Alittle NBA Update in plezWorld

I've long since hung up the high-top sneakers and b'ball shorts, I rarely follow the local Atlanta Hawks because they've been mired in less-than-stellar achievement for the better part of 20 years, and college basketball is so much more exciting than the NBA, but...

...there comes a point in every season, where even plezWorld has to return to his sports roots and turn his attention to the NBA!

Actually, this has been a very good season for the home team: the Hawks are solid at the 4th seed in the East. They haven't finished the season this high since...?!? Last year they barely made it to the playoffs and took the top seeded Boston Celtics to seven games in the opening round. This year, they're looking to do some damage come playoff time.

The Beast of the East is LeBron James along with his Cleveland Cavaliers. Tonight they secured the top spot in the East by besting the 76ers in Philly. Following closely behind Cleveland is Boston and Orlando. This year, the East Playoffs will attempt to match the intensity and competition that has ruled the West for the past 10 years.

If the playoffs began tomorrow, the Cavs would be hosting the fading Pistons, (2) Boston Celtics would be playing the Bulls, the (3) Magic would host the 76ers, and the (4) Atlanta Hawks, yeah, the Hawks! would be matched up with the Heat... very interesting. To be honest, I can't see the Cavs not going to the NBA Finals this year.

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Out West, there's the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers with an insurmountable 10 game lead on the second place Denver Nuggets. Bryant hasn't sniffed a ring since Shaq left LA, I'm sure he is gearing up to will his team to the NBA Finals again this year.

The top tier of the West is really tight with all remaining seven teams within a game or two of each other. So after the (1) Lakers vs. (7) Jazz, they you have (2) Denver vs. (7) Dallas, (3) San Antonio vs. (6) New Orleans Hornets, and Houston against Portland (who currently has the same record).

There's no way we won't be seeing a Lakers-Cavs finals this year.

~ ~ ~

plez sez: I'll take the Cavs in six!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the ESPN.com article about the Cavs claiming the top seed in the NBA Playoffs.

Read the ESPN.com article about pairings if NBA Playoffs started tonight.

Read the AJC.com article about how the Atlanta Hawks clinched the fourth seed in the East.

Read the MEDIA article about how it was 1988 since the Hawks won back-to-back road games while also overcoming halftime deficits - over 20 years ago!

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plezWorld on the 2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament

Louisville, UConn, and Pittsburgh stroll into the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament from the Big East Conference (with a strong showing from North Carolina from the ACC).

Surprising? No.

Fair? Maybe.

What about Duke (winner of the ACC)? What about Memphis (from last year's tournament final and winner of Conference USA)?

Excerpts from ESPN.com article about the 2009 NCAA brackets:

(ESPN.com) -- The Big East made history again. The conference that came together for basketball decades ago hit another milestone Sunday, when three of its teams earned top seeds in the NCAA tournament.

Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut were all No. 1, joined by North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference, never an outsider this time of year.

The conference also broke new ground in 1985, when it became the first to place three teams in the Final Four.

"It speaks volumes for what it means to win the Big East," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose Cardinals are the tournament's overall top seed and will play in the Midwest.

The Cardinals (28-5), winners of the regular-season and conference championships in the nation's top-ranked conference, will open against the winner of an opening-round game Tuesday between Alabama State and Morehead State.

The Final Four is scheduled for Ford Field in Detroit on April 4 and 6. Last year, all four No. 1 teams made it to the Final Four. But Pitt (East), Carolina (South) and UConn (West) all know its called March Madness for a reason -- things rarely go to form.

So, time to break out the brackets, sharpen some pencils and pay into an office pool (or two).

Maybe do a little griping here and there.

Among the aggrieved: Duke and Memphis, both overlooked in the quest for top seeding, settling for No. 2 seeds despite winning their conference tournaments. Memphis is often downgraded for playing in the less-than-steller Conference USA, but John Calipari's team proved people wrong last year, making it to the national title game.

~ ~ ~

plez sez: not much interest in plezWorld until the second weekend (when all those 10 thru 16 seeds have been eliminated). i really enjoy it when it comes down to the elite eight.

the only upset i see is memphis taking out uconn to go to the final four.

