California Trip - Day 5

We had breakfast at the hotel this morning and immediately headed over to Chapman to practice. They have a beautiful campus with some that is always cool to see in an outdoor pool with elevated stands.

Practice went pretty well. The gym has a little different shape to it so it took a while to get use to it. No wonder they always play well at home.

After getting done with practice we headed north to Los Angeles to check out Hollywood Blvd. we didn't have much time there because of traffic but a bunch of our guys hadn't been there before so it was good for them to see. While our guys went out to see all the things there I met up with Tanner Anderson. It was good to catch up with him. He seems to be doing really well. His table waiting days seem to be behind him but be could be acting. He actually said he did a commercial with former St. Mary's star Lukas Holland, who has great hair. The MIAC is everywhere.

California Trip - Day 4

Today got off to an early start with breakfast at the hotel and a quick departure to our new destination, Anaheim. We made good time to the hotel.

Our van was completely filled with guys and luggage. We played a couple of music and sports games once we got out of San Diego. That was always fun to hear each guy and to hear about their knowledge in different areas.

Once we got to the hotel we headed straight to the full bball court on the third floor roof. It's pretty impressive for a hotel. We did a short walk-thru of Chapman's stuff as well as our plays. After practice the guys set off for Disneyland or Disney World, I am not sure which one is here. I was a Debbie-downer and stayed at the hotel to workout and relax for a bit.

Tomorrow we have a 10am practice at Chapman and then will head to Hollywood for the afternoon and evening. We hoping to see one of our former players, Tanner Anderson. Tanner just completed his masters' in performing arts from a prestigious acting school in LA. He is an aspiring actor aka a waiter.

California Trip - Day 3

Yesterday we had an early practice over at St Augustine for the final time. We got onto the court just after their JV got done practicing. It was a decent practice but the guys seem to be in game mode already. Hopefully, we'll be fine over the next couple of days.

After practice we headed over to the beach for a little workout and "ice bath." We did a couple of relays races to get their upper bodies a workout and then we headed to the ocean.

Now it's off to Anaheim to check out Disney and all that goes on there.

California Trip - Day 2

Yesterday we put together another day here on Coronado Island. We had a little down time before practice yesterday and some of the guys headed to the beach. The water is cold in December.

We had practice at 4;30 at St. Augustine again. Our overall intensity level wasn't were it should've been. We looked like we had dead legs. It wasn't exactly the practice I was hoping for after our quality practice the night before. We have to string together quality practices in order for us to make the jump we are capable of.

After practice we got to a Mexican restaurant called Miguel's right here on Coronado Island. The food was really good and definitely topped off the night.

California Trip - Day 1

We arrived in Santa Ana, CA yesterday afternoon after the most turbulent flight I have ever been on. It also didn't help that I literally had a family doing a Chinese fire drill during the flight. Three family members were rotating seats and rotating who was holding their baby throughout the flight. Even a flight attendant got into the mix by knocking off my headphones when she walked by. She didn't even apologize. Not fun.

We headed down to our hotel on Coronado Island just outside San Diego. First order of business was to stop at the famous In-N-Out Burger. I guess it's a staple of the California diet but I think it's pretty awful. It doesn't help that I am not a fan of fast food.

As we made our trip out of San Diego we went over the Coronado Bridge which has a sign for a suicide hotline on it. Always interesting to see something like that on a bridge. On the way to our hotel we saw the area where Navy SEALS do their training. It would be awesome for our guys to see or experience how hard those guys go for their training. It would be an eye opening experience for sure.

After a couple of hours in the hotel we headed to St. Augustine HS to practice. The Saints (didn't realize they weren't creative in CA either) are home of former McDonalds All American and UCLA standout Jelani McCoy. Their head coach, Ed Baskin was nice enough to open the gym for us during our time in the San Diego area.

We had a pretty intense practice and our guys got after it pretty good. It was evident that some guys really worked over break and others didn't do much. We need to have another good one today to maintain the level we were playing at before break.

High School Programs

Over the past eight years I have been to a lot of high school basketball games and have seen my fair share of craziness. I've recruited a wide range of athletes and an even wider range of parents. The more I go to games and practices the less I get an understanding of how things work at certain programs. My dad is a high school coach back in NY and I know how he runs his program but everyone is different.

I've been to games where recruits have been suspended, where they have been taken out of the starting lineup, where they haven't played with no explanation (at least according to the kid and their parents), and where they've played the whole game because the coach has no other choice. It's hard for me not to judge high school coaches but at the same time I'm not at practice everyday. I don't know what the inner workings of the team are. Some high school coaches are great and will do whatever they can for their kids, others are just receiving their nice paycheck and calling it a day.

There are some coaches that I know that are willing to take kids on visits to schools. There are some coaches that are willing to discipline their players when their parents don't. There are some coaches who will do whatever it takes to win. There are some coaches that know that no one kid is bigger than the program.

Being a high school isn't the easiest thing in the world to do. The best ones are the ones that put in the time over the spring, summer, and fall to make sure that each and every kid in his/her program has the opportunity to get better. Many kids and parents fail to understand that the season doesn't start when there are tryouts. The true season started the day after your last game the previous year.

I went to tell you a story about a friend of mine that was a high school coach in the state of Minnesota. He kept on getting calls from a parent about why "little Johnny" isn't playing. He told the parent several reasons why (though coaches shouldn't have to explain to parents why kids aren't playing) and the calls didn't stop. Finally, my friend says, "Why don't you come to practice for 30 straight days and then tell me if Johnny should be playing more?" Naturally, the parent agreed. He came to practice for the first ten days and then never came again, and then never called about playing time again.

I just want to say thanks to the good high school coaches throughout the country who work their tail off and get their kids ready for college or the real world. I don't mean just basketball coaches.

Caltech 12/13/11

Yesterday in "Happy Hour Hoops at Hamline," we took on the Beavers from Caltech aka California Institute of Technology. I was told after the game by one of their assistants that it isn't Cal Tech but Caltech. I thought they were supposed to be smart over there in Pasadena. Ranks right up there with some of the nicknames we have in our league. Caltech was 4-2 going into the game and was clearly playing with a bunch of confidence after beating Macalester on Monday night.

We got off to a slow start as neither team could find their rhythm. Our legs looked dead and couldn't get our offense going. The Beavers started off in a 2-3 zone to try and take away our penetration, I thought we still got good looks but didn't knock them down. We ran our zone offense but made a few careless turnovers that didn't help our cause. We made a couple of bursts but couldn't put them away. We just had too many turnovers (9) and too many missed opportunities. We still held a 34-24 advantage at the half but it wasn't exactly our best performance.

The second half started out with a bang as Mike Campbell made a layup, Tyler Pannell hit a 3, and then Dior Ford had a monster dunk in transition. This left the Beavers shell shocked. They recovered after a timeout to get it back within 13. Then, we made a run reminiscent of the ol' Brockport days as the guys went on a 25-4 run to put the game out of reach. We were running on all cylinders and the guys were having fun.

Over the course of the last eight minutes of the game we were able to play the guys who haven't played yet this season. It was great for them to get some varsity time. They extended the lead as well. It's always tough for those guys as you are never sure how to approach the way they play. At one point you want them to play at the same tempo as your "regulars" but at another point you don't want to embarrass the other team. I think we were able to use that balance last night. The final score was 88-48.

We were led by Mike Campbell's double-double of 16 points and 10 boards. Dior Ford and Charlie Choiniere both had 13 to help lead the charge. We got everyone off the bench had a total of 16 different guys score. EVERYONE contributed at some point last night. We held them to 30% shooting and 2-22 from 3. We outrebounded them 51-29 as well. It was a good night to be a Piper.

We have practice today and then our guys get some time off for finals and a little break. We play Chapman out in California on the 31st. I'm really looking forward to the trip.

Cal Tech Webcast - 5pm Central Time

Here is the link to tonight's webcast of our game vs. Cal Tech. Just a reminder, game starts at 5pm Central

Cal Tech vs. Hamline - 5pm

Concordia-Moorhead 12/10/11

Yesterday afternoon we took on the Cobbers of Moorhead in Memorial Auditorium on Concordia's campus. Yes, that was a mouthful. The Cobbers were coming off a win vs St Mary's on Wednesday. Their whole starting lineup is juniors so I would imagine they will be pretty strong next year as well.

We started the game on an 11-2 run as our guys were really getting after it defensively. We got a couple of steals got out in transition much like the St Olaf game. We were attacking really well and got a few of their starters in foul trouble. I believe we got up by as many as 15 in the first half. I was hoping that our guys would step on the throttle a bit to close the half. We did for the last two minutes and then gave up a layup at the buzzer to give Concordia was momentum going into the locker room. We were up 39-25 at the half.

To start the second half both teams went back and forth as it seemed te Cobbers inched back closer and closer as the half progressed. They got it within eight on numerous occasions led by Brady Baildon's aggressive play. I believe he had 8 points in the second half for a (I believe) career high of ten points.

After Concordia got it within eight for the final time we went on a 8-2 as we slowly pulled away. We ended winning 80-66 as we hit he magical 80 mark for the second consecutive game. We got a couple of good shooting performances from both Tyler Pannell and Christian Taber, as both of these guys hit three 3's. Dior Ford had his first of hopefully many double-doubles with 17 points and 11 boards.

After the game a woman approached our team and said "you should be ashamed of yourselves for the way your bench was acting." There was an issue with our bench in the first half and it was addressed immediately and taken of. For the almost the whole game, our bench was as energetic as it has ever been since I have been at Hamline. It gave us energy throughout the game as we certainly have to on the road. I was proud of our whole TEAM effort tonight.

I always wanted to wish Cobber Aaron Lindahl well. It looked like he injured his knee in the first half and didn't return.

