Thoughts on Various Issues

DWYANE WADE
Personally, I feel bad for Dwyane. The fact that he dislocated his shoulder in a freak accident is a little bit ridiculous. Think about it. The 2006 Finals MVP; one of the most popular players in the league today; the face of a franchise that was just starting to find its rhythm. And to get hurt running out on Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets? I don't really know what to say except that he should pack it in and wait until next year. He owes nothing to nobody and should not risk anything. What if he gets hurt again? He might never be able to play basketball again, and this is a guy that is in his third year in the NBA. If he was 35, 36 years old then I could understand it, but he's not and if he wants to be playing when he's at that age he better listen to the doctor's advice.

DALLAS
The Mavericks are the best. Period. They came up a couple games short last year, and you better believe that Dirk Nowitski and company are not going to let that happen again. When they started 0-4 people were wondering what was going on. But since then the Mavs have won 46 of 51 games, and in the Western Conference no less. If Dallas stays healthy then they will win the NBA Championship. They will win the NBA Championship hands down.

BRADY QUINN
I have heard both sides of the argument. During last year's college football season everybody said Quinn was the number one pick. But things have changed a bit in the off season. Some are even saying that Quinn shouldn't be taken in the first round. Crazy? It is hard to tell, but I really don't think Brady is going to be a great NFL quarterback. He will be good, but not great. The major thing he has going for him is the fact that he was coached by a football genius in Charlie Weis. I still think he goes third overall to Cleveland, but I could be wrong.

PACERS
What has happened to the franchise we once called the Indiana Pacers? We should now call them the Indiana Gangsters. Get Jamaal Tinsley out of town and do it right now. You don't have to trade him, just bench him, cut him, do whatever you have to do to separate the Pacers and Tinsley. He has done nothing but plague the organization since he has been there. In the past it has been the injuries. Last year he sat out a game for every reason possible. I was beginning to wonder what would happen if he broke a nail. Out for a week? A month? Or maybe he should rest it for the rest of the season?
But this season has been something totally different. At the beginning of the year Jamaal promised to play all 82 games. Not only has he not kept that promise, but he has been involved in two bar incidents. Last week he was indited with a felony and five misdemeanors for supposedly punching a bar owner last month. Until the Pacers get rid of Tinsley, things will not get better and people will not come to the games. The organization is falling apart, and if Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird do not correct it soon, they may lose it.

ROAD ISSUES

The Indiana Hoosiers have struggled on the road all season long, but who hasn't? The Big Ten has a combined 29-58 road record, so obviously the Hoosiers are not alone. That is the way it is in college basketball. Anybody can beat anybody on any given night. Give a team a support group on a court in which they are familiar and anything can happen. Just look back to the beginning of this season. Wisconsin was ranked in the top 10 in the country, but when they visited Missouri State they were defeated. Nobody expected a team from the Missouri Valley Conference to come out and beat one of the nation's elite, but it happened.
Indiana should not be worried at this point. Yes, losing 2 games in less then a week is not something to be proud of, but they will get better. This Hoosier team is very young, look at the lineup they started against Michigan on Saturday. Armon Bassett, a true freshman, was the point guard for the majority of the game. Playing on the road is tough, but playing on the road as a freshman is something totally worse. Especially at the point position. This team will be well prepared come tournament time because of the battles they have experiened throughout the regular season. This team went to Duke, to Kentucky, to Ohio State. Those are three of toughest venues to play college basketball. Had it caught a break or two, Indiana may have won all of those games. The fact that they were in them proves that this team could be dangerous in the tournament. If they get one of these elite teams on a neutral court- watch out.
Now about tonight's game against Minnesota. It is a MUST WIN game. I hate to say that because it is so overused, but there really is no other way to describe it. The Golden Gophers have been horrible this season, especially on the road. A home loss to Minnesota could very well take the Hoosiers out of the NCCA Tournament picture. But they will win tonight, and win big. My prediction is 73-52 with Indiana resting some key guys late in the game. Here is my reasoning. Indiana has lost three of its last four games- the one win was a 4 point squeaker over the Illini at home. The Hoosiers did not shoot well in that one, nor did they shoot well in any of the past four games. I expect them to come out firing tonight and really light the Golden Gophers up. It will be on the East Lansing for a Saturday night that will be filled with emotion. The College Gameday crew will be down there on the campus of Michigan State for a game as large as any for both teams involved. We'll see how it goes, that is my take, now give me yours.

Sensational Saturday in College Hoops

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- As the regular season winds down, each and every game becomes that much more important. Teams are trying to improve their tournament resumes so that they aren't sitting at home watching other teams dance in March. Tomorrow is a monster day in the world of college hoops, below are some of the top match ups.

#1 Florida vs. Vanderbilt
The Gators are hot, but don't count out Vandy in this one. They have competed with the best of them this season, and there is no reason why they can't upset Florida on their home court. This is my surprise of the day, don't miss it at 1:00 p.m. on CBS.
JJ's Selection: Vanderbilt 87-80

#4 North Carolina vs. #21 Boston College
There is a reason why College Gameday is hyping up this game, it's huge. These are the top two teams in the ACC conference, giving the winner a clear edge in the final standings. BC is coming off a tough loss against Duke, and two straight home losses would be devastating. I see Carolina coming in and humiliating the Eagles on their home court, see for yourself on ESPN at 9:00 p.m.
JJ's Selection: North Carolina 84-67

#15 Southern Illinois vs. #12 Butler
At the beginning of the season when both of these teams agreed to be a part of the Bracketbuster, neither were expected to be ranked. A game that was supposed to determine whether or not a team gets into the "Big Dance" has turned into the game of the week. This match up includes two of the best fundamental teams in the game, both are well coached and play hard nosed defense. The Salukis have an RPI of 9, Butler 31. The winner will add another quality win to their already impressive postseason resume. Make sure to make this one a priority at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN2.
JJ's Selection: Butler 53-50

