letters and condolences I've received in the past several months, he touched many, many lives. There was no question that he was passionate and that he wanted those around him to be successful, and often times he was misunderstood because of that. He used to tote me to practice. For me, it was a great experience to be around my dad and what he loved. I remember riding to the games on the team bus and I remember his ardent and passionate pre-game and halftime speeches. I remember his animated discussions with the officials and his tirades on the sidelines that often ended in his tie or clipboard being thrown into the crowd.

When I got older, I asked my dad why he was so intense about basketball. He responded, "Son, I like basketball but that's not it. I believe that every time a kid walks on the basketball court he or she has the opportunity to try to obtain a basketball scholarship and a free education. Once he or she gets that education, doors open for them that they couldn't have imagined." I sort of got it then, although I was too young to understand. It wasn't about winning. It was about the kids. The winning got the kids the attention that they needed to get noticed. The winning was just the mechanism he used to get there. He took great pride in getting kids into colleges and giving them the opportunity to make something of themselves. As a child and teenager, I would sit in our living room with him as he would speak to college coaches all over the country to try and persuade them to take a look at one of his kids. He was incredibly successful at getting people noticed.

His decision that night in that high school gym with my mom changed his life and countless others. I always thought it was a good decision for him to make that change. I don't know how many judges would take kindly to my dad throwing his coat, tie and sweater if something wasn't going his way.

In 1993, I’m convinced that my dad made the best decision of his life when he married Judy. How could Judy turn down such a romantic proposal? "You better marry me; I don't have much time left." Their sixteenth wedding anniversary was a week before his death. I was a very young child when my dad began courting Judy, and admittedly I didn't like the idea too much. Certainly my dad, my brother and I were just fine living with my grandmother who spoiled us beyond belief. Boy, was I wrong. As I look back, I realize that Judy was like a new heart in a heart transplant patient. At first, the body tries to reject that new heart. With some hard work and a lot of love though, the body eventually fully accepts that new heart and the patient thrives. This is exactly what happened in our family. Judy has become like a mother to me, and she definitely loved my dad.

Judy was not only his wife, but his personal assistant, driver, nurse, bag handler, business partner and life line, literally. For years, she toted around a medicine bag full of medication, an oxygen machine, a laptop, and a suitcase. Often by the time they got to where they were going my dad would already be taking a nap and Judy would be exhausted from doing all of the work. I'm convinced that without Judy in our lives, all of this would have happened much sooner. Had it not been for Judy and her dedication to wrap my dad's legs twice a day, give him his medication routinely and act most of the time as his arms and legs, we would have had to say goodbye long ago. Most importantly though, my dad lasted because of her unwavering love for him. I'll never know how to thank her appropriately as I think it's impossible. Some of my dad's very last words to me were to please not forget about Judy, to "kick ass", and that he loved me. He can rest assured that I will never forget about Judy. She may have been his wife, but she's my mom.

My dad's marriage to Judy and her work at the homeless shelter led to the formation of Community Response Foundation, which is something I am most proud of. He very rarely talked about that, but CRF has enabled thousands of people to have warm places to sleep, food to eat and money to buy Christmas gifts for their children. Opening this business was totally off track from his original desire to play basketball in the NBA and it certainly never put his name in the headlines, but it has helped so many people. This past Christmas, when my dad's client’s kids opened their gifts, they had no idea how it was enabled to happen, and, honestly, it doesn't matter. They probably believed that it was Santa Claus, and maybe that's an appropriate description for my father. He was always giving. He may not have gotten as much recognition as he should have here for Community Response Foundation, but I think that he's getting it in heaven.

Finally, was my dad's choice last November to accept all the choices that he had made in his life. When I walked out of his living room that morning at 5:00 AM, I realized that he had accepted the things that had happened to him and the way his life turned had turned out and that he was ready to go. With the nurse still administering the medications that just kept him functioning, we said our goodbyes. All the disappointment and anger that he had suffered from having his dream taken from him and from having his life altered dramatically was gone. Although he had touched countless lives and helped an immeasurable amount of people, he could not full accept these accomplishments until he also accepted his failures. I am glad he made this choice, because it will certainly help me rest with ease.

Have no doubt, this hurts badly. My brother and I have said goodbye to our grandparents, our mother and our father. The people we love the most. This is the last page of my family's book, and I don't particularly like the ending. I think that fifty four and fifty eight are entirely too young to die. I feel so sorry for my future son or daughter who will never meet their grandparents or get to know them.

Things happen for a reason. Perhaps one day, I'll learn why. Every choice that we make every minute of every day affects countless numbers of other people that we know, and even those that we don't. Therefore, choices are extremely important and do have consequences. I am so thankful that my dad made the choices that he did and for the consequences that these choices had on my life.

On a Serious Note Part 2

2010-03-05T16:10:00.001-05:00

I played for Coach Blake for three years in high school. I thought on behalf of a lot of his former players, I'd speak up. I love Coach Blake. Coach Blake made an indelible difference in my life. Its' hard to put into words just what he meant to me. Coach was a man, and I respected the man that he was and the man that he is and the man that I'll meet again one day. He was great and he would do anything for you.

The first time that I ever really knew about Coach Blake was when I was a freshman when there was no middle school. It was still the Junior High. His first wife Grace was my typing teacher, and through her, he sent a certificate that he had made up. I had hit a game winning shot the night before, and he came to the game. He came to a lot of the games. I don't know if you see that much anymore. I know I don't, but he was at most of our games. In that certificate, he said "Congratulations on a great shot and a great win. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you next year." You can't imagine what that can do for a 14 year old kid who is just coming into his own as a teenager and as a basketball player who was a little rough around the edges.

At one of those YMCA camps that he used to run before my freshman year, Coach Blake sat on the sidelines while we were doing ball handling drills. I would do a drill and I would look over at Coach and he would just be sitting there shaking his head like he used to do. I would look and think to myself, "Man this guy is gonna be my coach one day and I'm failing." But when that camp came to an end, he gave me a list of things that I needed to work on, which I did to try to improve. That was Coach, always looking to make YOU better, not caring him about himself, but trying to make you a better player and to be honest, a better person.

As a matter of fact, three years later there was an article written about me in the newspaper. They were gracious enough to do that. And in that article, Coach Blake was quoted as saying that "I was once a guy who I offered to give a refund to at a basketball camp because he was so bad." That was Coach, brutally honest but he got to you to the level you need to be.

My sophomore year, the very first practice, I'd go into the armory. I'm taking my time. All I had was a pair of Chuck Taylors because our basketball shoes hadn't come in yet. I walked in with snow boots on. I took one snow boot off and put one Chuck Taylor on and if you ever wore Chuck Taylors you know you had to wrap the strings around the back to protect your ankles. Put two or three pairs of socks on, all that kind of stuff. Coach Blake yells "seniors on the line". Here I am with one tennis shoe on and one boot on, but when Coach said something that didn't mean "let's wait four or five minutes, it meant let's go we're running sprints." This is the first practice of the season. There's no time to stretch, to get loosened up, warm up, shoot some free throws or lay ups. Just, on the line. I was so petrified that I ran the first 10 minutes of practice in one boot and one Chuck Taylor.

My junior year I was able to be a starter on the Varsity team, which made me very proud. Coach Blake had gotten me to that level. Even though I had improved, I was still kind of inconsistent. I had some up games and I had some down games. But Coach, he never quit believing in me or having faith in me. Without fail, Coach Blake would send his assistant Coach Crawford to pump me back up, to give me inspiration, to make sure I didn't fall too far. To make sure that I kept believing in myself so that by the time that my senior year came, I could have the best year possible.

Well, when my senior year came the expectations that we had in our team and that Coach Blake had in me personally were realized. He helped me accomplish many things, to gain recognition and earn a college scholarship. His playing style was what we call "run and gun", he loved to push the ball up and down the floor. To this date, our team my senior year, and I say team because Coach Blake stressed team, averaged more points than any other team in the history of Elkins High School. That goes back a long, long way. That was just Coach's style.

One more basketball story I'll tell, and all these stories are because of Coach Blake. That man. He's responsible for those things in my life, at a time as a teenager when those things are very important at the forefront of your life. This is a great story and this epitomizes who he was. He would call our house and say "Hey, is your dad around? I need to talk to him about some construction work I need done on our house." I'd tell him yeah, and that I'd grab him, but before I could hand the phone over Coach would say "Before you give him the phone, I just wanted to let you know I'll be up at the park at 10 AM tomorrow morning with a basketball, tape measure and some water. I'll be measuring the height of the rim, and you know... I'll have a lawn chair with me so if you happen to be riding your bike near there or something, stop by and say hello." That was a *wink wink*. So I would go to Bluegrass at 10:00 AM on a summer morning, when Coach could have been doing countless other things. The one day I remember in particular, the skies were blue, so blue and so vivid. It was just awesome. The sunshine was bright and the asphalt would warm up and you could smell it, as anybody that's ever played on the playground knows. The bounce of the ball. The sound of the net. The net makes such a sweet sound when the ball goes through it. Coach Blake stood off the edge of the court because obviously it was against the rules to work with a player when it wasn't basketball season. He would just talk to me. He would talk to me about basketball and about how to make myself better, but then he would start kicking me knowledge about life. About the things that were important. About what you could gain from athletics. And how through athletics you could open up avenues and scholarships. That's true.

