Tennessee Basketball: Cuonzo Martin Sends a Warning Shot
In their overtime loss at Georgia on January 18, Tennessee’s backcourt players shot a combined 11-for-35 from the floor and just two-of-13 from beyond the arc. Point guard Trae Golden and senior Cameron Tatum accounted for eight of the Vols’ 20 turnovers.
Three days later, the Vols earned a stunning win over defending champion UConn, but Golden (who leads the team in scoring average) finished with just two points from the foul line. It matched his point total in the near-upset over top-ranked Kentucky.
Most recently against Vanderbilt, Tennessee’s guards shot an abysmal five-for-28, one-of-seven from the perimeter, and accounted for 13 of the Vols’ 25 turnovers.
With stellar play in the post from Jeronne Maymon and freshmen Jarnell Stokes and Yemi Makanjuola (who combined for 16 rebounds in the loss at Vanderbilt), coach Cuonzo Martin has his more glaring weakness staring him in the face.
Little was expected of the Vols this season, and Martin made it clear from the beginning he was more interested in building a foundation than immediate success. But Martin has grown frustrated with his team’s lack of consistency and toughness, and he implied drastic changes may be necessary for the program to move forward.
And he doesn’t seem interested in sparing feelings…
“I’m not a guy who believes in getting rid of players and all that, but you have to be honest with ‘em, to let ‘em know where you stand as a coach and exactly what you’re looking for.”
He added, “I tell guys now, ‘All I can do is warn you. I say this in all sincerity. Now we’ve got guys knocking on the door. They want to be a part of Tennessee basketball.’It’s real simple. You play at a high level all the time because guys are going to be a part of this program. They know where we’re headed.”
Martin’s strong words don’t come flippantly. He’s made multiple lineup changes and exhausted his bench to find players with the necessary confidence and intensity he believes will make them a contender. He’s found it in Maymon, Stokes and Makanjuola.
His backcourt players, however, have shown this type of play only in flashes, and rarely on the road. To prove themselves, Tennessee’s guards will need to step up somewhere other than Thompson-Boling Arena.
With trips to Lexington, Gainsville and Tusculoosa looming, Martin’s warning shot could not have come at a better time.
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Kobe Bryant: Black Mamba Sends a League-Wide Message with Third 40-Point Effort
No one holds a grudge like Kobe Bryant.
The unquestioned face of the Los Angeles Lakers and a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer listens to what everyone says about him, his team, and more importantly, his competition. He heard that his team was too old to compete, he heard that his aging knees didn’t have another title run in him, and above all, he heard that the Clippers were coming for his crown.
After this past week, make no mistake about it — Los Angeles will always be the Black Mamba’s town.
In his last three games, Bryant has eclipsed the 40-point mark, putting the Lakers on his back once more with his latest effort, a 42-point barrage that led Los Angeles to a 97-92 home victory against Cleveland. After starting the season on the back burner of the league, Bryant has made sure that his game and the play of the Lakers is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Coming into the year, ‘Lob City’ was all of the rage. Now, Bryant looks down at Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and the rest of the Clippers from the top of the league. The Black Mamba has reminded us of how truly special he is.
Maybe we as fans have become so used to his excellence, or maybe we’re just prisoners of the moment. Whatever the case, Bryant has been taken for granted, as evidenced by ESPN ranking him the seventh-best player in the league. With all of the attention on him for his incredible scoring efforts, Bryant let everyone know that he was paying attention, and he didn’t forget those in the media who had crossed him.
Per the Associated Press:
“Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league,” Bryant said, referring to an online ranking of the NBA‘s top 500 players.
Bryant doesn’t forget a slight against his ability as a basketball player, and the fact that he’s doing this on a bad wrist is a fact that can’t be emphasized enough.
Under the circumstances, most players would have crumbled under the strain and grind that goes into getting his wrist ready for every game. Couple that with the NBA’s grueling 66-game schedule, which has already worn down some of the league’s best players, and Bryant’s latest run of excellence is something to be marveled.
As much as we should enjoy this hot streak, it should be a learning experience for each and every fan of the NBA.
Do not doubt Kobe Bryant, and most importantly, do not do it in public. If you do, he will take notice, and when he inevitably proves you wrong, he will rub your face in it.
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UNLV sends No. 19 Illinois to first loss (AP)
Mike Moser’s legs were sound and his game was solid Saturday as he led UNLV to a convincing 64-48 victory over No. 19 and previously unbeaten Illinois. Moser scored 17 points — more than his previous three games combined — and pulled down 11 rebounds for the Runnin’ Rebels, who tied up the Illini with a scrappy, aggressive, switching defense.
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NBA union sends deal summary to players before they vote
NBA union executive director Billy Hunter sent this letter Wednesday summarizing the new deal before players vote to ratify.
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Manhattan vs. NJIT Recap and Analysis: Second Half Surge Sends Jaspers to 1-0
Steve Masiello picked up his first win as a head coach on Saturday as the Manhattan Jaspers defeated the NJIT Highlanders.
