Seeking a Culture of Basketball: An Idealistic Future

This post is the sequel to "Seeking a Culture of Basketball: My Journey So Far"

I have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type, or as it is commonly known, ADD. I am pretty open about that, and I am pretty open about the struggles that I face with it, what I do to overcome it, and the triumphs I enjoy. I have found that any tendencies toward hyperactivity, few though they are for me, are overcome by regular physical activity. To a certain degree this also seems to help my focus throughout the day, but I have only found one activity where my ADD is not an issue, and is actually an ally: basketball.

Basketball means the world to me. It is one of a handful of activities that provides me a complete release from any struggles I may face. Whether the basketball helps the ADD, the ADD helps the basketball, or there is another benefit entirely, I don't really care. I love the game.

It is common for those with ADD to be able to hyper-focus when adrenaline is involved. Sometimes that is because of an impending deadline, and sometimes it is because it is something you are passionate about. Many world class athletes and entertainers have ADD or ADHD. In an interview for The Haney Project, Michael Phelps' mother talked about Michael's ADHD. He developed a passion for swimming, and his ADHD helped him to lock in completely on the sport. Completely submersing himself  in swimming (pun not initially intended, but when I realized what I had done I kept it), he became perhaps the greatest swimmer of all-time and a national icon. His hyper-focus led him to the top, and while mine will never lead me to be the greatest basketball player of all-time, it has helped me to find relief from the day-to-day stresses of life.

I have a tendency to completely immerse myself in the world of sports. Never is that more evident than in the month of March, as my poor wife is about to discover. My brain, which is constantly bouncing around at 174 miles per hour, relaxes, focuses, and finds peace and satisfaction when I am involved in some aspect of basketball. 

I have seen the benefits of basketball physically, socially, and emotionally. I want to enjoy those benefits throughout my life, and I want my future kids to enjoy those same benefits. This has me seeking a culture of basketball, and I think I know where I can find it.

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As I mentioned before I served a mission for my church in Colorado. My missionary trainer there was a 5'5" 21 year old young man from Indiana. His name is Bocephus. His uncle is also his grandpa. They call him Uncpa. Don't ask: it's as weird as it sounds.

He left me with the impression that there was no more backwards place in the world than the state of Indiana, and even though he was a nice guy himself, I just knew I could never raise my kids in place like Indiana.

Basketball is everywhere in Indiana. How awesome is that?

So then, what on earth possessed me to walk into my kitchen a couple of weeks back and tell my wife I wanted to raise our kids in Indiana? Let me explain.

I could probably just finish here by referring you to Dana O'Neil's article on ESPN.com that goes in depth about the culture of basketball that is found in Indiana. In fact, I would definitely encourage you to read that article. A lot of what I have left to say is based on thoughts that I had after reading that article, so if you find me incredibly boring, feel free to read Dana O'Neil's thoughts and tap out.

For the two or three of you who are still reading - presumably my mom, best friend, and possibly my wife - I'll try and make this worth it for you.

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My love affair with Indiana all begins, as I'm sure you could guess, with the movie Hoosiers. If you haven't seen it, I'll wait. You can continue reading upon its conclusion in 114 minutes.

Bobby Plump (shooting) - hit the game winner that won
tiny Milan High the Indiana state title.

Hoosiers tells the story of Hickory High School, a tiny school that goes on to *SPOILER ALERT* win the state championship. It is an adaptation of the real life story of Milan High School, a small school in Indiana that has now been immortalized by Hollywood. Milan High, a school with 161 students, made a remarkable journey in 1953 to the state championship. That doesn't sound completely unreasonable, but if you consider the fact that at the time, Indiana didn't have classes like we have now. There was no 5A, 4A, 3A, etc. school divisions based one your size. Just making the state finals was an accomplishment, but the following year they topped it by winning the state title over Muncie Central, a school with a student enrollment over 1,600. The miracle team from Milan won the state championship game against a school with 10 times as many students as they had. Impressive.

I love the scene in Hoosiers when Coach takes his players into Butler Fieldhouse (now Hinkle Fieldhouse) before the championship game. The players look around in absolute awe at the magnitude of the gym. He walks onto the court, and has his players measure the free throw line. 15 feet from the basket. He has them measure the height of the rim. 10 feet. "I believe you'll find it's the exact same measurements as our gym back in Hickory."

This is Chrystler High School's gym in New Castle, IN.
It seats 9,325.

It seems like you'd have to do that a lot in Indiana, and not just when you visit Assembly Hall at the University of Indiana or the landmark site of Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University. As Dana O'Neil reported, Indiana is home to 13 of the 16 largest high school gyms in America, with the largest arena seating 9,325. It's bigger than Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. That blows my mind. The largest crowd I have ever played in front of was that European Championship game, and I would estimate there were something like 1,500 to 2,000 people there. That's a lot for high school, but nothing compared to some of these gyms in Indiana. The full capacity of some gyms exceeds the population of the town. Why? Because everyone will be there for the game, and the visiting town will travel in, too.

The atmosphere at my championship game was electrifying. We lost, but the crowd was behind us, the underdog. I cannot tell you how exhilarating it was to play in front of so many people who are cheering for you. The noise was deafening at times. But in Indiana it's bigger, and it's the hometown crowd. That has to be incredible. One day my wife and I will have kids. If they're even the tiniest bit like me, they would love hearing their name announced in front of thousands of fans. It would be an awesome experience that they'll never forget.

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As you now know of my past, I took some turns that derailed any chance I had at obtaining my athletic dreams. At least as a player. I still have this overwhelming desire to coach, and my big dream is to be the head coach at a  Division I college basketball program. It is a lofty goal, and certainly one that will be difficult to obtain, but it could happen. Maybe.

I know I'll never have the Dukes or Kentuckys of the college basketball world calling for me to coach their programs. That seems absurd. (Though if it happens, sign me up!) But honestly, putting my allegiance to BYU aside and prior to me being named head coach of some tiny school, if there is one place in the country I could coach, I would love to be an assistant in Brad Stevens' program at Butler.

