Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Callahan

Uncoachable: My Defense of Allen Iverson

Ryan Callahan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:49:17 -0400

When you hear the name Allen Iverson, many words come to mind, and not many of them are positive.

Gifted with speed and incredible handling ability, Iverson has long been considered among basketball enthusiasts as a ball hog, a team cancer, and an uncoachable player. More recently in his brief stints with Denver and Detroit, he has been termed as "washed up," or a player that will never know his role on the team.

"The Answer" has been one of the most controversial figures in recent NBA history, and those who follow basketball either love him or hate him.

Life did not start out easy for Iverson. He was born in the poor section of Hampton, Virginia to a single mother and a father that deserted him. At his one area of residence in Hampton, he had to walk through knee deep sewage daily just to reach his house.

He grew up in an area surrounded by poverty and violence. In just one summer, he witnessed the death of almost 10 of his closest friends.

One summer, he was at a bowling alley with a group of his friends. A fight broke out between his group of friends and a group of white bowlers. He was accused of starting a mob fight and assaulting a white girl by hitting her over the head with a chair.

The prosecution claimed the security tapes showed Iverson hitting the girl over the head (which they did not), and witness testimony accused him of both. Iverson was only 17 at the time, but was convicted to five years in prison as an adult.

The case drew national attention from leaders of the black community such as Bill Cosby and Spike Lee. People from all around the area and country called for Iverson's release. The first black governor of Virginia, in a move that would ruin his political career from there forward, pardoned Iverson and let him out of jail after only four months in prison.

Once out of prison, he had to adhere to a curfew and could not play basketball or accept a scholarship until he graduated high school. He had to decline an offer from Kentucky and later on at his mother's urging signed on to play at Georgetown under coach John Thompson.

He had a successful two-year career at Georgetown, where he was only able to play for two seasons because of his need to support his mom back at home. Iverson was Georgetown's all-time leading scorer, and became known for his quick first step and his nasty crossover which left defenders either on the floor or backing off of him.

In 1996, he was drafted first overall to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Iverson was joining one of the NBA's worst franchises, one that had not reached the NBA Finals since the days of Julius Erving. The Sixers had missed the playoffs the previous four seasons, and they had "won" the right to the first pick that year with an 18-64 record, the second worst mark in franchise history.

Each year after he arrived the Sixers improved their total in the win column, until they reached the pinnacle of their success in the 2000-01 season with a trip to the NBA Finals.

Iverson led the Sixers to the NBA Finals with arguably one of the worst supporting casts in history.

Aaron McKie and Eric Snow were the next best two scorers on the team, and they averaged 11.6 and 9.5 points per game respectively. Dikembe Mutombo was already past his prime, but still good for 12.7 points and 13 boards.

Compare Iverson's supporting cast to the supporting cast of many superstars today. LeBron James had a supporting cast this past season that included Mo Williams and Delonte West.

Williams put up 17.5 points per game while West added 11.9.

I would even argue that the Cavs' frontcourt was better this season than the Sixers' back then, with Ilgauskas and Varejao combining for 21 points a game and 15 boards a game. Mutombo's help in the frontcourt was provided by Tyrone Hill.

People argue that Iverson should have shared the ball with his teammates more instead of trying to do everything himself. People criticized him when he did not show up to practice. But no one worked harder on the court than Iverson did.

The year the Sixers went to the Finals, Iverson played almost 39 minutes per game and averaged 28.8 PPG.

Instead of using the defensive end as a little breather like many players do, he was always jumping passes, getting steals, and playing tough defense even when he was up against bigger players...even though he has never been known for his man-to-man defense.

Iverson has been known for running his mouth, leading the great Michael Jordan to say, "He has no respect for the game."

For a player that has overcome so much in his life from the beginning, I think he has turned out well. Nothing was ever handed over to him, he had to go out and get it.

He has led a successful NBA career: Rookie of the Year in 1997, MVP in 2001, and 10 NBA All-Star Game appearances, including the All-Star MVP Award in both 2001 and 2005.

He led the Philadelphia 76ers to their first NBA Finals since 1983, taking the worst team in the NBA to the top in just a few seasons.

Off the court, he founded a charitable organization known as the Crossover Foundation. Every year since 1998 he has hosted a charity celebrity basketball tournament to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club in his hometown of Hampton, Virginia.

This coming season, he will be reunited with his former coach Larry Brown. Each have a respect for each other that is rare to find if you look around the league.

I wish Iverson good luck this season with the Charlotte Bobcats, and here's to hoping that he will be able to know his role as a veteran on a young improving team.

Breaking Down Villanova's 2009 Recruiting Class

Ryan Callahan — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:23:03 -0500

Villanova has had great success with recruiting this year, as they have already signed on four players in the top 50 of the ESPNU 100. Let's look into their signings and what they bring to the table for the Wildcats next season.

1. Dominic Cheek, Shooting Guard

Cheek attends St. Anthony's high school in New Jersey. He is ranked as the fifth-best shooting guard recruit and 15th overall.

St. Anthony's is one of the top basketball high schools in the nation so therefore Cheek has been forced to be a team player with so much talent around him. He needs to improve his dribble drive so he can better penetrate to the basket. Cheek is a very good defender, using his quickness and athleticism to stay in front of opposing ball handlers.

2. Maalik Wayns, Point Guard

Wayns attends nearby Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia. He is ranked as the third-best point guard and No. 20 overall.

Wayns is a very good ball handler and passer, always looking to get his teammates involved in the game. He is a great leader on the court and plays with a lot of intensity. He will need to improve on his long range jumper.

3. Mouphtauo Yarou, Power Forward

Yarou attends Montrose Christian School in Maryland. He is ranked as the 10th-best power forward and No. 27 overall.

Yarou has great size, at 6'9" and 240 pounds, which enables him to play strong around the basket. He is a great inside scorer and great rebounder. Yarou will need to get in better shape because he sometimes labors up and down the floor, but his effort is there and usually he ends up where he is supposed to be.

4. Isaiah Armwood, Power Forward

Armwood plays alongside Yarou at Montrose Christian School.

He is smaller than Yarou, at 6'8" and 195 pounds, but is faster and much better in transition. Armwood is an outstanding athlete who is a good rebounder and can provide matchup nightmares for bigger and less athletic power forwards. He has a nice midrange jumper but will need to improve his shot from beyond the arc.

Jay Wright has put together a solid class to make up for just missing on No. 1 prospect Tyreke Evans last year.

Yarou should make an immediate impact as the starting power forward, and Cheek and Wayns could also be competing for starting jobs or be high impact bench players. Armwood should also get time as an athletic power forward who can really run up the floor.

It looks as though the Wildcats have good things in their future.

Villanova-Pitt: Wildcats Take Over in the Second Half to Complete Upset

Ryan Callahan — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:52:23 -0500

Villanova needed a big win over a ranked opponent to help assure their place among the Big East elite. Prior to this game, their wins had come against cupcake opponents and they were 0-4 against ranked teams. The win came in the last college basketball ever to be played at the Wachovia Spectrum.

Well, the Wildcats did just what they had to do against the No. 3 Pitt Panthers. Philadelphia native Reggie Redding led all scorers with a career high 18 points, including hitting 10 of 10 from the free throw line. Redding also added seven rebounds.

Villanova was down by five at the half, but came out firing in the second half. They outscored the Panthers 41-26 and ended up winning by 10.

Dante Cunningham added 15 points and five rebounds. Scottie Reynolds scored 10 points and also dished out four assists.

The Panthers played a sloppy game, committing 17 turnovers. They also made just 3 of 16 from three point land, for 18.8%. Their poor shooting was limited to beyond the arc. From the stripe, they made just 10 of 17 for 58.8%.

Sam Young led the Panthers with 14 points and nine rebounds. Levance Fields added 11 points and four assists. Brad Wanamaker scored 13 in 22 minutes off the bench.

Villanova improved to 16-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big East. They are now 31-28 all time in the Wachovia Spectrum, the Philadelphia 76ers' arena where they play major opponents a few times a year. It was built in 1967 but will be torn down later this year.

The Wildcats' next game is at home against the Cincinnati Bearcats on February 1.

76ers-Mavericks: 'Sixers' Win Streak Comes to a Close in a Heartbreaker

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:50:48 -0500

Coming into this game, the 'Sixers were riding a seven-game win streak. But all win streaks must come to an end and that is exactly what the Dallas Mavericks did to the Sixers this afternoon at the Wachovia Center. The Mavs won 95-93 on a last second two-point shot by Dirk Nowitzki.

The Mavericks improved their record to 24-17, while the 'Sixers fell back under .500 and now sit at 20-21.

The 'Sixers were up 46-42 at the half, but a big third quarter by the Mavericks where they outscored Philadelphia 32-17 made the fourth quarter an uphill battle for the 'Sixers.

The 'Sixers fought back at the end of the fourth quarter to even the score up with eight seconds remaining on an Andre Iguodala two point shot. But then Dirk Nowitzki hit the two-point buzzer beater to hand the 'Sixers' their first loss in eight games.

Lou Williams led all scorers with 25 points in just 26 minutes off the bench. That is almost a point a minute! Andre Iguodala continued his hot streak, scoring 18 including the tying two point jumper and he added 12 rebounds.

Andre Miller added 12 points and seven assists, and Thaddeus Young and Royal Ivey both added 11 points. Rookie Marreese Speights did not play well, scoring just two points and grabbing one board in 17 minutes.

His +/- on the game was a dreadful -10, which is the team's net points while he is on the floor.

The 'Sixers were expecting to have Elton Brand back for this one, but they decided to keep him inactive and give him an extra week's rest before their next game on Saturday.

Despite the loss, the Sixers continued their recent success with three point shooting. As a team, they shot 41 percent from behind the arc including three of three from Iguodala, four of nine from Lou Williams, and two of five by Royal Ivey.

Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 24 points including hitting 10 for 10 from the free throw line. Jason Kidd scored 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and had six assists. Josh Howard added 10 points and eight rebounds and Jason Terry added 20 points and four steals off the bench.

Philadelphia 76ers' Midseason Report: Pros and Cons

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:05:41 -0500

With almost half of the season's games already in the bag and All-Star Weekend rapidly approaching, it is time for a look back at how the Sixers did in the first half of the season.

After a slow start to the season where the Sixers looked like one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA, the Sixers have righted the ship and are currently riding a seven game win streak.

They are also .500 for the first time since November 24 and are second in the Atlantic Division.

