The Fab 5: Attack of the Baldheads

As a young impressionable preteen in the early 1990s, my life's mosaic included hard hitting DJ Premier beats, choreographing dance routines to Slam by Onyx, memorizing M-E-T-H-O-D Man, watching Homey D. Clown, wearing baggy jeans w/ combat boots, falling in love with Omar Epps as Q in Juice and declaring the Fab Five my favorite college basketball players.  

And for this reason, I can't think of a greater sports moment worth reliving more than The Fab Five Era, despite the unfortunate ending.  The story of how hip hop bred, inner-city youth Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, and Chris Webber forever changed college basketball's culture will be chronicled during The Fab Five on ESPN, Sunday at 9PM/ET.

Jalen Rose spearheaded the project and recruited Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King to join him.  Chris Webber, involved in a federal investigation for money laundering which eventually led to NCAA sanctions and the removal of Final Four banners, declined to participate in the production of the documentary with his friends and former teammates. 

However, Chris Webber's lack of involvement does not mean the documentary will overlook the role he played in the sudden rise and eventual fall of one of college basketball's most memorable recruiting classes.  Nor, should Webber's charges overshadow the significant impact the Fab Five made on an entire generation.

There's a reason their story is being told twenty years later.  Be sure to watch ESPN on Sunday at 9 PM/ET.

If you're like me, eagerly awaiting the premiere of The Fab Five documentary, wet your appetite with a little taste below.

PRESS PLAY: ESPN FIRST TAKE W/ JALEN ROSE, JIMMY KING, AND RAY JACKSON



PRESS PLAY:  THE FAB FIVE DOCUMENTARY TRAILER

Michigan Wolverines: Is it in the Genes?

From left, Josh Bartelstein, the son of a sports agent, represents the next generation of basketball at Michigan along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Jon Horford and Jordan Dumars, whose fathers played in the NBA

Last night I was able to watch the University of Michigan (U-M) play Clemson and it conjured up sweet memories of the first time I watched a U-M team play.  Back in the early '90s, I was introduced to Michigan on a Saturday afternoon, while sitting on the edge of my bed and channel surfing on my white 13" TV/VCR combo.  I was immediately hooked because I was watching something I'd never seen before.  Five Black young men, later known as the Fab Five, were running the court for the same team at the same time; on national TV for a D-1 college basketball program.  This was huge!  I was equally intrigued and shocked by what I witnessed.  Who are they?  Where did they come from?  Does anyone else know this is happening?  Or, is this old news and am I the last to discover this oddity? 

The following week I recall flipping through each and every channel trying to find them again.  If they re-appeared on TV then it would prove that what took place the week before wasn't a fluke.  I continuously traveled up and down the dial, but felt completely defeated because I was unsuccessful.  I didn't find them that week, but every weekend I watched college basketball with hope that I'd see them again.  Some weeks I did.  Some weeks I didn't.

However, they quickly won me over and I became an instant fan of the Fab Five.  I talked about them to anyone that would listen.  The imprint they lift in my psyche was unbelievable.  So much so, I declared that I would be attending the University of Michigan for college.  I was 12 years old, hadn't yet selected a high school, but I had college all figured out.  My Dad appreciated my obsession with and admiration for this team, but politely informed me that they wouldn't be there when it was time for me to enroll. 

Pause. 

What?  Oh.  I guess I hadn't thought about that.  Well, I didn't care.  That minor detail was irrelevant.  What mattered was that I was hopelessly in love with the Fab Five.  I totally immersed myself into everything they represented.  I read and hoarded every article about them, wore Michigan gear, or anything with navy blue, and argued with countless Duke fans in my jr. high classes.  I also patted myself on the back because for the first time in my life, I formed a sports allegiance independent of my father or brother.  And not only that, but the Fab Five were good!  They captured the attention of the entire country.  Not just little ol' me.  I was so proud of myself.  But shortly after the Fab Five disbanded and moved on from U-M, the hype surrounding their basketball program started to fade.  And since then, they haven't given their fans much reason to cheer for them. 

Well, it's possible things are starting to look up for U-M's basketball program.  They've been in the press recently because they have a trio of players with fathers that played in the NBA, not to mention another player who is the son of an NBA/NFL agent.  Yes, Tim Hardaway Jr. (guard, son of Tim Hardaway Sr.), Jordan Dumars (forward, son of Joe Dumars), Jon Horford (forward, son of Tito Horford and brother of Al Horford), and Josh Bartelstein (guard, son of Mark Bartelstein) are following in their father's footsteps and continuing the family's sports legacy.

Sharing similar backgrounds, the sons admit that they were not pressured into this by their fathers.  They are, however, excited about the opportunity to live out their dreams, while their fathers support them 100%.

Per the New York Times:

I’ve tried to shield my son from my business because there’s a lot I don’t think he should be exposed to,” Mark Bartelstein said. “It was his dream to play college basketball, and he’s now living it at Michigan. That’s all I can ask for. I am here to cheer him on.

