Top rookies from the 2012-13 season

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It’s about playoff time which means we’ve got the chance to watch 82 games of NBA basketball (or whatever the Charlotte Bobcats call it when they take the floor). And one of the most fun parts about the NBA season is taking a look at how the rookies have adapted to their new lifestyle. Some regress after quick starts, some hit the rookie wall and fall off the face of the earth in something called the D-League. And sometimes rookies progress throughout the season, showing signs that they are capable of playing in the world’s greatest basketball league for years to come.

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Here are my completely biased, completely irrelevant thoughts on the top 5 rookies plus some nice surprises . *For fun let’s also see who has played like complete shit this year, too.

1. Anthony Davis

Okay, okay. I get it, I’m an asshole for putting Anthony Davis first overall because I’m a UK fan who praises the ground coach Calipari walks on. But that’s not the only reason I have the brow ranked No. 1 overall. Read ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss’ reason for choosing Davis as the Rookie of the Year over Damian Lillard. Davis doesn’t have the scoring numbers that Lillard has but his diverse impact defensively and his defense sucking alley-oop threat are good great enough to earn him the Rookie of the Year. His top-20 PER number (21.40) is outstanding. Oh yeah and he’s 20-years-old which is terrifying.

2. Damian Trillard Drillard Lillard 

Damian Lillard’s been a lot of fun this year. I don’t want to knock Lillard by ranking him No. 2 here because he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite guys to watch in the NBA. And (RANDOM WHAT-IF PREDICTION TIME) if next year were his rookie year then he’d easily be the No. 1 guy. I’m interested to see, moving forward, how Lillard’s defense improves. Also, I’d like to see his eFG% and TS% numbers go up. And they will with added help — when he’s not stuck creating half of Portland’s offense.

3. Andre Drummond

DWIGHT HOWARD’S PER-36 NUMBERS IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON: 13.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 52 percent from the field

ANDRE DRUMMOND’S PER-36 NUMBERS IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON: 14.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 60.7 percent from the field

… per Basketball-Reference.

Umm, remember when we all questioned Drummond’s motor? Well, umm, we were wrong. Really, really wrong. Drummond is fantastic to watch on both ends of the floor. His post game leaves a little to be desired but that’s all forgotten about when he’s snagging offensive rebounds at a 15.8 percent clip. It’s not far-fetched to think Drummond could end of being the best player in this draft.

4. Bradley Beal

Zach Lowe conducted a great Q&A session with Beal over at Grantland. And Jared Dubin wrote a nice piece on the John Wall/Bradley Beal combo at Hardwood Paroxysm. With Wall out for all of November and December, Beal was put in a situation that wasn’t comfortable for him. He was initiating the offense for the most part and struggled in pick-and-roll sets and shot miserably from spots on the floor he wasn’t used to shooting from. But since John Wall returned Beal’s numbers have flowered to that of a future All-Star. He’s shooting 45.5 percent from three-point range and 47.1 percent from the field, scoring 16.5 points a game since the All-Star break, per NBA.com.

5. Maurice Harkless

Oh, look at me. I’m the asshole over here picking players from his own team. Well, whatever — Harkless is fantastic. Like Beal, Harkless started his rookie campaign off slow then picked up the pace when more minutes and opportunities became available. He’s been the best on ball defender from this rookie class from the beginning but since the All-Star break and since JJ Redick was shipped to Milwaukee, Harkless has picked up offensively. He’s proven to be a two-way player who’s fantastic in transition and can score efficiently when slashing to the rim.

Honorable mentions: John Henson, Harrison Barnes, Dion Waiters, Jonas Valanciunas

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Surprises! YES! SURPRISES!

Terrence Jones

Another UK player? I should just give up. I would have called John Henson a surprise but I really don’t think he is. Everyone knew he’d be a rebounding machine with the length to alter shots at a high rate. Terrence Jones was a bit of a question mark. Some wondered before the draft if his motor would ever be high enough to make up for not having elite size at the power forward spot. And Jones has responded by creating a recent niche with the Houston Rockets. The Rockets are fast paced and get up a lot of shots which allows Jones to thrive in transition and let loose on the boards. Jones has even managed to snag minutes from fellow rookie power forward Thomas Robinson, whom the Rockets traded for at the deadline. I wasn’t sure Jones would have ever made it out of the D-League this year; now he’s going to be getting minutes in the playoffs.

