Sportaholic 2012 Final Four Round-Table Debate

After a tumultuous three weeks of the NCAA tourney, the Final Four has finally been cast for New Orleans. We have an overwhelming favorite in the Kentucky Wildcats, a hot team riding a wave of momentum in Louisville, a solid and consistent team in Ohio State, and last but not least a tough and rugged Kansas team. Every one of these teams have at least one championship under their belt so for the most part you can say this is a blue-blood rich national semi-final. The four finalists have combined for an astonishing 49 Final Four appearances and 14 National Championships. Ohio State has the longest drought in the championship department as they won their one and only championship in 1960 led by the great John Lucas. Kansas was the last of the teams to win a ring in 2008 which by Jayhawks fans is probably an eternity.

This makes for interesting blend of storylines as both of the match ups feature rematches from earlier in the season. Kentucky defeated Louisville Dec. 31st 69-62 and score isn’t really indicative of how much the Wildcats dominated that game. Kansas took down a Jared Sullinger-less Ohio State team 78-67 back on December 10th. You can throw all that out the window though as the previous battles mean absolutely nothing more than each team knows what the other team likes to do. Kentucky and Louisville have been playing each other since 1912 so I doubt there are any secrets either can hide from each other at this point.



So with it all down to this, the Sportaholic team has decided to tackle the Final Four with a good old fashioned round-table debate. We have our regular contributors in Carlos Paige, Michael Williams, Quawn Dowell and Taylor Cannon but we also are shaking things up by welcoming new Sportaholic contributor Latoya Walton and Tigersportreport.com (of the Memphis Tigers) Adam Douglas in as well.

1. Is it Kentucky against the field at this point?



Carlos Paige Sportaholic Blog Editor and host of Sportaholic Radio Show: Well let’s just say if I were a betting man I would definitely put my money on the Wildcats. They have just steam rolled opponents in the tournament averaging a margin of victory of over 21 points. That’s historic domination. They have the most talented team and the tournament has only made it more evident. John Callapari can’t even screw this one up with his sketchy X’s and O’s so yeah I think this Final Four is basically Kentucky and everybody else.



Adam Douglas of Tigersportsreport:com: I believe it is Kentucky against everyone else. They are just head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. Point blank period.

Michael Williams: Sportaholic blog contributor: I believe it is. I don't think that they will have any trouble handling Louisville and frankly I don't see Ohio State contending with them. My underdog is Kansas. Thomas Robinson looks like a man amongst boys whenever he hits the court and you just gotta root and love for the guy who had everything go wrong for him last season with the unexpected deaths of his grandparents and mother in a span of 30 days.

Latoya Walton: Sportaholic blog contributor: Yes it pretty much seems its Kentucky against the field at this point. In my opinion it’s been this way since the tournament started. No team in the tournament feels they can play with them or beat them everyone is intimidated so it’s us vs. them. The talent on Kentucky’s team is like no other team in the tournament so it’s easy to love to hate them so for me being a Kentucky fan and having to argue with people on a daily basis about their talent it’s pretty safe to say its UK vs. the nation!

Taylor Cannon Sportaholic blog contributor: Yes, Louisville has come off very strong winning the Big East Tournament and just playing well if not inspired ball throughout the tournament. Plus don’t rule out KU who can play tough defense. Coach Calipari has not been able to close the deal either UMASS or Memphis

2. Which Final Four coach would you choose to lead your team and why?

Carlos Paige: I’m taking Rick Pitino because of all the teams left his has less talent then all of them. He has done a masterful job of getting the most out of a team that was left for dead after a three game skid in February. He was able to get the most out rail thin center turned dominate center Gorgui Dieng and also was able to corral lighting quick guard Peyton Siva. This may be Pitino greatest ever coaching job.

Adam Douglas: The only coach I trust THE most is Rick Pitino. His track record of taking unproven teams all the way to the top is impeccable. Right now, Pitino has this Louisville team peaking at the right time and it's a shame that it's not Kentucky/Louisville for the Championship on Monday

Michael Williams: Bill Self - Dickie V once told Self not to take the Kansas job because he wouldn't be able to live up to Roy Williams. Look at what he's done now. Who pictured Kansas in the Final Four at the beginning of the season? It's too easy to say John Calipari because look at the immense amount of talent he has on the court at any given time. Sure he's a great coach but if you don't have as stacked of a roster that Kentucky has I don't think they are in the position they are in now.

