Tom Izzo, men’s head basketball coach at Michigan State University on Keith Appling’s improved outside shooting:
“He did it the old-fashioned way. He locked himself in the gym all summer. He shot more than he’d ever shot in his life and tonight he got rewarded.”
HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM
TWITTER: @CoachFinamore
Quote of the Day
“To win takes complete commitment of mind and body.”
-Rocky Marciano
Every year at this time I would normally pick up a couple of college basketball yearbooks to freshen up on the season. Street and Smith’s used to be the bible. I would look forward to the arrival at my local newsstand. All that has changed. The Internet has taken over. I was upset a few days ago when Mike DeCourcy, a fine writer from the Sporting News informed me they are not printing/publishing their product this year. TSN has always been a valuable tool. So for the first time I am trying Blue Ribbon College basketball yearbook. But since I’m always on my computer I’m ordering their digital version.
1-Lynn Worthy of pressconnects.com on two college basketball who were suspended after a late night incident outside a bar. Binghamton University men’s basketball players Javon Ralling and Jordan Reed have been suspended from the program after an incident outside a bar/dance club on State Street in Binghamton in the early morning hours Sunday.
2-New York Times.com on four LIU players that are now back on the team after a campus brawl.
3-CBS Sports college basketball guys make their picks for the upcoming season. I have to admit, CBS has stepped up their game with their coverage of college hoops. These guys know their stuff. Interesting to read that Doug Gottlieb, a former Notre Dame point guard picks the Arizona Wildcats to win it all. Speaking of making predictions, someone on TV said, “It doesn’t matter, no one remembers them anyway.” It’s true, you can talk about who will win all you want, when your team fails to accomplish your prediction, no one brings it up months later.
4-Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline list their Top 100 Players in College basketball. The list makes for a good debate a few days leading up to the start of the season. I totally forgot that these two writers worked together. They make a good two-man squad. Keith Appling of Michigan State comes in at # 89. I think that will change soon. He’s a lot better than that, trust me. Overall, it’s a nice touch for college basketball fans.
5-Another assist from my main man Darryl Matthews, A.K.A., “Camp Darryl.” This guy from “1-2 Kalamazoo” has turned into Kevin Porter; he shares! On this day in 1997, Dean Smith announced his retirement from the University of North Carolina. Smith, who Peter Vecsey said was the only guy that could hold Michael Jordan under 20 points finished with 879 wins, 11 Final Fours and two NCAA Championships.
HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM
TWITTER: @CoachFinamore
NBA league pass is free until Jan. 8?
WOW!
Checked out a lot of games from around the NBA Wednesday night.
I also watched a big one in college basketball; IU and Michigan State on the Big 10 Network in East Lansing. Gus Johnson was doing the play-by-play, this makes the game a lot more enjoyable.
The Spartans came out with the hard fought victory, 80-65.
Both teams played hard, everyone competed, they ran the floor fast, guys shared the ball and displayed a never give up attitude.
The Hoosiers shot 9 free-throws for the game, MSU attempted 22.
I love Hooiser guard Victor Oladipo. He plays with energy, defends and attacks the basket with authority. Great body language too.
Keith Appling of MSU scored 25 points. The former Pershing High scoring machine is tough.
Christian Watford put up 26 for the Hoosiers and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Cody Zeller and Jordan Hulls, two guys that have been big for IU in their great start were quiet all night; thanks to MSU’s tough defense. Zeller was 2-5 for 4 points; Hulls 2-10.
An odd stretch in the game had MSU jumping out to an 18 point lead in the first half but then trailing by 9 in the second half. It’s rare you see that at the Breslin.
When IU head coach Tom Crean was an assistant coach under Tom Izzo at MSU, he was responsible for recruiting MSU current assistant coach Dane Fife. The former Clarkston native elected to attend school in Bloomington and play for Bob Knight.
Things don’t get any easier for Indiana they face Ohio State Saturday at home.
Denny Schwarze of the Lansing State Journal on the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Spartans have now won 12 straight games. Hoosiers winning streak of 12 was snapped.
