Chicago Public League Quarterfinals

It's down to the Elite 8 in the CPS(City) Playoffs that are being played on Sunday at Chicago State. Here are the match ups: FARRAGUT VS HYDE PARK- Farragut was one loss from not making the City Playoffs and also dropping to the White Division for the 1st time in history. They have a transcendent player in 6'4" point guard Ashante Jones and a bunch of scrappers around him. I frankly do not know much about Hyde Park except they finished 2nd in the Red Central. I will go out on a limb and pick Farragut in another upset. UPLIFT VS ORR- Red North Champ Uplift is a great story, only been in existence for about 5 years and in their first quarterfinal. They have a great backcourt in Jeremy Roscoe(6'2" junior) and Quintin Olagbegi (6'0" senior) can control a game from the backcourt but will need rebounding help from Jamaya Wyatt to stay with Orr. Orr should win this game with their talented trio of All-City Louis Adams Jr (6'4" senior), Tyquaan Greer(6'7" senior) and Marlon Jones (6'8" senior) to dominate the glass with adequate backcourt play from Isaiah Hayes (6'0" senior). I'll take Orr in this one but don't be surprised at an upset. WHITNEY YOUNG VS MORGAN PARK-This one should be a barnburner Young is the defending city champ with their great senior trio of Duke signee Jahlil Okafor(6'11" senior), Georgetown signee Paul White (6'9"senior) and St Louis signee Miles Reynolds (6'3" senior) leading the way. Morgan Park counters with Josh Cunningham(6'7" senior), Lamont Walker (6'5" senior) and Charlie Moore(5'9" sophomore). Morgan Park is too careless with the ball to win this one so I'll take Whitney Young. CURIE VS SIMEON- This one is tough to call even though Curie is ranked #2 in the country. Curie has Kansas signee Cliff Alexander (6'9" senior) along with the Stamps brothers Joe(6'2" senior) and Josh (6'4" junior), Devin Gage (6'0" sophomore) is key in this game. Simeon has been inconsistent this season as they are young and turn the ball over a lot with inconsistent guard play. Edward Morrow(6'7" junior) and Loyola signee Dante Ingram(6'5" senior) have been the most consistent for Simeon. Simeon has been playing very well lately. I will pick Simeon in the upset here. THERE YOU HAVE IT: SHOULD BE A GREAT SUNDAY AT CHICAGO STATE, I WILL BE THERE TO CHECK OUT THE GREAT BASKETBALL!!!!!! THIS IS MY RANT FOR TODAY, GOD BLESS AND PEACE TO THE CREATURES!!!!!! I WILL HAVE THE SEMIFINAL BREAKDOWN ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

Chicago Public League(City Playoffs)

Well the City Playoffs begin tonight, to me it's the hardest high school basketball tournament to win in the country. Want proof? Jabari Parker's 4 time State Champion Simeon teams only won the City Tournament once. What would make this must see television around the country would be if Curie and Whitney Young clashed in the Final? Big Cliff Alexander (Kansas) vs Jahlil Okafor(Duke), two of the top 3 players in the country. But both have some big land mines in front of them before this matchup could materialize. Here are the contending teams: CURIE- Big Cliff Alexander(Kansas) has had a National Player of The Year type season for Curie. The improvement of this team is it's guards have finally started getting Alexander touches in the interior every time down the floor. Key will be the Stamps Brothers both guards (Josh a senior, and Joseph a junior) being knockdown three point shooters. Devin Gage is key at the point steadying the offense. Curie has lost once all season which was in Michigan when Alexander sat out due to suspension. Can they win their first City Title? WHITNEY YOUNG- This veteran team and defending City Champ has a rough road to the Finals, especially with possibly Morgan Park in the quarterfinals and Orr in the Semifinals. Leader is the senior trio of Jahlil Okafor(Duke), Paul White(Geogretown), and Miles Reynolds(St Louis) a 3 point sniper. Key will be the play of point guard Ant Moseley, and staying out of foul trouble especially since Whitney Young has no bench to speak of once again. Will they defend their title? ORR- This is my 3rd choice, they have quietly had a wonderful season with only 2 losses. They have inside play with Marlon Jones (6'8" senior) and Tyquan Greer (6'7" senior) doing damage on the glass. To me the key is the Coaches son Lou Adams Jr(6'4" senior) can he control his emotions and take advantage of his explosive and immense talent? If he can then they might pull the surprise and win the City Tournament.  BOGAN- This is a small, explosive team that won the toughest division in this league the Red South. Luwan Pipkins (5'9" junior) a small quick explosive guard who can light up the gym from three point range, also Bryce Barnes (5'7" sophomore) is another explosive point guard who keeps the pace up. Key will be rebounding as Antonio Thomas will be key on the glass. This is a young team with only one senior in the rotation, could be a year away. SIMEON- Four time defending 4A State Champs have been up and down this season. They are frightenly young like Bogan and have been inconsistent most of the season. They are starting to play better in the last couple of weeks, Donte Ingram(Loyola Chicago) 6'5"senior swingman has taken a big leadership role the past couple of weeks. Ed Morrow (6'7" junior) has been a monster on the glass, Illinois commit DJ Williams (6'7"junior) needs to be more assertive if they are going to have a chance at the title. Evan Gilyard(5'11" freshman) has been effective at the point, Simeon as a possible date with Curie in quarterfinals. MORGAN PARK- Defending Class 3A State Champ has been up and down this season also. Josh Cunningham (6'7" senior) is probably the best uncommitted player in the country has to be a leader, Lamont Walker(Missouri Kansas City) 6'5" senior is the defensive ace. Charlie Moore (5'9" sophomore) has to run the team for Morgan Park to have a chance at the title. They also have to hit the glass better for their size. THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!! THIS WILL BE AN EXCITING 2 WEEKS CULMINATING WITH THE FINALS ON FEBRUARY 21ST!!!!!!!! WILL COME BACK WITH PREDICTIONS FOR THE QUARTERFINALS!!!!!!!! THIS IS MY RANT FOR TODAY, GOD BLESS AND PEACE TO THE CREATURES!!!!!!!




