Jereme Richmond's NBA Decision and also Shelvin Mack's

Hello everyone, it's been awhile since I have posted on here. I have been busy. First, Jereme Richmond of Illinois, he just finished his freshman year at Illinois. I have talked to the kid a few times, I know his brother Bill very well. This does not mean I am in Jereme's inner circle or anything. I have heard rumors of his problems academically at Illinois. He seems to have been backed into a corner to declare for the NBA Draft. Any event I think it is a mistake for him to go to the NBA right now. He needs another year of seasoning and to restore his reputation with NBA personnel. His talent is undeniable, except he needs strength and a better and more confident jump shot from 20 feet and beyond. He is going to have to hope that some teams wants to take the time to develop him and help him to grow up. It's time for him to take responsibility for the rumored fights with his teammates and problems with his coaches. Whether some of the incidents are his fault or not, it still comes back to Jereme. Yes his point guard McCamey would not pass him the ball when he was open to save his life. And it is touch playing with someone like that, he has to learn to handle it in a different way. One thing about Jereme though, it could be worse, he has never committed a crime or been arrested so he's ahead of the curve on this more than other prospects. Saying all this I wish Jereme the best of success and hope he has a long and prosperous career in the NBA.     As for my cousin Shelvin Mack of Butler, he has nothing more to prove in college. He is as ready as he is going to be for the NBA, he does have to improve his ball handling and work on his passing a little, but besides wanting to finish his degree (which he can do in the summers and over the internet), he should stay in the draft. He's a solid first round pick and has a clean record with teammates and on the police blotter. Blesssings to you cousin and I'll come to games when you play in Chicago. Back to Jereme Richmond, he could also improve his stock in interviews with teams and workouts with the NBA Teams. I think he could move up into the 1st round by the time it's all said and done. 1st round IS GUARANTEED MONEY BABY!!!!!!!!!!! 2nd round you have to earn your way onto the team. This is my rant for today. Take care everyone.       

Class 4A and 3A Supersectional Picks Illinois High School Basketball

Hi folks I'm back with my Supersectional picks. In Illinois the Supersectional is the game that advances you to the State Semi Finals in Peoria,Illinois. It's been an exciting season but here's my picks for Tuesday's Games. I'll be at the Hinsdale Supersectional for the 4A game between Defending Champion Simeon(Chicago) vs Farragut(Chicago).Farragut is coming off an upset of Whitney Young(Chicago). This is a Public League Battle that promises to be a WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So here it goes: Hinsdale Central Simeon(Chicago) over Farragut(Chicago). Dekalb(Northern Illinois University) Glenbard East(Lombard) over Auburn(Rockford). Glenbard East gets to it's first state final ever. Waukegan   Warren(Gurnee) over Niles North(Skokie), This is Niles North's first Supersectional in school history but Warren has too many weapons. And finally in 4A Normal(Illinois State University)    Crete Monee(Crete) over Normal Community(Normal), Crete Monee is in it's first Supersectional in school history Normal's first since 1976. Crete Monee has too much firepower for Normal.   IN 3A Dekalb(Northern Illinois University) Rock Island over Central Catholic(Aurora), at Hoffman Estates Crane(Chicago) over North Chicago, at Central(Joliet) Brooks(Chicago) over Lindbloom(Chicago), at Springfield(Prairie Capitol Convention Center) Centralia over Morton. We are close to the end of the season. My champs 4A Simeon(Chicago) will repeat and in 3A Brooks(Chicago) will win in only their 8th year of existence for the school. This is my rant for today. Peace to the creatures.

4A and 3A Illinois Boys High School Basketball Sectional Picks (Tuesday's Games)

