CHOICES

Every day we wake up we have a choice.

That is one fundamental in life that will never change.

The fantastic actor Chazz Palminteri once said, “the choices you make will shape your life forever.”

Disturbing story out of Lansing, Michigan. A boys high school basketball coach is in hot water. He made a poor choice.

Muhammad El-Amin, head boys basketball coach at Holt High School was arrested, facing multiple felony charges; one being child sexually abusive behavior.

He was caught in one of several child sex stings conducted by members of “multiple Lansing-area law enforcement agencies” on Thursday and Friday, a Lansing police investigator testified in a court document that led to charges being issued against the Holt coach on Friday.

Police posted an ad on an online prostitution website that couldn’t be accessed accidentally, according to the investigator. A sender later identified as El-Amin responded to the ad on Thursday, requesting that a decoy posing as a 15-year-old girl perform a sex act on him, the investigator said.

Here’s the link to the story: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2024/05/03/holt-boys-basketball-coach-muhammad-el-amin-arrested-suspended/73559311007/

I had to blog about this because lately I have been seeing many stories about this disturbing behavior; men going after underage girls. Just recently I saw a story of a guy who committed suicide because he was busted with a young girl.

What is it with these guys and the choices they make?

Do they realize they are ruining their lives? Not to mention bringing shame to their family.

I also had to blog about this because I have coached against El-Amin. I also watched him play in high school. This cat needs help. Hope he gets it.

Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut Friday night and did not disappoint. Clark made 5 3’s in the Indiana Fever pre-season loss to the Wings, 79-76. She finished with 21 points on 5-16 shooting, 5-13 from 3. They had a sellout crowd in Dallas; without Clark, that just doesn’t happen. She’s brought the league to a new level.

Lakers fired Darvin Ham. The second year head coach out of Saginaw, Michigan was 90-74 with the Lakers. It’s a weak move by LA. Look, it’s not Ham’s fault. I have been seeing “who should be the next coach for the Lakers” stories. They should hire LeBron James and let him be player-coach. Shit, I would coach them. Ownership would save a lot of money. Just give me $1 million per year. I got the clothes, I just need a bench to sit on. Coaching is coaching. It’s on the players to execute and perform.

Patrick Beverley’s recent behavior should not be tolerated. The league should suspend him for a ton of games. This guy just doesn’t get it. But there are people who will give him a free pass because he can dribble and shoot a basketball. https://www.yahoo.com/sports/patrick-beverly-throws-basketball-hits-152559311.html

Knicks and Pacers get underway Monday night Game 1 at MSG. Obi Toppin, former Knicks first round draft pick gets a shot at his former team.

Phil Musnick of the New York Post said John Smoltz of Fox ruins MLB with his constant blathering. Speaking of too much talking, watching Knicks-76ers the other night, why does Grant Hill have to give analysis on every play? It’s annoying.

Stephen A. Smith’s latest comment about Mike Trout was not cool.

I get an e-mail from Dunkin Donuts saying all iced drinks are $2 until May 8. I step to the counter this morning, scan and have to pay $3.70. Girl says it doesn’t work. Come on man…

Happy birthday Dawn Staley; she’s 54.

Always play the right way…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

THE HATE THEY GIVE

Tonight is the W.N.B.A. draft live from Brooklyn, New York.

7:30 PM on ESPN.

For the first time in my life I will tune in.

I’m only watching for one reason; Caitlin Clark.

With the first pick of the 2024 WNBA draft, the Indiana Fever select, Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa.

Christine Brennan of the USA Today wrote a piece about Clark and the haters she has attracted. In the article she quotes a couple of WNBA players.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/brennan/2024/04/15/wnba-caitlin-clark-veteran-players-cold-taurasi-stewart/73323868007

Where does all this negative talk come from?

Jealousy. Envy. Animosity.

Why can’t these pro players be happy for Clark’s success?

In sports when someone does well society wants to knock them down. I don’t understand that mindset.

Clark, the greatest women’s college basketball of all-time has lifted the women’s game to tremendous heights. People are watching because of her.

Always play the right way…

E-mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Congratulations to the Gamecocks. They are your 2024 NCAA National Champions. On Sunday they took care of business and beat Iowa 87-75. SC finish an incredible season with a record of 38-0. In the past three seasons they are 109-3.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 10-0 lead and increased it to 13-2. But SC was not going to back down. They turned up the heat defensively and crashed the boards to take control of the game.

