Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Dear College Basketball:
Hope this blog post finds you well.
Just wanted to pass along a note letting you know that things are going to get a bit rough for you now that John Calapari is at Kentucky. Sure, there are plenty of great basketball players out there for all of you teams to fight over.
But as far as those Top 25-type players go, you might just want to wait for Coach Cal to decide who he wants, THEN you can start recruiting the leftovers.
But I suppose you already knew that after you saw today that PG John Wall committed to Kentucky. Wall is Rivals.com's #1 player in America for 2009, and many NBA scouts have said that if he was able to enter the draft, he would be the consensus #2 pick in the draft (behind Griffin).
What's crazy about Wall signing, however, is that Kentucky got him despite the fact that they signed PG Eric Bledsoe just two weeks ago. Bledsoe is only Rivals' #3 PG in the country, and himself a 5-Star recruit.
THEN you have to consider the teams UK was recruiting Wall against. Duke, Florida (who also recruited Bledsoe), and Miami. Duke and Florida desperately need a point guard, and Miami...well, they could use an upgrade at every spot, let alone point guard.
So throw in the #1 and #3 point guards in the land along with the #2 player in the country in DeMarcus Cousins, 5-Star center Daniel Orton, 4-Star wing Jon Hood, and 4-Star G/F JUCO Darnell Dodson and you have--on paper--a recruiting class as good as the Fab 5.
Did I mention that Calapari has been at Kentucky for 6 weeks?
Lastly, when you take into consideration Patrick Patterson withdrew his name from the draft and Jodie Meeks will likely follow suit, then you have to start thinking for next year...well, I will let Andy Katz take it away:
Like Katz says: I didn't think Coach Cal would have Kentucky competing for a National Championship in his first year. But John Wall--especially when combined with Patterson, Darius Miller, and this recruiting class--is such a game-changer that they should be a Top 5 team all season and absolutely be a Final Four-caliber team.
So, college basketball: hope you enjoyed the landscape while Kentucky was down. Have fun with the leftovers.
Warmest Regards,
GA Hill
Just wanted to pass along a note letting you know that things are going to get a bit rough for you now that John Calapari is at Kentucky. Sure, there are plenty of great basketball players out there for all of you teams to fight over.
But as far as those Top 25-type players go, you might just want to wait for Coach Cal to decide who he wants, THEN you can start recruiting the leftovers.
But I suppose you already knew that after you saw today that PG John Wall committed to Kentucky. Wall is Rivals.com's #1 player in America for 2009, and many NBA scouts have said that if he was able to enter the draft, he would be the consensus #2 pick in the draft (behind Griffin).
What's crazy about Wall signing, however, is that Kentucky got him despite the fact that they signed PG Eric Bledsoe just two weeks ago. Bledsoe is only Rivals' #3 PG in the country, and himself a 5-Star recruit.
THEN you have to consider the teams UK was recruiting Wall against. Duke, Florida (who also recruited Bledsoe), and Miami. Duke and Florida desperately need a point guard, and Miami...well, they could use an upgrade at every spot, let alone point guard.
So throw in the #1 and #3 point guards in the land along with the #2 player in the country in DeMarcus Cousins, 5-Star center Daniel Orton, 4-Star wing Jon Hood, and 4-Star G/F JUCO Darnell Dodson and you have--on paper--a recruiting class as good as the Fab 5.
Did I mention that Calapari has been at Kentucky for 6 weeks?
Lastly, when you take into consideration Patrick Patterson withdrew his name from the draft and Jodie Meeks will likely follow suit, then you have to start thinking for next year...well, I will let Andy Katz take it away:
Like Katz says: I didn't think Coach Cal would have Kentucky competing for a National Championship in his first year. But John Wall--especially when combined with Patterson, Darius Miller, and this recruiting class--is such a game-changer that they should be a Top 5 team all season and absolutely be a Final Four-caliber team.
So, college basketball: hope you enjoyed the landscape while Kentucky was down. Have fun with the leftovers.
Warmest Regards,
GA Hill
P.S.: In case you were wondering, for 6 recruits, that is a 4.66-Star average per player.
Labels: College Basketball, Duke Sucks, John Calapari, John Wall, University of Kentucky
Friday, February 29, 2008
The GA Hill Sports Curse Continues...
Just when Kentucky moved up to #54 in RPI, sitting at 11-3 in the SEC (side note: no BCS conference school with a conference record that good has EVER been left out of the tournament), and is making the most improbable move into an At-Large Tourney bid, I see this headline staring me in the face on ESPN.com (not to mention an exasperated e-mail waiting from my dad):
"Kentucky phenom Patterson out rest of season"
Talk about life not being fair: this kid came to help resurrect the program, worked his ass off, plays harder than just about anyone in the country, never ever bitches about anything (which he easily could have during the disastrous beginning of the season), says over and over that he is going to stay in college until he graduates (despite already being projected as a Top 20 pick THIS year), finally sees this team get over the hump and is among the leaders responsible for making them one of the best teams in the SEC...then gets a stress fracture two days before the biggest game of the year at Knoxville.
Unbelievable.
Here's to wishing a speedy recovery for "P-Patt," and a sincere thanks for being the only thing that consistently made me (and all Kentucky fans) believe that this season could be turned around, even in the bleakest of times. What a bummer.
And with that, for the first time since I can remember, I suddenly don't care about March Madness anymore. Could Kentucky still get there? Yes, finishing out the season 2-1 (the loss being Sunday at Tennessee) and probably winning their opening-round SEC tourney game. But without Patterson, that looks pretty bleak, even with a favorable schedule.
This is an absolute Level 5 Stomach Punch. That's it, Sports Gods. You got me. I give up.
Labels: College Basketball, Cruel Fate, Patrick Patterson, Shit., University of Kentucky
Friday, November 16, 2007
A Blast From The Past...
So I thought I would follow up our discovery of how influential we are by re-publishing a couple of posts that were two of our most popular writings since we started Heavy Soul. I thought I would do this as it is basketball season again, and after a brief Dana Altman scare, Creighton-itis is back with a vengence.
It probably doesn't help that Nebraska was so bad in football, either.
Anyways, on with the show. First, the one that really started it all from Sambuca. This was posted on Huskers Illustrated, and created quite the firestorm on that message board and on this blog. It was written March 15, 2005:
West Virginia; Do Your Job...
Other than any Nebraska Football Game day, my favorite time of year, hands down, is March Madness.
So many teams, so many stories, so much fun. Seriously, is there a better time to sit in front of a TV for 4 straight days than this weekend?
I'm getting excited just typing this nonsense. This leads me to the subject of this post, which might have confused you. OK, here it is:
Dear Mountaineers,
My name is Sambuca84Proof, I am a 25 year old male, and a HUGE Nebraska fan. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to attend countless college sporting events at Nebraska. Let me repeat that for you WVU fans, I meant Nebraska, NOT Creighton. Please don't confuse. Nebraska has the football team that the whole state talks about year 'round, not Creighton. Red is the color that Creighton fans wear during the fall, not blue.
Growing up in Lincoln, I became a die hard NU fan in every sport. Most specifically in football and basketball. Over the years I took advantage of the poundings that the NU MBB team would lay upon Creighton. Year after year, Danny Nee and his group of athletes would wreak havoc on those slow honkies down I-80. It was beautiful. Then I went to college. Danny Nee got fired. Barry Collier took over, started recruiting average (not good) mid-major athletes, and Creighton started winning. Since then, my college basketball life has been at the satisfaction level of a below average mid-major school. (See Creighton: Tony Beroni Years.)
As you can probably guess, WVU fans, Creighton lives in a dream world. In Omaha, the MVC is greater than the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC, COMBINED. Now that's hard to imagine. But if you live in Omaha, read the OWH everyday, live by the words of Dom Shittell, and praise former Big 8 failure, and current Mid-Major Savior - Dana Altman, imagining becomes easy.
So please West Virginia, I beg you. If you only win 1 more NCAA Tourney game the rest of your school history, just make it on Thursday night. Show the world what you're made of. A big east school, playing top notch teams all year long. You crazy Mountaineers can single handedly shut the door on the hypocrisy of Creighton fans. Well, at least until next season starts.
