Greatest college basketball player names

As our child's due date gets closer and closer, the thought of what to name him continues to creep into our minds.  This, in turn, lead to a discussion at lunch the other day about some of the crazy names out there in the athletic world.  The NBA has World B. Free, Metta World Peace and Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (all changed from their original birth names).  NASCAR has Dick Trickle.  The NHL has Miroslav Satan, Radek Bonk and Ron Tugnutt.  The NFL has Tshimanga Biakabutuka, Atari Bigby and Frostee Rucker.  The PGA Tour has Fuzzy Zoeller and Jesper Parnevik. However the best names are reserved for college basketball.  Here are my favorite college names of all time broken down into a starting lineup (my 5 favorite) and reserves (honorable mention).  It's OK to say them out loud too.  It's actually funnier if you do.


ALL NAME TEAM STARTERS
God Shammgod - Providence College 6'0" 169 lbs - His name has God in it...TWICE.  Awesome!
E'Twaun Moore - Purdue 6'4" 191 lbs - I enjoy saying Twan after he makes shots! (and in general)
LaceDarius Dunn - Baylor 6'4" 205 lbs - LaceDarius is just fun to say. It rolls off the tongue.
Boubacar (boob-a-car) Aw (ow)- Georgetown 6'7" 228 lbs - One of the best ever!
Ruben Boumtje Boumtje (boom-shay) - Georgetown 7'0" 257 lbs - A name so nice, you have to say it twice.

ALL NAME TEAM RESERVES
Ja Ja (ya) Dia (ja) - Georgetown
Duany Duany - Wisconsin 6'5" 200 lbs
Chief Kickingstallionsims - Alabama State 7'1" 265 lbs
Exree Hipp - Maryland 6'8" 205 lbs
Scientific Mapp - Florida A&M
Majestic Mapp - Virginia 6'2" 184 lbs
Just-in 'Love Smith - Siena 5'11" 190 lbs
Luc Richard Mbah A Moute - UCLA 6'8" 230 lbs
Idong Ibok - Michigan State 6'11" 260 lbs

Any that I missed?  Let me know.

5 things I learned last weekend (Feb. 25-26)

After a brief hiatus, I am back to tell you the 5 things that I learned last weekend.  These are things that presented themselves at some point and that can be very telling as the sporting year moves along.

1.  The Detroit Red Wings need Pavel Datsyuk more than they know.  They have lost him for a couple weeks as he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove fragments from his right knee.  Since he has been out, they lost at Chicago and at home to Vancouver and Colorado.  It isn't a surprise to lose to Chicago in Chicago, as they are a good team.  Losing to Vancouver is a little more of a shock just because they hadn't lost at Joe Louis Arena in more than a month.  Datsyuk was missed on defense and his ability to create on offense.  Also the game went to a shootout where Pavel usually shines.  He was absent, and so was a shootout goal for the Wings.  However, the biggest surprise was the home loss to the Avs.  They were dominated and played very poorly. I think most Red Wings fans would agree, we need Datsyuk back to restore order.

2.  Michigan State has at least a share of the Big Ten title after Wisconsin beat Ohio State in Columbus.  I never thought that I would find myself rooting for the Badgers but as the game got tighter, I was glued to the television.  I knew that a Badger win would give State a 2 game lead and a share of the title.  If MSU can win 1 of it's final 2 games, they would own the title outright.  So big time thanks to Bo Ryan and Wisconsin and a special mention to Purdue for beating Michigan in Ann Arbor on senior night making the latest Big Ten title possible.

3.  Lebron James still cannot be "The Man" down the stretch of games.  No matter what game he plays in, James just can't seem to put his team over the top.  He was brilliant in the all-star game last night leading the East back from a 17-point deficit.  He finished with 36 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists.  However, when the game was on the line, he deferred to Deron Williams who missed a 3 badly.  Then Lebron got another chance when they secured the offensive rebound.  He proceeded to throw the ball away on a pass that could have picked off by multiple defenders.  I guess we now know why he defers to Dwyane Wade so often (who had a triple double by the way).

