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The leaves are falling from the trees and the real games are straight ahead. This week’s Trap contains an electic group of topics. Let’s get down to business.
1. Adidumb. Sometimes a story comes along that gives us an insight as to what determines the difference between the metaphorical windshields and bugs in life. The Central Florida-adidas imbroglio is a perfect example. By choosing to make a public fight out of Marcus Jordan wearing the shoes made famous by his father, adidas proved themselves to be the petty, second rate operation they are. When Eddie Sutton took over at Kentucky, he switched the Cats from Converse to Nike. One of his players, Roger Harden, happened to be the son of Converse’s college basketball rep for the region. Harden wore Converse. Nike’s response? They didn’t make it a public battle. That’s why the swoosh rules basketball. They get it. Industry leaders don’t have to go to war over what one player does. It’s easy to see how this will play out. UCF will get a sweetheart deal with Nike and adidas will continue to drift toward irrelevance. The windshields always win.
2. Amateur Hour, The Sequel. For those of us who consider NCAA bashing to be one of our favorite sports, October and November have become prime hunting season. Every time I think the boys in Indy have reached the apex of cluelessness, they climb a little higher up Mount Moron. This brings me to case of West Virginia freshman Deniz Kilicli. The ‘AA has suspended Kilicli for 20 games. His “crime?” Playing for a club team in Europe that had professionals on its roster. Kilicli didn’t receive the first dime, but that’s irrelevant to the Inspector Clouseaus of college sports. They are so wed to their literal interpretation of the outdated and nonsensical rules that govern amateurism issues that logic and reason have no place in their calculations. I would love to hear their explanation as to why Kilicli is sitting out two thirds of the regular seasons, while players who play with professionals in domestic summer leagues, like the Rocky Top, face no penalty. Actually, I wouldn’t. The only thing worse than the imbecilic decsions the NCAA makes is the halfwitted doubletalk they use in pathetic attempts to justify them.
3. Bona(d)venture. One of the best rebuilding jobs in college basketball is being done at St. Bonaventure. Jan Van Breda Kolff’s scandal plagued tenure dug the Bonnies a hole that the respected and classy Anthony Solomon was unable to dig out of during his time in Olean. Enter Mark Schmidt. The former Robert Morris head man has brought on floor credibility back to Bob Lanier’s alma mater. Going from 8 wins in ‘07-’08 to 15 wins and a .500 record last season is evidence of that. In speaking with Coach Schmidt this week, it was obvious he isn’t resting on that improvement. He told me that taking the next step, contending for postseason play, is now their focus. Coach Schmidt admitted that a tougher nonconference schedule and an extremely deep Atlantic 10 will make taking that step a difficult task. However, solid talents like Andrew Nicholson and Jonathan Hall give his squad a legitimate shot at playing past the A-10 tournament. That’s a sign of real progress.
4. Southern (Conference) Comfort. I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins this week. The longtime Georgia Tech mentor sounded energized about the coming season. While he certainly pointed out how damaging the loss of Antwaine Wiggins is to his squad, Coach Cremins was comfortable saying he thinks he’s got a sound squad. With a new facility, which has led to North Carolina, Clemson, and Tennessee agreeing to play on the Cougars’ home floor, the future is certainly bright for Cof C. If his three freshman post players can compliment Tony White and Charleston’s other solid perimeter performers, it’s quite possible we’ll be seeing Coach Cremins back in the NCAA Tournament come March.
5. Sidney Saga. One of the most important eligibility rulings in some time may well be close at hand. Don Jackson, the attorney for Renardo Sidney and his family has stated he believes an NCAA decision affirming the five star recruit’s amateur status is imminent. While this could certainly be public posturing, it does allow one to consider a couple of intriguing possibilities. First, it would make Mississippi State an immediate contender for an SEC title and a spot in the Final Four. Sidney is that good. Also, it could be the death knell for the current amateurism standards. Nobody associated with the college game actually believes the Sidneys paid the rent on the opulent house they lived in after moving from Mississippi to Los Angeles. If the ‘AA declares Sidney good to go, it will indicate they have no real stomach for delving into the murky financial relationships common in summer basketball.
6. Defenseless. It is always amazing to this writer how some people with decision making power in the NBA ignore the obvious. As an example, I give you Michael Heisley and Chris Wllace of the Memphis Grizzlies. Their squad was defensively deficient in ‘08-’09. With that as a backdrop, they add Zach Randolph. That is akin to hiring Bret Favre to help your human resources department counsel people on taking quick and decisive action regarding retirement. As expected by everyone but Grizz management, Memphis can’t guard the ground they stand on. Having Gay and Randolph on the frontline defensively is comparable to putting an “Open All Night” sign in the middle of the lane. There’s a reason the Bluff City’s franchise elicits laughter around the league.
Hope you enjoyed the read. Until next week, stay classy, Volnation.
