SB Nation - Dionte Christmas

Sleeping with the Enemy: Casual Q&A with 'The Owl's Nest'

CasualHoya — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:03 -0000

Continuing the esteemed tradition of Casual Q&A sessions with our enemies, Casual Hoya has joined forces with The Owl's Nest to provide you with some insight into tomorrow's opponent. Below you can find The Nest's responses to our hard-hitting questions about those pesky birds, as well as our replies to his inquiries about our Hoyas. Enjoy.

CH: Is former Owl great Mark Macon insane for trying to clean up the mess that former Gtown assistant Kevin Broadus left at Binghamton?

I don't think so. Mark Macon was a great player, and has been a great mentor as a coach. With these issues being resolved, Mark has the opportunity to makes things positive and form a new mold and image of this program (similar to what Temple football has had to do). I think Mark is in a great position to make a name for himself as a coach now, rather than the All-American player he used to be. It won't hurt to try.

Former Hoya player and coach, Craig Esherick and Temple’s current coach, Fran Dunphy are white coaches following legendary black coaches yet even Esherick’s impressive mustache (nearly identical to Dunphy’s) was unable to save his job – what have Dunphy’s biggest challenges been in rebuilding this program and will he be able to turn the corner?

The main challenge that Coach Dunphy has had to deal with is probably the level of talent he acquires in his recruiting classes. With all due respect to the Ivy League, Temple's athletic quality is plenty higher than what Fran Dunphy was getting with Penn. So far though, Coach has been able to implement the remaining players from Coach Chaney (ex. Dionte Christmas, Mark Tyndale, Ryan Brooks) with the newer guys he has brought in (Lavoy Allen, Juan Fernandez). It's somewhat obvious that Dunphy has done a tremendous job with what Coach Chaney left too, since 2 of Dunphy's 3 seasons so far have resulted in Atlantic 10 Championships and NCAA Tournament Appearances.

Did Coach Dunphy keep the 6 am practices? Has he challenged any opposing coaches to fistfights?

I'm not exactly sure about the 6 AM practices. I wouldn't think so though. That seemed to be a 'John Chaney' type of thing. As for fighting, Dunphy doesn't exactly come off as the mean and passionate type of heart Coach Chaney had. JC had no problem getting on the cases of the UMasses and Dukes who definitely had favored calls.

What are Temple’s strengths and weaknesses? How does Temple's perimeter game stack up? Who are the top shooters? Rebounders?

Strength: Experience. Even after losing 3 of last year's starters, the majority of the players on this team has a taste of success, and have in some way contributed to that. Lavoy Allen and Ryan Brooks, two of Temple's leading scorers, have stepped up the past two years to make up for lost pieces. Each year, there have been several players that have made impressive strides to only make the team better than the previous year.

Weakness: Go-to-guy. 2007 it was Mark Tyndale. 2008 it was Dionte Christmas (If you shut down Christmas, you most likely shut down Temple' offense). Now that both of these players have left, the two highest averages for scoring are just 10 points a game. It is a necessity that Temple consistently has guys that play huge roles in games, especially against a team like Georgetown. There will honestly be no "gimmies" or guarantees this year until players decide to take the helm.

The perimeter game has taken a hit with the graduation of Dionte Christmas. He lived by the 3 ball during his tenure at Temple. The top shooters on this team would be senior Ryan Brooks and sophomore Ramone Moore. The top guy, ironically, beyond the arc is 6'10" forward Craig Williams. When he's on, he's on. Juan Fernandez can shoot the ball from time to time, but he likes to make Steve Nash-like moves, and score the ball in the paint.

Down low, Lavoy Allen is Temple's main threat. With center Sergio Olmos graduating, he now holds most of the rebounding duties. Sophomore Micheal Eric has made strides to possibly be Temple's next center (he's 6'11", the tallest on the team).

What can Georgetown expect out of this year’s Temple squad?

Georgetown should expect a much faster pace game. Temple's overall starting five is much quicker going down the floor compared to last year, and doesn't necessarily slow up to set anyone up for a shot. At the same time, the Owls manage to protect the ball well in doing so (fast breaks). Temple's scoring has primarily comes from mid range jump shots and layups. Juan Fernandez will truly confuse you when handling the ball. He's elusive and makes tricky passes.

Defensively, the Owls have switched back and fourth through man to man, and that signature 2-3 zone. Ryan Brooks and Ramone Moore have quick hands, and can poke the ball out to generate a fast break. Brooks and senior guard Luis Guzman would most likely cover the opposing teams' playmaker. Down low, Micheal Eric and Lavoy Allen are extremely athletic on the defensive side of the ball. They have great windspans and length that allow them to get a number of blocked shots and quick rebounds.

After being waived by the 76ers in camp, Temple legend Dionte Christmas was recently arrested on firearms charges. Prior to Christmas, I believe the last Owl to even sniff the NBA was Mardy Collins, famously loved by Isiah Thomas and consequently hated by the entire city of New York. First question: What was it like to celebrate Christmas at Temple? Second: Do you see anyone on Temple's roster having professional talent? And speaking of talent, how are Temple's cheerleaders?

