With Clemson’s basketball season being over it’s time to evaluate how the team performed. I’ll look at the high points and low points, individual player performances, whether or not the team met expectations, and what expectations should be for next season. We'd like to hear your thoughts on the season.
I did not expect too much out of this team at the beginning of the season. We lost our best player (Trevor Booker) to the NBA and were breaking in a new head coach. The roster didn’t appear to be stocked full of talent either. The heralded 2009 recruiting class did nothing during their freshman campaigns to instill confidence in the fanbase. After watching the rest of the ACC lay eggs in their early out of conference contests, I held out hope of a top 6 finish in the ACC. We lost Donte Hill before the season began. Then Noel Johnson (and his father) decided that Clemson’s offense didn’t fit Johnson’s talents just a few games into the season. Playing shorthanded and learning a new style of basketball, Clemson lost to ODU, Michigan, and Sakerlina. Most folks gave up on any Tourney appearance. Some thought we made a bad hire. Even so, I felt we were better than a handful of ACC teams and were only going to get better as the team adjusted to Coach Brownell’s new style. You could see the improvement in fundamentals.
After a close loss at FSU in which Clemson let the game slip away down the stretch, Clemson was able to pick up their best out of conference win of the season at College of Charleston After watching the FSU and CofC games, I was no longer hopeful that we could finish in the top 6. I expected it.
ACC play had its ups and downs. Clemson was 2-3 after dropping a close road contest at Maryland. In the following game against NC State, Clemson came out flat and looked as if they were going to be blown out of the gym. All the sudden something clicked. Clemson turned it on and over the next 3 halves (2nd half of NC State and the entire FSU game) and we completely dominated our opponents. Excitement and expectations were on the rise, so naturally Clemson followed with a stinker at UVA Things went as expected after that, with the possible exception of the loss at NC State, and we were faced with a must-win matchup against Virginia Tech. Clemson played well enough to halt a determined VT squad and placed themselves on the right side of the bubble.
After blowing out BC in the 1st round of the ACC tournament, Clemson lost a heartbreaker in the 2nd round against UNC. Clemson had this game firmly in their grasp and coughed it up. Should Brownell have called the timeout on the final play? Still, with UNC being a top 10 team, morale stayed high after proving we could play with one of the best teams in the country on a "neutral" court.
After receiving the shaft by the NCAA selection committee, Clemson headed to Dayton for a "play-in" game. Clemson started extremely hot and blew the doors off of the UAB Blazers. UAB was able to get as close as 8 at one point, but the lead was quickly extended and they never posed much of a threat. There was no time for celebrating Clemson’s first NCAA tournament victory since 1997 because of some God-awful scheduling by the NCAA. Instead, Clemson took an overnight flight to Tampa, got a little sleep, participated in media sessions, had a short walkthrough to actually prep for WVU, and then headed to bed in order to be ready for the 1st game of the day on Thursday. All the while, WVU was able to travel to Tampa on their own terms, conduct normal practices and film sessions, prepare for the winner of Clemson/UAB, and get a good night’s sleep. If that doesn’t sound fair it’s because it isn’t. Sometimes you have to play the cards you are dealt, but I’d be shocked if the NCAA doesn’t change their scheduling next year.
Here is DrB’s recap for that game. Clemson started out fast and looked to be in control. But a terrible stretch to close out the 1st half set the tone, and, unfortunately it carried over to the 2nd half, where Clemson wasn’t able to fully recover. Clemson cut the lead down to 3 with just over a minute left, but a blown call by the official gave WVU two points at the free throw line. Down 5, Clemson was baffled by WVU’s 1-3-1 defense and committed nearly identical turnovers on 3 straight possessions. That was the nail in the coffin.
It was a disappointing way to end the season. But if someone told me at the beginning of the season that Clemson would pick up an NCAA tournament victory I’d have told them they were crazy. I was impressed with Coach Brownell’s ability to get the most out of the talent he was given. Now I’m looking for him to improve the talent level. In order to compete at the highest level you need to recruit top tier talent. If he can do that, while continuing to develop his players and getting guys to play for each other rather than for themselves, than he can really do some good things here at Clemson.
Showing posts with label bloody. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bloody. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Your 2010-2011 Louisville Basketball Awards Ceremony
Moving on or "letting the past be the past" isn't really my thing. I tend not to appreciate something until it's taken away or has grown so tired of my (accurately) perceived indifference and steady stream of sarcasm that it decides a Burger King parking lot is as good a place as any to pull the plug. It's only when I no longer have these things at my disposal that I can't stop thinking about them.
