NBA scoring off this season
Here is a comparison of NBA scoring this season to last:
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Not this time: Celtics survive Cavaliers’ comeback
Paul Pierce scored 20 points and the Boston Celtics avenged a disappointing loss to Cleveland two days earlier.
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College Basketball: The 10 Most Shocking Blowouts so Far This Season
The college basketball season traditionally starts with powerhouse programs taking on tiny, under-matched schools in an effort to get teams ready for the tough season ahead.
Blowouts are expected and encouraged in the first few weeks of basketball season.
When conference games start, though, routs are few and far between. Every night poses a new challenge and every team plays hard in order to score a hard-fought upset or escape with an important win.
But every once in a while, one team has a hot hand or a school does not show up to play, resulting in embarrassingly one-sided losses.
This season has been full of them.
Undefeated teams have been shocked by unranked opponents, national championship contenders have been run off the floor and even at the beginning of the season when the games are supposed to be easy, some defeats have gone the wrong way.
So what have been the most shocking blowouts of this basketball season? Let’s take a look.
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Big Ten Basketball: 10 Biggest Surprise Stars This Year
From a fan’s standpoint, the college basketball season has produced many surprises thus far. Some of the biggest have come with the emergence of several young stars in the Big Ten Conference.
In the past several years, the cycle of dominant teams in the conference has stayed consistent. Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin have been the bullies on the block. The same can be said about its star players, who have tended to hail from the “power” schools.
Well, the times seem to be changing. The 2011-2012 season has seen a resurgence of previous conference powerhouse programs such as Indiana and Michigan, as well as a surge of standout players popping up from schools all over Big Ten country.
Here are the 10 most surprising Big Ten stars of the college basketball season.
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College Basketball: 5 Unpredictable Teams That Could Be This Year’s UConn
UConn’s run to last year’s NCAA Championship was anything but textbook.
At the end of January, the Huskies were 17-3 and ranked No. 7 in the ESPN/USA Today’s Poll.
Over the next five weeks, Connecticut went 4-6 and dropped to No. 19 in the same poll.
They lost four of their last five (and seven of their last 11) regular season games, not exactly full-speed ahead going into the 2011 Big East Tournament.
Jim Calhoun’s club was reeling with very little signs of recovering.
But then, they somehow shook themselves in time to beat four ranked teams in their conference tournament and then didn’t stop until they beat Butler in the championship game.
What team could be this year’s UConn? What team has the talent but may need to regather themselves in the final month-plus of the season in time to start their trek towards the Final Four in New Orleans?
Here are five teams that may be just right for that role:
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Can Cleveland Cavaliers Compete in Tough Central Division This Season?
Led by early Rookie of the Year front-runner Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the most surprising teams a quarter into the NBA season.
After going a dismal 19-63 last year, the Cavaliers are not only well on their way to getting more wins this season, but they’re also competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and are competing in the Central Division. An assumed rebuilding year has actually been surprisingly successful for the Cavaliers, so it’s only fair to ask if the team can compete this year.
The Central Division is always tough, and this year has been no different. The Chicago Bulls have the best record in the Eastern Conference, even with injuries to many of their key players such as reigning MVP Derrick Rose and Luol Deng.
With their pick-up of free-agent power forward David West this offseason, the Indiana Pacers have also improved from last year, after making the playoffs for the first time in five years last season. Led by Danny Granger and the newly acquired West, the Pacers currently have the third-best record in the East.
This is all without mentioning the Milwaukee Bucks, who are also competing for a playoff spot after acquiring Stephen Jackson on draft day, and the Detroit Pistons, who are struggling but have great young pieces in Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight.
So, do the Cavs have what it takes to compete in this tough division this year? The answer, surprisingly, is yes, and it all starts with Irving. After only playing 11 games for the Duke Blue Devils last year, Irving has exceeded all of the expectations that come with being the No. 1 pick in the draft. Irving leads the Cavaliers in scoring with over 16 points per game, and also leads the team with close to five assists a game.
However, Irving’s scoring is even more impressive when compared to the rest of the league. He ranks 11th among all NBA guards in points per game, while ranking only 48th in minutes per game among guards.
It’s not just stats that make Irving impressive, though. His ability to take over games in the fourth quarter and lead the Cavaliers to victory has been very impressive this early in his NBA career. As the season continues and his confidence grows, he can only improve. Additionally, coach Byron Scott has been limiting Irving’s minutes thus far, but as the season goes on one can only assume Irving will see more playing time, especially if the Cavs are contending for a playoff spot.
Outside of Irving, many other Cavaliers have also been impressive.