Well Regionals are done. Some minor upsets but we  move on. Sectional Picks. I will start in 4A: at Algonquin(Jacobs) Elgin over Huntley, at East Aurora undefeated Benet(Lisle) over East Aurora and the one man show of Ryan Boatright, at Barrington Warren(Gurnee) over Fremd(Palatine),  at York(Elmhurst) Whitney Young(Chicago) over DeLaSalle(Chicago), at Granite City East St Louis over Alton, at Thornwood (South Holland) Thornton(Harvey) over Lockport, at Argo(Summit) Simeon(Chicago) over Mt Carmel(Chicago), at New Trier (Winnetka) Schaumburg over Niles West(Skokie). Boatright could lead his East Aurora team to an upset I just think 7 footer Frank Kaminsky(Benet) could be too much size for the Tomcats.  Whitney Young-DeLaSalle game will be the most interesting to watch. 15 Division One prospects will be playing in that game. DeLaSalle's Michael Shaw(Illinois signee) and Whitney Young's Sam Thompson(Ohio State signee) will be butting heads all  night. If Dre Henley(6 foot 6 guard/forward) could be the X factor for DeLaSalle to win the game. 3A picks: at King(Chicago) King(Chicago) over Hope(Chicago)  at McArthur(Decatur) Washington over Southeast(Springfield), at Jerseyville(Jersey) Centralia over Highland, at Norridge(Ridgewood) North Chicago over Grayslake Central, at Peoria undefeated Notre Dame(Peoria) over Peoria, at Richton Park(Rich South) Brooks(Chicago) over Thornton Fractional North(Calumet City), at Riverside Brookfield Crane(Chicago) over Wheaton Academy(West Chicago), at Woodstock(North)  Central(Crystal Lake) over East(Rockford). 3A has some very unbalanced sectionals with some weak ones and strong  teams stuck knocking each other out. Best game should be Brooks(Chicago) and TF North, Brooks has probably the best backcourt in the state with George Marshall(Wisconsin signee) and Michael Powell. I will do Wednesday's games tomorrow. That's my rant for today. Peace to the creatures.

Crook elected Chicago Mayor and Postseason High School Basketball

I'M BACKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!! It's been awhile since I ranted about anything so time to catch up. To start with Chicago elected( put in by the Bilderberg Group) Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago. This has been set up by the Bilderberg Group for a few years now. The fix has been in longer than people think. He will forward the group's agenda by taxing everything even haircuts. Also look for a civilian police force filled by illegal immigrants in the near future. Yes he's Obama's boy but nobody focused on Emanuel was an executive in the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac mess. Mr Chico brought it up then all of a sudden it want away. President Obama as I have stated before is a puppet for those evil forces running the Bilderberg Group. Read Revelations in the Bible, the folks that work for the beast will fool everyone, even clergymen. These guys are the agents put in place to imprison Christians. You hear Obama the other day say that Gay Marriages should be okay? He's supposed to be a Christian President(or so I thought). Oh well "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN". REALLY???????             Now onto the end of the high school basketball season: What a week of basketball. Monday I saw Jewell Loyd of Niles West (number 6 junior in the nation according to hoopgurlz.com) put on a show with 22 points. Tuesday Anthony Dvis of Perspectives Charter (Chicago) hit #4 DeLaSalle with 25 points and 25 rebounds in a 70-49 loss. Wednesday watched Evanston lose the conference title to Niles North and Division One prospect 6 foot 7 Abdul Nader who had 32 points on Evanston's home floor. They avenged an earlier loss to Evanston. Thursday saw Jewell  Loyd and Niles West's season end in overtime at the hands of Maine South.       The 3A and 4A boys playoffs begin next week. Favorites in 3A, Morgan Park(Chicago), City Champ Brooks(Chicago), undefeated Notre Dame (Peoria) and Rock Island. Favorites in 4A, Undefeated Benet(Lisle) who's coming off a huge victory over Simeon (Chicago) defending state champ. Other favorites 10 loss Whitney Young(Chicago), DeLaSalle (Chicago),  Warren(Gurnee), Thornton(Harvey) and O'Fallon. Should be an interesting and exciting post season. This is my rant for today. Peace to the creatures.

Leave Jay Cutler Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live in Chicago and I know people here are disappointed that the Bears lost to Green Bay in the NFC Title Game. Their quarterback Jay Cutler had to leave the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. People are questioning his toughness (or lack thereof) in Chicago and all over the country. I will say I am not a Bears fan, I am a Steelers fan. I feel that Cutler is very tough standing in there this year with a porous offensive line. No complaints just tried his best to play QB in the NFL for the Bears. A torn MCL is nothing to play around with. Thing is people (as usual) rushed to judgement about his toughness. I say those folks are a bunch of idiots who have no clue about the game of football. I will say try and go cut, and move with a torn MCL and see how you the ordinary person fares with that prospect? Now maybe his demeanor on the sideline wasn't good enough for you yahoos. Too bad. We are all built differently and deal with adverse situations differently. There is not a book on how to deal with an injury that takes you out of the biggest game of your career. Stop throwing stones at Cutler. HE'S better than any QB the Bears have had in a long time. So support the guy and maybe he'll get the Bears back to the Super Bowl. And GO STEELERS AND THE STEEL CURTAIN IN THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

AAU and Summer Basketball: A bunch of scoundrels

Well to start with I coached in an AAU Basketball program for one spring. I did not enjoy it much at all. I will expound on my reasons that summer basketball has ruined the game. 1) Too many games in the spring and summer: Yes it's good that these kids are being seen by scouts but it's too much. Kids need to work just as much individually on their skills as they do playing games. Fundamentals are almost non existent these days. 2) So called "coaches": Most of these guys are not coaches at all, they are guys who are enslaved by the shoe companies trying to get their "brand name" out there. Also these coaches are selling their players to the highest bidder. They get into these kids lives as early as 9 years old and establish a "relationship" with these kids. 3) Shoe companies: The shoe companies are having these kids were their products, giving them free shoes,gear, and such. These are bribes to get this kid to wear their shoe IF they get to the NBA. Also the kids get a warped sense of reality, they think since they took the gear it's okay to take money from boosters when they get to college. 4) The High School Coach: Some of these guys double as summer basketball coaches but if the high school coach was not withholding recruiting mail from the kids, you would not need the summer basketball coach at all. So the high school coach is just as at fault as the summer basketball coach. 5) The crooks that run the events: These guys are only out to try and get a buck from these kids that's really it. They disguising it as saying "I am trying to help the kids". NO YOU'RE NOT!!!!!!!!! It's exploitation at it's best. Then when they run camps like the "Lebron James Skills Academy". It's a meat market for college coaches. It's almost like cattle or a horse sale that they run at Keeneland for the thoroughbreds. I will say one positive is more kids are getting seen by colleges but at what price? When these scoundrels stop exploiting these kids maybe the quality of basketball in the NBA will go back up to previous levels. Until then the quality of play will get worse. Some blame it on high school players or kids coming to the pros early. Remember there have always been busts that came out of college as juniors and seniors also. Ed and Charles O'Bannon to name 2. This is my rant for today. Have a blessed day folks.

Holiday Basketball Tournaments Illinois High School Basketball

Well I got around to more than a few holiday tournaments during the holiday season. I got to the Proviso West,McDipper, and Chicago Public Schools Tournaments. Here's my take on what I saw: Best Teams: Thornton(Harvey)-This is the best team I saw over the holidays, Brian Green Jr is a division one prospect. He's 6 foot 3 athletic guard who has a great midrange game and can shoot the three also. He absolutely dominated the McDipper in leading Thornton to the title. Thornton also is very athletic, crashes the boards and has a good back court along with a good frontcourt. Will be a tough team to beat. Benet(Lisle)-They won the Proviso West tournament. They are a good team lead by Northwestern signee point guard David Soblewski who was MVP of the tourney. Very good team but I see some weaknesses down the line for them. A great three point shooting team though and Frank Kaminsky the 7 footer headed to Wisconsin is a force inside. Farragut(Chicago)- Very underrated team in the Chicago Public League. Dee Toliver and Rashaun Stimage who is the next great big man at Farragut. Could be a darkhorse for the City Title. Will challenge Whitney Young(Chicago) in the Red West.      Players: Brian Green Jr(described above), David Soblewksi (described above),James Crockett (Crete Monee) 6 foot 4 forward athelticism off the charts led his team to the Finals of the McDipper and showed an improved jumper. Still needs work on perimeter game before he gets to DePaul. Julian Lewis (Homewood-Flossmoor) 6 foot 5- took his team on his back to a runner up finish at Proviso West. He's a junior who is moving up in the Class of 2012 charts. He is a 2 guard in college who can play some point. Was in foul trouble in the title game. Rashaun Stimage (Farragut)- 6 foot 7 poward forward who is good on the boards and can score inside. Another junior who could move up the charts and who's recruiting has taken off. Kierre Woods (Crane) Chicago- 6 foot 1 guard who is a junk yard dog. Plays out of control right now but took his team on his back to runnerup finish in the Chicago Public League Holiday Tournament. Rumor is he's headed to junior college. Well this is my rant for today. More to come.