Villanova Hoops

"LISTEN, HERE'S THE THING: IF YOU CAN'T SPOT THE SUCKER, IN YOUR FIRST 5 MINUTES AT THE TABLE, THEN YOU ARE THE SUCKER." -ROUNDERS

"WEAKNESS OF ATTITUDE BECOMES WEAKNESS OF CHARACTER." -ALBERT EINSTEIN

I watch in absolute fascination every time Villanova is on a TV. They are incredibly good. They play such a clean and fun style of hoop. Their guys play with a huge amount of confidence, and it shows in every facet of the game. They attack and lean on you for 40 minutes. They got 7-8 guys, and they all play hard as hell. They know their roles and they get a better feel for how to play them every game. And at 18-1, 8-0 in the Big East, they are quietly moving along on a path to Indy for a second straight Final Four appearance. Their unique ability to create matchup problems, like we saw last year and in the past make them a tough out in any tournament. Say what you want about Jay Wright, but from where I am sitting, there isn't many coaches walking around that possess his unique ability to build a team and design a style of play that maximizes his guy's strengths and hides their weaknesses. He gets plenty of steam for his snappy suits, but not enough for his innovative approach to dominating Big East hoops.

The best guy on the team, as many of you can attest is Scottie Reynolds. I probably enjoy watching him play more than anyone in college hoops, maybe even more than John Wall. He's just one of those players that plays in such an interesting way that it makes guys who have played the game at high levels envy him. He has an unbelievable ability to ALWAYS play at his own pace. There is never anything hurried about the way he plays. He's not lightning quick, but he's always a step and a half ahead of defenders. He doesn't have a quick release, but he always gets any shot he wants. He always makes the right pass on time, on target. He's unbelievable when he fills the lane on a brake. He carefully gambles on defense and disrupts offenses, whether they are in man to man or the variety of zone pressures they use. He's just cool. And most importantly, HE'S A BIG GAME PLAYER. That's the best way to describe him. He does whatever he wants. He plays at the pace of two old friends getting together for a couple beers, and no one can seem to stay in front of him. I think he's far and away the Big East Player of the Year at this point, and should get some consideration of NCAA POY.

Sunday Picks

I nailed the two wild card games yesterday. "The Sanchize" lives. My favorite player Tony Romo finally gets off the snide. Boom. 2-0.

No rest for the weary. 2 more GREAT games today. I am excited. Wild Card weekend excites me.

I like the Packers in a game that I think is still a "PICK'EM." Dominique Rogers Cromartie is nicked. Boldin is hurt. I don't think the Cards are gonna have enough. Aaron Rogers is playing with a lot of confidence. The conditions are gonna be ideal for offense. I think this game goes over the total.

The Ravens might not win this game, but they are going to cover this 4 point spread. So I like them. I like Joe Cool to finally play a good game in his sophomore season. I like Ray Rice and Derrick Mason to show up, with a guest appearance with Willis MaGahee and gamer Todd Heap.

I love what the Patriots have done the last 4 weeks, especially with their running game. The Wes Welker injury is a big hit though. The one thing you can count on is the Pats are gonna make you beat them left handed. They aren't gonna let Ray Rice play well, they are gonna make Joe Flacco beat them.

So, the Packers (PK) in a shootout. The Ravens (+4) in a cold battle of wills.

Under the Radar Hoop Players That You Need to Watch

"Most modern calendars mar the sweet simplicity of our lives by reminding us that each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event --Oscar Wilde

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out there and get busy." -Dale Carnegie

HEY, here's a couple guys I have seen a couple times this season and liked a lot. Solid players that are a little under the radar unless you're really dorky like me.

Ashton Gibbs, Pitt--This guy's a sophomore. Played a nice limited role on their great team last year. Led the Big East in 3p% last year. Played on the under-19 USA team this summer. I like the kid. He's very business like. No flash. He comes off screens and motion and shoots. Doesn't have a machine like jump shot, but the thing find the bottom of the net constantly. He's very efficient. Scores a lot of points without taking a lot of shots. Defends and handles. Had 25 in the dome at Syracuse on Saturday, to knock Cuse from the undefeated ranks. As Big Monday's start to get going, I imagine Pitt will be on TV a little more frequently. So keep an eye on this guy as the season progresses. But he's the kind of guy I like to watch. Efficient and tough. A guy who is out there to win.

