Sports Blog

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

Tonight in the PMAC, an emotional LSU men’s basketball coach Trent Johnson will say goodbye to three senior players in Chris Bass, Storm Warren and Malcolm White.

This will be the first group of LSU players that Trent has coached during their whole college careers, except the two years that White spent at Ole Miss.

Bass and Warren were bench contributors on the 2009 SEC Regular Season Champion Tiger squad that was led by now-NBA star Marcus Thornton.

Without a doubt these seniors have paid major dividends that might not necessarily show up on a stat sheet.

LSU newcomers this year—McDonald’s All-American Johnny O’Bryant III and junior Iowa State transfer Justin Hamilton have teamed with White and Warren on the inside to provide one of the deepest front courts in the SEC.

Despite having to come off the bench for the majority of the season, the seniors have embraced their roles with a goal in mind of reaching postseason play.

Freshman point guard Anthony Hickey also took the reins as the starting point guard this season, leaving Bass in the backup slot he’s occupied during his four years at LSU.

The senior has used that opportunity to tutor Hickey in the ways of the SEC and Bass has even improved his assist total this season to 1.7 per contest.

The LSU team in 2009 that Bass and Warren were a part of also visited the NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual National Champion North Carolina in the second round.

Johnson mentioned this week in his press conference before the game against Tennessee how much it would mean to his seniors to get back to any type of postseason tournament.

It’s refreshing to see these three players enjoy a winning season this year after back to back 11-21 campaigns the last two seasons.

Countless times coach Johnson reminds the media of how much guys Bass, Warren and White lead by example.

Off the court, Bass was recognized for his work in the classroom, being named to the 2011 Academic Momentum First Team by the NCAS (National Consortium for Academics and Sports).

To end this farewell to the three LSU seniors that will be honored in their final home game, I leave you with a quote from Trent Johnson when talking about bidding adieu night earlier this week.

“Chris, everyday, he walks into this gym, he has a smile on his face, everyday. Malcolm, what he has went through this year off the floor, for him not to lose sight of what is the most important thing in terms of he has to get back, take care of school and his role.

“Storm’s situation is one that is really, really exceptional in my mind. What they have been through to graduate and more importantly to be on track to graduate early for two of them with the [academic] honor that Chris received earlier on in the year. I don’t know if people really, and you can’t, unless you are around them every day. You can’t understand how they have worked and what they have done. It will be neat.”

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

After it seemed a lockout would doom the NBA season, the All-Star game has snuck upon us.

This weekend, NBA superstars will flock to Orlando, Fla. to take in the beach, the parties and maybe even some basketball.

I’m going to preview and pick the winner from some of the events that make NBA All-Star Weekend such a ratings booster for TNT

BBVA Rising Stars Challenge (Friday, 8:00 p.m CT)

Team Shaq vs. Team Chuck

All-Star weekend is about one thing and one thing only: publicity. The event organizers have changed the format of the Rising Stars Challenge, which usually pits a rookie team against a sophomore squad.

This year, TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were given a pool of “rising stars” to select two teams to compete in the game on Friday night.

While I’m not a huge fan of the change in the way the teams were assembled, it will be interesting to watch the characters that are Shaqtus and Sir Charles pace the sidelines.

Even with O’Neal’s team possessing the biggest name in the NBA right now, New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, I still think Team Chuck will give an inspired effort.

My Prediction:

MVP: Minnesota Timberwolves G Ricky Rubio

Score: Team Shaq 133 Team Chuck 121

Foot Locker Three-Point Contest (Saturday, 8:00 p.m CT)

Participants:

Miami Heat F James Jones (2011 Champion)
Minnesota Timberwolves F Kevin Love
Orlando Magic F Ryan Anderson
New Jersey Nets G Anthony Morrow
Miami Heat G Mario Chalmers
Oklahoma City Thunder F Kevin Durant

The three-point contest this year is the event I’m the most excited about. Besides Chalmers, I think every participant has a chance to win it.

Throwing Durant into the mix after Atlanta Hawks’ guard Joe Johnson was injured makes the competition that much better. It gives NBA fans a rare chance to see a top-five player in the league compete in a contest that isn’t a regular game.

I think that Love, Anderson and Durant will advance to the final round.

My Winner: Ryan Anderson

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest (after three-point contest)

Participants:

Minnesota Timberwolves F Derrick Williams

Houston Rockets F Chase Budinger

Indiana Pacers G Paul George

Utah Jazz F Jeremy Evans

What can I say about this year’s dunk contest? The only thing I can come up with is that this might be the weakest field in recent memory.

