A surefire way to force college basketball players to stay in school

Commissioner David Stern, NBA owners, and NBA front office types have been working for years on ways to encourage college and high school basketball stars to stay in school longer. The current collective barganing agreement states athletes wishing to declare for the NBA draft must be out of high school for at least one year. I have a solution that is a little more practical, and does not require a major overhaul of the current agreement. My solution is this: current head coaches adopt a style of play that focus more on the team than the individual. Many people would disagree with me on this point, but I believe that currently the NBA has devolved into somewhat more organized game of pick-up ball. But if today's head coaches help to change they way offense and defense is played in the NBA, that might convince players to stick in school longer to work on the fundamentals.

The first thing that needs a makeover is team defense. Today's NBA players see defense as running down the length of the court to block a shot or trying to make an all important steal and go the other way for a thunderous dunk. Lost in this approach is the concept of taking away a players path to the basket or denying the passing lanes. One way to change is to implement a zone defense similar to the 2-3 that is several NCAA schools currently use. This defense, when executed correctly, employs traps that take away passing lanes and make it harder for offense to beat you by simply taking the first shot available. This approach, combined with a defense that uses a full court press more often, would make it harder for offenses to score and force them to actually run an offense as opposed to cherry picking many times. A full court press would also force many guards to become better ball handlers. And rebounding has become a lost art. No one really boxes out any more. Coaches should bench any player who gets beat to the rebound because he didn't block out his opponent.

If team defense needs retooling, then so does the offense. The first thing that needs to go is the shoot first pass later mentality. Coaches need to stress ball movement, and they could do this by benching players who decide to shoot the ball before making at least a pass or two. Critics of this approach would argue that if a player has an open shot, he should take it, but I would counter that is exactly what is wrong with the NBA today. Too many times you see players spotting up for an open three and missing way long or way short, with the rebound going the other way for any easy layup. With a pass or two to a more high percentage shot, I believe this scenario would decrease. Addtionally coaches who use a heavy dose of the pick and roll should see that the players who do it are more disciplined. This means not setting a lazy screen or making a quicker roll to the basket. Finally I believe that coaches should bench players who miss layups and free throws during crunch time. This oftentimes can cost many teams games, and has even led to strategies such as the "hack a Shaq". Forcing players to make free throws not only increases a teams chance of winning but it also forces opposing defenses to employ a different strategy.

The one downside to this approach would be the willingness of NBA coaches to implement these changes. Many coaches find it hard to argue with players whose salary and egos are larger than theirs. And even if they were to try this approach, they have to convince the players to buy in to their system. Players might be averse to this idea at first, and request to be traded to a team that has more freedom, but if enough coaches adopt this strategy then the players will be forced to either adjust their game or ride the pine.

I believe that this approach gives the NBA considerable leverage when trying to convince today's youth to stay in school longer. The first and most tangible thing it accomplishes is that it will force kids to work on the fundmentals such as free throw shooting, ball handling, passing and rebounding. It would also force younger players to focus more on the team. Driving to the basket, shooting an open three, or trying to make that all important block or steal would take on a different meaning. Free throw shooting would no longer be reduced to the joke it is currently. Players would be forced to stay in school longer to work on the fundamentals that I see a lot of today's NBA stars lacking in.

To all the NBA owners, general managers, and others who suggest that players wait before entering the draft, I give this advice: encourage your respective head coach to call the game differently. College freshmen and sophmores will have to think twice about leaving early if they realize their playing time will be cut because they can't make free throws or don't know the ins and outs of the zone defense. In today's era of exploding guaranteed contracts and free agency, the idea that any coach would take the time to implement this may seem like a pipe dream. But, if they are able to do so, I believe you will see a huge decrease in the number of one and dones in college.

For top NBA draft propsects John Wall and Evan Turner, decision to turn pro early not so clear cut

There has been plenty of speculation for months that point guards John Wall of the University of Kentucky, and Evan Turner of The Ohio State University, will more than likely turn pro after their respective season(s) end. These guys are more than likely the best players in the nation, and either one could be the number one pick in next June's NBA draft. However, does that mean either one should declare for the draft as soon as their season is over? In my opinion, no it does not. As the number one pick in the draft they would more than likely be taken by the Nets, and any casual NBA fan can tell you that New Jersey is not a fun place to be in right now. Sure you get a lot of guaranteed money as a number one overall pick but being drafted by the Nets this year would seem to me worse than being drafted by the Clippers in any year. There is a chance that New Jersey could be the worst team in 2011 as well, but if that is case what is the rush to be on the worst team in the league? Turner has been banged up this year as well, and might not want to risk further injury, but I would point to his teammate David Lighty as proof that sticking around does not always result in further injury. Plus, how could Turner not be moved by the story of the OSU 1960 national championship team? If Turner sticks around, he, Jon Diebler, Lighty, and the incoming freshman could lead them to their first NCAA title in over 50 years. Wall may accomplish the feat of winning a national title this season, and thus he might feel he has nothing left to prove. Wall might, however, want to leave a legacy such as the one that Jamal Mashburn, Ray Mercer, etc. left several years ago though. Plus there is the matter of the potential lockout in 2011, and both players might want to get their guaranteed money while they can. In any case, the decision to go pro for the top two players in college basketball this season is hardly anything but easy.

