Mike D'Antoni did not coach the Los Angeles Lakers' game Sunday against the Houston Rockets.
D'Antoni delayed his debut as the 24th coach in Lakers franchise
history because he is not fully recovered from recent knee replacement
surgery.
"I'm a little disappointed, I wanted to be on the bench," D'Antoni
told reporters before the game. "After talking with (Lakers trainer)
Gary Vitti ... he convinced me a little bit not to do it."
D'Antoni plans to make his Lakers debut Tuesday at home against Brooklyn, a source close to the coach told ESPN.
Lakers
spokesman John Black said a combination of pain, fatigue and the
medication D'Antoni is taking caused the coach to opt out of the game
late Sunday afternoon. Lack of mobility was also a concern, according to
Black, as D'Antoni could potentially face a situation where he would
have to avoid a player careening toward the sideline.
"The biggest problem I have is just energy kind of waning toward the end (of the game)," D'Antoni said.
D'Antoni
is day to day, according to Black. The Lakers play a back-to-back
starting with the Nets and then traveling to Sacramento on Wednesday.
"I
do get practices OK and all that's good, the next step will be a game,"
D'Antoni said. "That can be Tuesday, that can be Wednesday, I don't
know yet but with Gary, we'll figure it out."
Bernie
Bickerstaff resumed his role as interim head coach. With Sunday night's
119-108 win over Hoston, Bickerstaff is 4-1 since taking over for the
fired Mike Brown.
D'Antoni told reporters before the game that Bickerstaff would remain on his staff for the remainder of the season.
"That's nice to know," Bickerstaff said, when informed of D'Antoni's plans to keep him as an assistant coach.
The Lakers also announced the hiring of Dan D'Antoni -- Mike's older brother -- as an assistant coach.
Dan D'Antoni joins the team after spending the past four seasons as an assistant on his brother's staff with the New York Knicks.
Mike
D'Antoni planned to watch the game from the bowels of Staples Center
while receiving treatment on his knee in the trainer's room with "the
Steves" -- Steve Blake (strained abdomen) and Steve Nash
(fractured fibula), who are also out. The 61-year-old coach said he
would address the team pregame, at halftime and postgame, but trust
Bickerstaff with all of his in-game decisions.
"I think he and Steve Nash are waiting to make their debut together," Bickerstaff said jokingly.
For more information go to ESPN.com.
Monday, November 19, 2012
WEEK 13 BCS STANDINGS
Coming into Week 12 it looked as if both Notre Dame and Alabama would
need a miracle to find themselves playing for the BCS National
Championship at season's end. But all it took was a wild Saturday night
for both storied programs to jump back into the driver's seat.
In Waco, Texas, Kansas State went down 28-7 late in the second quarter to Baylor, and never recovered, losing by four touchdowns on the road, 52-24. In Eugene, Oregon, the Ducks gave up a game-tying touchdown to Stanford with 95 seconds left to play, and went on to lose 17-14 in front a deflated crowd in overtime.
All the commotion at the top means that the Fighting Irish, who blasted Wake Forest 38-0 this weekend, and the Crimson Tide, who did the same to Western Carolina, winning 49-0, are the two teams that will play for the title if they can win out.
But Notre Dame and Alabama aren't the only ones celebrating Week 12's chaos. SEC powerhouses Georgia and Florida are now in the top four, and can still make the jump into the championship picture.
The Bulldogs, who cruised past Georgia Southern 45-14 in Week 12, control their own destiny. If they beat Georgia Tech and then Alabama in the SEC Championship Game then the Bulldogs will play for the crown. Florida, who took down Jacksonville State 23-0 in the Swamp on Saturday, needs to beat Florida State and have Notre Dame lose to USC in Week 13 in order to have a shot.
As for Kansas State, Oregon and everyone else, they will need much help in Week 13 in order to redeem their national title dreams.
What's Next
The top-ranked Fighting Irish will be at USC on Saturday night in a game that will determine whether Brian Kelly's squad will play for the championship in Miami this January. Meanwhile, the defending national champion Crimson Tide will host Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Georgia will be home to in-state rival Georgia Tech at noon, Florida will be in Tallahassee to take on Florida State, and Oregon will try to knock off Oregon State on the road in the Civil War.
Kansas State is idle in Week 13 and will host Texas in its regular season finale in Week 14.
As for the two-loss teams, LSU will play at Arkansas on Friday afternoon, Texas A&M will host Missouri on Saturday night, South Carolina will be on the road at Clemson, and both Oklahoma and Stanford will have their hands full taking on Oklahoma State and UCLA, respectively.
Here are the BCS standings after 12 weeks of college football.
BCS standings
In Waco, Texas, Kansas State went down 28-7 late in the second quarter to Baylor, and never recovered, losing by four touchdowns on the road, 52-24. In Eugene, Oregon, the Ducks gave up a game-tying touchdown to Stanford with 95 seconds left to play, and went on to lose 17-14 in front a deflated crowd in overtime.
All the commotion at the top means that the Fighting Irish, who blasted Wake Forest 38-0 this weekend, and the Crimson Tide, who did the same to Western Carolina, winning 49-0, are the two teams that will play for the title if they can win out.
But Notre Dame and Alabama aren't the only ones celebrating Week 12's chaos. SEC powerhouses Georgia and Florida are now in the top four, and can still make the jump into the championship picture.
The Bulldogs, who cruised past Georgia Southern 45-14 in Week 12, control their own destiny. If they beat Georgia Tech and then Alabama in the SEC Championship Game then the Bulldogs will play for the crown. Florida, who took down Jacksonville State 23-0 in the Swamp on Saturday, needs to beat Florida State and have Notre Dame lose to USC in Week 13 in order to have a shot.
As for Kansas State, Oregon and everyone else, they will need much help in Week 13 in order to redeem their national title dreams.
What's Next
The top-ranked Fighting Irish will be at USC on Saturday night in a game that will determine whether Brian Kelly's squad will play for the championship in Miami this January. Meanwhile, the defending national champion Crimson Tide will host Auburn in the Iron Bowl.
Georgia will be home to in-state rival Georgia Tech at noon, Florida will be in Tallahassee to take on Florida State, and Oregon will try to knock off Oregon State on the road in the Civil War.
Kansas State is idle in Week 13 and will host Texas in its regular season finale in Week 14.
As for the two-loss teams, LSU will play at Arkansas on Friday afternoon, Texas A&M will host Missouri on Saturday night, South Carolina will be on the road at Clemson, and both Oklahoma and Stanford will have their hands full taking on Oklahoma State and UCLA, respectively.
Here are the BCS standings after 12 weeks of college football.
BCS standings
| 1. Notre Dame |
| 2. Alabama |
| 3. Georgia |
| 4. Florida |
| 5. Oregon |
| 6. Kansas State |
| 7. LSU |
| 8. Stanford |
| 9. Texas A&M |
| 10. Florida State |
| 11. Clemson |
| 12. South Carolina |
| 13. Oklahoma |
| 14. Nebraska |
| 15. Oregon State |
| 16. Texas |
| 17. UCLA |
| 18. Rutgers |
| 19. Michigan |
| 20. Louisville |
| 21. Oklahoma State |
| 22. Boise State |
| 23. Kent State |
| 24. Arizona |
| 25. Washington |
Notre Dame jumps to No. 1 in BCS standings, one win from title game
Notre Dame is a victory away from playing for the BCS title. Alabama
and Georgia each need two, and could have to go through each other.
A day after Oregon and Kansas State lost to give up control of the BCS race, the Fighting Irish (.9973) moved into first place in the standings for the first time.
“Now we don’t have to answer questions about style points or politics,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. “Now we have a chance to play for the national championship this week.”
Notre Dame (11-0), ranked No. 1 in both polls and by the computer ratings, needs only to beat slumping rival Southern California on Saturday in Los Angeles to earn its first trip to the BCS title game.
Alabama (.9333) and Georgia (.8763) also have rivalry games Saturday. The Crimson Tide hosts Auburn and the Bulldogs play Georgia Tech at home.
If the favorites win, the Southeastern Conference championship game will be a national semifinal of sorts, with the winner advancing to the BCS title game.
If form does not hold, and there are more upsets such as the ones that took out Oregon and Kansas State on Saturday night, there are a handful of teams that could be in the mix.
Florida (10-1) is in fourth heading into a huge game at 10th-place Florida State. The Seminoles (10-1) also will have an ACC title game to play.
Oregon (10-1) dropped to fifth and Kansas State (10-1) was sixth.
Notre Dame, which last won a national championship in 1988, has lost nine of the last 10 against USC, the lone victory coming in 2010, Kelly’s first season as coach.
But the Trojans have been a major disappointment this season, starting it No. 1 and dropping to 7-4 after losing Saturday to UCLA. They also will be without quarterback Matt Barkley for the matchup with the Fighting Irish. Max Wittek will make his first career start after Barkley was injured at the end of the UCLA game.
If Notre Dame loses, it could leave a muddle of one-loss teams vying for a spot in the BCS title game, even opening up the possibility of a second consecutive all-SEC national championship game at NCAA.com.
