Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Indiana Basketball – Tonight’s Game Against Penn State an Absolute Must Win for NCAA Bid

by Kent Sterling

Indiana needs its A-game tonight, and through the rest of the season to get to 9-9 in the Big Ten.

If Indiana beats Penn State tonight at Assembly, legitimate hope for an NCAA Tournament berth will live. With a loss, the Hoosiers drop to 4-7 in the Big Ten, including home losses to the Nittany Lions and Northwestern. That spells tap city.

There was a time in Big Ten Basketball where the line between the haves and have-nots was very distinct. Indiana was a have and Penn State was a have-not, and minus a thrilling double overtime game in 1993, the series produced yawns.

Not tonight.

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Indiana beat Penn State by a single point for its only road Big Ten win of the season, and they need to make it a sweep tonight to clear a path to the 9-9 conference record that will be the likely mark needed for serious NCAA at-large consideration.

The schedule following tonight’s game is not likely to produce a 5-2 finish. Saturday, Indiana travels to Purdue, and then hosts #16 Iowa, travels to Northwestern and #21 Wisconsin, hosts #22 Ohio State and Nebraska, and finally wraps things up at Michigan on March 8th.

Indiana’s BPI is 60th – 13 spots south of the projected cut-off for an at-large bid. Of the Hoosiers remaining opponents, only Penn State (79th), Nebraska (80th), Purdue (98th), and Northwestern (#123) ranked lower. Iowa is #10, Wisconsin is #15 Ohio State is #18, Michigan is #19.

The good news is that Indiana has a lot of opportunities to improve their ranking because four of their final six opponents – and three of their final four – are ranked in the top 20. The bad news is that those teams are by definition tough to beat. Worse news is that over its last eight games, Northwestern’s BPI is identical to Indiana’s.

That means that if the games go by chalk, Indiana is looking at 8-10. They must hold serve against the teams they should beat – particularly Penn State and Nebraska at home – and then steal one at home against Iowa, Ohio State, or both.

Seeing Indiana as a 10 or 11 seed doesn’t require squinting and hallucinogenics yet, but with a loss tonight, I would recommend both.

The key for Indiana is the development of the freshmen. If Noah Vonleh can assert himself as an offensive leader for the Hoosiers, they have a chance to show the level of improvement needed to post a lot of wins. Fans and media have been willing to give Vonleh some latitude because of his youth, but if he is going to jump to the NBA after this season he needs to mature right now and demand the ball.

Just as tantalizing are Stanford Robinson and Troy Williams, who have shown flashes of productivity that has matched their obvious ability. If the switch flips for those two, while Vonleh gets aggressive, the Hoosiers could be a team to be feared come March.

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If the status quo of Yogi Ferrell shooting and hoping remains the offensive thrust for Indiana, as good as Ferrell is, it isn’t likely going to be enough to change the fortunes of the Hoosiers.

Indiana can’t beat Purdue or any of the others that will challenge them during the next three-and-a-half weeks until they play tonight against Penn State. If they can’t beat Penn State, there won’t be much point in talking about the final seven games – at least in terms of March Madness.

Seventy-five percent of the way through the 2013-2014 season, there is still no hint as to how the Hoosiers story will end. It could be an uplifting tale of redemption or maybe a tragic tale of potential untapped. As with all great books, every chapter promises surprise but betrays nothing of what is to follow. By playing erratically, Tom Crean’s team has done a wonderful job of avoiding foreshadowing.

Whatever happens, this season’s resolution will go a long way toward determining the tenor of the offseason talk as another fascinating season approaches in 2014-2015.

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Michael Sam’s Dad Speaks, Gives Reason for Us to Be Extra Nice to Michael

by Kent Sterling

Michael Sam Sr. said some honest things to the New York Times. Among them was, “No matter what, he’s my son and I still love him.’

Honesty can be a lot of things – funny, terrifying, validating, misery inducing, and touching among them. When I read the quotes attributed to Michael Sam’s dad about his son’s recent public comments about his sexual preference, I immediately laughed, and then tried to imagine what Sam felt.

Funny how empathy ruins a good laugh.

According to the New York Times, Michael Sam Sr. was celebrating his birthday by enjoying a dinner at Denny’s when the text from his son came, “Dad, I’m gay.”

