Category Archives: Black Basketball Hall of Fame

Ahmad Nowell: Evolution of THE “Philly Guard”

June 24, 2023 By in Ahmad Nowell, Black Basketball Hall of Fame, Imhotep, Public League Tags: , Leave a comment

We are witnessing the evolution of the highly desired and widely respected “Philly Guard.” As Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Famer, Kyle Lowry, begins to wind down his magnificent career, a potential successor to his Philly Guard throne has emerged. Allow me to nominate Ahmad Nowell ’24 (Imhotep/Team Final), a highly skilled and tenacious point guard who commands the basketball court with his exceptional skills and unwavering intensity. Standing 6’1” and built like a hard hitting SEC/Big 10 safety, Nowell possesses a rare combination of talent, toughness, and a relentless competitive spirit that sets him apart from his peers.

Ahmad Nowell, ’24, Imhotep Charter High School (Photo: Gavin Bethell)

Nowell is a certified and bonafide winner. As a freshman in Memphis, his team won a state championship. His Imhotep Panther squads have won 99.9999999% of their matchups and he leads the current number 1 seed, Team Final 17U, on the prestigious EYBL Circuit. No matter what setting or context, Nowell exhibits exceptional ball-handling skills and an ability to orchestrate an offense with precision. His mastery over the basketball is evident as he effortlessly weaves through defenders, utilizing a wide array of dribble moves and crossovers. His quickness and agility allow him to create separation and penetrate the defense, opening up scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

With a strong mid-range offensive game, Nowell excels at the lost art of stopping suddenly and pulling up for accurate jump shots from the outside or driving to the basket for acrobatic finishes. He possesses exceptional court vision, reading the defense and making smart decisions to find open teammates for scoring opportunities. His ability to control the tempo of the game and make split-second decisions makes him an invaluable asset on the court.

He has caught the attention of the BIG BOYS. Nowell is a SUPAHIGHMAJAH prospect… Kentucky (SEC), Tennessee (SEC), UConn (Big East) and Georgia Tech (ACC) are currently engaged in a fierce battle for his services.

Offensively, Nowell’s craftiness extends beyond his scoring abilities. He possesses excellent passing skills and a high basketball IQ, allowing him to make precise and creative assists. Whether it’s threading the needle with a pinpoint bounce pass or delivering a well-timed alley-oop, Nowell consistently finds ways to make his teammates better and elevate the overall performance of his team’s offense.Nowell’s competitiveness and intensity shine through on the defensive end as well. He NEVER, EVER backs down… He seeks out the challenge of defending the best players on the opposing teams. He possesses quick hands and exceptional lateral quickness, enabling him to stay in front of his opponents and disrupt their offensive flow. His defensive tenacity and disciplined approach frustrate opposing guards, forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities in transition.

Nowell and his Imhotep teammates (Photo: Gavin Bethell)

Known for his toughness, Nowell epitomizes the Imhotep basketball culture developed by Andre Noble over the past 2 decades. He thrives in high-pressure situations, always stepping up when his team needs him the most. His leadership qualities and vocal presence on the court inspire his teammates to give their all and elevate their own performances.

Ahmad Nowell and Tasheed Carr after State Championship win

Off the court, he has benefitted immensely from Tasheed Carr’s guidance and nurturing. Nowell’s work ethic is unmatched. He is always in the gym. He is conscious of his diet and conditioning. His weight never fluctuates. His coaches consistently state that his often the first to arrive at practice and the last to leave, relentlessly honing his skills and pushing himself to improve. His dedication to the game and his teammates serves as a motivating force for everyone around him.

Ahmad Nowell is the quintessential “Philly Guard” in 2023-2024. Highly skilled, tough, and intensely competitive, he is ranked among the top 30 in the nation by ESPN. With his exceptional ball-handling, strong mid-range offensive game, and outstanding defensive abilities, he dominates the court on both ends. Nowell’s leadership, tenacity, and relentless pursuit of excellence make him an invaluable asset to any team. Whenever you get an opportunity to watch him play with his Panther teammates, please take advantage of it. Nowell is setting the new standard for what it means to be a true Philly point guard.

Philadelphia Black Basketball HOF: Why?

December 5, 2020 By in Big 5, Black Basketball Hall of Fame, Claude Gross, Racism/White Supremacy 1 Comment

If NOT us? Who?

As I entered my forties, I really began to treasure my relationships with my older friends. At the top the list was my relationship with Claude Gross, Sr. We shared a love of the great game of basketball, we both appreciated the role that Philadelphia played in bringing the game to international prominence and we both never shut up.

Now…I’m opinionated and outspoken. But, I can’t begin to hold a candle to the legendary loquaciousness of Claude Gross.

More than just about anything else, he loved to talk hoops. His favorite topics were how good he was as a player and a coach. He was a living, breathing embodiment of the cartoon character Commander McBragg. Except, you always knew that Commander McBragg was embellishing his accomplishments.

Claude Gross never told me a single lie.

“I beat Wilt in High School, he wasn’t ready for me…”
“We won the YMCA/AAU national championship in Jim Crow North Carolina in 1953…”
“I played professional basketball under an assumed name while I was in high school…”
“I averaged more than 40 in the industrial league…”
“Me and Tee Parham were like 800 – 0…”

Claude Gross discusses Philly players of his era

Upon initially meeting Claude and hearing all of this, one would naturally wonder if he was exaggerating… NEVER!

As his gait got slower, and his energy levels decreased, I realized that I would not have my friend forever.

Claude and his contemporaries were GIANTS in the game. As noted above, his was the only Public League team to defeat Wilt Chamberlain and Overbrook HS. He played with John Chaney in high school. He mentored Ray “Chink” Scott, Earl Monroe, Mo Howard, Andre McCarter, Gene Banks, Lionel Simmons, Nate Blackwell, Geoffrey Arnold, Donnie Carr, Bobby Johnson, BJ Johnson, Donnie Carr, Rashid Bey and hundreds of other young men the came through the Sonny Hill Community Involvement League.

