Many critics are afraid that Dunn may get hurt this season and ruin his chances of being a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft. Instead, they may want to be afraid for the competition, because Kris Dunn is out to kill this season. With a strong start on opening night, don't expect his momentum to slow down at all throughout the year. Kris Dunn is ready to prove he is one of, if not the best point guard in college basketball.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Kris Dunn Gets it Done on Opening Night
Speculation began last April when Kris Dunn announced he would be returning to Providence College for another season instead of declaring for the NBA Draft. Last night, Dunn proved the naysayers wrong. He racked up 32 points, 8 steals, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists last night against Harvard en route to a 76-64 win on opening night.
Many critics are afraid that Dunn may get hurt this season and ruin his chances of being a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft. Instead, they may want to be afraid for the competition, because Kris Dunn is out to kill this season. With a strong start on opening night, don't expect his momentum to slow down at all throughout the year. Kris Dunn is ready to prove he is one of, if not the best point guard in college basketball.
Many critics are afraid that Dunn may get hurt this season and ruin his chances of being a lottery pick in next year's NBA Draft. Instead, they may want to be afraid for the competition, because Kris Dunn is out to kill this season. With a strong start on opening night, don't expect his momentum to slow down at all throughout the year. Kris Dunn is ready to prove he is one of, if not the best point guard in college basketball.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Kentucky Continues Recruiting Domination
John Calipari made his magic work once again. This time with 5 star recruit De'Aaron Fox, who decided to become the next star point guard that Calipari will groom for the NBA.
The 6 foot 3 point guard is ranked 7th in the ESPN 100. The three schools that Kentucky beat out for his talents included LSU, Louisville, and Kansas. Fox had said, "Kentucky made me a priority from day one, I think that's what the difference was."
Fox is an aggressive guard who not only plays great defense, but also plays at a fast tempo. He will join Wenyen Garbiel and Sacha Killeya-Jones - the sixth and seventh ranked power forwards in the country respectively - in Kentucky's recruiting class. But Calapari is not done yet. It would not be a surprise if the Wildcats have a couple more top 100 recruits commit before the high school season is over. But Fox will certainty headline this class no matter who else decides to become apart of Wildcat Nation.
Monday, November 9, 2015
First Look at the 2015-16 Harvard Crimson
No Wesley Saunders. No Kenyatta Smith. No Siyani Chambers. It sounds like a nightmare come true, but heads remain high as the Harvard Crimson enter the 2015-16 college basketball season. Although they have lost an immense amount of talent, Tommy Amaker and the Crimson's coaching staff still believes that they have what it takes to not only contend, but to win in the Ivy League.
Even though Harvard lost so much talent, they still have potential to win the Ivy League title again this year. Only time will tell if these players will be able to take advantage of the promising chance they have to fill the voids in the roster. Although Harvard is going to struggle at times this year, it will definitely be fun to see them grow and find an identity as the season goes on. They open up their season this Friday at home against MIT, and have another game the next day at Providence against one of the nation's best point guards in Kris Dunn.
With gaping holes left in their rotation, it will be time for new players to assert themselves as the "go-to" players on the court. After Harvard opened up their season on October 16th with their annual Crimson Madness, it is obvious who has the potential to fill these gaps in their lineup.
The first two players that come to mind are Evan Cummings and Agunwa Okolie; the senior leadership. Harvard has lost a prodigious amount of leadership, that's not a question. The question is, who will step up and become leaders on this year's team? Cummings and Okolie are the obvious answer, the two seniors who will rule the front court will have to pick up responsibility and a scoring load.
Last, but not least; Zena Edosomwan. The 6 foot 9 beast is going to be Harvard's best player this year. Although going from limited minutes to being their best player this year is a huge jump, Edosomwan is going to do such a thing. Not only does he have a promising opportunity, he has the skill to match it. Edosomwan is a superior to most of the athletes in the Ivy League, and he also has an ample collection of post moves that compliment his smooth mid range jumper. After a dominant performance at Crimson Madness - winning the slam-dunk contest and scoring 22 of his team's 43 points in the inter-squad scrimmage - Zena Edosomwan is going to not only be a star on Harvard's team this year, but also a star in the Ivy League.
The first two players that come to mind are Evan Cummings and Agunwa Okolie; the senior leadership. Harvard has lost a prodigious amount of leadership, that's not a question. The question is, who will step up and become leaders on this year's team? Cummings and Okolie are the obvious answer, the two seniors who will rule the front court will have to pick up responsibility and a scoring load.