On Tuesday we take on the Beavers of Cal Tech at 5pm in Hutton Arena. The smartest team in college hoops (MIT might argue that) is 5-2 right now and playing really well. Last season, they won their first conference game since Gregg Popovich was a D3 coach at LaVerne in 1985 (yes, he took the loss), a streak of 310 conference games. They are led by a 6'7" wing player who averages 21 points per game and a 6'4 point guard who averages 17 points, 7.5 assists, and 7 boards per game. This isn't the lowly Cal Tech team of the past. They will play Macalester on Monday before they head over to our place. A win will put us at 4-4 at the semester break.

Concordia Webcast and Live Stats

Here are the links for our game on Saturday at 3pm in Moorhead at Concordia

Webcast - Hamline vs. Concordia

Live Stats - Hamline vs. Concordia

St Olaf 12/7/11

Last night we took on the Oles of St Olaf in game 3 in a row of horrendous nicknames. Like I said in previous postings that thy were predicted to finish second the preseason poll. They have plenty of talent and like us, have struggled a little bit early. They have two of the better players in the conference in Stu Neville and Bobby Fong. Both of these guys are capable of going off for 30 at any point.

Game got off to a back and forth start as both teams got settled in. Olaf got a couple of offensive rebounds early and all I could think was "here we go again." after those possessions we got on the glass and took away any 2nd opportunities. We started to get some easy buckets which increased our confidence tenfold and we looked like a completely different team than we have lately. At the half we were up 37-27 and I thought we played well for about 15 if those 20 minutes.

The second half started off really well as we quickly increased our lead to as much as twenty. Our intensity level was where it needed to be and hopefully our guys understand how hard we need to play every possession.

We got a great effort from a bunch of guys last night. I will not say we are where we need to be but it is a step in the right direction.

As many of you know, my brother goes to Hamline and is usually leading the student section in cheering and ragging on the other team. It was brought up this morning that he was swearing at guys on St Olaf during the game. Was he all over their players? Yes. Does he do that at every game? Yes. He definitely wasn't swearing because he knows that I would not let him come to games if he did. Last year he made a comment he shouldn't of to a kid and apologized the next day to the player, their coach, our AD, and our coaches. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my career or his for that matter. Let's just leave it at this, "Don't stay in the kitchen, if you can't take the heat."

Thanks again to the all the readers. I just reached over 10,000 views for the blog.

St. Olaf Webcast

Here is the link to tonight's webcast

St. Olaf vs. Hamline 7:30 Central Time

St. Thomas Game 12/5/11

Sorry for not updating from Monday (well, I'm not really sorry) but it's been pretty crazy around here with trying to get things figured out. We took on the Tommies (Game 2 of 3 against horrible nicknames) on Monday night at Hutton. St. Thomas is the defending National Champion with a slew of new players on their roster. They also have a bunch of other guys that didn't see the floor last season that are hungry to prove they belong in the same breath as the seniors that just left.

The game got off to a great start for us, as we converted on a bunch of transition layups and a couple of open 3's as we took an 18-15 lead with about 11 minutes left to play in the half. After that, the ugly turn that we have seen all year came out. We went flat and St. Thomas converted on everyone of our mistakes which included seven turnovers and three missed layups over a 29-6 run. It is something that we clearly need to fix as basically every team we have played has produced big runs against us with us having no answer at all. St. Thomas took a halftime lead of 49-34. Once again, a deficit that we have come back from.

The second half started out ok for us and then we have two straight turnovers and they hit big 3's on both possessions. Just when we thought we would get right back into the back, the lead is up to 20. Then the tides changed and we made a 12-0 run of our own and got it back within 8 in a matter of three and a half minutes (spurtability at it's finest). We had several opportunities to get it closer and we just couldn't convert on either end.

Final score was 94-77 in favor of St. Thomas. The game was definitely closer than the score showed by St. Thomas was clearly better than us. Every time we made a mistake, they jumped on us. That's a sign of a good team. This was the first time all year that I thought the team we played was better than we were. Does that mean that they will be better than us down the stretch? No, but tonight they were.

We definitely had some positives within the game as we only turned the ball over 12 times with their pressure. Problem was, about seven of those turnovers were unforced as we made some mental mistakes. St. Thomas had 18 turnovers, which I think is a high number against a quality team like them.

Our biggest issue right now is that team's are shooting over 50% from the floor and over 40% from 3 against us. That is just not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. We need to take pride in our defense and it's been how we have battled the past couple of years. Everyone in our program (coaching staff included) needs to make adjustments for us to get better. If we continue to play this kind of defense then we are in for a long year.

St. Thomas Webcast

Here is the link for tonight's game

St. Thomas vs. Hamline - 7:30pm Central

Gustavus 11/30/11

Last night we took on our first league opponent, the Gustavus Adolphus Gusties. It was first of three straight league games against teams with horrendous nicknames (Tommies and Oles are next).

We got off to a pretty hit start with a couple of fast break layups and really got going defensively. Our guys played with a lot of energy and it showed as we took a decent lead over the first couple of minutes. We somewhat held heir leading scorer, Seth Anderson, in check. We battled on the boards against a much bigger team. I was surprised to see he stats at halftime saying that they were shooting over 50% from the floor. I believe we were up by one at the half.

The second half started much like the first as we were playing solid defense and really communicating. After about ten minutes of play I was still close an you could also feel the momentum swinging our way. Like the Eau Claire and Whitewater game, we had them on their heels, and then we turned it over. They scored on the next couple of possessions and we didn't have an answer.

It is clear to us as with everyone else that we are struggling a bit right now. We will have to figure out a way to get the ship straightened. No need to panic right now but we certainly need to make some adjustments.

It doesn't get easy as we play St Thomas and St Olaf on Monday and Wednesday of next week. Both teams were predicted to finish in the top two of the conference in the coaches' preseason poll. UST knocked off Olaf last night after beating D2 Concordia St Paul last week

Gustavus Webcast

Here you go folks.

Gustavus vs. Hamline Live Video Feed

UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater Games

Sorry not to update recently but it's been a little crazy around here. I won't write much about these two games because I'll probably get heated and write something I shouldn't write. Both games were extremely similar in every fashion.

Both the Blugolds and the Warhawks shot lights out in the first half and gained big leads. We came out in the second half and made great runs to get things back in our favor and then we collapsed. We made a lot of mental lapses on both ends of the floor and really struggled. It didn't help that both teams shot over 50% from behind the arc.

On a positive note, we showed that we could come back from large deficits and make it a game. We had great energy for probably 10-12 minutes of both games. We showed that we were very good during those times, while we were average at best the rest of the way. We need to find consistent effort from our guys for the whole game.It certainly doesn't get easier for us.

We have our first league game on Wednesday at Hutton Arena vs. Gustavus. They are 1-1 right now with a win vs. Buena Vista and a loss against UW-LaCrosse. They are always well coached and are a solid ballclub. Seth Anderson leads the team while averages 34.5ppg including a 45 point outburst vs. Buena Vista. He's got an old man's game (that's a good thing) with his array of post-ups, pull-ups, and leaners. He'll be a tough matchup for sure.

Whitewater Webcast

Here is the link to today's game at 3pm.

Whitewater vs. Hamline

Webcast vs. UW-Eau Claire

Here is the link for our game vs. UW-Eau Claire tonight at 7pm Central time.

Webcast

Live Stats

Northwestern 11/15/11

On Tuesday night we took on the Eagles from Northwestern in our first game. We usually played them the first game of the year and we always know it's going to be a close game. They are very well coached and their kids always play hard. On top of it, they were a NCAA Tournament team last season and lost in the first round to St. Thomas. They return their top two scorers from last season in Wade Chitwood and Tom Gisler. They did lose the UMAC MVP in Brian Lechler but I expect them to be a NCAA Tournament team again this year.

Right from the get go we knew we would have a battle on our hands. Northwestern plays very good helpside defense and tries to clog up the driving lanes and angles in order for us to settle for 3's. Their plan definitely worked. We ended up shooting 4-12 from 3 in the first half and only got to the free throw line once. Not exactly a stellar performance on our part. We definitely weren't being patient with our offense. Instead of getting great shots, we were getting decent shots that we could get at any time during the possession. We ended up being up 33-27 at the half. Not exactly our pace but having the lead and not playing particularly well was ok.

We gained control early in the second half, as our lead hovered from anywhere from four to ten points. Down the stretch of the second half things seemed to unravel for us. We weren't clicking at all offensively. We were struggling a bit defensively with finding their shooters. They also got a couple of scores on out of bounds plays. We were definitely on our heels as they gained more and more confidence.

With a little more than a minute to play, the Eagles took a two point lead after hitting a layup on a pick and roll. Immediately after, we pushed the ball up the floor and Brandon Rieg hit a monster 3 to put us up one. It was a huge 3 and all of a sudden we got some energy back. After a couple of scrambling defensive possessions we came up with a steal and it fell into the hands of Brandon again. He made both free throws and we ended up winning 64-61.

Overall, we didn't play particularly well and wasn't able to play at the pace that we wanted. There are definitely some positives to the win though. We didn't play that well (in part because Northwestern is good) and still grinded out a victory while shooting 7-21 from 3 and 5-6 from the free throw line. We won by playing at the other team's pace. It was a low scoring game. That is probably what will happen as the season progresses, teams will try to slow down the speed of the game and make us play in the half court. We beat a good team. Like I said before, Northwestern will probably be a tournament team and that helps us tremendously even this earlier in the season.

We were led by Mike Campbell's 14 points and Victor Easter's 10 (which were all in the first half). Other guys that I thought did some good things for us throughout the game include Al Tillman, Charlie Choiniere, and Dior Ford. I don't want people to think that all we care about is scoring.

We play again on Tuesday at UW-Eau Claire. I'm not sure if they have live video but I'll find out and hopefully post a link. They beat St. Scholastica on Tuesday and held them to 25% shooting on their home floor. They also play this weekend at a "Classic" at UW-Platteville, home of the fighting Rusthoven's.

Tonight's Webcast

Here is the link for tonight's game vs. Northwestern. Happy viewing.

