Hoopraker

There is an unhealthy contingent of putative mavens who view college basketball through the myopic, exclusive lens of numbers. Several of these number ruminants have even “invented” their own proprietary statistical models which they claim to be the most accurate, the most predictive, the best reduction of the game and its teams and players to their essential value. Number of possessions, tempo, efficiency, pace, effective percentage, these are but a few of their buzzwords, their junctions of obsession. (more…)

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On what may be considered a quiet moment in the college basketball universe, I want to direct your attention to something off topic but far more important.

Friends of friends of mine, J. Robbins (formerly of the band Jawbox) and Janet Morgan, have a one year old son named Callum who, unfortunately, has S.M.A. (Spinal Muscular Atrophy).

In an effort to help Callum, a great group of talented musicians have put together a two cd collection of music entitled For Callum. All of the artists have donated their considerable talents with all sales proceeds going directly to Cal’s medical fund. Click here to order a copy of the album from DeSoto Records.

You can learn more about Cal, S.M.A., and how to make a donation to help cover Cal’s immense medical bills, much too much of which are not covered by insurance, by clicking here. Thanks for reading.

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Ohio State is Number 1 in both the AP and Coaches’ Polls but it doesn’t matter. Having the highest ranking bestows an inference of greatness and in this respect Ohio State is good, but certainly not great. The Buckeyes are not without the company of other elite teams possessing significant weakness: Kansas, Florida, UCLA, North Carolina and Memphis are talented but fragile, each suffering from either a lack of focus and discipline to inexperience and dubious coaching.  Where no team is dominant, such parity accentuates the beauty of this season’s tournament endgame where anything is possible by any team. (more…)

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“How many teams have the ball in a guard’s hands and he just dribbles, dribbles, dribbles until he draws the defense? He pitches the ball and someone throws up a 3. That’s not the kind of basketball I like. I don’t like to see value placed on something that doesn’t have value.”

“I just call it pitch-and-shoot. To a great extent, that’s what basketball has developed into and to me it takes away one of the great things about the game and that’s the movement of offense and the necessity of the defense to stay with that movement. There is nothing that has improved so much in any sport than the ability of a kid to dribble the basketball.” (more…)

big ten basketball, college basketball | 1 Comment »

January 10, Chicago, Ill. - Tonight was a big night for the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames as they upset the 12th ranked Butler Bulldogs 73-67 in OT. The Bulldogs are coached by 6th year man Todd Lickliter (Butler ‘69).  In his time as assistant and head coach at Butler he has marshaled some very impressive wins, including advancing to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament in only his second season. (more…)

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