Every college basketball season we come in thinking we know the star players, freshman and coaches that will be the storylines of the season.  And every year we are shocked when new faces and names emerge from virtual anonymity into nightly SportsCenter highlights.
Some are already proven stars on teams yet to breakout.  Others were good last year but will step into bigger roles this season.  And a few were already premiere players that are ready to take the next step into the status of “household name.”
Here are the ten players you need to know for the upcoming college basketball season.

Similar posts: basketball players

Basketball by the numbers. Fantasy owners play it, and by all accounts, Wilt Chamberlain was fascinated with it. Others (including some of the greatest winners in the history of the pro game), not so much. The object of the game is, however, to outscore the opposition. Other skills and tactics attribute to that goal. In light of all that, what have been the dozen best seasons modern pro basketball players have ever had? Awarding no player more than once, heres my take (I took ABA seasons into account because teams such as Denver, San Antonio and Indiana originated there):
ELGIN BAYLOR, L.A. LAKERS, 1961-62, Vitals: 48 games, 38.3 points per game, 18.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists.
Elgin Baylor was the reason the Lakers moved to Tinseltown, showtime before it had a name. In 1961, with tenstion between the U.S. and USSR heightened due to the onset of the Berlin Wall, his reserve number came up. He thus only served the Lakers on leave and weekends. He couldnt practice with the club. Nonetheless, the NBAs first frequent flyer averaged nearly 40 points, 19 rebounds was a routine evening, and when double-teamed, the creative passer dissed to open teammates. Dude attempted 13.1 free throws a night! His Lakers met Boston in the 1962 NBA Finals. One wonders in retrospect what manner of career digits Baylor may have amassed had he not hurt one knee badly during the 1963 campaign, and shattered his other kneecap in 1966. Or if arthroscopic surgery had existed then.
OSCAR ROBERTSON, CINCINNATI ROYALS, 1961-62, Vitals: 30.8 ppg., 12.4 rebounds, 11.5 assists.
It is one thing to be a teams playmaker. It is generally another to be a 30 point-per-game producer. For NBA guards, however, only Oscar has managed a season where double-digit rebounds were the norm. No one else has come remotely close (even in this era of larger guards than he). Were talking about a one-man revolution- a guard who, as a rookie in 1960-61, destroyed the season scoring average record for guards by eight points per game! Robertsons contemporaries say he was the first player they ever picked up on defense at three-quarters court length. Silky feints, deft, pinpoint passes, tenacity under the boards- the three-time NCAA scoring champ had it all, and this season was a testament.
SPENCER HAYWOOD, DENVER ROCKETS, 1969-70, Vitals: 30 ppg., 19.5 rebounds.
Surprised? Dont be. The juco player who became Olympic Games MVP at age 19, was only 20 when this season began. Blessed with agility, enormous hands, and the confidence of a king, Spencer was a manchild long before Darryl Dawkins, Shaq or LeBron. This was no brute- he shot better than 81% on his free throws in six season, huge mitts and all (compare that to Shaq Wilt). He could play a little defense too. Court woes over jumping leagues, and other problems hampered his NBA career, but in 1970, and other seasons, Haywood demonstrated why he was the first hardship case to be allowed to play ABA or NBA ball before his college class graduated.
RICK BARRY, SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS, 1966-67, Vitals: 35.6 ppg. 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists.
Before the 1965 NBA Draft, some g.m.s fretted that Miami scoring machine Rick Barry might prove to frail for frontcourt play. Teams slated to select early, instead focused their sights on Princetons mercurial Bill Bradley, 6, 230 lb. Davidson phenom Fred Hetzel, and 6, 250 lb. Michigan bulwark Bill Buntin. The Warriors took a chance on the Hurricanes whippet as the fourth pick overall, and in his second campaign, he put up the aforementioned numbers. Barry thus became the first NBA player to lead the circuit in scoring since 1959-60 whose last name was not . More on the other guy later. The early Barry was not the deep shooter 1970s fans recall, but a slasher in the mold of contemporary Billy Cunningham (minus The Kangaroo Kids legendary hops). He could give it to you underhand, reverse, with , hook, or stuff it in your face. Barry is also widely considered the best passing small forward other than Larry Bird who has ever played the game (Baylor fans would differ). As for his trademark underhand free throws, Barry sank 88.4% of those this sophomore sesaon. Oh- and the kid led Frisco to the NBA Finals. No wonder ABA owners in Oakland lured him away. As for Michigans Bill Buntin? He can tell his grandkids I was drafted before Rick Barry.
WILT CHAMBERLAIN, PHILADELPHIA 76ers, 1965-66, Vitals: 33.5 ppg., 24.6 rebounds, 5.2. assists, 47.3 minutes per game.
Nobody roots for Goliath, but numbers dont lie. This less selfish version of The Big Dipper, teamed with capable scorers such as Hal Greer and Chet Walker, shared the basketball, dominated the backboards, and led his new team to the NBAs Eastern Finals vs. the rival Celtics. The Big Guy, never fouled at (a stat he maintained for his entire career), and played nearly every minute of every contest- despite double teams, covert banging, responsibilities on both ends of the floor. If they had dunk contests at All-Star Games in those days, perhaps hed have donned a Superman cape as Dwight Howard recently did. Even Bill Russell couldnt stop Wilt, though the Celts as a team often bested Wilts Warriors and Sixers (though not the next season, when Chamberlain averaged 7.8 assists and Philly won 45 of its first 49 games en route to a title).
NATE ARCHIBALD, 1972-73, KANSAS CITY-OMAHA KINGS, Vitals: 34.0 ppg., 11.4 assists, 84.7 FT %, 48.8 fg %
, by NBA standards, he was. Timid, he was not. Archibald was every bit as fast as AI, only he focused his drives north and south. The southpaw possessed a masterful handle, spectacular court vision, and the guts of a burglar. In an era of burly bigs such as Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Bob Lanier, and Wes Unseld, time after time he slipped into the lane to magically score. Contrary to popular belief, he was not the only player ever to lead the NBA in scoring and assists. Oscar Robertson accomplished the feat in 1967-68, but since The Big O only played in 65 games, due to injury, Dave Bing won the leagues scoring crown- which was then awarded the player with the most total points, not the highest average. By todays standards, Robertsons 29.2 ppg. and 9.7 assists led in both. Spotting Oscar at least five inches, and 50 pounds, became the second player in the history of the Royals-Kings franchise, and indeed the league, to be the premier scorer and playmaker in the same season.
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, MILWAUKEE BUCKS, 1971-72, Vitals: 34.6 ppg., 16.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 57.4% FG
The man fans had become accustomed to calling Big Lew had all the gifts. He was graceful, he had rise, he could handle the basketball the length of the floor, and he had a nice touch. Forget the balding Laker pivot with the goggles- this was a dominant force for several seasons. No center has averaged 34 points since, and none might. The rebound average speaks to a Jabbar with a lot of spring in his step (Cap played 20 years) and tenacity in his game. The dimes? This was the second season Oscar Robertson was schooling the 7 former Uclan to the ways of passing out of the double-team. These Bucks went 63-19- the season before theyd swept a talent-laden Bullets team in the NBA Finals.
MICHAEL JORDAN, CHICAGO BULLS, 1988-89, Vitals: 32.5 ppg., 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2.9 steals
This was Jordan before he became Lord of the Rings- when his teammates included Sam Vincent, Brad Sellers and Charles Davis. Of whom much is given, much is asked. Probably the closest anyone has come to putting up Robertsonesque numbers. 32, 8 and 8 is a standard King James might shoot for. All achieved by a player often charged with watching the most dangerous offensive member of the opposition. Bird and Johnson were garnering the headlines and the jewelry, but the 25-year old Bull was the darling of the dunk contest, and the hardest working man in pro sports.
ADRIAN DANTLEY, UTAH JAZZ, 1982-83, Vitals: 30.7 ppg, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, made 9.7 of 11.3 FT per game, 58% FG
The face of the Utah franchise before the arrivals of Stockton and Malone. Few NBA or ABA combatants 6 and under have posted a shooting percentage of better than .550. AD did it six times, five of them in consecutive seasons. One has to have pretty savvy post moves to play power forward when ones giving up five to seven inches in height to ones average opponent. This was a season for the books, accomplished far from the limelight. Hall of Fame careers are not comprised of a season, but Dantley netted similar numbers from 1980 to 1986. Remember the context too- on a nightly basis, he faced players such as Kevin McHale, Dominique Wilkins, Marques Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving and George McGinnis. Young guns seeking a primer on post play, and the triple-threat position, would do well to study Dantleys feints, moves, and balance.
LE
ON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS, 2007-8, Vitals: 30 ppg., 7.9 rebounds, 7.2. assists, 1.8 steals, 48.4 FG%
Had The King attended college for four years, last year would have been his rookie season in The League. Hes the reason the Cavs went 45-37. Its not easy being a marked man every night, and finding teammates for open shots. Ballhandling duties, leadership, and court awareness mark his game. Unlike the legends listed above- hes just getting started. Given his size, smarts, handle, and athleticism, he could approach Jordans best numbers in the major categories. The game has changed too much (less shots taken, less available rebounds) for him to average the unthinkable triple-double, though hes far more suited to it than were Kobe Bryant or Jason Kidd. In the final analysis, the only number MJ was concerned with was the final score. LeBron will need better teammates if he hopes to match the six rings won by Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, and Michael Jordan.
BILL RUSSELL, BOSTON CELTICS, 1963-64, Vitals: 15 ppg, 24.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists
Often I wish the NBA had charted blocked shots when Russell, Chamberlain, and Nate Thurmond played. Only then would todays fans truly appreciate the intimidation and evolution each brought to the game. Russ changed what had existed as basic basketball strategy for six decades before he played- work the ball as close to the basket as possible for the highest percentage shot. A 25 rebound average. Whats considered outstanding now, was a nights work for Number Six. He could dish too- the Celtics half-court offense, such as it was, ran through the lanky lefty. But Red Auerbachs teams preferred to run, and Russells rebounds triggered many a fast break, and 11 famous championships in 13 seasons.
HAKEEM OLAJUWON, HOUSTON ROCKETS, 1989-90, Vitals: 24.3 ppg. 14 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 2.9 assists, 2.1 steals
If youre looking for a quadruple-double on a given night- The Dream, and Nate Thurmond are your men. Scoring, assists, blocks, steals, boards- Olajuwon was a stat sheet filler and a born winner. While Russell was an agile, leaping defensive genius, no other center was as cat-quick on the offensive end as this half of Houstons Twin Towers. In his heyday, he had as many moves as Earl The Pearl Monroe, and embarasses enemy pivots on the regular. Not even David Robinson could react quickly enough, or avoid being faked out of position by The Dream Shake. His 1990 numbers illustrate his superstar ability despite regular competition such as Ewing, Robinson and Robert Parrish.
Though by its very nature, and number of players per team, basketball is the ultimate team sport. Still, the prolonged individual efforts cited above are the gold standard of professional play. Some were achieved under a bright spotlight, others, by 2008 measures, in relative anonymity. As we approach a new season, they all deserve renewed attention.

