Blogs

Return to Glory?

CHN — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:54:24 -0400

by Stephen Litel
The Phoenix Mercury were WNBA Champions in 2007. In 2008, they finished with a 16-18 record, tied with Minnesota for last place in the Western Conference and two games out of the Playoffs. How does that occur on a team that features Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter and the WNBA’s seventh all-time leading scorer, Tangela Smith?
“We didn’t start the season off on a great note,” says veteran center Smith. “We dug ourselves in a hole from the start and we just couldn’t get on a good enough run to make it into the Playoffs, which was very unfortunate. We can’t make any excuses. We just didn’t get the job done. Yes, we lost Penny Taylor. Yes, we lost Coach Westhead and yes, I had surgery. All those things were bad, but we can’t use them as excuses. We still could have put ourselves in a position to fight to keep the title, but we didn’t and that’s that.”
Whether the team became complacent or learned firsthand how other teams play their best against the reigning champions, Smith is doing everything in her power to lead her team back into the championship hunt. With a now healthy knee, Smith headed to China during the off-season to work her way back into basketball shape.
“China was very interesting,” said Smith. “The season was only four months, but very intense. We practiced a lot and played twice a week, so I barely had time for any sightseeing. My team was number one throughout the entire season and we ended up winning the championship. I won one in Turkey, Korea, Phoenix—that was the best one—and China.”
Playing her college ball in Iowa, as well as WNBA stops in Sacramento, Charlotte and Phoenix over the past decade, Smith is used to certain similarities during all her stops. Although the game of basketball allows Smith to play in a wide range of cities and countries, adjusting to life in China was different.
“I really had to get used to the culture and the way the Chinese did things because it is very different from playing here in the States,” says Smith. “It was a very difficult adjustment for me. For example, we had curfews, we lived in hotels the entire season like dorms and we ate three meals together as a team. Basically, it was more structured and so many more rules. Anything we wanted to do outside of basketball we had to get permission to do, which was sort of useless because the answer was always going to be ‘no.’ I felt like I had joined the army or something similar. It was crazy, but my teammates made it a lot of fun for me because they were the coolest, nicest and funniest teammates ever. I also had a translator that was by my side every step of the way and she was great. The organization really did make my stay in China very comfortable.”
As Smith spent her time winning a title in a different culture, the Mercury organization also showed their commitment to righting their ship. With the WNBA Draft quickly approaching, the Mercury brought in Nicole Ohlde from Minnesota to help in the post. Ohlde’s career averages of 10 points and 5.3 rebounds took a hit in 2008, as her place in the revamped Minnesota Lynx could not find a way to work the talented player into their new mix.
“Nicole Ohlde will be a huge help in the paint,” says Smith. “Nicole is exactly what we need - a big presence down low to take a little bit of the pressure off Dee (Taurasi) and Cap (Pondexter). She will definitely help out me and Le’Coe (Willingham) tremendously on the inside.”
With veteran point guard, Kelly Miller going to Minnesota in the Ohlde trade, the Mercury also acquired Temeka Johnson from the Los Angeles Sparks. Although her regular season statistics do not jump off the page, Johnson sporting a Phoenix jersey is a good move, as her playoff experience will be quite beneficial. Johnson’s statistics in the playoffs jump significantly from her regular season numbers.
“I feel that Temeka Johnson will help us tremendously at the point guard position,” says Smith. “After losing Kelly Miller, we needed to fill the big void that would have been missing in that spot. I believe she’s the type of point guard that fits well in our style of play.”
A decade of playing in the WNBA and overseas. Coming off a knee injury. A franchise bringing in new faces through trades and the draft coming on Thursday. With all the time she has put into the game, as well as the changes in her WNBA home, Smith does not expect much to change as far as her playing time.
“I don’t feel my role will change,” says Smith. “The post position is really interchangeable, so it really doesn’t matter if I’m the four or the five. If anything, my role will become a lot easier now that we have Nicole. I was the one always defending the bigger post players on the opposite team–which I didn’t have a problem with–but sometimes I was just a tad bit undersized, but I still held my own.”
As Phoenix teammate Diana Taurasi plays for a Euroleague championship, the unheralded acquisition of Sequoia Holmes and the fifth pick in the draft on Thursday, Smith looks ahead to the upcoming WNBA season. The veteran and all-time great sees good things on the horizon.
“This year will be different,” says Smith. “I believe everyone wants to redeem ourselves from having a not so good year last season. We’re going to be ready, focused and hungrier than ever. We will also have more depth with the great acquisitions we have coming in. I will be going to Phoenix early to work out with the coaches before training camp starts and try and help get more fans in the stands to watch our wonderful sport and all the great players we have.”
Prepare yourselves, Mercury fans. One of your team’s leaders expects great things during the summer of 2009.

Player’s coach of the year: Me!

CHN — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:58:34 -0400

By Sam Rubenstein
In High School teaching, which as we’ve established, is like coaching, it’s supposed to be all about the players. My job is to put them in a position where they can succeed. With the NCAA tourney coming to a close Monday night, on the same day that my 9th graders will perform scenes from The Odyssey for a big final project, I am sweating a whole war machine’s worth of bullets.
I drew up “gameplans”, meaning activities and lessons to get them ready, and some of them are getting it, but I’m nervous about the group. This is why coaches look like they’ve been sleeping under a train car full of hobos. You should see the bags under my eyes these days. John Chaney is a pretty boy compared to me. But the important question to ask is “Mr. Rubenstein, what type of coach are you?” Why, I’m glad you asked.
There are the Bobby Knight types who are just rude, terrible people, but they know what’s best for your child. Okay, maybe they’re not bad people, neither is Bobby. They sure do yell a lot and fly off the handle for the littest things though. I’m too new to this to be a Calhoun type, although I would love to be able to say things like “Yeah there’s a lot of rules, maybe they got broken. Whaddyagonnado?” The kids have mastered that philosophy. Jim Calhoun would fit right in with the 9th and 10th graders.
There are other teachers at my school who are the fast talking hotshot coaches, in the Pitino-Calipari mold, who work their corrupt magic somehow. I am jealous of them. Sure they both fell short in the tourney, but that’s what one-and-done elimination is. In my world now it’s called high stakes testing. Cruel, unfair, stressful, the way of the world. More importantly, they gettin’ monnnnneeeeee!!!
I have a lot of respect for Tom Izzo, but I’ve seen his pre-game speeches on TV, and that’s just not my style. I wish. Roy Williams is too folksy daggumit, Coach K has too many motivational slogans, Boeheim is too grumpy. I take more of an NBA coach approach to teaching, which is to be a player’s coach.
The key to everything is knowing your students, like knowing your players. I have the LeBron of students in my freshman English class. She’s so smart, has such a good attitude, that I am lucky to able to work with her. I give her every chance to get away with stuff if she wants to, not that she would. She doesn’t need coaching, she just needs to be given a stage to dominate and be reminded not to get too cocky. I also have a Chris Paul in the room, just like LeBron but shorter and usually dressed in flourescent colors. Which one is the best? It’s a debate, although LeBron can do more and has achieved more so far. I thank the education Gods for placing the two of them in my classroom.
There are quieter, humble types of superstars, like the Tim Duncan of my class, a quiet Brazilian girl who claims she has trouble with some of the language, but then she will raise her hand and blow me away with thoughts much deeper than my own. Tim Duncan is complemented by Amar’e, a student who radiates brilliance, but let’s just say she has some “lapses.”
I have closet geniuses who could be the superstars if they so chose, but they just are not built that way. Rasheed Wallaces. Sheed did his best work when he was coached by Rick Adelman and Larry Brown, and if I fall somewhere in the middle between those two, that would be great, because I have no idea how to reach the Rasheeds. Just let them be? Hahahahahahahaha! Oh man… the sheer destruction that would ensue…
Is there a Stephen Jackson/Ron Artest/token violent and insane student in my class? Indeed. He also happens to be a part of the closet genius crew. We went on a field trip to the museum to do science experiments on Friday, learning about DNA in caviar. He raised his hand and asked “Can you buy caviar with foodstamps?” He also told me he missed class because he got into a fight with a cop after he called the cop a “B— a$$ n—-” and the cop had the nerve to grab him!
You’ll be pleased to know there is a Steph 2008-09 in the class. He was away from the school on suspension for 7 weeks and things were going smoothly. Now he’s back, and he’s dragging people down with him. But this is not the NBA where you can throw $20 million at a problem to make it go away. Imagine if D’Antoni was forced to keep Steph involved the whole time. Mikey D, I envy you.
There is a group of kids in the “Can’t stay out of trouble” mode, the ones who make the news for all the wrong reasons. Let’s not even go there, it’s too depressing. Liars!
Others I have to encourage. You know how coaches never say “I can’t believe that scrub dared to take the shot.” I never allow them to lose confidence, and I keep including them, staying as balanced as possible. It’s working out pretty well.
Some are no-shows, DNPs if you will. Yeah, they won’t be in the “NBA” much longer if they keep this up.
My main dude is the quiet funny kid in the back. He’s lazy, he makes funny faces, he makes me laugh. He’s 15 years old and he said to me “Hey man, you’re harshing my mellow.” I guess you could say he’s a class clown, but he’s also really quiet. He’s one of those quirky cult figures that NBA diehards love so much.
There is a Kobe in the class. Oh boy… this is a 14 year old boy with a deep voice, awkwardly tall for his age, and he is absolutely brilliant. I wrote a question on a test “How does Odysseus change over the course of his journey?” and he wrote “Odysseus has acquired a sense of ruthlessness from his desperation.” I’m telling you, this kid is a genius. I am also telling you that I have never had to beg and plead and scream and whine and beg and plead and scream and whine and threaten and praise and want to strangle a person more in my life.
Add it all up, and you’ve got a “team” that finally made it to the big dance. As their coach, I put them in position to do their job on Monday. There’s nothing else I can do for them, other than to be overcome with nervous energy.
AND SO IN CONCLUSION… “Coaching” is a lot more than stalking kids with text messages, accepting bribes from boosters, and writing frantically on dry erase boards. Although as you can see in the picture above, my dry erase game is getting tighter. Big games for Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, and Mr. Rubenstein tomorrow. NERVOUS!!!