Brad Stevens is one of the top coaches in basketball.

I mean, think about it. It's in the state of Indiana, the greatest basketball state in existence, and I would be coaching in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Seriously, take the time to read about that place. It's a National Historic Landmark. In 1928 some guy named John Wooden played in the state championship game there, missing a free throw that lost his team the game 13-12. Milan High won the state championship on that floor in 1954 on a miraculous shot made by Bobby Plump, something I wouldn't even know about if it weren't for Hoosiers, which, by the way, was also filmed in that Fieldhouse. You could go on for a while, but it has a rich history that would be awesome to be part of. As Brad Stevens put it, it's "Hinkle Magic."

But it's not just the magic that makes Butler great. It also isn't the recent success of their basketball program, with recent back to back trips to the national championship game. It's "The Butler Way." And even if I never live in Indiana or coach in the Bulldogs' basketball program, the Butler Way is how people should live everywhere.

"The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness, accepts reality, yet seeks improvement everyday while putting the team above self."

Does that not sound like an excellent way to live life? I want to have that perspective and live that way, and I want my kids to do the same.

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This isn't me saying that I'm going to pursue a college coaching job relentlessly. It's also not a declaration that I am moving to Indiana. Nor is it my way of saying that I will live out my dreams through my future children.

Please! Don't think that I'm going to be living out my dreams through my kids. I never made it to the NBA and the odds are certainly not in my favor to coach college basketball. Will my kids have the same dreams? Who knows. I would guess they probably will, or at least similar. I would assume they'll be sports fans because they'll be my offspring, and my wife is no slouch in the sporting world herself. Although, she jokes we're going to end up with a band kid and have no idea what to do with him or her (I was going to say "it" but that just didn't feel right).

With the glory days behind me, who knows what
the future will hold.

If they do love sports, great. I'll know exactly what to do. And it's not just basketball. The lessons I've learned from basketball I also learned in my experiences with baseball, soccer, and tennis. For me, basketball carried me the farthest and I see it in my future more than any other sport. That is why this has been about my love of basketball, and that is why I feel drawn to Indiana culture.

Will I ever live in Indiana? I sure doubt that one; it seems unlikely. But it's not like basketball doesn't exist in other parts of America. And I love all sports, and they're available everywhere. The principles of team and the Butler Way can be taught anywhere. I can coach high school ball in any state and I could get my shot at the college level in any part of the country.

As I mentioned before, my three life motivations are my wife, my faith, and sports. Before sports dictate where my family lives and what we do, I would imagine that God and Shantel will have a pretty big say.

My point is this: basketball has been a blessing in my life. It has calmed my mind, given me purpose, and taught me how to live. It is a lifelong love for me, and wherever I can find a culture that promotes the same lessons and provides the same opportunities as basketball, that is where I want to be.

Seeking a Culture of Basketball: My Journey So Far

Being game day, I looked in the mirror and realized I needed to shave. You see, BYU has a rule that men must be clean shaven in order to participate in intramural activities. I hate shaving. I'm just too dang lazy to take two whole minutes out of my day to use my electric razor and get rid of the peach fuzz that is imperceptible to everyone but my wife and the dictators within BYU's intramural program. Consequently, there are really only two times that I'll shave: when my wife tells me I need to, and when I have an intramural game that day.

As I thought of my motivations to shave, I realized that I have three main motivations for nearly everything I do in my life: my wife, my faith, and sports.

Why am I still in school? Because my wife won't let me quit and because a prophet of God, Gordon B. Hinckley, said to "Get as much education as possible."

Why couldn't I attend your wedding reception? Because BYU was playing Utah that day.

Why am I going to clip my fingernails tomorrow? Because today I have a game and clipping them now will affect how the ball feels coming off my fingers.

Why did I skip my test retake? BYU had a game that night. And boy, am I glad I went! Craig Cusick's buzzer beater to defeat Utah State will be a great memory.

Why was I on Academic Warning after two of my first four semesters at college? Because school was getting in the way of March Madness.

Why do I want to move to Indiana? Basketball is their culture, and I want it to be mine.

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Switch hitting from an early age in my
Stockton length shorts.

My basketball journey has had some pretty dramatic ups and downs, but sports have been a part of who I am since the beginning. My first word, "ball," set the stages for the sports fanatic I would become. As a kid, everything I did was sports related. I watched sports. I played them as often as I could. I wore short shorts because if they were good enough for John Stockton, they were good enough for me. I collected baseball cards, and cards from all sports. My favorite number is 14 because Ty Detmer, BYU's lone Heisman Trophy winner, wore the number 14. When I was told to go clean my room, my mom would occasionally come check on me to make sure I was doing it. More often than not she found me reorganizing my cards in their binders and protective sleeves. It didn't matter how many times she told me that wasn't cleaning, it was still all I did. Sorry, Mom.

When I was young my favorite sport would fluctuate with whatever season it was. In the summer it was baseball (how many six year-old switch hitters do you know?), in the fall it was football, in the winter it was basketball. But one thing always remained constant, and that was the tiny, plastic, adjustable basketball hoop that lived in my basement. I played on that thing even when my head was high above the five-foot rim. It was a staple in my home.

It was on that basket where I first developed my knack for shooting the ball. I discovered I had some "sweet spots" where I felt like I never missed. I loved being a shooter. That continued when my dad got an adjustable standard for our driveway in Colorado. I loved to shoot from as far away as I possibly could, and boy was I excited when I would nail a shot from the sidewalk at the end of the driveway.

I started to play organized ball when my family moved to Washington just after my tenth birthday. I remember being told by my friend's mother that I would one day be a great three-point shooter. I wondered why she said that because I didn't even attempt a three-pointer as a ten year old. It was outside my range and I knew it. But she pointed out that even when I had a clear lane to the basket, I would dribble out for a shot at the edge of my range. And I would make it.

