Whats Going On

  I'm sure some of you have noticed that I haven't posted in over a week which is completely uncharacteristic. Here is an explanation as to why I've been missing in action. I couldn't get the video to embed itself so I put the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk4QArMzgEY

Its Time For The Show!

  The NBA Playoffs officially start tomorrow. Obviously the first round doesn't elicit overall excitement because some series just have a clear cut winner from the start. Then there are the other match ups that you can't ignore. What four do I think you should pay attention to? Let's explore. (Note: As the rounds progress I will preview/predict the key series)

(7) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs

  Although I still have my reservations about LA and how everyone seems to suddenly be a supporter and rooting for them for what they "accomplished", I give them credit for not collapsing without Kobe although I'm not surprised. Dwight has always had the ability to be that dominant and we all already knew about Pau's versatile ability. The thing that makes this series interesting is the fact that though both teams have struggled with injuries this season, the Spurs have probably suffered the most from them down the stretch. Starting with Tony Parker spraining his ankle (and is now playing as a shell of his former MVP-caliber self) Ginobili's reoccurring injuries, losing Boris Diaw to season-halting back surgery, Stephen Jackson being waived, and Tim Duncan continuously aging (although he's still playing great ball), this is just not the same team I previously picked to meet Miami in the Finals. Nonetheless, when you're going up against Popovich and such a fundamentally trained and skilled as the Spurs you just can't count them out. Ginobili and Parker are both expected to play in this series and although they have gone just a mere 10-10 in their last 20 games, I think the Spurs will take this series in 6. I'm not saying the Lakers can't win because surely this new system they've implemented is effective for them, but history and experience is what I have to go with for this one. This will probably be the most dramatic series on the West Coast battling with OKC taking on the 8th seeded Rockets, former teammate James Harden's new team.

The 4's and 5's

  I think each conference has a great 4th and 5th seed match up. In the West there's the (4)Los Angeles Clippers vs. the (5) Memphis Grizzlies. These two teams met last year in the first round and the Clippers took the series in 7 games. However many say that LA wouldn't have won that series had Memphis not gotten content and blew a 27-point 4th quarter lead in game 1 at home! I am one of those people. Though this is surely a different Clippers team than last year, especially with the potential 6th man of the year Jamal Crawford on the roster, I still say Memphis has a great chance. I love Zach Randolph's versatility coupled with that of Marc Gasol's. These are two big men that can score from other places than just the low post. Mike Conley is a great guard when he's on his game and the defensive guru that Tony Allen is is sure to mix up things for LA. On the other hand we all know the greatness of Chris Paul. I see this series going to 6 though in favor of the Grizzlies. When the Playoffs start all of the Lob City hype and highlight dunks tend to decrease. 

  The (4)Brooklyn Nets take on the (5)Chicago Bulls in a series that I find interesting for perhaps the wrong reason. Although many like to call Chicago the "streak-busters" and surely they deserve credit for their perseverance through all of the adversity this season has brought upon them, I'm not sold. The Nets aren't always consistent either but I will say that if they can lock down and commit on the defensive end they will be the winners in 6 games. The Bulls problem is, and has always been since Rose went down, their lack of enough offense. Chicago will commit defensively and they won't back down from a challenge no doubt but if Brooklyn shuts off the little offense they do consistently get, its a wrap. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson make for a dangerous backcourt when they are on it and Brooke Lopez is amazing down low. Neither team has showed me enough to hands down give it to either one of them so it can go both ways. I will be interested in seeing how the Bulls take on this series because this isn't just a case of beating a team any given night as the regular season is. This is win or go home and you've got 4 shots at it. 

