The Hero Baylor Needed

Robert Griffin III was supposed to be a Houston Cougar. Art Briles was one of a few Coaches willing to let him play Quarterback. Texas and Texas A&M recruited him as an Athlete, telling him he'll be headed to the Wide Receiver slot because of his world class speed. Then Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh recruited him with the pitch of a two-quarterback system including Griffin and Luck. Art Briles, who has an eye for Quarterbacks (Kevin Kolb, Case Keenum), believed in Griffin from day one.

The Baylor football program, then under Guy Morriss was coming off a 3-9 season in which they had gone winless in the Big XII. Baylor had won only eleven conference games in twelve Big XII seasons. The Bears were the perennial cellar dweller of the Big XII.

The biggest thing to come out of Baylor's athletic department in the decade was a scandal. The Baylor Men's Basketball team, led by Dave Bliss encountered a tragedy and responded in an utterly disgusting manner. Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy had gone missing and his body was later found. Dennehy had been murdered by then teammate Carlton Dotson and Dave Bliss was caught on tape by an assistant coach ordering a financial coverup.

Luckily for Baylor fans, Art Briles came to coach at Baylor in 2008 and brought Robert Griffin III, or RGIII as he is now popularly known. Griffin turned heads the moment he stepped onto the field in the midst of a season opening blowout loss at the hands of Wake Forest. Heading out of bounds, Griffin slowed up, watched a defender fly by, and turned upfield for an extra ten yards. The Briles- Griffin pairing never looked back.

After a 2009 season cut short by an ACL tear, Griffin came back and led the Bears to their first Bowl game in sixteen years. Griffin clearly improved before the 2011 season as the Bears offense moved away from the screen pass and threw the ball down the field more often than before. Eighteen of Griffin's thirty-six Touchdown passes were 35 yards or more, giving Baylor the most electrifying offense in the nation.

Griffin not only led Baylor to a third place finish in the Big XII, but also has them a bowl win away from the first ten win season since 1980. But more impressive than any pass Griffin made, or any tackle Griffin avoided was who RGIII was, off the field.

Media member after media member lined up to praise Griffin's character. Even though some thought this statement was cocky, Griffin explained it wasn't an insult to anyone but rather a complement to Baylor nation. Jason King (@JasonKingESPN) tweeted "Always nice to see good things happen to good people" in reference to Griffin winning the Heisman.

Griffin was well spoken and articulate in dozen's of interviews leading up to the Heisman trophy presentation on Saturday night. Then after Griffin won the award he gave a great speech, one that Stephen A. Smith (@StephenASmith) called a "Beautiful Thing" on twitter. Dennis Dodds (@DennisDoddscbs) said he "wanted Griffin as his lawyer" speaking of Griffin being a "Great orator."

On a night where Xavier and Cincinnati got in an on court brawl prompting Tu Holloway to talk about the "gangstas" in his locker room. On a night where news of reinging National League MVP Ryan Braun failing a test for performance enhancing drugs breaks. Baylor has its hero.

Dennis Dodds put it best on twitter, "On the same night Ryan Braun tests positive, RGIII restores our faith."

The Truth About Tony Romo

Once upon a time, the Dallas Cowboys were America's team. The harsh reality for Cowboys fans is that they are no longer America's team. Thanks to inventions such as the internet, NFL Redzone, and Fantasy Football America is left without a team.

However, I'm more than happy to give the Cowboys the title of "America's Most Talked About Team." As part of Quarterbacking AMTAT, Tony Romo immediately vaults to the top of the "most talked about players list." In my estimation, no player inspires as much controversy as Romo with one side arguing he's uber talented and the other arguing that he is a choke artist. 

So, let's set things straight. Like most stories, the answer to the legend of Romo is actually found somewhere near the middle ground of the opposing sides. Tony Romo is a top talent in the National Football League, but has given his haters plenty of ammo by failing to succeed in the playoffs. 

The Bad (At least for now)

Fans of AMTAT fell in love with legends Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman not simply because they threw touchdowns while wearing the legendary silver helmet with a blue star. Fans fell in love with Staubuch and Aikman because they won a combined Five Super Bowls for AMTAT. Staubauch had an 11-6 record in the postseason, twice leading AMTAT to Super Bowl Championships (VI, XII). Aikman went 11-4 leading the AMTAT to three Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX). 

Tony Romo hasn't been himself in four playoff appearances. AMTAT finds themselves with a 1-3 record when Romo leads them into playoff battles. Romo finds his completion percentage under 60% in playoff football with a Quarterback Rating of nearly 81. Romo and AMTAT have struggled to find the endzone through the air in his playoff starts with four touchdowns and two interceptions. 

More notable than any of the above stats, Romo haters tend to bring back up one simple moment from the 2006 postseason. With the Cowboys trailing by 1 point Romo botched the hold on the go ahead field goal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yh1DyvTuDA). While Romo clearly choked in this scenario, his haters need to drop it. He does not hold anymore. 

Outside of Romo seemingly smiling to much even after key plays (which would frustrate me), this is about all the ammo that Romo detractors have. 

The Good 

Tony Romo is a very very good Quarterback. Outside of Aikman's 1993 season, Romo has put up consistently better numbers than either of the other "AMTAT Legends." In Romo's 2007 season he threw for 36 Touchdowns, 19 Interceptions, over 4,000 yards while completing over 64% of his passes. Look at the people that have done that (http://bit.ly/mTiebK) and you'll see names like Steve Young, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning. It is a season that has only happened 7 other times post merger. 

Two years in 2009 Romo through 26 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions, 4400 yards, and completed 63% of his passes. Looking through that list of 22 other seasons (http://t.co/6wh1Isab) you'll see some of the most talented Quarterbacks to ever take the field. 

Two names you won't find on either list? Aikman and Staubach. Romo might be the most talented Quarterback to ever play for AMTAT, he just needs to prove it.

So both sides stop arguing, because you are both wrong. And right.  

Hey Baylor, Don't Be Scared

It wasn't so many years ago that the old Southwestern Conference was breaking up and lawmakers were keeping Texas Christian University out of the newly forming Big XII and clearing paths for the Baylor Bears to become the football doormat of the league. 

Now with conference armageddon on the horizon TCU sits in a much better position than Baylor having secured a move to the Big East next year. With A&M expected to hear from the SEC by Wednesday and Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State flirting with the Pac-12 (16) the Big XII appears to be on very shaky ground. 

However, Baylor fans don't need to panic. Here's why:

1. The Big XII is NOT dead. A&M is as good as gone, but Texas and crew are far from it. There are multiple obstacles standing in the way of the Pac-12 (16) exodus.  Texas is tangled within the Longhorn Network and while it appears that they are capable of getting out of that web (read here), it might not be beneficial for them. Texas doesn't have to deal with equal revenue sharing in the Big XII and hold more power than they ever could in another league. 

Along those same lines, many think the fate of Oklahoma is tied very closely to that of Texas. Oklahoma would lose leverage in recruiting the state of Texas without the anual Red River shoot out and the loss of games against Baylor and Texas Tech within the state of Texas. On top of all of this is the fact that Oklahoma reached out to the Pac-12, not the other way around. 

2. A bid from the Big East isn't out of the question. Sources have said the Big East has reached out to at least some of the Big XII have not's (Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and maybe Missouri). Why not believe that Baylor could secure one of those invitations? TCU has one and we all saw what happened the last time Baylor and TCU met in football. Also, maybe the Big East would piggy back onto the Pac-12's "Noah's Arc" theory and want there teams in two's. If that is the case, what better option is there in Texas than the Bears.

Even if the Big East doesn't want to go with the Noah's Arc idea, Baylor is worth an invite. The Big East would be able to recruit Texas more easily, guaranteeing perspective players at least Four games in their home state over four years. The Big East also has the reputation of being a basketball conference, and in case you didn't know, Baylor has been pulling in some very good recruits. 

3. Worst case scenario (at least temporarily) for Baylor is an invite from a lower conference, most likely either the Mountain West or Conference USA. Baylor would take a hit financially, not making nearly as much money in a smaller conference with a lesser TV deal. However, Baylor could ride their current athletic momentum and become a dominant force in one of these conferences. It would take continued success in recruiting, and the retainment of big time coaches (Briles, Drew, Mulkey), but it could be done.

Look at the Gonzaga's or Boise State. Then realize that Baylor has a leg up on them by moving from a major conference with excellent competition, to a minor conference. Baylor would be a top team in football (the only sport that matters), and basketball (the only other sport anyone cares about). 

No matter what happens in the conference landscape, if Baylor continues to spend smart money, recruit the right players, and draw in more fans, they'll be just fine. 