Pros

Andre Iguodala

The 'Sixers season has gone where Iguodala has gone. When he started the season on a scoring slump averaging just 13 points a game, the 'Sixers got off to a slow start as well. But now that he has scored at least 20 plus points in 10 of his last 12 games, the Sixers have won seven games in a row to improve to .500.

All aspects of his game have improved since the beginning of the season. In November, he was shooting 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from three point land. He was averaging 13.3 points per game, 5.1 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game. His woes continued into December shooting just 17 percent from beyond the arc.

However, in January Iguodala is shooting 57 percent from the field and over 48 percent from three point land. His scoring average is up to 23.6 points per game and he is averaging 6.7 assists per game.

His steals are up to 2.1 per game. He is even limiting his turnovers now, averaging three per game in November down to 2.2 per game in January. Iguodala has been the main force behind the Sixers turn around and they will need to continue to bank on him if they want to keep winning games.

The Bench

Many teams in the NBA, including the Celtics for one, have trouble finding points off the bench. The 'Sixers have not had that problem this season. Rookie Marreese Speights and Lou Williams have played so well in reserve of the starters that they continue to get more and more minutes as the season rolls on.

Both players have really seen their playing time increase under new coach Tony DiLeo.

Lou Williams has averaged 12.3 points per game in an average of just 22.2 minutes per game this season. He still needs work on not turning the ball over as much, but has been a great scoring option for the Sixers off the bench.

Although he has been in the league for a few years, Williams is still very young at just 22 and is still developing into a great player for the 'Sixers.

Rookie Marreese Speights has been a pleasant surprise for the 'Sixers and has been one of the best rookies in the NBA this season. On the season, he is scoring 8.3 points per game in just under 16 minutes per game.

But as the season has progressed he minutes and scoring have increased. In January, he is averaging 11.3 points per game in 20.5 minutes per game. He is also up to six rebounds per game this month.

Although he is still a liability sometimes on defense, Speights' offensive ability is too great to leave on the bench which is why he continues to get quality minutes. With Elton Brand set to return very soon, Speights' minutes may take a little drop, but DiLeo will still try to get Speights in the game as much as possible.

Thaddeus Young

Young continues to show that he is one of the best young players in the league. In just his second season out of Georgia Tech, he is averaging 13.4 points per game and five rebounds per game.

Young scored a career high 27 points on January 16 against the San Antonio Spurs, and also scored 22 January 11 against the Hawks. He has been a big factor in the Sixers' latest winning streak.

Young has also been one the 'Sixers who has helped turn around their three point shooting woes. He is averaging 51 percent from behind the arc in January after shooting 25 percent in December. He has also been a model of consistency for the 'Sixers, keeping his scoring average about the same the entire season while being a great sidekick to Iguodala.

Cons

Samuel Dalembert

Dalembert's numbers have taken a sharp drop this season, as he is averaging five less points and two less rebounds per game than he did last season. The only reason he remains the starter at center is because he is still an effective shot blocker and defender.

Marreese Speights commonly receives more minutes than Dalembert because of Dalembert's inability to produce at the offensive end.

The worst part about it is that Dalembert is second in votes among Eastern Conference centers to Dwight Howard for the All Star game. I am still deciding if this is an insult or an honor for the 'Sixers and Dalembert if he does end up making the All-Star game.

Elton Brand

Prior to his injury, Brand was having one of his worst statistical seasons of his career. He was averaging just 15.9 points per game while his career scoring average is 20.1 points per game. His rebounds are about the same as his career average, but his blocks are down and his turnovers are up.

The 'Sixers started off horribly with Brand in the lineup. It was hard for Andre Iguodala to adjust to becoming the secondary option on offense and his scoring suffered. But with Brand sidelined, the 'Sixers have played well and are currently riding a seven game win streak.

When Brand returns, he will need to play better if he wants to convince fans that the Sixers made the right choice in signing him to a big contract in the offseason.

Brand is set to return to action on Saturday, but coach Tony DiLeo has said that he will come off the bench at first to work out the rust that comes with being out for about a month.

Three-Point Shooting

Although it has improved over the past few games, the Sixers' three point shooting in the first half of the season was dreadful. They were last in the NBA in three point shooting through the end of the December making just 29 percent of their three-point attempts. Iguodala was one of the main offenders, shooting just 17 percent from behind the arc in the month of December.

Since then, Iguodala and the rest of the team have improved their three point shooting. As a team, their three point shooting percentage is now 33 percent, tied for 25th in the NBA. Iguodala's percentage is up to 48 percent in the month of January.

The 'Sixers will need to continue making their three pointers if they want to keep winning games. Their woes from behind the arc were the main reason for their slow start and are also the motor behind their current win streak.

If the 'Sixers continue to drop shots from long range, this may soon advance into the Pros section, but for now it still remains a weakness for the Sixers.

Three-Point Shooting: The Reason Behind The Philadelphia 76ers' Latest Success

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:01:03 -0500

The Sixers' three-point shooting woes date farther back than just the beginning of this season. It can be attributed to when they traded Kyle Korver to the Jazz in what appeared to be a straight salary dumping.

Korver was, and still is, one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. His departure left the Sixers without a true scorer from outside.

Therefore, it was no surprise this season to see the Sixers were last in the NBA in three-point shooting through the first few months of the season.

It was also little surprise when, because of their lack of shooting from the outside, they were losing a lot of games. The top three-point shooting teams are also some of the best teams in the NBA: Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets, and the Portland Trailblazers.

Meanwhile, joining the Sixers at the bottom of the team three-point shooting category through December were the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Washington Wizards, teams at the bottom of the barrel as far as records are concerned.

But as of late, the Sixers have changed their ways. They have started winning, first of all, as they currently ride a seven-game winning streak which has improved their record to 20-20 and are .500 for the first time since late November. But they have also started shooting the three ball a lot better.

The Sixers have raised their three-point shooting percentage from 29 percent through December to 33 percent through Jan. 19. Instead of being last in the NBA in three-point shooting, they are now tied for 25th.

Andre Iguodala has been the main player igniting this three-point scoring surge. On the season, he is shooting just just under 30 percent from behind the arc. But in his last five games, Iguodala is 14-for-23 for almost 61 percent from three-point land. This includes 3-for-4 against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 11 and 4-for-6 against Portland on Jan. 14.

Iguodala has scored at least 20 points in 10 of his last 12 games and has raised his scoring average from 13 points per game through December to 17.5 points per game currently.

But the three-point shooting success cannot just be contributed to Iguodala. Lou Williams has made 6-of-17 (35%) in his last five games and 4-of-8 in his last two games.

Royal Ivey is 3-for-8 in his last five games in limited time off the bench.

To those worried about how Elton Brand's return will affect the surging Sixers, his play should only help the Sixers newly-found three-point shooters. If he is able to attract double teams inside it should leave an open jump shooter on the outside.

But the difference between the beginning of the season and now is instead of missing the shot, the shooter will sink it.

NBA Community Power Rankings (Jan. 12): Cleveland Cavaliers Rise to the Top

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:59:44 -0500

Thanks to D. Michael Lee of LayUpDrill.com and Carter for participating in the first NBA Community Power Rankings. To participate next week, email your ranking by 9:00 PM Monday night to ryan.callahan@yahoo.com. I am looking for more participants in future Power Rankings, so be sure to get your votes in!

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (89 points)—The Cavs captured two first place votes and one second place vote to claim the top spot. LeBron James continues to put up MVP quality numbers as this team ascends to the top of the East.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (88 points)—The Lakers captured the other first place vote and two second place votes. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games to improve their record to 30-6 and are the class of the West.

3. Orlando Magic (84 points)—The Magic received all three third place votes. Orlando recently beat the Spurs and have a test against the Los Angeles Lakers coming up on the schedule.

4. Boston Celtics (81 points)—The Celtics received all three fourth place votes. The Toronto Raptors appear to be the perfect solution to cure a slump, as two straight wins over the Raptors get the Celtics back on track.

5. San Antonio Spurs (78 points)—The Spurs captured all three fifth place votes. They have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games but are coming off a tough loss to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

6. Denver Nuggets (74 points)—The Nuggets received two sixth place votes and one seventh place vote. The Chauncey Billups trade has proved to be a good move for the Nuggets, but they will need to play more consistently if they want to have a shot at the title.

7. New Orleans Hornets (72 points)—The Hornets got a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth place vote. The Hornets have gone just 6-4 in their last 10 games, but with Chris Paul around they are never far from the top.

8t. Phoenix Suns (67 points)—The Suns were ranked as high as seventh, and as a low as 10th. Shaq is has been playing great basketball as of late.

8t. Detroit Pistons (67 points)—Detroit received two ninth place votes and an eight place vote. The Pistons are all healthy now and have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games.

10t. Portland Trailblazers (60 points)—Brandon Roy has played well, but the rest of the team will need to step up if they want to make noise in the West.

10t. Atlanta Hawks (60 points)—The Al Horford-less Hawks suffered a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and are just 6-4 in their last 10 games.

12. Utah Jazz (58 points)—Andrei Kirilenko is coming off the bench this season and is posting some of his best number's of his career. He should get serious Sixth Man Award consideration.

13. Dallas Mavericks (57 points)—The Mavericks will try not to be the dreaded ninth seed out West.

14t. Houston Rockets (49 points)—T-Mac is not having his best year for the Rockets.

14t. Miami Heat (49 points)—Dwyane Wade leads the NBA in scoring, but needs some help from his teammates.

16. New Jersey Nets (46 points)—Devin Harris has propped this team on his back and will carry them into the playoffs.

17. Philadelphia 76ers (42 points)—The Sixers have built up a little four-game win streak after a dismal six-game road trip. Andre Iguodala has finally started playing as well he is capable of.

18. Milwaukee Bucks (40 points)—Michael Redd and the Bucks have played well and look to return to the playoffs this season.

19. Charlotte Bobcats (32 points)—D.J. Augustin has played well in the early going for the Bobcats.

20t. Chicago Bulls (31 points)—Derrick Rose has played extremely well and will battle for the Rookie of the Year award with O.J. Mayo.

20t. Toronto Raptors (31 points)—The Jermaine O'Neal signing did not work out as expected for Canada's team.

22. Indiana Pacers (30 points)—Danny Granger has emerged as a star for the Pacers. But injuries have hurt them and they have not been able to win many games.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves (22 points)—Will Wolves fans ever forgive management for the Kevin Love-O.J. Mayo trade?

24. Memphis Grizzlies (21 points)—O.J. Mayo has been the best rookie so far this season.

25. New York Knicks (18 points)—There are thousands of trade rumors swirling around this team and Stephon Marbury remains with the team. Is David Lee the next one out of town?

26. Golden State Warriors (17 points)—The Warriors miss Baron Davis. A lot.

27. Sacramento Kings (11 points)—Kevin Martin is another player who deserves consideration for Most Improved Player. Rookie Jason Thompson started off strong but has since leveled off.

28. Washington Wizards (10 points)—Reports now say that Agent 0 will miss the remainder of the season.

29. Los Angeles Clippers (8 points)—The Clippers ruined the one thing they had, cap space, by signing Marcus Camby and Baron Davis.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder (3 points)—Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook are a good nucleus for the future. But it hasn't led for wins right now.

Is Jeff Teague a Legitimate Player of the Year Candidate?

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:26:10 -0500

If you missed Wake Forest's win over North Carolina last night, you also missed the best performance from any player so far this season. Wake Forest guard Jeff Teague scored a career-high 34 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point land. He also added six rebounds and four assists.

And for all of the Tyler Hansbrough supporters out there, "Psycho T" just looked like another player on the court. He shot 3-of-12 from the floor for 17 points. He added 11 rebounds and two assists. Wake Forest center Chas McFarland out-played him the entire game, finishing with a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds.

Which leads to the question, is Jeff Teague a legitimate candidate for Player of the Year?

His numbers are there: 20.6 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and 2.1 steals per game. He has hit 54 percent of his shots from three-point land, making 20 of 37. He also is a great free-throw shooter, shooting almost 85 percent from the stripe on the season.

He also has come through big for his team when they needed him the most. In his last two games against BYU and UNC, he scored 30 points and 34 points, respectively, leading Wake Forest to two key victories. He leads one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the country.

He out-shined the defending player of the year and carried his team to victory against the preseason favorite to win it all. He played nearly every minute and committed just one foul.

Teague demonstrated that he is one of the best guards in the country. He took over the game from start to finish in a way that Tyler Hansbrough has not done in the past two ACC games. He always seemed to hit the key jump shots to get his entire team going, and it appeared as though Ty Lawson could do nothing to stop him.

Hansbrough is not the only obstacle Teague must overcome to capture Player of the Year honors. Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry have also staked their claims as two of the best in the early going.

Griffin is averaging 22.5 points per game and 14.1 rebounds per game while being one of the nation's most dominant big men. Curry has been one of the best scorers in the country, averaging 29.4 points per game and 6.8 assists per game.

Teague has proved he is right up there with the best in the nation and will be in consideration for the Player of the Year at the end of the season.

MLB Rumors: Nomar Garciaparra to Philadelphia?

Ryan Callahan — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:55:27 -0500

Nomar Garciaparra has not yet decided on his future in baseball, but the Philadelphia Phillies are reportedly interested in his services.

Although they have not made an offer to Garciaparra, the Phillies are interested in him as a bench player and will make an offer if Garciaparra is interested.

Phillies' starting second baseman Chase Utley may begin the season on the DL. Garciaparra could also steal some bats away from third baseman Pedro Feliz, whose hitting leaves something to be desired. The Phillies could be a bit thin in the infield. Nomar would provide depth if Jimmy Rollins were to get injured.

Garciaparra has spent 12 seasons in the majors with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He played in 55 games last season and 43 hits, eight home runs, and 28 RBIs while batting .264.

His career is on the downswing, and he is looking for a place to revive his career. The Phillies made him look foolish in their series against the Dodgers this past playoffs.

Injuries were an issue for him this past season, but if he can stay healthy, he will be a solid addition for the Phillies. He could also provide some good veteran leadership that the Phillies' lost when they chose to let Pat Burrell walk.

After a Slow Start, Andre Iguodala Has Stepped Up for the Sixers

Ryan Callahan — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:09:18 -0500

Last season, Andre Iguodala had a great year, especially down the stretch for the Sixers. He averaged 19.9 points and just over two steals a game to lead the Sixers to a playoff berth.

But at the beginning of this season, Iguodala started out small for Philadelphia. But now he seems to have finally returned to his old self and is one of the hottest players in the NBA.

Iguodala averaged just 11 points in the month of October and 13.3 points per game in the month of October.

He had trouble adapting to a secondary role behind new acquisition Elton Brand. But now with Brand out with an injury, Iguodala has stepped up his game to lead the Sixers on a four-game winning streak.

Iguodala averaged 19 points through the month of December and is now averaging 21.4 through five games in January.

In November, he shot just 40.7 percent from the field, but in December he raised that to 47 percent and is currently at 45 percent in January. He hit 9-of-13 shots in the Sixers' latest victory over the Hawks.

His season averages are still low at just 16.5 points per game, but they are on the rise. His steals are also up to where they were last season, as he is now averaging 2.2 steals per game in the month of January.

One of the main struggles of the Sixers as a whole and Iguodala in particular is three-point shooting. But even that seems to be coming around for the Sixers and Iguodala.

Iguodala has made five-of-eight from three point land in his last two games. The Sixers as a team shot 9-of-15 from behind the arc in their latest win against the Hawks, the first time they have shot over 50 percent in threes all season.

Iguodala has helped the Sixers turn their season around and go on a little win streak that hopefully will continue to lead to even greater success.

Now only if the Sixers can catch a little Phillies, and now Eagles, fever to help lead them out of the first round of the playoffs this season.

Andre Iguodala Comes Up Big Again as Philadelphia Sixers Win Fourth Straight

Ryan Callahan — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 17:21:00 -0500

The Sixers have finally seemed to pick up where they left off at the end of last season after winning their fourth straight game. They beat the Atlanta Hawks on the road 109-94, running away with the game in the fourth quarter.

The biggest factor in the game has to be three point shooting, as the worst three point shooting team in the NBA in the Sixers shot 60% or nine of 15 from behind the arc. The Sixers improved to 17-20 while the Hawks fell to 22-14.

The Sixers shot 62.9% from the field in the first half and 54.7% overall. This is the highest field goal percentage against the Hawks all season.

Andre Iguodala led the way once again, scoring 27 points, six rebounds, and nine assists including a few alley-oops with Samuel Dalembert. Iguodala shot three of four from behind the arc and has been the motor behind the Sixers' latest win surge.

Thaddeus Young added 22 points and nine rebounds. Dalembert blocked four shots. Andre Miller scored 19 points and had nine assists. The bench contributed well in this game as well for the Sixers, with Lou Williams scoring 11 and Marreese Speights scoring 12 and grabbing eight boards. Speights also caught an alley-oop pass from Williams and dunked it home.

Speights and Williams continue to get more and more minutes as they continue to play great. Speights played 23 minutes while Dalembert played 25. Williams played 25 minutes, while Willie Green played just 17.

Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby led the way for the Hawks, with Johnson scoring 25 and Bibby scoring 22. The Hawks were without starting forward Al Horford, and it hurt them the entire game.

The Sixers starting forwards were able to score a combined 56 points and the Sixers outrebounded the Hawks 39-24. The Sixers will play the Portland Trailblazers on January 14.

The Reverse Power Rankings: The Five Worst Teams in College Basketball

Ryan Callahan — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:49:52 -0500

With talk about the NCAA March Madness Tournament slowly but steadily heating up, I decided to take a look at those who will not get a sniff of tournament glory this season. This is a list no team wants to be on. These team's tournament bubbles popped long ago. Without further ado, here are the five worst teams in college basketball this season.

5. Houston Baptist—Houston Baptist is 1-16 overall and their lone win came against No. 3 ranked Howard by 10 points. The Huskies allow 84.2 points per game, including letting Illinois State score 107 on them. They do have a tough strength of schedule though, which accounts for their boost in the rankings. The Huskies have played Marquette, Villanova, Illinois State, and Ohio State.

4. Sacramento State—The Hornets do have one win on the season, a 12-point victory over UC Davis. But Sacramento State has a 1-15 record overall and has lost their last 10. Their defining moment of the season was scoring just 32 points in a loss to Santa Clara.

3. Howard—You know it is bad when you lose by 10 to Houston Baptist. The Bison's lone win came in their opener when they won a thrilling 47-45 upset over Oregon State. Since then have lost 12 in a row and now sit at 1-12. They traveled to Oregon State a month later for a rematch and the Beavers handed them a 90-54 loss.

2. North Carolina Central—The Eagles have started the season 0-17 and only score an average of 54.5 points per game. However, NCC are the victims of strange scheduling as they have played just three games so far at home and 11 on the road.

1. N.J.I.T.—New Jersey Tech is currently riding the longest losing streak in Division-I basketball history. They are 0-16 this season and have lost over 40 games in a row dating back to last season. The Highlanders average a total of 45.6 points per game. They have scored less than 40 points five times this season.

On the bubble: Bryant University, Mississippi Valley State, Texas Southern, Southern University, Furman, UNC-Greensboro, Fairleigh Dickinson, Florida A&M, USC Upstate.

Friday Free Throws: Jose Calderon Still Perfect, Darius Miles Still a Headache

Ryan Callahan — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:43:24 -0500

Yes, today is Saturday, so this article technically is not Friday Free Throws but more of a Saturday Free Throws. Either way, it has been a wild week of NBA action. The Celtics continue to lose, and the Thunder continue to lose even more!

The Streak Stays Alive

In last week's article, I mentioned that Jose Calderon of the Raptors had hit 72-of-72 from the stripe on the season and 75 in a row dating back to last season.

Well, this week he is still 72-of-72. He got injured the night I wrote that article (Jan. 2) and has not played in his team's last four games. He is reportedly making his way to a recovery. The injury is a strained right hamstring and FFT is hopeful that it will not hurt his stroke from the line.

Who's Hot

The San Antonio Spurs have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games to improve their record to 24-11 and take the lead in the Southwest Division over New Orleans. They have been winning with defense; they are tied for third in the league in points allowed with 93.2.

Who's Not

Well obviously the Celtics have been horrible of late, going 3-7 in their last 10. Sadly, that is not even close to the worst. The Los Angeles Clippers have lost 10 consecutive games. They sit at 8-28 on the season, just 21.5 games behind their cross town Lakers.

The Round Mound of Rebound

Former NBA player and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley will be taking an extended leave of absence from his duties in the broadcast booth. Barkley was arrested on New Year's Eve on suspicion of drunk driving in Scottsdale, Arizona. Tests showed that his blood alcohol level was .139, almost double the Arizona legal limit.