Evan Fournier

It’s very, very recent but Fournier’s been a lot fun in the month of April. He’s shooting 50 percent from the floor during the course of the season and his recent spike in minutes and production has been extremely encouraging. He’s scored  19, 18, 17 and 24 in various games since March 29 and looks like the knock down shooter he was drafted to be. But his 16 percent assist rate is something I didn’t see coming. He looks like a solid rotation player and I can’t believe I’m saying that.

Other surprises: Chris Copeland, Pablo Prigioni, Nando De Colo, Andrew Nicholson

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WHO’S PLAYED LIKE SHIT IN THEIR ROOKIE CAMPAIGN?!?

Austin Rivers

Okay, it’s kind of funny that Rivers has had such a remarkably bad season. It’s also kind of tough to watch. He’s shooting well under 40 percent from the floor and from three, and he’s under 55 percent from the free throw line — which means Reggie Evans is just slightly worse at the charity stripe. He’s getting to the rim but finishing just 48.9 percent of the time, per Hoopdata. Okay, it’s tough to watch. I’ve said for a while that he would have served better not going to Duke and I stick with that. As a player, he didn’t fit (I mean, what Dukie wears a sleeve)? And it certainly hurt his development. I hope Rivers improves but it’s tough to see how he does that.

Royce White

I, uhh, don’t really want to touch this subject. But yeah, he’s been fascinatingly disappointing on almost every front this year.

College Hoops or the NBA: Why can’t I enjoy both?

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Deep in the heart of the bluegrass state, on any given rainy day in Lexington, Ky, you’ll see a sea of blue t-shirts and rain jackets against a gray monotonous sky. While the whether remains dreary, hopes remain high. The Kentucky Wildcats were knocked out in the first round of the NIT against Robert Morris. Even worse for a fan base that has developed a sense of basketball self-righteousness, the “little brother” Louisville Cardinals took home the title. This, a year after coach Cal’s outstanding freshman class dominated the 2011-12 season and brought the title to Lexington. Just like that — it’s gone. A half hour across I-65, the title transitions from Louisville to Lexington.

But still, Kentucky fans will wear their blue nearly every day. Because they’ve earned that right over time. Eight national championships creates a type of state pride that has and will resonate for decades. That’s the type of passion that college basketball embraces. And though I’ve never actually been there, I’d imagine the scene is very similar in Chapel Hill and Durham. The same could be said for Syracuse, Lawrence, Bloomington or Louisville. These cities become symbols for the school that resides in them. That’s the atmosphere that college basketball becomes known for.

But the same can be said for NBA fan bases. Right up Legends Way, a wave of green melts the sidewalks as Boston Celtic fans prepare for a less-than-enthusiastic playoff push. The Celtics are locked into the playoffs but are stumbling their way around, losing 11 of their last 17 games. Their star point guard, Rajon Rondo, went down earlier in the season with a torn ACL. But by the way the Celtic faithful continue to pack the TD Garden, you’d never know it. Boston is in the middle of that awkward “Should we rebuild or should we keep course?” stage but hopes remain high for Celtic fanatics who still deeply believe that the Green has the chance to knock off whichever No. 2 seed they’ll face in this year’s playoffs.

Still, Celtic fans will proudly wear their Larry Bird and Kevin Garnett jerseys. Because, like Kentucky fans, they’ve earned it over time. 17 championships create a reign of tradition in Boston, as it would in any city lucky enough to have an organization with such rich tradition. And if you think small market teams don’t have fans, you should watch (literally) any Oklahoma City home game. Or read ANYTHING over at SactownRoyalty about the Sacramento/Seattle franchise mess and the backlash it’s creating with the fans.