South Carolina’s bench outscored Iowa’s 37-0. Don’t think I have ever seen that before.

Tessa Johnson led the way for SC with 19 points.

Kamilla Cardoso scored 15 points for SC and pulled down 17 rebounds.

South Carolina won the rebounding battle, 51-29.

Caitlin Clark scored 30 points on 10-28 shooting. Clark knocked down 5 3’s.

Men’s finals tonight – Purdue and UConn.

Always play the right way…

E-mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

NUMBERS

The greatest weekend in all of sports is here.

Let’s face it, there’s not a better sport in the world than basketball.

Tonight starts the women’s college basketball Final Four in Clevland, Ohio.

South Carolina vs NC State…followed by UConn-Iowa.

The Gamecocks are 36-0. How about this? In their last 110 games they are 107-3.

That’s incredible. Their L’s have been by 1, 2 and 4 points.

Tickets for the games are going for $2,000. WOW!

Television ratings are up. Iowa-LSU last weekend in the Elite 8 averaged 12.3 million viewers, the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever. It was also the most-watched college basketball game in ESPN’s history.

In her college career, Caitlin Clark has played 137 games for Iowa. Here’s her numbers:

28.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 8.3 APG.

Clark has had 6 triple-doubles this season. The most by any player in the country.

Paige Bueckers from UConn, who happens to be an outstanding player put up these numbers in her career:

84 games, 19.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.5 APG.

Enjoy the games and always play the right way…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

START OVER. DO BETTER

We’re one day away from the women’s Final Four. Can’t wait for North Carolina State-South Carolina and UConn-Iowa. Things get underway in Cleveland at 7:00 PM.

Can we please stop with all the nonsense. I’m talking Caitlin Clark. The lady is the greatest women’s college basketball player of all-time. Notice I said “college.”

I don’t care what anyone says. There’s no comparison. Just look at the numbers please. Because that’s what it all comes down to when comparing great players.

Clark is the all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball and 4th all-time in assists. She’s the Big Ten’s all-time assists leader. You can’t find that anywhere except for LeBron James. (Many people think LBJ is the greatest of all-time.)

If you know basketball, you understand how hard it is to be the leading scorer and leader in assists. Just ask Nate Archibald.

When discussing basketball, why does it have to come down to race? Who cares if the player is white, black, Puerto Rican, Euro, Asian or Jewish. Can’t we just enjoy these individuals?

Basketball should bring people together – not separate us.

Many people have been watching women’s college basketball as of late, people who normally don’t watch the ladies game…and it’s because of Caitlin Clark. She’s lifted the women’s game to an incredible height. Just look at how much tickets are going for this weekend at the Final Four

Always play the right way…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

THE BIG PAYBACK

I hope you had a chance to watch Iowa-LSU on Monday night. The game was so big, “10 outta 10” took a seat in the living room with me and checked out the action.

Iowa’s point guard, Caitlin Clark, put on another amazing show.

Clark is the greatest women’s basketball player of all-time. She led her squad to the 94-87 victory scoring 41 points including 9 3’s. She also dished out 12 assists and snatched 7 rebounds.

“She’s just a generational player, she makes everybody around her better,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey said.

Just like LeBron James, Clark’s passing may be better than her scoring.

“I don’t need to be seeing her drop 50 on us next weekend,” Geno Auriemma said of Clark. “I love her. I think she’s the best player. Forget I ever said Paige (Bueckers) is the best player in the country. I think (Caitlin’s) the best player of all time. I don’t know whoever said Paige is the best player.” 

The game was a rematch of last year’s championship in which the Tigers won. And last night the game lived up to all the hype. They billed it as Angel Reese vs Caitlin Clark but there was more to it than that. LSU and Iowa have good players surrounding the two stars. And both teams are well coached.

Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds before fouling out.

Jason Sudeikis was at the game.

UConn beat USC in the late game setting up the Final Four Friday night against Iowa. Paige Buekers scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 6 assists in the Huskies 80-73 win over Southern Cal.

Always play the right way…

E-mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

THEN CAME YOU

Shout out to Charles Barkley and Danny Hurley.

Yesterday both guys said something on air that was wonderful and refreshing.

Let’s start with the head coach of the Connecticut Huskies:

UConn was up 52-19 on Stetson at the half and Hurley didn’t seem too happy during his interview with the sideline reporter.