Similar posts: basketball players

still seems very aloof, but he looks different. He is actually bordering on becoming one of those muscle-bound, stereotypical Rocky Balboa types you’d run into in Jersey (or Woodbridge, Ontario), yelling out “Adrian” and the like. You know, one of those “how much ya bench” types. If he keeps growing this way, he’ll be Andrea “the Beast” Bargnani. I wonder if he adopted some Rocky protocol for his training, running up the Spanish steps in Rome and chasing around chickens to improve footwork in the post.
Hes shown flashes of brilliance in the past, sometimes with his shooting and other times with strong cuts to the rim and authoritative dunks. Yes, I’m a Bargnani apologist. He’s young, he needed time to adjust to a different game, post players take years to come into their prime, Dirk Nowitzki took a few years as well, etc. etc. I’ve made all these excuses for a player who doesn’t even give a good interview. Why bother? Because Bargnani is going to make Colangelo look like a genius. Just like Steve Nash did. Just like Barbosa did. Just like Garbajosa did for a little while. And so on.
If the Raptors are to become a big time team in the NBA, Bargnani is going to have to play a significant role. He’ll probably be the first big off the bench and be called on to log decent minutes. If Bargnani becomes Dirk, everybody in the East will be playing for second place. And if I had done some other things right in life, I wouldn’t be a freelance writer.
Coach Sam didn’t have much to say but, mind you, I wasn’t asking many questions. Sam has a way about him that actually recalls those “real” Raptors in Jurassic Park. I half-imagined him lunging over and biting the head off the young guy who writes for the National Post newspaper. Just because. And just as that mental image passed through my brain, Sam threw out some gem about strangling a reporter and what the reporter’s wife would be saying. Good times.
Sam is done cussing for good, and he isn’t going to let the reporters get to him. That was how he opened up his chat with the assembled media. He seems in high spirits after the practice.
“Jermaine was good. He had a cramp, and that’s about it. We are going to need to hydrate him. I had to stop practice early because they were all going really hard. We have twelve guys. They are getting all the playing in they want. All that crying about playing, they are getting to play as much as they want. This is what it is.”
As far as pointing out players in particular, he first mentioned Bargnani, saying that his play has been noteworthy. Duly noted.
“Andrea was good, although it would be unfair to all the guys to say just him. After the first two days, I can’t ask any more of Bargnani. Attitude, effort, the way he has played, I can’t ask any more of him. Not one thing.”
When asked if Sam could see Andrea putting his height to good use in the low post, he replied: “We have four bigs and they all got to get down. He’s got to get down in that post and play and he’s been doin’ it.” Doin’ it. You have got to love the spin Sam puts on things. He’s the funky coach, straight out of some James Brown show. Sam Mitchell deserves more press. He should go into broadcasting when he’s finished coaching.
Sam went on to point out the play and character of new Raptor Will Solomon. “Just the simple fact that he was looking to take less money (to play for the Raptors as opposed to going back to Europe) told me everything. I asked him why he wanted to take less money. He said he wanted to play in the NBA.” We’ll see if that was a wise financial move on Will’s part. None of us are getting any younger. Somewhere David Stern is cackling.
Over to the side, stretching upside down, and oblivious to his coach’s words of praise, was Bargnani. I took the opportunity to speak with him.
Andrea Bargnani: I did a lot of practice by myself this summer. I lifted weights.
Gregory Dole: Are you motivated to show the basketball world who you really are? To change the impression of who you are as a player?
AB: It’s not really about the right impression. I am very motivated to play better this year.”
GD: You are obviously very young. You came into the League at a young age. When do you think you will hit your stride as a player?
AB: That’s a nice question. I can’t predict the future. I have to do my best today and tomorrow and after we will see what happens.
GD: Where are you looking to improve?
AB: To be more physical. Help my team to win more games. Develop my low post game. Rebounding.
There you have it. The big Bargnigma. If he was trying to keep his cards close to his chest, he did a good job. I may have to reevaluate my high hopes for the guy.

I made my way over to Jermaine ONeal, who, for the time being, all is happy-happy in Raptorland. Jermaine O’Neal gives us the scoop.
GD: What is your first impression of your new team?
Jermaine ONeal: I love it man. I love it. It’s great. Everything about it is great. Sometimes you think the transition is going to be tougher than usual, but it’s been sweet. The organization has done a great job in extending their hand to me and my family. The guys in the locker room have made me feel right at home. I have not felt at any point since I arrived in town have I felt like I was the new guy.
GD: What do you think this team is capable of now that you are in the fold?
JO: Well, as long as we continue to work and believe that we can be one of the best teams in the League, then, being one of the best teams in the conference doesn’t say much to me. Being one of the best teams in the League says a lot because this is a tough league and we know what the western conference can do. But if we continue to work, continue to create that swagger that we are going to outplay every team every time we step on the court, I think we can be a great team. I think with the leadership we have on this team, with myself, Bosh and Jose and in general, everyone on this team seems to be accountable. I think the sky is the limit for this team.
GD: How is the practice going with some of the coaches getting involved now because of a smaller group at training camp?
JO: Coach Alex was breathing real hard during practice banging against the younger guys. It is great working with Alex because, I don’t know if you guys know it, but I worked as his camps when I was younger, and I have always looked up to him and admired him. To get an opportunity to work with him now is just great.
GD: As far as frontcourt tandems, you and Bosh stack up among the best in the NBA. How is it to be in a situation where you play alongside another great post player?
JO: That was one of the key reasons why I came here. I know what Chris can do. He can score inside and outside. He’s very quick. He’s a lefty and I am a righty, which is very, very important. He can play on both sides of the box just as I can so we are very interchangeable. It’s not like you have to stick one guy on one side of the box and the other on the other side of the box. We can move around and the plays have been scripted that way to take advantage of that. It’s been very impressive and very, very exciting to practice and to watch, to watch it all. All the guys are excited. I don’t know how it has been in the past but these guys expect to be good this year. And when you expect to be good, you are going to be good.
GD: What do you and Bosh need to work on as a tandem in the post?
JO: The biggest thing with me and Chris is to not overpass. We need to find each other and get each other involved. We are trying to learn how to play with each other and that will come with time. I can guarantee we will be ready to roll as far as regular season games are concerned.
GD: How important is confidence? The power of positive thinking and that sort of thing.
JO: Confidence is everything. Those are the perfect ingredients to being a successful team. And it’s like I told the team in the meeting, I have been on a couple conference finals teams, I have been on the best record team in the NBA so I have seen it happen. We in Toronto have the talent to do it. But a lot of teams have a lot of talent. The question is do we have the dedication and the commitment to do the preparation to take this team to the next level. I think we are capable of dedicating ourselves. We have had five great practices so far. Guys are very focused and very vocal, really into it, really pushing each other, supporting each other. When guys get tired, we are all cheering each other on. So that is all really important but it’s early. We have got to continue to do that and we have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to do to compete with the Bostons, Detroits and LA Lakers of the league. We just have to keep working with it.
GD: Who in this crew of Raptors has surprised you?
JO: There are quite a few guys. Will Solomon has been surprising; his quickness has been off the meter. I’ve worked out with Andrea, so I know what he can do. We all know what Chris can do. Kris Humphries has been a very physical presence. Jose is very quick. All the guys have been great. I am new to the team so I have only ever played against them, but actually playing with them has made me impressed by the basketball knowledge of these guys.
GD: So is it fair to say you see great possibilities for this team this year?
JO: Oh absolutely. I saw it before I even got here. Now to get an opportunity to actually play with these guys, workout with these guys and now getting into camp and getting to understand the basketball knowledge these guys have, it’s been great. I feel very, very excited and very, very positive that this is going to be a great year.