In Dumars' case, he grew up hanging around practices and games, getting to know players. He's been a fixture at Pistons practices for years, playing pickup against Chauncey Billups and having Rasheed Wallace show him how to dunk. But again, it was his love for the game that attracted him to basketball, not the pressure from his dad.

Meanwhile Jon is fortunate to have his father and older brother advise him.  Al's successful college career came to an end after winning back-to-back NCAA titles at Florida.  And, his success has continued in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks.  But even with all of that, Jon is still doing his best to create his own identity and legacy on the court.

While they're thankful to have the support of their family, they do acknowledge that they don't expect any handouts along the way and recognize that they are targets who may be recipients of harsh criticism due to their family ties.  Upon witnessing how the Big Ten taunted Michael Jordan's son, Jeff, during his Illinois days, the Hardaway's have an idea of what awaits them.  “The world is cruel,” Tim Hardaway Sr. told the New York Times. “If we were back in the day, playing in college, and we knew that your father played in the N.B.A, we would try to destroy you.  Joe and I tried to prepare our kids for this: the up and downs, the mistakes you make."  Most importantly, all fathers have advised their sons to live in the moment and have fun.
 
Tim Hardaway Jr., freshman, seems to have the most promising future.  Right now, he's the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 12 ppg, 1.5 apg, 3.3 rpg.  And although Jon Horford, also a freshman, gets minutes, he's making less of an impact with 1.7 ppg, 0.0 apg, 2.2 rpg.  Jordan Dumars, a sophomore, is sitting out until the winter semester because he transferred from South Florida.  Josh Bartelstein, from Highland Park, Ill., is a sophomore reserve.

Are they being hailed as saviors of the U of M basketball program?  Not exactly.  But they have created a buzz that hasn't existed for a while.  People are interested in seeing how this class of celebuspawn will perform.  Will they be able to live up to the legacies of their fathers?  Only time will tell.  Coming off of last night's win, they're off to a 4-2 start after gaining their first road victory of the season and their first win in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge since 1999.  That's progress, certainly giving Michigan basketball fans a reason to cheer again! Go Blue!

Congrats, UCONN!

My girls did it!  The Lady Huskies are the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Champions.  Back-to-back undefeated seasons.  Unbelievable.  They are 11 wins away from overtaking UCLA's record for most consecutive wins.  And, Coach Geno Auriemma is one championship away from tying Pat Summit's record of eight championships.  Both shall be done. 

P.S. Notice I didn't congratulate Duke on their win.  That was intentional.  I'm a hater.

Photo credit:  AP/Eric Gray

Ballin'!!!

Take a brief step away from the madness, and let's talk money and college basketball.  As we all know, the sports industry is a huge moneymaker, but what exactly does that mean for these basketball programs at D1 schools?

For the third consecutive year, Forbes.com has ranked the Top 20 Most Valuable College Basketball teams, based on the following four factors (in order of weight):

1. The value of contributions to the institution for academic purposes, including scholarships for basketball players.

2. The net profit generated by the basketball program retained by the athletic department.

3. The value contributed to conference peers via tournament revenue.

4.  Estimated direct spending by visitors to the county attributable to home basketball games.

Ranked at #1 for two straight years and valued at $29 million are the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Coming off of their 2009 Championship, the Tar Heels are stacking their chips and saving for a rainy day.  Good thing they are, because ladies and gentlemen, that rainy day has arrived!  Last year, 2009 NCAA Champs, this year, a round-trip ticket straight to the NIT.  Can't wait to see how a disappointing season impacts their 2011 ranking. 

And, because you simply can't mention UNC without hearing Duke (or vice versa), the Blue Devils are ranked #11 with a value of $16.4 million.  For the second consecutive year, their value has dropped.  The steady decline is attributed to their enormous operations budget which is 50% more than any other team.  This seems a bit excessive, especially when they share a market with UNC.  Anytime twice as much money is spent to do the same job, questions should be asked, eyebrows should be raised, and people should be fired.  Just sayin'.

For the complete list of rankings, check out the article and slideshow. 

You may now return to your regularly scheduled program with beer in one hand, bracket sheet in the other.

It's Tourney Time!

The NCAA Tournament tips-off on CBS in less than 24 hours!  If you haven't done so already, make your picks now!

Also, to all my sports heads holding it down at the j-o-b during the day, and having a breakdown about not being able to watch the games on TV, I'm about to change your life.   Actually, all credit goes to Mashable, but I'm putting you on, so give me some love when you pay it forward.

Mashable put together a great list of how social media + technology will help you keep track of your bracket(s), blow outs, and upsets.  From real-time tweets +  watching live games online  or on your iPhone/iPod Touch, they've covered it all.

Don't take my word for it, see for yourself!

You're welcome.

I'm Focused, Man.

Last year this time, I was in South Africa on vacation. Sounds awesome, right?  Yeah, it was, except for the fact that I completely missed Champs Week.  Yep, I was bugging when I planned that trip with my friends.  Once I realized the mistake I made, it was too late.  Trip was paid for, dates were locked, and there was nothing I could do about it.  What a setup. The only positive thing was that I'd return in time for the NCAA Tournament with a couple of days to get my picks in. That put me at ease until I got realistic with myself and admitted that I had no shot at the big prize.   I immediately returned to panic mode because I already knew that I'd be taking a quick dive straight to the bottom of all five of my pools.

See, I don't really start following college basketball until March.  Don't worry.  There's a method to my madness.  With the NFL going until early February and the NBA in full swing, I feel like something has to take a back seat.  For me, it's college bball.  And, based on past experiences, I know I can't handle a full season of college basketball.  I get too emotionally attached.  It's bad.  For these reasons, I decided to invest a little later in the game and just go hard as hell once March hits.  I start scouting teams, players, and coaches.  I give my money, time, and emotions, all in the name of filling out my brackets.

So, this two-week trip to SA completely ruined my whole game plan.  Never again.  I totally learned my lesson.  Returning from a trip of a lifetime to only have regrets that I missed a marathon game between Syracuse and UConn was not what's up and will NEVER happen again.

New Rule: From now on, I pledge to stick to the script.  March is officially reserved for Madness. March is reserved for devoting hours upon hours of watching nothing but college basketball.  March is reserved for cramming a season's worth of stats, analysis and info into 2 weeks.  March is reserved for skimming blogs and hoarding newspapers/magazines, searching for the inside scoop.  March is now and I'm ready!


photo credit:  Drew Litton

Lady Huskies Rewrite HERstory!

In honor of Women's History Month, I felt compelled to write about Women's sports.  It's only right.  I didn't really put any thought behind what the focus would be, but then the University of Connecticut's Lady Huskies won 71 consecutive games by defeating Notre Dame 59-44, today.  This was suddenly a no-brainer!

What's even more incredible is that they rewrote their own history!  Yep, they previously held the record for most consecutive victories with 70 wins from 2001-2003. Today, they're sitting pretty at the top of women's college basketball with 71 wins.  What other sport organizations, pro or collegiate can boast such an accomplishment?  OK, the '71-'74 UCLA Bruins, coached by Hall of Famer John Wooden, are still clutching to their 88 wins, but besides them?  What an amazing feat!

First of all, much respect to coach Geno Auriemma. The Lady Huskies have been under his leadership since 1985.  His resume is stacked with 6 National Championships, 10 Final Four appearances, and over 25 combined Big East Conference and Tournament Championships.  After 25 years, the University of Connecticut women's basketball program continues to dominate.  Whether it was Nykesha Sales, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, or current team leaders Tina Charles and Maya Moore, the goal is always the same...WIN.  And, don't expect their program to fall off anytime soon.  They're constant success will only result in continuing to win over the top recruits in the country.  Get used to it!


I know I'll be rooting for them as they compete in the Big East tourney and move on to the NCAA Tournament.  My hope for them is to cut down the nets in April, lace up in November, and continue the streak.  Go after the Bruins record.  Let's get it!  Big East, stand up!

I'll Admit It: I Was Wrong!

It's March, so you know what's coming...MADNESS!  In thinking about what lies ahead for this year's tourney, I couldn't help but think about last year's college bball season.  While reminiscing, one person stuck out in my mind...Stephen Curry! 

Last year was baby faced Curry's year.  He led the nation in scoring with 26.8 points per game and broke damn near every record at Davidson College.  Even though the guard attended a mid-major, he had the attention of the whole country.  Remember when Loyola College double and triple-teamed him the whole game causing him to go scoreless for the first time in his career? Yeah, he was that big of a deal.  

Currently listed as 6'3 and 185 lbs. (he's bulked up since college), many critics (including me-- yes, I'm a self-anointed critic) didn't think the 21 year old had what it took to hang with the big boys in the League.  Don't get me wrong, I'd watched him play.  I knew that he could shoot and score.  After all, former NBA player and sharp-shooter, Dell Curry, is his father.  However, despite all of that, I still wasn't a believer.  From my small-minded perspective, there was no way that someone of Steph's small stature could compete with the big bodied players that dominate the league.  Yes, names like Isiah Thomas and Steve Nash ring a bell, but I still wasn't convinced that Steph's game could translate to success in the NBA.

Before Steph was selected seventh in last year's draft by the Golden State Warriors, I remember hearing chatter about the Knicks being interested in Curry.  I was adamantly against "us" selecting him.  I enjoyed watching him play, but I just didn't believe the hype.  

OK, fast forward to the second half of Curry's rookie season.   I WAS WRONG!   I am now a believer!  This boy can ball!  He'll drive to the basket, get popped, hit the shot, draw the foul, and bounce back up a la Allen Iverson. The no look passes, the long J's, and his quick hands make his game so thorough and fun to watch.  What excites me the most is that he's only a rookie.  He's going to continue to get better as he gains experience and gets stronger.  

Sad times for us now though because the Warriors have the third worst record in the NBA.  You know what that means...no national shine.  This is too bad because I think NBA fans would enjoy seeing more of Stephen's game.  Until then, we'll have to settle for this.