Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/24/2024

It's the time of year.  March Madness!  Circled on the calendar for many as a highlight of the Sports calendar (so robbed in 2020 for the pandemic) but this year it's in full swing.  One of the short list favorites to crash the Final Four in Glendale are the top seeded Purdue Boilermakers.  Led by senior Zach Edey who dominates on both sides of the floor.  Through the first weekend, Edey showed why he will make Purdue a tough if not impossible out.  In two textbook wins, national scoring title holder Edey scored 26.5 PPG and 17.5 RPG.  In limited minutes of blowouts over outclassed Grambling State and Utah State (averaged 29 minutes).  That's a point per minute and three rebounds every 5 minutes of play (rounded).  The Canadian hit 19-28 from the field with 12 offensive boards and 23 defensive wipes.  Throw in 5 assists, 2 steals, and 6 blocks and he was a one-man wrecking crew.  Purdue is looking for their first basketball title after two Final Four appearances and this may be the year thanks to the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/17/2024

The college basketball season is entering its pinnacle with conference tournament championships and top teams emerging.  One of the big conference winners from the Big 10 is a favorite to crash Glendale in the Final Four was the Illinois Fighting Illini.  Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. was a big reason why.  There's always something about senior guards and the leadership they provide in tournament style play.  And Shannon Jr. answered in leadership and play.  In the three games in the Big 10 tournament, he averaged 34 points in 35 minutes per game, 27-57 from the field (10-22 beyond the arc) field and 38-44 from the line.  Scoring.  Machine.  The Illini have a 3 seed in the East and poised to push on a week or two.  Terrence Shannon Jr. is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/10/2024

It's March.  It's time for Madness.  As conference basketball tournaments dominate the week, it was an historic rivalry that took center stage on Saturday with an ACC regular season title on the line.  And the North Carolina Tarheels went into Duke's house and took their lunch money.  Led by an unsung senior no less.  Cormac Ryan leveraged his experience at Cameron Indoor Stadium to quiet the Crazies and deliver.  Cormac the Magnificent (you know I couldn't resist) was cold blooded with his scoring touch, missing just five times in 22 shots from the field, with two of those being behind the three-point line.  And he did it in the clutch, with ten of his teams last 12 points in the final 3:54, including 7 in the last 108 seconds.  No answers did Duke have.  Ryan sealed the Heels Conference Championship and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 3/3/2024

The NBA is hitting the home stretch with teams emerging as Championship favorites while others vie for playoff seeding and positioning.  One of the spots that seems locked up is the first seed in the Eastern Conference.  The Boston Celtics continue to turn up championship quality eras and this team is poised.  Having made at least the Eastern Conference Finals 5 of the last 7 years, and the NBA Finals just two years ago, the Celtics look to win their first title in 16 years and currently have the best record in the NBA.  At 48-12, Boston has lapped the field with a ballooning 8 game lead thanks in large part to Jaylen Brown.  Brown averaged over 28 points a game as his Celtics blew out three opponents by 18 or more points, including a 52-point drubbing of the Golden State Warriors, the fading dynasty of the last 10 seasons that beat them in the summer of 2022.  Brown also cleaned up 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game, proving a second punch behind team scoring leader Jayson Tatum.  A force that the Eastern Conference may not have an answer for now, or in the years to come.  Jaylen Brown is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!