This season, as many have acknowledged, has been especially difficult to part with, due mostly to the combination of love for the team and the horrifically unsatisfying way it ended. Still, here we are, painfully but undeniably stuck in the dead period. The good news is that the worst days of basketball withdrawal (think Trainspotting) are completely or nearly behind us, and the transition to our summer selves (read: normal human beings) has at least started.
For those who still haven't acknowledged that the grass is again green and your shoulders (or at least mine) are again severely, severely burnt, I think it's important that you achieve closure immediately. And I think it's equally important that you do so in the form of a fake awards show.
This season, as many have acknowledged, has been especially difficult to part with, due mostly to the combination of love for the team and the horrifically unsatisfying way it ended. Still, here we are, painfully but undeniably stuck in the dead period. The good news is that the worst days of basketball withdrawal (think Trainspotting) are completely or nearly behind us, and the transition to our summer selves (read: normal human beings) has at least started.
For those who still haven't acknowledged that the grass is again green and your shoulders (or at least mine) are again severely, severely burnt, I think it's important that you achieve closure immediately. And I think it's equally important that you do so in the form of a fake awards show.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Cody Zeller wins Mr. Basketball
David Snodgress | Herald-Times
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Washington’s Cody Zeller is the Indianapolis Star’s Mr. Basketball for 2011.
The Indiana signee gathered 198 of the 283 votes cast by coaches and media. Warsaw’s Nic Moore was second with 21 votes, followed by Pike’s Marquis Teague and Bloomington South’s Dee Davis with 16.
Zeller, who averaged 24.1 points and 13.4 rebounds this season, is the third member of his family to win the award, joining brothers Luke (2005) and Tyler (2008). Cody won three state championships, one with Tyler in 2008 as a reserve and the last two seasons as the centerpiece player.
Zeller, a 6-foot-11 center, had 20 points and 18 rebounds to lead Washington past Culver Academies 61-46 in the this year’s Class 3A final.
“He’s the total package,” Washington coach Gene Miiller said. “He does everything well. If you were trying to pick a guy to coach, he would be the example.”
Most nights, Zeller was double- and triple-teamed, roughed up and pounded on.
That was nothing compared to the recruiting process. Cody was also considering Butler and North Carolina. Because Luke had gone to Notre Dame and Tyler to North Carolina, there was outside pressure in Hoosier-crazy Southern Indiana to pick Indiana. Cody heard it on a daily basis.
“Of the three boys, it was by far the toughest choice,” said his father, Steve.
Zeller said — and those close to him agreed – that he never felt any pressure to please anyone outside his tight inner circle.
Some Indiana fans expect him to come in and be the piece to rejuvenate a program that has won just eight Big Ten games the last three seasons.
Zeller realizes he alone can’t return the Hoosiers to national prominence.
“I don’t plan on coming in and turning the program around on my own,” he said. “I don’t really feel any pressure to do that. I have a good support system with my family and friends. Those are the people I listen to and they aren’t putting any extra pressure on me.”
Indiana coach Tom Crean agrees.
“Like most great competitors, Cody has enough internal pressure on himself to get better,” Crean said. “The coaching staff certainly isn’t going to put any extra pressure on him. Now, we are going to have to challenge ourselves to raise the level and make him a better player. He has such good footwork and fundamentals already. We’re going to have to be ready to challenge him.”
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Washington’s Cody Zeller is the Indianapolis Star’s Mr. Basketball for 2011.
The Indiana signee gathered 198 of the 283 votes cast by coaches and media. Warsaw’s Nic Moore was second with 21 votes, followed by Pike’s Marquis Teague and Bloomington South’s Dee Davis with 16.
Zeller, who averaged 24.1 points and 13.4 rebounds this season, is the third member of his family to win the award, joining brothers Luke (2005) and Tyler (2008). Cody won three state championships, one with Tyler in 2008 as a reserve and the last two seasons as the centerpiece player.
Zeller, a 6-foot-11 center, had 20 points and 18 rebounds to lead Washington past Culver Academies 61-46 in the this year’s Class 3A final.
“He’s the total package,” Washington coach Gene Miiller said. “He does everything well. If you were trying to pick a guy to coach, he would be the example.”
Most nights, Zeller was double- and triple-teamed, roughed up and pounded on.