~ ~ ~

in a related story, the georgia tech women's basketball team is going to its third ncaa tournament in three years... GO JACKETS! they have become a bigger force in the acc than the men's team!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the ESPN.com video and article about 2009 NCAA bracket breakdown.

Read the ESPN.com articles breaking down the EAST, SOUTH, MIDWEST, and WEST.

Read the AJC.com article about how Georgia Tech and UGA are sending teams to the 2009 NCAA basketball tournament - the women's tournament.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boston Wins (Again)

I'll admit it, I was rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers. I was hoping that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers would sweep the Celtics.

In this year's NBA Championship Finals, it was basically the other way around: the Celtics won all of their games at home and won a crucial road game in Los Angeles. The Celtics bounced back from their lackluster performance during the opening rounds with the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers to take care of business against the Pistons. They turned it up a notch (especially, that awesome defense) against the Lakers who never really contended! The Celtics were pretty close to winning the other road games in Los Angeles, as well.

The score tonight was a blowout victory 131-92... so the Celtics are the new NBA Champions... almost 20 years after those Larry Bird-led teams of the late 80's. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series and the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl on the last possession of the New York Giants. And all three teams will probably contend for championships next season as well.

So, I guess that makes Boston, Massachusetts the center of the sports world!

8 Seconds to Game Seven

Piture courtesy of my Palm Treo 680 and the Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are up 102-100 with 8 seconds left and Bibby's on the line...

HAWKS WIN 103-100 and force a Game 7 in Boston on Sunday!

2 Minutes 'Til Game Seven

Picture courtesy of my Palm Treo 680

The Highlight Factory (Philips Arena in Atlanta) is rocking as the Hawks look to extend their improbable season to Game 7 of the playoffs with the Boston Celtics. The Hawks are winning 97-93.

Go Hawks!

Halftime at the Highlight Factory

Picture courtesy of my Palm Treo 680

I'm at the NBA Playoffs game with one of my Sands who produced some playoff tix for Game 6 between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics. The Hawks continue to give top seeded Celtics fits at Philips Arena.

The Hawks have erased a ten point Celtic lead to pull within one at the half.

Go Hawks!

Atlanta Hawks in NBA Playoffs

Since the 1999 NBA season, Atlanta Hawks fans have been waiting to return to playoffs. Well, the prayers of Hawks fans everywhere - well, there's only a few left - have been answered: with a loss by the Indianapolis Pacers earlier this evening, the Hawks have backed into the eighth (and final) spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Unfortunately, that means that they'll square off against the top seeded Boston Celtics who currently own the best record in the NBA. And even more than that, the Celtics' second team mopped up the gym with the Hawks on this past Saturday night.

This is probably a mixed blessing since the Hawks will undoubtedly have an early exit from the playoffs - think three and out! Their poor excuse for a head coach and their inept GM will probably get reprieves from a pink slip... so it is guaranteed to be more mediocrity next year, since they won't be in the NBA Lottery (which they would've blown anyway).

Hurray for the Hawks... boo hoo for the Hawks fans who'll get the chance to see their miserable season (below .500) extended for another three games in a series of pitiful blowouts at the hands of the dreaded Boston Celtics.

Read the AJC article about the Hawks' playoff bid here.


plez sez: thinking out loud - if the Hawks were to win the first round series against the Celtics, that would easily be the biggest upset in the history of modern sports!

i only posted this article because i'm a homer... i honestly couldn't name the five starters for Atlanta Hawks, nor have i seen more than 10 seconds of any of their games this season. so i don't even count as a fair weather fan!

plezWorld - Squeaky Wheels

in my days as a wiry, quick, and athletic youngster, plezWorld spent countless (and when i say countless, i mean thousands of) hours honing my skills on the basketball court and abusing any unsuspecting chap in a grueling two set beatdown on the tennis court. growing up in New York, one was expected to play 'ball and emulate basketball gods like Walt (Clyde) Frazier, Earl (The Pearl) Monroe, Nate (Tiny) Archibald, Wilt (The Stilt) Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and my personal favorite, Julius (Dr. J) Erving. tattered sneakers (with the requisite hole in the toe), white tube socks (with the requisite hole in the toe), sprained thumbs, and scabbed knees from numerous scrapes with the blacktop court were as much a part of the game as the chain-link nets, crooked rims, and metal backboards of the neighborhood park where i played until lack of sunlight sent me home (clinton street, sleepy hollow, ny).

