Pros, cons of potential college basketball rules changes
New rule changes could make for better offense, but will it be better overall basketball?
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Andrew Wiggins Must Weigh Pros and Cons of Each Remaining Program on His List
Andrew Wiggins has narrowed his options down to four schools, and each one would provide something different for the talented basketball prospect.
According to 247Sports, the small forward is the No. 1 player in the country and will soon choose between North Carolina, Florida State, Kansas and Kentucky.
Of course, many believe that he is ready to pick the Wildcats after canceling his visits to the other schools, according to CBS’ Jeff Goodman:
However, Jeff Borzello of CBS reported that he was just tired from his latest All-Star showcase.
Assuming that each school is still in play, Wiggins has to look at all of the pros and cons of all four schools.
Kentucky
Pros
Kentucky will definitely have the best team on paper heading into next season, with or without Wiggins. If the top prospect decides to play for coach John Calipari, there will be a scary amount of talent.
Julius Randle, the Harrison twins and others will come in as part of an amazing recruiting class, and these players will join an already-talented roster that includes Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress.
These players could form a squad that could not only win a national championship, but become one of the best college basketball teams of all time.
Cons
There is a lot of talent on this roster, but that will create as many problems as it solves.
Not only will all of these players compete for playing time, they will also be battling for touches and shots during the games. This could hinder his development by getting fewer opportunities to shine.
North Carolina
Pros
With James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston returning, this is going to be a good team next season. The addition of Wiggins could make North Carolina title contenders.
These are also veteran leaders who could mentor the wing as he enters college, something that Kentucky will lack next season. McAdoo knows what it is like to be a top recruit who struggles a bit in college, so he could help Wiggins avoid making the same mistakes.
Cons
Coach Roy Williams is not afraid to give playing time to freshmen, but he prefers using upperclassmen when they are available.
Even top prospects like McAdoo and Marvin Williams spent time on the bench in their first years as the more veteran players got priority. While Wiggins will still get on the floor, it might be less playing time than possible.
Kansas
Pros
Bill Self has proven his ability to get players to the NBA. This includes not only top prospects but lesser-known players who worked hard to reach the next level.
The coach will help complete his game while making him a better defender and smarter decision-maker. Kansas will also have plenty of opportunities after losing all five starters from a year ago.
Cons
The fact that Ben McLemore, Jeff Withey and others are no longer on the team will cause the Jayhawks to struggle a bit, at least early on.
Kansas is usually among the top teams in the nation and should be expected to do well next year as well, but it might be tougher for this squad to win a national championship than some other teams on this list.
Florida State
Pros
One thing he will get at Florida State is freedom. There is not a lot of talent on the roster, and Wiggins could instantly become the man for the Seminoles.
In addition, there are a couple of personal connections for Wiggins with Florida State. Both of his parents went to the school, and high school teammate Xavier Rathan-Mayes already committed to play for the Seminoles.
This could help provide him with an increased comfort level when he travels to college.
Cons
Florida State was not a very good team last year and lost its best player in Michael Snaer. This could lead Wiggins to being forced to make too many plays on his own without talent around him.
If he starts getting into bad habits on the offensive end, this could lead to a big wake-up call in the NBA.
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Pros and Cons of Eddie Jordan’s Potential Move to Rutgers
Eddie Jordan has been named as someone who could become the next head basketball coach at Rutgers, but the question remains whether or not this is a smart decision for the program.
The position became available after former coach Mike Rice was fired due to various mental and physical abuse against his players that was caught on videotape. Sources say that Jordan could be named the next coach as soon as Monday (via ESPN).
Jordan is currently working as an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers after three different stints as a head coach in the NBA. He has many appealing characteristics on paper, but here is an examination on what he could do for the program.
Cons
No College Experience
Jordan played for Rutgers from 1973-77, but since then has almost exclusively been involved in the NBA either as a player or a coach.
While there is nothing wrong with being around players at the highest level, college basketball is nothing like the professional league. There are different rules, different strategies and even different problems that you deal with on a regular basis.
The coach will have to be more of a teacher to the young players than he has ever been, as many will likely come onto the team very raw as far as ability goes.
Additionally, it is unknown how much success he will have in the recruiting game with no experience. With few ties to programs in the area, it will be a challenge to get top players in his first few years.
These problems could lead to poor results out of the gate.
Lack of Success as Head Coach
While the 58-year-old former player has been around the NBA for a while, he has not been able to stick with one team for an extended period. This is mainly due to his 257-343 overall record as a head coach between stops with the Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.