What you might not have realized is that the charges were dropped due to the fact that the firearm was not his. The car and gun belonged to current Sixer and former Florida Gator Mareese Speights, and Dionte was merely charged with driving without a license.

Dionte Christmas was a great basketball player and an even better human being. His play through his four years with Temple generated a ton of interest in Temple Basketball, as well as put the Owls back on the map as a constant NCAA tournament invite. He will be missed as a Temple basketball player, but also as a great human being in the community.

I would say Lavoy Allen has the best show of playing professional ball. He's still young as a junior, and has yet to reach his full potential. Only time will tell though-- there are plenty of players who have the change to emerge as key impact guys.

I think you guys will enjoy our cheerleaders.

Pats or Genos for cheesteaks?

Either one. I'm a fan of both. Also like Tony Lukes.

See our responses to The Owl's Nest questions after 'The Jump'

The Owl's Nest: It's been quite some time since the Owls have faced the Hoyas. The teams' last matchup was during the '04 season, where the Owls defeated Georgetown 75-57. What have been some of the main changes that John Thompson III has made to this team since his first year, where his team finished out with a record of (16-11)?

The biggest change has been Coach Thompson bringing in his own players. The team he inherited had some tremendous talent but over the past few years, Coach Thompson has done even more to keep local stars here (including McDonald’s AAs Chris Wright and Austin Freeman). Each year, Coach Thompson has had NBA caliber talent but after being dominated on the interior with Hibbert, then on the perimeter with DaJuan Summers (a legendary underachiever), there should be a better balance this year.

For the most part, it looks as thought there are no seniors on this 2009 team. How do you think the majority of the team being juniors and sophomores affects their performance? Do you think the leadership role is divvied up, or could you give us an idea of who fits that spot?

There was a major chemistry issue last year though it appears to have been resolved as the upperclassmen moved on. As noted above, Coach Thompson has kept the locals together and those guys have been playing against one another for years – establishing bonds both on and off the court. Gtown also does a great job keeping the kids in town over the summer and playing in the Kenner League. On top of that, the freshman most of us expect the most from – Hollis Thomson – has been on campus for almost a full year practicing with the team and should be able to blend in immediately.

The team has gone through some changes over the past year but I’d guess that the leader will be Junior Chris Wright – he’s the point guard and very assertive (not always in a good way) and seems to be establishing more trust with Coach, making him the proverbial coach on the floor. Junior Austin Freeman and Sophomore Greg Monroe also play pivotal roles on the team.

What style of play do the Hoyas have on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball? Who are the team's go-to-guy, and most reliable producers?

Coach Thompson runs elements of the Princeton offense so the games are generally lower scoring and the Hoyas run only when they’ve clearly got numbers. Defensively, they apply solid pressure but really only out to the three point line. They’ve consistently had size and shot blockers so they collapse in the paint well but rebounding has been an issue recently.

No doubt that the go-to-guy is Greg Monroe (note below) for both scoring and rebounding. Everyone expects that Chris Wright and Austin Freeman will take major strides this year too – the key to them is that they can put the ball on the ground in contrast to Monroe really needing someone to get it to him in the post (though he did freak Hasheem Thabeet off the dribble last year).

In 2007 it was Jeff Green. In 2008 it was Roy Hibbert. Who do you think is the next talent to enter the NBA on this Georgetown squad?

Simple: Greg Monroe. He would have been a Top 5 pick last year and he opened up in front of his New Orleans home crowd with a nice 18 point game. After that, it gets more difficult to predict with both Wright and Freeman being undersized. Hollis Thomson has the type of length and athleticism the league loves but he still appears to be a few years away from that goal.

I know it's extremely early, but do you have any predictions for the way this season could potentially turn out for your team? How do you think Tuesday night will fare?

Season’s a tough one but the #20 (AP) ranking looks pretty solid right now. Figure the Hoyas for just over 20 wins on the season with a Top 5 Big East finish.

Tuesday will be an unusual made-for-TV game and there probably won’t be a ton of fan support. We’ll wait for the Vegas lines but with this both Gtown and Temple opening with convincing road wins, this will probably be a close game with the Hoyas coming out on top. The Monroe-Lavoy Allen should be a nice matchup of 2 athletic big guys.

The dictionary definition of a "hoya"<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hoya> describes some sort of shrub/plant of the milkweed family. However, Georgetown's mascot is a bulldog. Where does the relation between this plant and the bulldog derive?

Hoya refers to neither the plant nor the bullbog. The cheer stems from the chant Hoya Saxa - which means "What Rocks" in a combination of Greek and Latin. Georgetown was once called the Stonewalls and an ingenious student came up with the chant. This of course can not be fully confirmed since it happened over 100 years ago. But in this day and age, Hoya has come to represent those who are able to Google "What is a Hoya." Those incapable of doing so (80% of West Virginia) are not Hoyas.

Casually.

Knicks Acquiring 28th Pick?

Seth — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:48:57 -0000

Might as well turn this into a real post. From Alan Hahn's Twitter, we get the following:

"Knicks bought Minnesota's 28th pick. DW has 2 first rounders now...the plot thickens...."

"Checking on the details of this...not sure you can just buy a 1st Rd pick for $$....must be a player involved."