the Georgia Tech SAC (student athletic center) was where i spent my college days... often forsaking my studies for 3 or 4 hour marathon runs on Court #1 (where all the ballers played)! i twisted my spindly ankles and twisted my right knee more times than i'd like to recall. OUCH! a quick ride to the student infirmary, a hasty x-ray, an ice pack, crutches, and a bottle of those 500 mg Tylenol pills with Codeine for the pain. a few weeks later, as soon as i could bend and put some pressure on my knee, i'd be back in SAC with my high-flying, reckless abandon game of ball... until my poor knees buckled under the pressure of my game. this went on until well after graduation... when i graduated to church league basketball. neither the jersey colors nor the numbers mattered... as long as i had a trusty knee brace, some new high top leather Nikes, and a jock strap, i was good to go.

while this was going on, plezWorld also played team tennis (ALTA Tennis) for over 10 years on various teams in the Atlanta area. joy for me was waiting for the summer sun to set around 8:30 PM and then spending the next 2 to 3 hours running baseline to net playing 4 or 5 sets against one or two other players under the lights. i have a couple of frat brothers who were so traumatized by the abusive nature of my game that they have developed amnesia concerning having ever played against me. when i was in college, i used to hit with one of the Georgia Tech Assistant Tennis coaches on days that the team didn't practice.

then about 5 or 6 years ago, i noticed that i had lost more than a step (in the first game of the season, i committed 4 fouls in the first 3 minutes of the game)! i finally hung it up when this wily high-flying cat leapt over me for a dunk... and all i remember seeing was the Air Jordan logo on the bottom of his shoes! my days as a thin hipped, wiry church league terror were over... and the pain had only just begun. my knees began to squeak and scream like those on Joe Namath. i can even hear them when i'm going up a flight of stairs.

a few months ago, i spoke to a frat brother of mine who referees high school and church league basketball games about the pain in my knees. he swears by GLUCOSAMINE & CHONDROITIN dietary supplements... they reported repair and rejuvenate the cartilage around your joints. a two month supply runs about $25.

so, plezWorld has been popping 3 of these big ass horse pills daily in hopes that they'll restore my aching knees to their pre-injury state (more than likely, i probably need one of those operations to "clean out" the debris in my knees... but i got queasy just typing that!). i'll report back on how my knees are doing in a few months... wish 'em luck!

About Glucosamine & Chondroitin:
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are substances found naturally in the body. Glucosamine is a form of amino sugar that is believed to play a role in cartilage formation and repair. Chondroitin sulfate is part of a large protein molecule (proteoglycan) that gives cartilage elasticity.

Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are sold as dietary or nutritional supplements. They are extracted from animal tissue: glucosamine from crab, lobster or shrimp shells; and chondroitin sulfate from animal cartilage, such as tracheas or shark cartilage.

Past studies show that some people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis (OA) taking either glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate reported pain relief at a level similar to that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Some research indicates that the supplements might also slow cartilage damage in people with OA.

Greg Oden Out for Rookie Season

The New York Times reports that Greg Oden, the number one pick of the 2007 draft of the Portland Trail Blazers, will miss his rookie season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee.

The article quotes the Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said as saying, "Certainly this is a setback, but our future is still incredibly bright."

Excerpts of the article include:

Greg Oden, the top pick in this year's NBA draft, likely will miss his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers after surgery on his right knee Thursday.

Doctors found cartilage damage during an exploratory procedure, and team physician Dr. Don Roberts performed microfracture surgery to repair the damage.

"There are things about this that are positive for Greg. First of all, he is young. The area where the damage was is small and the rest of his knee looked normal," Roberts said in a statement.