Latoya Walton: I would choose Callapari to coach my team. Why you ask? It’s because he accepts nothing but excellence. If you were watching them play Baylor the other night the commentators said “How do you get 4 freshmen to play almost mistake free for an entire season?” You practice and preach excellence and it becomes habit. Not many coaches can get a group of freshman to play that mentally tough I don’t care how much talent they have. He still has control of the locker room 'obviously'. No coach left would be more deserving to cut down the nets than Callapari.

Taylor Cannon: Rick Pitino, He has won it once before and right now is just full of energy and the players seem to feed off of that. He seems to be relaxed and having fun with the guys.

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3. Which impact post player in Jared Sullinger of Ohio State, Thomas Robinson of Kansas, Gorgui Dieng of Louisville, or Anthony Davis of Kentucky will have the biggest impact for their team?

Carlos Paige: The easy answer here would be Anthony Davis with the season he is having but I’m going will Jared Sullinger. He is the main offensive threat for the Buckeyes and his play could set the tone early against a rugged Jayhawks team. Sully’s stock has tumbled a bit this year with his injuries and also the excellent play of the other post players named in this column, so if there was ever a time for him to make his presence known, now would be that time. I look for Sullinger to bring his A game



Adam Douglas: This question was really asked? No doubt Anthony Davis is the biggest impact. I don't think the Wildcats can win without him, therefore he will be the biggest impact to his team.

Michael Williams: Thomas Robinson - See Above - Man amongst boys and a hands down unanimous All-American which hasn't been done since Blake Griffin.



Latoya Walton: Anthony Davis is the post player to have the biggest impact for his team, in my opinion. He’s a Naismith candidate as a freshman. Even if he’s not scoring he is still blocking shots and getting rebounds. He’s a special player. His wingspan and defense is amazing. He broke Kentucky’s all time block record in like 20 games. Who does stuff like that? It took someone 4 years to get that record he broke it in half a season. I’m not saying we can’t play with out Davis. But when he’s in the game He pretty much seals the deal. His presence is an intimidation. He’s a special kid and i feel without him Kentucky wouldn’t have made it this far.

Taylor Cannon: Dieng, If Louisville is to pull the upset Mr. Dieng has to have a huge game on defense and play an important part in rebounding (offensive ones and defensive ones)

4. Which team has the most to gain from winning the championship?

Carlos Paige: Even though Ohio State hasn’t won a championship in 5 decades, I believe Kentucky should be the choice here. The Wildcats haven’t won since 1998, which problem seems like 5 decades as well to the rabid fan base. Their facing the annual mass exodus at the end of the season as always under Callapari with Anthony Davis, Terrance Jones, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all expecting to leave for the draft. This may be Cal’s best team ever so if he doesn’t pull this out I don’t if he ever will



Adam Douglas: It is clearly John Calipari. After all he has been through between the Memphis debacle and being so close the last 5-7 years, the NCAA championship has clearly eluded him -- and he wants one bad to validate all the talent he brings in year in and year out.



Michael Williams: Definitely Louisville, this would give their recruiting a huge boost and help Rick Pitino solidify his legacy. They are the complete underdog team and everyone would love to see David take down Goliath.



Latoya Walton: Kentucky has the most to gain from this national championship. The whole country thinks we choke in the national championship games its time for them Kentucky boys to just finish. I feel this crew Callapari has is the best team he has had others disagree. But Kentucky and Callapari will no longer be known as the choke team if we win it all so we have the most to gain. Getting to the national championship game isn’t good enough anymore nobody remembers second place. We will win full respect once we cut down the nets.



Taylor Cannon: Louisville, they beat their in state rival, won not only the best basketball playing conference (Big East) and to win the national championship as a 4th seed can somebody say WOW.





5. How do you think the media will handle the Kentucky-Louisville and Callapari-Pitino Rivalry?

Carlos Paige: Well I have family in Louisville and let’s just say this is basketball Armageddon in the commonwealth. Every state has its trademark and the state of Kentucky and basketball share a love affair that borders insanity. Louisville is considered the big city where the hipsters live while the rest of Kentucky is dedicated to the rural population .They live, eat, and breathe it there so the media really can’t make this match up any bigger than it already is there. Throw in the lighter fluid of Pitino being the former UK coach and his sacrilege of coaching the arch enemy Cardinals and you all the makings of an intense pressure packed game. For the first time since 1962 when Cincinnati faced off against Ohio State, we have an in-state match of Final Four teams. As for Cal and Pitino, those guys are so much alike it only right that they don’t like each other. The two were actually good friends at one time and Pitino even helped Cal get hired at UMass but that’s where the pleasantries ended. The state is a fever pitch and all kind of deep fried hell should break loose in Kentucky once tip off begins in this one. The only thing that could make this bigger than it is would be if these two met in the National Championship.