Klay Thompson, Washington State--Coach Tony Bennet left for greener pastures at UVA, where he gets to his butt handed to him every night in the ACC, and lose out to every high level recruit but it hasn't hurt Thompson. This kid can get up and down. He's long and athletic and shoots the rock from deep. He might be leading the nation in scoring for all I know. All I know is I have watched him twice this season and liked what he does. He's a bit of glider and floater at times, meaning he checks out until he gets the ball in a position where he can score. But Washington State has been surprisingly resilient, and they are off to a good start. But Klay Thompson has a solid game. He's big enough to shoot over most guys. He'll stick the 3's that he needs to make. And he's not afraid to get into the key and knock some guys around. In a crummy PAC-10 year, he should shine.

Wesley Johnson, Syracuse--Get used to seeing this guy. He's gonna be playing in the NBA next year. This guy is nasty. I saw him early in the season and asked my buddy why Shawn Marion was playing for Syracuse. I immediately saw him and thought "very Matrix like." I still haven't seen enough of him to totally gush about him. But he can fill a lane. Finishes at the top of the box. Gets in passing lines. Block shots. Plays pretty hard from what I have seen. We'll see if he can keep up his current pace. Big East season is a grind. But this guy is one of those big time guys I think. Watch him a couple times, so when he goes 4th in the lottery this June, you'll be up to date on what he brings to a team.

Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas--This guy's making a run for my favorite player. He's trying to de-thrown Gordon Hayward. I watched this guy last night play Texas. I watched him a couple times last year as a freshmen and thought he was only okay. I was wrong because this guy is a player. He's a tremendous scorer and plays with a lot of guts. PURE SHOOTER. He shoots the crap out of it and doesn't hesitate to throw his body around. He plays with a lot of energy and isn't afraid to take the big shot. He's definitely worth your time. He's gonna be a good player for a couple more years.

Gordon Hayward, Butler--The reigning "JC's favorite player," he's picked up where he left off from last year pretty well. He has a great feel for the game. Plays hard and lets the game come to him. Would like to see him be more aggressive. Great scorer. Great rebounder. Great team defender. Winner. As much as I like him, it's hard to buy stock in him at the next level. Despite tremendous feel, and decent size, his athleticism is gonna be a major question mark. He definitely will be evaluated though. But for now, check him out. He's a great player to watch. Moves without the ball. Active.

Jimmer Fredette, BYU--Another guy whose raising up the charts of my favorite players. As a matter of fact, he might be number 1 right now. This guy can PLAY. Wow. I watched that BYU-Arizona game where he put 49 on Sean Miller's guys. That was spectacular. I wish I was there. That was a game. I have never seen anyone shoot the rock like this guy. When I first saw him shoot, I was like "holy crap that's like Mark Price and Larry Bird!" He's got this great stroke. And he was pouring them in from all over the court. Most were barely hitting the net. This guy is a BIG TIME scorer. He might be leading the nation along with Klay Thompson for all I know. But I am gonna keep tabs on this guy, because unlike Hayward, I think this guy can play in the pros. I think he is a little better than Redick. Jimmer is a 2, but I think he's got enough handle to be a 1 in the pros. Always a tough task but. This guy is nasty. Watch him.

AGENT 0 TAKE

"It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea. I work with it and rely on it. It's my partner." -Jonas Salk

LONG hours for David Stern and has flunkies this week and last, as the mini bombshell dropped about Gil Arenas and Javarris Crittentdon participating in a gun faceoff in the locker room last month. With so many teams in terrible financial shape, this is not the kind of happening Stern needed to bring in the new year.

I was on board with Gilbert for a while. I loved "Hibachi," when he first coined that. I thought it was innovative and fun. I love the nickname Agent 0. That nickname, still stands up as one of the great nicknames in sports. I loved the story that he won his buddy's car, when he defeated him in a game of Halo. He's an unstoppable scorer. He's arguably in the top 5 in the NBA when you say the words "unstoppable scorer who can just go off for 50 on a whim." And gets one thing straight here: YOU DON'T WIN WITH NICE IN THE NBA. YOU NEED TALENT. YOU NEED GUYS LIKE GIL. YOU NEED GUYS THAT CAN GO OUT AND GET YOU 30. CAUSE GOOD TEAMS PLAY GOOD DEFENSE. AND WHEN THEY PLAY GOOD DEFENSE, YOU NEED GREAT GUYS WHO CAN SCORE AGAINST GOOD DEFENSES.