@gbkcraw

The Weekend Rewind

In what might become a weekly feature here on the Buckets blog I'll break down what I believe to be the three biggest stories of the weekend. On a big weekend it might go beyond just three stories, and I'll probably throw any relevant Baylor information in this segment.

3. The SEC has decided to hold off on allowing Texas A&M into the league for now. University of Florida President Bernie Machen said:

"We recognize, however, that future conditions may make it advantageous to expand the number of institutions in the league," Machen said. "We discussed criteria and process associated with expansion. No action was taken with respect to any institution including Texas A&M."

While momentarily it is enjoyable to laugh at the Aggies and the fact that the SEC decided not to extend an invitation to them, we need to come to a realization that is only a matter of time. Orangebloods.com is reporting that the A&M will be a SEC member within three weeks, while many others are thinking the SEC is just waiting for A&M to depart from the Big XII before extending an invite to avoid legal problems.

2a. Dan Uggla's hit streak came to a halt Sunday at 33 games. Uggla's hitting streaking was the longest the MLB has seen in five years, and Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney made a diving catch to keep Uggla hitless in the 5th inning. Uggla's streak ending at 33 games leaves many people believing Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak is the most untouchable in sports.

2b. Hot headed Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano got rocked on Friday night in Atlanta. After giving up five homers, Zambrano through dangerously close to Chipper Jones (who has been playing for 18 years!) twice in a row drawing an ejection. Zambrano then stormed into the Cubs locker room, through a tantrum, cleaned out his locker, and said he was retiring. Zambrano thought about his actions, realized he was an idiot, took back his retirement and has been placed on the Cubs disqualified list. For Zambrano this means he won't play or have any contact with the Cubs for 30 days, look for a grievance to be filed on Monday.

1. With only three holes to play at the 93rd PGA Championship Keegan Bradley found himself trailing Jason Dufner by 5 strokes. Combined with an epic collapse from Dufner, Bradley stormed back and forced a playoff. Bradley then birdied the Par-4 16th in the first hole of a three hole playoff and hung on to win by one stroke. In his only major of the season, Keegan won over 1.4 million dollars and became the 13th different golfer to win a major in the past 13 events.

Baylor Bonus
The Baylor men's basketball team is in Canada and has played three games on the trip. Saturday night their game against Ryerson University was broadcast online giving Baylor fans a chance to get a look at the team. Luckily I got a chance to watch the game, so here are some things I took from it:

• Perry Jones looked excellent. While Ryerson isn't comparable to any team the Bears will be playing, Jones scored from all over the court. He hit smooth turn around jumpers, faced up and blew by his man, and found himself hitting back to back three's. 
• Baylor's newcomers looked excellent. Pierre Jackson brings a new dynamic to the Bears and was by far the quickest player on the court. Brady Heslip is better than advertised. Not only did he hit trey after trey, he worked hard defensively and ran the point at times for Baylor.
• Gary Franklin, Quincy Acy, and Quincy Miller, all sat out for different reasons. Acy has a minor injury and is resting up, Miller is still recovering from ACL surgery his senior year, and Franklin isn't eligible until December. 
• Cory Jefferson has put up some excellent numbers thus far on the Bears trip to Canada. He might be the answer in the middle that Baylor has been missing since the graduation of Josh Lomers.
• After struggling last season at Point Guard, the Bears have multiple options this year. Heslip provides an outside shooting threat, Jackson will provide great court vision, and Walton will be his same old self providing plenty of defense. On top of all that, who knows what Cal transfer Gary Franklin can provide. 

@gbkcraw

Just over a year ago, Colorado and Nebraska fled the Big XII for what they presumed to be greener pastures. With both teams setting sail on their maiden voyage in their new conferences, Colorado in the Pac-12 and Nebraska in the Big 10 (12), the Big XII will be playing their first ever ten team conference schedule. 

Before the Big XII even embarks on this journey, it is in danger. Texas A&M is on the verge of going to the SEC, and although this isn't a sure thing it seems to be inching closer by the day. While no one is certain of what is going to happen to the Big XII (although Texas believes that Oklahoma is the Big XII linchpin), I do have an idea of what will happen to A&M. 

If the Aggies were to join the Southeastern Conference, one would think they would join up with the SEC West. While the Big XII is a solid football conference (see Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Mizzou) it is far from the SEC West. Alabama, Auburn, and LSU have all won a title (in LSU's case two) in the past 10 years. A&M's last national title? 1939!

Right now, in the Big XII, A&M has a recruiting advantage over every school except big bad Texas. The Aggies rely on 'Tradition' (One whole conference title!), a truly incredibly fan base, and one heck of a football stadium. Sure, if they move to the SEC they can play the "SEC school in Texas" card, but how does that stack up to Les Miles, Nick Saban, and Gene Chizik flashing big fancy national championship rings?

Since 1997 A&M has gone 1-9 in bowl games (that is one more bowl win than lowly Baylor). To put that stat in perspective since 1997 Mississippi State (4), Ole Miss (7), Alabama (5), Arkansas (3), Auburn (8), and LSU (9) have all won more bowl games than the prestigious Texas A&M University. A&M's all time record against current SEC West opponents: 53-72-4. Seems like a place they'll succeed, right?

So when football is the most important sport in the college landscape, one would think that putting yourself in position to win a National Championship would be the prime goal for a move. But A&M is leaving for another reason entirely, Greed. 

Well that, and trying to escape the shadow of big brother Texas. 

@gbkcraw

2011 Gold Cup: Previewing the Final

It was four short years ago that Benny Feilhaber did this giving the United States the Gold Cup championship. Still fresh on the mind of American and Mexican soccer fans alike is what happened at the Gold Cup in 2009, with Mexico beating an American "B-Team" 5-0.

Well, Saturday night at 9 o'clock eastern time the winner of the last five Gold Cups will face off, with another title on the line. Here is how they stack up against each other.

How They Got Here


United States:
The United States finished play in Group C as the second place team. They beat Canada (2-0) and and Guadeloupe (1-0) while losing their first ever Gold Cup group play game to Panama (2-1). The United States then beat Jamaica (2-0) in the quarterfinals before exacting revenge on Panama (1-0) to reach the final in Pasadena.

The Yanks played largely uninspired soccer in group play seemingly going through the motions and still advancing. Jozy Altidore who is now injured provided the goal that ultimately saw the Americans through in the group stage.

The U.S. then shuffled the line-up a little going to a 5-4-1 formation and starting Alejandro Bedoya in place of Landon Donovan. Donovan came off of the bench in both the quarter and semi-finals making an impact on the game and setting up Clint Dempsey for the goal that would win the game against Panama.

The Americans have seemingly solidified their back line with Steve Cherundolo and and Eric Lichaj pushing up the wings and providing dangerous crosses and Captain Carlos Bocanegra anchoring the middle with Clarence Goodson (who is masterful in the air.) Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones have been finding a good mix of attack and defense at the midfield position while Clint Dempsey has been as dangerous as ever.

Mexico:
Mexico cruised through Group A play with a goal differential of +13 while beating up on El Salvador (5-0), Cuba (5-0), and Costa Rica (4-1). El Tri is undoubtedly the most talented team in this CONCACAF Gold Cup but they'll have to be in peak form to take down the Yanks.

In the Quarterfinals Guatemala struck first against the Mexican National Team going up 1-0 only to see Mexico score two goals to win the matchup. El Tri then played Honduras to a tie before tacking on not one, but two goals en route to the final.

The Mexican attack led by Chicharito (who some think will make the difference) of Manchester United and Giovani Dos Santos who spent much of last year on loan from Tottenham. Although starting Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is one of five Mexican National team players suspended his replacement Alfredo Talavera has stepped up with El Tri allowing only two goals in Gold Cup play.

How They Stack Up


With what is deemed a very important trip to the Confederations Cup on the line, this rivalry game will be at heights rarely seen. Both Mexico's and the United States defense has been solid throughout the Cup with Mexico's back four being rarely tested. However, the American's must feel a little more confident with Tim Howard in goal seeing as Alfredo Tevez had only one CAP before this Gold Cup competition.

The midfield battle will be interesting to see, but simply because of technical ability I lean towards giving Mexico the edge. Andres Guardado has an ankle injury leaving his status in the Mexican midfield in question, and the U.S. fans must be wondering if they'll see Donovan start over either Bedoya or Sacha Kljestan. Donovan has the experience and play making ability (especially in the counterattack) that the United States will need if they are to keep Mexico honest.

In the forward slot the United States are greatly outmatched. Chicharito has loads of talent and class scoring 20 goals in all competitions with Manchester United. Juan Agudelo who is expected to get the call up front for the Yanks is young, talented, and energetic but spends his days playing for the New York Red Bulls and not scoring to prolifically. That said, if the United States defense stays tight and moves together they can hope to contain Chicharito and count on Timmy if he ever slips through the cracks.

