Butler rekindles 2010 magic with tourney’s 1st buzzer-beater

You remember these Butler Bulldogs. Still magical in March, still beating NCAA Tournament teams that look as if they could wad them up like a …



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Butler rekindles 2010 magic with tourney’s 1st buzzer-beater

You remember these Butler Bulldogs. Still magical in March, still beating NCAA Tournament teams that look as if they could wad them up like a …



View full post on USATODAY.com College Basketball News

Steely resolve: Kansas buoyed by turbulent season, 2010 exit

As a rejuvenated Tyshawn Taylor knifed through defenses and Marcus and Markieff Morris punctuated a sweep through last week’s Big 12 Conference …



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NBA Draft: 10 Things That NBA Teams Would Do Differently in the 2010 Draft

It’s hard to evaluate a draft less than a year after it happened.

But I’m sure if some of the teams had the opportunity to re-do the 2010 NBA draft right now, there would be big changes on the horizon.

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Evan Turner second overall, and he has struggled for the majority of the season.

While Turner could develop into an All-Star one day, Philadelphia could have taken that opportunity to solidify a greater position of need instead of drafting the heir-apparent to Andre Iguodala.

Not all picks will end up badly.

Sometimes the younger players often just take extra time to develop or haven’t had the time to adjust to the length of the 82 game NBA schedule.

Regardless of how they end up, this article is just looking at the facts.

Right now in March, I can guarantee you that NBA general managers are watching a player develop and saying “man, I really messed up there”.

So I want to give them a chance to make things right…and that chance is now.

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Heat’s Big 3 found early chemistry in 2010 All-Star Game

No one knew it then, or maybe a few did (wink, wink), but the 2010 NBA All-Star Game was a harbinger for the 2010-11 Miami Heat.



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Kansas Jayhawks Are Better In 2011 Than They Were In 2010

It took the Jayhawks 25 games to get there, but here they are finally ranked at the top of college basketball (considering they take care of business tonight against K-State).

As a lifelong Jayhawks fan, I refuse to compare any Kansas team to the 2008 squad until they win a national championship, but stacking this team next to last year’s squad seems fair.

With the Morris twins leading the way, I believe the 2010-2011 Jayhawks are a better squad than the ’09-’10 version.

Hopefully they won’t have to face Northern Iowa.

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Nets eclipse 2010 win total, hand Cavs 17th consecutive loss

Brook Lopez had a hard time remembering his last game-winning shot.



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South Carolina Basketball 2010: A Season of Growth, Not Wins

Since football season is now officially over, it is time to turn my attention and considerable writing prowess (ahem) to my second love…basketball.

When I taught middle school, I was the head coach of the basketball team and learned quickly as a coach how much more difficult it is as a sport and as a mind game.

For those that think basketball is a sport for stupid people who just need to put the ball in the hoop, think again.

In football, you learn a ton of plays…but unless you are the quarterback, you aren’t making a whole lot of adjustments. In basketball, every player is making choices on every play. When you have the ball in your hand, you are making reads and choices every time…and there is no luxury of a huddle or pre-read assignments.

You can dribble to advance the ball, find an open man, reset…each player responsible for choices that make or break a possession.

This is why I am so impressed with what Darrin Horn is apparently building at South Carolina. At 10-6, the record doesn’t exactly show this team to be world-beaters. Losses against Furman and Alabama show that this team is not really going to do much this season.

However, wins against Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and Clemson, plus a close matchup with Michigan State, show the blueprint for a bright future.

It is next to impossible to predict how the team will perform night in and night out. This is due to the youth on the team. I don’t predict many wins for them at this point.

I won’t go game by game, but I can see a sweep of Auburn, winning a rematch against Alabama in Columbia, a win against Mississippi and then one or two miscellaneous upsets in SEC play. Maybe Georgia, maybe LSU or Arkansas…

The point is, 15-15 should be the goal. If that is attained, and it can, then Horn should be getting coach of the year consideration. Seriously. 

Nine of the 13 players on this team are either freshmen or sophomores. Six of them are freshmen. That is roughly HALF of the team. We aren’t talking 5-star freshmen like Kentucky get…we are talking workmanlike, 3- to 4-star guys who are made for Horn’s system.

You can see a vicious high-speed attack forming. If the shooting improves (a big if, but can come with time), this team could be a very difficult SEC out in years to come.

Add to this two Rivals top 150 players coming in next year—Anthony Gill and Damien Leonard—and Murphy Holloway, an established SEC defensive star coming from Mississippi, and you have the makings of a contender.

Give Horn a few more years before you start calling for his head. Basketball is a tough sport to build a winner in, and Coach has them on the right path.

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Best of 2010: Top 10 Los Angeles Lakers Moments of the Year

With a second straight title, a victory over the rival Boston Celtics in the Finals and a revamped roster for the three-peat opportunity, no NBA team had a better year than the Los Angeles Lakers.

In fact, no team had a better 2010. Except maybe Jimmie Johnson’s.

Obviously, the championship is the crowning moment of the year. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the rest of the Lakers brought home the city’s fifth title in 11 years, and that’s as close to a dynasty as there is in the major sports nowadays.

Sounds good, right? Lakers fans saw some excellent basketball in 2010, and these 10 plays are the cream of the crop. 

There’s a little bit of everything: buzzer-beaters, history, crazy dunks and more. The purple and gold made it a memorable year, so it’s time to remember it well.

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Best of 2010: Top 10 Los Angeles Lakers Moments of the Year

With a second straight title, a victory over the rival Boston Celtics in the Finals and a revamped roster for the three-peat opportunity, no NBA team had a better year than the Los Angeles Lakers.

In fact, no team had a better 2010. Except maybe Jimmie Johnson’s.

Obviously, the championship is the crowning moment of the year. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the rest of the Lakers brought home the city’s fifth title in 11 years, and that’s as close to a dynasty as there is in the major sports nowadays.

Sounds good, right? Lakers fans saw some excellent basketball in 2010, and these 10 plays are the cream of the crop. 

There’s a little bit of everything: buzzer-beaters, history, crazy dunks and more. The purple and gold made it a memorable year, so it’s time to remember it well.

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