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“I couldn’t eat no more, so I went to Applebee’s to have drinks,” Sam Sr. said “I don’t want my grandkids raised in that kind of environment. I’m old-school. I’m a man and a woman type of guy.” He then guessed that Deacon Jones, the recently deceased former L.A. Rams defensive end, “is turning over in his grave.”

Back in the day, adults could say that kind of thing and people would nod and laugh. Archie Bunker made Sam’s dad seem enlightened, and “All in the Family” was the #1 TV show in America for most of the 1970s.

Forty-years later, we understand a little bit better that the decision for a son to come out to his father is torturous because of the possibility he’ll react exactly as Sam Sr. did.

Back in the day, people with secrets lived in the shadows because parents didn’t cloak their disappointment – just as Sam Sr. didn’t. Sam Jr. made the difficult decision to embrace himself as he is despite what his dad and others might think. Granted, the choice to text his message probably wasn’t the ballsiest call of his week, but given his dad’s response to THE NEW YORK F***ING TIMES, I think we can agree to give him a pass there.

By the way, when the voice on the other end of the phone greets you with, “Hello, this is (self-impressed reporter’s name here) from the New York Times,” you give them the best version of yourself because what you say is likely to appear in the NEW YORK F***ING TIMES.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Sam Sr. was so clever that he knew if he came off as a neanderthal, his son would be seen as honest, brave, and able to overcome the hardship of dealing with a less than enlightened father?

That seems unlikely as the clever rarely if ever dine at Denny’s – unless that was part of the well-crafted ruse, which would ensure Sam Sr. a spot on the Mt. Rushmore of conmen – so we will just hope for the best as Sam Jr. navigates the terrain at the NFL Combine and waits to hear his name called during the NFL Draft.

It would be nice if during Sam Sr.’s next Grand Slam Breakfast that he realizes his son told a truth that could penalize him to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars and cost him the pride if not love of his father. There is a lot to be proud of there.

Request for Wife to Drive Me to Airport for Jamaica Vacation with Friends Fuels Facebook Frenzy

by Kent Sterling

While I’m in Jamaica, Julie will have to make a snowman all by herself. Does that mean I shouldn’t get a ride to the airport at 5:30a?

Last night, I told my wife that I had booked my flight for a trip to Jamaica with a couple of friends to reprise a phenomenally fun trip taken five years ago. Then I asked if she would take me to the airport and pick me up to save a couple of bucks on parking.

Julie gave me a look that over years of marriage I have only seen a few times. It was a shocked and stern look that clearly communicates that I have moved from safe ground where Julie laughs easily into a minefield where womanly rage is the result of any misstep.

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I’m a reckless and aggressive debater, so I pressed forward. “You won’t drive 28 minutes to take your husband to the airport? If you asked me to drive you to Columbus for any reason, I would do it without hesitation.”

There was no way that was going to pay dividends, but the game was lost before I took the court anyway, so why not fire all my bullets?

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“Are you insane?” she rhetorically asked. “You’re going to Jamaica with guys while I stay home, and you want a ride to get you to the airport before six in the morning? Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

When she threatened to post our little fracas on Facebook, I knew I had better strike first or she would be able to frame the argument, and all would be lost.

So I posted this, “Just asked my wife to drop me at airport for trip to Jamaica with a couple friends. She outright refused. Parking with cost $50 or so, and the drive is 28 minutes. The flight leaves at 6:40a, so plenty of time to get to work, and the return lands at 11p. If she asked me, I wouldn’t hesitate. She is outraged that I would even ask, and I am outraged that she quickly balked. Who’s right?”

The responses ran from fearful hopes for reconciliation to aggressive masculine posturing to concern for my mental health to very funny requests for additional information. They came from former co-workers, friends, strangers, and a former boss or two. They made me wish I had a general interest talk radio show where such things could be discussed.

There was one comment to the thread my wife started from Carly Severino that may have turned the tables in my favor, “I would take him Julie. I’m sorry I’m on his side because I actually like you more. But I think you should take him.” I think Julie was so validated that Carly likes her better that it gave the rest of her reply additional weight. It also pointed out the unfortunate truth that everyone likes Julie better. She is just a much nicer person.

The very cynical of you might see my question to Julie as providing her with an outlet for whatever bitterness she might harbor for my abandoning her in the middle of the harshest winter we have endured during most of our lifetimes. Giving her an opportunity to vent is a psychological tactic to flush the bile.

