UGA Men’s Basketball
Listen to Bulldogs Live with Head Coach Mike White Mondays at 8PM
https://georgiadogs.com/news/2022/12/10/listen-to-bulldogs-with-head-coach-mike-white
Link to broadcast:
https://georgiadogs.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Live=4338
Gwinnett Daily Post: Revamped Georgia roster, new head coach Mike White giving Bulldog basketball fans hope
“Our ball security has to continue to improve, our execution, our setting and using of ball screens,” said White, whose team returns to the floor at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18 against Notre Dame at State Farm Arena. “If we don’t get better in those areas, then we have to run different stuff.”
https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/s...cle_6d21172c-79e8-11ed-a174-9b43dd6a947c.html
Gadogs.com: Quick Chat: Brandon Klatsky
https://georgiadogs.com/news/2022/12/12/mens-basketball-quick-chat-brandon-klatsky
Recruiting
SUV TV: Game winner by Lamariyon Jordan in the @NorcrossHoops OT win vs Newton. 18pts, 4reb & too many winning/timely plays to count
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UGA Women’s Basketball
SEC Basketball
Mississippi State
Commercial Dispatch: Mississippi State men’s basketball takes down Minnesota in first true road game
https://cdispatch.com/sports/2022-1...takes-down-minnesota-in-first-true-road-game/
Tennessee
Knoxville News Sentinel: No. 7 Tennessee basketball holds off No. 13 Maryland in 56-53 win in Brooklyn
https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/co...score-recap-result-zakai-zeigler/69693036007/
Vanderbilt
The Tennessean: Assessing impact of Vanderbilt basketball's bad losses with NET rankings release
“The SEC is good enough that Vanderbilt won't risk picking up too many bad losses there, with the main risks being South Carolina and Georgia, both outside the top 100 in KenPom and the NET. Win their three games against those two teams, and the Commodores likely won't have much else weighing down their resume.”
https://www.tennessean.com/story/sp...a-tournament-resume-net-rankings/69696965007/
College Basketball
Rothstein: The Breakfast Buffet: Kam Jones, Tennessee, Creighton is at an early crossroads
https://collegehoopstoday.com/index...ennessee-creighton-is-at-an-early-crossroads/
Rothstein 45: Week 6
https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/rothstein-45-week-6-01gm253401zx
Marquette
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette finishes its nonconference schedule with road victory over Notre Dame
https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...ates-south-bend-december-11-2022/69718264007/
Maryland
Washington Post: Maryland can’t storm all the way back after rocky start vs. Tennessee
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/11/maryland-tennessee-basketball/
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Live: UMass men’s basketball runs away from Hofstra in second half, improves to 8-2
https://www.masslive.com/umassbaske...cond-half-improves-to-8-2.html?outputType=amp
Notre Dame
Notre Dame Insider: This one was ugly all the way around on what should've been a special night for Notre Dame
“There was nothing good to glean from the final box score. Throw it out. Burn it. Don't look at it.
The Golden Eagles scored at the rim early and kept coming back. On dunks and on drives and on flip shots and follows and everything else that led to the visitors hanging half a hundred — 50 freaking points — in the paint. It helped turn what at times looked like a competitive game into a decidedly one-sided route. A thorough butt kicking. So much so that Purcell Pavilion, and an announced crowd of 7,098, became Fiserv Forum South with chants and cheers and everything else that made it seem like this one was being played up in Milwaukee.
Marquette (8-3) got out of town and back on the road with a 79-64 victory that left Notre Dame (7-3) defeated in more ways than one. Where do the Irish go from here? This week, it’s back to the classroom and final exams before who-knows-where when the season resumes Dec. 18 with a neutral-site game against Georgia in Atlanta.
“Just didn’t execute defensively,” said Irish super senior Nate Laszewski. “Just communication, some of our habits. Just have to have a strong chest and execute better defensively.”
And care. Just a little bit more. Please?
Irish coach Mike Brey talked in the days leading into this one how Marquette was a lot like St. Bonaventure, which handed Notre Dame its first loss of the season late last month, basically by being more physical and tougher and aggressive than the Irish. Brey expected Sunday for his team to get “Bonaventured.”
Notre Dame didn’t get “Bonaventured.” It got “Big Easted,” the league it left behind in 2013.