Adam Douglas: Bananas. Simply bananas. It has already gotten out of hand.



Michael Williams: I think they will take it to its extent. Not too far because let's be real here this isn't Tim Tebow we're talking about! It's an interstate battle that hasn't happened in quite a long time and of course people are going to talk about it. I'm just hoping that the game isn't a blow out and that we can talk about how good of a game was played instead of anything else.



Latoya Walton: The media is all ready in love with the Kentucky-Louisville match-up. And it’s great for the state of Kentucky. Callapari vs. Pitino it doesn’t get any better than this. I wish it was the national championship because I feel that those are the best two coaches in the final four.



Taylor Cannon: So far they have handled it well, but look for it to heat up as the week drags on.

6. Which battle of the blocks are your most interested in seeing the most:

Carlos Paige: Jared Sullinger vs. Thomas Robinson or Gorgui Dieng vs. Anthony Davis? I’m so excited to see the Sully vs. T-Rob dual because both guys play so hard. This will be a grown man party that will feature some tough physical play. Both players are the tone setters for their respective teams so whoever wins this battle down low should determine who wins that game in my opinion.

Adam Douglas: Davis vs. Dieng will be more entertaining because those two are certified shot blockers. I just don't think Robinson and Sullinger are those types of shot blockers.



Michael Williams: Sullinger vs. Robinson - Sullinger has kind of been floating out too far on the wing this year but I think this is going to be an excellent battle. I truly think that Kansas wins the game because Robinson is able to dominate the key and the boards



Latoya Walton: I feel Sullinger vs. Robinson is the more interesting match up. Davis is going to have a field day with Dieng so that’s irrelevant. But ever since I first seen Robinson and Sullinger play I said to myself they play almost exactly alike its scary how similar in play they are. This is going to be the best match up of bigs in the entire tournament.



Taylor Cannon: Dieng vs. Davis, I guess this is an instate rivalry this could turn out to be an intangible match-up cause Davis got hurt in the Baylor game so how hard is he going to go and is Louisville going to penetrate the middle and test Davis or is UK going to test Louisville in the middle







7. Who wins the championship and why?

Carlos Paige: Again for the all the reasons I named above it has to be the Kentucky Wildcats. They are just so talented across the board that’s its hard for teams to just stay in the game against them. They are ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency. They have beaten every team they’ve faced in the tourney by at least 12 points. And to top everything off they have the best player in the country in Anthony “I’ll cut my unibrow when I want to” Davis. This is year Cal finally joins the ring club and Wildcats fans can put an end t the 14 year drought as they should cut the nets down in the Big Easy.



Adam Douglas: This year's championship is Kentucky's to lose. Like I said in the first question, they are just better than the rest of the field. The only team that can beat KY is themselves.



Michael Williams: Kentucky - Through and through they have the best roster and are the best basketball team in the tourney. But hear me out on any given day any team can get hot and beat any team. Here's hoping we have an excellent championship game!



Latoya Walton: KENTUCKY WILDCATS will cut down the nets!!!! Nobody left in the tournament can play with these boys. I said they would win it all from the first game i seen them play it shocked me to see a young college team that complete. They do it all they play offense and defense. They have the purest shooting and best shooting guards in the nation. They have the best front line in the nation and the best 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 in the nation. These boys are unselfish. They all averaged 25 point in high school but yet the trust their teammates enough not to always take the shot. They pretty much score when ever they want. They do it all 30-1 in the regular season. And the one loss was at the buzzer. They play 7 players and everybody knows their role and plays their role well. No one of the team tries to over do it. Anthony Davis is the star player yet he takes the 5th least amount of shots on the team. Any other Naismith candidate leads their team in shots taken. Pretty much they are athletic, unselfish, great shooters, and smart, the most complete team and no way in blank that Louisville or anyone left could send them home



Taylor Cannon: I’m going to go either Louisville or Ohio State, because both these teams are playing with energy and energetic coaches

Is the Ohio State Scandal Really Terrelle Pryor’s Entire Fault?

The Ohio State University is up to its teeth in scandal, as news of the ill fated football program has rocked one of the nation’s most prestigious college’s in the country. The coach Jim Tressel has been fired and starting QB Terrelle Pryor now has former attached to his title as he has announced that he will be leaving the program as well. Now the scandal itself has been well documented by numerous outlets you would have to be basically dead not to know what been going on in Columbus. Just in case you don’t know Pryor, along with several other OSU players have been trading memorabilia for tattoos, cash and everything else. This story was first uncovered by Yahoo and then blew completely open by Sports Illustrated. Pryor was the most celebrated Pryor since a funny guy name Richard but has now been disgraced as he has quit the team in hopes to somehow get in the NFL supplemental draft or play in Canada until next year.