Brooks More Than OK for Thunder

CHN — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:30:41 -0400

by Todd Spehr
Scott Brooks looked like he just stepped off a roller coaster.
The Thunder’s head coach sat down for his obligatory post-game press conference, looked out at a three-strong contingent of assembled writers (OKC isn’t exactly overflowing with media folks), and sighed. It was December 29, his team had just lost at home to Phoenix, and, at 3-29, was at a low point.
Brooks just lived through a game where he’d benched his star, Kevin Durant, for not getting back on defense; for letting Jason Richardson leak out for easy buckets on consecutive possessions. He had also watched his rookie point guard, Russell Westbrook, blow a 31-point night by coughing the ball up on three consecutive possessions down the stretch, effectively ending whatever shot his team had of winning.
But for as weary as he looked, for as bloodshot as hit eyes appeared, and with little reason to blurt anything more than the generic, Brooks’ eyes suddenly widened, and he made a vow. One that he, and his Thunder, was going to keep.
“We’re going to get better every day. Every month. Every year.”
+++
Scott Brooks’ name tag still has “Interim Head Coach” on it. Here are five reasons why “Interim” needs to be removed.
5. Offensive and Defensive improvement
The night P.J. Carlesimo was given his marching orders, the Thunder just played their first (and only) national TV game of the year. And they lost by 25. It was one of those snapshot games – one where the entire season, and all its problems, are crammed into 48 minutes for everyone to see. It was the Thunder’s sixth straight double-figure loss, the ninth time in 13 games that they had failed to score 90 points, and at 1-12, it was official that the team had either tuned out Carlesimo, or needed a change. Or both.
Under Brooks, the Thunder are a more solid defensive unit. Even allowing for the fact they have more possessions now, they’re giving up fewer points (103.2 under Brooks compared to 105.6 in the 95 games of the Carlesimo regime), and the average losing margin has dwindled from -12.3 to -4.3. Translation: They are much more competitive.
The offense is better because the shackles have been removed – to the tune of a 9 ppg improvement (98.9 from 88.9). Carlesimo coached the team (sans Durant) with a ball and chain, but Brooks gives them enough freedom to be comfortable, with just enough to snap it back if needed. Kevin Durant is a much better player (read: more efficient) under Brooks, Russell Westbrook is a more confident player under Brooks, and Jeff Green is the most improved player no one talks about — it doesn’t hurt that Brooks text messages the word “Rebound” to him on game-days.
Is Brooks clearly a better coach than Carlesimo? No. But he’s better for this team.
(Note: To put some type of perspective on things in OKC, the average age (20.67) of their top three scorers – KD, Green, and Westbrook – are the youngest for any team in NBA history, according to Justin Kubatko of Basketball-Reference.com)
4. Positive nature
This may not seem overly important, but considering the situation, it is. The Thunder are a young team; a team that responds to a positive voice. Brooks is that voice. Not to say Carlesimo wasn’t (although he was once called an “intense, grumpy, yelling maniac” by a former Seton Hall player), but hey, the results speak for themselves.
“He’s (Brooks) not always negative,” Durant said shortly after the change. Compliment for the new guy? Or a subtle dig at the old one?
Either way, even when the Thunder were playing like your grandpa’s ’73 Sixers, Brooks was still encouraging, still clapping, still refusing to collect moral victories like he used to collect his team’s laundry when he was a coach in the ABA. Even the locker room, when things weren’t exactly humming, didn’t permeate a team dancing with futility. The players seem to genuinely like Brooks — some even call him “Scotty” — and when you like someone, you tend to play hard for them.
Brooks perhaps draws strength from his own playing career. He was a short, white, undrafted and undersized guard, a CBA refugee who ended up sticking around for ten years and winning a title (with the ’94 Rockets). It’s entirely possible Brooks sees this Thunder team going through the same modus operandi as his own life in professional basketball: Success will eventually be born out of hardship, acquired through scrap and fight, where results and respect will be concurrently earned.
Bottom line: He’s an upbeat guy, and his team is eating it up – 18-24 since their 3-29 start, with wins over San Antonio (twice), Utah, Dallas and Detroit since the second week of January.
3. Relationship with Russell Westbrook
Believe it or not, there was a time when Scott Brooks had the same query on the floor as Russell Westbrook: Shoot or distribute? Brooks was shoot-first in college (23.8 ppg as a senior at UC-Irvine) and in the CBA, and while his natural instinct was to score, he toned ‘er down when he got to the League. Same deal with Westbrook. He was primarily a combo guard at UCLA – slanted toward scoring – as a sophomore, yet was asked to play the point, as a rookie, for a young team. Recipe for disaster? Carlesimo must have thought so — Westbrook didn’t start until Brooks took over.
Despite hitting a watered down version of the rookie wall in March, Westbrook’s numbers grew in each of the first four months Brooks was coach. From 12.2 points and 4.1 assists in November, to 20.6 and 5.9 in February. Yeah, Westbrook still can’t shoot, and yeah, he turns it over like a, well, a rookie, but Brooks has given him a license to grow. And he’ll be a better player for it. When Durant and Green missed time recently, Brooks threw the keys to Westbrook, and the Thunder went 5-1.
Favorite Brooks/Westbrook story: After the aforementioned Phoenix game in December, one where Westbrook had a schizophrenic evening that included 15 points (on Steve Nash) in the game’s first seven minutes, a career-high 31 points, and a flurry of costly turnovers in crunch time, Brooks said, like a father about to teach his kid a lesson, that he was going to sit Westbrook down and watch film with him. Show him the good and the bad stuff. When the line of questioning angled towards blaming Westbrook for the loss, Brooks snapped. “This isn’t about Russell,” he told the writer. “This is about our team.” Silence ensued.
2. Allowing Kevin Durant to thrive – by providing structure
Before delving too far, I need to point out I’m not going to give Scott Brooks entire credit for the phenomenon that was Durant Year Two. Durant is, and always is, going to be a limitless scorer. Anyhow…
There’s a substantial body of evidence that suggests Durant isn’t nearly as effective as a shooting guard – which Carlesimo was bent on proving. Actually, it’s about 90 games worth of evidence (77 last season, 13 this season), and while Carlesimo wanted to show KD off as the World’s Tallest Shooting Guard, it clearly wasn’t ideal.
Scott Brooks, in almost his first move as coach, made Durant a full-time small forward.
Notable changes: Durant, underrated for how hard he works off the ball, comes off more screens to score; he’s getting much better looks this year (take a look at his three-point shooting percentage improvement); and my personal favorite, he’s posting up more of late. All of these things, Brooks designed to make Durant not only a better scorer, but a more efficient one. He’s taking just over two more shots under Brooks than Carlesimo, but is scoring six more points, for crying out loud.
Durant last year: “Forcing the issue and getting to the rim is an element of his game that’s missing.” (Carlesimo’s words, not mine). This year: Over seven free-throw attempts per, and he smashed the Sonics/Thunder 29-year-old franchise record for FTM in a January game with the Clips.
Durant went from being a player with questionable shot selection as a rookie, to a more controlled yet more explosive version in his second season. That structure occurring, due in large part, to Brooks.
1. The public backing of his players
“I have [Brooks's] back… I want him to be back as our coach of the future.” — Kevin Durant
Any questions?

