January 28, 2016
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SPORTSCENTRAL
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THE WIZARDRY OF OS
Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Swimming Coach at Central High School
To close 2015, I made predictions regarding the sports year of 2016. A couple of predictions have already gone way off course, including my prediction of the Cardinals making the Super Bowl. After their performance against the Panthers, I have to admit I made that call with my heart instead of my head (and before Matthieu was injured, not that it would have made a difference).
I made another prediction that I hoped was wrong from the beginning. I said that LSU would make a run at the NCAA Tournament and fall just short. The first half has come true, the Tigers are making a run toward the Tournament. Will they sustain the run, and make the Big Dance?
The opportunity is certainly there. At this point, LSU’s start to the SEC has nullified their pre-conference issues. Which means their status in the tournament will be determined by their performance from here on out. That is definitely good news because LSU should do nothing but get better as the season progresses as players develop and settle into their roles.
Certainly, a win against Oklahoma Saturday would be a huge boost to the resume. Oklahoma is an amazingly good shooting team that has played in many big games already this year. The Sooners shoot 46% from the 3-point line as a team!! Many teams don’t shoot that well as a team from inside the 3-point line.
For LSU to win, Hornsby, Quarterman, Blakeney, and Patterson will have to shoot well to offset Oklahoma’s perimeter shooters. Notice I didn’t say “keep up” with their shooters. LSU must stay away from trying to match Oklahoma shot for shot. LSU will need to make shots, but shooting a high percentage by getting great shots will be just as effective.
Obviously, Ben Simmons and Graig Victor will have to play very well and stay out of foul trouble. The Tigers have shown they are their most effective when those two to combine for at least 22 rebounds. I would suspect they would need to combine for at least 26-30 rebounds on Saturday. But, the team cannot rely on just those two to rebound. Quarterman, Blakeney, and the other guards have to commit to rebounding as long shots from Oklahoma will certainly lead to long rebounds (when they do miss).
Speaking of Simmons, I hope he continues to shoot the elbow jumper without hesitation. To his credit, he doesn’t like to settle, but every team is allowing him to shoot from 12-15 feet whenever he wants. The key is for him to shoot the shot in rhythm.
Finally, Simmons has to let the officiating roll of his skin. After the first three SEC games, I can see where he thought he would get a foul called every time he drove to the basket. Mostly because in those games, they called a foul pretty much any time he drove to the basket. The maturing process in basketball involves expecting yourself to finish the play through any contact regardless as to whether the contact results in a foul.
So let me take a brief pause to address officiating and fouls in college basketball. There is one major issue I have, and it is not necessarily with the officials. The goal is for there to be more scoring, and free flowing offense. The problem is that nobody wants to see offense in the form of a free throw shooting contest. If a team averages 65 points a game, but scores 75 because they attempted 15 more free throws and made ten of them, then we are not accomplishing our goal of better flowing basketball games. But I digress.
This game against Oklahoma is NOT a must win for LSU. But, the Tigers must be competitive. LSU needs to make the decision as hard on the committee as possible. LSU’s best argument in the end will be that they are a different team with Victor and Hornsby that isn’t just good enough to get in the tournament, but could also advance. Saturday, LSU could prove their worth to the committee win or lose. But, while they are at it, the Tiger might as well win!
HEY REF
I know everybody is getting all fired up for the upcoming Super Bowl. But before we do any talking about the teams that made it I’d like to address one absurd owner and once again his team won’t be in the “Big Game”. His name is Jerry Jones and he’s spent millions trying to be everything to everybody in Dallas. One thing he’s not and I can only find one word to use here that sums up what he’s not and that is “INTELLIGENT”. That is of course when the subject is professional football.
He’s a supposed billionaire that’ll tell you he’s got all the answers on how to run a professional football team. Just don’t go into detail on “How To” get a team on top and keep it there. He had early success and a few Super Bowl titles with Jimmy Johnson but he couldn’t leave well enough alone. Every football fan knows all too well his story. I grew up a Cowboy fan back when Tom Landry was the coach but when Jones bought “America’s Team” he let the world know he was the man in charge and no one was about to tell him how to run it. (Or was that RUIN IT?)
