Tom Izzo: A Man Among Boys

What Tom Izzo has done as coach of the Michigan State Spartans can be summed up in one word: miraculous. Just how good is Izzo? In his thirteen-year tenure at Michigan State he has taken his Spartans to six final fours. In those 13 years, Izzo boasts a 77% winning percentage and 35 wins in the tournament. The Spartans’ appearance at the final four this year means that every upperclassman Izzo has coached at Michigan State has enjoyed at least one visit to the final four. No wonder Izzo has been able to recruit so many McDonald’s All-Americans; who doesn’t want to play for a guy who can come into your living room and promise you a final four appearance?

Izzo has done some amazing coaching in past tournaments, but nothing compares to this year. The basketball gods did everything they could to keep Izzo out of the final four: his team was underseeded, placed in the region of death, and lost its star player Kalin Lucas in the second round. Yet, somehow Tom Izzo managed to perform another March miracle to get his team to the final four. So, now you are wondering, how does this guy not crack the top ten list of highest paid college basketball coaches? The answer is that Tom Izzo, unlike a lot of coaches, is a stand-up guy who cares more about his players than his next paycheck.

If a sleazy coach like John Calipari--who has had 1/10 of the success of Izzo with twice the talent--had Izzo-like accolades, he would be chomping at the bit to go to whatever school offered him the most money (he would have also racked up a few recruiting violations and ruined a few programs along the way). On the other hand, Tom Izzo is a coach who wants to see his players succeed on and off the court. Izzo has seen 12 of his Spartan players drafted into the NBA, and, in an era of college sports where the term “Student-Athlete” seems to have no meaning, has graduated 88% of his players that complete eligibility.

And who knows, maybe after this season Izzo will accept Oregon’s reported offer that will make him the highest paid coach ever (which I won’t mind, as I am a member of the Quack Attack Nation). Even if he does accept the bigger check, I guarantee you this: Tom Izzo will continue to invest time in his players, and I don’t expect to see him spending his extra money on fancy cars and excessive material things. Tom Izzo is very active in the community, always donating money to charitable organizations. In fact, just last year Izzo was presented with the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award, recognizing his work in helping those suffering from cancer. It is always nice when good guys like Tom Izzo come out on top.

-The Southern Gentleman

U-G-L-Y, You Ain't Got No Alibi, You Ugly...

This NCAA Tournament has been the best in years. There have been countless upsets, and every game has been fun to watch. Unfortunately, I think I'll have to pass on watching the Duke v. West Virginia game. No, it's not because I think the game itself will be sub-par; I'm sure it will be a great match-up. And it's not because I despise any of the schools, coaches, players, etc. I cannot bring myself to watch the game because of one man: Kyle Singler (pictured left).

Hey, the guy is a great basketball player, and I'm sure he'd be fun to watch...provided he put a paper bag over his head. Kyle Singler is just plain ugly. He is the sole reason I wish sports were not broadcasted in Hi-Definition. I mean, look at the guy. He is borderline albino. I don't think he has seen the sun in a year. Plus, his features remind me of that deformed guy from The Goonies:

Not only is Singler tough on the eyes, but he's creepy as well. I'd be fine with him if he was some scrawny point guard, but the guy is 6' 9" and weighs 220 lbs. Every time the camera man zooms in on him, I shudder.

To be fair, ugly basketball players are not a rarity. It almost like there's a positive relationship between the ugliness of a player and their skill level. Just look at Stephen Jackson. The guy can play ball, but he's no male model:

Anyways, even though it'll be tough to watch the Duke game, I think Duke will pull through. I just don't see the West Virginia defense being able to stop Singler. I mean, let's be honest, would you go near him?