No Longer the Bargnigma

CHN — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:21:35 -0400

by Gregory Dole
I made my case for Bargnani at the beginning of the year. I predicted big things. I wrote that I was shocked to see the newly-sculpted Italian show up for Raptors training camp at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. He had obviously spent the summer weight-lifting. I said he would be great this season. Of course, I also thought the Raptors would be a great team. So I am one-for-two, which wouldn’t have served me well in Vegas.
I still feel proud of myself that I predicted big things for Bargnani. And I had hoped to draft him for my team in the Arvydas Sabonis fantasy basketball league, but apparently the team named Il Mago had even higher expectations for the guy and duly drafted him earlier than I thought the Italian should have gone. That is neither here nor there. What is of significance is that I went to the Raptors-Clippers game this past weekend to give the Roman a look-see. True to his enigmatic form, Bargnani did not suit up because of a foot problem. I should have done my research before showing up at the game.
In any case, I did get the chance to speak to the man who found Bargnani, Raptors Assistant General Manager Maurizio Gherardhini. It was he who took the young teen Bargnani from Rome to Treviso, Italy with plans of developing him into a star player in the Italian league. Of course, Gherardhini had been down this road before, investing time and money in NBA flame-outs such as Bostjan Nachbar and Nikoloz Tskitishzivili. That experience would have probably restrained him from predicting incredibly great things for Bargnani.
Jumping forward to the present day, anyone could make a reasonable argument that the kid named Il Mago deserved to be picked first overall. Before you jump on me and yell Brandon Roy, let’s go back to the 2006 Draft.
It wasn’t a great year for top-end talent or depth of talent. An interesting aside I heard later in that year was that very few 2006 second round picks received much guaranteed money and only a precious few received more than one-year deals. The Raptors were looking at Brandon Roy and his questionable knee, LaMarcus Aldridge and his non-existent physique, Adam Morrison and his non-existent physique, his non-existent athleticism and his general lightning-in-a-box personality, and perhaps the where-in-sam-hell-did-he-come-from Tyrus Thomas. You could throw Rudy Gay into that list but he was never going to be picked first overall. I remember vividly a top NBA scout telling me at the time that the word on the street was that Rudy Gay didn’t even really like basketball. That’s the kind of bad rap that kills a kid’s draft value more than even a drug habit. In fairness, I met Rudy before the draft and he came across as being a really nice human being. In fact, he seemed so nice that I remember thinking he mustn’t have a competitive bone in his body.
When you consider the time and place, Bargnani seemed like a decent gamble. He was some 20 years old, seven feet tall and 250 pounds. The scouting report said he was the next Dirk Nowitzki. That he had soft hands and good feet. That he ran the floor well, was a good shot blocker, had a quick release, could catch and shoot well, and had good one-on-one skills. In conclusion, he wasn’t too shabby of a prospect.
While attending the 2006 Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy, an NBA scout (with no association to the Raptors) remarked that Bargnani was a surefire prospect. He compared the Italian to Lamar Odom.
Today, Bargnani is good for 15 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 bpg and 1 apg. He shoots 41 percent from three, 82 percent from the free throw line and 45 percent from the floor. Those are solid numbers for a third-year player. He hasn’t crossed into the star player territory, but you can’t say that will never happen. He is a big man after all, and they peak later than guards.
After a slow start, Bargnani has had a great 2009, averaging 19.2 ppg and 44.5 percent from three. Those are great numbers. His rebounding isn’t great, but if you ever watch the Raptors, you see that his rebounds come on defense because he isn’t a post player on offense. As such, Bargnani loses rebounds to his great rebounding teammate Chris Bosh (and now Shawn Marion).
You can now add recent signing Pops Mensah-Bonsu to the list of Raptors that can rebound. He has got to be one of the best athletes among post players in the League. Every time he goes to rebound, he nearly decapitates his head on the rim. Every time. Against the Clippers on Sunday, a team which features rebounding king Marcus Camby, Pops could not be stopped. Why the league slept on him is anyone’s guess. There aren’t many tall athletes like him wandering the earth.
In short, there are only so many rebounds, and good teammates aren’t exactly going to fight each other for rebounds. Not that I am apologizing for Bargnani’s 5.4 rebs per in 2009. I just want to bring some perspective to blind analysis of his stats lines and the cliched “but he can’t rebound” criticism laid on the Italian.
On the other side of North America, Brandon Roy has become an NBA All-Star player. He has cemented himself as the best of the ‘06 NBA Draft class. His numbers are great: 23 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 5.1 apg. Of course, Roy didn’t have to adjust much when he moved a few hours south to work in Portland. He also didn’t have the stigma of being the number one pick. He enjoyed some anonymity coming into the League as the sixth pick, playing in a city off the beaten trail, and on a team in rebuilding mode. It was a good situation. He could make mistakes, play big minutes and jack shots to his heart’s content. In essence, he got a ton of “reps” in to accelerate the learning process that new players have to go through. Point being, Brandon Roy is a great player in a great situation. Will he get much better? You could argue that he is as good as he will get.
When comparing Bargnani to Roy, it is obvious that Roy is better right now. Will he be an effective player in five years time? Will the knee problems that plagued him in the past rear their ugly head? When he loses a step, will he be effective? He is a guard after all. It has been difficult to watch Iverson’s game go south this year. Guards get old quickly.
On the other hand, big men with shooting skills can play until they just about drop dead. Come on down Robert Horry! More seriously, how sad is it to not see Horry in uniform this year? Bargnani is a year and a few months younger than Roy. He had to adjust to a new culture and language. He had to find his role alongside All-Star Chris Bosh. His first year was probably a wash. And yet Bargnani has always been a much better outside shooter than Roy.
The end-all argument is that the Italian could still turn into Dirk. By the numbers, Dirk wasn’t nearly as good from outside (he shot 38 percent from three in his third year for example) as our man in Toronto. The German just had way more shot attempts and ended up with a better scoring average. In any case, it’s no great jump to suggest that Bargnani could still become a Dirk clone. If that day comes, there will be no discussion about who is better. At that stage, a Roy versus Bargnani argument becomes a Cadillac versus a Lambo argument. Cadillacs are great but they don’t compare.
Now I am not saying that Bargnani is better than Roy. I am just saying there is a reasonable chance that when the two are in the twilight of their careers, Bargnani might just come out on top.
I should also add that Toronto needs to get international players. Chipper Jones’ most recent comments, following his stay in Toronto during the World Baseball Classic, show how Toronto teams have to be more careful than other teams when selecting personnel. It appears as though some American-bred athletes are still lukewarm in their feelings about playing in the city. Rather than debate the merits of this line of thinking, there are probably some people in the Raptors organization that would rather avoid the situation entirely. Instead, they might rather focus on drafting anyone but Americans. If the choice were between equally-talented players, one from Europe and the other from the USA, why run the risk of the American bemoaning the short supply of Yoo-hoo in Canada or the lack of American history on the curriculum at their kid’s school?
A friend of a friend of mine ran into Jose Calderon on the street in Toronto some weeks back. This friend of a friend, and I swear to God this story is true, said to Calderon, “I am a huge Raptors fan and I would be honored if you let me buy you a drink.” The Spaniard accepted the invite and they went into a nearby pub. As an aside, going for a pint with your team’s point guard that you bumped into on the street is exceptionally cool. From what Calderon told this friend of a friend, he is very happy in Toronto. Maybe it was the alcohol talking but I’d suggest that European, Asian and African players enjoy life in the cosmopolitan Toronto as much as or more than they would in Memphis, Sacramento or most other US cities. These cultural factors are yet more reasons for why Bargnani was a good pick for the Toronto Raptors. At the very least, I would suggest that if an Italian complained about the polenta or pasta in Toronto, it would be the same complaint he would make in Dallas or Miami.
Enough of my dime store analysis. I spoke with Assistant GM Gherardhini and he had some interesting comments on his Italian protege. If you think I am happy to see Bargnani play well, all because of some inconsequential predictions I made in October, then wait to you see how the Raptors management feels about the player’s development.
SLAM: What do you attribute Andrea’s success to this year?
Maurizio Gherardhini: I think Andrea, the way he has been playing of the last three months, it was the way we dreamed of him playing. It is a somehow different way of playing compared to the way he started to the season this year. I think it all has to do with more confidence. He plays with more ease on the court. As he grows as a player, he grows in his knowledge of opponents and what works and what doesn’t work against a particular player. His personal scouting of opponents has gotten much better. He also feels the confidence that the team is giving him to play his game. He now has the green light from his teammates to do certain things. The game becomes much easier in this situation.
Coach Jay Triano has been very good with him as well. Andrea has had the chance to work over the past summer with Gordon Hebert and his strength coach. He has put on muscle and will continue to put on muscle and gain strength so that he can become a better post player and battle for rebounds in the post. Clearly that is the part of his game that he needs to work on. If you look at the way he plays facing the rim, shooting and putting the ball on the floor, we are talking about one of the best young players in the League. He has also shown that he is a consistent shot blocker and the more he gains in strength, the more he will be able to maintain his position and get his hand up to alter and block shooters.
SLAM: Will he become a decent defensive player?
MG: Andrea has a nose for shot blocking. He has always had good timing, even when he was much younger. He just needs to get stronger physically to be able to stop an opponent in the post. He has areas where he needs more time but he is still just 23 years old. He is getting older, more mature. He has a better knowledge of everything and that is when a player improves his game. He will get better defensively as he gets stronger and more knowledgeable about the game and the League.
SLAM: It seemed as though he had developed a following of people in the media and among the fans who doubted his ability. Did that doubt creep into his own opinion of himself?
MG: I think it is good for him to get the feeling that the fans and the media are no longer doubting his abilities. Those doubts are no longer there. He is showing that he could have been the number one in the draft or one of the top young players in the game today. So that is a good feeling for him as well.
SLAM: Does his success vindicate the gamble that the organization took when they drafted him, because you and your colleagues have received criticism for your decision to draft him first overall.
MG: Well it shows that what all of us at the Raptors were thinking made sense. That Bryan Colangelo’s unexpected decision to go with an Italian seven-footer made a lot of sense. And now Andrea is proving Bryan right and obviously we are happy that this has happened.
SLAM: How much of this experience with Andrea shows how difficult it is to evaluate a young player with a significant amount of time?
MG: It will always be like this. There is always risk. There are areas that are unknown when you select a player. You hope that everything clicks in the way you have been studying the player. But sometimes it doesn’t always work that way. It takes time. It takes time for a big man to mature and develop into a player. It is something that we need to be patient with young players and let them grow into the type of player they can be. You need to understand the way they are. You need to accept their mistakes. If you adopt that approach, the maturation process is much quicker and much more rewarding and that is what has happened with Andrea.
*****
Even as the Raptors wrap up a sorry season that had been filled with expectation, it is safe to say that things are looking up. My fearless prediction? Next year the Raptors will be a force!

