Archives › Mike Miller
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Of course Tom Izzo likes the limelight. It’s crucial to building a top-flight program. But I’m getting ahead of myself. As rumors continue to swirl around Michigan State’s coach being lured by the Cleveland Cavaliers (LeBron James?), there aren’t many details to further the story. The Cavs are interested, but haven’t made an offer. The…
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More rumors of Tom Izzo to the NBA popped up Sunday. This time, Izzo’s supposedly interested in the Cavaliers job. Right. File those under the “I believe it when I see it” category. Izzo has more reasons to stay at Michigan State than to leave. It’s that simple. But even if a new challenge –…
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It goes without saying that John Wooden’s UCLA teams were dominant. Ten NCAA tournament titles in 12 seasons, a 205-5 record between 1966 and ’73? Dominant’s the only word that applies. Even better? Those teams won playing different styles, and they played to win. No one wants to root for Goliath, but it must’ve been…
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Turns out John Wooden’s championship UCLA teams had more than great players like Alcindor and Walton. Never underestimate how a pretty girl can influence the refs. I’ll let Phil Jackson explain. (No wonder Jackson’s Lakers get so many calls…) Mike Miller’s also on Twitter, usually talkin’ hoops. Click here for more.
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The Associated Press ran down a host of coaches, former players and notable figures for their reactions to John Wooden’s death. Also, you can find reactions from NBCSports.com’s users here. “It’s kind of hard to talk about coach Wooden simply, because he was a complex man. But he taught in a very simple way.…
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Mike Miller’s also on Twitter, usually talkin’ hoops. Click here for more
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How else to describe college basketball’s greatest coach? The quote’s from UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, but anyone who knows the bare minimum about the Bruins icon could’ve said it. Terms like “legend” or “greatest” usually qualify as hyperbole in appreciations or obituaries. Not so with Wooden. He defined those terms, and sometimes exceeded…
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John Wooden died Friday. The legendary UCLA coach was 99. College basketball won’t be the same. The sport’s never seen a greater winner. His 10 NCAA tournament titles – all during a 12-year span – may never be matched given his closest active competition, Mike Krzyzewski, has four. It’s hard to believe to Coach…
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We’ve all read hundreds of features and columns about John Wooden’s career, but sometimes, all the adjectives and vivid descriptions aren’t enough. So let the numbers do the talking for UCLA’s legendary men’s basketball coach. Wooden won 10 NCAA tournament titles, all in a 12-year span. No other coach has more than four. UCLA won…
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Guess Eric Bledsoe’s one of the (un)lucky ones. Turns out a fraction of athletes approved by the NCAA’s eligibility center actually have new information surface that causes a review. Question is, why didn’t the NCAA do an extensive review in the first place? The Lexington Herald-Leader posed that very question to the NCAA, and received…
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Texas is the belle of the expansion ball. The only question is, will the Pac-10 be its escort, or will the Big Ten swoop in at the last minute? Such is the power of the Longhorn state. As news surfaced Thursday about the Pac-10 poised to invite six Big 12 schools – Texas, Texas A&M,…
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The guys at The Only Colors probably frequently see stories – and love to read ‘em — about Tom Izzo’s coaching contentment. When his name surfaced in the Oregon coaching search earlier this spring, a batch of popped up about why he loves MSU and how proud he is of his program. Well, how about…
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It’s been a spring of endless “Hoosiers” references, so what’s one more? Turns out one of the movie’s most famous lines – “Now boys, don’t get watchin’ the paint dry!” – was ad-libbed by the actor who spoke it, the late Dennis Hooper. “(Hopper) had an interesting way of rehearsing and memorizing lines — he…
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The SEC may finally address its basketball disparity. The East division – Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Georgia — continually fields stronger teams, yet those teams don’t get an advantage during the conference tournament. Last season, the East was 27-9 against the West and had three of the four semifinalists. All four NCAA…
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North Carolina’s depleted frontcourt got a boost last week when Alabama forward Justin Knox elected to transfer to Chapel Hill. Another boost may be on the way. James McAdoo, a 6-8 power forward who committed to UNC last fall and is scheduled to graduate from high school in 2011, may enroll a year early. “It’s…
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Good news for stat heads everywhere: StatSheet is getting bigger. The ubiquitous graphs you see on various blogs during the season (like here, here and here) are products of StatSheet.com, a start-up from Robbie Allen, a former Cisco employee who’s now trying to round up some venture capital so StatSheet can go from just one…
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The 2012 Duke-North Carolina game(s) may end up sounding like an Abbott and Costello skit. There could potentially be three Plumlees and two Zellers on the court. Good luck to the scorekeepers and announcers. David J. Phillip/AP Will another Plumlee join Mason and Miles Plumlee at Duke? Cody Zeller and Marshall Plumlee are two four-star…
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New wrinkle for Eric Bledsoe concerning the N.Y. Times story about possible NCAA violations: He might sue. Didn’t see that one coming. One aspect of the report was a boost in Bledsoe’s high school grades. According to Kentucky Sports Radio, Bledsoe is thinking about suing whoever leaked his high school transcripts. If that happens, we’ll…
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Questions surround Eric Bledsoe’s college eligibility. The NCAA is investigating issues regarding academics and extra benefits, according to a report from the N.Y. Times. Andy Lyons/Getty Meanwhile, Kentucky fans have only one question: What does this mean for the Wildcats? At best, nothing (though we won’t know for a while). At worst, it’ll be as…
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Some aren’t so sure John Wall’s a slam dunk as the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft. But the debate usually revolves around Wall or Evan Turner. Time to add DeMarcus Cousins to that mix? The Wages of Wins advises new Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonisis to give that idea some serious thought.…
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Connecticut knew this day was coming. Ever since a 2008 report regarding the violations committed in the recruitment of Nate Miles, it was only a matter of time before the NCAA officially wagged its finger at Jim Calhoun’s program. Friday was the day. The NCAA accused UConn of eight major rule violations following a…
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There will be roughly 1,492 previews for the 2010-11 college hoops season from various media outlets – including a bunch from here – which means they’re be plenty of info you’ll read again and again. Thus, it’s important to consider the source. If you see something from Si.com’s Andy Glockner, do yourself a favor and…
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It only took a week, but I think I’m finally used to the new blog format. Video’s a little easier to process, photos are not, and the posts are easier to digest because you don’t have to click on each individual post. In all, I’m digging it. On that note, you’ll notice that if you…
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President Obama’s never going to hear the end of Duke winning the 2010 NCAA tournament. That’s what happens when your personal aide played for Coach K. The president feted the Blue Devils in their White House visit Thursday, lauding their teamwork and their memorable championship game win against Butler. (Full video here) And when…
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ALLEN FREDRICKSON / Reuters Tubby Smith’s rough spring just got worse. First, it was the player exodus. Highly touted freshman Royce White left the team at the end of last season while suspended for legal issues. Junior Paul Carter transferred to Illinois-Chicago. Freshman Justin Cobbs is home in California looking for a school closer to…