I was optimistic about New York guard Iman Shumpert participating with help from Jeremy Lin, but an injury will keep Shumpert from taking part in the contest.

There aren’t any real high flying dunkers that pop out at me on the list. After Griffin stole the show last year by jumping over a car, I was expecting the NBA to enlist some big names to fill out the contestants.

Taking into account that the fans will be 100% responsible for the winner, I might change it to some college basketball after the three-point shooters conclude.

My winner: Paul George

NBA All-Star Game (Sunday, tip off 6:37 p.m CT)

East vs. West

Although it might be one of the most insignificant All-Star games amongst all major sports, it is definitely one of the most entertaining.

Don’t expect to see any defense. There will be a lot of shots, blocks, and disgusting alley-oops. Whether or not the intense competition will be in the air in the Amway Center I cannot promise.

These super stars really don’t have anything to play for but themselves, so don’t expect to see teams run offense or pass the ball a whole lot.

I’ve always been a Western Conference guy, but there’s no denying that the East squad is loaded with talent

My Prediction: East 124 West 118

MVP: Miami Heat G Dwayne Wade

What a week it’s been for the Harvard graduate Jeremy Lin.

The New York Knicks point guard is currently sleeping on his brother’s couch in the Big Apple.

After 109 points in his first four starts for the Knickerbockers, the most points ever scored by a player in his first four starts since the NBA/ABA merger, it’s safe to say he should be able to find decent lodging quicker than expected.

After spending last year with the Golden State Warriors as an undrafted free agent, the second-year guard was waived by his hometown team before training camp this season.

When he was signed and waived again by the Houston Rockets in December, the Knicks claimed Lin off waivers after an injury to rookie point guard Iman Shumpert.

It’s turned out to be a better move than anyone could have guessed.

Even without Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks are playing better than they have all season, much due to Lin’s play. New York has now won five games in a row and are rolling.

But Lin’s impact is felt way beyond the basketball court. He’s the first Asian-American to play in the league to be of Chinese descent. With Yao Ming’s retirement, he could be just what the league needs right now to keep its Chinese viewers overseas.

In the span of a week, Lin’s Twitter followers have skyrocketed to almost 200,000. Throw into the mix that he’s playing in the melting pot of the United States in New York City, and there’s no limit to how big Lin’s image can get.

I can only hope after the return of Anthony from injury and Stoudemire after his brother’s death, that Lin’s game continues to drop the jaws of onlookers across the country.

Whether his stellar play continues in the 2012 NBA season and beyond, I’m sure this last week will be one that Jeremy Lin and NBA fans will never forget.

After everything he’s been through the past three seasons, the one guy who should know what to say and when to say it is quarterback Jordan Jefferson.

I guess he’s still learning.

In an interview with an Atlanta radio station, Jefferson critiqued the game

LSU senior quarterback Jordan Jefferson (9) passes the ball during the Tigers' 21-0 loss to Alabama in the Allstate BCS National Championship game Jan. 9, 2011. (BRIANNA PACIORKA / The Daily Reveille)

plan for the BCS National Championship game against Alabama, questioned coaching decisions from the game and expressed NFL aspirations (lolz).

This isn’t a surprise. Jefferson has never handled press conferences, interviews or criticism well.

In his first interview following the Shady’s bar fight, he refused to accept responsibility for his actions, and said he never apologized to his team – something any self-proclaimed ‘team leader’ should do by default.

Poor performance after poor performance this season, Jefferson refused to admit his play wasn’t up to par, either casting blame on others or pretending his 58 pass yards were all part of the game plan.

And after the uproar from Tiger Nation on the lack of Jarrett Lee sightings in the title game, even Jefferson said he questioned the coaching staff at times.

“Yeah, when we came in at halftime we discussed what we needed to do different as far as moving the ball and getting in a rhythm,” Jefferson said. “You have to have certain plays for these certain types of defenses they were running. We talked about making the adjustment and the adjustment that we made wasn’t the adjustment that we needed to make to get the momentum and the rhythm going.”

Jefferson also somehow finagled his way onto the NFL Combine invite list, and he hopes to make an NFL roster (lolz).

“A lot of people out there don’t think I can throw the ball. In many instances throughout my career, I definitely proved that, especially playing Alabama all those years and playing Arkansas when they was No. 3 at home, I threw the ball 29 times for 250 yards. I’ve proved that a lot of times throughout my career, but the system that I’m in kind of keeps me away from throwing the ball like that consistently.”