"Brilliant people tell me it could be the Balkman trade exception that landed this pick. That exception expires in July."

One would imagine that Walsh is stockpiling assets to make an upward move in the lottery. If not, though, I could see the Knicks nabbing the best point guard available at 8, then looking for a shooting guard at 28. Jodie Meeks, Marcus Thornton, Dionte Christmas, Chase Budinger, and Wayne Ellington could all be available.

UPDATE: "Hold up, wait a minute...more intelligence coming my way: 28th is NOT done. An option, one of many, but NOT done."

Gonzaga's Daye, Heytvelt, and Downs Impress NBA Scouts

Zach B — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:43:24 -0000

Austin Daye continued to impress NBA scouts Tuesday in his workout with a number of NBA teams at Golden State's facilities. (courtesy of warriors.com)

View full size photo »

Just a few updates that I came across while browsing looking for workout schedules etc...

--You have to think that Gonzaga forward Austin Daye was hoping the athletic results from the combine would be lost and not posted on the Internet. Watching him for two years, it's pretty clear to see that he is not oozing athleticism. I saw this piece done by SB Nation partner site Testudo Times (Maryland) which said one of Austin's pluses was athleticism and I had to chuckle. He's skilled and has tons of upside but he's not about to go Dwight Howard on someone. Because of this, his combine results didn't really shock me.

But first...the good news that I just found about 3/4 of the way through writing this post. Austin worked out for the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday as part of a multi-team event with talent evaluators like Pat Riley and Don Nelson in attendance and prospects such as Terrance Williams, Luke Nevill, Darren Collison, and Chase Budinger. Austin got some great feedback apparently and is, once again, doing everything right.

Gonzaga forward Austin Daye and Temple guard Dionte Christmas had the best days, according to multiple NBA decisionmakers. Daye opted for a softer sell than Collison, using humor as his pitch.

"As long as Nellie likes me, I'm fine with it," joked Daye, who said he's "pretty committed to staying in the draft" but is looking for a guarantee that he will be picked among the top 20. "I don't really care who else is on the team."

Now for the athletic results from the combine (quite the buzzkill)...

continue reading this post for more on Daye and updates on Josh Heytvelt and Micah Downs

His vertical was middle of the pack, his agility and speed were near the bottom of the people tested and of course, he was the only person at camp that could not throw up 185 pounds on the bench press. Josh Heytvelt was actually able to bench 185 pounds 15 times (Notre Dame's Luke Harangody lead everyone with 23). No big surprise and no big deal for Austin. A guy that weighs less than 200 pounds with over a seven foot wingspan is not going to be able to bench that much weight. It's just physically improbable unless your getting one hell of a spot, just ask Kevin Durant. People will freak out for a day or so believing the bench press means something but as long as Austin keeps working out well, it won't matter.

As our plethora of fanshots pointed out today, Austin did not have the best workout in the world Monday for the T-Wolves. He missed a lot of shots and struggled in the physical drills. Whether or not this has a lasting effect on what he decides to do with his future remains to be seen but if he is not making open shots and at least showing some physicality in the paint, you have to believe that not many GM's are going to guarantee he will be top-20.

He does have to knock every team out of their chair however, just one, preferably in the top-20.

--Josh Heytvelt apparently worked out for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday but they may have the worst team website (sorry EDZ) so it is hard to tell when he worked out and how he did. You'll see some evidence later on in this little piece but the T-Wolves apparently had Heytvelt confused with Gonzaga forward Micah Downs. Here is their mini-bio on JH:

Josh Heytvelt (Ht. 6-11, Wt. 260) scored 9.6 points while grabbing 4.6 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game for Gonzaga last season. He shot 43.1 percent from the floor while leading the Bulldogs with an 81.3 percent free throw percentage.

Josh wouldn't have a sniff at the draft with those stats and doing a little research it's clear to see they filled Josh's bio with Micah Downs' information. The question now is what does it say for Micah's bio...you'll see.

Anyways, Josh worked out for the Wolves Tuesday but their is no real discussion about how it went even though according to other sources, Josh has been looking good. Their has been little information regarding Josh but here is a snippet:

•Q Score Up: Players who are being mentioned more and more in a positive light by NBA teams we speak to: B.J. Mullens, Tyler Hansbrough, Rodrigue Beaubois, Josh Heytvelt, Jack McClinton, Jeff Pendergraph, Omri Casspi

Obviously not Earth-shattering news but any positive news regarding Gonzaga prospects is worthy here.

On to the future for Mr. Heytvelt and in the immediate future he has an upcoming workout with the Sacramento Kings of the cellar. Keep your fingers crossed that Josh can avoid being drafted by Sacramento, why you ask? Well when was the last time you heard forward UW standout, now King Spencer Hawes' name? I thought so. The positive to this workout is that JH is in the same group as DeJuan Blair. It'll be very interesting to see how Josh does against a shorter but more powerful big like Blair.

