The Smart Decision

I salute and respect Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State. He went against the trend of one-and-dones and is returning to the Cowboys, much to the delight of Stillwater.

Some people ripped him for passing up on the millions of guaranteed dollars, which is ironic since so many complain about the one-and-dones. I didn't rip him, but I certainly would have advised him to go pro since he was projected as a top three pick, if not number one.

College basketball fans should applaud Marcus Smart.

But, it was Smart's decision to make. College basketball fans should applaud and support him, because he's making the game they love better.

I was watching the ESPN 30 for 30 film Survive and Advance the other day. One thing that stood out to me early on in the film was the quality of college basketball in the 1980's, when everyone stayed in school. Ralph Sampson, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Akeem Olajuwon all stayed in school for at least three years. Today, guys like that are almost all gone after a year.

I was jealous watching that. College basketball was much better in the 1980's because players kept returning to school instead of jumping too early to the NBA. We'll never get back to that, but it is refreshing to see a player like Smart stay in school, stay committed to the coach and program who gave him a free education, and to continue to improve at the college level before he's absolutely ready to be a pro.

Is it the right decision? Is it wrong? I don't know. Time will tell. All I know is it was Smart's choice, and I think he knows what he can handle. Even if he takes a step back as a sophomore (which I doubt, barring injury), he has two years after that to get back where he wants to be. Plus, I'm sure he'll have some insurance policy (like college football players often get) if disaster strikes and he suffers a horrible injury.

As loaded as the 2014 class is, I really think Smart could still be a top three pick next year. That's assuming, of course, he comes out next year. Maybe he stays in Stillwater even longer, and I think that would be awesome for college basketball.

My opinion really means nothing, but for what it's worth, I think most college players should stay the full four years like they did in the '80's, and only leave if they are projected as lottery picks (like Smart is). However, the decisions are theirs, not mine. Opinions like that mostly come off as selfish. As fans, sure, we want our teams to be good, so we want kids to stay in school.

If a kid thinks going pro early is the best for him, then good luck to him. I understand striking while the iron is hot. I just hope kids who leave early are listening to the right people. A lot of times, they aren't.

As far as Smart goes, I'll  definitely never blast a kid for staying in school. Smart will get his money one day, and I think he'll make a lot of it in the NBA when he is ready.

Oklahoma State is not my favorite team, but Smart is one of my favorite players. I love his heart, his fire, and how he selflessly helps his team win. Friends told me about how great he was in high school, and I was excited to see what he brought to the college level. He did not disappoint. When he's not playing one of my favorite teams, I pull for him to do well. I will especially do that next year, as he will be the one of the faces of college hoops. He'll raise the game's profile, and people will want to tune in to watch him every week.

Brittney Griner in the NBA? Nice thought, but no

Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban loves to stir things up, and he sure did that this week when he said he would consider giving Baylor women's star Brittney Griner a chance to make the Mavs.

Cuban is a smart guy, always looking to market his team and his league and open it up to new fans. I think this is mostly a marketing stunt, and he is just dipping his toes in the "Griner in the NBA" waters to see how it is received before he really moves forward with this. I don't think he or any other NBA person thinks Griner could make it in the NBA.

Could Griner make an NBA team? I say no way.
But, if an NBA team wants to let her try, go for it.

I certainly can't see her playing in that league. Does that make me a sexist? To some, maybe. I prefer to think of myself as a realist.

First, let's clarify how we answer "can she play?"

Could Brittney Griner make a small contribution? Maybe. Could she go around a screen, catch the ball with a little space and make a layup? Of course she could. There are several players in the WNBA who could do that: go into an NBA game, execute one play (drawn up for her) and make a wide open shot.

That's not what I'm talking about, though, when I ask "can she play?"

I'm not talking about executing one play and getting a basket. I'm talking about the next play, and the next one, and the next one. Could she defend? Could she take over a game? Could she get to a point where an NBA team says, "we could not have won this game without Brittney?" I say absolutely not.

