“It is really difficult to point to one part of the whole experience of that game and say that was my favorite part, said Kevin Bettoncourt,” the former guard of Bucknell who is currently an assistant coach to the men’s basketball team at Bentley University in suburban Boston.

“But the moments after that game on the court and in the locker room where you can look at your teammates and coaches and know you just pulled off something that people will be talking about for a long time was pretty special”

Five years ago today, the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament was drawing to a close but there were still two time blocks of games remaining. The NCAA tournament had seen few upsets to that point, with only 12 seed Milwaukee (over Alabama), 11 seed UAB (over LSU) and 10 seed NC State (over Charlotte) winning first round games.

Not only did two of those happen early in the action but they were popular upset picks going into the tournament, with the latter not even being considered an upset by some.

It was lacking a notable upset that would make fans remember it for years to come. That is until the Friday night session. It started with 13 seed Vermont taking on a fourth seeded Syracuse team that still had players who had contributed to the team’s 2003 national championship. Although led by nationally known players Taylor Coppenrath and TJ Sorrentine as well as outspoken coach Tom Brennan, most prognosticators felt the Catamounts didn’t have enough talent to hang with the Orangemen, let alone enough to turn it into a classic tournament moment.

“Everywhere I go people still ask me about the game,” Sorrentine, who played guard on the team, said. “Being in [the coaching profession] and interacting with kids and coaches it comes up all the time”

Sorrentine is now an assistant coach at Brown University in Providence. He said the team felt great going into the match-up and that no team intimidated them.

“We felt we could play with any team in the country,” he said. “We had played UNC and Kansas during the season so we felt pretty confident going into the NCAA tourney that no matter who we played we were going to have a chance to win.”

That the game took place in Worchester, Massachusetts, in the heart of New England, meant  Vermont had a large contingent of fans to cheer on their biggest win in school history.

“By the end we were like Nebraska football, people followed us everywhere,” said Tom Brennan, the former coach at Vermont who now has a radio show broadcast in the state. “We must have had 3,000 people from Vermont at the game. But more importantly…there were 15,000 people there and when the game got into crunch time and overtime about 10,000 of them were cheering for Vermont so it was really neat,” he said.

Nothing drew more cheers than Sorrentine’s heroic, if not daring, 35 foot shot with about a minute remaining in the overtime and 8 seconds left on the shot clock. The shot increased the Catamounts lead to the score of 59-55 and was the signature moment of the game.

“Once I let it go i felt like it was good but I didn’t know for sure until it went in,” Sorrentine said. “Of course, every shot I shot I thought was going in,” he laughed.

“We ran a set called “red” to try and set a screen for a shot by T.J. or Taylor Coppenrath to try and take shot,” said Brennan. “I said to him ‘run red’ but [TJ] put his hands up and said ‘I got it, I got it.’ And then he turned and fired since [the Syracuse defender] had relaxed off him because they were playing zone. TJ just buried it and at that point I knew in my heart we were going to win.”

To the tune of CBS announcer Gus Johnson’s typical exclamations they did, pulling off the tournament’s first major shocker, 60-57 in overtime.

Meanwhile in Oklahoma City, national powerhouse and third seeded Kansas began their match-up with Bucknell, a game many considered a formality for a number of reasons. This included the fact that the Jayhawks, which lost lost to the 2003 Syracuse team in the national championship game, still had components of the team that made that run and hadn’t lost a first round NCAA tournament game since 1978. That was when only 48 teams made the tournament and before teams were handed seeds to play in the tournament.

For the Bison, led by center Chris McNaughton, guard Kevin Bettencourt and coached by eleventh year head coach Pat Flannery, it was chance to show what they could do. Big that it happened in front of national audience and their 69-66 win at Pittsburgh earlier that year (to this day, the Panthers only non-conference loss at the Petersen’s Event Center) was in no way a fluke.

“The feeling going into the Kansas game was more of excitement than anything else,” Bettencourt said. “I think the win at Pitt earlier in the season was extremely important. We had a lot of close games that year that was decided in the last minutes and winning most of those types of games really gives you a tremendous amount of poise and confidence in each other in big moments.”

And just as the Panthers could not put Bucknell away in their January 2005 game, the same was true for Kansas. The two teams took turns taking the lead but could not pull away. The largest second half lead was a mere five points for each team.

The Bison led 62-57 with 1:11 left to play. The Jayhawks scored a quick two pointer and got a steal, which led to an intentional foul. Cutting to deficit to one after two free throws, the Jayhawks took the lead 63-62 on two more free throws by Keith Langford with 25.4 seconds remaining.

Undeterred, Bucknell set up a play for McNaughton, who worked in the low post and hit a hook shot over All-American Wayne Simien with 10.5 seconds left. The Jayhawks failed to convert when they regained possession and after the Bison missed the front end of the one and one, it set up a dramatic conclusion.

“I think we made too much out of not fouling and they got a long pass off,” explained Flannery, now a booster at Bucknell. “He caught it and turned I thought we were okay until I saw some separation and asked for anyone’s hand to be in Simien’s vision.”

Similar to Christian Lattner’s iconic shot in 1992 Elite Eight, the Jayhawks threw a full court pass to Simien, who caught ball just inside the three point line and turned to shoot. His 18 footer drew the front iron as time expired and the Bison escaped with a 64-63 win.

“It felt the luck of the Irish,” Flannery said. “On the last shot he was a moving target, it fell short and I was glad to beat Kansas,” he said.

The game earned the team the honor of receiving an ESPY for best upset. The fact that it was considered a major fluke in some circles doesn’t bother Bettencourt.

“Looking back at it and really comprehending how far our program came in those years to beat a team the stature of Kansas was a tremendous accomplishment which got a lot of people excited and everyone involved is proud of that,” he said.

“I do think the success we had the next year– winning another NCAA tournament game and cracking the Top 25–did validate that upset to a certain degree but I am still happy to be known by some for being a part of the team that beat Kansas.”

People from both programs still keep in touch with those who they teamed up with to create those special moments.

“I keep up with them through Facebook, phone calls, e-mails. They are all finding their own journeys and doing well. Playing, working, coaching, etc… they’re very diverse group,” Flannery said

Vermont’s Coppenrath, who now plays overseas with the Spanish Liga LEB team called CB Lucentum Alicante, keeps in touch via social networking sites and also runs into his former teammates when he comes back to the US during the Summer time. Looking back on his career, Coppenrath felt a certain sense of accomplishment and pride for how much he helped put Vermont, which had never made the NCAA tournament before he stepped on campus, on the basketball map.

“I really liked that we had accomplished something new every year we were there,” he said. “It was a fitting way to go out for the seniors and coaches.

“I also like that during the NCAA tournament anything can happen and you do have upsets and was glad that we were one of them.”

And as the nation gears up for another dose of March Madness today, they can be comforted by Coppenrath’s words, that indeed anything can happen and upsets do happen. One such can be in the Vermont-Syracuse rematch, where people the nation are waiting to find out if the 2010 Catamounts can follow in the footsteps of the 2005 version by beating Syracuse and find out if they can become the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed.

“If the stars are aligned and they shock the world, it would be the greatest upset in NCAA tournament history,” Brennan said.