--Back now to Micah Downs who has been very quietly impressing draft scouts and seemingly forcing his way into draft consideration. Micah was listed by the Minnesota Timberwolves site as having worked out Tuesday as well for the Wolves and he was lucky enough to receive Syracuse forward Paul Harris' bio on the site. Apparently Micah played 30.5 minutes a game for the Orange. Anyways, the site did offer a quick reaction to seeing Micah:

Micah Downs showed an ability to hit shots around the 3-point arc. The intriguing aspect to Downs is his length at 6-8. At the practice facility, it was hard to ignore the physical comparisons to Wolves' forward Mike Miller. Downs will need to prove to scouts that he can put the ball on the floor and not just rely on outside shooting.

According to DraftExpress, Micah is headed to Chicago to workout for the Chicago Bulls. Hopefully we can gather some information from that workout for you tomorrow.

That's all I got for you now but with all the workouts rolling in, keep checking back for more updates.

Poll

Any chance Austin Daye comes back to Gonzaga at this point?

100% Gone. Time to move on.

109 votes

A little hope, but probably gone.

137 votes

I fully expect him to be back at Gonzaga next year.

39 votes

285 votes | Poll has closed

Loud Links: June 2, 2009

daddydai — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:00:14 -0000

There is plenty of Thunder news floating around the net today. The most interesting information is the athletic results from the NBA Draft Combine. James Harden has a 37-inch vertical. Blake Griffin was one of the strongest players at the Combine. Patrick Mills was one of the quickest players with a ¾ court sprint of 3.10 seconds (Harden wasn’t too shabby with a 3.13 second sprint). There is news from Spain concerning Rubio’s likelihood to play ball in the States this fall. There is more trade rumors concerning the draft, and of course Oklahoma City is right in the middle of the conversation. Seattle laments during the 30th anniversary of the Sonics’ 1979 championship. Damien Wilkins is back in school, and is apparently suffering from delusions of grandeur.

Ricky: "Si no hay un buen proyecto no voy a la NBA"
Ricky Rubio habló por primera vez de su futuro después de que se produjese el sorteo del draft. El base del DKV Joventut afirmó con rotunidad en 'El Punt' que "si no hay un buen proyecto no voy a la NBA". En Estados Unidos se sigue especulando sobre el futuro de Ricky. El español ya ha confirmado que su agente ya está hablando con algunos mánagers de la NBA. "Hay que ver cuál es la mejor opción para mí. Memphis tiene el dos, pero eso no quiere decir nada", afirmó el base.

OR if you prefer English...

Monday Bullets - TrueHoop By Henry Abbott - ESPN
Ricky Rubio tells a Spanish newspaper that if his rights end up with an NBA team that is not headed in the right direction, he will stay in Spain. He also says that a good outcome of the ongoing buyout negotiations with DKV Joventut are key his joining the NBA.

DraftExpress: Pre Draft Measurements
NBA Draft scouting reports, mock drafts, articles on NBA Draft Prospects. Extensive high school, NCAA and international NBA draft coverage.

NBA Draft - D.R.A.F.T. Initiative: Dearth of talent makes wise drafting even more critical - ESPN
When the NBA draft started more than 50 years ago, it was like a bare-knuckles fight -- there was no limit on the number of rounds, allowing teams to draft players for as long as they could stand, including a record 21 rounds in 1960. Times change. Since then, the draft has been shrunk (to 10 rounds by the mid-1970s) and downsized (to seven in 1985) and desiccated (to the current two rounds in 1989). Obviously, drafts can change the course of league history (see: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan), and every year on draft night, we like to point and stare at the big suits and the Big Suit.

NBA draft: Ranking the top point guards - ESPN
CHICAGO -- The first-ever NBA draft combine is a wrap, and the outcome wasn't as bad as many had predicted. No, there weren't any 5-on-5 games. And yes, several of the top players refused to participate in light drills. But the combine did provide some clarity in several key areas. The first -- and, arguably, the most important -- was a better understanding of the top point guard prospects. While the draft is weak overall, the point guard class is strong, and seeing all the top prospects on the floor (with the exception of Ricky Rubio and Tyreke Evans) was the most interesting part of the combine.

Which teams are willing to sell their picks? - ESPN Insider
With draft day now less than a month away, a number of teams are looking to either get in the draft or grab another first-round pick. The Knicks are trying to use their considerable wealth (a team can pay up to $3 million for a pick) to search for a seller. They have the eighth pick in the draft, but would like another pick. With the team trying to manage its cap, draft picks are a cheap source of labor. And with the economy turning sour for NBA teams, the Knicks might seize the opportunity.

NBA Draft Power Forward Rankings
Blake Griffin will not only be carrying the banner for what is a very interesting 2009 NBA Draft class but he is also the flagship player for one of the deepest positions in the NBA Draft, power forward. And after watching the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics take the last two Eastern Conference titles it's obvious that power ball is "in" on the hardwood. And if you want to beat the best you have to be able to overpower them near the basket.

American Chronicle | Building Block; Walsh Has Eye on Big Man Thabeet
It is why Walsh is so intrigued with Hasheem Thabeet, UConn's 7- 3 junior shotblocker. Walsh interviewed Thabeet during the Chicago NBA Draft combine Wednesday and is the only prospect he views worthy enough to give up a decent asset to move up from No. 8 in the draft. The Knicks were last in shotblocking the past two seasons. Dikembe Mutombo retired last month and the next Mutombo is ready to join the NBA. If Memphis takes Ricky Rubio at No. 2 instead of Thabeet, there is a feeling Oklahoma City, with the third pick, could be willing to trade down instead of taking the shotblocker from Tanzania.