But ask a Kentucky Wildcat fan what they think about the NBA and they’ll probably tell you one of the following:

  • “Umm, I just don’t like it because they don’t play defense.”
  • “All they do is play one on one. No not for me.”
  • “The season is too long for me to enjoy.”

Or the worst…

  • “Those guys only care about money! I don’t like it”

It’s not just a ‘college basketball fans dislike the NBA’ thing. Ask a die hard Celtic fan the same thing about college hoops.

  • “Nobody can make a shot.”
  • “The best team never wins the tournament.”
  • “March Madness is overrated and the ‘upsets’ are stale.”

Or they might give you the laziest answer…

  • “Umm… college basketball sucks.”

You see, we’re right at that time of year where fans of both sides jump to social media to proclaim their side and knock the other entity for its individual flaws. March Madness just ended and the bickering from both sides was too much to handle. NBA fans had their heyday when the first few rounds of this year’s tournament resulted in boring games — other than the Trey Burke show against Kansas. And college fans had their rebuttal when the national championship game provided 40 of the most exciting minutes in recent championship history.

Where has this idea come from that you can’t simply like both the NBA and college basketball?

Sure college kids aren’t going hit open jumpers like professional athletes do. That’s not what college basketball is about. Only 1.2 percent of college basketball players will ever play professionally, per BusinessInsider. The fun in college basketball comes from the stakes placed on regular season games. The entire regular season revolves around building a resume to have a chance to make a run come March. And March? There’s no beating it. Even if your team doesn’t make the postseason, filling out a bracket with your friends or at the office gives you a chance to root on 32 different teams. The absolutely chaos of the college basketball world is what makes it fun. It’s a symbol for hope. Every underdog has a shot to knock off the big dog.

On the flip side, the argument that NBA players don’t play defense is borderline absurd. NBA offenses and defenses are so complex that it might take a few rewinds on League Pass to catch. The game has become so dependent on advanced statistics and analysis that it’s changing the way we look at the game professionally. Zach Lowe at ESPN’s Grantland consistently puts out wonderful material describing just how it happens. Most college basketball fans watch three or four NBA games a year and decide they don’t like it. Which is fine, but don’t tell me the basketball is better in college, because that’s not true and I will question both your sanity and your knowledge of basketball as a whole.

Maybe my view of basketball is different because of the surroundings I grew up in. My dad, unknowingly, bought League Pass in some cable package when I was in grade school. When I discovered it, I couldn’t stop watching basketball games. It didn’t matter who was playing whether it was Allen Iverson’s 76ers, the Shaq and Kobe Lake Show, or the [horrible] Clippers during the Darius Miles era. I just wanted to watch basketball, learn and try to mimic what I saw.

But, growing up in Kentucky, I was obviously engulfed in Kentucky Wildcat basketball. I vaguely remember cheering for the ’98 team on my dad’s projector screen. FUN FACT: I tried my first beer that night, accidentally. I saw a can with blue mountains on it and stared at it, wondering what kind of carbonated goodness could be in it. My dad asked if I wanted to try it. Of course I did and of course I hated it. I ran to the bathroom and started washing my mouth out with tooth paste spitting every bit of that awful, bitter taste out. I don’t remember much about the game other than everyone at my house jumping up and down after every Kentucky basket. What I do remember was following Kentucky basketball (and college hoops as a whole) religiously for the next decade of my life.

I never differentiated between the NBA and college basketball during those years. To me, basketball was basketball. That part of me has never changed. I obviously recognize the vast differences in the professional and the college game. But I don’t put them in categories where I’m forced to choose between one or the other. I just love basketball. It doesn’t matter if it means playing pick up at a park with my friends until someone kicks us out, shooting alone at the school rec, watching a tank game between Charlotte and Orlando or watching an Albany/Vermont America East tournament championship. I love being around the game. I love writing about it.

And that’s what becomes difficult with wanting to be a writer. You’re put into a category. You either blog about college basketball or you blog about the NBA. Very few people out there write successfully about both because there’s so much basketball to take in nightly that you’ll overwhelm yourself. For me, I can’t simply choose.

I can’t choose between college basketball or the NBA. I love both. And this idea that you have to be a fan of one or the other is absurd. Why can’t you just love the game of basketball?