As for Bargnani, perhaps the Nowitzki comparisons are too extreme. Recalling my time in Treviso, that NBA scout said Bargnani was Lamar Odom. He was quite confident of the comparison. Both players have been called enigmatic and aloof. Both are big guys who can shoot the ball and put the ball on the floor. Both seem to possess a tonne of talent and yet both succeed in underwhelming.
I came across a Lamar Odom quote the other day that struck me as oddly familiar. After he scored 28 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a road win against the Cavs on February 8th, 2009, Odom said “I never play the game for stats. It’s all about winning.”
At the Raptors training camp in October, I asked Bargnani what sort of stats he wanted to put up this season. He couldn’t answer the question. All he could say was, “I want to win games by playing my best. I just want to help my team win.” It didn’t seem forced. Try as I might to rephrase the question, Bargnani just couldn’t talk about individual statistics.
My 2010 prediction for Bargnani? He will fulfill that NBA scout’s prediction and become the Italian Lamar Odom.
The bar is set. I am already looking forward to bragging about my prediction again next season.

The Solar Constant

CHN — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:56:46 -0400

by Ben York
Last Wednesday Steve Nash surpassed Maurice Cheeks for 9th on the all-time Assists Leaders list with 7,393. It was a moment that went virtually unnoticed apart from a few minor blurbs in the papers and quick mentions on television. Unlike others who go out of their way to pull down a 10th rebound late in the game to record a triple-double (even if their team secured the win minutes before), this achievement was attained by Nash as a direct correlation of perseverance and unselfishness.
Working hard and changing the minds of doubters is nothing new to Steve. Upon his return to the Suns as a free agent in 2004, many wrote Nash off and believed he was on the decline. Pundits couldn’t fathom that him continuing at his customary break-neck pace to justify the lucrative, long-term contract. It’s no secret that Nash proved his critics wrong, leading the Suns to the Western Conference Finals the next two seasons winning the MVP Award each year. Nash continued to perform as steadily as any point guard in the game through the ‘07-08 NBA season. After the loss to the Spurs in the first round of the 2008 Playoffs, however, grumblings and skepticism once again were directed Nash’s way.
The perplexing thing in the minds of many fans and analysts is the transformation in his demeanor. Never one to let anger or negative thoughts get the best of him, the smile that had become a staple in the Phoenix sports world had become strangely absent. It seemed Nash just wasn’t enjoying the game as much as he once did. His head hung more, frustration had markedly set in, and doubt had crept into the forefront. But, in looking at the changes over the past year, who can blame him? Over a period of less than 12 months the coach who helped revive his career had left for New York, the system that produced so many victories had slowed down considerably, and his best friend was traded away. On top of that, the Suns’ window for a championship was thought by many to have shut.
While personnel changes are nothing new in the business side of the NBA, Nash has never been driven by the money, celebrity or recognition that come with being a professional athlete. A genuinely loyal person, he’s been quoted several times saying how difficult it is for him to separate the business side of the NBA from the personal side. The Suns’ success during this era could certainly be attributed to Nash and the D’Antoni system alone, but what truly made it unique and effective year after year has been the close-knit relationship of the players; Nash was a big part of facilitating that closeness as the leader and captain.
Yet, his humbleness and selflessness are what set Nash apart in such a narcissistic world. Whether it’s asking his teammates to join him at the podium when he accepted his first MVP award or visiting children in the hospital after beating the Lakers in the 2007 Playoffs, Nash stayed grounded and deflected the credit he unquestionably earned. Perhaps what’s more noteworthy is that the aforementioned stories about Nash surprise no one.
But as we all know, the tide can ostensibly turn overnight. In the 2008 off-season rumors started flying about Nash possibly following D’Antoni to New York or heading back home to Toronto. Many detractors continually cited the end of the Nash era in Phoenix, much of which was attributed at the time to Nash getting older and losing a step. In fairness, the criticism he faced in the off-season was justified early on in the regular season with his sub-par play (compared to his standards). In November, Nash averaged just over 7 apg — almost 4 assists less than his average over the previous four seasons. His scoring dropped almost 5 ppg while also displaying an increase in turnovers. The proverbial torch-passing from Nash being the best point guard in the NBA was accelerating much faster than anticipated. Was it a product of Terry Porter’s more methodical system? Could it be attributed to playing with Shaquille O’Neal? Or maybe, despite the Suns training staff’s best efforts, we were finally seeing signs of wear and tear catching up with Nash?
The answer wasn’t immediately clear, and fans were left to speculate if the end to the Steve Nash era in Phoenix would come to a screeching halt much sooner than originally thought. Questions arose regarding the Mike D’Antoni “Seven Seconds or Less” philosophy and if his engine, not the driver, was the central foundation of the Suns recent success. Once again, Nash had something to prove.
From October to December, the Suns were consistently amongst the league leaders in turnovers, averaging nearly 19 per game. What is most overlooked regarding is that the ball was shared more evenly throughout the rest of the team rather than solely being in Nash’s hands (as had been the case the previous four years). Turnovers actually increased when more players were handling the ball. Now, it’s a natural assumption that the more time one player controls the ball, the higher the probability of turning the ball over. In fact, the opposite has been true for the Suns this season. When Porter started allowing Nash to facilitate and be the floor general again, turnovers lessened. To date, the Suns have improved their average turnovers per game to 15.7, almost 4 less than the first half of the season. Again, this has improved despite the ball being in Nash’s hands more and returning to a much faster pace of play.