4.  Poor Joel Zumaya has another arm injury.  After throwing 13 pitches in a live batting practice session, Zumaya walked off the mound with elbow pain.  Turns out, he tore a ligament in his pitching elbow.  If he wants to continue with a baseball career, he will have to undergo Tommy John Surgery.  That would make 6 surgeries since 2006.  The hard throwing right hander is probably best known for his 100+ mph fastball and injuring his arm during the 2006 playoffs playing Guitar Hero.  You can't blame him if he decides to retire, as overcoming so many surgeries is tough psychologically.  My lasting memory of Zumaya is in a game against the White Sox during the penant race.  He was facing Jermaine Dye and he threw 2 fastballs that were 101 and 102 mph.  Then on the 0-2 pitch, he threw a devastating curve ball that almost made Dye's knees buckle.  The crowd was fired up, Zumaya was fired up and I knew something special could happen that year.

5.  With Hunter Mahan's win at the WGC World Match Play Championship, he not only kept Rory McIlroy from becoming the world number 1, but he made it 9 out of 9 Americans winning on the PGA Tour this season.  That is surprising since the world is full of so many great golfers and no Americans are ranked in the top 4 in the world.

Special mention to Pete Weber.  If you haven't seen his celebration after winning his 5th US Open title, check it out.  It is classic.  I love animated bowlers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKQOXYB2cd8

Jeremy Lin

The Jeremy Lin story is one that continues to amaze.  I, for one, am not yet tired of hearing about him and watching highlights.  Lin had 6 consecutive games with 20+ points and 7+ assists.  That is a franchise record for the Knicks.  Keep in mind that those 6 games were the first 6 games that he played meaningful minutes.  So what did he do for an encore?  He only had 10 points and a career high 13 assists.  6 of those assists were either lobs for a dunk or led directly to a dunk.  He does what his team needs whether that is scoring, rebounding or distributing the basketball.  He has to cut down on the turnovers and guard the basketball better and then he can become a great NBA player.

One thing I do get tired of hearing about is how he is being compared to Tim Tebow in the way that he burst on the scene and took over a league.  They even have their own poses that people are copying all over the world and posting on the internet.  However, that is the only thing they have in common.    Tebow won a Heisman.  Lin walked on at Harvard.  Tebow won a National Championship.  Lin led his team to a NCAA Tournament birth.  Tebow was drafted by Denver in the first round.  Lin went undrafted.  Tebow had fans chanting his name before he first started a game.  Lin had his name crossed off a few rosters (as in cut) before finally getting a chance in New York.  New York Knicks coach Mike D'antoni took a chance on Lin and sometimes that is all a person needs.

These are my favorite Jeremy Lin nicknames:

5. Super Lin-tendo - Watch out if he drops 64 on someone
4. Mr. Lin-credible - When the Knicks need him, he saves the day
3. Lin-stigator - He gets the ball where it needs to be
2. Lin-sanity - The way the world has gone crazy since he burst on the scene
1. Lin-ja Assassin - He quietly leads the Knicks and down the stretch, before you know it, you are done

Honorable mention:

Simply Lin-credible, Just L-in Baby, Lin-glorious Basterd, Lin-ferno, NY is Lin-debted to Jeremy, Lin-fatuated, All L-in, It's L-inning time, Lin-derella, Lin-stant offense, Lin-spirational, To Lin-finity and beyond, Lin-fluenza, Lin-ish him (in your best Mortal Kombat voice), L-in your face, L-in Diesel, Jackie Chan of basketball, Yellow Mamba, Jeremy "Shao" Lin, Sippin on Lin and Juice

Pistons vs. Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings were on the verge of setting the record for most consecutive home wins in NHL history.  I was excited to watch and see how the game would play out.  I sat on the couch and turned it to Fox Sports Detroit and to my surprise, the Pistons were on.  I thought, OK, let me check NBCSports.  Minnesota was playing Anaheim.  Wow was I unhappy.  After all, the Pistons are having a stellar season at 8-22.  And they did just get beat by 20 by Washington (who is 7-21).  I think they should put a bad NBA team on FSD instead of a team on the cusp of history (sarcasm).  Instead the Wings were on FSD+, which I don't get.  As it turns out, the Red Wings were dominant and won 3-1, securing the record.  Wish I could have seen it.