Preseason Coaches' Poll

Here is a link to the MIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Hopefully, our guys take a look at it and realize 6th place isn't where we want to be. We will have to prove people wrong as we have in years past.

Exhibition Game vs UM-Crookston

As many as you know we played UM-Crookston on Thursday night at Hutton Arena. It's normally unusual for a Division Two team travels to a Division Three for an exhibition game but Crookston wanted to come to the Twin Cities. We obliged.

The game got off to a rough start as we couldn't get things going early on. Our offense was stagnant and we were taking quick shots. Never a good way to start especially against a scholarship level school. We decided to sub in our "second unit," and they gave us a huge spark. That group on Thursday was Brandon Rieg, Victor Easter, Christian "Danny Ainge" Taber, Dior Ford, and Charlie Choiniere.

We went on a couple of nice runs during the first half and ending up leading by 12. I believe we shot right around 50% from 3 during the first half. A major difference since our Lakehead exhibition.

As the second half begun we tried to get the offense moving a little better and we got a couple of quick 3's from Tyler Pannell. Crookston looked shell shocked.

After getting the lead close to 20 Crookston changed things up and went to a 1-3-1 zone with a 6'10" guy at the top. Their length definitely gave us some issues. The zone also made us stand around. We didn't get any reversals and took some bad shots. Crookston got within two with about 8:40 left and that's when everything changed.

We could tell they were getting tired and we started attacking a little more. We got into the paint and ramped up our defensive pressure and intensity. I believe we went on a 17-1 run near the end if the game. They were tired and that is proven by their 1-9 free throw shooting and six turnovers in the last 8:40. It was a nice win for us. Any time you can beat a D2 school it's exciting for your program.

We were led by three double figure scorers including Tyler Pannell, Brandon Rieg, and Christian Taber. We ended up shooting 16-33 from 3. I'll take that any day of the week. It's a high number of 3's and probably more than we would like but when you shoot that high of a percentage, you have to take it.

We officially open up on Tuesday against Northwestern College at 7:30pm following the women's game. We will also be honoring Row of Honor inductee Don Meyer before our game. He wasn't able to make the original date. I am really looking forward to meeting him. I hope our team is as well.

This is my first venture on writing this on my phone so please excuse my many errors in their entry

Webcast Tonight vs. UM-Crookston

Here is the link to our last exhibition game tonight UM-Crookston vs. Hamline at 7pm Central Time at Hutton Arena.

Lakehead Exhibition

Last night we took on Lakehead University from Thunder Bay, Ontario in an exhibition game. They are a team that returns several players from their Provincial Championship (Ontario) last season and they finished 4th in the country. Lakehead had already played seven games this season and including a win on Friday night vs. UW-Stout.

The game started off with a bang for us as we got out to an 11-0 lead. Things were coming easy for us right off the bat. It was clearly a shock for Lakehead, then they woke up. I'm not exactly sure what type of run they went on but it was at least a 20-2 run. We all of a sudden looked sluggish and weren't running our offense.

We battled back and got the game back within three at the half, 44-41. We left their shooters wide open on a few occasions and they made us pay. We talked about their shooters only during pregame. Normally, we are able to talk about them more but we had limited knowledge of their players besides a few highlights on youtube and a few box scores. That's an adjustment for everyone including the coaching staff. As we get into the season we'll have full game film to show the guys. Learning experience all the way around.

The second half didn't exactly get off to the way we wanted, as we got down as many as ten points. From what I saw, the lead hovered around double figures for a little bit as each team was trading layups and/or three's. I actually didn't see the last 13 minutes of the game because I had to bring a recruit to the airport but this is the rundown that I got from everyone else:

We battled back to actually take the lead with the help of Victor Easter's defensive efforts. He was the spark we needed and he dominated play for a long stretch. He clearly got some help during this time from both Charlie Choiniere and Mike Campbell, but Vic was stirring the pot. As I was on the way back from the airport, I was getting updates on my phone, it seemed like we were getting momentum. Yet, Lakehead didn't back down.

I arrived back in Hutton with 10.2 seconds left. It was our ball on the sideline as we were down three. Coach Whitmore was just drawing up a play to get a look from three. Lakehead then fouled Mike before the ball was inbounded. He made 1 of 2, we fouled immediately on the 2nd miss. They made the first one, and then Noah Aguirre got the rebound on the second (we had no timeouts left). He took it the top of the key and had a great look from three to tie the game. The shot went in and out, and we ended up losing 98-95.

We were led by Mike Campbell's 30 points on 11-15 shooting including 8-12 from the FT line. Brandon Rieg finished with 13, Tyler Pannell had 12, and the aforementioned Victor Easter finished with 10.

There were many positives for us during the game. We got the face the most athletic team we'll play all season. We got a close game, one in which we battled back after facing some adversity early in the second half. We had two of our top recruits at the game, both of whom got to see our uptempo offense. Our offense usually takes a while to get going, I don't think we are where we need to be yet, but to put up 90+ points on an opponent the caliber of Lakehead is a good thing.

Some of the negatives to the game were that we left too many of their shooters open, even after they made one of two three's previously (that was talked about above). We shot 5-16 from 3. That's not a great number especially at home. I thought we had some good looks but they did close the gap quickly to at least get a contest. We shot 20-30 from the FT line. Getting to the line 30 times is exactly where we want to be but we have to shoot better than 67%. We should shoot at least 72% from the line with the shooters we have. With the 3's and FT, we make two more 3's, we win. We make four more FTs, we win. Simple as that.

We turned the ball over 25 times. We had 17 in the first half, so we clearly settled down in the second but we should be have 17 turnovers at the most for the game. We will probably turn the ball over because of increased possessions but a number in the 20's isn't acceptable. As a staff, we aren't dumb enough(maybe some think we are) to believe that we'll turn it over less than ten times a game. Especially at the tempo we want to play at. We got outrebounded by 10, 47-37. We lack size to an extent, so will need to get help from our guards to get in there and grab boards. We leaked out too much instead of concentrating on rebounding. That potentially could be a trend throughout the season but we need to get bodies on someone and attack the ball off the rim.

Another positive is that is the first time we have played against someone else with the exception of our six alums. It'll be a great game to learn from. As time goes on, our guys and our coaching staff will make the adjustments in order for us to have a successful season. We'll watch some film on Monday and then get ready for our St. Cloud State scrimmage on Tuesday afternoon. SCSU will be another great test, as it is every year.

Live Feed vs. Lakehead

Here is the link for the LIVE FEED for our game vs. Lakehead University from Thunder Bay, Ontanrio

Alumni Scrimmage

On Sunday morning we took on a few of our Alums in a scrimmage to start the new competitive season. The Alums only had six guys, so it made it challenging for both teams. They obviously weren't in the shape that we are in and played zone the whole game. We couldn't implement our new defensive schemes because we didn't want them calling for mercy ten minutes in.

We got off to a decent start but then it was pretty much downhill for there. We didn't play with much energy (or least the energy we would've liked) for most of the first half. We were actually down at the half. We didn't take care of things that we could control like effort and rebounding (more on this later). We ended winning the scrimmage as the alums wore down in the second half.

One thing our guys weren't exactly ready for was the size our alums brought. Carl Hipp, who is now 6'8" and probably 240lbs and Kris Anderson (6'5" and 260lbs) brought a ton of size and muscle against our relatively small team. That will help us prepare for teams like UW-Whitewater, Augsburg, and Gustavus. Hopefully, it will make our guys understand how important it is for us to box out and rebound. We were spoiled the last couple of years with having Carl on the interior.

Overall, it was a great learning experience for our guys. The alums played a very physical brand of basketball and most of our guys weren't exactly ready for it. We've watched some film and hopefully we can apply that to practice and then our exhibition game coming up on Saturday vs. Lakehead University from Thunder Bay, Canada (we are in talks to have a live feed for the game, I'll try to keep you updated on that).

Just want to say thanks to the Alums that came out, Kris Anderson, Sam Weiner, Brandon Hayes, Dan Andersen (who is our new assistant coach), Pierre Harris, and Carl Hipp. We appreciate the support you guys give to the Hamline program. We also had a few Alums show up to watch in Charlie Hipp (Carl's dad) and Mike Gray

So it has begun...

As most everyone knows, practice started for D3 basketball on October 15th. Like everyone else, we went twice on Saturday and then twice again on Sunday. We got a lot of things in and our guys' heads were spinning, even the veterans. We've decided to implement some different things into what we do and it has put a lot of guys on the same learning curve. We are hopeful that our new schemes will work out.

The guys have been getting after it pretty good throughout practice, today was the exception. I wasn't exactly pleased with the way we were playing today. Some of it had to do with some new drills and us deciding as a coaching staff to mix the groups a little bit. It certainly wasn't pretty at times and I'm sure some of the recruits who came to practice weren't exactly impressed. I think it's important to mix in groups because we aren't going to sub five for five all time. It might happen some but that will be the exception.

We are pleasantly surprised by how some of the guys have played. As of right, we feel that we can probably put 14 different guys out there right now and not miss a beat. As we all know, that can and will change as the season progresses. It could be a higher or lower number. To have as much depth as we think we have right now, is definitely a good problem to have.

As a staff, it is always difficult to figure out the rotation for games. This year could be a little easier, as we have four different opportunities to see how the guys react to playing someone else and in a game situation.  On top of that, some guys shine better when the lights are on and others go to the corner. Hopefully, we have a bunch of guys that like the light. We will have a Alum Scrimmage first, then an foreign exhibition game, followed by another scrimmage, and then exhibition game before we open up the season.

We start with a game against Northwestern College on Nov. 15 as part of a doubleheader with the women's team. Other non-conference games will include @ UW-Eau Claire, UW-Whitewater, Cal Tech, and @ Chapman (CA). Once again it should be one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country.

