Playmaker Magazine Nov. 2010 by Bradford Harrison

THE STARTING LINEUP TXRD L S R 8 ONE

TAR

Equally beautiful and bone-jarring, the toughest female athletes in Austin have been providing fans extreme entertainment for nearly a decade. We’ve got the words and pictures to prove it.

By Adam Sweeney

Last year’s Cinderella team of the Big 12 looks to prove their success wasn’t a ﬂuke. But now that midnight has come, will the glass slipper still ﬁt for Baylor Men’s Basketball?

Playmaker’s Highlight Reel This month in pictures

The Six Shooter Six thoughts on Texas Sports

Out of Bounds with Ryan Reynolds

Cat Osterman Returns to Her Roots

Interview: TLU Head Coach Danny Padron

DeMeco Ryan Tackles Our Questions

BIG XII BASKETBALL PREVIEW With four teams likely to start the season in the AP Top 25, the ultra-competitive Big 12 Men’s basketball conference is ﬁlled with college phenoms. It’s also completely up for grabs in 2010.

By Bradford Harrison

BAYLOR BASKETBALL

By Adam Sweeney

NOVEMBER 2010

OLLERGIRLS

2010-2011 NBA PREVIEW With Yao Ming returning to Houston, Dirk Nowitzki leading Dallas and Tim Duncan making a ﬁnal San Antonio, the state’s trio of NBA teams are set to prove the stars aren’t just bright in Texas.

By Bradford Harrison, Tucker Stephenson and Sandy Dover Playmaker Magazine

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the premiere issue of Playmaker Magazine, the source for sports in Texas. There is something for everybody in this month’s publication. Hoops fans will get their ﬁll of analysis with our Big 12 and NBA season previews. Want to see our favorite photos from the games? Check out The Highlight Reel. For the reader who might not be in love with sports, we have an interview with budding star Ryan Reynolds to whet your appetite. Yes, ladies and gents, he’s just as Perry Jones sits down with Playmaker Magazine Editor-ingood looking in person. Chief Adam Sweeney (photo by Bradford Harrison) What makes a playmaker? Dominance, what Olympic softball pitcher Cat Osterman has been showing for years by crushing record books. Playmakers take chances, just like Texas Lutheran football head coach Danny Padron has done by turning the Bulldogs program around in his ﬁrst year. Our magazine looks for consistency, which two-time Pro Bowler DeMeco Ryans brings to every game he plays in for the Houston Texans. Every athlete or celebrity in the magazine has excelled in their particular arena, and we hope we’ve represented them well.

Playmaker Magazine is a publication for the fans and by the fans. As Editor-in-chief, I’ve had the good fortune of working with other companies like Sports Illustrated and SLAM Magazine. I’ve also lived and breathed Texas sports my entire life. My particular team allegiances won’t be revealed at the moment, but rest assured that covering the Dallas Cowboys-Houston Texans game was like Christmas in September.

PUBLISHERS ADAM SWEENEY AND BRADFORD HARRISON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adam Sweeney STAFF EDITOR Bradford Harrison ART DIRECTORS James Wetz | Tiffany Cunningham STORY CONTRIBUTORS Adam Sweeney | Bradford Harrison | Tucker Stephenson Sandy Dover PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS Adam Sweeney | Bradford Harrison | Eric Morales | Derek Buczynski | Baylor University Photography | Jamie Diaz | Bryan LaVelle | Sarah Bolger | NBAE/Getty Images Copyright 2010 Playmaker Magazine. All rights reserved. Playmaker Magazine is published monthly. Views expressed in Playmaker Magazine are not necessarily the opinion of Playmaker Magazine, its staff, or its advertisers. Playmaker Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading editorial content or advertising, nor is Playmaker Magazine responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Playmaker Magazine may be used for reproduction from the publisher. Playmaker Magazine is available free of charge.

Thank you so much for joining the readership of Playmaker Magazine. With any luck, we will look back and say we were all there when something special started, much like the stories we share about the time we ﬁrst saw Vince Young scramble or when we attended Midnight Yell before a Texas A&M game. Strap on your helmets, readers. The Playmaker season starts now.

Adam Sweeney Editor-in-Chief photo by Eric Morales Page 4

Playmaker Magazine

The Highlight Reel

Dez Bryant

Mario Williams

Perry Jones

Playmaker Magazine

Our staff photographersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fave pics of the month.

Tony Romo

Pierre Garcon and Kareem Jackson

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Robert Grifﬁn/ Baylor University Photography

Wade Phillips/Photo by Adam Sweeney

Tiago Splitter/Photo by Tucker Stephenson on

Every month the staff at Playmaker Magazine ﬁres off six bold thoughts about the current state of sports in Texas.

1 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

2 WADE PHILIPS

3 YAO MING AT 80%

4 THE SPURS WILL

FOOTBALL FANS HAVE BECOME GREEDY.

SHOULD STEP DOWN AS HEAD COACH OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS

HEALTH IS STILL ENOUGH TO GET THE ROCKETS IN THE PLAYOFFS.

BOUNCE BACK IN A BIG WAY IN 2010.

The Dallas Cowboys have all the talent necessary to make a title run, they just don’t have the head coach to take them there. Wade Philips should assume the role of Cowboys’ defensive coordinator solely, the position he is best at to begin with, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones should do everything in his power to get former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher or former Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden to be the Dallas Cowboys head coach. Either would provide discipline to the Cowboys, who at times have lacked focus.

The Houston Rockets overachieved last year by playing unselﬁshly, but they will be the ﬁrst to tell you that they missed their franchise player, Yao Ming, who missed the last season due to injury.

We love the Texas Longhorns but it’s time to be realistic. No program can be expected to win 10 games every season, yet that is what is being asked of Mack Brown’s program in Austin. Now that the ‘Horns have lost more than one game this season you would think the sky is falling in the 40 Acres. Have we forgotten the end of the John Mackovic era, when UT went 4-7 in 1997? You have a defending Big 12 Champion, Texas fans, and will be back in the hunt next season. Be thankful. Every other school in the Big 12 other than Oklahoma wishes they were so lucky. Page 6

Ming is back from foot surgery rehabilitation and his 7-foot 6-inch presence in the middle will slow down the opponent’s offense. Word from Rockets head coach Rick Adelman is Ming will only play 24 minutes a game. That’s signiﬁcantly better than the hole at center the Rockets had to deal with in 2009.

No offense to future Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan but the most important player in 2010 for the San Antonio Spurs is Tiago Splitter, the Brazilian two-time MVP of the Spanish Supercup who San Antonio signed this summer. Rookie James Anderson, out of Oklahoma State, is also going to provide a scoring punch and relieve the aging stars of San Antonio. Mix in DeJuan Blair, who will be even better this year, and the Spurs have the chance to go deep in the playoffs with this new infusion of youth.

5 THE TEXAS RANGERS WILL WIN THE WORLD SERIES…NEXT SEASON. The accelerated improvement of Arlington’s ﬁnest is remarkable. The Rangers clinched their ﬁrst playoff berth in 11 years - a remarkable achievement. That doesn’t mean we should ask so much of them this year. The team is still a year away, and if they stay healthy Major League Baseball could be looking at the best team in baseball. Rangers fans have waited ages for their team to step up. Their time has come. Exercise patience. Savor this moment. A World Series title is on the horizon.

6 BAYLOR’S ROBERT GRIFFIN III DESERVES TO BE IN THE HEISMAN DISCUSSION. Currently, the best college quarterback in the state is Robert Griffin. Coming off a knee injury, the 2008 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year has been cutting up opponents with lethal speed, along with the accuracy of a pocket passer. Ask Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech head coach, who compared Griffin to a cross between Michael Vick and Tim Tebow. “I can’t imagine there’s a better overall quarterback in the country than (Griffin),’’ Tuberville told reporters.”I haven’t seen one on TV on a Saturday.” Playmaker Magazine

OUT OF BOUNDS WITH RYAN REYNOLDS By Adam Sweeney Imagine waking up buried alive in a box with only ninety minutes to escape. That’s the premise of “Buried”, the ambitious thriller starring Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds made his name in roles like “Van Wilder” and “Waiting…” and gives a dazzling role in his latest ﬁlm. Reynolds was in Austin for the red carpet gala at Fantastic Fest, and Playmaker Magazine spoke with him about the role and his thoughts on sports and the Texas Longhorns.