I never became a "great" long-distance shooter. I never even became a volume scorer in my competitive career, not by any stretch of the imagination. But to an extent she was right. I eventually discovered I had some of those "sweet spots" on a real court. I felt like I never missed from the elbow, and whenever I could I would pull up for that mid-range jumper. My high school coaches my senior year gave me the green light to pull the trigger from deep, but for most of the season I lacked the confidence to do so. I shot one three in the regular season, but my 100 percent 3-point shooting percentage is still a school record. If, of course, you ignore the minimum attempts requirement. Now, after my competitive career is over, I've found my basketball niche from beyond the arc. On my rec and intramural teams, that's what I'm there for: to hit threes.

After playing parks and rec in Washington, I finally graduated to school ball and made the seventh grade "B" team. I was a starter for much of the year, but I don't think I ever made a significant contribution. I barely remember that season, but I do remember it was the last I would play for a long time.

I hit a dark place in my life in eighth grade. I was running with the wrong friends, and being a stupid kid. I lacked a lot of self-confidence; I was picked on for being a bit of a geek and teased relentlessly for being Mormon. I went where I was accepted. It just so happened that was a small group of friends that were gamers and big-time nerds. I don't want to be critical of them. I'm sure they turned out to be great guys, but at the time they certainly did not encourage me to be even remotely who I was at the core. From the end of my seventh grade basketball season to the spring of my freshman year of high school I didn't play a single organized sport.

It was tough to get my life back on track. In the spring of my freshman year I knew what I had to do: I had to start playing sports again. I went back and forth in my decision between baseball and golf, but I eventually landed on baseball. I had been a decent Little Leaguer, and there aren't a lot of switch-hitters out there so I figured I had a shot. Boy was I wrong. My high school had the top baseball program in the state, and if the coaches didn't have an eye on you for the past few years, you didn't stand a chance. And to be honest, I just wasn't that good anymore. I was cut from the team.

After being cut, I knew I still had to play something. This time I couldn't decide between track and tennis. I actually talked to one of the track coaches, and I will always respect what he said to me. He didn't try and recruit me to the track team, but he instead tried to help me make the decision that was best for me. He asked, "Well, you play basketball don't you?" He was unaware that I had given up basketball, and for some reason I still responded with a yes. He then said, "Tennis would be really good for your footwork in basketball. You might want to consider that."

I did, and it began a wonderful love affair with the game of tennis. For the remainder of high school, tennis was my game and how I defined myself. I finished my inaugural tennis season on Varsity, quite an accomplishment considering it was the first time in my life I had played the sport competitively.

2005 District Tennis Tournament in Hanford, WA

Prior to my sophomore season I found out my family would be moving to England after the school year ended. This was tough news because I was hopeful that my tennis career would turn into something special. My coach said he envisioned me competing at the State Championships by my senior year. I had hoped that would lead to a chance to play collegiate tennis, but now we were moving to a foreign country. My new school wouldn't have a tennis program, and I knew I wouldn't be able to afford a membership to a tennis club. I begged to stay in Washington, but my family turned my pleas away. My sophomore tennis season would be my last.

I had a fairly successful year in doubles, but eventually I was moved to playing number two singles. Going into the district tournament I had still never won a Varsity singles match. I lost a close match in the first round, and I lost an even closer one in the consolation round. I was heartbroken my career was ending win-less in singles.

I moved to England desperate to find a way to compete in tennis. I played frequently with my dad and anyone else I could find. I was attending an American school and they nicknamed me "Tennis Boy" because that is really who I was. I competed in a couple of tournaments around the country with no success, but I was still enjoying my time competing.

My junior year I ran track. I hated running in circles, but I was a pretty decent distance runner. Nothing amazing, but not bad. My coach loved me and thought I had a ton of potential as a runner, even telling me he thought I could earn a track scholarship to BYU, but my senior year I opted not to run cross country. Instead, that same coach, because he loved me and respected my decision, helped arrange for me to play tennis against other American schools in England even though it wasn't officially sanctioned. I appreciated this opportunity, but it was where my competitive tennis career would end. I was ever-so-lightly recruited to play college tennis - and by that I mean I never received an offer and I was only contacted by a couple of schools - but that was where it ended.

After school one day, late in the fall of my senior year, I was at the gym with a bunch of my friends from school shooting a basketball. Most of the guys were gearing up for the start of the basketball season, and they had casually recruited me a couple of times simply because I am 6'3".

For the first time in a long time, I picked up a basketball to shoot. I went to the left elbow, that old sweet spot of mine, pulled up, and then let it fly. I missed, but I believe that shot has forever changed the course of my life.

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Immediately after I let that shot go, the recruiting to get me to play ball my senior year intensified. Le'Shawn, a classmate of mine, ran over to me and immediately made the announcement I was playing basketball that year. It was like I didn't even have a say in the matter. I quickly pointed out that I had missed the shot, but apparently that didn't matter. He saw the form and the technique. He saw the potential. And he recruited me hard.

My tennis career was over, and I knew it. The words of that track coach in Washington were ringing in my head. "Well, you play basketball don't you? Tennis would be really good for your footwork in basketball. You might want to consider that."

I did consider it. And I decided to play basketball my senior year. My high school had 95 students. 16 people tried out for the team that year, and for the first time ever they were going to be making cuts. One day after practice I had to ask my coach a question. I started "Coach, if I make the team..." He cut me off, looked me dead in the eyes, and said with a smile, "You're going to make the team." I didn't realize how much I wanted it until I heard those words. I was thrilled to play basketball again.

Division IV European Runner-ups: Menwith Hill HS

It was a magical season. Menwith Hill High School, perennial cellar dwellers in tiny Division IV, went on to win a DIII conference crown and finish second in the European Championships. It was the kind of season Hollywood makes movies about. It was Hoosiers meets Glory Road meets Coach Carter. A tiny underdog school with a bunch of misfits battle adversity, including academic suspensions and violent attacks in the town, to win their conference and play for the title. We lost to the defending DIII champions who had been downsized to DIV. Maybe one day I'll write the story of that season in full, but for now I think it's sufficient to say that that magical run cemented a love for basketball in my heart forever.