The Raps went back to Europe to look for solid rotation players this past off-season, having found great success in signing guys like Jorge Garbajosa and Anthony Parker.

Similar posts: basketball players

You have to hand it to Ron Artest. This guy really just gets under the skins of many NBA fans. Mr. Artest, exactly who do you think you were prior to your basketball career and when you throw it all away, exactly who do you think youll be after basketball? Its time to grow up and make your fans, what few of them you have left, proud again. Dont you think?
Hes graced the covers of some of the biggest magazines on the newsstands today. Dont you know that the executives of Penthouse, Sports Illustrated and GQ all sold large amounts of magazines just because Artest doesnt know how to behave? When you think about it, it really is disturbing, especially when you visit his website. He boasts about providing the funds for 6 college scholarships and naturally, he is very active with children through his charities, summer camps and general love for children. And why wouldnt he love children? He certainly can relate to them, right down to the temper tantrums.
In the day where celebrities act like drunkards strung out on drugs in night clubs while divorcing their parents, the general public should demand more from athletes and frankly so should the commissioners who slap them on the wrists with a fat fine and send them to the bench. As commissioner David Stern sternly impressed upon the media in 2004 after the infamous Artest incident, The line is drawn, Stern said as he referred to the suspension of players for the Indiana Pacers after Artest fought his way into a suspension which carried some of the heaviest of fines. Yes, David, the line was drawn and the chaos has continued but dont feel too bad, its the norm among professional sports.
In fact, professionals are making such a name for themselves acting out with little self-control that even the college players are getting in on the act. This year in College Football, baby Vick really made his big brother proud when he stomped the leg of another player. He didnt learn this behavior from big brother but he may be under the false assumption that bad behavior is a special prerequisite for making a go of being a pro. And we wont talk about the asinine behavior of T.O. By the way, is he still around?
To add insult to injury, its people like Artest that REALLY needed the break that the NBA gave not only him but his entire family. Artest, now too big for himself has all but forgotten his most humble beginnings. He grew up with two brothers and six sisters, and from his own accounts in his auto-biography on his website, he tells of living in the projects of New York City. Less than seven years ago, he was drafted by the Bulls and a few short years later signed a multi-million dollar deal for a basketball lifestyle brand and gained the kind of money most only dream about. And yes, Artest, considering you started out in the projects, this NBA stuff has been fairly lucrative for you, wouldnt you agree?
Still, in 2004, Artest commanded $6,158,000.00 in salary, but because he apparently has lost the need for money, he lost over 4.9 million because of suspensions. And true, he probably doesnt need the money now but some other well deserving athlete did. Someone who would have been glad to sign autographs, shake hands, smile and do what they are paid to do which is play ball and please crowds.
Whats more, when professional players, like Artest, get by with a bad attitude once, they continue to revel in it. For instance, way before Ron Artest became a notorious bad guy, he had another scuffle. Two years prior to his fight on the courts with NBA fans, he grabbed a camera from a television stations crew and destroyed it after a defeat to the Knicks.
Recently, his tantrum hurt only his own plans when he decided he wanted to go to Sacramento and then he didnt want to go, and then he did and then he didnt. In fact, Artest did go because he was made to go, just like a child is made to do something. Heres an innovative idea for the powers that be in professional sports, if you are going to hire oversized kids to play in an adult game, why not send them to a behavioral psychologist before turning them loose on the general public?
On his website Artest says of his time with one of his teams, At times I felt like I had to lead morelike Michael Jordan. Well darling, I can tell you, you are no Michael Jordan. No, Michael Jordan knew how to act like a gentleman and he knew how fortunate he was. Michael Jordan appreciated what the NBA delivered to him and his family and he never disrespected his game. I really wish Ron Artest, given your talent, were a little more like Mike. And Im sure your fans do too.
Sadly, I was a huge Ron Artest fan and I cheered him on from my home computer and television. However, with his attitude and the mounting chips on his shoulder, I fear he is at the beginning of the end of his career. However, the housing projects of Sacramento will welcome him back to his similar humble beginnings should he decide to stay there when basketball is no longer an option.



This article was written by Leslie Sinclair sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com. If youre looking to buy sports tickets for the next game, look no further than Stubhub where fans buy and sell the hottest sports tickets. Reproductions of this article must include a link back to http://www.stubhub.com.

Similar posts: basketball players

The 2008 Major League Baseball postseason begins tomorrow without arguably the biggest draw in team sports, the New York Yankees.

Not only are the Yankees sitting on the sidelines this postseason, but the Mets are as well -- leaving the nation's top television market without a rooting interest in October baseball for the first time in 15 years. Meanwhile, some of the shine has come off of the Boston Red Sox, who captivated the nation four years ago, but were involved in the second-lowest rated World Series last year.

So who can be counted on for big ratings this year? Certainly not the small market Rays, Brewers or Twins. The second, third and fourth-lowest rated World Series involved the Red Sox (2007, 10.6/18), White Sox (2005, 11.1/19) and Angels (2002, 11.9/20). The Phillies and Dodgers are both big market teams, though not ones that have moved the needle much in recent years. That leaves the team with the best record in the National League, and a made-for-TV 100 year drought since winning its last World Series.

The Chicago Cubs, residents of the nation's #3 market, are baseball's best bet to make up for lost viewership due to the Yankees' absence. In 2003, games 6 and 7 of the Cubs' NLCS defeat against the Marlins drew better ratings than all but one game from the Yankees/Red Sox ALCS*. Game 7 drew a 16.9 rating, the third best for any baseball game in the past six years, behind only two Yankees/Red Sox game sevens and the Red Sox' clinching victory over the Cardinals in the '04 World Series. The Cubs' Game 5 win over the Atlanta Braves in the '03 NLDS remains the highest rated, most viewed Division Series game ever, with 15.4 million viewers.

Of course, the Cubs' ratings success in '03 can be attributed to how close they were to their first appearance in the World Series since 1945. Last year, when the Cubs were swept in the Division Series, the ratings were good, but far from spectacular. If the Cubs are to come even close to matching the Yankees in box office appeal -- last year, the Yankees' four games against the Indians were far and away the most watched playoff games on TBS -- they will have to make their playoff run as dramatic as possible, or at the very least have a good possibility of winning.

With the Cubs the favorites to win the World Series, at least one of those requirements figures to be met. And with Chicago facing off against #2 market Los Angeles in the Division Series, it should not take much to deliver strong ratings. Should the Cubs get past the Dodgers, their next series would be televised on broadcast, as FOX has the rights to the NLCS this year. That alone should make their match-up against either Milwaukee or #4 market Philadelphia easily draw higher ratings than the corresponding ALCS on TBS.

And if the Cubs somehow make it into the World Series for the first time since 1945, it would not be out of the question for that series to be the highest rated of the decade. In 2004, when the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years, the series ended in a sweep. A six or seven game series involving the Cubs could top the 15.8 average from 2004. If the Cubs were to play the defending champion Red Sox, or even the Los Angeles Angels, baseball could be blessed with NFL-type numbers.

But perhaps that's looking too far ahead. After all, the Cubs and Red Sox were in last year's playoffs as well, and baseball nearly ended up with Indians/Rockies -- a series that would have assuredly drawn less than a 10.0 average. While the Cubs could lead baseball to ratings heights not seen in over a decade, the 2008 World Series could end up being a battle between Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. If that were the case, the Cubs would not be the only ones cursed.

* That is partly due to the '03 Yankees/Red Sox series having three afternoon games, including two on weekdays.

Similar posts: basketball players

Tim walked across the university campus on a sunny afternoon. Here, he thought, is where he would be going next year, after he finished high school. Fortunate to have a highly rated state university right here in town, thought Tim. Meanwhile, it was more than enough to be 18, a senior in high school, and rid of that damn Claire at last.

Well, that whole relationship had become a tangled mess. Tim was just glad he had dumped Claire at last. After a year and a half of ups and downs, and lately many more downs than ups, it felt like a weight lifted from his shoulders.

Now down this street was a row of athletic buildings, and... side door on that gymnasium was open. It was a warm day. Tim stepped in through the door and into the gym. There were a few Lady Eagles, members of the women's college basketball team, shooting baskets and practicing in the gym. Yeah, Claire's big sister was on the college basketball team here...