He coached for parts of nine seasons, making the playoffs four times and winning a postseason series only once.
Throughout his career, teams generally underachieved compared to the talent on the roster. This inability to get the most of his players could remain a problem at Rutgers.
Pros
Opposite Personality of Mike Rice
After the Mike Rice fiasco, the school will be under a microscope, as the NCAA will make sure something like this never happens again. There is no better way to avoid this problem than to hire a coach with very few similarities to the one who left.
Rice was always intense on the sidelines, and that continued into practices. Conversely, Jordan’s known as “Easy Ed” and was called “the antithesis of Mike Rice” by David Lariviere of Forbes.
Rutgers showed potential last season with a 12-4 start, but the team collapsed down the stretch by losing 12 of the final 15 games. It is possible the players who did not respond to the anger of Rice will play better under the direction of Jordan.
The Scarlet Knights need a player-friendly coach to rid themselves of this problem, and Jordan is a great choice.
Reinvigorate the Program
This is a huge moment for the future of Rutgers basketball. The school will move to the Big Ten after the 2013-14 season, and with that will come increased expectations.
Of course, the latest incident gave the school national attention for all the wrong reasons. Jordan has to get the program back in the right direction.
Incidentally, he is the perfect person to do that. He is an alumnus who has loads of NBA experience that will come to a school that hasn’t had many positive events in recent history. If there is a person that can get the fans excited, this is it.
If Jordan can convince some big-time players to come to the school and have at least marginal success in his first year, it will give the school a lot of momentum as it changes conferences.
Verdict
In most of Eddie Jordan’s stops in his career, his bosses were not patient enough to wait for him to turn things around. This could be a problem at Rutgers.
Fans, as well as the athletic department, must give the coach time to get acclimated to the college game and find a way to have success at this level.
If he is given opportunity to do things his way, Jordan could be very successful with the Scarlet Knights.
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Pros and Cons of Derrick Rose Returning for Chicago Bulls Playoff Run
To return or not to return? That’s the Derrick Rose-related question the Chicago Bulls and their fans have spent sleepless nights obsessing over.
Since tearing his ACL last April, Rose’s arduous journey back toward the hardwood has been well-documented, and his dedication to doing so on constant display. This same “journey” has also failed to present concrete direction.
Rose has made it abundantly clear that he will sit the entire year if he needs to. Inside of 10 games to go in the NBA‘s regular season, remaining on the sidelines for the rest of the year is a legitimate possibility.
With every mention of the point guard dunking and slashing again, though, hope spreads that his return to the floor is imminent, and that he’ll be ready for the playoffs. Which would be great.
Or would it?
Few of us expected Rose to miss the entire year. Even more of us believed he would’ve been back by now. Adidas’ The Return campaign seemed to suggest that Rose wasn’t only hell-bent on playing this season, but likely to.
Now, with the Bulls preparing to embark on their postseason campaign, we’re not just unsure if his return is likely, but we’re left to wonder if it’s even worth it.
Having spent more than 70 games without the former MVP, the Bulls are who they are.
And there’s no telling if “who they are” stands to improve with Rose at this point.
*All stats used in this article were compiled from Basketball-Reference, Synergy Sports, 82games.com and NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
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Pros and Cons of Derrick Rose Returning to Chicago Bulls in 2013
With doctors clearing Derrick Rose for full contact, it’s a realistic possibility that we could see him on the floor this season.
But should we?
While it seems like a no-brainer on the surface, there are certainly cons to go with every pro to the decision.
It’s been about 10 months since Rose tore his ACL in the 2012 playoffs, and as of today, the Bulls have gone 35-27 in the regular season without him.
Chicago must weigh the pros and cons of bringing back its star player for a playoff run in the East.
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NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and Cons for Each Aaron Gordon Suitor
The most common player comparison for San Jose native Aaron Gordon (No. 4, ESPN 100) is Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin.
As with any projection, the Gordon-Griffin comparison has its superficialities (both players look similar physically) and its legitimate talking points (both have serious hops).
But ultimately it is just a way to generate buzz.
What we do know is that scouts regard the ”tweener” forward as an elite player in a loaded 2013 class.
And that Gordon’s decision on a school has boiled down to Kentucky, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.
Ahead we’ll map out the pros and cons of these four schools.
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NBA Trade Rumors: Pros and Cons of Rumored Kevin Garnett to Clippers Deal
At least one NBA team is hoping that Rajon Rondo’s injury will encourage Danny Ainge to break up the Boston Celtics‘ veteran core. The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly interested in trading for Kevin Garnett, per Sporting News.
