Still undecided on your National Champ?
Then why not take a little advice from people who make a living playing hoops? They must know something, right? Before placing your bets (Of course, we at Lakersblog do not condone such activity, since gambling is illegal at Bushwood and we never slice), check out some Purple and Gold opinions regarding tonight's eventual NCAA King.
Kwame Brown: Florida. I'm a Florida boy. I was gonna go to Florida.
Andrew Bynum: I'm mad UCLA knocked off Gonzaga, because I wanted Gonzaga to go. So I'm gonna have choose Florida. (Asked if Florida was a spiteful pick, Bynum laughed and said "yeah.")
Brian Cook: I was gonna root for the Illini, but they're not there. I've been on the west coast long enough, I gotta go with UCLA. I think they've got a pretty balanced team, but it's gonna be a tough match up. (Florida's) got some big guys down there and some guards that can also play... They weren't two very good games for the Final Four, I don't think. I kind of surprised me. I was kind of bored, sitting there watching it, eating my chips, guacamole and salsa. Hopefully, this next game will be better.
Phil Jackson: I was real impressed with UCLA (against LSU). Their defense held up to the scrutiny of all that media... They just took LSU out of what they were trying to do. They just couldn't find any system to run their operation. They couldn't get the ball into their big guys. They had guys taking tough shots and turning the ball over. They just manhandled them. They showed their depth and ability... I'm still going to stay with (original pick) Florida, but I like both teams a lot. I think it should be a game.
Aaron McKie: I like UCLA. I like their coaching style and the way they try to control the game. (Ben Howland's) team always have a chance because they're gonna defend every night. If they shoot the ball well, then that's an added plus. I give those guys the nod.
Lamar Odom: I gotta go with UCLA. They're talented. They're nine athletes deep, which is something you really don't see at the college level. They've got guys who can play over the rim. I think they're gonna be hard to beat. It'll be close game. Whoever wins that Noah-Hollins match up is probably gonna win the game. (Luke's "UCLA by 6") is a decent spread, but if a game like that is decided by a buzzer beater or a last second shot, you can't be surprised.
Luke Walton: I got UCLA winning by 6. I had a dream last night. I'm only rooting for them because they're a Pac-10 school. It has nothing to do with my dad. He talks so much trash that it's hard to root for the team that he wants to win. I'm a Pac-10 guy, so I'm gonna support my conference.
I had only a quick minute to talk with Chris Mihm (who said his ankle is healing and was very confident he'd be back by the playoffs at the latest), but he was going UCLA, after the way they manhandled LSU. Claiming to be hampered by a lack of familiarity with the Gators, Kobe Bryant nonetheless made this very bold prediction. "I'm gonna lay up and watch the game."
As for predicting the Laker most likely to be watching reruns of Malcolm in the Middle and The Simpsons, I'm going with Smush Parker, based on his response: "I'm not a college sports fan... I could care less."
AK
UCLA baby!!!
Posted by: bUCKY | April 03, 2006 at 12:59 PM
Smush can learn a defensive thing or two from watching the game. Since he "can care less" about college sports he seems to take the same tone with individual defensive assignments. This guy is not a starting point gaurd in the nba - and I would take Jordan Farmar or Darren Collison over him for this laker team in a second.
Posted by: Nathaniel | April 03, 2006 at 01:08 PM
UCLA!!!!
Where's Xodus??? We can talk smack now because this thread is for the UCLA game, and they are playing Florida!
All the people who ripped on me and JK for taunting him can't give us crap now.... so I'll have to start off by saying.
FLORIDA SUCKS BIG GATER basketBALLS!!!
Go Bruins!
Posted by: frank1rizzo | April 03, 2006 at 01:19 PM
!!!!!!!!BRUINS ALL THE WAY!!!!!!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: befuddled | April 03, 2006 at 01:21 PM
Nice question AK -- its right in line with their area of expertise, so it gives them a good opportunity to expound. And it gives us a good opportunity to get a small insight into how they see the game of basketball in general.
Posted by: Guity | April 03, 2006 at 01:25 PM
I was waitin to see how long it took for someone to put a negative spin on Smush's statement. Not very long. Homeboy's having a great rookie (for all intents and purposes) year but since he's not all world yet he's getting bashed. Learning the triangle and playing d on nba point guards ain't easy boys...
Posted by: Gerry B | April 03, 2006 at 01:29 PM
I'm with Smush. I just can't get excited about kids playing sports, in much same as I can not get excited about the cheerleaders bouncing on the sidelines. These are kids. Fair enough if you're in one of those schools. But this March madness histeria is well beyond me. Grow up.