(2)New York Knicks vs. (7)Boston Celtics

  This, in my opinion, is the best first round series of them all this year. The seed number can't even heavily be factored into the equation. One thing Boston has that trumps that of any team in this league is heart. When they start feeling that pride, they transcend themselves to do things that everyone counted them out for. In addition, I think the Boston Marathon tragedy can easily serve as fuel for them to bring life back into the city. There is no denying that Carmelo Anthony is playing outstanding basketball and can get it done from anywhere on the court. J.R. Smith is a sure candidate for 6th man of the Year with some even calling him the favorite. KG against Tyson Chandler will be interesting to watch down low because if nothing else, regardless of if the man is bigger or taller, no one can out due the pride of Kevin Garnett. Chandler isn't 100% healthy right now and Melo has been tussling with a lingering knee issue in addition to a recent a shoulder injury. This will be the most physical series of this round which makes it even more possible to go either way. If it's close, like beyond 6 games, I'd have to go with Boston. The superior coaching of Doc Rivers doesn't even belong in the same sentence as that of Mike Woodson (no knock on him though). If New York is gonna get it done it has to be in 6 or less. I don't even see a sweep happening although I'm sure Melo would love to avenge that Boston sweep the Knicks endured in 2011. One thing is for sure: the pressure is on for Melo whether he wants to admit it or not. Losing in the first round again will undoubtedly take a huge shot to is legacy. It's going to get hot in New York ladies and gentlemen!

Let the drama begin. Here's the full first round series schedule: NBA Playoff Games

Check it Out!

Happy Friday lovely readers! A few quick updates & acknowledgments:

1. Thank you all so much for your continued support! My featured article on NFLFemale.com got the most hits this week! I appreciate you all so much. If you haven't read it yet the link is below. Keep a look out for more of my blog posts and articles on different sites in addition to The Rundown coming soon!
   
   
   
   
   
2. Today at about 12:20 pm I will be doing a NBA Playoffs Special segment on a radio show called Knights on the RaD.A.R. We will be discussing match ups and predictions. There are two ways to listen in:

• Go to Knightcast.org and click "Listen Now" in the top right corner OR
• Download the "Tune In Radio" app to your phone and search Knightcast and listen in that way

The show is from 12-1 pm so feel free to listen to the entire broadcast. I won't be there until about 12:20 but the guys put on a good show and discuss great topics. They actually invited me back on their show just for this special so I am very excited! 

     3. The NBA Playoffs finally begin tomorrow afternoon! I will be posting a complete bracket of match ups, my predictions on a few key series, and a complete schedule of the 1st round games later on today. Are you ready for Amazing To Happen?! 

NFLFemale article: What Have You Done For Me Lately

The Aftermath

  Yesterday at 2:50 pm, 2 bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon about 15-20 seconds between one another. The bombings left at least 145 people injured, including 10 children, at least 17 in critical condition, and at least 3 dead. Among the deceased was Martin Richard, an 8-year old boy. About 17,000 runners had already crossed the finish line at the time of the attack. Practically every news outlet covered the story as it developed from about 3:15 pm until midnight and beyond. The President addressed the country at about 6:10 pm yesterday evening to send his thoughts and prayers to the victims and families and to assure the American people that the person(s) responsible would be held fully accountable. Government officials say that this may have been a terrorist attack. I won't go on and on and repeat the same facts and developments that you have probably heard time and time again on the news. My thoughts are with what will happen to the city of Boston and our country as a result of this.

  It is so saddening to see something like this to happen on a day like Patriots Day in Boston that exemplifies so much unity. For starters, will there be a Boston Marathon in 2014? I watched SportsCenter last night and saw an account of a runner that said he was probably going to have to wait a few years before he considers participating. I would imagine that runners and spectators would be equally traumatized to return to this race, at least for a few years whether it is annually continued or not. Many eyewitnesses reported that today, the day after the tragedy, they are more shaken up than yesterday. The constant "what-ifs" and traumatizing images etched in their mind are not easy to erase.

  What about future marathons in other locations? The London Marathon is set for this coming Sunday. People in London are worried about the safety and security measures that will be taken during their event. Surely some runners will not participate in light of this incident simply our of fear. The tragic attack will call for even more locked down and excessive security for future mass civilian sporting events. These kinds of events aren't meant to feel like one is going through an airline checkpoint and sadly moving forward it will . 

  Ben Revere of the Philadelphia Phillies wrote on "Pray For Boston" on his glove before last night's game against the Cincinnati Reds. It was only fitting that he made an amazing catch in the bottom of the second inning for a double play. Other professional athletes took to social media to send out their sympathies as a result of the attack. 

LeBron James

"Prayers go out to those involved/hurt in #BostonMarathon. WTF is wrong with people man. Just sad."

Chad Ochocinco

"My prayers are with those in the Boston area"

Stephen Curry

"What's wrong with people man! An innocent event can't go without incident. Prayers for all in Boston and their families"

Kobe Bryant

Checkout Revere's catch (:13 mark) and glove below.