The NCAA championship game, the end of the season and the best part about college basketball

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The men’s title game Monday made up for all of the bad games, horrible officiating, and scandals we were forced to watch this past college basketball season. Mostly, title games waste the entire first half feeling each other out in a anxious two-step that only creates disappointment. Not this year. Instead we were treated to one of the most entertaining title games from start to finish that we’ve seen in years.

Here are some final thoughts on the championship thriller and the mark of the end of the season:

  1. Spike Albrecht is my hero. I can’t recall ever getting the chance to watch a 5’10 white guy on a court full of college superstars who shoots threes and looks like he doesn’t belong dominate the way he did in the first half. Last night was that chance. And if, with a gun to my head, I had to choose between watching my newborn come into the world or watch Spike light up Louisville with his fourth 3-pointer in a row, I’m taking the latter without hesitation. Spike did it for all of us little guys out here grinding.
  2. Spike Albrecht macking on Kate Hudson. Spike’s greatest heat check came this morning when he sent this amazing tweet right at Kate Hudson:Spike He even @’ed her. So you know it’s real.
  3. Spike stayed in the game way too long. Spike’s incredible first half put coach John Beilein in an awful predicament. If he takes Spike out and Michigan loses, he gets blamed for not running with the hot hand. If he keeps him in and Spike comes back down to reality (which happened), he gets blamed for leaving him in. It’s a tough situation and it’s tough to criticize Beilein’s decision. And either way, Spike is my new favorite college basketball player.
  4. Peyton Siva shut up (me) his critics. I vow never to say anything bad about Siva again. He was phenomenal in last night’s performance. He filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and four steals. And this dunk was the staple of Louisville’s incredible performance: 
  5. Chane Behanan evolved into a superstar. Very few college basketball players have the opportunity that Behanan had last night. No NBA games were broadcasted last night so, literally, the entire basketball world was glued to the television. Behanan (probably) won the game for Louisville with his continuous battling on the boards. And that one shot he threw up, while being plummeled by three Wolverines, that kissed off the top of the backboard solidified his night. I got the chance to play against Behanan twice in high school. We called him Gucci Chane after learning that his favorite rapper was Gucci Mane. If there’s one Gucci Mane song to sum up Behanan’s performance, it’s definitely this one: 
  6. Gorgui Dieng looked like an NBA big man. Dieng, also blessed with the chance to show off his skill set to the entire basketball community, did not disappoint. Dieng comfortably knocked down 17-foot jumpers and hit a beautiful sweeping hook shot down low. His combination of shot blocking and soft touch offensively firmly plants him in the first round of this year’s draft. If he was, say, 21 instead of 23 he’d be a top-10 pick.
  7. SO MANY POINTS AND HIGHLIGHT PLAYS. How many times did you come across someone complaining about the lack of scoring this year in college basketball? I complained nearly twice a day. The truth is, a lot of teams struggled to put the ball in the basket and I feared that that exact problem would plague this year’s title game. I was wrong. I mean, just watch these plays…    
  8. BAD RUSS decided GOOD RUSS had been playing too long. I wrote a week or so ago about my infatuation with GOOD RUSS/BAD RUSS. Going into last nights game I really didn’t think BAD RUSS had a chance of coming out. I was under the impression that GOOD RUSS would continue and he’d take home MOP if Louisville won the title. I was wrong. And BAD RUSS showed just why GMs in the league are terrified of selecting him in the first round of the NBA draft. Poor shot selection and costly turnovers allowed Michigan to sneak back in the game late when Louisville should have coasted to victory. Still, love you Russ. You’re one of the most frustrating players in college basketball history but you are awesome.
  9. Congrats to all of my Louisville friends. I had no stake in last night’s game. I wanted Michigan to win after the first half because obviously I’ve been a huge Spike Albrecht fan for sooo long but Louisville winning was okay with me. I like almost every single player on their team and their style meshed so well with everyone’s individual skill sets that it was really fun to watch. Watching UK take the trophy last year was one of the greatest times of my life so I’m glad you guys get to enjoy that feeling. But..
  10. Kentucky is back to #1. It didn’t take long, did it? CBS already dropped their 2013-14 rankings and have Kentucky listed as the consensus No. 1 overall. Louisville, the defending champions (how does that sound?), is right on the Wildcats’ tail at No. 3. For the sake of the rivalry, let’s hope both teams stay in the top-5 next year. And with Kentucky state schools bringing home back-to-back titles, how much fun would it be to see a UK/UL championship game?

