Deciding who Coach of the Year in the NBA is is no easy task as it is one of those awards in the league that really is deceiving. The reason I say it is deceiving is the fact that the best head coach in the league doesn’t win the award every year. There is no question that every single year in recent memory that Phil Jackson has been the best head coach in the league and has the NBA titles to back it up (11), but he has only won the award once and that was when he was with the Chicago Bulls. Continue Reading…

One of things that the NBA lacks these days is dominant big men as the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Robinson and that Shaquille O’Neal in his prime are officially over. Even though there are some promising big man prospects in the game today like Andrew Bynum of the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and Kendrick Perkins of the Oklahoma City Thunder, there is only one player in the league today that actually embodies the kind of dominance of the old-school big man. Continue Reading…

The one award in the NBA that gets talked about all season long and is most anticipated by avid NBA fans is the NBA MVP award. Not only is winning the NBA MVP award the closest thing to winning an NBA title for players around the league, but it is something that sticks with players throughout the rest of their NBA career and considered something to use to their advantage. Continue Reading…

The NBA rookie of the year award is an assessment of the best young and talented players in their first year in the league. Even though any player that is able to make it all away to the NBA level is an extremely talented basketball player, only about a handful of the talented players of XE come into the league every year have it takes to make it on the next level. Continue Reading…

UConn Huskies (3) vs. Butler Bulldogs (8) Mon. April 4, 2011 9:23 p.m. EST

The 2011 NCAA Tournament has been a thrilling roller coaster ride once again this season in college basketball, but now the tourney has come down to just two teams as the underdog Butler Bulldogs (8) are set to take on Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies (3) in the NCAA National Championship game in Houston, Texas. Continue Reading…

Coming into the Final Four, no team had more pressure to win or step it up on the biggest stage in college basketball than Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies (3). Even though they were the slight underdogs against John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats, Kemba Walker came into Houston, Texas as if they were professionals with all the confidence in the world.

Despite a rocky first half by both teams in which there were sloppy turnovers and a lot of missed jumpers, the Wildcats and the Huskies started to get back on track in the second half and prove why they both belonged in the Final Four.

There was no question that all eyes were on Player of the Year candidate Kemba Walker to step it up yet again in this Final Four matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night, but even though he didn’t have his best game of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, the dynamic guard was able to do just enough to lead his team to victory once again with 18 points and seven assists in this uncharacteristic lower scoring affair.

Walker did have trouble shooting the basketball over double teams and much bigger defenders as he went just 6 for 15 from the floor, but with the Kentucky defense concentrating on stopping UConn’s leading scorer, Jeremy Lamb was able to have another big game with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Ultimately, the UConn Huskies (3) were a little too much for the Kentucky Wildcats to handle on Saturday night in Houston, Texas as Jim Calhoun’s squad were able to hold off the comeback and get the win 56-55 in the closing seconds.

Even though this won’t go down as the best game of the 2011 NCAA Tournament by any means, this game was entertaining and a true test for UConn (3) as they will now face off against Butler (8) in the National Championship game on Monday night.

Coming into this college basketball regular season, no one believed that the Butler Bulldogs (8) would be able to repeat what they had done in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and go the distance. Not only did Butler (8) lose their best player to the NBA in Gordon Haywood (Utah Jazz), but the consensus around the country and in college basketball was that this just wasn’t the same team and would have no chance this season without Haywood leading the way. Continue Reading…

1-Los Angeles Lakers (53-20)

The two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers continue to stay red-hot as they have won seven straight games and a league-best 15-1 since the All-Star break. Even though people doubted this team before the All-Star game, things have definitely since then as the Lakers now look like the team to beat in the Western Conference once again. Continue Reading…

VCU Rams (11) vs. Butler Bulldogs (8) Sat. April 2, 2011 6:09 p.m. EST

Coming into the Final Four this weekend, the most anticipated matchup will be without a doubt the Kentucky Wildcats (4) going up against the UConn Huskies (3). With that being said a lot of attention and hype will be directed at the late game, but the first game could prove to be epic as two of this season’s biggest underdogs in the Butler Bulldogs (8) and the VCU Rams (11) will go head-to-head for a chance to advance to the National Championship game. Continue Reading…

Kentucky Wildcats (4) vs. UConn Huskies (2) Sat. April 2, 2011 8:49 p.m. EST

As arguably the most anticipated match up in the Final Four, the UConn Huskies (3) will go head-to-head against the Kentucky Wildcats (4) for chance to advance to the national championship game and be crowned NCAA champions. This is one of those scenarios in which most people would love to see these two meet in the national championship game, but unfortunately that’s not the case as only one can advance. Continue Reading…