Sources: ABCNews, Huffington Post

 

What To Watch For

There are lots of exciting things coming up in the Sports World this week. Don't miss any of it!

WNBA Draft

  The first round of the WNBA draft will air on EPSN2 tomorrow night at 8 pm Eastern. The second and third rounds will air on ESPNU at 9 pm. Baylor's Brittney Griner has already basically been revealed as the the number 1 draft pick to go to the Pheonix Mercury. It is believed that Notre Dame's Skylar Diggins and the University of Delaware's Elena Delle Donne are expected to be the next two picks going to either the Chicago Sky, who holds the second pick, or the Tulsa Shock, who hold the third. This will be the first time the WNBA draft will be aired on the East Coast in prime time. The WNBA also plans to air 30 games next season on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. No doubt that Griner and Diggins have made big names fore themselves in their college careers and will attract some of their fans to the WNBA to follow their careers. This can only mean good things for not only the WNBA but also the respective franchises that these ladies are drafted to. 

Sunday Showdown

  The Miami Heat will take on the Chicago Bulls today at 1 pm on ABC for the first time since the Bulls snapped Miami's 27-game winning streak on March 27th. This game is at home for Miami and although they already have clinched the league's overall best record, I'm sure they are looking for just a bit of revenge. These two teams began a brief rivalry in the first 2 years of the Big 3 era but the hype was significantly retracted once Derrick Rose went down. Rose won't be playing this afternoon but that's no problem for this Bulls team. Miami's Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem are listed day-to-day and will be out for today's game. Even though there is only three more days left in the regular season, I still call this a low-level statement game. I expect a Heat win in the name of redemption.

  The Lakers also take on the Spurs tonight at 9:30 pm on NBATv in a crucial game for LA. If they lose this game, they will have to pray that the Jazz lose their last two or they will not clinch the 8th spot. I have to predict that the Spurs will pull this win off but LA has the comfort of homecourt advantage on their side as well as the inspiration to perform well for Kobe. 

Final Pushes

  Wednesday night the 8th seed battle between the Jazz and the Lakers will finally be over. If each team wins their second to last games, their final games will become much more anticipated. The Jazz will take on the Grizzlies in their regular season finale. The Grizzlies still have a chance to take the 4th spot from the Clippers who bounced them out in the first round of the playoffs last year and will likely be their opponents in the first round this year. Both the Jazz and Grizzlies both have much to play for. The Lakers take on the 7th seeded Rockets in their regular season finale. The Rockets have 3 games left and still have the chance to take the 6th seed spot from the Golden State Warriors. Dwight Howard must be aggressive and the Lakers defense has to step it up in order for them to successfully pull off this playoff push. With Kobe gone, this is really Howard's chance to show what he could possibly do as the head of the franchise and the leader of this team. Both games will be covered on ESPN Wednesday night at 8 pm and 10:30 pm respectively. You really don't want to miss it!

The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday. Check in with The Rundown this week for predictions on a few matchups and tweet @RealRundown to give your own. 

Sources: Seattle Times, NBA

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

  At this point in the year, the basketball world has no dull moments. So what are this weekend's good, bad, and ugly? Here's The Rundown.

The Good: Blue Star to the Big League

  According to sources, Michigan's sophomore point guard and this year's AP National Player of the Year Trey Burke will be entering the 2013 NBA draft this June. Burke was almost a "one-and-done" player as he was close to leaving Michigan after his freshman year and entering the draft then. He later decided to stay another year being unsatisfied with the Wolverines season ending upset loss last year in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Ohio. One could make the case that last year he was only possibly a first round draft pick, maybe a second. That extra year he took to develop was definitely a great move as this year he was named Big Ten Player of the Year, broke Michigan's single-season record in assists (260), and led his team all the way to the NCAA tournament title game. Many General Managers and NBA analysts see very few players in this draft class that really excite them as they transition into the professional basketball world. Nonetheless, Trey Burke is surely one of the top prospects of them all. He certainly has the chance to be the first or second point guard drafted. The Rundown will be following up with Burke's draft stock and placement as the June 27th draft date approaches.

