NCAA 2012 CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS ~ UK vs. KU!!

         

After an insane weekend, and now that we are past the final four, let’s see what we have to look forward to for tonight’s championship game. Kentucky's star, Anthony Davis, has won the 2012 Naismith Trophy for men's college player of the year.  Kansas coach, Bill Self, was named the 2012 Naismith Men College Basketball Coach of the Year on Sunday, becoming the third different Jayhawk's coach to win the honor.

Who will win the 2012 NCAA Championship?  Sixty-eight teams had their sights set on New Orleans, but UK & KU have undoubtedly proven this year that they are the best teams to dual for the #1 spot in the Big Easy!! 

Tonight is about whether it is all hype, or will UK coach John Calipari pull it off!!   Many believe that it is Calipari who has the more talented team with six legitimate NBA prospects and Self with only three “maybes”.  Just like the reversal of their letters, it is almost a reversal of their '08 rosters. With all the hype around Calipari's recruiting through the years, he has more NBA prospects on this team than some of the best past teams combined.

Don’t be so quick to overlook KU!!  Kansas is still in it!!  Although it is widely accepted that the Kentucky Wildcats have more raw talent than the Kansas Jayhawks, and the Jayhawks may be gearing up to face the Wildcats as the “underdogs”, that doesn't mean that the Wildcats will have the most impact on the game.  Thomas Robinson is the country's only unanimous All-America selection and provides a tough match up for Kentucky.  Robinson has expanded his game as a vicious competitor, and is awesome around the rim!!  Tune in to see what is UK’s answer to KU’s best.  It will be interesting to see if Self can or will pull it off tonight? 

SOURCE:  

NAISMITH RECIPIENTS

COACH

PLAYER

16 SURVIVORS: ONE WINNER!

Who of the surviving teams in the Sweet 16 will be able to take the title in the NCAA 2012 Tournament?  Let’s explore who are the remaining 16 teams in no particular ranking order: 

 

      1.     Kentucky: #1 overall seed Kentucky Wildcats have won the first two tournament games by an average of 15 points.  If you have selected the Wildcats to win the NCAA title, you should be pleased with their bracket.  Marquis Teague, the freshman point guard, had 24 points in last Saturday's victory over Iowa State.  They were able to hold one of the country's top 3-point shooting teams to a 3-of-22 performance from beyond the arc.  The Wildcats will get a chance to exact a little revenge over #4 seed Indiana, a team that dealt them one of their few losses this year.

      2.     Indiana: The #4 seed Indiana Hoosiers are in the Sweet 16 for the first time in over 10 years mainly due to the big shot by Will Sheehey's against VCU (Virginia Commonwealth). Indiana is one of just two teams to defeat Kentucky this season, however, things will be a little tougher on a neutral court.  Indiana is playing without guard Verdell Jones III, who suffered a knee injury in the Big Ten tournament that ended his season. One thing remains certain, Coach Tom Crean, who won the ESPN.com's National Coach of the Year award, has done a remarkable job with this team. #1 seed Kentucky v. #4 seed Indiana ~ that will be a good one for sure.

      3.     Xavier: The #10 seed Xavier Musketeers defeated the #15 seed Lehigh (who defeated the Duke Blue Devils) with 7’ Kenny Frease, a solid low-post threat, Tu Holloway, the best scoring guard the country who is a a high contender for All-American” guard, and Mark Lyons, a “Dennis Rodman” type defensive stopper.  It will be interesting to see how Xavier matches Baylor's size and depth.

 

4.     Baylor: Speaking of the #3 seed Baylor Bears, they came into the NCAA tournament feeling very confident after beating both Kansas State and Kansas in the Big 12 tournament. Brady Heslip has really made a difference by scoring 14 of his 22 attempts from 3-point range during the tournament.  Not to mention, the Bears have been beasts on the glass!!

5.     Kansas: With a last minute win against the Purdue Boilermakers, Coach Bill Self's team, the #2 seed Jayhawk’s, won despite shooting less than 40% from the field.  Although Thomas Robinson cannot continue to miss all but two of his 12 field goal attempts, thank GOD for Elijah Johnson who came through with some huge plays down the stretch.  If they want to pull off the win against North Carolina State, the center, Jeff Withey, needs to be more of a factor.

