Stars Everyone Forgot About

I love to reminisce about the NBA (preferably the years 2000-2008) and I got to thinking about this last night when me and a couple friends were thinking of some players we liked back in the day. So this blog is dedicated to some players that were good in the 2000s or maybe some guys you may have forgot about. NBA junkies will love reading this and I think it's a fun and entertaining way to end the week. I'm basically blogging like the fan that I am compared to my previous blogs where I attempt to be some type of sportswriter. So here's to you "The Stars That Everyone Forgot About".



Ricky Davis: Otherwise known as "Cornrow-Mutton Chops". Ricky Davis was future of the Cleveland Cavaliers before LeBron arrived he averaged 20ppg the year before LeBron was drafted. If you remember he attempted to get a triple double vs. the Jazz by intentionally missing a lay-up on the opposing basket and getting the rebound (I'm serious YouTube it) unfortunately for Ricky it did not count. After being shipped out of Cleveland after LeBron's rookie season he went to Boston where he was the secondary option to Paul Pierce (by the way those Celtics teams were awful). He then went on to play for the T'Wolves, Heat, and Clippers it wasn't that he was not good the league just got better around him I think and thus he has been forced to play overseas the past few years. Now however he plays for the D-League's Erie Bayhawks (New York Knicks affiliate) looking for one more shot at the league (The Knicks have nothing to lose at this point in my opinion may as well give him a 10-day contract). WE WANT RICKY!

Jason "White Chocolate" Williams: Real life example of a black guy trapped in a white guys body. He was the Kings' point guard of the future before he was traded for Mike Bibby, an unreal passer and ballhandler  he does not get the credit he deserves for that. Stats aren't terrific but he's one of those players that you just need to watch to appreciate his game. Quite the journey-man played for the Kings, Grizzlies, Heat, Magic. He also won a title in 2006 with Shaq and D-Wade in Miami. Kudos to Jason Williams he's that guy everyone forgets about....... but I don't.

             

Peja Stojakovic: Let me say this: If you wanted to win games on NBA Live 02-08 for PS2 you used whatever team Peja was on. End of Story. Peja is the definition of an International player-pure uncut shooter. He was the most underrated player on those Sacramento teams that were so good in the early 2000s. Shot 40% from beyond the arc for his career and is a career 17ppg scorer. I was going to put up a YouTube video like the other ones but do you really want to watch 4 minutes of a guy only making threes? All in all you want Peja on your pick-up team.








Steve "The Franchise" Francis: Find one person on this planet that didn't enjoy watching Franchise play.......Have you found one yet? Didn't think so. So much energy, so much passion, so much talent, so much everything. Those years where he was with the Rockets were just some of the best ever, I feel so bad for him however because after he got traded to Orlando for Tracy McGrady his career just went downhill, he couldn't stay healthy and he lost all of his explosiveness because of his injuries. I'll always love Franchise a truly unreal talent.

Tracy McGrady: Yeah I know did everyone really forget about T-Mac? I would argue yes after he left the Rockets besides a select few. This man was UNREAL in Orlando and Houston he averaged 32 a game 2003! I can't really put into words how much I loved T-Mac back in the day. He gets a bad rap because he couldn't win in the playoffs. Please stop and respect T-Mac because he did stuff like this...

 

The second video is appropriately titled "The Lost Legend"


I mean I could go on and on and on and on and on with players that were once some of the best at the time but go unnoticed now. My main goal was to get you "the fan" thinking about some of your favorite players from back in the day and just reminisce about the NBA you grew up with. Feel free to comment or tweet at me some of your favorites as well I could talk for days (and I mean Days) about this stuff. Hope you enjoyed.


-NS(@NolanPSchmidt)




                           

 

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Welcome to Tuesday, hope you had a great weekend. I had a pretty good weekend, including a big win for the NDSU basketball team on Saturday over rival SDSU. ESPN projects them as a 12 seed for the NCAA tournament, which is right around the corner it seems. Hopefully the herd keeps it rolling through the Summit League Tournament. On to this week's topics...

