No NBA players will be hitting up Bank of America if they’re in need of loans during the lockout. Why, just go to Kobe Bryant. He’ll hand out loans. Seriously. Billy Hunter, president of the Players Association, told the Los Angeles Times that the Laker star is intimately involved in the talks and negotiations and that he’s (along with other unnamed players) prepared to offer loans to players who may need help during the lockout … Read More »

Pat Cavanaugh knows all about being successful on and off the court. As a student-athlete, he was a key member of some of the greatest basketball triumphs in the history of the storied program of the University of Pittsburgh, playing alongside all-time greats like Charles Smith and Jerome Lane. As a businessman, he has built a series of brands revolving around healthy lifestyle and social responsibility. The latest and biggest is Crons, an athletic lifestyle brand that incorporates quality living, successful academics and great gear into one program for young people in any sport and of all ages. Read More »

It was an ending almost too corny for Hollywood. The hometown kid playing in his hometown arena against the No. 1 team in the conference with the ball in his hands in a tie game with six seconds left.

But this afternoon, with Pitt and UConn knotted at 74 in the Big East quarterfinals, there stood the Huskies’ Kemba Walker, a Bronx native, at the top of the key defended by the Panthers’ 6-11 center Gary McGhee with a trip to the Big East semis on the line. Read More »

If you haven’t noticed, Canada is starting to blow up on the basketball scene. While the NBA’s Toronto Raptors are still a few years away from making noise on the pro level, in the high school and college scene there are a handful of young Canadians out to make a name for themselves at big-time programs.

Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, both 2010 high school All-Americans, will suit up at the University of Texas this season. Myck Kabongo of Findlay Prep (Nev.) is a Top-5 high school senior on this side of the border. Now the next one up to bat is Khem Birch. Read More »

Now that the brackets have been released, and you’ve been able to get your initial observations out of the way, it’s time to start talking upsets. So check below for 6 first round upsets to have in your bracket. Read More »

This past summer, we had Pitt’s Ashton Gibbs as one of Team USA’s 5 Breakout Stars after their U19 Gold Medal victory in the FIBA World Championships. While he only played 10.8 minutes a game during his freshman year, the strong guard with a nice jumper has been given plenty of playing time (35.3 mpg) this season, and he’s produced. Leading the team with 16.3 points per game, it was just another day in the office last night. Read More »

Whether you’ve got just one empty Big Dance bracket staring back at you or five, here’s a few pointers before you put that crucial $20 on the line:

1. Be wary of the “hot” teams I know it’s tempting to take teams like Mississippi State and USC after they both just ran through their conference tournaments, but be careful. Look at the teams that have pulled off similar runs in the past few years: ‘Cuse in ’06 and Georgia in ’08. Read More »