Claude passed on so much knowledge about the history of the game. He was an endless font and an incredible inspiration.

Claude Gross, front row 2nd from right

It just wasn’t fair that the accomplishments of his generation weren’t memorialized.

I never really knew about the magnificent careers of Tarzan Cooper, Zach Clayton and Frank Washington until Claude explained in great detail what they had accomplished. With words, he could place you in a cramped church gym and you could actually “see” Tee Parham scoring 40, 50, 60 or even 90 points with ease.

After bouncing around the idea with Claude, Tee Parham, Dave Riddick and Ray Scott, I decided to establish the Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I enlisted Mo Howard and Geoffrey Arnold and we were off and running. We literally had nothing but spirit, energy and commitment.

Somehow, someway we wanted to be able to recognize the GREAT Philadelphia players, coaches, journalists and contributors that would never be otherwise recognized.

If NOT us? Who?

There is no Philadelphia Basketball Hall of Fame. These guys were banned from competition in the Big 5 solely because they were Black. Who? Who was gonna recognize and memorialize their enormous contributions?

With a nice little contribution from Lionel Simmons, we were off and running. No glitz, no glamour… Just 100 hopheads gathered in a small North Philadelphia community center with plenty of food and top shelf liquor loving and respecting one another.

ESPN’s Undefeated, the Philadelphia Tribune and the Philadelphia Inquirer provided extensive regional and national media coverage of the inaugural class. Temple and La Salle Universities were very supportive. Philadelphia Youth Basketball and Mike Horsey gave generous donations.

Nate Blackwell, Black Basketball HOF Induction Speech

The highlight… The headliner… The GRAND MASTER of the evening was my dear friend Claude Gross. He was a little weak, he wasn’t moving very well… But his mind was as sharp as ever! There were at least 20 South Philly guys in the house and they were drinking, carousing and fully supporting their leader.

Just a few weeks after his induction, Claude passed away. I can’t describe how good it felt knowing we were able to induct him into the Black Basketball Hall of Fame while he was able to fully participate and enjoy the ceremony.

Tee Parham

I have come to treasure every interaction and conversation I have with guys like Tee Parham, Ray Scott and Sonny Hill. They have given the game of basketball and the city of Philadelphia so much. We were able to present the late, great Dave Riddick with his award acknowledging his induction before he passed away. These moments are invaluable. To be able to honor the legends from yesteryear as well as my contemporaries like Nate Blackwell, Mike Anderson and Lionel Simmons meant so much to me. To see and feel the extent to which they appreciated the honor was incredible.

Roland Houston, Horace Owens PBBHOF member, Dave Riddick PBBHOF member and Geoff Arnold

I am extremely proud to have played a significant role in establishing a means of properly enshrining them and ensuring their legacies are shared with future generations.

The Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame, under the leadership of Mo Howard and Al Taylor has grown and taken on a much needed role of advocating for and providing assistance for members of the Philadelphia basketball community in need.

Again… If NOT us? Who?

I love the Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame matters!

Doughty is CLEARLY the Best? That’s a Big Fuckin’ Thumb on the Scale!

December 9, 2019 By in Black Basketball Hall of Fame, College Athletics, Collin Gillespie, Fresh Kimble, Philadelphia Catholic League, Public League, Rider Basketball, Uncategorized Tags: Leave a comment

Inevitably, in any conversation worth having about basketball you end up making comparisons. What I find extremely interesting is size and weight of the “thumb” that is invariably put on the scale. It’s one of those things that’s always there but it rarely made explicit.

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In a recent social media “debate” with my good friend Charles Jones from Born Leader Family, he asserts that Samir Doughty (Auburn/R-Senior) is “easily best college guard [from] our area offensively & defensively.”

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Samir Doughty, Auburn/R-Senior

That’s a STRONG fuckin’ statement… Indeed, Jones refuses to consider alternative assessments. While I love the energy and analytical rigor he brings to the discussion, I am not ready to concede that his conclusion is accurate.

Jones did make me realize this topic warrants a more serious evaluation. We need to make some things VERY EXPLICIT so we won’t continue the long-standing Philadelphia tradition of talking right past one another.

Toward that end, I want to perform a comparative analysis of some current Philly guards playing NCAA Division 1 basketball. The Below chart is a listing some Philly guards and their “per game” statistics in Division 1 competition.

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We chose per game averages instead of career totals for a reason. While interesting and in some ways informative, total stats are really not useful in the present comparative analysis because of the extreme variation in the number of games played. Some have only played as few as 41 and 51 games while others have played in as many as 102 and 107. This wide variation renders a comparison of totals almost meaningless. The per game averages, however, shed some useful light.

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Ryan Daly, St. Joseph’s/R-Junior

An objective comparison of the actual NCAA Division 1 game performance is fairly straightforward. More points, rebounds, assists and steals per game is better than fewer. As far as scoring is concerned, Sam Sessoms is the most prolific scorer over the course of his career which is also the shortest at 43 games.

But… We all know the game is much more than simply scoring points. Other important factors have to be taken into consideration. Keep in mind the objective here is not to identify the “perfect” way of framing the argument and measuring performance. Rather. the goal is to identify “better” ways of framing the argument. We are trying to lay the foundation for future debates and discussions. Most importantly, we want to help the hundreds of new consumers of Black Cager content understand what is often left unsaid.

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Sam Sessoms, Binghamton/Sophomore

We take it seriously and do it a little differently at Black Cager Sports Media.

My man Jones leaves very little unsaid… It was a heated dialogue with him that prompted this essay.  He rather forcefully put forth the following assertion, “In meaningless basketball (knowing you gonna lose going into games makes it a lot easier to play. No real pressure). As a ranked team coming off a final 4 you getting teams best punch. Big differentiating factor when u expected to win at the highest level and your expected to lose at a Lower level.”

