Last week I got four of the games right. Yay me! Earlier this week I realized I did not pick who I thought would make it to the Final Four. Oops. Ok, so here it goes.
Michigan over Syracuse
Louisville over Witchita State
Louisville over Michigan for the NCAA Championship
By the way, if you have not seen ESPN’s Rece Davis’s interview with Louisville’s Kevin Ware, Google it immediately. Great interview! Ware is a bright, intelligent, classy, humble young man. Best wishes to him!!
I have not shown the women any love this postseason. Shame on me because their tournament has been gooooood. Here are my pix…
Louisville over California
UConn over Notre Dame
UConn over Louisville for the NCAA Championship
I think next week I need to address the fact that the Atlantic Coast Conference will be gaining two Final Four participants next year, two each from the men’s and women’s side….Louisville, Notre Dame and Syracuse. Should make for an interesting ACC Tourney next year.
Have a great weekend folks! Until next time…..TOODELLS!
This story was written before Mike Rice was fired…
What Rutgers men’s basketball coach Mike Rice did is nothing new. Happens all the time. Every day. All across the country. Well, the throwing of basketballs at players may not be real common. Over and over, players report what is happening. Parents report what is happening. Member of the personnel report what is happening. Unfortunately, all too often, the consequences tend to be the same. The coach is brought into the office to be “talked to.” Sometimes there is a suspension. Sometimes there is a loss of pay. Very rarely is a coach fired.
Just a few weeks ago, I was talking with a friend about this very common style of coaching. Profanity. Yelling. Belittling. Verbal abuse. I never understood it and never will. And this is coming from a female who played sports all through middle and high school. To me, it is unacceptable. However, I find it to be very acceptable among males. I always hear, “that is just how it is.” That might be how it is but it does not make it right. No one, absolutely no one, deserves to be talked to as if they are not worthy of even being on this Earth. No one deserves to be called names all because they did not meet someone’s standards at that particular moment. No one deserves to be called anything less than the name that is on their birth certificate.
What Rice did was wrong. So wrong. So wrong on so many levels. How he still has a job is just baffling. While I do not condone the use of profanity and I do not think yelling at players every minute is very effective, I understand that that is the culture, especially in men’s sports. Men are taught to be tough and somewhere along the way, the use of profanity and yelling became synonymous with effective coaching. However, some things just should not be accepted. Throwing basketballs at players. Pushing players. kicking players. Calling players f****** is UNACCEPTABLE.Again,how Rice still has a job is just baffling. I am befuddled. Is this the new standard? Is this how we think young men should be treated? Is it now ok for coaches to hurl basketballs, at close range, at players all in the name of the game?
As I watched SportsCenter today and learned more about the situation, I found myself becoming increasingly angry with the way the situation was handled. Former Rutgers Director of Player Development, Eric Murdock, met with Rutgers Athletic Director, Tim Pernetti as early as last summer to discuss what had been taking place at the practices. At that time there were no disciplinary actions taken against Rice and soon thereafter, Murdock was fired. In December, Murdock provided Pernetti and Rutgers officials with video footage of Rice physically and verbally abusing players. With concrete evidence in hand, Pernetti suspended Rice for three games and fined him $50,000. He was not relieved of his duties because this was a “first offense.” I bet you are laughing, just like me.
What if the roles were reversed? What if the player was the one doing the kicking, screaming and throwing basketballs? Do you think he would still be playing basketball at Rutgers? No. Ask Latrell Sprewell what happens to players who put their hands on coaches. Now I am no psychologist but I am willing to bet that there are players, past and present, that have suffered emotionally and mentally as a result of Rice’s actions. Sadly, we all know many players will not admit it because it makes them look “weak” and there is no room to be weak in college basketball. Thankfully, there has been one player, Gilvydas Biruta, willing to step up to the plate and has admit that Rice’s behavior was the reason he transferred. I guarantee he is not the only one suffering. Where there is smoke, there is fire.
Today, players emotional, physical and mental well being need to be what is most important. The past actions of Pernetti have spoken loud and clear: his main concern is for her coach. That was until today when ESPN’s Outside The Lines broke the story. In response to the videos and interview with Murdock that was aired, Pernetti defendedhis actions only to later say he is now mulling over what is best for Rutgers basketball. Conincidence? I think not. It is amazing what bad press will do for you. Rice wore out his welcome years ago(this started in 2010) and it is past time for him to be relieved of his duties. Show these players that they matter.And while they are at it, relieve Pernetti of his duties as well. Those young men deserve to be under the tutelage of someone who is concerned about them, first and foremost.
Ok, so in keeping with my word, I had to come up with something to write about today :-}. Thought about doing random thoughts cause I have quite a few. Thought about talking about Tiger Woods. If he wins the Master’s this year, he will definitely get some love. Basketball is back tonight so I decided to go with that. I am currently in a battle with my mother. She is beating me in our bracket battle by 5. Unfortunately, two of my Final four teams are out so I am hoping there are some big upsets so I can make up some ground. Hehe.