Finding out if they can is what makes the NCAA Tournament so special.

Fan Night voting will continue on NBA.com from Tuesday, March 16 (8 a.m. ET) - Thursday, March 18 (Midnight ET) as fans select the match-up for Tuesday, Mar. 23. Games include:Charlotte Bobcats @ Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers @ Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets @ New York Knicks, L.A. Clippers @ Dallas Mavericks

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“After watching him play, I put ice on my knees and have a Gatorade. It is unbelievable what the guy has to do.” - Kevin McHale on Dwyane Wade leading the Miami Heat

****    ****    ****    ****

AutoTrader.com Pre-Game Show

Ernie Johnson, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber

Webber on the importance of getting a good Playoff seed: “These games mean a lot today. You don’t want to just get in the Playoffs; you want to try to avoid some teams when you get in, too.”

McHale on Spurs guard Manu Ginobili: “Manu is the big difference in this team. I felt like Tim Duncan carried them in the January, February doldrums of the season. Manu right now is starting to shoot the ball with some confidence and doing what Manu can only do.”

Webber: “This is the Manu that we have been waiting for. Now we are seeing the Manu we all know and love.”

McHale on Spurs forward Tim Duncan’s performance so far this season:  “Tim (Duncan) shouldered the load for such a large part of the season. He is really shooting the ball and has been their go to guy. This rest is good for him as they get ready to go into the Playoffs.”

Webber: “Tim Duncan might be a power forward on paper but he is a center to me because he is 7 feet tall. This year he has done more by himself than ever before. He played great before the All-Star break and is probably trying to get a little rest right now.”

Webber on the Heat’s Playoff chances: “They are up three games so they may make the Playoffs but this team, I just don’t get. Dwyane Wade has to do everything. I mean everything - defensively, offensively, he has to score 50 points, he has to rebound, even make last second shots. It is not that he doesn’t have help but I’m not a believer. This is why they play the game to make the unbeliever a believer.”

McHale on Wade leading his team: “After watching him play, I put ice on my knees and have a Gatorade. It is unbelievable what the guy has to do.”

McHale on what makes a team unstoppable in the first round of the Playoffs: “You hate to play a good defensive team, because you can’t get enough separation on them. With a good defensive team, it is going to be a low scoring game. Defensive minded teams are tough to play in the Playoffs.”

Webber on being the underdog in the Playoffs: “I remember when we played the Bulls when they won 72 games going into the Playoffs. They only beat us in 5 games by a total of 7 points. We didn’t care, we were so young. It was our first time. We were so excited, we knew Jordan was the best and knew we had nothing to lose. All we wanted to do was let you know that at the end of the night we were going to be a tough out. And at the end, if that is all you said about us you knew we were coming back next year. Never underestimate the underdog.”

McHale on the Western Conference team that he wouldn’t want to face in the first round: “San Antonio with Ginobili playing well. The thing with San Antonio is that the moment won’t be too big for them because they have won Championships.  They are going to step in there and say ‘we were born to do this’.”

Webber: “If I’m Utah, I don’t want to play Oklahoma City. Utah is playing well now but they haven’t for the better part of the year.”

Webber on the Eastern Conference team that he wouldn’t want to face in the first round: “I’m going to go with Atlanta vs. Charlotte. I like Atlanta, but Charlotte you just don’t want to play around with them. This round is all about match-ups.  It is not that big of defensive matchup and with a coach like Larry Brown, you never know.”

McHale: “I would go with Milwaukee. They have the two things you need to win Playoff games: a 7 foot center in Andrew Bogut playing well and dominating the paint and they have a point guard (Brandon Jennings) that can really change the pace and really break some people down.”

*****  *****  *****

T-Mobile Halftime Report

Johnson, McHale and Webber

McHale on how the Spurs are playing well without Tim Duncan: “Defense, defense and more defense. They are doing well on the defensive end and Ginobili and (George) Hill are playing very well.”

McHale on Dwyane Wade’s shooting percentage: “It is so hard on him. Look at the shots he has to make for his team to have a chance.  He takes tough shots all the time.”

*****  *****  *****

NBA GameTime presented by Hyundai

Johnson, McHale and Webber

Webber on the Heat’s Playoff chances over Toronto:  “At first I would say no but if the “if” factor is Toronto than I would say yes. I don’t believe in Toronto just as much as I don’t believe in Miami. Hedo (Turgalo) hasn’t jelled, you hear some rumblings from (Chris) Bosh and the team is not playing well.  If this is incumbent upon Toronto playing well to get Miami in, then I think Miami is safe.”

McHale: “I think Miami gets in only by default.”

McHale on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ team chemistry: “They are having fun. I would go play for those guys, they have a ball. Right before Christmas I saw something different in that team. They started looking like they were getting it together; they started getting that camaraderie you need to have. To me, clearly they have been the best team in the last few months of the season.”

Webber: “To me, LeBron is so humble that it spreads throughout the rest of the team. The way they are playing right now would have to make them a league favorite.”

Pregame, Eddie Jordan stressed getting the ball down low to Elton Brand. With Louis Williams out with lower back pain, Thaddeus Young was moved into the starting lineup at small forward…which made Andre Iguodala the two guard.

He told me he’s pleased with the team’s effort the last few games: “We’re fightin’ man. We’re in the game…we’re emotionally into it…we’re physically into it. We have some liabilities, but we are fighting our butts off. We want to play better. We want to win games. There are no moral victories. We aren’t satisfied with playing hard. We wanna win.”

I noticed Willie Green is getting after it and the veteran is doing whatever it takes to get his team on the winning track. When speaking to him pregame, I could hear a leader behind his words…specifically in regards to effort:

“We are doing what we are supposed to be doing. Every game should be a dogfight. That’s what we need to make it in order to put ourselves in position to win. It’s good to see us going out there and having a flow. We wanna get some wins too. We are going to try and get some wins and continue to play hard the rest of the season and just finish it out.”

The Sixers have been a playoff contender each of the three years I’ve covered the team. Since Willie’s been here through thick and thin, I wanted to get a sense of where he is mentally: “It’s always difficult when you are losing. Nobody likes to lose. It’s tough for an organization and the team, but you try to pull together and go out there and realize it’s a blessing to be able to go out there on the floor and play. Anytime you get the opportunity, you go out there and make the best of it, try to have fun with the game and play it the way it’s supposed to be played.”

Prophetic…Willie Green’s 15 and Jrue Holiday’s 12 paced the Sixers in the first half. The effort everyone spoke of was there and the crowd was appreciative. The Knicks could have gave up on the road, but didn’t. Dalino Galinari had 11, Wilson Chandler 10 and Tracey McGrady’s 9 led the squad. Philly shot 50% from the floor in the half and led by 11 heading into the tunnel.

This is not something unusual as the Sixers have been getting off to hot starts recently. The problem with Philadelphia is sustaining consistency a full 48 minutes.

New York outscored Philly 29-14 in the third quarter. The Knicks shot a blistering 57.9% (11-19) in the period as opposed to the Sixers abysmal 24% on 6-25 shooting. New York hit 4-7 threes while Philadelphia missed 6 of 7.

An 11 point lead became a 73-69 deficit heading into the 4th.