Fair points… Jones has pushed the argument forward on an analytical level. You cannot just look at D1 stats and compare across the board.

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Stevie Jordan, Rider/Senior

At it’s core, his essential point is that when comparing player performance across conferences to determine which is “better” you have to put the “thumb” on the scale…

SEC points > American East points
SEC rebounds > American East rebounds
SEC assists > American East assists
SEC steals > American East steals

Again, fair points…

After establishing this point, Jones can argue that Doughty with NCAA Division 1 performance stats significantly lower than those of Samuel Sessoms, Ryan Daly, Stevie Jordan (Rider) and several other Philly guards is the “BEST” player. In a very straightforward manner, Jones is arguing that 18.4 ppg in the America East is not equal to nor is it a reasonable predictor for scoring in the Big East, ACC, Big 12, PAC 12, Big 10 or SEC.

Basically… He making it very clear that it’s levels to this shit!

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Josh Sharkey, Samford/Senior

And… If you don’t put your “thumb” on the scale for the Big East/ACC/Big 12/PAC 12, Big 10/SEC player… The comparison is unfair to the high major players and more or less useless.

Jones is right..

With aforementioned data one can compare and contrast any two guards. If we limit ourselves to a “simple” compare-and-contrast analysis, in which the data is weighed equally, we make a HUGE assumption that needs to be made explicit.

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Tommy Funk, Army/Senior

We assume that all D1 games are equal. That is simply not the case. In this regard, I agree with Jones.

However, the far more interesting and difficult question becomes: Exactly, how heavy should the thumb be?

Let’s walk through two examples. For illustrative purposes, we can conceptualize and measure “impact” per game by simply add the average number of points, rebound, assists and steals per game. This will result is a score for each player we call the Division 1 game “impact” number.

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The results are different than our earlier comparison of scoring averages alone. If one compares the resulting impact numbers, Ryan Daley overtakes Sam Sessoms as the leader and Josh Sharkey (Samford) overtakes Tommy Funk (Army). Taking overall performance into account, Daly’s ability to rebound at a significantly higher rate than the others explains his jump in the rankings. Same thing with Sharkey’s ability to steal the ball. Stevie Jordan’s strong overall performance across categories throughout his career at Rider keeps him near the top of the list.

With this data one can compare and contrast any two guards in terms of their performance in NCAA Division 1 games. However, as noted earlier,  if we limit ourselves to such a “simple” compare-and-contrast analysis, in which you weigh the data equally, we make a HUGE assumption that needs to be made explicit.

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Quade Green, Washington/Junior

We assume that all D1 games are equal. I agree with Jones, that is simply not the case.As a result, the rankings of Doughty, Quade Green (Kentucky/Washington) and Collin Gillespie (Villanova) suffer.

This brings us back to the question at hand: Exactly, how heavy should the thumb be?

Here we make explicit exactly how much the “thumb” weighs in two different examples. Varying weights assigned to the “thumb” result in significant variations in the rankings. In the first example, we use following multipliers to account for the effect of playing in more competitive leagues/conferences:

We multiply the Impact score times 1 for Low Division 1 leagues.
We multiply the impact score times 1.25 for Mid-major Division 1 leagues.
We multiple the impact score times 1.50 for High-Major Division 1 leagues.

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Fresh Kimble, Louisville/Graduate Student

In this way we recognize that it is tougher to be a productive player in the A10 Conference than in the America East Conference. This way of accounting for “League Competitiveness” also recognizes that the SEC Conference is tougher than the A10.

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When the strength of the conferences is taken into account in this assessment, Doughty makes the biggest jump in the rankings. He goes from 8th to 3rd. Fatts Russell (Rhode Island) moves from 6th to 4th.

NCAA Basketball: Providence at Rhode Island

Fatts Russell, Rhode Island/Junior

But, this still would be insufficient for some observers. Consider this argument Jones unflinchingly adheres to, “no matter what context you put it in [Doughty] is a better player as a role player and as a primary. More efficient, better defender, better athlete, and is a center piece of winning. I been said the context matters. Meaningful basketball is different. You put it into stats I told u… That [Doughty] is better. You talked about situations and I still told u why. And if you was starting a team and u took any of them players before him you’d prolly [sic] get fired.”

But how does one convincingly substantiate the position that Doughty “no matter what context you put it in [Doughty] is a better player”? You simply cannot discard performance in games.

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Dave Beatty, La Salle Junior

You have to assume that Doughty has a harder row to hoe…

Statistically, what you have to do is assigned double the weight to every high major point, rebound, assist and steal while holding low to mid-major stats steady. If your rubric assumes that “high major” leagues are twice as difficult as low and mid major leagues, Doughty becomes the clear cut “best” player. See the chart below with such revised Weighted Impact scores.

High major conference impact #s have multiplier of 2. All others have a multiplier of 1. Even when such disparate weight is applied, Daly remains second in the ranking. Passed only by Doughty. Quade Green and Collin Gillespie also surpass all of the low to mid major players on the list.

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I’ll be the first to admit that the Big East, ACC, Big 12, Big 10, PAC 12 and SEC conferences are tougher that the low to mid-major conferences. But I’m not willing to assign a weight to the high majors that is twice that assigned to the A10, Mountain West and American.

Jones is right… “It’s levels to this shit!”

However, the differences between the levels are not as large he would have us believe… Doughty may very well be the best Philly Guard in college basketball, but the discussion is definitely unsettled and ongoing.

Black Cager Sports Media thanks him for introducing some much needed nuance and subtlety into discussion usually driven by personal bias and animosity.

We will revisit this topic every few weeks or so.

 

Delaware State University: HBCUlife!