“Big Easted is a good phrase,” Brey said. “Driving at your throat, coming at you, grabbing at you, holding you. We don’t get guarded like that in the ACC. We used to be a little more battle-tested playing against that.
“That is a Big East kind of beating.”
Notre Dame was a member of the Big East for 18 seasons. For a good chunk of time before Brey arrived and figured the league out, this is how Notre Dame often lost — by being out-toughed and out-physicaled and out-everythinged by Connecticut and Georgetown and Pittsburgh and Villanova and everyone else along the Interstate 95 corridor.
Before Notre Dame could get good in the league, it had to get tougher. It had to get better. It got tougher. It got better. When it ran into buzzsaws like Marquette, it had answers to all the punches it absorbed Sunday. Answers for guys like Jimmy Butler. Answers for Jerel McNeal. Answers for Darius Johnson-Odom. Answers.
It had big guys. It had tough guys – both mentally and physically. It had guard Tory Jackson. It had power forward Luke Harangody. It had the Ben Hansbroughs and the Kyle McAlarneys on the perimeter. It had the Jack Cooleys and Ty Nashes inside to keep teams from doing what Marquette did. It won at least 10 league games six of the last seven seasons before leaving the Big East.
It had big guys. It had tough guys – both mentally and physically. It had guard Tory Jackson. It had power forward Luke Harangody. It had the Ben Hansbroughs and the Kyle McAlarneys on the perimeter. It had the Jack Cooleys and Ty Nashes inside to keep teams from doing what Marquette did. It won at least 10 league games six of the last seven seasons before leaving the Big East.
It could play big. It could push and shove. It could be a beast.
“It just is demoralizing when they keep coming at your throat like that,” Brey said. “It kind of breaks your spirit. It’s spirit-breaking.”
It broke.
“We are who we are right now,” Brey said.
That would be not a good basketball team. In any area. Certainly, not against high-level opponents. That’s not good. But it might be the best it gets. For this group. For this season.”
https://www.ndinsider.com/story/spo...east-lesson-sunday-in-south-bend/69699318007/
Ohio State
Columbus Dispatch: Ironman Bruce Thornton carries Ohio State in Isaac Likekele's absence
“We knew how well-coached he’d been, the high level he’d played at, how much of a winner he was, but it would’ve been much for me to say a couple summers ago, ‘Bruce is going to play 38 minutes in the first game of the Big Ten season against one of the best defensive teams in the country,’ ” Holtmann said. “I don’t think I would’ve went that far, but I would’ve said he’s going to play a very important role.”
“He’s really tough, guys,” Holtmann said of his freshman point guard. “He really does have great poise. He’s used to winning, and as much as anybody I’ve coached at a young age he plays to win. Not every kid plays to win or understands what playing to win looks like. He was extremely well-coached in high school and he understands what playing to win is.”
As case in point, Holtmann cited two key plays from Thornton in the final minutes of the game. With the game tied at 57 and the ball loose at the Rutgers end, Thornton sent the game into the final media timeout at 3:56 when he stepped in and took a charge on 6-6, 227-pound forward Aundre Hyatt to negate a basket. Then, in the frenetic final minute capped by Tanner Holden’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Thornton was able to corral a loose ball on defense and call timeout with 23.7 seconds left and Rutgers ahead 63-62…”
https://www.cantonrep.com/story/spo...-carries-load-for-isaac-likekele/69715601007/
Rutgers
NJ.com: Rutgers falls to Seton Hall in rock fight rivalry matchup
Final: Seton Hall 45, Rutgers 43.
The Scarlet Knights turned the ball over too much (19) and shot poorly (32.4%), leaving a crack open for their rivals, and the Pirates took it.