The Jaspers jumped out to a 16-7 lead early in the game, forcing turnovers with their pressure defense. The offense then became stagnant and NJIT cut the lead to 28-27 at halftime.
In the second half, the Highlanders came out strong and took a 41-34 in the final 10 minutes. But then Roberto Colonette got the Jaspers going with a pair of free throws, sparking a 15-2 run.
After the Manhattan lead was cut back down to five points, the Jaspers scored the final nine points of the game and won 62-48.
NJIT’s Isaiah Wilkerson led all scorers with 23 points on 10-for-14 shooting. Arjun Ohri was the only other Highlander in double figures with 11 points.
Junior George Beamon posted a double-double for Manhattan with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Colonette and freshman Donovan Kates backed up Beamon with 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Colonette grabbed eight rebounds while Kates made a pair of three-pointers during Manhattan’s second half run.
Junior point guard Michael Alvarado scored six points and two assists off the bench, and freshman forward Emmy Andujar went for seven points and four rebounds.
Analysis
Despite picking up a win, the Jaspers looked very sloppy.
Although the press defense forced some turnovers, Manhattan struggled to get into their halfcourt defense once NJIT got the ball up the floor. Many of Wilkerson’s points came on 2-on-1 fastbreaks with four Jaspers still around the midcourt line.
Manhattan will not be able to afford giving up easy baskets so often against tougher competition.
Manhattan also had extreme struggles from beyond the arc, shooting 2-for-20. Kates was the only player to make a three-pointer, and he only shot 2-for-8 from three-point range.
The Jaspers can still win without making an abundance of three-point shots, but shooting 10 percent from beyond the arc will definitely hurt their offense.
On the positive side, the Jaspers did a good job getting to the foul line and making their free throws, shooting 24-for-31 (77.4 percent). Manhattan was consistently getting to the foul line and that is what got the Jaspers back into the game in the second half.
The one position where Manhattan looked weakest was at point guard. Senior captain Kidani Brutus started, but Mohamed Koita and Alvarado shared the spot with him throughout the game.
None of them commanded the floor particularly well, and none had more than two assists. If the Jaspers find a consistent point guard, their offense will flow more and they will get more open looks.
Manhattan will be back in action against No. 5 Syracuse as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Monday night.
Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.
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Mayes sends No. 16 Arizona past Duquesne
Jordin Mayes scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half as No. 16 Arizona pulled away from Duquesne.
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Utah Jazz President Randy Rigby Sends a Message to Fans
Following the recent announcement that the NBA will postpone training camps and cancel preseason games due to the lockout, Utah Jazz President Randy Rigby posted a message to Jazz fans on the team’s official website.
Up until this point, the Utah Jazz have stayed relatively quiet about things regarding the lockout. Other than some news about what players are doing to pass the time, they have not been very vocal on this issue, and it came as a bit of a surprise that this was posted and emailed out to fans.
This is the text of his message:
We appreciate your continued patience as the NBA and the NBA Players Association negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Since no such agreement has been reached at this time, the league has postponed player training camps and cancelled preseason games scheduled through October 15, 2011.
Please know that you are a vital part of the Utah Jazz, and we value your support.
We want to assure you that the league’s efforts are focused on reaching an agreement that benefits all parties involved. The NBA’s goal is to secure a sustainable business model that enables all 30 teams to compete for a championship, fairly compensates players, and ensures a world-class experience for our fans.
We recognize that without our fans, there would be no NBA. Your passion for the game is what motivates us, and we do not take your support for granted. The league will continue to work toward a new collective bargaining agreement so that we can get back to enjoying the excitement of NBA basketball.
Thank you again for your support and your continued loyalty to the Utah Jazz.
Sincerely,Randy Rigby
President, Utah Jazz
So what are your thoughts, Jazz fans? What do you take from this letter?
Is this just a standard letter to try to keep fan support? Does it show a bigger problem, or a sense of panic? Does this type of letter make you feel more or less confident about the state of the NBA?
What do you think about this and the lockout in general?
Leave me your thoughts, and let’s get a good discussion going.
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Cavs owner Gilbert sends copy editors to dictionary
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert responded to internet rumors that he derailed the NBA labor talks by coining a new word.
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Muhammad Ali Sends Dirk Nowitzki Boxing Glove That Says ‘You are the Greatest’ After Mavericks’ Championship Win
Muhammad Ali told the world during his boxing career that he was the greatest. But now he’s apparently handed that honor over to a new champion — Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. Nowitzki said that Ali sent him a boxing glove with the inscription, “You are the Greatest,” upon the Mavericks’ NBA Finals win, according to the German weekly magazine Spiegel. Nowitzki, who was named the MVP of the Finals, said that he was happy to receive the gift and that he returned the favor by sending Ali a golden basketball with a similar inscription. The Dallas Mavericks defeated…
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Video: Kevin Durant Sends Denver Packing In Style
During last night’s Game 5 matchup against the pesky Denver Nuggets , the Oklahoma City Thunder walked away with a 100-97 victory behind Kevin Durant’s brilliant 41 pt performance. The Thunder were down nine points with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter until that beast they call Durant stepped up to the plate and ended [...]
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