College Basketball Photo Shoot

They say pictures are worth a thousand words; well I came across a few pictures that caught all the emotion that came with college basketball this year.

North Carolina-Michigan State kicked the year off under the sky lights (Harry How/Getty Images) 

Student & Teacher! (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) 

Kentucky-North Carolina we just knew this would be a preview of the National Title game…didn’t we (Robert Willett/AP)

Yep that’s how Indiana celebrated their upset over then no. 1 rank Kentucky (Brian Spurlock/US Presswire)

Jim Boeheim, Syracuse head coach, addressing the media about early off the court problems…enough said (Kevin Rivoli/AP)

A close-up of the Cincinnati-Xavier brawl, the lowest picture of the season (Al Behrman/AP)

Long time great coach Gray Williams of Maryland receives a court (Patrick Semansky/AP)

Yes, Dick Vitale did coach…and he too has his very own court (Carlos Osorio/AP) 

Yes, Duke Fans, Austin Rivers is going pro and he’s taking it hard (Grant Halverson/Getty)

Austin Rivers didn’t leave Duke without stealing from North Carolina first (Jim R. Bounds/AP)

One day, one day for Northwestern will dance (Kiichiro Sato/AP)

The River was dry against Lehigh in the tournament (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Yes we should clap for Norfolk State…sorry Missouri fans

When it all fell down for North Carolina title hopes (Chris Keane/Reuters)

Kentucky partying with National title no. 8 (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Brittney Griner’s blocks everyone and grabs her National Title 40-0 (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

Kentucky's One Shining Moment

The University of Kentucky, with their win over Kansas, became one of the youngest teams to hoist the trophy this past Monday night.  And by doing so gave Coach John Calipari his first National Title.

Calipari’s name can be mention with the likes of other college coaches who have won a National Title. However, he comes without controversy his past two schools (UMass & Memphis) both made it to the Final Four but were strip away for violations.  Lately, his recruiting style has become the center of much attention.  Calilpari’s sort of players are often label “one-and-done” after their freshman year they jump to the NBA.

History has shown over the past three years Kentucky, since Calipari has been there, has had the No. 1 recruiting class which brought players like Demarcus Cousins, John Wall, and now Davis.  By landing talent as those players, and more, people are calling foul play.  Winning the title only shines a brighter light on Kentucky’s basketball program; top recruits will only keep coming.  

This National title might represent more to Calipari as he beat the one person who prevented him from winning the title his last appearance.  Back in 2008 it was Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks who defeated a Memphis team lead by NBA star, and last year MVP, Derrick Rose.

Just think about what Calipari did this year with all that talent.  I compare it to what Phil Jackson did with the Los Angeles Lakers during their title runs with Kobe and Shaq.  Managing egos is a very difficult thing to accomplish in this day and age.  When young players have the “it’s all about me” mentally it’s surprising that Calipari reached the winning level he has thus far.

So while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, and Davis should jump to the NBA Calipari has had his one shining moment this past Monday and I’m sure it wouldn’t be the last with another crop of talent freshman joining Big Blue National next year.           

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

        

Mayweather – Cotto “Face Off”

Video courtesy of HBO  

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

WrestleMania J.R. Smith style

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

…and then there were four

March Madness once again lived up to the hype. With the teams like Norfolk State and Lehigh bring second round excitement by sending Missouri and Duke packing early, this year’s tournament was off to a blazing start. It felt great to see Indiana back in the Big Dance and win a game or two.  All eyes were on the state of Ohio, having four teams (Cincinnati, Ohio State, Ohio, and Xavier) in the Sweet Sixteen which was a Tourney first.  Like most my bracket is finished! So here’s my Final Four prediction.

My prediction is Kansas and Kentucky will compete in the Championship game on Monday. Bill Self, Kansas coach, has done more with lesser talent this year. National Player of the year candidate Thomas Robinson is doing his best Danny Manning impersonation. Robinson along with the rest of the Jayhawks can’t sleep one minute if they want to get pass a strong Ohio State team.

Ohio State possibly has the strongest player in the Final Four in forward Jared Sullinger. After the Buckeyes beat Syracuse Kansas currently stands in their way of a shot at the title, which they haven’t won since 1960. The Buckeyes front line can match up against Kentucky’s, but first Sullinger and company must continue on this fair-tail run. Sullinger return for his sophomore year for a National Championship. He’s only two wins away.     

Kentucky and Louisville will battle in the second semifinals game. Louisville is the surprise of this year’s Final Four.  Coach Rick Pitino Cardinals’ has taken the momentum of winning the Big East Conference Tournament all the way to the Final Four. Yes, Jim Calhoun Huskies took the same route last year, but only difference here is Louisville does not have a player like Kemba Walker to win it all. So marching pass Kentucky is a tall task, but I’m sure Coach Pitino will have the Cardinals deference ready.

From the start of the season Kentucky has been the overall pick to cut down the nets in New Orleans. Well, with two more wins the experts will be right. Under Coach Calipari Kentucky has been label as the “one and done university”.  Players don’t return for their sophomore year. Their off to the NBA. The Wildcats tournament victories have all been at least 12 points or more. The last time a run of this kind happen back in 2009 when North Carolina won the National title. If National Player of the year candidate Anthony Davis knee is hundred percent there’s not another team that can tame this group of wildcats.

So enjoyed the games this weekend I’m sure there will be one shine moment. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

NEW MEANING OF OWNING L.A.

See DREAMS do come true! For those of you who don’t follow baseball history was made this week. A smiling young kid from Lansing, Michigan took the city, really the sports world, by surprise when he made Los Angeles his professional sports home.  And now he definitely owns a piece of Los Angeles sports world. That smiling young kid I’m referring to is Earvin “Magic” Johnson. He leads a group with Stan Kasten, Peter Guber, and Mark Walter executives of MLB and NBA just purchased Major League Baseball team LA Dodgers for $2 billion dollars.

Since ‘Magic’s no-look passing days are long gone he clearly has a new form of passing. The sports icon has made all the right passes in the boardroom.  I am not sure what Magic’s role will be however history has shown he can beat the odds and be successful…anything that he touches really does turn into gold. The Lakers with his help has five gold balls to show for.  

The Dodgers players and fans alike are thrilled by having Magic as their new owner. Dodgers star Matt Kemp had this to say when asked about his new owner “I think it’s tight, man, for Magic to be one of our owners,” “He knows what the Dodgers mean to L.A. Magic is very important to L.A., and the fans love him. This is a pretty good day for the Dodgers.”

Off the court Magic is putting up numbers in the world of business. Some of his business ventures are a few Starbucks, a host of movie theatres, and now Owner of the Dodgers. All athletes have had those DREAMS of “making it” well, Magic has shown us a new way of ‘making it’. 

I guess we can say ‘showtime’ is back in L.A.

Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.

Costas Tonight With NBA Front Man David Stern

Check out the video courtesy of Bob Costas and NBC Sports NBA front man David Stern sits down with Bob Costas on Costas Tonight. Discussing the overnight success of Knicks Jeremy Lin, the NBA labor current situation, and his role in the off season handling of the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers. Until next time live out your DREAMS with some Determination, put forth Real Efforts and given your Abilities; Mean you will have Success.


http://video.nbcsports.msnbc.com/nbc-sports/46592801