Another player that comes to mind is freshman sharpshooter Corey Johnson. The 6 foot 6 guard will fill the void left behind by pro-prospect Wesley Saunders. In addition to being a threat beyond the arc, Johnson will also be a go to player on offense. His combination of shooting ability and basketball I.Q. will serve him well as a freshman in the Ivy League.
Last, but not least; Zena Edosomwan. The 6 foot 9 beast is going to be Harvard's best player this year. Although going from limited minutes to being their best player this year is a huge jump, Edosomwan is going to do such a thing. Not only does he have a promising opportunity, he has the skill to match it. Edosomwan is a superior to most of the athletes in the Ivy League, and he also has an ample collection of post moves that compliment his smooth mid range jumper. After a dominant performance at Crimson Madness - winning the slam-dunk contest and scoring 22 of his team's 43 points in the inter-squad scrimmage - Zena Edosomwan is going to not only be a star on Harvard's team this year, but also a star in the Ivy League.
Even though Harvard lost so much talent, they still have potential to win the Ivy League title again this year. Only time will tell if these players will be able to take advantage of the promising chance they have to fill the voids in the roster. Although Harvard is going to struggle at times this year, it will definitely be fun to see them grow and find an identity as the season goes on. They open up their season this Friday at home against MIT, and have another game the next day at Providence against one of the nation's best point guards in Kris Dunn.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Moneyball: How Adavanced Statistics are Changing the Game of Basketball
When you hear the term "advanced statistics," what do you think about? Player efficiency rating?
Although the teams are using these stats in order to gain an edge on their competition, all of the teams are using the same company to calculate these numbers for them.
Second Spectrum is a company that lets teams, "utilize Second Spectrum’s Eagle platform to deliver their data, analytics, visualization and video solutions." They, "enable teams with key insights that inform strategic decisions," and, "deliver what coaches and front offices want to know, by equipping them with the tools to win."
In order to fully understand what your favorite teams are doing in order to gain an edge on everyone else in the NBA, it is best to hear what exactly is going on from the mind behind the stats.
Although we all think that general managers and front offices around the league are just signing players based off of simple statistics, their attitude/personalities, and even just by the eye test, teams are really using these systems in order to analyze every single option they have to try to make the best decisions possible.
Advanced statistics got their claim to fame in the sports world after the movie MoneyBall. The film focused on the Oakland Athletics's approach to using math in order to decide what players to sign and what to do in every situation of the game. Now, computers are doing the math for us and the ability of the system is growing everyday. The system has since spread to football, basketball, and more sports in our world.
While this system is already mind blowing, it is just beginning to scratch the surface. Imagine ten years from now the advancements that will have been accomplished in this system. We will be able to have a way to measure and compare players now to players 50 years down the road. We will be able measure countless statistics that will not only help us understand the game of basketball, but also revolutionize it.
Win Shares? No one really knows what the term advanced statistics means. But in reality, advanced statistics are much more than just basic calculations, instead they can analyze, predict, and sort through every moment in the game of basketball.
Almost every single NBA team uses advanced statistics in order to gain an edge on their competition. These numbers can help influence decisions on play-calling, which shots to take, what free agent to sign, and more.
Second Spectrum is a company that lets teams, "utilize Second Spectrum’s Eagle platform to deliver their data, analytics, visualization and video solutions." They, "enable teams with key insights that inform strategic decisions," and, "deliver what coaches and front offices want to know, by equipping them with the tools to win."
In order to fully understand what your favorite teams are doing in order to gain an edge on everyone else in the NBA, it is best to hear what exactly is going on from the mind behind the stats.
Although we all think that general managers and front offices around the league are just signing players based off of simple statistics, their attitude/personalities, and even just by the eye test, teams are really using these systems in order to analyze every single option they have to try to make the best decisions possible.
Advanced statistics got their claim to fame in the sports world after the movie MoneyBall. The film focused on the Oakland Athletics's approach to using math in order to decide what players to sign and what to do in every situation of the game. Now, computers are doing the math for us and the ability of the system is growing everyday. The system has since spread to football, basketball, and more sports in our world.