I'm not knocking Griner's ability to play the game. I'm just calling for a little more respect for the guys who are in the NBA and for those in the D-League and college who are trying to make it. Griner is the most dominant women's player I've ever seen, but she would be in for a rude awakening if she took the floor against NBA players.

Think of the last player on the bench on any given NBA team. That guy was a star at his college, likely an all-conference player if not an All-American. He just can't crack an NBA lineup because there are more talented former college All-Americans ahead of him. That guy, though, is on the roster because his NBA team thinks he could be a contributor eventually and because he helps the team in practice. There are dozens more just like him in the D-League begging for a shot. Plus, there are hundreds more in college and overseas that are entering the 2013 NBA Draft. They all have more NBA potential than Griner.

Let's talk a little more logistics about Brittney Griner on an NBA roster: what would her position be? At 6'8", she is obviously a center in the women's game and a dominant one. She's not playing center in the NBA at 6'8". I think even playing power forward would be a stretch, because she's obviously thin compared to a 6'8" NBA player. She would have trouble fighting for space down low. The shot-blocking and rebounding that make her a great women's player would not even be a factor in the men's game.

So, does that mean you put her on the wing as a 3? Guys like LeBron James and Kevin Durant live out there. To be fair, I'll go a little farther down the NBA depth chart at the 3: guys like Gerald Wallace, Rudy Gay, and Kawhi Leonard live out there, too. Griner is not quick enough to guard those guys or create her own shot against them. Sorry. She just isn't.

UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma agrees with me. He called the idea of Griner in the NBA "absolutely ludicrous." It's not a knock on Griner, but if you want to put her up against the best athletes in the world, she simply isn't going to be half as great as she is playing against other women.

Now, back to my earlier point: Cuban is about marketing, and he's pretty open-minded. Would letting Griner take the floor for 10 minutes in a summer league game be a travesty? Probably not. She would sell tickets. People would watch out of curiosity. She'd probably have a tough time, and then say thanks for the opportunity and get ready to play in the WNBA. Let's be honest, that's where she will truly become a star and become the most marketable.

You'll notice Cuban chose his words carefully: "invite her to try out," not "sign her." He said "if she's the best player on the board," he would draft her. She will never be the best player on the board of a two-round NBA Draft.

If Griner doesn't mind being the center of a marketing ploy to sell summer league tickets and wants to see exactly how good NBA players are, go for it. After the tickets are sold and Griner sees exactly where she stands, she'll go to a league that needs her way more the NBA summer league: the WNBA.

The Big East is Dead... Long Live the Big East

What a win for the Catholic 7 this week. The departing Big East basketball schools are apparently not only breaking away in time for the 2013-14 season, but they are reportedly getting just about everything they want: the Big East name, a new TV contract, and maybe even Madison Square Garden as the home of its conference tournament. It's great because the Big East name will stay where it belongs: with schools who care most about basketball.

As I've said before, though, I will miss the Big East in its current form, and I do love rivalries. I hate hearing "this is the last time Georgetown and Syracuse will play." It won't be. At least, it shouldn't be. Once the dust settles, the bitterness fades and the fans clamor for it, the teams should play again.

I propose a replacement for the Big East-SEC Challenge: The Big East Memorial Challenge. Let's remember the great league the Big East was and keep the rivalries going.

Fans don't want to see their rivalries go away.

On one side, you have the Catholic 7, or the new Big East: Georgetown, Marquette, St. John's, Villanova, Providence, DePaul, and Seton Hall

And in the other corner, the Football Universities... or FU (no hard feelings, right, guys?): Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Louisville, Notre Dame, Connecticut, and Cincinnati

Seven games, fourteen old conference rivals renewing acquaintances.

You could even go deeper and have the new schools join the fun. Butler, Xavier, Creighton, Saint Louis and Dayton (assuming they all join) face off with the likes of Rutgers, Boston College, Miami, Temple... and sure, USF, you can play, too.