I don’t know who Jefferson is trying to convince when he says he “definitely proved” he can throw. In the 41 games Jefferson appeared in since 2008, he averaged 114.15 yards per game.

In a league guys like Brees, Brady, Rodgers and Manning are dropping 300+ yard pass games week in and week out, there’s not much room for the 75-yard passing days.

Jefferson needs to count his blessings for having the chance to play in Tiger Stadium for three years, and take his talents to another profession. Unless a CFL career will suffice for him.

Mark Clements
Deputy Sports Editor

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

When Riverside Academy power forward Ricardo Gathers withdrew his commitment to St. John’s in November I thought LSU had a good chance to get him to change his mind and choose the Tigers .

It looks like I was wrong.

Gathers committed to play for Baylor head coach Scott Drew in Waco next season, he announced on Monday afternoon.

On Tuesday, he told The Advocate’s Scott Hotard he felt “LSU wasted his time.”

“I just felt like coach (Trent) Johnson didn’t put forth a great enough effort to get me,” Gathers told Hotard. “He kind of sent most of the assistant coaches on me like Brent Scott. I had to realize I wasn’t going to be playing for Brent Scott; I was going to be playing for coach Johnson. The simple fact I had only seen coach Johnson at one of my games, and that was the Scotlandville game this year. That doesn’t even really count because that was in Baton Rouge.”

The loss of the state’s best high school senior is a devastating blow for LSU head coach Trent Johnson and his staff. With the departures of senior forwards Storm Warren and Malcolm White to graduation the Tigers need to add depth in the front court.

Junior center Justin Hamilton has been All-SEC performer so far this season and Johnny O’Bryant III hasn’t missed a beat after coming back from a broken hand.

The only thing is, the Tigers have no natural centers or power forwards on the roster for next season behind those two.

Gathers would have been a great addition to go along with John Curtis shooting guard Malik Morgan, the lone commitment to play for the Tigers for the 2012 class.

Not only is it a big blow to the recruiting class as a whole, but not good news as the Tigers miss out on a kid that plays his high school games 50 miles away from the LSU campus.

Johnson has failed to get the best recruit out of the state of Louisiana the past two seasons.

If forwards Eddie Ludwig and Jalen Courtney, or even walk-on center Andrew Del Piero have to provide immediate depth behind O’Bryant III and Hamilton, it will not be good if the Tigers hope to compete for an NCAA Tournament spot next season.

Morgan will team up with guards Anthony Hickey, Andre Stringer and John Isaac to form a quality back court for Johnson next season. It will be interesting to see if the Johnson and his staff will seek out anyone else to add to the 2012 class, but there might not be anyone else out there.

Albeit the crop of talent in Louisiana hasn’t been what it was in previous years, when LSU last made its last trip to the Final Four coach John Brady did it with instate players like Brandon Bass, Darnell Lazare and Tyrus Thomas.

Johnson must recruit Louisiana hard in the next couple of years so he doesn’t lose more in-state recruits like Gathers.

After two weeks of talk about the “Gronkle”, Peyton Manning and Osi Umenyiora getting fined $20,000, NFL fans will finally get a dose of football on Sunday.

The rematch of Super Bowl 42 between the New York Giants and New England Patriots has all the indications of another classic game.

The Pats and coach Bill Belichick were the AFC No. 1 playoff seed, but failed to beat a team with a winning record during the regular season.

New York on the other hand won the NFC East in Week 17 and haven’t looked back. Eli Manning has played nearly perfect football this postseason, throwing eight touchdowns to just 1 interception.

The biggest key to the game for me is if the Giants can get a pass rush on Tom Brady.

If the front seven of New York can get Brady out of the pocket and fluster him early, it will be a long day for the Pats.

On the other hand, if New England can get a big game out of Aaron Hernandez or Chad Ochocinco, they might have the upper hand.

I don’t think Gronkowski will be close to 100 percent and will not have the impact in the passing game he did when he was healthy.

The Patriots will have to take shots deep on New York’s secondary. Hernandez or Ochocinco could break a big play that decides the outcome of the game.

In the end, I just think the Giants’ offense is simply hitting on all cylinders since they beat Dallas for the division crown.

This also isn’t the intimidating New England defense of old. A group of young corners will be faced with the tall task of containing wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.

Belichick will get out coached by Tom Coughlin again in a Super Bowl.

Final Score: Giants 27 Patriots 20

And hopefully no Madonna wardrobe malfunctions.

Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

Super Bowl Media Day took place on Tuesday in Indianapolis and was entertaining as usual.