That was nothing compared to the recruiting process. Cody was also considering Butler and North Carolina. Because Luke had gone to Notre Dame and Tyler to North Carolina, there was outside pressure in Hoosier-crazy Southern Indiana to pick Indiana. Cody heard it on a daily basis.
“Of the three boys, it was by far the toughest choice,” said his father, Steve.
Zeller said — and those close to him agreed – that he never felt any pressure to please anyone outside his tight inner circle.
Some Indiana fans expect him to come in and be the piece to rejuvenate a program that has won just eight Big Ten games the last three seasons.
Zeller realizes he alone can’t return the Hoosiers to national prominence.
“I don’t plan on coming in and turning the program around on my own,” he said. “I don’t really feel any pressure to do that. I have a good support system with my family and friends. Those are the people I listen to and they aren’t putting any extra pressure on me.”
Indiana coach Tom Crean agrees.
“Like most great competitors, Cody has enough internal pressure on himself to get better,” Crean said. “The coaching staff certainly isn’t going to put any extra pressure on him. Now, we are going to have to challenge ourselves to raise the level and make him a better player. He has such good footwork and fundamentals already. We’re going to have to be ready to challenge him.”
Monday, March 28, 2011
Short Basketball Thoughts
Like As SUperHerO
I will admit, I had a lot of questions when TDP hired Coach Brownell last year and was not entirely confident in the decision. We've got to give credit where credit is due and, so far, Coach Brownell has been an asset to our athletics program. Our basketball team now plays actual basketball as opposed to the street ball style that Oliver Purnell employed in his time at CU. Clemson's offense executes out of half-court sets and does not totally rely on transition points to create offense. The Clemson team lost its best player from a year ago (Booker) and had a December transfer in Noel Johnson. Despite those losses, the Tigers were able to make it to the Big Dance after a respectable regular season and ACC Tourney.
While all of the above are positives, we continue to expect continuous improvement. We won't be unrealistic (it will be difficult with the losses of Stitt and Grant next season) but will be watching to see better fundamentals and decision making in '11-'12. Brownell will also have to prove to us that he can recruit well enough to start competing and defeating the Duke's/North Carolina's of the ACC and eventually get deeper in the NCAA Tourney. As of today, Brad gets our vote of confidence and we hope that the administration will reward him and his staff for a good effort over the past year.
On the Tournament: You can argue all you want on whether or not we got hosed and were better than some teams that did not play a play-in game. The fact is that we could have taken care of business and not put ourselves in such a situation. We lost to South Carolina. Virginia, NC State, Michigan and ODU. The ACC losses are inexcusable. On top of that, we blew a game to UNC in the ACC tourney. Win a couple of those and you are golden. A win over UM and/or a win over UNC gets you more credibility. The other losses are just bad losses, period. We got what we deserved for the entire season of work
I will admit, I had a lot of questions when TDP hired Coach Brownell last year and was not entirely confident in the decision. We've got to give credit where credit is due and, so far, Coach Brownell has been an asset to our athletics program. Our basketball team now plays actual basketball as opposed to the street ball style that Oliver Purnell employed in his time at CU. Clemson's offense executes out of half-court sets and does not totally rely on transition points to create offense. The Clemson team lost its best player from a year ago (Booker) and had a December transfer in Noel Johnson. Despite those losses, the Tigers were able to make it to the Big Dance after a respectable regular season and ACC Tourney.
While all of the above are positives, we continue to expect continuous improvement. We won't be unrealistic (it will be difficult with the losses of Stitt and Grant next season) but will be watching to see better fundamentals and decision making in '11-'12. Brownell will also have to prove to us that he can recruit well enough to start competing and defeating the Duke's/North Carolina's of the ACC and eventually get deeper in the NCAA Tourney. As of today, Brad gets our vote of confidence and we hope that the administration will reward him and his staff for a good effort over the past year.
On the Tournament: You can argue all you want on whether or not we got hosed and were better than some teams that did not play a play-in game. The fact is that we could have taken care of business and not put ourselves in such a situation. We lost to South Carolina. Virginia, NC State, Michigan and ODU. The ACC losses are inexcusable. On top of that, we blew a game to UNC in the ACC tourney. Win a couple of those and you are golden. A win over UM and/or a win over UNC gets you more credibility. The other losses are just bad losses, period. We got what we deserved for the entire season of work
Saturday, March 26, 2011
One-And-Done Rule ‘Watering Down’ Basketball
College basketball has changed quite a bit over the last 20 years. With more players than ever jumping to the NBA after one season in college, it’s clear that great talent will get you farther than great experience.