The Result


With the game in the United States that helps the U.S. side a little bit, but nobody will be surprised when the crowd is still pro Mexico. However this is a rivalry game and anything can happen, such as this. I expect nothing but a very close game and wouldn't be surprised to see either Mexico or the U.S. win a game 1-0 or 2-1.

@gbkcraw

2011 NBA Draft in Review

It is over. The 2011 NBA Draft ended in about the same amount of time it would take the 1st Round of the NFL Draft to end. There were foreigners, crazy trades, and stories of Ron Artest petioning for a name change. David Stern got booed and that other guy (Adam Silver) was super personable. So check it out, see how each team faired in the 2011 Draft!

Cleveland Cavaliers
Who Did They Draft? Kyrie Irving (1), Tristan Thompson (4), Milan Macvan (54).

The Cavs did what was expected of them by taking Kyrie Irving, out of Duke, with the first overall pick in the draft. From there, they surprised us a bit snagging Tristan Thompson at 4 when most thought they would take Jonas Valanciunas. Nobody is exactly sure why this happened, although Chad Ford was reporting that Cleveland was high on Thompson and there is the high risk Valanciunas isn't coming over this year. Thompson has a solid motor, and hits the offensive glass very well, but the question can be asked why snag a carbon copy of J.J. Hickson who averaged 16 points and 11 boards after January 1st. Macvan is a 6'9" guy who can stretch the floor a little bit but isn't expected to come to the NBA anytime soon.

Grade: B -- Taking Valanciunas would have filled a bigger need for the Cavs even if they did have to wait an extra year for him.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Who Did They Draft? Derrick Williams (2), Malcolm Lee (43).
What Else Did They Get? Brad Miller (From Houston), 2013 First Round Pick (From Houston)

The Timberwolves got the second most talented player in the draft (Williams), now all thats left is deciding what position he will play. Williams is a classic Tweener  and has his work cut out for him at the Forward slot with Michael Beasley and Kevin Love also in the mix. They also snagged Malcolm Lee out of UCLA who they were thinking about taking with the 20th pick. Lee is an excellent perimeter defender, something the T-Wolves desperately needed.

Grade- B+ -- Might have been better off getting rid of the Number 2 Pick and seeing what they could get in return

Utah Jazz
Who Did They Draft? Enes Kanter (3), Alec Burks (12).

With everyone thinking Brandon Knight at Number 3 the Jazz decided at the last second to go with Kanter who might be the biggest wild card of the draft. Kanter couldn't play for Kentucky last year because he "wasn't eligible" and now it turns out nobody knows too much about him. Burks on the other hand is out of Colorado University and can flat out fill it up. He needs to work on his Perimeter shot, but the Jazz felt as if they needed a scoring guard, and in all likelihood they found him in Burks.

Grade B+ -- The Jazz don't seem to want to hang onto Devin Harris, but they didn't seem to find anyone to replace him either. Still drafted the best on the board (Kanter) and another need in Burks.

Toronto Raptors
Who Did They Draft? Jonas Valanciunas (5)

Valancinuas is a 7 footer with a 9'3" reach out of Lithuania. He is a true center, who happens to be tough and a good rebounder making him the exact opposite of Andrea Bargnani. He is no doubt the Center of the future for this Raptors team, but the question is when is the future? Valanciunas is unlikely to come to the NBA this year because of contract issues, but he will be a gem when he does.

Grade- A -- Unfortunate that he won't be here immediately, but got what could turn out to be a dominant player

Washington Wizards
Who Did They Draft? Jan Vesely (6), Chris Singleton (18), Shelvin Mack (34th)

Vesely is a high flier who at 6'11" gets up and down the court very well and seemingly fits in with a point guard like John Wall. On top of him they add the best perimeter defender in the draft in Singleton who will be a lock down defender at THREE (maybe four) positions. They also added a guy in Shelvin Mack who is a player out of Butler who can be a spark off the bench providing instant offense.

Grade- A+ -- In my mind Washington had the best draft of any team, getting better at every position of need.

Charlotte Bobcats
Who Did They Draft? Bismack Biyombo (7), Kemba Walker (9)
What Else Did They Get? Corey Maggette (From Milwaukee), Cash Considerations (From Golden State)

The Bobcats did your classic "Get worse to get better" job in this years draft. They parted ways with Stephen Jackson (Milwaukee) and brought in Corey Maggette who they will expect just about nothing from. Bismack Biyombo is a 6'9" Power Forward who has been playing in Spain and was the first ever player to record a triple double at the Nike Hoops Summit. Kemba Walker is your ultimate winner who will struggle to be a pure point, but maybe that isn't what Michael Jordan and his Bobcats need.

Grade- A+ -- Richard Cho came over from Portland and has done a great job setting this Charlotte team up for the future.

Detroit Pistons
Who Did They Draft? Brandon Knight (8), Kyle Singler (33), Vernon Macklin (52)

Detroit secured the Point Guard of their future in Brandon Knight while drafting a couple other guys that fit the Detroit mold (TOUGH). All three picks are winners, which is good as they are stepping into a bad team.

Grade- C+ -- Sure they got Brandon Knight, but they missed out on Biyombo and Tristan Thompson which was Detroit's true need.

Sacramento Kings
Who Did They Draft? Jimmer Fredette (10), Tyler Honeycut (35), Isaiah Thomas (60)
What Else Did They Get? John Salmons

Jimmer is a solid addition for the Kings who need an immediate boost in ticket sales along with someone to pair up with Tyreke Evans. The Jimmer can hit from anywhere on the court, but will have to work to improve his defensive abilities as well as transforming to become more of a classic point guard. Tyler Honeycut is a small forward who passes the ball well and is of pretty good value at pick 35, while Isaiah Thomas is undersized but if given the opportunity could change the pace of the Kings offense.

Grade- C+ -- It wasn't the draft itself was bad, it was more swapping Salmons for Beno Udrih and moving down 3 spots in the draft.

Golden State Warriors 
Who Did They Draft? Klay Thompson (11), Charles Jenkins (44)
What Else Did They Get? Jeremy Tyler (From Charlotte for Cash)

Klay Thompson is a great three point shooter out of Washington State, and Charles Jenkins is the closest thing to Jimmer Fredette in this draft. Those two picks add up to only one thing in the minds of many experts: the Warriors are set to trade Monta Ellis. Jeremy Tyler is very raw offensively but at 6'11" can jump out of the gym and make an immediate impact defensively.

Grade- B -- The Warriors need Thompson and Jenkins to be the real deal, because they are expected to have no cap space to work with under the upcoming CBA.

Phoenix Suns
Who Did They Draft? Markieff Morris (13)

Many people were surprised to here Markieff's name called before his twin brother Marcus. However by all accounts, Markieff is better defensively and a better rebounder than his little brother. Markieff also seems to have a more solid lock on a specific position (PF) while Marcus is a tweener.

Grade- C+ -- The Suns didn't do anything wrong, but with the Number 13 pick in this draft, it was hard to do something spectacular.

Houston Rockets
Who Did They Draft? Marcus Morris (14), Dontas Motiejunas (20), Chandler Parsons (38)
What Else Did They Get? Jonny Flynn

Marcus Morris is surely playing the Small Forward for Houston as Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes fill the Power Forward role. Dontas Motiejunas is a 7 footer who is a polished scorer but not exactly tough on the boards. He is also listed as a power forward which means the Rockets might look to move one of there other 8,769 players at the same position. Parsons is a 3 guard who can handle the rock and possibly play the role of Point Forward if he develops into a little tougher player.

Grade- B -- The Rockets are shopping Jonny Flynn and while they picked up some size, they are still lacking a true center.

Indiana Pacers
Who Did They Draft? Nobody
What Else Did They Get? George Hill

The Pacers turned the Numbers 15 and 42 pick into George Hill which from the outside looking in is great for them. Hill is going to be the Point Guard of the Pacers future and after backing up Tony Parker in San Antonio he will be fully capable.

Grade- B+ -- I really like what the Pacers did packaging there 2 picks for Hill.

Philadelphia 76ers
Who Did They Draft? Nikola Vucevic (16), Lavoy Allen (50th)

Vuvevic is a 7 footer out of USC that projects to be solid at both ends of the court. Vucevic has a soft touch around the basket but also a little bit of range on his jumper and has a 7'5" wingspan which will help him as he defends bigger players. Allen who is a power forward out of Temple is a solid rebounder but probably won't contribute much.

Grade- B -- Vucevic will help the 76ers on both ends of the floor, although he won't turn into the star that many think they need.