Browns head into draft, free agency period with many questions; a few suggestions I think may answer some of them.

As the free agency period in the NFL commences, and with the draft less than a couple of months away, the Cleveland Browns again have many holes to fill if they want to be a playoff contender. Among the top needs the Browns have is at the quarterback position, where neither Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn have definitively set themselves apart as the go-to-guy. Media types have speculated that the Browns will either go after Sam Bradford in the draft, or try to trade for someone such as Donovan McNabb or Matt Hasselbeck. I would suggest that the Browns do not select Bradford, given their history with drafting first round qbs. I also think that McNabb and Hasselbeck, while short term upgrades, are aging too quickly and could be a bit of an injury risk for the Browns. My suggestion for the Browns would be to trade for someone like a Troy Smith or Kevin Kolb and sign them to a short term deal. Sure they are unproven, but they might be less of a risk than turning to the draft, and having less wear on them than McNabb or Hasselbeck means that should they pan out you can sign them to a long term contract. Smith would be a natural choice and a fan favorite, as the Ohio State grad would be returning to the city where he starred in high school. And even though he is small of stature, one only has to look at the example that Drew Brees set to realize that you don't have to be big to succeed at the qb position. Smith has shown us while at Ohio State that he not only has the arm to succeed in the NFL but also the accuracy, completing over 65% of his passes during his senior year. He has also shown a knack for fitting the football in tight windows, and he does not lock on to one receiver, something that NFL scouts also look at heavily.

So if the Browns do not take a quarterback in the draft, the next question becomes whom do they select with the 7th pick overall. The current consensus is that they select safety Eric Berry from Tennessee or corner Joe Haden of Florida. While I would not argue with either of these selections, as they fill an immediate need for Cleveland in the secondary, that would not be my pick, as the secondary seems to be the deepest position in the draft. They could potentially wait until the second round and beyond to draft someone like safety Taylor Mays from USC or even further down the list draft OSU safety Kurt Coleman. Instead, I would argue that the Browns put themselves in a position to draft wide receiver Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State. Bryant has the speed, size and agility to make himself a natural compliment to Mohammed Massaquoi. And in this day where it seems the game has evolved from run first to pass first, you can never have too many quality receivers.

A third pressing need the Browns will have to address is the linebacker position. D'qwell Jackson retruns from injury to an otherwise underperforming unit last season, with former first round draft pick Kamerion Wimbley still struggling to make an impact. Last year the thinking was that the Browns would have drafted one of the standout LBs from USC, and while they eventually did draft a USC linebacker, it was not one of the big three. Certainly there are linebacker prospects in this year's draft, but the Browns will have to act quickly as the top LBs may not last past the second round. There is a small chance that the Browns could luck out and land someone like a Brandon Spikes in the early portion of the second round, but if not they may have to rely on free agency. The New England Patriots released Adalius Thomas, and signing him may be another option for the Browns.

The Cleveland Browns have a lot of decisions to make this off-season, as evidenced by the 11 picks they currently hold in next month's draft. How well they draft, as well as the choices they make in the free agent market, will ultimately determine if they are fighting for a playoff spot or just to get out of the cellar next season

Blue Jackets' Umberger prime example of what is wrong with team

Recent comments by Columbus Blue Jackets' interim head coach Claude Noel that his team needed to significantly improve their fitness level did not sit well with many of the players, especially center R.J. Umberger. Umberger was so upset with the comments that it prompted Noel to apologize to his team for publicly criticizing them. In my opinion, it is players like Umberger, who immediately go on the defensive when called out by their coaches, that exemplify everything that is wrong with the Blue Jackets. Former head coach Ken Hitchcock tried to toughen up this band of "softies", but when he failed, it was time for him to be shown the door. Hockey is a very physically demanding sport, and it takes someone who is not only physically tough, but also mentally and emotionally tough to succeed in the NHL. Umberger, rather than use Noel's statement as incentive to fire up his teammates, instead takes Noel's comments personally and goes on the defensive. I have no problem with what Noel said, and I believe he should never had to make an apology. He was no doubt trying to motivate his team. And until someone else inside the Blue Jackets locker room starts to get thicker skin and give his teammates a figurative "kick in the rear", Columbus will continue to be a supbar professional hockey team.