NBA draft: Jrue Holiday, Earl Clark and DeJuan Blair could go high in 2009 draft - ESPN
At the end of the week, I traveled from the West Coast to Florida to the Pro Training Center at IMG Academy in Bradenton to get a closer look at three players ranked in my top 15 whom scouts are much more divided on -- UCLA's Jrue Holiday, Louisville's Earl Clark and Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair. Those three are currently ranked eighth, 11th and 12th in my Top 100. But the truth is, they all could end up going significantly higher or lower than the late lottery as teams try to get a better feel for them. Although each player is totally different from the others, all three are a bit of an enigma.

X-Mas and O’s: An Interview with Dionte Christmas
Never have I met a man whose surname so properly captures his demeanor. Dionte Christmas is generous with his smile and his time. Christmas also possesses the two characteristics that I came to find most endearing in the players I met during the Combine: He is mature and appreciative. In some sense they are two sides of the same coin. During his 4 years at Temple he developed his maturity and that has allowed him to recognize that, as a currently projected late second-rounder, he is by no means assured a spot on an NBA roster. Despite draft projections he received a bit more attention than the other players expected to go in the late 50s, by-products of his charming personality and on-court heroics in college (several reporters, including myself, brought up the Temple-Tennessee upset from earlier this season). Those attracted me to Christmas but, more importantly, I wanted to discuss the private workout he had conducted with the Spurs.

2009 NBA MOCK DRAFT - Consensus 4.0
HOOPSWORLD's 2009 NBA Mock Draft team has assembled thier weekly installment of the Consensus Mock Draft, look for weekly updates as we track the latest movement in the 2009...

DraftExpress: Word on the Street, June 2nd
With the Detroit Pistons looking to get as far under the salary cap as they can this summer, and the Oklahoma City Thunder being one of the few teams who are able to help them shed salary, the two teams have emerged as natural trade partners, multiple NBA sources told DraftExpress this past weekend. With very few teams projected to have cap space this summer (Oklahoma City, Memphis, Portland, Sacramento and Atlanta being the main ones), it appears that Detroit could be in great position to take advantage of the strength of this free agent class and nab a couple of pieces that would put them right back in the mix to compete for the Eastern conference finals. Detroit is currently slated to be around 20 million dollars underneath the cap, but could shed another five million or so by unloading the contracts of Amir Johnson and their first round pick (#15).

Hasheem Thabeet vs. James Harden
Thabeet is a defensive force, He blocks and changes countless shots. He also runs the floor very well for his size. His improvement from his freshman year to the end of this past season has been impressive and he still has a high ceiling for future growth. At 7'3'' and 265 lbs i think he still has room to put 15 to 20 more lbs on his frame, which would help him against more stout players. Offensively is where he draws criticism but his offense has improved every year and it is no reason to believe with NBA coaching that it won't continue to improve. He may never be a go to post player, but if he can be a dominant rebounder, shot blocker and on offense just finish strong in the paint then he is worth the pick. I personally think he can be more. He has a soft touch around the basket and he is a underrated free throw shooter. Another asset is the fact that we have Nenad Krstic. We don't have to put Thabeet under immediate pressure, whether he starts or not he can share the Center position initially with Krstic, allowing him to grow as a player under less pressure to pay instant dividends. Thabeet is a guy who can instantly shave points off our points per game allowed average and bring us closer to consistently competing for championships, He is a special defensive presence.

Blake Griffin Ready to be a Clipper
While Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin has been the consensus number one pick for months, his destination became clear on May 19th when the Los Angeles Clippers won the lottery. It didn't take long for the Clippers to acknowledge that Griffin would indeed be their choice; a number of teams may try to pry Blake away but the word out of LA is that the Clippers are steadfast in their decision.

Three decades after huge Sonics celebration, fan turnout is small
As thousands partied in the streets of Pioneer Square, a man climbed a light pole, screaming his admiration for the Seattle SuperSonics. Someone at St. James Cathedral rang the church bells. Fireworks burst over Queen Anne Hill, and thousands wearing green and yellow swarmed downtown. But Monday evening - 30 years after the NBA championship win - the only banner this year at what used to be the Sonics Team Shop was a solid black one draped just past the entrance to the store, which shuttered last year.

Scout.com: Wilkins a New Man
"Everyone is going to be trying to sign both me and LeBron next summer," Wilkins said with a chuckle. James’ free agent signing will likely be the largest in NBA history. That’s not to say Wilkins’ new signing won’t have plenty of zeros behind it. The former Georgia star pocketed a reported $3.1 million for the 2008-09 season alone. That begs the question – why come back to get a degree, when you are already a millionaire?

Varejao opting out
Anderson Varejao did not meet with the media Sunday, but a league source said that he intends to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. This option was part of three-year offer sheet Varejao signed with the Charlotte Bobcats that the Cavs matched in 2007.