Coach Blake was like that. Coach was lovable. Coach was intense, but he could reach into your soul and touch your heart if you just gave him five minutes of your time. I respected that man immensely. I haven't seen him much over the last twenty years since I played. I know I called him a few years ago. I had just come back from a high school game, but it brought back a lot of memories. I just wanted to call him and say hello and tell him what he had meant to me and how he had touched my life. Basically, I just wanted to tell him that I loved him because we had gone a lot of years without seeing each other. For no particular reason, unfortunately it just happens sometimes. It was right before my first child was born and I was telling him about how I was going to become a father and this and that. I asked him how he was doing, and all of the sudden he turned the story on me and made it about me. I wanted it to be about him, but that's how he was. It was about everybody else. He congratulated me and he wished me the best of luck and he told me he appreciated the call and he thanked me. He didn't have to thank me. The call was long overdue, especially for somebody I love.

I love Coach Blake. I'm not a shamed to tell anybody that. I would have done anything for that man. All he had to do was call me, but that wasn't his style and that wasn't his way. The men his boys became are the men he talked about when they were little kids running around our practices. It's amazing how proud he was of them, and I'm proud to say that I know both of them. It's an incredible thing to watch the boys of a man you admire so much grow into men.

Coach Blake was one of my heroes. And he always will be.

On a serious note...

2009-12-05T15:15:00.003-05:00

I can't think of anything on this earth that I love more than I love the game of basketball. That sweet game has provided me with memories and tools that I cannot imagine living without. As cliché as it sounds, the game was more than that to me. It was an instrument that allowed father and son to bond and it was singly responsible for a great relationship with a great man.

When I started this blog, bright-eyed and naive, I had every intention of showing up here every day and sharing my thoughts on this game that I fell madly in love with so many years ago. The idea for it was simple. My love of two things: Basketball and writing. Both of these passions ignited from a single solitary person in my life. My father. My father gave me the greatest gift that a father can give his son. He believed in me.

I typically don't wax poetic and I feel much more comfortable explaining how a zone defense works or why I think a certain player will excel during a certain week. Recently though, the very man that brought me to this point in my life and encouraged me to explore these avenues, was taken from my life all too soon. Life is full of irony and one of those great ironies is that often times the thing that you love the most ends up hurting you the most. My dad's life was taken by a series of illnesses that sprung from a severe injury that realistically should have taken his life years ago.

Needless to say, the loss of a parent, child, loved one, sibling, etc... is one of the toughest events another human being can go through, but this one is particularly hard. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to tell my father what he meant to me and how I felt about him. To thank him for all that he had done and to let him know that the example he set was a shining one for all of us to attempt to emulate.

I cannot put into words what my dad did for me and for others without ever worrying about himself. So it should come as no small surprise that the following did not come from me, but from my dad's closest friend. An amazing athlete in his own right, and a radio broadcaster for over thirty years who followed my dad's career not only as his job but as his friend, he was able to eulogize my father in a way that escapes me. Another great irony I suppose is that the best thing written in the short time I've maintained this blog was not actually written by me.

It is long, but if you knew my father, it is worth it:

When Judy asked me to speak, I asked her if she wanted me to speak for one or two hours... I've written a few things down that might keep me limited.

Coach Blake and I were friends for over thirty years, and we had a lot of experiences together. For several of those years we did practically everything together, and our families did everything together. I could talk about Coach for a long time.

Although his sons' many athletic accomplishments are fresh in our minds, here are a few things that he rarely brought up that I think he would like for you know about him. As a basketball player, he was All-Fayette County Player of the Year in 1967, 1968 and 1969; All-Southern West Virginia Player of the Year in 1967,1968 and 1969; All-Tri-County Player of The Year in 1967,1968 and 1969; and he was a First Team All-West Virginia Player for three years in 1967, 1968 and 1969. Now stop and think about that for a minute. He was the best player in that whole area. And we're talking about southern West Virginia, the Beckley area. They had some outstanding basketball players who ended up being some of the best players in the country. And out of all of those people, he was selected as the best. He was also voted onto some high school All-American teams and he made every All-Star team at every camp that he ever attended. He was also named to the WJLS 30th Anniversary All-Star Team. WJLS is one of the biggest radio stations in the state, and to be named as one of the top basketball players in West Virginia history by them was quite an honor. And he talked to me about that. That really meant something to him. It did to me too. That was a very big deal. He was also Runner-up Player of the Year in West Virginia in 1968 and 1969 and he was the West Virginia Player of the Week five different times. He was an NAIA All-American in 1971 at Davis and Elkins College and he had many, many other honors.

These things tell me that he was just an absolutely outstanding athlete. But you know, the reason I was friends with him for all of those years wasn't because he was an outstanding athlete. He was a much better man. Coach Blake was intelligent, he could be very intense, and he could be very stubborn. He was resourceful and he knew how to play basketball.

I said he was the best fundamental basketball coach I had ever known and I mean that, because he knew how to teach fundamentals better than anybody I've ever seen. He was also one of the best offensive-minded coaches I've ever seen. I remember he used to say, "Look up at that scoreboard. When you get a rebound, do the numbers change? When you steal a pass do they? When you block a shot? No. The only time you get rewarded in basketball is when you put the ball in the hoop." His idea was simple. If you had more points than the other team, you win. Very offensive minded.

The first time I ever saw Coach Blake play, he was playing at Davis and Elkins. He had already gotten injured and he was wearing those special circulation hose that go up to a person's waist. And I can remember very clearly seeing him play over in the city building where Alderson Broaddus used to play their games. He was up against an All-American named Andy Jennings. Jennings was close to seven feet and around 260 pounds. He was pretty agile and quite an athlete. At the time he led the nation in rebounding and was very tough. He couldn't stop Coach. Could not stop him at all. Coach was just having his way with him, but of course, he had the physical problems, so he would come out of the game and Alderson Broaddus would pull ahead. Coach would come back in and bring his team back and that went back and forth. I don't even remember who won the game, I just remember that he was playing against one of the best players in America, and he couldn't stop Coach injured. What would it have been like if he were healthy?

The first time I really met Coach Blake after seeing him play was when I invited him to be a guest on Sports Comment. Sports Comment was a sports radio show that I had been doing on WDNE and then later WELK for several years. I would invite local coaches and athletes into the studio to do a show and we would spend the next couple of hours talking sports. I invited Coach in when he was coaching at Tygarts Valley and it was quite an enjoyable evening. I learned that he was very honest, almost to a fault. I mean, he would tell it the way he saw it no matter what. I liked that. All through my life with him, he always told me the things that he saw the way that he saw them. Because we were friends, I could take that. Sometimes I wasn't in agreement with him, but usually I was. I admired that, so we became kind of instant friends. The next thing I knew, we were going over to the Blakes and the Blakes were coming over to our house and we were staying up until 2 or 3 in the morning playing cards. It was a lot of fun. Really, just a lot of fun.

As I got to know him more, I realized that Coach had an incomparable loyalty to the people he loved. If he believed in you, there was nothing that he wouldn't do for you. And that's kind of an unusual quality, especially today. Also, I realized that he was really a lot of fun. He had a great sense of humor. I mean, there were some nights that we would laugh for hours just non-stop. It was so much fun. And, of course, I was also intrigued by his knowledge of basketball because it was tremendous.

I remember working with him at some basketball camps at the YMCA. We would do that in the summertime for a couple of weeks working with young kids. There I saw firsthand how he taught the young people and how he loved to teach them. How he made learning fun. Many of those that we had in those camps went on to be All-Conference players, and even All-Staters, and it was all because of Coach Blake.

Coach was also for the underdog. If you were a poor kid and showed some promise and worked hard, you were going to get a chance. He turned a lot of young people's lives around by giving them that chance who probably otherwise wouldn't have had one. He in his lifetime had befriended and helped so many people. It's hard to imagine how many people he's helped. Sometimes you think it's only you, but its not. Everybody who has come into contact with him and has shown some interest in letting him teach them, he would teach.

Coach Blake had some great loves in his life. Most of all it was his family. He loved his parents although he didn't always agree with them. He had just an unbalanced love for his two sons. He saw the potential and the promise in them and he was always so proud of them. He had two other great loves in his life as well. His first wife Grace, and then later, of course, Judy. And then there was his extended family and friends. He loved them all.

Some of the best times with Coach Blake, were of course when he was coaching basketball. I could talk about this forever, but I'll share just a few anecdotes that stand out to me as pure Coach Blake.