Adios,
Breeneback

Hoosiers Part 2: Gordon Hayward and Company

I think we have all seen the classic sports movie “Hoosiers” (with the exception of my ignorant co-writer the Breeneback) about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. On the back of Jimmy Chitwood, Hickory High School is able to overcome overwhelming odds to beat a deeper and more athletic South Bend team. This movie is also the story of the Butler Bulldogs, who have proven time and time again this year that they are a better basketball team than the big schools with big money. Every day the Bulldogs walk into practice on the same court where Hoosiers was filmed, which is also a mere 6 miles away from where the Bulldogs will play their final four game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Fortunately, the Bulldogs also have their own Jimmy Chitwood in guard/forward Gordon Hayward, who has been so originally nicknamed baby faced assassin (pictured left).
Sure I knew Gordon Hayward was a good college basketball player when he was honored as the Horizon League Player of the Year this year, but until I watched him play against Syracuse and Kansas State, I didn’t understand just how good he really is. Hayward is arguably the most versatile player in college basketball this year and he has his father to thank for that. Both of Gordon’s parents are 5’9” so when he was growing up his father, believing that Gordon was destined to be short too, pushed his son to work on his guard skill set. To everyone’s surprise, Gordon actually grew to be 6’9” 207 pounds. So Gordon Hayward is a guard in the body of a power forward. How many power forwards can do this: (look at what he does at the 35 second mark)

These Hoosier teams are similar in their commitment to solid fundamental defense and just playing old school basketball. Having a dad who is a basketball coach who always preaches the old school style of basketball, I can’t help but appreciate what Butler does on the defensive end. The art of the box out is lost among most basketball teams across the country; now it is all about out jumping the guy on the other team. But Butler did a great job blocking out yesterday, enabling them to outrebound a bigger, more athletic Kansas State team 36-27. As for the man defense Butler runs the majority of the game, it is the best team defense I have seen all year. The Bulldogs are very disciplined and, as a result, have very few breakdowns and give up very few easy buckets.
As much as the Bulldogs have screwed my bracket over (I had UTEP upsetting them in the first round), they are my new favorite team in the tournament. Butler plays basketball the way it is supposed to be played, and the players have great (humble) attitudes that you never see anymore these days. Don’t be surprised if the Butler Bulldogs finish with a storybook ending and cut down the nets in Indy. Also, watch for Brad Stevens to continue to out coach whomever they face. He is only 33, but trust me, Brad Stevens has a very long, successful career ahead of him in basketball. Who knows, he may even draw up the “picket fence” to get Hayward an open shot to win a game.

-The Southern Gentleman

The End of the "Mid-Major"

The end of the term “mid-major” is finally upon us. By definition mid-majors are teams that are in conferences other than the big 6. And if the tournament thus far isn’t an indication that the discrepancy between the big 6 and the other conferences no longer exists, then I don’t know what is. Of the 16 teams remaining in the field, 5 of them are so called “mid-majors.” And we automatically consider these teams as underdogs just because they play in conferences such as the Horizon league and the Atlantic 10. But this era of college basketball where the best players are one-and-done has really leveled the playing field. While the big names schools may get the best players, their coaches have to spend the entire season babysitting and keeping their young stars’ egos in check, hindering their ability to coach. The coaches send their athletes on the floor and hope their talent alone allows them to make plays and win games.

On the other hand, mid-major schools get players who are not as highly touted out of high school and need four years of college basketball to develop their game. In these four years, the mid-majors develop great chemistry that seems to elude the big 6 teams because they lose their players early on to the NBA. And their coaches don’t have to deal with prima donnas, so they are able to coach without the drama. This is exactly how Jim Boeheim managed to get out coached last night by a man who looks like he just graduated from the eighth grade, Brad Stevens (pictured above).
After watching the game last night, I am convinced that Butler is simply a better team than Syracuse. A lot of people think that the recipe for an upset is for the underdog to sit back in zone and hope the favorite has a bad shooting night, while the underdog knocks down a bunch of threes. But last night Butler’s strategy was anything but passive. The Bulldogs aggressive man defense never allowed the Orange to get comfortable, forcing Syracuse to turn the ball over 18 times and creating Syracuse’s largest half time deficit of the season. As for the underdog needing to hit the long ball, Butler shot a measly 6-24 from behind the arc…so much for that. The score doesn’t do Butler justice; they dominated all aspects of the game and are just a much better basketball team than the Orange, plain and simple. For most of the Butler Bulldogs it is nothing but “babies and memories” after this tournament, so they are going to continue to play their hearts out in hopes of a return home to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

