College basketball OK, but NBA talent rules
Random thoughts on a wide array of topics: the NBA, Chicago radio, college basketball and more.
• The NBA is back from its break and I couldn't be happier. College basketball suffers from the one-and-done rule, leaving just an OK product in its wake. In my world, March Madness does breathe life into the college game, but the NBA players are light years ahead of the college kids.
• RIP Jerome Kersey, 52, a pretty good player for the Portland Trailblazers.
In his 17 NBA seasons, he started in the Finals in Portland in 1990 and 1992 with Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler, but never won a championship there partly because of Michael Jordan. He wasn't the only victim.
Kersey, however, won a title in 1999 with the San Antonio Spurs, and was a beloved figure in Portland. From all accounts, he was a great guy.
• Congrats to Dan McNeil and Jason Goff for their new gigs on radio.
McNeil will be spinning records on The Drive (97.1-FM), but there'll be plenty of talk in the mornings. Hey Danny, play me some Uriah Heep!
Goff will join Matt Spiegel on middays at the Score (670-AM). Good to see a radio guy get the gig!
• They dimmed the lights on the strip in Las Vegas Wednesday night in honor of UNLV basketball coaching legend Jerry Tarkanian. Only eight people have had that honor: Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Ronald Reagan, George Burns and John F. Kennedy.
Tark was old Vegas and influential all the way until his death. I can only think of two other people that should join in the team photo for this tribute at their passing: Don Rickles and Wayne Newton.
• This just in: the Chicago Blackhawks are pretty good and Patrick Kane handles the puck about as good an any player I've ever seen, including in-house favorites Denis Savard and Stan Mikita.
• If you think the quality of play in college basketball isn't as good as it used to be, look no further than our fair city and state. DePaul has shown some improvement under Oliver Purnell with a 6-8 record in conference play and 12-15 overall, but it's still far from the glory days. I'd like to see them have a winning season, which would be their first since 2007-08 under Jerry Wainwright.
Illinois is 7-6 in conference play and 17-9 overall, paving the way for a possible NCAA tourney appearance. Chris Collins, whose Northwestern Wildcats have won two in a row, are 3-10 in the conference and 12- 14 overall. They need another year before we can really judge the progress there.
My pick for the job before Collins was hired was Notre Dame College Prep standout Jim Les. The former Bradley coach is now the head coach at UC Davis, and it looks like they might have their best season with a 9-1 record in the Big West and 19-4 overall.
Just like Collins, he inherited a mess there. Good job Jim!
Hopefully Collins can duplicate that success with the Wildcats down the line.
Program notes:
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