6.     North Carolina State: The biggest upset was the #11 seed N.C. State Wolfpacks over #3 seed Georgetown.  Although the Wolfpacks is the team that many people still believe does not deserve to be in the tournament, they have advanced to the Sweet 16 by defeating two higher seeds, San Diego State and Georgetown. Lorenzo Brown had some essential assists in the two wins, while C.J. Leslie contributed much needed points at crunch time. The Wolfpacks have a very talented team with lots of height and athleticism. Look out Kansas! The Wolfpacks could just give the Jayhawks some unexpected trouble.

7.     North Carolina: Although #1 seed Tar Hill’s will have an uphill battle without point guard Kendall Marshall who is out due to a wrist injury, it would not be wise to ignore the Tar Hill’s size, experience and talent.  Players Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Harrison Barnes and James Michael McAdoo are all projected as lottery picks in the 2012 NBA draft.   The Tar Hill will have a tough time trying to win it all without Marshall, but a Final Four certainly is not out of the realm of possibility.

8.     Ohio: The #13 seed Bobcats pulled off one of the more surprising upsets when they defeated #4 seed Michigan.  Point Guard D.J. Cooper has averaged 20 points in the team's two victories, one win against South Florida.  Ohio has won 10 of its last 11 games, but Friday's matchup against #1 seed North Carolina may be the biggest upset yet!

      9.     Michigan State:  Tom Izzo is one of the best postseason coaches in history. Two more wins and the #1 seed Spartans will be in the Final Four for the fourth time in the last eight seasons.  With Draymond Green, one of the most versatile players in the country, averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists this tournament, #4 seed Cardinals will have their work cut out for them.

      10.  Louisville: The #4 seed Louisville and Coach Rick Pitno, have achieved more with less.  All season the Cardinal’s program has battled many injuries and depth issues.   Although the Cardinals are not fun to watch on offense, but defensively they play hard and give their contenders a run for the money.  Gorgui Dieng, center, has developed into a true force in the paint, and Peyton Siva, Russ Smith and Kyle Kuric are three formidable, unstoppable guards.  With this matchup, it is more about the Pitino-Izzo matchup because it will pit two of the leagues top coaches against one another.

11.   Marquette: Now, the Marquette Golden Eagles have a serious physical style of defense, and offensively, they are the top transition team in the country with Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom as two of the top 10 players remaining in this year's field.  Marquette has rough waters to get through with the Gators in hot pursuit.

12.    Florida: The #7 seed Gators have truly been chomping up their contenders.  No team had an easier path to the Sweet 16 than the Gators, who defeated Virginia and Norfolk State by an average of 30 points. Florida entered the tournament having lost four of its previous five games, but now it should have some confidence entering its match up with #3 seed Marquette.

      13.  Syracuse: Although #1 seed Syracuse bounced back with a convincing win over K-State without Jamar Samuels, Syracuse does not have the look of a Final Four team. Thursday's near-loss to #16 seed UNC Asheville created some serious concerns about the Orange's ability to reach the Final Four without suspended center Fab Melo.  Coach Jim Boeheim's squad has not advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2003, but they could break that trend this season and get to at least the Elite Eight if they can get past #4 seed Wisconsin.

      14.  Wisconsin: The Badgers will try to slow things down against Syracuse. Wisconsin averages 59% possessions per game, the fewest in the nation. In the tournament, the Badgers are shooting 46% against zone defenses. That is encouraging and should give Bo Ryan's team some confidence as it prepares to face the Orange.  Point guard Jordan Taylor has to do better than his 10 of 15 missed shots against Vanderbilt.

      15.  Ohio State: The #2 seed OSU Buckeyes is now the Final Four favorite in the East and the top contender for the East Region Champs.  It does not surprise me that the “oft-overlooked” is usually the best player.  Forward Deshaun Thomas has been Ohio State's best player in recent weeks averaging 24.5 points in the tournament and has also been a force on the glass.

16.  Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Bearcats is one of the most underrated teams in the tournament.  It was Coach Mick Cronin's team that upset Syracuse in the Big East tournament, and the Bearcats have now advanced to the Sweet 16. Guards Sean Kilpatrick and Dion Dixon combined for 33 points in the win against Florida State and are playing with tons of confidence.

SOURCE:

NCAA BRACKET UPDATES
PICTURES FROM TEAM'S WEBSITE 

 

 

“It’s March ~ Let’s Stop the Madness!!”

