2012 NBA Draft re-do with 2013 hindsight

February 19, 2013 By 1 Comment

2012 nba draft

It is an annual tradition here during the NBA All-Star break to re-do the NBA Draft lottery from the previous year.  The Sports Bank’s NBA Draft Nerd, David Kay and Peter Christian will alternate re-drafting the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft taking into account what they know about the rookies based off their performances so far this season.  They will factor in how each team’s roster looked at the time of the draft and give their reasons as to why the selection would be made.

Check out The Sports Bank’s 2013 NBA Mock Draft.

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UNC’s Tyler Zeller’s NBA Draft stock (Video)

June 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

North Carolina cheerleaders

The North Carolina Tar Heels have four players at the NBA combine this year; that’s almost one for every position. Among them is one of the better bigs in college basketball last season- Tyler Zeller.

The UNC big man needs to beef up a little, and add some polish to his game in order to be ready for the next level.

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NBA Draft: Don’t draft No Orange “Heeled” Fighting Illini

June 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Carmelo Anthony

I am doing a little research on previous drafts, trying to figure out which players will be successful in the NBA. Here is today’s post about NBA Draft Don’ts. [Read more…]

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Blue Bowl: Kentucky Downs North Carolina in Classic Tilt

December 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

kentucky hoops

After an early season loaded with various tournaments and invitationals, the Kentucky Wildcats came into Saturday’s battle with the North Carolina Tar Heels at Rupp Arena looking to make a big statement on the national stage. Behind a 17 point and 11 rebound effort from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the Cats managed to squeak by the Tar Heels 73-72, running John Calipari’s record to 38-0 at home as Kentucky’s headmaster.

North Carolina had a chance to win the contest late as they had the ball with 13 seconds left, but when John Henson went to put up a contested jumper in the corner with five seconds left, Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis seemingly came out of nowhere to block the shot, and when the Heels seemed to forget that there was still time left on the clock, the Wildcats came away with the emotional win.

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#1 North Carolina Tar Heels: College Basketball 111 in 111

November 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

north carolina cheerleaders

Welcome to The Sports Bank’s second annual college basketball season preview series.  Last year we looked at 99 teams in 99 days.  This year, we are being slightly more aggressive and expanding to 111 teams in 111 days.  We will rank the 74 power conference teams and top 37 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order.  We’ll break down rosters, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch for each team.

With all five starters back including the best frontcourt in the country, it is easy to see why North Carolina opens the season at #1 in our college hoops rankings.  The Tar Heels tip-off their campaign to cut down the nets this evening when they take on Michigan State as part of the Carrier Classic.  (By the way… HURRAH to me for making it… 111 team preview in 111 days!)

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The Sports Bank “My Boy” Team

April 4, 2011 By 2 Comments

derrick williams arizona

As the collegiate basketball season comes to a conclusion this evening, there is still hardware to be handed out that isn’t related to the National Championship. There’s the All-Americans, the Cousy Award, the Wooden Award and plenty of others, however here at The Sports Bank we like to honor players in a different manner.

By Peter Christian and David Kay

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Indiana Hoosiers Rebuilding Efforts Hinge on Cody Zeller

March 31, 2011 By 1 Comment

cody-zeller

The fate of Indiana Hoosier basketball rests in the hands of McDonald’s All-American Cody Zeller.  Okay, not really… but if you listen to what others are saying, that’s the hype surrounding the 2011 recruit who chose to stay home and help Tom Crean with his re-building of the Hoosiers’ program.

And given the way things have gone for Indiana since 2007, their fans need something positive to latch onto.

(This is a Paul M. Banks and David Kay collaboration.)
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North Carolina Tar Heels Very Impressive; Ready for Test from Kentucky Wildcats

March 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

North Carolina cheerleaders

You wouldn’t have thought that the UNC Tar Heels team playing Friday night was the same one that was defensively challenged all year. College basketball teams were able to get up and down on them pretty much at will. But on Friday night, they stepped up and answered the call, holding Marquette to 15 first half points – the second fewest in the program’s storied tournament history.

Not only did their defense click, but as usual, their offense was elite and put the game away early. The big 3 in Tyler Zeller, lottery pick Harrison Barnes, and John Henson put on a clinic against Marquette. They combined to score 61 of the 81 points and kept Marquette from ever making this a game.

By Ryan West

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NCAA Tournament East Regional Sweet 16 Breakdown

March 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

DJO goggles

My hands still sting from all the loud clapping I did during Marquette‘s third round victory against Syracuse.  As winnable as their first two games were, reality sets in a bit as the Golden Eagles have a mountain to climb if they want to complete an improbable run to the Final Four.  Ohio State, North Carolina, and Kentucky are all powerhouse programs loaded with NBA talent.  Here is my breakdown of the Sweet 16 West Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

By: David Kay
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North Carolina and Duke Fuel Up the Rivalry

February 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment


Rivalries. It’s what defines sports and in college basketball, there’s not one bigger than Duke and North Carolina.

To each team, the other is the “Evil Empire”. That’s how it works.

UNC dropped early games this season to teams like Minnesota and Vanderbilt. Harrison Barnes was looking more like Marvin Williams and less like Michael Jordan by the minute.

On the other side, after Duke’s fast start, there was talk of Duke going undefeated.

Well, after a Kyrie Irving season-ending injury and an embarrassing loss to St. Johns, the Blue Devils have been knocked off their high horse.

During that same time period, the Tarheels turned things around with a 7-1 ACC record and a No. 20 national ranking. Barnes has gotten rid of his freshman fears and looks comfortable – more than before at least.

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North Carolina’s Bigs (Zeller and Henson) Have Potential, Need Bulk

December 4, 2010 By 2 Comments

John Henson UNC

The North Carolina Tar Heels are a college basketball team with seven McDonald’s All-Americans, but a very mediocre record. They have a world of potential, but a very uninspiring body of work in this young season. The strength of this team is their bigs, and those bigs really need to hit the buffet line a few times. It’s time to get them on the Illini Mike Tisdale diet of 6,000 calories a day.

In sophomore John Henson, the Heels have a Wooden Award candidate with NBA potential who goes 6-10, 210 pounds. Yes, he’s about as waifish as he sounds, but NBA GM’s often draft based on potential and upside, and that’s what everyone raves about with Henson.

In junior Tyler Zeller, UNC has a 250 pound 7-footer. But that weight number seems inflated. Still, Zeller’s a Naismith Award candidate, and if he can team with Henson to give Carolina a more formidable 1-2 punch, maybe this team can start going somewhere.

By Paul M. Banks

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