The Bad: KD is NOT Nice

  On Friday, the league office fined Thunder star Kevin Durant $25,000 for making a "menacing gesture" in Thursday night's game against the Golden State Warriors. The throat-slashing motion, followed by a joining of his hands in a praying motion, was done after Durant threw down a powerful dunk in second quarter. When asked about the gesture after the game Durant said "Kill 'em and pray for 'em after the game." I'm just speculating that that comment didn't make his case any better with the league office. Durant later apologized for the gesture that got national exposure being televised on TNT.    
  Obviously he is also one of the league's most popular players and affiliated with a few national brands. In spite of all of that though, I still do not think he deserved the fine or at least not one that severe. Maybe I'm too tough or desensitized to violence, but if I was watching that game in real time I wouldn't have thought twice about that "menacing gesture". It clearly was done as a result of momentum and excitement within the moment of the game. It was quick and it wasn't even excessive. I understand that children may have seen it but the majority of children old enough to even understand that have likely seen many more violent actions that were far more graphic than Durant's gesture. Durant shares the ball too much and works out with LeBron in the off-season and he's too soft and friendly. He makes a gesture that last all of 3 seconds and he's too menacing and inappropriate. Can he win? I personally feel a public apology and a warning call from the league office would have been good enough for someone like Durant to not make that mistake again especially being that he has no prior history of doing anything like this. I mean, you don't get the reputation of being "The Nicest Guy in the NBA" for nothing right?

The Ugly: #MambaOut...Literally

  Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon in Friday night's game against the Golden State Warriors. Bryant is now done for the remainder of the season. The Lakers are in an intense playoff push battle with the Jazz to capture that 8th seed spot and with Kobe going down, many have undoubtedly lost faith in the Lakers chances. It only added insult to injury that on the same night of the injury, Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson scored 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists in a win over the Timberwolves. Bryant was averaging 27.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 6 APG this season, numbers that no one has put up in their 17th season in NBA history.
  Many critics feel head coach Mike D'Antoni should foot the blame, no pun intended. Over the last 7 games Bryant was averaging over 46 minutes per game. At 34 years old and playing at the level Bryant was, that is extremely taxing on the body. Many people speculate that had D'Antoni better managed Kobe's minutes he would have been in better health and the injury may not have happened. However, we all know how Kobe is. His determination is a part of what makes him so great. Trying to make good on that guarantee to make the playoffs, he wasn't stopping until the 8th seed for the Lakers was clinched no matter what it took. The Lakers say they will use this loss to propel them to continue to finish strong. With Steve Nash still being listed as a game-time decision, the offense will be ran through Pau Gasol. His ability to score in the high post can draw defenders and get more touches and attempts in the low post for Dwight Howard. In theory, this could work for them. If it doesn't though and they end up in a tie with the Jazz, who is only a game behind LA, the Jazz own the tie breaker and will automatically get the playoff spot.
  Bryant is expected to be out for 6-9 months after undergoing successful surgery yesterday. Questions of his return have arisen for many as there was already speculation that next season would be his last. Does he put in months of relentless rehab just to make it back at holiday time next season where he still may not get back to the true Mamba ability until the All-Star break, if ever? Or should he just retire now and be remembered playing so spectacularly? If he's worried about his legacy, I see no further tarnishing of it in any way from this. Kobe is the winner of 5 NBA championships, 2 NBA Finals MVP's, 2008 league MVP, 10-time All-NBA First Team, 9-time All-NBA Defensive First team, 4-time All-Star MVP's, and 15 All-Star game appearances which are only a FEW accolades that barely speak to his phenomenal NBA career. He will go down as one of the greatest this league has ever since whether the Lakers did or did not make the playoffs, with or without him. The Mamba is planning to be back in time for the season's start next year. Surely the worst thing we all can do is tell him that he can't. That will only put him in a position to do what he's done time and time again: prove us wrong.

If you missed Durant's "menacing gesture" check it out below at about the :25 mark. Also, to get an idea of just how Kobe felt after his injury follow this link to him venting on FaceBook on Friday night.

Sources: ESPN, USA Today, NBA

Message to You!

  I won't even talk about last night's game. Congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals for becoming the 2013 NCAA Tournament Champions! GREAT game by the Wolverines though. I really just wanted to take this time out to say thank you to ALL my readers and supporters. It really means a lot to me that you continue to read and give feedback. I won't forget you all that really show lots of love once I make it to where I want to be. Thanks to you all The Rundown has reached 2,100 overall pageviews and I haven't even reached the two-month mark yet!
  This morning I am excited to announce that I am officially a featured writer! Check out my article on the homepage of NFLFemale.com entitled: What Have You Done For Me Lately. If my schedule permits, I will be a regular writer for NFLFemale. I am extremely proud and humbled by the opportunity to be spreading to different platforms. I would appreciate you all's support and feedback on this article. Anything helps. Tweet, e-mail, Facebook me or comment below (or even better on the article on the website). Thank you all again so much and have a great Tuesday!

Direct Link to the Article: What Have You Done For Me Lately

And the Prom Kings Are...?

  We've finally arrived at the final hour of the Big Dance. Tonight the Michigan Wolverines and the Louisville Cardinals will square off for a chance to be NCAA Tournament Champions. Each team has faced a bit of adversity throughout the tournament that has generated momentum in different ways. Last Sunday the Cardinals lost guard Kevin Ware during an Elite 8 match-up against Duke with a broken leg that million of viewers watched as it happened. Ware is expected to make a full recovery while fans and Ware's teammates are riding along with the "Win For Ware" campaign until the end. Michigan was nearly bounced out by Kansas in the Sweet 16 round but rallied back to win the ball game in OT. Just when America had crossed the Wolverines off, they pulled through with the win. This has become a theme for this Michigan team quite a bit during this tournament. Compared to Louisville, who started as the number 1 seed overall, Michigan has been tested and proven time and time again. Many people didn't expect them to get pass the pressure of VCU or Florida's defense and they beat both of those teams by at least 20 points. Who's my pick?  Although my heart may be the leader of my decision, my head still also tells me that Michigan will win the national title tonight.
   For starters like I said, people have doubted Michigan's toughness almost from the start. Many thought it was doubtful that the Wolverines would make it past the dominant zone defense of Syracuse and they beat the Orange 61-56; a final score that isn't really indicative of the job they did handling that defense. Second, when many people think of Michigan they think Trey Burke, but he isn't this squad's only pathway to victory. What he is able to do against other teams always gives the Wolverines the best chance to win but if it wasn't for freshman guard Nik Stauskus, who ultimately finished with 22 points, stepping up in light of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. struggling offensively, the Wolverines wouldn't have made it past the Gators. This past Saturday Trey Burke was 1-for-8 from the field against Syracuse and it was Mitch McGary and Tim Hardaway Jr. that stepped up to the plate and allowed the Wolverines to prevail. With that being said, I'm sure Burke is looking to redeem himself as he is due for a great game. What better stage than the one set tonight?
   Make no mistake about it though, Louisville presents a real problem with Russ Smith averaging 25 points per game in this tournament and shooting 50 percent. As a team, Louisville is also connecting on 49.4 percent of their shots. The Cardinals have averaged 10.8 steals per game this season, second in the nation only to VCU.  Petyon Siva was 1-for-9 in the Cardinals stealth victory over Wichita State on Saturday so he may be anxious for redemption as well.
  Tonight is sure to be a great game. Regardless of whichever team cuts down the nets, I don't expect the point margin to exceed 7 points. I'm pretty sure, and can only hope, that this match-up isn't as much of a disappointment as the BCS National Championship game this year. Tune in to CBS tonight at 9:23 pm live from Atlanta's Georgia Dome to find out if the Cardinals or Wolverines name will go before the hashtag #HailTheVictors tonight. Let's Go BLUE!