The truth is that Julie is relentlessly good humored, and I’m not that bright. She wants me to go to Jamaica because last time I came home saner than when I left. Jamaica is cheaper that psychoanalysis. She bought in out of pragmatism, so I didn’t need to resort to cheap ploys to gain her approval or cast out evil thoughts.

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Inviting Facebook friends from all walks of life to weigh in on our discourse kept us both laughing all night, and Carly’s sage advice might just get me a ride to the airport, which will save me time, save us money, and be a minor imposition for Julie. It’s a win/win/get over it!

To read and participate in the thread, click here.

Big Ten Basketball Fans – Here’s Another Bad Reason to Hate Ohio State Point Guard Aaron Craft

by Kent Sterling

College students who haven’t yet figured out who they are tend to hate those who do, and in the Big Ten, the poster boy for that is Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft.

One of the strangest relationships between a college athlete and a conference fan base exists between Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft and fans of all teams in the Big Ten not Ohio State.

Craft competes every possession, excels in the classroom, and is a supportive teammate and leader. Well, if that doesn’t drive fans nuts, what will?

While a kid like Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart shoves a moron in Lubbock for giving him grief, Craft has endured ridiculous taunts for four years by working hard and earning the ultimate revenge – winning.

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And this morning, Craft earned yet another honor that will make him even less popular. The National Association of Basketball Coaches named Craft to the five-man NCAA Division One 2014 Allstate Good Works Team that honors college basketball players who have made a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of others.

Oh no! Craft not only gets straight A’s at Ohio State, finds clever ways to win games for the Buckeyes, is engaged to a hottie, and serves as a role model for kids – he improves his community. The audacity of this young man knows no limits!

There are dozens of ways to find success, but Craft seems to have been able to find a clear path to all of them. Evidently, a significant percentage of college students can’t handle watching a peer succeed on so many levels when he wears the jersey of an opposing player.

Few players in the history of the Big Ten has been so universally reviled in rival arenas while being deserving of the opposite.

Last week, Craft was interviewed by Dan Dakich on Indianapolis sportstalk leader 1070 the Fan, and if he is a closeted bad guy, Craft did a great job of concealing it. He sounded like a very mature, respectful, and decent guy with a bright future – the kind of kid you would be proud of if he was your son.

Maybe the hatred for Craft is fueled by jealousy for his athletic gifts. He looks like the the typical Sig Ep or Phi Delt, but can play basketball at the highest level. That bothers the less evolved Sig Ep or Phi Delt.

What the jealous don’t understand is that grades and honors like that which Craft earned this morning are about attitude and diligence, not success in sports. They can be like Craft, just without the basketball.

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Sure, they can’t compete for chicks with a guy who plays point guard in front of thousands of women twice a week from November thru March. And they probably don’t have his rosy cheeks, but nothing keeps them from being the best they can be but their own poor focus.

Shaking a fist at Craft and telling him “YOU SUCK!” isn’t going to help students in the stands win, but they do it anyway – giving Craft yet another victory.

Here is the list of athletes who were honored, and a potential raft of additional good kids worthy of hate from the jealous:

NCAA Division I
(Name, Class, Position, School, Hometown)
Danny Berger, Junior, Forward, Utah State, Medford, Ore.
Aaron Craft, Senior, Guard, Ohio State, Findlay, Ohio
Joe Harris, Senior, Guard, Virginia, Chelan, Wash.
Dau Jok, Senior, Guard, Pennsylvania, Des Moines, Iowa
Jordan Morgan, Graduate, Forward, Michigan, Detroit, Mich.

NCAA Division II, III and NAIA
(Name, Class, Position, School, Hometown)
Peter Kazickas, Junior, Forward, Hamilton, Amagansett, N.Y.
Grant Neil, Senior, Forward, Hope, Holland, Mich.
Aaron Patrick, Senior, Guard, Mount Aloysius, Johnsonburg, Pa.
Tanner Sutton, Junior, Guard, Columbia (Mo.), Harrisonville, Mo.
Nick LaGuerre, Junior, Guard, St. Mary’s of Maryland, Baltimore, Md.

The following players have been named to the 2014 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team®:

NCAA Division I
(Name, Class, Position, School, Hometown)
Kastine Evans, Senior, Guard, Kentucky, Salem, Conn.
Alyssa Englert, Senior, Guard, Hartford, Dansville, N.Y.
NeTanya Jones, Senior, Center, McNeese State, Oakdale, La.
Courtney Moses, Senior, Guard, Purdue , Sweetser, Ind.
Shayla Bivins, Senior, Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Jacksonville, Fla.

NCAA Division II, III and NAIA
(Name, Class, Position, School, Hometown)
Jasmine Brewer, Senior, Guard, Loyola (New Orleans), Houston, Texas
Amy Loya, Senior, Guard, Union , Bethel, Conn.
Michel’le St. Pierre, Senior, Guard, Worcester State, Seekonk, Mass.
Alexandra Wilkinson, Senior, Forward, Minnesota State (Mankato), Blue Mounds, Wis.
Alexa Baltes, Senior, Guard, Illinois Wesleyan, St. Charles, Ill.

Richard Petty Gets Headlines by Saying Danica Patrick Would Win “If Everyone Else Stayed Home”

by Kent Sterling

Richard Petty won 200 NASCAR races as a driver and another marketing battle yesterday.

The Petty Family clearly doesn’t think very highly of Danica Patrick or women in NASCAR.

Last year, Kyle Petty created his only headline since he last won a NASCAR race in 1995 by saying that Danica is a marketing machine and not a race car driver.

Richard Petty, Kyle’s dad and the king of NASCAR, told reporters after being asked whether Patrick will ever win a NASCAR race, “If everybody else stayed home. If she’d have been a male, nobody would ever know if she’d showed up at a racetrack. This is a female deal that’s driving her. There’s nothing wrong with that, because that’s good PR for me. More fans come out, people are more interested in it. She has helped to draw attention to the sport, which helps everybody in the sport.”

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And talking about Patrick is also good for Petty, which is obviously not lost upon him.

Whether Petty’s comments were contrived to put him front and center two weeks prior to the Daytona 500 or not, he is now being quoted on every motor sports network, show, and website in America. That’s not bad for business.

Patrick’s business is also not harmed by Petty’s silly attack. There is no doubt that Patrick has achieved more as a marketeer than a driver, and being the victim of a sexist rant from a 76 year-old kook whose last race was in 1992.

Say what you will about the Petty Family, Danica Patrick, and NASCAR in general, but they know what puts them front and center in the media, and that’s what sells that series of nap inducing events.

The racing in IndyCar is more fun to watch, has the biggest event in motorsports as its Super Bowl, and comparatively no one watches.

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Every time an IndyCar driver does something that causes the series what is believed to be negative publicity, he or she gets fined. What IndyCar needs to learn from NASCAR is that all publicity is good for the series. Rivalries and anger build drama, and drama builds interest.

Richard Petty came off in his comments as a sexist doofus, but for an old doofus he’s a pretty sharp guy.

Chicago Cubs Give Soon to Be Ex-Cub Jeff Samardzija One-Year Deal

by Kent Sterling

Jeff Samardzija is the last of the Cubs to play for them in a playoff game. His one-year deal assures he will be moving elsewhere before the end of the 2014 season.

The Cubs avoided an unpleasant arbitration hearing and virtually assured a trade by signing pitcher Jeff Samardzija to a one-year deal worth $5,345,000.

Eventually, Samardzija will be released from the purgatory a roster spot with the Cubs represents. The Cubs are still in dump mode, and a pitcher like Samardzija has value on the trade marker, despite never winning 10 games in a major league season at the age of 29.

The news isn’t that Samardzija was signed, it’s that the Cubs chose not to sign the reliable if mediocre pitcher to a long-term deal as one of the building blocks for their supposedly bright future.

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There is talent in the Cubs minor league system, but the majority of those projected as major league contributors are position players. There is a void in pitching – the area where most rebuilding efforts start.

The former wide receiver at Notre Dame has taken some time to hone his skills on the mound, but has become a solid member of a terrible rotation. Samardzija isn’t spectacular, but he can eat innings and keep his team in the game.

It’s hard to blame Samardzija for mediocre results when it has been very clear over the last three years that ownership and management had no interest in winning. Coming to work every fifth day with great focus to pitch meaningless games can’t have been easy.

Samardzija threw 213 2/3 innings in 2013, struck out 214 batters, and posted a WHIP of 1.348. That is going to prompt interest from teams in need of pitching despite his 8-13 record.

What that means for the Cubs is another haul of 2-3 reasonably talented prospects that will help Daytona, West Tennessee, and Iowa win now, and hopefully bring some success to Wrigley Field at some point before another generation of children learn the futility of being a Cubs fan and the pointlessness of hope as a concept.

