It’s hard to forget the name Wayne Simien. And I doubt anyone in Kansas ever will. This January, the 28-year-old had his No. 23 jersey hoisted into the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse with the hardware to deserve it. Consensus First-Team All-American. Big 12 Player of the Year. A 110-28 record from 2002-05 with the Jayhawks, winning three Big 12 titles and reaching two Final Fours and an Elite Eight. Oh yeah, and he ranks 12th all-time at KU in scoring, seventh in rebounding and fourth in double-doubles. Not bad. But despite all the success, Simien found himself searching for something greater than basketball, becoming a born-again Christian in 2003. Read More »

Hardcore basketball fans complain about the one-and-done rule a lot, but they do not always realize the implications of each situation. Basketball is a business. Sure, everyone wants to achieve greatness and bask in the glory, but it simply is not possible for everyone. Not everyone’s family has the type of financial support that enables them to play in college for four years. Read More »

What a game in Oklahoma City last night between the Thunder and the Blazers. It was a battle that had playoff intensity, physicality and atmosphere, great individual performances, and we saw the young core of a burgeoning NBA juggernaut take a formative step forward in their development. When it got down to winning time, the Thunder’s offense resorted to a two-man game focusing on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook running pick-and-pops and taking turns on isos and clearouts. Westbrook (28 points) ended up as the closer, burying three monster treys down the stretch to give OKC the 99-90 win … This season, it absolutely feels like the Thunder are starting to belong to KD and Russ (have you seen Russel’s kicks?), as opposed to just being Kevin Durant and a bunch of sidekicks. Everyone can feel it, including those two. Case in point, Read More »

One of the many perks of playing for college basketball’s best teams is also getting the freshest kicks. So with three No. 1 seeds playing today – Duke, Ohio State and Kansas – we thought it’d be nice to check out some of the heat they’ve had on the feet through the years. With that, check out the Top 5 Ohio State player exclusives from Nike Basketball. Read More »

As the NCAA Tournament field was announced, we wanted hit you with some initial thoughts on the seedings and matchups. We will have a lot more content coming your way in terms of previews, features and more in-depth analysis, but this is what struck me off the bat. Let us know what you think and stay tuned for more…

- The four No. 1 seeds make total sense: Ohio State (No. 1 overall seed), Kansas, Pitt, and Duke. After watching all of these teams one after another this past week, it seems absurd to think of the other potential high seeds, specifically Notre Dame or San Diego State, as being among the top 4. The only legit case would have been North Carolina. They split the first two games with Duke and won the ACC regular season, but after getting cracked this afternoon, they more than took themselves out of the equation. Read More »

With the Oklahoma City Thunder battling for home-court advantage, and the Kansas Jayhawks looking for their second NCAA Tournament championship in four years, Cole Aldrich is a busy man. But thankfully, he still finds time to update the world on his life. In his latest entry, Cole talks about adjusting to life after the trade deadline, Kansas’ shot at a national title and the best soul food place in Atlanta. Read More »

After an outstanding three-year career at Kansas, which included a 2008 NCAA Championship and three Big 12 titles during his tenure, Cole Aldrich was a Lottery pick this June. First selected by the Hornets before being trading to the Thunder on Draft Night, the Bloomington, Minn., native gladly returned to the Midwest. So with everyone’s expectations for the Thunder going through the roof this season, we decided there was no one better to turn to for the inside scoop on life in OKC. In his fifth entry, Cole talks about the D-League Showcase, Serge Ibaka in the dunk contest and his best Christmas gift. Read More »

After an outstanding three-year career at Kansas, which included a 2008 NCAA Championship and three Big 12 titles during his tenure, Cole Aldrich was a Lottery pick this June. First selected by the Hornets before being trading to the Thunder on Draft Night, the Bloomington, Minn. native gladly returned to the Midwest. So with everyone’s expectations for the Thunder going through the roof this season, we decided there was no one better to turn to for the inside scoop on life in OKC. In his second entry, Cole talks about the Thunder road trip, No-Shave November and his new crib. Read More »

After an outstanding three-year career at Kansas, which included a 2008 NCAA Championship and three Big 12 titles during his tenure, Cole Aldrich was a Lottery pick this June. First selected by the Hornets before being trading to the Thunder on Draft Night, the Bloomington, Minn. native gladly returned to the Midwest. So with everyone’s expectations for the Thunder going through the roof this season, we decided there was no one better to turn to for the inside scoop on life in OKC. In his initial entry, Cole talks about rookie hazing, facing his childhood idol and the best spot to get spicy California rolls in town. Read More »

Shabazz Muhammad was the breakout high school star of the summer. The 6-6 wing from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) was already rising through the rankings before he averaged 32 points per game on the AAU circuit and really blew up.

Now every school from North Carolina to Kentucky to Duke is in pursuit of Muhammad, a junior who is ranked 8th overall in the High School Hoop national Top 50. Muhammad has agreed to give HSH and Dime exclusive access by chronicling his thoughts in a regular diary where he’ll keep everyone updated on everything from his personal life to his high school season to his recruiting process. Here’s an excerpt from his latest entry: Read More »