I have been asked this several times this season, and I have been wrong each time. But I now believe it is time to take the Los Angeles Lakers seriously. Why else would I elevate them nine spots to eighth in my latest NBA Power Rankings? [Read more…]
The Valparaiso Crusaders clinched their eighth trip to the NCAA tournament with a 62-54 victory over Wright State in the Horizon League Championship. Here are five fast facts about the Crusaders: 1. They got to this point thanks to the heroic effort of their best player and leader, Ryan Broekhoff, who is a 6-7 senior and averages 15.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for Valpo: 2. Nine guys on their roster play double-figure minutes. If you’re deciding whether to pick with or
Don’t look now, but the Lakers suddenly have what appears to be legitimate momentum on their side. That’s not to say they’ve morphed into the juggernaut many predicted back in October. Such talk would certainly be premature. But it’s safe to assume their surge has grabbed the attention of the entire league, much less the Pacific Division. The Golden State Warriors are now just two games ahead of the Lakers, a gap that doesn’t feel impossible to close. Were that the case,
The Pistons have kind of fallen off the map of late, but they’re still one of the NBA’s proudest franchises. [Read more…]
Heat this. With the Heat’s winning streak up to 19, the press which follows its every move with adoring eyes has decided they are unbeatable. Of course, this is the same press that dogged the Heat’s every move in the sure knowledge LeBron James had no killer instinct or heart; couldn’t play with Dwyane Wade, who was over the hill; that Chris Bosh was even worse than James and wade; and Erik Spolestra was about to go. [Read more…]
South Dakota State clinched its second straight Summit League title by knocking off North Dakota State, 73-67, in the championship game on Tuesday night. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the Jackrabbits: 1. They’ve only been Division I for six years. The Jackrabbits were a Division II team for years but joined the Summit League in 2007, and won the conference last season. 2. They’ve got a once-in-a-generation player. Senior guard Nate Wolters is a sight to behold, ranking
Yesterday we told you the NBA silly season has already begun. Any lineup is possible for any team; logic and past performances, while never infallible predictive tools, mean less and less each week until the playoffs begin. [Read more…]
Eight games were on the NBA schedule during the Tuesday of Championship Week 2013 as three more teams secured their place in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile in the NBA, the Heat continued to inch closer to NBA history with their 19th straight win, the Lakers continued their march toward the postseason, the Celtics were treated very poorly by the Bobcats and Timberwolves showed everyone “that’s why you play the game”. Welcome to the latest Championship Week edition of Five Fast Facts.