2009 NBA Draft Workouts
Who is Working Out With Who? The 2009 Draft Workout Schedule! Updated daily.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Version 3.0 - ESPN
Once again, the Thunder are proving to be a tough nut to crack. Last year, we heard them attached to five or six guys in the draft. This year is no different. In Chicago, rumors were flying all over the place about which player the Thunder are after. I heard Rubio, Thabeet, James Harden, Jordan Hill and even Stephen Curry mentioned this week. I'm told that the Thunder like Rubio and that Rubio isn't averse to playing in OKC. The issue for the Thunder is fit and opportunity. Many on the team see Russell Westbrook as their point guard of the future and aren't sure how he'd fare without the ball in his hands. Maybe more importantly, Thunder GM Sam Presti is an opportunist. If he can get a couple of good assets in return for the No. 3 pick, he won't be afraid to pull the trigger. If Rubio is off the board, this will be a tough decision. Thabeet would give them the shot-blocking they desperately need. Harden would give them the savvy of a veteran. Curry would give them shooting. Hill would give them rebounding and energy. They could use all those things.

NBA draft: Who are the best athletes? - ESPN
Notre Dame's Luke Harangody and Oklahoma's Blake Griffin tested as the strongest athletes in the camp. Harangody bench-pressed 185 pounds 23 times, and Griffin did 22 reps. One other player, Xavier's Derrick Brown, got the bar up 20 times. Daye followed in Kevin Durant's footsteps by being unable to lift the bar once. Vasquez was able to get the bar up only once, and Israel's Omri Casspi got the bar up only twice.

ESPN: Chat with Chad Ford - SportsNation
Bo (OK): Can you tell me a scenario that lands Blake Griffin in a Homeklahoma city thunder uniform? SportsNation Chad Ford: Sorry ... the more I talked to the Clippers last week the more convinced I was that they're keeping him. I think the NBA should ban the Clippers from the the top three picks. It's like buying a new Bentley and then parking it at a Motel 6.

What we've learned so far in the NCAA Tournament

MRickman84 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:03:17 -0000

Spare the jokes about how we learned that Dino can't coach in the postseason and the Deacs still can't win in March. Aside from that, we have learned some interesting things after the first three days of the NCAA Tournament...

1.) Teams that jack it up lose.

Teams that rely on the three-ball as a primary portion of the offense lose in the tournament. They just do. Look at: Michigan, Butler, Portland State, Akron, Mississippi State, Utah, American, Northern Iowa, Temple, Ohio State-- all these teams are in the Top 100 in 3pt Attempted/FGA. Defenses are better in the NCAA Tournament, and teams will make you pay if you have a bad shooting night or can't rebound the ball.

2.) Stars will be stars

Role players often have breakout games (Derek Glasser!), but stars rule the NCAA Tournament. Blake Griffin, Ty Lawson, Terrence Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, the big-time players come out in March

3.) Big men still matter

I know it's a guard's league, but the big fellas still hold their own in the Dance. Blake Griffin had 32 points today in Oklahoma's win, Purdue's Jajuan Johnson went crazy against Washington's Jon Brockman (who also had a big game), Tyler Hansbrough and Ed Davis had good games against LSU--the boys in the middle make a difference, especially against teams that have a hole at the center position.

4.) But don't forget the guards

Guards take the big shots when it counts. When a team is down two with the ball, the big guy doesn't take the shot--the star guard does. And they shine. Dionte Christmas had a huge game, Cedric Jackson and Cleveland State went off against Wake Forest, James Harden scored seven straight when Arizona State needed him most, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington carried North Carolina. Guards win Championships.

5.) It pays to press

Teams in March who haven't seen the press panic. It's just true. If you spend your whole year without seeing it, a good press will take a team out of their game plan. That's why Louisville is picked to go so far. That's why Missouri is a darkhorse to go to the Final Four. Pressing teams turn opponents over, get quick buckets and make teams play at their tempo. Excuse Clemson from this conversation; apparently OP can't win in March at all.

What do you all think? Any other cardinal rules to this year's tournament?

Temple Owls vs. Arizona State Sun Devils, NCAA Tournament Game Thread

Cory Williams — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:41:57 -0000

Next Game

Temple Owls
@ Arizona St. Sun Devils

Friday, Mar 20, 2009, 11:45 AM MST
NCAA Tournament - South Region - First Round - American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL

Sun Devils Disrespected By Media, Selected As a Widespread Upset Special

posted by C.W. about 16 hours ago

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1st Round Preview: #6 ASU vs. #11 Temple

posted by ASUBoyd 1 day ago

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Finally, we are in the NCAA Tournament. As a senior, I am proud to actually watch my college basketball team play for something. After watching guys Slyvester Seay and Christian Polk play big minutes in Wells Fargo Arena, it's a real pleasure to have a team with actual talent.

This is great, and I can't wait for tip off. For the time being, peruse the preview articles in our coverage box above, and check out SBN's Syracuse blog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, to get to know who we would be playing if we beat Temple today.

Here we go Devils! Lets talk about both the 'Cuse game and the ASU game in this thread.

Bracket Breakdown: South Regional

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:42:36 -0000

Our tour of the bracket moves on to UNC's regional in the South. (Previously, the East and Midwest Regions.)