To go back on some of my previous blogs, I was super wrong on my World Series predictions. St. Louis and Texas are playing some great baseball right and are certainly deserving of being there. I know that Fox is not happy with those two teams there because ratings must be brutal. Fox needs the Yankees or Red Sox there to drive up the ratings otherwise they will lose money.

It's almost here...

11 more days until practice officially starts and I can't wait.

So, this past weekend I was able to head to Madison for the Nebraska-Wisconsin football game. I got to experience pretty cool and it's down below. This isn't my video and I am clearly not tech-savvy enough to get it from my phone to here. I'll work on that.



I still think West Virginia has a better atmosphere and is louder. You be the judge.




Pretty cool stuff either way.

The Pennant Race

Just got done watching a Gamecast of the Yanks-Rays game and the Yanks just clinched a playoff berth. Now it's Boston's turn to completely falter and let the Rays in. This time of the year is great. Teams are scrambling for the last playoff spot and sometimes no one wants to win.

Looks like the Angels are quietly sneaking up into the both the West and the Wild Card standings. They aren't exactly someone I would want to play in the playoffs with them having Jared Weaver as their ace. They have a ton of team speed but probably don't have enough depth on the pitching staff to get through.

As usual, the Phillies are super dangerous at this point because of their three aces in Halladay, Lee, and Hamels. I don't want to see them but if the Yanks make it to the World Series, I'm sure the City of Brotherly Love will be waiting.

Now onto the Cy Young in both league. American League is easy, it's Justin Verlander. He has probably had one of the most dominant years in a long time. I certainly don't want to see him at all in the playoffs. You can count a win for the Tigers whenever he is on the mound. In the National League, it's got to go to Clayton Kershaw.  He leads the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Any pitcher that has ever done that has won the Cy Young. This year should be no different. I know Ian Kennedy and Roy Halladay have had great years but you can't punish Kershaw for playing on a crappy team.

Now onto the MVP award, remember this is awarded to the Most Valuable Player. A player the team would sorely miss if he wasn't there. In the American League my vote goes to...Justin Verlander. He's the most dominant player in the league and his 24 wins don't go unnoticed. The Tigers wouldn't be where they are at right now without him. Adrian Gonzalez and Curtis Ganderson are right in the mix, but both of their teams have enough firepower to withstand them being off the field. In the NL, the award goes to...Chris Sabo and his goggles, just kidding. The award goes to Jose Reyes, and yes I am serious this time. The Mets aren't good but they are even worse when Reyes isn't on the field. I would say Ryan Braun is a close second but Reyes gets my vote.

I had a good talk last night with one of buddies about conference realignment and paying college athletes. This article pretty much sums up our conversation.

Conference Realignment

After last season's movement, now comes the biggest movement of them all with universities going after spots in certain conferences. It's too bad it has to be this way but it comes down to the almighty dollar, like I have said before. I'm going to talk about the Big East first because it will be the conference most affected by the conference realignment because of the way the conference is structured.

As of last season the Big East had 16 members. It somewhat created a mega-conference for basketball. Now, the challenging part is that college football is going to ruin that conference for all. Pittsburgh and Syracuse have already jumped ship and the conference could go to shambles. The biggest problem for the conference is that several of it's schools either do not have football (Marquette, Providence, St. John's, and Seton Hall), played at the 1-AA level (was Villanova and Georgetown), or compete as an independent (Notre Dame). Football is the sport that schools get the most money because it isn't technically controlled by the NCAA. The NCAA has no control over which schools go to bowl games or the BCS rankings. The NCAA Tournament for basketball is huge money maker for the NCAA and they get a lot of the money from that while in football the conferences get the money.

I'm not sure what I will think once the Big East doesn't have it's tournament at Madison Square Garden. There have been so many memorable games there and now with Steve Lavin bringing back the Red Storm, the Mecca of Basketball is making it's way back. Who can remember Ray Allen's shot over a Georgetown defender for UConn to win at MSG? What about Da'Sean Butler making game winning shot after game winning shot leading WVU to it's first ever Big East Tournament title? What about Kemba Walker carrying the young Huskies on his back last season? What about the 19 overtime game between UConn and Syracuse a few years back? That is some of the most exciting basketball of the whole year.

I don't want to see the Big East go away. I could probably do away with Big East football. What about this idea? Why can't schools align themselves to conferences for certain sports? It would save Big East basketball. We already have a 1-AA for football, could there be another level added on to that?

Don't be surprised to see four mega-conferences with 16 teams each and then they separate from the NCAA. The NCAA is essentially a monopoly with no wiggle room for it's members, that could change quickly. The worst part of that is that it would greatly affect D3 athletics. We wouldn't get any funding to our championships.

If is this all about the student athlete then why do have college football games on Thursday and Friday nights. Why does South Florida play Marquette on a Wednesday night in hoops? Don't say it's about student athletes when money is coming in and helping the WHOLE university.

I'm Back and it's Been a Long Time

Alright, so I finally decided to make it back to blogging and hope to keep you updated on most if not all of the happenings going on with our program throughout the rest of the year. My summer was great and it didn't seem to last very long. I was able to do some traveling to Alexandria, VA then to Sandusky, OH (Cedar Point and Callahan Auto Parts). I went to Chicago for my first trip to Wrigley and then headed back to NY for a quick trip back home. Probably won't be heading home for Christmas this year, so it was good to be home and see family for a little bit. Enough of me and now onto the Pipers. Yes, school has started and we have everyone on campus as we planned. I think we have a pretty good recruiting class for this season that will once again feature a slew of out of state kids. No names at the moment because we haven't had our first practice yet. It's always great to see the guys once they get to school and then it almost gets back to 'normal.' Normal is when basketball actually starts. The guys have been playing since classes start and I can actually hear the squeak of their sneakers right now as they are playing open gym. We have a little time before we start on October 15th and I hope the guys are getting in shape. The more than get in shape now, the less we run once practice starts. I'll go over some more stuff as this week rolls on. Topics will include Conference Realignment, Baseball's Pennant Race, College Football, and my Detroit Lions

The "U," G'town brawl, Dook's antics

All across the news the past couple of days is the news about The "U" (in case you Minnesotans didn't know, they aren't talking about Minnesota) and all the allegations that Nevil Shapiro has laid on them. It's definitely disappointing to hear but in all reality it happens at a lot of major institutions. They might not be extravagant as all the sex parties, clubs, yachts, and abortions that Shapiro paid for but it still goes on.

Yahoo did a great job of getting information about the allegations and has a lot of documentation. My biggest issue is, how exactly do you trust a convicted felon? Also, how does The "U" not keep track of this guy a little more. He was on the sidelines during games, had access to basically all of the players and coaches. Plus, Miami knew that he partially owned a sports agency business. Oh wait, he donated money to the athletics' department and that is why they turned a blind eye. It makes sense, it's all about the $$$ at that level.

The biggest problem for Miami right now is that they have new coaches in both men's basketball and football, both seem to have very good reputations and they are going to get absolutely hammered by the NCAA for something they didn't have a part of. Hopefully, they at least had some knowledge of this before they signed their contracts, but my guess is that they didn't.

One big question everyone has right now is, what will be the penalties? Will the NCAA give them the "death penalty?" I think it's highly unlikely because the NCAA needs "The U" to be good in football for them to make more money. I heard yesterday on the Doug Gootlieb Show that the NCAA should fine them $10 or $20 million to set the record straight. The pocketbook is where it hurts. Makes sense but you certainly don't want to take away anything from the normal students that don't do anything do for the school (was that too harsh?).

Another solid story coming over the news today is that Georgetown brawl that happened this morning over in China. There is finally video on it and it's below. To think that the Hoyas just met with Vice President Biden yesterday, what a turn for US-China relations.

Here is the video...


This morning I got to watch Dook take on the Chinese Jr. National Team and I got to see a little bit of what Dook will do this season. WHINE!!!! It was unreal, every time a call didn't go their way all the players and coaches looked like a six year old girl who didn't get a candy bar on their trip to the store. Even Coach K got into the refs face on a non-call along the sideline. These aren't ACC refs, they don't care who you are.

Long Time No Talk

It's a been a long absence for me from the blogging world and there are certainly a lot of things to cover. Today I'm just going to talk about the whole big time college athletics and it's pay to play model and potential conference realignment.

I get pretty worked up when I hear the Big Ten and SEC commissioners talking about "their athletes" needing extra money to cover living expenses. That is a complete and utter joke for them to say that, especially at those schools. In the SEC their athletes are treated like Gods and with the exception of Vanderbilt they rarely have to worry about academics because athletics come first. Does anyone know what these athletes get for their scholarships?

On top of their "free education" they get a scholarship check. What does that check include? It usually ends up being roughly $750 or more. Really? Yes, the athletes usually have their training table which costs about $8 a pop for dinner and possibly a lunch as well. So they get that taken out of the checks and then the rest is theirs for "other food" and housing. I would say that the athletes might pay $500 a month in rent at the high end and the rest is for the new iPhone and video games. They have plenty of money for "living expenses."

Another way to get around this is for the athlete to file on taxes as an independent and then they can live in Section 8 housing for super cheap and have even more money. On top of that, many of these athletes qualify for a Pell Grant which could get them up to $5,500 for the year. So...on top of the scholarship check they get the Pell Grant and they can't live a quality life? Are you kidding me?

And I still haven't mentioned free tuition, free books, free tutoring, better academic facilities to use than normal students, and I haven't even mentioned the free gear (I guess I just did). On top of this, they travel very nicely on charter flights and stay in extremely plush hotels on the road. Tough life they live at that level.

What about the D3 athlete? They generally pay for their own tuition and play "for the love of the game." We sometimes drive our own cars to games and don't get mileage. At some places have to pay for their own gear. Actually could get penalized for missing class because of games. Practice is scheduled around class instead of the other way around. We generally travel on the day of the game not the night before to "get use to the surroundings." The Super 8 Hotel and the Hampton Inn are great places to stay because they have continental breakfast.