Hot Item of the Week

While watching ESPN last week, I saw an advertisement for an item called a "Snuggie." It is a blanket with sleeves that makes the wearer look like a monk. The ad shows a guy sitting home alone eating popcorn and sporting his snuggie. It also shows a man and woman at some kind of sporting event both wearing snuggies. The narrator explains, "Great for sporting events!" as the two monks exchange high-fives.

If I ever saw a person wearing one of these at a sporting event I would have to leave. It would just be too embarrassing to know that you have the same interests as that person. The TV offer was for two snuggies and two book lights for $19.99, what a deal! Check out the website, http://www.getsnuggie.com.

Here is the original ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZp-GLMMJ0

Now, back to sports...

Rookie of the Year Watch

Many people have called off all competitors and tagged this one as a two-horse race between O.J. Mayo and Derrick Rose, but not I. Beware of Russell Westbrook having an unreal end of the season to steal the award from the "Big Two."

Right now, Westbrook is averaging 30 minutes a game while Mayo and Rose have been averaging 38 and 37 respectively. Anyway, here are the top three in the race, as well as the others still in it.

O.J Mayo (19.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3 apg)
Derrick Rose (16.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.1 apg)
Russell Westbrook (14.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.5 spg)

In the hunt: Marc Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, Brook Lopez, Greg Oden, D.J. Augustin, and Michael Beasley.

Darius Miles

The former third overall pick in the 2000 draft is causing quite a bit of trouble around the league. Miles is attempting to come back from major knee surgery. If Miles plays in two more games this season, the Portland Trailblazers will have to pay $18 million, which would count against their salary cap and could possibly push the team over the luxury tax.

Blazers president Larry Miller reportedly sent an email to all NBA teams warning them if they sign Miles just to hurt Portland's salary cap situation, then you will see him in court. Well, I guess the Memphis Grizzlies did not check their email, because they have reportedly signed Miles to a 10-day contract.

Miles obviously wants to play to screw over his old team that released him after the end of the 2007-2008 season. The players' union has announced that it will file a grievance against the Blazers on Miles' behalf.

Home Court Advantage/ Disadvantage

Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have started the season 19-0 at home. The Lakers are 19-2 at home and the Celtics are 18-2 at home (but just 11-7 on the road).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Los Angeles Clippers are just 3-14 on their home court. They have a better record on the road (5-14) than they do at home. Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder have won a league low five games this season, they still have one more home win than the Clippers.

Stat of the Week

The Atlanta Hawks were losing 71-33 at halftime in their game against the Orlando Magic Friday night.

Games of the Weekend

Be sure to tune into some regular season NBA action if your NFL team has been eliminated from the playoffs. The best game tonight is the Detroit Pistons at the Utah Jazz at 9:00 PM. That is, unless you would rather watch the great Minnesota vs. Milwaukee showdown!

On Sunday, be sure to tune in on the Miami Heat at the Los Angeles Lakers as two of the best in the game go at it head to head. Kobe Bryant versus Dwayne Wade you do not want to miss this one. (I will stop now since I sound like an ESPN ad.)

Next Week

Most Improved Player Watch.

Darren Sproles: The Smallest Player In The NFL Comes Up Big

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:53:10 -0500

At 5'6" and 181 pounds, Darren Sproles is not going to run anyone over on a football field.

But this past weekend, Sproles posted the third most all-purpose yards in a playoff game ever. He scored two touchdowns, including a game-winning rushing score.

Sproles is the role model of a player truly beating the odds to find success, no matter how big or small you are.

In college at Kansas State, Sproles was arguably the best player ever to don a Wildcat uniform. He holds a total of 23 rushing and all-purpose yardage records in single seasons and for a career. In 2003, he finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman and was the runner-up for the Doak Walker Award, which annually goes to the top running back in college football.

The winner that year was Chris Perry from Michigan. This season, Perry posted 269 yards and two touchdowns for the Bengals, with an average of 2.6 yards-per-rush.

On April 24, 2004 Sproles' mother died at the age of 41 after a five year battle with cancer. He honors her by wearing a charm that says "R.I.P. Mom". He also decided to stay in school to earn his degree after his mom's death because she truly wanted him to graduate college.

Despite being named the second-best running back in college football, Sproles did not hear his name called until the end of the fourth round of that year's NFL Draft, when the San Diego Chargers selected him with the 29th pick.

Teams were concerned about his size, but the Chargers needed a good return man. At that time, the Chargers had, without a doubt, the best runner in the game in LaDainian Tomlinson, and a solid backup in Michael Turner. Sproles would be the Chargers kick and punt returner.

In 2005, Sproles' first season in the NFL, he was a very effective return man for the Chargers. His season-long was a 58-yard kick return in a win against the New York Giants. The next season, he was out for the year with an injury sustained in the preseason.

In the spring, he said he would field 2,000 balls to help practice fielding punts because he commonly bobbled them the previous season. In 2007, he did not bobble a punt.

Fast forward to this season —the Chargers let Michael Turner go and he is now a star in Atlanta. LaDainian Tomlinson has been struck by injuries the entire year, and will be very limited in the Chargers' first playoff game, hosting the Indianapolis Colts.

When given an opportunity, Sproles took advantage of it.

Sproles made a key mistake by fumbling at the two-yard-line right when the Chargers were about to score, but he did not let his mistakes come back to haunt him.

At the end of the game, Sproles had rushed the ball 23 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 45 yards. He averaged 24 yards on three punt returns and 26.5 yards on four kickoff returns.

Simply put, Sproles was everywhere. The sweetest moment of the game was when Sproles sprinted off the edge past the Colts' defense for a 22-yard rushing touchdown six minutes and 20 seconds into overtime.

There are reports now that Tomlinson will miss the remainder of the playoffs because he needs surgery to correct his groin injury. Although the Chargers have not placed him on injured reserve, there is little hope he will make a come back.

This means Sproles will get another shot as the starter this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sproles says he believes he can be an every-down back in this league.

With LT's career winding down, and multiple injuries marring him at different points this season, we may soon see one of the most electrifying players in the NFL be on the field more and more for the Chargers.

The Best Of The Rejects: The All NFL Pro Bowl Snub Team

Ryan Callahan — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:38:00 -0500

Every year, fans vote in a popularity contest in the middle of the regular season (Week 13 it was this year) for who they think are the most publicized players in the NFL. This result of this voting is a game, one week after the Super Bowl in Hawaii, nicely coined the "Pro Bowl". Every year, players are voted in because of their popularity over players who have had a better year and deserve it more.

The New York Jets led all teams with seven selections this season. Do you see these same Jets playing in the playoffs? How good can they be if they did not make the playoffs?

Now that you know the origins, here are the best of the NFL's leftovers. I would like to see this squad against the Pro Bowl teams of the AFC or the NFC this season.

QB - Philip Rivers

The Chargers' signal caller's leadership was on full display in a playoff victory over the Colts when he scrambled and then dived for the first down marker, only to come up a few inches short. The next play, on 4th-and-inches, he dives into the line to get the first down. Unfortunately, the rosters had been decided more than a month before this moment.

His stats: 4,009 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions. No names, but a quarterback selected to the annual NFL Popularity Contest threw for 3,472 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions.

RB - DeAngelo Williams

Too bad Williams' was not in the AFC this season, where the running back position was wide open. The NFC was stacked with the top four leaders in rushing yards, but regardless Williams should have made it this season. He ran for 1,515 yards and 20 total touchdowns, while averaging 5.5 yards per rush.

As usual no names, but a fellow NFC back in the Popularity Contest rushed for nine touchdowns and had 4.3 yards per rush. This running back is also watching the playoffs at home, while Williams is getting ready to play against the Cardinals this weekend.

WR - Calvin Johnson

I don't care how many games the Lions won; Johnson was one of the best wide receivers this season. He had 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns while having one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL.

WR - Greg Jennings

Jennings had a great season, catching 80 balls for 1,292 yards and nine touchdowns. He was sixth in the NFL in yardage and eight in receiving touchdowns.

TE - Owen Daniels

Owen Daniels quietly had a great season for the Texans, catching 70 balls for 862 yards and two touchdowns. Not to mention he had more receiving yards than either Chris Cooley and Antonio Gates, who both were selected to the Popularity Contest to represent their respective conferences.

Offensive Line

Here are a few guys regardless of position who had great seasons on the offensive line yet were forgotten by voters: Rich Seubert (Giants), Harvey Dahl (Falcons), Jeff Otah (Panthers), Ryan Clady (Denver), and Tyson Clabo (Falcons). Notice that they are all on offensives that had great success running the football this season, unlike Jason Peters who was selected from the Buffalo Bills and Walter Jones who was selected from the Seahawks.

DE - John Abraham

How a guy gets 16.5 sacks, which are third in the NFL, and forces four fumbles but does not get into the Pro Bowl is beyond me. The main reason the Falcons' defense played so well this season was this guy on the edge.

DE - Darren Howard

Howard finished the season with 10 sacks and seemed to always be in the backfield disrupting the play and applying pressure on the quarterback for the Eagles. He also had one forced fumble and an interception.

DT - Jamal Williams

Maybe the stats are not there to make him a Pro Bowler, but the performance on the field is. Opposing offenses always had to put two blockers on him to stop him from getting in the backfield and taking away any kind of running game. He freed other people up to make plays for the Chargers. Fifty-six tackles for a nose tackles is not bad either though.

LB - LaMarr Woodley

Overshadowed by teammate James Harrison, Woodley was the second-best linebacker this season for the Steelers. Too bad he was not one of the two Steelers' linebackers to be selected to the Pro Bowl. Woodley had 60 tackles, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. He was tied for ninth in the league in sacks.

LB - Stephen Cooper

The Chargers' linebacker had 98 tackles and led all linebackers with four interceptions. He also had 1.5 sacks. He held a linebacking core together that lacked Shawne Merriman this season.

LB - Bradie James

Once again, this guy was overshadowed by a teammate, this time the NFL's sack leader Demarcus Ware. But James had eight sacks of his for the Cowboys and 116 total tackles. He also forced three fumbles as a part of one of the league's elite linebacking cores.

LB - London Fletcher

The leader of the Redskins' defense racked up 133 tackles and had one forced fumble.

CB - Brandon McDonald

Despite playing on one of the worst team's in the league, McDonald picked off five passes including a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Eagles. He also had a forced fumble and a sack.