Antawn Jamison may be on the downswing of his career, but he still puts up 15 points per contest and is the clear veteran leader of this squad, something very important for a young team that’s looking to contend. Center Anderson Varejao is having a career year for the Cavaliers, ranking fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game while playing stellar defense as usual. Anthony Parker has struggled thus far, but he also provides a great veteran presence for this young team.
Another key component to the Cavaliers success this year has been their bench. They’re getting stellar play from Ramon Sessions, who is able to take over when Irving isn’t on the court and be the leader and scorer of the second unit.
Alonzo Gee has made vast improvements from last season after spending the summer playing in Poland, and his defense has been very valuable. Daniel Gibson is able to nail three pointers at a high efficiency as he has his whole career, and rookie power forward Tristan Thompson has shown flashes of brilliance with his play on both sides of the ball.
So with a roster led by a future star in Irving, veteran stalwarts such as Jamison, Parker and Varejao, and a deep bench, there is no question that the Cavaliers can turn this assumed rebuilding season into a quest for the playoffs, and even a possible playoff appearance. Even in their tough division, the Cavs have what it takes to play with the big boys of the Eastern Conference.
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Michael Redd a Non-Factor for Phoenix Suns so Far This Season
Three seasons ago, Michael Redd was considered one of the best shooting guards in the entire league. The 2004 All-Star and All-NBA Third Team member was a lock to average 20 points per game and was one of the better shooters in the game.
Then on Jan. 25, 2009, the Milwaukee Bucks found out that their star guard tore his ACL and MCL and would require season-ending surgery. Redd would return early the next season, but after only 18 games, he re-tore his ACL and MCL on the same knee that he did a year earlier.
After another round of rehab, the former Ohio State Buckeye would return in March of last season. In 10 games, Redd averaged only 4.4 points, which was by far a career low.
Despite coming off of two serious surgeries on the same knee and posting career-low totals across the board, the Phoenix Suns decided to sign Redd to a one-year contract right before the new year. At the time, Phoenix was struggling putting points on the scoreboard
After a few weeks of getting back into basketball shape, Redd made his Suns debut on Jan. 12 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he didn’t disappoint. In only 19 minutes in his first live action in more than eight months, Redd scored 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting.
Since that game though, Redd hasn’t played much. Those 19 minutes in the matchup against Cleveland were the most he has received from Alvin Gentry since putting on a Suns uniform. In three games, he hasn’t gotten off the bench, and he only played a little more than four minutes in Phoenix’s last game against the Toronto Raptors.
Of course, Redd hasn’t played really well when he has been on the court. He has scored only nine points since the Cleveland game, and his usually great shooting has been downright awful. Redd has made only two buckets in his last 14 attempts.
It is hard to see Redd getting a bump in minutes either. Jared Dudley will continue to see playing time due to his defensive intensity and the fact that he’s a favorite of Gentry’s. Shannon Brown has played much better in his last 10 games after struggling getting out of the gates.
If Redd was half the player he once was, he would steal minutes from both players, but that isn’t the case. You have to admire Redd for coming back from two difficult injuries, but he is no longer a quality basketball player.
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Oregon Ducks vs. Oregon State Beavers Men’s Basketball: Why It Matters This Year
With the exception of the three-year-old College Basketball Invitational, the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers have been irrelevant in college hoops lately.
Each team has one CBI title—OSU in 2009, UO in 2011—giving each team the honor of being the 101st-best team in the country in those years. They both finished right behind the 68 teams in the NCAA tournament and the 32 in the NIT.
But they are both tourney champions.
This year, the Ducks have a shot at making The Dance. Heading into Sunday’s Civil War in Eugene, the Ducks are tied with the California Golden Bears at 6-2 atop the Pac-12 standings.
The Beavers are no slouches themselves. They lead the Pac-12 in scoring, averaging 82.7 points per game. That’s No. 5 in the nation.
Even though Oregon State is struggling in conference play at 3-5, the Beavs still have a winning record at 13-7. By beating the Ducks and winning the rest of their home games, they’ll be at 19-11, leaving them firmly on the bubble for the NCAA tournament.
At 15-5 overall, Oregon is also in position to earn an NCAA bid by taking care of business down the stretch.
A win over its rival would move Oregon four games from the prestigious 20-win plateau. Two games against Utah (5-14, 2-5) and a home game against Washington State (11-8, 3-4) should equate to three more wins. With one win in its remaining six games, the Ducks get to 20 and likely earn a bid.
Not since 1990 have both teams qualified for the postseason in the same year.