New York Knicks
Who Did They Draft? Iman Shumpert (17)
What Else Did They Get? Josh Harrelson (45, from New Orleans)

Shumpert is a 6'6" point guard who is a poor shooter, but finishes fairly well around the rim. Shumpert is projected to be a solid defender and with his size it is likely that he'll be able to guard more than just the point position. Shumpert has a lot of work to do to help this New York team on the offensive end of the floor though. Harrelson doesn't do much more than address a need for depth at Center.

Grade- D -- The Knicks needed perimeter defending, but why pass up Singleton who was the best defender in the draft.

Milwaukee Bucks
Who Did They Draft? Tobias Harris (19), Jon Leuer (40)
What Else Did They Get? Stephen Jackson (Charlotte), Shaun Livingston (Charlotte), Beno Udrih (Sacramento)

Milwaukee didn't do much to upgrade in the draft, although many are projecting Harris to be a sleeper pick. Leuer on the other hand is a 7 feet tall and can step out to the 3 point line and knock down jumpers. The Bucks did upgrade however by getting rid of Salmons and bringing in a better contract in Udrih and upgrading perimeter scoring with Stephen Jackson.

Grade- B -- If Harris turns out to be the sleeper he is projected as and the Jackson Udrih combo plays up to potential the Bucks improved through the day.

Portland Trailblazers
Who Did They Draft? Nolan Smith (21), Jon Diebler (51)
What Else Did They Get? Raymond Felton (Denver)

The Blazers lost Shooting Guard Rudy Fernandez on the night and also gave up Andre Miller. However a younger, quicker Felton should really help speed Portland up. Nolan Smith looks to be an excellent 6th man that could be Jason Terry- esque, but the question was posed is 21 to high for him? Diebler was the leading 3 point shooter in the history of the Big 10 and can really help space the floor.

Grade- C+ -- It's not who they drafted, its who they didn't draft. Kenneth Faried has a chance to be a special player in terms of rebounding the ball and defending and would have been a steal at 21.

Denver Nuggets
Who Did They Draft? Kenneth Faried (22)
What Else Did They Get? Andre Miller (Portland), Jordan Hamilton (26), Future 2nd Round Pick (Blazers, 2013, 2014), Chuckwudiebere Maduabum (56, from LA for future 2nd round pick)

The Nuggets did an excellent job in this draft. They added rebounding in Faried, a scoring threat in Hamilton, and an experienced, change of pace point guard in Andre Miller. Faried will hit the boards harder than anyone in the draft class, and as much as you've heard it..I'll say it again, he has a great motor. Hamilton is a guy that can score in bunches, but needs to work on his shot selection.

Grade- B+ Faried at 22 is a steal and getting rid of Felton for Hamilton and Miller is also.

Oklahoma City
Who Did They Draft? Reggie Jackson (24)

Sam Presti has been nothing short of genius in OKC, but this one is brought into question. Jackson is very similar to Russell Westbrook which is good, but creates a log jam at point along with Eric Maynor. Presti obviously has a plan, but I'm not quite sure what it is. He says Maynor is the Thunder's long term plans, so maybe Jackson will move to the 2?

Grade- C -- Maybe this ends up being a great pick, but for now it looks questionable.

Boston Celtics
Who Did They Draft? JaJuan Johnson (27), E'Twaun Moore (55)

The C's snagged a future 2nd round pick out of the Nets while acquiring Johnson, giving up Marshon Brooks to the Nets. Johnson is a very talented player whom the Celtics expect to improve under Kevin Garnett's tutelage. Moore isn't great at anything, but he is good at everything which leads many to believe at 55 he is a true steal.

Grade- B+ -- The C's weren't working with much, but they turned there limited resources into 2 players that fit the system very well.

Dallas Mavericks
Who Did They Draft? Nobody
What Else Did They Get? Rudy Fernandez (Portland)

Fernandez is a relatively cheap fit for the Dallas system. He can stand around and shoot 3's like Peja did, and not be the same liability on the defensive end. This likely means either Peja or DeShawn Stevenson (or both) will be shown the door in Dallas. I like giving up the 26th and 57th pick for Fernandez who will be happier in Dallas than Portland.

Grade- B -- Hard to do much better than getting a cheap option that is a solid fit.

New Jersey Nets
Who Did They Draft? Marshon Brooks (25), Jordan Williams (36), Bojan Bogdanovic (31 from Miami & Minnesota)

The Nets traded up to get to Marshon Brooks who some are calling the next Kobe Bryant. Make no mistake, Brooks CAN fill it up, but he is NOT the next Kobe Bryant. They also snagged Jordan Williams who is a 6'9" center out of Maryland who will rebound the ball well but that is about it. Bogdanovic is a do it all forward who lacks athleticism and who I'm not sure will ever make a huge impact.

Grade- C+ -- Brooks can fill it up, but I'm not sure these three guys are keeping Deron Williams around after this year.

Chicago Bulls
Who Did They Draft? Jimmy Butler (30), Nikola Mirotic (23, from Houston)

Butler has a great story, and is the ultimate role player. He'll play hard, defend well, and thrive without the ball in his hands. Mirotic can play the 3 or the 4 and has decent range on his jumper and can drive to the basket.

Grade- B -- Disappointed not to see a Nolan Smith fall here the Bulls picked up the pieces by grabbing a great role player and adding depth to the front court.

San Antonio Spurs
Who Did They Draft? Cory Joseph (29), Adam Hanga (59), Kawhi Leonard (15 from Indiana), Davis Bertans (42 from Indiana)

Cory Joseph although picked too high in many minds is the choice to replace George Hill as the Spurs back up point guard while Adam Hanga will spend some more time overseas in what appears to be a decent risk by the Spurs. Leonard and Bertans don't seem like much in return for George Hill but surely the Spurs brass knows something we don't. Bertans fits into the mold of a Spurs player (great shooter and passer), and its still to be seen what San Antonio will do with the athletic Leonard.

Grade- B+ -- It's hard to give the Spurs front office to bad of a grade, especially when we see them saving money like they likely will with this deal.

Miami Heat
Who Did They Draft? Norris Cole (28)

Cole is a point guard out of Cleveland State who John Hollinger had rated as one of the better guards in the draft. He will add much needed depth to the Miami backcourt and for a relatively small price. Cole will be a member of the Heat for years to come.

Grade: A -- For what the Heat were working with, they addressed a need without giving up much. (Future 2nd round pick, cash considerations)

Los Angelas Clippers
Who Did They Draft? Trey Thompkins (37) Travis Leslie (47)

Both of these former Georgia Bulldogs were good finds for the Clippers in this draft. If Thompkins will muscle up and work on his conditioning he will be a talent down low for the Clippers and Travis Leslie will add another explosive dunker to what is quickly becoming one of the most exciting teams in basketball.

Grade: B -- If Thompkins pans out he's a great pick. Leslie, well he's going to be competing with Blake Griffin in a dunk contest very soon.

Los Angelas Lakers
Who Did They Draft? Darius Morris (41), Andrew Goudelock (46), Ater Majok (58)
What Else Did They Get? Future 2nd Round Pick (Nuggets)

L.A. added a shooter in Goudelock and a very good passing point guard in Darius Morris. If Morris improves his jumpshot he could become a very solid starting point guard for the Lakers and with Steve Blake and Derek Fisher ahead of him on the depth chart I expect him to get some time. Ater Majok spent a year at UCONN, however he doesn't seem like a guy that will play or make a difference.

Grade: C+ -- The Lakers weren't working with much but I like what they snagged in Darius Morris.

New Orleans Hornets
Who Did They Draft? Nobody
What Else Did They Get? Between 700,000 and 750,000 Dollars (Knicks)

The Hornets sold their 45th pick (Josh Harrelson) to the Knicks for a little cash.

Grade: B- -- A franchise in need of revenue gets money.

Atlanta Hawks
Who Did They Draft? Keith Benson (48)

Benson is a soft center, and I'm not sure how that helps the Hawks who face Dwight Howard on a regular basis. While he was productive in college I don't expect that to carry into the NBA.

Grade- D -- Mark my words, "He will NEVER make an impact"

Memphis Grizzlies
Who Did They Draft? Josh Selby (49)

Who is Josh Selby? That is the question on everyones mind. Is he the superstar we saw in high school, or the incredibly average talent we saw at Kansas in his Freshman year. Either way the Grizzlies did something smart by taking a high risk high reward pick when they had nothing to lose.

Grade- A -- Selby has character issues, but when it is all said and done he is uber talented

Orlando Magic
Who Did They Draft? DeAndre Liggins (53)
What Else Did They Get? Justin Harper (32 from Cavs)

With the only picked they owned the Magic didn't add much offensively but they grabbed a guy that can defend three positions. Perimeter defense never hurt anyone, especially that late in the draft. The Magic also gave up 2 future 2nd round picks for Harper, who is a sharpshooting big man who has drawn Rashard Lewis comparisons.