One time, we were playing at West Fairmont. It was very hard to get a call to go your way at West Fairmont if you were the opposing team. The coach of West Fairmont at the time was this crazy, animated, foul-mouthed man rampaging up and down the sidelines. The entire game, Coach Blake was pleading with the officials for just one call. Finally they made one that seemed to go to our team. And I can still see it; Coach Blake walked right down the sidelines and gave a big kiss to that official.

Then there was the night that God became a Mormon. As most of you know, I was the bishop at the Mormon Church for years. I got this story second-hand since I was up in the booth doing the broadcast of the game, but a lot of you can verify this. My son John was the point guard, and of course being my son, was also a Mormon. John wasn't necessarily a great scorer, but he was a tremendous playmaker and team player. I'm not sure where we were playing, but John brought the ball past half court and let go of a shot which was very uncharacteristic of him. As soon as the ball left John's hand, Coach Blake stood up and yelled at him for his terrible decision. Well, the shot went in and Coach threw his hands up and said "good shot." Then as the story goes, he sat and turned to the crowd and said "Tonight, God's a Mormon."

You could watch him on the sidelines and it was like watching a whole different ball game. He was just as fun to watch as the basketball game itself. You could always tell when he was really getting ready to get into the game. Usually it would take about two minutes. First, he would take his sweater off, or if he was really dressed up, his jacket. Then his tie would come off. By halftime, his shirt tail was out and he was in his happiest place.

One of the few times I saw Coach embarrassed, although at the time I thought I was going to laugh myself to death, we were up at Davis and Elkins College after the high school season. We had a particularly good year, so we decided to have a banquet for the basketball team. We had some really outstanding players and wanted to reward them. We had finished dinner, and Coach Blake was introduced so he got up to make a few remarks. He stood at the podium, and out of nowhere, said "uhhh, fart!" I said "Coach, why did you say that?" He said, "I DON'T KNOW!!! It's just the first thing that came to my mind." What he said after that I don't think anybody remembers, but I'm certain they remember the first word.

Coach Blake was not only my best friend, but he was my family's best friend. One time, my wife and I had to be out of town and we asked Coach Blake if he would look after our kids that evening to make sure they got home and fed. My son, Brad was a little mouthy although he had the utmost respect for Coach. Well, on this day, he came home from school and practice and Coach told Brad that he should take a shower before dinner. Brad looked at him and said "no, I'm not gonna take a shower. I can do whatever I want." Once again, Coach reiterated that he thought it was in Brad's best interest to shower. Brad said "Coach, make me... I don't think you're big enough." When we got home later that night, Coach had a big smile on his face. I asked him how things went. "Fine," he responded. That's when I found out that he picked Brad up, clothes and all and threw him in the shower. Coach Blake never had a problem with Brad after that.

Coach was the most incredible guy I've ever met. His ability to hang on and cheat death so many times was heroic. So many times, my wife and I would leave his home or hospital room and say to ourselves; well it's not going to be much longer. I mean, so many times. If a cat had nine lives, for Coach Blake you would have to multiply it by another nine. I use this word a lot, but it was simply incredible.

Another thing, to me, that was so incredible about Coach Blake was his ability to adapt to the circumstances. When I first met him, we could go out in the driveway and play some basketball or head down to the basement to play ping pong, we would talk golf but I would never go and he was fairly active. As the years went along, slowly he couldn't do this or that, but he would always find happiness doing what he could do. I remember last year when his family first got the Wii. As silly as it sounds, although he couldn't really do the physical movement required, he could work the controller and it allowed him to compete. It brought him so much happiness. And then at last, he could barely hold his head up, yet he was still finding happiness. I will always remember that. I think that no matter what happens in my life, that will always be an encouragement to me. To know that when something's taken away there's something else that can make you happy.

He was also able to endure pain and suffering way far beyond my comprehension. I don't know how he did it and I certainly don't know anybody else that could have. It was just heroic.

Two weeks ago, we got a call. It seemed like the time had come and that it was time to say goodbye. We went over to visit and stayed quite a while. All I know is that Coach was very alert, still laughing and we had a tremendous amount of enjoyment along with family and friends. He was discouraged, but he decided that night that he was determined to continue his fight. We left and the next morning I woke up having braced myself for the worst. I went to visit and much to my surprise, there he was. I wondered how in the world he did this.

He looked at me that day and he said "You know, yesterday evening was one of the best evenings of my life, but last night was the worst night of my life because the pain came back and it was unbearable."

I'm very thankful to God that he gave us those last few weeks. I see the family has come closer together and I think we've all learned to appreciate what he stood for. Maybe even to evaluate our own lives a bit and ask ourselves what is important in and what changes can we make in our lives to become better people.

I'm not sorry for Coach Blake. I think he's on a very exciting journey now. I think he's gone to a much better place. I feel sorry for us, because we no longer have him as a guiding light. Coach will be ok. I know I'll see Coach Blake again. He won't be hurt then and there will be no sign of pain. I'll see that big smile and he'll hug me like a brother. Then we're going to lace up our tennis shoes and we're going find out who actually is the best because the last time I talked to Coach, the last thing he said to me was "you were a great basketball player, but I was better."

When I get up there, the game is on.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all be together again? Coach Blake would love that.

Good bye old friend.

Thoughts on last night...

2009-11-18T12:13:00.001-05:00

Rotnei Clarke is the best shooter in the country. After the 6'0" University of Arkansas guard hit 13 three pointers and scored 51 points against Alcorn State last Friday night, people were a little surprised. They must not have realized that prior to the Razorbacks season opener, Clarke spent an evening in an empty gym with his father and a shooting coach, converting 556 out of 600 three point shots. So yeah, the boy can shoot. The half a hundred he put up against the same Alcorn State team that put Ohio State's Evan Turner on the map after his own outstanding performance a few days earlier is an individual season high for scoring thus far. Needless to say, when news began to spread, basketball fans all over the place tuned into watch his squad play Louisville last night. His encore performance was limited, however, as he only scored 16 points. Don't think 51 was a fluke, though, he played well and converted a couple of long range bombs. True hoopheads know that shooters shoot, and making 13 threes isn't an accident. Keep in mind that after two games, Rotnei Clarke is actually leading the country in scoring with an average of 33.5 points per game. With seven players suspended from a team that won only two conference games last year, a perfect storm has been created for Clarke to put up some big numbers.

Georgetown is in for a long season. It's been a pretty safe bet for a lot of years now that when Georgetown plays Temple it's going to be a low scoring, physical affair. Still, there's no excuse for yesterday's snooze fest at the Verizon Center. Yesterday afternoon, they barely beat the Owls on a last second layup from their best player, Greg Monroe. At halftime the score was 19-13 and there were more fouls commited than baskets scored.  The Hoyas trailed most of the second half until Monroe's basket at the buzzer whch gave them a 46-45 win. Not much more can be said of the game, and it's definitely not one that should have been listened to while operating heavy machinery.. After making it to the Final Four two seasons ago, Georgetown went 16-15 overall last season, failing to live up to expectations and playing a brand of basketball that was tedious to watch. Very few teams can take the famed Pete Carrill Princeton offense and make it look boring, but Georgetown seems to excel at doing just that. This year, although they are 2-0 with an easy win over Tulane last week, it looks like we'll see more of the same. It will be hard for them to win basketball games in the Big East Conference, especially if they have more offensive performances that see them on the wrong side of the 50 point mark. The Hoyas stand at #19 nationally, but don't be surprised if they fall out of the rankings very quickly.

Gonzaga is the best unranked team in the country. If you watched them play at Michigan State last night, you heard the announcers say it over and over again. Although they lost by four, they led most of the night and played impressive, mature basketball. After losing their three top players last season, (Josh Heytvelt, Austin Daye and Jeremy Pargo) most analysts thought this year would be a rebuilding year for veteran Coach Mark Few.  With the exception of senior guard Matt Bouldin, this is the youngest Zags team that Few has had during his tenure. Bouldin displayed moments of brilliance last night and looked like a solid All-American candidate witth a couple of great passes and his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself. He finished with 15 points and 4 assists in the losing effort. Why the Zags are unranked this season is a mystery, considering that at this point they should be considered a major college program. They have all the pieces they need to make a run deep into March. They have a 7'5" (not a typo) center in Will Foster to go along with another seven-footer named Robert Sacre, who finishes strong time after time when the guards can get him the ball. He had 17 last night and hands down has the best sky hook since Lew Alcindor owned the paint at UCLA in the late 1960s. A loss is never a good thing for a team, no matter the circumstances, but the Zags have to be happy with their performance on the road against the second best team in the country. They will win a lot of ball games this year and will crack the top 25 early on.