But I am totally off this guy. I have come to my senses. This guy is a moron. Period. He's a coach killer. He's a team killer. He's got the worst contract in the NBA, and I hope the Wizards can void it when all the facts surface. He works out on his own, away from his teammates and makes everyone aware of it. He backhands the Wizard front office constantly, using big words he doesn't even know how to use. He's an egomaniac. He's a terrible leader. He's never gonna be a winner. He's never gonna win a championship. He's a choke artist. We all remember when he missed those free throws against the Cavs in their series. But he's missed FT's in 2 games this season that have cost them the game. He's a degenerate gambler, which can have large negative implications at any moment. And as we have seen this week, the guy doesn't have a good track record of paying his debts.

Couple things I am looking for: I think there is gonna be a suspension. 10-25 game range. Possibly the whole season. I think they'll find a way to ax Crittendton, and void his contract. The voiding of Gil's contract is gonna be a lot harder just because there is so much cheese involved. But bottom line, I know he's a lights out scorer when he's motivated. I know he has had some moments where he's a cool guy. But the guy is an egomaniac loser, who is never gonna be in the discussion of great players.

A COUPLE RESOLUTIONS FOR 2010

"My wife said to me once, 'Explain to me why you do this? The times that you enjoy it are so much fewer than the rest of the other stuff. What kind of ego do you have to have to keep proving things to yourself? Why do you it? You're not happy, so why do you keep doing it? I told her she didn't understand. I told her it's just about competition because my whole life, since I was seven years old, you went to the gym or you went to the playground. It was always, who are we playing and where? I'm still doing it. Nothing has changed. 'It's still, who are we playing today?" -Bill Parcells

"Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." -Gandhi


HAPPY NEW YEAR PEEPS! Good to be back with you. Long time no speak. I'm back at it and I am really looking to get some action going in the new year. I am going to write more frequently in 2010, and really try to attack some important aspects of our favorite sports and pop culture subjects that immerse our brains and twitter feeds on a daily basis. I also want to spend some more time talking about leadership and business, and the unique aspects that link the two. This is something I like to read about and talk about, and hope to engage you guys with it throughout the year.

I changed the name of the blog. I think this will probably be a temporary thing. I might also change it all the time as well. The YOUGOTJC handle, for those who don't know came from Entourage. In one episode during season 1, Ari answers his phone by saying "You got Gold." Haha--I always liked that. I went through a phase where I answered my phone "You got JC," and still do on drunk occasions. But I heard Kobe Bryant say the phrase "cutthroat efficiency" the other day in an interview. I really liked it. It's that kind of focused language that makes KB24 so dominant and the best player on the planet. So we are gonna go with that for a bit, until I find something else I find interesting.

With 2010 just 5 days old, the resolution making season is still in full swing. Gyms are packed. Whole Foods checkout lines are 5 deep across the board. The lip service that people make to themselves and their friends is making its way as it does every year. And that is exciting. I wish people well with their resolutions.

For me, I don't have many tangible resolutions. But here are 2.

1. Read 50 Quality Books--Key word here is quality. The number that you attach to it is of little importance. I threw 50 out there. That's a nice round reachable number for me. For a lot of you it might be less. I am a curious reader, who has come to enjoy reading, maybe even look forward to it. Read about what you're passionate about. Read about what you are interested in. I covet books about leadership and business. I am enamored by the idea of being the best and being looked at as the best. Using the best techniques. Using the most innovative approach. Creating a model that is unique and no one else has thought to try.

The challenge then becomes sifting through the shitty ideas, and finding the most solid, fundamental ideas out there. Those are the ones you want to implement into your day to day opportunities.

But back to my point. Read about what you believe in. Read what excites you.

Books on my current short list:
1. Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
2. Linchpin by Seth Godin
3. The Score Takes Care of Itself by the late great coach Bill Walsh and two helping authors
4. The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam
5. Rework by Jason Fried

2. Travel--Not just traveling in the short term fellas, but continuing to make plans and goals to travel in the long term future. I want to see the world. I want to find out what all the fuss is about. I wanna spend the night in a big city like NY. I want to surf in Austrailia. I want to hang out in Central Park London. I want to see a Real Madrid soccer game against a worthy opponent (little side story--I met an absolute babe on New Years Eve, who has done a lot of traveling. She says there is nothing in the world like an English Premiere League soccer game. She swore by it. She was borderline dorky about it, and she can't wait to go back. And she had 20-30 other destinations that she was dying to travel to. She was a doll, it would take way too long to talk her up as much as I really need to, but she really solidified for me the need to see what else is going on in the world. ) The timing is never gonna be right guys. So you just gotta make it happen. Make it a priority to make it a priority.

Big Ticket Destinations in 2010 and a little beyond:
1. London
2. Seattle
3. Las Vegas
4. Chicago
5. Sydney
6. NYC