ForumsA competitive World Series is heading to the City of Brotherly Love. The NBA has started down the 82 game long highway of a regular season. College football is celebrating its annual ritual of sorting out the vagaries of the BCS. If you haven’t heard, Bret Favre returns to Green Bay this weekend. College hoops is rolling into the exhibition portion of its schedule. It’s a great time to be a sports fan. Let’s start the Trap.
1. Here Comes The Payne. Taking advantage of NCAA Tournament success on the recruiting trail is imperative to remaining among college basketball’s elite. Tom Izzo and Michigan State are doing just that. With the addition of highly rated big man Adreian Payne, who chose the Spartans over West Virginia and Kentucky, Izzo has assembled a recruiting class that will keep the talent base in East Lansing at the level required to win big in March. Cashing in on a Final Four trip with a solid haul is the key to having the opportunity to return to college hoop’s grandest stage.
2. Talking ‘Bout A Revolution. A sweeping proposal was passed this week aimed at attempting to clean up the recruiting cesspool. While the legislation is certainly well meaning, its efficacy is highly questionable. For example, the prohibition of hiring people associated with a recruit in non coaching positions for two years on each side of the player’s signing seems to be a step in the right direction. However, the reality of the situation is that there are simple ways around this new rule. First, if a head coach feels a prospect is worth it, the person associated with the recruit can simply be placed on the coaching staff. If that isn’t an option, the coach will simply find other employment for their connection. Instead of AAU coach A being an assistant strength coach at State U, he’ll end up being a “consultant” for Shoe Company B or a “sales executive” for a company run by Booster C. The ‘AA deserves credit for the effort, but this legislation is akin to attempting to plug a crack in Hoover Dam with a piece of used bubble gum.
3. On The Other Hand… You certainly didn’t think I was going to say something remotely positive about the NCAA without following it up with a shot at their archaic and asinine rules, did you? On college campuses across America this weekend, a number of scrimmages will be played. For example, defending champion North Carolina travels to Nashville to play Vanderbilt. I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Why haven’t I heard about this?” Simple, the ‘AA has decided you shouldn’t. The media is banned from these events and coaches are prohibited from discussing them. I guess the fabric of college basketball will be destroyed if a coach mentions how his team performs in one of these preseason tests or a writer views and comments on the participants. Yet another nonsense rule from an organization that specializes in promulgating them.
4. Battered Bruins. Ben Howland runs physical, grueling practices. That’s no secret. It’s how he creates teams that play defense as if their lives depend on it. The success he’s enjoyed at Northern Arizona, Pitt, and UCLA certainly vindicates his methods. However, there is a downside. The Bruins have suffered a rash of injuries have prevented Howland from getting his young team on the floor intact. That’s a problem because this group has spent precious little time as a unit. While the walking wounded are beginning to return to the practice floor, it will be interesting to see if the lost time leads to a slow start against a rigorous early schedule.
5. Maybe It’s Something In The Water. UCLA isn’t the only squad in the City of Angels bemoaning health issues. Blake Griffin’s broken kneecap has muted what was an optimistic buzz around L.A.’s other NBA entry. It’s just another in a long line of crippling injuries for the franchise. Bill Walton. Norm Nixon. Ron Harper. Danny Manning. Lamar Odom. Elton Brand. All of those all star caliber players suffered serious injuries while wearing a Clipper uniform. Donald Sterling and Elgin Baylor have long been ridiculed for inept management, with good reason. However, the constant bite of the injury big certainly hasn’t helped the situation.
6. Rising Thunder. Staying with the NBA, arguably the most intriguing squad in the Western Conference is Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Jeff Green provide a young nucleus capable of elevating The Franchise Formerly Known As The Sonics out of the depths of the conference standings. While Scott Brooks doesn’t yet have the depth of firepower to challenge the elite out West, there’s no reason they can’t position themselves ahead of the Sacramentos and Golden States of the world. It would not be shocking to see OKC head into the final weeks of the regular season with a real shot at making the playoffs. That would represent massive short term progress for the Sooner State entry.
Until next week, stay classy, Volnation.