Sources: NCAA, ESPN

Featured Player of the Week: X-Man Wolverine

 Without a doubt, the X-man and loaded weapon for the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is sophomore guard Trey Burke. Burke averaged 18.8 points and 6.8 assists this season. Last Friday it looked like his team was going to be bumped out of the NCAA tournament by Kansas but they rallied back from being down 14 with less than 7 minutes left to take the game into overtime. The comeback during regulation was sealed with a clutch and game tying 3-pointer by Burke that he practically shot form the parking lot! In that eventual 87-85 win over Kansas, Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and overtime. The Wolverines also went on to knock off number 3 Florida 79-59 this past Sunday.
  This week, the young sophomore has been honored as the recipient of this year's AP Basketball Player of the Year Award and the Wooden Award as Most Outstanding Player in Men's Basketball. Burke is averaging 15.5 points per game and 7.8 assists in the tournament thus far en route to leading Michigan to their first Final Four appearance since the Fab Five in 1993. Michigan head coach John Beilein says "He's [Burke] got a fire in his belly to be the best and to have his teams win. It was something we spotted from the very beginning."
  Burke and the Wolverines takes on Syracuse on Saturday at 8:49 pm on CBS. Can Michigan pull it off once again this time against that tough and dominating defense of the Orange? I'm sure pulling for them! Tune in Sunday night to find out.

Sources: NCAA

Scandal Thursday

  Although many, including myself, anticipate Thursdays to watch ABC's hit show Scandal, I get the feeling that ESPN was getting jealous. It seems the Sports World has its own scandalous spins that made news today as well.

Rutgers Roar

  Rutgers Men's basketball head coach Mike Rice was fired on Wednesday after video footage surfaced of him physically and verbally abusing players in practices. Rice did things like scream offensive slurs and curse at players in their face, throw basketballs at, kicking players, and more. Of course as a leader of growing men, a coach must be a little aggressive and tough but this was unnecessary and excessive behavior. The footage was first obtained and released by ESPN's Outside The Lines on Tuesday. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie even called for Rice to be fired after viewing the footage. The abuse had reportedly gone on for 2 years according to former NBA player and Rutgers Director of Player Development Eric Murdock. Murdock says he went to Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti last summer to report Rice's actions. Last December footage, like that obtained by Outside The Lines, was brought to Pernetti and officials and as a result Rice was suspended for 3 games, fined $50,000, ordered to attend anger management classes but not fired. School officials cited minimal reasons as to why Rice was suspended beyond "behavior at team practices." The fact that this behavior continued seems like an act of negligence and failure to execute proper protocol on the part of the administration. The President of the school is now being urged to resign as well. As a fan, parent, or even impartial viewer, it is hard to watch that footage and think that he should not have lost his job. Rice told the media after being fired: "There is no explanation for what's on those films because there's no excuse for it. I was wrong."

A Thief In the Night

  Last night as Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh was out celebrating his 29th birthday at Miami Beach's Bamboo nightclub, his home was robbed of an estimated $340,000 worth of valuables including purses, cash, jewelry, and watches. The burglar did however leave Bosh's championship ring behind. There was no sign of forced entry and the only people at the home at the time of the incident were Bosh's two children, an unnamed teenager, and their two babysitters. Miami Beach Police believe this to have been some kind of inside job done by someone who is a friend of or acquainted with the family and likely knew actually what they were going for. Bosh's teammates shared with the media today their shock and concern including Udonis Haslem adding "He brings a championship to this city and somebody does that to him?" The robbery is still dutifully being investigated and Bosh, although surely disappointed, seems to be hopeful telling reporters earlier today "It's not a good feeling..we have to get down to the bottom of this. We'll get there."

If you didn't see Mike Rice's viral video footage check it out below:

Sources: Sun-Sentinel, ESPN

Women Wednesday: The Wrap-Up

  We've finally come to our last week ladies. This sixth and final week I am going to briefly wrap-up all off the lessons I've taught you all and hopefully it will serve as a refresher as you then take these things into your personal lives. I have embedded the links to each weekly lesson at the beginning of the following summaries. The Basketball Positions, part 1 and 2, are respectively embedded into each word.

Basketball Positions: If you associate anything with these positions moving forward, I would say it should be the following things.

1. Point Guard ("The 1") : Distributing the ball to teammates, Quickness, Relatively shorter and smaller compared to other players, Able to score at the least in the mid-range. Note: Remember there are still different kinds of point guards nowadays that don't have to fit the "traditional" role.
2. Shooting Guard ("The 2"): Normally the best/most consistent shooter, Good ball handler, Able to score from mid-long range.
3. Small Forward ("The 3"): Has a bit of muscle mass on him but still needs to be pretty quick, Good at posting-up defenders, Very versatile player. Note: Think LeBron James
4. Power Forward ("The 4"): At the least a reliable mid-range shooter, Able to defend bigger players closer to the baskets and smaller ones away from it, Reliable rebounder.
5. Center ("The 5"): Usually the tallest player, Strongest rebounder, Strong enough to finish shots close to and dominate the area close to the basket.