The Cubs should be applauded for signing a talented pitcher with upside for less than half the cash expended by Edwin Jackson, who has underachieved through eight stops before turning 30 on his tour as a major league player. Cubs fans are stuck watching Jackson toil for the next three years at $13M per – an amount far too exorbitant to allow the Cubs to deal him.

Samardzija was the final arbitration eligible player to be sign, so the roster is basically set. There might be a couple of additions and subtractions during spring training, but the state of the Cubs in 2014 has been cast.

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With or without the mop-haired righty, Cubs fans should expect anywhere from 60-68 wins, and a whole lot of talk about the way Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, C.J. Edwards, and Albert Almora are developing into potential 2017 all-stars.

NFL Draft – DE Michael Sam Comes Out as Gay – Shame on Those Who Allow His Draft Status to Slip

by Kent Sterling

Mizzou’s Michael Sam is an All-American DE, and that’s all that should matter.

Interesting what grabs people’s attention. Mizzou defensive end Michael Sam came out as gay yesterday, and it’s leading ESPN today.

ESPN being a smart media company doesn’t waste viewers’ time with stuff they don’t care about. They know what news moves the needle, and a guy who comes out is still news.

Judging people based upon who they choose to spend their lives with is a peculiar intrusion that wastes time and energy. If our hope for others includes an ingredient beyond happiness – whatever that means – we fail in our humanity.

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Even the profoundly religious understand that judging others is God’s job. Ours is to try to aid those around us smile, learn, and laugh as often as possible as we careen through life toward our ultimate reward.

Sam trusted his teammates to help him do that prior to his final season as a Tiger when he came out to them in August. That went well enough that he is now trusting us with personal information that could potentially cause him financial loss and unpleasant invective.

Being gay shouldn’t be a big deal, but it still is. Sam is expecting the best from us, and that can be a mistake. It’s not his future teammates who are most likely to let him down, but the rabble of our society who feel impunity for their stupidity and narrow-mindedness are in the stands of every arena and stadium in America.

In Lubbock last Saturday night, a fan called Oklahoma State Marcus Smart “a piece of crap.” That prompted Smart to react angrily and shove the fan. The Big 12 has suspended Smart for three games.

When Sam becomes the object of derision, what word do you think will be used to attack him?

There have been gay men on NFL rosters since the league was formed – in major league baseball, the NBA, and NHL too. Most have kept it to themselves. Some have shared their secret with a teammate or two. Sam is the first who has come out on the front end of his pro career.

Jason Collins was center/power forward in the NBA from 2001-2013, and chose to come out as gay after last season, and he didn’t get a contract for the 2013-2014 season. Collins is 35, so maybe it was just his time. Maybe NBA GMs decided that having him around the locker room wasn’t worth the productivity that could be expected from an end of the bench big.

Sam is projected to be a middle round selection in the 2014 NFL Draft, and he has been invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis later this month. The question isn’t whether he can play in the NFL, but whether a general manager might decide to choose someone else of nearly equal talent rather than invite Sam into his locker room.

The issue for GMs won’t be a matter of tolerance or acceptance of a gay man, but whether the complications inherent with drafting Sam will be worth the productivity he brings to the field.

The NFL is a meritocracy. The proof is in the pudding. If Sam’s sexual preference is seen as a non-factor, his announcement will have no effect on his draft status. If his presence is likely to generate strange media coverage, and raise human resources type issues similar to those that resulted in the suspension of Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito and the eventual firing of Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, teams might decide the wide receiver they graded just beneath Sam is a more prudent choice.

It’s too bad society will view Sam’s decision to come out as brave, but because his ability to make a living doing what he loves may be adversely affected by the announcement, it was a courageous move.

At some point, whether or not people are gay or straight won’t matter. It will be seen as no one’s business. That will be a good thing for all of us, and it requires men and women to destigmatize sexual preference through announcements like Sam’s.

Whatever happens, Sam’s announcement will be a reason to watch the third through seventh rounds of the draft.

Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart Shoves a Fan, and the World of Sports Journalism Explodes

by Kent Sterling

Marcus Smart shoves a fan. The fan is fine, and Marcus is being hammered in the media and on Twitter.

Oklahoma State All-American Marcus Smart jumped to block a shot at the Texas Tech rim, fell toward the Lubbock crowd, got up, and angrily shoved a fan who was physically no worse for the interlude.