Pryor was seen as the most audacious of all the players who got caught, so of course he becomes the whipping boy in all of this. But I pose the question to whoever is reading this, is Pryor the man that should be blamed for all of this? Granted he seemed to have taken the most and flaunted it more than any of the other players but just think about if you were in his position. He was the starting QB for the powerhouse Buckeyes. When Pryor looked in the stands of the Horseshoe, all he could see was his number two jerseys on fans backs. He receives no compensation for any of those jersey sells. He looks on the internet and notices that Ohio State’s football program made an estimated $63.8 million dollars last year and again he didn’t receive a nickel of that.

I know the cynics reading this are screaming at the top of their lungs that he received a scholarship with room and board and blah blah blah but that’s nothing compared to what his likeness is making for his school. It’s not even close. The modern day five-star recruited athlete sees a scholarship as nothing more than a given commodity. Not to devalue a free ride but top notch athletes field hundreds of offers from every school looking for the next great player. The school that is lucky enough to land a top recruit will make oodles of cash off his back so its no wonder recruiting is such a corrupt operation to begin with.

The culture of money and athletics go hand and hand. From the highest level athletic director to the lowest level street agent thug knows this. I’ve read over countless stories of older coaches giving players special “handshakes” and mowing lawns for exceptional amounts of money. Another aspect that goes unnoticed is the hip hop influence that infiltrates most every young athlete in America. It teaches that receiving money should be over anything and everybody. Pick a song from rap icons and you are sure to hear about money such as Lil Wayne’s “Got Money”, Kanye West “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” or 50 cents “I Get Money”. The major artists of hip-hop all showcase their jewelry and expensive cars because its just part of the culture. Does this sound like anybody we know here? The perception of hip-hip is to show off and show out whenever you get a chance and Pryor definitely seemed to live up that aspect of the music.

We can’t forget Jim Tressel as well in this situation as he cultivated this kind of pay for play atmosphere. As indicated in the Sports Illustrated story, this is not Tressel’s first rodeo. He was investigated at Youngstown State after another alleged scandal involving his star QB at the time by the name of Ray Isaac. Tressel projects himself as a high value devoted Christian man but if you read a few stories about him you will come to the conclusion that he most definitely has an alter ego. To win in big time college athletics it takes a certain type of demeanor. You rarely see choir boys leading teams out the tunnel, its usually fiery guys with intense personalities a la Urban Meyer. Tressel’s outside demeanor may not have fit that scene but he has a deep down fortitude of competition in him. It’s that very reason that Tressel may have let the type things that went on at OSU to continue. There is no way he couldn’t have known 28 or more players as named by Sports Illustrated were receiving benefits especially the tattoos. He saw his player everyday you mean to tell me he didn’t notice all of great new body art they were flashing? Give me a break.

Furthermore, if you take a look at college athletics around the nation, you would think you were reading a national enquirer. Scandals have broken out like chicken pox in a kindergarten class. Tennessee, North Carolina, USC, Uconn, Auburn, and even Boise State have all received that dreaded letter from the NCAA. No one wants to say it but college athletics are totally screwed up at this point. The little things you could get away with yesteryear will be on someone’s twitter, facebook, skype, or some forum on the internet nowadays. Hell look at what has just happened to Texas as former star QB Colt McCoy’s girlfriend decided to do a little radio interview and she eluded to some things that I’m pretty sure Mack Brown and co would have liked to keep quiet. The NCAA has stated that they would like to get tougher in light of all allegations that are coming at them left at right but from what I understand they are terribly understaffed. Its like fighting a fight with one hand tied behind your back.