2014 Sochi Winter Olympics

I'll bet a lot of you are like me when it comes to the Olympics. I caught Olympic fever for the two weeks before the games, and when they started, I realized I didn't care whatsoever. Well, the two week event has finally ended in Sochi. Medals were won, hopes were dashed, and nations were lifted. Here's the final medal count in case you were curious.

 

The U.S. put out a good effort racking up the second most medals in the games, but were edged out by the host nation. There were many controversies about this Olympics being in Russia, like the fact that Sochi is actually a summer paradise. The actual Olympics were held in a near by town up in the mountains. The living conditions for the athletes were quite poor. The opening ceremony was a failure, and Vladimir Putin has probably currently locked himself in his home and will drink these games away. Although the Russians won the total medal count, their hockey team was a huge disappointment. Russia should be really embarrassed by how unprepared they seemed to be. Enough with the news, how about my top 5 favorite events from this year.

1. Snowboard cross- This is where five athletes race down a hill around turns, over bumps, and over kickers. It is very intriguing to watch as the racers move very fast and there is high likelihood of wiping out. 
2. Luge/Skeleton/Bobsled- They go really really fast and it looks like they are going to go off the top of the turns everytime.
3. Downhill Skiing- The goal is to get down the hill as fast as you can. A big time wipeout can happen at any time. 
4. Hockey- I hate hockey, but with the U.S. pulling off some impressive victories early, I couldn't help but root Team USA on.
5. Ski Jumping- Scariest sport out there, I can't believe they almost always land these jumps.

 New Home Plate Rule in MLB

This has been a hot topic ever since Buster Posey was trucked by Scott Cousins a few years ago. For 2014, the MLB has instituted this experimental rule change:

"A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the umpire shall declare the runner out (even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball). In such circumstances, the umpire shall call the ball dead, and all other baserunners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the collision.

Rule 7.13 comment: The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule 7.13. If the runner slides into the plate in an appropriate manner, he shall not be adjudged to have violated Rule 7.13. A slide shall be deemed appropriate, in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner's buttocks and legs should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. In the case of a head first slide, a runner shall be deemed to have slid appropriately if his body should hit the ground before contact with the catcher.

Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable."

A lot of verbage, but I'll break it down for you. I think they got this spot on. Runners can no long intitiate contact unless the catcher has the ball and is in front of home plate. However, he can not use arms, elbows, or lower a shoulder to do so. It pretty much has to be incidental contact. The catcher on the other hand, can no long block the plate without the ball. The only problem I see with the rule change is judging whether or not the catcher was blocking the plate, whether there was intent for contact, and other judgement calls. But with the expanded instant replay rules that go into effect this year as well, this rule will be reviewable, so hopefully with the replay option everything will be called properly.

Boeheim, Michael Sam/Jason Collins, and Jadeveon Clowney

These guys are grouped together because I will only briefly touch on them.

Jim Boeheim was in the news after his rage session after the Cuse-Duke game. Syracuse lost the game on a charge call which was probably not a charge, looked like a no call to me. I don't really care though because I love when coaches go off like this.

Michael Sam and Jason Collins started what I can see being a string of athletes deciding to come out of the closet. This is more of a news story, not a sports story. Let NBC or CNN cover this and focus on their athletic abilities ESPN.

I think Jadeveon Clowney solidified himself as the number one pick in this year's NFL draft. He has impressed at the NFL combine and has my attention. Here is his 40 yard dash finish compared to Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick.

Pretty shitty picture, but the black blur is Clowney, first red blur is Newton, and the last red blur is Poppke (Kaepernick). Clowney is a DE! He is faster than a couple of the fastest QB's in the NFL. Can you imagine J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney coming after you? I would be surprised if he isn't the first pick.

Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson/Angels Pitching

Sorry guys, I ran out of time today. I need to budget time more efficiently (I know I told myself that last blog). Expect these last two pieces of what I was going to cover to come out later this week.