You see, that’s the best part about college basketball. The basketball may suck, people may miss open shots, the officiating will always be terrible and the announcers will mostly remain corny. But the anticipation…

Man, that’s the part that’s awesome.

The Orlando Magic rebuild and what the future holds

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The Orlando Magic traded away its greatest player in franchise history last summer. Then it proceeded by trading the beloved JJ Redick at the trade deadline of this season to the Milwaukee Bucks. Those trades were vastly criticized from fans, writers and bloggers alike. But within a month or so of each move, the trades begin to formulate a concrete plan laid out by Magic GM Rob Hennigan and his staff.

Look: the Magic aren’t winning basketball games, and that’s okay. The Orlando Magic front office would never admit it but winning isn’t in the short term plans. What is in the immediate plan is the opportunity to allow the young players to develop. And with injuries taking a toll to Magic veterans that development has sped up rather quickly.

Rebuilding a team from scratch isn’t fun for the casual NBA fan and losing basketball games won’t earn a lot of national coverage. But for NBA nerds and hardcore fans alike, watching players and teams develop is a fun opportunity. And the rebuild that Hennigan and company have constructed in Orlando is one of those fun opportunities.

Let’s take a look at the newly acquired pieces to the Orlando Magic and what their future may hold:

Maurice Harkless

I was big on Harkless coming out of college and even had him selected by the Magic in my mock draft. When Orlando flipped Howard to the Lakers and came away with Harkless from Philadelphia, my eyes lit up. To no one’s surprise, Harkless struggled early with the Magic. He often times looked lost on offense and his outside shot was atrocious. He shot a pitiful 17.1 percent from 3-point range before the All-Star break.

But when JJ Redick was traded to Milwaukee, Harkless stepped up offensively. In March he shot 46.4 percent from the floor and 39.6(!!) percent from deep. Harkless has scored 20 or more points four times since the trade and has become much more confident and aggressive on the offensive side of the floor.

What I like most offesnive about Harkless is where he takes his shots. He shoots 65.95 percent of his shots from inside the restricted area and 13.89 percent from the corner-3, per NBA.com. Those are the most efficient shots in basketball, so seeing that he understands that at the age of 19 is very encouraging.

On defense is where Harkless has always excelled. His 6’8 frame and 7-foot wing span combined with his speed and agility gives him the ability to guard multiple positions on the floor.

With an injury to Afflalo he’s seen minutes at the shooting guard but it’s pretty obvious that he’s not as comfortable offensively at the 2-guard. Harkless does look to be Orlando’s small forward of the future. His huge, early development through his first full season should be very encouraging to Magic fans.

Read more about Harkless at MagicBasketball.net.

Tobias Harris

Harris fell off the NBA radar when he was trapped on the Bucks’ bench but he’s quickly made a name for himself in his limited time with the Orlando Magic. The JJ Redick trade puzzled Magic fans, as Redick was a huge fan favorite, efficient veteran, and provided a lot of charitable work within the community. But he was nearly forgotten when Harris got a chance to showcase his intriguing set of skills.

Harris scored 14 points in his first game with the Magic in just 25 minutes of playing time. Four days later he dropped 23 on 12 shot from the field against the Kings. In his fourth game, Harris scored 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting and Magic fans began to realize what Hennigan saw in the combo forward out of Tennessee.

Since joining Orlando, Harris has recorded eight double-doubles and has scored 20-plus in six games. What’s been enjoyable to watch is Harris’ ability to drive and finish. He has a nice floater that he’s utilized in nearly every game and comfortably shows range out to the 3-point line.