CB - Tramon Williams

Along with two of his secondary mates that made the Pro Bowl, Williams put up a nice season himself for Green Bay. He picked off five passes and forced two fumbles.

SS - Quintin Mikell

Despite two of his secondary teammates making the Pro Bowl, Brian Dawkins and Asante Samuel, Mikell arguably deserved it more than either of them. He was an undrafted free agent six years ago, and this season, he had 93 tackles, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions.

FS - Oshiomogho Atogwe

This guy plays for one of the worst defenses in the NFL but is one of the best safeties in his fourth year in the league. He racked up 85 tackles, six forced fumbles, and five interceptions for the Rams.

Friday Free Throws: A Weekly Look at the NBA (Jan. 2)

Ryan Callahan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:55:37 -0500

Welcome to Friday Free Throws, my new weekly NBA article published every Friday.

Jose Calderon

One of the FFT's heroes, Calderon sunk two more free throws on Wednesday to increase his streak to 75 consecutive free throws made extending from last season. This season, he is 72 of 72 from the line. Calderon is also third in the league in assists averaging nine per game. Watch him tonight at home against the Houston Rockets as he puts his streak on the line.

MVP Watch

Several players are putting up quality numbers to warrant MVP consideration at this point in the season.

LeBron James (27.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 6.4 apg) - Has led Cleveland to a 26-5 start, second best to the Celtics, while being dominant on the offensive end.
Dwight Howard (19.8 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 3,7 bpg) - Averaging a double-double and leading the Magic to 25-7 record. Leads the league in rebounds and blocks.
Dwyane Wade (28.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 6.1 apg) - Even though he leads the NBA in scoring, the Heats' record of 17-13 drops him to number three on my list.

Right behind those three on my list are Joe Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Brandon Roy, Tim Duncan, Chris Paul, and Dirk Nowitzki in no particular order.

Who's Hot

The Atlanta Hawks are 9-1 in their last 10 games to improve their record to 21-10 and just 3.5 games back from the Magic in the Southeast standings. Their lone loss was to the Boston Celtics by three points. They have beaten Cleveland, Detroit, and Denver in the past 10 games. Joe Johnson is averaging 31 points the last three games.

Who's Not

The Sacramento Kings are 2-8 in their last 10. This was after they beat the Los Angeles Lakers. In the next 10 games the Kings' have lost to the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors. They were also blown out by 45 to the Boston Celtics at home.

Stat of the Week

The Los Angeles Clippers have the worst combined field goal percentage, making just 42.35 percent of their shots. The Philadelphia 76ers are the worst from behind the arc, making just 29 percent from long range.

The Big Men Free Throw Award Race

Historically, big men have been horrible free throw shooters. For example: Wilt Chamberlain, Ben Wallace, and Shaq. However these big men are lighting it up so far. The race is heating up, here are the standings. Note—you have to be at least 6'10" to qualify for the award.

Dirk Nowitzki, 89.18% (173 of 194)
Yao Ming, 88.43% (191 of 216)
Charlie Villanueva, 87.32% (62 of 71)

Game To Watch

If your team is out of the NFL Playoffs there are two quality NBA matchups to watch this weekend. On Saturday, New Orleans travels to Denver to play at 9. Sunday night, Brandon Roy and the Portland Trailblazers travel south to Los Angeles to take on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

2006 Draft Bust of the Week

Many say it takes three years to truly tell if an NBA player will be a star player, role player, or bench player in the league. So every week I will check in our 2006 draftees to see how they are playing this season.

This week's winner - Adam Morrison of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Taken number three overall out of Gonzaga, in front of Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay, Adam Morrison has watched from the bench in three of his last five games. For the season, he is averaging five points a game and 1.8 rebounds a game in an average 16.3 minutes.

Congratulations Adam, keep up the good work!

Stephon Marbury to Boston?

There are reports saying that if Stephon Marbury is able to successfully able to get out of his contract in New York (no guarantee there) that he would like to sign with the Boston Celtics and the Celtics are interested in signing him.

If this were to happen it would reunite Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury from their early playing days in Minnesota, until Marbury ruined that by forcing a trade to New Jersey.

If I were Boston, why mess with success? Marbury has not played in an NBA game in almost a year, and he has shown what a cancer he can be to a franchise with New York this season. He will probably not accept a secondary role very well, as he reportedly refused to come off the bench at the end of the game in New York.

The Celtics need size off the bench, but P.J. Brown recently retired and the ancient Dikembe Mutumbo signed with the Rockets this week. No deal will happen if Marbury is unable to negotiate a contract buyout with the Knicks, with talks so far going nowhere. Maybe he will feel a new sense of urgency now that he has a team waiting to sign him.

History in the Making

The Oklahoma City Thunder captured a rare victory on New Year's Eve with a seven-point win over the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder improved their record to 4-29, snapping a five game losing streak. Don't worry fans, they are still on pace for the worst record in NBA history.

Next Week: Most Improved Player Watch.

Ryan Callahan writes a 76ers blog at www.yosixers.com.

Five Seniors Capable of Turning Mid-Majors Into Tournament Cinderellas

Ryan Callahan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 05:37:41 -0500

Last season, we all witnessed Stephen Curry lead 10th-seeded Davidson to the Elite Eight. Obviously Curry will be back to help lead his team, but here are five other players from mid-majors who have the talent to lead their teams to upsets. These players all have the talent and leadership to lead their teams past the big conference schools.

1. Dionte Christmas, Temple

This sweet-shooting guard from Temple is averaging 20.1 points-per-game and 6.3 rebounds-per-game. Christmas took over for Temple in their biggest win of the season, an 88-72 victory over Tennessee. He scored 35 points, including 7-for-14 from three-point land.

However, Temple will need to win some key games in their conference schedule just to make the tournament. Luckily the A-10 looks pretty strong this season, with Xavier, Dayton, and Rhode Island all off to hot starts.

2. Eric Maynor, VCU

Maynor is averaging 23.3 points-per-game and 5.2 assists-per-game for the Rams this season. He comes through in the clutch and already led his team to an upset win in 2007 NCAA tournament, hitting the game-winning shot against Duke. VCU's biggest test so far this season has been Vanderbilt, where they lost by five points despite Maynor scoring 31.

3. Chavis Holmes, VMI

Chavis and his brother Travis have turned Virginia Military into one of the most exciting teams in college basketball. VMI opened up their season with an upset over Kentucky, and are off to a 10-2 start overall. Not known for playing spectacular defense, VMI's philosophy is shoot first, ask questions later.

Holmes is excelling, averaging 20.3 points-per-game and 3.6 steals-per-game. His brother Travis leads the nation in steals while Chavis is tied for third. VMI is the No. 1 team in points-per-game with 97.1.

4. Booker Woodfox, Creighton

Woodfox is one of the best three-point shooters in the country, evidenced by his 53 percent from behind the arc. He has led Creighton to a 12-2 start, including wins over DePaul, Dayton, and St. Joseph's. Woodfox is averaging 17.6 points-per-game and looks to lead the Bluejays back to the tournament.

5. Garrison Carr, American

The top player on the American team that made the tournament last season, Carr is averaging 17.7 points-per-game. I can guarantee that Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl does not want to play American again in the tournament, as Carr helped the Eagles keep it close until the Volunteers finally pulled away in the second half.

Marreese Speights One of NBA's Most Productive Rookies

Ryan Callahan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:08:00 -0500

Many rookies this season were thrust right into the starting lineup and have performed very well. O.J. Mayo has been a scoring machine for the Memphis Grizzlies. And Derrick Rose has been the top point guard for the Chicago Bulls.

But for someone who, at the beginning of the season, was projected to have little to no impact, Marreese Speights has defied expectations in Philadelphia.

After seeing limited minutes early on in the season, Speights has seen an increase in minutes under interim coach Tony DiLeo and following the injury to Elton Brand. In his last five games, Speights has been on the court an average of 19.8 minutes per game and is scoring 10.8 points per game.

Compared to the great power forwards that came out in this year's draft, Speights is right up there with the best.

Michael Beasley of the Miami Heat is averaging 24 minutes per game and is scoring 13 points a game. Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves is averaging 22 minutes per game, 7.6 points per game, and 7.7 rebounds per game.

After a hot start to the season, Jason Thompson of the Sacramento Kings is averaging 24 minutes a game and 9.2 points per game.

Even with these players averaging more minutes per game than Speights because of their teams not being as deep at the power forward position, Speights is a more efficient scorer than all of them. His 50.8 percent from the field is better than all three of the other power forwards listed above.

Speights has played so well that his PER, or Player Efficiency Rating, is tops among all rookies at any position. PER is a stat developed by John Hollinger of ESPN to measure a player's efficiency. It takes into account how many minutes each player is on the court for.

Speight's PER is 19.61. Beasley's is 14.08, Love's is 14.63, and Thompson's is 12.87. Speight's PER is even better than Rose's at 16.12 and Mayo's at 16.40.

I am not claiming that Speights is better than any of the above names, at least not yet. He still has a lot of work to do, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Speights can sometimes be a liability on defense, letting opposing players get good position down low for easy baskets.

Once Speights is able to improve his defensive game, expect him to get more playing time and be a major contributor down the road.

NFL Coaching: Beware of Coordinator Robbery

Ryan Callahan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:23:57 -0500

At the end of each NFL regular season, it has become common for unsuccessful teams to immediately dump their head coach or coordinators and attempt to start from scratch.

They immediately start the search for a replacement so that they can get off on the right foot for next season. Most of the time, the names that top their list of prospective coaches are coordinators from playoff teams.

This season was no different as immediately after the season ended multiple coaches were fired.

Rod Marinelli, the coach of the winless Detroit Lions, was sent packing. Mike Shanahan, the 14-year coach of the Denver Broncos was fired after an epic collapse near the end of the season. Romeo Crennel was fired from a Cleveland Browns' team that had high hopes after just missing the playoffs last season. Eric Mangini was fired after his third season with the New York Jets because he failed to make the playoffs.

Other teams fired their coaches in the middle of the season. Teams such as the Raiders, Rams, and 49ers will decide or have already decided to stick with their interim coach or start the hunt for a new coach.

Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator Rex Ryan has been linked to four job openings since the regular season wrapped up; the Lions, Rams, Jets, and Browns.

Miami Dolphins' assistant coach Todd Bowles has announced that he will interview with the Lions next week. The Rams also plan to ask permission to interview Bowles.

What do these two men have in common? They are going against each other in a playoff game this weekend. Instead of concentrating on preparing their units for the big game this weekend, they are off scheduling job interviews while there are still games to be played.