Alright, so here are my Elite 8 picks…
Miami over Marquette
Zona over Ohio State
Indy over Cuse
La Salle over Witchita St.
Louisville over Oregon
Michigan over Kansas
Duke over Michigan St.
Florida over Florida Gulf Coast(I think this is going to be a really good game. I would be estatic if FGCU wins even though it would destroy my bracket, what is left of it.)
Enjoy the games! I know I will. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @KassieNette to catch all my hardwood commentary.
Come back to The Korner tomorrow to read my latest post about a very controversial topic. Until next time…TOODELLS.
Alright here it is…Louisville, Notre Dame, Florida and my alma mater, North Carolina State :-}. I wholeheartedly believe if we can get pass Indiana, we can make it all the way to Atlanta. Bold picks, right? We will see what happens.
Oh I have Louisville and Florida playing for the championship with Louisville winning. Let the madness begin!!
Last night I laughed, I thought, I cried. I laughed some more. I thought some more. I cried some more. The more thoughts ran through my mind, the more I cried. The more I watched ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary, Survive and Advance, the more I realized just how special this story was.
It was over a year ago when I was perusing the North Carolina State University Pack Pride message board and I saw a thread(discussion) about a new 30 for 30 documentary. It was almost too good to be true. ESPN was producing a new documentary on the 1983 Men’s Basketball National Championship team. Seriously? Whoop whoooop!! I was beyond excited for two reasons: 1. 30 for 30 documentaries are huge! 2. They were doing a positive 30 for 30 documentary about my school. How cool is that? At the time, I wondered how well I would be able to contain my excitement.
On April 4, 1983, the North Carolina State University men’s basketball team shocked the world. One year old me was probably asleep in my crib, unaware of the historical moment that was taking place in the world. My mother knew. My grandparents knew. My brothers knew. However, as fate would have it, I would become the one with the most ties to the story.
August 2001, my junior year at North Carolina State University. I was a Student Assistant in the North Carolina State University Athletic Media Relations Office. As a Student Assistant, I would generate press releases, assist in the production of media guides and press conferences, field calls from the local and national media and serve as a media liaison at countless sporting events. I loved being a Student Assistant! It afforded me the opportunity to meet Wolfpack legends David Thompson(DT), Coach Kay Yow, Tommy Burleson, Monte Towe, Torry Holt, Julius Hodge as well as Kareem Adbdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Coach Pat Summitt, and Kirk Herbstreit, just to name a few. While I enjoyed doing all these things as they gave me a tremendous amount of hands on experience, one of my favorite things to do was the hang out in The Dungeon. The Dungeon was the nickname given to the locked cage in the basement of Reynolds Coliseum(former home of the men’s basketball team). In The Dungeon, we kept numerous file cabinets that housed folders filled with photos, newspaper articles, magazine clippings, collectibles, trophies and videos of student-athletes, past and present. I am talking DT, Burleson, Tom Brown, Tab Thacker, Julie Shea, Roman Gabriel, Holt, Genia Beasley, Tab Ramos and the 1983 championship team.
It was never unusual for me to go down to The Dungeon with the intent of grabbing a picture out of DT’s folder, only to end up browsing through the 1983 championship folder to see if I could find out something new. The story was absolutely fascinating and it truly played out like a movie. A man had a dream. A dream to cut down the nets. This man took a job at a university with a rich basketball tradition with the same end goal in mind, cutting down the nets. In the the midst of the man’s third year at the helm, with his team enjoying one of their best starts, his star player, a senior, went down with a broken foot. From that point on the man’s team experienced an up and down year where it seemingly tried to find its footing in a very competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. Just when it seemed like the impossible would indeed be that, a road never traveled opened up…
The documents I found in The Dungeon helped me to somewhat grasp just how special this man’s team was. I began to understand a little more why Wolfpackers, past and present, always beamed with pride when talking about that team. Wanting to know more, I would often talk with Assistant Media Relations Director Bruce Winkworth, who was working at North Carolina State during the time of the 1983 run. The stories he would tell about that magical season always left me wishing I could rewind time and relive those moments as a student. The pictures he shared from pep rallies, games and the celebrations on Hillsborough Street and in the Brickyard after the championship game gave me chills down my spine and always left me just a little bit jealous.
March 17, 2013, the world premiere of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “Survive and Advance.” The story of the 1983 North Carolina State University Men’s Basketball National Championship team and the man who inspired the dream, Jim Valvano affectionately known by Wolfpackers as Jimmy V. As I sat and watched the star player, Dereck Whittenburg, insert his humor into such a compelling story, I began to do what many others before me have done, beam with pride. Hearing the story from the mouths of Whittenburg, Thurl Bailey, Ernie Myers, Terry Gannon, Cozell McQueen and former Graduate Assistant, Max Perry infused with footage of Jimmy V, was more than enough to bring a grown woman and many grown men to tears. Up until last night, I understood how big this story was to Wolfpack Nation. After last night, I understood how big this story was to the ENTIRE nation. As Twitter blew up, with five of the top 10 nationwide trends, centering on this particular story, I realized that the 1983 championship run was crafted to inspire millions in a way I think no one at that time ever imagined. As an alumnus of North Carolina State University, pride is the best way to describe how I felt knowing I was connected to what Sports Illustrated named “the greatest moment in college basketball history in the 20th Century.”