Athletes should never go into the stands, as the Indiana Pacers learned the hard way in 2004 in the Malice at the Palace. Regardless of the situation, nothing good can come of that.

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Part of the sad truth of being an athlete on a bright stage in a strange town is that there will always be morons who get off on getting under their skin. Hecklers cocktail, grow what they mistake to be stones, and unleash a torrent of invective only they view as funny.

People near them turn away embarrassed, hoping that arena or stadium security will intercede and throw the guy into the street. Rarely does that happen. At the professional level, security will toss the worst of the worst. At colleges, security consists of elderly ushers so the abuse can be worse before any substantial penalty is levied.

The vast majority of the time, players take the harassment for what it is – the result a fan who has indulged in too many cocktails and too little respect for themselves. They ignore the moron because he has done nothing to earn their attention.

Tonight, Smart did what kids tend to do – make a mistake. He allowed himself to act. He indulged in the same base instinct that leads to so much trouble in today’s world. He acted on his anger.

We don’t know what the fan said. He might have been gracious, although he certainly didn’t appear to be. At some point, Smart will tell us his version, and the fan will likely share his memory. They almost certainly will not sound like they were a part of the same incident.

ESPN will be there to chronicle all of it. If this happened a week ago, the day before the Super Bowl, it’s possible this would have been a 20-second blurb at the ass end of Sportscenter, and that would have been that. But not today.

An hour after the incident, the mothership is broadcasting perspective from far and wide, carrying the post game presser from Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford, and trying to satisfy the nation’s thirst for insight without knowledge. Nevermind that we don’t know more than we’ve seen. Smart shoved a guy after his momentum carried him into the crowd. All else is conjecture.

That’s life in the media these days. Many Texas Tech fans believe that Smart should be suspended for the rest of the season, and a similar number of Oklahoma State fans believe that Smart must have been provoked by a racist epithet to prompt such an outburst. But neither side knows.

Texas Tech fans believe the fan said “Sorry about that,” to Smart. Oklahoma State fans think not.

The truth is that none of us knows, and circumspection and due process be damned. Judging is much more fun than waiting for the facts. Much better to yelp about players acting up, failing to conform to societal mores, and falling short of the examples set by Jackie Robinson, Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Lenny Dykstra (sounds funny to mention him with the others, but I sat in the bleachers at Wrigley as the guy was regularly eviscerated by fans) who kept their anger hidden.

There is no defense for what Smart did, and there is likely no reasonable explanation for what was said to prompt it. Good guys are nowhere to be found, but there is nothing wrong with waiting a few hours or a day to hear from Smart and the fan so we know what the hell we are talking about.

In the meantime, if you are one of those tools who love to inspire hatred in athletes, remember that every once in awhile, these very fit and strong young men remind us they are human. If the threat of being booted doesn’t hold your tongue, maybe knowing these guys can get up close and personal very quickly if pushed too far.

Indiana Basketball – Hoosiers 66-60 Loss at Minnesota Provides Yet More Questions

by Kent Sterling

Noah Vonleh needs to put the Hoosiers on his soon-to-be professional back if IU is to reach its potential in 2014.

Why doesn’t freshman Noah Vonleh get the ball every possession, and when he gets it, why doesn’t he create offense? This is question one on the minds of Hoosiers fans after watching Indiana fall to 4-6 in the Big Ten tonight as Minnesota fought back from a 13-point deficit to win 66-60.

Vonleh scored 12 points on nine shots, and grabbed a dozen rebounds. From the 13:00 minute mark of the second half, Indiana mustered 12 field goal attempts, and scored 12 points. Vonleh took four shots, and made three. The rest of the team made 2-of-8.

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The sad truth is that Indiana has two players who can function consistently on both ends of the court, and a bunch of misshapen pieces with jagged edges that don’t fit neatly together at all. Some can defend, and others can’t. Some can score, and others can’t. Some can’t or won’t do much of either.

Vonleh and sophomore point guard Yogi Ferrell are complete players, and the rest are trying to catch up. There are flashes of promise from the others, but Vonleh’s laudable generosity in distributing the ball to his fellow freshmen is misplaced if the Hoosiers hope to win a game like they played at the Barn.

The spinorama layup off the dribble with 5:56 left in the game was the kind of outstanding individual effort that causes scouts to project him as a top ten pick in June’s NBA Draft. Why he only shows that skill once a game is anyone’s guess, but the Hoosiers need it to compete for a bid in next month’s NCAA Tournament.