LeBron James is not leaving Cleveland

It has been the hot topic of discussion since last spring: will LeBron James return to Cleveland Cavaliers after the end of the 2010 season or will he exercise his opt out clause and seek employment with another team? I am going to put to rest once and for all the rumors that King James' silence have undoubedtly created: LeBron James will be a Cleveland Cavalier next season. Many have speculated that LeBron will leave and head for a destination because he can make more money in places like New York or LA. To those people I would say news flash: LeBron already generates close to 100 million dollars in revenue when you take into account his salary combined with endoresments. For him its not about the money. Never has been. There are others who would point to the fact that he could not pass up the opportunity to play for a championship alongside someone such as a Kobe Bryant or Dwayne Wade. Again, I say news flash: LeBron is playing with what might be the most talented supporting cast he has ever had in Cleveland to date. and he is having a lot of fun doing it. Watching tonights game versus the Nets, it amazed me how deep the Cavaliers are, that Anderson Varejao, once a starting forward, is now a 7th or 8th man, and that is without having Shaquille O'Neal due to injury and Zydrunas Ilgauskas because they have to wait to re-sign him. Guys lke Jamario Moon, JJ Hickson, Anthony Parker, and Jawad Williams have become good role players carryovers from last year James and Mo Williams. Antwan Jamison actually turned out to be the better acquistion for the Cavs than Amare Stoudemire, because they add the scoring that Stoudemire would have produced without having to give up the defense that they would have lost by trading JJ Hickson. Should Daniel Gibson and Delonte West return in time for the playoffs they will have the deepest Cavalier team ever in the playoffs. LeBron is having fun with the Cavs, as evidence by his pre-game rituals of throwing the talcum powder in the air and horsing around with his teammates. He loves the city of Cleveland. So why is he being so secretive about his plans for next season? There are several trains of thought on this issue. The first is that LeBron just wants to finish out his existing contract, which techincally does not expire until 2011, and that being the consummate businessman any talk of reworking his contract before then wouldn't be prudent. The next is that this has all been a ploy by James to goad owner Dan Gilbert and GM Danny Ferry to make the off-court acquistions necessary to complete the Cavs quest for a champisonship. The Cavs decision to sign Shaquille O'Neal in the off-season, combined with their recent trade for forward Antwan Jamison, might have been enough to put them in positon to win the franchise's first title, and now all James wants to do for the rest of the season is focus on playing basketball. Finally, a team such as LA would have to do a major overhaul of its lineup, which could only mean parting ways with all-star Kobe Bryant, to have room under the salary cap to sign a player like James. Financially it does not make sense for other playoff contenders to try to absorb James' salary and still be under the salary cap. And James already having made it to the finals once would not want to be part of the rebuilding process that is New York, he wants to win now. Like I said before: come the summer of 2010, LeBron James will still be a Cleveland Cavalier.

OSU needs to be weary of Illini tonight

While a win by the OSU men's basketball team would give them a share of the Big Ten regular season title and a number one seed in next week's tournament, the Buckeyes should not take their opponent, Illinois, for granted. Sure, the Buckeyes beat them by 20 last time, and yes they are playing for a home crowd on senior night tonight(note: if you haven't checked it out yet, I would direct you to walk-on senior Mark Titus' blog page, www.clubtrillion.com It's pretty good. He has over 2 million visitors already, and maybe someday I will be able to approach his notoriety. But right now I will settle for any readers I can get). But Illinois has to be foaming at the mouth at the beating they took a couple of weeks ago. Not only that, but this game may be even more important to the Illini in that their NCAA tournament lives are on the line. I believe when the dust settles OSU will clinch a share of another Big Ten title, but if they blink they could be in for a rude awakening.

23 or 6? for Lebron James, the most athletically gifted athlete ever, it doesn't really matter

Much has been made of the recent announcement by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James that he will change the number he wears on his jersey next season from 23 to 6. James has publicly stated he is making the change to honor one of the National Basketball Associations all-time greats, Michael Jordan. Proponents of the move argue that James should defer to Jordan, who in the eyes of some took the game of professional basketball one step further than Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Opponents of the move will argue that Lebron should choose another number besides 6, as this was the number worn by legends Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics and Julius Erving of the Philadelphis 76ers. I would argue that Lebron James has earned the right to wear whatever number he likes, whether it be 23 or 6 or 32 or 00. In my opinion, James is not only the most gifted athlete in the NBA, or in sports today, but he may also be the most athletically gifted athtlete ever. Not only does he dominate in the NBA, but many have speculated that he could also star in the NFL as well. And one part of his game that is overlooked is his quickness; that quickness might have made him an excellent track star as well. So let King James wear whatever number he likes: it may be a long time before the world sees an athlete as naturally talented as him again.