WVU would stay in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night if they played them Thursday night (complete waste of money if you ask me). No Friday nights in a local hotel to "get away from distractions," for Saturday night's game. All meals on the road are catered and cost at least $20 a pop per person. Think about that for a football squad. Lots of cash money.

So...I don't want to hear they have it bad. They do get paid and have an opportunity to actually make money if they are smart. Now, what the NCAA should do it make it mandatory for every "student-athlete" that gets a check take a money managing class for them to be "smart" with the money they receive.

I could go on forever but let's move on...

Texas A&M almost made the move to the SEC and apparently it could still happen soon. I'm not exactly sure why TAMU would make the move and why the SEC would take them. TAMU plays second fiddle in the state of Texas and flat out isn't better than the 'Horns or the Sooners.

All I keep on hearing is that the SEC wants to break into Texas. You want Texas and not A&M. Texas is the draw and A&M is the ugly step sister. They certainly aren't the draw nationally that Texas is. Plus, TAMU would be average at best in the SEC. It doesn't make to me. Plus...

Isn't it about the student athletes not the money?????? Apparently it's all about the money and not about the student athlete. People need to start making educated decisions for their student athletes because according to the NCAA most of the athletes go professional in other aspects of life. Stop being hypocritical. Say it's about the money when it is. That's reality, no matter what the NCAA says.

David Kahn...Really??? - Updated

Obviously, I've mentioned before that I'm not a fan of David Kahn. On top of Kevin McHale burying the franchise with the Joe Smith contract debacle, Kahn has basically put the team in even more of a rewind then initially anticipated. He didn't have much to work with when he first got there but the team is awful and even with the talent they have right now, they won't become Oklahoma City because they don't have a "star" that can carry the team like Durant can. Yes, Kevin Love is very good but he isn't a franchise guy. He is the second or third option on a good team.

Here is an interview to show how much of a clown Kahn is.



I think he is trying, which is great for a three year old but not for a NBA executive who is trying to dig a terrible franchise out of the depths of the cellar they seem to always find themselves in. I certainly lay a lot of the blame on Glen Taylor, the Twolves owner. Any idiot can see that the picks and the trades that he has made over time have done nothing but keep the team in the deep end with no chance of saving themselves.

Here is quote from Kahn from an interview a few years back, when he was the Pacers' GM.

Bizball: During your time as GM of the Pacers, who was the best player you felt you acquired, either through trades, or the draft?
Kahn: I was most proud of draft-night deals I engineered for Jeff Foster and Jamaal Tinsley, two players who remain with the team today not because they were our best players but because of the pressure surrounding both deals.

I honestly had no idea he was the Pacers' GM. I thought he worked his way up in Portland but I was wrong. During his time with Pacers I don't think he had anything to do with personnel decisions because Larry Legend and Donnie Walsh did all that stuff. If you look at this (have to scroll down a little) it tells you how he was into marketing and development more than player decisions. Why and how the Twolves would hire someone like this, I have no idea.

One last note before I go. If you look at the Twolves' roster, I don't see Ricky Rubio but there is Derrick Williams, Brad Miller, and Bojan Bogdanovic. It seemed to me that Ricky was all the rage around the Twin Cities and he supposedly "signed" with the team. Why isn't he on the roster then? Another year in Europe? I smell trouble.

Update: To put things into even better terms with Kahn. He recently reached out to Coach K from Dook to find out if he would be interested in coaching the Twolves. Are you kidding me? He turned down the Lakers and Kobe Bryant to stay at Dook. He makes roughly $5 million a year from Dook. Regardless of the talent that is in Minnesota he would be extremely lucky to reach 30 wins in his first year. The saga continues...

Rest of the 1st Round - NBA Draft

#15 - Pacers pick Kawhi Leonard from San Diego State. Good to see the Pacers try to get more athletic. Sick of seeing them draft white guy after white guy. They selected Paul George last year and now Leonard. I really like him. He's tough as nails and he doesn't stop. I would like to see him stick to his game and be a glue guy early in his career. I like his suit, he went a little different than everyone else. Nothing wrong with a little flair.

#16 - Sixers pick Nikola Vucevic from USC. I really like his game. I was really surprised that he didn't get more love from the commentators throughout the season. He plays tough and doesn't have the prototypical Euro game, he'll bang a little bit for sure. Gotta love guys coming from the crowd to greet David Stern. Anyone remember Priest Lauderdale?

#17 - Knicks pick Iman Shumpert from Georgia Tech. I actually like his game and he was given a ton of flak for being a workout warrior. Somewhat like a Joe Alexander in that sense. He'll be alright for them. He's definitely a combo guy and went to GT because he was told he could play the point. At least now the Knicks will have one person that can defend. Hopefully, Isiah Thomas didn't make that pick.

#18 - Wizards pick Chris Singleton from Florida State. Another long and athletic player that will be NBA ready on the defensive end. He'll want to play the 3 but he can guard 1-4 right now. He is a pretty good stand still shooter but is not good coming off screens or off the dribble. Like the look minus the pocketsquare. Where is the yellow in your tie?

#19 - Bobcats pick Tobias Harris from Tennessee for the Bucks. Another crowd entrance for the local product. He won't wow you with anything but is flat out steady with everything. He's a good pick for the Bucks but I'm not sure if he'll be able to consistently cover 3's in the NBA. Played a little point forward in AAU and high school and that's what Bruce Pearl told him he would do for the Volunteers. I didn't see it much but he certainly won't take the ball out of hands of Brandon Jennings.

Spurs trade George Hill to Pacers for Kawhi Leonard. Great trade for the Spurs. Look for them to move Richard Jefferson as well. Not exactly sure why the Pacers would want Hill with Darren Collison manning the point for them. Hill is a local product but it doesn't make sense for them in my mind.

#20 - Twolves pick Donatas Motiejunas from Lithuania. I don't have a clue who he is right on par with David Kahn. On another note, A League of Their Own is on, at least time between picks isn't 15 minutes anymore. That is how excited I am to watch this guy play.

#21 - Trail Blazers pick Nolan Smith from Dook. I do like this pick. I thought he was really undervalued this season even after Kyrie came back. He was right in the mix for National Player of the Year but didn't get the fanfare because there is nothing fancy about his game. He won't wow you but he's good. Not sure what this means for Andre Miller.

#22 - Nuggets select someone with a ton of tattoos or Kenneth Faried from Morehead State. He's a beast. He'll be able to rebound like crazy and flat out won't back down from anyone. He knows his role and won't try to change that. Look for him to find a jumper as time goes on and become a Charles Oakley type player.

#23 - Rockets select Nikola Mirotic from Serbia. His name sounds awesome and that's all I know about him. He won't be in the NBA for at least four years.

Trade with Twolves and Rockets with Johnny Flynn and the rights to Donatas Motiejunas to Rockets for Brad Miller, the rights to Nikola Mirotic, and a first rounder. Now Rubio starts and they get a "true" center in Brad Miller. But how does this all work out for K-Love? Too many guys at the same position. Someone will be unhappy and the new coach will have his hands full. Adding that first rounder for the Twolves will definitely help because it'll probably be lottery. It gives the Rockets another small point with Kyle Lowry already there. Who knows?

#24 - Thunder pick Reggie Jackson from Boston College. He basically carried BC to a reasonable first season for new coach Steve Donahue. He didn't want to stick around for the rebuilding project with a ton of young guys. Not sure where he plays, has to be a point. That means OKC will get rid of Eric Maynor and I don't think that's a good idea.

#25 - Celtics pick Marshon Brooks from Providence. He can flat out put the ball in the basket. He played on a crappy team but he has that knack to score. Opposing teams knew he was their only option and he still scored. Bilas just said he doesn't guard but he'll learn and he has the tools to be able to defend especially with his length.

#26 - Mavs pick Jordan Hamilton from Texas. There was talk about him being a top 15 guy. He is clearly a small forward not shooting guard. He's big and strong but his biggest issue is his consistency. He sometimes has a bad 'tude dude. Good bang for the buck at this point in the draft. I like this pick especially after Caron Butler's injury.

Celtics trade Marshon Brooks to Nets for Jajuan Johnson (who technically hasn't been picked yet) and a future 2nd rounder. I like this trade for the Celtics, they are getting too old up front and Johnson brings a whole lot of length and pretty good shooting touch. Good spot for Brooks in Jersey. They only have Anthony Morrow at the 2 guard, it gives him a chance for some early PT.

#27 - Nets pick Jajuan Johnson from Purdue. It would be way cooler if he was "the defensive end for the Purdue." Like I said above, he brings length and some defensive presence.

Twolves get 28th and 43rd pick from the Bulls for the rights to Nikola Mirotic. David Kahn is an idiot. How draft picks do you need when you need veterans?

#28 - Bulls pick Norris Cole from Cleveland State. Another point guard for the Twolves. He's got one of the coolest haircuts in the NCAA. Too bad K-Love will steal all of his rebounds away if he gets a chance. He had a game like this, not bad for being 6'2".

#29 - Spurs pick Corey Joseph from Texas. I don't like this pick at all. I don't think he is ready but the Spurs must think he'll be the second coming of George Hill. The Spurs have kind of become the Patriots when it comes to drafting people. They might initially question the pick but no one will question Bill Belichick, same thing goes for R.C. Buford. He's not ready though.

Have to love David Stern. Comes out with a poop eating grin on his face when he walks out and even thanks the crowd for booing him. Classic.

#30 - Bulls pick Jimmy Butler from Marquette. Great story as told on ESPN. I think he is a solid pick at this point, he's obviously a really tough kid and you have to be to play for Buzz Williams. He'll be a great glue guy and will bust his rear-end all the time. He'll be similar to Taj Gibson at the wing spot.

Miami gets Norris Cole and Twolves get 31st pick, future 2nd round pick, and cash considerations. Are you serious Kahn? I might drive over to Minneapolis and give him a flying elbow a la Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Just keep getting younger for no reason.

