Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Sterling & Hagan to Host Weekend Show on 1070 – The Fan

by Kent Sterling

My head was photoshopped on to this picture by a Kentucky fan on a website, and I haven't stopped laughing since I saw it. Of all the pictures of myself I could post here, this is my favorite. How sad is that?

Fox 59 sports director Chris Hagan and the purveyor of the most important sports themed website in the world have agreed to host a two-hoiur show each Saturday from 9a-11a on 1070 – The Fan in Indianapolis beginning this week.

Kudos to 1070 The Fan program director David Wood for having the foresight to employ these two young talented firebrands in an effort to expand the station’s local footprint in Indianapolis sports media.

The show will be a look ahead at the weekend of local sports, and you can guess what we’ll talk about this weekend – hours before Butler takes on VCU in a game to determine who will play the winner of Kentucky and UConn in the championship game.

Radio is supposed to be fun and if you’re up that early on a Saturday, it needs to be for something fun, so that is exactly what the show will be. Every Saturday, listeners will get two great interviews (or more appropriately – two interviews with great guests), the five best reasons to watch sports this weekend, the all important Tweet of the Week, plus the very best unique perspective available of Saturday mornings from 9a-11a.

It will be nothing but fun, and I hope you join us every Saturday from 9a-11a on 1070 The Fan.

Butler Basketball’s NCAA Success – Is it the ‘Butler Way’ or ‘Matt Howard’s Way’?

by Kent Sterling

From the first NCAA Tourney in 1939 through 2009, Butler advanced to the Sweet Sixteen twice and the Elite Eight exactly zero times. In Matt Howard’s junior and senior years, they have done both twice, and are 40 minutes from their second straight trip to the Final Four.

This is not to diminish the importance of seniors Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant, but focusing on Howard only makes sense given his production over his career, and in the three tourney wins this year. You can bet that Zach’s burning need to compete fuels the Bulldogs’ work in practice, and there is no doubting the benefit of Vanzant’s recent offensive production (11 ppg) and defensive excellence as reasons contributing to Butler’s success.

But it’s Howard who is the face of this team. He’s not Jimmer Fredette, but than again, Jimmer is already back in Provo. Outplaying better known and regarded players is nothing new for Howard, who outplayed Kevin Love every time the two matched up in summer ball.

People like to talk and write about the quirks that make Matt good copy, but the fact is that he is a hell of a good basketball player with a weird skill set and surprising strength. He’s two-handed around the bucket, and has a very strong core. Where a lot of big guys have the cut up arms and chest, Howard’s upper legs and trunk are rock hard and thick. He roots out defensive players and gets to the block exceptionally well. He also blocks out exceptionally well.

Howard has always flunked the eye test. Kids from the Atlanta Celtics and dozens of other teams in summer ball would watch his team go through warm-ups and scoff. Down 12-2 after the first two minutes, their coaches always called a frantic timeout.

Always underrated, and always productive. Especially in big games, Howard has always come through. Even Butler fans look at the future with a smile. Shelvin Mack, Ronald Nored, and Andrew Smith return and Howard’s numbers can easily be replaced. If they start rattling off statistics and measurables, they just don’t get it.

If George Clinton and the P-funk All-Stars bring the funk, Matt Howard brings the clunk. He is clunky personified, and it’s worth a laugh until you go up against it. Unlike any big in college basketball, Howard does nothing by the book, and everything productively. For opponents, Howard is the face of their frustration. They can’t figure out why they can’t outplay him, but they don’t.

In “Friday Night Lights”, coach Eric Taylor’s chant is “Clear eyes, full hearts – can’t lose!” No one’s eyes are clearer, and no one’s heart is more full than Howard’s. He believes in his teammates, and that fuels the supposed upsets that Butler notches one after another. Teams don’t go 8-1 over the past two NCAA Tourneys without believing they should win those games and Matt is the kool-aid that fuels that belief.

Teammates say he’s weird. People write that he’s quirky. Matt believes so completely that it convinces others to believe, and pretty soon that thing they believe in becomes reality.

After last night’s win, coach Brad Stevens said, “I don’t believe this group goes into games not believing,” and he’s right. Matt Howard believes – always. Prevailing wisdom does not invade Howard’s mind. Howard believes completely in what he believes, and the supposed experts and their opinions aren’t granted access to Howard’s doubt center.