Tim turned back toward the door and... Well, speak of the devil! There between Tim and the door was Claire's big sister Sue, all six feet four inches of her. Claire's big sister Sue, wearing her uniform, sweaty from practice, and holding a basketball in her big hands. It always creeped Tim out how these big tall basketball women had such huge hands. Big smooth female hands, but huge, long, broad, oversized, gigantic!

Sue saw Tim. Her dark eyes glared at him from beneath her short brown hair. "Well, if it isn't the jerk who ditched my kid sister... Tim, you heartless son of a bitch... Claire has been crying her eyes out for days now... You little shit, how dare you make my sister cry?!"

Tim's mouth went dry. He couldn't think of a word to say. All he could think was, my god, she is pissed, and she's between me and the door...

The thought also flashed through Tim's panicked mind, she's six foot four, she's in killer shape, and she's got probably 30 pounds on me...

Then before Tim could react, Sue advanced across the floor toward him. She flung the basketball aside, she was upon him, she clamped both her huge powerful female college athlete hands tight over Tim's mouth --

"MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMHHH!!!" Tim tried to scream but only a muffled groan came out from behind Sue's gigantic vise-tight hands clamped hard over his mouth. "Mmmmmmhh, mmmmm hmmmm gghhhmmmm hmmmm HHHHMMMMMH!! MMMMMMMHHH! Nnnnnn'mmmmmh hhhhh, mmmm MMMMMMMH! MMMMMMMMMMHHHH!! MMMMMMMMMMMMHHH!!!"

Terrified, his heart pounding, Tim reached up, he tugged and pulled hard at her huge strong hands clamped oh so tight over his mouth and lower face. "Mmmmmm, hmmm MMMMMMMMHHH!" But it was useless, Sue's gigantic strong smooth powerful female hands were clamped over his mouth much too tight, she was way too strong for him, no matter how hard he pulled on her giant mouth holding hands he couldn't pull them away, he couldn't even get her huge amazon hands to budge a millimeter from their steel tight grip over his mouth. "MMMMMMMMMMMHH!! Mmmmmmh... mmmmm, mmmmmmhhh..."

"Mmmmmmmmhh!!!" The odor of Sue's sweat filled Tim's nostrils. He reached up, felt, pulled, pounded, on Sue's huge female basketball player hands, her hands so much larger than his own, her huge hands, the smooth back of her hand, the taut strong fingers gripped in place like steel cables -- "MMMMMMMMMM'HHMMMMMH!!" -- such huge strong female athlete hands, Tim couldn't possibly pull Sue's big strong hands off his mouth no matter how hard he tried...

"Mmmmmmmh, mmmmm hmmmm mmmmmh mmmm HHHHHHHMMM! Mmm'ggghmm mmHHH... MHHHH... mmmmhh hmmm MMMMMMMMHHHHH!!!" Tim squirmed and thrashed around wildly, he tried to scream, he reached up and pulled on Sue's huge hands with all his strength, but it was all to no avail.

The other three Lady Eagles in the gym, drawn by the struggle and the muffled noises, came over to investigate. Tim, glancing out over Sue's gigantic sweaty hands over his mouth, saw that all three of them, like Sue herself, were a couple of inches over six feet tall. Somehow he also noticed that they all, like Sue, had gigantic oversized big smooth female athlete hands.

"MMMMMMMMMHHHHH!!!"

The three were laughing at Tim, chuckling at his plight, laughing at how Sue was holding Tim helpless with her hands clamped over his mouth.

Sue: "Girls, could you give me a hand with this guy? This is Tim, he dumped my kid sister Claire, and he really broke her heart. And I wanta teach him a lesson he's never gonna forget!"

The three were all like, "Yeah... Sure!... Yeah, teach 'im a lesson!"

Tim: "Mmmmmmmmh hmmmm mmmmmmm, mmmmm hmmmm GGHHHHMMMMMMMMM!!"

Sue: "Okay, Lee, can you grab his left arm? Emily, his right arm? Sierra, can you go on ahead and open the door to the storeroom for us?"

Tim surveyed Sue's reinforcements, he recognized them all from attending games here with Claire. Lee, 6 foot 2, hair in long blonde ringlets. Emily, 6 foot 2, long straight black hair, and muscular. Sierra, 6 foot 5, short black hair, and gigantic long smooth ebony female athlete hands.

"MHHHHHHH MMMMMM HMMMMMM!! Mmmmh, mmmm hmmmmm mmm hmmmmm, mmmmmm ghhmmm HHHHHMMMMMMMM!!!" Tim twisted and jerked wildly, he made wild muffled noises from behind Sue's tight gagging hands, as the four big tall sweaty uniformed women's college basketball players exited the gym with their captive in tow. They led the struggling boy down a side hallway, to a door which Sierra opened. Then they pulled Tim into the storeroom and Sierra closed and locked the door behind them.

Beneath the illumination of a ceiling light bulb, Tim surveyed the storeroom. Usual items you'd expect to find in storage, plus... over toward one side, an old worn couch. Tim's captors led him over to the couch.

"Mmmmmmhhh... Mmmmh hmmmm mmmmm, MMMMMMMMMH!!" Tim jerked and thrashed frantically. He couldn't reach Sue's hands over his mouth, because Lee and Emily were holding his arms fast in their hands. Then Sue pressed her thumbs down hard over Tim's nose.

"mmm... mmm..." Tim couldn't breathe any more.

"Now," said Sue from behind Tim's head, "you will keep your struggling down to a moderate level, and you will cooperate with us, or else I will keep my hands clamped very, very tight over your mouth and nose until I smother you. Understand?"

"mmmm..." Emily and Lee and Sierra laughed gaily at the panicked look in Tim's eyes, peering out above Sue's big tight smothering hands.

"Good," said Sue. She let up on her thumbs over Tim's nose so he could breathe again, but she kept her hands clamped in place tight over Tim's mouth.

Now Sue sat down in the middle of the couch, and she directed Tim to sit down on her lap. "I can hold a shrimp like this on my lap, no problem," she remarked to her teammates. Then Sue had Lee sit down to the left of her, Emily sit down to the right of her, and Sierra stand behind her back just behind the couch.

"We're gonna hold Tim's face in our hands," said Sue. Tim's heart started pounding, he felt a pang of fright: "Mmmmmmhh!!" Sue kept her big warm sweaty strong smooth huge female athlete hands clamped tight over Tim's mouth, the palm of her left hand squeezed hard over his mouth and her right hand clamped over her left hand, with her thumbs crossed above his nose.

Then Sierra reached down from behind and clamped her gigantic long dark smooth powerful amazon hands in place over Sue's hands, her left hand over Sue's hands and her right hand over her own left hand. She tightened up her grip, and Tim could feel his mouth and jaw and lower face squeezed even more unbearably tight in the grip of four large strong female college athlete hands at once. "Mmmmmmmhhh... mmmmmh, mmmmmmmm..."

Next Emily, over on the right, placed her huge muscular oversized smooth strong long broad right hand hard over Sierra's hands, and Tim tried not to panic as Emily, on Sue's instructions, wrapped her left arm behind around behind Tim's head above Sue and Sierra's arms, placing her huge strong left hand over Tim's eyes. "MMMMMMMHHHHH!!" Tim could feel his mouth gripped even more tightly as Emily's strength was added to the pile of five female hands tight clamped over his mouth; feel, not see, for Tim was now blind and mute, with Emily's left hand fastened firmly over his eyes and the upper half of his face.

Finally Lee, over on the left, followed Sue's instructions to place her large smooth beautiful left hand tightly over Emily's hand over Tim's mouth, and Lee wrapped her right arm back around behind Tim's head, just above Emily's arm, and Lee clamped her right hand firmly over Emily's left hand over Tim's eyes.

"Mmmmmmhhh... mmmmmh, hmmmm mmmm hmmmmm, MHH'hhhhhh..." The four women athletes now had Tim's entire face tightly encased, thickly covered in the strong grip of their oversized female athlete hands. "Mmmmmmhhh-hh!" Tim had six big strong female basketball player hands piled on over his mouth -- both of Sue's hands, both of Sierra's hands, Emily's right hand, Lee's left hand. And he had two hands gripped firmly over his eyes and upper face -- Lee's right hand and Emily's left hand.

Blind and dumb, Tim could neither speak nor see, and with every breath Tim took through his nostrils, the mingled odor of the sweat from the girls' hands was overpowering.

"Mmmmmmmmhhh... hhhhhhhmmmmhh..." Tim doubted his muffled groans could even be heard through the thickness of six large female hands piled over his mouth. He reached out, he blindly groped upward, he felt of the large silky smooth expanse of the back of Lee's hand out there, way out there in front of his mouth. The back of Lee's hand was likely eight or nine inches out in front of Tim's mouth. The stack of six huge female hands over his mouth was probably eight or nine inches thick.

Eight or nine inches thick! Six big strong athletic women's hands, tight clamped over Tim's mouth until he couldn't even move his jaw, he couldn't move a muscle in his face with the tight gripping pressure of all these big strong female hands over his face at once! "Mmmmmmmmm... mmmm, hmmmmm..... MMMMMH'hmmm'mmmmmhh..."