Photo by Derek Buczynski Playmaker Magazine: There were a few people at the red carpet event for “Buried” that were asking you to throw up the Texas Longhorns hand signal. What did you think PM: What type of chemistry did you have about that? Ryan Reynolds: I’m sadly not the biggest sports fan in the world. I grew up with Rodrigo? playing sports but I think it was more as a punishment. I would have the ball RR: Rodrigo was my coand ten guys wanted the ball and to hurt me in order to get the ball. My theory star. We established that was by all means, take the ball. In fact, we should get more balls so that early on. He wrote me a Photo by Adam Sweeney everyone could have a ball. Then we could spend more time singing, drinking long letter stating how and why he would shoot and chatting. Forget all this running for your life stuff. the movie. I actually passed on it at first. I loved the writing but I thought, PM: (Laughs.) I mean that’s the whole point anyway, to get the girl and enjoy ‘This is not a possibility. It can’t happen. You can’t properly shoot this film and deliver it to an audience.’ But he convinced me otherwise. We sat down, the victory. RR: Right. I say let’s just cut to the chase and do some drinking and had lunch and we really decided it was going to be a sort of dance. We had celebrating. But no, I think I’m down with the Longhorns. Isn’t that where a strange, unspoken chemistry. He would barely have a word out and I knew what he meant. Vince Young went? PM: Yes, it is. RR: Well, good. Go Longhorns. (He holds up the UT Longhorn hand signal.) Is that right? PM: Yeah, Hook ‘em Horns. You’ve got it. Do you think “Buried” could be a defining film of your career? RR: I don’t know about that. Those are always hard terms to define. I’m so happy to be part of the movie. That much I know. It was definitely unique and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced on a film set. To me it speaks to having faith in the people around you. It had very little to do with me and everything to do with Rodrigo Cortes. Playmaker Magazine

PM: In terms of character study and your acting technique, how will this shape you and how do you grow from this? RR: Wow, that’s a good question. I learned that there is no real room for dishonesty. In a movie where fifty percent of the time you are in a close-up, there is no room for a deficit. You have to be one-hundred percent there for the process. If you aren’t then the audience will leave emotionally or physically. I really learned the value of that and I will definitely apply it in the future to my work.

You can see Ryan Reynolds star in “Buried” at movie theatres near you now. Page 7

rolling thunder by Adam Sweeney

If a song had to be chosen to represent the misperceived stronger sex in sports, James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s World” might get ﬁrst pick on the Ipod. Try telling that to the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, the premiere all-girls bank-tracked roller derby league in Austin, Texas, and they might smash that Ipod right in your face. They’ve already been blowing up in the state capitol since 2001 and have unleashed a roller derby revival on a city that is perfect for a sport that’s all about passion and performance. It just might be the most entertaining ticket there is in Austin. “It’s one of the best things you can spend your money on,” said Gynae Davalos, aka Rice Rice Baby of the Cherry Bombs. “It has sport and drama, costumes and characters, music and bruises, and only one winner in the end.”

“I’ve made lifelong friends doing this. Maybe that’s because I know these girls can take a hit and not cry about it.” - Anne Sharpe, a.k.a. Curley Suicide (pictured right) Photo by Sarah Boger

While players in professional leagues like the NBA and NFL bicker over multi-milliion dollar contracts, the women of TXRD play the game because they love it. There are no endorsement deals com-

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ing from Gatorade. Hardcore and full of heart, the Rollergirls’ reward comes in unparalleled competition and support of a fan base, who come in the thousands to bouts, that is nothing short of rabid. Anne Sharp, aka Curly Suicide, has made it three times to the Calvello Cup Championship as a member of The Hellcats. Asked what she loves about the roller derby experience, Sharp got to the heart of the matter. “Oh, let me count the ways. The ﬁrst thing that comes to mind is how it makes me feel,” said Sharp.” The excitement, the pressure, the adrenaline, the pride, all of it is unlike anything I’d ever felt before and now I crave it! Another reason I love this game is the people. It takes all kinds to run a roller derby. And we have all kinds. I think it’s amazing that so many different people from so many walks of life get along well enough to run a business. I’ve made lifelong friends doing this. Maybe that’s because I know these girls can take a hit and not cry about it.” Each team in the league has their own distinct personality, from the hot rod loving Hellcats to the Rock N’ Roll rebel Cherry Bombs, who played each other in the 2010 Calvello Cup Championship. The ﬂashy team identity allows for fans to choose a team in tune with their particular tastes, a far cry from the often bland professional sport circuit where players hide behind helmets and leave you cheering for a jersey. Walk down any Austin street and you could run into one of the stars of TXRD. Shauna Salustri, aka Alison Chains of the Cherry Bombs, teaches Algebra at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders in Austin. She has used the sport to serve as a

Photo by Bryan LaVelle

positive inﬂuence on young females in the Austin area. “Last year they allowed me to start a junior roller derby team at school!,” Salustri said.” So now I also coach the Ann Richards Roller Girls, the country’s only school-based roller derby team!” The sport is just as addictive for the players as the fans, creating a mutual relationship that is one of a kind. The play by their own rules philosophy has created a fan following comprised of both hipster kids and soccer moms. As if the league wasn’t impressive enough, all members give back to the community by volunteering their time at beneﬁts and raising money for local charities. Austin, Texas may bleed orange but the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls literally bleed for what they believe in.

Playmaker Magazine

Photos courtesy of Brent LaVelle Playmaker Magazine

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CAT OSTERMAN RETURNS TO HER ROOTS By Adam Sweeney Cat Osterman makes an impression anywhere she goes. The 6’2” left-handed pitcher has blown past her competition on the field, while helping the lives of children off it. University of Texas fans are familiar with her dominance, but in case you don’t know, the former Longhorn standout is arguably the greatest softball pitcher of all-time. The Olympic gold medalist’s name is all over the NCAA Women’s Softball record books, as she is the alltime strikeout leader per seven innings among other accolades. The softball sensation took some time to speak with Playmaker Magazine on her way back to Austin, Texas. Playmaker Magazine: You’ve become the unifying face of women’s softball. What do you think the sport can do in an effort to grow in popularity? Cat Osterman: Well, the sport’s been growing ever since I started playing it. Now it’s a matter of trying, since we no longer play in The Olympics, to find other platforms. I’m in a professional league now where I’ve played the last two summers. We played a series in Round Rock, Texas and that put the name a little bit more out there than it already was. I’m just going to keep playing and giving lessons so that it will get more girls active in softball, because I love the sport. We’re just going to try to get it back as much as possible. PM: Talk to us about the Cat Osterman Experience. CO: It’s a camp that is based in a sports complex in Omaha, Nebraska. Teams sign up to go play for an entire week. They stay on site in the dorms and every night we have entertainment for them, whether it’s a movie in the park or face-painting events. It’s family oriented and this past summer was the first one. We had some really good reviews and every year we are trying to make it grow and improve it. It’s just an opportunity for girls from Playmaker Magazine

all over the country to play. We actually had a team from Canada and one from Australia come, so it was awesome to see people interact and branch out a bit. PM: What are your goals moving forward? CO: I have played three seasons professionally and we have won the league title the last two seasons. I am happy competing in the league. Our league has some of the best competition I have ever faced, so I want to keep playing as long as possible. I want to stay healthy and help my team out as much as I can. I actually just moved back to Austin, Texas so I am going to teach lessons and hang out, but at the same time we will promote our league by playing fall exhibition leagues. Hopefully by the time I quit playing it will be a solid league and not so up in the air. PM:You’re coming back to Austin. What does returning to your roots mean in terms of your career and lifestyle? CO: I’m moving back because I love Austin and have some great friends there. For me, Chicago wasn’t a great ﬁt. As far as my career, I will be in Florida regardless of where I live in the off-season. It’s a comfortable place, Austin, where I feel like I am at home. PM: What hitter in Major League Baseball would you want to pitch against? CO: I think any of them would provide a challenge. I’ve met David Wright, the New York Mets’ third baseman, a few times and he talks a big game, so

Photo Courtesy of catosterman.com I would like to face him just to shut him up. He’s a nice guy though. I mean I know a lot of guys from the University of Texas play in the minor leagues now and say they could hit me, but I think they would be surprised. I would take a challenge from anyone. PM: What other projects do you have going on? CO: There is a grant school I am working on called The Cat Osterman School of Technology and I want people to be on the look for that. We’re doing fundraising for that and people can go to my website to check that out.