Tennessee is the best team in the country right now. Tennessee slaughtered UNC-Asheville 124 to 49 last night. Yep, they won by 75 points.  The Volunteers put up the most points ever scored by a Tennessee team in only their second game of this season, which is nothing but a good sign for head Coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl, who won his 100th game last night, saw six players scored in double figures for the Volunteers behind Scotty Hopson's career high 25.  Tennessee isn't necessarily under the radar because they're consistently pretty good, but it seems like they aren't getting as much respect as they deserve yet. Their opponent last night was sub-par, but they were still picked to finish second in their league. Either way after the first media timeout, Tennessee was up 18-0, and during one point, led 61-10. UNCA didn't score their first field goal of the game until there were three minutes left in the first half. By the end of the half, one more field goal had been scored by the Vols' opponents. Although UNCA didn't help themselves, Tennesee's offensive output can't be overlooked. What also can't be overlooked is that Tennessee didn't lost a single player to graduation or the NBA last year, so they're a veteran squad who will continue to produce and play well together all season. If they can continue to thrive under Bruce Pearl's system, they have a chance of making it to the last game of college basketball season in a few months.

24 Hours of basketball?!

2009-11-17T16:48:00.001-05:00

It's hard to focus today if you're a hardcore hoophead. ESPN's family of networks is kicking off college basketball right, showing 24 straight hours of hoops. If you're like me, you've been checking in all day on the action. There are tons of games to choose from, and if you can't find what you're looking for on tv, check out ESPN360. Ten ranked teams play today, so if you don't get your fix, you're probably not a fan.

So far, the first legit day of college basketball has seen UCLA brick their way to a double overtime "upset" at the hands Cal State Fullerton. Other than that, all of the games have ended as to be expected. Tonight, fans get to see Kansas, Michigan State, Duke, Georgetown, Memphis, Tennessee, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Louisville and Illinois. Stay tuned for thoughts and analysis.

Also, in keeping with the Beltway Basketball theme, here's some info from USA Today on some high school standouts in the area. Now, stop reading and start watching...

Inconsistency rules the day...

2009-11-16T16:47:00.001-05:00

     Imagine you’re on an NCAA committee designated to dole out punishments for infractions committed by incoming college basketball players. You’re presented with three files, each containing a case involving a different player from a different program in a different part of the country. Each player (for the purposes of this blog: Player A, Player B, Player C) commits a separate offence as follows:

     Player A is an incoming college freshman who has signed to play at a program that is on the upswing and predicted to do very big things this year. He is from a European country and the high school that he went to did not have a sports program, so he could not play competitively at that level. As a result, he started playing with a club team in his native country. The roster of his club team included a player that had once played professionally and who was still considered a professional athlete, and therefore, Player A was in violation of the Amateurism Rule put forth by the NCAA.

    Player B is a transfer who has decided to continue his career at a smaller mid-major school. He is from South America and spent last season playing for a community college in the Midwest. Prior to coming to the United States, Player B played three games as an actual professional basketball player in his native country. Playing professional basketball clearly is in violation of the Amateurism Rule put forth by the NCAA.

     Player C is an incoming college freshman who last year was considered to be the best high school basketball player in the country. He is now playing for one of college basketball’s all-time winningest programs and a team favored to finish near the top this season. Prior to enrolling at this school, Player C played on a basketball team coached by an agent with the ability to see money change hands in order to benefit said player. On top of that, said agent provided Player C with cash to visit schools prior to signing with his current one. In playing for and accepting money from an agent, Player C violated (you guessed it) college basketball’s Amateurism Rule.

    All three of the above cases are real and all three players have been handed down punishments by the NCAA. Although the players each broke the same rule by varying degrees, it remains that they all broke the same rule. As such, each player should be given the same treatment and punished the same way, or at least you would think…

     Last week, the NCAA suspended Douglas Kurtz for six games because he played in a professional league as a professional basketball player (therefore stripping him of his amateur status) in his native Brazil prior to coming to the states. Kurtz, the 7’0” center who is playing for the University of Hawaii this season, played three games professionally in 2007 before finding himself in Iowa where he played at Marshalltown Community College last year. He will be eligible to play for the Rainbow Warriors at the beginning of December.

    The Kurtz ruling that was handed down was just one of three that have recently taken place that are all over the map. The most severe punishment handed down was seemingly for the least offensive crime. In October, West Virginia freshman Deniz Kilicli, a 6’9” forward from Istanbul was suspended for twenty games by the NCAA because of his affiliation with a club team in his native country. Kilicli, who didn’t have the opportunity to play high school basketball because his high school didn’t have a team, played (with amateur status in tact) on a team with a player who had a professional status.

     While Kurtz’s offence seems a little more serious than Kilicli’s, both pale in comparison to infractions commited by Kentucky superstar freshman John Wall. Wall, who was considered by many to be the best high school player in the country last year, played for AAU coach Brian Clifton. Clifton was a registered agent between 2007 and 2008 and accompanied Wall on several recruiting trips, including two to Kentucky. It has since come out that Clifton helped pay for Wall’s trips to various schools, which is also considered a no-no by the NCAA. Wall was provided over $800.00 by Clifton. The NCAA rules state that if a player receives more than $101.00, he must repay the money and is subject to at least a ten percent suspension of his respective team’s regular season games. While the NCAA remained true to the monetary punishment (Wall has been ordered to pay back the $800.00) he was suspended for only one regular season game for the Wildcats this season.

     Needless to say, inconsistency seems to be running rampant in the NCAA. If all three players broke the same rule, each player should be subjected to the same punishment. Either one game, six games or 20 games, and not punishments that seem like they've been pulled out of a hat. If one is to compare all three cases, Kurtz’s might be the most malicious. As a professional player, he was probably aware of his professional status. In the other two cases, neither Wall or Kilicli gained any kind of advantage in their situation and probably were not honestly aware of their crimes.

     On paper, Wall looks like he could have benefitted the most. After all, agents have access to professional teams, lucrative contracts and act as a gateway between the player and the money. He had much more of a chance to gain monetarily than did Kilicli, who simply associated with a guy who was a professional ball player. Had he even know, the most Kilicli could have gained was more ability and experience with the opportunity to play against a professional athlete.

    The rule that affects Kilicli is a controversial one. The NCAA last year penalized 490 athletes (in all sports) for amateurism violations and 434 of those were foreign students. In many instances, amateurs can be playing on a foreign team that includes professionals and not know it at all, simply because what constitutes professional in Europe and the United States are often far different things. Since that's the case, it's hard to determine whether he deserves the most harsh punishment of the three recently handed down by the NCAA.

    Clearly John Wall will play in the NBA and will more than likely be a superstar while Kilicli and Kurtz will play out their careers as role players before slipping into obscurity. From a business aspect, one can certainly understand that college basketball will benefit much more from having Wall on the floor than on the sidelines, but it's creating a slippery slope that may not be able to be reversed without some major reform. For a governing body that preaches fairness and sportsmanship, the NCAA has dropped the ball on this one.

Finally...

2009-11-10T15:43:00.002-05:00

Unless you’ve got a big time Basketball Jones, you may not have even realized that college basketball season officially kicked off last night. Seth Davis has a great article on why the start of college basketball season tends to fly under the radar here. My own take is much less complex. Basically, as long as top 25 programs play “gimme” games at the beginning of the season against inferior opponents, nobody’s going to pay attention. Until teams get into the meat and potatoes of their schedules, early season basketball can be tedious for fans who are watching only for entertainment value.

That being said, a few things were established last night that will set the tone for certain teams early this season:

1. North Carolina is not good enough to repeat… this year. Last night, they played NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas’ Florida International University team and mopped the floor with them 88-72. Senior forward Deon Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels to lead all scorers. UNC placed three others in double figures including Player of the Year candidate Ed Davis, who had 13 and 11. Obviously, it’s very early, but North Carolina is not a National Championship team this year. Although the Heels are a strong defensive team, they don’t have an offensive weapon like they have in the past. They have no three point threats which will allow teams to play zone defense and pack the lane, making it tough for their big men to score. Also, a mediocre-at-best FIU forced them to turn the ball over 25 times. They’re long and athletic, but in the ACC they’ll need to bring more to the table.

2. Evan Turner is one of the most underrated players in the country. His Ohio State team blasted a not-so-good Alcorn State 100-60 last night behind Turner’s triple-double. Turner had 14 points, 10 assists, and most impressively 17 rebounds. A rebounding point guard gives the Buckeyes a gigantic advantage when it comes to scoring on the break. Normally a team utilizes their big men to rebound and throw an outlet pass to their guard who will then start the break. A guard who can rebound eliminates the middleman and allows for quicker breaks and easier transition scoring. The technical stuff aside, Turner is really good. At halftime, he was two assists away from the triple-double he finished with and provided some excitement to what would otherwise have been a snooze-fest. To put his feat in perspective, in the over 100 years Ohio State has been playing basketball, there’s only been one other player in the program’s history to record a triple double.

3. Ohio State will beat North Carolina next Thursday. The Tar Heels face the Buckeyes in the Syracuse region of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. With Turner running the show and his teammate David Lighty back in the lineup after an injury that kept him sidelined most of last season, Ohio State will be a team to be reckoned with in the Big 10. At 6’5, Lighty is a guard/forward combo who will likely play power forward this season. At the forward position, he’ll be two inches shorter than the team’s point guard, which will create major mismatches on defense for OSU’s opponents all season. Although he missed most of his junior season with a broken foot, he had a promising sophomore campaign. North Carolina has bigger bodies, but Ohio State has more speed. North Carolina is favored, but an Ohio State victory would hardly be an upset.