A day after Oregon and Kansas State lost to give up control of the BCS race, the Fighting Irish (.9973) moved into first place in the standings for the first time.
“Now we don’t have to answer questions about style points or politics,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said. “Now we have a chance to play for the national championship this week.”
Notre Dame (11-0), ranked No. 1 in both polls and by the computer ratings, needs only to beat slumping rival Southern California on Saturday in Los Angeles to earn its first trip to the BCS title game.
| BCS STANDINGS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
| Notre Dame took over the No. 1 spot in this week’s BCS standings. Check out the full rankings. | |||||||||
Alabama (.9333) and Georgia (.8763) also have rivalry games Saturday. The Crimson Tide hosts Auburn and the Bulldogs play Georgia Tech at home.
If the favorites win, the Southeastern Conference championship game will be a national semifinal of sorts, with the winner advancing to the BCS title game.
If form does not hold, and there are more upsets such as the ones that took out Oregon and Kansas State on Saturday night, there are a handful of teams that could be in the mix.
Florida (10-1) is in fourth heading into a huge game at 10th-place Florida State. The Seminoles (10-1) also will have an ACC title game to play.
Oregon (10-1) dropped to fifth and Kansas State (10-1) was sixth.
Notre Dame, which last won a national championship in 1988, has lost nine of the last 10 against USC, the lone victory coming in 2010, Kelly’s first season as coach.
But the Trojans have been a major disappointment this season, starting it No. 1 and dropping to 7-4 after losing Saturday to UCLA. They also will be without quarterback Matt Barkley for the matchup with the Fighting Irish. Max Wittek will make his first career start after Barkley was injured at the end of the UCLA game.
If Notre Dame loses, it could leave a muddle of one-loss teams vying for a spot in the BCS title game, even opening up the possibility of a second consecutive all-SEC national championship game at NCAA.com.
Monday, November 12, 2012
BCS Standings 2012: Week 12 Rankings
| Rank | School | average | Previous | Harris | USA Today | Computer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas State | 0.9674 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Oregon | 0.9497 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Notre Dame | 0.9396 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | Alabama | 0.8534 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Georgia | 0.8328 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Florida | 0.7955 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| 7 | LSU | 0.7331 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | Texas A&M | 0.6621 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 0.6349 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
| 10 | Florida State | 0.6071 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 17 |
| 11 | Clemson | 0.5921 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 15 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 0.5797 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
| 13 | Stanford | 0.5705 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
| 14 | Nebraska | 0.4679 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| 15 | Texas | 0.4259 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| 16 | Oregon State | 0.4161 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 12 |
| 17 | UCLA | 0.2925 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 20 |
| 18 | USC | 0.2769 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 17 |
| 19 | Louisville | 0.2159 | 9 | 17 | 18 | 27 |
| 20 | Louisiana Tech | 0.1911 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 25 |
| 21 | Michigan | 0.1665 | NR | 24 | 23 | 16 |
| 22 | Rutgers | 0.1529 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 27 |
| 23 | Texas Tech | 0.1416 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 20 |
| 24 | Oklahoma State | 0.1088 | NR | NR | 24 | 22 |
| 25 | Washington | 0.0850 | NR | NR | NR | 19 |
Alabama Football: How Nick Saban, Tide Can Still Make the BCS Title Game
And then there were three.
Alabama, the team that was considered the best in all of college football for the majority of the regular season, has now lost a game. The newbie of the SEC, Texas A&M, found a way to knock off the Crimson Tide in a competitive matchup that ended with a score of 29-24.
It is the first loss for head coach Nick Saban in a little over a year.
There will be no undefeated season for this club, but this is a program that always has its mind on national championships. And while it may be hard to understand at this point, it would be foolish to count this team out of the national championship conversation even with one loss.
Here is why Alabama still has a good chance to make the big game and make everybody happy again in Tuscaloosa.
Throw Out Notre Dame
There are now three undefeated teams left in Notre Dame, Oregon and Kansas State. While many don't agree that a one-loss program should jump an undefeated team, that's life in the BCS and could happen regardless of what Notre Dame does.
The Irish do have four wins over ranked opponents, but every one of those teams has looked shaky throughout the year, really hurting the team in the polls. Notre Dame has also struggled to beat subpar opponents such as Purdue, BYU and Pittsburgh. There is a reason the Leprechauns haven't made much progress in the BCS rankings and were the lowest of the previous four undefeated teams at the top of the rankings.