You can follow all of Cat Osterman’s exploits and learn more about the Cat Osterman Experience at www.catosterman.com. Page 11

Staying Golden Amidst turmoil, the Baylor Bears basketball team looks inward to show how they will still come out on top If you listen to the national media with regards to Big 12 Men’s basketball, it might be easy to assume that the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks run the show. That’s about to change if the Baylor basketball program has anything to say about it. Last season, the Bears shocked the nation by making it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, barely losing to the Duke Blue Devils, the eventual champions. The 2010 season has a chance to be the Bears’ coming out party, but one that begins with adversity. LaceDarius Dunn, the team’s second all-time

By Adam Sweeney leading scorer, can do it all on the court. A 2010 Wooden Award candidate, the explosive guard averaged 19.6 points last season and nearly entered the NBA Draft before deciding to come back to Waco for his senior year. “It was a tough decision to make,” said Dunn. “I talked to people close to me that I looked up to. Coming back was the better choice for me. I get a chance to get my degree and raise my stock up. I think I made the right decision.” Dunn’s future has come to a crossroads, as he was suspended on October 5th from all team Page 12

activities after Waco Police charged him with second degree aggravated assault for allegedly striking his long-time girlfriend, LaCharlesla Edwards. Amidst multiple stories, Edwards has stated that Dunn did not hit her and wants the charges and Dunn’s suspension dropped. There is no word on Dunn’s status heading into the season, as Baylor University is currently cooperating with authorities to make a decision on the matter. The incident will likely and unfortunately impact Dunn’s draft status even if he is cleared of charges. That doesn’t, however, mean that Dunn can’t come back to the team and have a positive impact.

“I improved my overall skill set,” said Acy.” I am working to become a defensive stopper. Offensively, I am working on my midrange game and touch, along with ball-handling. I need to up my energy and push others to become better.”

Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello. He also has Isiah Austin, Rivals.com’s second ranked high school center in the nation, on the way. At the moment, however, there may not be a bigger prize than the one he landed for 2010 in Perry Jones.

Along with his on-the-court attitude, Acy offers a fun personality, as evidenced by his answer when asked who his game most resembles in the NBA.

How good is Perry Jones? Only good enough to be projected as the second overall pick in the NBA Draft. The 6-foot-11 forward from Duncanville, Texas, whose game has been compared to NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, shocked some by choosing to go Baylor. But after talking to him, the main reason for his choice is clear. It’s about family.

“Steve Nash,” Acy said, as Dunn and Jones laughed. He smiled and then replied, “Nah, I’m like Amar’e Stoudemire. I love his explosiveness. He has a beast mentality.” The hunger Acy brings to the Bears is infectious and they will need it more than ever this season in order to reach new heights. It’s a unique opportunity Acy knew would present itself solely at Baylor, as the team not so long ago was ﬁghting to stay aﬂoat.

D ARKER D AYS

“We have to be a family, stay close and be in this together.” - LaceDarius Dunn LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE While Dunn may be the leader of the team, he isn’t the main source of where the Bears get their energy. That comes in the form of dunking machine, Quincy Acy. The 6-foot-7 junior forward has been in numerous highlight reels for his rim-shaking dunks and also is projected to be picked in the 2011 NBA Draft. Acy spent all summer elevating his game so that it’s ready for the next level.

In the summer of 2003, the Baylor Men’s Basketball program was rocked to its foundation when junior forward Patrick Dennehy was shot and killed by his friend and former teammate, Carlton Dotson. Widespread allegations of drug and alcohol abuse within the team, along with head coach Gary Bliss’ violation of NCAA regulations only made matters worse. The scandal left the Baylor program looking for answers and a reason to believe.

A NEW HOPE What Scott Drew has done for Baylor is nothing short of incredible. As Baylor’s head coach since 2003, he has taken the Bears to the NCAA Men’s Tournament in two of the last three years and found a way to bring big name recruits to the program. The strengths of his coaching philosophy are two-fold. One, he emphasizes endless positivity, and secondly, uses Baylor’s perceived small school status to fuel the team’s aggressive spirit as an underdog. Even now, Drew is hot on the trail of Westchester County Day phenoms Page 13

“I wanted to be part of a team on the rise.” - Quincy Acy

“It’s a long story but my mother has a heart condition that was diagnosed when I was in eighth grade,” said Jones.” I wanted to be in the Big 12 so this was the perfect location at the perfect time. It allows me a chance to go home to see her.” With Dunn currently suspended, the burden falls on Jones to grow from cub to grizzly overnight, but Jones isn’t consumed by the hype. “I try not to think about it,” said Jones.” I just want to come in, play my hardest and to the best of my ability. If I continue to play like I can, good things will come.” In a sports world ﬁlled with selﬁshness and dollar signs, the motivation of Jones is refreshing. As a team on the rise in the arena of college basketball, a national title win would do wonders for not just the program but the university itself. Asked what it would mean to bring a title to Baylor, Acy pauses and thinks deeply about the question. “You know, when I chose to come here

“If I continue to play like I can, good things will come.” - Perry Jones I wanted to be part of something up and coming,” Acy said. “Teams like the University of Texas and Duke are already established. I wanted to be part of a team on the rise. When Perry came to the team people asked, ‘Why?’ I say, ‘Why not?’” This is is his school, where he wants to go. To win a title would be a dream. It’s our goal to bring that exposure to this school. Baylor and Coach Drew both deserve it. The fans deserve it and we want to give that to them.”

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FROM BLACK TO GOLD In times of adversity, one is presented with a choice. They can succumb to the negativity surrounding them or they can build resolve from it and rise above the storm. Judging from Coach Drew’s philosophy, the recent trouble will only serve to bring the team closer. If they need any words of inspiration, they can build on the words Dunn gave when we asked him for a team motto for the Baylor Bears.

“Just us,” says LaceDarius Dunn. “From the coach to the last player on the bench, we have to be a family, stay close and be in this together. It’s just us.” As cloudy as the coming days may seem, there is still deﬁnite reason to believe the 2010 season could end up golden for the Bears. All photos by Eric Morales. For more information on Baylor athletics go to www.baylorbears.com

Playmaker Magazine

2010-2011 Playmaker Magazine’s

Basketball Preview by Bradford Harrison To say that the Big 12 had a solid year on the hardwood last season would be an understatement. The Big 12 sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament during March last year and had seven players drafted in the ﬁrst round of the NBA Draft this year. Kansas State and Baylor made it to the Elite Eight. Many questions are raised in 2010 the last season with Colorado and Nebraska in the league. Can Kansas stay on top? Will Baylor and Kansas State improve on last year’s break out seasons? Can Texas return to top form? Will Texas Tech and Colorado be the breakout teams of the season? Playmaker Magazine breaks it all down:

Baylor:

Last Season: 11-5 Big 12, 28-8 Overall; Elite Eight 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: G LaceDarius Dunn, F Quincy Acy

Outlook and Prediction: With LaceDarius Dunn’s off-the court issues and unknown status for conference play, Baylor will have to ask top recruit 6-10 center Perry Jones to grow up fast. Jones has the hands to play defensive and pass on anyone, and can score in bunches. High ﬂying forward Quincy Acy must also continue his dominating drives and acrobatic dunks as well. If Wooden Watchlist candidate Dunn returns to the team, they are talented and deep enough to make a run for the national title. If Dunn is out for the year however, they Bears could fall back into merely being one of the four or ﬁve best teams in the Big 12; good enough to make the tournament, but not experienced enough for a deep run. Only time will tell who the Bears are this year.

Kansas STATE:

.Last Season: 11-5 Big 12, 29-8 Overall; Elite Eight 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: G Jacob Pullen, F Curtis Kelly

Outlook and Prediction: Kansas State had a breakout season last year, ﬁnishing second in the Big 12 and making a run to the Elite Eight. This year the Wildcats plan to not be overlooked, but remain focused on taking their collective game to the next level. Guard Jacob Pullen was second in the league in scoring with 19.3 points a game last year, and Coach Frank Martin has his emphasis on team rebounding bolstered in the combo of forwards Curtis Kelly and Jamar Samuels. The previous ten years before Frank Martin’s arrival saw no NCAA Tourney appearances by K-State; in his four years, he’s led them to two berths. Playmaker Magazine sees no reason why they can’t make it back to the big dance, but how far they get will depend on how much Jacob Pullen can give them in crunch time.

