Hansbrough Breaks Ford's Scoring Record

Yes, Tyler. You have every right to be excited. The day has finally arrived! I have looked forward to it now for several days. Tyler Hansbrough broke Phil Ford's 30 year old scoring record at UNC tonight. Many greats have come before Hansbrough, including, Michael Jordan, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, and many more! It's amazing that this record has lasted as long as it has, but of course, he is one of the few great college players to play all four years of college ball.

The Heels took on a scrappy Evansville team tonight, but the Heels just looked too good. I am most impressed with Hansbrough's extended jump shot. He needs that jump shot if he wants to compete at the next level. It will make his stock that much more valuable. His hustle alone will get him into the league. Based on his hustle, he will be a solid blue collar workhorse, a David Lee-esque type of player. With an extended jumper that he has been working on since he first came to UNC, and a sickly high free throw shooting percentage for a big man (last time I checked it was 93%!) he will be even more valuable to a team. Many mock drafts have him around the 20th pick. If he fell much past that, he'd only be going to a team that is a player or two away from seriously contending for a championship. I think he has the skill set to help push a team to the next level. I'm not saying he'll be a franchise player, but if I were on the court, he would be the type of player I'd want fighting by my side.

Many people say he will not be a great player at the next level. But does the next level define a player? Can a player not be considered a great player with a successful college career? As I mentioned before, he will probably not be a franchise player, but he has the ability to be a solid contributor. Do no discount all he has accomplished while attending UNC. He has been very successful, and he will continue to be successful until the end of his college career. Congratulations Tyler. Keep up the good work.

Point Well Taken

Goodness gracious. Rajon Rondo is ridiculous. I love the way this kid plays. He's scrappy. He isn't afraid of driving into the lane and taking a hit. He is definitely one of my favorite players to watch right now.

Rondo is putting up a fight to have everyone call them the Fantastic Four in Boston. He's been phenomenal. He has been scrappy. He has been tough. And most importantly, he has been solid. Last night Rondo scored 25 points, while also pulling down 9 board, dishing out 8 assist, and collecting 3 steals. The only down note in the game was the 6 TO's. When Rondo first came into the league, I thought he had the tools to be a decent point guard. He has shown glimpses he is capable of leading a team of high profile All-Stars (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen). The turnovers still show he is a young point guard (he's only 22!). He has been inconsistent in the past, and I'm sure he will be in the near future. What is important to remember is that he is still learning and growing into the role. Combing his defensive prowess with his newly refined and confident offensive game (but Dear Lord, please start hitting those layups!) is making him a scary player for other teams to deal with. Now NBA teams have to prepare for the Fantastic Four.

Congratulations Mr. Rondo. You have proven your point. Continue showing up every night. Continue attacking the basket; those layups are bound to fall sometime soon. Continue your scrappy play; it brings energy. I love watching you play. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing you continue developing over this season and the next. Watch out NBA, it's no longer the Big Three in Boston anymore.

"Another One Bites The Dust" - Hasta Luego, Reggie

Wow. Sixth coach in the NBA fired at about a quarter of the way through the season. Reggie Theus was fired today by the Sacramento Kings. I know the media said he was on the hot seat and, as I just learned, that he was not getting along with the management, but I personally do not like the decision. Theus was only in Sac-Town for one and a quater seasons. That's not enough time to get things going. He went 38-44 in his first season; that record alone was higher than most expected. He did a good job with the team last year, and after losing both Bibby and Artest to start this season, I'd say he was doing a decent job. The Kings' team is young. Bobby Jackson (35), Brad Miller (32), and Kenny Thomas (31) are the only three players on the team older than 30. The next oldest is Francisco Garcia and Beno Udrih (both 26). This is a young team. Really young. Theus was doing the best with what he had. He was trying to develop the young talent. He was told to play the young players. You can't expect a team this young to be able to compete for a spot in the playoffs IN THE WEST while they are in rebuilding mode! That's just assinine.

It's beginning to get rediculous how ownership and management quickly decide to fire a coach after a bad start. I'm not saying all firings are not warranted; sometimes sticking with a coach through thick and thin is the better option. Doc Rivers experienced several down seasons in Boston before the Celtics got him some veteran players. Jeff Fischer, the current Tennessee Titans head coach, has been with the team 15 years. The team has not always been good, but they understood stability was key if the organization wanted to compete. And one can not forget Jerry Sloan. He has been the coach of the Utah Jazz for 20 seasons now. The organization has created stability with having him as coach. Why? Because he commands respect. He knows what he is talking about. Players understand this. The coaching staff understands this. Management understands this. Fans understand this. But why doesn't anybody else outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, Nashville, TN, and (thought he's been there a relatively short time in comparison) Boston, MA seem to grasp this concept? These examples demonstrate what stability can do for an organization; sure there will be growing pains, and there is no doubt each of these organizations have experienced those lows, but each franchise stuck with its coach and are now reaping the benefits. These organizations are competing at a very high level; and they are winning. Who knows. Maybe if a coach is given more than a season and a quarter of another season to do his job, he may actually be successful. It's just a hunch though.

Tar Heels Take Down ORU

Tyler Hansbrough and the Tar Heels hosted the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles on Saturday, December 13. It was Tyler Hansbrough's first game in the Dean Dome this year. One word sums up this team: WOW! In all my years of watching Tar Heels basketball, and college basketball for that, I have never seen a better team. The Tar Heels are clicking on all cylinders right now. Hansbrough entered the game 35 points shy of the the scoring record set by Phil Ford - a 30 year old record! He finished the game with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block in 29 minutes of play. He wasn't the only one who had a solid game. All of the starters finished with double digit scoring, and the bench players performed well. ORU kept it close for the first five minutes, but the Tar Heels were just too good. My only concern is that the Tar Heels did not have that fire in the second half. It appeared as if they were playing on cruise control, something I did not see against the blow out wins against Notre Dame and Michigan State. Of course they can get away with it against ORU, but that type of effort won't cut it once ACC play begins.

I know everyone talks about it, but this team is THE team to beat. The starting five is rediculous. They have a deep bench. Arguably their best defender is still sidelined with an injury. Many people questioned whether Hansbrough would be his old self after his injury. Even with some questions, the Tar Heels have shown the critics they have what it takes. Even though I am an avid Tar Heels fan, you have to admit this is a fun team to watch!