-Austen Stewart

 

NBA's Worst Franchises

I've been thinking for a while about who the worst NBA franchises are and I've finally come up with a list of 5 teams that I think have been the worst NBA franchises of my generation which I'll consider since 2000 roughly. This list was compiled based off of business decisions/contracts and of course the team's success. If your favorite team is on here (and don't feel bad mine is) I apologize but some fans need to face the facts. There are clearly more than 5 bad NBA franchises but these 5 I feel are the worst of the worst. Perhaps some honorable mentions are in order:

Cleveland Cavaliers: I apologize in advance to my good friend Tom Fraase for this bit he has always been a loyal Cleveland sports fan and I very much admire that. The only reason they are not in the 5 worst is because of LeBron's tenure from 2003-2010. If you look at those teams LeBron was a part of they would struggle to win 30 games with the roster they boasted without LeBron. LeBron is the reason they're on the honorable mentions list, Cleveland got him to leave! Every kid dreams of playing for his hometown team and LeBron was no different but, they failed to give him the pieces to win a championship so HE LEFT HIS HOMETOWN TEAM. I don't blame LeBron one bit for leaving, if I were as good as him and I was forced to play with such names as Larry Hughes, Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow, and Drew Gooden I'd leave too. Maybe the city of Cleveland wasn't meant to have sports teams.

Milwaukee Bucks: Seattle is waiting for you...... Yes they've had playoff appearances with Ray Allen, Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, Michael Redd and recently Brandon Jennings but, they honestly haven't been relevant since Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson played there in the 70s. Also let me map this out for you they lost Ray Allen (to the Sonics), they lost Glenn Robinson (to the Hawks), so what should they do? Sign a 19ppg for his career player (Michael Redd) to a 6 year deal worth 91 million!! What? Yes they may have been right in signing him long-term (unfortunately for the Bucks he couldn't stay healthy) but 91 million?

Alright now onto the worst of the worst...

Charlotte Bobnets: Yes I combined Bobcats and Hornets what of it? They've only been a team since 2004 but they haven't been the best regardless. As I've stated before Michael Jordan is the GOAT when it comes to playing but clearly it doesn't translate to the front office. They've had only 1 playoff appearance in their franchise's history and that was in the "Gerald Wallace Era", that's when you know you're an awful franchise when you have an era devoted to GERALD WALLACE. The upside you would think to having bad teams is good draft picks but apparently they're not good at that either here is a list of draft picks made by the Charlotte Bobcats:

Gerald Wallace
Primoz Brezec
Jason Kapono
Zaza Pachulia
Emeka Okafor
Raymond Felton
Sean May (shout-out to Jaxon)
D.J. Augustin
Gerald Henderson
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Kemba Walker
Cody Zeller
oh yeah I almost forgot..........ADAM MORRISON. Anyway how many of those draft picks have been successful NBA players? All of them except MKG and Kemba (who were drafted recently) have played for more than 2 teams so that should tell you something. Maybe changing their name to the Hornets will help.....

Detroit Pistons: Wait but Nolan they've won a title? Indeed they have in 2004. Now I'm not saying those mid-2000s Pistons teams were bad because they weren't but what was bad was their President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars. After they won their title everybody on that team got paid and paid substantially Rasheed Wallace (5-year, 57mil.), Chauncey Billups (4-year, 46mil.), Tayshaun Prince (5-year, 49mil.), Rip Hamilton (3-year, 34mil.). Those are some big figures people and the thing is besides Prince they all left before those contracts were up. This didn't help the Pistons on the floor either they haven't made the playoffs since 2009. They also overpaid Ben Gordon (5-year, 55mi.) and Charlie Villanueva (5-year, 35mil.), they also traded their best player Chauncey Billups for a washed up Allen Iverson. They have also signed Tracy McGrady and Chris Weber in the past so maybe Dumars just thinks their still good even though their past their prime. Now he's faced with a team with tons of talent (Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, and Brandon Jennings). Apparently Joe Dumars was the only person on Earth who didn't know that Smith and Jennings wouldn't mesh and he paid them both rather well. This team need better management and they need it NOW.

