SB Nation - Jonny Flynn

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Wildcats vs. the World Edition

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:04:47 -0000

I bumped into this Gregg Doyel article down in the FanShots, and thought it deserved a bit more commentary.

I have to admit, I used to really loathe Doyel, but over the past couple of years, he has grown on me. I can't really put my finger on it, he really hasn't been that much different -- maybe I'm just getting less sensitive to sarcasm in my old age and learning to appreciate it more. Embracing the hate, as it were.

Well, this is certainly no hate piece, at least, not directed at Kentucky, or Calipari. In fact, it's just the kind of thing I might write if I actually, you know, had a sense of humor. Here are a couple of excerpts:

The media would hate it [Kentucky going undefeated], but that makes me want it even more. Media groupthink has decided John Calipari is a bad guy, but media groupthink also decided Texas should play Alabama for the college football championship, and that the running back from Alabama is the best player in the country. Media groupthink is silly.

I have often thought the very same thing. Media groupthink is silly, sometimes even extremely harmful, and the thought of angering the media by watching a sacred cow or three get brutally slaughtered and eaten raw really warms the cockles of my heart.

As a bonus, we would also get to watch the cranial conflagrations of opposing fans or just plain UK haters who are dying to see Coach Cal fail, or find some tiny shred of moral turpitude to justify a "See! I told ya so!" Watching both the media and their cognitively dissonant acolytes spray gray mater all over their basement and/or cubicle wall is, to paraphrase the Grinch, "A sight I really must see." But as Doyel says, I'm not predicting it -- just wishing for it.

More after the jump.

Another graf I really like:

Imagine, then, this coach winning the national title this year -- and not losing a game along the way. Kentucky would replace Bob Knight's 1976 Indiana Hoosiers as the last team to go undefeated. From his perch at ESPN, Knight would be miserable. From its perch in Indianapolis, the NCAA would be miserable. Memphis would hate it. Louisville would hate it. Indiana wouldn't believe it. The media would moan.

And what sweet, sonorous music that would make! The mind fairly boggles at the prospect of the angst and anguish of Louisville fans. And Indiana fans? Oh, my. We'd have to bring the Kentucky National Guard with us next time we went to Bloomington for a game. The gnashing of teeth from Tobacco Road would be audible all the way to Pauley Pavilion.

Thanks, Gregg. Yeah, it's just a dream.

But it's a good dream.

Now, for the news:

UK commit injured
Fortunately, it should be minor. Just a concussion, although those can be a real problem.
College football notes: Dec. 17 - Sports - Kentucky.com
Central Michigan is usually a reliable place to find good coaches, much like Western Kentucky in basketball.
Basketball Prospectus | Articles | Around the Rim: Texas About to Get Tested
Junior point guard Jai Lucas will make his Texas debut Saturday as he becomes eligible after transferring from Florida. He is the son of former NBA point guard and coach John Lucas.

Texas Longhorns vs. the North Carolina Tar Heels. Must see TV, in my book.
Wildcats Thunder Blog: Kentucky vs Austin Peay......A Preview
Mashburn to return for Kentucky’s bid for 2,000 basketball victories | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Awesome! Mashburn was the biggest recruit to come to Kentucky in my lifetime, and what a great player he was. I forgot just how great until I watched the Kentucky Wildcats vs. the Georgia Bulldogs from back in 1993 the other night. I sure would love to have him back.
Man falls into pit in Kentucky cave, dies | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Prayers for the family.
Kentucky Sports Radio " Blog Archive " Newton Figured To Start in Nashville
Key transfers finally eligible - Beyond the Arc - msnbc.com
Three top teams get a lot stronger.
What’s going to happen with Liggins? | Vaught's Views
Calipari seems bent on not publicly discussing personnel issues. I agree that at some point, it might make more sense for Liggins to transfer if Cal is just going to treat him like a victory cigar. But I suspect otherwise.
The Big Blue Nation Report: Just a little Christmas Jingle
Heh. Not bad ...
Lawyer: Ex-Connecticut Huskies student manager at center of recruiting allegations has not spoken to NCAA - ESPN
A lawyer for the man at the center of recruiting allegations against the University of Connecticut says his client has not spoken to investigators.
NCAA Tournament: If It Ain't Broke.. | College Basketball by Collegehoops.net
The NCAA Tournament is the single greatest event in American sports. It is three weeks of complete saturation of the best college basketball has to offer, with each game an elimination game, with each game coming one step closer to a championship.