Even if the Irish do finish the season undefeated, it is hard to see this team finishing in the Top Two of the BCS. We also can't overlook a USC club that plays Notre Dame at the end of the season, as the Trojans have a realistic shot to pull off a victory, eliminating this team from the conversation altogether.
If you add an SEC championship to Alabama's resume, Nick Saban and company will easily jump this program with the Irish not having a conference championship game to participate in.
Hope for a Kansas State Loss
We can't use the same argument for a weak schedule with Kansas State, as the Wildcats have beaten some good competition in the Big 12. They should also remain the favorites the rest of the way with teams such as Baylor and Texas on the remaining schedule.
Still, hoping for a loss wouldn't hurt, and the Longhorns should give Kansas State a run for its money at the end of the year.
However, there are a few things working in Alabama's favor once again.
The BCS rankings absolutely loved this Crimson Tide team before the loss, giving it an overall average of 0.9957. Kansas State only had an average of 0.9318, which is quite a distance between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Is one Alabama loss enough for Kansas State to stay ahead in the rankings if the Tide win out the rest of the way?
Kansas State is also a team that doesn't have a conference championship game to play, which, once again, works in the favor of Alabama in this situation.
Crush a One-Loss Georgia Team
While it would be nice for Oregon to lose a game as well, the Ducks will be the favorites to not only win the Pac-12 championship but also secure one of the spots in the BCS National Championship Game. With only one spot remaining, Crimson Tide fans should hope for Georgia to win out and reach the SEC championship game with only one loss.
The Bulldogs, who were fifth in the BCS before this weekend, would remain a top-ranked club if this in fact happens.
Alabama needs to drop the hammer on Georgia in the conference championship game and remove any doubt that it is the top team in the SEC. The rankings have loved this conference all season long, as there were five SEC teams in the most recent Top 10, and a dominant performance over another highly-ranked program could be enough for Alabama to jump whichever team is standing in the way.
The Crimson Tide aren't used to having control taken away from them, but the possibility of appearing in the national championship is still there.
With a little help the rest of the way and impressive performances in the next few weeks, Alabama may sneak back into the title conversation.
Alabama, the team that was considered the best in all of college football for the majority of the regular season, has now lost a game. The newbie of the SEC, Texas A&M, found a way to knock off the Crimson Tide in a competitive matchup that ended with a score of 29-24.
It is the first loss for head coach Nick Saban in a little over a year.
There will be no undefeated season for this club, but this is a program that always has its mind on national championships. And while it may be hard to understand at this point, it would be foolish to count this team out of the national championship conversation even with one loss.
Here is why Alabama still has a good chance to make the big game and make everybody happy again in Tuscaloosa.
Throw Out Notre Dame
There are now three undefeated teams left in Notre Dame, Oregon and Kansas State. While many don't agree that a one-loss program should jump an undefeated team, that's life in the BCS and could happen regardless of what Notre Dame does.
The Irish do have four wins over ranked opponents, but every one of those teams has looked shaky throughout the year, really hurting the team in the polls. Notre Dame has also struggled to beat subpar opponents such as Purdue, BYU and Pittsburgh. There is a reason the Leprechauns haven't made much progress in the BCS rankings and were the lowest of the previous four undefeated teams at the top of the rankings.
Even if the Irish do finish the season undefeated, it is hard to see this team finishing in the Top Two of the BCS. We also can't overlook a USC club that plays Notre Dame at the end of the season, as the Trojans have a realistic shot to pull off a victory, eliminating this team from the conversation altogether.
If you add an SEC championship to Alabama's resume, Nick Saban and company will easily jump this program with the Irish not having a conference championship game to participate in.
Hope for a Kansas State Loss
We can't use the same argument for a weak schedule with Kansas State, as the Wildcats have beaten some good competition in the Big 12. They should also remain the favorites the rest of the way with teams such as Baylor and Texas on the remaining schedule.
Still, hoping for a loss wouldn't hurt, and the Longhorns should give Kansas State a run for its money at the end of the year.
However, there are a few things working in Alabama's favor once again.
The BCS rankings absolutely loved this Crimson Tide team before the loss, giving it an overall average of 0.9957. Kansas State only had an average of 0.9318, which is quite a distance between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. Is one Alabama loss enough for Kansas State to stay ahead in the rankings if the Tide win out the rest of the way?
Kansas State is also a team that doesn't have a conference championship game to play, which, once again, works in the favor of Alabama in this situation.
Crush a One-Loss Georgia Team
While it would be nice for Oregon to lose a game as well, the Ducks will be the favorites to not only win the Pac-12 championship but also secure one of the spots in the BCS National Championship Game. With only one spot remaining, Crimson Tide fans should hope for Georgia to win out and reach the SEC championship game with only one loss.