Box Score: The most important sections on the Box Score to read in order to quickly track a players progress are Points(PTS), Rebounds (REB), and Assists(AST). To take a deeper look into how well a player performed, check the Field Goals Made vs Attempted column (FGM-A). 50% is a good baseline to judge the players accuracy during that game. A little below is still OK and basically anything above that is a good game. 

NBA Playoffs: The Top 8 of 15 teams of each conference are permitted to play in the playoffs. Each team matches up according to seeds with the lowest seed first playing the highest and so on. Each team's seed number is determined by their regular season record. There are 4 rounds of series in the playoffs which are all played for a maximum of 7 games each. The first team to win 4 of the 7 games wins the series and advance until someone is crowned NBA World Champions.

Your Inner-Analyst: If you want to become a better educated woman in the sports department you must first listen. Listen to the interviews, commentators, analysts, and also the people whose sports knowledge you trust. You will absorb the majority of what you learn from looking and listening. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You can't learn what you don't know if nobody tells you. Don't make too bold of a statement that you can't back up while you are still in the process of learning. You will have plenty of time to expand your opinion as you continue to learn more. Finally, stay true to who you are. You don't need to be, or pretend to be, the next female sports reporter just because you have learned and are in the process of learning more about sports. Sports does not have to be your passion just because you want to know more about it. Learning about them can just simply be an added deposit to your Bank of Knowledge. Ignore anyone that suggests any different. 

  I hope I helped you ladies learn at least one new thing throughout these six weeks. If you have any further questions regarding these lessons or things you're unsure of, feel free to contact me @RealRundown.

The Great Fall Too

  This past Easter Sunday, most basketball fans were focused on either Florida beginning blown out by Michigan as the Wolverines advanced to the Final Four, Louisville equally embarrassing Duke as the Cardinals moved on to the Final Four, two-thirds of the Heat's big 3 sitting out in a possible NBA Finals preview, or Kevin Ware's graphic leg injury. On another side of the sports world however, one passionate player that surely made an impact on college basketball watched a chapter in her career come to an end last night.
  You may recall meeting, or being reacquainted with, Brittney Griner as she was one of my Featured Players of the Week. The Baylor senior's college career ended last night as Lousville's Women's Basketball team upset Baylor with an 82-81 victory to advance to the Elite 8. 89% of brackets for the Women's Tournament had Baylor finishing in the Final Four and were the strong favorite to win the title for a second year in a row. The Lady Cardinals held Griner to just 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting with some rather controversial defense. What looked like a bold shutdown of good looks and free play for Griner to some looked a lot like some rather rough play to many others. Baylor's head coach Kim Mulkey began her post game press conference informing the press about her feelings on how the game was called. "I thought the game started out way too physical, way too physical. I thought that all three of [the officials], if they go past this this round of officiating, it will be sad for the game." Mulkey went on to let the media know not to blame any of this loss on her players but instead on her. Baylor Alum and current Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III even went on a Twitter rant about Baylor and the physical play endured by Griner:

"Yes people Louisville hit the 3 ball all night. But for every 3 they made, they threw 6 elbows, 5 straight lefts, 4 right hooks....3 roundhouse kicks, 2 jumping knees, & 1 superman punch at B. Griner's abdominals. Aiming for her face but couldn't reach"

"Despite all the man jokes BG is not SHAQ! She is a 6'8 WOMAN! & the REFS! OH MY...NCAA may find a way to fine me if I bring them up"

  Despite the fact that she will go down as one of the best to play Women's college basketball, Griner took the lost very hard telling a reporter after the game that she felt "just sad, just disappointment." She added "I just didn't do what I needed to do to get my team to the Elite 8." I personally feel like some of the play was too much and a lot went without being called. There is a difference between solid defense including fighting for position and taking shots at the opponent that unfortunately go uncalled. I wouldn't say it was all dirty but I think there was a little too much relaxing of the whistle by the officials in this one. Either way though, a loss is a loss. No way to turn back but Brittney Griner should pick her head up and celebrate the outstanding career she had as she gets ready to "wow" more crowds on the next level: the WNBA.

Sources: ESPN