February 19, 2019 By in Black Basketball Hall of Fame, Delaware State, Uncategorized Leave a comment

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…

There is nothing like attending a historically black college or university, or HBCUs as they are commonly called. There is no substitute… There’s something deeply ingrained in the core beliefs and creeds of these institutions.  Emerging after the end of American slavery, they are committed the belief that everyone deserves access to a college education. The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines an HBCU as “any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans.” There are more than 100 HBCUs in the United States, including public and private institutions and law and medical schools.

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HBCUlife is special… There is no substitute…

You become part of an extended family when you matriculate at an HBCU. It never leaves you… I know first hand from my experience at Lincoln University.

Let me me tell you what happened yesterday to illustrate this for the uninitiated.

Robert Vanderhost, an all-time great Delaware State Hornet, was inducted into the Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame. A great player… Vanderhost suited up for the Hornets from 1967 to ’70. He enrolled at (then) Delaware State College in 1967.  He was offered a full scholarship to play basketball in the middle of the 1967-68 season.  Entrenched as a starter for the next two seasons, Vanderhost finished his career as a member of Delaware State’s 1000-point club. He was twice named All-CIAA selections. He dropped over 17 points-per-game over his career with the Hornets. In 1970, Vanderhost was selected as the team’s Most Outstanding Player. After finishing his playing career at Delaware State, he served as an assistant coach with the Hornets during the 1970-1971 season.

Fast forward to February 2019…

Nearly half a century since he played a game for the Hornets, the Delaware State “family” learned he was being inducted into the Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame. They did what real families do.

They came out in full force.

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Dr. Scott Gines, DSU Athletic Director and Roderick Milstead, DSU Football Coach

On a Sunday in February, a caravan of Delaware State administrators and alums made their way from Dover, Delaware to the HERO Center in the Tioga Section of North Philadelphia.

Delaware State was thick in the house. Nearly fifty years after Mr. Vanderhost scored his last bucket, his “family” was there… A half an hour early!

Young students and student-athletes making college decisions would be wise to understand the special nature of HBCUlife.  Fifty years after you stop playing will the AD, VP, Head Football Coach and other administrators give up their Sunday, drive and hour and a half to your old neighborhood to support you as you are honored?

That’s a fair question… That’s how they play at Delaware State University.

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Dr. Marcia Taylor, Executive Director, Alumni Relations (center)

Senior University and Athletic Department administrators supported their guy as much as humanly possible. They reserved 20 tickets. Then they showed up and showed out. Among those attending were the following:

Dr. Scott Gines, Athletic Director
Mr. Roderick Milstead, Head Football Coach
Dr. Marcia Taylor, Executive Director, Alumni Relations
Ms. Connie Hall, President Booster Club
Mr. Ned Brown, Alumnus
Dr. Aleta Brown, retired Professor
Mr. Howard “Skip” Sudler, President New Castle Alumni Chapter
April Taylor, Alumnae

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Vandershost’s family brought an energy and spirit that livened the induction ceremony.  Delaware State embraces, loves and supports it’s alums and students for life.

Any young student-athlete capable of playing at the Division 1 level would be wise to strongly consider becoming part of the Hornet family. They’ll be right by your side in 2079.

#HBCUlife

#IamAwitnes

Pops Martelli, My Ol’ Head

February 7, 2019 By in Black Basketball Hall of Fame, Phil Martelli, Philadelphia Catholic League, Public League, Uncategorized Leave a comment

I’ve been blessed with some wonderful Ol’ Heads throughout my 5 plus decades on this planet. Yesterday… I learned that one of them is no longer with us…

Immediately, I thought of a day maybe 2 or 3 years ago… I got to Hagan Arena early for an evening St. Joseph’s game… Grabbed a pretzel and a coke and headed for the “friends and family” section directly behind the St. Joe’s bench… Figured I’d just chill for a while, maybe make a few calls…

Sitting there, as usual, was Pops Martelli… This was at least an hour or so before the game… He was there by himself. I always enjoyed talking St. Joe’s hoops with Pops, so I  sat down right beside him…he smiled and held out his hand…

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Pops Martelli

“What up Pops?”

Usually, our discussions centered on the current St. Joe’s team… Unabashed SJU homers, we frequently bounced thoughts and ideas off one another… What could this kid do to improve? What do the next few games look like? Can we win tonight?

This time, however, I mentioned to Pops that I was working on a Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame project. His eyes lit up… For the next hour or so, he talked in depth about almost EVERY great player that came through Philadelphia’s scholastic and collegiate ranks… Ernie Beck, Tom Gola, John Chaney, Guy Rodgers, Ray Scott, Tee Parham, Hal Lear, Cliff Anderson and scores of others.

My Ol’ Head was very well-versed in Philly Hoops…

Pops shared how he used to go to the Palestra and “figure out” a way to gain entrance. Pops said he HAD to see the greats play. He saw Cousy, he saw Oscar, he saw Jerry, he saw Russell, he saw Wilt hundreds of times. He saw them all. Pops watched the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and the 10’s.

For the last thirty years his view was right over the shoulder of his son… Pops watched Mark Bass chase an NIT in the Garden… He was right there when Rashid Bey led SJU into a Sweet 16 battle with Kentucky… Pops saw Jameer and Delonte beat EVERYONE… Highest of the highs and lowest of the lows…

Pops Marteli was there…

My Ol’ Head saw EVERY one of the greats. A TRUE Philly hoop head in the purest sense. Our basketball community is worse off today.

Gonna miss watching and talking Hoops with Pops…

The Hawk Will Never Die

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Traci Carter Show

November 5, 2018 By in Black Basketball Hall of Fame, Claude Gross, College Athletics, Traci Carter, Uncategorized Leave a comment

I love Traci Carter… So should you!

He is a quintessential Philly point guard. Yet, Philly has only had fleeting glances of his game… That is about to change in a MAJOR way.

Why has he rarely appeared on the Philly stage? Well is a long story…

Like hundreds of great, very good and even some not so good South Philadelphia ballers that came before him, Carter studied under the “Guru.” That is where I met him in the summer of 2010. He was on the court with about a dozen or so other kids being “coached” by the legendary Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Famer, Claude Gross.