The Pistons game, on the other hand, was pretty entertaining.  In typical Piston fashion, they got down 17 points against the San Antonio Spurs before mounting a rally.  Ben Wallace was playing in his 1,055th game which is the most all time for an undrafted player since the NBA-ABA merger in 1977.  They actually took the lead late in the 4th only to have the officials stear them away from a potential victory.  With Detroit down 1, Tony Parker got a "star" call on a play where Brandon Knight never touched him.  He made 2 free throws to put the Spurs up 3.  The next offensive possession for Detroit found Manu Ginobili guarding Tayshaun Prince in an obvious mismatch.  Prince did what all good players do when they have a smaller guy guarding him, he took him to the post.  Ginobili then did what is increasingly popular in the NBA.  He flopped and sold the official effectively ending the game.  It wasn't a total waste but I still would have like to watch history. 

5 things I learned last weekend (Feb 11-12)

Another fantastic weekend of sports came and went and a few things really stood out to me.

1.  Michigan State can absolutely lock you up on defense.  The Spartans put on another defensive clinic in dominating the 3rd ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus.  They held the Buckeyes to 48 total points on 26.4% shooting while ending their 39 game home win streak.  MSU has bought into the Tom Izzo philosophy that they are going to guard you, frustrate you, outwork you and beat you up physically.  State ranks 15th in the country in scoring defense, giving up 58.6 points per game, and ranks 5th in field goal percentage defense holding their opponents to 37.4%.  MSU also ranks 12th in 3-point field goal percentage, 9th in rebounds per game and 3rd in rebound differential.  Basically, they force you into bad shots and then don't give you an opportunity to get cheap points by getting offensive rebounds.  They have come a long way since giving up 81 points to Lehigh.  Now if they can put the ball in the hole, they have a real chance to make the Final Four.  Fingers crossed.

2.  I have Jeremy Lin fever.  This guy burst on the seen from the NBA D-League and has led the New York Knicks to a 5 game winning streak.  Did I mention that they are playing without superstars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire?  Lin-sanity has taken over the Big Apple just when they needed him.  He has revived the fan base and fueled his team.  They believe they can win but most importantly, they believe in him.  The former Harvard Point Guard, who was born in California, is averaging 26.8 points, 8 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game while playing 39 (out of 48) minutes a game in his 5 starts. The most staggering stat is that he is making 52% of his shots.  It isn't like he is making 4 out of 8.  He is shooting 19 times a game!  When the Knicks played Kobe and the Lakers, Kobe was asked if he knew about the sensation that is Lin.  Kobe downplayed it insinuating that by the end of the night, Lin would know who Kobe was.  WRONG!  Lin went for 38 points and 7 assists to Kobe's 34 points and 10 rebounds.  The most important statistic...  Lin-sanity and the Knicks got the win.  He is a refreshing story and I am all L-in.

3.  The Red Wings have tied the all time record for consecutive wins at home with 20.  20 games in a row!  Think about that for a second.......It is mind boggling.  These are the greatest hockey players in the WORLD!  The two teams they are tied with (Boston Bruins, 1929-30 and Philadelphia Flyers, 1976) didn't have to deal with players from across the pond.  They mainly had to play against North Americans.  To me, that is what makes this streak so impressive.  1 more to go for the outright record!  Bring on the Dallas Stars!