The Bulldogs, who were fifth in the BCS before this weekend, would remain a top-ranked club if this in fact happens.
Alabama needs to drop the hammer on Georgia in the conference championship game and remove any doubt that it is the top team in the SEC. The rankings have loved this conference all season long, as there were five SEC teams in the most recent Top 10, and a dominant performance over another highly-ranked program could be enough for Alabama to jump whichever team is standing in the way.
The Crimson Tide aren't used to having control taken away from them, but the possibility of appearing in the national championship is still there.
With a little help the rest of the way and impressive performances in the next few weeks, Alabama may sneak back into the title conversation.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
With Alabama loss, Oregon assumes top spot in Associated Press poll
Oregon is No. 1 in the Associated Press
college football poll after Alabama gave up the top spot following a
loss to Texas A&M.
The Ducks have 45 of 60 first-place votes. Kansas State is No. 2 with 14 first-place votes. Notre Dame is third and received one first-place vote.
The Crimson Tide, which had been No. 1 for 10 consecutive weeks, dropped to fourth after a 29-24 loss to the Aggies in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday.
Texas A&M moved up six spots to No. 9.
The Ducks were last No. 1 in 2010. That was the first season in the history of the program that Oregon reached No. 1, and the Ducks spent seven weeks there and reached the BCS championship game, which they lost to Auburn.
No. 25 Kent State is ranked for first time since Nov. 5, 1973.
At NCAA.com
| ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|||||
| Oregon moved up one spot to No. 1 in this week’s AP poll after Alabama’s loss. Check out the full rankings. | |||||||||
The Ducks have 45 of 60 first-place votes. Kansas State is No. 2 with 14 first-place votes. Notre Dame is third and received one first-place vote.
The Crimson Tide, which had been No. 1 for 10 consecutive weeks, dropped to fourth after a 29-24 loss to the Aggies in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday.
Texas A&M moved up six spots to No. 9.
The Ducks were last No. 1 in 2010. That was the first season in the history of the program that Oregon reached No. 1, and the Ducks spent seven weeks there and reached the BCS championship game, which they lost to Auburn.
No. 25 Kent State is ranked for first time since Nov. 5, 1973.
At NCAA.com
Monday, November 5, 2012
Men's Basketball News 2012-13 Preview: Ivy League
NCAA.com’s 2012-13 Season Preview
Getty Images
Brian Barbour barely saw any playing time in his first season
at Columbia. But by
last season, he was one of the best point guards in
the Ivy League. Barbour led the
league and ranked fourth in the nation
in free-throw percentage. He was also
fourth in the country in FT
percentage in 2010-11 as well.
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | FT% |
| 2011-12 | 15.5 | 2.8 | 4.4 | 39.4 | 90.1 |
| Career | 11.3 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 40.7 | 90.3 |
Getty Images
Ian Hummer returns for his senior season as the Ivy League’s
top-returning
scorer and rebounder this season. Hummer’s 515 points a
year ago were the
most by a Princeton player in 40 years, and if he
continues on his scoring pace,
he’d only be staring at Bill Bradley
ahead of him on the school’s all-time scoring
list. Hummer was a
unanimous All-Ivy League selection last season.
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | STL |
| 2011-12 | 16.1 | 7.3 | 3.2 | 46.7 | 46 |
| Season | 12.3 | 5.8 | 2.0 | 50.8 | 104 |
Getty Images
After being named the Ivy League’s newcomer of the year in
2011, Sean
McGonagill backed it up with a fantastic season. He set the
school’s
single-season record for assists last season — finishing 35th
in the
nation in assists per game. McGonagill is Brown’s top-returning
scorer as well in 2012-13.
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
PPG | RPG | APG | 3PT% | STL |
| 2011-12 | 13.5 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 35.4 | 34 |
| Career | 12.6 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 34.4 | 58 |
| School | Coach | 2011-12 Record | 2011-12 Stat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Brown | Mike Martin | 8-23 | Final Stats |
 |
Columbia | Kyle Smith | 15-15 | Final Stats |
 |
Cornell | Bill Courtney | 12-16 | Final Stats |
 |
Dartmouth | Paul Cormier | 5-25 | Final Stats |
 |
Harvard | Tommy Amaker | 26-5 | Final Stats |
 |
Pennsylvania | Jerome Allen | 20-13 | Final Stats |
 |
Princeton | Mitch Henderson | 20-12 | Final Stats |
 |
Yale | James Jones | 19-10 | Final Stats |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)