Tag: NCAAB

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s brother is the latest high school star to skip college basketball

Another blow for the NCAA.

While this won’t be as big of a blow to the NCAA as No. 1 recruit Jalen Green spurning college ball to start his pro career in the NBA’s developmental league, college basketball just lost another recognizable name.

Alex Antetokounmpo, the brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, will be taking his talents to Europe to play professionally while preparing for the 2021 NBA Draft.

The Wisconsin high school senior was not considered a big-time recruit — Rivals ranks him as the 44th best power forward in the 2020 class — but was getting looks from some Big 10 schools, including Iowa and Wisconsin. He had received offers from mid-major programs Ohio and Wisconsin-Green Bay before deciding to take the pro route.

He broke the news to EuroHoops.net:

“I am examining my options, I have a few choices from the States, but I have decided to play in Europe. I want to become a pro as soon as possible. I was born and raised in Europe, I know European basketball and the best thing for me would be to sign a contract with a European club. I will have to train and compete against grown men, I will experience strong competition and pressure and I will evolve on every level.”

With more and more high school stars taking a similar route, college basketball is lacking star power. So even if Antetokounmpo isn’t exactly a star prospect, he is a recognizable name who may have attracted more attention to a sport that struggles to get it outside of March.

Obviously the NCAA recognizes this problem. The organization is moving toward “allowing” players the ability to seek endorsement deals. Short of just paying players already, that might be the best way to reverse this trend and protect this talent pipeline that hasn’t been threaten quite like this in the history of collegiate athletics.

The younger Antetokounmpo spurning the NCAA isn’t going to make major headlines, but the fact that even mid-level prospects can skip college and turn pro is just another sign that change to the current system is badly needed.

Antetokounmpo averaged 20 points and 7.3 rebounds during his senior season and was a first team all-state selection for the second year in a row.

Jerry Tarkanian: Rebel With A Cause, Coach Ahead Of His Time

Danny Tarkanian’s new book about his dad is a comprehensive account of Jerry’s life from birth in Euclid, Ohio, to a Hall of Fame coaching career and beyond. This conversation covers Jerry’s battles against the NCAA and UNLV administration, his coaching style and iconic Rebels star Glen Gondrezick.

Danny Tarkanian’s new book about his dad is a comprehensive account of Jerry’s life from birth in Euclid, Ohio, to a Hall of Fame coaching career and beyond. This conversation covers Jerry’s battles against the NCAA and UNLV administration, his coaching style and iconic Rebels star Glen Gondrezick.

Fans put together ‘One Shining Moment’ montages with no 2020 NCAA tournament

The ball wasn’t tipped, but here we are.

There’s no NCAA tournament in 2020, and that — among many things — sucks.

That also means we don’t get a new edition of One Shining Moment, the always-thrilling montage of the highlights from the tourney that, as the kids say these days, slaps.

Luckily, there are college basketball fans out there with some good video editing skills, who have taken One Shining Moment and put it under highlights of their favorite teams, or used the cancellations to make a joke or two, because maybe we need a chuckle during such a dark, scary time.

Here’s what some people came up with:

[jwplayer uvJhnlLo-q2aasYxh]

Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg releases statement after coronavirus scare

Fred Hoiberg looked miserable on the bench Wednesday night, as he tried to coach Nebraska through the first — and now only — day of the Big Ten tournament.

Fred Hoiberg looked miserable on the bench Wednesday night, as he tried to coach Nebraska through the first — and now only — day of the Big Ten tournament.

This sad, lonely St. John’s mascot is every sports fan amid coronavirus cancellations

This sums it all up.

Of the images we’ve seen of athletes playing in empty stadiums — see Juventus and Inter Milan earlier in the week — this one sums a lot of it up.

St. John’s played Creighton for one half of a Big East tournament game before the entire event was canceled at halftime. The conference got rightfully roasted as other tournaments were canceled on Thursday. And when the news broke, FOX Sports cameras captured Red Storm mascot Johnny Thunderbird sitting stunned in the empty stands of Madison Square Garden, an image that many folks were citing in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic that’s canceling events everywhere:

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The gym used to film ‘Hoosiers’ volunteers to host the 2020 Final Four

This would be cool.

As of publishing this post on Thursday morning, the NCAA tournament is still on, but with no fans attending.

On Wednesday, NCAA president Mark Emmert said that they’re looking into a possible change for the Final Four, which is supposed to take place in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — which would be cavernous without fans in it — and have a smaller venue play host.

That could mean the games could be played at Georgia Tech’s home, McCamish Pavillion, which would make sense if the NCAA is still trying to keep the event in Atlanta.

But when Dan Patrick Show executive producer Paul Pabst suggested Hoosier Gym — the Indiana court in Knightstown where Hoosiers was filmed in 1985 and preserved — the gym’s Twitter account stepped foward:

Again: after the NBA suspended its season, it’s possible the NCAA does the same with the tournament or cancels it altogether.

But if there’s a relatively safe situation where the Final Four could be played there? That would be really cool.

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Why the Maryland Terrapins will win the 2020 NCAA Tournament

Why the Maryland Terrapins will win the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Out of the hard-fought Big Ten battles from this winter emerges a beast from the East and a blast from the past. A perfect team – they are not. However, coming out of one of the best and most hotly contested leagues this season, the Maryland Terrapins (24-7) are worthy of a look to win the second NCAA Tournament championship in program history. The Terps’ 2002 title was the mantelpiece of a run that saw Maryland get to the Sweet 16 seven times in 10 years (1994-2003).

Here are three good reasons why the 11th-ranked (USA Today Sports Coaches Poll) Maryland Terrapins will win the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

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Battle-tested

Maryland went 14-6 over 20 regular-season Big Ten games. No less than five conference foes (Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin) in the Coaches Poll were in the Terps’ way. Throw in Michigan, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers as other worthy top 25s – all are well-placed on popular computer rankings heading into conference tournament play. Big road wins late in the season – at Minnesota, Michigan State and Illinois – are the kind that can roll a team into late March with a ton of confidence.

Youth led by a veteran guard

Senior G Anthony Cowan is a solid two-way player who can distribute and get to the foul line and score on offense, play exceptional defense, and give the Terrapins 35 minutes per game. The veteran guard leads a squad comprised of super sophs – Jalen Smith (15.5 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game), Aaron Wiggins (10.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG), Eric Ayala (8.5 PPG), impact freshman – Donta Scott and a linchpin junior – Darryl Morsell – who complements Maryland’s efforts at both ends of the floor. The Terrapins are a young team that plays with high energy but at a tempo under their control.

Well-built for bracket play

The Terrapins’ game includes components well built a long bracket run. Maryland takes a lot of undefended 15-footers each game – the Terps rank second in the Big Ten, with 21.6 free-throw attempts per contest. Maryland hoists a lot of shots from beyond the three-point arc – they are better away from home in their success rate on those shots and have performed well in recent contests against top-20 foes. The Terps are also one of the top teams in the nation when it comes to finishing at the rim. They take care of the basketball, allowing fewer breakdown buckets off turnovers than most teams that will be in the tournament. It all makes for efficiency and variety on offense. On defense, Maryland has held opponents to a 38-percent mark from the floor. The Terrapins are exceptional at keeping foes from scoring near the rim. The 6-foot-10 Jalen Smith is a big factor in the paint. His 2.4 blocks per game will be among the highest averages for any player in the tournament, and it’s clear that he affects twice as many shots as he swats.

Maryland has made just one Sweet 16 in the last 15 years (2016), but the 2019-20 Terrapins are built to win different types of games and perhaps go all the way.

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