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Claude Gross, Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Famer

At the behest of Claude and 2-time Big 5 MVP, Rashid Bey, I stopped by the Marian Anderson Recreation Center to watch the South Philly contingent in the Sonny Hill Future League practice. Both were convinced they had a “special” player on that squad.

For the uninitiated, let me explain what a Claude Gross practice entailed… Claude would talk and talk and talk and then talk some more. Every so often, he would run a drill or let the players scrimmage and then he would see an error or a miscalculation… The ball would STOP and Claude would talk some more… Now agitated, his vocabulary became forceful and profanity laden to put it mildly.

For those determined to learn… For those desiring to improve… the fussing and cussing was just the price of admission – tuition, if you will – to get to the inevitable lesson. Mo Howard, Andre McCarter, Geoffrey Arnold, Nate Blackwell, Lionel Simmons and Donnie Carr are just a few of the ballers that matriculated through Basketball 101 taught by the Guru.

Traci Carter was one of the last really good players to take the class while Claude was still roaming the sidelines.

Physically, he did not stand out… In fact, while they were patiently listening to Claude’s lecture, I could not tell which one was Traci. He was skinny and very nondescript.

Then Claude let ‘em play a lil’ bit… One time up the court and it was clear which one I was supposed to be watching. His floor game was advanced. Even as a middle schooler, Carter was a dynamic and tough lead guard. He was all business… He took the game very seriously. While very slight, he already possessed the tools to be a factor on both ends of the floor. Actually, he reminded me of Bey at St. Joseph’s. His handle was VERY tight, he made good decisions and he was capable of making open threes and pull-ups alike. Perhaps, most impressive was his lightning quick first step is quick and his ability to change pace with the ball.

That day, Claude and Rashid told Traci “this is Del, he’s gonna make sure you are ok academically… Do what he tells you.”

Traci’s been my youngin from that very moment.

I eagerly awaited his high school debut. Traci enrolled at Prep Charter and I was sure he would set the Pub on fire… Then it happened… Fucking knee injury and subsequent surgery.

Shit!

He missed his entire freshman year. Given an assignment by Claude, I dared not perform my assigned duties. I kept in touch with Traci. I was impressed with his maturity and the way he was able to handle a serious injury at such a young age. He spirits remained high and he kept his grades together.

He decided to transfer to Roman Catholic for his sophomore year. Running the point on a team that featured Shep Garner, Rashann London and Manny Taylor, Traci helped Cahillites go 13-1 in the Catholic League before bowing out to Steve Vasturia, Mile Overton and St. Joseph’s Prep in the Catholic League semi-finals.

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Traci Carter at Roman Catholic

Making 3rd team All-Catholic as a sophomore, the future seemed exceedingly bright for Carter and the Cahillites.

Then he stumbled… This time off the court… A few too many youthful indiscretions resulted in another transfer.

This time, Traci relied on Donnie Carr to help guide his decision-making. I suggested that they consider Life Center Academy in Burlington.

Donnie, Traci and I met with Pastor Dave Boudwin and explained he was a good kid in need of a change of scenery and the support of the church. Pervis Ellison agreed to take on the role of coach/mentor for Traci.

Life Center Academy embraced Traci. He flourished in small class settings, regularly attended all religious gatherings, went on missions overseas and matured a great deal.

Like everyone else that fell under direction of Claude Gross, Traci followed orders. Every time he would receive his report card, he would text a picture and ask me to calculate where he stood. He took no chances.

Truth be told, Traci was a pain in the ass! Donnie Carr wasn’t a walk in the park either.

I found myself on several occasions, driving to Burlington to walk Traci through his core course GPA calculations. There was no way we would allow Traci to fall through the cracks.

On the court, he flourished. Traci earned the 90th spot in the national rankings for the class of 2015 by rivals.com. He was Rated as the 18th best point guard in the class by FOXSports.com. He averaged 16.0 points, 7.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game in 2014-15 and was tabbed first team all-independent. He was also a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee and was named Life Center’s most valuable player. Traci led Life Center Academy to over 40 victories in his two seasons and the team claimed the top ranking among independent teams within the state of New Jersey. He concluded his prep career with over 1,000 points and was tabbed the top player in the Hoop Hall Classic.

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Traci Carter at Life Center Academy

But all of this took place in Burlington, New Jersey. Philly didn’t get to see his rise to scholastic prominence. He was off the radar screen.

College recruiters knew where to find him though… Xavier, Boston College, Pittsburgh, UConn, Creighton and a host of other high major programs were hot on his heels throughout his senior year. Traci eventually chose Marquette.

As a freshman, he did very well. Traci appeared in all 33 games and started 19. A true Philly point guard he averaged 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game while scoring 5.4 points in a very tough Big East Conference.

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Traci Carter at Marquette

At the start of his sophomore campaign, he began to express a little but of frustration. Nonetheless, he started 4 of the first 8 games. He was still averaging nearly 4 assists per game.

But there was pensiveness and sense of unease in our conversations that had not been there before. I encouraged him to tough it out… “Make it to the end of the school year,” I said…

Within a few days, it was all over the internet… “Carter leaves Marquette…”

John Giannini was there with open arms… He welcomed Traci… Then he also took Donnie Carr…

God is good! Thank you La Salle University!

With two years of eligibility remaining, Philly will finally get to see what I saw 8 years ago in that sweltering Marion Anderson gym. An authentic Philly point guard running a Philly team.

Local Hoopheads have been blessed… We have an overabundance of tough Philly point guards suiting up this year… Collin Gillespie is playing for Jay Wright, Stevie Jordan and Kimar Williams are at Rider, Shizz Alston sets the table at Temple, Fresh Kimble is Martelli’s coach on the floor…

But you’ve seen all these guys recently…

Physically mature and hungry to establish himself as the premier point guard in the Big 5 and the A10, my youngin is about to bring you sumthin’ a lil’ different…

The show debuts Tuesday evening at 7:30 pm at the Liacouras Center, 1776 North Broad Street.