But Tobias also has his downfalls. Harris has a tendency to fall in love with his jumper when he has the ability to drive around bigger defenders. As John Schuhmann notes, he’s missed 17-of-his-last-18 three-point attempts. Harris isn’t fast enough to be able to defend full-time at the small forward spot and will need to upgrade his post defense in order to play power forward full time.

But Harris has definitely answered questions of whether he can be a long time NBA player. His offensive skill set combined with his size is rare and makes for a fun tandem with Harkless (and Vucevic) in the front court.

Nikola Vucevic

Vucevic came to Orlando last summer in the Dwight Howard blockbuster and immediately stepped into the center spot for the Magic. Vucevic has become a rebounding specialist with Orlando. On Dec. 31 he surpassed Howard’s previous single game rebound record with a 29 rebound performance against the Miami Heat. He’s currently second in the league in rebounding at 11.8 boards per game, trailing only (ironically) Dwight Howard.

Vucevic has showed a nice touch around the rim with the ability to step out around 18-feet and knock down a set shot. Offensively he looks comfortable around the rim with either hand and knocks down free throws at a respectable (for his size) 67.5 percent.

He tries on defense, but it hasn’t always turned into results. Vucevic isn’t nearly athletic (who is?) as Dwight Howard and fails to protect the rim. He averages right around a block a game and if he continues to learn Jacque Vaughn’s defensive schemes, then that number should go up.

Regardless of his defensive deficiencies, Vucevic’s ability to score and his knack for grabbing rebounds cements him as the future center for the Orlando Magic.

Kyle O’Quinn

O’Quinn is a player I’m really fond of. He’s a hard-working player he knows how to use his body down low. He’s not the fastest or the strongest player but makes up for it with hustle play. He’s only 6’8.5 without shoes but he has a gigantic 7’4 wingspan.

His per-40 minutes are very good — 16 points, 12.9 rebounds, per HoopData. He has the ability to step out and knock down jumpers at a decent clip, shooting 51 percent from 16-23 feet,again per HoopData.

His best game as a professional came against the Charlotte Bobcats when he posted 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting and collected 11 rebounds. That obviously wasn’t a stat line that could happen day-in and day-out but it does point to his worthiness of a long NBA career.

I think his future with the Magic is very bright. He’ll probably never start but he can provide a spark off the bench for a long time in this league.

Doron Lamb

Lamb was a sweetener in the JJ Redick deal. In other words, the Magic were given the opportunity to take a look at a 21-year-old guard, who just won a college basketball national championship the year before, with little-to-no risk. The problem is, that he’s been unimpressive so far.

His best game came against the Spurs less than a week ago when he scored 8 points and knocked down 2-of-2 shots from 3-point range. Lamb has a silky jumper but hasn’t really got going with the Magic. He’s shooting just 33.3 percent from the floor and 25 percent from deep with Orlando.

He has some point guard qualities but fails to make plays for his teammates well enough to get time at that spot. With the Afflalo injury, Lamb will have some opportunities to come in and make a name for himself.

His future with Orlando is unknown but I’m hoping some time in the summer league and another full training camp will help Lamb improve enough to find quality rotation minutes someday.

Also, if you don’t, you need to follow him on twitter — @DLamb20. Because he’s hilarious.

Andrew Nicholson

Nicholson became a favorite of NBA-nuts quickly during his rookie campaign. He’s a quirky player who thrives on the low block but also has the ability to step out and knock down a mid-range jumper. Don’t confuse his post game for slow; it’s patience that you’re watching.

The flip shots and jump hooks mixed with unorthodox (but effective) footwork is really something to watch. He’s shooting 68.7 percent at the rim and 57.6 percent from 10-15 feet, per HoopData. Those are the type of numbers that make general managers and coaches very happy.

But Nicholson has struggled both on the boards and on defense. His rebound rate is just 11.7, per HoopData, and he averages just 3.4 rebounds a game. Nicholson has eclipsed double-digit rebounds in just two games this year and that could contribute to his lack of consistent minutes on the season. Defensively, he can block shots, but guarding someone who steps outside of the paint becomes a problem.