Basketball for Howard isn’t about hope; it’s about work. It’s about figuring out a way to win every possession. That is becoming a significant part of the Butler Way, but it was Howard’s way long before he got to Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Butler will tee it up Friday, trying to post their ninth NCAA win in 13 months after winning eight total in their history prior to that. They will be the eighth seed playing the second-seeded Florida Gators, and the Bulldogs will once again be the underdogs in all but the minds of 20 guys, and that belief starts with Matt Howard.

It will be interesting next year to see whether this unprecedented run of success is because of a team playing the Butler Way, or the Matt Howard Way.

Click here to follow Kent on Twitter @kentsterling

Jeremy Hollowell Picks Indiana

by Kent Sterling

IU head coach Tom Crean picked up another commitment for his outstanding 2012 freshman class as Lawrence Central’s (IN) Jeremy Hollowell chose the Hoosiers over Cincinnati, Ohio State, and Purdue.

Hollowell is a 6’7 wing with length, athleticism, and shooting range who fits nicely with current commitments Yogi Ferrell (PG), Ron Patterson (SG), Hanner Perea (PF), and Peter Jurkin (C). All but Jurkin attend Indiana high schools, as Crean continues to tap in-state kids to build a solid local foundation for his program.

As with any brand, success breeds more success, and Crean hasn’t lost many battles for Indiana preps since getting a verbal from Hamilton Heights Austin Etherington. Cody Zeller was the big fish who opened the flood gates for these 2012 kids, and Indiana kids have taken notice and continue to line up to help get this program back on track.

Hollowell has the potential to be a big part of that effort. He’s ranked 37th, 38th, and 39th by the big three ranking services, and can be as good as he wants to be. What Hallowell is, Indiana does not currently have.

For those who have trouble counting to five, that is how many have now committed for 2012, and that’s a lot. For a team with two incoming freshmen, two returning sophomores, and five returning juniors, that would bring the total of players on scholarship in the fall of 2012 to 14. If Matt Roth applies for a medical redshirt, we hit 15. And Indiana is still tenaciously pursuing Hamilton Southeastern’s Gary Harris. That’s 16.

Crean doesn’t need IU’s Finite Math wizard Maynard Thomson to draw a Venn Diagram (who said the money spent on my education was wasted?) to show that 16 is greater than 13 by three. And it’s not for me to question who the odd men out will be. That’s a conversation for the families of players at Indiana to have with Crean.

My bet is that somehow they wind up at the right number, and that those kids will be ready to compete. Hollowell is another thick brick in a formable wall of the house that Crean is building.

Click here to follow Kent on Twitter @kentsterling

Butler’s Matt Howard Not All About Floppy Hair and Tattered Socks

by Kent Sterling

Matt Howard is getting a lot of attention, and the media is focusing on some of the traits that make him such a unique kid. Some view him as quaintly off-kilter with his rusty bike, floppy socks, and somewhat erratic hair.

When Butler plays Wisconsin tonight at 9:57 p.m. tonight in New Orleans, a lot of eyes will be on Matt, and their image of the 6’8″ power forward and Academic All-American for those who have read the many pieces will be of a hard-working kid straight out of the pages of “Little House on the Prairie”.

What Matt Howard is is purely himself. He makes decisions based upon what he believes is right, and that’s it. Peer pressure means nothing to this guy, and it never has. He is Matt. Just Matt.

if you want to know Matt, get to know his family. His dad Stan is America’s most popular postman. He grows a beard during the winter and shaves during the summer. Why? I never asked. An outstanding athlete and pitcher as a kid, he is a sweet, decent, friendly, and shrewd guy. I sat at summer team practices and talked to Stan for hours. He’s smart and affable.

Linda is Matt’s mom. She is perhaps the most nurturing and honest woman in the world. Four years after our sons played endless games for the Spiece Central Stars, Linda and the entire family still greet us like family, and we do the same. I have never seen Linda unhappy. Ever. Stan can get a little nervous about things, but Linda is happy all the time. Her head is screwed on as right as anyone in the world.