With Lee's hand out there that far over his mouth, it was all Tim could do to reach and feel of the smooth back of her beautiful hand. He could get no leverage at all to pull on her hand or try to tug it away. He could barely reach up and feel of Lee's thumb at the top of her hand, with a supreme effort he could stretch to feel Emily's thumb just behind. But Tim couldn't reach up and around and back any farther than that. He couldn't reach the two hands clamped over his eyes, and if Sue decided to press her thumbs down over his nose and smother him again, there was no way he could reach up there far enough to get anywhere near Sue's thumbs. He would smother, helpless, first.

"Mmmmmmmmh... mmm..." Tim couldn't lift his hands up very far to either side of his head, either. He couldn't turn or move his head at all, encased as his head was in a tangled jungle of female arms and elbows. He reached up to either side... with all those arms wrapped together around and beside and behind his head, Tim doubted if he could reach closer than ten inches to his ears on either side of his head.

"Mmmmmmmm! Hmmmm! Hmmmmmhhh..." Tim tried to struggle, he tried to shout from behind the tight, strong nine-inch pile of female hands over his mouth, he reached up and felt of their hands, their arms, felt and tugged on them as poorly as he could, Tim inhaled and exhaled the strong odor of the women's sweat... But it was no use. Sue and Sierra and Lee and Emily had his entire face tightly and thickly encased in their big strong athletic hands, they had his head firmly held immobilized in the thick jungle of hands and arms with which they held him captive...

Tim sat there on Sue's lap, blind and dumb, unable to speak, unable to see... "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmhhh!!" He could hear the girls, joking and talking among themselves, as they held him prisoner, heavily gagged and blindfolded with their huge amazon hands. "MMMMM'mmmmmmhh hhhhhhmh..." Tim couldn't possibly get away, mouth held, face held, head locked immobile.

As time blindly passed, the four college basketball women experimented with different ways of holding Tim's face with their hands. At one point it was four hands over his mouth and four hands over his eyes. At another point it was one girl with both her hands over his eyes, and three girls pressing Tim's head tight between their hands, three hands over his mouth and three hands on the back of his neck, pressing together unbearably tight. Then back to six hands stacked tight over his mouth, and two hands over his eyes. Always with Sue's huge warm strong sweaty left hand clamped palmtight over Tim's mouth.

Blind and mute, Tim gradually lost all track of time, and he began to lose touch with reality. Almost as if he was losing his mind. Trapped endlessly beneath the big, warm, sweaty, smelly, heavy mass of so many faceholding strong female hands!

At long last Sue and Emily and Lee and Sierra took their hands away from Tim's face. His face was hot and red and dripping with sweat, much of it not his own sweat, he'd wager.

Sue told him, "There! Now I hope that teaches you a lesson. The way you treated my sister, you ought to be ashamed! If you do anything more to break my sister's heart, I will get the entire women's basketball team together, and we will all gang up on you at once, and you'll find out what it feels like to have a real pile of hands all pressed over your face all at once, and kept pressed hard over your face for hours on end!"

Hours on end? Yes, for when Tim was released, and he exited the gym, he found that the afternoon had fled. The four college basketball amazons, Sue and Lee and Emily and Sierra, had held him prisoner in the storeroom, his entire face handgagged, all afternoon long, for something over four hours.

Similar posts: basketball players

Mgan State fans hong for mt fan b w be ecsc wth one tri to the Final Four every four sut, Mgan State int mt fan b. MU fans w last s their b S go to the Final Four in 2004 and loe to eventual chamn North Carona in the s are eager to fi out when they wll be back to college b p land s have go reasn to be exci. Seven of the to nine s return fro a team that went to the Seet 16 last sn, and the talent-laden p has ad another to-25 recruing clast ho far wll the S go? I thi the year they get back to the Final Four? We examne thoe ques and much mre in thi w mnal Four return?
AJ fro Puth, N.H.: D you see Mgan State bng a Final Four team anytie s have my res abut the S. I kno they have a hiry of thring in the pn under To I, but they have wefully und in the regular sn in recent years.
The S fi fourth in the Bg Ten last sn. The p year they fi in a tie for seventh and the year bre that it w a tie for sxth. The S havent actually fi fit snce 2000-01 and they havent wn the league oght snce 1998-99 (if you count the gam O State vacated in 1999-00 per NCAA s kno i jt the regular sn and that dnt matter all that much in college ball, but I sll fi it a concern. Mgan State i s to be one of the flags p in the Bg Ten and one of the elite p in the natin. They snt have trole cong for the regular-sn title in their league.
You cant quesn the S talent level. The roter i lo wth four- and fitar recrui. But, I co see thi team sng i way through league play once again and nabng the ki of s in the NCAA Toent me a No. 5 or No. 6 that leaves to dcult a ro to reach the Final Fon the zatt fro Redng, Calif. : I want to start by sng that I agree wth your asent of the iact of mng the 3-pnt line back. What I dnt kno i ho thi change wll affect the zne de. Int the zne d to encourage loercentage s? Wll the change make zne d mre or les effecting quesn. Mt zne d, esally the conly p 2-3, are d to make it tougher to get the ball on the ie and force team to st 3-p think i gong to be a little tougher to d that wth the 3-pnt line mng back a fot. There wll be mre sace to cover ie the arc. It wll be easer to get the ball i the pnt, esally in the high pt area, wch i often the fit mve in trying to break a z not fully co we wll see les zne, at least not next sn wle everyone i mng ad. Wth a der 3-pnt line, co ply wll be mre tem to play tradnal z agait pr oe sng team w are no at an even bgger dher hoh fro Bn, Mnn. : What d you expect fro the Mta Go thi year?
No better or we than fifth place than the Bg Ten. I cant see the Go fing in front of Mgan State, Pue, Wn or O State. Thoe team have coly mre talent and exput, there are no other Bg Ten team wth a legiate chance of mng the NCAA Toent. The Go lot a lot of pn, but they are mre talented no thanks to the adn of a recruing clas ranked No. 23 in the natin. The fian clas features the nati No. 4-ranked jr college pect in Dn B als think Mta i a great place for Tuby Sth. He has thri at s that dnt have huge exp check out what he d at Tulsa and Geoa. Hell se all that can be s out of thi team, and png in a league where the b half rem sar wll help the Go fih abve .500 in conference play and get back to the NIng agai fro Elk Grove, Calif.: Where d you see Goaga coe toent tie wth a tougher Wt Cot Co actually wng on a p of Goaga thi week. Our dly con of the to 65 team reached No. 16 Kans toay. I cant say exactly where Goaga wll fall, but the fact it hasnt me an apearance yet tells you we think pretty highly of the Zve heard ple say thi wll be the bt Goaga team ever, and I agree. They bcally have the se team as last year m glue guy D Pergraft. I think the dfference i that Steven Gray and Ausn Daye a pr of foer to-50 p are gong to be s. Bth s be scantly i, and the team wnt have to rely s much on a pr of true fresen anym als really like ho the p fit on thi B team. They s to have one guy w can fit each role as o to tw or three guys that d the se thing, wch you see on a lot of team. Veteran pnt guard Jy P, w w fro the NBA draft, i the paker w can take d off the dle and break dn d. Gray i a great oe ster. He st 46.3 percent (37-for-80) fro 3-pnt range last sn. Jr wng Matt Bn can d a little bt of everything. Sr center Jh Heytvelt (6-11) and Daye (6-10) give the Z the se to match up wth anyone on the ie, and each can sre on hi on.
The WCC i gong to be tough again. It co be better than last sn. But, I think that wll actually wrk in Go favor. After sng three team to the 2008 NCAA Toent, the league has mre resect in the pc eye. In the pt, the Z have alw had to count on a tough nonference sule to raie their RP enough to garner a go s in the NCAA Toent. No, they have the oty to wn league gam that wll bt their RP.
The Z are gong to be a s threat to get pt the fit w of the NCAA Toent regard of where they fih in the WCC. If Heytvelt, w w ham by a leg iury last sn, returns to hi sre fo, I beve they wll go even further.
Fing i fro M : Ho w a true bg man (6-10 to 7-2) fit in at Tennesee or the Unity of M cong the s of ball they pu have to be 6-10 to be a true bg man. Lok at M last sn wth Jey Dey, w m at 6-6 at the NBA praft cam. Dey w one of the to reb and st b in the natin.
The way that M uti Dey w unique, though. Dey dnt set up on the lo b and lok for the ball. He dnt s much tie sng p either. In the Ti dh oe, Dey mnly hung out on one of the b. If hi der w p away by a dve, he w often get a p for a wen dunk. If not, he cras the b much dfferent at Tennesee. Center Wayne Chi (6-9) i much mre s and to the ball frequently on the peter. Chi has the green light fro 3-pnt range.
I think a lot of it d on the s of the bg man hielf. You may not see M ever b i team aro a lot srer as long as Jhn Cali i there, but to a large degree they wll adt to the s and w of their pt py in Wy fro W, Texas: What d you think of B chance at wng the Bg 12 thi year?
Br co be better than we pect. The B are No. 28 in our pn con. But, I dnt see any way they can d better than s.
The mre I lok at the Bg 12, the mre I co Texas i the team to beat. The Lo return four s. Yes, I kno they lot the bt one when D. Augusn left sl early and w d in the fit ro. Hoever, lok at ho the Lo have recently rep p s. After long Kevin Durant, everyb natinal player of the year in 2006-07, they wn 31 gam. After long Bg 12 Player of the Year P. Tucker, they wn 25 gam team wll have a lot mre dth and expence than i tw p. A.J. Ab i one of the nati to oe s, and Dn J p like one of the nati to p dn the stretch last sn. Jr guard Jn Mn and sr center Cor Atchley are und veterans, and there i als an extraonary amunt of png bg men w wll wear dn or has an ive cro of guard w wll cause m p for everyone the B face. But, they have a lot mre quesn m than the Lo - esally on the ie. Jt fing in s i gong to be a dcult task. Oa and i star bg man Blake Grin (p by se draft analys as the No. 1 pck in the 2009 draft) may oen the sn as the league favote ahead of Texas. Wle dng natinal cham Kans lot five s, it relo wth a tove recruing clas.