Grade: B+ -- The Magic got a stretch the floor big guy which could make it harder to double team Howard and a defensive role player in Liggins.

The only thing left is to get the CBA figured out where we can watch all these rookies play.

@gbkcraw

Dwyane Wade and the Demise of the Miami Heat

Nearly a year ago LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh got together and had a party announcing the arrival of the Miami Heat's dynasty. LeBron spoke of winning not just 1 or 2 championships, but upwards of 7 titles. While LeBron's words were excellent for Heat fans to hear and for the NBA's T.V. ratings, I'm not sure that he thought before he spoke.

No, I'm not talking about how much of the Heat's cap space (whatever the cap will look like with the new CBA) is locked up into three players, I'm not talking about the ongoing circus around the team, I'm not talking about how the organization elected to surround them with guys that they picked up at the local Y. I'm talking about Dwyane Wade, the oldest of the "Big 3" and a guy whom I believe will physically break down before that oh so elusive 8th title.

As we all know Wade is a seemingly fearless, reckless player who gets to the lane at will but gets absolutely abused for it. ( They even made an advertising scheme off of it: Fall Down 7 Get Up 8 .) The way Wade gets to the bucket is very reminiscent of the way that one Allen Iverson played the game. Iverson played (plays) with a certain reckless abandon, however that reckless abandon only saw him play a full 82 games twice in his career.

Dwyane Wade similar to AI has yet to play a full 82 games maxing out at 79 games in 2008-2009. While Wade is larger in stature than Iverson it is somewhat evident that they have similar playing styles in the fact that they are both streaky outside shooters, who attack the basket with a grace and fervor rarely seen in the league. They both go to the line at a solid clip and are uber quick on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. 

That said, why not look to the past (Iverson) to predict the future (Wade) at least in terms of physical demise and the breakdown of the body. We'll look into games played and minutes played before Iverson's physical drop off and do the math to see where in Wade's career that will put him. (I deemed Iverson's physical drop off the 2008-2009 season when all of his numbers dropped off the charts, even if it was partially because of the Detroit system.)

Iverson (pre drop)- 12 seasons / 829 Games/ 34, 555.4 Total Minutes
Wade (to date)- 8 Seasons/ 547 Games/ 20,567.2 Total Minutes

Wade (22) came into the league a year older than Iverson (21), so we will assume that being a year older works to his disadvantage. If Wade plays 4 more seasons like his most recent for the Heat (76 games, 37.2 MPG he will add on 11,296 minutes to his total. We can somewhat safely assume Wade will get injured and miss 20 to 25 games more than normal so we'll say he plays 50 games at 37.2 MPG. That adds another 1,862 minutes to his total meaning this is how the numbers stack up at the end of the 2015-2016 season:

Iverson (pre drop)- 12 seasons / 829 Games/ 34, 555.4 Total Minutes
Wade (2015-2016)- 13 seasons/ 901 Games / 33,725.2 Total Minutes

Let's assume Wade loses his step going into that 16-17 season. Will it be worth the Heat resigning Wade's breaking down body? If not the "Big 3" will have won a total of 5 titles, but you'll have to imagine they get beat in at least one 7 game series between now and then. The Heat win 4 titles, maybe. Not quite what LeBron said.

However, Wade has multiple options to avoid the fate of Allen Iverson. Wade at 6'4"has the ability to do things much more Michael Jordan like than Iverson ever had the blessing of doing. Jordan extended his Bulls career by at least two years by doing two things: wanting IT more than anyone, and developing a mid-range/ back to the basket game that was near unstoppable. Dwyane Wade has the talent, the ability to re-invent himself.

The only question left to ask is: Does he have the drive to re-invent himself?

He'll have to if he want's LeBrons predictions to come true.

@gbkcraw

The 2011 Monstars

Sometime in his career Michael Jordan found the time to act in a movie that hit the Big Screen in November of 1996. However we rarely acknowledge the other NBA Players that took time out of their schedules to play a much smaller role in "Space Jam." 

To pay tribute too (and make fun of) the other five players that played a major role as the "Monstars" I'll delve into who your Monstars would be if Space Jam was remade starting tomorrow. 

While it is very tempting to break down who your Monstars would be by pointing out that Rajon Rondo and Chris Bosh look like aliens and thus would be perfect candidates for your 2011 Squad, I'll be a little less superficial and take stats and playing styles into consideration. 

1996 Monstar: Muggsy Bogues

2011 Monstar: Earl Boykins

Bogues was a tiny 5'3" that averaged nearly as many assists (7.6) as points (7.7) per game over his 15 year career. While Boykins is nowhere close to as talented as Muggsy, he is the closest thing we have in height at 5'5". Boykins has only averaged about 2.5 assists over his career, but like Bogues has managed to survive in a league of giants for over a decade. It's safe to say that Boykins skill set would suffice in setting up the rest of his star studded Monstars, while providing good cheap laughs simply because of his size.

1996 Monstar: Larry Johnson

 2011 Monstar: Joe Johnson

Larry Johnson was coming off a career in year in 95-96 (20pts, 8 rbs, 4 ast), and while Joe Johnson has put up better scoring numbers than that the players are semi-comparable. This past season Joe averaged just over 18 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds very similar to Larry's stats in his pre- space Jam season. Both players have the last name Johnson, rode career years to big raises, and never give you a shot at a championship if they are your best player. Larry was 6'6" while Joe is 6'7" but both handle the ball well which is key for a Monstars team that deploys the strategy that size will win. (Seriously, what if they had added another guard instead of Bradley? Maybe a 3 point shooter to stretch the floor? No way MJ and crew win that game.)

1996 Monstar: Charles Barkley

2011 Monstar: Kevin Garnett

Sure KG at 6'11" has a solid five inches on the 6'6" Barkley but everything else adds up. KG can score the basketball at a rate similar to Chucks, and also rebounds at a rate similar to Barkley's. However, Garnett brings a defensive presence to the floor, something which Barkley never did for his '96 Monstars. More importantly, both players have big mouths and are great "lead Monstars" in terms of personality. The only downside to including Garnett is that you might have to change the movie rating to PG-13 because he tends to scare small children.

1996 Monstar: Patrick Ewing

2011 Monstar: Amare Stoudemire 

I can't keep the city of New York from having a star in this game, especially with some of the similarities these two share. Ewing was a 7 footer who had a wonderful back to the basket game but could also put the ball on the floor for a dribble or two before punishing a helpless defender with a monster jam. Stoudemire at 6'10" thrives off of posterizing less athletic and smaller defenders and like Ewing has never won a championship. Moar importantly, who wouldn't love seeing Alien-Stoudemire running around wearing glasses like Amare?

1996 Monstar: Shawn Bradley

2011 Monstar: Zydrunas Ilgauskas

 As a child I enjoyed watching the Mavericks for one reason and one reason only, Shawn Bradley. He was good for a couple baseline 15 footers, clumsily running into guards attacking the rim, and of course at least one collision with the floor per game. The only criteria for replacing Bradley on the Monstars was the following: Tall, White, Awkward, Nice Mid-Range Game. Now survey the landscape of the NBA, and with the exception of Brian Scalabrine nobody else fits the criteria. Big Z has had a relatively successful NBA career and is currently chasing his first ring with the Miami Heat right now. But like Bradley, I couldn't imagine a worse pick/bigger waste of space for this Monstars team than Ilgauskas.



So there you have it, your 2011 Monstars. A squad that would definietely give Kobe (2011 MJ) and Bugs a run for their money. The ball is in your court (pun intended) Warner Brothers.

The Boston Celtics Being the Boston Celtics

Maybe this Easter Sunday of basketball doesn't mean anything for the Heat or the Celtics. After all, the Knicks were missing Chauncey Billups and had a very underwhelming version of Amare Stoudemire. After all, the Heat fought back from an early 15 point deficit, showing some mental toughness to make a game of things. We could assume that it is simply a blip on the NBA Playoffs radar.

But the truth of the matter is, I think it might tell us more than you realize. The Celtics, led by Kevin Garnett jumped out to a 17 point halftime lead and kept their foot on the gas just enough to hold off a Knicks squad that cut that lead to four midway through the fourth quarter. 

Miami on the other hand, gave up a pair of clutch 3's to Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams giving the Sixers a two point lead with eight seconds to go. Lebron James then had his attempted game tying shot blocked by Elton Brand (yes, the same Elton Brand that is a miserable contract for the 76ers) and ended up failing to close out a sweep of the 76ers. 