This is Steve Pikiell's first loss to SHU at home
https://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketbal...seton-hall-in-rock-fight-rivalry-matchup.html
Syracuse
Syracuse.com: Syracuse is playing some of its best basketball, and now gets slumping Monmouth
https://www.syracuse.com/orangebask...-vs-monmouth-what-to-know.html?outputType=amp
Texas
Austin-American Statesman: Texas Longhorns men's basketball coach Chris Beard faces domestic assault charge
https://www.statesman.com/story/new...l-coach-charged-domestic-assault/69720219007/
Virginia Tech
SB Nation: Virginia Tech basketball: Hokies move to 10-1 with 70-65 win over Oklahoma State
https://www.gobblercountry.com/plat...with-70-65-win-over-oklahoma-state-acc-top-25
Wisconsin
NBA Basketball
Atlanta
Minnesota
Twincities.com: D’Angelo Russell is playing winning basketball for Timberwolves. Can he sustain it?
https://www.twincities.com/2022/12/...tball-for-timberwolves-can-he-sustain-it/amp/
History
RIP Paul Silas
NBA.com: NBA champion and longtime coach Paul Silas dies at 79
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-champion-and-longtime-coach-paul-silas-dies-at-79
Paul Silas PF Creighton STL/ATL , PHO, BOS, DEN, SEA HC CHA, NO, CLE
Paul Silas, NBA Lifer (2014)
“In college, Silas averaged 21.6 rebounds a game. He didn’t know that representatives of the St. Louis Hawks had been scouting his games until the team selected him 10th overall in the 1964 NBA draft. St. Louis featured Bob Pettit, one of the game’s premier interior players, and Silas credited Pettit with helping him hone his talent for rebounding. Silas liked to start on the baseline, often out of bounds, before boxing out. This gave him more room to maneuver and a chance to put himself between his man and the basket; once Silas used his boulder-like hindquarters to back his man out of position, the rebound could be his. Pettit added new levels of refinement and expertise to Silas’s technique. “He was one of the guys that really taught me how to rebound offensively,” Silas said. “To turn my body and put my shoulder on a player and just hold him there and keep your hands up.”
Silas’s game translated well to the NBA. He was bulky and well suited to bang bodies near the rim. In those days, many teams lacked outside shooting, and it was common to stack the paint in an effort to limit Wilt Chamberlain. “Wilt was not a guy that would just knock you on your ass,” Silas said. “He was tough, but he wouldn’t do you in. He wouldn’t kill me because I wouldn’t play in back of him, I would play in front of him. And it really worked out and I rebounded well against him. He wouldn’t block me out hardly at all and I’d rebound offensively, but once he would catch the ball, there wasn’t nothing I could do.”
“[Silas] allowed me to expand as a perimeter player because he could take care of business inside. He was a relentless offensive rebounder, [and] whoever was guarding him was busy all the way through the [possession]. Nobody was helping off him.” — Dave Cowens
Silas loved playing for the Hawks. He grew close with teammates Lenny Wilkens, Bill Bridges, Zelmo Beaty, Joe Caldwell, and others. The Hawks made the playoffs in all five of Silas’s seasons with the team, but they could never make to the Finals, falling short year after year against the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Francisco Warriors. In 1968, the Hawks moved to Atlanta. Silas played a season there before being traded to the Phoenix Suns…”
» Paul Silas, NBA Lifer
“On May 8th, 1969, the Atlanta Hawks traded forward Paul Silas to the Phoenix Suns for forward Gary Gregor.
One of the biggest principles of trades over history has been the idea that it is wrong to trade big for small. In the case of Paul Silas and Gary Gregor that principle might be based on playing style rather than body type.
Silas was listed at 6'7", 220 lbs. while Gregor was the same height and had just a five pound advantage on Silas. Despite their similar body frames, Silas and Gregor couldn’t be any more different as players. Silas was more of a bruiser with phenomenal rebounding skills while Gregor was more of a perimeter-oriented player.
Paul Silas was originally drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft. He established himself at Creighton as a master rebounder. He averaged no less than 20.6 RPG in his four years at Creighton.
Silas was mainly a role player in his first three years with the St. Louis Hawks. He found himself playing behind veteran big men such as Bob Petit, Zelmo Beaty, and Bill Bridges. The Hawks made the playoffs all three of those years and were still a solid team but were nowhere near the same after Petit retired.
Silas’ first year as a starter was big for him and St. Louis. Silas averaged a double-double (13.4 PPG and 11.7 RPG) and the Hawks won 56 games that season. They ended up losing the 1968 Western Division Finals to the San Francisco Warriors in six games.