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During my freshman year of college I played on what may be the worst intramural basketball team in the history of the sport. Games were played on a 40 minute running clock and I remember losing one game by 50 points. That's not a joke.

After my freshman year, I served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in northern Colorado and western Nebraska. It was a remarkable experience, and one that I don't regret in the slightest. I played basketball maybe twice a month on average throughout the two years, but if you were to ask me if I would rather have my mission memories or my basketball memories, I would take the mission every time.

Having said that, even a mission increased my love of basketball. I came home hungry. I wanted to play basketball and get my skills back and improve as much as I could. I took a basketball class my second semester back so that I could play several times a week and have a coach helping me get back on track. I played a rusty but exciting intramural season and it just felt good to play consistently again.

At the time I was  PE Teaching and Coaching major. Perhaps my favorite class that I have ever taken was called "Coaching Basketball." I was coached on how to coach the game that I love. Immediately following the semester I tested what I had learned as I coached a sixth grade Jr. Jazz basketball team.

The "Senseis" after practice (missing one player)

That year of coaching was one of the greatest experiences of my life, not just basketball. I watched as kids were transformed through the game of basketball. That team voted to call themselves the "Senseis" so they could teach the other teams how to lose. Pretty clever of them, huh? The season didn't start that way, but it quickly turned around.

We lost our first game because of my limited coaching experience. I hadn't learned how to manage my timeouts and we ended up losing a real tight game because I couldn't stop the clock and run a play out of bounds under our own basket. Would we have hit a game winning shot? I'll never know, but I learned a something that day: despite all my experience playing, watching, and studying basketball, I was still clueless on how to coach. I could run a practice and organize my team, but I still needed to learn how to manage a game.

I put everything into that volunteer coaching position because I was afraid I had jumped in too deep and might let these kids down. Having played a variety of sports for most of my life I know the impact a coach has. Sometimes it is good, and sometimes it is bad. I wanted to make sure my impact was an overwhelmingly positive one. I bought instructional DVDs, I read books - and if you know me you know it's a big deal for me to take the time to read - about coaching, I emailed my high school assistant coach and asked for his advice, and I talked to my dad several times a week to run new ideas by him and seek his counsel. Most importantly I worked closely with my roommate and assistant coach Adam. We discussed the team as a whole and players as individuals to diagnose problems and draw up and execute practice plans. We did everything we could to give this team the greatest possibility to succeed.

I know that for sixth graders wins and losses are insignificant. Many people don't believe they should even be acknowledged at that age. But for this team I believe it reflects my learning curve as a coach, and therefore the learning curve of my players. We started the season 1-3 but finished 5-3. We finished the season on an incredible four game winning streak. Each week we got better and better, culminating in a game they turned the scoreboard off just after halftime because we were winning by about 30. We estimate we won that game by approximately 50 points on a 32 minute running clock. That's not a joke.

I joked that our star player would probably be a starter on my intramural team that year. Actually, that may not be a joke, either.

As you can tell, I am extremely proud of this team. I know they are only in sixth grade, but there are a few of them I expect to watch on ESPN one day. Even if none of them decide to pursue an athletic career, they were all incredible young men that will make a difference in the world. My prideful nature hopes that I played a role in that.

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Coaching had an impact on my intramural playing "career" as well. As a coach I focused on the fundamentals, and as a result I got back to the basics as a player and I played remarkable, albeit inconsistent. I scored a lifetime high of 15 points twice that season, only to be bested by a 19 point effort later that year. I was also held scoreless in two of the six games, including the last game of the season.

Once again I was hungry for more. I planned to play basketball nearly every day over my summer break. My life took an unexpectedly beautiful turn that altered those plans dramatically. I met Shantel, a gorgeous girl who got my attention the day we met, which happened to be the first day of that summer break. We started dating and I spent nearly all my time either at work or with her and left myself very little room for basketball. Much like my mission, she took priority over basketball, and I don't regret it for a second. We were married on November 17, 2012.

I didn't know how it was going to be balancing two schedules, so I decided to take this season off from coaching. I am, however, just beginning a second job instructing and officiating first and second grade basketball. I officiated a little bit in my teenage years, but I am excited to once again take part in another aspect of the game.

I am a basketball player, coach, fan, analyst, and official. I love this game.

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By no means do I feel that my story and experience in basketball is remarkable, but I do believe it is unique. My experience has led me to a deep and incredible love for basketball and I want to be a part of its magic for the rest of my life. That love has led me to where I am in my life now: seeking a culture of basketball.

Who Wants It? Anyone?

Tyler Griffey's wide open layup at the buzzer took down top-ranked Indiana, the fifth straight week No. 1 has lost.

It's becoming such a common occurrence I almost expect it to happen every week now.

Jan. 12: #20 NC State 84, #1 Duke 76
Jan. 19: #6 Syracuse 70, #1 Louisville 68
Jan. 23: #25 Miami 90, #1 Duke 63
Feb. 2: #3 Indiana 81, AP #1 Michigan 73
Feb. 2: Oklahoma State 85, Coaches' #1 Kansas 80
Feb. 7: Illinois 74, #1 Indiana 72

It has become a curse to be ranked number one in either poll. Five consecutive weeks the top team in the country has lost, including on week the top spot belonged to a different team in each poll, and in that week both suffered losses. Six teams in five weeks. Who wants to be at the top?

Duke has gone down twice, as has Indiana. Louisville's loss triggered a three game losing streak, and Kansas is now in the midst of a two game losing streak, the most recent coming to TCU, easily the most embarrassing loss by anyone this year.

Michigan lost on the road to a Final Four contender in Indiana, and they seem poised to reclaim the top spot this week provided they can take care of Wisconsin on the road tomorrow. Having said that, they're kind of the de facto number one after #2 Florida lost to Arkansas, so watch out!