The Celtics (as usual) seem to have it all figured out. They played miserably in Games 1 and 2 against the Knicks but had Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett hit go ahead, game winning shots to squeak out the wins. Then the Celtics did what they do best. They traveled on the road, in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd that was hungry for playoff basketball and finished the job. 

On the other hand, Miami rolled in to a Game 4 in Philly and left us craving an answer to our season long question. With the game on the line, who gets the ball, makes the play, takes the shot? With LeBron's shot getting blocked, we'll continue to ask ourselves that question. 

The Heat left us with questions. While the Celtics gave us the same old reliable answer.

He Won't Let You Fredette

I'll start off with brutal honesty, I have a man crush on Jimmer Fredette, and this piece of writing will absolutely reflect that. Now I'll move on.

You all know his story, his brother taught him to play in hallways, backyards, and even prisons. Most people noticed him at the beginning of his Senior year, although astute college hoops fans noticed him as he had a phenomenal Junior year. Jimmer-mania swept the nation as he terrorized the Mountain West conference and is a leading candidate for National Player of the Year.

However, disappointingly we'll never get to see The Jimmer tear up a college basketball court again, and many "experts" predict that Fredette will be a bust at the NBA level. Some say his game won't translate to the pro's, some say he is to short, and still others say he isn't capable of playing defense. I however, will provide a counterargument for every one of those knocks.

You say The Jimmer's game won't translate into the pros? 
Last I checked, the ball and the basket are the exact same size, The Jimmer can hit shots from well beyond the NBA three point line, and to win games you still have to score more than the opposing team. All of that seems pretty familiar. Dave Rose and BYU asked The Jimmer to score in bunches, and he responded by putting up nearly 29 points per game (playing defenses catered to stopping him) and leading an average supporting cast to a number three seed and a Sweet 16 birth.

You say The Jimmer is too short?
The Jimmer isn't big enough to play shooting guard in the NBA, and doesn't distribute the ball and see the floor well enough to play the point is a common knock on The Jimmer. But don't put his basketball abilities in a box. As I mentioned before, The Jimmer was asked to score, and he did just that at a torrid pace. The BYU game plan never read "Use The Jimmer to draw a double team and have him pass to the other open white guys." Game in and game out it read "get the ball to The Jimmer every chance possible and watch him go." Oh, and I guess it doesn't matter that for all that scoring, he averaged 4.3 assists per game.

You Say The Jimmer doesn't play defense?
The Jimmer played 35.8 minutes per game, and if the game was relatively close he would likely be in the entire game. The Jimmer played harder on the offensive end of the court than anyone in the nation, in large part because his coach asked it of him. Fredette wasn't surrounded by McDonald's All Americans, Top 150 recruits, or guys that could create their own shots. Fredette was surrounded by a bunch of hustle players, who play incredibly hard, and can knock down an open shot. So naturally Dave Rose (who did a phenomenal job) asked his guys to play twice as hard on defense to make up for The Jimmer who he needed to play 10x harder than everyone else on the offensive end. So again, don't knock The Jimmer for following coaches orders.

So, ignore the experts that claim Fredette is the next Adam Morrison, as the only true similarity between them is their skin color. Ignore Rick Reilly's latest article, ignore the critics who say he'll never stand a chance. Also, ignore me, because I'm far from an expert.

All I care about is that you give The Jimmer a fair chance. Oh, and watch this.

NCAA Tournament: Blind Guessing

March Madness is here, and some might be saying that the NCAA Selection Committee is Mad. Nobody knows quite how they work including Joe Lunardi, but we'll play a quick game of what I'll call Blind Picking. 

               

All Data from RPI going into to Sunday

Team A: Record- 22-8, vs. Top 25- 0-1, vs. Top 50- 1-4, RPI 31, SOS 76, Non Conf. SOS 86

Team B: Record- 20-13, vs. Top 25- 4-3, vs. Top 50- 6-7, RPI 66, SOS 70, Non Conf. SOS 331

Team C: Record- 21-11, vs. Top 25- 0-5, vs. Top 50- 0-6, RPI 55, SOS 68, Non Conf. SOS 51

Out of the three teams listed above only two of them were included in this years field of 68. Look at the numbers, examine the numbers. As you look you have to think that the only sure fire team to make the tournament is Team B, because it appears they are the only team to beat another good team. 

Team A: University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB)

Team B: Colorado

Team C: Clemson

As you know, Team A and C made the tournament while leaving Team B out. What does that say about what the selection Committee looks at? Does the selection Committee value just the Strength of Schedule?

Why does it matter that UAB traveled to Duke and lost by 21 points? Does that prove something to the selection committee? Clemson, you lost to Old Dominion and Michigan, which is respectable, but why does it help your NCAA tournament chances?

In my eyes, Colorado has more of a right than any other team to be upset about being snubbed. They might have had some rough losses (San Francisco, Iowa State) but they had quality wins (Kansas State x 3, Texas, Missouri). 

I for one am baffled by the Selection Committees inclusion of UAB and Clemson, while leaving the Buffs sitting at home. A message was certainly sent this year. 

Baylor Basketball: Breaking Down Perry Jones

According to multiple sources, Perry Jones III has been suspended from the Baylor basketball team for the remainder of the season for accepting impermissible benefits.

Just when Baylor fans thought their season couldn't get any worse, it looks as if the basketball program could be in trouble. However, there is still much to be learned about this situation. 

What We Know

• Perry Jones III from Duncanville High School is suspended for tonights Big XII tournament opener against Oklahoma.
• It has come out that the suspension is due to Pre Enrollment Amateurism/ Preferential Treatment. Jones AAU coach gave 3 separate 15 day loans to Jones mother 
• Perry Jones had no knowledge of the loans his mother received. 
• Baylor is appealing the NCAA's suspension which is set to be for the rest of the season

What this means for Baylor is that if they can hold off Oklahoma this evening in their conference tournament opener, there is a chance Perry could be reinstated. Baylor Athletic Director Ian McCaw has said that Baylor "is profoundly disappointed in the timing and determination of this matter" and that "This outcome appears to be inconsistent with other recent, widely discussed NCAA decisions."

It seems as if McCaw could be right, this coming in the same season as Cam Newton's dad allegedly shopping his son as a college football player. Newton supposably had no idea his dad was asking money for his sons commitment, similar to this situation. 

One could assume the amount of money provided in these three 15 day loans is much less than the large sums of money that Newton's father was looking for. Hopefully with the Bears appealing this situation Perry Jones III will be re-instated to the basketball team.

This is relatively good news for Baylor Basketball, as it appears that they did no wrong in the situation. 

Follow me on twitter: @gbkcraw

Edit: A few things have surfaced since my posting of this article.

• Baylor has no involvement in this incident
• The NCAA found out about this in November, interviewed Jones in December and mysteriously waited until hours before a game to tell the Bears. 
• The Loans totaled less than $1000 and were paid back in full in a timely manner. 
• Scott Drew isn't happy, I've never seen him like this. 

NBA's Worst Contracts

Remember when David Kahn signed Darko Milicic to a deal through the 2013-2014 season when Darko was about to leave the league? Well it inspired someone to make this video in honor of Bill Simmons. However Darko has been a pleasant surprise for the T-Wolves, and all of these contracts make Darko's deal look like a stroke of genius. Prepare to see my list of the worst contracts in the league.

When You're Bad, You're Bad.

5. Peja Stojakovic- The Mavericks (Peja's current team) are paying him just under $800,000 for the his services for the team. The terrible part still remains on the Toronto Raptors payroll. Stojakovic is the Raptors highest paid player earning over 14 million dollars on the last year of his deal. To examine this situation more in depth he played a total of 22 minutes for Toronto this year, getting paid over 1,000 dollars for every SECOND he spent on the court. However, he will be off the Raptors payroll this year which was part of their plan, this deal was just to bad not to mention.

4. Jermaine O'Neal- Danny Ainge, what were you thinking? Boston gave a big man who has missed at least 12 games in each of the past seven seasons a two year deal worth nearly 12 million dollars total. How has O'Neal repaid the Celtics? By playing in just 17 of the Celtics first 61 games due to a knee injury. On top of that, he's going to miss at least 4 to 6 more weeks before returning to the line up. Danny Ainge would have been better off signing himself than O'Neal. (Not to mention the other O'Neill. Which is topic for another post, how are the C's gonna win a championship with Big Baby, O'Neal, O'Neill, and Kristic?)