Matt has many brothers and sisters who are all incredibly friendly, likable, and sharp. They smile easily, and have been smart enough to enjoy every minute of the trip Matt is on as a basketball player and young man.

Yes, Matt likes to exchange the first letters of the first and last names of people he meets. Zach Hahn is called Hack Zahn, not just by Matt, but by most of the kids with whom they played. He wear old socks because why where new ones. He rides a bicycle in the cold to workouts. He’s droll to a point where if you don’t know him, you have no idea whether he’s trying to be funny or not. Matt cuts his hair when the mood strikes him. I’m not sure what the schedule is, but when he gets it cut, his money is well spent. He’s earnest and welcoming, and will sign autographs at Hinkle Fieldhouse after games until the lights are turned out. Then he moves into the hallway and signs for the rest.

But that isn’t who he is. Those are the traits he exhibits.

Matt is the best teammate a basketball player ever had. The majority of players looking for a scholarship turn a little selfish as they try to get theirs. Matt was accurate and resolved in getting the ball to open wings. His passes weren’t and aren’t afterthoughts; they are delivered accurately to guards who are forever thankful to play with someone that focused on the team’s success ahead of his own. That’s not recognized as on-court leadership these days, but it should be.

With the media, Matt is good-humored and patient. For a young man who is very comfortable in his skin (he would say, ‘whose skin should I be comfortable in?’ without getting the double entendre) he is as forthcoming as you might guess, and he’ll talk until the reporter gets what he or she wants, and right now they want a lot.

Matt is the star of the NCAA Tournament so far as he has scored the winning points in two straight nail-biters, which is a gift from God for all the parents who are raising kids who are fascinated with basketball because he is genuinely what parent aspire their kids to be.

There is no compromise to Matt. There is no dark side. There is only light where this kid goes. To reduce that to floppy hair and socks is trite, and cheapens his genuinely special qualities. The media wants to reduce the kid to an easily consumed colloquialism, that’s fine. I won’t.

Matt’s college basketball career will end in the next 11 days, maybe tonight, but his legacy will last far beyond that at Butler and for everyone blessed enough to know his entire family.

There is no way that Matt would embrace this, but Butler should not only retire the #54 and hang it from the rafters at Hinkle Fieldhouse, but should erect a statue of the kid out front so people are constantly reminded of the time when a true student athlete excelled and represented that university with a dignity and individuality that we should all emulate.

Brad Stevens was smart enough to see when he recruited Matt, and now the country sees it. And we are better for it. Enjoy watching him tonight. Matt Howards don’t come along very often.

Click here to follow Kent on Twitter @kentsterling

Dwane Casey Didn’t Do It, the Cautionary Tale of a Post Gone Wrong

by Kent Sterling

Sometimes the best way to learn what’s right is to get it wrong. I wrote yesterday about the disgrace of the 1988 incident where Kentucky assistant coach Dwane Casey was accused of sending an Emery envelope with 20 – $50 bills to Claud Mills, the father of recruit Chris Mills. I assumed it was true, and I have never found any article or declaration to say otherwise.

That was until I got an email from current Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey, who was decent and polite throughout our email exchange where he corrected me. Casey wrote that he settled a defamation suit against Emery Air Freight shortly after the mess that permanently changed both the perception and reality of Kentucky basketball. It definitely changed the perception of potential employers and fans regarding Casey.

The NCAA rescinded it’s show cause order immediately after the settlement of the lawsuit, and Casey’s career has flourished as an NBA coach. The show cause has no effect on the NBA, but the fact that the NCAA moved to eliminate the one punishment that attached to Casey after the scandal is just as undamning as it is hard to find on the internet.

Oh, there is a lot of stuff on the scandal itself including until a few hours ago another of my posts – this one from December 10th, 2010 – that described Casey’s actions as making “Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson look like brain surgeons”, but not so much about how the lawsuit was settled and how Casey has been busting his ass for almost 23 years to change the perception that people have of his actions in 1988 and the sullied reputation that resulted. Snarkiness has always been a weakness, and sometimes it’s warranted, but not here.

I mock Kentucky’s history of corruption from time to time because I hate corruption, and it’s easy to look at college basketball and football and guess at the level of deceit that goes with that territory. To indict all without rigorous investigation is more than just factually incorrect – it’s morally deficient.