“We gotta grow up a little, the last couple of minutes I didn’t like.”

To fill you in, Hurley wasn’t happy with his team and the way they played to close out the half. They have a high standard at UConn. Now there are some people in society who will criticize Hurley and say, “oh come on Dan, you’re up 33, relax.”

NO, NO, NO…You have an obligation to coach your guys up and hold them to the expectations of the program. That’s why they’re the champions and may just win back-to-back titles.

Which leads me to what Barkley said in studio, “you gotta wanna be coached.”

We have too many players who don’t want to be pushed to give their best.

Just relax, let the coaches coach you. Parents, stay out of it.

QUICK HITTERS:

I said it yesterday, I’ll say it today – the University of Michigan should reach out to Greg Kampe at Oakland and offer him the men’s head basketball coaching position. He’ll turn it around in Ann Arbor. Golden Grizzlies take on NC State at 7:10.

Saw a gambling commercial yesterday, “don’t regret the bet,” was their slogan. In all my life, all the bets I made, I regret them all.”

I have been tracking 3’s in the tournament. Winning teams made more 3’s in 23 of the 32 games.

I like seeing the college coaches wearing pullovers and sneakers on the sidelines. Not feeling the suit and tie look.

Why can’t basketball coaches talk more to the officials like they do in baseball and football?

After going 11-5 with my picks on the first day I went 10-6 yesterday. Here’s my picks for today:

Arizona over Dayton, Kansas over Gonzaga but this one will go down to the wire. Michigan State over North Carolina. Iowa State over Washington State, Oakland over North Carolina State, Tennessee over Texas, Illinois over Duquesne, and Creighton over Oregon.

Caitlin Clark in action today on ABC at 3:00. She takes on the Crusaders of Holy Cross. Shout out to the late Togo Palazzi.

Enjoy the games and always play the right way…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

SHOOK ONES

Sunday at high noon I watched the Iowa Hawkeyes women take on the Cornhuskers from Nebraska in the Big Ten championship. Vegas had Iowa minus 17.5.

CBS televised the game, it was the first time ever the Big Ten women’s finals were on CBS. Lisa Byington doing the play-by-play.

It was the fourth game in four days for Nebraska. No big deal, right? I mean they’re playing basketball, not working a 9-to-5.

Iowa and Nebraska met twice this year with each team winning one. How Nebraska has 10 losses this season, I’ll never know.

The Target Center in Minny was packed, the joint was jumpin’. Big ups to the fans.

Didn’t take long for the infamous, “Maybe a little bit of nerves. Big stage, chasing a championship,” said Byington early on. Nerves? Heck no. They’re just missing shots. It happens.

It turned out to be a great game, Iowa winning in OT, 94-89. It was 77-up at the end of regulation. Caitlin Clark scored 34 points on 12-29 shooting from the field, 5-17 from deep. 12 assists in 44 minutes. The woman is incredible.

How about Seth Davis of CBS? Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese is women’s basketball’s Magic-Bird moment. WOW! Not even close my man, not even close.

Hawkeyes have won 3 straight Big Ten tournament championships.

F.Y.I. Clark leads the country in scoring and assists. When I mentioned that today to a few basketball fans they were shocked. And I added, she’s the all-time leader in assists in the Big Ten.

“I didn’t know she was that good of a passer,” one person replied. Oh yeah, she shares the rock.

Iowa leads the country in assists (21.9) and scoring (92.8 PPG)

Saturday, during the Michigan-Iowa Big Ten semi-finals the analyst described a player on Michigan as “New York tough.” What does that mean?

Did you happen to see the Duke-North Carolina men’s game on Saturday? Ted Valentine was one of the officials.

Cormac Ryan of North Carolina: 24 years old. 6 years playing college hoops. Stanford, Notre Dame and now U.N.C. That’s who Sheryl Swoopes was talking about.

Gotta love this line by Dan Shulman, play-by-play guy for UNC-Duke: “It’s only a six-point game and there’s four and half minutes to go.”

WOW!

The NCAA tournament just days away; it’s the greatest post-season in all of sports.

Always play the right way…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

SIMPLY THE BEST

Basketball fans often talk about the “G.O.A.T.” in men’s basketball; Michael Jordan or LeBron James? It’s a matter of opinion. In the women’s college game, without question it’s Caitlin Clark of the University of Iowa.