I think that one of the things we are seeing this year is the great leveling of the playing field. Powerhouses are never safe, and mid- and low-majors are rising up to match the talent at the top. Greatness doesn't mean dominance, and mediocrity doesn't lead to the Big Dance.

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Speaking of mediocrity, how about BYU? I think they have officially played themselves out of any chance at an at-large bid with last night's loss to San Diego. It would take an undefeated remainder of the regular season, a trip to the WCC championship game, Gonzaga winning that championship game, and many bubble teams losing early in their conference tournaments to teams with losing records. And even then it will be pushing it. So instead the Cougars had better plan on winning the conference tourney if they plan on dancing this year.

My Thoughts of the Week

Butler and the A-10

A while back I received a question about Butler (Ben H.). Are they legit? What has led to their success? That kind of a thing. I was in the middle of a three parter on the state of the BYU basketball team, an article I now regret due to their recent woes and probable NIT destination, so I decided to finish that before I did another mailbag. Then I decided that Butler deserved it's own post, but since knocking off top ranked Indiana they had kind of slipped into irrelevancy, not because of poor play, but because they had been playing a weaker schedule. When Butler beat Gonzaga at the buzzer last weekend, without their leading scorer and best player, Rotnei Clarke, I decided this week would be a great time to return to the Butler Bulldogs and give them a full post of their own, but then Wednesday they lost to La Salle. La Salle! Seriously. Consequently, I feel now is not the time to talk about Butler's dominance. I mean, La Salle, guys. They beat top-10 Gonzaga without Clarke, but lost to La Salle? Stunner. So for the time being I'll direct your attention to Mark Titus' Top 12 NCAA Power Rankings: How Butler turns it's irritating style of play into wins over top opponents like Indiana and Gonzaga. I highly recommend the entire article, and in fact you should check out more of his stuff because Titus is hilarious, but if all you care about is the Butler info, scroll down to their section. They come in at number 7 in his power rankings. This is, of course, prior to the La Salle game. I still can't believe it. La Salle?

Rotnei Clarke and Butler are probably still the best team,
but the A-10 is deep and the race to the top is wide open.

While we're on the subject, how about the Atlantic 10 conference this year? Joe Lunardi currently has them slated as a three bid league, with two more teams just barely on the wrong side of the bubble. I could conceivably see four bids coming out of this league, and that's incredible. Charlotte sits atop the conference, with VCU, Xavier, and Butler also all having just one conference loss. La Salle has two losses, just beat Butler and has VCU up next. The Butler win could give La Salle all the confidence they need to take down two ranked teams in the same week. Richmond also has two losses, but just took down VCU in overtime which could propel them going forward as well. Temple and Saint Louis have two conference losses and big wins out of conference and could conceivably make a run the remainder of the season. Last but not least, UMass also has just two conference losses, but lack a marquee win just yet, though they have games against Butler and VCU remaining. Any one of those nine teams could find themselves dancing in March. At most, the A-10 will be a four bid league, but when have we ever talked about nine teams in the A-10 having a shot at the tourney?

Duke and the Hurricanes

Unbelievable. I just can't believe it. Shane Larkin, son of Barry Larkin, who was taught to hit by his father, Tony Perez, and Pete Rose, was actually told by his Little League coach that whoever taught him to hit a baseball taught him wrong? Are you kidding me? He was taught to play ball by three two Hall of Famers and Pete Rose (don't get me started). If Pete Rose, the all time hits leader, teaches a kid to hit a baseball, I'm sure he did just fine.

But thanks to that stupid coach, we saw Miami upset number one Duke in blowout fashion, and it was a fun game to watch. The Hurricanes jumped on Duke from the beginning. Duke played miserably in the first half, and Miami played better that I would have ever predicted. After taking a 42-19 lead into the locker room at halftime, Miami never relented. The second half was filled with deep threes and exciting alley-oops. Duke played better offensively, but their defense never materialized. I'm not necessarily a Duke hater, but that game sure was fun to watch.

Kenny Kadji and Shane Larkin led Miami to a demolition of
Duke and the programs first win over a top ranked team.

The consequences for both teams are interesting. Duke has to learn to play without Ryan Kelly, and this was obviously not a good start. It could be a tipping point for the Blue Devils, and we may watch their season spiral out of control, or this may be a wake up call. They have a tough schedule the remainder of the way, including an opportunity for vengeance against Miami at Cameron Indoor on March 2. If they can learn quickly how to play without Kelly, they should still be a national title contender. If not, and if they suffer some losses down the stretch of conference play, we could see another early exit in the NCAA tourney.

Miami, however, may have just alerted the nation that they could be a serious threat in March. Despite two inexplicable losses against Florida Gulf Coast and Indiana State, they are an incredible team and seemed to hit their stride just as conference play come. If they can continue their run in the ACC, they could be primed to do some serious postseason damage.

BYU and the NIT

Jack Carlino, little brother of point guard Matt Carlino, asked Joe Lunardi this week on Twitter what BYU needed to do to make it to the NCAA tournament. His response? "Stop losing to every tourney-level team they play." Yep, that about sums it up. If they don't steal a good win soon, BYU will be NIT bound.

Yep. That about sums it up.

In the biggest game of the year against a top-10 team on the road, BYU played the worst half of basketball imaginable. Wait, sorry, I just remembered Duke. The second worst half of basketball imaginable. That hole proved to be way too much, but if there's a silver lining to all this it's that BYU actually outplayed the Zags for much of the second half, and that was without any semblance of a contribution from the 7th leading scorer in the country, Tyler Haws. In fact, every Cougar struggled mightily in this game apart from Josh Sharp and Nate Austin who shot a combined 9-11 from the floor with 23 combined points. The rest of the Cougars? 12-48 for 40 points. Absolutely abysmal. For stretches, Carlino looked like he may come alive, and Brandon Davies played a significantly better second half than he did first half, but none of it was nearly enough to dethrone a Gonzaga team that looks destined for run late into March. 

I said just prior to conference play that BYU was going to need to go 2-2 in the four games against Saint Mary's and Gonzaga. Having started that quest 0-2, the Cougars are going to need to steal a game on SMC's home floor, and hold court against Gonzaga, both of which are remarkably daunting tasks. BYU will also likely need to avoid any further slip-ups against the rest of the West Coast Conference. 

Murray and the Djoker

Andy Murray is seeking his second Grand Slam title Sunday

What a wonder winning Gold did for Andy Murray! He followed that up by winning the US Open, his first Grand Slam title. And now he's made a run in the Australian Open, taking down Roger Federer in five sets. After beating Fed in the Olympics, Murray has been a different man. He was formerly fueled by determination, and with the help of his coach, Ivan Lendl, Murray rode that determination to victories, and now to confidence. Rather than getting shaken and rattled by his opponents if the going gets tough, he thrives on it. He embraces it. And he will now get another shot at Novak Djokovic in an Aussie Open final. He lost to the Djoker in Melbourne two years ago, but took him down in last year's US Open. 

Murray has been playing the best tennis of his career since last summer, but Djokovic has been the most dangerous player on tour in the last two years. Djokovic cruised through these championships, including a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 straight set demolition of David Ferrer in the semifinals. It almost certainly won't be that easy for him against Murray, but with that kind of dominance, you have to wonder if Murray stands much of a chance right now. I suppose we'll find out Sunday.

Manti and the Hoax

The more and more we find out, the more and more I become convinced of Te'o's innocence. I'm still not 100 percent sold, but I still believe him. That being said, I'm becoming more and more annoyed and bored with the story. I've basically lost interest and no longer care who was behind it or who did what. I mean, I'll still follow the story and wait for the whole truth to surface, but in the mean time, I'm just going to focus on sports and pay little attention to conspiracies.

Mailbag: A Whole Lot of Lies

That's right, Lance. Seven Tour titles. All lies.

I feel cheated. Lance Armstrong had to work hard to gain my respect. Seriously, he had to work really hard. When everyone else was jumping on the Lance Armstrong bandwagon, I still wasn't sure. I never knew why, but I just couldn't bring myself to like him. Perhaps it was because I was young. Maybe I didn't like yellow as a kid and didn't realize that yellow was a symbol of his dominance in cycling, but I just couldn't bring myself to appreciate him. But slowly, over a long period of time, my mindset began to change. Perhaps it was when my aunt got cancer. As she battled through that exhausting trial, maybe that's when things began to change for me. One way or another he had gained my respect as an athlete who had achieved a great miracle to become the most dominant man in the history of cycling. I genuinely believed him.

But now I'm just a chump like everyone else. Maybe it wasn't the color yellow that caused my displeasure. Maybe it was a feeling inside me. Maybe my instincts were telling me from the beginning, "Don't trust that man. As tempting as it is, don't trust him." I got suckered into a great story line, which seems to be happening a lot lately. It's heartbreaking that millions and millions of people stood behind yet another athlete using PEDs.

Is the main difference between Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds just that Lance was more of a jerk? -Mike G.

Please understand, my following answer is in no way implying that Barry Bonds wasn't a jerk. I have heard and read far too many accounts to believe he was, by any stretch of the imagination, a nice guy. Ex-wives, ex-teammates, ex-employees of ball clubs have been told numerous stories that he was a jerk. Chalk a lot of it up to roid rage, but from what I understand, Barry Bonds was quite a scumbag.

However, I am inclined to answer this question with a yes. I believe that the main difference between Lance Armstrong and Barry bonds is that Lance has been more of a jerk. He has sued countless numbers of people and ruined their lives. Why? All because they were telling the truth about his use of performance enhancing drugs. All because they were ahead of the curve, condemning him of something that he has now received a lifetime ban from the United States Anti-Doping Agency for. He claimed slander, he claimed libel, and he went after people with a vengeance and destroyed their lives if he could. Only now we find out that those lives were destroyed because of a "ruthless desire to win." Ruthless is right.

Lance's interview with Oprah has been more
manipulative than apologetic so far.

And why is he admitting to it all now? He told Oprah he doesn't have a good answer to that question, that it's too late. He's right, it is too late. He should have done it before he destroyed people lives. Before he sued and harassed them for attempting to keep integrity in cycling. So why now? Because once again he is trying to manipulate life in his favor. He is trying to reduce his ban to eight years. USADA said this interview with Oprah isn't enough. They have said he needs to say it, under oath, directly to them.

His interview seemed to be another attempt to get America to love him. He took personal accountability, but mostly did so as he attempted to distance himself from it by pointing and saying "I see who I was, and he was arrogant." No, Lance, he is arrogant. You are arrogant. He apologized, but without seeming apologetic. He didn't apologize to anybody in particular, he simply apologized for his mistake. All the lives he ruined, the people he accused of slander and then slandered himself, did not receive an apology.

So yes, given the choice between the two, Lance was more of a jerk. And unless in part two with Oprah tonight he changes my mind, that's how I'm always going to view him.

**********

There's not a question about this situation that I don't have, but:

a) Did Manti Te'o fake having a girlfriend, or did he have a girlfriend he never met?

b) Which of the two is weirder?

P.S. If it's a hoax, I'm supposed to believe a Heisman candidate had a girlfriend that he never met in real life? I'm not even that pathetic. -Mike G.

First of all, Mike, I happen to know you're not that pathetic as you recently got married. Although, I've suspiciously never met her. Have you been catfished? I'm kidding, of course. I've seen pictures of the two of you, and you look great together. Congratulations.

But back to Te'o. I couldn't have said it any better. My mind has gone through a whirlwind of questions these past few days since the news broke. If you haven't read the Deadspin article, go read it now so you're up to speed.

At this point, I am still inclined to believe Te'o was duped and had no part to play in this. That being said, there are still far too many inconsistencies and unanswered questions for me to give him my full support just yet. And it just keeps getting weirder.

Did he meet Lennay Kekua after a game at Stanford? Did he meet her online? If he is the victim here, why has he left us under the impression that they met up in Hawai'i? Who was he talking to on the phone? Why didn't they Skype like every other long distance couple in the world? The list of questions could continue forever. My big question is this: if he really was in on the hoax from the beginning, what would his motive have been? When he started telling everyone he had a girlfriend, he wasn't on any Heisman radar, so he wasn't trying to add a story line to his senior season to get sympathy votes for a Heisman campaign. And then when his grandmother passed away, did he just think to himself "Oh, perfect timing, I'll kill off Lennay now." I just can't see that happening quite that way.

A lot of new information has come out after the initial Deadspin article surfaced. An article on SI.com with a transcript of an interview with Manti ten days after Kekua supposedly died. Interviews with people claiming to know the man behind the hoax, and that Te'o knew nothing and truly was the victim. Information showing that Te'o kept the story going even after he learned of its falsehood on December 6.  What on earth is going on?

At this point, I'm still with Te'o. After reading the SI.com transcript (very much worth the read) it seems to me that he sounded sincere. He was fuzzy on the details of how they met, but as the article states, if he met the girl online, you can understand why he would want to keep that information private. He also never once explicitly states in that interview that he had met up with Kekua in person. You would think that if this was a fictional tale he created that he would include that to make it sound more realistic. I believe he was genuinely fooled into believing he had fallen in love with a young woman named Lennay Kekua.

Here is where Te'o went wrong, however. After discovering the truth of it all on December 6, he should have gone straight to school administrators and gotten ahead of this thing and issued a statement and apology of his own. I'm sure he felt he was in too deep, and the times he spoke about his girlfriend publicly after December 6 were probably a result of him feeling cornered, trapped by this lie and not understanding a way out. He probably believed he could ride out the wave and it would all be fine. Clearly, however, that hasn't happened. And so he perpetuated the lie and is guilty of at least that.

Back to the original question, with everyone in America digging for the truth on this one, it's only a matter of time before we know the truth. Did he fake having a girlfriend, or did he have a girlfriend he never met? I think he had a girlfriend he never met. Or at least he thought he did. Which one is weirder? Now that's a good question, but in today's world of online dating (weird) I'm going to have to say that having a fake girlfriend is weirder.

This One Hurt

I have never gone from that high, to that low, that quickly. Ever.

My senior basketball season at Menwith Hill High School, a tiny division 4 school in Harrogate, England, began against a division 1 school's JV squad. They might have been a bigger school, but we were a varsity squad and we were confident we could win.

But it came down to the wire. We were tied heading into the final possession, and they held the ball. Their guy dribbled around the perimeter, looking for a gap. He couldn't find one. My teammate was quick and kept him from finding a lane to the basket. Time was expiring and it came down to a deep, desperate three point attempt. It went in.

I played in that game. It still wasn't as devastating as what happened last night.

Going into the final minute, BYU and Saint Mary's College were tied. With 34.6 seconds left, tie game, and shot clock off, BYU had possession of the ball. Carlino dribbled the clock down to 10 and the play went into motion. The pass, of course, went to Tyler Haws on the wing. He took his man in, put up a difficult shot, and with two and a half seconds left, it found nylon. The Marriott Center went ballistic. We went crazy. We had won the game in the final seconds and Tyler Haws' star status was becoming more and more clear! Saint Mary's couldn't possibly make a half court shot to win... Wait.

This was not the scene Provo wanted to see last night.

I was crushed. I dropped to my seat and sat in stunned silence. They could review it all they wanted, but it wasn't even close. Matthew Dellavedova got the inbounded pass around half court, took a couple of dribbles, and heaved a 35 foot running desperation shot. Anson Winder, in the neighborhood, made the right decision to back off enough that he wouldn't have a chance at being called for a foul. I would take that shot every time. And my team would win nearly every single one. But not last night. Not against Saint Mary's. That desperate heave went straight through the bottom of the net.

That shot undermined some huge shots by Brock Zylstra. He should be feeling incredibly confident about his game right now, ready for more. Instead, he's likely reeling. It will be interesting to see how he plays going forward. That shot undermined some excellent play from Anson Winder and some nice shots from Nate Austin, who is finally looking confident. That shot negated an incredible effort from BYU's budding star, Tyler Haws. That shot wiped out Haws' game winner, what could have been a defining moment for his season, and for this team's season.

And it remains to be seen, but that shot may end up blocking BYU from the NCAA tournament and sending the Cougars to the NIT.

It will now be a long, uphill battle for BYU to make it to the Big Dance. I said before conference play began that BYU would likely need to go 2-2 in their four games against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. Now one of those wins will have to take place at SMC or at Gonzaga, and that feels like a stretch.

The game wasn't lost on that shot, however. I kept screaming not to leave Stephen Holt open, because he burned us last year. He hit a shot. Then another. And another. I yelled that we couldn't give him any breathing room, but he kept finding enough space to hit the open look. Dellavedova, cold all night, came up clutch in the last few minutes leading up to that crippling, heart breaking shot.

Coach Rose walks off the court after the loss to SMC.

It wasn't all Saint Mary's good play though. A lot of it was Cougar mistakes. Carlino started hot and Haws started cold. Randy Bennett switched up his defense and pressured Carlino. That turned out to be a wise decision. Carlino kept trying to do too much. He didn't step back and find the open man. He ended up committing six turnovers, more than doubling his previous total from league play thus far. He forced up shots that weren't there. And it cost the Cougars.

Brandon Davies played through foul trouble and ended up fouling out. Were he on the floor in the final minute, would it have been a different outcome? I would guess so, but his play throughout the game was detrimental. He played a little like Carlino. Started well, then got overconfident and started forcing things. He was like a vacuum at times. He sucked the ball into the post and then failed to kick it back out when nothing was there, forcing up bad shot after bad shot.

Then there were the neutral players, the guys who didn't necessarily harm the team's play, but they didn't necessarily add to it either. Josh Sharp hit the first shot of the game, a three pointer, but he practically disappeared after that. Craig Cusick chipped in three assists, but not much else. Agustin Ambrosino played one minute and had one shot blocked.