In ’90, the Gary Payton-led Beavers were a No. 5 seed but lost to Ball State by one point in the first round.
The Ducks also had a future-NBA point guard in 1990: Terrell Brandon. But Brandon couldn’t lead his team to a postseason win either, as Oregon lost to New Mexico in the opening round of the NIT.
That makes this weekend’s 336th meeting—the most of any rivalry, according to The Oregonian‘s Paul Buker—one of the most interesting in recent years.
The game should be a good one with two rejuvenated programs. And it just might include two teams destined to play in the postseason while skipping the familiar confines of the CBI.
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Big 12 Basketball: Why this Three-Way Race is one of Basketball’s Most Exciting
The Big 12 may have seen its fair share of instability earlier this season, but it now has reason to celebrate. With the Big 12 as the home of Missouri (at least for now), Kansas and Baylor, this conference has become the epicenter of conference title competitive basketball.
Posting respective rankings of No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 in the nation, these three teams make up some of the NCAA’s finest, and we are only a little over halfway through the season.
As a result of such fierce competition, the race for the Big 12 title is arguably the most exciting conference race in college basketball at the moment.
Take a look at the stats beyond the top 10 ranking each squad has earned.
These three teams lead the Big 12 in scoring offense, scoring margin, field-goal percentage, assists and steals. In addition, at least one of these teams is in the top three in almost every other category not listed previously.
That fact is simply astounding and proves that these three squads deservedly sit atop the Big 12.
Yet, what is it about each of these teams specifically that makes them so fun and exciting to watch?
For Kansas, it all starts with a tradition of excellence. Head coach Bill Self has brought home a stunning seven conference titles in the last eight years.
The Allen Fieldhouse experience is not like any other and it requires a miracle (or just a rare off night for Kansas) for an opponent to win in Lawrence.
The passion of Kansas’ fans is unparalleled in the Big 12 and this quality is exemplified in the players.
Speaking of, a Kansas game is unlike any other because of two players specifically: Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson.
Taylor, ranking fifth in both Big 12 scoring (16.6 ppg) and assists (5), has grown into a statistical powerhouse for the Jayhawks over his career and one who knows how to play as a team member.
“The only thing that really matters is the wins. That’s it,” Taylor said in light of his recent 1,000-career points mark and 112-17 career record.
To pair with this stellar guard comes Thomas Robinson, Player of the Year candidate. He is averaging a whopping 17.8 points per game to add to his average of 12 rebounds. Needless to say, without Robinson, Kansas would not be the team that they are.
A little under 170 miles away in Columbia, Mo., basketball is played an entirely different way.
Coined “the fastest 40 minutes in basketball,” the Mizzou Tigers like to play the game as though it were a track meet.
Even though things have slowed down the past couple of years, anyone who watched the Tigers take on the Baylor Bears had to have noticed just how much speed this team had.
After going through the rhythms with sports analysts about the legitimacy of this group, Missouri has proven that they can play among the greats. Even though they were dealt a setback against Oklahoma State, these players have shown that they know how to win.
Then again, winning is easy when first-year head coach Frank Haith can boast the fourth highest-scoring offense in the game (82.9 ppg), led by Ricardo Ratliffe.
No, Ratliffe is not the only great player on this squad and he is not the leading scorer (he misses that mark by 2.5 points), but stating that he is reliable with the ball in his hands is a glaring understatement.
He averages a 75.4 percent success rate of every field goal he puts up. Just to put that into perspective, the next highest, Perry Jones III of Baylor, sits 20 percentage points lower at 55.2 percent.
Essentially, Ratliffe and the basket have been joined at the hip this season and this is just one of the reasons Mizzou is a title contender.
Now, let’s not forget about those Bears all the way down in Waco, Texas. After going undefeated through 17 games, reaching a No. 3 national ranking and posting the best start in school history, Baylor finally fell at the hands Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
Returning home for the following game, the Bears could not pull one out against an equally difficult Missouri team.
Sitting at third in the Big 12 after these two conference losses, no one should be counting these Bears out.
Baylor boasts arguably the deepest and most talented roster in the Big 12, if not in all of college basketball.
Just to take one player from the bench as an example, junior college transfer Pierre Jackson recently won himself the starting point guard position, after exemplifying the “great work ethic” and “unbelievable athleticism” head coach Scott Drew described when Jackson signed with Baylor.
To add to his incredible play, Baylor claims three of the Big 12’s other top 20 scorers. All powerful post players, including Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year winner Perry Jones III, these three men illustrate the size and talent of this Baylor squad.