If a player started negotiating with another team before the season was over, he would risk fines and suspensions. So why are coaches allowed to do just that?

The Lions are reportedly trying to distract a coordinator from every playoff team possible. They have announced they will be interviewing several of the hot defensive coordinators; The Giants' Steve Spagnuolo, Titans' Jim Schwartz, and Vikings' Leslie Frazier.

The biggest victim of coordinator robbery this season? The Tampa Bay Bucs. Their defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin announced that he was leaving after the season to go coach with his son Lane Kiffin at Tennessee. At the time, the Bucs were 9-3 and looking at a possible playoff bye. Then the Bucs lost four straight to miss the playoffs, mainly because of poor defensive play.

They let up 38 points in a loss to Carolina, 41 points in a loss to San Diego, and perhaps the most pathetic is 31 points in a Week 17 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

We will see which coaches (and their players) have their mind on this week or if they are too busy planning their interview schedules.

The Eagles Have Some Thanks to Give Out Heading into the Playoffs

Ryan Callahan — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:32:21 -0500

Let's be honest, the Eagles were very lucky to make the playoffs this year. With a 10-3 loss to the Redskins in Week 16, many people wrote them off. They needed to beat the Cowboys, have the Raiders beat the Bucs, and have either the Bears or Vikings lose. Well, the Raiders beat the Bucs, and the Texans beat the Bears and now the Eagles are playoff bound.

But some people deserve some thank you's from the Eagles for allowing our trip to the playoffs happen. So here is a list of players that were not on field for the Cowboys' turnover fest and the Eagles' blowout victory Sunday night, but still greatly helped the Eagles make the playoffs.

1. Shayne Graham- The Cincinnati Bengals' kicker missed a field goal at the end of the Eagles–Bengals tie earlier this season. If Graham had made the field goal, the Eagles would not be going to the playoffs because that tie would have been a loss.

2. Monte Kiffin- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator proudly announced midseason that he would be leaving after this season to go coach with his son Lane Kiffin at his new job for the Tennessee Volunteers.

His defense suffered after that decision, part of the reason for the Bucs collapse from 9-3 and contender for a bye, to 9-7 out of the playoffs. The Bucs' defense allowed 30 or more points three times in the final four games, a feat they performed zero times the rest of the season.

3. Michael Bush- The Raiders' third-string running back came into the game after Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas were out with injuries. I would say he filled in nicely.

He had 27 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 6.6 average yard per rush. His totals for the season prior to Week 17 were 242 yards and one touchdown. Bush gained 129 yards on 13 attempts in the fourth quarter to help ice the game. He stepped up valiantly to help the Eagles make the playoffs.

4. Andre Johnson- The Houston Texans' wideout had another big game in Week 17, catching 10 balls for 148 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first two-touchdown game of the season as he destroyed the Chicago Bears' defense en route to a victory for the Texans.

5. Ryan Moats- The former Eagles running back now plays for the Texans. And he still came up big for the Eagles despite not being on the field for their win Sunday. He racked up 50 total yards and a touchdown, gaining more yards in Week 17 than the rest of the season combined.

6. Al Davis- The Raiders' owner missed his first game since 1979, and his Raiders won! I sense there is a strong correlation between the absence of the sea monster and his team's stellar play.

7. Rashad Baker- The Raiders' safety came up with a big interception off Jeff Garcia. Baker followed Garcia's eyes the whole play and knew exactly where the ball was going when it left Garcia's hand.

Thanks to everyone that helped out, you are now all named Honorary Eagles. Be proud of your new titles, and have fun golfing in the offseason while the Eagles move on to the playoffs. Hope to see you in Week 17 next season, because we all know the Eagles never make getting to the playoffs easy!

Ryan's 2008 NFL All-Pro Team Offense

Ryan Callahan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:39:48 -0500

This season the NFL’s Pro Bowl team was voted on after only 13 games, making the team the “Players Who Played Exceptionally Well in 81 percent of the Games”. Ryan’s All Pro team includes players who played exceptional for the entire season.

Records were a non-factor in the selection, the criteria was the best player this season at every position. Without further ado, here are my 2008 selections for offense.

Note: my team is in a three wide receiver set because most of the time teams are leaving the fullback on the sideline in favor of a three wide receiver set. Offensive linemen notes are somewhat arbitrary, but notice that they all come from teams with top rushing attacks. Good ground games are mostly the doing of the line, more than the runner.

QB - Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans’ Saints quarterback came within 16 yards of breaking the great Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record this season.

Brees threw for 5,069 yards and 34 touchdowns this season, about 600 more yards and six more touchdowns than last season. He threw for over 300 yards in 10 games this season and over 400 yards twice.

This was all done with Marques Colston and Reggie Bush both missing time with injuries, and his leading receiver was Lance Moore.

The NFC Pro Bowl starter is Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals. Warner has thrown for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns while having two of the best receivers in football in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald.

The Cardinals had three receivers with 1,000 receiving yards (Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston). Taking nothing away from Warner’s great season leading the once defunct Cardinals to the playoffs, Brees was just the better quarterback this season.

Other quarterbacks who would usually be in the discussion did not have the kind of numbers that Brees and Warner put up this season. Peyton Manning threw for 4,002 yards and 27 touchdowns. Philip Rivers of the Chargers equaled Brees in touchdown passes with 34, but threw for about 1,000 less yards with 4,009 yards.

Running Back - Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons

In his first year as a starter after many years backing up LaDainian Tomlinson, Turner was the best running back this season and one of the many reasons the Atlanta Falcons were able to turn it around. He ran for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and he only fumbled three times.

Like the quarterbacks, this one was also mainly a two horse race. Adrian Peterson of the Vikings was a close second with a great follow up season to his rookie year. He led the NFL in yards with 1,760, but only ran for 10 touchdowns. He averaged 4.8 yards per rush, but the thing that lost him his spot on the team was his nine fumbles.

DeAngelo Williams of the Panthers also has to be in the conversation, with 1,515 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 5.5 yards per rush and did not fumble once. He also added two touchdowns in the receiving game.

The NFC was loaded with running backs this season, as Williams did not even make the Pro Bowl. Clinton Portis was the other NFC back to make the Pro Bowl, but his numbers did not carry throughout the entire season. If this was a midseason All-Pro team, there would be no doubt he would be on it.

Thomas Jones had a great season with the Jets but his 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns are not on Turner’s level.

Wide Receivers - Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, and Andre Johnson

On a team that had plenty of passes to go around, Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals had the best season of any wideout this year. He had 96 catches for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns. Fitzgerald opened coverages up to leave room for Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston to both have 1,000 yard seasons and help Kurt Warner return to being a great NFL quarterback.

Andre Johnson was one of the main reasons the Houston Texans were able to achieve anything on offense. He finished the season with 115 catches for 1,575 yards and eight touchdowns. If the Texans were able to get the ball to Johnson they usually won the game and if not they lost.

In the Texans’ eight wins, Johnson had 74 catches for 1,063 yards and six touchdowns. But in the Texans’ eight losses, Johnson had just 41 catches for 512 yards and two touchdowns.

The only player from Team Winless to make the list, Calvin Johnson had a great season despite not having Mr. Consistency at quarterback. He finished with 78 catches, 1,331 yards, and 12 touchdowns with the likes of Dan Orslovsky, Daunte Culpepper, and Drew Stanton throwing him the ball.

It is hard to list the three best receivers and not include Steve Smith of the Panthers. He finished with 1,421 yards and six touchdowns and is always a very dangerous target for Jake Delhomme. Those great stats were even with him missing the first two games. Fitzgerald’s teammate Anquan Boldin and Roddy White also deserve mention.

Tight End - Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs

One of the easier choices to make, veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez of the Chiefs finished with yet another great season. He finished with 96 catches, 1,058 yards, and 10 touchdowns to lead all tight ends in all three categories.

Antonio Gates of the Chargers deserves mention with his 60 catches for 704 yards and eight touchdowns. Chris Cooley of the Redskins was great in the receiving game but Jason Campbell looked elsewhere in the red zone. Jason Witten had 81 catches for 952 yards and four touchdowns, but didn’t make the list because he stole too many passes from TO.

Guards - Rich Seubert and Chris Snee, New York Giants

The two Giants’ guards both made the team because of how dominant their running game has been all year. The 301 yards rushing including 215 yards by backup Derrick Ward in Week 16 against the Panthers were no mistake.

These two guys, and the entire line, lead the way for the best ground attack in the league and protect Eli Manning. Manning is so thankful for his lineman he invited the three offensive linemen that did not make the Pro Bowl to Hawaii anyway.

Center - Kevin Mawae, Tennessee Titans

The Titans’ center had another productive year anchoring a line that was home to one of the league’s top rushing attacks. Rookie Chris Johnson had a great rookie season and was runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award, and near the goal line LenDale White was almost a guarantee to score with great blocking from the line.

Kerry Collins was rarely sacked this season despite not being the most mobile quarterback in the league.

Tackles - Harvey Dahl and Jeff Otah

Harvey Dahl is the anchor on the Falcons’ line that has led Michael Turner and Matt Ryan to have such productive seasons. One of the main reasons rookie quarterbacks have so much trouble getting out the gate is because of a bad line on a bad team but Matt Ryan lucked out having a good line set up for him when he got there.

Otah of the Panthers has led the way for the running back tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to have such good seasons on the ground. He and Ryan Kalil are the reason the Panthers’ runners are so feared.

76ers-Celtics: Three-Pointers Tell the Tale for Philadelphia

Ryan Callahan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:22:00 -0500

The 76ers lost their second straight game Tuesday night, with a 110-91 loss to the Boston Celtics. For the host Celtics, it was a franchise record 19th consecutive win.

The Sixers are now 12-16, 3-2 under new head coach Tony DiLeo. The Celtics are 27-2, on top in the Atlantic Division, and have the best start for a two-loss team in NBA history.

Lou Williams and Marreese Speights continued their fine play off the bench, assuring that they will both continue to see quality minutes. Williams had 16 points and eight assists in 32 minutes, while Speights had 16 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in 31 minutes. Other double-digit scorers for the Sixers were Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller with 14 apiece, and Reggie Evans with 12 points in 16 minutes off the bench.

Kareem Rush started in place of the injured Willie Green, but scored just four points in 19 minutes.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo both had 18 points, despite playing just 29 minutes each. Ray Allen had 16 points and Paul Pierce had 10. Eddie House and Leon Powe added a combined 28 points off the bench, to extend the Celtics' lead in the fourth quarter.