Similar posts: basketball players

This blog keeps track of the latest pages I've updated or created. I regularly update my website with a page or two that can help you outperform the other basketball players. If you like what you see on best-basketball-tips.com, I'd be wrong if I say you shouldn't check out this page regularly. It's a great way to keep up with the latest changes I make on my website.

Similar posts: basketball players

Anime art is one of most popular fads around the world nowadays. This kind of cartoons is loved by many and it has evolved tremendously as more fans become hooked up in drawing their own anime characters. If you are one of those that want to learn to draw anime characters, here are the basics of what you should know in order to start out.
What Is Your Character?
First, you should identify the character you are drawing. Who is he/she? Is he/she old, teenaged, or a child? Is your character good or bad? Getting to know the features of your character would generally be your guide in being able to draw him/her out of your imagination. Try to have a set of personality characteristics for your character so that you can have a basis.
The General Styles
There are main archetypes used in depicting characters in anime. These could serve as your basis but not your prison in creating your own character.
Cute characters are usually depicted with large eyes, round cheekbones, and closely set facial parts. Evil characters are usually drawn more . They also have sharp protruding cheekbones and very small pupils. Their eyes more often than not appear to be shady.
Shoujo characters or those girly-girl characters usually have sharp chins and huge expressive eyes. They also have elegant nose bridges and slender bodies. Stupid characters have round heads and bodies. They also have less details and simplistic features. Their eyes are most often tiny, in some cases are just dots. If your character is a fighter, just like those in Dragon Ball Z, he/she would also have simplistic features but with exaggerated body proportions and a small head.
These are the basic prototypes in creating Anime characters. However, do not limit yourself with those stated above. Try to experiment and play around with the features. This is the only way you can make your character your own and not just some plain Anime looking character.
Hairstyle
The possible hairstyles that characters could have are endless. This is the beauty of Anime art. They could have wild, out of this world hairstyles and they would still look good. Generally, hair strands are drawn in clumps. All you have to do is draw grass like shaped clumps of hair just to give their hairdo some form and style. Bangs are common with these characters. The color you can use is not limited to black, blonde, brunette or auburn. In fact, most characters have wildly colored hair such as green, purple, pink and blue.
Eyes
The eyes are usually prominent with Anime characters. This is what differentiates one character from another. If you observe, there are a lot of white portions in their eye. This is so that it would have a reflective appearance. This also makes the eyes more lively and appealing. You can observe this especially with Shoujo characters or other female characters.
There is also no limit with the color used. Some characters even have pink, and purples eyes. Usually, eye color also compliments the hair color. You may see some blue haired characters with blue eyes and purple haired characters with pink eyes. Skys the limit in choosing eye colors.
Clothing
Most Anime characters are in school uniforms or traditional Japanese costumes. However, there are also characters wearing Western style of clothing. It basically depend on the overall theme of the story.

Similar posts: basketball players

For those who may believe that West Virginias football season all but ended with a two-game losing streak in the first month of play, heres a little dose of reality:
Not only has it not ended, it really hasnt started. For all practical purposes, kickoff for the real season opener isnt until noon on Saturday.
Thats when Rutgers visits Mountaineer Field for West Virginias Big East Conference opener.
The goal in this program will always be the Big East championship, West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said Sunday. s what we strive for. Thats what we live for. And now its time to get out there and put our helmets on and our mouthpieces in and try to go after it. Theres a lot of good teams in the Big East this year, a lot of parity.
 The reality is simple. Forget about West Virginias 2-2 start to the season. For that matter, forget about Rutgers 1-3 record so far, along with almost everything any Big East team has done. None of it matters, save for Connecticuts win at Louisville on Friday night and Pitts victory at Syracuse on Saturday.

Similar posts: basketball players

by Tom Kakert
The Iowa Basketball team found recruiting success this past year in the state of Minnesota and this past weekend, they hosted one of the top prospects from that state in 2010 when Chad Calcaterra made his way to Iowa City. Find out what the 6-foot-10 forward has been hearing from the Hawkeyes and what he is looking for in a school right here.

Similar posts: basketball players

This blog keeps track of the latest pages I've updated or created. I regularly update my website with a page or two that can help you outperform the other basketball players. If you like what you see on best-basketball-tips.com, I'd be wrong if I say you shouldn't check out this page regularly. It's a great way to keep up with the latest changes I make on my website.

Similar posts: basketball players

EMMANUEL CHAVEZ

Sports has always been a top-drawer not only for its excitement but also for its numerous health benefits. These sports activities, however, can also bring risks to one's health. Those who engage in contact sports like basketball, football, and the martial arts are usually at high risk of sustaining injuries. These injuries are usually found on the knees, legs, ankles, and feet all of which support the entire weight of the athlete's body.

Acute damage or repetitive stress associated with sports activities may affect the bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Acute sports injuries can be treated with first aid remedies and over the counter muscle relaxants. Chronic injuries, on the other hand, may require medical assistance. Understanding these injuries is essential in preventing its development and avoiding any hindrances to one's health.

Here are the five most common sports injuries and how to prevent them:

1.Ankle Sprains and Strains
Sprain is the stretching or tearing of the ligaments while strain is the stretching or tearing of muscles or tendons. Ankle sprains or strains may occur because of poor technique, uneven terrain, and wearing inaapropriate footwear. Running on smooth and even terrain, running in proper form, and wearing the right foot wear is essential in preventing injury. Wearing orthotic gear may add more stability and balance and prevent re-injury.

2.Shoulder Injury
The shoulder is one of the most flexible joints in the body. Because of its flexibility, the shoulder is essential in many sports activities. Individuals who engage in sports that involve frequent swinging of arms like swimming or basketball are at high risk of developing this injury. Pitchers, tennis players, weightlifters are some of the individuals who may be prone to shoulder injuries.

3.Elbow pain
Lateral epicondylitis also called tennis elbow pain and is one form of overuse injury. It is an inflammation of several structures of the elbow which includes the muscles, tendons, ligaments and many more. People that engage in activities with strenuous or repetitive forearm movement forearm movement have heightened risk of developing this injury. Occupations that include mechanics or carpentry may also pose risks for certain individuals.

4.Knee Pain
Sports related knee pain may be a result of ruptured ligament or torn muscles. Because it is the largest joint in the body, it is one of the most easily damaged joint. An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most common problem the involves the knee. Medical studies show that many ACL injuries are caused by sports activities that require frequent change in direction, twisting, slowing down when running, or landing from a jump. Individuals who play football, soccer, wrestling, and rugby are prone to this kind of injury. Proper execution of techniques, wearing orthotics, and training in moderation may help prevent the development of this condition.

5.Lower back pain
Many backaches are caused by strains or sprains in the muscles or ligaments. These injuries often occur because of heavy lifting or twisting. Back spasms caused by disk, joint, or muscle injuries may also lead to the development of excruciating pain. In addition to these factors, improper posture, fatigue, and improper alignment may also lead to the development of back pain.

These five common injuries can be prevented by engaging in proper training which includes warm ups, stretches, and cool downs. Warming up and stretching are essential in preparing the body for strenuous activity that can be experienced in training. Cooling down, on the other hand, is essential in reducing the temperature of the muscles and reduce muscle injury, stiffness, and soreness. Using orthotics is also essential in preventing sports injuries. Engaging in proper exercise routines and executing exercise techniques are essential to prevent injuries. Individuals who want to engage in physical exercise and other strenuous activities should seek the approval of doctors to achieve health goals and avoid fitness obstacles.

Emmanuel Chavez is a sports writer and holds a graduate degree in Sports Nutrition. He is active in promoting weight loss programs and healthy lifestyle among inner city youth. CheapDrugsOnline.Ca offers a large variety of discount prescription drugs and medications that you can order directly using an online order form without a prior prescription. This items also come up with Big Discounts. And upon approval of your order, you will be issued with a prescription which will be dispensed without delay. Order now!VisitCheap Drugs Onlineand avail great big discounts.