“Let’s be honest, all these teams left, they have NBA guys,” Tim Doyle, of the Big Ten Network and CBS’ Mayhem Live, said on the Danny Mac Show when talking about the Sweet 16 teams. “All the teams that are gone, don’t have NBA guys. Even a guy like [Kenneth] Faried, out of Morehead State, he’s an NBA player and he got Morehead State to win a game just because he was more talented than the guys on Louisville.”
"dilución" regra dun-e-Feito Baloncesto
Ten Network e CBS 'Mayhem Live, dixo en Mac Danny Show ao falar sobre o Sweet 16 equipos. "Todos os equipos que xa se foron, non teñen caras da NBA. Mesmo unha cara como o [Kenneth] Faried, fóra de Morehead State, el é un xogador da NBA e conseguiu Morehead State para gañar un partido só porque era máis talentoso do que os rapaces en Louisville. "
'น้ำลง'กฎข้อที่หนึ่งและแบบสุกบาสเกตบอล
บาสเก็ตวิทยาลัยมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงไม่น้อยกว่าช่วง 20 ปีที่ กับผู้เล่นมากขึ้นกว่าที่เคยกระโดดไปเอ็นบีเอฤดูกาลหลังหนึ่งในวิทยาลัยก็เป็นที่ชัดเจนว่าความสามารถที่ดีจะช่วยให้คุณได้ไกลกว่าประสบการณ์ที่ยอดเยี่ยม
"Let 's ซื่อสัตย์ซ้ายทีมทั้งหมดเหล่านี้พวกเขาได้พวก NBA,"Tim Doyle, ของบิ๊กเท็นเครือข่ายและ CBS'Live Mayhem กล่าวว่าเมื่อ Danny Mac แสดงเมื่อพูดถึง Sweet 16 ทีม "ทุกทีมที่ได้รับไปแล้วไม่ได้มีพวกเอ็นบีเอ แม้กระทั่งคนที่แต่งตัวประหลาดเช่น [Kenneth] Faried ออกจาก Morehead State, เขาเป็นผู้เล่นเอ็นบีเอและเขาได้ Morehead State ให้ชนะเกมเพียงเพราะเขามีความสามารถมากกว่าผู้ชายใน Louisville."
“Let’s be honest, all these teams left, they have NBA guys,” Tim Doyle, of the Big Ten Network and CBS’ Mayhem Live, said on the Danny Mac Show when talking about the Sweet 16 teams. “All the teams that are gone, don’t have NBA guys. Even a guy like [Kenneth] Faried, out of Morehead State, he’s an NBA player and he got Morehead State to win a game just because he was more talented than the guys on Louisville.”
"dilución" regra dun-e-Feito Baloncesto
Ten Network e CBS 'Mayhem Live, dixo en Mac Danny Show ao falar sobre o Sweet 16 equipos. "Todos os equipos que xa se foron, non teñen caras da NBA. Mesmo unha cara como o [Kenneth] Faried, fóra de Morehead State, el é un xogador da NBA e conseguiu Morehead State para gañar un partido só porque era máis talentoso do que os rapaces en Louisville. "
'น้ำลง'กฎข้อที่หนึ่งและแบบสุกบาสเกตบอล
บาสเก็ตวิทยาลัยมีการเปลี่ยนแปลงไม่น้อยกว่าช่วง 20 ปีที่ กับผู้เล่นมากขึ้นกว่าที่เคยกระโดดไปเอ็นบีเอฤดูกาลหลังหนึ่งในวิทยาลัยก็เป็นที่ชัดเจนว่าความสามารถที่ดีจะช่วยให้คุณได้ไกลกว่าประสบการณ์ที่ยอดเยี่ยม
"Let 's ซื่อสัตย์ซ้ายทีมทั้งหมดเหล่านี้พวกเขาได้พวก NBA,"Tim Doyle, ของบิ๊กเท็นเครือข่ายและ CBS'Live Mayhem กล่าวว่าเมื่อ Danny Mac แสดงเมื่อพูดถึง Sweet 16 ทีม "ทุกทีมที่ได้รับไปแล้วไม่ได้มีพวกเอ็นบีเอ แม้กระทั่งคนที่แต่งตัวประหลาดเช่น [Kenneth] Faried ออกจาก Morehead State, เขาเป็นผู้เล่นเอ็นบีเอและเขาได้ Morehead State ให้ชนะเกมเพียงเพราะเขามีความสามารถมากกว่าผู้ชายใน Louisville."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
USB Basketball Desktop Dunk Game
You may not be able to dunk a basketball on a real court, but you can with this USB Basketball Desktop Dunk Game. In the United States we are in the middle of March Madness, which is the NCAA (college) basketball championship tournament. Catch the March Madness spirit from the comfort of your own computer desk with this USB basketball game.