Kansas:

Last Season: 15-1 Big 12, 33-3 Overall; 2nd Round 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: F Marcus Morris, G Tyshawn Taylor

Outlook and Prediction: Pushing past the disappointment of last year’s early exit to Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament, Kansas Coach Bill Self has built another big time contender this year in Lawrence. The Jayhawks are anchored by twin forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris and also welcome the highest rated point guard recruit ever to sign to Kansas, Josh Selby, to run the offense. Star guard Tyshawn Tyler looks to shake off a bad year offensively last year, and to remain the Jayhawks top perimeter defender. The Jayhawks have shared or outright won the last six Big 12 titles, and should be one of the heavy favorites to win in this year. This may be the most unknown team Self has ﬁelded in years, but the talent and the drive is there for another deep run into March

Texas:

Last Season: 9-7 Big 12, 24-10 Overall; First Round 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: G/F Jordan Hamilton, G J’Covan Brown

Outlook and Prediction: For a golden two weeks last season, Texas was ranked as the number one team in the country. Then the wheels fell off of Coach Rick Barnes’s team for the second half of the season as it lost ten of it’s ﬁnal seventeen games. This year’s starting line-up from last year has almost been wiped clean, as four of the ﬁve starters are gone. Newcomer point guard Cory Joseph may be the program’s best ball-handling prospect since D.J. Augustin. The Longhorns are also strong on guards in budding star J’Covan Brown and defensive leader Dogus Balbay. With Texas thin in the front court with the departure of stars Damion James and Dexter Pittman, expectations may be lower this year. If Barnes can build better chemistry than last year though, Texas may go further than anyone thinks. Only time will tell. Playmaker Magazine

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2010-2011 Playmaker Magazine’s Big XII Preview Continued

Missouri:

Last Season: 10-6 Big 12, 23-11 Overall; 2nd Round 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: G Kim English, F Laurence Bowers

Outlook and Prediction: Missouri is arguably the best defensive team in the whole conference, and proved it last season by forcing 659 turnovers. Junior college transfer Ricardo Ratliffe, may be the difference maker on offense this season for the Tigers, as he averaged more than twenty seven points a game in junior college this past year. The Tigers look to be a interesting mid-range Big 12 team this year.

Texas A&M:

Last Season: 11-5 Big 12, 24-10 Overall; 2nd Round 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: G B.J. Holmes, F David Loubeau

Outlook and Prediction: Texas A&M has been a model for overall and defensive consistency over the last ﬁve years. The Aggies have never had less than 22 wins in that span, nor have they failed to make the big dance that is the NCAA Tournament. Even more impressive, they have won at least one game in each appearance. Coach Mike Turgeon hopes that forward Kris Middleton will continue his remarkable run of at the tail end of last season, averaging sixteen points a game at the end. For Texas A&M though, the rule of the day will be defense, as last season every team that played the Aggies was held to ten points below their regular scoring average. If Texas A&M can get the same team defense going as last year and get immediate offensive production from Middleton and guard B.J. Holmes, a sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance is possible.

Texas Tech:

Last Season: 4-12 Big 12, 19-16 Overall Top Returners: G John Roberson, F Mike Singletary

Outlook and Prediction: Winning 19 games and your ﬁrst two NIT games is a start, but you must get better defensively if you are to break into the Big 12’s upper echelon. Texas Tech knows this is the mission heading into this season. The Red Raiders gave up at least eighty points in all of its ten Big 12 conference losses last season. Offensively, the Red Raiders will lean heavily on All-Conference candidates Mike Singletary, who averaged ﬁfteen points a game last year, and John Roberson, who owns Tech’s career assists record. If Texas Tech plays better D, they could be the surprise of the conference.

Oklahoma State:

Last Season: 9-7 Big 12, 22-11 Overall; First Round 2010 NCAA Tournament Top Returners: G Keiton Page, G Ray Penn

Outlook and Prediction: After losing James Anderson, the Big 12 Player of the Year last year, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will look to rebound defensively and look for a new offensive jolt at the same time. Keiton Page could provide this, while Ray Peen could provide the offensive production, as the Cowboys look to make their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Colorado:

Last Season: 6-10 Big 12, 15-16 Overall Top Returners: G Corey Higgins, G Alec Burks

Outlook and Prediction: Cory Higgins and last year’s Big 12 Freshman Of The Year Alec Burks look to bring the Colorado Buffaloes their ﬁrst NCAA Tournament berth in seven years in this, their last season of play in the Big 12. As Burk and Higgins go, so do the Buffs.

Oklahoma:

Last Season: 4-12 Big 12, 13-18 Overall Top Returners: G Cade Davis, G Steven Pledger

Outlook and Prediction: Nine newcomers will power the Oklahoma Sooners this season as ﬁve upperclassman were lost at the end of last year. Most scoring will likely come from freshman Cameron Clark, who can shoot a sweet jumper and drive to the hoop extremely well.

Big XII Basketball, continued on page 17 Page 16

Playmaker Magazine

Nebraska:

Last Season: 2-14 Big 12, 15-18 Overall Top Returners: C Jorge Brian Diaz, F Christian Standhardinger

Outlook and Prediction: Nebraska ﬁnished a disappointing last place in the Big 12 last season, notching only four wins in conference play. The Huskers will be nothing if not upfront this season as they boast players a front court of three 6-11 players and a wing averaging a height of at least 6-8. Nebraska will be entertaining, but whenever that “wow” factor translates to wins remains to be seen.

Iowa State:

Last Season: 4-12 Big 12, 15-17 Overall Top Returners: G Diante Garrett, F Jamie Vanderbeken

Outlook and Prediction: Coach Fred Hoiberg and point guard Diante Garrett will try to turn around a perennial underachieving team this season in Ames. The Cyclones have been stuck averaging 15 wins for last ﬁve years now, and while there is optimism in Ames with ﬁrst year coach Hoiberg at the helm, the program knows progress doesn’t happen overnight. If Hoiberg can get solid production out of four new starters, a three win improvement over last season’s record is a possibility.

TLU B ULLDOGS H EAD C OACH D ANNY P ADRON P ICKS A B ONE WITH P LAYMAKER M AGAZINE By Adam Sweeney The 2009 season was an exercise in futility for the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs football team, as they failed to win a game. A program that boasts back-to-back NAIA national titles, in 1974 and 1975 respectively, plans to turn things around this season. Danny Padron was hired as head coach to lead the Bulldogs out of the doghouse and into the ranks of the Division III elite. Padron completed his eighth season as the head football coach and athletic coordinator at Sandra Day O’Connor High School, where he held a 65-30 overall record, also winning the 2003 San Antonio Express-News “San Antonio Area Coach of the Year.” He succeeds Dennis Parker, who stepped down after going 6-24 in his three seasons with the Bulldogs. We spoke with Coach Padron about his expectations for the Bulldogs’ 2010 season and beyond. Playmaker Magazine: Why did you choose to coach at Texas Lutheran University? DP: (Laughs.) Well, I will be honest. We tried to turn the job down about three times. They were persistent and persuasive. When I got a chance to meet with the people at Texas Lutheran, the Board of Regents and faculty, they shared the same values I did. It’s a challenge that I am looking at in my career. I think in thirty-eight years of high school coaching that maybe I got a little comfortable, so I thought it was time to get out of the shade. PM: Mark Reeve, the former Cuero High School football head coach, is on your staff. He has had seven undefeated district championships and ﬁve state semiﬁnal appearances in the last six years. How will his philosophy impact this team and how has it meshed with yours so far? DP: Coach Reeve and I coached for a long time together. I would not have taken the job had Mark not come along. You have to have someone strong on the other side of the ball. He’s one of the strongest in the state of Texas. Our philosophies have always been the same so I think by him being here, it helps us and strengthens our defense. PM: Who are some standout Bulldog players in the 2010 season? DP: We have a quarterback, Mitchell Bunger, who transferred from Texas A&M-Kingsville. He didn’t play last year and he came in this spring. He has done a great job of adapting to our offense and mak-

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ing great choices, which is what a good quarterback has to do. We also have Vernon Hughes, who played some wide receiver before but is now playing free safety, which is sort of the quarterback on defense. I don’t know of a greater kid than Vernon. He’s unselfish. He went to defense, when offense gets more of the flash and credit, so he has done that well. Zack Weathersby, one of our defensive backs, is also good. He and Vernon are both from Mississippi and Zack is tremendous. He brings a lot of support to our defense, which we definitely need.