"

Tyler Ulis vs Jalen Brunson Post Mortem!!!!!!

Marian Catholic vs Stevenson!!!!!!! Tyler Ulis vs Jalen Brunson!!!!!! This is my take on the game after the fact. Stevenson won 76-66 and it was a great game and great matchup, one for the ages. Quality basketball by 2 floor generals which you rarely see on the high school level anywhere. My take on how both players did: TYLER ULIS (MARIAN CATHOLIC)- The Kentucky recruit shot 5 for 20 from the field, a bad shooting night and still almost made it right with one fabulous quarter. The shots he took were good shots, shots he would normally make, a lot of in and outs. I think he took one bad shot the whole night. Almost made up for a bad shooting night in the 4th quarter. THE 4TH QUARTER!!!!!! WOW!!!!! He was in one word  "DOMINANT" in that quarter. How dominant? 18 points in the 4th quarter, scored or assisted on 26 straight points!!!!! A 5'9" guard is not supposed to dominate on the high school level like this. Hit long 3 pointers, mid range shots, created wide open shots for his teammates. He ended up with 25 points and 10 assists unofficially( newspapers were wrong with the 23 and 9), he guarded Brunson pretty well when he was on him. It alas was not enough and blamed the loss on himself. Now THAT is what you call a leader on any level. Should be named a McDonald's All-American on Wednesday. JALEN BRUNSON(STEVENSON)-He was steady the whole game, no lulls in his game at all. He has 32 points with about 6 assists, did the things needed to keep his team ahead, made a key bucket to put his team up 8 with 1:20 left in the game, a pretty reverse layup. He only missed 6 shots the whole game, had an off night(for him) at the free throw line with 4 misses. He guarded Ulis for only parts of the game and did a decent job of guarding him. This is an experienced team that was runner-up in 4A last year to Simeon. He will be a McDonald's All-American next season in my opinion. He showed a great lefty three point shot, hit a dagger 3 (it was thought that at the time) at the end of the 3rd quarter with Ulis flying at him. Very heady player, knows how to draw fouls on defenders and get to the line. Made a couple of nice passes to teammates for layups that they blew, so missed out on a couple of assists. WELL THERE YOU HAVE IT, ONE OF THE BEST POINT GUARD MATCHUPS IN YEARS LIVED UP TO THE HYPE!!!!! THING IS THESE TEAMS COULD MEET AGAIN ON A BIGGER STAGE!!!!! THE CLASS 4A STATE SEMIFINALS IN PEORIA!!!!! I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM GO AT IT AGAIN!!!!! THIS IS MY RANT FOR TODAY!!!! GOD BLESS AND PEACE TO THE CREATURES!!!!!

Kentucky Wildcats Mid Season Report!!!!!!!