Thanks & Sincerely,
Sambuca84Proof
Proud NU Basketball Fan
God, that pissed people off. Then there was this one, that also seemed to hit a blue-blooded nerve:
Where Do You Stand?!? (February 3, 2006)
In anticipation of the big matchup between Creighton and Drake tomorrow night, I thought I would get something off my chest:
I hate Creighton.
I'm serious. It is one of those deep, passionate hates. The "makes blood rush to your head and impair your judgment when you hear the name" hates.
Why do I care about Creighton? That, dear reader, is a great question. Because let's not kid ourselves--Creighton is nothing. Creighton vs. Drake? On a Saturday? The sound of that does not exactly wake the echoes of greatness, does it? I would rather stay at home and hit myself in the balls with a rubber mallet than watch a glorified high school game like that.But I do care. I have to care. I live in Omaha. I'm surrounded by it. And it is sickening. For several reasons:
1. Creighton fans are frauds. Yeah, I said it. Total frauds. Creighton fan is the guy who lives in Omaha and says things like "they play the game right," "Dana Altman is so much like Tom Osborne--he resonates with people in Nebraska," and "I really think Creighton can make some noise in the Big Dance."
First of all, don't say "the Big Dance," ever. Second of all, Dana Altman is nothing like Tom Osborne, other than the fact that he speaks in monotone during interviews--last I checked, he did not win two National Championships and is not considered one of the greatest college coaches of all time. All this aside, the biggest reason Creighton fan is a total fraud? Because every fall, they break out the red shirt and drive down to Lincoln every Saturday...because they're the biggest damned Husker fan in the world. Pick a side, asshole. Now, I am a member of a similar conundrum: I am a Husker fan through and through, but similarly, I am one of the biggest Kentucky basketball fans in the world. Big difference, though: I have always been extremely open about this fact (probably too open for most people around here), and I, as much as I make fun of Husker basketball, genuinely want them to succeed. Creighton fan inexplicitly hates Nebraska--during basketball season. This is horseshit. Bonus fraud points: Creighton fan similarly hates Nebraska baseball. However, as soon as the Huskers make their way to Omaha to play in the College World Series (yes, Creighton, it's true--playing your joke baseball team is not Nebraska's biggest game of the year like it is for you. It is a speed bump, at best.), there's 20,000 Husker fans running around Rosenblatt. Where do all these people come from? You guessed it: Omaha.
2. Creighton basketball games are a "place to be seen" here in Omaha. *gag* Ugg, I just puked in my mouth. For anyone who has been to a Creighton game, you know exactly what I am talking about. It is where the lawyers and doctors parade their happy ass little family around and drink $30 beers while the kiddies eat Thai food or whatever the fuck they serve at the Qwest Center. Get over yourself! These games are unbearable. There's 15,000+ people there, and you can hear a fucking pin drop. Because everyone is too busy glad-handing and talking about the kick-ass options they have on their new Lexus. Here's a thought: put down your Dippin' Dots, sit down in your cushy seat, put away your Kyle Korver Barbie-inspired bobble head that you paid $200 for on eBay, and watch the goddamned game. Yeah, the game! Remember--the reason all these people are at the arena? That's right! Yes, you absolutely can clap your hands! Feel free to get involved with the game!
3. Nate Funk and Kyle Korver. Sweet Jesus. Get these frat guys out of here. "Those guys are gutsy leaders who are just great shooters." Translation: we like it when pretty white boys are our best players. All you (still!) hear about is how great Nate Funk is and how unbelievable it is that they're still winning without him. "It's Dana's best coaching job yet!" Yet you don't hear Creighton fan talk about the fact that ol' Johnny Mathies is carrying the team this year, and is a better player than Nate Funk (and, weird--the guy is from Kentucky). I guess those cornrows scare the Omaha crowd a bit too much to acknowledge how good this guy is.
There are many, many more reasons to hate Creighton. And even though it is Friday, I do have to get back to work at some point, so I will leave it at three. Please, feel free to add to the madness in the comments!
Ah, memories. Anyways, enjoy. And add more if you feel like (and I really don't want to hear anything about my graduate studies status, by the way).