The argument against expanding the tournament. Pretty compelling. But it’s not great because there are a lot of teams playing. It’s great because there are a lot of good teams playing. 31 teams are there because they won their conference championship – they earned their way in. The others represent (in theory) the 34 best teams remaining.
Around the Top 25: Ohio State beats Presbyterian; Thad Matta doesn’t eject any fans | College Hoops Journal
Ouch. How's that phiz feelin' today, Roy?
After long hiatus, Caracter shows signs he could salvage career - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
UTEP is 5-0 without Derrick Caracter.

And 0-2 with him.

That's what many will mention about Caracter's return to college basketball, and I suppose it's fair to mention because, well, it's true. The record doesn't lie. There's no way around it. But as someone who sat courtside and watched Caracter get 15 points and 15 rebounds in 32 minutes against Ole Miss, I can tell you with a degree of certainty that he's not the reason UTEP lost its past two games.

Wouldn't it be sooooo droll if UTEP wound up playing U of L sometime this year? Caracter vs. Pitino? Oh, I would absolutely love to see that happen.

Please, NIT committee, make that happen. :-)
Tyler Hansbrough, Jonny Flynn shaped decade in college hoops - 2000s: The Decade in Sports - SI.com
BEST COACHING RIVALRY: John Calipari vs. Bruce Pearl Calipari has been at loggerheads with lots of coaches over the years, from Lou Carnesecca to John Chaney to Jim Calhoun to his current doppelganger at Louisville, Rick Pitino. But the state of Tennessee was truly not big enough for both Pearl and Calipari, whose constant jabs at each other in the media, on the recruiting trail and on the court made for great theater. The rivalry crested on Feb. 23, 2008, when Pearl's Vols, who were ranked No. 2 in the country, edged top-ranked and undefeated Memphis 66-62.

I hope it goes from "best" to "epic."
3-Pointers: Krzyzewski backs tournament expansion - Mike DeCourcy - College Basketball - Sporting News
Most important, getting into the tournament wouldn't mean much if 96 teams were admitted. It's like being invited to your class reunion. You graduated, they found your address, so you get a letter. It doesn't mean you were popular.

That's my main concern.
Sprints Is Interested In Hiring a Florida Assistant // 12.17.09 - Team Speed Kills
Even more expansion talk - this time Pac Ten gets in on the action - Block U
Expansion talk in the PAC-10.
Could Big Ten Expansion Force the SEC to Bring In a New School? - Dawg Sports
Kyle King has thoughts on any possible SEC expansion. I would not want the Cardinals in the SEC, but Georgia Tech or Clemson would be very solid additions.
Q&A: StatSheet's Robbie Allen - Blogger So Dear
Blogger So Dear interviews StatSheet founder Robbie Allen
" BBL: Josh Selby now considering Arizona John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's Big Blue Links.
John Wall: The Best Freshman in College Basketball History?
Intentional Foul " RIP Chris Henry
Very sad. Prayers to the family.
Vaught's Views: UK's Ramon Harris handling challenges of being a new dad: AMNews.com
He’s not a great scorer and knows scoring is not what this team needs from him. Instead, he’s willing — and able — to play defense, rebound and pass. And he hustles. He never seems to get up on a loose ball or long rebound.

Ramon has carved out playing time on a team where very few thought he could. Impressive young man.
Intentional Foul " Royce White Says Adios
Ouch. Not good for the Gophers.

10 from the 00s: "That was the best game ever, man."

SFBE.NF — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:47:56 -0000

I blog about, and therefore infrequently attend, college basketball games. I wasn't at last year's epic Syracuse-UCONN Big East Quarterfinal game. My recollection of one of the most fascinating four hours of television will probably sound no different from everyone else who tuned in, stayed up, got confused, witnessed history, and then tried to fall asleep with adrenaline racing through their body.

For a much more interesting perspective, I leave it to ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil. She was there are March 12, 2009 (and March 13). She saw it live, and is a much better writer.

The song is a lie.

That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I walked out of Madison Square Garden sometime near 4 a.m.

The city does in fact sleep.

Or at the very least power-naps.

Aside from a stretch of cabs lined up on Seventh Avenue, there wasn't much happening in New York City in the wee hours of March 13, 2009.