4. California is overrated. They enter this season ranked #13 after an outing last year that ended with a trip to the NCAA tournament. They have a great coach in second year man Mike Montgomery, and some pretty good players in Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle, but their depth ends there. Last year, those guys were able to produce because they were under the radar, but this year, with a top 15 ranking, opposing teams know who they are and will work on containing them. Last night, they barely pulled off a victory against Murray State in a contest that saw both guys struggle. Christopher showed some promise, scoring six points during a vital stretch which helped the Bears hold on to the lead, but neither player stood out. More telling is that as a team, California was outrebounded by the smaller Murray State squad – a troubling sign for a team looking to make an impact on the national scene this season.

5. Jim Boeheim is a pretty good coach with a pretty good team. Unless you live under a rock, you know by now that Coach Boeheim and his Syracuse Orange beat Albany handily last night. In most cases, this wouldn’t be big news, but it is for two reasons. First, last week at this time, the #25 ranked Orange had just given up 50 points in the second half in a losing effort to Division II Le Moyne, causing people to question their high ranking before the season even started. Secondly and more importantly, Coach Boeheim joined an impressive list and became a member of the 800 win club. If that sounds impressive, there’s a good reason. The only other members on the Division 1 level are Bobby Knight, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Phelan (right down the road at Mount St. Mary’s), Jim Calhoun and Eddie Sutton. Legendary coach aside, the Orange are just plain good this year. Their best shooter, Andy Rautins, didn’t even score and Syracuse still won by 30. With the help of Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson and local product Arinze Onuaku, Syracuse will make some noise in the Big East.

College Basketball Preview - University of The District of Columbia

2009-11-09T12:50:00.004-05:00

University of the District of Columbia - Independent
                         (11-16 Overall)

     The most impressive thing written about the University of the District of Columbia's basketball program in recent years has nothing to do with the team's performance on the floor. Last year, an official NCAA committee report following an investigation into the program’s disbursal of financial aid and into academic eligibility irregularities stated that UDC exhibited “the single most egregious lack of institutional control ever seen by the committee."  UDC is no stranger to this type of negative attention. They received similar reviews in the early 1990s, and in 2004, the NCAA cancelled UDC's men's and women's seasons altogether. In the NCAA's history, no other athletic season has been cancelled due to rule infractions. Currently, the program remains on probation and is banned from all post-season play until October 2013. Sounds hopeless, right?

    Not to new head coach Jeff Ruland. (Yes, that Jeff Ruland.) Coach Ruland, who played for legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano at Iona College, was on the 1981-82 NBA All-Rookie Team and was an NBA All-Star in 1984, took over the UDC Program in August, signing a five year $190,000.00 contract. If only the 6’11” former superstar known as “McNasty” could suit up, UDC wouldn't have to worry about using questionable recruiting practices to attract players.

Frontcourt:

     Ruland inherits only four returning players on a team that had a less-than-stellar outing last season. Sophomore forward Chris Leach (6’6”) averaged only 3.3 points per game while junior Gani Cole (6’6”) added 2.7 per contest. Some new additions who remain unproven this season are sophomore forward Purvis Rollins (6’4”) who played locally at Albert Einstein High School, junior Omar Blair (6’7”), and freshman Dyrek Jones (6’7”). While not impressive, rest assured that Ruland will work hard this season instilling his style of aggressive, hard-nosed play into his group of unseasoned big men.

Backcourt:

      Coach Ruland hired former University of Maryland standout Terrell Stokes as his assistant soon after his arrival on campus. Ruland and Stokes, who has done a majority of the recruiting, were able to land former DeMatha High School star Nigel Munson (6’0”) who averaged 17 points and 8 assists per contest his senior year. Munson played at Virginia Tech for a season before he left for personal reasons and many thought that he would resurface at George Washington University. He brings some big time college basketball experience to a team that needs it and has already been named team captain.  He will join UDC’s top returning scorer from last season, 6’5” Junior guard Tim Ellison. Ellison averaged 15.5 points per game. Sophomore Justin Smith (5’7”), who will probably play backup this season to Munson, also saw some action a season ago, averaging 3.4 points and 3.5 assists.

Who To Watch:

     It will be interesting to watch Coach Ruland in action. He is not shy about letting people know that he wants to bring UDC back to national prominence. In 1982, when Ruland was starring for the Washington Bullets, the team he's now coaching won the Division II National Championship. With the University’s support and a President who wants to move the school’s athletic programs up a division to compete on the Division I level, the sky is the limit for the Firebirds. Coach Ruland is said to be the coaching incarnate of Jim Valvano and there’s no question that his personality will bring some excitement that has long been missing from the campus of UDC. Hopefully, Nigel Munson will be as exciting to watch as he was in high school. As a senior at DeMatha, he broke the career assist record and led his team to a 34-1 record and a #4 ranking nationally.

Final Projections:

      Since UDC doesn’t belong to a conference, they are able to play competitive teams throughout the east coast. This year’s schedule is as tough as their probationary status will allow. They play teams throught Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York. With a new coach, a superstar point guard and an administration that’s fully supportive, this team could end up winning some games and garnering some much needed positive attention from the media. Coach Ruland knows how to win on the college level. Following his professional playing career, he returned to Iona where he successfully lead his team to three conference championships and three NCAA tournaments. Just last season, he was an assistant with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, before getting fired after Eddie Jordan took up head coaching responsibilities. UDC can't compete in the post-season, but that won't stop them from competing during the regular season. The Firebirds will likely experience some growing pains this season, but that won't stop Coach Ruland from putting a strong foundation in place for what proves to be a refreshing few years.

High School Top 5

2009-11-06T13:58:00.003-05:00

     High school basketball practice “officially” kicks off in mid-November, but that hasn’t stopped the area’s top prospects from working hard on their game in the offseason. The metro area has some big time talent and some guys that you’ll want to check out this winter. Here are my top 5 players to watch this season.

Josh Hairston - Montrose Christian
                        6'9" Power Forward - Duke University

     Remember the name Josh Hairston. Hairston, who transferred to perennial powerhouse Montrose Christian Academy in Rockville, Maryland for his senior year led his Courtland High School (Virginia) squad to a 28-2 record and a Virginia AA Divison 4 State Championship a season ago. In the process he averaged up 23 points and 10 rebounds a game, earning Virginia State Player of the Year Honors.

     Ranked #27 on ESPNU’s Top 100 list, Hairston will be one of the most dominant players in the country this season. He’s a high post forward who has range and won’t hesitate to take mid-range jumpers and even an occasional three pointer. He’ll also create problems for opposing coaches who try to match up because of his quickness and ball-handling ability. He’s long and can lock it up on defense, making it difficult for teams score inside. Hairston isn’t perfect, but with a little work his future will be a bright one. He’s young and is easily frustrated when he makes mistakes. He’ll also have to bulk up if he plans on making an immediate impact with the Blue Devils next season.

     His motivation to leave Courtland wasn’t anything personal. He simply ran out of competition and knew that he had to challenge himself in order to be successful at the next level. Montrose Christian enters the 2009-2010 season ranked #5 nationally in ESPN’s Rise Top 50 poll and will play the top teams in the country. With exposure like that, nobody can blame him for making the switch.

Terrence Ross - Montrose Christian
                         6'5" Small Forward - University of Maryland

     With a front court like Hairston and Terrence Ross, it’s no wonder that people have high expectations of Montrose Christian. If scouts aren’t regarding Ross as highly as some of the other players around, it’s because while they were playing in AAU tournaments and showcasing their skills at camps, he opted to focus on academics and individual instruction. Don’t let that fool you though; Ross is a prolific scorer who will surprise a lot of people this season.

     Purple prose aside, Ross can flat out shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor. He’s been called the “perfect wing player” and his arsenal is full when it comes to finding ways to create shots for himself. He effectively drives the lane because his ability to shoot keeps defenders hanging close, allowing him to fake and go around. Fundamentally, he utilizes a variety of fakes that look like they’ve been pulled straight form the pages of a how-to manual. He has the potential to be the best player in the area, and maybe one of the best scorers in the country. Although Ross is rail thin, he can finish strong in the lane and get to the line. Coach Gary Williams will make sure he packs on some weight so he can compete in the ACC next season.

    If Ross can adapt to new teammate Hairston and Montrose Christian can cohesively mesh they may very well end up being the best high school team in the country at the end of the season.

Josh Selby - Lake Clifton High School (Baltimore)
                    6'3" Point Guard - Undecided

   College coaches are scrambling for Josh Selby’s attention after the star guard rescinded his verbal commitment to play basketball at the University of Tennessee next year. Although, he’s still undecided and has visited several schools since early summer, most analysts think he’ll head to Lawrence next season to play for Kansas Coach Bill Self. There are some lingering concerns though, as the point guard left DeMatha Catholic before the end of last season amid questions about his conduct.