Similar posts: basketball players

Thursday afternoon I was recruited to play on the Kathmandu University faculty basketball team. The term is used pretty loosely since it includes teaching assistants with BS degrees and lecturers with MS degrees. I was the only professor on the team and therefore more than twice the age of anyone on the court. My only advantage was my height (6) and the fact that I vaguely remember playing in high school 35 years ago. The only player as tall as me was Anuroop Manandhar who, fortunately, was also on my team and is an excellent basketball player. Of my six teammates, two were excellent players, one was pretty good and the other three were, how should I say, "less experienced."

The outdoor court at the main campus in Dhulikhel has great views of an expansive, emerald green rice field to the west and the mist shrouded Himalayan foothills to the east. I stopped a minute before the game began to wonder what the odds were that Id ever be playing basketball in this kind of setting! After helping the others shoo away some cattle and goats from the court, the game got underway.

We took a decisive 12 point lead in the first quarter. Anuroop and I were able to clog up the middle of the lane on defense so that they couldnt get off any good shots. He and our pint-sized point guard did most of the scoring while I concentrated on rebounding, defense and handing out assists. I knew that my shooting needed practice so I only took four shots the entire game, making two of them. Our big lead continued into the fourth quarter, so in the spirit of letting everyone play we let the "second-string" members of our team play a nearly fatal decision since they turned the ball over on nearly every possession and couldn't score any points. Within a span of five minutes the other team had pulled to within 2 points, mostly from steals and fast breaks. Anuroop signaled for me to come back in and we were able to stem the blood flow. We had been playing a zone defense, but I decided to go man-to-man on their best player who was scoring all their points. Between that and a few buckets by Anuroop, we held on for a 30-28 victory. Not having played for 8 months, my legs felt like rubber after the game, but I still had to find my way back home (20 miles away).

One of my teammates also had to go back to Kathmandu, so we walked to the bus stop at the main road. A local bus came by within a few minutes. We paid our 40 rupee fare (about 60 cents) and settled back for the 1 hour ride. Unfortunately, we hit a terrible traffic jam caused by a line of trucks and buses waiting for a diesel station to open along the very narrow road. There just wasnt enough room for them and two more lanes of traffic, so a few trucks had become wedged together and couldnt move. Everyone got off the bus and started walking the mile to Banepa hoping to catch another bus there. By this time it was 6:30 pm and completely dark. We waited for at least 30 minutes but no bus came along. Emsar, my teammate, then commenced to flag down passing trucks and vans, hoping that we could negotiate a reasonable fee for passage to Kathmandu.

A small covered truck finally stopped at 7:30 and Emras was able to negotiate a 500 rupee fee ($7) for us and the freshman girl who had latched on to us for protection. Im sure it would have been much less, but the driver saw my pale face and jacked up the price. In Nepal there are always two prices for everything: a Nepali price and a foreigner price. We three wedged into the front seat with the driver while three men jumped into the bed. Along the way we picked up another 4-5 people, so the driver was making a good wage that night. While stopping to pick someone up, the girl next to me looked like she was going to upchuck, so I hurriedly let her out to do her business. She had to get out one more time along the way. She was either car sick or I really smelled bad.

It was kind of eerie driving at night on the dark, poorly maintained, and deeply potholed road that is the major thoroughfare between Kathmandu and Tibet. There is a significant amount of smuggling that goes on along that route. We were stopped twice at police checkpoints, but they let us through quickly one look at me and they knew I wasnt Tibetan. Police usually dont give foreigners a hard time, except for the few crooked ones who try to entrap them in order to extort money. Weve had no trouble at all, though.

Finally, we reached Kathmandu at 8:30 but the driver let us off more than 3 miles away from my apartment. Emras and the girl waited for a minibus to get home, but I knew it would take more than an hour for me to make it home that way. Instead, I took off walking through the dark streets (the power was off again). As long as you stick to the main streets and stay out of the alleys at night, weve found Kathmandu to be a very safe place. I eventually got home at 9:10. My average speed from the bus stop in Dhulikhel to my apartment was a turtle-like 8 mph, but well worth the hassle to get in a good game of basketball.

Similar posts: basketball players

Last Friday, I found myself sitting outside the school library with a couple of classmates. The day was ending and I was sharing the story of how I used to take up karate. “Sige nga,” they said, after my story, “show us one of your kicks!”
I chose one of the white pillars near the entrance as my hapless victim. I faced it. I bowed. Put on the standard stance. And without warning, gave it a high kick. WHACK!
“Boss, pumunta nga kayo dito at patingin ng ID.” That was the voice of the security guard who was surreptitiously standing behind me.
That was the story of how I got my first violation of the school-year: vandalism. Why? My shoe stained the pillar. Couldn’t I just clean it myself? No. Okay, then what sanctions do I get? He wouldn’t say.
After the conversation, I didn’t know who I wanted to kick—him, for being so unfriendly, or me, for being so stupid.
On one hand, he did have a point. On the other hand, if I kicked something else (say, a tree) or if I kicked it somewhere else (say, some other university), I probably wouldn’t have been punished. Maybe that’s why it seemed so legalistic.
I understand that laws are meant to establish order in a society. In my case, it was sending the message that if I did that “bad” thing again, I would pay for it. Therefore, other people wouldn’t follow my example. Fair enough. Except that people wouldn’t follow my example to begin with. People don’t ordinarily kick pillars for fun.
It’s not that I blame my school for being too strict, or the security guard for doing his job. People get punished for being ignorant. In any kind of setting, it’s always the person’s duty to know about the rules.
The problem arises when the rules are not clear, and the implementers are given wide latitude of discretion.
Ideally, the way for you to defend yourself when faced in a situation like mine is to explain your side of the rules, being an informed and responsible member of the community. But what if the rules aren’t clear? Worse, what if the person apprehending you is looking to take advantage of you—do you think he’ll listen?
Outside of a school setting, you would probably go to a lawyer. Except if it’s a small infraction, it’s probably not worth the effort. And when it’s a big infraction—well, let’s just hope you’re not against the son of some politician, or the politician himself. Otherwise, it’s better to give it up.
The tragedy of it all is that this takes place in a country where most people are marginalized. Usually, these people have no faith in the system. Faith being non-existent, people could end up resorting to easier, illegitimate means, knowing the risks.
This, in turn, gives birth to a bastardized version of the system, and nourishes it.
For example, I’ve always wondered why certain government branches accept bribes from people in exchange for an easier time. Is it because our governments are inherently oppressive and evil, or because we continue paying the bribes? I don’t know.
But whether or not I do, what scares me is the way wrong implementation has become normal to us. Bribing officers on the road seems to have become acceptable. In higher echelons, some people don’t give a second thought to bribing public officials if they get their way. It feels like with each bribe we pay and each corner we cut, our moral fabric as a society is twisting more and more into a mockery of what it should be. So that it’s the policemen who become the drug dealers, and the drug dealers who become our saviors.
The greater tragedy is that we don’t know who the good guys are anymore.
Honestly, I still don’t know who to kick. One side says I should kick myself, not necessarily for being uninformed, but for having a ‘lapse in judgment’. The other says I should kick the system for punishing me uselessly. Either way, it’s not like I have a choice but to go along with it. But since I wasn’t convinced that I was wrong, I’m not sure the rule lived up to its purpose.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all is that this early, I am confused as to what is right and what is wrong.

Similar posts: basketball players

I get to learn something new every day. It turns out that European teams don't have mascots. Instead, most of them are sponsored by companies. Utex is a fashion company. INEA, I believe, is a software company. I hope Kasha's getting some free clothing out of the deal.Therefore, Utex Row Rybnik will simply be named "Rybnik", after the city of Rybnik in Poland.

The game was a lot closer than the box score lets on. I was "watching" the live update of the boxscore. It was tight until the fourth quarter when visiting Rybnik turned it on and it became a decisive win.

Rybnik was shooting hot, about 49 percent to Poznan's 44 percent. Despite 18 offensive rebounds to Rybnik's nine, Poznan made more turnovers and sent Rybnik to the line more frequently.

If you look at Rybnik's statistics, you'll note that only seven players actually played. (Well, eight, but I wouldn't count Przekop's 42 seconds.) Miednik played all forty minutes, something I'd never seen before. Latangela Atkinson played all but 42 seconds. Chomac' played 32 minutes and 14 seconds.

#7 and #9 - I don't want to have to type those names - still haven't played a single minute. #10 also got to watch the entire game on the bench. Rybnik has a good chance of wiping out its starting five to injury.

So what about Kasha? 6 points, 6 shots. Four rebounds. Not bad, but she didn't play much. Note that she earned four personal fouls. In Europe, it only takes five personal fouls to foul out. Three players fouled out for Poznan, and one for Rybnik. A really rough game.

Rybnik goes back home to play Jelenia Gora on Sunday. Jelenia Gora went 2-22 last year- and actually finished 12th out of 13, ahead of Lomianki at 1-23. However, Jelenia Gora is already 1-0, already halfway to their win total of 2007-08.