Silas was moved back to the bench for the 1968-69 season which was the Hawks’ first season in Atlanta. He still produced at a solid clip of 8.7 PPG, and 9.4 RPG in 23.5 MPG. The Hawks won 48 games that season. In the postseason, the Hawks defeated the San Diego Rockets in six games and were eliminated in the Western Division Finals in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Silas finished his Hawks tenure with averages of 7.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.2 APG while shooting 43% from the field and 61% from the free-throw line in 363 career games with the Hawks franchise…
After the trade, Silas became a good find for the Phoenix Suns. He became a starter instantly for Phoenix and was a big part of Phoenix’s turnaround in their second NBA season. Silas helped ease the transition for Phoenix with his interior game. In his first season with Phoenix, Silas averaged 12.8 PPG and a team-high 11.7 RPG as Phoenix had 39 wins which was a 23-game improvement from their inaugural season. The Suns made their first-ever playoff appearance losing in a tough, seven-game Western Division Semifinals against the Lakers.
Phoenix actually improved as a regular season team, but faced stiffer competition in the Western Conference. They won 48 games in the 1970-71 season, and 49 games in the 1971-72 season but missed the playoffs by a short margin in both seasons.
He averaged 14.1 PPG, 12.1 RPG, and 3.4 APG in three seasons with Phoenix. Silas shot 46% from the field and 70% from the charity stripe. He eventually was traded to the Boston Celtics for Charlie Scott before the 1972-73 season.
Hoops Birthdays 12-12
Ivano Newbill C Georgia Tech DET, ATL, VAN 12-12-1970 52 YOA
HOF Bob Pettit PF LSU MIL, STL 1954-1965 12-12-1932
Lean, graceful, and always well-conditioned, Bob Pettit's physical build made him one of the first big men to play facing the basket. But Pettit's resolve set him apart from his peers; he simply would not be outworked by his competitors. Although he was a three-time All-SEC center with an average of 27.8 points per game throughout his college career, many were skeptical that Pettit could transition to the rough-and-tough NBA. Despite his slender build, Pettit was still the Milwaukee Hawks first draft choice in 1954, and spent his 11-year career entirely with the organization. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1955 and was awarded his first of two MVP awards in 1956. As a mark of true consistency, Pettit played in 11 straight All Star Games, was named All Star Game MVP more times than any player in history, and guided the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship. When Pettit retired in 1965, he was the league's highest scorer (20,880) and second highest rebounder (12,849).
Hoops Hype: Bob Pettit: 'I enjoyed my life after basketball. Not a lot of players can say that' (2021)
“I retired in 1965. The game has made tremendous strides since those days. I really enjoyed the basketball that I played back in that era. We only had eight teams and I had the pleasure of playing against a lot of guys like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain 10, 12 or 15 times a year. That was always exciting. But the game has made so many great strides on and off the court.
The addition of the three-point shot has made such a huge difference to the game of basketball. If you watch the game today, so many of these players are hanging around the three-point line and not looking to drive or anything. They just want to get the three. It’s just amazing how accurate they are. I went to LSU’s practice earlier this week and I watched these kids shooting and they were hitting 9-10 in a row. The game is still tough today but it was a lot more physical fighting in my day. There were way more fists being thrown in those days. The game has cleaned its act up a bit.
But basketball now is amazing. You have to talk about just the number of talented players that are playing today. Almost any game, you’ll see just tremendous basketball. It’s expanded. It’s worldwide. I’ll get cards to sign from kids in Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, China. They’re very tuned into the NBA today. There’s so much fan support, there’s so much media support, it’s become a huge game. It was a wonderful game when I first came into it but it’s just exploded in what’s happening with fan interest. Great things are happening with the NBA. I’m excited. I love watching the games.”
https://hoopshype.com/lists/bob-pettit-nba-75-anniversary-best-players-all-time/
John Salmons SG Miami PHI, SAC, CHI, MIL, TOR, NO 2002-2015 12-12-1979 43 YOA
Randy Smith SG Buffalo State BUF, SD, CLE, NYK, ATL 1971-1983 born 12-12-1948 died 6-04-2009
Listen to Bulldogs Live with Head Coach Mike White Mondays at 8PM
https://georgiadogs.com/news/2022/12/10/listen-to-bulldogs-with-head-coach-mike-white
Link to broadcast:
https://georgiadogs.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Live=4338
Gwinnett Daily Post: Revamped Georgia roster, new head coach Mike White giving Bulldog basketball fans hope
“Our ball security has to continue to improve, our execution, our setting and using of ball screens,” said White, whose team returns to the floor at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18 against Notre Dame at State Farm Arena. “If we don’t get better in those areas, then we have to run different stuff.”