This USB Basketball Desktop Dunk Game is very similar to this Basketball Game we blogged about a long time ago, but that one doesn’t seem to be available any more. Some of the buttons and displays are moved around, and it appears to be lacking the color decals of the old model, but it appears the functionality remains the same. You toss the mini basketball into the little net, and it keeps track of the score and rewards you with sound effects.
The USB Basketball Desktop Dunk Game is available for $26.95 at Gadgets and Gear.
This USB Basketball Desktop Dunk Game is very similar to this Basketball Game we blogged about a long time ago, but that one doesn’t seem to be available any more. Some of the buttons and displays are moved around, and it appears to be lacking the color decals of the old model, but it appears the functionality remains the same. You toss the mini basketball into the little net, and it keeps track of the score and rewards you with sound effects.
The USB Basketball Desktop Dunk Game is available for $26.95 at Gadgets and Gear.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Fantasy Basketball: Tarnished Tuesdays
Last week the big news in the NBA was the massive amount of trading going on throughout the league. This week the news is unfortunately related to injuries. The former Mr. Eva Longoria, Tony Parker, is out for the next 2-4 weeks after injuring his calf against the Grizzlies on Sunday Night. George Hill should take over the starting duties in the meantime and makes for an excellent pickup as a source of 3's, steals, points, rebounds (for a PG) and assists. He should be able to resemble at least a poor man's Tony Parker while the Spurs' star PG nurses his calf injury.
The Cavs' Antawn Jamison fractured his left pinkie finger on Sunday and is reportedly out for the season, per the Associated Press. Another devastating blow for both the embattled franchise and its fans. Neither of Jamison's replacements should do anything notable. Samardo Samuels is too raw to recommend as a viable replacement. If anything, I'd say the streaky JJ Hickson could be in line for more minutes.
More injury news after the jump...
The Milwaukee Bucks just got hit with the injury bug fairly hard as Ersan Ilyasova and Andrew Bogut are both out for Tuesday's game at least. Ilyasova suffered a bad concussion on Friday, so he's out indefinitely. Head issues are very tricky, and teams need to be careful with them. Bogut injured his ribs in Saturday's game against the Bulls, and it appears he's resting short-term. Keep an eye on the injury-prone Center as he has battled injuries his whole career. He should be back shortly. In the meantime, Larry Sanders and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute make intriguing plays tonight.
The Los Angeles Clippers also have some injury concerns. The injured Mo Williams played on Monday and actually banished Eric Bledsoe to the bench. Williams is the new starting PG in LA, but he re-injured his ankle last night. The ankle doesn't appear to be serious, but if it lingers, Bledsoe is a nice play. Excellent news awaits the Clippers: Eric Gordon is nearing a return. Bad news awaits Randy Foye: Eric Gordon is nearing a return. Foye has been a beast as the team's starting SG and may play heavily while Gordon is eased into the lineup, but it doesn't look good for Foye in the near future. Gordon should be back on Wednesday. Get him in all lineups!
The King's Tyreke Evans is currently in a walking boot and will remain in one for at least two weeks. When he should return is big question mark depending on the play of Jermaine Taylor and Marcus Thornton, both of whom are playing well in Evans' absence. Thornton, who I touted yesterday, blew up for 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in a win over the Clippers Monday Night. Evans won't be rushed back as long as Thornton performs like this. If you're an Evans owner, make sure you have Thornton rostered.
Bad break (no pun intended) for the newly acquired Danillo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets. The sharpshooter from Italy fractured his toe and is expected to miss the next 7-10 days. Wilson Chandler, his former teammate in New York, will assume Gallinari's minutes and is an excellent play in that timespan. People are down on Chandler since he left New York. Don't be one of them.