Joe Johnson 

3. Joe Johnson- Remember the Summer of 2010, the summer of LeBron's decision, the summer Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire, and Chris Bosh all signed free agent deals? Well, don't forget that Joe Johnson took home more money than any of those guys over the summer. The Hawks doled out a 6 year, 119 Million dollar deal to a Superstar that hasn't left the 2nd round of the playoffs since being traded to Atlanta. Atlanta will be kicking themselves when they are paying a 34 year old Joe Johnson upwards of 24 million in the 2015-2016 season. Atlanta, I hope you truly enjoy mediocrity.

2. Rashard Lewis- According to HoopsHype.com, Rashard Lewis is the second highest player in the NBA during the 2010-2011 Season, behind only Kobe Bryant. Lewis is putting up 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Wizards who acquired his contract in a trade with the Magic earlier this season. Lewis still has two years left on his contract in which he will make nearly 46 million dollars. Lewis has never averaged more than 22.4 points per game, and the 31 year old Forward is on a swift decline.

Gilbert Arenas and the Infamous Guns

1. Gilbert Arenas- Six Years, 111 Million dollars was the deal that the Washington Wizards tossed Gilbert Arenas after the 2007-2008 season. Over the next two years, Arenas played in just 34 games due to injuries he had sustained, and for keeping unloaded firearms in the Wizards locker room. Arenas who once showed flashes of being a true superstar is averaging just 7.9 points per contest since becoming a member of the Orlando Magic earlier this season. Arenas is signed through the end of the 2013-14 season, as long as he decides to pick up his player option at the end of next season. (It's a safe bet he'll pick up that player option, because nobody will be willing to pay Arenas 7 Million dollars, much less the 21 million he would be making)

Honorable Mention: Luke Walton, Elton Brand, Travis Outlaw

All data according to www.hoopshype.com

Follow me on Twitter: @gbkcraw

Little Brother Knicks

Congratulations New Yorkers. After signing Amare Stoudemire in the summer of 2010, you have now picked up Carmelo Anthony who is one of the best pure scorers in the game today. But what did you actually accomplish, are you actually going to be winners? (I know the Knicks wanted to keep him, but getting rid of Timofey Mozogov after THIS travesty is a blessing for both parties.)

Michael Jordan Over Patrick Ewing

Remember the 1991, 1992, 1993 seasons, when Michael Jordan's Bulls sent Patrick Ewing and company packing year after year? The more talented Bulls won 11 of those 16 games to knock the Knicks out of the playoffs in three consecutive years, leaving Spike Lee and the Knicks frustrated time and time again. But with Anthony and Amare, thats in the past right?

Wrong.

Look around you, to Chicago where Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer wait in the shadows. Or more importantly look to Miami, where LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh are laughing at your combination of just two stars. Can't you just see it, the 2012, 2013, 2014 Knicks exiting the playoffs early because they are again outclassed in a remarkably tough Eastern Conference.

While Carmelo, and Amare are a great tandem, Knick fans shouldn't get to excited. James Dolan and Donnie Walsh are undoubtedly thrilled with their addition of Carmelo, but they are racking their brains as to where more talent will come from. The Knicks aren't expected to have enough cap space to make a run at Chris Paul or Deron Williams in 2012 (assuming the tandem opts out of their current deals and Melo signs a max contract.) On top of that, the Knicks don't look like they'll have the same quality pieces next year that allowed them to trade for Carmelo this year, putting them in even more of a bind.

So Mr. Walsh, Mr. Dolan don't get to excited about your current addition. There is much work to be done if you want to avoid the fate of Pat Riley and the 1990's Knicks.

Or, I guess you could hope LeBron decides to try football like Jordan tried baseball in 1994. Thats something to hope for, right?

Who's Number 1?

Just over 20 games into the college basketball season and we don't know much more about the NCAA tournament than we did in the middle of November. Sure we know some teams have been disappointments (Baylor and Kansas State, I'm looking at you), we know that one team has a better record than everyone else (Ohio State is undefeated), and that one guy can outscore everyone in the nation (Obviously The Jimmer). But other than Ohio State, we don't really have any clear cut #1 seeds. So here is the breakdown of who it might be. 

Texas- A Texas team that was ranked 25th in preseason coaches poll, and was unranked in the first AP ballot in Week 2 has taken the Big XII by storm. The Longhorns last lost was to Connecticut on January 8th (A game that provided us with this funny play), and the Longhorns only lost that game by a single point in overtime. 

Since then, the Longhorns have wins against A&M, at Kansas (breaking their 69 game home court winning streak), and at home against Missouri. The Longhorns still have to navigate a Big XII schedule that includes a trips to A&M, Baylor, and a home date with Kansas State, not to mention a potential rematch with the Jayhawks in the Big XII tournament. However the Longhorns are packed with talent in Jordan Hamilton (19 ppg), Tristan Thompson (12.9) and the occasional explosion from J'Covan Brown (23 at Kansas), and as opposed to last years Texas team have gelled and look primed for a postseason run. 

Kansas- Kansas is 20-1 on the season with their only loss at home to an uber talented Texas team. The Jayhawks remaining schedule has them set to play Missouri (Twice), and host A&M in their next to last conference game. In their first game after the passing of Thomas Robinson's mother, Kansas absolutely obliterated Kansas State hanging 90 points on the Wildcats. 

Kansas has talent down low in the Morris Twins (Who have the best chemistry of any big man combo I've ever seen), talent on the wing with freshman sensation Josh Selby, and your token white guy(s) in Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar. For the Jayhawks to snag a #1 seed they'll most likely need to drop at most one game and make a deep run in the conference tournament. 

Pittsburgh- The Panthers currently sit atop the very deep Big East that is very intent on beating each other up. The Panthers resume boasts wins over ranked teams (Texas, UCONN, Georgetown, and Syracuse) and their two losses have been to a very good Notre Dame team, and a very up and down Tennessee team. Pitt still must play Nova and West Virginia (twice each) and they'll host Rick Pitino and his Louisville Cardinals. 

The Panthers led by Jamie Dixon are incredibly experienced with five of their six players that average over 20 minutes being either Junior or Seniors. The Panthers are excellent defensively allowing opponents to shoot only 40% per contest and are the most efficient team in the nation scoring nearly 120 points per 100 possessions. The Panthers need to avoid any major slip ups for the rest of the season along with making it to the Final 4 of the Big East tourney if they want to snag a #1 seed. 

Connecticut- The Huskies were expected to be down as they came into this year, but Kemba Walker (24 ppg 4apg) has decided to put the team on his back and carry them through the season. UCONN has wins over Michigan State, Texas, and Villanova and all of their losses have come at the hands of good teams (Pitt, Notre Dame, and Louisville).

The Huskies are going to need to play near perfect ball which would include beating 'Cuse, Georgetown, Louisville, and Notre Dame to close out the season. If UCONN has any desire to win out they'll need to give Kemba Walker a little more support than they have so far this season as he is accounting for 31% of the Huskies points. Regardless of their seed, Jim Calhoun will have his Huskies ready to go come NCAA Tournament time. 

Duke- At one point Duke was the #1 team in the nation, with a relatively easy schedule, and had people talking about an undefeated season. Since then the Devils have lost twice (Florida State and St. John's), and found that their road to a #1 seed is near impossible. While the Blue Devils are a very good basketball team led by Kyle Singler (He gets Buckets) and Nolan Smith they really have no way to prove it.

You see, the Blue Devils came into the season as the #1 team in the nation, and were thinking that they would have marquee match-ups with Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler, and a few teams scattered among the ACC. However, what Duke wasn't counting on was Kansas State being a disaster, Michigan State being an 8 loss team, and Butler being an average team with no Gordon Hayward. But that is whats happened to Coach K and his team, and now they are stuck in a very weak ACC with no way of shaking off two losses to below average teams. (For those of you that care, Duke hasn't played a team ranked in the top 25 of the RPI.)

While certainly a handful of other teams (Villanova, San Diego State, BYU) could make a push for a #1 seed, they would all require the teams listed above to have quite the stumble. Only the rest of the season will tell us who the four best teams are come March Madness, Don't miss a second of it.

Bears Need a Change, or Five

This was supposed to be the year for the Baylor Bears. The year they cemented themselves among the Big XII powerhouses proving that their Elite 8 run in the 2010 NCAA Tournament was no fluke. The Bears were in the Pre-Season Top 25 in both polls, played a cupcake schedule until mid December, and found themselves ranked as high as Number 9 in the nation. Then IT happened.

Baylor started playing real teams, with players you've heard of, in conferences that get more than one bid per year. Gonzaga, Washington State, and Florida State all beat Baylor, and if you watched the games, they beat them convincingly. Monday night was no different for the Bears as they traveled to the "Little Apple" to play Frank Martin and his Kansas State Wildcats. 