I have to admit to this point I am not too happy with how the Kentucky Wildcats have been playing. Too many turnovers yes teams turn the ball over but our have been bad turnovers, not thinking at all, horrible free throw shooting, and three point shooting leaves little to be desired. I will say the effort is better and this team is getting better. I also still believe by March this team will be title worthy. Here's my breakdown of the players individually at this point: ANDREW HARRISON-He has the toughest job, being the point guard for Coach Calipari, like most point guards he is still a work in progress. He is getting better, with his shooting, passing, and attacking the rim. I do wish the officials would blow their whistle a little more when he attacks because he gets fouled every time. He still turns the ball over too much but even that has improved. I think by the end of the season he will be back in his position as a Lottery Pick in this upcoming NBA Draft. AARON HARRISON-He is getting better also, starting to attack the rim more, also shooting his midrange jumper, three point shooting needs to get better, also still getting into foul trouble too much. Both twins still need to get better with their body language but it's coming along. JAMES YOUNG- He has been probably the best player on the team the last 5 games, he affects the game in a positive way even when he's not shooting well. I am very satisfied with his progress, stepping up to shoot and make big time 3 pointers. His free throw shooting is getting better also as is his defense. JULIUS RANDLE- He is a monster inside, a double double machine, problem is he still turns the ball over too much, and I thought I would never say this: he ball fakes too much in the paint, he needs to go straight up, he would draw more fouls that way, his free throw shooting is not too bad, needs to get better defensively. WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN-He protects the basket very well with his shot blocking, offense has improved, I actually think he needs to touch the ball more on offense, he runs the floor well for a 7 footer. Still needs to improve his free throw shooting. DOMINIQUE HAWKINS-He does very well defensively and hustles more than anyone on the team. He needs to look for his shot a little more and also needs to stay aggressive on both ends of the floor. He's doing very well with his role. ALEX POYTHRESS- Most think he has been playing very well lately, I thnk he has played well all season, being aggressive, hitting the glass on both ends, I think he needs to hunt his outside shot a little more but I am pleased with his progress. DAKARI JOHNSON- I usually have a whipping boy on every Kentucky team and he is it for this team. To me he does not play like a 7 footer inside, he plays more like a 6'5" player, goes up very weak, doesn't move his feet defensively, needs to rebound and play more aggressive. Has played like a stay puft marshmallow to me. MARCUS LEE-He has been the odd man out in the rotation, he hasn't blocked shots like I thought he would, like most of the team he needs work on his free throw shooting. Also he needs work on his offensive game period. DEREK WILLIS-I think he needs more playing time, he can help this team with his outside shooting and passing. Also he's not bad defensively, it's just hard to get opportunities to play on this team. JAROD POLSON-He gives the team steady point guard play on the offensive end, hustles and does his best but still a liability on the defensive end of the court. He's goos to give the Harrison's some rest for a few minutes. JON HOOD- Incomplete, a head injury kept him out for awhile so not much of a chance to try and break into the rotation. THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!!!! THIS TEAM I STILL THINK WILL TURN INTO A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM, MOST OF THE WEAKNESSES ARE FIXABLE AND ARE BEING FIXED LITTLE BY LITTLE. KEEP WATCHING AND GO BIG BLUE, BBN ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!!!! THIS IS MY RANT FOR TODAY, GOD BLESS AND PEACE TO THE CREATURES!!!!!!

Kentucky vs Louisville Game 2013 Post Mortem!!!!!!

Hi folks, a number of things about this game stood out to me: 1) Kentucky won this game without the services of Julius Randle who was bothered by severe cramps( drink more water and less gatorade), 2) The Harrison twins did a good job of handling Louisville's pressure defense, to me they showed why they are the best backcourt in the country even though Andrew needs to do a better job at the free throw line, 3) James Young played very well on both ends even though he did not shoot well, he hit the boards, hustled down the floor and made winning plays, 4) Julius Randle dominated for one half, Louisville had no one to handle him at all with his 17 first half points, he made Montrezl Harrell look like an ordinary player out there, 5) Louisville depends too much on their guard play, this is hard to say because college is about the guards, but you need at least a little production from your front line, 6) Kentucky is still not a National Title team until they improve their free throw shooting,16 for 30 will not cut it in the NCAA Tourney, get in the gym and practice your free throws, pronto 7) Kentucky hammered Louisville on the glass by the tune of 44-36 a plus 8 this is what the Cats have been doing all year to opponents,  8) Slick Rick has the nerve to complain about the officials when Russ Smith got away with walking, throwing his body into people who were standing still and getting a foul call, Hancock pushing off and hooking while dribbling the ball and getting the call and finally 9) Just face it Cards fans Kentucky is better than you right now and will be better come tourney time, this is not your season, I said it consistently your problem is lack of frontline play and it will come to bite you all season long. This is my rant, God Bless and Peace To The Creatures. Oh and PS Slick Rick has totally messed up Wayne Blackshear's Game, he looks lost out there, this is a former Chicago Public League Player Of The Year (over Anthony Davis mind you), smh. Oh and no sighting of Kevin Ware, oh where oh where could Kevin be? LOL!!!!!!!

AJ McCarron Being Undersold As An NFL Draft Prospect!!!!!