Similar posts: basketball players

HoopsAddict.com is an online magazine that addresses the professional basketball scene and all of the amateur ranks that make up the basketball landscape. Since its creation in 2006, the publication has evolved from an independent blog to the credentialed media outlet it is today. In the online basketball community, Hoops Addict is one of a select few fan-inspired sites that looks to marry the die-hard fan's passion with the objective journalistic conventions necessary for legitimate access to the game at its various levels.

Similar posts: basketball players

comments there.
Matt Staggs sent me some cool information on a new indie publishing house called Underland Press:
Web 2.0 is doing more than threatening the position of big bookstores and providing a new platform for text distribution. It is changing the type of books readers decide to pick up, said Victoria Blake, founder and publisher of Underland Press.
s changing, Blake said, and definitely not for the worse. Books now are where music was in 1996. Ready and primed to break.
No, the change isnt going to be e-readers or free PDFs, though thats part of it, Blake said. The change is the way readers find and buy their books.
I cant tell you how many books Ive found by searching for online recommendations. The If you like this, youll like X function doesnt care about BISAC codes, she said. s very cool.
Blake started Underland Press—which she calls an in print, online publisher—because she believes in the power of this new, hungry and curious readership.
I have an idea that American fiction has been in a very domestic mode since Raymond Carver, or maybe before, Blake continued. For 60 years, at least, our literary voices have told story after story about suburban life and angst, about affairs, about divorce, said Blake. I love those stories - I grew up with them - but from where I stand now I believe there is about to be a sea-change. I think theres a reason why Cormac McCarthys The Road hit as big as it did: readers and writers are hungry for something a little different.
Blake, who will graduate with an MFA from the Warren Wilson program for writers this winter, plans for Underland Press to be in a position to satisfy this hunger with fiction that she calls, weird, strange, odd, and unsettling.
s how new this is, she says, with a laugh. s no good name for it yet.
Whatever you call itdark fantasy, slipstream, new fabulism, new weird–Blake feels that literature like this offers more than just cheap thrills. m a fan of books that combine the best of genre writing, which is the imagination and the plot drive, with the best of literary writing, which is character and language focus, she said. Fiction like this can be revelatory; it can tell us something about ourselves, what were afraid of, and why.
Blake believes strongly enough in her personal vision that she left an editorial position with Dark Horse, one of the largest independent publishers of comic books and fiction in the world to strike out on her own.
I worked for Dark Horse for three years, handling their Aliens, Predator, Lankhmar, and Playboy series, as well as some one-off original fiction titles, Blake recalled. I decided to branch out on my own when I read Brian Evensons novella The Brotherhood of Mutilation. I was blown away. I thought it needed to be brought into the world.s novella grew into a full-length novel called Last Days, and will be the first book released by Underland Press. Scheduled for February 2009, it will be released simultaneously with The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot. Both books will be followed by Chaos by Escober in the spring, and Finch by Jeff VanderMeer in the fall.
In the meantime, Blake has launched the worlds first a web novel where readers decide the plot—a choose your own adventure tale for the 2.0 world. Written by Kealan Patrick Burke, The Living is a zombie tale turned on its ear: the story of a living–dead protagonist pursued by hordes of remorseless human killers.
The readers participate in the plot development of the book, said Blake. The author posts an installment every Monday with a binary plot point at the end. Will the heroine kill her lover? Is the box empty, or is it filled with bees? The reader votes to decide, voting is open until Thursday, and the author writes a new installment over the weekend for a reposting on Monday morning, just in time for work.
Blake describes the wovel as the first of several projects from Underland Press that will use the interactivity of the internet in an effort to support and augment quality fiction.

Similar posts: basketball players

What a week, huh? After starting the month by losing 6 of 9 and looking very much askew, Carlos Zambrano comes back from the near-dead to throw a no-hitter against the hottest team in baseball, and then the Cubs work some crazy voodoo magic to take two-of-three from the Brewers and bring their magic number down to 2.

If I wasn't, you know, a lifelong fan of this stomp-on-your-heart franchise, I'd think this was their year or something.

Have any of you figured out what exactly happened Thursday at Wrigley Field? If so, e-mail me at stillinshock(at)whatthehell(dot)com.

From what I can glean, the Cubs were down by FOUR with TWO outs and NOBODY on in the bottom of the NINTH. And they ended up winning, 7-6, in 12.

This from a team that often seems to shut down and hold on after it gets a lead in the fourth or fifth., a team that strands baserunners left and right, a team that let a parade of mediocre relievers keep it in check Wednesday night in a 6-2 loss. We haven't seen this kind of fight out of these Cubs since that ridiculous nine-run comeback against the Rockies on May 30. Can you remember back that far?

Actually, I don't know whether to laud the Cubs here or laugh at the Brewers. Is it just me, or did the Brew Crew have, like, 10 zillion chances to make this a race down the stretch in the NL Central and/or run away with the Wild Card? Yet here they are, having to pretty much sweep the rest of the season to make the playoffs.

There's got to be something mystical at play here. I don't see how any team can fail to take advantage of the opportunities the Brewers have had, ESPECIALLY Thursday's 6-2 lead and countless late-inning rallies, unless its planets are misaligned or its karma is out of whack. Or it doesn't have strong leadership, or its bullpen really stinks...

You want to talk curses? Don't look at the Cubs. They've been pretty darned fortunate all year long. If they don't reach the World Series this year, it'll be because there is a hotter, or healthier, NL team at that time. Not because of any stupid curses.

If I'm a Brewers fan, on the other hand, I'm really searching the stars right about now. (I've got bad news, folks. From personal experience, praying does not help your baseball team.

Similar posts: basketball players

How do you get massive exposure and get some of the top
college and pro recruits beating down your door and Filling
your mailbox full of scholarships and contracts?
Great question. And Its not as hard as you think!
I have always said and believed that the Greatest basketball
player in the world will do nothing unless the right people, and I mean the right people know of him.
You see,one of the most important aspects of basketball
( exposure) has been completely neglected for centuries
THEY ALWAYS SAY JUST GO play on a Travel Team and you will
get noticed
you have a better shot at making a full court,
behind the back, with a blind fold shoot!
While travel teams will help, most of the scouts that
attend the games already have an idea of who they are looking for,
most of the time they are there because t hey know one or two
of the players and are just checking up on how there merchandise
is doing.
I have a better, more productive way of getting massive exposure
and having your name spreading like wild fire to thousands of
coaches, scouts and teams.
Dont believe me?
See what this baller had to say:
First A College Scholarship and Now a Pro Contract!
Hey Rali,
I just wanted to say Thank you so much for Introducing
me to the Go Basketball Pro System and allowing for my
basketball Dreams To come True.
You First helped me get a Division 1 College Basketball
Scholarship to TCU which I can Not Thank you Enough. But
now You have Helped me Get A Pro Contact Over In Brazil.
Again Thank you so much.
Your basketball system is so pro found and effective I
can NOT BELIEVE you have even Shared the secrets you posse
and allow it to be so easy to get your remarkable system.
I know that I am well on my way to getting in the NBA and
to be honest I owe it all to you.
Without your knowledge and expertise I would Just Be
another regular average Basketball Player.
Hope you are having great success, I will see you in A
few Months when I Come back down to Miami.
Judson Stubbs
Professional Basketball Player
Former Division 1 All star
Amazing Isnt it!
This baller came form a No NAME Community College down in
Miami, and I helped Him get a D-1 Scholarship To TCU, and
then I Got him a Pro Contract Over In Brazil
Now I know Brazil is not the NBA, But he is playing pro ball
and getting paid for something he loves
Plus,now he has an opportunity to get his name out there
and Participate In NBA Workouts
I know what your next question Is.
How Did I Do It? Whats my secret?
You Want to Know My secret?
Okay Here it is.
One of the easiest, but most effective ways you can get
scouts and recruits Knowing of you and attending all your
games is by contacting them Right, contacting them.
But there is a system you have to follow
Here is the system: First you have to really know what your game
is like, what you do great and what you do horrible
What is your niche
Ask your coach, other coaches, teammates, parents, get
as much info as you cane
Then you need to do some research
Go on the Web at start looking at different schools and teams, see what there roster is like, and see all the years the
players have been there
This is a great way for you to secretively find out what
that team is looking for, and what they are interested ins use an example
If you are a point guard, that is small, but has a lot of skills
like you can really shoot the ball, dribble under control and pressure
and have a low turnover to assist ratio, and you find a team
where their starting point guard is in his last year, and they
had a high average of turnovers last year, and their reserve point guard
isnt all that good
Then you found a Goldmine
You are exactly what that team needs and is looking for!
But now if that team has three guards, that were High school
All Americans, and none of them are higher then sophomores..
Then you better move on they already have your spot filled!
This is what I call being Pro Active It is the difference between
PLAYING HARD AN PLAYING SMART
It is also the difference between most of the players that get scholarships, and most of the ones that end up Sitting at home,
watching ESPN
So now you know that that team need someone like you,
now you can begin contacting them.
Stay tuned for Part 2 Of this Course which
Will Be Next Week.
Start researching some teams, and start asking coaches,
trainers, players and parents what they think of you game
so you can get progress report
to use when researching those teams..
Your Coach
Rali Todd
www.GoBasketballPro.

Similar posts: basketball players