Some say that basketball is just a game. This is true. However, that game has the power to move people to tears, evoke unbridled joy, bring friends, teammates and even strangers together and create heart-warming memories that last a lifetime. The 2003 championship game of the NCAA Tournament between Syracuse and Kansas left an indelibleContinue reading “It’s Tournament Time and I Miss My Friend”
Category Archives: College Hoops
Should Louisville Have Continued Playing After the Injury to Kevin Ware?
Jim Calhoun Retires as the Most Underrated Basketball Coach Ever
Another Mountain to Summitt
by Paul Knepper Summit sum·mit / [suhm-it] noun 1. the highest point or part, as of a hill, a line of travel, or any object; top; apex. 2. the highest point of attainment or aspiration: the summit of one’s ambition. 3. the highest state or degree. verb (used with object) 1. to reach the summitContinue reading “Another Mountain to Summitt”
Tractor Traylor Was Larger Than Life
by Paul Knepper Robert “Tractor” Traylor was a freshman at the University of Michigan the same year I was. The six-foot-eight, 300 pound center was literally and figuratively the big man on campus. His career was marked by disappointment and scandal, but the Michigan faithful loved him any way. He died Wednesday of a heartContinue reading “Tractor Traylor Was Larger Than Life”
Darius is Dreaming
by Paul Knepper University of Michigan point guard Darius Morris confirmed yesterday that he will remain in the NBA draft. The sophomore point guard was Michigan’s best player last season and nearly led the Wolverines to a second round upset over Duke in the NCAA tournament. He has an NBA body, great talent and hasContinue reading “Darius is Dreaming”
VC WHO?
by Paul Knepper Basketball fans generally embrace Cinderella stories in the Big Dance. George Mason became the darling of the 2006 tourney, when they shocked the nation by advancing to the Final Four. Last year’s bracketbuster Butler captured the hearts of fans during their magical run, which fell a few inches short of a championship.Continue reading “VC WHO?”
This Fish Knows How to Dance
by Paul Knepper San Diego State was the surprise team in college basketball this season, compiling a 32-2 record and securing a two seed in the NCAA tournament. Of course, Aztecs Coach Steve Fisher is no stranger to success, having coached in three NCAA Tournament Finals while at Michigan in the late 80’s and earlyContinue reading “This Fish Knows How to Dance”
The Beneficiary of B-Ball’s Biggest Blunders
by Paul Knepper Former North Carolina coach Dean Smith was one of the greatest basketball coaches of all-time. He won 879 games, 17 regular-season ACC Championships and made 11 trips to the Final Four, winning two championships. Strangely, both championships were won on two of the greatest blunders in the history of the NCAA Tournament.Continue reading “The Beneficiary of B-Ball’s Biggest Blunders”
The Game is Back in the City
by Paul Knepper Basketball may have been invented in Springfield, Massachusetts, but for nearly a century it’s been the city game. From the blacktops of Harlem to the Mecca on Seventh Avenue, the beats and rhythms of the game have embodied the hustle and bustle, ingenuity and artistry that is the very pulse of NewContinue reading “The Game is Back in the City”
The Knicks of the Nineties 