https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/s...cle_6d21172c-79e8-11ed-a174-9b43dd6a947c.html
Gadogs.com: Quick Chat: Brandon Klatsky
https://georgiadogs.com/news/2022/12/12/mens-basketball-quick-chat-brandon-klatsky
Recruiting
SUV TV: Game winner by Lamariyon Jordan in the @NorcrossHoops OT win vs Newton. 18pts, 4reb & too many winning/timely plays to count
x.com
twitter.com
UGA Women’s Basketball
SEC Basketball
Mississippi State
Commercial Dispatch: Mississippi State men’s basketball takes down Minnesota in first true road game
https://cdispatch.com/sports/2022-1...takes-down-minnesota-in-first-true-road-game/
Tennessee
Knoxville News Sentinel: No. 7 Tennessee basketball holds off No. 13 Maryland in 56-53 win in Brooklyn
https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/co...score-recap-result-zakai-zeigler/69693036007/
Vanderbilt
The Tennessean: Assessing impact of Vanderbilt basketball's bad losses with NET rankings release
“The SEC is good enough that Vanderbilt won't risk picking up too many bad losses there, with the main risks being South Carolina and Georgia, both outside the top 100 in KenPom and the NET. Win their three games against those two teams, and the Commodores likely won't have much else weighing down their resume.”
https://www.tennessean.com/story/sp...a-tournament-resume-net-rankings/69696965007/
College Basketball
Rothstein: The Breakfast Buffet: Kam Jones, Tennessee, Creighton is at an early crossroads
https://collegehoopstoday.com/index...ennessee-creighton-is-at-an-early-crossroads/
Rothstein 45: Week 6
https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/rothstein-45-week-6-01gm253401zx
Marquette
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette finishes its nonconference schedule with road victory over Notre Dame
https://www.jsonline.com/story/spor...ates-south-bend-december-11-2022/69718264007/
Maryland
Washington Post: Maryland can’t storm all the way back after rocky start vs. Tennessee
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/11/maryland-tennessee-basketball/
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Live: UMass men’s basketball runs away from Hofstra in second half, improves to 8-2
https://www.masslive.com/umassbaske...cond-half-improves-to-8-2.html?outputType=amp
Notre Dame
Notre Dame Insider: This one was ugly all the way around on what should've been a special night for Notre Dame
“There was nothing good to glean from the final box score. Throw it out. Burn it. Don't look at it.
The Golden Eagles scored at the rim early and kept coming back. On dunks and on drives and on flip shots and follows and everything else that led to the visitors hanging half a hundred — 50 freaking points — in the paint. It helped turn what at times looked like a competitive game into a decidedly one-sided route. A thorough butt kicking. So much so that Purcell Pavilion, and an announced crowd of 7,098, became Fiserv Forum South with chants and cheers and everything else that made it seem like this one was being played up in Milwaukee.
Marquette (8-3) got out of town and back on the road with a 79-64 victory that left Notre Dame (7-3) defeated in more ways than one. Where do the Irish go from here? This week, it’s back to the classroom and final exams before who-knows-where when the season resumes Dec. 18 with a neutral-site game against Georgia in Atlanta.
“Just didn’t execute defensively,” said Irish super senior Nate Laszewski. “Just communication, some of our habits. Just have to have a strong chest and execute better defensively.”
And care. Just a little bit more. Please?
Irish coach Mike Brey talked in the days leading into this one how Marquette was a lot like St. Bonaventure, which handed Notre Dame its first loss of the season late last month, basically by being more physical and tougher and aggressive than the Irish. Brey expected Sunday for his team to get “Bonaventured.”
Notre Dame didn’t get “Bonaventured.” It got “Big Easted,” the league it left behind in 2013.
“Big Easted is a good phrase,” Brey said. “Driving at your throat, coming at you, grabbing at you, holding you. We don’t get guarded like that in the ACC. We used to be a little more battle-tested playing against that.