The 7-foot center is expected to be on crutches for up to eight weeks. Full recovery likely will take six to 12 months, the team said. Oden was the No. 1 pick in the June draft out of Ohio State, where he averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds.

plez sez: echoes of sam bowie (remember portland picked sam bowie over michael jordan in the 1983 draft). echoes of bill walton (plagued by knee problems most of his career, bill walton's one good year resulting in an nba championship for the trail blazers).

i feel bad for the franchise. they had an opportunity to pick a more dynamic player who has a tremendous up-side that gred oden does not possess (kevin durant from texas). they went with the "sure thing": a 7-footer who can walk and chew gum at the same time! but nothing is sure when you're dealing with 18- and 19-year olds. for the life of me, i cannot understand how these professional teams can put out so much money for an unproven commodity... it just seems to risky! (check out this ESPN article)

now, the trail blazers will have to suffer for that risk (played his one year in college with a cast on his right wrist, he had a tonsillectomy soon after he was drafted, and now this).

plezWorld and the NBA Draft

Every year about this time, Atlanta Hawks fans sit with rapt attention on the NBA Draft Board. We've been burnt and scorned in just about every draft going back 10 years or more. For the past 3 or 4 years, the Hawks have shunned the center position and point guard position by loading up on tall, lanky first round forwards (Josh Smith (high school), Josh Childress (Stanford), Marvin Williams (UNC), Shelden Williams (Duke), etc.). They haven't smelled the playoffs since before this bald spot on the back of my head and I'm waiting with sweaty palms like the rest of the fans hoping that they don't waste another first round pick in this year's draft (scheduled for Thursday, June 28th).

Everyone has an opinion about the upcoming draft and I'm no exception. This year is particularly scary for us Hawks fans, because we essentially have the "pressure" of picking first, since Oden and Durant are givens at the one and two spot... so ALL EYES will be on how the Hawks manage (or mismanage) their two first round picks (at #3 and #11).

Making the assumption that there won't be any trades and every team will make its appointed pick, what follows are the mock drafts (well, the lottery picks) as predicted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ESPN, with commentary from plezWorld:

1. Portland Trailblazers
   AJC: Greg Oden, C, Ohio State - No one passes on a dominant 7-footer who can anchor a title contending team for the next decade. Not even Portland.
   ESPN: Kevin Durant, SF, Texas - For his killer instinct and excellent workout for the team.
   
   plez sez: You gotta go with the big man, Greg Oden (C, Ohio State). With one hand, he basically secured his team's spot in the national championship game. And a mobile, athletic 7-footer like Oden comes around once a decade, you can't pass this one up!
   
   
2. Seattle Supersonics
   AJC: Kevin Durant, F, Texas - Ranks right up there with Michael Jordan as one of the best consolation prizes in draft history.
   ESPN: Greg Oden, C, Ohio State - This is a no-brainer! This is the easiest pick in the entire draft.
   
   plez sez: This is an automatic pick, when David Stern takes the podium for the Number 1 pick, he should just stay up there and announce the second pick.
   
   
3. Atlanta Hawks
   AJC: Yi Jianlian, C, China - The intriguing possibilities involved with this 7-foot physical specimen, both on and off the court, are too great for the Hawks to pass up.
   ESPN: Al Horford, PF, Florida - Considered the third best prospect in the draft after a great season (with a second national championship) and a great workout.
   
   plez sez: Although, it would be great to have 1 billion additional Hawks fans (in China), the Hawks need a real NBA player, like Al Horford. His father, Tito Horford, also played in the NBA. And remember, Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) still hasn't gotten his team out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
   
   
4. Memphis Grizzlies
   AJC: Al Horford, F, Florida - Grizzlies get a draft day surprise in the ready-to-play Horford, the player they had rated No. 3, thanks to the Hawks' gamble.
   ESPN: Mike Conley, Jr., PG, Ohio State - He's a really good point guard with lots of upside (since he left Ohio State after only one season) and he led his team to the national championship game.
   
   plez sez: If the Hawks do as I say, then Mike Conley will be available for the Grizzlies. If not, I won't be able to see who the Grizzlies are taking because I will have thrown something BIG and HEAVY at my big screen TV!
   