In conclusion, like I stated earlier in the article it was 28 players in all indicated in the report. Terelle Pryor is only one man, by reading a few articles on the internet you would think he accounted for every one of the 28 in question. I’m not an apologist on Pryor behalf I’ve just read so many negative columns about him and it somewhat angered me, on how quickly those praising you can stick a dagger in you all in the same breath. Pryor was absolutely wrong in which the manner he conducted himself. He took outlandish gifts, he drove cars that weren’t his, and he put OSU on a downward spiral that has no ending in site. He has to take most of the blame because he was the highest profiled of all the players indicated in the report. Sorry to say it, but that just how it goes when you’re the best player. But don’t give me that it’s HIS ENTIRE fault. He is a teenager in the precarious position of being the most popular athlete in town. He wasn’t doing all these things by himself. He had manipulative grown men doing these things for him. So again I ask the question was it really all Terrelle Pryor’s fault? I think not

Pearl Pushed Out By Tennessee

I clearly regret having to post this article because I am a Bruce Pearl fan but his time with UT has come to an end. Pearl was gregarious and his high energy personality rubbed off on everyone around him. He embraced Tennessee culture and did things that made us Tennessean’s embrace him. Pearl finished with a record of 145-61 as UT’s head coach and also led them to six straight NCAA tournaments. His resume speaks for itself but Pearl was more than just win and losses. He put UT basketball on the map as he led them to their first ever number one ranking. Who can forget Pearl showing up at the Lady Vols game with his torso camouflaged in Vol orange? Pearl’s endearing antics surpassed those of all the coaches in the SEC. It rubbed most the wrong way but it you are a Vol fan, you loved it.

You can tell how much he meant to the program as news of his firing has dominated the sports scene here locally. People in Tennessee have a certain type of infatuation with him. He cam from the northeast but was able to adapt to Tennessee and from what I hear is not an easy thing to do. The ramifications of Pearl ouster are huge. Players such as Tobias Harris and Scotty Hopson are all but done in a UT uniform at this point. Incoming players are asking for permission to speak to other teams in wake of Pearl’s ouster. And with an NCAA sanction hanging over the UT program, how can they expect to land a good coach? The program is left with more questions then answers at this point. Mike Hamilton seems incapable to handling bad situations. His ill-advised interview before the NCAA tournament had to make other AD’s around the country cringe. Hamilton should be on shaky ground as well now as two of his hires in Pearl and Lane Kiffin both have come under fire from the NCAA are no longer at UT. If Hamilton knew he was going to fire Pearl then he should have done it immediately. There was no point of creating the circus that was UT’s men basketball season. There was no point of docking Pearl’s pay, suspending him and publicly backing him for the entire season only to dump as soon as it was over. Hamilton’s interview seemed to be nothing more than him distancing himself away from Pearl in an effort to set up the fan base for his firing.



Futhermore on Pearl, he had built a reputation as an upright and what you see is what you get coach. His persona has been that way since he blew the whistle on Illinois and their involvement with former recruit Deon Thomas. Dick Vitale called the Thomas situation career suicide but Pearl made it through that debacle. Now it does seem ironic if not prophetic that Pearl career is stalled because of NCAA violations. As much as I like Pearl, don’t get me wrong, he was wrong for the things that he did. The most stunning part of the allegations is the reported “Bumps” that the NCAA found out after they had met with Pearl in September. Pearl held a tear filled press conference soon after his meeting with the NCAA but according to reports, he and assistant Tony Jones illegally had contact with a prep athlete. Pearl disputes this and says it was a cordial greeting of the player but at this point it doesn’t matter. Once you’re the crosshairs of the NCAA, they are relentless. Pearl had a chance to come clean and he didn’t which is no one’s fault but his own. But when a coach like Jim Tressel of Ohio State does in what amounts to basically the same thing if not worse, then you begin to realize how unfair this fallout was to Pearl. Everyone knows the story now of Tressel as he knew all along about his players selling their memorabilia in exchange for tattoos but instead of turning the players in, Tressel played them and rode them to a Sugar Bowl victory. How can that not be more offensive than what Pearl did? Highly hypocritical but the NCAA has been this way for years.

Pearl became a victim of his own success. He was a diamond in the rough that finally had a big-time program at his dispense. He did what most coaches are doing at this very moment. Some say Pearl was set-up for those reasons I mentioned earlier in this article, I don’t know if I can agree with that. I do think that he became drunk with his own prosperity. They say it is only cheating if you get caught but that doesn’t even correctly objectify what is going on in college athletics these days. And when you think about coaches like John Callapari, who has took two programs (UMass and Memphis) to the final four only to have those banners taken down because of allegations, it does make one think Pearl may have been duped one way or another. Pearl’s ambition drove him to do whatever it took to stay on top. If that meant 100 calls to a recruit so be it. If that meant throwing a cookout for future players, so be it (even though I still don’t understand why he would allow anyone to take photos of the event). Pearl is just the latest casualty in the NCAA world of rules. Pearl will resurface after a year of two. He is too charismatic and too good of a coach not to. It’s just a shame that he won’t be back on the Tennessee sidelines anymore.