Perfect ending for NBA regular season

By WYATT GELLER

On the final day of the NBA regular season, the race for the playoffs had already concluded.  What needed to be settled was the all time regular reason win mark but more importantly, a farewell to one of the league’s greatest players ever.

Both of these games occurred in California on national TV as The Golden State Warriors hosted the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers welcomed in the Utah Jazz.

We have been talking all season about the Warriors breaking the 72-10 record set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, especially after the Warriors began the season 24-0.  At 72-9, it came down to the final day for this to happen, and the Warriors were in full control throughout the game.

NBA MVP Stephen Curry needed eight three-pointers to reach 400 on the season to add on to his single season record that may ever only be broken by him again.  He finished the year with 402 three-pointers and 46 points on the night, as the Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 125-104.

The media attention the Warriors got throughout the season made this record extra special. Users onESPN.com comment sections had posts comparing the 95-96 Bulls team to the Warriors team and who would win if both teams were in their prime. Since I was too young to see that Bulls team play, I do not have much of an opinion about it.

Now if you thought that was the highlight of the night, think again.

Kobe Bryant aka the Black Mamba had a major curtain call that was well deserved.  A five time NBA champion and third leading scorer in NBA history, Bryant received a video tribute where several well known players such as Lebron James and Kevin Durant thanked Bryant for his efforts over his 20 year career with the Lakers. Even Lakers legend Magic Johnson spoke in front of a sell-out crowd at the Staples Center on Bryant’s behalf.

Much like the farewell hype that New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter got at the end of the 2014 baseball season, appreciation for Bryant was well deserved. Just as Jeter delivered a walk off single for the Yankees to win their last home game of the season, Bryant did something that surpassed a bet Shaq made with Kobe.

This game had only one purpose and that was the Kobe Bryant show.  It was a mix of an all-star game and a playoff game put into one as Bryant scored an incredible 60 points. Even though he attempted 50 shots, Bryant was able to put on a show for the ages that wowed the crowd and everyone who was watching. The Lakers came from behind and defeated the Jazz 101-96.

It was a perfect ending to the season as you saw a significant record being broken along with a future hall of famer go out in style.

Now on to the playoffs.

Earthquake kills nine in Japan

By WYATT GELLER

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Japan late Thursday night killing nine people, according to CNN.  Nearly 800 people were injured as well.

The earthquake occurred on the island of Kyushu, one of Japan’s four main islands.

Several buildings were damaged and Japan could face more.

“The buildings that were damaged in the original shock have now been redamaged or reshaken,” said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers on CNN.com. “And all of a sudden you have a cracked building and it wants to fall down with the second shake.”

The earthquake caused more than 44,000 people to evacuate their homes.  Thankfully, it did not produce a tsunami.

Japan is remembered for having its largest earthquake to hit five years ago at a magnitude of 9.0 that killed more than 22,000 people.

Villanova was a surprise winner

By WYATT GELLER

The most talented college basketball team will always seem to have an advantage over its opponents. That is what North Carolina had where it would outplay its opponents in the post led by senior Brice Johnson and play ferocious perimeter defense led by senior Marcus Paige.

However, on any given night, even the best team can be beaten by an underdog if it is in top form.

Villanova accomplished that Monday night on the biggest stage to capture its second national championship over UNC, 77-74, thanks to buzzer beater three-pointer by Kris Jenkins that will go down as one of the greatest shots in NCAA tournament history.

Many fans underestimated this team despite being ranked No. 1 in the country for part of the season.

Many teams such as Pitt, Syracuse, Norte Dame and Louisville left the Big East Conference over the past few years for the ACC that appeared to make the Big East only a mid-major conference with somewhat competitive teams. The games against Xavier, Seton Hall, Georgetown and Providence tested the Wildcats throughout the regular season and Big East Tournament play.

Senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono along with other underrated stars played together and cruised through their first three tournament games. They did shooting a high field goal percentage.

After a narrow victory over Kansas in the Elite Eight, the Wildcats dismantled superstar Buddy Hield and the Oklahoma Sooners using large scoring runs in the 2nd half to blow them out 95-51.

Despite being out rebounded 33-23 to UNC in the final, Villanova shot 58.3 percent from the field compared to Carolina’s 42.9 percent, according to NCAA.com.

Villanova came to play and it did not look back.

Lakers upset at Russell for video

By WYATT GELLER

The Los Angeles Lakers season faced more issues after rookie D’Angelo Russell filmed teammate Nick Young who admitted to cheating on his fiancée rapper Iggy Azalea.

The Lakers, who are in last place in the Western Conference with a 16-59 record, now face trust issues with Young.

“It’s bad,” one team source told ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne.

“It’s about as bad as it can get. There were trust issues already. Now there’s no trust,” a team member said, according to Deadspin.com.

According to sources mentioned by ESPN, Young’s teammates have isolated themselves from him and when Young tried to sit down at a team breakfast, players got up and sat elsewhere.

This season, which is primarily a farewell tour for five time NBA champion and future hall of famer Kobe Bryant, continues to be a struggle for the Lakers both on and off the court.

Russell, who is just 20 years old, has played extremely well this season after being drafted 3rd overall by the Lakers.  It appears he has some maturity to improve on and trust to regain as the season concludes.

“It’s just unfortunate, man. It’s tough,” Bryant said in the Los Angeles Times. “I’m sure he’ll evolve. I’m sure he will grow and I’m sure he’ll be better from it.”

Custom bike goes against UCI standards

By WYATT GELLER

Rules are rules when it comes to athletic competition and sometimes creativity does not help you win a race.

Bike maker Robert Egger had a vision to invent a new model, even though it would not be permitted in races such as the Tour de France because of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rules.

According to CNN, this bike is referred to as “Fuci,” which, if you sound it out, it does not ring a good bell.  The back wheel is larger than the front wheel, which is illegal for racing.

What also makes it a crazy creation is that Its headlights are inside the seat, so they beam out from the holes leading towards the back of the bike.

The bike also has a lithium battery that is also banned from competition, which reminded me that I can no longer store my hover board in my dorm.

I would love to buy one of these bikes, although I do not know the price of it.  Great work by Robert.

Miami men earn No. 3 seed

By WYATT GELLER

Players, coaches and fans gathered at The Rathskeller on the University of Miami Coral Gables campus for a celebration to watch Selection Sunday on CBS.

Selection Sunday

The Canes wait for the tournament bid to be extended (Photo by Wyatt Geller).

Before the show started, head coach Jim Larranaga stood up and told the crowd to cheer loudly when the team got announced on the big screen that can display up to four sporting events.

Even when a team knows that it will be in the tournament, it is always exciting to hear your name called while 67 other teams are waiting for their placement. In addition, the Canes were shown on screen getting fired up when they found out they were heading to Providence.

As projected by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team  received a No. 3 seed for the NCAA tournament or what is most commonly referred to as “March Madness.”

The road ahead will not be easy for the Canes, as they were placed in the South Region that is arguably the most difficult section of the draw led at the top by Big 12 champions and the No. 1 overall seed in the entire tournament Kansas.

Miami will be up against the No. 14 seed Buffalo in the second round and fans can watch that game on Thursday at 6:50 p.m. on TNT.

I see an experienced Miami team that is capable of controlling this game and winning by low double digits.

If they win Thursday, the third round action on Saturday is where the Canes will face their first true test where they will play the winner of Arizona and Wichita State.

Arizona, who made the Elite 8 last season, battled top seeded Oregon in the PAC 12 semifinals but fell in overtime. Wichita State is led by seniors Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, as they made it to the Elite 8 in 2013 and finished the 2014 season 35-1 after losing to Kentucky in the third round.

The Canes should be able to overcome a tight matchup and advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in team history.

I predict they will square off with No. 2 seed Villanova in an instant classic and win this one in overtime.  The Canes will be able to withstand the pressure and reach the Elite Eight for the first time in team history.

Many people believe a championship run is possible for this team, and I do think the Canes have the tools to compete for the title.  However, Kansas has shown no weak point on their team for Miami to take advantage of.  Hopefully, my projection is wrong and the Canes can advance to the Final Four.

It is complicated to put together a formula for success in March.  Tenacity and determination is what drives many teams toward success during March Madness.  That is what builds so many upsets along the way.

The Canes will need to be prepared to play their best basketball every game now, because there is no tomorrow to improve after a loss until next season.

It is win or go home.

ACC titles still up for grabs for Canes

By WYATT GELLER

The ACC regular season title is at stake in the final week of regular season play for the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team.  The Canes enter this week with a 12-4 mark in ACC, which is a half game back from North Carolina and a half game up on Virginia.

In order to win the regular season outright, the Canes must win their last two games and UNC must lose in Durham on Saturday against Duke.  This is quite possible, if you ask me.

If Miami wins out and UNC beats Duke, then they share the ACC regular season title.

Packed in one of the best conferences in the country, the Canes have been able to come up with signature wins against Virginia, Duke and Louisville.  They have been virtually unstoppable at home going undefeated in the ACC at the Bank United Center.

Senior Day against Louisville brought out the loudest crowd of the year and a resume booster for the Canes, as they still have a chance to get a 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Washington, D.C., will be a tough test for the Canes, as they look to win the ACC tournament.  They will likely receive a double bye into the quarterfinal round, as Louisville will not be competing.

The Canes have been flawless in neutral site games after dominating the Puerto Rico tournament where they beat ranked Utah and Butler.

I would like to see if the Canes can surpass their accomplishments from the 2012-13 season where they won both the regular season and ACC tournament and made it to the Sweet 16.  This years team has the tools for a March Madness run, and it will be their best chance yet.

Miami squeaks by Virginia

By WYATT GELLER

They were on their heels for the entire game, but the Miami Hurricanes were able to stay in front most of the game as they held off the University of Virginia Cavaliers 64-61.

Virginia guard London Perrantes missed a game tying three pointer from half court as time expired to secure the victory.

Players wait for the refs to resume play in the first half.

Miami and Virginia players wait for the referees to resume play in the first half (Photo by Wyatt Geller).