Haws, Austin, and Winder, as well as Zylstra, deserved to
 be all smiles after their performances.

And there was some good. Tyler Haws warmed up and the game was his. He deserved that game winner, but he didn't get it. Nate Austin played perhaps his best game of the year. Anson Winder hit his first three pointer of the year and chipped in several hustle plays. Brock Zylstra hit both shots he took, and they were probably the two biggest shots he's taken in his career.

But it wasn't enough. Against the good teams, BYU needs a full team to show up. BYU needs to keep their composure when the pressure comes. They can do it, but they're clearly not quite there yet against the top conference competition.

My little high school team developed into a great squad after that buzzer-beater loss. We shocked everyone, won our conference, and stormed into the European Championship finals. That one regular season game was a turning point for us, and perhaps this game against Saint Mary's College can be a turning point for the Cougars as well.

If the Cougars can use this as a learning experience and a building block and take confidence away from it, they can still make the NCAAs. Admittedly it is a long shot, but so was Dellavedova's.

What's Wrong With BYU Basketball? Part 3

Now that we have looked at each of the returning players, let's look at the team as a whole and make any further necessary diagnosis.

Conference play has started well for the Cougars, with many of my concerns already being addressed. Matt Carlino seems to be back on track and completing BYU's "Big Three." If he continues to score in double figures, dish the ball to his teammates (5.25 assists per game so far in league play), and take care of the ball (only 1 turnover in the past three games, and 4.2 assist/turnover ration in league play) then BYU can be a dangerous team.

With Matt Carlino coming into form at the right time
BYU could make a run in conference play.

Brock Zylstra had a big game, Josh Sharp hasn't been shooting well of late but he has been rebounding well, especially on the offensive end. Brandon Davies hasn't been the same player since he rolled his ankle, but he has done just enough to make an impact (apart from the San Francisco game where he fouled out. Fortunately Carlino and Zylstra stepped up big in that game). Tyler Haws struggled from the line against San Francisco but has been on a tear the last couple of games, winning his second WCC Player of the Week honors this year. The starters are rolling into form, and despite still having some ups and downs they seem to be playing well as a unit and hitting their stride at the right time.

As for the other returning players, Craig Cusick's playing time has begun to increase again, apart from the Santa Clara game, and he has chipped in nicely. I expect that he will finish the season playing around 15 minutes a game and his contributions will be solid and consistent. Nate Austin remains a curious case and I still don't know what to expect from him the rest of the year. Provided Davies can stay out of foul trouble, it doesn't appear that Austin is going to play a major role the rest of the year unless he can start adding buckets in his limited playing time, but 2 points per game in conference play isn't going to get him more playing time. Anson Winder, however, is coming off a 14 minute, 10 point outing against Santa Clara and seems to be pretty close to full strength, so he could see more minutes through the remainder of conference play.

Depending on Matt Carlino's back, which seized up this week in practice, tonight's starting lineup could include Cusick, with Winder playing significant minutes at the point guard position. They could also play alongside each other depending on Zylstra's performance in the game.

The other role players on this Cougar squad remain the big question mark. I think most people expected more out of Agustin Ambrosino and Raul Delgado. Late in the non-conference schedule it seemed like Delgado may emerge as a lock-down defender, who go transition buckets who could hit the three, which is what BYU recruited him for, but he has averaged just 5 minutes and 1.75 points per game since conference play began. All of his points came in a 7 point performance against Loyola Marymount, and he has failed to score a point in the last three games. Ambrosino has made an almost imperceptible impact on the Cougars this year, prompting a position switch from the 4 to the 3, backing up Tyler Haws, where he will see even less playing time as Haws plays the vast majority of available minutes.

Last year's Colorado high school player of the year, Cory Calvert, had some nice games early in the year, but it appears that his playing time is also diminishing with Winder becoming more healthy. Big man Ian Harward, who struggled with some lower back problems early in the year, has struggled to find a place in the rotation. Even when he makes it to the floor, his propensity to foul (13.2 fouls per 40 minutes played) keeps him from making any sort of positive impact.

Kelly Olynyk (13) and Kevin Pangos (4) will make it tough
for BYU - or anyone - to make a run in the WCC.

So where do the Cougars head from here? It will be very interesting to see, and I think we can get a pretty clear indication in the next three games (home against Saint Mary's and San Diego, on the road against Gonzaga). If BYU continues to roll and can go 3-0, or even 2-1 with the one loss being a close game against top 10 Gonzaga, the Cougars can ride that momentum all the way into the NCAA tournament. If BYU drops the Saint Mary's game and the Gonzaga game, BYU could very well be NIT bound. I believe that overall BYU needs to go 2-2 in their four games against Gonzaga and Saint Mary's in order to make the NCAA tournament. These next three days could make or break the momentum that is building up and they could make or break the remainder of the season for BYU.

I believe that this BYU squad is better, albeit slightly, than last year's team, even if they have a lesser result. However, in order to duplicate last year's success and continue the streak of NCAA tournament appearances for, the "Big 3" have to stay strong and consistently put up big number. The role players will also need to contribute, but I still don't see anyone who can be a consistent scorer outside of Haws, Davies, and Carlino. Carlino remains the question mark in this trio, but if he can continue his in conference success and take over games when Haws and Davies get into foul trouble, BYU can be successful.

The concern now is health. Davies sprained his ankle and seems to be recovering, but he has also appeared out of sorts since the injury. He hasn't been as quick with his feet and consequently has found himself in old habits and foul trouble. Carlino is suffering from back spasms, and hopes to be healthy enough to play but his status is up in the air. With this happening just before this critical three game stretch, a lot of things are in doubt, and somebody else is going to need to step up for BYU if Carlino isn't ready to go and Davies gets into trouble. Haws likely won't be able to carry the entire team just yet and is going to need some help.

There are a lot of uncertainties, but watch the next eight days of Cougar basketball to likely see the fate of BYU's season.