As the parent of a high school athlete who learns quickly from watching others play, out-hustles everyone on the court, and can easily pick up moves that are beneficial to him, his team and the game, it baffles me why he has been intentionally overlooked by his high school and former AAU coaches.  These coaches tend to show favor to athletes who are often breaking the rules (sex, alcohol, academic probation and drugs), showing disrespect to coaches and teammates, display poor sportsmanship and seemingly have no boundaries.

What defines a good high school basketball athlete? In addition to athleticism, my son, Christopher Walker II, is disciplined, and has the desire and abilities to play collegiate athletics at some level.  I know you may say that as his mother I am biased toward my son, however, there are many other parents and athletes who have the same assessment of his abilities and character.  These athletes have either quit the team or their parents have allowed them to resign from the school because of the lack of leadership of these coaches and the overall deficiencies in the basketball program. 

You may ask, “What defines a good high school basketball program and coach?”  Well, believe it or not, one of the best ways to get players to enjoy themselves and get the most from their experience is by establishing the right kind of Discipline.  That’s right, you heard correctly!! Discipline, accountability, structure and most importantly ~ follow-through!  It’s not enough to have rules if you are not going to mean what you say!!

Most coaches go about it all wrong.  They may yell, cuss and punish for infractions or inappropriate behavior, however, this only serves to fragment their focus on the team and hinder their motivation, which may ultimately cause the athletes to quit the team.

A simple solution~ Structure!! It is a proven fact that most people function better when there is order.  It helps them to feel more secure and they know what to expect and how to perform. Not to mention, they will actually have more fun if they have some good discipline in place.

How can a program improve going forward? Let’s start with:

1.              Setting definitive rules,

2.              Communicating the rules both verbally and in writing,

3.              Following through with the rules consistently,

4.              Creating a written schedule, practice plan, meetings, etc. and

5.              FOLLOW-THROUGH ~            “Don’t just talk about it, be about it!!”

Threats of discipline are not sufficient.  Remember, you are dealing with teenagers who know what they can and cannot get away with. The behavior of players will improve very quickly when a coach is consistent with discipline and there are constructive consequences for either breaking the rules or for not meeting expectations.

How can one avoid getting the reputation of an incompetent coach of an ineffectual program?  Implement structure and discipline early on and very soon, you will not have to give out discipline because players will have now learned what they cannot get away with. Without the discipline, you will be cutting the players short, struggling to reach goals, and creating destructive behaviors in athletes who move on to play on a professional level.

Let’s stop the madness! and also stop overlooking those who show great potential and are already disciplined!!

Image retrieved from:

March Madness

I’ve Learned To "Mind My Own Business!!"

Having completed the online Business Plan Development course, I can appreciate the essential components that investors are looking for in a good business plan.  Although the essential components include a vision statement, the target market, my business profile, economic and cash flow assessments, it is extremely important to know whether you possess the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur. Understanding these components helped to identify whether I possessed the guts, brains and capital needed to pursue the endeavor.

According to Mr. Holland, “The most common serious mistake made in business is not picking the right business to begin with.”  I now feel that I possess entrepreneurial instinct, the “guts” characteristic, which means having an overwhelming desire and dedication to have my own business and be completely dedicated to the goal. 

I also discovered that in order to become a successful entrepreneur, the “brains” characteristic means having working knowledge about the business “before you start it.”  Having good common sense pooled with appropriate experience and research is necessary brainpower elements.

Because every business needs sufficient cash flow control, the third characteristic, “capital”, means knowing how to forecast future cash requirements, and how to maintain positive cash flow. 

The sports industry is a very competitive environment.  By having a growth plan and projected cash flow, I will be able to incorporate these essential components and characteristics in my business, which will help me to control the risks, gain additional experience, and to grow the business. 

One specific change that was made to my business plan was the vision statement.  Although the vision statement does not tell how I will get there, it set the direction for my business planning.  I understand how important it is when crafting a vision statement to let my imagination go, dare to dream, and give the roadmap on how I plan to soar to success.   It is important that my vision statement captures my passion.

Ultimately, investors want to know how will they get a return on their investment.  In addition to the vision statement, I believe the economic and cash flow assessments are the most important components to the investor reading the plan.  The economic and cash flow assessment is the forecast of the business plan highlighting how I plan to grow the business and become financially successful.