Of course, my grand scheme of this challenge likely won't happen. My point is, though, that these teams should try to keep playing in non-conference games. Georgetown should keep playing Syracuse and Connecticut. I'd love to see Marquette continue to play Notre Dame and Louisville.

While I'm excited about the new Big East, I think it would be fun for college basketball fans to have flashes of the old Big East in the seasons to come.

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Trades

It's pretty easy to laugh at the Chiefs for trading for inconsistent quarterback Alex Smith. My question to those laughing: what would you do if you were the Chiefs? Stick with Matt Cassel or Brady Quinn for another year? I don't think Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees are available. If someone has a crystal ball and can tell me that Geno Smith or Matt Barkley will be a Pro Bowler, please get it to John Dorsey stat. This trade isn't official until March 12.

My take: the Chiefs had to do something, and they did the best thing they could.

I've grumbled before about what a lousy offseason the Chiefs faced. There are no great quarterbacks to be had. There is not a wealth of talented free agents. There does not appear to be an Andrew Luck or RG3 in this draft. Some draft analysts don't even have a quarterback worthy of going in the first round.

Bitter over his benching, Alex Smith now does what former
49ers QBs like Montana, Bono, and Grbac do: play for KC.

Quite simply, there is no one available at the quarterback position that will instantly make the Chiefs a playoff team. All Kansas City could do is slightly upgrade. Find someone better than Matt Cassel, who has really struggled with turnovers the last couple years. Whether it's his fault or not, Cassel has not worked in Kansas City. It's time to try something else, something other than Brady Quinn.

Despite his struggles in his first six seasons, I do think Alex Smith is a better quarterback than Matt Cassel. He was actually playing pretty well when he suffered a concussion this season and lost his starting job to Colin Kaepernick. 

In typical Smith fashion, though, he was good - not spectacular. In 10 games, completed 70 % of his passes for 1,737 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had 8 turnovers (5 interceptions, 3 fumbles). By comparison, Matt Cassel in 9 games completed 58% of his passes for 1,796 yards and 6 touchdowns and a whopping 18 turnovers (12 picks, 6 fumbles). 

Summary: Smith takes less risks (hence the fewer yards and higher completion percentage) and doesn't turn it over as much.

Make no mistake about it. I do not think Kansas City has acquired a top-flight quarterback. I also think they overpaid to get him - reportedly a second round pick and a mid-rounder next year. San Francisco took advantage of a seller's market and held KC hostage for the "best" quarterback available in a lousy market.

I am, however, willing to give Smith a chance. Heck, I was all aboard the Alex Smith bandwagon a year ago. After that dramatic win over New Orleans, I thought he had arrived. If Kyle Williams hadn't mishandled two punts against the Giants, Smith would have had San Francisco in the Super Bowl.

Yes, I know team success doesn't necessarily mean a guy is a great quarterback. Rex Grossman has been to a Super Bowl.

Nevertheless, if Smith can do for the Chiefs what he did in San Francisco the last two years, the Chiefs will be better. I'm not saying 12-4 better, but they'll be a far cry from 2-14. Smith is efficient and hasn't made a lot of mistakes the last two years. If he can just manage games and give the Chiefs some kind of passing game, then Kansas City has upgraded the QB position for 2013. 

In this weak QB offseason, that's really all Chiefs fans can ask for.

It's Time for All Marquette Fans to Appreciate Tom Crean

As Marquette honored the 2003 Final Four team, some great memories resurfaced for me. That was my senior year at Marquette, and following that team and watching them make it to New Orleans was one of the great thrills of my college life. Heck, take "college" out of that last sentence. It was just awesome.

I appreciated every coach and player who made it happen, especially then-head coach Tom Crean. Some MU fans still boo when his name is mentioned or when he is shown in the pregame video at Marquette games. I think it's time to let it go.

Crean had a very classy message to Marquette fans before Saturday's game with Pitt.

Was I upset when Crean left for Indiana? Sure, we all were. That's the business of sports, though. Coaches do well, get better opportunities, and they move on.

The simple question I ask is: did Tom Crean leave Marquette basketball in better shape than he found it? The answer is a resounding yes. I think any Marquette fan, no matter how bitter, can admit that.

If not, let me break it down a little more.

When Tom Crean took over the Marquette program in 1999, it was a bubble team... for the NIT. I remember one preseason magazine called Marquette one of the least athletic teams in the country. The team wasn't exciting, and the fans had a hard time getting excited about it.

Imagine if Marquette basketball had stayed that way for another decade. Maybe when the Big East expanded it 2005, it would not have wanted Marquette. MU could still be in Conference USA trying to get excited about battles with Tulane and Houston. All the financial benefits and exposure Marquette has enjoyed from the Big East over the last eight years may be significantly less.

That part is speculation, of course. Here are some facts:

Crean led Marquette to its first Final Four since Al McGuire won it all in 1977. The impact of that accomplishment cannot be understated. It's only the third in the school's history. The exposure from that success and the impact on recruiting have been huge.

Tom Crean coached six of Marquette's top 10 all-time leading scorers: Jerel McNeal (1st), Lazar Hayward (2nd), Dominic James (4th), Travis Diener (6th), Brian Wardle (7th), and Wesley Matthews (10th). Wardle is the only one not signed by Crean. The talent that Crean brought to Milwaukee totally changed the program.

Where would Marquette be now if these guys had
never been a part of the program?

You notice that list doesn't even include Dwyane Wade. With all due respect to Maurice Lucas and other past MU greats, Wade is the best NBA player Marquette has ever produced. Tom Crean rolled the dice on him, and he hit the jackpot.

There are five Marquette players currently on NBA rosters: Wade, Matthews, Steve Novak, Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder. Crean signed the first three in addition to McNeal and Hayward, who are both in the D-League. Several more Crean signees like Diener, Joe Chapman, Scott Merritt, and Dan Fitzgerald are playing professionally overseas.

And for those who like Buzz Williams better, that's totally acceptable. Buzz is Marquette's coach now, and we should like him more. However, don't forget who brought Buzz to Milwaukee. Had Crean not hired him as an assistant in the 2007-08 season, I highly doubt an unknown coach at a struggling University of New Orleans program would have been able to land the Marquette job.

Looking back on it, Crean left at the perfect time. The strong core of James, McNeal, Matthews and Hayward was there to help Buzz Williams get off to a great start and continue building on the success Crean had enjoyed. The program has not dropped off a bit since Crean left. It may even be a little better, and that's because Crean left a solid foundation for Buzz.

Beyond the numbers and the recruits, Crean did a great job engaging the fans and letting them know they are appreciated to drum up interest in the program. He's doing the same at Indiana. I remember Crean walking out on senior night in 2003 and holding up a big sign that said "Thank You Seniors." He always came over to the student section after the games and applauded to thank us for being loud.

I remember on my graduation day in 2003 when Crean was in the lobby of the Bradley Center shaking hands with random seniors and saying congratulations. He shook my hand and my roommate's, and he said congratulations and good luck. It made a great day even better.

The bottom line: Crean made Marquette better, and we should thank him. I'm not saying we all need to become Indiana fans. We'll always be Marquette fans. I don't expect the MU campus to be crimson and cream if Indiana makes it to the Final Four this year. We don't have to cheer for IU to do well (unless, of course, they're playing Louisville, Wisconsin, or Notre Dame). We can still make little jokes about Crean's tan or maybe even smirk a little when Indiana loses. I just don't root for the guy to fail - because at this point, it's pretty obvious that he's going to be successful.

All I'm saying is respect the man and what he did for Marquette. Don't boo when people mention his name. The program didn't build itself. Crean put a lot of work in, and it paid off. Enough time has passed, and most bitterness should be gone. Crean still respects and speaks well of Marquette, and I think all MU fans should return the favor.

