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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 2460079, member: 289"] PART TWO I called in my second question and got a strange answer. “We don’t’ force them. They make that choice. My sons are good at baseball but they had to make a choice. If they played baseball in high school it would have taken them away from basketball for six months. They played AAU basketball in the spring and summer. You have to pick unless you are a superstar. You can’t be good in these sports unless you devote all eyar to it – unless you’re a freak. A lot of guys talk about it. We haven’t had a guy play both sports since Donovan McNabb. The weight room makes a big difference. Dave Debusschere played baseball and basketball. Gene Conley won championships in two sports.” Jim never commented on whether this system was good for the athlete. Dick Groat in the same situation might have committed himself to basketball, even though baseball turned out to be his best sport. Yes, players choose but the choices they have are limited by the schools’ need to win games. I made a joke about how Jim’s football career was a victim of his dedication to basketball. He responded with an anecdote I’d not heard before. “Rick dean, our center, was an all-state defensive end in new jersey in high school. He decided to play football, too. In the first practice he was at left end. The play started to the right but then the fullback cut left and ran right into Rick, (who was 6-6 240, and knocked him backwards 22 feet. He took off his shoulder pads, walked into the locker room and went back to basketball. The fullback’s number was 39.” [ATTACH=full]120154[/ATTACH] That would discourage anybody. [IMG]http://media.syracuse.com/poliquin/photo/11092993-large.jpg[/IMG] Jim predicted that Duke “might have 4 guys in the top 10-12 draft picks). The four guys he cit4ed did not include Grayson Allen: Marvin Bagley, Gary Trent Jr., Wendell Carter Jr. and Trevon Duval. Matt noted that Trent was a completely different player than his father, who was known as the “Shaq of the MAC” at 6-8 250. (Much like our Luke Jackson was very different than his namesake father. We could have used a bodysake that year.) Kansas has now won 5 Big 12 games by a total of 19 points. “They are very resilient and find ways of to win big 12 games.” They now have Silvio De Sousa available (6-9 240). “He gives them another big body.” They still don’t have Billy Preston: [URL='https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/mom-of-suspended-kansas-player-billy-preston-speaks-out-in-defense-of-her-son/']Mom of suspended Kansas player Billy Preston speaks out in defense of her son[/URL] Regarding SU players in the pros: Wesley Johnson had a double-double and Tyler Lydon is back up with the Nuggets. “He’s got 13 players ahead of them. Trey Lyles is a good prospect. It helps to stay four years and be 240 pounds. It’s hard to play in that league if you aren’t strong.” (Syracuse is a good place to get strong….) Is the NBA getting chippy? JB: “The Commissioner has to step in. Players are questioning every call. It used to be the referees wouldn’t even talk to them. You start talking to one and they will all come up to you to complain. Players should play and refs should ref. referees don’t win or lose the game. The players do. They should be thrown out if they complain. Fines mean nothing these days but if you lose the rest of that game and are suspended for the next, (for being thrown out). Young guys think about putting the ball in the basket because that’s what gets you the big money- and they are right. But mature players focus on winning the game. In college you have more control. But 80-90% of freshmen are not ready to make a big impact.” Carmelo Anthony “Has accepted his role. He’s happier but basketball is never fun when you are losing. Oklahoma City is not a great fit. Melo is a spot up shooter. George is a scorer. They need a knock-down shooter. Their center is playing really well and Jerami Grant is good coming off the bench.” “Cleveland has issues. Guys are hurt. Thomas can’t defend. He’s not as good as Kyrie Irving. The Celtics could overtake them, although there’s plenty of good basketball left.” About All-Star picks: “I’d take Durant in the West. LeBron should take Kyrie, although I’m not sure how that would work out.” On the NFL playoffs: “I guess Doug Marrone can coach. It’s good to see two Syracuse guys doing well.” But JB thinks the Patriots will beat the eagles in the Super Bowl. One of the callers has a relative on the Olympic Biathlon team. She wondered if coach had ever stayed in the Olympic village. “I never did. It’s one thing I missed in the Olympics. The players went there to see some people. Some places don’t have the best housing.” North and South Korea are trying a combined team. “It’s a great step. We have no time for war any more. We need to talk as much as we can to everybody. ISSIS doesn’t want to talk but we can talk with North Korea. You can’t say the crazy things you say in business or sports.” [/QUOTE]

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