And in order for us to maintain our lofty #59 standing, I'm going to need a Nebraska Basketball season preview out of ezt or sambuca.
It probably doesn't help that Nebraska was so bad in football, either.
Anyways, on with the show. First, the one that really started it all from Sambuca. This was posted on Huskers Illustrated, and created quite the firestorm on that message board and on this blog. It was written March 15, 2005:
West Virginia; Do Your Job...
Other than any Nebraska Football Game day, my favorite time of year, hands down, is March Madness.
So many teams, so many stories, so much fun. Seriously, is there a better time to sit in front of a TV for 4 straight days than this weekend?
I'm getting excited just typing this nonsense. This leads me to the subject of this post, which might have confused you. OK, here it is:
Dear Mountaineers,
My name is Sambuca84Proof, I am a 25 year old male, and a HUGE Nebraska fan. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to attend countless college sporting events at Nebraska. Let me repeat that for you WVU fans, I meant Nebraska, NOT Creighton. Please don't confuse. Nebraska has the football team that the whole state talks about year 'round, not Creighton. Red is the color that Creighton fans wear during the fall, not blue.
Growing up in Lincoln, I became a die hard NU fan in every sport. Most specifically in football and basketball. Over the years I took advantage of the poundings that the NU MBB team would lay upon Creighton. Year after year, Danny Nee and his group of athletes would wreak havoc on those slow honkies down I-80. It was beautiful. Then I went to college. Danny Nee got fired. Barry Collier took over, started recruiting average (not good) mid-major athletes, and Creighton started winning. Since then, my college basketball life has been at the satisfaction level of a below average mid-major school. (See Creighton: Tony Beroni Years.)
As you can probably guess, WVU fans, Creighton lives in a dream world. In Omaha, the MVC is greater than the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and SEC, COMBINED. Now that's hard to imagine. But if you live in Omaha, read the OWH everyday, live by the words of Dom Shittell, and praise former Big 8 failure, and current Mid-Major Savior - Dana Altman, imagining becomes easy.
So please West Virginia, I beg you. If you only win 1 more NCAA Tourney game the rest of your school history, just make it on Thursday night. Show the world what you're made of. A big east school, playing top notch teams all year long. You crazy Mountaineers can single handedly shut the door on the hypocrisy of Creighton fans. Well, at least until next season starts.
Thanks & Sincerely,
Sambuca84Proof
Proud NU Basketball Fan
God, that pissed people off. Then there was this one, that also seemed to hit a blue-blooded nerve:
Where Do You Stand?!? (February 3, 2006)
In anticipation of the big matchup between Creighton and Drake tomorrow night, I thought I would get something off my chest:
I hate Creighton.
I'm serious. It is one of those deep, passionate hates. The "makes blood rush to your head and impair your judgment when you hear the name" hates.
Why do I care about Creighton? That, dear reader, is a great question. Because let's not kid ourselves--Creighton is nothing. Creighton vs. Drake? On a Saturday? The sound of that does not exactly wake the echoes of greatness, does it? I would rather stay at home and hit myself in the balls with a rubber mallet than watch a glorified high school game like that.But I do care. I have to care. I live in Omaha. I'm surrounded by it. And it is sickening. For several reasons:
1. Creighton fans are frauds. Yeah, I said it. Total frauds. Creighton fan is the guy who lives in Omaha and says things like "they play the game right," "Dana Altman is so much like Tom Osborne--he resonates with people in Nebraska," and "I really think Creighton can make some noise in the Big Dance."
First of all, don't say "the Big Dance," ever. Second of all, Dana Altman is nothing like Tom Osborne, other than the fact that he speaks in monotone during interviews--last I checked, he did not win two National Championships and is not considered one of the greatest college coaches of all time. All this aside, the biggest reason Creighton fan is a total fraud? Because every fall, they break out the red shirt and drive down to Lincoln every Saturday...because they're the biggest damned Husker fan in the world. Pick a side, asshole. Now, I am a member of a similar conundrum: I am a Husker fan through and through, but similarly, I am one of the biggest Kentucky basketball fans in the world. Big difference, though: I have always been extremely open about this fact (probably too open for most people around here), and I, as much as I make fun of Husker basketball, genuinely want them to succeed. Creighton fan inexplicitly hates Nebraska--during basketball season. This is horseshit. Bonus fraud points: Creighton fan similarly hates Nebraska baseball. However, as soon as the Huskers make their way to Omaha to play in the College World Series (yes, Creighton, it's true--playing your joke baseball team is not Nebraska's biggest game of the year like it is for you. It is a speed bump, at best.), there's 20,000 Husker fans running around Rosenblatt. Where do all these people come from? You guessed it: Omaha.