New York Knicks: They've made playoff appearances yes but haven't had the tools to win a title since Patrick Ewing and John Starks were there. Another instance where management has put this team where it is at today. Remember when they could have drafted Rajon Rondo but instead they drafted RENALDO BALKMAN. It's not that they haven't had good players to win games either their rosters have boasted such names as Stephon Marbury, Latrell Sprewell, Antonio McDyess, and of course Carmelo Anthony. It's a matter of coaching and front office people a few coaches to note are Isaiah Thomas and Mike D'Antoni both horrible coaches if I do say so myself. Also I cannot forget the atrocious contract they gave Amar'e Stoudamire (5-years, 100mil.) yes you see that right 100 million dollars, within the next two years Amar'e will make 45 million dollars! He has only played 76 games in the past two years! Unbelievable really all I know is the Knicks need a complete overhaul in some facet of their organization. Maybe let Spike Lee run the team?




New Orleans Hornicans: Combined names again hahaha I'm too funny. New Orleans changed it's name and it hasn't essentially worked out for them quite yet but they are in their first year so I'll cut them a break. Best thing this franchise ever did was draft Chris Paul in 2005 he led them to a few playoff births but nothing major and then what do they do with their franchise cornerstone that is supposed to be New Orleans' savior? Trade him of course to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, and then what should you do? Overpay Eric Gordon sounds good (3-year, 44mil.). Now what else can we do.....of course sell the team to the owner of the New Orleans Saints yeah let's sell it to a guy who only knows football. They did draft The Brow which is terrific he is their franchise player for years to come. Then a few questionable moves trade for and sign Tyreke Evans (4-years, 44mil.) and trade your draft rights (Nerlens Noel) and future picks to Philadelphia for Jrue Holiday. As of now Evans, Noel, and Holiday are not meshing well together but only time will tell. I truly want the Pelicans to succeed they have all the right pieces but I think they should've kept Nerlens and the picks and kept Greivis Vasquez as their point guard.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Oh boy here we go......I've been a Wolves fan for as long as I can remember there were no better days when KG, Wally, Spre, and Cassell were taking the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals, those were actually some of my best basketball memories to date. Unfortunately I have to put my favorite team on the list of worst NBA franchises and they are no doubt deserving and here is why. Yes those teams in the early 2000s were terrific they could keep pace with any team in the league and always gave Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers good runs in playoff series. They haven't made the playoffs since the 04-05 season and there are a multitude of reasons because of this mainly management and coaching. I feel as though they had the talent to win games up until KG left(which I'll get to later) but they couldn't find the right pieces to put around the Big Ticket. Here is a rundown of the T'Wolves draft picks from 2005 till now:
Rashad McCants (Another shout-out to Jax)
Bracey Wright
Brandon Roy (traded for Randy Foye on draft day)
Corey Brewer
O.J. Mayo (traded for Kevin Love on draft day)
Mario Chalmers (traded on draft day)
Ricky Rubio
Jonny Flynn
Ty Lawson (traded on draft day)
Wayne Ellington
Wesley Johnson
Nikola Pekovic
Lazar Hayward
Derrick Williams
Robbie Hummel
Gorgui Dieng
Trey Burke (traded for Shabazz Muhammad on draft day)
Lot of guards right? Why would the Wolves need that many guards? You're right THEY DIDN'T NEED THAT MANY GUARDS. Also a few trades to look at just see if they look good on paper:

• Traded Sam Cassell for Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers
• Traded Wall Szczerbiak and two ham sandwiches (Dwayne Jones and Michael "The Candy Man" Olowokandi) for Ricky Davis. Mark Blount, Justin Reed, and Marcus Banks
• Traded KEVIN GARNETT for Al Jefferson (before he was good), Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, and two picks
• Traded Ricky Davis and Mark Blount for Antoine Walker, MICHAEL DOLEAC, and Wayne Simien

Is your blood boiling yet? Here is what will set me over the edge THEY TRADED FOR DARKO MILICIC AND GAVE HIM A 4 YEAR 20 MILLION DOLLAR EXTENSION. Who in their right mind would give that much money to Darko Milicic the biggest bust in NBA history? If you're a Wolves fan you probably know that David Kahn thought it was a good idea to give Darko that much money, and draft 3 point guards in the first round in 2009. Here are some other great moves by Mr. Kahn

• Hired Kurt Rambis as head coach
• Traded Corey Brewer and Kosta Koufos for Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph
• Signed a washed-up Brandon Roy, Lou Amundson, and Josh Howard.

Luckily Kahn left the Wolves at the end of last season which means things can only go up for the Wolves. Unfortunately there record hasn't shown any improvement even after the signing of Kevin Martin in the offseason. I think I'm the only one that sees the vicious cycle the Wolves go through, have you ever heard the phrase "history is bound to repeat itself", this is what is going on in Minnesota right now with their cornerstone Kevin Love he is the equivalent of Kevin Garnett in the mid-2000s after the Wolves started losing games he wanted out and he got out and won a title in Boston. Love's contract is up at the end of next season and if the Wolves don't make a turn around and make the playoffs this season or next season they will lose yet another franchise cornerstone in Kevin Love.

I better stop before I have a brain aneurysm.

-NS(@NolanPSchmidt)

Controversy at Cameron

Before the offensive player (with the ball) becomes airborne, the defender must have two feet on the floor, be facing the opponent and be stationary to draw a charge. Otherwise, it should be a blocking foul. (http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/60143/ncaa-shores-up-block-charge-definition)

The call made against C.J. Fair at the end of the Duke-Syracuse game last night was wrong. Plain and simple. Whether or not it cost Syracuse the game, we will never know. However, Syracuse would have at least tied the game with about 10 seconds remaining and even could have gone up by one point if the play were to have been called a block like it should have. As a former athlete, I know how it feels to lose a game because of a blown call. I feel terrible for the Syracuse Orange.

 

That being said, something needs to be done about the block/charge call in NCAA basketball. Apparently the 2013-2014 season was supposed to be the season that the NCAA cracked down on defensive fouls, particularly the block/charge call. The NCAA strongly defined the block/charge call, and the officials are supposed to be able to differentiate between the two. Obviously that is not the case, and there needs to be a further understanding and enforcement of the block/charge call in NCAA basketball.

I understand that officials are human. No matter how strongly the block/charge call is defined, there will not always be a correct call. However, at the end of a close game, as an official, you need to get close calls correct. Blowing a call and possibly costing a team the game is unacceptable.  Leave it at a no call if it cannot be determined.

 

What can be done so that officials can make correct calls at the end of a game? The only thing that makes sense to me is instant replay. If the officials would have had instant replay in the Duke-Syracuse game, they could have reviewed the play, gotten every officials opinion, and made the correct call. I think that because officials are human and it is impossible for them to get every call right, instant replay MUST be available at the end of close games. Taking an extra 3 minutes to evaluate a close play is well worth the time so that the correct call can be made.

 

Something MUST be done in college basketball so that teams do not lose the game because of an incorrect call. Period.

 -Jaxon Fitterer

@Fitterer_Jaxon

 

Note: Opening paragraph source is in parentheses right after the word "foul". Courtesy of ESPN.com and Eamonn Brennan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr9m7xS8NeU See for yourself, Rodney Hood was not completely set before Fair starts his upward motion.

NBA Midseason Awards

Thought I'd throw together a blog on NBA midseason awards. I think I'll put together a list of nominees for each awards rather than pick one player and cause a worldwide debate (false confidence saying worldwide I know) but here it goes....

MVP:

Besides the obvious nominees (Slim Reaper and King James) who need really no in depth analysis into how good they are. Ultimately we all know it will come down to those two at the top but here are a few names to chew on perhaps:

Kevin Love: Easily the best power forward in the game at 26ppg and 13rpg makes a prime candidate I believe to be in MVP talks. His only downfall however is that he plays for the Wolves who haven't made the playoffs since 2003-04 season. If he had any chance to begin with in winning the award it went away as soon as you look at the Wolves record.



LaMarcus Aldridge: I'll say this every time I talk about Aldridge, he has been the most underrated player in the league for the past few seasons in my eyes. The reason this is so is because of how bad the Blazers have been in recent year. He is finally getting his due since the Blazers are a terrific team this season. Averages 24ppg and 11rpg which is highly respectable when you play alongside a another terrific scorer in Damian Lillard.



Rookie of the Year:

Michael Carter-Williams: Great rookie for an awful team. 17.1ppg which is good for second on the team but is really basically tied for first if we are rounding because the teams leading scorer is Evan Turner with 17.4. He also averages 6 assists per game and 5 boards a game, it really impresses me that at 6'6" he plays the point guard and that adds a mismatch every time he takes the floor. However he only 39% from the field which is well below the league average (45%). Also doesn't shoot the best from the line either (70%) which is below the league average of 75% as well.

Victor Oladipo: I think Oladipo will turn out to be the best player to come out of this draft. Decent stats 14ppg, 4apg, and 4rpg which seem low considering he plays for an abysmal Magic squad who's leading scorer is Aaron Afflalo. Again shoots below league average (41%) maybe its the rookie jitters.



Trey Burke: Another player that I think will turn out well in the league and I think he's in a good position in Utah. Averages 12ppg,5apg, and 3rpg. What jumped out at his stats for me was that he does not even average a steal per game (0.6) which is surprising considering his quickness and athleticism. Out of the three nominees he shoots the lowest percentage at about 37% which clearly needs to be his area of improvement.



Coach of the Year:

Terry Stotts (Blazers): 36-17 record makes for the 5th seed in the West also lead the league in ppg and rpg as a team. Really a good turnaround story here as Stotts is finally able to bring together his talent to win games.

Jeff Hornacek (Suns): The biggest surprise of the entire NBA season is the rise of the Phoenix Suns, with Hornacek in his first season he has led the Suns to a 31-21 record and a team that is 5th in the league in points per game.

Sixth Man of the Year:

Hard to find another nominee besides Jamal Crawford honestly maybe Manu Ginobili but Crawford is the player that comes to mind when I hear sixth man. Averages 18ppg, shoots 41% from the field, and 36% from beyond the arc. Very hard to do as a guy that comes off the bench for a team with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul makes it that much more impressive.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Anthony Davis: Leads the league in blocks with 3 a game. Another interesting stat is Davis only allows 2.8 field goals at the rim per game which is very impressive.

Roy Hibbert: Averages 2.5 block per game to be exact and is second behind "The Brow" in field goals allowed at the rim (4.1 per game).


Most Improved Player:

Lance Stephenson: Lance has improved in every major statistical category from last year. Averaging 14ppg(9 last year), 7rpg(4 last year), and 5apg(2 last year). Has also improved his field goal percentage from 46 to 50% which is highly respectable. He also has improved his maturity level from last year.

Anthony Davis: The Brow is back! The model of improvement in the league this year is Ant Davis. Upped his scoring average from 13 to 20ppg, increased his rebound average from 8 to 10 per game. Also shoots 52% from the field and 76% from the line which are both improvements from last season.


Andre Drummond: First I'll point out that Andre Drummond is roughly two months older than me which means as of now we are both 20 years of age. Drummond is 6'10" 270lbs, I am 6'0" 160 lbs....Genetics I guess. Anyway enough self pity, Drummond has increased his scoring average from 7 to 13 and increased his rebounding number by that same margin. And he even as upped his free throw percentage from 37 to 40%! May not call for a celebration but it's a glimmer of hope.