Deron Williams is nursing a wrist injury, but you wouldn't know that judging by the assist totals he's put up as a Net. He even put up a season-high 18 assists on Monday, but watch the injury report daily; the injury could flare up at anytime due to his constant usage of the wrist.
Watch the Atlanta Hawks this week. They could be without two starters early on, or they could be back to full-strength by tomorrow. Kirk Hinrich sat out Monday's game due to a wrist injury (caught me off-guard, otherwise I would've mentioned it in yesterday's column), and Josh Smith injured the sprained right MCL in his knee. Smith is currently day-to-day and even had his MRI cancelled (good news!!). It appears Smith will diagnose himself and determine if he's ready based on how his knee is feeling. In Hinrich's absence, promising PG Jeff Teague started, but he struggled putting up 7 points, 6 rebounds and a disappointed one assist. I wouldn't recommend Teague as Joe Johnson may even steal PG minutes from him with Jamal Crawford stepping in at SG.
The Cavs' Antawn Jamison fractured his left pinkie finger on Sunday and is reportedly out for the season, per the Associated Press. Another devastating blow for both the embattled franchise and its fans. Neither of Jamison's replacements should do anything notable. Samardo Samuels is too raw to recommend as a viable replacement. If anything, I'd say the streaky JJ Hickson could be in line for more minutes.
More injury news after the jump...
The Milwaukee Bucks just got hit with the injury bug fairly hard as Ersan Ilyasova and Andrew Bogut are both out for Tuesday's game at least. Ilyasova suffered a bad concussion on Friday, so he's out indefinitely. Head issues are very tricky, and teams need to be careful with them. Bogut injured his ribs in Saturday's game against the Bulls, and it appears he's resting short-term. Keep an eye on the injury-prone Center as he has battled injuries his whole career. He should be back shortly. In the meantime, Larry Sanders and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute make intriguing plays tonight.
The Los Angeles Clippers also have some injury concerns. The injured Mo Williams played on Monday and actually banished Eric Bledsoe to the bench. Williams is the new starting PG in LA, but he re-injured his ankle last night. The ankle doesn't appear to be serious, but if it lingers, Bledsoe is a nice play. Excellent news awaits the Clippers: Eric Gordon is nearing a return. Bad news awaits Randy Foye: Eric Gordon is nearing a return. Foye has been a beast as the team's starting SG and may play heavily while Gordon is eased into the lineup, but it doesn't look good for Foye in the near future. Gordon should be back on Wednesday. Get him in all lineups!
The King's Tyreke Evans is currently in a walking boot and will remain in one for at least two weeks. When he should return is big question mark depending on the play of Jermaine Taylor and Marcus Thornton, both of whom are playing well in Evans' absence. Thornton, who I touted yesterday, blew up for 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in a win over the Clippers Monday Night. Evans won't be rushed back as long as Thornton performs like this. If you're an Evans owner, make sure you have Thornton rostered.
Bad break (no pun intended) for the newly acquired Danillo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets. The sharpshooter from Italy fractured his toe and is expected to miss the next 7-10 days. Wilson Chandler, his former teammate in New York, will assume Gallinari's minutes and is an excellent play in that timespan. People are down on Chandler since he left New York. Don't be one of them.
Deron Williams is nursing a wrist injury, but you wouldn't know that judging by the assist totals he's put up as a Net. He even put up a season-high 18 assists on Monday, but watch the injury report daily; the injury could flare up at anytime due to his constant usage of the wrist.
Watch the Atlanta Hawks this week. They could be without two starters early on, or they could be back to full-strength by tomorrow. Kirk Hinrich sat out Monday's game due to a wrist injury (caught me off-guard, otherwise I would've mentioned it in yesterday's column), and Josh Smith injured the sprained right MCL in his knee. Smith is currently day-to-day and even had his MRI cancelled (good news!!). It appears Smith will diagnose himself and determine if he's ready based on how his knee is feeling. In Hinrich's absence, promising PG Jeff Teague started, but he struggled putting up 7 points, 6 rebounds and a disappointed one assist. I wouldn't recommend Teague as Joe Johnson may even steal PG minutes from him with Jamal Crawford stepping in at SG.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Holy Family University basketball coach, John O'Connor, investigated for assaulting player
NeW
A college basketball coach in Philadelphia is being investigated by the district attorney after one of his players said the coach attacked him during practice last month, the DA's office said Tuesday.