That's it for blogging for today. Steals of the 2nd round will be Tyler Honeycutt and Shelvin Mack. Both left early and both can defend at a high level right now. Honeycutt is long and with anyone that plays for Ben Howland he'll know how to defend immediately. Mack has proven himself on the big stage and more than held his own last summer vs. NBA guys when he played for the College Select Team vs. Team USA in preparation for the World Championships.

As I said before here are a couple of guys that I questioned about coming out and sure as poop they didn't get picked in the first round. Here is my post. Cory Joseph is the only guys on that list that was a 1st rounder that I don't think he was worthy of.

NBA Draft Lottery - Live Blog

Though, I don't have any capability to (or don't know how) to do a live blog, I'll do the best I can with a pick by pick analysis for the Lottery. My commentary will include how stupid David Kahn is, how good or bad the pick's fashion sense is, and if I think it's a good fit. Hopefully, there will be a couple of trades that I can make fun of as well.

The ESPN intro was great, great song with some cool footage. Only problem is putting Jimmer in a old man golf hat. He isn't Payne Stewart. Could Klay Thompson look anymore awkward. Kyrie could go without the hat as well. He isn't Jason Mraz.

6:34 - David Stern - "Let's hear it for New Jersey." Awesome, great first quote David. He's clearly a genius but he doesn't fit with the younger generation. He's needs his 'stache back.

6:39 - Cavs select Kyrie Irving from Dook. Good first pick with a true lack of a superstar at this point. He is Chris Paul-esque in his game. He really knows how to play and is a better athlete than he gets credit for. With Baron Davis in Cleveland, the Cavs need to do something to get Kyrie a starting spot. Should be interesting to see how that plays out. Someone needs to teach him how to tie a tie. Not sure if he's trying to go with the skinny tie look or not but it doesn't look good especially coming from someone that went to private school all through high school. Bigger knot dude.

6:41 - Twolves select Brandon Knight...just kidding (at least yet). Twolves are quickly becoming the Detroit Lions in the NBA. Lions drafted 95 straight wideouts in the 1st round and Twolves love drafting point guards. David Kahn is bound to do something stupid.

6:45 - Twolves really select Derrick Williams from Arizona. He's a very good player with a lot of explosiveness. He shot the crap out of it from 3 this year but I don't think he shoots that well from the NBA three. Not exactly sure what the Twolves will do now that they have Williams, Beasley, K-Love, and Anthony Randolph essentially playing the four. I'm sure you can play them at the 3 as well but they just drafted Wes Johnson out of Syracuse last year. Kahn is confusing for sure but he probably took the best available. Don't mind the suit, smart and clean. I need a little more flash with the tie.

6:50 - Jazz select Enes Kanter out of Kentucky (kind of) via Turkey. This pick completely changes the rest of the draft. Very interesting story with him. Bounced around to a bunch of prep schools in the US and signed with Kentucky. He never played for Coach Cal because he took too much money from a pro club in Turkey. Dominated the Nike Hoop Summit last year. How do him and Al Jefferson fit together for the Jazz? Another clean suit with a spice on the tie. I could do that.

6:54 - Where does Brandon Knight go now? What about Jimmer? Lots of different story lines now. Jay Bilas is hilarious and if you don't follow his Twitter you wouldn't know.

6:56 - Cavs select Tristan Thompson out of Texas via Toronto, Canada. Not exactly the pick everyone was looking for. I do like him as a player but I don't think he should've gone that high. I hate when people say he is undersized when you a 6'8" almost 6'9" 4 man. The NBA has changed and if you are that big and long you'll be fine. JJ Hickson and himself are basically the same player with Hickson being a righty and Thompson a lefty. Not so sure about that decision. I like the look, smart and classy. Anything else, eh?

7:02 - Raptors select Jonas Valanciunas via Lithuania. Weird, the Raptors select a foreign player. Potential, potential, potential. He'll probably be in Europe for at least a year or two. I don't know too much about him besides people saying he is a young Pau Gasol. That's a heck of billing for someone. He did play with Minnesota's own Khalid El-Amin last season. How does he fit with Ed Davis and Andrea Bargnani? Who plays the 5 because Bargnani is a stretch 5 and not a natural 5? Plan Jane with his suit. I know I can't wear that color because I look dead with it on, but that's just me.

7:07 - Wizards select Jan Vesely from Czech Republic, who will have a lot of fun tonight with his lady friend. We keep hearing that he is a Andrei Kirilenko or Tom Chambers type player. He certainly has some bounce in his game. Once again, with all the bigs that the Wizards have in Javale McGee, Andray Blatche, and Trevor Booker, where does he fit? Will he look good in their new jerseys? Blah with his suit. You would figure his lady friend would help him out a little.

7:11 - Kings select Bismack Biyombo from Congo for the Bobcats. He is the ultimate unknown and that is what makes him intriguing. Played in the Hoop Summit this year and had a triple double with blocks. He's basically Ben Wallace. His offensive skills consist of him laying the ball in and dunking the ball. His body looks somewhat like mine did at his age. JACKED. He can speak six languages, six more than me. Bobcats aren't really that good and I'm not sure how that fits for them. MJ needs to get some work done. Another clean look for the suit. Someone at least taught him how to tie a knot.

7:16 - Pistons select Brandon Knight from Kentucky. He's a very bright and efficient player. He's a combo guard that fits right in with another combo guard in Rodney Stuckey. I don't understand this pick at all. They didn't even work him out. What are they thinking? I hope Knight understands that he'll win as many games in his first two years in Detroit as he did in one year at Kentucky. Franchise is in flux, thank you very much Joe Dumars for drafting Darko and burying the team for years to come. Bill Laimbeer should be the next coach and bring back the Bad Boys. Didn't get a chance to see what he was wearing. These picks just frustrate me, why stockpile guys that are tweeners that do the same thing? Another issue is, they don't even know what type of style they will play without having a head coach. You would think he should/could have a say in the pick.

7:23 - Bobcats select Kemba Walker from UConn. I like really like this pick for the Bobcats. He's a tough nut and he won't back down. He certainly can play the point. They have some tools in Charlotte. They keep saying that he is a combo guy but he certainly be a true point as proven early in his career. Carried the UConn squad to the Big East and NCAA Championship. WINNING, duh. I really like his look tonight. Not too flashy but with a little summer/Euro look with his suit and tie. Not sure what I think about Heather Cox. She is kind of has the motherly look but I like it. Maybe I'm getting old. Any thoughts?

7:29 - Bucks select Jimmer Fredette for the Kings. Not really much to say about Jimmer that isn't already known. He has to be able to share the ball with Tyreke Evans in Sac-town. He is definitely a capable passer. I think he'll be alright defensively. As Jay Bilas says, he's more athletic than people think. He HAD to score at BYU and that is the reason why he took so many shots in Provo. If he went to Brockport, he would have cost the school a lot of money with all the tshirts the crowds would've gotten (free shirt to the crowd for made 3's). I saw him play in high school and I honestly didn't think he would be this good but he worked his tail off. Not so sure about his look but I do like the three piece suit. I need one of those stat.

7:35 - Warriors select Klay Thompson from Washington State. He is a very good shooter and was recruited heavily by Michigan, so you know he can shoot it. He played for Tony Bennett for a year and he certainly can defend. Had an issue with a marijuana arrest toward the end of the year and certainly has to answer some questions about that. So now Golden State has Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and Thompson. One has to go for sure and my guess it will be Ellis. New coach Mark Jackson will like this pick. I like the look but he needs to cut down on the pocketsquare. Who is his stylist?

7:41 - Jazz select Alec Burks from Colorado. He was quite the unknown coming out of high school but he has a knack for scoring. That is something that can't be taught. He has ideal size for the 2 spot in the league. He didn't shoot the ball well from 3 but that will come as time goes especially now that he is a pro. Jazz must think they will keep Devin Harris in the long term. I thought they would go young at the point. Looks like he is going to a funeral or exploring the winter in Boulder. It's summertime dude, show some colors but I guess that'll fit right in with the plain Jane state of Utah.

7:46 - Suns select Markieff Morris from Kansas. His twin brother has always been considered a little better but who knows. Markieff is a 4 while Marcus is more of a tweener. I honestly don't know which is which but that's what they keep telling me on the telecast. How do the twins react to being away from each other? Marcus has to be a little jealous right now. I heard Kansas paid top dollar for their services. Will he be the next Channing Frye? Don't mind the suit, though his brother needs some work with his pocketsquare. Hopefully, Marcus follows through on the flowers and fruit he said he would send to Markieff. Same day on those, fruit will go bad quickly without refridgeration.

7:54 - With the last pick of the Lottery the Houston Rockets select Marcus Morris. Wow, certainly didn't see that coming. Like I said before, I can't figure out who is who. Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes play the 4 for the Rockets and I think Kevin McHale will do a good job working with him. Markieff better send some fruit to Houston. Really needs to put that pocketsquare in the pocket like it's supposed to.

That's all for now. I'm sure I'll have more thoughts after the Twolves make a stupid trade sometime later in the draft.

College World Series - Omaha

As most of you know, I headed to Omaha for the first ever College World Series at the TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha. It was quite the experience. I got to see four games, one on Saturday, two on Sunday, and one on Monday and then I made my way back to the Twin Cities.

Let's get right to it. Driving through Iowa is just awful. There is nothing there except for the occasional set of 40 to 50 windmills to either side of the highway. At least I got to drive close to 80 the whole time. Only thing positive in Iowa in my two driving experiences through there.

I got to Omaha right around 2:30 on Saturday and saw Rosenblatt Stadium from the highway. I really wanted to go check it out but it wasn't in the cards and probably won't be. I was told they are getting rid of it soon. It's too bad, there is a lot of history there. I got to my hotel and figured I need to head downtown to get there in time for the second game of the day. UNC vs. Vanderbilt was just finishing up when I got there.