#19 Indiana vs. Michigan
At 4:00 p.m. on ESPN you will see a match up as big as any of those on Saturday. The Hoosiers are coming off a tough loss to in-state rival Purdue on Thursday night. The Wolverines are trying to snatch a NCAA tournament bid, and a win versus a ranked team would go a long way into doing so. It should be a good one.
JJ's Selection: Indiana 76-60

Louisville vs. #13 Marquette
In a battle of the Big East, Marquette will try to rebound after two consecutive losses. Both teams come in with an 8-4 conference record, and 3rd place up for grabs. The Cardinals will face a tough environment, and should struggle. But coming off of an emotional win at Pittsburgh anything is possible.
JJ's Selection: Marquette 78-69

OTHER KEY GAMES:

Florida State vs. Virginia

#16 Georgetown vs. Villanova

#7 UCLA vs. #24 Arizona

Reaction to Last Night

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- So last night was a great experience. Not only did I get to sit courtside and watch a good college basketball game, but I also got paid! Fifty dollars is a lot money, and to be doing something that I enjoy, it's like a dream come true.
The game went pretty well. I tried to keep a live play by play, and keep notes that I could later use in my story. The hardest part about it was covering a team that I am not used to. I am a big Butler fan, so it would make sense for me to write an article from their standpoint. So I found myself getting sidetracked multiple times during the game. Then when the game was over the press conferences didn't go as well as they could of. The FGCU players didn't really give us any good quotes, and I would have asked some questions but it was hard being put on the spot.
But overall the single hardest thing about journalism: THE DEADLINE. I think every journalist will tell you the same thing, a deadline is the hardest thing about the job. Going into the game I figured an hour and 45 minutes would be plenty of time, but those minutes just dissapear and it is really nerveracking. But I will get used to it, and overall I didn't think my article came out too bad.
I am going to try to get some more opportunities like that one in the upcoming weeks and months, so we'll see how that goes. As far as me blogging, I have not had a whole lot of time lately with schoolwork and all, but I will try to get back to it at least 3-4 times a week. If you'd like me to blog about a particular topic, don't hesitate to send me and e-mail and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks again for the support and for reading my blog. I hope you check back again soon.

Journalism Opportunity

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
INDIANAPOLIS- Tonight will mark my first "big" opportunity in the world of sports journalism. Florida Gulf Coast University (Divsion II school) will be playing No. 12 Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse tonight. Since this is the biggest game in FGCU team history, the Fort Myers News-Press wanted an article to cap it. Butler beat writer David Woods at the Indianapolis Star received an e-mail from Ed Reed in Florida asking if he knew of a local freelancer that would be interested in the job.
Thanks to Terry Hutchens, I am the freelancer who gets the chance to write the article. Since this is my first big break, I will be sure to make the most of it and write the article to the best of my ability.
I will try and blog tomorrow to let everyone know how it went.

Early fouls spoil upset bid

By Justin Albers
basketballss132002@yahoo.com
FISHERS- The shots just weren't falling. That's what Royals head coach Brian Sattefield will be telling his team. Hamilton Southeastern shot just 15-37 from the field en route to a 53-43 defeat at the hands of No. 3 ranked Muncie Central on Saturday night.
The troubles started early when Southeastern big men Kory Kahlo and Chris Carlino picked up two quick fouls. Both were sent to the bench, leaving Gabe Cotton and Adam Ciecuira with an opportunity to step up. Their opportunities were spoiled when physical play by the Bearcats caused injuries. First Cotton went down after a missed layup, an apparant knee injury. Moments later Cieciura walked off the court with his hand under his nose collecting the falling blood. Both Cieciura and Cotton would return.
Despite everything that happened in the first quarter, the Royals still found themselves in the game. Six second quarter points by Cotton allowed HSE to be within striking distance at the half, trailing 28-26.
Hamilton Southeastern junior forward Chris Carlino led an early second half surge as he scored six consecutive points. Carlino had 9 points and 5 rebounds in the game. After Muncie Central came back with baskets from Brandon Jenkins and John Peckinpaugh, the Bearcats regained a double figure advantage that they carried into the final period.
The Royals played hard man to man defense in the fourth quarter, and forced several turnovers. They just had too many points to make up, and with the Bearcats holding the ball to waste time, a comeback was virtually impossible. Solid free throw shooting allowed Muncie Central to improve its record to 14-2 on the season, and snap the Royals season high 3 game winning streak.

BOX SCORE

Hamilton Southeastern

Chris Carlino 3-6 FG 3-4 FT 5 reb. 9 points 1 TO 3 Fouls

Adam Cieciura 1-3 FG 0-2 FT 0 reb. 3 points 0 TO 2 Fouls

Gabe Cotton 3-8 FG 3-5 FT 2 reb. 9 points 0 TO 5 Fouls

Nick Deschepper 3-9 FG 0-0 FT 3 reb. 3 steals 7 points 3 TO 4 Fouls

Kory Kahlo 1-2 FG 0-0 FT 3 reb. 0 TO 2 Fouls

Matt Maloof 1-3 FG 1-2 FT 1 reb. 4 points 1 Fouls

Billy Pappas 1-4 FG 2-3 FT 0 reb. 3 steals 4 points 2 TO 1 Foul

Anthony Stevenson 1-1 FG 0-0 FT 1 steal 2 points 1 Foul

Steve Williams 1-2 FG 0-0 FT o reb 3 points o TO 0 Foul