     Personal issues aside, his stock rose big time in the off-season on the independent circuit. This season, he will lead a Lake Clifton High School team that went undefeated last year and won the Maryland 3-A State Championship. Selby is a tenacious defender who can easily score in transition because of his outstanding speed. He displays explosive athleticism and quickness and he’s the kind of player other point guards dread going up against. He can also shoot the ball, but he is known more for penetrating and creating opportunities for himself in the lane.

     There’s no question about his talent. ESPNU ranks him number 8 nationally. If Selby can get his act together off the court, he will do big things this year. While Kansas is at the top of his list, Syracuse, Kentucky and Indiana are also gunning for his attention. It will be interesting to see if his ability will outshine his flaky reputation.

Markel Starks - Georgetown Prep
                         6'2" Point Guard - Georgetown University

    Chances are you haven’t heard a lot about Markel Starks. Although he’s been a local star, he’s just now starting to grab some national attention. As a junior last year, he averaged 22 points and 8 assists and was named second team All-Met. He’s the consummate team player who is more concerned with team success than individual accolades. He’ll have no problem fitting into Coach John Thompson’s program next year just down the road at Georgetown University. He’ll have to get in the weight room if he plans on competing in the Big East which is known for it’s physical play and big bodies, but skill wise his potential is infinite.

    With a serious demeanor, Starks is capable of wowing fans with his ball handling ability and his court vision. His handle is ridiculous and it sometimes appears that the ball is just an extension of his hand. He’s a scoring point guard with three point range and the ability to get inside and score easy baskets as well. He has an excellent basketball IQ but sometimes tries to do too much, which is a common mistake for good players. If he can learn to let the game come to him and play within the framework of the offense, he’ll continue to garner national attention.

     Starks is a true leader on the floor and will be Georgetown Prep’s floor general this season as he leads a group of young but much improved players.

Tyler Thornton - Gonzaga Prep
                          6'2" Point Guard - Duke University

     Like Josh Hairston, Tyler Thornton will be heading south to Tobacco Road next year to play for Coach K’s Blue Devils. That’s where the similarities end. While Hairston is dominant and eager to exert his scoring presence, Thornton is happy just being a playmaker and running the show at point. He’s a creative passer and can score when he needs to, although he is more comfortable getting the ball to his open teammates. Scouts have mentioned is passivity in during off-season camps and leagues, but when running the show at Gonzaga, he’s much more assertive.

     Thornton, who will likely run the show at Duke once Nolan Smith is gone, is an aggressive dribble-drive type player who is capable of penetrating the lane and dishing to the open man with a variety of crowd-pleasing passes. Thornton is one of the best guards in the area and will undoubtedly find himself in an immediate helping role at Duke University. First though, he’ll focus on leading his high school team without the pressure of picking where he’s taking his show next.

American University vs. Randolph-Macon College

2009-11-04T10:23:00.001-05:00

     American University Coach Jeff Jones maintained his poise following the loss of his squad's first exhibition contest of the season last night at home against the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets.

     “It’s early in the season and we know we have a lot of work to do,” Jones said of the young Eagle team who lost despite a thirteen and a half minute scoreless stretch by their opponents in the first half. At the break, American went into the locker room with an 18-12 advantage.

     The second half saw more offensive production, but proved just as sloppy as the first. Both teams traded baskets before American took a six point lead early on. Macon would respond pulling ahead by one halfway through the second. Afterwards, neither team trailed by more than two points. In the final ten minutes of the contest, there were nine lead changes. With a minute remaining, American Sophomore Stephen Lumpkins scored and was fouled, converting on the free throw attempt and putting the Eagles up by two. On the next possession, Randolph-Macon's Danny Jones was fouled and sank both shots to tie the game. American once again answered with a Nick Hendra layup that was countered by a short jumper by Macon's David Carlson to knot the game at 47.

     With 33 seconds left, Coach Jones called a timeout to set up a final play for last year's leading scorer Nick Hendra. The play, designed to get Hendra open for a jumper in the corner was contested by a Macon defender and fell well short of the basket. Randolph-Macon's Eric Pugh grabbed Hendra's miss and raced coast-to-coast making a layup as time expired, putting the Yellow Jackets up 49-47.

       Although it was an ugly contest on both sides, there were some bright spots for AU.  Sophomore Stephen Lumpkins stepped up and showed Coach Jones who his go-to guy would be this season. Lumpkins led all scorers with 18 points and converted seven of 11 field goals. Although he was unable to convert the game winning field goal, Junior Nick Hendra also contributed, scoring 12 and pulling down seven rebounds.   Big man Riley Grafft pulled down seven boards as well, but he looked weak against Macon's post players.

      It is evident that American will experience some major growing pains as they face much tougher opponents than their Division III foes last night. If Coach Jones can get the rest of his squad to mesh with Lumpkins and Hendra and cut down on their youthful mistakes, there might be hope yet for the Eagles.

     "Hopefully we can build on the good stuff, recognize it, and learn from the mistakes we made to become a better basketball team," Jones said.

College Basketball's best...

2009-11-03T09:25:00.003-05:00

Last week, the Atlanta Tipoff Club revealed its annual watch list of the top college basketball players in the country. The players, who are voted on by a panel of college basketball coaches, administrators and journalists across the country, are on the list because they are finalists for the James Naismith Award. The Naismith Award is basketball’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy and is presented at the end of each season to the player on this list who excels as college basketball’s best. Although fifty names appear on the pre-season list, I’ve picked the five players and two honorable mention players who will deserve the award the most at season’s end.

Patrick Patterson – 6’9” Junior Forward
                              Kentucky Wildcats

      Big expectations were placed on Patrick Patterson’s shoulders when he arrived on campus at Kentucky. Patterson and teammate OJ Mayo led Huntington High School (Huntington, West Virginia) to one of the best high school basketball seasons in West Virginia history during Patterson’s senior season. He became one of college basketball’s hottest prospects and was recruited by former Wildcat head man Tubby Smith to be the program’s savior. Kentucky could never quite get the momentum going, and while he has had two successful seasons, Kentucky has gone a mediocre 40-27. A season ago, under ex-Kentucky Coach Billy Gillespie, Patterson averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest.
       This year, Patterson returns with National Championship Coach John Calipari and his famed dribble-drive offense. More importantly, he returns with a group of extremely talented freshman to help his cause. With the pressure off to produce all the offense, and a big man to help him in the post, look for Patterson to have a giant year.

Cole Aldrich - 6’11” Junior Center
                      Kansas Jayhawks

      Coach Bill Self may have the best college basketball team in the land this season. Three of his starters made this year’s watch list, but Aldrich might end up being the standout. With a wing span of 88 inches, Coach Self recently called Aldrich “the best true big man Kansas has had since Wilt [Chamberlain]”. If a statement like that doesn’t stir excitement, not much will. (Wilt scored 52 points and had 31 rebounds in his Varsity debut at KU.) Last year, Aldrich averaged 15.1 and 10.6 and relished in his role behind the leadership of teammate Sherron Collins, a fellow candidate for player of the year. This year, Coach Self looks for both players to take on a co-leadership role and lead a talented team overwhelmingly voted number 1 in the polls.

      In a game filled with power forwards, small forwards and everything in between, Aldrich is a true center. While other guys focus on becoming hybrids, often neglecting the best parts of their game, Aldrich is fully focused on riding the horse that got him here.

Luke Harangody – 6’8” Senior Forward
                             Notre Dame Fighting Irish

      Last year, Luke Harangody had a bittersweet season. Individually, Harangody put up big time numbers, but his team continually proved disappointing. Harangody, the quintessential college basketball player, averaged 23.2 points and 11.8 rebounds on a team that was picked early on to do big things. Unfortunately, despite his individual accolades, Coach Mike Brey couldn’t figure out a way to get his team to win. It was no fault of Luke Harangody’s, who consistently put up huge performances despite being less athletic than most of his Big East opponents.

     This year, if Harangody continues to be persistent, he has opportunities to set both Big East scoring and rebounding records. It might be hard for him to win top honors on a team that doesn’t find itself in the pre-season top 25, but he is the first player since Patrick Ewing in 1984 and 1985 to be named the pre-season All-Big East Player of The Year. Even if he doesn’t win a Naismith Award, he won’t be in bad company.

Ed Davis – 6’10” Sophomore Forward
                           North Carolina Tar Heels

      There might not be a more exciting prospect in college basketball this year than UNC’s Ed Davis. As a freshman, he averaged just 6.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, but don’t let those stats fool you; he was one of the best sixth men in college basketball. This year Davis will establish himself as a dominant force on a team fresh off a National Championship season. If guard Larry Drew and Davis click, North Carolina may very well end up putting on an encore performance.

    Davis, who had just two career starts last year, is destined for big things if he lives up to all his hype. At times last year, he looked explosive and with Coach Roy Williams allowing him a more primary role this season, his only competition will be himself. If he can play with poise and confidence, he will be a lottery pick after this season and may very well walk away with the title of top basketball player in the land.