After Terry Porter’s mid-season firing, assistant coach Alvin Gentry took the reins and set Nash loose again. Phoenix returned to a quicker system; however, it’s still considerably slower than the D’Antoni years due to the focus on incorporating Shaq in the low post. Nevertheless, even in this hybrid system where Nash doesn’t have as much flexibility to create as previous years, his individual statistics are eerily congruent with his revolutionary ‘04-05 MVP season when the Suns went 62-20. Nash is averaging 15.7 ppg (he averaged 15.5 in ‘04-05), 3.5 turnovers per game (an increase of a mere .2 percent from ‘04-05, and the exact same amount as Deron Williams), shooting a career-best 94 percent from the free throw line (he shot 88 percent in ‘04-05), making the exact same amount of shots per game (5.7), and shooting 49 percent from the floor (only 1 percent less than ‘04-05). Perhaps what is more amazing is that he’s having this success while averaging the least amount of minutes per game in four years (33.9).
In addition, despite spending three months of the season in the most lethargic system of his NBA career, Nash still has 635 total assists, trailing only Chris Paul (741). Though his assists per game is down by about 1.5 to 9.7, it’s still a solid third in the league behind youngsters Chris Paul and Deron Williams (who are only ahead of Nash by about 1 assist per game). Upon the gradual return to a faster pace beginning in January, Nash proved he can still hang with the young guns leading the league in assists during that month with almost 12 per game. Amazingly, he tallied 12 or more assists in nine of the Suns 16 games in January. He continued the trend in February averaging 10 apg with only 30 total turnovers the entire month.
There is no refuting that Steve Nash doesn’t have the legs he once did in the early 2000’s. He struggles in the second game of back-to-backs and continues to a difficult time defending the quicker and younger guards in the League. But Steve Nash, at the age of 35, is irrefutably still one of the best point guards in the League today. Players come and go, philosophies differ and the League is perhaps as dynamic as it’s ever been. Nash has seemingly found the “Fountain of Youth” in Phoenix and still shows little signs of deteriorating. Take his most recent game against the Sacramento Kings: 31 points, 14 assists, 57 percent from the floor — not bad for someone on his “last leg.”
There will surely be weighty decisions for both the Suns franchise and Nash’s future in the off-season. What will happen if the Suns miss the Playoffs? Do they owe Nash a trade to a contender before we really see signs of his downfall? Would Nash even want that? Undoubtedly, those questions will be addressed, but this season isn’t over quite yet…
Let us not hastily forget that Steve Nash has exuded character, integrity and resolve to dazzle fans on a nightly basis for 13 years, and his tank is far from empty. As the Suns continue their push for a final playoff spot, and in an era full of change and doubt, he’s been able to remain a Solar Constant on Planet Orange.
Ben York is a Managing Editor for the NBA section at Fanster.com. He can be contacted with comments and/or questions at bjyork15@gmail.com.

Basketbull All-Star Game Recap

CHN — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:48:41 -0400

by Sammy Newman-Beck
With some of the top colleges heading into the final rounds of the NCAA Tournament, high school hoopers all over the country have been watching, some of whom plan on attending these universities next year to play. While most of these kids finished their respective high school seasons, one basketball program (Basketbull, LLC) set up a talent showcase and All-Star game this past weekend at Springfield College in Springfield, MA—also known as the birthplace of basketball.
The Russell Athletics sponsored event which featured two different All-Star games, a dunk contest and a 3-point competition drew talented players including diaper dandies who will next year attend schools like the University of Connecticut, Notre Dame, Drexel and UPenn, to name a few. Basketbull extended an invite so I, as SLAM’s New England rep, checked out the scene.
1st Game- Public School Game North vs. South
North Teams Notable Players:
Thomas Knight (Dirigo HS, Maine) 6-9 — headed to Notre Dame
Luis Montes (Brockton HS, Brockton Mass) 6-4 — Marianopolis Prep
Ike Azotam (O’Bryant HS Boston, Mass) 6-7 — Marianopolis Prep
South Teams Notable Players:
Daryl McCoy (Hartford Public, Hartford CT) 6-7 — Drexel
Anthony Ireland (Crosby HS, CT) 5-10 — Undecided
Steven Samuels (Windsor HS, Windsor CT) 6-4 — Undecided
The Public School game featured some of the best non-prep products from Massachusetts and Connecticut. Primarily consisting of players searching for Division II and lower Division I scholarships, this game was close to the end. While these games were closed to Division I college coaches, Division II and III coaches were out in full force. Coaches from these schools (and more) were repped: Adelphi, American International College, St. Anslem’s College, Brandeis University, Williams College and Springfield College. While the game was close it was the play of Windsor HS (CT) Steven Samuels (19 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) that made the difference for the South team who won 111-99. Samuels is currently receiving interest from Fresno State and UC-Santa Barbara. Leading the North team was little-known big man Ike Azotam (Boston, MA) with 14 points and 6 rebounds.
Between the Public School game and the Prep School game, a 3-point contest and an emphatic dunk competition ensued…
3-Point Winner: Scott Tavares-Taylor (5-10, Tilton School — U-Mass Lowell)
Dunk Winner: Kyle Casey (6-7, Brimmer and May — Harvard)
**On a side note the dunk contest was one of the most impressive displays of athleticism I have seen on a high school level. Casey, who won the dunk contest proceeded to in his first dunk jump over 6-9 big man Ben Crenca. With his second dunk he pulled 10 kids ages 8 and under from the stands and swiftly leaped them to catch an alley-oop. This kids athleticism is outstanding… Harvard must be extremely happy!**
2nd Game- Prep School Game East vs. West
After the fun-filled contests the second, and somewhat more publicized, the prep school game took place. While it didn’t receive the quite the same attention, the talent was actually more impressive. The game boasted the likes of Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel (UConn — pictured), Brian Fitzpatrick (UPenn), Kyle Casey (Harvard) and a bunch of undecided mid-major level players like South Kent’s Rashad Wright, Worcester Academy’s Austin Carroll and Winchendon Prep’s Preye Preboye.
With this game having some bigger players and more athletic ballers, it was more exciting than the previous game. Surprisingly though, it was the play of less heralded Sam Martin (Yale) and Marianopolis Prep’s Chris Flores (Undecided) who won the game for Team West. Despite a second half onslaught by Team East’s Jamaal Coombs-McDaniel and the solid play of Brian Fitzpatrick, Team West played a more team oriented game and came out with the win 107-100. Martin finished with 21 points and 5 assists for the West, while Coombs-McDaniel led the East with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.
Overall the Basketbull LLC put together a great event for local high school seniors. Giving these kids (especially the ones still without scholarships) some exposure and providing a fun atmosphere was well appreciated by those in attendance. For more info on Basketbull visit Basketbull.org.

NCAA Tourney Live Blog

CHN — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:04:58 -0400

by Justin Walsh
No. 10 Maryland vs. No. 7 California
Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s bring some east coast/west coast bias into the building in Kansas City, Missouri (cue up the Tech N9ne). In this corner we have Jerome Randle & Patrick Christopher for the California Golden Bears with a 22-10 record and some of the best three point shooting percentages in the country. And in this corner, we have Greivis Vasquez and Greivis Vasquez’s mouth with a 20-13 record and the biggest swagger for any 10 seed in the tournament.
Maryland starts out with a couple buckets, leading the way 4-0 early on in this first round match. Scratch that, make it 7-0, Cal turns the ball over. Turnovers are going to be important in this game, both teams have problems keeping the TO numbers down. J. Boykin finally scores to put Cal on the board (transfer from Duke) and we’re underway.
– Mosley & Gutierrez tie it up, and after the inbound Boykin draws the foul. He misses the first, makes the second. The score is 8-3 Maryland.
– Dave Neal hits a mid-range jumper off the elbow and the “future YMCA star” has a quick 5 so far. Randle makes a crowd pleasing hesitation move and gets a quick two. The score is 10-8 Maryland. Sidenote, Jorge Gutierrez and Sean Mosley are going at it today, we could have a player rivalry blossuming in front of our eyes.
– Randle hits another basket and we lead out to commercial with a slight 14-10 lead by Maryland. If anybody was wondering the YMCA line I dropped earlier, that was a quote straight from Maryland’s own Gary Williams.
– Vasquez draws the foul on Christopher, a Compton product. GV drops both and we have a 16-10 lead. Christopher comes down on the other end and gets a put-back off a Cal miss. Score is now 16-12. Milbourne draws the foul and makes 1/2 FT’s. Randle hits another shot, this time a trey & we have a 17-15 game. After a quick little run in the opening by the Terps, we have a close match.
– Out of the break, Vasquez drops a jumper (SPLASHDOWN like Top Gun). Randle hits another jumper, that’s 9 points on 4-5 shooting. And Vasquez says GOOD DAY SIR and answers with a bucket of his own. 22-19 after a couple Theo “Huckstable” Robertson.
– Cal switches to a zone to see if they can limit the looks Maryland is getting. Hayes hits a jumper, making it 24-21. Knezevic just shot what might be the weirdest looking release of the tournament. A lefty release that makes Marion seem picturesque mid-jumper. Cal gets blocked, Bowie responds by walking. This ends the Maryland has no turnovers party that Gary Williams was hosting in Kansas City. 24-21
– Another Maryland turnover, and Cal responds with another Randle score. Maryland: 3 turnovers in the last 3 possessions. I have officially decided on an anthem for Randle- “It’s a mans world” by James Brown. Seriously, everytime he scores, I scream in a broken tune “This is a maaans world.” Boykin fouls Neal on the offensive end, it’s 24-23 Cal down one. 5:11 remaining in the 1st half. As the color commentary says “This is Hoosiers versus Hoosiers.”
– Vasquez has hit a cold streak, missing his last 3 shots. We go out to commercial after a Cal foul, Maryland to shoot two after the break. Did anybody think Cal would be out rebounding Maryland at this point? 17-13 just now in the ol’ boards category.
– A few quick points for us to over analyze, Cal and Maryland both only have 9 field goals on 25 and 26 attempts respectively… But, Cal has 10 second chance points to Maryland’s 1. Also 1 field goal and 5 turnovers in the past 6+ minutes for Maryland. Score is 26-23, Maryland leading with 3:32 remaining & Wilkes at the line. Wilkes hits the first with one heck of an ugly facemask a la Wally S., and hits the second. Maryland responds with a bucket and it’s back to four. Patrick Christopher responds with a jumper of his, then G. Vasquez gets his groove back like Stella with his own response jumper. And DJ Seeley hits a jumper. Then Maryland responds. The defensive presence by both teams are invisible at this point. Amoke draws a foul and is at the line. Bricks the first, toes up, does that J. Kidd fake release, then misses the second, again like J. Kidd- sans jumper. Randle finally misses a jumper, the score is 32-30 with less than a minute on the board in the half.
– Theo “from the Cosby Show” Robertson draws a foul, and bricks the FT. These teams aren’t in the tourney for their charity stripe prowess, that’s for sure. Maryland calls a timeout- Is Gary Williams trying to ice the shooter? Is Theo the new JJ Redick? 25 seconds remain in the half. Theo squares up, bottoms. One point game, the ice wars was all for naught. Maryland will hold for one. Christopher fouls for the second time tonight. Hayes makes the first FT, hits the second. 34-31 with 11.3 seconds remaining. After a kick-ball call, Cal to inbound with a second left, and they don’t get the shot off. At the half Maryland leads by 3, 34-31. And a small sidenote- Maryland is using… Not gatorade squeeze bottles, nor powerade or even quick kick…They are squeezing Vitamin Water out of those bottles according to the label. Eyes like a sniper folks.

ACC Tourney Live Blog, Day 4

CHN — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:59:41 -0400

by DeMarco Williams
Aaah, Selection Sunday. Along with the MLB’s opening day and the NFL’s conference championships, it’s my favorite day of the sports year. You should see me; I’m all smiles. Can’t say the same thing for fans of St. Mary’s, Penn State and Maryland right now nervously waiting to see if their team’s body of work was enough to get NCAA invites. To that end, all I can say is that the teams -Florida State (25-8) and Duke (27-6)- I’m currently staring at have done enough to confidently purchase their suits for the Dance a while back. A win today will be mere icing on the cake - and possibly the cherry to bump them up a seed in the brackets. Time to see who wants it more…
Previous ACC Tournament Live Blogs: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Game 11: No. 3 Duke vs. No. 4 Florida State
Pregame
-The bands are tuned. The fans are pumped. Dickie V’s looking sharp. Duke assistant/former guard Steve Wojciechowski just made sure his cufflinks are on tight. We’re ready to roll.
-In the last two meetings between these two, the Blue Devils came out on top- 66-58 back on January 10 and 84-81 on March 3. Duke’s Gerald Henderson and FSU’s Toney Douglas were the high men for both of the contests. Henderson probably won’t have to repeat that for a win, but Douglas will need at least 25, I’m thinking. Totally possible.
-If ESPN failed to air the national anthem, you missed a treat. The young lady just KILLED it. Wonderful rendition.
-A couple of random facts about today’s action: Duke and Florida State have never played each other in the tournament… If FSU’s Leonard Hamilton wins, he’ll become the first African-American coach to earn the title.
1st Half
-Nole Solomon Alabi with the first bucket and block.
-Jon Scheyer with the outside answer. Give him two inches and he’ll get two points.
-But on the flip side, give Douglas three feet and he’ll nail a three. 5-3 FSU.
-Alabi’s got a lot of tools, especially for a freshman. Most seven-footers are kinda ditsy-looking out there (See: Duke’s Brian Zoubek); not Alabi. His feet are good. His hands are soft. With another year under Coach Hamilton, he’ll be pretty special.
-Scheyer’s got five early ones. 9-8 Duke with 15 minutes to go.
-The Blue Devil mascot has “Our House” written on some tape across his forehead. 12-11 Duke with 11:37 in the 1st.
-Henderson might be thinking about those two early meetings. He’s got a quick seven.
-Singler may give’em a run though. He’s got five. By the way, I’ve got a new nickname for him- “Duke Nowitzki.” Ya like it?
-Kyle is feeling it. Knew it was going in before it left his hands… Keep your composure, Noles. Don’t worry about the Duke band chanting “Kyle Sing-ler!” over to the left. Stay focused. 23-11 isn’t that bad.
-Zoubek does a WWE move on Alabi but FSU doesn’t get the call. They do, however, call a timeout. Need it. 29-14 on the scoreboard. 7:07 to go.
-Douglas seems to be trying to make the 15-point comeback all by himself. His looks are decent, but they’re coming off a bit rushed. Plenty of time, young fella, plenty of time.
-The Noles are under 28% from the field right now. 50% from the line. Yuck.
-Nice, acrobatic shot from Nolan Smith. Nice, acrobatic block from Singler.
-Umm, look out below, Nolan. Niiiice bang!
-Douglas’ shot ain’t fallin’. The Noles ain’t winnin’ without it. 35-20 with 47 seconds left.
-Like my man beside me says, this first half ”couldn’t have gone any worst” for Florida State. 35-21 Blue Devils at the break. Douglas has nine points, but he’s just 2-of-8 from the field. Duke’s big three has 29 points and Lance Thomas has grabbed eight boards. Coach Hamilton has his work cut out for him in the locker room.

Great Blue Times at Binghamton U.

CHN — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:01:01 -0400

by Tzvi Twersky
Kevin Broadus sat, eyes locked on the ground, hands clasped in prayer. Suit jacket hanging loosely over his large frame, Broadus appeared tired. He wore the look of a man who would indeed say he needed to “get away from the big city and all of its hassles,” like he said over cell phone static in January.
It’s been a long season for his 22-8 Binghamton Bearcats, one that began with high hopes, traversed some bumps and now had the chance to fulfill the goal of winning the conference crown and gaining a bid to The Tourney. All the Bearcats needed to do was defeat the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)—an upstart 15-16 squad that entered the American East Tournament as the sixth seed.
As the American East Coach of the Year closed his eyes and mumbled a few words, his players stood on the court anxiously awaiting the opening tip. Junior guard D.J Rivera, took a few steps to the left and a few to the right, testing his leg; the one injured in the semifinals a week earlier. Just across the mid-court logo fellow guard Malik Alvin closed his eyes, too, imbibing the whole scene through his sealed eyelids.
“It’s a special feeling,” Alvin had told me a few days earlier, after defeating University of New Hampshire in the semifinal game. “[And] it [feels] even better for a guy like me who, as a kid, would have never even thought about going to college…to be a part of a historic team, it’s just an honor.”
While the talented UTEP transfer was vaguely referring to his days as a child growing up on the rough, concrete streets of North Philadelphia, this is exactly the perceived problem that Peter Thamel wrote about in his New York Times column that crucified Binghamton University and Coach Broadus for recruiting players that do not belong at the prestigious University.
In that article Thamel argued, among other things, that Binghamton was risking its good academic standing by allowing Broadus to recruit players with questionable backgrounds both in and out of the classroom.
This is not the first time that Thamel has written about Broadus in The Times. He previously vilified him while Broadus served as an assistant at Georgetown. The accusation leveled against him then? A similar charge of helping John Thompson III recruit players from “diploma mills.”
There are several ways to view Thamel’s article on Binghamton. If you agree or disagree strongly, it’s either dead-on or straight lies. The players are either unqualified convicts, or angels who are being dirtied by a reporter with a hard-on for ruining their coach’s career. The third way of viewing the situation, the way the casual Sunday Times reader should view the article, is that the truth probably lies somewhere in between. The players at Binghamton are neither angels nor demons. They are humans.
Yes, Alvin has a criminal record. And yes, Rivera and Tiki Mayben may have been academically ineligible at their last stop (St. Joe’s, for Rivera) or at the original school that recruited them (Syracuse, for Mayben). Does that mean that they do not deserve a second shot at earning their college diploma?
Thamel maintains that these players (among others) should not be at Binghamton, deeming it too risky for the school, and scoring it a loss even if the team wins. What Thamel does not assess, however, is the human capital involved here.
Malik Alvin originally attended UTEP before exiting after one season, in part due to academic issues. He proceeded to enroll at a junior college before Coach Broadus sold him on Binghamton. After sitting out a year due to transfer rules, Alvin got into some trouble with the law—stealing condoms from a store, and accidentally toppling over an old woman on the way out. In spite of this crime, he is a kind-hearted kid (who, like all students, sometimes makes poor choices). Sure, according to Thamel’s math Alvin has three strikes against him, but does that preclude him from deserving the opportunity to earn a college degree? Certainly he should not have broken the law, and maybe he should never have been accepted into Binghamton in the first place, but let’s look at in a different light—let’s look at the whole institution of high school and college ball in a different light.
As has been said repeatedly on this website (as well as many others), vast amounts of people profit from high school and college athletes. From their handlers, to their coaches, to the people who arrange tournaments starring them, all the way to ESPN who puts them on TV, many people earn their living on these players’ backs. Meanwhile, the players receive no monetary compensation for being the driving force behind an entire industry. The only reward they receive is the chance to go to college on scholarship. And, while that’s not too bad of a proposition for many of them, for some it represents a catch-22: They don’t have the grades—because of time spent refining their money-making skill—or the book smarts to academically keep up with college classes. For kids who fit into that category, what do they get in return for their services? They still get into college. Why? Because it’s still all about the bottom-line: The colleges, the coaches, TV networks, they all need these players to keep the viewers watching and the money flowing. And so, the way I see it, even if the player does not belong in college, the least that can be done is for them to be allowed to play, and graduate with their diplomas in hand.
Applying the above to Alvin’s case: Sure, he did some things that would have had the average college student put on probation or denied admission in the first place, but he deserves a second chance—a repayment of sorts for his lifetime given to ball and to other people’s pockets. And if Binghamton didn’t give him the chance someone else would have.
Another issue with Thamel and his article is that he focuses on Binghamton (after first trying to ostracize Broadus at Georgetown). Why did he choose to go after one University? Why not confront the whole establishment? Something about his continued focus on Broadus just doesn’t sit right. If targeting schools that recruit academically troubled students is his personal crusade, than he should do so with a wider range of schools and coaches in his scope.
Thamel made another contention in his article, one that a skeptic would challenge and that many people on campus are decrying as untrue. The argument woven into the column was that many people at Binghamton are opposed to the school’s elevation to the D-I sports level—a move made eight years ago. One of the main reasons the article cited was the acceptance of academically unqualified athletes into school. Adjunct professors were quoted, as were disgruntled employees and rival coaches. They all spoke of a lowered standard and trouble-making athletes. As usual, however, there is a flip-side to this coin.
“The campus has been crazy,” says D.J Rivera, one of the players under-fire. “We have a lot of support.”
Approximately 10 years ago the very same mountainous campus was filled with strife: racial, religious and otherwise. Students only associated with the other students who were similar to them. Clear divides were drawn between races and religions. It was a hostile environment to live in, let alone attend school. Now, you could try to make the argument that the Bearcats are dragging down academics at Binghamton U, but don’t deny what the team is certainly doing—uniting a previously fractured campus with each and every win. What’s more important the statistics or the harmonious relations being forged? Even stat junkies know the correct answer to that one.
David Okon, a senior from Philadelphia—like key players, Rivera and Alvin—represents the half of the school body that Thamel missed “[The] jump to D-1 was a necessary thing. For years now Binghamton has been planning to make a bigger name for itself across the country. They dropped the SUNY from their name and are also renovating half the campus. The switch to D-1 nine years ago was a good first step… and now we’re ready to dance.”
As Okon refers to, aside from the February article that embroiled the University in scandal, the season has been unlike any other seen in Vestal, NY.
In addition to winning 22 games (before the conference final was played) and finishing first in the American East, the Bearcats were awarded a spot in CollegeInsider.com’s list of top mid-major programs, alongside Davidson, Gonzaga, Butler and other more prominent mid-majors. Additionally, in spite of all the criticism, Broadus was awarded the title of American East Basketball Coach of the Year–an award voted on by his coaching peers and their athletic directors, as his team was victorious in seven more games than the year prior to his taking over the team. The fans also recognized the magnitude of the team’s success, voting D.J Rivera Fans’ Choice Player of the Year, and filling up the Events Center to the tune of 3,782 fans a game—a league high. In addition, on an individual level, senior forward Reggie Fuller was named to the third team All-League and the All-Defense team, with his averages of 10 points per, 7 rebounds, and a block and a half. Joining him on All-League team were juniors Tiki Mayben (13 points and 5 assists) and D.J Rivera ( 25th in the country and a league-best 20.2 point, and 6.5 boards), who occupied spots on the second team. Rivera was also named a Mid-Major All-American by FoxSports.com—earning him well-deserved national prestige.
Accompanying all of those awards, however, was a slap in the face. Rivera, a Second-Team All League player, was unquestionably one of the top-five players in the American East. Due to a “blackballing” of his participation this season, though, he was not named to the First-Team All League. A juvenile move coming from adult coaches. Rivera did not deserve to be overshadowed by American East coaches’ discontent with the NCAA rules; the team did not deserve to be ridiculed for Thamel’s discontent.
John Hartrick, Binghamton University’s Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications, says that the University does want to get in a “‘pissing’ match with The Times,” and will do its best to overcome the added adversity. Likewise, Coach Broadus decided not to respond to the article. Instead, he took out his anger and turned his focus towards the opponents in the American East tournament. As a whole, Binghamton U. released a statement in response to the article:
“From our perspective, the New York Times article did not accurately reflect some of the basic facts. Our primary goal at Binghamton has been and will continue to be the growth and development of all dimensions of the University. Our participation in Division I is a small but strategic part of these goals. As a fledgling program, no different from others, we face similar challenges and successes. Any suggestion that we have compromised our high standards and excellent reputation to achieve this goal is misleading.”
With that, the issue was laid to rest—for now—in Vestal, as the Bearcats have come face-to-face with the NCAA Tournament and now stand one game away from their long-awaited destination.
Playing in the school’s first nationally televised game, I couldn’t make out what Kevin Broadus was whispering in prayer prior to tipping-off in the League final against UMBC: maybe it was a prayer for victory, maybe it was for his much maligned players, maybe it was for his own beleaguered self and supposed misdeeds, or maybe it was just a man taking a moment to reflect. And that’s exactly what Kevin Broadus is: a man looking to lead a team and a school to the next level—the national stage—no matter your opinion of his methods.
***And that’s what he did on Saturday morning, when the Bearcats defeated UMBC 61-51, advancing to their first ever NCAA Tournament, as a school-record 5,342 screaming fans attended.

