Now that we know the brackets and who will be playing where, the real fun begins. Anyone can fill out a bracket with four No. 1 seeds cutting down the nets and making the Final Four. But what fun is that? And more appropriately, how often does that even happen? There will be upsets and inevitably, a mid-level team will get hot. Take a look at LSU in 2006 (as a No. 4 seed) or Alabama in 2004 (as a No. 8 seed). Read More »

In a presentation hybridizing performance, art and sustainability, Nike released a new series of its Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms this morning, making another move in the advancement of style meeting sport. The nine teams featured will each wear the jerseys once this season, against non-Nike opponents nonetheless. Read More »

After Rutgers stunned No. 10 Florida, 85-83, in double overtime on Thursday night, nobody could stop talking about the brilliant performance by freshman Eli Carter.

Everyone except, that is, for Eli Carter. 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 »

Last July, Amar’e Stoudemire made waves when he took a trip to Israel to research his Jewish roots. The trip was embraced by Jews everywhere, including myself, as it is not everyday that a 6-9 athletically gifted NBA All-Star declares himself to be a member of the tribe (a colloquial expression used by Jewish people to refer to other Jewish people). So when I saw former University of Florida power forward Alex Tyus tweet before the NBA Draft that he was hosting his Draft party at the UF Hillel, I thought to myself, “Is another 6-9 athletic power forward joining the tribe?” The answer to that question is yes. 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 »

After seeing limited action his first two seasons at Georgetown, Vernon Macklin thought it was time for a change. So he decided to transfer to Florida, and went on to average 10.6 and 11.6 points, respectively, in two standout seasons for the Gators. Now Macklin, known as a hustle player and the guy that gets the dirty work done, finds himself preparing for the NBA Draft. I had a chance to speak with him about his experiences the last few years and got his thoughts on the upcoming draft. 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 »