4.  Tiger Woods is not ready to win a major tournament just yet.  He started the final round 4 shots off the lead having shot in the 60's for his first 3 rounds.  He had played well and was 2 shots ahead of Phil Mickelson and the 2 were paired together!  What a drama filled afternoon this was gonna be.  Drama filled for about 30 minutes.  Mickelson got off to a blazing start with birdies at 2, 4 and 5 and then eagled the 6th.  He put a beating on Tiger that he has never seen before, drubbing him by 11 shots on the day.  Phil shot a magnificent final round 64 winning the tournament by 2 strokes.  Tigers putter really let him down as he missed 6 putts from inside 5 feet and limped to the clubhouse with a 75.  Tiger wasn't even the best player in his Pro-Am two-some.  Dallas Cowboys Quarterback, Tony Romo actually played better than he did.  Woods has looked really good at times this year but Sunday at Pebble Beach will soon be a day that he wants to forget.  This epic collapse, on that stage, leads me to believe that, mentally, he isn't ready.  Guys on tour no longer fear the mystique that he once possessed.  Once he exercises the mental demons, and only then, will we begin to see the brilliance of Tiger Woods.

5.  Kentucky's Anthony Davis will be the #1 pick in the NBA draft.  Davis is a game changer and has already set the SEC all time record for blocked shots in a season.  He averages 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks per game and can be a dominant post presence at 6'10" and 220 pounds.  Davis is just a freshman so he can only get bigger and better. His athleticism and the way he plays are reminiscent of a young Marcus Camby.  I have heard about him this season but haven't actually watched him play until this weekend.  I can only hope that the Pistons, while trying to win of course, tank the rest of their season so they can get lucky enough to get the first overall pick.

Will Ferrell does intros for Bulls-Hornets

Will Ferrell announced the starting lineups for the New Orleans Hornets home game against the Chicago Bulls last night.  Was this a good idea?  Probably not from the players perspective.  To be specific, the Hornets starting 5.  The starting lineups are a time for the home team to get excited and amped up.  Usually they turn the lights off and play a theme song (not Journey) or maybe do some pyrotechnics.  The fans are invested and into it.  You let a comedian do the starting lineups and it becomes a spectacle (80's night).  Everyone is laughing and wondering what they are going to say next.  Guys are wondering how he will insult them.  It could lead to a slow start in the game and when a bad team is hosting a really good team, they need to get off to a good start.  New Orleans didn't do that and ultimately ended up losing by 23.  Now was that a result of the pregame festivities?  Only the players can tell you that.  YOU'RE MY BOY BLUE!

However, from a fans perspective, it was hilarious and a nice change of pace.  The introductions added some much needed publicity to the NBA that regular announcers just cannot provide.  It was classic Will Ferrell (if you don't like him than you probably didn't think it was too amusing).  I thought he was funny and creative and said things that not many people would think of to describe guys like Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Emeka Okafor (majored in Econ but minored in LOVE).

My only problem with it was that if he is going to announce the starting lineups, he should do it for his hometown team.  Or at least a team he roots for.  A team he can really get excited about.  He is from California and doesn't live in New Orleans.  He was there filming a movie.  Maybe we can get more movie stars to do starting lineups in other cities.  Maybe Christopher Walken introducing the Heat or Bill Murray introducing the Knicks.  What do you think?

In case you missed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv3bYWuUUng

  

Cold Blooded Buzzer Beaters

I didn't think that there was any way that last nights game between Duke and North Carolina could live up the hype that ESPN had been giving it.  They listed the 10 greatest finishes (games) between the 2 schools through out the course of the day.  What a fantastic job of foreshadowing because they now have a new number 1.  Duke trailed by 10 with under 3 minutes to go.  They hung around just enough to get the final possession and a chance to tie with a 2, or win with a 3.  In typical live by the 3, die by the 3 fashion, Dukes Austin Rivers quieted the sold out crowd in the Dean Dome with cold blooded dagger into the hearts of Carolina fans everywhere.  In case you missed it, here is the final shot.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrevERVW5Cg

My favorite part is that Dick Vitale was speechless afterward.  That is not an easy thing to do!