Posted by: SimersSucks | April 03, 2006 at 01:30 PM
Smush's response cracks me up. I'll bet he secretly watches the game anyway.
Posted by: McGarnagle | April 03, 2006 at 01:31 PM
UCLA and that defense baby!! Championships belong in LA. That being said...
GO DODGERS!!!
I totally forgot about the Kavulic-Xodus argument. If Florida wins we definitely won't be seeing Johnny Boy on this for awhile.
Posted by: Andrew Z | April 03, 2006 at 01:38 PM
Who cares about UCLA and college hoops. This is a Lakers blog for god's sake who gives a crap I for one really don't give a crap. College Blows. The Pros is where the action is not college.
Please AK/BK, I ask that you stop with the "Out-of-the-topic" posts, This is a Lakers blog, and we should keep it that way.
Thanks
Keven
Posted by: Keven | April 03, 2006 at 01:40 PM
No one cares about this stuff, THIS IS A LAKERS BLOG NOT A COLLEGE HOOPS BLOG, what a ridiculous post.
Smush, you are entirely correct, I'm with you, College is for kids, the NBA is for Men. fair enough.
Posted by: Keven | April 03, 2006 at 01:42 PM
Go Smush Parker for making that Statement. "I'm not a college sports fan... I could care less."
Agreed.
I don't care either.
Posted by: Keven | April 03, 2006 at 01:44 PM
Smush is awesome!
Posted by: KB8 Fan | April 03, 2006 at 01:50 PM
Are the lakers re-acquiring Kareem Rush? They should. he has a nice jumpshot that could help L.A.
GET KAREEM RUSH.
Phil Jackson called Kareem Rush and wants him back on his roster but that's all I know.
Posted by: Keven | April 03, 2006 at 01:55 PM
UCLA!!!
Posted by: TrueLakerFan | April 03, 2006 at 01:56 PM
I'm voting for "24", Keifer Sutherland will beat them all single handed. I tried watching some of the college games this year, but I just don't get it, it's sloppy rushed basketball with a minimum of talent, I'd rather watch Olympic Curling than College Bball. There's just so many more turnovers and bad shots than made baskets and good plays, I don't understand why everyone likes it so much.
Posted by: Kevin McK | April 03, 2006 at 01:57 PM
what up lakerville?... is this whole Kareem Rush being a laker a prank?... fill me in AK/BK?.. whats the dilly you?..
Posted by: bUCKY | April 03, 2006 at 02:05 PM
Yo Kev, chill holmes. It is not like we are bloggin' about the Clips in here.
ps: the Bruins play D like MEN.
Posted by: E Homp | April 03, 2006 at 02:06 PM
Bucky,
No, Rush isn't rejoining the team (at least not this season). Read today's Extra. It's all in there.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | April 03, 2006 at 02:08 PM
AK,
Good topic. Since we have three days off again it's nice to have something to discuss, especially about a local team. I love the Lakers, and enjoy discussing them, but with three days off we are going to end up with some serious crap posted on here. You can only talk about Kobe vs. the media for so long.
Posted by: Andrew Z | April 03, 2006 at 02:21 PM
I'm not a big college b-ball guy, but I do like March Madness, and I really like UCLA. Don't get it twisted I'm a Duke fan, but any team that can play defense like that can get love from me. I've never really watched either team play, but I gotta go with UCLA because their defense is sick.
Defense wins championships, why do you think Phil wants us to be a good defensive team so badly
Posted by: Weave-Man | April 03, 2006 at 02:25 PM
Keven,
Be easy man. Yes we all know this is a Laker's blog, but bringing up other topics sometimes won't destroy the blog. Like I said before, I'm not a huge college basketball fan, but I would give almost anything to play college basketball. Anyone who played in high school but didn't grow enough (5'9" for instance), or didn't have the game for college ball would love to be out there right now. It's not the NBA, but once you get there and you work hard anything is possible.
Posted by: Weave-Man | April 03, 2006 at 02:32 PM
Wow I can't believe I'm late for this blog topic. All gloves are taken off at this point since UCLA is actually playing Florida now unlike last week. I definitely think my boys are gonna do it tonight. But I will say that since UCLA is on the west coast I haven't seen much of them this season, other than what I've read.
I do know that they have a tremendous defense and I know that they match-up relatively well with my Gators. The Gators are a vesatile team though we're capable of running with a team like Villanova and playing half-court with a team like Georgetown. It should be a great albeit low scoring game.
AK/BK great post but one thing you left out was your own picks for the game. WHO YA GOT?!
Posted by: xodus | April 03, 2006 at 02:34 PM
I'm going to tell you why Brian Cook isn't a real power forward - he's out of conditioned.