Maybe Gotham was just worn out after hosting what goes down as one of the most unforgettable college basketball games in memory.

Syracuse 127, Connecticut 117.

Six overtimes, three hours, 46 minutes, beginning at 9:36 p.m. on March 12, ending at 1:22 a.m. on March 13.

I remember everything and nothing all at once. I remember seeing Eric Devendorf hop on the press table just a few feet from me at the end of regulation, celebrating and gesturing at the crowd, convinced his 28-footer at the buzzer had won the game.

I remember Kemba Walker nearly scoring from midcourt at the second OT buzzer.

I remember the usher standing sentry in front of me during game breaks, sometime around the fourth OT, muttering, "Can't we just go to a shootout?"

I remember laughing the laugh of the overtired and punchy with my colleague Mark Blaudschun from The Boston Globe after Andy Rautins hit a tying 3-pointer, erasing what had been a Connecticut six-point lead in the third overtime.

Mostly, though, I remember the crowd. No one left the arena, and more, no one sat down. The groans when shots failed to fall to end the game in the first, second and third overtimes gave way to cheers when the game wasn't decided in the fourth and fifth extra periods, the basketball masochists among us clearly hoping the game would never end -- and no doubt recognizing this would be the ultimate "I was there" game to brag about to the poor suckers who didn't score a ticket.

Afterward we crowded into the tiny Syracuse locker room and around Jonny Flynn. He had just played 67 minutes, scored 34 points and dished out 11 assists. He looked like a dishrag wrung dry, with every bit of sweat and energy poured out of him.

I halfway knew how he felt -- minus, of course, the physical exertion, cramping, sweating, exhaustion and pressure.

I spent 14 hours in the Garden that day and night, arriving for the noon tipoff between Villanova-Marquette, a buzzer-beating Wildcats win that I was so sure would be the best game on the day that I quickly dashed to the computer to write it.

A few hours later West Virginia upset Pittsburgh, another great game.

And then the game that would go down in history.

When I finally opened my eyes the next morning, my father called me in my hotel room.

"Were you there?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah I was," I told him. "I saw it."

And, I wanted to add, I saw the city, fast asleep.

Daily Links - S.I. Chimes In

Sean Keeley — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:06:08 -0000

Despite losing its top three players, Syracuse is better - 12.21.09 - SI Vault
Clearly, losing the top three scorers (guards Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf and forward Paul Harris, who all left early for the pros) from last year's 28--10 squad has not been the calamity many predicted. Indeed, their replacements have made Syracuse a bigger and better team. "We were a good offensive team last year," says coach Jim Boeheim, "but we couldn't stop the good teams."

Should Syracuse Join the Big Ten? -- The Sports Section
Syracuse is too good for the Big East. Come over to the Big Ten. We even have our own network, not that any of you can watch it.

Syracuse University Athletics - Honors for First-Year Orange Gridders
Syracuse football student-athletes Alec Lemon, Chandler Jones, E.J. Carter and Nick Speller were honored by The Sporting News on the magazine’s BIG EAST All-Freshmen Team, while Lemon, Carter, Shamarko Thomas and Phillip Thomas were selected to the ESPN.com All-BIG EAST Freshman Team.

Rivals.com College Football - Rivals.com 2009 All-Big East freshman team
Five Syracuse freshman on the Rivals All-Freshman Team, including SHAMARKO!

For the Syracuse Orange, Moving to the Big Ten Would Be a Big Mistake | Bleacher Report
What concerns me more than seeing Syracuse left behind though is the thought that they might be the one to leave the conference that they helped create.

Tyler Hansbrough, Jonny Flynn shaped decade in college hoops - 2000s: The Decade in Sports - SI.com
Jonny Flynn and Six Overtimes recognized as bests of the decade.

Orange Fizz: Syracuse Orange Sports Blog, Recruiting and Podcasts.
Jon Wilner explains why a guy in San Jose has Syracuse No. 1 in the AP Poll.

OrangeHoops: New Feature @ OrangeHoops on Ranked Teams
The last time Syracuse beat a #1 team was on March 7, 2006 when the beat Connecticut on their historic Big East Title run, with the Orangemen winning four games in four days to take the title by Gerry McNamara’s MVP performance.

Three Idiots on Sports: Rony Seikaly - DJ Extraordinaire
Rony Seikaly continues to be a real spin doctor.