   
5. Boston Celtics
   AJC: Jeff Green, F, Georgetown - Green's versatility and maturity are too much to pass up for a team needing to provide Paul Pierce with immediate assistance.
   ESPN: Corey Brewer, SG, Florida - Another player from Florida's two-time national championship team.
   
   plez sez: Paul Pierce is going to need some help, I imagine the Celtics will probably be trading this pick away as part of a deal to keep Pierce around. But if they keep it, they'll take either Brewer or Yi Jianlian (the 7-footer from China).
   
   
6. Milwaukee Bucks
   AJC: Brandan Wright, F, North Carolina - He is two or three years away from providing the type of help a pick this high should, but his upside is too much to pass up.
   ESPN: Jeff Green, F, Georgetown - Since Yi Jianlian has said that he won't play in Milwaukee, I guess they have to take the best available talent.
   
   plez sez: Green was a bigger factor for Georgetown than Wright was for UNC... I'd go with Green!
   
   
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
   AJC: Spencer Hawes, C, Washington - Kevin McHale sees a whole lot of himself in Hawes, the most offensively skilled big man in this draft.
   ESPN: Yi Jianlian, C, China - He has the most value of anyone on the board (so they could always trade his rights), and we all know they're trading KG at some point.
   
   plez sez: I'd go with Hawes out of Washington, I don't know if the Minneapolis is on the list of cities that Jianlian will play for.
   
   
8. Charlotte Bobcats
   AJC: Corey Brewer, F, Florida - The Bobcats have continue to build with experienced talents from winning programs, players like Brewer.
   ESPN: Brandon Wright, F, UNC - Big upside and North Carolina pedigree.
   
   plez sez: Six of one, half a dozen of the other... I would pick Joakim Noah.
   
   
9. Chicago Bulls
   AJC: Joakim Noah, C/F, Florida - Pair the fiery Noah with Tyrus Thomas on the frontline and the Bulls are ready for a decade's worth of deep playoff runs in the East.
   ESPN: Joakim Noah, C/F, Florida - Another guy from the two-time national championship team.
   
   plez sez: If Noah is available, this would be the best pick, but for some reason, I don't see him lasting until the 10th pick.
   
   
10. Sacramento Kings
    AJC: Al Thornton, F, Florida State - If Ron Artest gets moved in a trade, the Kings will already have his replacement.
    ESPN: Julian Wright, SF, Kansas - Lots of potential.
    
    plez sez: With the Kings in the same division as the Spurs, Mavericks, Suns, Rockets, and the same state as the Lakers and Warriors, they will be bringing up the rear in the West for the next 10 years... so it doesn't matter who they pick. My favorite pick for this spot is Thaddeus Young from Georgia Tech.
    
    
11. Atlanta Hawks
    AJC: Mike Conley Jr., G, Ohio State - The Hawks get smooched by lady luck just like they did on lottery night and get their top rated point guard after the rest fall in love with the big guys.
    ESPN: Acie Law IV, PG, Texas A&M - Considered by many to be the best point guard in the draft.
    
    plez sez: Being the homer that I am, I would hope that the Hawks use their second first round draft pick on a local product, Javaris Crittendon, who played both high school and college ball (Georgia Tech) in Altanta. And he's mentioned in the same breath as Conley and Law.
    
    
12. Philadelphia 76ers
    AJC: Javaris Crittenton, G, Georgia Tech - Move over Louis Williams, Crittenton fills the 76ers need for a quality understudy to veteran point guard Andre Miller.
    ESPN: Al Thornton, SF, Florida State - One of the few forwards who can come into the NBA and play right away.
    
    plez sez: If the Hawks do what I say, then Acie Law IV should be available for the 76ers.
    
    
13. New Orleans
    AJC: Nick Young, G, USC - The only thing the Hornets don't have is ultra athletic running mate for Chris Paul. The dynamic Young fits that bill.
    ESPN: Spencer Hawes, C, Washington - If he's still available, you can't pass on an offensive minded center for the Hornets.
    
    plez sez: If Hawes is still available this late in the draft, you have to go with the big man.
    
    
14. Los Angeles Clippers
    AJC: Acie Law IV, G, Texas A&M - The Clippers need a security blanket in case Shaun Livingston doesn't make a full recovery from knee surgery.
    ESPN: Nick Young, SG, Southern California - Best available.
    
    plez sez: If Acie Law IV drops this far, I'd be surprised.

plezWorld's last word: Thaddeus Young (F, Georgia Tech) will be a Top 20 selection; I have him as a forward who is in the mix with Jeff Green and Brandon Wright.

And if I'm even half-right with my selections, I may've found my second career! *smile*

Don Imus to Visit With Al Sharpton

The Associated Press reports that Don Imus will appear on Al Sharpton's radio show today to discuss the racially insensitive "thing" that he uttered last week on his show after the Rutgers-Tennessee Women's National Championship Game. To those who haven't heard, Don Imus referred to the basketball team players as some "rough girls with tattoos" and then referred to them as "some nappy-headed ho's!"

Excerpts from the AP article follows:

Calling himself a good person who said a bad thing, radio host Don Imus said Monday he would check his acid tongue after being lambasted for making racially charged comments about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

"Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it," he said on his nationally syndicated radio show Monday morning. "And because the climate on this program has been what it's been for 30 years doesn't mean it's going to be what it's been for the next five years or whatever."

Imus said he was "embarrassed" by the remarks, in which he referred to the mostly black team as "nappy-headed hos." He said he had made the comments in the course of "trying to be funny," but he was not trying to excuse them.

Imus said he hoped to meet the Rutgers players and their parents and coaches, and he said he was grateful that he was scheduled to appear later Monday on a radio show hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has called for Imus to be fired over the remarks.

"Somewhere we must draw the line in what is tolerable in mainstream media," Sharpton said Sunday. "We cannot keep going through offending us and then apologizing and then acting like it never happened. Somewhere we've got to stop this."

Meanwhile, the Rev. Jesse Jackson planned a protest in Chicago. James E. Harris, president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, demanded Sunday that Imus "resign or be terminated immediately."

plez sez: here we go again... can you say, "Michael Richards"? i thought you could!

my sister is a graduate of Rutgers and played basketball in high school. i take offense for all of those hard working and beautiful Black young women who grace the Rutgers Scarlet Knights basketball team. they are student athletes who were playing for a national championship (for Christ's sake), i am offended that a blubbering idiot like Don Imus would take advantage of his position to disgrace their integrity and their heritage with impunity!

first, i deplore what Don Imus said because it was aimed at college students and not professionals, and the fact that he had to stoop so damn low to try to grab a laugh in what i would consider a fading career in broadcasting. he's not funny, he's not relevant, and he's not going to have much of a television show after this week.

second, what the HELL is going on with Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson?!? looks like they are falling over each other trying to "interview" every clown who makes a racist/insensitive remark. i didn't know either of them had a radio show and now it begs the question, what the HELL do they talk about when there's no Don Imus or Richard Michaels to skewer? like Imus, these "Black leaders" are left with a questionable careers, lack of relevance, and certainly very little of a radio show after this week! i guess it's not enough for an irrelevant NAACP chapter in NJ to demand that Imus be fired, these two preachers have to try to elbow each other out of the way to garner some ratings for their non-existent shows.

Don Imus (and his producer Bernard McGuirk) needs to go to Rutgers University, sit down with the team and their parents, and issue his apology to them, face-to-face. he doesn't need blowhard povertypimp pastors to get it for them.

if you are so inclined, you can check out the Don Imus Apology here ... look at that dried up carcass, not only is his career fading, so is he!

and for truly bold, you can listen to Rev. Al Sharpton on the radio here ... and i'm still trying to figure out what the HELL he's going to talk about tomorrow?

lastly, although, i'm still pissed with Don Imus, we have to realize that this ain't going to be the last insensitive comment that we'll hear... it's time to grow up! everyone doesn't like you, everyone doesn't respect you, you'll have to get over it.

March Madness: HBCUs and NCAA

Two separate news stories touch on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the "stigma" attached with being relegated to the play-in games associated with the NCAA Basketball Championship (March Madness).

The following is the March 11th Washington Post article titled "Battling Against 'Stigma' of Play-In":

Hampton made two NCAA tournament appearances during Jeff Granger's college basketball career, both losses, but the experiences were very different.