Chill Out on Signing Day

I've blogged on fan fouls before. One thing I didn't include but probably should have is the concept of what I like to call "Twitter heroes." These are people who love to curse out athletes (or writers or celebs) behind the anonymity of a Twitter handle.

These people are especially prevalent during National Signing Day.

If you ever want to confirm to yourself that you are not a bad person, just look at what some people say to a 17-year old kid just because he chose not to attend their favorite school. These people are the absolute worst. Every fan base has a few. Some more than others.

I'm not sure what they hope to accomplish by calling a teenager a ****ing ****** because he picked School A over University B. Telling him you hope he tears his ACL and dies? Classy.

It's the kid's choice, folks. They can only attend one school. Let the athletes enjoy a special day with their families. (Forget the fact that tweeting at recruits is an NCAA violation anyway.)

Besides, there's no need to get worked up. As Nick Saban once said at a Signing Day presser, "just because you get the pick of the litter doesn't mean you're going to have the best hunting dogs."

You don't know how these kids are going to turn out. You may be getting all bent out of shape over a kid who may never play.

Collin Klein: barely recruited, not even Bill Snyder was sure he wanted him as a quarterback... Heisman finalist
Dayne Crist and Garrett Gilbert: can't miss 5-star prospects.

You just never know. So, it's fine to check the lists, be happy or disappointed. Talk to your fellow fans about what they think. As far as cursing down a kid, though, just stop.

If a star prospect doesn't choose your favorite school, do what I do: unfollow him on Twitter. That'll show him.

Super Bowl XLVII Predictions

I normally make college football predictions, but it's time to make a prediction for the biggest game of all... and all the hoopla surrounding it.

PREGAME PREDICTIONS

Easy prediction: a Harbaugh will lift the Lombardi Trophy.

- The debate over whether to call it the "Harbowl" or "Sup-Harbowl" or something else will get old after about 30 seconds.

- I won't be watching. By Super Bowl Sunday, every pregame angle has been done. Let's play.

COMMERCIAL PREDICTIONS

I'm sure I could go somewhere online and see a list of Super Bowl commercials and maybe even watch most of them, but where's the fun in that? I'd rather be in the dark and make predictions. Also note: links are to old commercials, not spoilers.

- Bud Light will deliver some solid humor early on... like this.

- Coke will have an over-produced commercial that will be neither funny nor cute. Like this

- GoDaddy will have a steamy commercial (probably with Danica Patrick) that tells you to go online, where it gets even hotter.

- Everyone who goes to GoDaddy.com to see the "hotter" scene will be very disappointed.

- The Nike spot with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy was great, and I'm surprised it was released a few weeks ago instead of debuting as a Super Bowl commercial. This makes me think there will be a sequel during the big game.

- We'll see a commercial with McKayla Maroney being impressed with something. The Olympics ended over five months ago. I'm surprised we haven't seen her cash in on that meme yet, but I think the Super Bowl is the ideal time to do it.

- Ranking for most-promoted CBS shows that we'll be tired of by the end of the night: 1. The Job, 2. Vegas, 3. Elementary (which, by the way, is a solid show)

IN-GAME PREDICTIONS

Kaepernick's been on fire. I think he keeps it going.

- Tom Crean will be there, and I'm setting the over/under on cutaways at 9.5.

- I'm setting the over/under on Alex Smith cutaways at 11.5.

- Mentions of the phrase "deer antler" will be set at 1.5.

- The murders Ray Lewis were linked to in 2000 will not be mentioned. (Yes, I know the charges were dismissed.)

- We will see three instances of Kaepernicking.

Let's see, have I left anything out?

Oh yeah, the game itself.

I like the 49ers 28-24. Kaepernick has been on fire, and the 49ers' defense will outplay the Ravens' defense.

- Jim Nantz's clearly scripted line when the game ends: "And the 49ers have struck gold."