When Jones is not on his game, Quincy Acy can pick up the slack and break the backboard at the same time with his deafening dunks. Even star freshman recruit Quincy Miller brings home big games for Baylor, including a 29-point effort in the loss to Missouri.
Do not forget about Brady Heslip either, a Boston College transfer who is a deadly sniper with his deep court shots.
The atmosphere that coach Drew has created in Waco and the continued growth of Baylor Nation has finally given Baylor something to play for and a history to be proud of.
What statistics fail to recognize with these three potential Final Four teams is each one’s resiliency.
The Baylor Bears, Kansas Jayhawks and Missouri Tigers have all shown that they are capable of difficult road wins and when they have suffered a loss, they have bounced right back.
Only Baylor has been handed more than one loss in a row (against both Kansas and Missouri) and Missouri is the only team to have lost on the road against an opponent other than the other two Big 12 leaders.
What this shows is yet another reason why every game counts. The Big 12 standings will, most likely, come down to which team will be able to protect its homecourt from the other two powerhouses.
It is pretty safe to bet that the first team to lose both home games, were it to happen, would be the first team eliminated from No. 1 contention.
Clearly, the second half of Big 12 conference play is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the conference’s history. Unlike other championships, the Big 12 tournament will almost certainly not be decided before it plays out.
This year, college basketball fans should consider themselves lucky to be fortunate enough to have another dynamic competition for a conference title.
Baylor, Kansas and Missouri all want the championship. All three can taste it and have made the case for its ownership. All three know that it is going to take fantastic basketball to earn it.
The only question that remains is, why is March still so far away?
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This negotiation had a happy ending
MINNEAPOLIS Contract negotiations can bring out the worst in sports. They’re a reminder that this is more than a game, that these men and women are being paid more in one year than most people are in a lifetime. They can turn affable stars terse and make coaches despondent.
The past week has not been fun for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But in some instances, such negotiations can bring out a better side of sports, something that transcends a towering dunk or a behind-the-back pass. They can reveal a player’s commitment to a place, his investment with a team and its fans. On Wednesday, Minnesota got that investment from Kevin Love.
The four-year, 60-plus million contract Love has agreed to sign didn’t come without its casualties. The team, or Love, or Love’s agent, Jeff Schwartz someone made this linger to the 11th hour, a practice that’s become habit in the world of Minnesota basketball. In 2002, the Timberwolves waited until the last second to sign Wally Szczerbiak, and then in 2007 it did the same with Al Jefferson. But even if that’s just the way the organization functions, try explaining it to a young team that’s seeing the clock tick even closer to more uncertainty about its leader.
Over the past few days, a Timberwolves team with a three-game winning streak morphed into a preoccupied, injured bunch. Love himself was the picture of stress, sniffling and wheezing on Monday night and silent on Tuesday. Coach Rick Adelman could only shake his head, knowing all too well the effects doubt could have on his young team.
Love’s contract isn’t a cure. Players are still injured, and the team still has a 7-10 record. Love’s cold may linger in Dallas, but undoubtedly a weight has been lifted. Adelman can feel like a coach in charge of his team once again, which is crucial for the system and the mentality of success he’s trying to implement. The contract doesn’t solve anything, but it allows these Timberwolves, who seem to be on the brink of bigger things ahead, to keep thinking that a solution is possible.
Even if Love hadn’t signed, if he had become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, the Timberwolves could have matched any other team’s offer. There’s a good chance he’d have stayed with Minnesota, but there’s an even greater chance nothing would have ever been quite the same.
He’d still have been one of the top power forwards in the league. He’d still have sunk threes and made the occasional dunk, and he’d still have notched double-doubles like they’re just a routine part of each game. But something would have been lost. Love would no longer have been Minnesota’s golden boy. The sentiment that he cares about the franchise, that he’s willing to give everything to see it win, might have eroded a bit. He’d have been something closer to just another basketball player, one who quibbled over a couple million dollars, one who tried to escape.
There would have been the constant murmurs in late April of “Is that his last three at the Target Center? His last rebound? His last dunk?” It’s not something fans want to go through, and it’s not something they forget.
So this contract is important not only for what the Timberwolves gained four more years with the face of their team, of a dynamic offensive presence that’s almost taken for granted but for what they avoided. Love remains the darling of Minnesota basketball, and Timberwolves president David Kahn and owner Glen Taylor get to be heroes for a day, or a week, or even longer if Love leads the Timberwolves out of their losing cycle.
As much as Wednesday was about a player securing his future, it was just as much about a team and a city. It’s less about Love as a man and more about the opportunities he represents. Because even if the Timberwolves never win a championship or a playoff series with Love, no one can say they didn’t try.
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