The hero from the game was Junior forward Davon Reed who had a career high of 21 points on 5-6 shooting from the three point line.

He got the Canes going offensively early on with two 3s, and he hit two more at the beginning of the second half.  Reed also sank two free throws to safely put the Canes up by three late in the game.

After a slow offensive start for both teams, Miami led 30-25 at halftime thanks to a floater from three point range by Sheldon McClellan as time expired.  McClellan would finish with 11 points.

The story of the second half became a catch up game for Virginia when Miami would go up by more than two possessions.  After Miami went up 39-29, Senior guard Malcolm Brogdon helped Virginia cut the lead back down to a one possession game with 15 minutes to go.  Brogdon, who is a candidate with McClellan for ACC player of the year, finished with a game high 28 points.

At the final media timeout with under four minutes to play, Miami led 60-52 and seemed to be in control of the game.  Brogdon then hit two shots and Perrantes made a layup to make it a 60-59 game.

Miami could had put Virginia away a little sooner, but it only shot 60 percent from the foul line going 12-20. Free throw shooting along with poor rebounding allowed Virginia to continue to creep back into the ball game.

If I were Coach Jim Larranaga, I would work to formulate a plan for interior post defense when Tonye Jekiri goes to the bench. Kamari Murphy seems likes the best option to cover the other teams’ center’s, as he finished the game with 11 rebounds.

Monday night’s win was a statement victory for the Canes, as they moved within a half game of North Carolina in the ACC standings and continue to battle for the regular season title. We will see you Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. for the home finale against Louisville.

40,000 acres of land burn in Oklahoma

By WYATT GELLER

With high temperatures in the area, fires burned more than 40,000 acres of wildlife in Oklahoma.  For the Midwest, this occurrence was a big deal to the region.

“We haven’t had one of these in the last few years,” said Mark Goeller, the Oklahoma Forestry Services’ fire management chief, told CNN. “Fires are going to burn all night.”

Fires in Harper County had 17,280 acres of land burnt in a matter of three hours, according to Goeller.

In fact, 76 out of the 77 counties in Oklahoma received red flag warnings, that advise the citizens of extreme caution of open flames in the area.

Oklahoma’s Department of Emergency Management reported that there are no injuries or loss of life, but a few people lost their homes.

You never how hot it will get out in the Midwest.

Sandy Hook victim father up for awards

By WYATT GELLER

Saxophonist Jimmy Greene has endured tremendous grief ever since his daughter, Ana Marquez Greene, 6 at the time, was killed in the Sandy Hook shootings back in December of 2012.

Greene continued by composing music and an album, “A Beautiful Life,” to honor Ana.  The album is up for two Grammy Awards this year: best jazz instrumental and best arrangement for vocals, as these are his first two nominations.

The nominations are a huge honor for Greene, but he wishes his daughter was there to see it.

According to ABC News, Greene said, “There is not a day that goes by that doesn’t have tears and just incredible sadness, … Music is a language in and of itself and it’s a language for me that kind of picks up where words leave off.”

It was not always easy for Greene to continue playing the saxophone.

“So the process of making the music, it was fraught with tears and a lot of pain, but it was a necessary expression, just like talking is a necessary expression.” Greene said, in a report from CBS News.

His time and effort towards his saxophone playing has helped Greene cope with the loss, as he has continued to do what he loves the most and that is to perform.

The 58th annual Grammy Awards will take place this Monday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Cam Newton — Leave the man alone

By WYATT GELLER

During the past few weeks, there has been much talk about the Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as his team cruised to a 15-1 regular season record and is now squaring off against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.

Many people criticized Newton for his touchdown celebrations where he “dabs” in the end zone, which is his signature dance move, along with giving footballs to special fans that wear Panthers gear, mostly kids, after the team scores a touchdown.

The idea I cannot seem to understand is where all this criticism comes from.  Other than stealing a laptop back in college over six years ago, Newton has not had any off the field issues.

Langer Research Associates produced a survey for ESPN Wednesday to ask fans what the big deal is about Newton. More than 62 percent responded that it was due to his style of play on the field, 14 percent said it was a race issue as Newton is black and the other 24 percent were uncertain.

I definitely fall in that 24 percent category, as I do not even know the source of all the criticism.  Maybe they are not used to the recent success the Panthers have had since they became a recent playoff team.  Another suggestion would be the magnitude of the Super Bowl and that Newton is only the 6th black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, but I do not see a race issue at all.

Michael Rosenberg, who writes for Sports Illustrated, stated that, “I’ve never met anybody who felt that way. I’ve never heard anybody talk about it. I hear people criticizing his critics, but I don’t see the critics themselves.”

This is what other notable people have mentioned including former quarterback Warren Moon and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.  Moon is an African-American and he had never faced such backlash as Newton is now.

The media has gotten players and fans opinions, but no exact answer has been given.  That is what bothers me the most, as they need to stop talking about the criticism against Newton, as he does not deserve it.

There is no best case scenario to why there is hate towards Newton, but he knows that none of the reports that the media put out about him will matter on Sunday.