This is about AJ McCarron who is a 6'4" 214 pound 5th year senior Quarterback who plays at the University Of Alabama. He's won 2 National Titles on the field and 1 as a redshirt which is a total of 3. His statistics for this year are 67.6% completion percentage,26 touchdowns, 5 interceptions 165.9 QB Rating. He's been called a game manager but has made great plays in big games (LSU-2012, Texas A&M 2013, Auburn 2013) to name a few. Maxwell Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, a college graduate, a winner in every sense of the word. He has the size, arm, skill level, intelligence, and moxie for a Quarterback. So why isn't he higher on the NFL Scouts radar? I think some of this is because he has been called a game manager as a negative. Thing is the best Quarterbacks in the NFL are.....guess what.....GAME MANAGERS!!!!!! Manning,Brady,Brees, Flacco, all are game managers. You would think this would be a good thing for NFL Scouts to hang their head on. AJ McCarron does not have a first round grade right now, it's a second or third round grade. I haven't been able to figure this out for the past two years, what is the problem? I know college success does not always equal to NFL success, also Alabama's track record lately of Quarterbacks in the NFL hasn't been rosy. I think McCarron is a different animal here, I say he will be the sleeper of the NFL Draft, which is funny to say for a championship Quarterback. I myself like one scout thinks AJ is similar to Tom Brady. Now I am not saying he will be as great as Brady, but remember Tom Brady was a SIXTH ROUND DRAFT PICK OUT OF MICHIGAN!!!!!! So this is not as farfetched as it seems. A lot about his draft status will be decided at the NFL Combine (if he throws there), the Senior Bowl or Alabama's Pro Day. It will be how he spins the ball on these big days before the NFL Front Office personnel. I for one will look forward to seeing him on Sunday's in the future, and hope he doesn't go to a team with inferior lineman that get him killed. Best of success AJ McCarron, no matter how your NFL Career turns out, you have a great future in the State Of Alabama. GO BAMA ROLL TIDE in this instance. This is my rant for today, God Bless and Peace To The Creatures.

Will Tyler Ulis Be A McDonald's All-American???

Tyler Ulis of Marian Catholic(Chicago Heights) will sign his Letter Of Intent to the University Of Kentucky next week during the Fall Signing Period. His team will be a contender for the Illinois Class 4A State Title this winter. He will be in the Mr Basketball race along with Jahlil Okafor of Whitney Young(Chicago), Cliff Alexander of Curie (Chicago), and Keita Bates-Diop of University High(Normal). He's 5 foot 8 in a half 150 pound point guard. The question is will he be a McDonald's All-American? It is no doubt an uphill climb for him for a number of reasons. Looking at the National Rankings of players Ulis is ranked #33 by ESPN and Rivals, plus Scout has him #29. So with these rankings he has a chance since 24 players are picked by the McDonald's All-American committee. Tyler Ulis has two big problems, 1) He would be the shortest McDonald's All-American ever, to date the shortest one is Jacque Vaughn of Pasadena,California (Muir) and Kansas University who is 6 foot 1, and 2) Illinois has 3 players ahead of him Nationally on the list, (Okafor,Alexander, and Bates-Diop). Illinois has never had more than 3 McDonald's All-American in a year which was 1998 with Quentin Richardson of Whitney Young(Chicago), Corey Maggette of Fenwick(Oak Park), and Frank Williams of Manual(Peoria). Last season the State of Texas had 5 McDonald's All-Americans but it is such a big state. Now what Tyler Ulis has going for him is he's going to Kentucky which will help him as far as publicity goes. Also his talent for his size is unprecedented in the State of Illinois or anywhere. He's a very good three point shooter, can get where he wants on the court, protects the ball very well, and has great vision to find teammates with on time passes. So he has the talent and the moxie to make history, but will he? I think for him to do it his Marian Catholic team will have to have a special season and Ulis will have to average about 25 points and 8 assists a game to make it happen. I for one have seen him play and believe he can make it happen but this to me will be the most interesting thing to watch this high school season. I would suggest to anyone if you can get out to see Tyler Ulis play I would recommend it as he is entertaining to watch. PS the last short player I saw in high school that could have made McDonald's All-American in this state was Ryan Boatright 6'0" from East Aurora(Aurora) and University of Connecticut. That's it folks, God Bless and Peace To The Creatures, also WELCOME TO BIG BLUE NATION TYLER ULIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's a couple of highlights of Tyler Ulis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97vdK2dhEck       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwyQadf1Cew ADDENDUM- JAI LUCAS AT 5'10" WAS THE SHORTEST MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICAN BUT ULIS WOULD STILL BE THE SHORTEST IF HE MAKES IT!!!!!