Davidson's Curry stays on point

by Elton Alexander

Monday July 07, 2008, 10:46 PM

Shooting guard Stephen Curry became the core Cinderella story on the Cinderella team of the 2008 NCAA Tournament with his high-scoring exploits.

But the rising Davidson junior arrived for the last two days of the LeBron James Skills Academy with another focus. At a slight 6-1, he is destined to be a point guard if he has NBA aspirations. So he was in Akron's Rhodes Arena with the select 23 others to go through drills with Nike coaches and play games in front of some NBA scouts.

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Jayhawks cap comeback, claim NCAA title in OT

by Doug Lesmerises dlesmerises@plaind.com

Tuesday April 08, 2008, 8:06 AM

San Antonio -- In the greatest marketing campaign for free-throw shooting videos ever conceived, the Memphis Tigers gave away the NCAA title Monday night.

"When you have the kind of lead we had, you're supposed to win the game," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "It's on all of us."

Kansas accepted the gift, made the big shots, stole the momentum and struck a blow for fundamentals in a 75-68 overtime victory, the seventh championship game forced into an extra five minutes and the first since 1997.

"We made so many plays down the stretch," Kansas coach Bill Self said, "and got the ball into our most clutch player's hands and he delivered."

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Basketball entities to work together

by Doug Lesmerises

Tuesday April 08, 2008, 8:05 AM

San Antonio- Big shots from the NBA and the NCAA, competing shoe companies, high school sports and AAU - nearly every conceivable adversary on the American basketball scene - shared a ballroom stage Monday, and nobody got punched.

That was the first step in solving the unregulated and often unsavory world of youth basketball. Though the major announcement proclaimed to take place at the Final Four wasn't so major - basically some guys agreeing to do some stuff - the appearance of cooperation was a victory in itself. A circle of trust has been created, even if it includes people who helped create the problem. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

But college and pro basketball together, that's the biggest deal.

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Four things Doug Lesmerises thinks about the Final Four

by Doug Lesmerises

Tuesday April 08, 2008, 8:02 AM

1. The lob isn't just for show. Both Memphis and Kansas realize that well-thrown, well-planned lobs can be better plays than bounce passes that give de fenders time to block a shot. So kids, get out there and practice throwing down those alley- oops.

2. Let's not forget how great of a defensive team Kansas can be. Coach Bill Self said that against North Carolina on Saturday, there were times

he felt like there were 14 or 16 hands playing defense instead of 10. The Jayhawks did that to Memphis at times, too. Making great recruits play great defense isn't always easy, but Kansas made it happen.

3. Great class for the Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday, including Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Pat Riley and Dick Vitale. But my favorite was former Immaculata University women's coach Cathy Rush, who was inducted in her sixth time as a finalist. "I had waited for that call for a long time," she said. "I had lost more nominations for the Hall of Fame than I lost games." Actually, she was close. In seven seasons, her record was 149-15. Sounds like a Hall of Famer.

4. It makes for a confusing two days when teams sport basically the same color. Memphis and Kansas fans in blue T-shirts on the Riverwalk didn't know whether to drunkenly hug or drunkenly disparage each other. I saw one fan with blue hair buy a blue Mexican wrestling mask in a souvenir store, and I still don't know who he likes.

- Doug Lesmerises