-The Southern Gentleman

Spotlight: Ben Roethlisberger

As we all know, Ben Roethlisberger has been accused yet again of sexual assault. I’m sorry, scratch that; he is accused of either sexual assault or “sexual manipulation”. The last time he was accused was July of 2009. Congrats Ben, your on your way to becoming a registered sex offender! Just like this guy: (they kinda look alike, don't they?)

Now, crime and NFL players go together like peas in a pod. They have this funny love hate relationship: the players love to get themselves in trouble, but Roger Goodell hates to punish them. Apparently, Goodell has the intention of talking with Roethlisberger. Good, a nice stern talking to is all it takes to change the ways of a sexual deviant, right? Goodell says he “takes the situation very seriously” and is very “concerned Ben continues to put himself in this position”. I would be concerned too Roger, I might even suspend him indefinitely…naaaaaah. Come on, Ben’s middle name is Todd, how harmful could he be?

Not only does Mr. Goodell seem to have the best intentions for half-retarded sex offenders, but the owner of the Capital City nightclub in Georgia does as well, along with the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation). Carl Cansino, the owner, said the security video from the night of the assault was recorded over after the club’s manager, Rocky Duncan, had watched it. The GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) was unable to retrieve the video as well. WOOPS! No more evidence for the prosecutors.

Now, normally I’d think something fishy was going on, but I think the employees at Capital City just might have been stupid enough to record over the security video. I can see the ignorance now…

(Rocky Duncan and investigators watching the security video, focusing on two smoking hot 18 year-old twins, missing the blatant sexual crime occurring in the bottom left hand corner)

Rocky: Woooo golly, that there is one fine piece of ass!

Investigator 1: She sure is purdy, and look at the hooters on her sister!

Investigator 2: What were we watching this video for again?

Rocky: Shut up! It’s getting to the good part!

(The two twins start grinding on the dance floor, while Roethlisberger gets away with yet another sexual crime…the tape ends)

Investigator 1: Hey Rocky, my wife’s gosh darn Tivo broke again. You think I can borrow one of these blank tapes?

Rocky: Hell, just take this one. I forget what it was for anyway. (Rocky hands him the security tape, and Investigator 1 returns home to record King of the Hill)

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not too surprised the GBI was unable to recover the footage. It’d be tough to recover security footage when your technological abilities stop at accessing email (is there even email access in Georgia?). Anyways, if you’re ever in Georgia, watch out, ‘cause these guys might really be the boss-men of the GBI:

Check out these articles for more news on Roethlisberger: "Roethlisberger video no longer exists", "Roethlisberger’s Conduct Draws the Ire of Goodell"

Adios,

Breeneback

Sweet 16 Predictions

South Region:

1 Duke vs. 4 Purdue

The fourth seeded Purdue Boilermakers are the cinderella of this years tournament. You might think it is odd for a team seeded so highly to be a cinderella, but this is due to the Boilermakers losing their star player Robbie Hummel for the year. Purdue had to completely reinvent themselves down the stretch and are now a grittier, blue collar team. Chris Kramer and JaJuan Johnson have done a great job of keeping the Boilermakers together, but I do not think Purdue has enough firepower to take down a very hot Blue Devil team. Look for the experienced big three of the Duke to keep up their consistent play and kick Cinderella out of the dance. And if Brian Zoubek continues to play well, then the Dukies have a very good shot of winning it all.