“That is a Big East kind of beating.”
Notre Dame was a member of the Big East for 18 seasons. For a good chunk of time before Brey arrived and figured the league out, this is how Notre Dame often lost — by being out-toughed and out-physicaled and out-everythinged by Connecticut and Georgetown and Pittsburgh and Villanova and everyone else along the Interstate 95 corridor.
Before Notre Dame could get good in the league, it had to get tougher. It had to get better. It got tougher. It got better. When it ran into buzzsaws like Marquette, it had answers to all the punches it absorbed Sunday. Answers for guys like Jimmy Butler. Answers for Jerel McNeal. Answers for Darius Johnson-Odom. Answers.
It had big guys. It had tough guys – both mentally and physically. It had guard Tory Jackson. It had power forward Luke Harangody. It had the Ben Hansbroughs and the Kyle McAlarneys on the perimeter. It had the Jack Cooleys and Ty Nashes inside to keep teams from doing what Marquette did. It won at least 10 league games six of the last seven seasons before leaving the Big East.
It had big guys. It had tough guys – both mentally and physically. It had guard Tory Jackson. It had power forward Luke Harangody. It had the Ben Hansbroughs and the Kyle McAlarneys on the perimeter. It had the Jack Cooleys and Ty Nashes inside to keep teams from doing what Marquette did. It won at least 10 league games six of the last seven seasons before leaving the Big East.
It could play big. It could push and shove. It could be a beast.
“It just is demoralizing when they keep coming at your throat like that,” Brey said. “It kind of breaks your spirit. It’s spirit-breaking.”
It broke.
“We are who we are right now,” Brey said.
That would be not a good basketball team. In any area. Certainly, not against high-level opponents. That’s not good. But it might be the best it gets. For this group. For this season.”
https://www.ndinsider.com/story/spo...east-lesson-sunday-in-south-bend/69699318007/
Ohio State
Columbus Dispatch: Ironman Bruce Thornton carries Ohio State in Isaac Likekele's absence
“We knew how well-coached he’d been, the high level he’d played at, how much of a winner he was, but it would’ve been much for me to say a couple summers ago, ‘Bruce is going to play 38 minutes in the first game of the Big Ten season against one of the best defensive teams in the country,’ ” Holtmann said. “I don’t think I would’ve went that far, but I would’ve said he’s going to play a very important role.”
“He’s really tough, guys,” Holtmann said of his freshman point guard. “He really does have great poise. He’s used to winning, and as much as anybody I’ve coached at a young age he plays to win. Not every kid plays to win or understands what playing to win looks like. He was extremely well-coached in high school and he understands what playing to win is.”
As case in point, Holtmann cited two key plays from Thornton in the final minutes of the game. With the game tied at 57 and the ball loose at the Rutgers end, Thornton sent the game into the final media timeout at 3:56 when he stepped in and took a charge on 6-6, 227-pound forward Aundre Hyatt to negate a basket. Then, in the frenetic final minute capped by Tanner Holden’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Thornton was able to corral a loose ball on defense and call timeout with 23.7 seconds left and Rutgers ahead 63-62…”
https://www.cantonrep.com/story/spo...-carries-load-for-isaac-likekele/69715601007/
Rutgers
NJ.com: Rutgers falls to Seton Hall in rock fight rivalry matchup
Final: Seton Hall 45, Rutgers 43.
The Scarlet Knights turned the ball over too much (19) and shot poorly (32.4%), leaving a crack open for their rivals, and the Pirates took it.
This is Steve Pikiell's first loss to SHU at home
https://www.nj.com/rutgersbasketbal...seton-hall-in-rock-fight-rivalry-matchup.html
Syracuse
Syracuse.com: Syracuse is playing some of its best basketball, and now gets slumping Monmouth
https://www.syracuse.com/orangebask...-vs-monmouth-what-to-know.html?outputType=amp
Texas
Austin-American Statesman: Texas Longhorns men's basketball coach Chris Beard faces domestic assault charge
https://www.statesman.com/story/new...l-coach-charged-domestic-assault/69720219007/
Virginia Tech
SB Nation: Virginia Tech basketball: Hokies move to 10-1 with 70-65 win over Oklahoma State
https://www.gobblercountry.com/plat...with-70-65-win-over-oklahoma-state-acc-top-25
Wisconsin
NBA Basketball
Atlanta
Minnesota
Twincities.com: D’Angelo Russell is playing winning basketball for Timberwolves. Can he sustain it?