Holy Family University men's basketball coach John O'Connor, 51, was suspended last week after he was caught on video roughing up sophomore forward Matt Kravchuk during a heated rebound drill on Jan. 25.
In the tape, O'Connor can be seen charging Kravchuk, 19, and knocking him down with an elbow to the face after the player grabs a loose ball during a drill the coach called "combat rebound."
"It was totally out of line for my coach to do," Kravchuk told Philadelphia's WTXF-TV."We're just doing a drill, and the next thing I know I was on the floor."
As he lies dazed on the court, the coach kicks him in the butt, urging him to get up, the video shows.
After the sophomore limps to the back of the line with a bloody lip, the coach can be seen chewing him out – screaming, "Got a little [expletive] blood on ya? Good!" – before eventually booting the player from practice, shouting, "Get the [expletive] out of here!"
WATCH VIDEO BELOW
Kravchuk reported the incident to the athletic department the day it happened and was later told the coach had been reprimanded, his lawyer, Jack Cohen, said.
But the student complained to police on Feb. 11 because he felt the school hadn't gone far enough, Cohen said.
In the police report, Kravchuk said he suffered a bloody nose and scratches to his lip and forehead. Later, he complained of an injured wrist and has been wearing a brace, according to WTXF-TV.
Holy Family sophomore Matt Kravchuk, left, has not rejoined the team since the incident with Coach O'Connor, right. (Fox Philadelphia, Philadelphia Daily News)
He has not returned to the team since the incident.
Holy Family suspended the coach last Thursday.
O'Connor told the Philadelphia Daily News that he hadn't meant to hurt Kravchuck and that practice was especially intense that day because the team was coming off an embarrassing loss.
"I have always been very hands-on with my players," the coach said. "Normally, it's me that ends up getting hurt. I never had any intention of ever hurting one of my players."
In an unsigned statement, the Holy Family players said, ""In each of our hearts, we know Coach O'Connor realizes the mistake he made and accepts full responsibility for his actions," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
O'Connor was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech before coming to the small Division II school last year.
Tasha Jamerson, a spokesman for the district attorney, said investigators would decide whether to file formal charges in the next few weeks.
A college basketball coach in Philadelphia is being investigated by the district attorney after one of his players said the coach attacked him during practice last month, the DA's office said Tuesday.
Holy Family University men's basketball coach John O'Connor, 51, was suspended last week after he was caught on video roughing up sophomore forward Matt Kravchuk during a heated rebound drill on Jan. 25.
In the tape, O'Connor can be seen charging Kravchuk, 19, and knocking him down with an elbow to the face after the player grabs a loose ball during a drill the coach called "combat rebound."
"It was totally out of line for my coach to do," Kravchuk told Philadelphia's WTXF-TV."We're just doing a drill, and the next thing I know I was on the floor."
As he lies dazed on the court, the coach kicks him in the butt, urging him to get up, the video shows.
After the sophomore limps to the back of the line with a bloody lip, the coach can be seen chewing him out – screaming, "Got a little [expletive] blood on ya? Good!" – before eventually booting the player from practice, shouting, "Get the [expletive] out of here!"
WATCH VIDEO BELOW
Kravchuk reported the incident to the athletic department the day it happened and was later told the coach had been reprimanded, his lawyer, Jack Cohen, said.
But the student complained to police on Feb. 11 because he felt the school hadn't gone far enough, Cohen said.
In the police report, Kravchuk said he suffered a bloody nose and scratches to his lip and forehead. Later, he complained of an injured wrist and has been wearing a brace, according to WTXF-TV.
Holy Family sophomore Matt Kravchuk, left, has not rejoined the team since the incident with Coach O'Connor, right. (Fox Philadelphia, Philadelphia Daily News)
He has not returned to the team since the incident.
Holy Family suspended the coach last Thursday.
O'Connor told the Philadelphia Daily News that he hadn't meant to hurt Kravchuck and that practice was especially intense that day because the team was coming off an embarrassing loss.
"I have always been very hands-on with my players," the coach said. "Normally, it's me that ends up getting hurt. I never had any intention of ever hurting one of my players."
In an unsigned statement, the Holy Family players said, ""In each of our hearts, we know Coach O'Connor realizes the mistake he made and accepts full responsibility for his actions," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
O'Connor was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech before coming to the small Division II school last year.
Tasha Jamerson, a spokesman for the district attorney, said investigators would decide whether to file formal charges in the next few weeks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