During my tenure in the North Carolina State University Athletic Department, I had the pleasure of meeting members from the 1983 team. Most of the meetings were brief and some members were even shocked that I knew who they were. I am not sure if I ever said thank you to any of them. I am hoping I did because their belief in themselves strengthened a nation’s resolve to follow in their lead. Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy V. What an honor it would have been to be in his presence and grab nuggets of wisdom from him. I am sure we would have shared some laughs as well. Not only was he destined to lead champions on the court but his courageous battle with cancer destined him to inspire generations after him to never quit. After watching the documentary, I truly believe this end was result was what God had planned all along.
To the late great Coach Jimmy V and the 1983 championship team: THANK YOU!!! Thank you for showing us how to believe. Thank you for dreaming. Thank you for never saying never. Thank you for seeing beyond what you saw. Thank you for fighting. Thank you for making us laugh, think and cry. Thank you for loving one another. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you for being a part of THE PACK! Thank you for being a living example of the V Foundation’s motto, “Don’t give up! Don’t ever give up!” Thank you for teaching us how to SURVIVE obstacles that come our way and how to ADVANCE pass them. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I want to send a special THANK YOU to the documentary’s director, Jonathan Hock. What an amazing piece of art. You should definitely get some awards for this. If you do not, I am sure Wolfpack Nation will be very unhappy. You know how passionate we are.
Sincerely,
Proud Alumnus, Kassaundra S.
Na-na-na-naaa-na-na-na-na-GO STATE!!
‘The dunk heard round the world’ {Source: NY Daily News}{Source: alumniblog.ncsu.edu}{Source: sportsthenandnow.com}One of the most iconic images, V needs someone to hug! [Source: protivitirecruiting.blogspot.com}Iconic shot of Cozell McQueen..PACK POWER!! {Source: www2.kusports.com}Charles & McQueen {Source: bleacherreport.com}This one is not mine but I have one of these :-}Front page of the student newspaper, The Technician {Source: The Technician}DREAM FULFILLED. {Source: http://www.ign.com}{Source: Sports Illustrated}Rest in Peace Jimmy V and Lorenzo Charles…your legacy continues…
Twitter was all abuzz last night when the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan made the Detroit Pistons Brandon Knight the newest trend.
In case you missed why, here you go…
Of course with any good posterization, you have to start looking at others. So I have provided links to some of my all time favorites. I am pretty sure nothing will ever replace Vince Carter’s dunk over 7’2 Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics. I mean really? Dude never stood a chance. And the leg shake after the dunk…classic. I am also pretty sure that up until this point there has never been a more disrespectful posterization than Scottie Pippen over Patrick Ewing. The dunk was nasty. The stare down he gave Ewing was nasty. And the fact that he made a beeline to Spike Lee’s courtside seat to let him know just how nasty his dunk was and how he felt about the Knicks was the cherry on top. Enjoy!!!
If I have to hear the analysts on ESPN discuss LeBron James entering the NBA dunk contest on mo’ time, I am going to scream!!! I might as well get prepared because I know it is coming.
Before the All-Star game, there were complaints from analysts and fans about the lack of “star” power in the dunk contest. During the contest there were complaints, which were warranted, about the lack of “star” power and creative dunks. After the contest, the same thing. However, this has gotten out of hand. Last week, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, created a big stir when he offered James one million dollars to enter the contest. Yep, one million dollars. To dunk. Since then the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant has sweetened the pot by adding $1000, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon has offered up another thousand and ESPN First Take’s great debater Skip Bayless is willing to put in $2,000. Seriously?? The dunk contest is 11 months away!!!! I do not want to hear about this until next February.
Furthermore, why all this pressure to get James to dunk? If he does not want to dunk, that is his prerogative. People are acting like he owes it to us to dunk. He does not. People act like they are surprised the “stars” do not want to participate in the contest. To me the lack of “star” power in the contest is reflective of the NBA itself, watered down. Between the flopping, lack of defense, me-first attitudes and Twitter beefs, the NBA, in my opinion has been on a downhill slope for years. So it does not surprise me when the stars use All-Star weekend to socialize, rest and Instagram pictures. The league is reflective of the generation that is represented in it.
Up until a few weeks ago, I have never been real impressed with James’ creative dunking ability. He is strong and that is reflective of the force in which he throws down his dunks. However, James has been putting on a show in the pre-game warmups with his own personal dunk contest. I have seen a few dunks that are contest worthy and probably would have won the contest for him this year. Wait, I am getting like the analysts. Let me stop. Catch me next February. We can revisit this topic over hot chocolate. For all of you who are craving a great dunk contest, just do what I did, watch the 2000 dunk contest. Best one ever. Two words. Vince Carter.
Kassie Nette's Korner 