The first was in 2002, when, as a redshirt, Granger watched the No. 15 seed Pirates lose to No. 2 seed Connecticut in the first round at a sold-out Verizon Center. The other was last year, before fewer than 8,000 fans in Dayton, when Hampton was assigned to play Monmouth in the "opening round" for the right to get into the bracket of 64.

"I know what being in the tournament is," Granger said. The opening-round game "was kind of, sort of, that experience. But it wasn't."

The NCAA tournament's opening-round game, which was added in 2001 and is commonly known as the play-in game, still faces the perception that it is not truly a part of the tournament. It is an issue of particular interest for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), whose teams have been relegated to the Tuesday night game most often. If the NCAA selection committee keeps with its current pattern when the field of 65 is announced today, it would mark the sixth straight season that the champion of the Southwest Athletic Conference or the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the two leagues that comprise Division I's historically black colleges, will be sent to the play-in game.

"[It's] a backdoor way into the tournament," Hampton President William R. Harvey said.

The play-in game was created as a compromise to preserve the number of at-large bids in the NCAA tournament after the creation of the Mountain West Conference increased the number of automatic bids from 33 to 34. Held in Dayton, Ohio, it pits two of the least competitive teams in the field for the right to be a No. 16 seed and face a No. 1 seed in the traditional field of 64. It is the only game in the tournament that is not a part of the television deal between CBS and the NCAA.

"Dayton has hosted that game in fine fashion and the NCAA has done everything possible to treat the game as a tournament game," said Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Karl Benson, a former member of the NCAA selection committee. "But there is a stigma attached to the two conferences that are playing in that game."

Since its creation, three representatives from the SWAC and two from the MEAC have been sent to the game. The Big South, with two appearances, is the only other league in the country that has sent a team more than once.

The trend is alarming to some affiliated with the two conferences, especially coaches such as Florida A&M's Mike Gillespie, who said that the majority of their teams face unique challenges that make it difficult to compare their competitive résumés to those of other schools.

"I feel the MEAC is every bit as good as the Southland, the Northeast," said Gillespie, who led Florida A&M to the tournament in 2004. "Our top five teams are every bit as good. Why do we have to be singled out each and every year?"

First-year Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry called the opening round a "pseudo conference tournament game," one that a conference champion shouldn't have to play.

"I dare anybody to say that the experience of a kid in a HBCU is any less important than anybody else's," Nickelberry said. "They got up at 5 o'clock in the morning, they lifted weights, they did everything else that they do at Auburn, Maryland and Ohio State. Their experience is being compromised, and you're basically saying it doesn't matter."

The situation also creates a quandary for members of the NCAA tournament selection committee, which five years ago created a subcommittee asked specifically to handle seeding for the tournament's bottom rung in hopes of combating what Benson called the "stereotyping" of seeds.

But since the game has been created, the SWAC and MEAC have ranked at or near the bottom of the country in the Ratings Percentage Index formula, one of the tools used by the committee to slot teams. The conferences also have had some strange postseason luck. Last season's MEAC tournament provides the perfect example: Delaware State won the regular season title but Hampton earned the NCAA berth through winning the conference tournament.

"When it's like that, what are you going to do?" said Jack Kvancz, George Washington's athletic director, who is a former member of the selection committee.

Jerry Palm, a national expert on the RPI formula used by the committee, said the simplest way to avoid the play-in game is to earn a higher rating by winning more games. "Those teams are down there [in rankings] because they can't beat anybody," said Palm, who operates the Web site http://www.collegerpi.com. "I think that those teams are genuinely not-so-good."

But Gillespie and Nickelberry said the problem is much more complex.

HBCUs typically schedule what are known as "guaranteed money" games against elite programs, which are capable of delivering the largest payouts. At Florida A&M, Gillespie said, a typical slate of between seven or nine guaranteed money games generates nearly $275,000 annually, money the school's athletic program depends on for survival. For smaller schools, these games are played on the road and are often guaranteed losses, which have devastating effects on a team's RPI.

