Seeing is Believing

First off, as a precursor to this blog, I ask that you read Jon Greenberg's recent article detailing the basketball comeback of Jon Scheyer. I know two articles in one sitting is some hefty reading, but I promise I would never recommend any supplementary readings unless I found them to be worth your while.

Perhaps I'm biased because we are "friends" on Facebook. Or maybe I'm a tad impartial because I've shook his hand on a few occasions, but I see myself to be a considerably large Jon Scheyer fan. Nonetheless, he did end my high school basketball career prematurely in 2006, so it hasn't been all popcorn and Prince singles between him and I. Still, I have always found myself pulling for his success. If at this point you're thinking I'm one of those garbage eaters you knew in high school who obnoxiously championed Duke's success for no reasons other than that they were A)always good, and B)always on television, that's not me. And furthermore, if you think I don't despise Glenbrook North like the rest of 21st century America, you're wrong again. I do, and with conviction. And lastly, if you think I am holding this viewpoint simply because I am Jewish, that makes 3 wrongs. I'm not.

But the native son of Northbrook has always presented himself as the consummate class act. Ever since he was conducting interviews before he was legally allowed to swallow an Accutane tablet as a 7th grader, he mastered the art of thanking one's teammates and complimenting the other team--a skill that most professionals still haven't learned. In short, he has always presented himself as a likable guy despite wearing two of the most polarizing uniforms I can possibly imagine in succession. Don't get me wrong, he had his fair share of detractors at every level. During GBN's state title run in 2005, their opponents consistently opted to employ man-to-man principles in accounting for a kid who was scoring more regularly than the cast of Glory Daze. In college, it was his athleticism, then his physical strength, then his ball handling--you name it. He again made them eat their words like those word munchers games you played on those vibrantly colored Macs in grade school.

As it turns out, the only thing that could slow down Scheyer's path to the highest platform in the basketball profession was an errant swipe of an opponent's finger. All of it could have been gone--transpired into some once-upon-a-time fable that could serve as the sequel to 'The Pistol-The Birth of a Legend'. After swallowing the sorrow seeds of unemployment for a few months while tirelessly working out to give himself another shot at the NBA (essentially we were doing the same thing), Scheyer has been signed. Not by the Nets, or the Clippers, or even the lowly Toronto Raptors (I honestly might rather be in the D-League)...but by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA-Developmental League. So if you're charting his journey with thumbtacks on a world map in your household den, he surfaced on the shores of the ritzy shops and $8.00 bagel sandwiches of Northbrook,IL, then voyaged eastward and conquered the babes of the Bible Belt in just 4 short years. Now, he finds himself amongst the vast plains and 10-gallon heads of Hidalgo, Texas, just a border jump away from the Mexican countryside.

The only remnants of his eye injury that remain today are a pair of protective goggles he must wear that were once popularized by James Worthy, Kareem and Kurt Rambis (Yea, they had 3 guys on 1 squad with goggles--MAN'S GAME). If I know Scheyer like I think I do, and I absolutely don't, he won't care about the buffoonery he takes from fans on the road about his choice of protective eyewear. As of February 17, 2011, the phrase "Scheyerface" returned 15,746 results from Google Images. Do you really think he cares? And if you think he's going to rot in the D-League, pile on the pasta and change vocations to a high school P.E. teacher like Kevin Pittsnogle or the Pulse Man, you have another thing coming. Not to say that the D-League isn't loaded with the college talent of our yesterdays (A few of my favorites: Raivio-Gonzaga, Kramer-Purdue, J.R. Giddens-New Mexico, Salim Stoudamire-Zona, Jerel McNeal-Marquette), but I would think Scheyer will rise to the big league in no time once he gets to %100. He was a 1st team All-American and a unanimous 1st team All-ACC performer, what has Sasha Vujacic ever done?

As for Pick of the Day, the Pulse Man covered the over in the Bulls/Bobcats game Tuesday night with MJ and Scottie on hand to take it all in. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes Iowa, yes Iowa, getting 9 points at Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight against Northwestern. On Iowa!

Pick of the Day: Iowa (+9) @ Northwestern- IOWA

Record:(55-39-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Sub-Hub

From Huntley to Berwyn and back though the heart of the city, the suburbs of Chicago produce more D1 college basketball talent on a yearly basis than many of its surrounding states combined, and this year is no different. These indigenous prep stars hailing from the Land of Lincoln all devour Malnati's slices and Portillo's cake shakes on trips home to visit their p's and empty their mother's household TIDE inventory like every other college kid hailing from the metropolitan area of the United States' 3rd largest city, but the difference is--these kids lace up the Nike's for D1 basketball programs throughout the country, giving us proud Flatlanders a chance to proudly proclaim, "I played against that dude in high school" whenever you're eyeing a Big Monday telecast looking over your notes for next week's microbiology test (took that claas twice, so this scenario happened quite often). Although it is nearly impossible to account for all the players on the various stages of the vast, college basketball landscape, this blog's service is to do justice to the athletes who skimmed the Daily Herald SportsExtra section each Friday, eagerly awaiting a name drop from PBM (Patricia Babcock-McGraw) or Joe Aguilar.

The Ivy League- Kevin Bulger, who formerly starred at Columbia and Glenbrook South, and once Ivy League Freshman POY Chris Wroblewski, who roamed the halls of Highland Park before "taking his talents to Ithaca" and helping the Big Red march to the sweet 16 a year ago. The Penn Quakers and the Palestra call 3 suburban products their own in Rob 'you should be glad I even referenced you with this haircut" Belcore (Loyola), Danny Monckton (Glenbrook South) and the next Croatian sensation in Marin Kukoc (Highland Park). Brown's Bears also boast Tyler Ponticelli from suburban power Glenbrook North on their front line. And lastly, Yale's campus was home to both Geroge H.W. and George W. Bush respectively, but is now the land in which Mundelein grad Raffi Mantilla cruises campus on a moped with a few cold ones in a plastic bag secured firmly to the handlebars.

The Big 10- Since Cully Payne isn't a real suburban since he transferred from Burlington Central (damn foreign imports) and now plays at at Iowa, I'm not going to give him the recognition he thinks he deserves. But, Illinois guard Brandon Paul (Warren), Michigan swingmen Matt Vogrich (Lake Forest) and Josh Bartelstein (Highland Park), along with Northwestern standout and former IHSA dunk contest champ John Shurna (Glenbard West) are all going to get some blog love. Sorry Cully, maybe if you're name didn't sound like the title of a movie featuring Damon Wayans, things would've been different. Northwestern guards Jeff Ryan (Glenbrook South) and Drew Crawford (Naperville Central) are going to look to get the Wildcats into the tourney for the first time since the Great Depression as we near what I like to call "the grand Recession". Look for Big 10 newcomers Ben Brust (Mundelein) and Duje Dukan (Deerfield) to get their feet wet in the fertile basketball soil of the Big 10, and watch for Jereme Richmond (Waukegan) and Lenzelle Smith (Zion-Benton) to cement themselves as two of the conference's flashiest fresh faces since the league expanded to an 'illiterate dozen' (11 teams) in 1990.

With Jon Scheyer gone and graduated from Duke, the ACC doesn't boast many representatives from the tri-county area in Chicagoland's Northwest region. But, the Big East holds right to Notre Dame's Luke Harangody stunt double, Jack Cooley (Glenbrook South). Out West, the Cal Bears have New Trier grad, Alex Rossi's name in their registry and the Oregon Ducks and their sick, new, forest floor have the rights to Oregon big man, Joevan Catron.

It's safe to say that Illinois was well-represented across the country last year on USA Today's All-American Squad that featured native Illinoisans Evan Turner (St. Joes), Jon Scheyer (Glenbrook North), Sherron Collins (Crane), Jerome Randle (Hales) and Jacob Pullen (Proviso East). How Illinois, DePaul and Northwestern aren't sweet 16 mainstays every year, I can't figure out. But during the month of November, Illinois basketball fans have a lot to be thankful for besides the fast approaching holiday of Black Wednesday.

As for Pick of the Day, it's still BJ3 and the Bucks giving 5 to the Knicks in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. If you don't own residency to the state of Wisconsin, thus a subscription to FSwisconsin (possibly the worst channel I've ever encountered) or have NBA full court, you're going to have to wait for SportsCenter to validate the Pulse Man's results.

Pick of the Day: Knicks @ Bucks (-4.5)- BUCKS (-105)

Record:(29-23-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost