Arkansas Moves On To SEC Championship

Steven Hill came up with a huge bucket with 5.3 seconds left on the clock to put the Razorbacks up by 1 point. Arkansas trailed Tennessee by 9 with 8:15 left in the game. In an offensive showcase, both teams shot nearly 54% from the field and over 42% from behind the 3 pt. line.

Charles Thomas led the Razorbacks with 24 points and 10 boards, coming off the bench. Arkansas advances to play the Georgia/Mississippi State winner in the SEC championship, tomorrow at 3:30 PM on ESPN 2.

NCAA Hoops: Are Conference Tournaments Necessary?

The debate is simple, are conference tournaments the best way to crown a champion? Should the regular season champion get the automatic bid and the hardware to go home with?

There are plenty of angles to look at. You can analyze how many times a surprise conference winner makes noise in the NCAA tournament. You can research the numerous deserving teams that missed out on the Big Dance because of an upset minded mid-major team.

The bottom line is, sports are entertainment, and the conference tournaments are great entertainment. Sure, if the regular season champion received the automatic bid, it would add more meaning to the regular season. But, a season is supposed to end with a tournament to crown a champion (take notes NCAA football). You play the regular season for seeding (and in some cases, at large consideration), and you crown a champion with a tournament. It's the only way!

Basketball - School vs. Travel

As a coach of both high school and travel basketball, I often think about which scenario is the best for the kids. Travel ball provides a high level of competition, which can help a player develop their skills. However, coaches on the travel circuit are often little more than glorified recruiters. Many coaches build teams around their sons, and focus more on personal ego, instead of player and team development.

It always brings a smile to my face to see the 4th and 5th grade teams walk into the gym with full warm-up gear, team shoes, and travel bags. I would much rather see the coaches focus more on the basketball aspect and less on the fashion show.

There is an interesting article from a couple years back about a 3rd and 5th grade travel team in Texas. You can take a look at the article from the Dallas Morning News.

While the example given in the article is taken to the extreme, it raises the point I most often think about. Does travel basketball take away from high school ball? When a player has spent their entire life being pampered, what do they have to look forward to? Often times, their eventual varsity team won't be able to provide the same perks they received from their 6th grade AAU team.

In the end I believe travel teams can serve a purpose. If the team is assembled for the right reasons it can be a great place for a player to learn and play against tough competition. When the team turns into an all star squad playing only for individual recognition, that's when the trouble starts.

If you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to comment or drop me an email.

Sun Belt Tournament

Florida Atlantic came up with a big opening round win over rival Florida International last night. The Owls won 91-64 in Boca Raton (Box Score). The Owls hot shooting from behind the 3 point arc (67%) proved too much for the Golden Panthers. FAU came out early with an aggressive and physical defensive philosophy. FIU was unable to find a rhythm, and finished the game shooting only 37% from the field. The Owls move on to play Arkansas-Little Rock, Sunday at 7:30 ET.

Big Aristotle to Big Bust

Phoenix is 2-4 since acquiring O'Neal, and the excitement has faded from everyone involved in the organization.  Steve Nash is struggling, and Shaq has seemingly sapped the energy from the "run 'n gun" Suns.  I was one of the few who thought this deal could work for Phoenix, and I am being proven incorrect.  Here's a link to a great piece from Paul Coro in which he breaks down the recent struggles in Phoenix.