We’re sure you already know, but the high school basketball season is heating up. In addition to nationally televised games, holiday tournaments are giving us some of the best highlights we’ve seen since the AAU circuit. As always, HighSchoolHoop.com has been all over everything, from the biggest news to amazing video highlights. See what you may have missed: Read More »

Raymond Taylor (photo. Florida Atlantic University)

Before this video, I had no idea who Raymond Taylor was. Never heard of him. Couldn’t put a game to the face either. So I did some research and found out he plays for Florida Atlantic University – not exactly a hot bed of talent, but D-I nonetheless – and is a 5-6 junior point guard this season. Need more? He averaged 14 and six as a freshman, the six assists a game (technically it was 5.9) good for 11th in the nation (which is hilarious viewing some of the top YouTube comments where idiots claim a guy like this is one of the worst types to play with because he won’t pass). Through 11 games so far this year, he’s averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 dimes a night. But all that isn’t really why you clicked on this story is it? Read More »

I’ve been to some good games at some great venues – Madison Square Garden for the NBA, CenturyLink Field in Seattle for the NFL, Busch Stadium in St. Louis for Major League Baseball – but I doubt there’s a better place to watch a big game than Assembly Hall at Indiana University.

The house that Bob Knight turned into NCAA hoops holy ground was the site of not only the best college basketball game of the season on Saturday, but maybe the best game of any sport in 2011. Sports Illustrated writer Seth Davis tweeted afterward that Indiana’s buzzer-beating upset of No. 1 Kentucky might have been the best regular-season game he’s ever seen. Read More »

The first month of the college hoops season has already had enough defining moments to warrant the Luther Vandross treatment.

There was the poignant high of Coach K surpassing his mentor Bob Knight as the all-time leader in NCAA D-I coaching wins; the gut-wrenching (and ongoing) low of Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine throwing his program into scandal; the inspiring comeback stories of Arizona forward Kevin Parrom and Kansas forward Thomas Robinson; made-for-March upsets like UNLV over North Carolina, Presbyterian over Cincinnati, and Central Florida over UConn; and big-time matchups like Ohio State vs. Duke, Kentucky vs. Kansas, and Syracuse vs. Florida that were dipped in Tournament atmosphere.

This past weekend, though, gave us the most thrilling game, the highest display of talent, and the most grand exhibition of the best of college basketball, all wrapped in one 40-minute showcase in Lexington, Ky. Here is that game, plus the rest of the best and worst of the weekend: Read More »

There’s no player in the league who draws as much conversation as Rajon Rondo. For some reason, people either love him or hate him. Maybe it’s the jumper (or lack thereof). Or maybe it’s the attitude. He has talent, but in certain areas, he desperately struggles. There have been rumors all summer about where he could be ending up, and yesterday he told Boston that all he wants is clarity. Rondo would love to be in Boston, as long as he was sure the Celtics wanted him. You can feel his pain; Danny Ainge has told him he isn’t trading him, and yet we’ve heard his name in trade rumors for three consecutive summers. Read More »

One of the biggest storylines in college basketball this season is the Florida Gators’ backcourt. People are saying it is the deepest and most talented backcourt in the country, and comparing their lineup to the four-guard lineup Villanova employed in the mid-2000s with Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Nardi that helped Nova reach the Elite Eight in 2005. People see the Florida backcourt and they see a fourth-year starter in Erving Walker, a third-year starter in Kenny Boynton, a 16-point per game scorer from the Big East in Mike Rosario, and a top-five recruit in Bradley Beal. However, what people don’t see when talking about that backcourt, or just choose to overlook, is Scottie Wilbekin. Read More »

*College basketball is here (unlike the NBA), and this year might be one of the best in recent memory. The powerhouse is back, while the Cinderellas believe. That’s a deadly combination. We know some of y’all have been asking for some previews. We have you covered – the top 16 teams in the nation will be previewed individually in the next few weeks. After we broke down two talented squads yesterday, we’ll keep this going with No. 10-ranked Florida (ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll).* Read More »

Every year teams are looking to find hidden gems in the second round of the NBA Draft. Some teams (infrequently) stumble upon stars that fell through the cracks like Gilbert Arenas and Monta Ellis, while others are happy to find great role players like Carl Landry or Daniel Gibson. Well, for any team drafting in the second round, Chandler Parsons will be a solid role player for years to come in this league. Read More »

The Florida Gators were one of the premier college basketball programs in the early and mid-2000s, a run that culminated in back-to-back national championships in ’06 and ’07. However, after 2007, the program has struggled somewhat to return to that level. That is, until this past year. One of the players who helped the Gators advance to the Elite Eight was starting power forward Alex Tyus. Tyus averaged 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds last season, but saved his best performance for the NCAA Tournament with a 19-point, 17-rebound showing against BYU in the Sweet 16. Alex is known for being a high energy guy with lots of athleticism. I caught up with him at the Nets’ draft workouts this week to talk about his senior year, Rowdy Reptiles and the draft process. Read More »

The Butler is back again. You ever doze off, then wake back up to see the game you thought you were watching be turned upside down? You sit up, confused, eyes straining like “Huh?” Thank Butler for that. They are pretty good at making people look stupid … Gus Johnson called Florida’s style “bullyball.” It took five extra minutes, but eventually that big bully was sent home by the little guy as Butler staked it’s second consecutive trip to the Final Four with a come-from-behind 74-71 overtime win. The Bulldogs got help from everybody but it was Shelvin Mack (27 points) who was the difference. He came back from an ankle sprain in the first half to hit every big shot, including the go-ahead three-pointer with just over a minute left in overtime. … As much credit as Butler deserves, the Gators really screwed up. In the first half, Vernon Macklin (25 points) looked like Kevin McHale. Read More »