Overall Nicholson is a very fun player to watch but will serve more as a player to bring off the bench. He and O’Quinn provide solid big man depth for the Magic moving forward.

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There are still questions of the Orlando Magic rebuild that still need to be answered. Guard depth is one that comes to mind. E’twaun Moore and DeQuan Jones presumably aren’t the answers moving forward. And Jameer Nelson and Beno Udrih are both aging. But those questions can be answered later.

The foundation built so far is one that’s been a lot of fun, even in losing. And the two major moves Rob Hennigan has made so far have given the Magic a lot of young players to play around with. It may take a while to get back to the winning culture that Orlando developed over the past couple of years with Dwight but one thing is for sure:

Hennigan knows what he’s doing.

The Mike Rice debacle and some questions that come to mind

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Video aired today of Rutger’s head basketball coach, Mike Rice, physically and verbally abusing players at practice on ESPN’s Outside the Lines. Rice was shown calling players “faggots”, throwing balls at their heads, grabbing them aggressively and even kicking players.

More can be seen on this video:

With all of this now out in the open and social media taking hold of Jeremy Schaap’s fantastic story, I’m left with some questions:

1. Why didn’t any players retaliate?

This is a difficult question to ask and answer. Certain coaches will always be fiery. That’s how it works. As a player you strive to make your coach happy because in turn you hope to receive more playing time. But where is the line separated between too far and acceptable? The problem is that no player is going to retaliate. Why would they? Nothing good could come out of them physically taking matters into their own hands.

2. How many institutions does this happen at?

Shortly after this story happened, this tweet dropped:

coaches

How scary is that? How telling is that? Bob Knight was notorious for his physical reactions with players. Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach locked a kid in a closet during practice. But those are just two cases that happened to be caught. Will we really know, ever, how many cases like this happen throughout the country?

3. What kind of show is Rutgers running?

Fred Hill was fired for heckling players a few years back. Then Rice himself is suspended in December. Now this? At some point you have to look at the head guys at Rutgers for responsibility. And even the guys above them that run the NCAA, like NCAA president Mark Emmert. As if Emmert didn’t have enough scandals and problems within his own organization before this story came out.

The NCAA has a lot of problems on their hands and the Mike Rice case furthers that even more. Rice should be fired immediately. I’m hoping this sparks discussion as to what kind of coaching tactics are acceptable in amateur sports.

Andrew Wiggins POWERADE JamFest perfect dunk

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Last night’s high school dunk contest, televised on ESPNU, was all about one kid — Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins is the consensus best player in high school basketball and even though he didn’t win last night’s dunk contest, his 2nd round 360 between-the-legs jam brought the house down. Here it is:

“What versatility, what coordination, what ball skills, what hops!” Yeah, that about sums up Wiggins’ entire game.

That’s NBA dunk contest worthy.

RUMORS: FGCU’s head coach Andy Enfield to Southern California

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Various media outlets, including Sports Illustrated, are reporting that Southern California has snagged Andy Enfield up from the coaching ranks. Sources say that the deal isn’t finalized but Southern California is expected to make everything official very soon.

Enfield, who gained a lot of notice in the college ranks over the past few weeks, led Florida Gulf Coast to one of the most memorable runs in recent college basketball history. His No. 15 seed Eagles pulled off one of the more improbably March Madness runs defeating No. 2 seed Georgetown in the first round then knocking out No. 7 seed San Diego State in the second.

Enfield’s rise to fame not only came with his team’s recent success but also their style of play. Enfield encouraged his team to have fun and play an uptempo, alley-oop type of basketball that earned the team a number of fans throughout the country. He amassed a 41-28 record in two seasons at the helm of  FGCU.

This hire may came off as risky from Southern California’s stance as Enfield has just two years of head coaching experience under his belt. But risks are the moves you make when you finish 14-18 on the season and fail to make the NCAA tournament. Plus Enfield’s high-flying, uptempo style of basketball is a style that could bring excitement and sell tickets in the Los Angeles area.

Oh yeah, and Enfield’s wife is a babe. Not sure what relevance this has but it’s definitely worth noting.