As I arrived at the stadium, I was really impressed. It looked like a major league park in my first viewing. It had a really nice entrance and was definitely on par with some major league facilities. I got a couple of tickets for the general admission seats and got to walk around the whole thing. The problem with the general admission seats are that they aren't guaranteed. You can use them for any game you want but it doesn't necessarily mean you will get it. There are 5,500 seats available in the outfield and if you don't get there in time you are left in the dust. You can use those tickets for any game though, which is nice, but if you are on a timeframe, not so good.

I snuck into line and probably cut at least a thousand people and ended up in the fourth row in left field just above the bullpen. I had a great seat and watched a pretty good game in football powers Florida vs. Texas. I always enjoy watching Texas because I like their coach, Augie Garrido. He is as old school as they come, proven by this video (probably not NSFW - not suited for work, he has some choice words). Texas has played a ton of small ball all year and don't exactly have too many bombers on the squad. It was obvious that Texas couldn't bash with the Gators and the Gators came out on top 8-4.

On Sunday I got my baseball fill for the year. I was hoping for some quality games and some quality baseball and I sure got it. I got to see UVa (Virginia for the dumb people) play against Cal. UVa was throwing the number two pick in the MLB Draft, Danny Hultzen, and he is pretty darn good. One great thing about him is that he also bats 5th in the lineup for the Cavs. You don't see that too often. Cal has a great story and it's awesome that they are playing in the CWS after getting the plug pulled. One of Cal's players went to the same high school as one of the Pipers, Levi Wenrich. Both went to William Hart HS in Newhall,CA. Not sure if Levi knows Devon Rodriguez but they would have been a year apart there. UVa scored a couple of runs late and ended up winning 4-1.

The second game was a matchup of defending National Champion South Carolina versus Texas A&M. I moved seats for this one and headed over to right center for a little different view. I certainly couldn't complain about these ones. One thing I noticed right away is that the Aggies went old school with their stirups. They certainly would have made Alan Trammel proud. Game started off with a bang it was 4-4 after the first. I thought I was going to be at the park until I looked like this. From the 2nd to the 8th there was basically nothing going on and that part went fast. A&M did nothing in the top of the 9th and then the Gamecocks got things going. They got the bases juiced and forced A&M to bring in five infielders. The Gamecocks got a basehit into the outfield and let me get back to my hotel. Great game.

It was a long day at the park for me. I was baseball'ed out until I got back to my hotel and watched the end of the Yanks-Cubbies game. Almost too much baseball for a basketball coach.

The last game of my adventures was the Tarheels of UNC taking on the Longhorns of Texas. I got some regular seating for this one and was right along the left field line right where foul territory got thinner. They were some nice seats for sure. I actually sat next to a couple of older women who have had "season tickets" for the CWS for the past 19 years. It was pretty cool to hear some of their stories. Carolina sent out a freshmen lefty who pitched like a senior. He was phenomenal all game long. He only gave up four hits in a complete game shutout. He has Texas off balance and it was an impressive performance. I was happy to see the Heels get a win on my last game at my first experience in Omaha.

I'm going to go over some positives and negatives of my experience.
Positives
- Great atmosphere, city of Omaha really embraces the CWS
- Some really good baseball was played
- Ballpark was great, add another level and it's just as good as Target Field
- Reasonable ticket prices, 4 games for $48 (I got one free for my good looks)

Negatives
- Line for General Admission seating lasted about a mile, need to be more efficient
- Price for snow cone was $5 and yes I paid it
- Lack of home runs - I didn't see one in BP either, part because of park (wind direction) and new bats (lack of pop)

Interesting Facts
- The new stadium is home to the CWS and Creighton baseball, the local minor league team doesn't play there, it's too big
- Rosenblatt Stadium could seat just as many fans as the new stadium, it always seemed small on tv
- I read in the paper that ESPN brings roughly 160 people to help out with the telecast. Jenn Brown looked just as good in person as on tv.
- Creighton is about six blocks away from the stadium, starting with their unreal soccer facility.

I am hoping to make this an annual event for myself. Nothing like watching some quality baseball with guys always on the top step like it's supposed to be.

Waitin for it on Wednesday

I've been noticeably absent for a little bit, so I have lots of things to talk about. Numerous random topics to be talked about it, so let's have some fun.

NBA Champs, Dallas Mavericks. Certainly didn't see it coming. I thought for sure the Heat would have their number. I was certainly proven wrong. Dirk was a flat out star throughout the whole Finals and playoffs. There are a ton of things to talk about after his performance. Where does he stand on the all time power forward lists? What is Mark Cuban planning instead of rings? Do they have another run in them?

I was listening to ESPN radio the other day and they had their "experts" talking about where Dirk stands on the all time power forward lists. Duncan was consistently listed as numero uno with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eQlUINKWtU and Barkley at two-three. And obviously a couple of other names came up before Dirk's name came up. Dirk is more of a small forward in a power forward's body. There isn't exactly power to his game. Plus, like I've said before, Duncan isn't a power forward, he's clearly a center with touch out to 18'. Now that Dirk has got the "ring" his place in history as an all time great. We can thank MJ for basically making championships the almighty proving ground.

Mark Cuban talked about rings being old school and out of fashion. He said he had something big in mind for his guys. I can't even imagine what he has planned. Maybe a giant ring that can be worn as a necklace? A diamond encrusted championship belt? We will see, I'm sure it will be fun for the best owner in sports.

I have mentioned this before, the Mavs have a ton of experience and that is certainly one of the reasons why they have stuck together in big moments and made crazy runs when they needed to. I don't know if they can do it again, J-Kidd is getting old (or is already old). There are a lot of miles on each one of their main guys' legs. They are actually very similar to the Celtics a few years back. This might be their last hoorah as a unit.

I feel bad for the Heat. They celebrated their championship before the season. It was a heck of a gathering with fireworks and lasershows galore. I think it's hilarious. They didn't deserve to win, they looked lost late in each contest. Lebron took a total backseat in each 4th quarter. It's actually disappointing to see arguably this generation's most talented player fold like a book down the stretch.

Speaking of Lebron, it's amazing to see the expectations that people place on him. For his career to be where everyone should be he needs to average a triple double and get at least as many rings as Jordan (six). People jumped all over him in Game 5 for his lackluster performance and he still had a triple double with 17 points, 10 assists, and 10 boards. It's like he played bad, it's just that he didn't meet expectations. Why aren't people giving Chris Bosh flak? He is considered a "max contract" player and he did nothing but live off of Lebron and Wade the whole playoffs. Lebron has certainly brought a lot of the expectations on himself for his "decision" but it would be hard for anyone to live up to these expectations. He's very similar to A-Rod in a sense. He's trying to please everyone instead of taking care of business when he needs to.

I've heard of bunch of people talk about how Lebron has no mid-range game and how he needs to add that for him to take his game to the next level. I'm calling those people idiots because it has been proven that Lebron actually makes for mid-range shots than just about anyone in the NBA (I think he's 2nd or 3rd). What LBJ needs to add is a post up game. Miami was clearly missing a low block presence. Dallas had theirs in Dirk. The Bulls had Jordan because Luc Longley and Bill Wennington weren't exactly going to light up the scoreboard. The top players have low post games. It helps them get easy shots and it helps them get to the free throw line. Simple solution, it's not the mid-range game, it's the post-up game, work on it.

I have a friend who keeps on telling me that "The Decision" was brought on by David Stern. I certainly won't disagree with that statement. Stern is clearly a genius and figures out ways for the NBA to move to the forefront in the media. Would he tell Lebron to do something like that to make the NBA like the WWE? Are the Heat the NWO? LBJ switching to the Heat stirred the pot and was definitely a "Hollywood" Hogan move. It's just something to think about. LBJ's popularity has decreased this year but the casual fan watched it way more than usual. Any thoughts?

After watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals I've determined two things. The Cup is one of the coolest traditions in sports. Guys completely stay away from The Cup until they win it. They won't touch it and try not to go near it. To see the emotion the guys have when they skate around with The Cup is one of the coolest things you'll see. Point number two is that Tim Thomas looks exactly like Alan from the Hangover with his playoff beard. Agree or disagree with me. Alan vs. Tim.

Last night I was able to watch the US' last group match in the Gold Cup for soccer. We needed to win or tie to advance to the next round. We (why I say we, I have no idea) looked like poop. Score should've been at least 4-0 instead we made it an interesting 1-0. I just don't get it. How we don't play with any urgency. The only time we see that urgency is when we get down early and have to fight back to get back into the game. I know it happens in all sports at all levels but you can't just walk onto the field, ice, or court and expect to win because we have USA on our jerseys. Big game on Sunday vs. Jamacia in the Quarters. If the team loses expect Bob Bradley to be let go. The team looks like it has gotten stagnant in their development. I'm certainly not saying he is a bad coach because I think he is but at what point do we take our game to the next level.

I asked my buddy Mark today (he's a soccer coach) and asked him why the US is so freaking bad on set pieces on the offensive and defensive ends. It just doesn't make sense to me how we just wait for things to happen instead of making things happen (doesn't that sound familiar?). Attack the ball and things are going to go your way. The aggressor usually wins the battle.

Is it just me or do more people have neck tattoos than normal? I keep seeing people with neck tattoos and wonder where do these people work and where is that acceptable in a business setting besides a tattoo parlor. Am I becoming the old delusional man that I knew that I would become?

I probably won't be back until next week to talk about my experience down in Omaha for the College World Series, should be awesome. If you see me, I'll probably look like a lobster when I get back but a really good looking one.

Wingin It on Wednesday

I've been a little absent for the past couple of days just so I could bring everyone a glorious new blog. I even had some requests and I'll hit on those in a bit.