Dana Wakiji of Fox Sports Detroit on the Detroit Pistons 105-89 loss last night to the Cleveland Cavaliers…at home. Here’s Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank:
“When things aren’t going well for us offensively, it’s tough,” Frank admitted. “We surrender a little bit to the things going on during the course of the game. That’s what we’re going to have to learn to fight because offense comes and goes, that’s the reality of the game. But defense has to be a constant.”
Steve Weiberg of USA Today on the power of the college coach.
Schools are checking their checks and balances. “I think everybody is doing a reassessment,” Miami (Fla.) President Donna Shalala says. The NCAA‘s president, Mark Emmert, suggests it should step in with new rules that would keep coaches from butting into admissions, discipline and other areas that are supposed to be university business.
“The strain between modern-day intercollegiate athletics and the modern-day university … has very gradually escalated over the last 25 years,” says Stan Ikenberry, once a vice president at Penn State and a former president of the American Council on Education.
“The power coach is a major dimension of that — football and men’s basketball coaches who’ve had a record of success over a number of years and have developed a fan base and, at times, they begin to overshadow the institution itself.”
John Thompson fit that profile at Georgetown, winning 596 games and an NCAA championship in 27 seasons before retiring as the Hoyas’ basketball coach in 1999.
“Those people you’re talking about worked very hard to get that kind of loyalty, to get that kind of respect, to get that kind of admiration. And most of them are deserving of it,” he says. “But at what point do you say enough is enough? “
Speaking of John Thompson and Georgetown, his son beat Louisville last night 71-68 giving the Cards their first loss of the season. The Hoyas are 11-1.
Baylor moved to 13-0 with their victory last night over Mississippi State.
Did you know Dominick McGuire plays for the Golden State Warriors? His head coach Mark Jackson said, ”We have guys that can score the basketball, but more importantly we’re going to defend.” McGuire did a good job off the bench at the defensive end; especially on Carmelo Anthony (3-13 from field)
Fab Melo blocked 10 shots as the Syracuse Orange beat Seton Hall. The Cuse is 14-0.
LeBron James scored 35 points last night in a 96-95 win over the Bobcats. He grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. Does anyone see how impressive that stat line is? No because all you do is wait for James to do something wrong.
Ray Brewer of the Las Vegas Sun on the Rebels’ 124-75 win over Central Arkansas.
One of the first stats UNLV basketball coach Dave Rice looks at when analyzing the box score after each game is the ratio of assists to field goals made.
On Wednesday, it’s pretty safe to say those numbers jumped off the stats sheet.
In a 124-75 blowout victory against visiting Central Arkansas, the Rebels unofficially had 40 assists on 47 field goals made and shot 67 percent — numbers that mean Rice’s transition offense is working to near perfection.
Against the Warriors last night, Tyson Chandler in a Knicks loss 92-78 scored 2 points, passed for 2 assists and grabbed 3 rebounds. He also fouled out. It’s the 41st time the former Dominquez High big man has committed 6 fouls in an NBA game. The late Wilt Chamberlain never fouled out of a game in his entire career.
Mike Bibby is the Knicks back-up point guard. The former Arizona Wildcat is wearing jersey number 20. His dad, Henry played for the Knicks back in the 1970′s and wore # 14.
Karl Malone, in 18 seasons with the Utah Jazz missed a total of 10 games.
Hoops135@hotmail.com
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore
Michigan State University men’s basketball player Keith Appling on his experience playing for Team USA in the U19 World Basketball Championships in Latvia. Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press reports.
“It was a great experience (going) over there to try and represnt my country,” Appling said
Yes indeed it was a great experience for Appling who will be a sophomore this season for Tom Izzo. Getting away from home and playing against other comp is always good for the soul. Not to mention going to another part of the world and representing the Red, White and Blue.
“I wanted to get my teammates involved and then score when I can,” he said.
You see, who says American players don’t know how to play the right way. That’s a great mentality for a guy who once scored 49 points in the Michigan High School State championship game.
SteveFinamore@yahoo.com
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachFinamore
