What about Lamont West?

I say that if Jaylen Brown signs elsewhere, we give the last scholarship to Lamont West.

West is an athletic 6' 8" power forward for 26 and 3 Miller Grove.  He has put up impressive numbers this season, with 25 and 14 the other night, and 19 and 12 in the previous game.

According to Max Preps, West averages 17 ppg, shoots 66 percent from the floor and 71 percent from the line.  West was recently named 1st Team All-Region, 6AAAAA.

Although Lamont is listed at just 205 pounds now, he has the frame to add 20 or 30 more once he hits campus and starts lifting weights.  Since he's a natural post player and not a stretch 4 like Kessler, West would give us another big man in the trenches to alternate with Ogbeide and Maten.

We did alright with our last under-recruited Miller Grove big man, Donte Williams.  If his grades are up to snuff, let's get on West now.

West

Bikini Shots

Not to fear, folks.

Bunch of fans all upset, talking 'bout losing to Auburn and South Carolina.  Yeah, Bruce Pearl photo-bombed our bikini shots. At 16 and 9 with back to back losses to the cellar-dwellers of the SEC, we got blobs of cellulite where our toned thighs used to be.

But as Tina Turner say, What RPI got to do wid it?

Forget Selection Sunday and the beauty pageant judges!

A noted scholar said--  well, actually it's my cousin's barber, Tori, but he finished top of his class at CEI Hair School--  Anyway, he said that after seven years, cycles repeat.  And if we know our history, we are bound to repeat it.

It's been seven years.

Don't you see?  All we need to do is get all our injured players back, and, err, have a tornado sweep through town.  Win the SEC Tournament and we're like an ugly girl on a deserted island.  Pretty enough.

Like I Said, Ughh.

Can't fault the effort, though.  We made a game of it.

The problem is that we are coming up short to bad teams.

We have excuses, but it looks like the season is slipping away...

Forgot that USC is Down a Few Players

No wonder their coach was running the stall.

This might turn out like a boxing match between two fighters who are dead tired in the 15th round.

Maybe we can slug this thing out and win by decision.

Gamecocks' Coach Has Out-Thunk Himself

Trying to start the half and milk the clock, their guys end up having to manufacture a play at the end of the shot clock and they're playing tight.

Dawgs have a chance.  Down by ten.  Still plenty of time.

Ughh.

34 to 13?  Are you kidding me?

Sure we aren't exactly healthy, but still, they seem to be hitting everything and we're struggling.

Glennville Glider

J.J. Frazier is out for today's game with concussion symptoms and a fractured orbital bone.  Elbow to the face does a lot of damage.

Hope he has a speedy recovery.

In the meantime, Blog readers may enjoy reading last week's Thomasville Times-Enterprise article on J.J, and his family (father, James; mother, Sonya; and sister, Kadeshia).

The article notes that James, owner of a concrete company, worked hard so that J.J. and Kadeshia could enjoy their academic and athletic pursuits.  J.J. developed his speed and stamina from running behind Kadeshia as she pedaled her bike around rural Glennville, Georgia.

Great article.

Small town life, Big-Time player

Timeless Dream for Wilkins

Apt description, and great article (couple of good pictures, too) by the New York Times on Damien Wilkins, who at age 35 started in Sunday's D-League All-Star game.

The Times, noting Wilkins' age and well-traveled career, with stops playing for the Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma Thunder, Philadelphia 76'ers, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Beijing Ducks and the Mayaguez Puerto Rico Indios, quoted Wilkins as saying, "Ultimately my goal is to make it back to the NBA.  I want that more than anything, man."

Don't know if Damien will get another shot with an NBA team, but the lesson for us might be that whatever our age, whatever the obstacle, let's work hard at our dreams.  With God's help, may we all be all-stars in life.

Keep representin', Damien.

Wilkins