Since promising point guard Jrue Holiday is beginning to show his what he can do guiding the team, the pressure of facilitating the offense was taken out of Iguodala’s hands.

It just wasn’t Andre’s night.

He shot 5-22 and scored a mere 14 points, but did have a career high 17 rebounds. Holiday on the hand had a nice all around game with 18 points, 8 boards and 6 assists.

Michael Tillery: Jrue, you had a pretty good game, what happened to the team flow in terms of sustaining second half momentum?

Jrue Holiday: Just coming out the third quarter, we didn’t have that pep we really needed to carry from the first half.

MT: You are a young point guard with talent. How can you somehow lead this team into better performances?

JH: I need to come out the 3rd quarter and ignite the intensity. We need to start off where we left it.

MT: What are you learning about your game through these stretches?

JH: I’m learning to be aggressive on both sides of the ball.

Jordan also spoke of not falling into Mike D’Antoni’s trap of firing up threes at will. When Tracey McGrady hit 3-3 in the first quarter, that all went out the window. The threes began to rain on dribble drive kick outs and before you knew it, the Sixers were 6-25 for the game from behind the arc while the Knicks were 11-25.

I asked how could such a shooting performance happen from behind the line after stressing pregame his team would not fall into the Knicks philosophy:

“They shoot quick threes. They shoot a ton of threes…more than anyone in the league I think. I thought we had open rhythm threes. Our three point shooter Jason (Kapono)…Andre, Drew…Willie had mid range shots I thought…drive to the basket…we just couldn’t establish an inside game.

Speaking of the inside game, Sammy Dalembert hit half of his 8 shots and all three of his free throws for 11 points. He also had a game high 18 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Elton Brand was held to 3-8 shooting for just 7 points. I asked him about somehow sparking positive energy in practices: “Yeah, yeah.We need to protect our home court better. We need to play better at home. That’s the main thing. We’re not bad on the road actually…top 12-13 teams in the NBA away from here. We need to get together, talk it out and finish the season strong. We have the talent to do it and play the right way.”

Willie Green spoke of the Sixers not coming out in the second half with intensity and a sense of urgency. He gave the Knicks credit for playing a better half than his team did. The Knicks hit shots and the Sixers didn’t. It’s as simple as that. They fought hard and played hard, but still came up short. He said the team is hanging their heads a little bit after teams come back and make expected runs.

I asked him what’s needed: “It’s not one specific play. I think it’s a combination of continuing to come out in the second half. When they make runs, we have to stay patient, stay calm and start executing on both ends of the floor. Those are the things that are gonna get us over the hump.”

I told him he had it going…

“There was a momentum swing. I had it going. The team had it going and in the second half…they got it going. As a team we couldn’t get it going…including myself. My teammates looked for me. We were struggling making shots. It’s a mental game we have to settle down, call a timeout and come out with more energy.”

Toney Douglas, the rookie out of Florida State, ignited his team with 20 points and 7 assists. It was a solid performance on both ends. After he stole a pass and subsequently scored to put his team up one after being down since the end of the half, you could sense the relief in his reaction despite it being only the third quarter.

He told me about his game, getting back into it and the Sixers shooting 25 threes: “I wanted to leave it all out on the floor. I never want to come into the locker room and say dang, I wish I did that or I wish I did this…or I didn’t play hard enough…especially on defense.

We had to get one stop at a time. That’s how you have to look at it. Make a stop, score. Make another stop, score and then you get back into the game. We all made stops which converted into easy buckets and we went from there.

It’s good they shot that many threes because we are getting out and running…getting easy buckets. I love to run. I’m going to push it so hard, I’m gonna make defenses help and then I’ll kick it out.”

The player I was most impressed with besides Douglas was Dalino Gallinari. It was more than his 21 points. His stroke is ridiculous. When this kid consistently adds the dribble drive to his game, he will be an all star. Straight up. Unlimited talent and you can see it in his eyes he wants to show everyone just how talented he is.

MT: As you mature while your team is not playing so well, what’s the mindset?

Dalino Gallinari: We’ve been talking and watching a lot of video with the coaches to see which are my weaknesses and work on them in practice. That’s what I’ve been trying to concentrate on. Last year when I came into the league I just played 28 games and was just considered a shooter. Coming to the USA, I didn’t. I knew I had other game. We are trying to get back on that level.

MT: You are a very talented player. Where did you learn how to shoot?

DG: I was in the gym a lot. Especially when I was younger I practiced a lot. If you want to get better you have to want to get in the gym and improve on what you don’t do so well. Try to produce in the game what you do so well in practice.

MT: Who was that guy you grew up watching?

DG: I have to thank my coaches for sure. I was watching a lot of NBA and Michael Jordan like everybody. My knowledge of the game? Practice and practice with my coaches. The European style is all about using your teammates. If you don’t know how to play the game, you are not going to play…especially overseas.

MT: When did you know you were going to be standing here answering questions from reporters?

DG: When I finished my last season in Milan and we lost the semi-final, after the playoffs I decided to talk to my parents and my agents and said what are we gonna do next year? We decided to try and get over here. It was a long process of choosing the right agent and then coming here doing all the workouts, getting into the draft and I made it.

MT: Explain how you got to know Mike D’Antoni and his system for the people who don’t know.

DG: It is a great situation for me. It’s such a small world because Mike played with my Dad for nine years. I knew already what game and style the team had, so I thought it was perfect for me. I’m blessed to be here.

MT: What was that European player you watched growing up?

DG: I watched Sasha Danilovic and Toni Kukoc.

MT: I asked because I’m trying to get out of you where you got that stroke from. It’s pretty. One of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. Even your air balls look as if they are gonna fall like water.

DG: Since I was like eleven or twelve or thirteen I was practicing like three times a day. I expected a lot even back then. It helped a lot. I grew taller in nature and here I am.

MT: What are your short term goals besides helping your team win? What do you want to do individually in this league?

DG: I want to reach my strongest point as a player. I want to be as good as I can. I have to work out and do what my coach tells me to every time. I don’t have a motive or a specific player that I want to be like. I just want to concentrate on myself to help this franchise as I can because I love it here and want to spend my entire NBA career here.

Almost done. I wanted to contrast Dalino’s rise to path of Bill Walker. The high school teammate of O.J. Mayo in Huntington, West Virgina is a tremendous athlete. One can’t be sure if he’ll be able to rise like he did before he ruptured his acl in 2007, but his hops are still above average. The last time I spoke to him was when Boston came to town in 2009. He and Gabe Pruitt were young talent trying to break Boston’s rotation during a championship year. He and Eddie House were traded at the break to Boston in exchange for Nate Robinson. Time for a fresh start and I hope he gets the opportunity to show what he can do because Walker can go. He and Michael Beasely were a monster tandem at Kansas State. Now he’s in Gotham…

MT: The last time we spoke you and Gabe were pups. You are here now. Whatcha gonna do?

Bill Walker: Ball out man! You know what I do. That’s what I’ve done every where I’ve been and as I get better hopefully this will be the spot for me to show and prove. I just want to get better and help the team win.

MT: Were you happy when you knew you were being traded here?

BW: Definitely happy. I knew i would have the opportunity to play here. I’m around coaches who damn near come from where I’m from so it’s a good situation for me.

MT: Obviously you want to finish strong these last 17 games or so…

BW: There’s a lot of stuff in my game I want to try out but sometimes you gotta pull back. I just want to do everything everyone thinks I can’t do. They say I can’t shoot and this and that. I’m using all the negativity as motivation.

MT: I was out in Cleveland and I saw you put up some good numbers in a half against the Cavs. You did your thing that night. Is that all it is in the NBA is getting the opportunity? I remember you chompin’ at the bit on the C’s bench.

BW: I think it is. It’s more mental than people think. Guys wouldn’t be here if they didn’t have ability but are they mentally ready to be put in a position they are not comfortable? A year where they are not playing but working out every day and that’s all it is. I give kudos to Doc Rivers. He told me every day to be ready. Stay professional because you never know when your chance is coming. I believed that. I woke up every day thinking today is my opportunity. When it finally came, I felt like I was ready. It’s paying off so far.

MT: What’s the craziest thing about playing in New York?

BW: Just being in Madison Square Garden. It’s great! I remember watching Ewing and all them…Allan Houston vs Tim Duncan and the Spurs in the Finals? What?

MT: Yeah…1998…

BW: There’s a lot of history.

MT: I’ve asked you this question a few times over the years but what are you looking forward to as you become a veteran NBA player?

BW: I’m just trying to get better. To go out there and put my name next to players I used to watch coming up. There are a lot of great players in this league. I just want to be at the top. That’s what I work for.

Jonathan Bender last played in the NBA in 2006. He’s been plagued by nagging knee injuries and never quite lived up to the potential he had for himself. I remember initially seeing Bender at a holiday season tournament in Delaware…Slam Dunk to the Beach… with my son Gaston and a friend Barry Bell. Despite other great players present, Bender was definitely the best. It seemed like he was up near the box on every rebound. To get back into the NBA after so much time off is remarkable and as you read here, his life is more than about just basketball.

MT: Congratulations on getting back in the league. Great accomplishment. Talk about the road back and why you came back.

Jonathan Bender: It was tough. It was always in my head to come back. I wanted to try it one more time and I’m here. It’s been a tough road as far as exercising, working out and doing everything I need to do to keep my knees in order. Once I stopped I knew I was gonna try it one more time. At least once…I was just to young to hang ‘em up…so this is that time.

MT: You’re knees forced you to retire…

JB: Yeah, I had to leave.

MT: You are on a team that’s definitely in transition. What’s different about the league now as opposed to then?

JB: There are little differences. There’s a lot of different guys. I’m older now. I’m in a different position because a lot of guys call me older. When I was in Indiana I was a young kid. Definite change of culture.

MT: What’s the difference in D’Antoni’s style as opposed to what you were probably used to?

JB: It’s running. There’s not a lot of beating your body up. Moving without the ball, with the ball, cutting, getting open shots.

MT: Is there less of a priority on defense in this league compared to the league you played in earlier?

JB: Some sort.

MT: What’s the difference?

JB: Those old school guys were a different caliber. You had Dale Davis…Reggie Miller…all those old guys. Real tough heads. Especially tough on defense. I think everybody was tough on defense. Now it’s more offensive minded. Everybody runs more free offensively.

MT: Obviously you aren’t just happy to be back. Are you proud of yourself?

JB: Yeah. Definitely. That was my goal to get back and I’m here.

MT: Can you describe the moment when you got that call?

JB: Well…you know…I called them. I made some calls. I was always in touch with Donnie (Walsh) while I was away telling him I was going to come back. I got cold feet and I stopped. I stopped before training camp. I waited two more months. Trained some more and just got my mind right.

MT: Were you really excited?

JB: No, not really. It was more of a moment in concentration. Ok…my goal was accomplished…all that. There was a lot of hard work. I wanted to prove every critic wrong that I could.

MT: Now that you are here and thinking more about the present as well as the future, what do you plan to do after basketball?

JB: All the stuff I was doing when I wasn’t playing basketball. I will be doing that the rest of my life. Charity stuff. Working on my nonprofit. Low income housing. Getting youth to understand where they are and where they need to be.

MT: Can you be more specific? People need to know this.

JB: Yes, I have the Jonathan Bender Foundation

in New Orleans. Right after Hurricane Katrina, we rebuilt some school libraries. Put a lot of families in homes. Developed some properties. I’m looking to get back to that.

MT: You ever think of being a coach, GM or broadcaster?

JB: I haven’t really thought about it but possibly. I don’t think I would be a good broadcaster. I don’t know about that one. (We laugh) Probably a GM or something.

OK, this is it. Each game, I want to interview a fan as well as ask athletes reader questions. It all depends on the moment and while I’m not sure how this will develop, I want to make this happen because of the fan/athlete/organization disconnect that’s growing wider and wider still. If you see me at a game, get my attention and you could be the one. I got the side eye look for some sistas from Philly, so I hit the first person I saw and he was gracious enough to do this…Army SSG David Darois, who attended the game with his buddy, Robert Badua.

MT: Sup tough guy? What brings you here?

David Darois: I’ve been a Knicks fan since I was ten. I’m 30 years old. I moved to Pennsylvania when I was 13 and ended up playing in Madison Square Garden.  When Patrick Ewing was traded, I stopped watching it because they weren’t any good.

MT: So what happened. What brings you hear tonight if you don’t follow the sport as closely.

DD: I got free tickets. I’m in the military. I’m hoping next year we get LeBron, Bosh and whoever else.

MT: Do you like the way the sport is evolving? Wait…man you have Giants gear on and everything…you do know this is Philly right (we laugh)?

DD: I’m a one minded person. I will always love New York. Knicks, Rangers, Mets, Giants. Football is always the biggest sport of them all. Baseball is second and then hockey and basketball. The Knicks can move up though if they start winning. I’ve been alive since 1979. I saw the Mets win in 1986…I’ve seen three Giants championships. I’ve seen one Rangers cup (yeah that one). I will not give up on any of my teams and I always support them. If they’re winning, yeah I’m gonna watch them more. I haven’t watched the Knicks live since they gave up Ewing. He is my favorite New York Knick. My second was Mark Jackson.

MT(As I look over to Donnie Walsh who is sitting on the bench): Did you watch 30 for 30 on ESPN last night?

DD: Nah, I missed it.

MT: As a Knick fan, you have check that out. It’s called Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks.

DD: I love Reggie Miller the player, but I hate him as a Knicks killer.

MT: What do you remember vividly about Reggie?

DD: (You should see the look on his face. Mean, face all mashed up) I remember that 8 second spa he had in the playoffs. I was a teenager.

MT: Did you think the game was over?

DD: Oh yeah! I never thought a game was over until it was over after that. I like David Lee because he has my first name. I was mad they got rid of Nate Robinson. Hopefully he wins in Boston. He is good. I know we’re clearing space for LeBron and Bosh. I like D’Antoni as well.

It was also a night former Sixers dancers were back so they could perform on the Wachovia Center floor one more time. It was great to see the happiness on the ladies faces before and after a great halftime show. It was the 1999-2008 Sixers Dancers Alumni time to shine and one sentiment I noticed was most of the ladies missed so much what they loved to do and there was a little sadness when it was all over.

We gotta be different…

In the Sixers/Cavs recap, Courtney Migliocco’s question to LeBron James was answered. Courtney was a standout senior on my daughter Taylor’s basketball team and a huge LeBron James fan. You all know I’m all about bridging the fan/athlete gap, so I thought this would be a peace way to get fans and readers involved in our game reports. Tonight I’ll be covering the Sixers and Knicks and since both teams are a little down this time of season, this might be a good time to get your questions answered. I’ll ask one question per game. I can’t promise anything obviously, but if you make it good, I’ll do my best to get it done.

The Philadelphia 76′ers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-95 on Friday night and obviously are a team searching for an identity. It was good to see a professional effort and as a result one would assume there will be better times in Philly soon enough. The game itself was pretty entertaining as both teams explosively put down a myriad of high flying dunks that seemed to one up the previous. The Cavs were led by LeBron James with 23 points (more on this later), 10 dimes, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Mo Williams scored 21 on 8-13 shooting and Delonte West hit for 17. Philly was paced by Andre Iguodala’s 30 points, 7 rips, 5 assists. In my opinion, Dre had two of the best dunks I’ve seen this year after LeBron went baseline reverse in the dunk pictured. Elton Brand had 24 and 9 Chucks and Thaddeus Young put in 15. Interviews with Sonny Hill, Austin Carr, Jodi Meeks and J. J. Hickson. LeBron comments on transitioning from #23 to #6,  Jrue Holiday on getting up after professional disappointment, Eddie Jordan on game planning LBJ and Mike Brown reflects on how the team would be affected by the injury to Antawn Jamison. LeBron also vehemently stated to another reporter that he would never want to be a head coach in the NBA (he said it was too much pressure….hmm), but GM or ownership is a different story. Again, I hit a lot of players just to give a sense of the NBA mindset. A reader question from Courtney Migliocco is answered from LeBron as well.

It simply hasn’t been the Sixers season. They’ve played in front of sparse crowds and have dealt with drama not driven by their own volition. Sitting at 23-42, going up against the 51-15 Cleveland Cavaliers became a foray of how inspiration affects pride. The sellout crowd of 20,433 wanted a show…and both teams gave it to them.

Obviously most in attendance were at the Wachovia Center to see LeBron James. There were James jerseys throughout the arena and you could actually hear faint chants of MVP during the game. Pre-game, I asked Sixers Head Coach Eddie Jordan how a superior talent like LeBron James affects the game plan:

“Well first of all our transition defense has to be great. He’s one of the best coming out of the back court…finishing at the rim. I like our match up. I think Andre’s done a terrific job with the Carmelo Anthony’s of the world…his match up is all the best players. He’s done a good job for most of the season and we’ll see how it goes tonight. They have a lot of weapons. They have bigs that roll to the basket, they’ve got three point shooting and they have him. Pick ya poison. We don’t want to give up layups.”

The Sixers stayed close most of the game. They shot 53% in the first half as Iguodala and Brand both scored 16 on combined 14-22 shooting. Brand was a workhorse and appears to be healthy after dealing with the frustration of not being 100% and helping this team win. He’s an underrated player and what the fans have to understand is that if ya hurt, ya hurt. Simple as that.

There’s something about going up against the best players in the game that brings out the Doc dervish revisited in Andre Iguodala.

Some of his most athletic plays come against the likes of Kobe and LeBron and last night, he performed…throwing down two dunks that would make Dominique say “oooh”.

After the game, Andre signed autographs for season ticket holders. I had to ask him about one dunk in particular where it looked as if Doc came out of the sky, fell through Sixers future reversed and transformed his 6 into Dre’s 9.

Michael Tillery: On the oop, were you looking down at the rim? It sure as hell seemed like it.

Andre Iguodala: (smiles) I was waiting for Jrue to throw it. I had to hang in the air a little longer.

MT: How did you get up so high? My goodness dude.

Dre: I knew Anderson Varejao was there. He’s a physical cat, so I had to make sure I got up high enough to get out of his way.

The Sixers just couldn’t get that big shot or turnover that would have swayed the game in their favor. With Cleveland leading 98-95 with 1:28 left, the Sixers never scored again. Mike Brown stresses defense and getting after 50/50 balls. The pivotal play was with 20.9 seconds left and the Sixers down two. Jrue Holiday drove baseline, looked for a teammate and after leaving his feet under the basket, he passed the ball directly to Delonte West…who was immediately fouled and subsequently hit two free throws to close scoring. You felt bad for the kid and as he approached half court, he put his head down but was consoled on the spot by Lou Williams. As I walked up to Jrue post game, I could sense the disappointment and I didn’t want to kick him when he’s down so I tried to put the moment in perspective:

MT: This is for the kids Jrue. After you made that pass, you put your head down. Obviously losing the game was not your fault. What would you like to tell kids on how to get back up after what could be deemed a disappointing moment?

Jrue Holiday: Really? I have to say lean on your teammates. They are family to me. I did make a bad play and I put my head down because I knew the right play was there and I felt I should’ve made it.

I would tell kids to keep their head up. Blow it off. It happens. It’s the past. Keep it pushing and move on to the next.

MT: Obviously you are a very talented player and one of the league’s top rookies. Moving forward, does a play like that refine your skills to want to get even better within the team and also individually?

JH: Most definitely. Individually, I want to redeem myself. If I’m in that situation again, I know I’m gonna do better. I’m going to make the right play. The way my teammates were talking to me today, they know I’m going to make the right play too. They have all the trust in me. We’ll grow that way.

******

Mike Brown has a job on his hands when the Cavs are able to field their entire rotation because his team is so deep. He’s sat LeBron the last few games in Cleveland to give his superstar a well needed rest before the final season push. Covering the Cavs the last few weeks, I gotta sense of how articulate Brown is and what he expects from his team is 100% effort 100% of the time. Shaq is out with a thumb injury until most likely the second round of the playoffs, Leon Powe just returned, new comer Sebastian Telfair is nursing a groin and Antawn Jamison has been out since the second half of the victory against the Spurs with a slight knee injury.

MT: Coach what are you expecting out of your team with Antawn being out?

Mike Brown: We expect to just fight and not quit. Philadelphia has been struggling as of late and we feel if we get the ball from outside to another we have multiple drives and kicks and if we don’t bring the ball to a stand still, we will get some good looks offensively. We just need to make sure defensively we are relying on that end of the floor and in the first half we weren’t. That half was kind of a free-for-all, pick up type game where guys were just running out and getting buckets at will. We picked it up from our end defensively in the second half and Philadelphia did too. It was a low scoring game in the second half. I was impressed with our physical nature in the second half and in our ability to limit their transition buckets.

MT: Iguodala has pretty good games against you when you guys come here.

MB: I don’t know what it is. Maybe he likes playing against us. He does have good games against us and tonight was no different. He did a good job of getting that ball off the glass and getting out in transition. We don’t do a good enough job of slowing that ball down. We don’t load to make that paint look crowded because we know that’s where he’s going to go. He did a nice job of attacking the rim against us. In the second half, we did a little bit better job against him but by then the basket looked the size of the Atlantic to him. He’s a good player.

******

As mentioned, Mike Brown sat out six days LeBron (he said he was a little winded and slightly off rhythm) just to give him a well needed rest and to make sure the ankle he tweaked against the Nuggets was fully healed. He sure didn’t miss a beat when it counted…

MT: You’ve had six days off. Is there anything you could possibly learn at this stage in your career watching from the bench?

LeBron James: Uh…nah I don’t think so. I try to learn things every day. It’s nothing for me to sit on the bench and learn something that I don’t already know about the game of basketball. If something did happen that I didn’t see before, then that would be great, but in two games I didn’t learn anything (mad laughter).

MT: A reader, Courtney Migliocco, who is a huge fan, wanted to know what’s it going to take for this team to continue to win close games on the road as the season wears on in anticipation of the playoffs?

LBJ: We have to continue to execute offensively. Execution doesn’t mean the ball is going to go in all the time. We executed well at the end of the shot clock and J (Jamario) Moon missed a three in the corner. Defensively we have to close out teams and we did that today.

******

J.J. Hickson is becoming a fine player as well. He’s young and very gifted athletically. His poise when he does get time on the floor is a testament to his work ethic. He’s averaging around 8 points and 5 rebounds. When we spoke earlier after the Denver game in Cleveland, he was thrust into the center position because of Shaq’s injury in Boston later in the week. He’s learning of himself. I told him after the Spurs game I wanted to do something with him when we got back to Philly because the kid has some serious potential. Before the Denver game, the last time I spoke with him was at the Elite 24 at Rucker Park in 2006. He put up 40 in that game. The movie Gunnin’ for that #1 Spot on the event follows the piece. If you look closely at the end, you’ll see me rockin’ a Barry Bonds Jersey on the court post game.

Some baseline Hicksonessss…

MT: People saw the athleticism tonight. Seeing you these last few weeks, I’ve noticed you are gaining comfort within the system despite not knowing how much playing time you’ll receive game by game. Can you talk about getting time, not getting time, getting time and where the comfort comes from now?

J.J. Hickson: It’s all about consistency. I knew my time would come. All I had to do is work hard and be ready to play.

MT: I don’t remember which game, but we talked about you getting the majority of your minutes at the center spot. How’s that been over the course of the last couple of games?

J.J.: It’s been really tough, but I’ve used my athleticism and quickness to outwit bigger players.

MT: These games where you are winning on the road against a team a little down, what challenge presents itself?

J.J.: That’s the challenge. They have nothing to lose so they are coming out with a vengeance. Winning these games on the road is something we have to do as a better NBA team in our path to getting into the playoffs and hopefully winning a championship. That’s what we’ve been doing.

MT: What do you expect out of yourself as your team most likely finishes with the number one seed?

J.J.: Just to help my team whatever kinda way. Whatever Mike Brown or my teammates ask me to do, I’m going to do it.

MT: What are you learning from LeBron?

J.J.: Be great. Whatever you do, do it good. Do everything to the best of your ability.

MT: Were you a different player before you put on the Cavs uniform?

J.J.: Yeah, I think I was. I had to learn how to play off of everyone whereas in college I had the ball in my hand in most situations. It’s been good learning to play without the ball.

MT: Is it great for you to come in…you were highly touted in high school and college coming in. In fact, I watched Gunnin’ for that #1 Spot. We spoke at that game. You were boss with somewhere around 40 points. I checked it out because I’ve followed you and Brandon Jennings the most out of scheduling coincidences. That moment…I’m sure you all knew or highly aspired to become NBA players…was all about who was or who wasn’t getting to the NBA level for whatever reason. Comment on the path from that point in your life.

J.J.: I haven’t been doing anything different. What’s good is that people got to see it. High school and AAU people knew, but not so much everyone else outside of the game. I just took full advantage of it.

MT: What’s the difference between a good player and a guy that’s great enough to get into the NBA?

J.J.: Consistency in your own mindset and what you want to do.

MT: Obviously, a lot of kids are gonna begin to see and emulate your skill set because you are playing well on the team with the best record, what would you say to the kid who has superior talent and drive to just become a better basketball player?

J.J.: Just stay with it. Set small goals for yourself. Of course set big goals but small goals lay the foundation.

MT: Not being specific, but what do kids need to know about properly identifying a concrete work ethic?

J.J.: Go hard in everything. Be consistent. Don’t be ready to work out one day and then the next day don’t work out. Even if you don’t want to do it, you have to stay in the gym and work on getting better every day.

*****

On the other hand, there’s Jodi Meeks professional career hasn’t gotten off to a fast start. Drafted in the second round (41st) by the Milwaukee Bucks out of Kentucky, the talented shooting guard has yet to gain traction here in Philly after being traded with Francisco Elston for Royal Ivey and Primoz Brezec. The man who broke Dan Issel’s long standing University of Kentucky single game scoring record in January of last year…when he pumped in 54 against Tennessee…is simply biding his time and learning the NBA ropes.

MT: Very unusual to see a rookie traded during the season. Of course you probably didn’t anticipate the trade but how did it affect you?

Jodi Meeks: It’s no big deal. It’s part of the business. When the trade happened, I was happy to be here because I knew Philly liked me a lot judging by the draft process last year. I had to take it in stride, be professional and play well here.

MT: You’re known for having great ball skills and a high basketball IQ. Part of your early learning here is just trying to fit into the team dynamic.

JM: Anytime you come into a new situation there’s going to be a learning curve. I try to listen to my teammates, to the coaching staff, to everyone on the team. I’ve been on the team for about three weeks now. I’m trying to get adjusted and contribute when I get the opportunity.

MT: Is the NBA everything you thought it was now that you are here?

JM: Oh yes. No doubt. It’s a dream come true. At the same time, I’m here to work. I want to be a great player in this league. I’m confident in my abilities that I can do that one day. We have 18 games left. Finish out this year, win as many games as we can and next year start off fresh.

MT: Kentucky, your former school, is poised to win a championship.

JM: Definitely. I’m happy for them. They are playing really well and winning a lot. I watch as many games as I can. We play so many games, it’s hard to watch.

MT: Is John Wall under any type of pressure or is he the type of player that gets after it no matter what?

JM: I don’t think there is pressure. He’s just better than everyone else. As long as he stays focused when things he stacked against him, he’ll be able to make that adjustment necessary to as you said get after it.

******

Running back and forth from the Sixers and Cavaliers locker rooms, respectively, I spotted Philadelphia basketball historian Sonny Hill. The Sonny Hill League celebrated it’s 40th anniversary in 2008. Kobe, ‘Sheed, Aaron McKie, Eddie Jones…the NBA names just go on and on.  He’s a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. There is no better source of basketball history in this town and Anthony Gilbert, Ron Glover and I all know we are blessed to have his knowledge and wisdom at relative hand. After the definitive Doc piece…which also alludes to Wilt Chamberlain’s stature as an NBA legend as well as a Philadelphia great shot all over the web, I wanted to get his thoughts on the Big Dipper as the GOAT.

MT: Mr. Hill, I did a couple of radio shows this week. I included Wilt on my Mt. Rushmore of athletes because of what he accomplished over the course of his career. The reason why is because I spoke with you and John Chaney. You both said Wilt with no hesitation. Because the two of you transcend generations of the sport, I have to respect that also without hesitation. Can you elaborate on earlier conversations we’ve had about Wilt being the greatest player of all time?

Sonny Hill: Well I think the best way to describe it is what Oscar Robertson said to me on my radio show. I asked Oscar, “O, the Big O, who is the greatest player that ever played the game?” He said, “Sonny the record book does not lie.” What you have to do is you have to understand who owns the record book. I mean, it’s just incredible. No matter what era you may look at. Younger people may look back and say in that era there weren’t that many tall guys. Bill Russell is considered the greatest defensive player of all time. One season, the Philadelphia Warriors, who Wilt started playing with…now the Golden State Warriors…and the Boston Celtics played each other 19 times. When you look at the things that Wilt was able to accomplish…and then the league said well…you are destroying the league…let’s change the rules. Example: the alley oop pass…well back in the day, Wilt used to be able to catch the ball and guide it into the basket. The NBA put a rule in that prohibited that. So if he were playing today, he would be able to go up and get that shot. It’s hard to describe…people who saw the game back then and when they see the game in black and white…and now you see players that are now in color…and they seem to be much faster and quicker. LeBron James is probably the most imposing physical player we’ve ever had in the history of the NBA at his size, speed, quickness…weight. They only player who could compare to him would be Wilt. Wilt was that kinda athlete. Wilt had the tremendous speed to go along with all the gifts that he had. There’s no question he’s the strongest player that ever played the game, but people never think of how quick and fast he was. He was an athlete besides being a basketball player.

MT: The trade in 1967 (Wilt), the city didn’t get it back in terms of morale until Doc came into town?

SH: That was the end of an era. He was traded back here from the Golden State Warriors. They put together three magnificent seasons. They won one championship. They were the best team in basketball three consecutive years. There were some injuries in the playoffs. One was the year they played the Boston Celtics (’67) and were leading 3-1. Billy Cunningham broke his wrist and wasn’t able to play. They didn’t have the depth and the Celtics came back and won the series 4-3. In Wilt’s case, he was the first player in the NBA to have part of a franchise. They make a big to do about Michael Jordan owning a franchise (Bobcats). You have to understand that in his day, players weren’t allowed to have ownership of a franchise and he was Black? He was a head of his time. When you talk about Wilt, you talk about someone who was so far ahead of his time in terms of what he did in his game. He was always the highest paid player from the day he came into the league to the day he left it. He was the guy who took the league from having no identity to giving it professional credibility. Attendance went up close to 30% his first year.

When you talk about Wilt, you can’t compare players because the things he did were so astronomical that nobody even comes close to him.

*******

Austin Carr is by far one of the most entertaining color analysts in sports. He has his own style and lets it go in the flow of putting the fans hypothetically in the seat right next to him when calling games. He was an incredible scorer at Notre Dame…averaging 34 points and 7 rebounds. The 6′4″ guard was AP and Naismith Player of the year in 1971 and went on to score 15 points a game in a 10 year career…mainly for the Cavs. If you ever get a chance to watch a Cavs game on league pass, make it happen. AC for sure, “throws the hamma down”.

Michael Tillery: AC my book editor lives in Lakewood, OH and since I was out there for three weeks, I covered the Cavs. I gotta chance to listen to you on road games. The great part about it is that I would have rather stayed home and watched the game because of what you do and what you bring. Talk about your personality and how that shines through.

Austin Carr: All I try to do…the way I was taught to do it is basically make the fan feel that we are both watching the game together. Sometime I might add a little extra to it. Some of the stuff I learned on the playground. I try to explain the game as if someone (watching) doesn’t know the game…not try to talk down to you. That’s basically my philosophy. When I first started, Frank Lieber and Joe Tate helped me a lot…even though he was in radio. They always told me you are only as good as your last game. I tried to improve every game.

MT: You were an incredible scorer at Notre Dame. Did you anticipate at any time in your career…college and the NBA…going into broadcast journalism?

AC: No, no. Never never thought I would do it because as Joe Tate would tell you, i was afraid of the camera and the mic when I first started. I always gave you yes no answers but as I went on, Frank Lieber was the one who told me to learn how to treat the camera as if it’s another person. Once I got used to that, it relaxed me and now I just have fun. When you are watching the best player in the world play every night, a lot of good things happen. We have so many good guys that it’s fun to do the game and I just add a little extra playground lingo to it and that’s about it.

MT: You’ve been here a while. You alluded to Cleveland having so many lean years ever since Craig Ehlo (Michael Jordan’s shot) and now you have the get back…the best player arguably on the planet.

AC: This is my 39th year with the team. I came the second year (of the franchise) and I’ve been with them ever since. We’ve had some lean years…I’ve had some lean years with the team. We only won 23 games my first year. It’s been nice to see how…once we got LeBron…and added all the other players…Delonte West…now we have Shaq…Zydrunas went through a lot. There’s been so many things that happened to our franchise. Ask Dan GIlbert the owner…it’s been a good turnaround for the team and being our 40th year, this is our year.

MT: Being a player, you saw the talent level then. The athleticism is better…or more pronounced…but is the game as good as it was then? How would you describe the game?

AC: Well it’s not as physical even though some people will tell you that because of the defensive three second lane. That takes the big man out of the middle. When I played, once you beat the guard you gotta beat the center. You don’t have to do that anymore. When I played you can touch (AC is poking and pushing me, I was cracking up inside)…you can touch a guy. That would help the defender. Now you can’t touch so offenses have become almost like a joke to me because if a guy can’t touch you, how’s he gonna stop you? A guy like Kobe, Dwyane Wade or LeBron James? How are you going to stop him? The game has been legislated a bit to create more scoring and to create more entertainment and that’s the basic difference in the game.

AC’s classic call…

******

Almost done here. During the game, Anthony, Jake Appleman, Devon Givens and I were sitting in press row and noticed a fan holding up a Knicks jersey despite himself wearing a Cavs jersey and his boy wearing a St. Mary’s jersey. Confusing huh? Well, I had to get a pic and also get some words from the two fans to represent now what is going to be a crazy off season. I personally don’t think LeBron would go to New York because why would he start over? What if no big name free agent wants to join him in Gotham City? What has Mike D’Antoni won coaching so many talented Phoenix teams? Why would LeBron want to go to NY and deal with what would be the most craziest media Knicks frenzy the good side of the Tiger Woods fiasco? Why would he leave great fans and a hometown team with the league’s best record at such a pivotal time in his life? There are many other questions but for now despite having no comment on the matter, rest assured it’s on the tip of every media member’s tongue when LBJ is at the mic.

MT: Why the Knicks jersey? We’re in Philly and you are wearing Cavs gear? What the damn man?

Kerim Sarki: I got the #6 New York Knicks LeBron jersey because next year the Knicks open up cap space to get LeBron and two other stars. Madison Square Garden is the mecca of basketball. He’s coming. His contract is over at the end of this year. He’s going to the Knicks…the number one basketball place in the world.

MT: Why should he go to the Knicks?

KS: Even though they suck right now they will have enough cap room for LeBron, Dwyane Wade and another superstar like Chris Bosh. They’ll already have T-Mac. That’s a championship all-star dream team.

MT: What’s going to happen if LeBron James stays in Cleveland?

KS: (He repeats question) He’s going to stay in Cleveland forever. He’s going no where. Maybe later on when his feet go bad and he begins to suck then maybe he’ll go to the Knicks or another team. He’s in his prime, if he stays in Cleveland then most likely he’ll stay there his entire career.

MT: Maybe I can get an honest answer out of your boy. Why are you wearing a St. Mary’s jersey?

John DiNapoli: Because it’s where it all started. It’s where the legacy began. LeBron James in high school tore it up. Representing the Irish. St. Vincent/St. Mary. We’re representing the King.

MT: What do you think about LeBron changing his number to 6?

JDN: I think it’s a great idea because Jordan is an all time great and it’s outta respect for him so I respect that.

********

Speaking of the 6 jersey…

The entire three week period I was in Cleveland, I didn’t get the chance to ask LeBron about the number change. I thought it was appropiate he commented on it here, given what Doc means to the city. I’d spoken to him earlier in the season about the switch:

MT: Some people are taking the switch as a slight to history…you know Bill Russell, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson…to name a few…to say how come their number isn’t being retired…

LBJ: MJ had more of an impact than anyone off the court in history. His numbers speak for themselves on the court but what he was able to do off the court also inspired to want to play the game of basketball goes without saying. I think Magic, Bird and Wilt were unbelievable but none of those guys did what MJ did off the court as far as inspiring people to want to be great, wanting to be able to fly, jump and do the things Mike did and be in commercials and things like that.

MT: Do you think that has a lot to do with the digital age…the age we are in now?

LBJ: I think it’s all about timing too. When you have great timing, things work out for you.

MT: Are you happy with the evolution of the game so far?

LBJ: Uh…I mean…it’s uh…I think the ’80’s uh…presented better basketball players. I think early ’90’s also. The game…uh..is still great of course. It’s the greatest league that we have in the world. It’s the greatest sport I feel that we have. I feel like over the last few years…some of the guys…you know…GM’s…or whatever…kinda draft or pick off potential sometimes. That’s why you see some young guys taking four or five years to be able to get minutes or play to the abilities that those GM’s or coaches wanted them to be at. I think back in the ’80’s, if you weren’t four years out of college or you weren’t already twenty five or twenty six old, you wasn’t going to get an opportunity. That’s why the game was so much better.

MT: If you look back in history…Kobe…when I talked to him said he pulls from different players in history. Were there certain players you watched and picked up a move or a shot or something like that.

LBJ: Nah…I never picked any shots up. When you think of a fade-a-way you think of Jordan of course. When you think of a skyhook or a running skyhook across the lane you think of Magic. When you think of passing or a no look pass you think of Magic. There’s no one I took game from. There are a lot of people who inspired my game…MJ being one of them…Penny Hardaway being another…and Grant Hill being another one growing up around that time. There wasn’t anyone’s game that I kinda picked and said I want to add this to my game.

This is what LeBron gave me Friday…

MT: LeBron when I was growing up, I wore #44…Reggie Jackson’s #44…which reminded me and taught me a lot about Hank Aaron. #6 is big in this city. Could you talk about how the potential change to #6 is going to bring awareness to Dr. J?

LBJ: I respect Doc. I respect Bill Russell and all the guys who wore #6 but it’s not because of Dr. J. There’s a lot of personal reasons why I’ve changed to #6. I don’t need to go into it but I’ve worn #6 in the Olympics. I’ve worn #6 when I first started playing as a youngster but, if I can shine a light on Dr. J’s career I’m all for it too but it’s not the main reason why I’m doing it.

******

Michael Beasely, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans and J.J. go off in this game. You knew all these kids had a shot despite some being sophomores in high school. Enjoy. It’s a well put together movie. The Gunnin’ for the #1 Spot soundtrack is sickdiculous. You will nod ya head…

Is it the 1999 Tennessee Titans Motor City Miracle or Villanova’s April Fool’s Miracle in 1985? How about the 2007 New England Patriots attempt to join the 1972 Dolphins as undefeated champions or UNLV’s quest in 1991 for an undefeated National Championship season?

What does it for you, the NFL Playoffs in January & February or the Madness in March?

The NCAA basketball tournament is a four week gauntlet (Conference tournaments included) of 65 teams embarking on a four-week quest for college basketball supremacy. It all begins with Selection Sunday, where the field is chosen from among 32 conference tournament winners and 33 at-large teams. Teams are seeded 1-16 in four regions (East, South, Midwest and West) in the following format; 1 vs. 16, 8 vs. 9, 2 vs. 15, 7 vs.10, 3 vs. 14, 6 vs. 11,4 vs. 13, 5 vs.12. There is a play-in game the following Monday for the 64th team entered and Thursday the Madness begins.

Leading up to Thursday’s noon tip-off, office pools are filled out and turned in like Powerball tickets. Most for monetary gain, some just for bragging rights - all in the name of fun. I can imagine the use of PTO at some places of employment being off the charts. While those at work are checking for score updates throughout the day.

Methods for selecting the eventual winner of the tournament can vary from the seemingly obvious; like selecting the team with the best overall record to the simplest of criteria; a person’s alma mater or team colors, teams are even selected according to mascots. The Madness is great water cooler talk amongst friends and co-workers, but rest assured when the number of teams begins to dwindle, competitive juices begin to flow.

Personally, the best games of the tournament come on the first two weekends. Based on the seeding there is room for upsets as unfamiliarity with the opponent, neutral sites and the David vs. Goliath effect come into play. A #16 seeded team has yet to defeat a #1 seed, but four #15 seeds have defeated a #2 seed (most recently Hampton defeated Iowa State in 2001).

The race for the Vince Lombardi Trophy begins in the July heat of training camp and ends in a confetti shower in the middle of winter. The NFL may have the most grueling of seasons thanks to it’s physicality and the urgency to get an early jump in the standings.

You constantly hear the cliche’ that the NFL’s 16 week schedule isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Sixteen weeks isn’t that long considering that if you lose half of your games the postseason is virtually out of reach. The biggest factor in NFL games is injuries, not only to star players but those vital on the depth chart. The playoff push begins around Thanksgiving (approx. week 12), and at this point you can tell who the contenders and pretenders are as division races heat up and teams seriously begin to tighten up their game plans.

At the end of Week 16 the playoffs are set to begin - four division winners and two wild card teams from each conference do battle until a Super Bowl champion is crowned. Of the division winners the teams with the two best records receive byes while the remaining two play on Wild Card Weekend, the winners then face the two conference leaders in the Divisional Round (the best games of the playoffs). Those winners then face off in the Conference Championship aka Championship Sunday and then on to the Super Bowl.

I guess the determining factor for me would hinge on hometown participation, I’m a lot less interested in the NFL playoffs if the Eagles aren’t involved than if there are no local teams in the NCAA’s. The NCAA tournament has us pulling for the small school with big dreams, some are just happy to be invited to the party while others have come to spike the punch.

In some places, college basketball is the only ticket in town and the hopes of that particular area are on the shoulders of kids - many of whom aren’t old enough to drink. NFL fans live for the playoffs and are just as–if not more–rabid. Like the NCAA’s, there are surprises but more often than not the two best teams are there at the end.  Both events are great and have become must see T.V.

Which must you see?