COURTSIDE VIEW: "Revenge is the Sweetest Joy"

Johnny J

2Pac once said, "Revenge is the sweetest Joy" (90% of our readers should know the rest of that line--Ed). To LeBron James, the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers were suppose to win it all. Instead, those dreams were swept in a dust pan and thrown away by the San Antonio Spurs. Six years later, with a stacked resume, LeBron looks to have the last laugh. Since that defeat, LeBron has won an NBA championship, won Finals MVP, has reached the Finals, three consecutive years, won an NBA scoring title and has two gold medals in the Olympics. Oh, did I mention that he is considered the best player on the planet right now?

This year's best scorer in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony, still hasn't learned that it takes more than one player to win a championship. Now at 28, a mature and focused James is up to the challenge of facing the same team who crushed his chance of winning his first ring.

James also has two other All-Stars on his team in Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Yes, Bosh is soft, but he still was an All-Star. LeBron needed help from other superstars to eventually win a ring last year against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  An Avengers team was created and the Miami Heat have been too hot to extinguish. When the Heat lose, everyone panics--everyone but the Heat. They continue to play their game. My first thought on Game 7 between the Heat and the underdog Indiana Pacers was that LeBron is going to take over. I mean he has to because his team is not showing up. Instead in the first quarter, he passed on a few shots. He had 6 points at the end of the first quarter (on pace for 24 points--that's not too shabby!--Ed) and they were only down by two. He let the game come to him. At halftime he had 18 points (36 points' pace?--Ed) and he finished with 32 points. He scored when he needed to. There was even a Dwyane Wade sighting as he scored 21 points to help LeBron and company advance to the Finals.

But if their is a team, who I believe can put the flames out, it is the Spurs. Over the first three rounds, they showed me that old men can play (besides Uncle Drew that is).  They swept the Los Angeles Lakers, beat the young and talented backcourt of the Golden State Warriors, and swept the Memphis Grizzlies with the same broom they used on the Lakers. That's what opened my eyes, and then I closed them because dirt got in my eyes from the sweep. Oh wait, that was just the thought of me losing $40 bucks for thinking old men can't jump. The Spurs are not a physical team, but they can get up and down the court with the best of them. Even though they have three aging stars, they would have a total of nine days of rest before Thursday's Game 1 match-up.

(Not to be confused with the Louisville Cardinals' Second Wind.  Click here, if you want to read my entry on the Cardinals' march to the NCAA Championship). 

During the regular season, the Heat and Spurs played chess with each other.  Both teams sent messages to one another by not playing their "Big Three" on the road during their regular season match-ups.  The Spurs were fined a quarter of a million dollars for resting their big players against the Heat. Even though they lost, they only lost by five in Miami. That told me that they would still be a great team even without their stars. The Heat countered the Spurs by resting James and Wade in the Alamo (Bosh played so they wouldn't get fined, in my opinion).  Amazingly, the Heat won by two on a Bosh three-pointer. I don't know if they knew they would see each other in the Finals, but they didn't want to give away any scripts. Now is the time to see if that fine was worth it. No scripts given out here!

(Unless you believe in NBA conspiracies--Ed).

I believe this is the last year for the big three in Miami. Between Bosh being soft and Wade's bum knee, they're getting weaker.  Plus, with the Cavaliers getting yet another #1 overall pick, going back to Cleveland looks more appetizing for LeBron (irony much?--Ed). Is Pat Riley going to have to choke a player to get them to do what he wants them to do?  The Spurs have been through this for over a decade. They know what's at stake. A dynasty is getting ready to take the floor. I'll put my dustpan away for this series. It's definitely going to be long. James is going to be looking at making his list of accomplishments even longer and all that work he has put into making a name for himself.  This is the time to use the talents that took him to South Beach.  This is the time to silence all of the critics and haters.  This is the time for James to once again feel the sweet joy of revenge.

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BUCKET BRACKETS 104: A Second Wind

Johnny J

I consider all teams in March Madness to be tough. Regardless of records or seeding, it's a reason why certain teams are chosen to go: whether its winning their conference, having good wins against some tough teams, or are there to make a statement, i.e. certain players from smaller schools willing to show other programs why they should have been recruited by them. For instance, the "Fab Five;" five African-American high school All-Americans that attended Michigan in the early 90's. They made a statement by being good players whom resented elite schools. According to Jalen Rose, now an NBA on ESPN analyst, his resentment was because of schools not recruiting kids whom didn't have a two-parent home. They had a different swagger. They wore baggy clothes and rocked a hip hop look. Yet they made it to the championship games in 1992 and 1993, losing to Duke and North Carolina. Their statement was that they could compete with any school in the country and they wanted to prove it. They had a second wind.

Other schools are there because they had the talent around them to help get them there. Just because a school is projected to win it all, doesn't mean its going to happen. Just ask Indiana, whom lost three times this year ranked as number one. That's why the games are played. So how does a good school who is projected to win it keep there composure? Motivation is one way; revenge is another.  Both can be used to make a statement (recurring theme I keep talking about).  But it has to be something that inspires an individual, maybe family, school, scouts, or a lost one.

Like Loyola Marymount, when they lost a teammate during the season. Hank Gathers collapsed during a game and later died in 1990. The team was placed in the tournament that year as an 11th seed. The Cinderella team made it to the Elite Eight. Even though they didn't go all the way, they found a second wind in finding a reason to win for their teammate.  If they needed that extra push, that incident gave it to them.

This year, Louisville received their second wind when Kevin Ware broke his leg in the Elite Eight game against Duke. The Cardinals turned a close game into a 22-point defeat of the Blue Devils. What helped sparked that run was the magic words, from there lost brother:

"Win the game, win the game"

Indeed, the Cardinals did win the game. As I sat and watched them hold his jersey up after that victory, I already knew they were going to win the whole thing. I wasn't a Louisville fan, but just seeing Ware on ESPN talking about how this team was like his family and how close they were, I quickly started rooting for them. Just seeing him trying to hold his tears back in the interview made me a believer. He was incredibly grateful for all of the support everyone was giving him.

Then when he traveled with the team to Atlanta, to support his teammates, told me this guy has become an unbelievable inspiration. He just broke his leg and suddenly he's on crutches asking if he can be with his team. I don't play for the team, but it made me want to go out there and suit up for him.

In the semifinal game against Whichita St., Louisville's best player was struggling. The team was down by twelve in the first half and then they received a second wind from Luke Hancock, (no not Will Smith in a tight, superhero suit) but a bench player who came in and hit three treys in a row. Louisville closed the gap from twelve to one heading into halftime.

"I just thought we needed something," said Hancock, whose 100-percent mark from 3 is, of course, a title-game record. "I tried to do whatever I could to help the team. I usually take a back seat to Russ [Smith] and Peyton [Siva], which I'm fine with since they are such great players. I just hit a few shots." Hancock, went 5-5 from behind the arc. He was also named, Most Outstanding Player, in the Final Four.

His brothers showed how much they thought about him.  I can just see it in their faces as they competed. Ware was the last player on the team to cut down the net. Everyone needs inspiration and Louisville found theirs.

And now they're Champions!

BUCKET BRACKETS 103: Best Defense Ever?

Johnny J

The Syracuse Orange were the first team to punch their ticket to the Final Four next weekend in Atlanta by beating Marquette 55-39. The Golden Eagles defeated the Orange back in February 74 -71, but Saturday was all Syracuse. The 2-3 zone swarmed all over Marquette  as they coughed up the ball 13 times. Both teams shot poorly from the field: Syracuse just 38% and Marquette a measly 23%. They shot 12%from behind the arc going 3-25.

"They cover ground really good. You've got to get the ball in the middle, you've got to play inside out, you've got to get to the free-throw line and wear them down with the 3-pointer when you can,"said Marquette's junior guard, Vander Blue. "They're really good at what they do in that zone." Blue went 3-15 from the floor.

Syracuse makes their fourth Final Four appearance, the last time was in 2003, when they won the National Champion. Led by a guy you may know, by the name of Carmelo Anthony. So what's better than having Anthony's jersey retired this year? Wait, wait--what's better than saying good bye to the Big East Conference and saying hello to the Atlantic Coast Conference? I'l tell you what; it's bringing home a Championship trophy and switching conferences at the same time. Hello ACC! Welcome the University of Syracuse, 2013 Champions!

"You want to go out with a win," said junior forward C.J. Fair.

Barack Obama was in attendance as well as Washington Redskins quarterback, Robert Griffin III. I guess Obama had to see the team that beat his team up-close in person (he had Indiana winning it all).  Not a bad way to leave the nation's capital, brushing off your shoulders.

Syracuse played an up and down season all year long. The first part of the season they went 18-1.  They looked like a dominant Big East team that couldn't be slowed down. They finally did in the second half, going 5-7 against teams in the Big East. They played so bad down the stretch, that they had to open the Big East tournament against Seton Hall. Usually a good team in the conference gets a first round bye to let the weaker teams battle it out. Yes, Syracuse was considered a weak team late in the season. They overcame adversity by making it past three teams to reach the Big East Championship. They lost it by 17 to Louisville.

I have no idea how you lose 7 out of 12 games and still be a ranked team. Syracuse were ranked 19th at the end of the season, which helped them secure a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Somebody must have known something I didn't because they turned it on after that loss to Louisville, winning three straight to reach the Final Four.

The Orange are making more rounds than the Blue Man Group!

Also reaching the Final Four is Wichita St.  A team that has reached the Final Four for the first time since 1956. Since my bracket is totally ruined, I wouldn't mind seeing Syracuse and Louisville in the Championship game. A rematch and a farewell gift. The battle of the Big East for one last time! With Louisville all ready punching their ticket to the Final Four, that scenario is one step closer to becoming a reality.

More NCAA content is available here. 

BUCKET BRACKETS 101

Charles Barkley said the Mountain West Conference is better than the Big Ten. Hurry, you want to get into Barkley’s bracket pool.
— steve rosenbloom (@steverosenbloom) March 19, 2013

Johnny J

Everyone may know how to fill out a bracket, but I'm here to help you keep an open mind about when making these selections. As we know, all teams are capable of losing at anytime. I take all match-ups in the tournament serious and with that said, there is no such thing as an "easy" match-up, regardless of the seeding (Unless of course a match-up involves a #16 seed--Ed). For instance, looked what happen to Kansas in 2010. They were the number one seed overall and they lost to ninth-seeded Northern Iowa in the second round.  No one saw that coming and it teaches everybody a lesson: it's always smart to do research on these small schools that no one has never heard of. When you look at match-ups, you have to take into play everything. I mean EVERYTHING:  where is the game going to be played? Are any of the key players injured or in a slump? And how did this school I never heard of make the tournament?

With that said, let's take a look at the top seeds:

• Kansas 
• Louisville 
• Gonzaga 
• Indiana 

Now in my opinion, Indiana shouldn't be a number one seed. Miami, who just won the ACC tournament, as well as the ACC regular season crown, should have been rewarded with the #1 seed. Indiana, on the other hand, lost three times in six games. Three times!  They got crushed by Wisconsin, in the Big Ten. Not to mention they lost three times as a number one seed (Hotter than a Hot Potato--Ed).  Another thing I don't understand is how is Louisville number one overall in the tournament? Gonzaga--hello?--they've only won 14 in a row; going a perfect 16-0 in their conference and only losing two games all year. No love for the small institutions.  I'm sorry, "mid-majors."

With the tournament starting on Thursday, now is the time to fill out your brackets. You wanna be able to take your time and do research on these teams. You don't wanna rush into it, because every mach-up is harder than it looks. The seeds that are in the middle are always the hardest.  If you just look at the match-up you realize it can go either way. For example my favorite team is North Carolina.  Currently, they are an eight-seed playing ninth-seeded Villanova. Of course I want North Carolina to win, but Villanova is tough. I had them to win the Big East tournament. They were 4-2 against top 50 RPI teams. That is a tough match-up if I've ever seen one. I definitely have to think about some of these picks. So starting early is beneficial.