Here are some of the highlights:

Rob Gronkowski mum on playing status

The only bigger story this week than whether or not Peyton Manning will remain in Indy is if record-setting Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski play on Sunday. “Gronk” was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after the AFC Championship win over Baltimore and has been in a

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski answers questions during Media Day for NFL football's Super Bowl XLVI Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

walking boot since. However when he took the podium Tuesday, the boot was gone. Gronkowski told reporters he’s getting better everyday but wouldn’t reveal anything further about his status for Sunday. Some media members also mentioned that although he wasn’t wearing a boot, Gronkowski was visibly limping as he made his way to the podium. I would be very surprised if “Gronk” doesn’t take the field on Sunday.

Eli defends his brother

Speaking of that eldest Manning brother, his younger brother Eli came out on Media Day and said that Peyton is “the best I’ve ever seen play football.” If Eli is able to win the Super Bowl on Sunday he will have two rings, one more than his brother. Eli also went on to say that he hopes to one day reach the level of quarterback play that Peyton has already achieved. Of course recent news from the Colts front office is that they do not want to retain Manning. Indianapolis has the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and will likely select either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. Peyton also came out in an interview with ESPN saying he hopes to return to the field next season. However, Peyton wouldn’t reveal any details of where he will be playing if he recovers from his neck injury. Yet another saga that will take some time to see a result.

Fans get their chance to take in the action

For the first time in Super Bowl history fans were able to buy a ticket to experience the fun of Media Day. For a mere $25, fans could purchase a ticket to get them into the stands of Lucas Oil Stadium and listen to player interviews through headsets. It was a great chance for fans to see their favorite players and for Colts fans to cheer when they heard any kind of talk about how great Peyton Manning is. There were over 7300 fans in attendance, which is a pretty significant number. Look for this trend to continue in the coming years.

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

As the Super Bowl draws closer, the big news in Indianapolis isn’t about the game.

It’s the back-and-forth between Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and all-world quarterback Peyton Manning.

Irsay, who is always vocal via Twitter, has once again gone after his quarterback, calling him a “politician” after Manning told local media that he barely noticed the Colts front office anymore.  One can’t blame Manning for being frustrated with personnel moves after Irsay has said multiple times he wants to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick.

Although the two have sent out a joint statement saying this beef is over, I find that hard to believe.

For all that Manning has done for the franchise it’s terrible to seen him being treated this way.  Irsay wouldn’t be able to be so cocky or build a new stadium to host the Super Bowl without Peyton Manning.

After all the drama in Indy, I think it’s very likely that Peyton finds another team.  Just like Brett Favre in Green Bay, Manning isn’t interested in grooming Irsay’s quarterback for the future in Luck.

I see the New York Jets and Washington Redskins as possible landing points for Manning if he decides to leave.

Quite frankly, Irsay needs to stop posting in house information on Twitter and start becoming a regular owner.  No owner in the league puts stuff out on social media so directly in the way Irsay does and it’s hurting his team.

And what happens if Luck doesn’t pan out?  Irsay will regret treating his quarterback so badly over these last couple weeks if Manning does decide to take his talents elsewhere.
If Manning were to leave Irsay high and dry, I wouldn’t be suprised in the least bit.

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

I haven’t really got to write anything NBA wise yet this semester, but it’s probably my favorite league in sports. This NBA season will be like none other. With 66 games packed into a regular season schedule, I think a different team will win the title this year than if it was a regular 82 game season.

Fans should take advantage of the interesting schedule. With all of the back-to-back games teams are playing it’s a good chance you can see a matchup of top teams three or four times a week.

Most teams have already played 15-20 games, so almost one-third of the season has already been played. There have been some surprising teams like the 76ers and Pacers that look like they’re ready to make an impact in the playoffs.

I’m going to take a look at the top five teams at this point in the season, even though there is plenty of basketball left to play.

Top Five Teams

5. Denver Nuggets (12-5)

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press

I know most people will say “Wow” at the Nuggets in the top five, but fans can’t deny how good they’ve played up to this point. After the Melo trade last year most thought that the Knicks got the better of the deal.

Think again.

Danilo Gallinari erupted for 37 point against the Knickerbockers inside of Madison Square Garden as Denver took them down in overtime, 119-114. Denver is just simply a more complete basketball team at this point.

Ty Lawson is one of the most underrated players in the league and he has pushed the tempo and got this team playing the speed they want. It will be interesting to see what happens with J.R Smith, Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin when they come back from playing in China later this spring.

Will it help or hurt this team? We’ll have to wait and see.