This game, and that shot, made me think of my favorite buzzer beating game winners. In no particular order.

Korie Luscious in the NCAA tournament against Maryland.  After General Greivis (Vasquez) single handedly brings Maryland back, Luscious steps on their dreams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3_bcJyAaI4

Grant Hill to Christian Laettner to beat Kentucky.  My favorite part of this is Thomas Hill's face afterward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iq58_oz4&feature=fvst

Michael Jordan against Cleveland in the 1989 Playoffs.  He hangs in the air just long enough to let Craig Ehlo fly by and bury the jumper.  The celebration afterward is classic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5WUOnTxwPw

Bryce Drew beats the buzzer to upset Ole Miss in the 1998 NCAA tournament.  It is always fun to watch Cinderella dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0haGKGiX9qA

Evan Turner makes a 35 footer at the horn to beat Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.  This is one of my favorites because, well, it was Michigan on the losing end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVLWsHjVu9Y

Last and certainly not least...

Michael Snaer beats the buzzer and upsets Duke.  FSU snapped Duke's 45 game home win streak that spanned 3 years.  My favorite part of this video, other than it was FSU beating Duke, was the look on Seminole coach Leonard Hamilton's face afterwards.  The look of "No big deal.  Just another day at the office."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=ovReB_4s3P8

Angry fan voices displeasure after missed free throw

Winning boils down to a few things in college basketball.  Play good defense, rebound the basketball and make your foul shots.  Generally, if you do that, you will be victorious.  Coaches know it.  Players know it.  Even fans know it.  That is why, as a fan, the game can be so frustrating.  Under such intense pressure, the body reacts differently.  With the game on the line, it is much more difficult to make a free throw than it is if you are in the practice gym by yourself.  Do players intentionally miss free throws?  Of course not.  Do fans understand that? I am not so sure.

Such was the case in the recent college basketball game between Maryland and Clemson.  Clemson guard Andre Young (an 88% free throw shooter) stepped to the line after being fouled while attempting a 3-pointer.  His team trailed by 3 with 10.7 seconds left.  Under an intense amount of pressure and the game on the line, he promptly missed the first "free throw".  The crowd groaned and waited for the next attempt.  Which he, you guessed it, missed again.  I feel for him in that situation.  I know a lot of people who would feel terrible for him.  Apparently one fan in particular doesn't feel the same.

http://deadspin.com/wake-up-deadspin/

Gronk

Oh the life of an NFL player.  Before the game, analysts talked about how Rob Gronkowski's ankle injury may limit what the New England Patriots want to do offensively.  Maybe that was true.  However, the ankle didn't stop Gronk from dancing on stage during the Patriots post game party.  Gronkowski only had 2 catches for 26 yards in the Super Bowl loss and was 2 yards from a miracle.  Apparently that didn't faze him.  People cope with defeat differently.  Some rest and reflect on how they could have played better.  Some sulk (Tom Brady) and try to hold back tears (Wes Welker).  Some hit the bottle pretty hard.  Not Gronk.  He hit the dance floor. With his brothers and Patriots Left Tackle Matt Light, Gronk rocked out on stage during a performance by LMFAO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNN_eBFlZ5U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQgVjt2H9lg

Should this be the reaction from someone who, that day, lost the Super Bowl?  I don't think so and I am pretty sure that most people would agree with me.  Even if you aren't heart broken, as many of your teammates were, at least act like it.  Go to the post game party, hang out for a few, say hi to some people and then leave.  Maybe even have a drink or two but don't get up on stage and take your shirt off.  That gives the perception that you don't care that you just lost the championship game, the biggest game you may ever play.  These guys owe personal apologies to Patriots owner Robert Kraft.  A guy who has built this franchise into what it is today.  A guy who recently lost his wife of 48 years to cancer and was visibly crushed after the game.  He deserves better than that.