I don’t care what Jay Williams or Sheryl Swoopes says.

On Saturday I watched Clark lead Iowa to the Big Ten semi-finals win over Michigan, 95-68. This sets up the conference finals against Nebraska Sunday at 12 on CBS. It’s the first time the Big Ten women’s finals are being shown on CBS.

As usual Clark was amazing. Oh wait, did you know she’s the Big Ten’s all-time leader in assists? I didn’t know that until yesterday. That’s incredible. Against Michigan she dished out 15. Please read that again…15 ASSISTS! Her average this year is 8.8 per game. If you look at her numbers over her carer at Iowa in the assists department they read like this; Freshmen year, 7.1, Sophomore, 8.0, Junior, 8.6. She does more than score.

It’s worth mentioning she is 6th on the all-time leader board in assists with 1,080. Bobby Hurley is the men’s college leader all-time with 1,076. The media made a big deal out of Clark passing Pistol Pete Maravich in total points but why no mention of assists?

Clark not only leads the country in scoring (31.9) but she leads in assists! And she grabs 7.4 rebounds per game.

In 32 minutes against Michigan Clark scored 28 points on 10-19 shooting from the field (and no, she doesn’t take 40 shots per game, she attempts 22).

She had a double-double at the half, 19 points and 11 assists. On one play she came down and pulled a 3 from the logo, all in rhythm. Hope you saw her on one possession rebound a Michigan miss, push the ball in transition and throw a gorgeous behind-the-back pass to a teammate for a lay-up. Quickly I thought about Scott Skiles to Larry Polec against Georgetown.

Clark isn’t 25 years-old and she hasn’t played college ball for five years like Sheryl Swoopes said recently. She’s 22 and in her 4th year.

And by the way Jay Williams, news alert; Caitlin Clark is GREAT!

This should not be about race, but people are going that way, which is sad. Caitlin Clark is an awesome basketball player. She has brought a ton of excitement to the women’s game. Ball is ball. Doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, Hispanic, Arabic, Jewish or Asian. Basketball should bring us together, not tear us apart. The late Dean “the Dream” Meminger once said, “When you show up to the park to play ball, you’re there to play ball, that’s it.”

Clark has done tremendous things for “women’s college basketball.”

I’m a big believer in her game. I’ve seen her play many times, I took her for granted. She’s opened my eyes to her talent and most of all her “team” mentality. Watching her on the bench late in the game yesterday she was up cheering her teammates while they scored.

Swoopes said three ignorant things about Clark. They were ridiculous. Instead of praising her and mentioning how she is helping spread the word on women’s basketball, Swoopes took the wrong route. Clark has lit my fire for women’s basketball. Why do people feel the need to knock others down when they do good?

Bill Simmons recently said, “I care more about the women’s college basketball and the tournament than I do about the men’s at this point in my life. I am the same person who once upon a time, I did not want to watch women’s college basketball. I did not like the product.”

Clark is worth watching. She alone changed my view on the game.

Always play the right way…

E-Mail: SteveFinamore@yahoo.com

CAITLIN CLARK VS PETE MARAVICH

Can we please stop?

Look, Caitlin Clark is a great player, we can all agree on that.

But to include her in a conversation with the legend, Pistol Pete Maravich is ridiculous.

I’ve seen too much of it as of late.

Not taking anything away from Clark, she’s awesome. Despite what Jay Williams says. She plays the right way.

But you can’t write or talk about her “passing” Maravich on the college all-time scoring list.

She plays a different game and in a different era.

Back when Maravich played (1966-70) there was no 3-point shot.

Maravich played a total of 89 games. As of February 29, 2024 Clark is up to 129 games played.

And they are including Clark’s Big Ten and NCAA tournament scoring totals. Maravich never played a single post-season game.

Clark will become the WOMEN’S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER, not “College Basketball’s, all-time leading scorer.

And I don’t care what Holly Rowe says.

Here’s Pistol’s son talking about Clark. https://www.si.com/college/2024/02/28/pete-maravich-son-says-dad-wouldve-been-big-fan-caitlin-clark-ncaa-scoring-record

“The circumstances are so different that it’s hard to say it’s really the same record,” Jaeson said. “I don’t want to make it seem like I’m bashing her because I’m not. I just find it to be an applies to oranges comparison.”

BTW, below is a picture of two fantastic books about Maravich.

Always play the right way…

SteveFinamore@yahoo.com