What a series The Finals have become. I still think that the Heat will win in six (don't I stated at on here but I've said it to people, I swear). Lebron has clearly played second fiddle to D-Wade, my biggest concern is how he will react in the next two or three games. His line last night wasn't awful but to someone that calls himself, "King James," it wasn't royal worthy. As the Abe Lincoln on Deshawn Stevenson's neck said, "He checked out," and he certainly looked like it. Is it too many minutes? I don't know but it's certainly not a time to make excuses, two or three games left in the season.

Dirk has been ridiculous. It's just impressive to watch his footwork and how he gets off shots. Obviously, being 7 foot helps this quite a bit but he has the ultimate old man's game. He knows just when to go and when to stop for a jumper. He likes going to left and the Heat overplayed that last night and he went right and scored to win it. One thing that i noticed was that he swept through low with the ball instead of going high like he usually does when he goes right. Quite an impressive display. Reminded me of my Corning Moose hoops squad when I carried the team to a "W" with a massive zit on my cheek. It was a gutsy performance.

On a surprising note (wink, wink) Terrelle Pryor is out at The Ohio State. After meeting with the NCAA my guess is that they basically told him there is no way he'll play any games next season. UFL or CFL he comes. I sure hope the Toronto Argonauts pick him up. A great city to get some awesome Gucci stuff.

Mark Jackson was named head coach for the Golden State Warriors the other day. I will never understand how someone with ZERO coaching experience gets a head gig in the NBA. Ok, maybe he coached a team at the Rucker but it's certainly not the same, erroneous if you ask me. I do understand that he was a very smart player throughout his career and certainly played for some really good head coaches but this move doesn't make sense to me. I'm sure he'll surround himself with some assistants that have head coaching experience but why take a chance on him? I know the Celtics did the same thing with Doc Rivers but he was a "terrible" coach until all of a sudden he got Ray Allen and KG added to the squad. I don't see any Hall of Famers on the Warrior squad at the moment.

Another move by the Warriors that is running around a little is to trade Monta Ellis and his tattoos for Andre Iguodala (I got nothing). I do like the trade for the Warriors. It doesn't make sense for them to have Ellis and Stephen Curry in the backcourt together when neither is a very good defender, both need the ball in their hands, and neither are true point guards. Plus, it will give Golden State someone that can actually defend. Realistically, Igoudala should be a team's third or fourth scorer and a lockdown defender. He ahd to carry the Sixers offensively for a while and he isn't capable of doing it because he isn't a shooter.

The trade certainly doesn't make sense for the Sixers because it would give them three guys that all do the same thing. Three undersized two guards, who aren't point guards in Ellis, Louis Williams, and Jrue Holiday. Yes, Ellis is explosive as can be but isn't reliable on the defensive end to cover one on one. He is definitely good at anticipating passes but he isn't a lockdown guy. Doug Collins would go nuts with those three for sure.

As I'm watching the Yankees-Sox game, I am so frustrated with managers that pull pitchers to get the better "matchup" a la righty on righty and lefty on lefty. I'm sure percentages say that this whole thing works but it's just stupid to me, especially when the previous pitcher finally caught a groove. Perfect example is what just happened with the Yanks. Girardi replaced AJ Burnett who pitched like poop for most of the game after AJ gave up a base hit. Burnett actually started to pitch alright and then Boone Logan comes in and his sequence goes as single, walk, walk (scored a run), and a strikeout to end the inning. Still cost them a run. Go with your gut every once in a while instead of going with some book that tells you what to do.

The Hutton Arena floor is getting painted right now and it's a MAJOR upgrade. Finally got rid of the Supermodel Piper and went with the HU in the middle of the floor. I don't have pictures right now but it'll be up on our athletic website soon, I think.

1st Pick, Star or Bust

The NBA Draft is coming up and of course there is always differences in opinion in who should be #1. I'll go over each of their careers and I'll determine if they are stars or busts. You can disagree if you want. To quote the great Charles Barkley, "I may be wrong, but I doubt it." I'll also post some of the other players from that draft that have had successful NBA careers.

I'll start with 1992, The Year of the Diesel
1992 - Shaquille O'Neal
Just retired, had a great NBA career. Finished 5th all time in points scored. One of the most entertaining players in NBA history.
STAR
Notable Picks - Alonzo Mourning, Robert Horry, "Baby Jordan" Harold Minor

1993 - Chris Webber
I had a very solid career with numerous teams. Flourished while with the Sacramento Kings. Averaged a little over 20 ppg and close to 10 boards a game. Stats would definitely be higher but I think he played a few more years than he was truly effective. My buddy still insists he was one of the biggest underachievers ever for his talent.
STAR
Notable Picks - Penny Hardaway, Vin Baker, Allan Houston

1994 - Glenn Robinson
Averaged over 20ppg in a ten year career. Was a heck of a scorer. Had an old man's game as soon as he got in the league. Never really wowed anyone but did make two All Star appearances. Carried the Bucks for a while.
STAR
Notable Picks - Jason Kidd, Grant Hill, Juwan Howard, Yinka Dare

1995 - Joe Smith
Career average of just over 10 points a game. Still in the league and is basically a serviceable backup and has been that way for a while. Hasn't done much for ten years but he is still "playing."
BUST
Notable Picks - Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett

1996 - Allen Iverson
The quickest player I've ever seen in person. You don't see too much 5'10" two guards in the league. Basically carried the Sixers to the NBA Finals. Practice speech is one of the best of time. Was one of the best scorers in NBA history. Career ended on a tough note.
STAR
Notable Picks - Marcus Camby, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant

1997 - Tim Duncan
Is considered one of the best if not the best power forwards of all time. I still would consider him a center but that's me. "The Big Fundamental" has won a bunch of championships and is averaging 20 and 11 for his career. A lot of miles on those legs, almost time to hang it up.
STAR
Notable Picks - Chauncey Billups, Tracy McGrady, Keith Van Horn (not a very deep draft)

1998 - Michael Olowokandi
Things are so bad for "The Candy Man" that he isn't even listed on the NBA website. Wasn't the best situation playing for the Clippers and obviously never lived up to expectations. Was a serviceable big guy for a while. Amazing what being 7 feet tall will do for you
BUST
Notable Picks - Mike Bibby, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce

1999 - Elton Brand
Has been a very solid big for many years and is one of the better Dookies to play in the NBA. A couple of injuries have slowed him down in recent years but he was a solid 20 and 10 guy for roughly the first 8 years of his career.
STAR
Notable Picks - Baron Davis, Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry

2000 - Kenyon Martin
One of the most explosive athletes to play in the NBA. Always seemed angry at the rim. Averaged about 13 and 7 his career. Instead of relying on his jumper, shouldn't stuck around the rim. My answer below will surprise you but that draft was awful
STAR - based on others in draft
Notable Picks - Mike Miller, Jamal Crawford, Mateen Cleaves

2001 - Kwame Brown
A high school kid gets put into a cut throat owners team = not good combo. He couldn't even make a left handed layup when he came out. Averaged over 10 points once in his career. He needed time to develop but was never able to. He is still in the league and started for Jordan's team for part of the year.
BUST
Notable Picks - Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson

2002 - Yao Ming
Clearly changed the game with his massive frame and great touch. Has averaged 19 and 9 for his career. Was the cornerstone for the Rockets franchise. Obviously, has had a tough time with injuries the past couple of years. When you are that big, your body breaks down and it's just a matter of when.
STAR
Notable Picks - Amare Stoudamire, Caron Butler, Nene

2003 - Lebron James
Came in with the most hype of any other player in NBA history and certainly has lived up to expectations, minus the ring. Probably the biggest freak the NBA has ever seen. He's 6'8" and probably close to 270 pounds (he's much more than he's listed). Wants the killer instinct but doesn't quite have it yet.
STAR
Notable Picks - Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Darko (ha ha)

2004 - Dwight Howard
The second coming of Shaq-fu but not quite as big. Has slowly developed his offensive game but still is a terrible free throw shooter. Won his third straight Defensive Player of the Year award this past season. Still will develop even more around the basket if he is will to put in the time.
STAR
Notable Picks - Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng

2005 - Andrew Bogut
Has a very solid player for Milwaukee for his whole career. It's unfortunate that he has had to carry a bad franchise for a long time. Has averaged around 13 and 9 for his career. Had one of the grossest injuries I've seen when he dislocated his elbow a few years back.
STAR - for his team and that draft class, obviously not to level as other guys but draft was ok
Notable Picks - Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum

2006 - Andrea Bargnani
Was a great fit for Toronto when he was drafted. He is a poor man's Dirk but has been effective over the years. Had a little more freedom once Bosh left. Everyone wanted to make him into a 5 but he is really a faceup 4 without the athleticism.
STAR - I know it's still early but again look at the draft
Notable Picks - LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay

2007 - Greg Oden
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries. He has certainly gotten bit with the injury buy. Over the course of the two years he's played he has average 9 and 7. Not exactly what you are looking for with a #1 pick.
BUST
Notable Picks - Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah, Marc Gasol (2nd round)

2008 - Derrick Rose
Won the MVP this season and has really elevated his game. Has always been a winner but still needs to develop that killer instinct to put his near the top of the NBA. Lebron, Derrick, and fellow 2008 pick Russell Westbrook are on a different level athletically than everyone in the NBA.
STAR
Notable Picks - Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Danilo Gallinari

2009 - Blake Griffin
All I have to say is, "WOW." He is a stud athlete and will dunk everything he can. Probably had more big time plays than anyone in the league. Put together a very impressive double-double stretch in his rookie year, this past season. Will need to develop a jumper as he gets older, I'm sure he'll work at it.
STAR - at least right now
Notable Picks - Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Taj Gibson, Ricky Rubio (blah)

2010 - John Wall
Had a very impressive rookie year and probably would've been Rookie of the Year had Blake Griffin not gotten hurt the year before. Averaged 16 points and 8 assists for a crappy Wizards team. Should be interesting to see how he develops over time. Like Griffin, will need to be more consistent with his jumper
STAR - as of now
Notable Picks - Landry Fields (2nd round), not much else as of now (that'll change)