After the jump, analysis on why the South has the toughest top four seeds in the field, coupled with tough outs among the lower seeds. This will be an exciting region to watch and could feature numerous upsets.
SOUTH REGION EFFICIENCY BREAKDOWN

All data from Ken Pomeroy. Teams listed in order of best to worst within each category. Each team's national rank is listed in parentheses.

South Region Adjusted Efficiency


Bracket Rank	Offensive Efficiency	Defensive Efficiency
1	North Carolina (1)	Illinois (4)
2	ASU (5)	Gonzaga (9)
3	Gonzaga (6)	SFA (13)
4	Oklahoma (8)	UNC (35)
5	Syracuse (10)	ASU (36)
6	Clemson (12)	Temple (40)
7	Michigan (41)	Syracuse (42)
8	LSU (51)	Butler (45)
9	Butler (63)	Oklahoma (46)
10	WKU (68)	Akron (50)
11	Temple (69)	Clemson (52)
12	Illinois (97)	LSU (53)
13	Akron (153)	Michigan (67)
14	Radford (187)	Morgan St. (92)
15	Morgan St. (210)	Radford (166)
16	SFA (242)	WKU (168)

SOUTH REGIONAL BREAKDOWN

Best First Round Match Up: (7) Clemson vs (10) Michigan

The once-proud Michigan program fell on hard times after the departure of the Fab Five, culminating in missing the NCAA Tournament for more than 10 straight years. Anyone who saw the fans and players go absolutely crazy on Selection Sunday after being chosen as an at-large bid understands how much this means to the program. Rest assured -- John Beilein will have his team ready to play. This game may feature the most interesting defensive match ups of any first-round game, with Michigan's 1-3-1 zone against Oliver Purnell's full-court pressuring version of "40 Minutes of Hell."

Upset Watch: (5) Illinois vs (12) Western Kentucky

Former Texas assistant Ken McDonald is in the final stages of his first season as head coach of the Hilltoppers, a team that made the Sweet 16 last season and possesses a win against overall number one seed Louisville. Illinois isn't as bad as their famous 39-33 loss to Penn State earlier in the season, but will have the heart and soul of their team -- senior point guard Chester Frazier, their best perimeter defender -- for only a few minutes, if at all. Teams seeded in the 12 slot have won about one in three first-round match ups since 1985 and Illinois looks the most vulnerable. However, Western Kentucky is a terrible defensive squad (168th in adjusted defensive efficiency) and even though the Illini aren't an efficient unit themselves, they do pass the ball extremely well and will run their motion offense.

Home Court Advantage: (1) North Carolina

The Tar Heels won't have to travel far to play their first-round match up, just down the road to Greensboro, where fans will have ample opportunity to mix it up with Duke fans watching the Blue Devils in their regional. The bigger concern than obnoxious Duke fans is the status of Tywon Lawson, the guy who makes the Tar Heels transition game go. Everything hinges of Lawson's health for the consensus preseason best team, which could have to deal with LSU, the SEC's best team and a hot Gonzaga squad to get into the Elite 8.

Best Individual Match Up: ASU's James Harden vs Temple's Dionte Christmas

Harden isn't the most athletic player in the country, but he changes pace and uses hesitation moves to maximize the effect of his physical skills. He does so well enough for DraftExpress to consider him the second-best prospect for the 2009 NBA Draft, trailing only Blake Griffin. With the court vision to find his teammates and a defensive-minded attitude, Harden does more than score the basketball.

Christmas is a scorer with better elevation and shooting form than Harden, and only averages one point less per game. Also capable of getting his teammates involved, Christmas must stay out of foul trouble on the defensive end against Harden, while running the Sun Devils' star off his catch-and-shoot jumper, as Harden shoots the ball poorly off the dribble.

This may be the best match up on the wing in the first round.

The Game College Hoops Fans Should Hope Happens: (1) North Carolina vs (4) Gonzaga

This potential second-round match up could be the end of the road for the Tobacco Row All-Star squad if point guard Tywon Lawsone can't get healthy. With adjusted offensive and defensive efficiencies both in the top 10, the Zags are the epitome of balance, with six players who could lead them in scoring. They're also the hottest team in the country after blowing through their conference tournament and have a chip on their shoulder after bowing out in the first round of the tournament the last two seasons.

Most Interesting Tidbit

LeBron James may well be rooting for his hometown Akron Zips when they face Gonzaga -- Keith Dambrot, the Akron coach, was the high school coach of James at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, even helping the superstar with his jump shot before his first NBA season.

Most Likely High Seed to Lose: (2) Oklahoma

The Sooners are widely considered the weakest two seed in the Tournament and could have problems if they face Clemson in the second round. If Clemson can slow down Blake Griffin, the game will fall into the hands of the OU perimeter shooters, who have been inconsistent all season. With sensational frosh Willie Warren slumping down the stretch, it could spell an early exit for the Sooners.

6. Arizona State Sun Devils vs. 11. Temple Owls, 1st Round of NCAA Tournament

Cory Williams — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:17:09 -0000

Friday game in Miami, Florida. Game should start around 2:45 or 3 PM Eastern time, or 11:45-12 here in Arizona.

We were the last game announced. I was quite nervous for a minute there. Some kind of massive clerical error would have ended my life.