Well, I guess that’s fine when you sign all the checks, etc. But when you tell the league and the nation that you’ll have the final word every time then someone should have given him the check back. One of the first meetings the new owner sat in on was one in which a request by the other 31 owners was put on the table. Landry gave the league 29 years of the utmost professionalism that is so lacking in today’s professional sports.
The reasons are subject for discussion and debate but the eight hosting teams knew they’d have a sell-out when the Cowboys came to play and wanted to show their appreciation for his dedication to the sport by having a tribute and a Tom Landry Day. But Jerry made it clear he wasn’t about to allow Landry to fulfill his final year and wanted the entire NFL to understand he was calling all the shots now in “Big D”.
So decision number one was to fire Landry and bring in one of “His Boys”. Number two was to tell Coca-Cola that only Pepsi and Pepsi products would be sold in Texas Stadium. He demanded a new stadium, which he got, and is now the model of all future stadiums that will be a hosting venue. His HOUSE was the first NFL stadium to cost more than a BILLION DOLLARS. And if you park your car there on game day be ready to fork over $75.00 for the privilege. You can take a cab and not have to pay that amount but you will be forced to be dropped off at a certain location and pay Jerry a small fee of $25.00 which doesn’t include a tip!!!!
The next thing he did was attempt to “coach” the team from his suite. That didn’t work out in Jimmy’s world and after three titles Johnson left, quit, resigned or was fired, again a subject for debate and discussion. This is an owner that has set examples for incompetence and outright stupidity that continues to this very day. I feel for the entire Cowboys’ Nation but as long as you fill the stadium, but the jerseys, and so on then he’ll continue his arrogance.
But the latest quote coming from his owner’s box beats everything he’s done or said in the past 25 years. Jones was interviewed by NFL.com about the problems at the quarterback position and his need to draft a QB in this year’s draft. His answer just goes to show why Dallas won’t be getting another Vince Lombardi Trophy for quite a while. Jones explained it this way “There are many options, there’s free agency. Do we have to (DRAFT a QB) to do what? Do we have to win a Super Bowl next year? Do we have to compete for a Super Bowl in the future? Do we have to have it in place after this draft? There’s no have-to here, in my mind”! “Hey Ref says YES, YES, YES and YES again. And I’m not too sure there’s much in that mind, Jerry”!!
Now I hope you’re sitting down because the next few words out of his mouth has to answer the question everyone wants an answer to “Is Jerry competent to run this organization”? PLEASE, Jerry share some of your football wisdom with us, OH PLEASE
Wait for it, wait for it… And here’s his answer and his plans for the next few seasons for the Cowboys “BECAUSE WE HAVE THE LUXURY OF HAVING (TONY) ROMO HERE FOR 3, 4, 5 MORE YEARS”.
I kid you not. Jerry, the main reason you haven’t won a Super Bowl in so long is because of TONY ROMO!! But Jones will be damned to be proven wrong since he’s got Romo under a guaranteed $62 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT. Not a Super Bowl title guaranteed but Romo has the guarantee that Jerry will deposit millions and millions of greenbacks into his private bank account. And for what, Jerry? That answer comes easy here at “Hey Ref” you’re simply gonna have a washed up, never been quarterback that has a.500 winning record and will never win a Super Bowl, EVER!!!
I guess he can throw all his money away but the fans in Dallas and those fans in the entire league should have football minds running these teams and not some snot-nosed momma’s boy. Knowing Romo will be in the backfield for the Cowboys another 4 to 5 years has got to be the best news the other 31 teams could’ve heard as they prepare to draft for a winning team and possible Super Bowl run. I just wonder when the NFL will ever have another professional team calling Dallas home. Will someone please call LA before the Chargers decide to move, someone PLEASE!!!!!
Till next week…
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