Photo by Adam Sweeney

“You have to build hope. That is our job as coaches. We have to treat the kids right. All we can ask of them is to try their best.”

PM: As a former high school football coach, what differences do you notice in getting to coach at the next level? DP: I think coaching is coaching. There are certain things unique to each division but I think it is about building relationships with your team. That’s how you win and get the most out of your players. You show that you care. It’s the same in that respect. Having camp was an experience for us. In high school, you work the kids for four hours and send them home to their parents. The kids aren’t going home to their parents here. (Laughs.) That was hard on the old coaches, going from three in the afternoon to twelve at night.

PM: You inherit a team that went 0-10 last season. How do you plan to keep the team motivated if a similar situation occurs? DP: You have to build hope. That is our job as coaches. We have to treat the kids right. All we can ask of them is to try their best. We also have to do a better job of recruiting. We’re in a strong conference. We have to out-recruit the other teams. It’s about getting great players here. That is part of the process. We’ve been in situations like this before and we have to build the players up and give them hope. We have a great staff and will get there in time. PM: Thanks for the interview, Coach. As a TLU Bulldog alum, I’m excited to see where you take the program. DP: Thank you. We appreciate all the publicity we get from you. It helps bring in the great players we need.

Playmaker Magazine

2010 SEASON PREVIEW: DALLAS MAVERICKS By Bradford Harrison Dallas has won more than 50 games and been in the playoffs for the past ten years. Give that a minute to sink in. The last time the Mavs were not enjoying postseason play, “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down ruled the airwaves. Outside of the San Antonio Spurs, they are the model of consistency

STRENGTHS  Overall Depth: The Mavericks may have the best overall mix of veteran leadership and promising young players in the Western Conference. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, and Caron Butler headline a team with a surprising collection of promising stars in Jose Juan Barea, Rodrigue Beaubois, and the rookie from South Florida, Dominique Jones. The most promising moves of last season and this season, though, may be the acquisitions of two sevenfooters in Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler. Chandler, who looked strong and healthy at this year’s World Championships, looks to shake the injury bug that has plagued him for the last few years.  Overall Talent: With up to seven players that can score in double digits on any given night, the Mavericks arguably have the best top-to-bottom depth in the whole league. With the addition of Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood, Jason Kidd will ﬁnally have the big man with the hands and elevation Playmaker Magazine

for the whole NBA, but that model isn’t built to win a championship apparently. With that being said, is the window closing on this current iteration of the Mavericks? After ten years of incredible regular season production, the Mavericks, who failed to capture a quality sidekick for Dirk Nowitizki in this summer’s free agent bonanza, must play like this may be their ﬁnal hurrah.

With up to seven players that can score in double digits... the Mavericks arguably have the best top-tobottom depth in the whole league. to pull off some productive and entertaining dunks. The Mavs also ﬁnally have some quality youngsters to spell minutes for aging veterans like Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd in Rodrigue Beaubois and Jose Juan Barea respectively. Dallas can beat you any number of ways, whether it’s the new infusion of low post scoring, the divine midrange game of Nowitizki or the swingman scoring of Jason Terry and Shawn Marion.

WEAKNESSES  Age: The Mavericks have stayed very healthy by NBA standards the last three years, but will age ﬁnally affected Dallas’s production this year? Will this be the year that Kidd and Nowitzki’s production has a dramatic falloff? There is always talk about “ceilings” and “pla-

Photo credit NBAE/Getty Images

teaus” in the Association, and while this may or may not be that year for the Mavs, the team has been playing at such a high level for so long that a drop-off may be ominously up-coming.

 Chemistry: The Mavericks’ great talent and depth can also be a double-edged sword. Will there be enough touches for Terry, Marion, and Butler to produce like they have been used to producing Page 19

straight Southwest Division crown. But how far will they go in their inevitable playoff push? Do they have the chemistry and stamina to go up against traditional powers like San Antonito and the LA Lakers, or young rising powers like Oklahoma City? Depending on their seeding and draws in this year’s playoffs , Playmaker Magazine could see a Mavericks-Lakers Western Conference Finals battle. However, if the team doesn’t gel like the organization believes it will, another ﬁrst-round exit could be possible. That said, this could shape up to be a strange year for the traditional powers in the NBA. A three-peat is one of the hardest feats to pull off and LA will have a target on its

Photo credit NBAE/Getty Images in the past? Will Brendan Haywood and Tyson Chandler be able to put their past scufﬂes behind them and both put in quality minutes? Caron Butler showed rumblings of discontent on account of his production drop of last year, and Shawn Marion may show some of those same misgivings this year, as his production did not improve with Jason Kidd as expected last season. Dirk Nowitzki has already expressed his concern at the lack of a “team-ﬁrst” mentality the Page 20

team may be developing early on in training camp. If that mindset continues into the regular season, Dallas could implode in the playoffs, when team defense and overall offensive cohesion is so vital to a successful postseason run.

PREDICTION The Mavericks will again challenge and most likely win a second

back yet again this season. Miami and Orlando have to prove they can win on the biggest stage. Traditional powers like San Antonio are truly aged as of this point. In the chaos of all this, this may be the last shot for the Mavericks to combine the old and new to sneak in an NBA title. The window is only so big and this is the time to jump through it with reckless abandon.

2010 SEASON PREVIEW: HOUSTON ROCKETS By Bradford Harrison Ever since the 2002 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets’ fortunes have gone the way of Yao Ming’s fortunes. When Ming is healthy, the Rockets are one of the toughest teams to beat night in and night out. When Ming is out with injury, Houston seems to sink back to being a .500

STRENGTHS  Team Chemistry: Last year’s Rockets’ squad was much more than the sum of its parts. Aaron Brooks was the league’s most improved player last season, and when he passes the ball well or drives off the dribble he creates scoring opportunities for power forward Luis Scola and last year’s new acquisition, high scoring swingman Kevin Martin. Center Chuck Hayes plays his 6-6 height like he’s 6-10 and Shane Battier provides lock-down defense on the best in the league night after night. If Yao Ming can stay healthy this season and add power and finesse in the middle to this group, they have a shot a taking down anyone in the league.  Scoring: How many teams in the league can boast a starting staring lineup that has four of its five starters averaging over fifteen points a game over the last two seasons? Even Houston’s backups can provide scoring punch with newly acquired third year man shooting guard Courtney Lee, and Brooks’ back-up, Kyle Lowry. Houston was ninth in the league last year in scoring despite a slower tempo offense, and with Kevin Martin stronger, healthier, and Playmaker Magazine

team despite having a very well rounded team in many respects. The 2010-2011 season should be no different. Yao Ming is back from a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire 2009-2010 season, and his doctors are limiting him to only twenty-four minutes per game. His play in those 24 minutes a game will decide the Rockets fate this season.

If Yao Ming can stay healthy this season... [the Rockets] have a shot a taking down anyone in the league. fully acclimated to the Rockets’ offense, that number could soar even higher.

WEAKNESSES  Defense: One of the reasons why Houston limped to a 42-40 record last year was their mediocre overall team defense. For every 102 points scored, they allowed 102 points, hence the near .500 overall record. If Yao Ming is out with injury, there is almost no one to clean up the glass in Houston. True, Shane Battier is one of the leagues great defenders, but outside of back-up Chuck Hayes, the Rockets have a set of very average defensive hands. Luis Scola is terriﬁc but can’t hold down topﬂight power forwards for a whole game. Guards Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks, and Courtney Lee are great, quick scorers, but they are limited on the defensive end. Yao Ming is the anchor of the defense, and as he goes, so does the defense.

Photo by G*Me/Flickr.com

 Defensive Rebounding: Houston’s offensive rebounding was actually in the top ﬁve of the league last season, but their defensive rebounding was downright concerning. Only, the 21st best on the defensive glass, other than Luis Scola, the rest of the team averages just under four rebounds a game individually. Again, Yao Ming is the lynch pin on the defensive side of the ﬂoor, being able to dominate the rebounding game and to chase long ricochet shots. Houston must get better in this phase of the game if they are to win close contests and deny opponents second chances on missed shots.

PREDICTION Houston can score and pass on anyone in the league, and with a full off-season of improvement from scorer Kevin Martin and distributer Aaron Brooks, the Rockets offensive should be set. Bonus points are given if Yao’s offensive game has held up well during his off time. The Rockets desperately need Yao more on the defensive end, however, to clog the lanes, clean the glass, and out-maneuver the league’s top centers and power forwards. Houston Page 21

is a smarter, savvier, and better team with Ming on the floor, even ifs it’s for the doctor-mandated twentyfour minutes. If Ming can’t go full speed for those mandated minutes, is not 100%, or gets reinjured, the Rockets’ have much of the same blue print as they had last year: a high scoring, defensively porous team, high on emotion and heart. If they can get better overall on the defensive end, then the playoffs are a certain lock. In the always very tough Western Conference, and the specifically the ultra-competitive Luis Scola/Photo by Jamie Diaz Southwestern Division, a team must win a minimum of to make any sort of playoff run. Only fifty games to qualify for the playoffs. time will tell if Houston is back with The Rockets need a healthy, producall of its heart and soul to surprise the tive Yao Ming, and a tighter defense league this season.

2010 SEASON PREVIEW: SAN ANTONIO SPURS By Tucker Stephenson

would’ve said, ‘Sign me up!”

f you told Spurs fans last February — when San Antonio staggered to a 4-4 record on their annual “Rodeo Road Trip” — that they could immediately trade in the rest of the 2009-10 season for a ﬁrst-round postseason victory over the hated Dallas Mavericks before a quick second-round exit, chances are about 70 percent

But when Gregg Popovich’s club was bounced by the Phoenix Suns – the Spurs’ perennial playoff whipping boy – in a four-game sweep that denied San Antonio a shot at the world champion Lakers, it put a sour ending on what should have been a year marked by the taste of sweet revenge against Mark Cuban’s Mavs.

STRENGTHS

used to the Spurs’ system (and Pop), meaning that it probably would’ve taken Anderson some time to get acclimated anyway.

 Health: At least heading into the season, the Spurs can count on being as close to full strength as they have in recent memory, with Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all refraining from competitive basketball over the summer. While it may have been tough for those three to watch their countries participate in the FIBA World Championships without them, the prevailing consensus among all three is that it was the right choice in the end. “I’m sure I made the right decision to rest my body and to be ready for the season,” Parker said during the organization’s media day on Sept. 27. “I got a little bit stronger, a little bit quicker. I lowered my body fat and have been working with a chef and a diet coach trying to eat well and with (assistant coach) Chip (Engelland) to just keep working with my shot and get better on my free throws.” Really the only injury concern is incoming rookie James Anderson, who began camp a little out of shape after suffering a hamstring injury earlier in September. Even so, ﬁrst-year players have a notoriously tough time getting

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 Upgrade at center: While most of the national media was still reacting to “The Decision,” San Antonio began celebrating the signing of Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter in mid-July. Splitter, 25, was named the MVP of the Spanish League while leading Caja Laboral to its second championship last season, averaging 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Playing for his native country at the world championships in Turkey, the 6-11 center put up similar numbers, averaging nearly 13 points and collecting ﬁve rebounds per contest. Splitter also showed a knack executing Brazil’s pick-and-roll offense, although only time will tell if the same rookie learning curve that applies to Anderson will also hamper Splitter, who has been playing professionally in Spain since he was 15-years-old.

It just goes to show how quickly expectations can change when the Spurs have a healthy roster at their disposal, even if the chances of upending Los Angeles appeared slim at best. And that’s why 30 percent or so of the fans presented with the proposition above would’ve chosen to let things play out. After all, true die-hards have come to rely upon a few key rules from this franchise: 1. Never bet against Pop.

2. Never lose faith in Tim Duncan. 3. Never underestimate Tony Parker. 4. Never count out Manu Ginobili. Of course, in today’s NBA, it takes more than a future Hall of Fame coach and the Big Three to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. But before any type of prognostication, let’s take a look at a few of the things that San Antonio has going for it this year, as well as a few drawbacks. likely seeing time as both a reserve center and power forward.  GINOBILI!: Much more than just a Charles Barkley catchphrase. Since Manu came to the Spurs in 2002, he has electriﬁed the AT&T Center with his acrobatic drives to the rim and has served as San Antonio’s most clutch fourth-quarter performer not named Robert Horry.

What has endeared the Argentinean most to Spurs fans, though, is his relentless effort and ability to almost will his team to victory. Even when his Photo by Tucker Stephenson shot if off, Ginobili finds ways to put his stamp on a game, as he did last At the very least, though, Splitter year during a Jan. 13 matchup with knows Duncan’s game well, having the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Depaid close attention to the 12-time spite going 0-10 from the field in the game, the shooting guard made the All-Star’s career. biggest play of the contest – diving out “I started to see Duncan when I was of bounds to save an errant pass late a child, seeing how he plays and a in overtime. The ball later ended up in lot of times my coaches over there in the hands of Richard Jefferson, who Spain made tapes just with Tim Dun- sank the game-winning jumper to lift can moves,” Splitter said. “So I tried the Spurs to a 109-108 win. to learn from him and now I have the Championships, opportunity to practice every day with  Experience: MVPs, postseason heroics – you name him and play alongside him.” it, the Spurs have it. To go along with Second-year man Dejuan Blair will the talent on the floor, San Antonio also add strength to the frontcourt, also possesses one of the league’s

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premier coaching staffs, which appears to have gotten even better in the offseason. When asked who was the Spurs’ biggest acquisition this year, Popovich, without hesitation, said that it was the addition of Jacque Vaughn as an assistant coach, comparing the former Kansas Jayhawk’s basketball intelligence and leadership abilities to one Avery Johnson.

WEAKNESSES

 Pest control: San Antonio has notoriously had problems staying in front of small, quick guards. That’s a big problem when two of your division rivals – Dallas and Houston – employ such players as JJ Barea, Roddy Beaubois and Aaron Brooks. Perhaps the Spurs will just get lucky and Mavericks head coach Rock Carlisle will simply forget Beaubois even exists. Again. (By the way, your check is in the mail, Rick. Cheers!)  Inconsistent three-point shooting: In the championship years, San Anto-

 Age: This is the ﬂip side of the “experience” part. Duncan will be 35 in April and has racked up plenty of miles on his size 16 Adidases through 13 NBA seasons. Ginobili is 33 and is entering his ninth year with San Antonio, although the reckless abandon that he plays with might make it feel more like season No. 11 or 12. The Spurs also have 15-year veteran Antonio McDyess on the roster. To combat that, Popovich will likely monitor the minutes of all three, although luckily for San Antonio, it won’t be anything as extreme as the mandated 24-minute “pitch count” that the Rockets will reportedly place on center Yao Ming. At least Duncan hopes not. “I’ll go batty,” the power forward said when asked how he’d adapt to a similar restriction. “Hopefully it’s closer to 32 than it is to 24.”  Still no Bruce: The Spurs are without a defensive stopper again, with Jefferson being the only true small forward on the training camp roster who saw time with San Antonio in 2009-10. Vying for the back-up spot are 2005 Most Improved Player winner Bobby Simmons, former D-Leaguer Alonzo Gee and Maryland prospect James Gist. Do you see any of the above three checking Kobe Bryant? Me neither. Perhaps a more acclimated Jefferson can ease some of the pain at this position, as Popovich spent extensive time with him and several younger players over the summer at the Spurs’ practice facility.

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Photo by Tucker Stephenson nio lit it up from behind the arc, feasting on double teams drawn by Duncan in the low post. But with the amount of teams willing to play Tim one-on-one increasing, the Spurs’ three-point percentage has dropped, although there are plenty of candidates to bring that number back up during the 2010-11 campaign. Ginobili is a known three-point gunner, while George Hill came into his own as a long-range bomber a year ago, becoming a serious threat from the corner in the playoffs. Matt Bonner (AKA “The Red Rocket”) can also stretch the defense with his shooting ability, adding a nice baby hook shot a year ago to keep defenses honest. New pick-ups Anderson and Gary Neal

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have also shown prowess from threepoint land while playing at Oklahoma State and overseas, respectively.

PREDICTION With seemingly 90 percent of the major free-agent noise coming from the East, the Spurs have no reason to believe that they can’t make it to the Western Conference Finals this year, especially if they stay healthy and Carmelo indeed gets shipped off to the Knicks or Nets. But even Ginobili will admit that San Antonio has got to improve to reach the level of its California rivals. That said, however, he knows the Spurs are not a group that backs down from a challenge.

“I think we are not as good as the Lakers -- they have won two championships in a row and they are young and doing great,” Ginobili said. “We are not the No. 1 favorites but we can beat anybody — nobody’s that much better than us. “I trust this organization, I trust our talent and so far all nine times I’ve been in this situation, I really thought I had a chance to win it, so I don’t see it changing.” Clearly, the motivation is there – only one question remains. Is this the last hurrah for Duncan’s Spurs? If so, it’s been one hell of a ride.

Western Conference PACIFIC Team To Beat: Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson. Kobe Bryant. Pau Gasol. Those three names seal the deal for the Lakers. It’s clear that in order for the Forum Blue & Gold to continue, all of those people have to be intricately involved in the process. All three are rested, recovered and healthy for the ﬁrst time in years, while Andrew Bynum hopefully keeps out of leg troubles, Ron Artest persists to be himself (which is a good thing for the team) and Derek Fisher is back to help initiate offense and necessary guidance; getting Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and two talented rookies in Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks never hurts either—meanwhile, the rest of the Paciﬁc teams took comparably marginal steps to improve their standings.

SOUTHWEST

Team To Beat & MVP of the Division: Dallas Mavericks & Dirk Nowitzki

It’s important to understand this—Kobe Bean Bryant has played in the last three NBA Finals with serious injuries and he’s won two of those titles. With (hopefully) healthy limbs and digits on the mend after taking another summer to recuperate from his battle wounds, KB24 may be in a great position to add to his legacy signiﬁcantly with a sixth championship for 2011. Let’s face it— the West will be competitive, but it’s Kobe’s opportunity to squander in what looks to be an epic showdown with the younglings from Oklahoma City, the Thunder.

It’s so difficult to separate the Dallas Mavericks’ success from its best player in Dirk Nowitzki. The team clearly goes as he goes, despite the parts that seem to move every year, and that’s a testament to the coaching of Rick Carlisle, front office stud Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban. Again, the Mavs will continue to push forth as Dirk continues to lengthen his prime with photo courtesy NBAE/Getty Images stellar numbers and play, flanked by the immortal Jason Kidd and the zippy Jason Terry. There’s a lot to like about the Mavericks, particularly in its youth (Rodrigue Beaubois, Dominique Jones, Alexis Ajinca, Ian Mahinmi) and veteran leadership, but the duality of inexperience (said young people) and age (Kidd, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion) threaten the life of the team’s chances to advance deep in the Playoffs. Fortunately, Dallas is deep with size (Brendan Haywood, Tyson Chandler) and the know-how to play well, so the other stuff will be on the Hall of Fame game of Dirk Diggler—expecting a good, challenging season from the Mavericks should make for good entertainment.

Overall Division Outlook:

MVP of the Division: Kobe Bryant

Though the Lakers are clearly dominant throughout the league, the Pacific Division has had its own come-up in summer transactions that present some interesting projections about how well the teams within will perform. The fact that the Golden State Warriors got rid of its formerly horrid ownership is a tremendous step in the right direction, but not without making some questionable moves (getting David Lee, shipping out Anthony Randolph and Kelenna Azibuike). The L.A. Clippers will be improved with the maturation of U.S. gold medalist Eric Gordon and a healthy Blake Griffin. In Arizona, the Phoenix Suns suffered an obvious big blow in Amar’e Stoudemire’s departure while accumulating a number of forwards (Hidayet Turkoglu, Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick) who may or may not fill in admirably in his place. On the other hand, the Sacramento Kings have only helped their cause in drafting two centers who were both projected top-10 picks in the 2010 Draft; paired next to Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi and Carl Landry, the black and purple looks to make serious waves in the not-so-distant future in the NBA. Playmaker Magazine

The Texas teams have all the cards in the Southwest. Dallas has the necessary talent and cash at their disposal to maintain an upward trajectory; the San Antonio Spurs, though wounded in recent years, finally have their “Tres Amigos” in order along with some young blood in DeJuan Blair, Tiago Splitter and George Hill to support their course; and the Houston Rockets have been able to improve the entire team just in shrewd trades and exercising patience with their franchise center Yao Ming’s recovery from a serious foot injury—even still, the other two squads have some hope. Despite Chris Paul’s “non-trade demand”, the New Orleans Hornets can maintain that they are moving in the right direction with restructurings in the front office and roster; those changes appear somewhat middling, but the results may say otherwise. The Memphis Grizzlies do have the honor of being known as an up-and-coming team again and acquired more assets after finally signing their first round picks Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez. It’s possible that the Grizz could threaten the Southwest hierarchy, but the stiff comp of The Lone Star State suggests otherwise.

2010 NBA Preview NORTHWEST

Team To Beat: Oklahoma City Thunder

Consistency and development are the names of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game, and that’s why they’re the team to beat. Having maintained a grand core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green, with Nick Collison, Nenad Krstic and Serge Ibaka as a secondary core, the Thunder are the top competition in the Northwest Division and possibly the greatest threat in the Western Conference (outside of the Lakers). Though still young and relatively inexperienced in playoff games, OKC has all the cards to potentially dominate the competition for the next several years.

MVP of the Division: Kevin Durant

What player in the Northwest is greater than Kevin Durant? Carmelo Anthony? Brandon Roy? Deron Williams? None of those players can top the sheer amount of skill, athleticism and high performance Durant displays, and he’s not even done getting better yet. KD35 has since joined the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade as a special group of the most imposing, gifted players that the league has seen since maybe the ‘80s.

Overall Division Outlook:

The Northwest Division is one of the toughest sectors of the NBA’s divisional groups. The Thunder are already being counted as potential heirs to the Western throne, on which the Lakers now currently sit, but there’s great potential from the group as a whole. The Denver Nuggets are in obvious confusion as Carmelo Anthony’s future in Colorado remains in doubt—however, if he stays for the next season or the team gets a player of equal skill value, the Nuggets still have the opportunity to make noise in the league as a predator. The assemblage of similar players at several positions on the roster has quizzical and the actual plan for the team to really win ball games is in doubt, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have so much talent, it’s hard to ignore that they could improve in a great stride for the 2011 season, but they don’t appear to threaten anyone in the league until results show up. As unhealthy, unlucky and somewhat mismanaged as the Portland Trail Blazers are, the triumvirate of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden are keeping the team’s reputation as a potential winner intact; sufﬁce it to say, as long as Andre Miller plays well, Portland can make a run at any time to move out among the top teams in the West. As for the Utah Jazz, much is left unquestioned—Carlos Boozer is no longer and Mehmet Okur is currently recovering from Achilles tendon surgery, while Deron Williams is left to hold the team together while Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver have also disappeared; if Al Jefferson can fulﬁll the role of scorer-defender in the manner that former Jazz Boozer and to a lesser extent, Karl Malone, did, then the Jazz can still make major waves in the league.

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Eastern Conference

2010 NBA Preview

ATLANTIC

CENTRAL

SOUTHEAST

Team To Beat: Boston Celtics

Team To Beat: Chicago Bulls

Team To Beat: Miami Heat

…But not by much. Whether or not the Miami Heat duo of Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were ever going to seriously migrate to the Windy City, the Chicago Bulls still came out great and retained their promising core. Ever since Sixers forward/center Elton Brand was stupidly moved to Los Angeles for the since-departed Bull Tyson Chandler, Chicago has lacked a talented player in the low post, but Carlos Boozer’s arrival has the potential to heal all wounds of the past. Give credit to the guys that have been there, as Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are establishing themselves in the upper echelon of talents in the league, and so with a shooter (Kyle Korver), a defender (Ronnie Brewer) and a really good coach (Tom Thibodeau), the Bulls look to compete for a championship for the ﬁrst time in 12 years.