New Georgetown Policy: No Fun of Any Kind " Hoya Suxa
Through its network of operatives, Hoya Suxa has learned that the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) intends to legislatively confront many of these issues. As a forward protocol, the GUSA president has prepared the following memorandum for internal discussion purposes.

Three Reasons Why the Big Ten Won't Expand - Team Speed Kills
It's been big news around the college sports world that the Big Ten is thinking of expanding. It won't happen this time around, and here's why.

A very tired and disinterested Jeff Goodman explains why Syracuse is better than Georgetown:

ESPN Hearts Syracuse

Sean Keeley — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:37:47 -0000

View full size photo »

If you've been looking for the kiss of death now that Syracuse basketball is getting more hype than Balloon Boy, look no further than the fact that ESPN has officially taken hold of the reigns on the SU Bandwagon.

First up, Joe Lunardi has updated his Bracketology and look who went from 10-seed from 1-seed. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the fact that he has us playing the winner of the opening-round game means we're his top overall team. Oh boy. Though the fact that we're in the West Region instead of the East leads to believe that's not true. What the hell do I know... (Ed. Note - East Regional in Syracuse, so we can't play there. Got it!)

And then of course, there's the piece de resistance in knowing that any college basketball topic is mainstream...Dick Vitale's interns are writing about it.

Syracuse has demonstrated that it will be legit power in the Big East this season.

Let's go learn something from Dick.

Think about it, the Orange were picked sixth in the Big East preseason poll after losing Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf. Jim Boeheim has a team that has physicality in Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson, and versatility in All-Marco Polo Wesley Johnson.

Think about it? Think about what? This sentence is not an answer to a question you posed in the first one. It's a statement of facts following a separate statement of fact. There is nothing to think about nor did you imply that I needed to think about anything. ARGGGGG.

The former Iowa State star has been a prime-time performer (PTP'er) and combined with outstanding guard play from three-point shooting wiz Andy Rautins and solid point guard ability from Brandon Triche and Scoop Jardine, they have proven they can compete with the best.

I love that in this paragraph he goes to the trouble of denoting what PTP'er stands for just after calling someone All-Marco Polo in the previous sentane and providing no frame of reference for that at all. Not that I don't know what he means because it's been burrowed into my skull ad nauseum, but either this is written for Vitale Junkies (ugh) or its not.

Am I being harsh on Dick? Absolutely. But tell me what you learned there? Anything? Was that worth spending the time to read? No, right? That's pretty much the same feeling you have when you listen to Vitale call a game too, isn't it?

Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate...

The 'Cuse is loose!

SFBE.NF — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:30:40 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Browse more photos »

Remember when Syracuse, sans a Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf, began their season with that ugly loss to LeMoyne? The LeMoyne Dolphins, a DII school located just minutes from Syracuse, a city far away from any salt water, and an area uninhabitable by Dolphins.

That debacle was a long time ago. Today Syracuse is making a case for being the top team in the country after last night's 85-73 win over Florida, in which Boeheim's boys were in control of from start to finish. They now sit at 9-0 and look tougher than at least a few of the six teams currently ranked ahead of them.

Wesley Johnson is an absolute stud, one of the few players in the college game who can iso his man and knock down the 15 foot jumper....whenever the hell his team needs a bucket. He finished with 17 and 10 and is slowly garnering more and more attention for not only the Big East, but national POY consideration.

As for Florida, let applaud their effort up to this point of the season. Already this team has overachieved, and boasts a nice duo of Kenny Boynton and Chandler Parsons. But you can't have Alex Tyus flopping around looking like Mikki Moore if you want to be taken seriously. Billy Donovan has a weak frontcourt, and will have to rely on quick hits and high schooting percentages if he expects to be a top 15 mainstay.

Coaches vs Cancer SBNation Roundtable

Avinash — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:03:48 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Mike Montgomery takes the Golden Bears on the road. How well will Cal perform under the Madison Square Garden lights?

Browse more photos »

We take a quick break from our Furd hatred (although there's plenty of places to discuss it!) to get ourselves focused on the tipoff of a big big weekend in Cal hoops. Coaches v. Cancer and the big women's hoops showdown vs Baylor! All this plus the Big Game! What more could you ask for this pre-Thanksgiving weekend?