https://www.twincities.com/2022/12/...tball-for-timberwolves-can-he-sustain-it/amp/
History
RIP Paul Silas
NBA.com: NBA champion and longtime coach Paul Silas dies at 79
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-champion-and-longtime-coach-paul-silas-dies-at-79
Paul Silas PF Creighton STL/ATL , PHO, BOS, DEN, SEA HC CHA, NO, CLE
- 3× NBA champion (1974, 1976, 1979)
- 2× NBA All-Star (1972, 1975)
- 2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1975, 1976)
- 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1971–1973)
- Second-team All-American – NABC (1964)
- Third-team All-American – AP, UPI (1964)
- No. 35 retired by Creighton Bluejays
- NCAA rebounding leader (1963)
- Second-team Parade All-American (1960)
Paul Silas, NBA Lifer (2014)
“In college, Silas averaged 21.6 rebounds a game. He didn’t know that representatives of the St. Louis Hawks had been scouting his games until the team selected him 10th overall in the 1964 NBA draft. St. Louis featured Bob Pettit, one of the game’s premier interior players, and Silas credited Pettit with helping him hone his talent for rebounding. Silas liked to start on the baseline, often out of bounds, before boxing out. This gave him more room to maneuver and a chance to put himself between his man and the basket; once Silas used his boulder-like hindquarters to back his man out of position, the rebound could be his. Pettit added new levels of refinement and expertise to Silas’s technique. “He was one of the guys that really taught me how to rebound offensively,” Silas said. “To turn my body and put my shoulder on a player and just hold him there and keep your hands up.”
Silas’s game translated well to the NBA. He was bulky and well suited to bang bodies near the rim. In those days, many teams lacked outside shooting, and it was common to stack the paint in an effort to limit Wilt Chamberlain. “Wilt was not a guy that would just knock you on your ass,” Silas said. “He was tough, but he wouldn’t do you in. He wouldn’t kill me because I wouldn’t play in back of him, I would play in front of him. And it really worked out and I rebounded well against him. He wouldn’t block me out hardly at all and I’d rebound offensively, but once he would catch the ball, there wasn’t nothing I could do.”
“[Silas] allowed me to expand as a perimeter player because he could take care of business inside. He was a relentless offensive rebounder, [and] whoever was guarding him was busy all the way through the [possession]. Nobody was helping off him.” — Dave Cowens
Silas loved playing for the Hawks. He grew close with teammates Lenny Wilkens, Bill Bridges, Zelmo Beaty, Joe Caldwell, and others. The Hawks made the playoffs in all five of Silas’s seasons with the team, but they could never make to the Finals, falling short year after year against the Los Angeles Lakers or the San Francisco Warriors. In 1968, the Hawks moved to Atlanta. Silas played a season there before being traded to the Phoenix Suns…”
» Paul Silas, NBA Lifer
“On May 8th, 1969, the Atlanta Hawks traded forward Paul Silas to the Phoenix Suns for forward Gary Gregor.
One of the biggest principles of trades over history has been the idea that it is wrong to trade big for small. In the case of Paul Silas and Gary Gregor that principle might be based on playing style rather than body type.
Silas was listed at 6'7", 220 lbs. while Gregor was the same height and had just a five pound advantage on Silas. Despite their similar body frames, Silas and Gregor couldn’t be any more different as players. Silas was more of a bruiser with phenomenal rebounding skills while Gregor was more of a perimeter-oriented player.
Paul Silas was originally drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft. He established himself at Creighton as a master rebounder. He averaged no less than 20.6 RPG in his four years at Creighton.
Silas was mainly a role player in his first three years with the St. Louis Hawks. He found himself playing behind veteran big men such as Bob Petit, Zelmo Beaty, and Bill Bridges. The Hawks made the playoffs all three of those years and were still a solid team but were nowhere near the same after Petit retired.
Silas’ first year as a starter was big for him and St. Louis. Silas averaged a double-double (13.4 PPG and 11.7 RPG) and the Hawks won 56 games that season. They ended up losing the 1968 Western Division Finals to the San Francisco Warriors in six games.