Three books that I discovered to be helpful while doing necessary research for my business plan are “Made in America: My Story” by Sam Walton, “The Book of Entrepreneurs’ Wisdom: Classic Writings by Legendary Entrepreneurs” by Peter Krass (Editor), and “The Great Game of Business” by Jack Stack.

EXPERT VIEWS ~ MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!

 WILLIAM A. COHEN, PhD

            A business plan is what is presented to investors in order to obtain financing.   Therefore, success will depend on whether there is a good plan tailored to specific needs. William A. Cohen, PhD, is the author & founder of Institute of Leader Arts, and he gives expert video advice by answering these eleven questions: 

          · What is a business plan?

· What is a marketing plan?

· When should I create a business plan?

· What should I do before I draft a business plan?

· What are the most important parts of a business plan?

· How do I create an executive summary?

· What style business plan should I use?

· What is the length of the average business plan?

· What is the key to a successful business plan?

· What are the top business plan mistakes?

· Should I hire someone to write a business plan for me?

· Where can I go to get help with my business plan?

Dr. Cohen is also Professor of Marketing and Director of the Small Business Institute at California State University, Los Angeles.  He has authored 31 business books, including Model Business Plans For Product Business.  Some of the critical and key components that investors are looking for are a competitive environment, a growth plan, and projected cash flow.  These are considered key, because according to Dr. Cohen, “Smart entrepreneurs know that a clear, well-written business plan is absolutely essential to any new venture: it guides your first steps, helps you develop marketing strategies, and allows you to quickly seize new opportunities.”

VIDEO

"Dare the Impossible - Achieve the Extraordinary." (Cohen, W. 2010)

PHIL HOLLAND

has a thorough understanding of the world of business, and it has been demonstrated through both his successes and failures through various and demanding business professions. He has been an entrepreneur throughout most of his adult life, including “building "spec" houses, the manufacture of automatic doughnut machinery, designing and building apartment complexes, restaurant franchising, doughnut retailing and the development and management of shopping centers.”

With only a $5000 investment, he founded the Yum Yum Donut Shops, Inc. in 1970, which grew to be the largest chain of privately owned donut shops in the United States. 

To encourage people to start new businesses shortly after the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992, Mr. Holland offered a free night course in Compton, CA. 

 

“The course was designed to help entrepreneurs avoid the common mistakes many entrepreneurs make when starting out. With this beginning, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization was formed, My Own Business, Inc. (MOBI). The goal was to help foster successful entrepreneurs worldwide. Mr. Holland brought together a Board of Trustees consisting of business and professional experts who continually expand the content and outreach of the free My Own Business Internet course, www.myownbusiness.org. Mr. Holland serves as Chairman of the MOBI Board of Trustees. “

According to Mr. Holland, the critical and key components that investors look for in a plan are:

• A Vision Statement
• The People
• Your Business Profile
• Economic Assessment
• Cash Flow Assessment

Some of the reasons these are considered a valuable tool and roadmap are:

• Using appropriate information and analysis, it will define and focus the objective,
• The plan may be used as a selling tool with lenders, investors, or banks.
• It may uncover omissions and/or weaknesses in the planning stages.
• The plan may be used to solicit opinions and advice.

 
 For more detailed information, check out my sources:

My Own Business 

Stuff of Heroes 

Business Plans 

Phil Holland Bio 

Model Business Plans For Product Businesses by William A. Cohen PhD 

The Journey to March Madness ~Are you in the KNOW?

There are many teams with lots of acronyms in college basketball, and keeping up with them can be a daunting task.  Namely, there are currently 33 CBC’s, College Basketball Conferences, but let’s look at the relevant acronyms/logos of the current top conferences along with the conferences RPI rank, Rating Percentage Index, and the rankings of the respective teams in each conference in order to help equip you with up-to-date knowledge of the top contenders on the JOURNEY to March Madness!!!