Winner: Duke

3 Baylor vs. 10 St. Mary’s

I think this will be one of the better sweet 16 matchups between a very talented Baylor Bear team and the streaking St. Mary’s Gaels. The key to this game will be if the athletic big men of Baylor are able to contain Omar Samhan who has been unstoppable thus far in the tournament averaging 30.5 points a game. Even though Samhan (pictured below) might be the ugliest and least athletic-looking man I have ever seen, I think he is right in his predication that the Gaels will upset Bears. And though the game is in Houston, which is just a few hours from the Baylor Campus, I think the Gaels will do a great job of handling Baylor’s athleticism and will be able to squeak by in the end.

Winner: St. Mary’s

West Region:

1 Syracuse vs. 5 Butler

This is a very intriguing game because Butler is a very good three point shooting team, which is the one weakness of Syracuse’s infamous 2-3 zone. Butler has the longest winning streak in the nation and has not lost a game since December 22 because of the great play of the versatile Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack. But look for that streak to come to an end Thursday night at the hands of the powerful Orange. Syracuse is clicking on all cylinders right now and with Wes Johnson finally looking for his own shot I think the Orange will cruise to victory. If their big man Arinze Onuaku can return to form and Wes Johnson can continue his fantastic play, then I think the Orange are one of the favorites to win it all. Even if Jim Boeheim and his Orange overcome the field to cut the net down for a second time, nothing compares to his greatest feat… somehow managing to make this happen:

Winner: Syracuse

2 Kansas State vs. 6 Xavier

These two teams met earlier in the season and K-State routed Xavier by 25 points. Since then Xavier has become a much better basketball team behind the play of Jordan Crawford, who is having a great tournament averaging 27.5 points a game. I think this game will be much closer than 25 points but I still do not think that Xavier has an answer for Jacob Pullen, Denis Clemente, and the athletic bigs of the wildcats. And we must remember rule #31 of picking teams in the tournament, always side with the beard.

Winner: Kansas State

Midwest Region:

5 Michigan State vs. 9 Northern Iowa

I don’t think that anyone had this matchup in their bracket except for the autistic kid from Illinois. Northern Iowa shocked Kansas last week behind the shooting of the unforgettable Ali Farokhmanesh. Michigan State had to hit a last second three to advance to the Sweet 16. But in their win, the Spartans lost their star player Kalin Lucas for the rest of the tournament. My brain is telling me to never pick against Tom Izzo and his Spartans in the tournament, but my gut is telling me to side with the Mid-Major Panthers. I think Michigan State sneaks by Northern Iowa and advances to the Elite 8.

Winner: Michigan State

2 Ohio State vs. 6 Tennessee

Tennessee has probably had more highs and lows than anyone in the nation this year. The Vols beat two number one ranked teams this year but also got blown out by some sub-par teams. So far in the tournament Bruce Pearl has gotten his Vols to really play together and they have coasted to the Sweet 16. But I do not think the Tennessee goes any further in the tournament as they face the Buckeyes, who are arguably the hottest team still playing. The Buckeyes win because they have the best player in the nation in Evan Turner and I do not think Tennessee stands a chance at containing him.

Winner: Ohio State

East Region:

1 Kentucky vs. 12 Cornell

This game is truly the David versus Goliath match-up. It is the nerds from the Ivy League versus the superior athletes from the basketball powerhouse. Cornell has some great perimeter players and a 7-footer inside, which is something not too many mid-majors have, but I think Kentucky dodges the stone cast by David here. Kentucky just has way too much talent and is full of superior basketball players and dancers. I think Cornell keeps it close for a while but in the end Kentucky pulls away.

Winner: Kentucky

2 West Virginia vs. 11 Washington

The Mountaineer Faithful received devastating news yesterday that their starting point guard Darryl Bryant broke his foot in practice and will miss the remainder of the tournament. This blow to West Virginia could not come at a worse time as they face the red-hot Washington Huskies. Don't be fooled by the 11 next to Washington, they are just as talented as West Virginia. Yes West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler is a great scorer and he is going to get his, but I am going to pick a little upset special here. The tournament has been crazy thus far and I hope the trend continues.