Goran Dragic: Steady improvement from Dragic lands him on the list. Averaging 20ppg which is up from 14 a game last year also has improved his shooting percentage from 44 to 50% which is very good for a point guard like Dragic. Also is the main reason the Suns are so good this year. He has been leading them all year.

Well I suppose that's all I got for now. Be sure to check out Austen's newest Tuesday blog and watch out for our newest contributor Jaxon.

-NS(@NolanPSchmidt)

Top 5 College Basketball Teams: A Breakdown

Hello everyone! My name is Jaxon Fitterer and I am excited to say that this is my first contribution to S&S Sports Station. A BIG thank you to Austen Stewart and Nolan Schmidt for letting me join. I am excited to be a part of this blog and hopefully I can add some interesting insight.

With March Madness right around the corner, I thought it would be fitting for my first blog to be about college hoops. I am a die hard North Carolina Tar Heels fan (even though the past couple years have been dissapointing) and college basketball is by far my favorite sport to watch and follow. Enough about me though, lets begin the breakdown of the top 5 college basketball teams in the nation.

#5 Duke University Blue Devils

Ahh yes, Duke. As a North Carolina fan I cannot stand the fact that they are consistently amongst the top teams in the nation. However, I will not ever be biased in this blog. 

Duke has a great squad this year. At 10-3 in the ACC (3rd place) and 20-5 overall, the Blue Devils look like a team that could go deep into the tournament. Freshman sensation Jabari Parker, with 19.2 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game, is indefinitely the leader of the team. Parker is nearly impossible to guard one on one, and when he gets going offensively, Duke is a tough team to beat. After Parker comes Rodney Hood, who averages 16.2 points per game and has made 55 three point shots. If a team chooses to put their best defender on Parker, Rodney Hood usually takes care of business. The next 4 players, Quin Cook, Rasheed Sulaimon, Tyler Thornton and Andre Dawkins shoot threes. That is what they do. If you leave them open, they will make it rain, and when Duke is making three point shots, they are at their best. Almost HALF of the shots Duke made in their overtime loss to Syracuse were three pointers. I do not want to say that Duke lives and dies by three ball, but you could make a case for it.

The one thing that could knock Duke out of the tournament early is their size. Duke does not have a strong post presence and sometimes struggles to rebound the ball. If they met up with a team who rebounds the ball well in the tournament, it could mean trouble.

Tournament Prediction: Loss in Elite 8

 #4 Arizona Wild Cats

This one is going to be short and sweet. I have watched the Cats play 2 times, and both times I have been unimpressed. At 23-2, the Cats may seem like a spectacular team, but their record is deceptive. The ONLY and I mean ONLY quality win that they have had in my opinion was against Duke. Other than that, their schedule has been extremely weak. They recently lost to their in state rivals (ASU) and they have also lost to California. This Arizona team is like the Gonzaga of last year, good record, weak schedule, and an early tournament loss. I just do not see this team making it past the second round of the tournament. Aaron Gordon is a good basketball player, but he is young and inexperienced and if Arizona decides to depend on him to get them to the final four, they will be disappointed. 2 things Arizona does well: Ball movement and defense. Other than that, I think this is an average team who played a below average schedule. 

Tournament Prediction: Loss in second round

#3 Wichita State Shockers

 

 Four guys with double digit scoring figures, 27-0 record, and still riding the hype of their spectacular Final Four appearance in last years tournament, the Wichita State Shockers are the 3rd ranked team in the nation. Here is what I have to say about the Shockers: Cleanthony Early, and Ron Baker. Both of these men can straight up ball. They have both almost made 50 threes and average 16.2 (Early) and 13.4(Baker) points per game. The other three guys, Fred VanVleet, Tekele Cotton, and Darius Carter each add great scoring and defense to help out the studs. The Shockers can score (75.1 ppg) and when they get going offensively they are hard to stop. However, their 27-0 record is deceptive because they have not played any good teams. They have experience in tournament play, and I think that they are a tough match up for teams because of all of the different ways that they can score. I think that they will make it far into the tournament because Baker and Early will put the team on their backs.