Big East Live Blog, Day 5

CHN — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:50:28 -0400

by Joey Whelan
Greetings everyone and welcome to championship night in the Big East. It has been a phenomenal week to say the least. There have been upsets, outstanding individual play and of course The Epic on Thursday night that anyone who witnessed will remember for the rest of their lives. Tonight brings us two outstanding teams vying for the ultimate bragging rights in arguably the ultimate conference.
Syracuse has been here before; in fact they’ve been here 13 times and have won 5 Big East titles. The Orange have had 35 players make the all-tournament team since the inception of the event back in 1980. The last time ‘Cuse won came in 2006, it was their second in a row.
For Louisville this is a first. The still relative newcomers to the conference have never made the championship round and prior to this season had amassed two wins in the event over the years. Terrence Williams is the only Cardinal to ever make the all-tournament team. All of those facts are meaningless tonight though as only one team can be crowned the Beast of the East for the 2009 season.
Louisville, the regular season champ, knocked off Providence and Villanova to get here. Earl Clark has posted two solid games so far and the rest of the production has been by committee. While Samardo Samuels dominated inside on Thursday, Jerry Smith got hot from the perimeter last night. Terrence Williams has been solid but has yet to really go off for a big game in this tournament as of yet. Something tells me that could change tonight.
Syracuse is of course the story tonight though. The Orange have won three games in three days to get here, but in terms of total minutes have essentially played four games. Super point guard Jonny Flynn has played an unreal 162 out of 165 minutes in three days; don’t tell me he isn’t tired. That’s really what this will come down to, how much do the Orange have left in the tank? Even when well rested Louisville has the advantage at essentially every position minus the PG spot. The Cardinals are bigger, longer and more athletic, but as we’ve seen, inconsistent.
The crowd is most definitely throwing the majority of its support behind Syracuse, and you better believe its a rocking house at the Garden tonight. This is what March is about. This is what college basketball is about. The Big East season is about to conclude and you can bet its going to be a dramatic finish. Tip off is next in the Big Apple.
Previous Big East Tournament Live Blogs: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Championship Game: No. 6 Syracuse vs. No. 1 Louisville
– Louisville’s starters are announced to the tune of Biggies “Hypnotize”. That should be worth ten points to start the game.
– Devendorf drills a three from the top of the key to get things going. I’m not sure what’s more amazing, the fact that he was so wide open, or that he kept his mouth shut after nailing the shot.
– Devendorf hits another three to put ‘Cuse up 6-0, but Earl Clark answers with an elbow jumper at the other end. I have a feeling that the junior is going to create some problems for the Orange’s 2-3 zone given his size and ability to score from mid-range. Jerry Smith swipes one from Flynn and lays in the easy two. The ‘Ville leads it 7-6 three minutes in.
– I know I’ve been hating on him all week, but the more I see him the more I feel like the Syracuse Orange is a reject Disney World character who is supporting himself by freelancing at a major University that happens to share his surname.
– The game is starting to get a very back and forth rhythm going. Pint sized Preston Knowles gets a tip in to go amongst the Orange bigs and Rick Jackson gets back to back flushes to go for Syracuse. Rick Pitino not liking what he sees from his front court on the glass calls time. With 12:38 remaining in the half give the Cards a one point lead at 13-12.
– I think fatigue may finally be starting to get the best of some of Syracuse’s players. Andy Rautins who has been so money all week when given open looks from the perimeter has been short on his first few open looks from deep. He gets called for a foul at the other end trying to pin a Knowles shot off the glass. Onuaku nearly takes the basket out of its foundation at the other end with a two handed stuff.
– The under 12 break finds Louisville ahead 20-14. The Cardinals are creating all kinds of problems with their full court pressure right now and have gotten three easy buckets in transition as a result of their quick hands. We’re also seeing Jim Boehiem go to his bench a little bit early in the game to rest some of his key players in the early going.
– Clark comes off a curl screen and hits another elbow jumper. He elevates so high on his shots that I have a hard time believing he has ever been blocked on the perimeter. Flynn comes the other way and is bumped hard going to the basket but the refs rule it a no call. A rather boisterous Syracuse fan in a tuxedo t-shirt has some choice words for the zebras. He is given reason to cheer though when Onuaku puts down another thunderous flush on the restart. It’s 25-22 Louisville with just over 8 remaining.
– The ‘Ville gets called for a three second violation and we’re at the under 8 official timeout. Syracuse is keeping it close which I figured the would during the first half. The big question will be if they have anything left in the tank to keep bringing the pressure for the final twenty. The other question, can Louisville play smart enough basketball to avoid letting the Orange hang around. If there is one team I don’t want to see in a close game at this point in the year it is Syracuse.
– Gerry McNamara (back for another game) is shown on the big screen and seconds later Rautins gets his first three to go. Hmmm, I wonder.
– Preston Knowles is having himself a ball game. No. 2 drills his second three and with 12 points has already doubled up his regular season scoring average. That last bomb by the way, about a step behind NBA range. Devendorf answers with a leak out though and puts Syracuse ahead 29-28. The Garden explodes.
– Devendorf buries a three from the corner right in front of the Louisville bench and glares at the Cardinals pep band. Pitino takes a timeout (second of the half) and the Orange have pushed the lead to four. Team of destiny perhaps?
– Terrence Williams gets a nice lay in and coming back the other way Onganaet throws down a flush but gets his legs taken out. Dude takes a brutal fall landing right on his back. After a few minutes on the floor he is able to make his way back to the bench under his own power. Paul Harris standing in knocks down the freebie for a 35-30 ‘Cuse lead with 1:18 to go until the break.
–The half comes to an end with Rautins drilling another bomb and the Cards proving unable to score in the final seconds at the other end. Can you believe it? Syracuse is ahead 38-30 at the break and has all the momentum going their way. I also just got word from a buddy who is watching this game on TV that Onganaet has been cleared to come back in.
– Former Syracuse greats Billy Owens and Derrick Coleman just walked by and into the media area which is where I’m heading right now for a snack. I’ll return in a little bit with some analysis of the first half.