You'd think after playing some of their best ball of the year in a home win over Oklahoma State, head coach Scott Drew would be feeling good and have his squad ready to go against another pre-season Big XII favorite that is clinging to its tournament hopes. If you thought that, you thought wrong. Baylor came out flat, letting the Wildcats jump out to a 16-4 lead, and as ugly as the game was it always belonged to Frank Martin's crew. To the Bears credit, they fought and clawed, but it wasn't to be. If this Baylor teams wants to salvage its tournament hopes, Scott Drew is going to have to make a few critical changes.

Big 12 Midweek Report

Best Team: Colorado. Yes, Colorado. There isn't a person outside of Boulder that would have thought Colorado would start 2-0 in conference, beating two ranked teams. (9) Mizzou rolled in to town on Saturday and left with their tail tucked between their legs after losing to the Buffs by 13. Colorado won that game in large part due to taking care of the ball (Only 10 Turnovers), and a spectacular night from Alec Burks (36 points on 19 shots). To put the cherry on their Sundae the Buffs traveled to Manhattan and knocked off the (20) Kansas State Wildcats by 8 points. Colorado was led by Levi Knutson who came off the bench to drop 20 points including shooting six of eight from three point land. Colorado might only be on a hot streak, but games against Oklahoma State and at Nebraska should give us an idea if they are a good team on a hot streak, or a great team that beats not only other great teams, but also the teams they SHOULD beat.

Team to Watch For: Texas A&M. The Aggies under Mark Turgeon are looking better than anyone could have imagined. They are 15-1 (2-0), with their sole loss coming to Boston College in only their fourth game of the season. The Aggies don't wow you on the offensive end (72.9 PPG), but they aren't afraid to slow down the tempo and grind out games. In the multiple times I've seen A&M play this season, they make it incredibly difficult for their opponents to get clean looks playing defense for the full 35 seconds and rebounding well to close out the possession. We'll get a gut check from the Aggies as Missouri rolls into College Station Saturday, and then A&M travels to Austin to take on the rival Longhorns on Wednesday. (Baylor is also 2-0 in conference with a game at Iowa State before they host Kansas on Big Monday. We will know exactly who this team is by the middle of next week.)

Kansas State Coach Frank Martin

Disappointing Team: Kansas State. Kansas State started the year as a Big XII favorite, and even had a voter put them as number one on their preseason ballot. However, the Wildcats are looking like they could be this years version of last years Texas Longhorns (high expectations/ranking, poor result). Kansas State has found themselves involved in off the court incidents as well as Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly have both served suspensions for accepting gifts from a department store. Kelly missed both the game at Oklahoma State and at home against Colorado (both of which were losses), and the Wildcats missed his production badly. However, as Frank Martin predicted they miss Denis Clemente more than most people expected. Clemente allowed Jacob Pullen (17.4 points on 42.5% shooting per game) to work primarily off the ball and gave the Wildcats another solid scoring option. With Kelly coming back to face Texas Tech the Wildcats desperately need to get their footing before going on the Big XII's version of murders row ( at Mizzou, at A&M, vs. Baylor, @Kansas). 

Games to Watch: A list of all the games to watch all the way until next Thursday

Saturday: Missouri at Texas A&M (1 PM ET, ESPN2)

Oklahoma State at Colorado (1:30 PM ET, ESPN3)

Monday: Kansas State at Missouri (5:30 PM ET, ESPN)

Kansas at Baylor (9:30 PM ET, ESPN)

Wednesday: Texas A&M at Texas (9 PM ET, ET)

Big 12 Day One Recap

Last night I started a post Power Ranking the Big XII, telling you who the best teams were, and who was going to win the conference. However, I got tired, I didn't finish it, and it was the best decision of my life. I would have absolutely butchered it going into the opening weekend of conference play. So here is a break down of the last, first weekend of the Big XII as we know it. 

Eleven of the Twelve Big XII teams were active today with the exception of the Kansas Jayhawks. Texas however did not play a Big XII opponent as they went up against the 9th ranked Connecticut Huskies. The Huskies outlasted the Longhorns in Overtime winning 82-81 on a HUGE shot by Kemba Walker. 

The Longhorns looked impressive in the first half taking a 5 point lead into the half, but in the second half learned that they had some serious issues closing. The Longhorns missed two shots with the chance to go ahead at the end of regulation, and a shot to win the game as overtime expired. The Longhorns held Walker to just 8 of 27 shooting, and while doing that they proved they'll be a matchup nightmare for some Big XII teams. Rick Barnes has a solid squad in Austin this year, and they'll definitely be near the top of the Big XII when the season ends. 

Colorado Guard Alec Burks

The Missouri Tigers who are ranked 8th in the nation traveled to Boulder to take on a Colorado team expected to finish near the bottom half of the Big XII. The Tigers however were unable to contain Buff's guard Alec Burks as he exploded for 36 points on 12 of 19 shooting. While I didn't get to see the game, it seems as if Colorado has a team that stacks up perfectly against Missouri. The Buff's have two great guards, Burk and Senior Cory Higgins who handle Mizzou's "40 Minutes of Hell" perfectly, limiting Colorado's turnover count to just 10 (Mizzou averages 10 STEALS per game). 

Don't get to down on Mizzou though, they have a solid defense and play at a speedy pace scoring over 86 points per game. Missouri will be in contention for a top spot in the Big XII, and if Colorado plays like they did today they too are capable of beating anybody. 

Iowa State played Nebraska in Lincoln today, and based off of the score it was a great game. Iowa State recovered from a 10 point half- time deficit, giving themselves a chance to win in the games waning seconds. However, Nebraska came up with a big steal, got fouled on a lay-up, and Senior guard Lance Jeter made the second of two free-throws to give the Cornhuskers the victory 63-62. 

Quite frankly, I'm not sure what this game showed us as both of these Big XII North teams are very mysterious. Both of these teams have played a fairly week schedule, and padded their win column by doing so. While their isn't much to be drawn for this game, we do know that these two are very evenly matched. 

Texas A&M kicked off conference play in Norman, beating the doormat of the Big XII South (Oklahoma) by 18 points. This game was really never close, and it reaffirmed the thought that the Oklahoma is going to struggle to compete in this tough conference. The Aggies on the other hand are looking like a very good basketball team, who surprisingly have a very good chance to compete for the Big XII championship. Texas A&M is giving up 66 points per game, which includes only .86 points per possession.  While they are somewhat challenged on the offensive end, the Aggies have proved they can win regardless having already beat Temple and Washington. Don't expect these Aggies to get blown out of many games this season. 

Texas Tech lost their opening Big XII game as the Baylor Bears came into town and kicked off their conference season the right way. Baylor jumped on the Red Raiders early and led for a large portion of the game by 8 to 10 points. Tech made a game of it though momentarily taking the lead in what became a back and forth contest. However LaceDarius Dunn led the Bears on a 15 to 0 run with just under 5 minutes remaining in the contest to put the game on ice. 

Texas Tech proved they are a team that can compete in the Big XII, making a run to stay in this game. The Red Raiders shot just 35% from the field, and as much blame should be put on their shot making as is put on Baylor's defense. Tech had uncontested shot after uncontested shot, and did a great job of finding the holes in the Baylor zone, but just couldn't put the ball in the ocean. Baylor on the other hand did a great job of involving Perry Jones III (their star Freshman) early in the game, as he scored the first six points on his way to a 20 point performance. Dunn will always be a force for the Bears, but their conference fate will lie largely on how Perry Jones and Anthony Jones score the ball, and how Sophomore point guard A.J. Walton runs the show. 

While based purely off of rankings it looks as if Oklahoma States victory over Frank Martin and his Kansas States Wildcats was an upset, it actually wasn't. The Cowboys were a 1.5 point favorite, which actually makes sense, not only because the Wildcats are missing Senior forward Curtis Kelly due to suspension, but also because Historic Gallagher Iba arena is a very difficult place to play. Oklahoma State won the game 76-62, but the game was much closer than the score indicated.

 With just over 10 minutes to play the Cowboys defense turned it up a notch not allowing a made field goal for nearly 8 minutes. That defensive stretched allowed the Cowboys to turn an 8 point deficit into a 12 point lead that they would never relinquish. The Wildcats are sorely missing Dennis Clemente who took a lot of the ball  handling duties off of Jacob Pullen, freeing him up to score the basketball. Oklahoma State on the other hand rebounded nicely after losing to Gonzaga by 21 points just 9 days ago, the Cowboys showed that they will be a competitive middle of the pack Big XII team capable of knocking off anyone if the timing is right. 

After a wild and crazy opening day of conference play in the Big XII, we really have no better idea of who is a contender than we did when the day started. The Big XII only has one sensational team this year (Kansas), but is eleven teams deep. So beware fans, your team is never truly safe in conference play.