Silas was moved back to the bench for the 1968-69 season which was the Hawks’ first season in Atlanta. He still produced at a solid clip of 8.7 PPG, and 9.4 RPG in 23.5 MPG. The Hawks won 48 games that season. In the postseason, the Hawks defeated the San Diego Rockets in six games and were eliminated in the Western Division Finals in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Silas finished his Hawks tenure with averages of 7.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.2 APG while shooting 43% from the field and 61% from the free-throw line in 363 career games with the Hawks franchise…
After the trade, Silas became a good find for the Phoenix Suns. He became a starter instantly for Phoenix and was a big part of Phoenix’s turnaround in their second NBA season. Silas helped ease the transition for Phoenix with his interior game. In his first season with Phoenix, Silas averaged 12.8 PPG and a team-high 11.7 RPG as Phoenix had 39 wins which was a 23-game improvement from their inaugural season. The Suns made their first-ever playoff appearance losing in a tough, seven-game Western Division Semifinals against the Lakers.
Phoenix actually improved as a regular season team, but faced stiffer competition in the Western Conference. They won 48 games in the 1970-71 season, and 49 games in the 1971-72 season but missed the playoffs by a short margin in both seasons.
He averaged 14.1 PPG, 12.1 RPG, and 3.4 APG in three seasons with Phoenix. Silas shot 46% from the field and 70% from the charity stripe. He eventually was traded to the Boston Celtics for Charlie Scott before the 1972-73 season.
Hoops Birthdays 12-12
Ivano Newbill C Georgia Tech DET, ATL, VAN 12-12-1970 52 YOA
HOF Bob Pettit PF LSU MIL, STL 1954-1965 12-12-1932
Lean, graceful, and always well-conditioned, Bob Pettit's physical build made him one of the first big men to play facing the basket. But Pettit's resolve set him apart from his peers; he simply would not be outworked by his competitors. Although he was a three-time All-SEC center with an average of 27.8 points per game throughout his college career, many were skeptical that Pettit could transition to the rough-and-tough NBA. Despite his slender build, Pettit was still the Milwaukee Hawks first draft choice in 1954, and spent his 11-year career entirely with the organization. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1955 and was awarded his first of two MVP awards in 1956. As a mark of true consistency, Pettit played in 11 straight All Star Games, was named All Star Game MVP more times than any player in history, and guided the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship. When Pettit retired in 1965, he was the league's highest scorer (20,880) and second highest rebounder (12,849).
Hoops Hype: Bob Pettit: 'I enjoyed my life after basketball. Not a lot of players can say that' (2021)
“I retired in 1965. The game has made tremendous strides since those days. I really enjoyed the basketball that I played back in that era. We only had eight teams and I had the pleasure of playing against a lot of guys like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain 10, 12 or 15 times a year. That was always exciting. But the game has made so many great strides on and off the court.
The addition of the three-point shot has made such a huge difference to the game of basketball. If you watch the game today, so many of these players are hanging around the three-point line and not looking to drive or anything. They just want to get the three. It’s just amazing how accurate they are. I went to LSU’s practice earlier this week and I watched these kids shooting and they were hitting 9-10 in a row. The game is still tough today but it was a lot more physical fighting in my day. There were way more fists being thrown in those days. The game has cleaned its act up a bit.
But basketball now is amazing. You have to talk about just the number of talented players that are playing today. Almost any game, you’ll see just tremendous basketball. It’s expanded. It’s worldwide. I’ll get cards to sign from kids in Germany, France, Japan, Taiwan, China. They’re very tuned into the NBA today. There’s so much fan support, there’s so much media support, it’s become a huge game. It was a wonderful game when I first came into it but it’s just exploded in what’s happening with fan interest. Great things are happening with the NBA. I’m excited. I love watching the games.”
https://hoopshype.com/lists/bob-pettit-nba-75-anniversary-best-players-all-time/
John Salmons SG Miami PHI, SAC, CHI, MIL, TOR, NO 2002-2015 12-12-1979 43 YOA
Randy Smith SG Buffalo State BUF, SD, CLE, NYK, ATL 1971-1983 born 12-12-1948 died 6-04-2009
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