Winner: Washington

-The Southern Gentleman

Tiger Tiger Woods Y'all...The Inside Story From his Neighbor

This story is for all of us who wonder why Tiger’s wife wasn’t the one ripping out of their garage in the Escalade. New Rochelle’s own Ben Silver provided us with the story. He received it from a friend’s dad’s friend who owns a Country Club…phewf:

“I have a Member who lives 10 houses down from Tiger in Isleworth (Orlando, FL). As we know, Tiger's agent is Mark Steinberg. My Member plays golf and is real good friends with another IMG Agent; who is very good friends with Steinberg and they share the same office. This information came from the other IMG Agent to my Member, and then to me today, and according to them is up to date as yesterday when my Member left Orlando.

On Thanksgiving Day, after he (Tiger) and Elin and the family had Turkey Dinner, he spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch watching football and texting Rachel (Uchitel). After each received and sent text message he would clear his message box to rid himself of the evidence. Sometime in between there, one of his Orlando buds called him to see if he wanted to get together at the Clubhouse to play poker with the guys, to which Tiger said yes. Tiger left the house around 7:30 to go play poker, and left behind his cell phone...and one message he had forgot to delete from Rachel.

When Tiger returned home around 11:30 -12 that night, Elin confronted him about the text message in the phone, and then started a heated discussion to its regards. According to what I was told, there was more "incriminating evidence" than just the text message (i.e. photos). Tiger tried to play it off to Elin by telling her she was reading too much in to it, and did not know the story, etc. Tiger went upstairs to change into his gym shorts and t - shirt, came back down, and Elin confronted him again; to which Tiger gave the same story. Tiger sat down in a chair in the living room, and Elin sat across from him urging Tiger to just come clean. Tiger stayed to his guns and denied everything. At one point

Tiger turned away to look at the TV, and as he turned back, Elin hit him on the right side of the face with the head of a 9 - iron. When she struck Tiger, she put a huge gash in the right side of his face next to his nose (causing his nose to bruise some), and virtually knocking two of his upper teeth out, and breaking the bone on the upper right side. Tiger ran scared as hell out of the house (which is why he had on no shoes) with Elin swinging the golf club throughout the hallway to the garage (i.e. causing the severe damage which has been reported).

Tiger hopped in the Escalade and tried to leave; and as we know Elin knocked out the windows in the Escalade. When Tiger crashed, Elin panicked and was not sure what to tell the police (which is why there are two conflicting stories from her). When this happened, Elin immediately called Mark Steinberg to tell him what happened, and Mark told Elin to tell him what hospital they were going to, and he would meet them there.

Tiger is transported to the hospital with Elin in the ambulance, and as they arrive Mark is there waiting for them. The people from the hospital and the doctors take Tiger in for X-Rays etc. to check out the damage caused. The doctors tell Mark there is not much they can do to repair the teeth and the gash, but the doctor knows a cosmetic dentist and plastic surgeon in Phoenix who will make Tiger look as if nothing happened. Tiger tells Mark to get the jet ready and let’s head to Phoenix to get this done. Friday after Tiger is released from the hospital, he does not return home; he and Mark board the plane for Phoenix. If you remember, FHP (Florida Highway Patrol) kept showing up at Isleworth to talk to Tiger, and was told by another FL attorney (who Tiger hired for PR reasons) Tiger was not ready to talk. Well now we know why: he was in Phoenix, and did not arrive back in Orlando until either late last Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. The surgeries were more intense than what they had originally planned, which meant Tiger was in PHX longer than he should have been. Upon arriving back in Orlando, Tiger and Elin have been in intense marriage counseling sessions (up to 6 to 7 hours a day) every day! Both Tiger and Elin have told the counselors they love each other, and want to make the marriage work. The reports you are reading on TMZ and RadarOnline are about 30% accurate at best according to Mark.