Don’t be late… The Guru is watching…

Black Cager Catching Up…

April 15, 2018 By in Black Basketball Hall of Fame, Black Cager Grassroots Hoops, College Athletics, Newsletter, Uncategorized Leave a comment

 

As we transition into Spring… Let’s take a quick stroll through the Philly Hoops landscape… Mid-April 2018…

Live Period begins in 5 days… There’s been some coaching changes… the 2019 class in Philly is loaded… Who will stay home?

The Sixers

The Sixers are on the verge of GREATNESS… Ben Simmons is the ROY… Joel Embid is a legitimate MVP candidate… The Sixers will, at least, make it to the Eastern Conference Finals… They should win an NBA title in the next 36 months if Brett Brown is truly a good coach. Admittedly, I fuckin’ hated “the process”… the losing intentionally was excruciating. I was NOT an admirer of Sam Hinkie… I did NOT trust that shit…

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Ben Simmons, Rookie of the Year Candidate

I was wrong!

Tanking was clearly in the long-term interest of the Sixers ball club. Still hated it though. Sam Hinkie was correct.

It seems like they haven’t lost a game since the Obama presidency… Had to briefly touch on the Sixers. But, that is the most I have ever written or said about the NBA… Black Cager’s focus is on collegiate, scholastic, AAU/Grassroots and youth basketball.

Amateur basketball in Philadelphia is the subject we have a LOT to cover…

Jay Wright, Best Coach in Big 5 History

For the second time in thirty-six months, Jay Wright has led Villanova to an NCAA National Championship. It should be acknowledged that Wright is among the top 2-3 coaches in college basketball. He is definitely on a par with or ahead of guys like Izzo, Boeheim, Self, Roy, Huggins and Calipari.

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Jay Wright, 2 time NCAA Champion

Jay is the best Big 5 coach ever and pushing up on Coach K nationally…

Conceivably, one could still make a case for John Chaney.  Indeed, many still consider Coach Chaney the finest coach in the history of the Big 5. When pressed, however, with 2 national titles, I would concede that Wright has inched ahead of the legendary Temple coach.

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Temple HCIW Aaron McKie and Hall of Fame Temple Coach John Chaney

While Jay rules the basketball universe Philly’s other D1 programs are undergoing significant changes in leadership.

Dunph to Coach One More Season

It has been announced that Fran Dunphy will coach his final season at Temple this year.

By all reasonable measures, Dunphy has been a very good college basketball coach. In the last 12 seasons, Temple has made nine postseason appearances, including seven NCAA Tournaments.

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Fran Dunphy, Winningest Coach in Big 5 History

Good Stuff…

Dunph is the all-time winningest coach in Big 5 history with 557 victories, Dunphy’s teams went 310-163 in 17 seasons at the University of Pennsylvania. The Quakers played in nine NCAA Tournaments. He is the all-time winningest coach at Penn and ranks third on Temple’s all-time coaching win list with a 247-152 record.

More good stuff…

Ultimately, it came down to the fact that Temple fans/alums expect deep NCAA tournament runs. Dunphy never made a deep run. That matters at Temple.

Make no mistake, Dunphy is a very good basketball coach. More importantly, Dunph is my friend… my Ol’ Head. I am rooting for Dunph to make a deep run as he transitions away from Temple basketball.

Aaron McKie, Head Coach In-Waiting

Every day we inch closer to the moment when the hopes, dreams and expectations of the Temple faithful are placed on Aaron McKie’s broad shoulders.

Sometime in April 2019, Aaron McKie will assume the reigns of the Temple program. How will he do? What type basketball will McKie’s Owls play? We will have to wait a year for answers to those questions. We can observe and assess McKie’e effectiveness on the recruiting trail. Black Cager will closely watch his efforts to assemble the 2019-2020 Temple Owls.

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Temple Head Coach in Waiting, Aaron McKie

Will Temple return to fielding teams composed of top local players such as Donta Scott, Dahmir Bishop, Isaiah Wong, Mikeal Jones and Seth Lundy?

Can Aaron get the top guys to stick around?

Gonna be interesting to watch… I like his chances…

Phil Martelli, The Dean of Local Coaches

Bruiser? Gone… Dr. John Giannini? Gone… Jerome Allen? Gone… Dunphy? Taking a final lap…

Meanwhile, over on City Ave… Phil Martelli prepares for season number 23 running the St. Joseph’s program. Yet again… He’s positioned for a run at an A10 Championship with a talented group of young Philadelphia players…Charlie Brown (George Washington/Philly Pride), Chris Clover (St. Joseph/Philly Pride), Fresh Kimble (Neumann-Goretti/Team Final) and Ryan Daly (Archbishop Carroll/Jersey Shore Warriors) demonstrate that Martelli and his staff recruit Philly very well.

Martelli is a significant figure in Philly Basketball and has been for more than two decades… He rumbled Speedy… He had epic confrontations with Chaney… He played a home and home with Bruiser every year… Now he will be facing Ashley Howard on the court and competing with Aaron McKie in living rooms.

Martelli is an OG…

While things have changed across the city, they’ve stayed the same on Hawk Hill…

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St. Joseph’s 2016 A10 Tournament Champions

Martelli’s Hawks won the Atlantic 10 Tournament and went to the NCAA tournament in both 2014 and 2016. Additionally, Phil has three former players in the NBA. Jameer Nelson ’04 (Pistons), Langston Galloway ’14 (Pistons) and DeAndre Bembry ’16 (Hawks) are established league players. Guard and wing prospects have taken note of Phil’s success placing guards on All-League Teams and in the NBA and top European leagues.