Looking at team stats is a plus as well. If a team ranks fifth in scoring in the country, I know they can score anywhere, anytime, and at any place.  The thing is, "can their opponent keep up? Can they score?  Can they play defense?" All these things come into play. Here's a good example: the Creighton Blue Jays of the Missouri Valley Conference, is not a ranked team, but they can score. They are ranked 24th in the nation averaging 75 points per game. And they make shots consistently ranking 1st in the nation at almost 51% from the field. They are a dangerous seventh-seed. If they get past Cincinnati, they could face two-seeded  Duke in the third round, which would be a very tough match-up for them.

You should now have a better understanding of filling out your bracket. Look at all angles of each game: who has the "home advantage" at a particular "neutral site?" Who can score? What teams are hot? Most important of all, start thinking about these match-ups early. Oh yes, there will be upsets!

I already hate my bracket.

— Barry Rozner (@BarryRozner) March 17, 2013

More NCAA is available here.

THE BIG EAZY: The Final Big East Conference Tournament

The Big East final at Madison Square Garden as a special thing to cover. The passion of the players, fans, coaches, everybody.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) March 14, 2013

Johnny J

The "Big Eazy," also known as the "Beast," or simply the Big East Conference, is one of my favorite tournaments to watch. The conference is full of ranked and sleeper teams, including NBA prospects and at a stage that gets no bigger than playing at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks, are on a four game road trip out west, racking up losses. So who is going to be filling the seats at the Mecca? Fans of college basketball, fans of the big east, fans of the most exciting conference tournament in college basketball  Welcome to the "Big Eazy!"

The Big East Tournament started on Tuesday and goes through Saturday. The teams that played first are the weaker teams of the conference. Seton Hall defeated South Florida and Rutgers defeated DePaul.  Now on to round two, where things get pretty interesting.  The game I believed that could of went either way were between, Villanova and St. John's. These are teams that really didn't get noticed at all, simply because their conference is loaded. There are six, ranked teams in the Big East. Villanova is 20-12 overall and 11-8 in their conference, after beating St. John's on wednesday, 66-53; they are ranked seventh in conference play. The Red Storm, on the other hand ,have lost five in a row. They are 16-15 overall and only 8-11 in the Big East. They took number 15th ranked Marquette to the edge after a 69-67 loss in last Saturday's game.  I figured that might have been enough motivation to make a deep run in the Conference Tournament.  That didn't happen. They're done!

I still think Villanova is on the bubble, although, they do have some upsets on their resume. They've beaten Syracuse, Louisville, and Georgetown at home. They play better at home, yes, but in this tourney, Madison Square Garden is everyone's home. Now a win over Louisville, again, should secure a spot.

Another good match-up I look forward to is, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in round three. The last time these teams played, unranked Pittsburgh won by 10 in early February, while the Orangemen were ranked 6th overall. This time, Pitt is ranked 17th and Syracuse is ranked 19th.  Syracuse started the first half of the season strong, but has dropped in the 2nd half, losing four out of their last six games, but somehow still find themselves ranked. (this UNC Tar Heel fan is furious about this!). You never know with a team like the Orangemen. They played their last game in the Carrier Dome, their home-streak of 38 was snapped and they retired former Syracuse player Carmelo Anthony's jersey, all in the same-day. Where is the emotion? Where is the effort?  Show something for your last Big East run!   Because after this season, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Norte Dame are all heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where the conference tournament is held in Greensboro, N.C.

"I was thinking about all the times coming here," said  Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim after his 48th Big East tournament win, 13 more than the second-place coach. "I first came to the Garden when I was a sophomore in college, the old, old Garden. Seems like about 50 years ago. Oh, it was 50 years ago.

"I was thinking in the locker room before the game, about some of the games, and some of the highlights. Things have kind of been two years coming, but now that it's here, your whole life has been spent in this league, and the last 31 years coming to this building, that's a lot. That's a lot of memories, a lot of time."


The Panthers, however, have been gaining momentum: they've won their last four games and have a great record at the Garden, winning 30 out of 45 games there over 13 years and have won two out of three there this season. They have found new life at the right time. They've only lost four times out of the last 15 games, all against Big East teams. They're winning the old-fashioned way; by feeding each other the rock. They rank 8th in assists with almost 17 a game. Their leading scorer, Tray Woodall, averages only 12 points per game; he's their point guard, people! Repeat: a point guard is the leading scorer on the team. That's amazing! This is college, not the pros.  I'm kind of curious to see how far this team will go in the big tournament. They look dangerous finishing their big east record at 12-6. This game is definitely going to be worth watching. The winner plays Cincinatti, or Georgetown in the semi-finals. That game is going to be good as well.