If you have ever gone to a library and wandered through the newspaper archives, you have an idea of what the internet is multiplied by one-billion. One time while escaping Sociology cramming at the Indiana University Library, I wondered up to the floor where all the back issues of major metropolitan newspapers are. I thumbed through 1965 editions of the Chicago Tribune until I found a picture of me with Miss Beverly from “Romper Room” that was taken at the Woolworth’s in Lake Forest, Illinois. That explains the D in Sociology. Anyway, the internet allows us to find all kinds of information and perspective in a matter of seconds, and if the people who put it there don’t pay close attention, what becomes accepted as true will not always be true.

I made the mistake of trusting what I read, and then adding to it. When I wrote the post that was published December 10th, I researched as I always do to get the facts right – like the company who delivered the envelope, the dates, names, and results. What I never found was the fact that Casey wasn’t in Lexington the day the package was mailed, that the coach who opened the envelope found no cash in it, or that the NCAA lifted the show cause.

The internet is in ink, and when used without proper regard it can stain people. We need to be able to trust what we read. Casey was kind enough to give me some special attention today so I could get it right.

He was a lot easier on me than I might have been with someone else who did the same.

Click to follow Kent on Twitter @kentsterling

Matt Howard Cementing His Reputation as Being What College Basketball Should Be All About

by Kent Sterling

There is something about March that rewards virtue and penalizes the weak. Matt Howard and Butler continue to dance into the Sweet Sixteen, and Bruce Pearl is sent back to Knoxville to sweat (literally) out his final days as the bastion of amorality he has always been.

Better to spend time learning about the goodness of Howard than the shortsighted concessions to decency that Pearl has made, and now has come to represent.

Here’s a fairly expansive interview with Matt Howard, who is exactly as decent and selfless as he appears.

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I watch that interview, and feel both very pleased for Butler coach Brad Stevens, who had the foresight to recruit Matt hard and the joy of coaching him, and terrible for him because at some point during the next 15 days he will coach Matt for the last time.

The future of Butler Basketball after Matt, Zach Hahn, and Shawn Vanzant can and will be discussed at length later. Right now, Bulldog fans and crusty and jaded media types should revel in the qualities of their basketball and character.

Follow Kent on Twitter at @kentsterling

Voice of the Indiana Pacers Mark Boyle Talks About His Role with the Team and His Preparation for a Broadcast

by Kent Sterling

Mark Boyle is one of the best radio play-by-play voices in professional and college sports, and he is relentless and disciplined in how he works at his craft. The word ‘craft’ is probably a little to high-handed for Mark to accept as a description of what he does, but it is just that.

Conveying not just the activity on the court, but painting the picture of the emotion and excitement in the arena is part of the job too, and Mark excels at bringing the arena into the homes and cars of fans.

On March 30th, Mark will call his 2,000th game as the radio voice of the Indiana Pacers, and he will describe that game with the same energy, detail, and erudition he used in the first 1,999 to become an NBA institution and one of the very best there has been in a very competitive business.

There are very few men who do what Mark does at the level he does it. There are roughly 200 men and women (mostly men) who make a handsome living as the play-by-play voice for a professional or big-time college team, and today Mark gives us a look at how he does this jobs that thousands dream of one day having.

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‘Slick’ Leonard Has Heart Attack – Mark Boyle Talks About Their Work Together

by Kent Sterling

There are some guys we wish could go on forever living life on their terms, and then the body relents and reminds us that it’s not built more much more than a half century of fun and mayhem. I doubt there are 50 people in the world who have had more fun than former IU great, Pacers coach, and radio analyst Bob ‘Slick’ Leonard.

The owner of the tab for that fun required a partial payment yesterday.

Slick is 78, and has made only passing accommodations to the requirements a body that age makes on its owner, and so he had a heart attack yesterday after the Pacers beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. He had two stents implanted shortly thereafter, and is resting comfortably.

No one lives in Indianapolis long before they hear their first Slick story, and it’s not much longer before people have one of their own. He’s a larger than life character who is always friendly and gracious.

I talked to Mark Boyle last week to get his thoughts on doing his 2,000th game as the franchise’s radio voice, and he spoke about the working relationship he and Slick have.