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SJU Head Coach, Phil Martelli

Some believe Phil has another serious NBA prospect on his current roster… 6-7 SF/SG Charlie Brown has caught the attention of NBA scouts.

Freshman forward, Taylor Funk has demonstrated that he is a great shooter. He’s very accurate with exceptional range extending to the NBA 3 pt line. Brown and Junior Point Guard Kimble return to action after medical redshirt seasons.

Most recently, Phil landed Daly who is transferring from the University of Delaware. Daly will sit a year and have two years of eligibility remaining.

La Salle Hires Nova Assistant Ashley Howard

They put my youngin’ on at La Salle. For those steeped in the history of the Big 5, Howard’s hiring has special significance. Howard is the first Black Men’s Basketball Coach in the history of La Salle University.

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La Salle Coach Ashley Howard and his father Mo Hoaward

This was an extremely popular choice among those in the Philadelphia basketball community. Will their elation translate into support for the Explorer program? Will top local prospects want to play for the Explorers? How will Howard do on the recruiting trail?

There’s a lot of BUZZ surrounding La Salle’s recruiting and his staff… Which recruits will he target? Who’s will he be hiring?

Ashley Howard and Donnie Carr are formidable recruiters and the 2019 class in Philadelphia has several HIGH MAJOR prospects. Look for La Salle to go after the best Philly has to offer.

Zack Spiker and The Dragons

Zack Spiker was hired as head coach of Drexel on March 25, 2016. Spiker replaced former head coach Bruiser Flint (Episcopal Academy/St. Joseph’s). He has the Drexel program headed in the right direction. Last season, Spiker led Drexel to four more victories over the total for the previous year. Then on February 22, 2018, Spiker led Drexel to an incredible 34-point comeback win over Delaware, the largest comeback win in Division 1 history.

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Drexel Head Coach, Zack Spiker

On the recruiting trail, Spiker seems to be zeroing in on Lucas Monroe (Abington HS/Team Final).

Black Cager College Coach of the Year, Kevin Baggett

Kevin Bagget’s Rider squad was 22-10 and regular season champions last season. Baggett and his top Assistant, Dino Presley do an OUTSTANDING job recruiting the Philadelphia region.

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Rider Head Coach Kevin Baggett with sophomore SF Dimencio Vaughn

The Rider roster is filled with area players like Ahmad Gilbert (Constitution HS) and Kimar Williams (Constitution HS) join Stevie Jordan (Conwell-Egan/API), Tyere Marshall (Martin L. King, HS), Anthony Durham (Abington, HS), Jordan Allen (Dover HS) and Dimencio Vaughn (Calloway HS).

Baggett will continue to recruit Philadelphia with vigor.

Ivy League Champion Penn Quakers

Steve Donahue has the Quakers back at the top of the Ivy League. The Quakers went 24-9 last season and made the NCAA Tournament.

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Jacob “The Voice” Schwartz and Penn Head Coach Steve Donahue

Jake Silpe (Cherry Hill East HS), Camden’s Darnell Foreman (Pitman), Devon Goodman (Germantown Academy), Ryan Betley (Downingtown West) have helped restored the program.

Lucas Monroe and Chris Arcidiacono project as Ivy League qualifiers. Roy Somerville (Shipley/Philly Pride), Chris Ings (Neumann-Goretti HS/K-Low Elite) and Allen Powell (La Salle University) are also very strong students.

Doug Overton has Lincoln on the Right Track

Doug Overton landed Jordan Camper ’17 (Chester HS) last year. This year he picked up Tamir Green (Constitution HS/Philly Pride).

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Lincoln University Head Coach, Doug Overton

Overton has made inroads in Delaware County and Philadelphia. This helps as he competes in the highly competitive CIAA.

RC Kehoe is Landing D1 prospects at Holy Family

Holy Family’s RC Kehoe (Roman Catholic) is punching above his weight class on the recruiting trail. He got a commitment from Dahmir Montague (Neumann-Goretti HS/Hoopdreamz). Lefty sniper Eric Esposito (Conwell-Egan/Philly Pride) is also on board.

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Holy Family Head Coach, RC Kehoe

West Chester’s Damien Blair is Building a D2 Powerhouse

Damien Blair led West Chester to final record of 22-7. Coach Blair reaches the 20-plus win marker for the forth time in his10 seasons at the helm. Blair’s Golden Rams won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game and managed to tie a program record with 12-straight wins to start the year. West Chester was ranked as high as No.17 in the country throughout the season.

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West Chester Head Coach, Damien Blair

Blair recruits the region very well. Colin Daly (Archbishop Carrol HS), Jawan Collins (Academy Park), Matt Penecale (Abington HS), Steve Smith (Fairfield HS), Tyrell Long (Bishop McDevitt), Terrence Moore (Audenreid) are notable locals on Blair’s roster.

Arcadia’s Justin Scott

Justin Scott has did very well recruiting last season. He brought in Da’kquan Davis (Roman Catholic HS). Davis was MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year… He played in 26 games during the season, starting 25… Averaged 14.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6% from field goal range and 75.4% from the free throw line…

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Arcadia Head Coach, Justin Scott

Philadelphia Area College Free Agents (Uncommitted Transfers)

Ryan Daly (Delaware) – Committed to St. Joseph’s
Zane Martin (Towson) –
Anthony Durham (Rider) – Re-committed to Rider
David Beatty (South Carolina) –
Nazeer Bostic (Penn State) –

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Towson All-League Sophomore Zane Martin has asked for a release

Area Shoe Company Circuit Rosters are LOADED with D1 prospects

All of the shoe company circuit teams and the top independent clubs have talented players. You can find D1 talent on many rosters.