Temple went 11-5 in the regular season of the Atlantic-10, but took care of business in the conference tournament to make it to the NCAA Tournament.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Dionte Christmas	33	34.9	6.4	15.5	41.1	3.1	8.9	34.8	3.4	4.5	75.0	1.1	4.8	5.8	2.9	2.9	1.5	0.2	2.5	19.2
Lavoy Allen	32	31.1	4.6	7.9	57.9	0.2	0.7	33.3	1.5	2.4	64.5	3.8	5.1	8.9	2.0	1.3	0.4	1.6	2.4	10.9
Ryan Brooks	33	34.1	3.8	8.7	43.7	1.8	4.2	41.7	1.4	1.8	73.8	1.0	2.8	3.8	1.7	1.0	0.8	0.3	2.0	10.7
Sergio Olmos	29	23.0	3.3	6.1	55.1	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.8	2.5	69.9	1.1	2.9	4.1	0.9	1.4	0.4	1.4	2.7	8.4
Semaj Inge	33	28.8	2.7	6.6	40.4	0.5	1.3	34.1	1.3	2.0	65.2	1.2	2.7	3.9	3.6	2.2	1.2	0.5	2.5	7.1
Juan Fernandez	22	20.2	1.8	4.9	36.4	0.8	2.3	35.3	1.4	2.0	68.2	0.3	1.7	2.0	2.7	1.6	0.4	0.0	2.5	5.7
Craig Williams	26	14.6	1.8	4.9	37.0	1.5	3.6	40.4	0.4	0.4	90.9	0.5	2.6	3.1	0.9	0.5	0.3	0.2	1.5	5.5
Ramone Moore	13	13.2	1.7	4.3	39.3	0.6	1.6	38.1	0.5	0.5	85.7	0.6	1.7	2.3	0.7	1.2	0.3	0.0	1.5	4.5
Michael Eric	25	9.2	1.1	2.4	46.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.8	55.0	0.7	1.4	2.1	0.1	0.7	0.2	0.5	1.1	2.7
Luis Guzman	24	15.8	0.7	1.7	41.5	0.2	0.5	36.4	0.5	0.8	60.0	0.5	1.6	2.1	2.1	1.3	0.6	0.0	1.5	2.1
Scootie Randall	11	4.6	0.5	0.7	62.5	0.1	0.3	33.3	0.2	0.3	66.7	0.2	0.3	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.3	1.2
T.J. DiLeo	5	8.8	0.4	2.2	18.2	0.2	1.4	14.3	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.4	0.4	0.8	0.4	0.8	0.2	0.0	0.8	1.0
Rafael DeLeon	7	1.9	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0
	33	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	1.8	3.1	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Dionte Christmas is an experienced senior who is a threat at 6'5" and 205 pounds. 6 rebounds a game and 19.2 points.

Side note: I love how the CBS show isn't talking about us at all. They just gloss right over our matchup to talk about Syracuse some more.

I am excited about this match up, but not too thrilled with the six seed. I suppose losing to USC gives us no respect, but we did beat Washington and Arizona the days before.

If we get past Temple, we face Syracuse in all likelihood. That is a painful match up to consider, but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

More of this, less of historic collapses.

We will have a much more in-depth article about Temple in the coming days.

We're Dancing: Temple University

SFBE.MP — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 01:03:41 -0000

Temple would like to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day. Dionte Christmas and the 4th seeded Temple Owls have robbed another team of an NCAA at large bid with their 69-64 victory in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship. The defeat of the Duquesne makes that the Owls second straight conference championship and puts them into a post season invitational that they would otherwise be watching on CBS.

More on the spoilers of the A-10 after the jump.

Location: "City of Brotherly Love"- Philly, PA

Enrollment: 36.686

Record: 22-11 (11-5)

Leading Scorers: Dionte Christmas (18.9 ppg), Lavoy Allen (11.0 ppg), Ryan Brooks (10.6 ppg)

What to know:

Dionte Christmas. Temple will only go as far as Christmas can take them. He has the capability to fill it up and take over a close game.
They have now won five straight and do own victories over Tennessee and Penn State in out of conference battles. Their strength of schedule is nothing to write home about at 43rd in the nation, but they are 2-2 vs. top 25 teams.

Projection: Temple will most likely stencil their name on a 12 or 13 seed, creating a poor draw for a 4 or 5. The A-10 isn't a joke so Temple crush someone's weekend dreams.

Williams named finalist for Senior CLASS Award

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:15:03 -0000

Wednesday, Terrence Williams was named as one of ten finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, an honor presented annually to an outstanding senior student-athlete.

According to the official release, "each finalist displays numerous accomplishments across all four award pillars: classroom, community, character, and competition"

The other nine finalists are A.J. Abrams (University of Texas, Austin), Jimmy Baron (University of Rhode Island), Dionte Christmas (Temple University), Tyler Hansbrough (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Lester Hudson (University of Tennessee at Martin), Curtis Jerrells (Baylor University), Jerel McNeal (Marquette University), Andy Wicke (Belmont University) and Sam Young (University of Pittsburgh).

You can vote for T-Will here. The fan vote will be combined with the ballots of the coaches and media to decide the winner.