Bleacher Report - Articles by Corey Tackmann

Tyler Hansbrough: A Great College Player But...

Corey Tackmann — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:40:01 -0500

I flipped on the tube and of course ESPN is on, it's a college house, what do you expect?

The North Carolina/N.C. State game is on and the announcers are talking about Tyler Hansbrough more than John Madden talks about Brett Favre.

Hansbrough is a good, a really good player. He does everything you would want a center to do. He scores, he rebounds, and he hustles his tail off... I'm still not sold.

A player like Hansbrough, although a great contributor at the college level, will not produce at the pro level and my reasoning is Stanford Alum Mark Madsen.

First, the two play exactly the same style of ball, all hustle. Their lack of overall skill is overcome by their excessive will, a blast to watch, but not condusive to becoming a great NBA player. Now let's compare the two:

Madsen's college career- 6'9, 236

PPG- 10.9

RPG- 7.9

APG- 0.6

FG%- 58.7

Hansbrough's college career- 6'9, 245

PPG- 19.8

RPG- 8.6

APG- 1.1

FG%- 54.7

As you can see, these two are quite comparable, not only as far as style played, but statistically too.

Sure Hansbrough does a little more, but let's be honest; there will be a spot for the forward on an NBA team, like there is Madsen, but his size and skill set will not positively affect the team.

The one nice thing about being compared to Madsen though, teammates and coaches love the guy, if Hansbrough can remain positive and be a good teammate, he'll make a nice living at the next level.

Best in the NBA: Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?

Corey Tackmann — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:32:48 -0500

Let's get this started off right. Here are the career stats (those I deem important) for both Kobe and LeBron:

Kobe

FG%- 45.2

3 Pt.%- 33.8

FT%- 83.9

Reb/game- 5.2

Ast- 4.6

PPG-24.7

LeBron

FG%- 46.5

3 Pt.%- 32.3

FT%- 72.9

Reb/game- 6.8

Ast- 6.5

PPG- 27.0

Judging strictly by the numbers, LeBron has the slight edge. However, like with any athlete, it's important to look at the intangibles: leadership, good/bad teammate, clutch, "it" factor.

Let's start with leadership. I give a slight edge to LeBron here. He seems to be more vocal in the huddle and shows the qualities that a leader has.

The best teammate also goes to LeBron. I think Kobe has greatly improved in this category, but LeBron takes it.

Clutch goes to Kobe, duh. No one in the game is more clutch, Robert Horry excluded.

"It" factor is a tie. They both demand the ball, and they both have an incredible desire to win. They both have "it", whatever "it" is.

So I guess the question is, do you want a player who is going to lead you to a lot of blow out victories and a lot of close losses (LeBron), or do you want a player who is going to give you a shot to win those close games (Kobe)? I don't think you can go wrong, but if I was forced to choose ... is both an option?

Why College Basketball Is the Best Sport...Ever

Corey Tackmann — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:54:59 -0500

Football has it's days—the Super Bowl, a perfect season. Baseball has some nice things to offer—homerun derby, Johan Santana.

But basketball, namely college basketball, just brings warm fuzzies to all fans.

Here are three reasons why...

1) The Coaching

It is often said that in the NBA the players win the ship, but in college it's all on the coach. For a small-town kid in Minnesota, I need to look no further than the Golden Gophers. I was unfortunate enough to watch a team lead by Dan Monson play so uncompetitively that I could have walked on and played (5'10", 200 lbs, slowest person ever). But alas, Tubby Smith was hired and things have changed.

No, the Gophers aren't winning any more games, but damn it, they look like they know what they're doing. Just Tubby's presence makes the team better. All of a sudden good high school players want to play in Minnesota and other teams can't just overlook the Golden Gophers...All because of the coach.

2) The Atmosphere

I think this goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway because I don't have a fourth thing to talk about. The pride that college fans bring to the game is second to none. From the "Crazies" at Duke to the "Maniacs" of Winona State (best Div. 2 team three years running) fans come out to cheer on their own.

Do the fans who go to watch Lebron James play have to sit through a three hour lecture about photosynthesis? I don't think so. College fans can relate to their team—they're friends and classmates. Nothing compares to the college atmosphere...Nothing.

3) The Dunks

Have you ever seen a group of people so focused on a goal? It's ridiculous how many dunks are even attempted. It's what makes the dunk so fun—you're teased all game with drives and slashes through the lane that end with a player flying towards the rim only to be fouled, have the ball slip, or just end in a wussy layup.

Then it happens, and always out of the blue. You can only think to yourself, "Man that was an ugly shot." And then out of nowhere another player comes flying in from your peripheral and BAM, he throws it down with such force you literally can't stop smiling for the next three minutes. After the dunk, reason number two is uncontrollable and reason number one looks like a genius.

Next time you get the chance, go to college game. Take part in the stupid chants, try and listen to what the coach is yelling to his players, hell, leave at half time for a beer or two...or five. Soak it in, it's the only time you'll be able to get away with it.

Oh yeah, I do have another reason: It's pretty good basketball too.