To kick off this great weekend, we all decided to take CGB into new territory and try and figure out all our potential opponents for this tournament at once. Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician (Syracuse), Carolina March (North Carolina), and We Will Always Have Tempe (Ohio State) have all set down for an unprecedented four way hoops roundtable!

What we did was take two questions to each group and answered two from each, ending up with four six question interviews that give you a little taste of each team. So if you want to find out more about each team, plus see our answers to everyone else's questions, you'll have to check out each site.

You can view our interviews with all three: Click here for Nunes Magician, here for Carolina March, here for WWAHT! We start off with the team we face today, the Orangemen.

Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magican (Syracuse)

1) How has Syracuse handled the loss of superstar player Jonny Flynn to the NBA?

By replacing him as best we can. It's clear that freshman Brandon Triche is no Jonny Flynn, at least not yet. But he does ensure that the drop-off won't be as severe as it could have been. Coupled with junior Scoop Jardine, the duo will take turns running the SU offense. If Jonny Flynn was Peyton Manning, Triche/Jardine are going to be our Trent Dilfer in 2001. We're not going to ask them to win the game for us, we just want them not to lose it.

2) Briefly describe your 2-3 zone defense. How good is it this year? How effective can it be against a team like Cal, who has a number of excellent perimeter shooters?

Well first here's why the 2-3 zone is so important for us. The loss to LeMoyne? We played man-to-man the entire time, thanks to Boeheim feeling the need to drill it into the heads of the players how lacking their defensive skills were. Since then the Orange have proven themselves pretty adept on zone defense against lesser opponents, causing 60 turnovers in two games so far. Boeheim himself went on record after the most recent win to say this is now the best he's seen the SU defense in a long time.

Of course, if there's any death-knell for the 2-3 zone, it's a hot hand from three-point range. If someone's shooting lights-out, that almost always spells doom for the Orange (and most opponents). If that's the case against Cal, the Orange are going to have to try and maintain control of the game tempo, which has been fast. Unlike recent teams this SU squad likes to run on offense and with athletes like Wes Johnson and Kris Joseph, they'll want turn it into a track meet if they can. Not to mention a certain bigtime shooter of their own, Andy Rautins.

We'll learn a lot about the Orange against Cal. Probably 100 times more than we did in the LeMoyne game or the two previous games.

We Will Always Have Tempe (Ohio State)

Tell us about your point guard situation. Is the offense running smoothly? One of the best ways to slow Cal's offense is to disrupt PG Randle at the point of attack, but it requires an extremely quick defender to stay in front of him; you guys got anyone like that?

Thad Matta has finally decided that the only way Ohio State will be a consistent offensive basketball team is to put the ball in the hands of its best player as often as possible. Thus, Evan Turner is getting a lot of looks at the one, with PJ Hill and Jeremie Simmons supplementing his efforts. The offense has looked good in the early going, and surprisingly so behind the arc. But this is against James Madison and Alcorn State, so it's tough to make an informed assessment just yet. Right now, Turner is very good at improvising, driving the lane, and rebounding, but his sharing skills still seem to need work.

I imagine Ohio State will try to keep a man on Randle at all times, but Thad Matta can be awfully fond of the zone against good perimeter teams. I'm not all that familiar with Cal's offense, but if Matta elects to go man-to-man, I think Ohio State will alternate between putting David Lighty - our best defensive player - and Turner - by far our most athletic - on Randle. Should be a fun match-up to watch either way.

Ohio State has had a lot of transition over the past few years, watching player after player after player go to the NBA. While they did make the NCAA Finals the other year, they also were a NIT team recently and were knocked out by Sienna last year. Do you believe that it might be more prudent to recruit slightly worse players that would stay for more than 1 year than the truly elite players that have been coming through?

This is something I'm quite torn over. I like seeing Matta recruit the dickens out of the Midwest, but I don't like seeing Ohio State becoming a Big Men factory. Our last two biggest recruits - Kosta Koufos, then BJ Mullens - were massive, massive disappointments at Ohio State, and have made it that much harder to understand Matta's recruiting strategy. Still, when those recruits come in and actually do perform, they have achieved some pretty ridiculous highs; Ohio State was just a few bad breaks away from ruining Florida's second championship run, and if they had managed to beat the Gators, few would be questioning Matta's recruiting strategy. But, of course, those are all ifs, and people care more about what actually happened than what came close to happening. Personally, I like what Matta's doing, but if he doesn't start producing some better tournament teams, a shift in the dynamics of his recruiting strategy may be necessary.

Carolina March (North Carolina)

1) The Tar Heels lost a lot of talent off a national championship squad. What's left? Even with the incoming freshmen, is there enough to justify a Top 5 preseason ranking?

What's left? More than you think. None of the freshmen have yet to crack the starting lineup, and there's a reason for that. Marcus Ginyard was the defensive heart of the team through the Hansbrough years, only still around because due to an injury last season. Ed Davis and Deon Thompson were formidable post presences in their own right on last year's team, and Davis especially should be phenomenal this year. Larry Drew's getting a lot a grief for not being Ty Lawson, but even Lawson wasn't Lawson at the start of his sophomore season; he'll improve and impress. And then there's Tyler Zeller and five freshmen; UNC won't hurt for wins this season.

That being said, none of this justifies a preseason Top 5. The Heels are at present overrated, but they're not alone in that regard. Everyone remembers the two or three true freshmen who have truly elevated their teams over the last few years, and have generalized that to all highly-rated freshman. Duke and Kentucky, to name two teams that quickly come to mind, are equally overrated. The team with the experience of years playing together have an advantage that shouldn't be taken lightly.

2) There've been a lot of hated Dukies you've had to deal with over the years. Who's the one you want to punch in the face the most?

Ah, the endless debate, always being hashed out in coffee shops and bars in Chapel Hill. There's no real wrong answer here, but you have to first recognize that J. J. Redick took being punchable to new heights at Duke. First, by parlaying two skills (excellent free throw shooting and a quick-release three-pointer that worked well with Duke's perimeter screens) into enough glowing media profiles you'd think he was Jesus in hightops. Then he'd compound it by being an ass on the court, only to garner more glowing profiles for how brave he was to suffer the cruel insults of opposing fans. Heavens forfend a basketball fan outside of Durham should deign to say something mean about our poor little tortured poet.

That being said, his would not be the face I'd punch. (And only because I wouldn't want to read the articles on how heroic he was to suffer such a blow) No, I'd have to go with with the ur-annoying Duke guard [1], Steve Wojcjechowski. What he lacked in skill, he made up for with extreme annoyance, constantly slapping the court [2], and otherwise being the apple of Vitale's eye. But his biggest sin is post-graduation, when he moved up the bench to be an assistant coach. There is an unspoken compact between Duke players and Carolina fans - after four or five years, they go away. Because I still have to suffer Wojcjechowski on my TV is grounds for face-punching.

[1] It can be argued that Bobby Hurley was the ur-annoying Duke guard, but Wojcjechowski has one attribute Hurley lacks, mainly a thorough failure on the national stage during his time in Durham.

[2] One of the great moments in the UNC-Duke rivalry that never makes the highlight clips was when UNC point guard Ed Cota brought the ball up the court against Wojcjechowski. The defender leaned down and slapped the floor, only to have pick that moment to drive past him like he was, well, bending over a slapping the floor in the middle of a basketball game. Who does that?

Poll

Cal will ______________ game(s) in the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament.

Win both

33 votes

Win against Syracuse, lose the second

44 votes

Lose against Syracuse, win the second

18 votes

Lose both

13 votes

108 votes | Poll has closed

Jonny Takes Niagara

Sean Keeley — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:51:26 -0000

The Niagara Gazette was all over Jonny Flynn receiving the key to the city of Niagara Falls and they've got the photos to prove it. All the biggest names in Central New York where there...

~~Of course he was in the front row. Of course he was...~~ (That's Jonny's Dad in the front row. So I learned two things today. #1, Jonny's Dad kinda looks like DOC Gross. #2, I'm a raging racist. Carry on...)

Sadly, tragedy struck during the event when Jonny Flynn, overcome by the emotions of being feted by his hometown, was unable to keep his superpowers in check as his magical hand engorged itself with the lifeforces of those around him. Nine were killed.

Even Jonny's possibly-soon-to-yet-again-be teammate Paul Harris was on hand to witness the achievement.

Man, if looks could kill...and then snatch the city key from that ginormous hand on Jonny's still-warm carcass and run amok in the city of Niagara Falls, absconding with all the finest meats and cheeses as well as a bevy of cash before being found at 4 a.m. passed out on a craps table at Seneca Niagara Casino, having lost it all betting on seven...lucky seven...but it was snake eyes once again, Paul. It's always snake eyes...