While this system is already mind blowing, it is just beginning to scratch the surface. Imagine ten years from now the advancements that will have been accomplished in this system. We will be able to have a way to measure and compare players now to players 50 years down the road. We will be able measure countless statistics that will not only help us understand the game of basketball, but also revolutionize it.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Nate Robinson Has Inked a One Year Deal with the Pelicans
Also, in case you have never seen it, Nate Robinson's own reality documentary series "State of Nate," is a must-watch for any and all basketball fans. The series, filmed and produced by T.J. Regan, mainly highlights Robinson's balancing act between basketball, family, and more as he makes his journey through the NBA.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Khris Middleton With the First Poster of the Young NBA Season
Khris Middleton decided to take away any confidence Jimmy Butler had built for himself over the summer last night. During their pre-season game Middleton drove down the court on the fast break and dunked all over the Bulls' rising star.
With the addition of Greg Monroe in the offseason, the Bucks are ready to make another run in the playoffs. This year with their young core coming closer to reaching their true potential, all eyes are going to be on the Bucks while they try to become the best team in the Eastern Conference. I mean, if Middleton and Co. keep making plays like this eyes will be all over them no matter what.
With the addition of Greg Monroe in the offseason, the Bucks are ready to make another run in the playoffs. This year with their young core coming closer to reaching their true potential, all eyes are going to be on the Bucks while they try to become the best team in the Eastern Conference. I mean, if Middleton and Co. keep making plays like this eyes will be all over them no matter what.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
New England's Greatest? A Jump For the History Books.
The new ESPN 100 rankings were released bright and early at 8 AM today. Almost every high-school basketball enthusiast in the country was up and already at their computer or on their phone ready to check the new rankings.
In New England, all attention was on Wenyen Gabriel. The 6 foot 10 forward had the best summer of any high-school basketball prospect in the country. He picked up offers from Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and more top schools in the country.
Usually when you have offers from all of the top schools in the country your ranking is somewhere in the top 20. Instead, Gabriel was sitting at #83 out of 100 heading into the past AAU season. Instead of complaining, the young bull put his head down and rammed through his competition. He dominated the Adidas Gauntlet with his AAU team, the Mass Rivals. He also played in a plethora of all-star games and showcases. These included the Adidas All-American Camp, Adidas Nations, and even the Under Armour Elite 24. Everywhere he went, more and more people became familiar with the name Wenyen Gabriel.
Last spring, he left Wilbraham & Monson Academy as just another high-school basketball prospect attending a prep school. This year, he returns as a celebrity in the basketball world. He has garnered national attention from ESPN, Scout.com, and all the other major basketball outlets. He is being nicknamed the next Kevin Durant, or "a strength trainer away from being the next big thing," and mostly a top talent in the country. Wenyen Gabriel jumped 60 spots in the rankings this summer,all the way to #23 in the country. Of all the high school students in the country, Gabriel had the best summer out of them all.
Although people compare him to Kevin Durant, you can't compare his jump through the rankings to anyone. A jump like this has never been done before. But what is it that has brought Gabriel all the way through the ranks. Maybe if you watch some of his play you can start to understand.
In New England, all attention was on Wenyen Gabriel. The 6 foot 10 forward had the best summer of any high-school basketball prospect in the country. He picked up offers from Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and more top schools in the country.
Usually when you have offers from all of the top schools in the country your ranking is somewhere in the top 20. Instead, Gabriel was sitting at #83 out of 100 heading into the past AAU season. Instead of complaining, the young bull put his head down and rammed through his competition. He dominated the Adidas Gauntlet with his AAU team, the Mass Rivals. He also played in a plethora of all-star games and showcases. These included the Adidas All-American Camp, Adidas Nations, and even the Under Armour Elite 24. Everywhere he went, more and more people became familiar with the name Wenyen Gabriel.
Last spring, he left Wilbraham & Monson Academy as just another high-school basketball prospect attending a prep school. This year, he returns as a celebrity in the basketball world. He has garnered national attention from ESPN, Scout.com, and all the other major basketball outlets. He is being nicknamed the next Kevin Durant, or "a strength trainer away from being the next big thing," and mostly a top talent in the country. Wenyen Gabriel jumped 60 spots in the rankings this summer,all the way to #23 in the country. Of all the high school students in the country, Gabriel had the best summer out of them all.
Although people compare him to Kevin Durant, you can't compare his jump through the rankings to anyone. A jump like this has never been done before. But what is it that has brought Gabriel all the way through the ranks. Maybe if you watch some of his play you can start to understand.
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