Listen to what he says:
"I was kind of bored, sitting there watching it, eating my chips, guacamole and salsa." The guy is a junk food, coach potato eating dude. Get the guy on the treadmill and the weight room with Kwame or something.
Go Smush.
Posted by: ceasar | April 03, 2006 at 02:51 PM
UCLA all the way! My prediction: When UCLA wins, this blog, despite being a Laker one, will be flowing with whoohoos!
Kwame I can understand since he was going to Florida and he's from Georgia, Bynum is a crybaby (albiet a very good one), Cook, Odom, McKie, Walton and the others are very good in their perspective. Phil, great analysis but it's your call. Kobe deserves to watch that game and hopefully find out how to get more involved with his teammates by watching them Bruins (he is my vote for MVP!), and as much I'm hyped up for this game, kudos for Smush to be laid back kind of guy. Not everybody watches College BB and well he's not that kind of guy. But he should just watch to see how these guys defend their man and how it could be usefull in the next game against Denver.
My pick: UCLA Bruins!
Posted by: arthas (Tom Brady) | April 03, 2006 at 03:01 PM
Xodus,
Aw, man! Now you're putting me on the spot. Well, before the tourney began, I was impressed by both teams, but Florida in particular. However, the adjustments UCLA made against LSU were remarkable. They're both good teams, so it's a very tough call. But in the end, I'm gonna predict...
FLORIDA!
Why? 3 reasons.
1) I went to USC and I simply can't bring myself to root for the Bruins, even though I like Ben Howland and respect the players on that team (BK and I wrote an ESPN The Mag article on Afflalo and he's a very nice kid). But I just don't need another banner hanging in Pauley. Sorry.
2) The team with the best player in the tourney tends to come out on top. I think Noah's been that guy since about the elite 8.
3) I came closer to making Florida my national champs when constructing my (ultimately very poorly picked) bracket than UCLA. Thus, Florida winning means, in a very, very, VERY roundabout way, that I was right all along. Gotta cling to scraps, you know?
There you have it. 3 explanations and two are borderline irrelevant nonsense. Either way, I think it'll be a good game and I won't bad mouth UCLA if they lose. Fair enough?
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | April 03, 2006 at 03:35 PM
AK,
Ahh it's great to hear yet another person pick the Gators. I understand the whole thing about you going to USC and thus not wanting to pick UCLA. That'd be like me picking FSU or Tennessee to win something it's just awkward.
Yeah Noah has been sick throughout the tourney, too sick, i'm terrified out of my mind he's gonna jump ship and go for the NBA dollars, no matter what he says, because that's what everyone does.
Another quick question if you guys don't mind answering it. This is totally unrelated to this topic btw. I was just wondering when it was that you and BK stopped being star-struck by athletes. I'm a sophomore like Joakim Noah and had a class with him in our first semester at Florida. So I've known him for almost 2 years now and we have had a nod and "wasup" relationship since then. Yet now that's he's blown up, I feel like he's some kinda celebrity. If you guys didn't know already, I want to be a sports writer and I'm beginning to do some free-lance work for a small nearby paper and I can't continue to be some star-struck fan and be taken seriously. How'd you guys deal with it?
Posted by: xodus | April 03, 2006 at 04:09 PM
U-C-L-A.....Just one more win baby!!!!
If I were PJ, I would incorporate the in-your-face defense of Howland in the triangle, of course no hand check. Smush, Cookie, Chris - you need to learn this art of impeding the advance of your opponents without getting into fouls. Those sticky defense were exhibited by past Lakers like: Coop, Green, D'Fish and also Foxie. A good defense would always create an easy offense.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | April 03, 2006 at 05:02 PM
U.C.L.A!
It's on!
Do it baby!
Remembering all the Bruin greats
Walt Hazzard
Gail Goodrich
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Walton
Sidney Wicks
Curtis Rowe
Henry Bibby
Richard Washington
Dave Meyers
Marques Johhson
The O'Bannon Brothers
Tyus Edny
GO BRUINS!
Posted by: Michael Teniente | April 03, 2006 at 06:22 PM
I'm with Smush. I kinda like college football though. I occationally catch a game but only root for two teams, the Miami Hurricanes cause my friend is on the team and Penn State cause I live in PA and my whole family is big on PA football.
I don't like college basketball cause it's a little sloppy and boring, but that's just me. I'm not gonna watch the game, but I'll root for UCLA for all of ya.
Posted by: nyla | April 03, 2006 at 07:24 PM
I had a dream that Bynum played in a gold uniform and was everywhere on the court. That was an inspirational dream. The future is near.
Posted by: johnny | April 05, 2006 at 12:20 PM