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Mark and Slick have been together since the 1993-1994 playoffs, and their partnership has consistently entertained and informed fans since.

God’s speed for a quick recovery, Slick.

Mark Boyle – Voice of the Indiana Pacers Closes in on 2,000th Call

by Kent Sterling

Now that Jerry Sloan is gone, no coach has been with the same franchise as long as Mark Boyle has been with the Indiana Pacers. In 20 days, Boyle will call his 2,000th game as the voice that has told the story and painted the picture for every Pacers team since 1988.

He’s seen the highs and lows, watched the good and bad, and made damn sure he was prepared to bring his best to all of them. Boyle is honest, unvarnished, and curious.

Over the next four weeks, kentsterling.com will give you a glimpse into the process this unique talent uses to be “competent” (his word) in an effort to earn the respect that drives him.

I won’t pretend that I have heard each and every NBA play-by-play voice – I haven’t. Maybe I’ve caught half of them. Of those I have heard, Mark is without peer. His preparation is on display every broadcast, as is his passion for the craft.

Fans listen, and have little knowledge of the work and creativity that goes into the delivery of every description. Some play-by-play voices believe it’s their personality that carries the show, and they simply show up and say what they see. Mark works, and lets his personality take a backseat to the art of presentation.

Boyle likes the NBA, enjoys his role with the Pacers, and loves the art of broadcasting.

This interview is expansive, so it’s cut into four parts.

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Five Things Tom Crean Has Done Right

by Kent Sterling

It’s easy to pile on Indiana Basketball coach Tom Crean given the Hoosiers losing streak, 3-13 conference record and the apparent continuation of Indiana’s run of seasons without a postseason appearance.

Calling an Indiana team a success would be ludicrous when they will have to upset one of its two remaining regular season opponents or win the first round game of the Big Ten Tournament next Thursday to win more than it’s current total of 12.

But that doesn’t negate the progress the Hoosiers program has made in the past three years. Much of that progress is on display this week in high schools throughout Indiana, and will be evident beginning next month as summer team tournaments get revved up.

In the spirit of looking forward instead of back, here is a list of the top five things Tom Crean has done right since agreeing to try to lead the Hoosiers out of the swamp into which Kelvin Sampson dragged the once proud program:

Crean has avoided the temptation to invite kooks and ne’er do wells into Assembly Hall. There were some issues with a former player, but when he finished his time in Bloomington, the problems left with him. There are always quick fixes available, but they often do more harm than good. You can’t build a solid house with rotten wood, and you can’t build a solid program with mercenaries.
Jordan Hulls is developing into a very good point guard who can score and should become a team leader for the next two years. He’s clever, diligent, and focused. Crean recruited him, has worked with him, and he’s getting better. Programs are built with the sweat of gym rats like Hulls, and Crean deserves the credit for recognizing his potential as a player and nurturing his desire to learn.
Staying positive throughout three seasons while winning a total 28 games is tough, no matter how much money a guy makes, and Crean has remained upbeat while demanding that the hard work continues. That the team has continued to row in unison despite taking on water more quickly than it can be purged is a credit to the kids, coaches, and Crean’s ability to communicate the big picture. Continuing to look ahead to where the program is going rather than allowing the past to define them is not only going to help this team become better players, but better men.
Forging meaningful relationships with summer and high school coaches. From the very beginning, Crean has known who the power brokers in indiana are and how important their programs are in effectively recruiting this state. If Indiana University can’t win recruiting battles with the very best basketball players in Indiana, there is no hope to win a championship of any kind. Indiana cannot be successful with kids from Texas and Alabama, and if you don’t believe me, ask Mike Davis.
Crean has infused the student fan base with enthusiasm that is infectious, and has taken hold. The atmosphere at Assembly Hall during games is raucous and loud, regardless of the result of the game. The early adaptors have adopted Tom Crean, and like my brother-in-law said after my wife brought me to meet her family said, “Hey, my kid likes him and kids always know.”

As long as the high school kids see Indiana as THE place to play, the current players fight like hell, and the students are in lock step behind Crean, I’m willing to believe he’s marching toward banners and not a sheer drop.

There will be doubters – there are always doubters, but there is no tangible reason to doubt that Crean is doing the right things, and that makes him the right guy to do them.

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