Photo Credit: DOUG BENZ/NIAGARA GAZETTE

Jonny Flynn To Recieve Key To Niagara Falls, Ricky Rubio Not Attending

Sean Keeley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:36:53 -0000

While Ricky Rubio and Dave Kahn continue to do the PR-spin dance of the jilted draftee, Jonny Flynn continues to rack up positive press and accolades. Today, he'll be adding a brand new key to his keyring...as the first Niagara Fallsian (is that correct?) to be drafted, he's receiving the key to Niagara Falls.

Four days after being drafted in the first round, the Minnesota Timberwolves player will be honored in his hometown. He will receive the key to the City of Niagara Falls on Monday evening.

The announcement came Sunday from Mayor Paul Dyster. The ceremony will be held at City Hall and will begin at 7pm.

Unfortunately, it's for the U.S.-side of the Falls. The key won't give him special access to any of the strip clubs, bars or casinos on the Canadian side. Sadly, Jonny also won't be able to use the key to turn off that god damn horrifying, macabre auto-message at the haunted house either.

But what of Jonny's new "teammate" Ricky Rubio? He's still not on-board with the Timberwolves and he may never be. Over at HoopsWorld, they're quick to point out that the situation isn't exactly what we've all heard it might be. In fact, Rubio might not even be the bad guy here, just stuck in a bad situation. The big issue is likely the concerns of his buyout and taxes therein, according to Twincities.com:

The No. 3 pick in the draft will earn $12,913,440 over three years, according to the league's agreement with the players union. The No. 5 pick will earn $10,542,960.

The buyout is $6.6 million, although there are reports that it increases to close to $8 million after June 30. It's believed that Rubio will be able to pay that in increments over several years.

Apparently Rubio was pretty certain he'd be picked #3 overall and when he wasn't, that changed the equation. Let alone the fact that he was going to a team that drafted another point guard right after him.

Rubio may or may not have been in Minnesota over the weekend to discuss things with the team, but chances are that at this point it's all about finding a solution that doesn't end with Rubio suiting up for the T'wolves. If offers do some in chances are it won't be the rumored-Knicks making the deal, at least not without a third team that can give Minnesota something they want. Perhaps the Rockets? They've already offered Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks for Rubio, but Kahn hasn't bitten yet.

One team we do know Ricky is suiting up for is the Spanish National squad, when they play the 2009 Euro Championships in September. He and Pau Gasol will represent the nation and try to return to the championship game, which they lost to Russia last time.

And so we wait. In the meantime, check out Jonny as he prepares for the NBA Draft, hears his name called and what he thinks of the situation. And then watch Jonny highlights, which never get old:

Jonny Flynn Is Dave Kahn's Backup Plan

Sean Keeley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:13:37 -0000

Minnesota GM Dave Kahn just released a statement about his draft selections. Through it, Kahn subconsciously (or perhaps not even) knocks Jonny down a peg in order to prop up Ricky Rubio

[Ricky Rubio] will be our starting point guard here the moment he walks through our front door. We may have to wait a year, or even two, but he is worth the wait. We must be patient. This is a big step for he and his family.

Sounds like Kahn is putting all of his efforts into getting Rubio to commit to Minny, even if that means it's at Jonny's expense. Obviously, he praises Jonny. "He, too, will be special." But Flynn has very clearly been marked as the second fiddle in this situation. It's up to Jonny know to decide how to respond to that. My guess is it will motivate the s**t out of him to prove he's the better point guard. Especially if Rubio won't be around to prove otherwise.

Jonny got the best of both worlds in terms of his competitive spirit. He got the high draft pick and the money that comes with, but he also gets a giant chip on his shoulder in the form of being considered the lesser of the two. As Syracuse fans know, Jonny is the kind of player who knows how to respond to adversity.

Since he's a Timberwolf now, thought it might be interested to look at video from Jonny's visits to Minnesota in the last few weeks. Two separate vids below of Jonny's workout and reaction.

Minnesota's Draft Board Is Revealing

Sean Keeley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:44:39 -0000

Via Canis Hoopus, The Blowtorch found the Timberwolves' draft board discarded among the trash from last night's NBA Draft. It explains a lot.