According to statsheet.com, here are the top 10 conferences in the order of the RPI rank, along with the rank of each team listed in the order of their current overall standings:

#1 BIG TEN CONFERENCE

1.              Michigan

2.              Illinois

3.              Ohio State

4.              MichiganState

5.              Purdue

6.              Wisconsin

7.              Indiana (tied with Iowa)

8.              Iowa

9.              Minnesota

10.           Northwestern

11.           Nebraska (tied with Penn State)

12.           Penn State

#2 BIG EASTCONFERENCE

1.              Syracuse

2.              Cincinnati

3.              Georgetown

4.              Marquette (3-way tie with South Florida & West Virginia)

5.              South Florida

6.              West Virginia

7.              Connecticut (tied with Seton Hall)

8.              Seton Hall

9.              Notre Dame (tied with Rutgers)

10.           Rutgers

11.           Louisville

12.           St. John’s (tied with Villanova

13.           Villanova

14.           DePaul (tied with Providence)

15.           Providence

16.           Pittsburgh

#3 BIG 12 CONFERENCE

1.              Kansas

2.              Baylor (tied with Missouri for 2^nd place)

3.              Missouri

4.              Iowa State

5.              Kansas State (tied with Oklahoma State for 5^th)

6.              Oklahoma State

7.              Texas (tied with Oklahoma)

8.              Oklahoma

9.              Texas A&M

10.           Texas Tech

#4 ATLANTIC COASTCONFERENCE

1.              Duke

2.              Florida State

3.              NC State

4.              North Carolina

5.              Virginia

6.              Boston College

7.              Maryland

8.              Miami(FL)

9.              Clemson

10.           Georgia Tech

11.           Wake Forest

12.           Virginia Tech

#5 SOUTHEASTERNCONFERENCE

1.              Kentucky (tied with Vanderbilt for 1^st place)

2.              Vanderbilt

3.              Florida

4.              Georgia (tied with Tennessee for 4^th place)

5.              Tennessee

6.              South Carolina

7.              Mississippi State (5-way tie for 7^th place with Arkansas, Alabama, LSU & Ole Miss)

8.              Arkansas

9.              Alabama

10.           LSU

11.           Ole Miss

12.           Auburn

#6 MOUNTAIN WESTCONFERENCE

1.              Colorado State (tied with San Diego State for 1^st place)

2.              San Diego State

3.              Air Force (4-way tie for 3^rd place with New Mexico, UNLV & Wyoming)

4.              New Mexico

5.              UNLV

6.              Wyoming

7.              Boise State (tied with TCU for 7^th place)

8.              TCU

#7 ATLANTIC 10CONFERENCE

1.              Xavier

2.              Dayton

3.              Duquesne (tied with Massachusetts for 3^rd place)

4.              Massachusetts

5.              Charlotte (7-way tie for 5^th place with George Washington, LaSalle, Richmond, Saint Louis, St. Bonaventure & Temple)

6.              George Washington

7.              LaSalle

8.              Richmond

9.              Saint Louis

10.           St. Bonaventure

11.           Temple

12.           St. Joseph’s (PA)

13.           Fordham

14.           Rhode Island

#8 MISSOURI VALLEYCONFERENCE

1.              Creighton (tied with Wichita State for 1^st place)

2.              Wichita State

3.              Drake

4.              Evansville (3-way tie with Illinois State & Missouri State)

5.              Illinois State

6.              Missouri State

7.              Northern Iowa (tied with Southern Illinois for 7^th place)

8.              Southern Illinois

9.              Indiana State

10.           Bradley

#9 PACIFIC 12CONFERENCE

1.              California

2.              Oregon (tied with Stanford for 2^nd place)

3.              Stanford

4.              Arizona (3-way tie with Colorado & Washington)

5.              Colorado

6.              Washington

7.              UCLA

8.              Arizona State (tied with Washington State for 8^th place)

9.              Washington State

10.           Oregon State

11.           Utah

12.           USC

#10 CONFERENCE USA

1.              Marshall

2.              UCF

3.              Memphis (tied with Southern Miss for 3^rd place)

4.              Southern Miss

5.              Texas- El Paso (tied with Tulsa for 5^th place)

6.              Tulsa

7.              Rice (tied with Southern Methodist for 7^th place)

8.              Southern Methodist

9.              UAB

10.           Houston

11.           East Carolina (tied with Tulane for 11^th place)

12.           Tulane

Whether you are a die-hard or a band-wagon-fan, this site is a great place to get the latest updates and stats as we get closer to March Madness. You are one click away from accessing more information about my top favorite teams. 

From the statsheet.com site, you can find more information about your favorite team or your team’s biggest competitor, including statistics, tables containing the current standings for the conferences broken down by overall record, the record for home games, the record for away games, the record at neutral sites, and the record against the top 25 teams.

SOURCES:

MARCH MADNESS

JOURNEY

All images were retrieved from:

CBC