2. Creighton basketball games are a "place to be seen" here in Omaha. *gag* Ugg, I just puked in my mouth. For anyone who has been to a Creighton game, you know exactly what I am talking about. It is where the lawyers and doctors parade their happy ass little family around and drink $30 beers while the kiddies eat Thai food or whatever the fuck they serve at the Qwest Center. Get over yourself! These games are unbearable. There's 15,000+ people there, and you can hear a fucking pin drop. Because everyone is too busy glad-handing and talking about the kick-ass options they have on their new Lexus. Here's a thought: put down your Dippin' Dots, sit down in your cushy seat, put away your Kyle Korver Barbie-inspired bobble head that you paid $200 for on eBay, and watch the goddamned game. Yeah, the game! Remember--the reason all these people are at the arena? That's right! Yes, you absolutely can clap your hands! Feel free to get involved with the game!
3. Nate Funk and Kyle Korver. Sweet Jesus. Get these frat guys out of here. "Those guys are gutsy leaders who are just great shooters." Translation: we like it when pretty white boys are our best players. All you (still!) hear about is how great Nate Funk is and how unbelievable it is that they're still winning without him. "It's Dana's best coaching job yet!" Yet you don't hear Creighton fan talk about the fact that ol' Johnny Mathies is carrying the team this year, and is a better player than Nate Funk (and, weird--the guy is from Kentucky). I guess those cornrows scare the Omaha crowd a bit too much to acknowledge how good this guy is.
There are many, many more reasons to hate Creighton. And even though it is Friday, I do have to get back to work at some point, so I will leave it at three. Please, feel free to add to the madness in the comments!
Ah, memories. Anyways, enjoy. And add more if you feel like (and I really don't want to hear anything about my graduate studies status, by the way).
And in order for us to maintain our lofty #59 standing, I'm going to need a Nebraska Basketball season preview out of ezt or sambuca.
Labels: #59, College Basketball, Creighton, Suck It
Thursday, November 01, 2007
It's Basketball Time!
Finally, something to get my mind off this TERRIBLE football season! The NBA tipped off this week, and college basketball is getting underway with exhibitions (Kentucky came out on fire, as they'll be all season, the beginning of the Billy Clyde Era).
The most interesting thing going on right now? Probably has to be the Kobe-to-Chicago trade. What would you give up to get him? From ESPN.com, here are the possible scenarios:
1. "As ESPN.com reported on Saturday, the Lakers have asked for [Luol] Deng, [Tyrus] Thomas, guard Ben Gordon and rookie Joakim Noah as the core parts of any trade for Bryant."
-or-
2. "The Bulls, according to ESPN.com's source, are willing to offer an alternative package of Gordon, Noah and Thomas."
What would you do? Obviously, Kobe is one of the best players in the history of basketball. But do you really want to mess with your young core of players that many publications is picking to get to the NBA Finals as is, this year?
Personally, Option 1 is crazy. There's no way I do that trade. Option 2 is certainly plausable. I love Thomas, but who knows if he'll ever become anything more than a guy who can block anyone's shot and dunk hard. I love Gordon, but obviously Kobe is an upgrade times 100. Then there's Joke Noah. I'd trade him for a bag of nickles, just because he is a giant douche bag, and I'm not convinced he will ever amount to much.
So, in my humble opinion, if they could talk the Lakers into Option #2, that would be awesome. I love Tyrus, but Kobe brings just a bit more to the table overall.
Thoughts? Opinions?