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press

4. Orlando Magic (12-5)

Dwight Howard is hands down the best center in the league. Kind of like the Carmelo Anthony situation, Howard has openly admitted he wants a trade. That hasn’t hurt his numbers yet this far this season.

Howard is averaging 20 points and 16 boards a game and has really opened up the outside shots for Ryan Anderson and J.J Reddick.

This team is playing great team basketball and with Howard on the defensive end this team could definitely make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

The only question is will Dwight Howard be there past the trade deadline? There is no doubt that Orlando could get a multitude of young players and draft picks for him, but it would mean a huge rebuilding project.

For now, this team will compete with the Miami Heat for the Southeast Division crown.

3. Chicago Bulls (16-3)

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press

When this team is healthy, there’s no doubt that they should be in the argument for best team in the league.

So far this year they haven’t been.

The Central Division is very weak outside of the Pacers and they have been racking up wins even with Rose out for a few games. Rose has come back, but now Luol Deng will miss some time with a torn tendon in his wrist.

The addition of Richard Hamilton fills that scoring shooting guard role this team desperately needed. The Bulls just couldn’t score enough to compete with the Heat last year in the Eastern Conference Finals, expect that to change this year.

Deng’s injury may be a huge liability, as some doctors have said he may miss the rest of the season. If that is the case, Chicago will have huge problems on their hands.

If rookie Jimmy Butler and Kyle Korver have to carry the load at the small forward position the rest of the year, Tom Thibodeau and his team will be in trouble.

2. Miami Heat (12-5)

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press

The Heat have started hot out of the gate after they lost the NBA Finals last summer to the Dallas Mavericks.

Of course they still have LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, two of the top five players in this league. They added Shane Battier and rookie point guard Norris Cole through the draft in the offseason, which have both been great additions.

The front court of Joel Anthony, Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem will have to play better in the playoffs if the Heat hope to bring a title to South Beach.

I thought before the season started that this team could win 50 games, doesn’t look like that will happen now. They should still finish the season as the top seed in the East and if Eric Spoelstra can figure out who to get the ball to down the stretch this team will be a very legitimate title contender.

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-3)

The Thunder have used the momentum they had getting to the Western Conference Finals and come out blazing.

They are one of the only teams who didn’t really make any additions in the offseason. OKC signed Kendrick Perkins and Russell Westbrook to extensions, so this team’s core will be together for a while.

Kevin Durant is once again putting up MVP numbers and Serge Ibaka is progressing faster than anyone could have imagined.

The one glaring problem I see with this team down the stretch is the loss of backup point guard Eric Maynor for the season to a torn MCL. Although Westbrook might be a top 15 player in the league, he’s not a pure point guard.

Sometimes at the end of games the Thunder need that floor general who will slow the pace down. Maynor was that guy.

All in all, should be a very competitive and fast paced rest of the season.

By Micah Bedard
Sports Columnist 

Sure the LSU women’s basketball team losing at Tennessee wasn’t that much of a surprise.  Nikki Caldwell’s team only lost by 9 to her alma mater, not bad for her first trip back to Rocky Top as a head coach at LSU.

But with 1.3 seconds left in the first half of that game, the women’s squad took a huge blow as they lost senior point guard Destini Hughes to a season ending knee injury.

Hughes is one of five seniors on the LSU’s women’s team and Caldwell acknowledges that she was one of the team’s leader.  She might have only averaged 7.3 points a game but started all 18 games this season.

More importantly she’s the only true point guard on this team.

The senior court general was missed Sunday as the team got blown out at home in the PMAC to Arkansas 72-52.  In that game the Lady Tigers committed 27 turnovers and never seemed to be in sync.

Speaking of injuries, sophomore guard Jeanne Kenney suffered a concussion against Tennessee giving the Lady Tigers serious back-court problems.  I wouldn’t be suprised to see Adrienne Webb take over at point guard in Hughes absence.

Caldwell talked in length after the game about the team’s off the court problems and injuries affecting the leadership and the direction this team is headed. Senior forward Taylor Turnbow was suspended for the Arkansas game and sophomore Bianca Lutley sat out the first half with a suspension.

This is not good news going forward for this ball club.

The Lady Tigers currently sit at 4-3 in the conference and will return home Feb. 3 for a three-game homestand after they visit East Tennessee State and Vanderbilt.

If Nikki Caldwell and her team can’t recover from these back-court losses, their chances of playing in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at home in the PMAC are threatened.

Throw in the fact that someone else might have to coach this basketball team as Caldwell’s pregnancy moves forward and this team will have a lot to deal with when March rolls around.