Kyle Singer - 6'8" Junior Small Forward
                             Duke Blue Devils

      Kyle Singler may be the most versatile player on my list and the most fun to watch for the amateur basketball fan. At 6’8” he plays a similar game to Dirk Nowitzki of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. He can dribble, dish and shoot and has a natural IQ for the game. This year, he’s surrounded by a Duke team loaded with talent that is a true national contender for the first time in several seasons. He scored 21 to lead all scorers in Duke’s first scrimmage a couple of weeks ago against Pfeiffer College in a 58 point rout.

     Coach K’s squad starts the season with an 8th ranking, but will likely end up being a top three team early on. Singler (16.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg) has gotten stronger and will lead a balanced attack that looks to wreak havoc on the ACC. If Duke makes a run deep into March, rest assured Kyle Singler will be taking home individual honors as well.

Honorable Mention

DeSean Butler – 6’7” Senior Forward
                          West Virginia Mountaineers

      DeSean Butler may be the best college basketball player you’ve never heard of. Coach Bobby Huggins has this year’s Mountaineer squad back in the national spotlight and has brought a swagger to Morgantown that previous Coach John Beilein wasn’t able to find. For fans that haven’t gotten to see the Mountaineers play, this season will be a treat as their schedule is filled with big time contests. Last year, Butler scored 17 points a contest and pulled down six boards in the Big East, a league full of great players. This year, he’s a pre-season All-American and a candidate for the Big East Player of the Year Award.

      At times last year, Butler looked like he was putting on a clinic. Coach Huggins who stresses physique over finesse and defense over offense, has caused the Mountaineers to adopt a new look that will surely help their cause in March. With the team’s success, DeSean Butler will become a familiar name in the lexicon of basketball fans everywhere.

Sherron Collins - 5'11" Point Guard
                           Kansas Jayhawks

     Although Sherron Collins will adapt quickly to his role of co-leader with teammate Cole Aldrich, don’t look for him to roll over completely. Last year, as Bill Self’s coach on the floor, Collins averaged 19 points and 5 assists a contest. This year, he is a main reason the Jayhawks are so highly regarded in the polls. With another year of experience and expectations far outshining those of the 2008 National Championship team, a Naismith Award isn’t out of reach for the swingman

Under the Radar Watch: Kyle Kuric

2009-10-29T13:10:00.003-04:00

For every college athlete that garners mainstream media coverage, there are several who go about their daily routine without ever seeing their name in a feature story. There are many players who stand out and make big impacts without ever being recognized. Throughout this season, I will be picking out and profiling several of these underrated players for the benefit of basketball lovers everywhere.

Kyle Kuric - University of Lousville
6'4" Sophomore Guard #14

    Chances are, outside of Indiana, very few people have even heard of Kyle Kuric. As an Indiana high school star, he averaged 20.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game two seasons ago. He led his high school team, the Memorial High School Tigers, to a number one ranking in their division and to their first sectional championship in twelve campaigns. Although his team lost to eventual state champions Washington High School in the Regional championship game, Kuric's performance earned him Evansville Courier & Press All Metro Player of the Year and Second Team AP All-State honors.

    Kuric came to Louisville, choosing the Cardinals over Southern Illinois, Saint Louis and Michigan. As a freshman last year, he saw limited action under legendary coach Rick Pitino. His top performance as a rookie coming off the bench was a nine-point outing against Indiana State University. For Cardinals fans, he was just another face on the Louisville bench who saw 93 total minutes of action when games were out of reach for opposing teams. Last night that all changed...

    U of L faced Georgetown College (Not to be confused with Louisville's Big East rival, Georgetown University) last night in what should have been a pre-season exhibition shellacking for the Cardinals. After all, Coach Pitino’s squad is projected to finish 4th in the top college basketball conference in the country. Pitino, however, had his doubts and going into the contest he knew that his team was not prepared. They would have to depend upon “muscle and hustle” to compete with the NAIA Division 1 school. He even feared that they may lose the game. As basketball goes, it was an ugly contest. Georgetown led most of the way in a game that saw sixty fouls called. It was sloppy, the shooting was terrible and Louisville appeared to be asleep. Midway through the second half, Pitino appeared prophetic as Georgetown held the lead, causing the 17,000 plus fans to grow uneasy.

    Basketball is a beautiful game, though, even when it appears ugly to the amateur voyeur. The observant and keen basketball fan knows that there are moments, even in the most mundane contests, that allow for individual players to undergo a metamorphosis. Sometimes it happens over the course of a season or even an entire career, but at certain special moments, it can happen in an instant. For Kyle Kuric it happened in the last eleven minutes of a game that didn’t officially count, but may have been the biggest in his young career.

    Midway through the second half with his team trailing by two points, Kyle Kuric jumped out of the gym to grab the rebound off of a missed shot from teammate Terrence Jennings. Rather than bringing the ball down, he emphatically crammed the ball through the basket; bring the Cards’ faithful to their feet. Over the next six minutes, Louisville went on a 15-5 run that included eight points from Kuric. By the end of the night, Louisville pulled ahead and cruised to an 80-68 victory. Kyle Kuric finished with a college-career high 15 points and seven rebounds. More importantly, he gave himself a good chance to become Louisville’s small forward this season.

Coach Pitino commented that Kuric’s play was making him "really happy". Pitino is used to coaching lottery picks, so it’s refreshing to see a player like Kuric who will have the next three seasons to grow and develop as a player. He is the epitome of what a college basketball player should be. He came to Louisville, and like so many outstanding high school athletes accepted being a role player on a team of stars. Rather than accepting his role this season, he worked hard over the summer. It showed.

    “It’s fun for the fans to watch,” Pitino said after the game. “Of the fans here, I bet 15,000 of them didn’t think Kyle could play. But they’re leaving here saying, ‘Boy, he’s pretty good.’”

College Basketball Preview George Mason University

2009-10-28T16:22:00.001-04:00

George Mason University: Colonial Athletic Association
                                         (23-11 Overall, 13-5 Conference)

      Even after losing four seniors last year, Coach Jim Larranaga has several reasons to be optimistic this season as the head man at George Mason University. Larranaga arrived on the scene at Mason in 1997 and his Patriots have remained near the top of the Colonial Athletic Association ever since. Last year’s Patriots brought home a CAA championship and advanced to the National Invitational Tournament before losing to Penn State in the opening round. For the twelfth year straight, Coach Larranaga's guys are predicted to finish in the top five in their conference. Potential can be a dangerous word in college athletics, but the Patriots have a ton of it with seven first year players and four second year players.

Frontcourt:

     Mason’s lone returning senior this season is 6’6” Louis Birdsong. Birdsong, who played power forward last season, will be asked to move to a perimeter forward position. Birdsong is amongst Mason’s all-time leaders in blocked shots, but moving him to the perimeter will make room inside for a bigger lineup. Mike Morrison, a 6’9 sophomore, will step into a post position that has been occupied by several outstanding big men over the last five seasons. Ryan Pearson is another sophomore forward who will be looked to for his versatility. At, 6’6” he’s a player with an inside presence who can also step out and knock down the three-pointer, making him hard to guard. His explosiveness as a scorer makes him a scary opponent. Last year, he showed his dangerousness, racking up 14 points in 15 minutes against Mount St. Mary’s and 18 points in 21 minutes against Old Dominion University. Another big man likely to see playing time is red-shirt freshman Kevin Foster, 6’7” forward who was a McDonald’s High School Honorable Mention All-American.

Backcourt:

     Joining Louis Birdsong in the starting lineup, junior guard Cam Long will provide a bulk of the offensive production for the Patriots. Coming off an excellent sophomore season, Long has garnered pre-season All-CAA honors and will be counted on by Coach Larranaga to be the leader on the floor both offensively and defensively. Junior guard Isaiah Tate can shoot the lights out and has consistently improved over the last two seasons. Jimmy Nolan is a sophomore who played in only six games last season, but he is the team’s spark plug and a crowd favorite (he even has his own Facebook fan club.) He will be depended on to make clutch shots in close games. Andre Cornelius will round out the backcourt as the point man running the show.

Who to Watch:

     ESPN.com has ranked George Mason’s recruiting class number one in the country among non-BCS schools. Coach Larranaga knows that this is good not only for the program this season, but over the next four years as well. Depth will be provided at every position as seven new comers from across the country make their college debuts. Among the top freshmen on the squad is big man Johnny Williams, who Mason wrangled away from both Alabama and Oklahoma State. Rivals.com has named him the top power forward recruit in the CAA and the second highest ranked recruit overall. Two other freshmen on the roster were also rated top CAA recruits in their respective positions by Rivals.com. Freshman Rashad Whack, from Hyattsville, Maryland is one of the Patriots best three point shooters and is one of Bishop McNamara High School's all-time leading scorers. The third top-rated recruit is small forward Paris Bennett. Bennett is a vocal leader already who is capable of making other players around him better. He is a proficient passer and will likely step into an immediate contributing role. Cam Long and Louis Birdsong, however, are the players to keep an eye on this season, as a talented young supporting cast could make them household names come March.

Final Projections:

     Other teams in the CAA bring more experience to the table, but few have the pure talent of the George Mason Patriots. If this team can ignore the hype if they start winning games, they have the potential to reach the postseason for a third straight year, something the Patriots have never accomplished.  The Patriots may win games simply because they're too young to realize they aren't supposed to be winning yet. If everything clicks, GMU has the opportunity to win another conference championship and reach the big dance at the end of the season. If not, they will probably finish in the middle of the pack, setting themselves up for a stellar year next season. Either way, George Mason’s basketball future looks bright.

College Basketball Preview - American University

2009-10-27T00:00:00.003-04:00

     Typically, college basketball play begins during the second week of November. Months before, interested fans are bombarded with stories about top-25 teams and superstar players certain to earn the next million dollar contract. Sports web sites and television networks provide hours of endless coverage about the big-name schools likely to have successful seasons. Often times, smaller programs with just as much to offer are swept to the side to make room for the next big name to grace the cover of our favorite sports magazine. These small programs deserve as much respect and often provide just as exciting a brand of basketball. Washington DC is a hotbed of talent for youngsters who excel at the game while hardly ever seeing their name in the headlines.

Over the next couple of weeks, look for previews of these more obscure programs.

American University: Patriot League
                                    (24-8 Overall, 13-1 Conference)

     With the exception of Georgetown University, one does not often equate the Northwest quadrant of Washington, DC with college basketball success. For the past few seasons, on cold winter nights, however, it would be hard to convince the American University faithful who fill the Bender Sports Center to cheer on their Eagles otherwise. Coming off two straight NCAA tournament appearances, AU fans have nothing but high expectations heading into the 2009 season.

     Jeff Jones will be entering his tenth season as head coach of the American University Eagles. A year ago, Jones enjoyed his best season at the helm with a 24-win season. Seven seniors led American to their best record of the Jones era and to the NCAA tournament where they faced eventual Final Four participant Villanova in a heated contest. Leading by 10 at halftime and by as much as 14 in the second half, American was unable to hold on to the lead, eventually losing to the Wildcats. Coach Jones’ success was recognized as he was named Patriot League Coach of the Year as well as the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 13 Coach of the Year.

    Unfortunately for mid-major collegiate programs incapable of landing big time recruits, an experienced team with several poised seniors means one thing. Graduation. The seven seniors graduating after the 2008 campaign led the team in every statistical category. In stark contrast this season, American features one senior transfer from New York University, four juniors and several underclassmen. American also faces a grueling non-conference schedule which includes the back-to-back National Champion Florida Gators, Georgetown, DePaul and Penn State.

Backcourt:

      American University will struggle this year as it goes up against bigger, tougher bodies throughout the Patriot League Conference. With all of their top outside scorers gone from a year ago, opposing coaches will have no problem playing zone and packing it against this smaller team. Crowding the lane will make it more difficult for the guards to get the ball to their big men, and in turn will make it harder for American to score inside baskets. Sophomore forward Stephen Lumpkins (6’8”) averaged just 3.4 points a contest as a freshman and will be expected to find a way to score even more points. Although Coach Jones lost a bulk of his offensive production from a season ago, a bright spot may be sophomore Riley Grafft. Still unproven, he provides another big body at 6’11”. Grafft displays a superb shooting touch from the outside despite being a big man and may be used to unclog the lane.

Frontcourt:

    Coach Jones will look for his 6’3” junior guard Nick Hendra to pick up the scoring slack for the Eagles and provide some leadership. He averaged only 6.3 points per game last season, but returns as American’s top scorer. Transfer Matthew Wilson from NYU will also likely step into a leadership role although he averaged just over two points a game during his final season as a Bobcat.

Who to watch:

     With American’s top seven players gone, several players will be provided opportunities to step up and make a name for themselves. It is obvious that somebody will have to step into a scoring role to make up for the deficit left by the loss of Garrison Carr, Brian Gilmore and Derrick Mercer. Look for Riley Grafft, Stephen Lumpkins and Nick Hendra to take over these responsibilities and become Coach Jones' go-to guys.

Final Projection:

    American is an untested, inexperienced team. Depth will be a problem this season and Coach Jones will look to his seven freshmen to adapt quickly to his scheme. While the team will not finish near the top of the Patriot League, they could surprise some people by winning more games than expected. The returning players have had a taste of the NCAA tournament and with such low expectations have nothing to lose. Playing juggernauts like Georgetown and Florida will give the Eagles much needed experience going into conference play. Coach Jones is a proven teacher and with time, American University should be at the top of their conference again.

College Basketball Season is Upon Us...

2009-10-26T00:00:00.001-04:00

    As the weather cools down outside, the temperature begins to rise inside gymnasiums across the country. With November quickly approaching, die-hard basketball fans are gearing up for what is certain to prove to be another exciting season fraught with parity and unexpected surprises.

    Our region provides an opportunity to follow two of the perennial powerhouse conferences in college basketball, the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Soon after the start of this college basketball season, the BB&T Classic will showcase top teams in both of these conferences, as well as providing an opportunity for two lower-tier mainstays to share the spotlight. Originally known as the Franklin National Bank Classic, the BB&T Classic has been held annually since 1995 and occurs on or around the first weekend of December each year.

     This year is no exception, as the double-header tips off on December 6. The 2009 event will feature long-time host universities, the University of Maryland Terrapins from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the George Washington University Colonials of the Atlantic-10 Conference, as well as the 2009 Final Four participant Villanova University Wildcats (Big East) and the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen (Patriot League).

     The George Washington Colonials will look to improve on a 10-18 (4-12 Conf.) record last year under ninth year Head Coach Karl Hobbs. Although GW lost their leading scorer and rebounder, forward Rob Diggs (13.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG), Coach Hobbs hopes to capitalize on the experience of 6’8” veteran forward Damian Hollis (13.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG). Coach Hobbs will also look for some fresh leadership with a group of six incoming freshmen who will be donning the buff and blue this season.

    The Colonials will face the Naval Academy Midshipmen (19-11, 8-6 Conf.) who are coming off of a third place finish in the competitive Patriot League. The Midshipmen, coached by sixth year man Billy Lange, averaged a Patriot League best 71 points per contest last season. The Midshipmen expect big things from returning senior swingman, Chris Harris. Harris, who was recently named the 21st best shooter in the country by Foxsports.com, averaged a team-best 15.4 points per game last season and converted a solid 85 three point field goals, the second most in Naval Academy history. Even with a weapon like Harris, Coach Lange will rely heavily on several players to have productive offensive seasons. Junior center Mark Veazey (6’11”) will provide an effective inside presence and defensive specialist Romeo Garcia returns from a string of injuries that kept him sidelined most of last season.

     The first game and the marquee matchup of the day features Big East favorite Villanova (30-8, 13-5 Conf.), who will face the University of Maryland (21-14, 7-9 Conf.). Villanova looked impressive in the post season last year, making it to the Final Four before losing the eventual National Champion North Carolina Tar Heels. Maryland, on the other hand, limped into the NCAA tournament with a losing record in the ACC. Villanova star Scottie Reynolds and Maryland stand-out Grevis Vasquez will undoubtedly put on an electrifying show as the dynamic matchup in this contest. Both were expected to leave college early and enter their names in the NBA draft after last season, but opted to stay to improve their chances.

     Charismatic Coach Jay Wright and his Villanova squad lost several key players last season, including their leading scorer and rebounder Dante Cunningham (16.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG). Coach Wright will rely on returning stars Reynolds (15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG), Corey Fisher (10.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG) and Corey Stokes (9.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG), as well as a highly touted group of freshman. Forward Taylor King, a transfer from Duke is also expected to produce instant results as he will likely be placed in the starting lineup. Villanova begins the year with a pre-season top 5 ranking and with high expectations to go far into the post-season.

     Maryland, lead by future Hall of Fame Coach Gary Williams, returns four starters from last year’s squad and looks to capitalize on the momentum they picked up in the post season last year after a mediocre start. Although Maryland was less-than-stellar during their last campaign, they begin ranked 20th in most pre-season polls. Senior and pre-season All-ACC guard Greivis Vasquez (17.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG) is Coach Williams’ go-to guy and will be backed up by a veteran cast including junior guard Adrian Bowie (9.0 PPG, 2.5 APG) and senior forward Landon Milbourne (11.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG). Coach Williams, who began taking some heat last year, hopes that experience will provide confidence to a group of players who have the potential to win an ACC Championship.

     The BB&T Classic will be an outstanding preview of two premiere teams in their respective conferences, and will allow two more obscure teams the opportunity to garner national attention. The doubleheader benefits the Children's Charities Foundation, which has distributed over seven million dollars to various charities throughout the Washington metro area. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster and range from $20.00 to $150.00. The lineup of games begins at 5 p.m. when Maryland plays Villanova. That game will be directly followed by George Washington and Navy. The Maryland vs. Villanova game will be featured on Fox Sports Network and will air on most Fox-owned and affiliated networks as well as locally on the Mid Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).