Philly Pride 17U

Philly Pride 17U has Donta Scott ’19, 6-7, PG/SF, (Imhotep). Donta holds offers from St. Joseph’s, La Salle, Temple, South Carolina, Georgetown and Penn State. Donta will take unofficial visit to Georgetown in late April. He has visited South Carolina and Maryland. Chris Arcidiacono Post-Grad, 6-4, PG/SG, (Neshaminy) holds offers from Delaware, Quinnipiac, Eastern Kentucky and Mt. St. Mary’s. Ray Somerville ’19 6-9 C/PF (Shipley) has been offered by Stonybrook. Hartford, NJIT, High Point and La Salle. Hakim Hart ’19, 6-6, SG (Roman Catholic) holds offers from Bowling Green, NJIT, Temple and La Salle. Jamil Riggins ’19 6-7 PF/SF (Imhotep) has Coppin State, Central Connecticut State and Rider offering full rides. Jamir Reed ’19 PG/SG (Mastery North HS) holds an offer from Kent State. Reggie James ’19, SG (Trenton Catholic) has an offer from NJIT.

WeRone 17U features Eric Dixon ’19, 6-8 PF (Abington) has narrowed his choices down to Louisville, Virginia, Villanova and Seton Hall. Qudus Wahab ’19, 6-11 PF/C (Flint Hill School) holds offers from Syracuse, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Colgate Rutgers, Umps, Pittsburgh, VCU, Seton Hall, St. John’s, St. Joseph’s and Old Dominion. Isaiah Wong ’19, 6-3 PG/SG (Bonner-Prendie) holds offers from La Salle, Rutgers, Saint Joseph’s, Monmouth, Seton Hall, Pitt, TCU, UConn, Tulane, Temple, Memphis, Miami and Villanova. Alexander Rice ’19, 6-3 PG/SG has Illinois State and Pitt among others. Hofstra and Rider have offered Chereef Knox ’19, 6-6 PF/SF (Imhotep).

Team Final 17U has Jon Bol Ajak ’19 6-10 C (The Church Farm) who holds offers from Georgetown, UConn, Pitt, Rutgers, Saint Louis, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Villanova. Seth Lundy ’19 6-6, SF (Roman Catholic) has been offered by Bowling Green, Penn State, Temple, UConn, VCU, La Salle Oregon. Mikeal Jones ’20 6-8, PF (Girard College) hold offers from Penn State and Villanova. Khalif Battle ’19 6-4, SG (Trenton Catholic) holds offers from UConn, Iona, Rutgers, St. Joseph’s Syracuse, Washington, Miami and VCU. AJ Hoggard ’20 6-3, PG (Archbishop Carroll) has offers from Seton Hall, Rutgers and UConn. Lynn Greer, III 6-3 PG holds offers from St. Joseph’s, Oregon, Penn State and Temple.

K-Low Elite 17U features Seth Pinkney Post Grad 7-0 C (Archbishop Wood). He holds offers from UMass, Towson and Coppin. Christian Ray ’19 6-5 SF (Haverford School) has offers from Bowling Green, Central Connecticut State, St. Francis, PA, NJIT and Stonybrook. Chris Ings ’19 6-2 PG (Neumann-Goretti) has been offered by Stonybrook, Mt. Saint Mary’s and La Salle. Dahmir Bishop ’19 6-5 SG (Imhotep) Bowling Green, La Salle, NJIT, Penn State, Hofstra, Saint Joseph’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall, VCU, Temple. Karam Cummings ’19, 6-4 SG (Imhotep) has an offer from St. Francis, PA.

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Naheem McLeod (PYO Basketball/Plymouth-Whitemarsh)

PYO Hoops’ Naheem McLeod ’19, 7-2 PF/C (Plymouth-Whitemarsh) has offers from La Salle, Temple and Villanova. He will once again be running with Ahmin Williams ’18 6-1 PG (Plymouth-Whitemarsh) and Ahmad Williams ’18 6-3 SG (Plymouth-Whitemarsh.

Meet you at the gym…

 

 

Shit Black Coaches Deal With!

April 1, 2018 By in Black Basketball Hall of Fame, College Athletics, Uncategorized Tags: Leave a comment

Imagine… You spend your life trying to do things the right way… You come up through the Philadelphia ranks…You have the quintessential Philadelphia basketball career…

You played for Bill Ellerbee in High School…

You trained with John Hardnett in the summer…

You played for John Chaney in college…

You played for Larry Brown in the NBA…

You played with Allen Iverson in the NBA Finals…

You decide to transition into coaching… From September 2008 through 2013, you were a member of the Sixers coaching staff…

You decide to return to your college home and join the Temple coaching staff… Everyone is excited, including Head Coach, Fran Dunphy.

“Aaron McKie is not only Temple Basketball, but he is Philadelphia Basketball,” said Dunphy. “His name still resonates in the city, as he played his high school, college and professional ball in Philly.  He is a tremendous representative of Temple University and possesses an astute basketball mind which will serve to help the program in so many ways.”

So… earlier this week it was announced that you would become Head Coach of the Owls beginning with the 2019-2020 season.

A logical choice…

However, within minutes CBS Sports Basketball commentator, Doug Gottlieb puts out tweet claiming that “[Temple Basketball] has been toxic last two years w/McKie working for this to happen…”

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Huh?

What the FUCK is he talking about?

Why… Why within minutes of being named Head Coach in waiting should McKie have to deal with this? Gottlieb attempts to label McKie as a “Judas” from the very moment his Head coaching career gets underway.

The coaching profession is heavily dependent upon relationships… Coaches are extremely protective of their reputations… They are very reluctant to shit on one another publicly…

Full disclosure: Aaron McKie is a friend of mine. We do communicate on a fairly regular basis about all things related to college basketball.

For some reason, McKie’s ascent to the Head Coaching position at Temple bothers Gottlieb. Unfortunately, CBS Sports provides Gottlieb with a platform from which he can spew all sorts of ill-informed and patently false BULLSHIT.

Unfortunately, This is the type of shit Black Coaches have to deal with!

After careful consideration, here is the official Black Cager response to Gottlieb’s attempt to smear a shining star of Philadelphia’s Basketball community:

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