5 things I learned last weekend (Feb 4-5)

This past weekend was filled with many ups and downs.  As you know, it was Super Bowl weekend and the game, while dull at times, did not disappoint from a drama aspect.  While everyone was getting ready for the big Super Bowl parties that were going on, there were other stories and events taking place.  Here are 5 things I learned.

1. The New York Giants are the first team to win a Super Bowl with a negative point differential during the regular season.  They were outscored by 6 points during the 16 game season.  Just goes to show you that if a team gets hot at the right time, anyone can win.

2. Giselle Bundchen, Tom Brady's wife, isn't afraid to say what is on her mind.  She criticized the Patriot receivers for dropping balls at inopportune times.  She stated that her husband cannot throw the ball and catch the ball too.  What?!?  You mean to tell me that he isn't Superman.  As a fan of the game, I don't want to hear that criticism from anyone, let alone a player's wife.  They weren't trying to drop the ball.  Sometimes you just don't make the play.  That is the difference between a Super Bowl Champion and a runner up.

3. Kevin Love does have a little bit of a dark side.  A few weeks ago, when the Minnesota Timberwolves were playing the Houston Rockets, Luis Scola tried to save a ball from going out of bounds and fired it directly into Love's midsection.  He apparently didn't forget that in the most recent matchup when he stomped on Scola's head.  Scola caught the ball in the post and started to back Love down.  Love reached in and smacked the ball away (getting mostly arm) and knocked Scola down.  Then stomped on his head as he was going to the other end of the floor.  He got a 2 game suspension for that and by the way, no foul was called.

4. 1 week after blowing a 3 shot lead on the 18th hole, Kyle Stanley came from 8 shots back to win the Phoenix Open by a single shot.  He has enough talent to win on the PGA Tour but no one, except maybe Stanley himself, thought that he could rebound from such a disappointment so quickly.  The game of golf is as much mental as it is physical and apparently no lead is safe.  Maybe the greatest teacher of all is failure.  It just depends on how quickly you can pick up the pieces and move forward.

5. Apparently the cycling world has a real doping issue.  Alberto Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour De France title and banned for 2 years after he was found guilty of doping.  It is big blow to the sport for a well-known name to be found guilty after winning the most famous race in their sport.

A big congratulations to former Spartan Greg Jones, who not only gets a Super Bowl Championship, but also became engaged, proposing to his girlfriend as the confetti fell from the rafters.

Super Bowl in London? Not a good idea

The NFL is considering having Super Bowl L in London.  Is it because L can stand for London or 50?  I think that the NFL should really consider this proposition before actually making it happen.  The game of football, while gaining international interest, is still very much an American game.  Super Bowl Sunday is almost an american holiday.  It's more than just a game.  It is an event.  People get together for Super Bowl parties regardless of if their team is playing.  It is the grandest stage of all professional championships and I think it would be an injustice to take it overseas at this point.  People in the United States worship the game as if it were a religion and gather on their couches every Sunday (perhaps after church) to watch 9 hours of countless collisions and car crashes.  People in England worship Soccer the same way.  Would England ever consider having its greatest game in the US?  I don't think so.

It is no surprise that NFL owners are interested in taking the Super Bowl to an international destination.  They have had preseason games in London, at Wembley Stadium, in the mid 80's and early 90's and have had a regular season game there since 2007.  This move is about one thing, the almighty dollar. Tickets for this years Super Bowl in Indianapolis are going for an astonishing $5,000.  The event is already one that the average american cannot afford to attend.  Now you tack on international flights, sight seeing expenses and hotel stays, there isn't a chance that many Americans can attend.

Now there is the discussion of a time difference.  London is 5 hours ahead of the us on the east coast and 8 hours on the west coast.  So to maintain the normal starting time that we are accustomed to (6pm), the game would have to start around 11pm.  I don't think that Wembley Stadium, which seats 90,000, would be sold out and it could be borderline embarrassing for the NFL.  After all, it would be a Sunday night and people would have to work the next day.  I am not sure that they could sell out the FA Cup at that time.

The NFL has built a powerhouse of a brand and to have the Super Bowl anywhere but American soil (maybe Toronto) would be a travesty.  If they do this, they will lose a whole lot of the fans that have made the game what it is today.  Fans that drive the business, and as a fan, I would be very unhappy if my team (Detroit Lions) was to make the Super Bowl for the first time and it was being played in London.

College chosen because of fast food Restaurant

Signing day for High School football players has come and gone.  Most of the highly recruited athletes held press conferences and tried to come up with creative ways to say that they were going to one college or another.  There are many factors that go into consideration before choosing which school will be best.  Academics, atmosphere, coaches, tradition, location, what fast food chains are on campus.  UHH.  The latter being the supposed reason that LB Cassanova McKinzy (from Birmingham) chose Auburn over Clemson.  REALLY?  He stated that "It was kind of the environment and plus they had no Chick-fil-A on campus.  You had to go like, probably like 15 minutes off campus to go to like a real restaurant."  Nothing says REAL restaurant like Chick-fil-A.  I hope Brann's Steakhouse isn't offended.  The really funny thing is that Clemson DOES have a Chick-fil-A on campus.  He probably should have asked about that.  I can honestly say that I would not choose a school based on whether or not a Taco Bell was there.  Some priorities are way out of whack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhC0f-o0jfY  - McKinzy interview.

I think that the winner here is....Clemson.  Going to college is supposed to be about getting an education to better yourself and prepare for the real world.  McKinzy clearly doesn't think that.  He is getting a full scholarship and has probably bumped a kid who actually wants to go to school to learn.  Why would you want a guy on campus who only cares about what fast food chains are there?  That is sending the wrong message to the youth of america.  He is already showing his true colors and he probably won't be there very long.  Athletes are already perceived to be selfish and egotistical and this story doesn't do much to discredit that.

I guess the only thing left to say is....War Eagle!

MSU Vs. Illinois

I have had a couple days to think about the horrendous game that was Michigan State and Illinois.  Not exactly an instant classic.  This was a game that finished 42-41.  83 total points for the game.  To say that each team struggled to shoot the ball is a huge overstatement.  To put in perspective, Illinois guard Brandon Paul had 43 points in a win against Ohio State earlier this season.  43 all by himself.  Neither team reached that mark.  Michigan State had more rebounds (43) than either team had points.  What!?!  When has anyone ever had more rebounds than points?  Those are mind-boggling statistics.  Before the game, if you tell me that MSU hammers Illinois on the glass and shoots 83% from the free throw line, I would have told you that State wins by 15, if not more.  As Chris Berman says, that is why you play the games.

To break it down further, MSU was 14-58 from the floor (24.1%) and Illinois was only marginally better at 15-46 (32.6%).  Keith Appling was 1-11 from the floor including a missed layup at the end and Adreian Payne was 3-10, with all 7 of his missed shots being layups as well. Sometimes layups are hard, I get it.  I have missed them with the game on the line.  As a coach, there isn't anything you can do or say to make them go in.  The guys aren't trying to miss them or any other shot for that matter.  Sometimes you have tough nights.  Nothing is more frustrating to a coach, believe me, I have been there too.  It appeared that nobody wanted to win this game.  Brandon Paul (73% free throw shooter) was 5-9 for the game including missing the front end of 1 and 1's, twice, late in the game.  This was at home no less.  Maybe Dan Dakich was right when he said that the basketball was over inflated.

Oh yeah, did I mention that Draymond Green (MSU's best player) sat out early with foul problems and then got injured late and was a non-factor?  That certainly doesn't help things.

I try and watch all the Michigan State games and this is by far the worst offensive performance I can ever recall.  They played great defense, were dominant on the glass and Brandon Dawson was a monster.  But if you can't put the ball in the hole, you aren't going to beat anyone.  This performance just makes the next game against Michigan all the more important.  Hopefully Green will be able to play and I expect a great bounce back game (at home) against their in state rivals.

They can't play any worse.