In regards to Tiger's boat being in Palm Beach this week, along with Rachel; that part is true. However, Tiger is not on the boat, and is not in Palm Beach; and Rachel is not on the boat. Her parents live 6 blocks from where the boat is, but that is it. Tiger has not returned to his house at Isleworth since the day of the accident except for the therapy sessions. IMG has enlisted the assistance of one of its most recognized sports figures, and Tiger has taken up residence in his neighborhood: Bay Hill. IMG contacted Arnold Palmer because of the high regard in which Tiger holds Arnold. Arnold has agreed, and IMG has said if anyone can get through to Tiger, Arnold may be the only person who can based on his public persona when he was at the height of his game as well. The moving trucks being shown on TMZ and RadarOnline are moving out pictures and furniture, which was damaged during their Thanksgiving Day argument; not of her moving out.

Yes, Elin has retained a divorce attorney, but has not filed any papers, and as of yesterday had no intention on doing so. Tiger has not made any public appearances or statements due to the surgery and plastic surgery he had in PHX. It will be about another month if not more before he gets in front of a camera. Yes, Tiger is hitting golf balls late at night at Bay Hill out of their teaching center (which is equipped with lights).”

Now, we could talk about this story all day, but I'd like to highlight some key points...it's time for "Thoughts from The Breeneback":


1.Tiger: watching football and texting never go together. If you were really watching football, you’d have no interest in sending awkward sexual text messages to a nightclub promoter whose most interesting story is the last affair she had with a Fortune 500 member.

2. I respect the move on deleting your texts, but how ‘bout go a step further and put a password on your phone. You’re Tiger Woods. Do you really want to risk losing your phone to some overweight middle-aged golf fanatic, and have him prank call Phil Mickelson?

3. Photos? You had naked pictures of this girl on your phone? Really, Tiger? The last time I heard of exchanging naked pictures via cell phone was freshman year of high school when Carl the pervert snuck into the girls locker room. Now I'm pretty sure he's a registered sex offender.

4. Elin, I respect the club choice. Enough weight to get the job done, but enough maneuverability for your dainty Swedish arms. I hope the club speed was up to par with Tiger’s.



A final word…

To the plastic surgeons in Phoenix: Please fix Tiger’s face so it does not look like he’s crying 90% of the time he’s on the course.

Spotlight: Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky has cruised through the first two rounds of the tournament and is playing the best basketball they have all year. And with Kansas out of the tournament, the wildcats are clearly the most talented team left in the field. They also have the red carpet laid out for them to reach the final four with potential match ups against a twelfth seeded Cornell and then an eleventh seeded Washington. Not to take anything away from Cornell (whose team has given hope to short, white kids everywhere) or Washington, but neither team has a chance of defending Kentucky’s size, talent, and speed. This trend of superiority will continue in the final four no matter which team Kentucky plays. As long as wildcats continue to shoot the 3-ball and rebound as effectively as they have thus far, then they should be cutting down the nets in Indy.

A lot of analysts think that Kentucky will get tripped up on their road to a national championship because of their free throw shooting woes and lack of experience. Everyone talks about how free throw shooting is extremely important in the tournament because the majority of the games are decided by just a few points. This shouldn’t be a problem if the wildcats continue to steam roll over opponents. Even if it came down to a last second free throw, which is as likely as Lost ever making sense, the wildcats shoot a very respectable 69% from the free throw line.

Others believe that the wildcats will fail to win it all because of their overall lack of experience. Although Kentucky is driven by freshman and other young players, with either very little or no tournament experience, the team is bulging with incredibly skilled players in an otherwise down year for talent. Yall can take any fifth year senior you want… I’ll take this guy:

John Wall will most likely be the number one overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and he leads a Kentucky team that features at least three other lottery picks. No other team in the tournament even comes close to the amount of talent Kentucky has. The last coach to lead his team to a national championship in his first year at the school was Tubby Smith in 1998 at none other than the University of Kentucky. And I will put big money down that John Calipari will be the next coach to accomplish that feat this year. However, knowing Calipari’s past, Kentucky will have to vacate these wins in a few years once the NCAA proceeds with the inevitable investigation. And no matter what happens to Kentucky in the tournament, at least they will still have the smoking hot Ashley Judd on their side.



-The Southern Gentleman