"To get beat by 30 points doesn't create confidence for a team and doesn't raise your RPI," said Nickelberry, whose Pirates are one of the few black college teams that don't have to play money games.

While accepting money for a mismatch deal is common among the nation's smaller conferences, HBCUs play the most -- which Gillespie said distorts team records. This season, the MEAC's 11 teams averaged four games against schools from the six major conferences this season, the most in the country, and went 0-45 in those games. The SWAC averaged just over three games against the majors, finishing 1-33.

Palm said some smaller schools and conferences that have managed to increase their RPIs have done so by playing lower ranked mid-majors that are more likely to enter home-and-home scheduling agreements. Though the payouts aren't as large, the competition gap isn't as large. But, Nickelberry said, most schools in the historically black conferences can't afford to do away with money games.

"If you play that many guaranteed games, it's not possible, based on the equation, to copy what other people have done," Nickelberry said. "You can't do it."

While MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas maintains the play-in game will remain part of the tournament, he knows first-hand what a better seed can mean for a program. He was the athletic director at Hampton when the 15th-seeded Pirates beat No. 2 seed Iowa State, 58-57, in 2001 in one of one of the greatest upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament. Another MEAC school was behind another stunning upset in 1997, when No. 15 seeded Coppin State beat No. 2 South Carolina, 78-65.

"It's kind of ironic when two upsets in recent years have been from the HBCUs," Nickelberry said.

The thought of joining those ranks is one of the reasons that Nickelberry said he left his spot as an assistant on Oliver Purnell's staff at Clemson to take the job at Hampton, which with an endowment of more than $220 million can avoid the pitfalls of other HBCUs.

"But what about the teams that can't do it?" Nickelberry said.

The following is an excerpt from today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution article titled 'Selection boss deflects slap at play-in game':

Niagara, which won Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament, said it felt "disrespected" because it was put into the first-round game with Florida A&M (an HBCU which won the MEAC Conference Championship) Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.

Niagara (22-11), which started the season 1-6 because it had suspended several players, felt it should not be in the Tuesday night game because there were other teams in the tournament with lower rankings than its 134 in the RPI.

"I think it was shocking," coach Joe Mihalich told the Associated Press. "I think everybody was shocked and maybe some people were insulted by it. But that's good. That's fine with us."

Walters dismissed the suggestion that asking teams to play in Tuesday's game cheapens their NCAA experience.

"There are 260 teams that would love to be playing in the opening round game tomorrow night," Walters said in a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon.

The tournament field expanded from 64 to 65 teams in 2001 because the number of conferences that received automatic bids grew to 31. The larger conferences wanted maintain the 34 at-large bids that had previously existed so the play-in, or opening round, game between two of the lower seeds was created. It is not always reserved for the two lowest seeds in the tournament.

Walters conceded that there has been sensitivity not to put two representatives of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (MEAC, SWAC) into the opening round game. With Florida A&M, in Tuesday's game this marks the sixth straight season that a team from one of those two conferences has been in the Tuesday game.

"There were about 40 teams with 20 wins that didn't even get in the tournament," Walters said. "Nobody was out to punish anybody. I don't understand why there is concern about Niagara playing in the opening round game. It's an honor to play."

plez sez: I have a strong bias about this issue because my alma mater is a member of the ACC (GO JACKETS!) which has 6 teams in the NCAA Championship Tournament.

I am glad that the field of teams was expanded to accommodate more conference champions, because without it, probably only one HBCU would have the opportunity to participate, instead of the two that we have now (Florida A&M and Jackson State). Admittedly, these schools are much smaller than most Division I schools, have much smaller athletic budgets, and attract basketball players who by-and-large are not recruited to the much larger programs.

Over the past week, I took the opportunity to watch some of the games in the MEAC and SWAC Tournaments. The level of competition was several rungs below that of a mid-major; I saw very few starters who could even walk-on at an ACC, SEC, or Big 12 university. To be honest, it is refreshing to read that the selection committee is sensitive to limiting the play-in game to only one HCBU, because in reality, both of them should probably be playing tonight!

I am going to keep it real, though, I'll be rooting for Florida A&M tonight (GO RATTLERS!), if I can find the game on TV!