If you missed Portland Winterhawks coach Kyle Gustafson on GameNight - talking about their WHL Title, and the upcoming Memorial Cup - check out the podcast link here. Must listen!
The newest member of the Oregon Ducks basketball team, Mike Moser, the Grant HS product and UNLV transfer joined the Buffalo Wild Wings GameNight crew - to talk about his decision head to Eugene, and what he expects out of the Ducks hoop squad next season.
Portland Winterhawks Assistant Coach Kyle Gustafson joined the GameNight boys to talk about the Hawks playoff run thus far, and to break down the upcoming rematch in the WHL Finals against Edmonton! Take a listen!
A large question I'm asking myself regarding the discussion surrounding Jason Collins: do I need to allow room for those who believe homosexuality is wrong?
I believe the vast majority of people don't view Jason Collins announcement as a big deal or even a story because they are accepting. Thankfully, this is our society now. Unlike in the 50's and 60's, the opposing view on issues such as these is the one that is shunned. This is called progress. We have done a wonderful job of divorcing ourselves from uninformed hate-filled bigotry. We still have ground to cover but it's better.
It is ignorant to believe that homosexuality is wrong because the Bible says so. The Bible states quite a few things Christians are wise enough to avoid. The reason it is ignorant to believe homosexuality is wrong is because gay people are born that way. Read what they write. Talk to them. Any sensible human with the right amount of information on this topic understands it is no more wrong to be gay than it is to have red hair. It is not a choice.
So why the Bible-clutching fear? To me, the freedom of religion equals the freedom of prejudice. I find it refreshing that this idea is being tolerated less and less. Therefore, I have no qualms about my instincts to not tolerate the opposing view on this particular issue. To quote Thomas Jefferson: "Wouldn't God approve of the homage of reason before that of blindfolded fear?"
Arizona Wildcat commit, and team USA basketball member Aaron Gordon joined the guys to talk about playing in the Nike Hoops Summitt, the Mcdonalds all-american game, and choosing Arizona over Oregon. Take a listen!
Monday morning, Oregon State's men's basketball Twitter acount tweeted to the masses that sophomore forward Eric Moreland was holding a press conference alongside head coach Craig Robinson, to make an announcement. A ritual that has long represented the time when a young man and his coach have talked and agreed that moving on to (potentially) bigger things is the right next step.
Well, much to the surprise of most, Moreland held a press conference for reporters that flocked from Portland (a 1 1/2 hour drive one way) to Eugene, to tell everybody that he was withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft process. Now, this isn't about Moreland and whether the NBA was even the right choice. The kid is 6'10 with a 7'4 wingspan. He's still young, athletic, a very active defender, and raw offensively, which means he was a second-round project for most. No, this press conference was to tell people that a player - regardless of actual talent - who averaged just nine points per contest, 9.9 rebounds per game and 2.2 blocked shots per game was coming back to the team who finished second-to-last in the Pac-12 this past season.
A move that I'm still trying to wrap around my brain.
I mean, if he was a junior coming back for his senior season and Oregon State was riding a ton of momentum into next year, I'd get it. Build up anticipation, get fans happy, make a statement to your team - 'hey guys, let's do this.'
But there isn't. There isn't any of that.
Sure, the Beavers have a ton of talent coming back and will have literally no excuse whatsoever for finishing anywhere less than 4th in the conference. It's a do or die season, as put by their head coach. However, the past season was such a drag and the team finished so sub-par that the buzz around the program just isn't there like maybe it should be.
But that's not the point. The point is this - when bringing up the fact Moreland held a press conference to announce his return I jokingly said that he's the first sophomore or real underclassmen to ever hold one to announce a return, which in turn got me a couple 'nuh uh, Jahii Carson did too!' Well, one, I know. I read it.
Two, even if I was serious, let me tell you why that's an incredibly dumb comparison.
Carson - who many may or may not know - was originally committed to come to Oregon State. In fact, reporters talk about the various times he continually mentioned the excitement he had for coming to Corvallis. However, later on in his career he mentioned that his interest wained in OSU. So, he decided to stay close to home and play for the Sun Devils.
He redshirted his first season, and along with the rest of the program, he came on this year and took everybody by storm.
Not only did he help resurrect a very lifeless team from 2011-2012, but he was - in my honest opinion - the Pac-12 Player of the Year. And even if he wasn't officially (Allen Crabbe of California won the award) he showed that he deserved the recognition to be considered in the category. He averaged 17.8 points per game, second only to Oregon State's Roberto Nelson at 19.1. He was fifth in assists per game at 4.4 and was first in minutes played per game with 38.3. He also earned co-Pac-12 Freshman of the Year - along with Shabazz Muhammad.
Arizona State head coach Herb Sendek asked the RS frosh to do it all. And he did.
The Sun Devils headed into the Pac-12 Tournament on a four-game losing streak. In ASU's first game they faced the Stanford Cardinal. A team that some thought could have a breakout Pac-12 season, but ended up having a disappointing year. Nonetheless Carson took the opportunity for a new start and NCAA Tournament hopes on the bubble, and ran with it.
In his first game he scored 34 points and dished out four assists. The Cardinal had no answer for him. His handles, quick first move and body control while driving the lane, couldn't be stopped.
Although his 34 point outburst made a lot of people take notice, it wasn't until the next game that Carson showed the full barrage of his game. He pulled everything out of his repertoire and carved up the Bruins. He went for 21 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. He was the late game ball handler in every situation, and Sendek trusted him to make the right decisions. Sure the Sun Devils fell to UCLA - the team that eventually ended up in the championship game versus Oregon and the NCAA Tournament - by five points, but Carson made his name known to more than your average Pac-12 fan.
He followed up his Pac-12 Tournament run with an impressive NIT run. He averaged 21 points, six assists and eight rebounds per game. Helping ASU get to the second round of the tournament before eventually falling to Baylor.
On April 9, 2013, Carson held a press conference to announce he'd be coming back to Arizona State for his sophomore season. Not only did Carson have strong interest from the NBA, but he helped Arizona State finish 22-13, a nine game turnaround from the season before.
See the difference there?
Carson brought a different attitude to Arizona State. He brought a toughness they haven't had since James Harden left. His scoring ability, durability and assist numbers showed everyone that he could be the difference maker most teams look for. He gives folks in Tempe a reason to get excited for basketball season. Suddenly the Sun Devils aren't so irrelevant on the hardwood.
So for him to hold a press conference makes sense. Most fans knew the NBA was a likely option. He has the skill set to get there, but holding a press conference to tell fans to gear up and get ready for next year with him? That builds an all new excitement.
As for Moreland? I don't want to diminish him. He's an entirely different style of player. But their impacts can stil be measured the same, and his didn't come close to Carsons. He was suspended for three games for a violation of team rules. He didn't make OSU much better, as they still finished second to last in the Pac-12. And offensively he didn't contribute much. Sure he was a rim protector, but ultimately that doesn't drive butts in the seats.
It's never a bad thing to build some buzz for your program. Craig Robinson knows this more than anybody else, but Moreland isn't getting people fired up. The direction of the program isn't going one way or another with or without him. It helps to have him, but it doesn't necessarily equate to wins and losses.
So sure, Carson did something similar to what Moreland did on Monday afternoon. But let's not compare the two. It's apples to crackers and it's not even close.
Moreland makes your stomach grumble less, but Carson's better for you.
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