Tournament Prediction: Loss in Elite 8

#2 Florida Gators

 

 Florida is legit. They have all of the ingredients of a championship team. First of all, they have experience with Patric Young, Scottie Wilbekin, Casey Prather and Will Yeguete. Secondly, they can flat out defend. And thirdly, they can score. Casey Prather (15.7 ppg) is having a tremendous season. He can score in so many different ways and he is quick and hard to defend. If we are on the topic of quickness, lets mention Scottie Wilbekin (13.5 ppg), who might be the shiftiest college basketball player that I have ever seen. Wilbekin can blow past ANYONE in college hoops. Lets also mention Michael Frazier II who has splashed 69 three balls. Throw in the hustle and grit of Patric Young and Will Yeguete and you have yourself a complete team. I have watched Florida play a few times and each time I have been impressed with their ability to score and how well they dictate the flow of a game. I think that comes down to experience, which the Gators have plenty of. They have been to the Elite 8 the last 3 years in a row. At the end of the day, I think Florida's strongest asset is their ability to stop teams. They play lock down defense, and I truly believe that defense wins championships. HOWEVER, I think Florida is going to lose in the Final Four. When you read who the number one team is, I think you will know why.

Tournament Prediction: Loss in Final Four (very close game)

#1 Syracuse Orange

This Syracuse team is the best Syracuse team that I have ever seen since Carmelo Anthony and his national championship team in '03. The only way that you can beat this team is if you go lights out from the 3 point line. And even then, Duke made 15 threes and STILL lost!

C.J. Fair (16.5 ppg) is the most skilled offensive player in all of college basketball. He is silky smooth and he makes clutch shots when his team needs it. He can shoot it from long range but also take it to the rack. He is virtually unstoppable, unless you make him go right, which most teams have not been able to do. Tyler Ennis (11.8 ppg) is the best pure point guard in all of college basketball. Ennis controls the tempo of the game so well and NEVER gets rattled. He also has the "clutch gene" and steps up when his team needs him. Trevor Cooney (13.6 ppg) has made 76 threes so far this year and shoots 42% from beyond the arc. He will pull the trigger at any time and has been draining threes all year long. Jerami Grant (12.5 ppg) is an animal. He pulls in 7 rebounds a game and is a true presence down low with his aggressiveness and his defense. Grant is an all around solid athlete. And finally, Rakeem Christmas is the garbage man on this Syracuse team providing hustle, defense, and heart. 

Heart is one thing that this Syracuse team has. They have a will to win and they are going to play any team right down to the last buzzer. I think Syracuse will beat Florida in the Final Four and go on to win the national championship. I am not simply picking them because they are number one, I am picking them because I truly believe that they have the best shot to win the title with the way that they have looked so far. They have a ton of experience and they are going to get their points. The only thing that I can see stopping them is if a team makes 15-20 threes in one game which is not an easy thing to do.

Syracuse WILL experience their first loss on Saturday at Cameron Indoor stadium against Duke. It is tough to get a win in that building and just as some said that the officials were on the Orange's side at the Carrier Dome, the officials will DEFINITELY be on Duke's side at Cameron Indoor. This being said, I actually think it is a good thing for them to lose because it takes the pressure of being undefeated off of their backs. It is hard enough to win multiple games in a row to become national champions and adding an undefeated season to that would be EXTREMELY difficult. It is a bad omen to be the team that is undefeated in the playoffs (16-0 New England Patriots for example). The Orange will get their loss out of the way, and focus on winning it all. 

Tournament Prediction: National Champions

For all of you North Dakota State Bison fans, Joe Lunardi has NDSU as a 13 seed in the tournament playing Iowa St. in the first round. I think NDSU will go to the tournament and I also think that they have a chance at winning a few games. NDSU has a veteran team with skilled players.

I hope you all enjoyed this blog!

Until next time,
Jaxon Fitterer