The real story here is that the Sixers went 0-for-11 from behind the arc, including an 0-for-5 performance by Andre Iguodala. On the season, Iguodala is shooting 23.5 percent from behind the arc, but still continues to hoist them up. He has 68 three-point attempts through 28 games.

The Celtics shot 50 percent from the behind the arc, including 2-of-3 from Ray Allen and 3-of-6 from Eddie House.

The 76ers are now 1-5 in their last six against the Celtics. Their next game is Dec. 26 at Denver. They also have away games against Utah, Dallas, and San Antonio in late December to early January.

NFL Week 16: Stats and Trends

Ryan Callahan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:29:05 -0500

1. In last week's Stats and Trends, I mentioned that Jacksonville wideout Dennis Northcutt had his first 100-yard receiving game since Week 16 of the 2004 season. This week, he had his second consecutive 100-yard receiving performance.

2. The Miami Dolphins had not let up a touchdown in three consecutive weeks before letting up four touchdowns this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

3. New York Giants' running back Derrick Ward carried the ball 15 times for 215 yards, an average of 14.3 yards per carry. This is the highest yards per rush for a single game in Giants' history. The Giants rushed for 301 yards as a team, their highest total since 1959.

4. DeAngelo Williams broke the Panthers' single-season touchdown record with his four touchdowns Sunday night. He has a total of 20 rushing touchdowns on the season.

5. The Cleveland Browns have not scored an offensive touchdown in five consecutive games, including this week's shutout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

6. The Cincinnati Bengals have not shut out an opponent since Week 12 of the 2006 season. The game was a 30-0 win, and also against the Cleveland Browns.

7. Cedric Benson posted a career high in rushing yards with 171. The Bengals are 3-0 when Benson rushes for 70 or more yards, and are 0-11-1 when he rushes for less than 70 yards or before he was on the team.

8. Baltimore Ravens' running backs Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain combined for 15 carries, 202 yards, and two touchdowns. McGahee averaged 11.2 yards per rush and McClain averaged 18 yards per rush.

9. Dallas Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware now has 20 sacks and is just 2.5 sacks away from the single-season sack record. Ware plays the Eagles on Sunday as he goes for Michael Strahan's record.

10. Minnesota Vikings' tight end Visanthe Shiancoe led the NFL in receiving this week with 136 yards and two touchdowns.

11. Since 2005, the St. Louis Rams are 4-20 against NFC West Division teams.

12. Through the first three quarters of San Francisco quarterback Shaun Hill's matchup with the Rams, he had thrown for under 100 yards and three interceptions. In the fourth quarter, he threw for over 100 yards passing and two touchdowns to lead the 49ers to a comeback victory.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneer's wideout Antonio Bryant has 23 catches, 435 yards, and four touchdowns in his last three games.

14. LaDainian Tomlinson has just two 100-yard rushing games this season (105 and 106 yards). Last season, he had six 100-yard rushing games (132, 198, 177, 146, 116, and 107 yards).

15. Philadelphia Eagles' wide receivers dropped eight passes during their 3-10 loss to the Washington Redskins.

16. The Philadelphia Eagles are 1-6-1 in games decided by seven points or less. The lone win came in Week 14 against the Giants.

17. The Detroit Lions are the first 0-15 team in NFL history.

18. The New Orleans Saints were 11-of-12 on third down conversions against the Lions, and scored touchdowns on their first six drives.

19. In Brett Favre's last three games, he has thrown for one touchdown and six interceptions. He now has a league-leading 19 interceptions on the season. The New York Jets have lost three of their last four games.

20. The Denver Broncos outgained the Buffalo Bills 213 to -2 in the first quarter. Denver was up 10-0 and ended up losing 30-23. The Broncos outgained the Bills 532 to 275 for the game.

21. When the Raiders won their final home game against the Texans this week, it was the first time they had won their final home game since 2001. The Oakland Raiders are 23-72 since 2003.

22. The Kansas City Chiefs' defense allows over 28 points per game.

Orange Opinions: Cuse Rebounds from Cleveland St. Loss with Win Against Memphis

Ryan Callahan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:34:24 -0500

Welcome to the second edition of Orange Opinions. This week’s participants were Jameson Fleming, Jordan Schwartz, Larry Rulison, Nick Condit, and Adam Fier.

This past week Syracuse played three games. They were upset by Cleveland Stateafter a desperation half court shot dropped for CSU to give them the three point victory. It was Syracuse’s first loss of the season. In the next game the Orangewere able to rebound from the loss and handle Canisius.

Saturday night, the Orange got arguably their most valuable win so far this season, beating a talented Memphis team on the road. Syracuse played a tough 2-3 zone against a poor outside shooting team in Memphis and it worked to perfection.

Enough with the formalities, let’s start the questions. We got some great responses this week so thanks to everyone who participated. Feel free to respond to this week’s comments or answer the questions in the comment section.

Will the Cleveland State loss hurt Syracuse down the road?

Jameson: The CSU loss doesn't affect this team at all especially since they beat Memphis. If they take care of business in the Big East, the CSU loss won't mean a thing.

Jordan: I don't think the Cleveland State loss will hurt Syracuse down the road. They have non-conference wins over Florida, Kansas and Memphis and should win at least 10 Big East games, so they'll be safely in the NCAA Tournament come Selection Sunday.

Larry: I don't think the Cleveland State loss will hurt too much considering that Syracuse beat Florida, Kansas, Memphis and Virginia, including Memphis on the road and Kansas in Kansas City. Those will greatly overshadow the loss to the Vikings when they are put in the "key non-conference wins" column. Plus, I think Cleveland State has a chance to be an NCAA team.

Nick: If anything, I think the Cleveland State loss helped the Orange and exposed weaknesses. Syracuse dropped from 11th in the AP poll to 17th solely because of the Cleveland State loss. But I think the fashion that they lost in, combined with the win over Memphis, will lead voters and fans to believe that the loss was a fluke; which it was.

Adam: No. Although the loss was inexcusable, the Orange responded well two nights later against Canisius and then really seemed to validate their national ranking with an impressive road win against Memphis.

While it would have been nice to head into Big East play with an undefeated record, the Cleveland State loss served as a much needed wake up call for a team that hadn’t been playing as well as their record and ranking indicated. With the loss out of their system, look for Syracuse to continue to build off of the lessons learned from the defeat.

Ryan: I do not think the loss will hurt them at all because they immediately bounced back the next game with a great win over ranked Memphis. I agree with Adam that it would have been nice to go into the conference schedule without a loss, but Syracuse should pick up enough wins during conference play to make the tournament.

Where do you think Syracuse stacks up against the rest of the Big East from the games you have seen so far?

Jameson: Entering the season, I thought this was the fifth best team in the Big East behind UConn, Louisville, Pitt, and Notre Dame. But after the non-conference portion of the schedule, this team looks like it might be the third best team in the conference. In all likelihood this team actually finishes fourth.

Jordan: I think Syracuse is right at the top of the second tier in the Big East behind UConn and Pitt. The Orange is battling Notre Dame, Villanova, Georgetown, and Louisville for that third spot in the pecking order at this point, and if they can get Eric Devendorf back by the middle of January, they should be able to compete with those top two teams for a conference championship.

Larry: I think Syracuse has a chance to be a top four Big East team this year. I think that Pitt as always will give them trouble because they are so physical, and I think Notre Dame can shoot them out of the gym on certain nights. UConn will be tough to beat. But other than that, I see this Syracuse squad able to beat anyone.

Nick: I think Syracuse basketball, with Eric Devendorf on the court, is a top five Big East team right now. UConn and Pitt are still undefeated and remain the elite of the conference and the country. Notre Dame and Georgetown are beatable teams for the Orange so I rank ‘Cuse right up there with them.

I think the Orange is better than 7-2 Louisville, with Villanova challenging to be in that top five. The Wildcats just haven't faced quality competition like Syracuse has. The only ranked opponent they faced was sixth ranked Texas, a game they lost by nine.

Adam: As of now, Syracuse looks to be right up there with what I would describe as the second tier of teams in the conference. After Connecticut and Pittsburgh who are clearly the class of the conference, the Orange have the ability to just as good as Louisville, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, and Marquette.

It’s been clear that talent wise, the Orange can be compared with any team in the conference, however their sloppy play and inability to hit free throws will be what separates them from their conference rivals in making a bid for their first regular season conference championship since 2002-2003 and first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005-2006.

Ryan: In my mind, Syracuse is third behind the two remaining undefeated teams Connecticut and Pittsburgh. They have beaten three ranked opponents while only having one fluke bad loss. Louisvillehas two losses to unranked teams, including a loss to Western Kentucky.

Villanova has a loss to Texas which is not bad but they have not beaten anyone good yet. Notre Dame is also up there in the elite of the Big East with their two losses both coming against undefeated teams, North Carolina and Ohio State.

What are your thoughts or reaction on the Memphis game?

Jameson: Syracuse won that game as product of Memphis' shortcomings which is no point guard or three point shooters. The free throw shooting was horrendous and there were a lot of turnovers. The offense was able to produce points against a very good Memphis defense which is probably the most important thing to take away from this game. I didn't like the decision to bench Kristof Ongenaet for literally one second.

Jordan: I was very impressed by Syracuse's win at Memphis. The Orangecame in as nine-point underdogs and minus their starting point guard, but were still able to pick up their third road/neutral win over a ranked opponent this year. SU did it with a solid 2-3 zone that was perfect against the poor outside shooting Memphis club.

Cusemay not be as lucky against better shooting teams in the Big East, however, so they'll have to find a way to score more points on the offensive end, which may be difficult without Devendorf. I don't think it will be Andy Rautins making up for the loss of Devo, though, because he's only a spot-up shooter. Instead, I think freshman Kris Joseph will have to pick up the slack.

Larry: The Memphis game showed that Jim Boeheim wants to play Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku together, and Jacksonlooks better than Onuaku. I think that Joseph was knocking on the door, and he showed that he can slash and hit jumpers and has a huge presence on D. If Jackson and Joseph can emerge, and Devo gets back, and everyone stays healthy, I think this team can make the Final Four. But Jackson has to become a monster and Joseph has to emerge as a star for that to happen.

Nick: Georgetown and Louisville both depend on superstar freshmen, Greg Monroeand Samardo Samuels respectively. Memphis also relies on freshman Tyreke Evans averaging 15 points per game, who posed to be a match-up problem for the Orange. However, Syracuse held Evans to just five points and forced him to turn the ball over six times, matching his highest total of the season.