The most interesting thing going on right now? Probably has to be the Kobe-to-Chicago trade. What would you give up to get him? From ESPN.com, here are the possible scenarios:
1. "As ESPN.com reported on Saturday, the Lakers have asked for [Luol] Deng, [Tyrus] Thomas, guard Ben Gordon and rookie Joakim Noah as the core parts of any trade for Bryant."
-or-
2. "The Bulls, according to ESPN.com's source, are willing to offer an alternative package of Gordon, Noah and Thomas."
What would you do? Obviously, Kobe is one of the best players in the history of basketball. But do you really want to mess with your young core of players that many publications is picking to get to the NBA Finals as is, this year?
Personally, Option 1 is crazy. There's no way I do that trade. Option 2 is certainly plausable. I love Thomas, but who knows if he'll ever become anything more than a guy who can block anyone's shot and dunk hard. I love Gordon, but obviously Kobe is an upgrade times 100. Then there's Joke Noah. I'd trade him for a bag of nickles, just because he is a giant douche bag, and I'm not convinced he will ever amount to much.
So, in my humble opinion, if they could talk the Lakers into Option #2, that would be awesome. I love Tyrus, but Kobe brings just a bit more to the table overall.
Thoughts? Opinions?
Labels: Ben Gordan, Chicago Bulls, Clown Noah, College Basketball, Kobe Bryant, Lost Angeles Lakers, Luol Deng, NBA
Thursday, October 18, 2007
January 12
Dudes,
Just wondering if anyone would think about coming to Iowa City for a weekend during college basketball. The basketball tickets go on sale in a couple of weeks and I thought it might be a good idea to see if anyone wanted to come here to watch Big 10 basketball. They play Michigan State on Jan. 12, Ohio State on Feb. 2, and Illinois on March 1st. The Illinois game is a bit close to spring training (are we going to Phoenix again this year?) so that's probably out, but I thought Michigan State would be a good time. MSU is looking at a top ten preseason ranking and Iowa (according to the local media) is supposed to be better than last year.
Well, just let me know if anyone is interested so I can buy the tickers soon.
Just wondering if anyone would think about coming to Iowa City for a weekend during college basketball. The basketball tickets go on sale in a couple of weeks and I thought it might be a good idea to see if anyone wanted to come here to watch Big 10 basketball. They play Michigan State on Jan. 12, Ohio State on Feb. 2, and Illinois on March 1st. The Illinois game is a bit close to spring training (are we going to Phoenix again this year?) so that's probably out, but I thought Michigan State would be a good time. MSU is looking at a top ten preseason ranking and Iowa (according to the local media) is supposed to be better than last year.
Well, just let me know if anyone is interested so I can buy the tickers soon.
Labels: 19 year old Girls get into bars here MIB, Bad Bars are fun, College Basketball, Especially in Iowa City, MSU
Friday, April 06, 2007
A Sight (Picture) For Sore Eyes...
This quote was probably my favorite from today's press conference at Kentucky announcing Billy Gillispie as the new head coach of men's basketball (when asked if the crazy fans and their expectations will be "tough"):
"When you talk about tough, I don’t think 24,000 fans caring about your team as being tough. I see the opponent having to play in front of that as a tough assignment. I look at having seven or eight thousand fans at a game - that is tough. When you have 24,000 fans, I hope that every one of them is a coach. I hope that everyone has an unbelievable passion like I do. Whether they are screaming at me or at the players, lets just all do it together. We are going to be working hard, and they are going to be working hard. We are going to call on the fans, as great as they have been for so long, let’s just take it up a notch and let’s make it impossible for anyone to come in here, we want to make the other team leave at halftime."
And as a newly married dude, this was really funny response to a question (and I'm paraphrasing, don't have the direct quote):
-Reporter: "Are you concerned with being frequently second-guessed by arm-chair coaches?"
-Billy G.: "Well, uh--you guys do know I was married, right? That's all that happened when I was married."
He is really funny, and great with reporters. I can certainly see why him and Doc Sadler are best friends.
Billy Donovan was obviously my first choice, but as anyone who cared to know knows, Billy G. was a very close second. After watching his press conference and pep rally today (where he started to tear up talking about how great of an opportunity this was for him), I could not possibly be more thrilled.
Labels: Awesomeness, Billy Gillispie, College Basketball, Kentucky
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