According to the report, Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe would be the major aspects of the package the Clips are offering in return. If the Clippers can somehow swing this deal, it would make them the favorites in the Western Conference.
The offer could be attractive to the Celtics because the 32-year-old Butler will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2013-2014 season. He’ll represent an expiring contract in the event the Celtics want to deal next season.
Bledsoe is just 23 years old, and there is a team-option worth an attractive $2.6 million for next season. The Celtics could keep him as a way to help absorb the absence of Rondo for the rest of this year and the beginning of next season.
They could also let him walk after this year.
Even though the Celtics are 4-0 without Rondo, most don’t believe they have a realistic shot at contending for a title without their All-Star point guard. That concept makes Garnett and his average salary of $12,003,333, per Spotrac, expendable.
He’s not due to be a free agent until 2015.
At 36, he’s still playing at a very high level. He’s averaging 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and a blocked shot per game. But for a team now forced to look to the future, Garnett doesn’t carry a ton of upside.
With the Clippers, he’d likely supplant DeAndre Jordan in the middle, and he’d give the team a veteran toughness and another viable post option on offense.
Love him or hate him, Garnett makes any team he plays on better, and he would be a huge pickup for the Clippers.
The team is already allowing the fourth-fewest points per game at 93.4. Adding Garnett is only going to make them even stingier. Offensively, Garnett’s presence will give the team the true post-up option they lack.
Blake Griffin is a bull on the block, but he doesn’t have the ability to face up and knock down the 15-footer with consistency like Garnett. The two big men would complement each other nicely.
If the Clippers are looking for someone to make sure Griffin isn’t the object of cheap shots, Garnett could be the man for that role as well. It may sound like a meaningless quality, but toughness in the playoffs goes a long way.
There are potential drawbacks, though.
Bledsoe is the team’s best backup point guard right now. The Clippers would need both Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups to get healthy to prevent a severe lack of depth at the position.
Overall, it’s a gamble worth taking for the Clippers. Danny Ainge may as well go for it, unless he sees a better option to move the future hall-of-famer in the offseason or over the next few weeks.
We’ll see if the Celtics bite on this rumored deal.
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Big 12 ADs discussing pros, cons of staying at 10 (Yahoo! Sports)
IRVING, Texas (AP) — Big 12 athletic directors spent several hours Monday discussing the pros and cons of maintaining their 10-team configuration or eventually making additions to the conference – or maybe doing something in between.
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UConn Basketball: Pros and Cons of Every Conference Where Huskies Could Land
The University of Connecticut men’s basketball program is at a crossroads.
Less than 20 months ago, the UConn Huskies sat atop the college hoops’ world, having just dominated Butler to win the 2011 NCAA National Championship.
Five months later, Head Coach Jim Calhoun landed one of the top big men in the recruiting class of 2011, Andre Drummond. More than a few analysts predicted a Final Four return or a title repeat.
But the ’11-12 Huskies never got things fully on track, dropping 11 of 16 games in the middle of the season.
If a substandard season wasn’t bad enough, UConn was put on probation, banned from postseason play and Calhoun, the coaching legend, retired.
While all this was taking place in Storrs, something bigger was happening in the Big East.
One after another, schools were picking up and moving on.
TCU and West Virginia (Big 12). Syracuse, Pitt and Notre Dame (ACC). Rutgers (Big Ten).
And then, last Saturday, seven Big East schools withdrew from the conference to “pursue a new basketball framework.”
The Huskies haven’t sat idly by through all of this. They have aggressively, but unsuccessfully pursued entry into the ACC. They have checked into a number of other options, but, as of today, the conference realignment train has departed and UConn is stranded in a decimated Big East.
Let’s take a lightning-fast look at the pros and cons of every conference where the Huskies could land.
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Pros and Cons for Dwight Howard Re-Signing with LA Lakers
Dwight Howard may not have gotten his first choice when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, but playing for one of the most celebrated franchises in all of sports isn’t a bad situation for most NBA superstars.
The question is, will he or won’t he re-sign with the team?
Howard is set to be a free agent in the summer of 2013, but the Lakers have the opportunity to sign him to a long-term deal before he ever has the chance to bolt for a new city. Like all contract situations, there are both good things and bad things about re-signing with Los Angeles, and Howard must look at both sides before making his decision.
The “Dwightmare” from 2012 came to a close with the trade that sent him to L.A., but until he is locked up beyond this year, it’s too tough to predict where Howard will be to begin the 2013-14 season.
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