Syracuse's two-three zone really caused problems for Memphis' offense and their inexperienced freshman. The 'Cuse defense only gave up 65 points to Memphis, their lowest allowed to a ranked opponent this season. Memphis is not a hot shooting team but if the Orange can play the zone like they did on Saturday, they should be able to find a strong balance between man and zone defense this year.

Anyway, the Memphis victory was huge for Syracuse because they did it without Eric Devendorf and they were coming off a tough loss to Cleveland State.

The win at Memphis gives the Orange three big non-conference wins and already makes a great case fro an NCAA tournament birth. It also gives them the confidence they need to win without Devendorf for the time being. Most of all, it gives Syracuse nation-wide credibility in college basketball. They have now beaten both of last year's national championship participants already.

Adam: Once again, the Orange struggled with turnovers and free throws, however Coach Jim Boeheim returned to the two-three zone almost exclusively and held Memphis in check from beyond the three point line. Behind a strong effort from an injured Jonny Flynn, Syracuse stepped up on the road, without suspended guard Eric Devendorf.

This game showed that having the kind of roster depth they lacked last season can be a real difference maker, as they got significant contributions from backup center Rick Jackson (who started in place of Kristof Ongenaet) and freshman Kris Joseph.

The win should offset the loss against Cleveland State as the Orange were nine point underdogs and won away from the Carrier Dome for the third time this season. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a solid road victory for a team establishing an identity for itself as one of the premier teams in the Big East.

Ryan: It was a great game for the Orange and very important game to bounce back from a tough loss to Cleveland State. One thing that worried me from the game was how poorly they shot from the line. That kind of shooting is not going to help them win close games in conference play.

It was nice to see Rick Jackson and freshman Kris Joseph help out in the win. They played the two-three zone to perfection, forcing a very poor three-point shooting team to shoot threes. Memphiswas horrible from behind the arc (except the guy Roburt Sallie) and the defense helped Syracuse make up for the poor free throw shooting and many careless turnovers.

Want to participate in next week’s Orange Opinions? Email Ryan at ryan.callahan@yahoo.com.

76ers-Pacers: Indiana Hands Tony DiLeo First Loss With Philadelphia

Ryan Callahan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:10:00 -0500

The Pacers only had nine players available to play, but still found a way to get the victory 95-94, handing Tony DiLeo his first loss as the head coach of the 76ers. The Pacers were without three of their starters; Troy Murphy, Danny Granger, and Marquis Daniels because they all have a viral infection. They were also without Maceo Baston due to a lower back injury. It was the second straight game they played without their stars.

T.J. Ford scored a jumper with 3.5 seconds left on the clock to give the Pacers their tenth win of the season.

The Sixers were without Elton Brand due to his shoulder injury. Andre Iguodala had a great game with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and six assists. Andre Miller had the eight triple-double of his career, scoring 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Samuel Dalembert contributed on both ends of the floor scoring 11 points but also getting 14 rebounds and swatting five shots.

Lou Williams and Marreese Speights both had another good performance off the bench. Williams has seen his minutes increase with DiLeo at the helm and scored 17 in 26 minutes. Speights has seen more time with Brand injured and scored 12 after he had a career high 17 last game.

Starting guard Willie Green injured his ankle in the first half. X-rays were negative but he did not return to the game. He finished with two points.

T.J. Ford led the Pacers with 25 points including the game winning two-pointer. Jarrett Jack and Travis Deiner both added 12 points off the bench. Jack also had a season high eight assists. The Pacers missed just one free throw, shooting 94.4% from the line.

The Sixers next game is 12/23 at the Boston Celtics, the most dominant team in the NBA this year. They will play six road games in a row.

2008 Year in Review: Greatest Moments of the Past Year in Sports

Ryan Callahan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:06:18 -0500

2008 was a great year to be a sports fan. The Summer Olympics in Beijing, an undefeated NFL regular season, NBA Finals dream matchup, and a great NCAA basketball tournament are just a few of the highlights from this past year. This slideshow will feature eight of the most memorable moments of 2008. The moments are in no particular order as it would be almost impossible to rank these highlights from 1-8.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia 76ers' All Time Starting Five

Ryan Callahan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:01:00 -0500

As our 76ers struggle presently, I decided to take a look back at the glory days and make a list of the best players in 76ers' history. Only seasons with 76ers were considered, so if a player was average for the 76ers and then exploded for another team, he did not make the list.

Center—Wilt Chamberlain

The "Chairman of the Boards" has to be considered one of the most dominating players in NBA history. The Hall of Fame center holds numerous NBA records including scoring 100 points in a single game and being the career leader in rebounds.

Chamberlain's dominance led to rule changes such as widening the lane and changes in inbounding rules. His only weakness was free throw shooting, where he currently holds the second worst career free throw percentage of all time. He was a 13-time All Star and a four time MVP.

Forward—Charles Barkley

"The Round Mound of Rebound" is one of the best power forwards the Association has ever seen. He was an 11-time All Star selection and won the MVP once.

In Barkley's final season with the Sixers', he averaged 23.1 points per game on 55 percent shooting and 11.1 rebounds per game. He averaged 22.1 points per game for his career and he stands as one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history, with an unheard of 54.13 percent career shooting percentage.

Standing at 6'6", Barkley was the shortest player in history to lead the NBA in rebounds in a season when he averaged 14.6 rebounds per game in 1986-1987.

Forward—Julius Erving

Dr. J is without a doubt one of the greatest players in NBA history. Despite having a poor supporting cast until Moses Malone came to town, Erving still led the 76ers to multiple NBA Finals. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 1981, and led the team to the NBA Championship in the 1982-1983 season alongside Malone. He averaged 22.0 points per game for his career.
Guard—Hal Greer

Greer started out for the Syracuse Nationals before they moved to Philadelphia to become the 76ers.

He was selected to 10 consecutive All Star games from 1961-1970. He won a championship alongside Wilt Chamberlain in 1966-1967. He average 19.7 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game. He retired with over 20,000 points and 5,000 rebounds. In a game against the rival Boston Celtics, Greer scored 50 points.

Guard—Maurice Cheeks

The former 76ers' head coach before he was recently fired, Cheeks was also a great point guard for the Sixers in the 11 seasons he played in Philadelphia.

He ranks third all-time in steals and eighth all-time in assists. He averaged 11.7 points per game in his career and two steals a game. He was a four time NBA All Star and four time NBA All-Defensive team selection. He was the point guard one the 1983 NBA Championship team.

Honorable Mentions: Billy Cunningham and Moses Malone

Elton Brand Out for a Month With a Shoulder Injury

Ryan Callahan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:54:07 -0500

The 76ers' star Elton Brand will be out for a month after suffering a dislocated shoulder. The injury is a fracture and a tear in the right shoulder.

Luckily for the Sixers and Brand, it will not require surgery. Brand was injured in the third quarter of the win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

Injury is nothing new to Brand who missed almost all of last season with a left Achilles' injury. Brand is having one of his lowest-scoring seasons of his career, averaging 15.9 points and 9.8 rebounds.

He had just four points and six rebounds through the three quarters he played Wednesday night.

Originally published on www.YoSixers.com

76ers-Bucks: Philadelphia Mounts a Comeback, Improves to 2-0 under Tony DiLeo

Ryan Callahan — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:55:57 -0500

The 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, 93-88. The 76ers outscored the Bucks 26-15 in the fourth quarter to come back and win their second game with new coach Tony DiLeo at the helm.

The win can be attributed to the Sixers' bench, as Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, and Marreese Speights all scored in double figures. Williams led all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Andre Miller finished with 19, Speights added 12, and Young scored 10.

Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand had just four points each. They also each had six rebounds and Iggy added seven assists. It was another disappointing outing for Iguodala this season—he shot just two of 14 from the floor.

Charlie Bell and Luke Ridnour led the way for the Bucks with 14 points apiece. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 13 points and Richard Jefferson finished with 11 as the Bucks fell to 11-16 on the season.

The Bucks shot just 13.3 percent from behind the arc, including an 0-for-4 performance by Michael Redd, who finished with just six points.

This marks the second consecutive win for the 76ers as they improved their record to 11-14. Granted, both the wins have come against inferior teams in the Bucks and the Washington Wizards, but they are still wins nonetheless.

Hopefully, the 76ers will continue to ride the energy a new coach brings to a franchise.

Originally published on www.yosixers.com - Breathing Life Back Into Sixers Basketball

Tony DiLeo Promises a Return to Fast-Paced Basketball as 76ers' New Head Coach

Ryan Callahan — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:33:25 -0500

Last season, the 76ers made the playoffs by running the floor, getting fast break buckets, and playing tight defense. The team recovered from an 18-30 start to make the playoffs and played a good first round series against the Detroit Pistons.

This season, the 76ers have changed their offensive strategy to adapt to Elton Brand, but it has not helped in the wins column.

After a 9-14 start to the season, 76ers’ coach Maurice Cheeks was fired. Cheeks took all of the blame for the poor start, instead of the poor performance of some key players.

Assistant general manager Tony DiLeo was chosen to replace Cheeks as the head coach. DiLeo’s last head coaching stint was in 1990 in Germany.

The 76ers adapted their offense to revolve around Brand. Although this would sound like a good idea at first thought, Brand cannot do everything, especially when his supporting cast is underachieving.

However, DiLeo has plans to change the offense and bring the run game back to Philly. (It has worked for the Eagles; let’s see if it can work for the Sixers.)

DiLeo says he wants the team to run even more than they did on their incredible late season run last year. “When we can get out in the open court," he says, "we’re a great team. We’re trying to put ourselves into those situations.”

The main underachiever so far this year has been fifth-year shooting guard Andre Iguodala. His numbers are down on both offense and defense. Last season, he had career highs in points and steals, with 19.9 points per game and 2.1 steals per game. This season, he is averaging 14.8 points per game and 1.5 steals.

Adjusting from the primary scorer to the secondary scorer has been challenging for Iguodala. Hopefully a return to the run-and-gun style of offense will help him straighten out his game before the season is down the drain.

The best offense is a good defense. The 76ers are going to need to play much better defense as a team to force turnovers and give them fast break opportunities. If they are able to tighten up the defense and run on every opportunity, we can expect the 76ers to return to relevance again in the Eastern Conference.

Originally published on www.YoSixers.com—Breathing Life Back into Philadelphia 76ers Basketball.