Without the magic to which Vonleh has access, the Hoosiers are too easy to defend. All resources are dedicated to stopping Ferrell from getting to the rim, and that is that. If Williams or Robinson beat you, that’s life.

If Vonleh stops himself by being selfless, and the defense stops Ferrell, opponents will like their chances.

I got two texts during the game tonight from an Indiana grad who will remain nameless. The first was a callback to the old joke about Michael Jordan and Dean Smith, “The only person who can hold Vonleh under ten points is Tom Crean.” The other was, “If Crean had coached at Auburn in the 1980s, Bo Jackson would have carried the ball five times a game.”

The sentiment is understandable. Somebody is to blame, and the skipper of the boat is Crean, but at some point, Vonleh needs to demand the ball and find a way to regularly assert himself. Offenses that work for the best shot regardless of the shooter are fun to play on, but when two guys can be counted on, those two need to carry the load.

Ferrell shot 16 times, but Vonleh’s nine attempts was one shy of Will Sheehey. The next time someone mistakes Sheehey’s offensive game for Vonleh’s, give me a call. Since the week before Thanksgiving, Vonleh has taken 10+ shots in a game once (vs. Northwestern). Over the same period, Vonleh is 11-for-15 from beyond the arc. I promise you that Crean is leaving texts, voicemails, and making personal pleas that Vonleh shoot the damn ball.

Indiana needs to get to 9-9 in the Big Ten to earn a spot in the NCAA Tourney. At 4-6, Indiana will need to finish 5-3 to get to 9-9 (who said I’m not aces at basic math?), and with four games at home and four on the road, that means a win on the road against Purdue, Northwestern, Wisconsin, or Michigan will be required, as will winning out at Assembly Hall against Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, and Nebraska. A win tonight would have made the path to madness clearer.

Chaos has reigned throughout the Big Ten this season, so prognosticating what the Hoosiers or any other team will do from game to game is a waste of time, but what needs to happen for any of the teams to win is easy – as is the case with Indiana.

Whether IU can get to 9-9 is dependent in large part upon the play of its best player. That’s a lot of weight to put on the shoulders of a freshman, but with excellence comes expectations, and if Vonleh thinks this pressure is stifling, wait until he’s paid millions to do it.

If Vonleh is only going to spend one year in Bloomington, he should make it worthwhile.

A-Rod Drops Lawsuits Against MLB, MLBPA, and Selig – as the Guilty Always Do

by Kent Sterling

For a vapid boob, A-Rod was clever enough to figure out that he didn’t have anything to gain by swearing an oath to tell the truth.

So A-rod brought an empty pistol to a gun fight, as everyone thought from the beginning.

The threat of a lawsuit is almost always a hollow, face-saving gesture that is rescinded long before the plaintiffs are required to testify, and that is no coincidence.

“We plan on pursuing a lawsuit to shine a light on the recklessness of these allegations!” the ‘victim’ yells passionately into the collection of microphones. “We will have our day in court!”

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And then, if they aren’t already aware, someone mentions the inconvenient requirement that people with access to the situation will be deposed under oath as part of the lawsuit.

Funny thing, these oaths that require a person to testify truthfully. It turns the brave into cowards, loudmouths into apologists, and dreamers into pragmatists.

“I have decided to spare my family the indignity and expense of a protected legal battle, and have asked my legal team to file the paperwork necessary to end the legal fight,” the formerly brash say in a statement. “It’s time to put this difficult chapter of our lives behind us.”

Putting a frivolous lawsuit behind you is always a better option than facing multiple counts of perjury.

So A-Rod predictably decided to end this nonsense and accept his penally of sitting for a full season.

Fulfilling its part of the bargain, Major League Baseball released the following statement, “We have been informed that Alex Rodriguez has reached the prudent decision to end all of the litigation related to the Biogenesis matter.

“We believe that Mr. Rodriguez’s actions show his desire to return the focus to the play of our great game on the field and to all of the positive attributes and actions of his fellow major league players. We share that desire.”

Nothing like dropping a lawsuit to prompt a conciliatory message from a former adversary.

Whether A-Rod will return to play baseball in 2015 is to be seen, but with $63 million remaining on his contract from 2015-2017, you can bet he’ll do everything he can to keep himself baseball ready.

Justice is usually served, even if the truth isn’t.