The whole Big Easat Tournament is a joy to watch and very interesting once the 2nd round gets uderway. I like underdogs, so i'm going to go with Villanova winning the Tournament. They have something to prove, plus they have already beaten Louisville and Georgetown. I like them, but getting past Louisville would be the toughest task at hand. The Cardinals still remember that loss and they have won seven in a row entering Thursday's match-up, two against ranked teams. They are led by guard Peyton Siva, who averages close to 10 points and six dimes per game (a point guard, people!). Wow, what a conference!  This is the Big Eazy!  This is the Beast!  R.I.P.

More on the NCAA, here. 

COLLEGE BASKETBALL #1's: Hotter than a Hot Potato!

The college basketball season so far...
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

Johnny J

Usually a good university with a good college basketball program is ranked #1 in the country. Schools below them would enjoy knocking them out of the top spot. Not only does it boost confidence, but also it looks good on a team's resume when it comes to making the big "March Madness," tournament. I'm sure most teams would love to be be ranked number one and say they're the best in the country.  However, I believe not being at the top spot is the best to be in for any school. If I were a college player or coach, I would prefer to fly under the radar. I would want people to know that my team is good, but I would rather be characterized as being the team that no one is expecting to make a championship run. That way when tourney time comes, we can just play our game and dominate the rest of the country.

 If you're the top school in the country, you're going to be getting everyone's, "A," game.  Even from the school that has lost every game, when they see that #1 squad on the schedule, they will play harder and tougher than possibly a school that is ranked. Also being the top dog brings a lot of pressure to win simply because you're expected to win.  But people forget that it's already tough enough to just simply win a game! So far the teams that have been ranked number one this year have not performed under pressure. Schools want to be number one, but its been too hot for teams to keep that top spot. It becomes what I call a "hot potato" because no team can hold it for a long period of time.

On Saturday, top ranked Michigan Wolverines fell to the Indiana Hoosiers, 81-73. The third ranked Hoosiers jumped two spots on Monday to regain the top spot after the 2nd ranked Kansas Jayhawks fell last week.  It's the Hoosiers' second time they're ranked #1.  Last time the Hoosiers were ranked #1, a loss to Butler in overtime ousted them from the top spot.  Indiana held the #1 spot for six weeks before that loss. Then came the three teams that had it for a combined seven weeks. Those teams were:

• Duke Blue Devils 
• Louisville Cardinals
• Michigan Wolverines

What makes it worse is that the Hoosiers and Cardinals both lost at home while being number one. That's something that is not suppose to happen! I mean you have the game at an advantage, before tip-off.  That's why they call it "home-court advantage!" How do you drop the potato at home? You have a gym that you play on constantly.  You have the fans that help give opponents a hard time. To me that makes the loss that much harder to swallow; a home loss that made you lose the top spot. It's very rare for an elite team, especially a #1 to lose at home, but as mentioned before, when teams see that #1 next to an opponent's name in their schedule, they tend to play a little bit harder.

Why does it matter?  Because the reason a team plays to be a top team in the regular season is to be a top seed in the tournament.  A number one seed in the tournament tend to have the easiest route to get to the Final Four.

In order to get there you can't boil over (keeping with the "hot potato" theme, here).  You have to be willing to take that challenge of being number one.  Being able to take the pressure and the outside distractions and put it to the side as a team. Just playing your game and showing why you are considered a favorite to win it all. Because if you're ranked number 1 you are usually favored to win it--hands down.

I understand that it's not always the case, because I think every team in the tournament plays their hardest regardless of seeding. Just because a team isn't ranked doesn't mean they're not good. Upsets happen all the time, which is usually why my brackets are all messed up after the first round. I'm just saying if you're ranked number one, then play like it!  I'm tired of seeing different teams every other week being the chosen one. Don't let it become a "hot potato!"

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