It’s obvious to all who are in the know that the South Beach Trio are headlining as the league’s newest act, and they truly deserve the attention. Combining two of the greatest players in NBA history in their primes will do that sort of thing. Add in a “B+” All-Star forward and Texas native Chris Bosh, and a host of former All-Stars and wily veterans, and the answer is clear — the Miami Heat are a force to be reckoned with in 2010-11.

Who else in the Atlantic can hang with the Green Monsters? No shakeups in the division have yielded enough ﬁrepower to seriously compete with the likes of the Celtics, even as Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett continue only to get older and have their skills slowly erode. But with Rajon Rondo still improving at hyperspeed, and a stable of talented characters—Glen Davis, Jermaine O’Neal, “The Big Shamrock” Shaquille O’Neal, Nate Robinson, Delonte West—that can keep Boston in title contention, it’s clear that the Celts are still above and beyond Canada’s team (Toronto) and three Colonial franchises (New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia).

MVP of the Division: Paul Pierce P-Squared is without doubt the most valuable and the most important player on the ﬁve Atlantic teams. His presence on the Boston Celtics is the only reason that the team in green can still compete for a championship, because with him being healthy and playing as great as he has in the past two seasons, Boston as we know the team would cease to seriously be the foil to the Los Angeles Lakers championship run, and therefore cease to be the prevailing powers of the Eastern Conference. Pierce has now reclaimed the distinction of being the heart of the team since Garnett’s injury in the past year—if all is well with P2, then all can be well with Boston.

Overall Division Outlook: Although Boston is the best overall team, the whole of the Atlantic Division has improved with the free agency wave of 2010. Particularly for the New teams, Jersey and York, the rosters have been turned over with All-Star and rookie forwards like Amar’e Stoudemire and Derrick Favors—the Nets have a wiser Brook Lopez, a healthier Devin Harris and a deeper bench; the Knickerbockers not only have Stoudemire, but a “Hall of Fame” talent (according to Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom) in Anthony Randolph, a real starting point guard in Raymond Felton and an optimistic front ofﬁce to boot. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is still probably a hanger-on even with new additions (head coach Doug Collins, rookie swingman Evan Turner) to assist in building the 76ers’ future. Canada may also continue to suffer through growing pains with the departure of Chris Bosh from the Toronto Raptors, and while the Raptors are solid in their new acquisitions (guard Leandro Barbosa, forwards Linas Kleiza and rookie Ed Davis) and cutting the fat (Hidayet Turkoglu), 2011 looks more like a move to extinction than toward bright life.

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MVP of the Division: Andrew Bogut The former No. 1 overall draft pick, Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut, came into his own last year (with assistance from rising star guard Brandon Jennings). It’s been said that big men take much longer to develop a foothold of identity in the league, both in skills and in comfort, and Bogut only validated that as he was looked upon with head scratching as to when he would begin to dominate the opposition, not unlike his days at the University of Utah. Alas, upon enjoying a breakout 2009-10 season, breaks and fractures to his right arm at season’s end dampened the hopes of the Bucks to take the league by storm, but if healthy for 2011, Milwaukee stands to be a major threat to the playoff lives of even the East’s more elite squads.

Overall Division Outlook: With the exception of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the whole of the entire Central Division is on the comeup. Milwaukee has nothing to do but mature and gel together (and stay injury-free) and Chicago will be trusted to do the same (here’s looking at you, Luol Deng and Booz). The real cats to see will be the Detroit Pistons, or the Young & Dumb Boys (because they’re no longer that “Bad”), and whether they can withstand the intra-competition of its roster of multiple men (many men overlapping in similar skills) to win actual ballgames remains to be seen—I have my own doubts. As for the Pacers of Indiana, aka the Larry Birdmen, the gold and blue have a bit of hope glimmering in the ashes of their recent past; Danny Granger has not yet given up in his dedication to winning and the newly-arrived Darren Collison will ﬁnally answer the multifold prayers of the Pacers faithful, but with continuation of drafting knucklehead hotheads like Lance Stephenson, the balance in The Force has not yet shifted on Indiana’s axis.

MVP of the Division: LeBron James Not one person in the NBA can stop LeBron James, and let alone in the Southeast Division. Let the record show that LBJ will be playing four different positions in the year to come, and at just about all of them, he is elite; he was great at point guard as a rookie, he was great at shooting guard in his second year in the league, he excelled as a part-time power forward in 2008-09 (when he was beeﬁer at 275 lbs) and his default dominance takes place at his position of small forward. Take your pick of where he plays in 2011, because he may very well register a true, unadjusted triple-double average, take the league MVP for a third consecutive time and win the Larry O’Brien trophy... Or it could be Dwyane Wade.

Overall Division Outlook: Even though the Heat have been given the world and more in the past couple of months, the games still have to be played…and “YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!” (Thank you, Herm Edwards) With that said, who’s going to stop Miami? Well, there are those pesky Orlando Magic, who will enter the upcoming campaign virtually unchanged (save for the loss of Matt Barnes and additions of Quentin Richardson and Chris Duhon) — the Magic will save themselves and increase their chance to become NBA champions if they open up their rotation, because of if not, they will lose somewhere in the process. The Atlanta Hawks have both increased their chances to win and decreased their chances to build for the future in extending Joe Johnson for a cool $124 million, but as for the present time, the Hawks will be great competitors for the Eastern Conference’s… second tier. As much as Michael Jordan has put forth effort to rebuild a winning brand of basketball in North Carolina, his Charlotte Bobcats may not be able to duplicate their recent success for a variety of reasons (those reasons being the dynamic power shift to the Eastern Conference, MJ’s relatively short ownership pockets and lack of willingness to exceed the luxury tax, Larry Brown […], and the lack of exceptional roster talent). If the Washington Wizards win 35 games, even that would be a relative success to some degree; it remains to be seen how much John Wall, Gilbert Arenas, Kirk Hinrich, Yi Jianlian and JaVale McGee can help a team looking for light at the end of a tunnel when the Wizards have dug themselves in a pit in an poorlytended ﬁeld.

Playmaker Magazine

DEMECO RYANS TACKLES OUR QUESTIONS By Adam Sweeney If the Houston Texans have been a team ﬂying unfairly under the NFL radar, middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans would be The Invisible Man. Ryans burst onto the professional scene after a proliﬁc college career at the University of Alabama. How did it work out? Oh, he only has made two Pro Bowl appearances and won a Defensive Rookie of the Year Award so far. That’s not bad, if you’re into that whole success sort of thing.

Photo by Bradford Harrison

As Ryans and the Houston Texans storm toward a potential playoff berth, a franchise ﬁrst, he spoke with Playmaker Magazine about the 2010 season, Madden ’11 and how the Texans can become the top team in the AFC.

Playmaker Magazine: This defense carries itself with a bit of a swagger. What makes it different from previous defenses you have been on? DeMeco Ryans: The consistency we will have is big. We have the same core of guys mainly from last season and have played in the same system for the past two years. You just go out with a swagger when you know what you’re doing. You’re able to play faster and we pride ourselves on playing at a higher intensity than our opponent. PM: What do you personally think the team needs to do to break through and make it into the playoffs? DR: We need to focus on ourselves. I think a lot of times you look at the whole schedule at once. If we don’t look at the other teams and clean up our mistakes by running our offensive and defensive schemes the way they are meant to be run, we will be fine. PM: Are the Indianapolis Colts the team that you get most pumped up to play in the NFL? DR: Well, we’ve only beaten them a few times. They have been on top of our division for a long time. It seems like they and the Tennessee Titans have been there since the Texans started. To go places and make a late season run you have to knock off that top team. Any game is tough but Indianapolis is one we always look forward to. PM: What defines you as a playmaker in the NFL? DR: Knowing my role and being able to get everyone around me in the right position to succeed. That’s the key to my game. If something is out of whack on defense, I feel like I am the coordinator on the field. I have

Playmaker Magazine

to make those adjustments and see that everyone is on the same page. It’s a tough job to make sure everyone is doing what they need to do and still be able to focus on myself. I pride myself on doing a good job of doing that and getting my teammates ready to go. PM: The Alabama Crimson Tide won the college football title last season. How much have you rubbed that in your Texas Longhorns teammates’ faces? DR: (Laughs.) Man, that was fun. We’ve got Kasey Studdard and Frank Okam from Texas, and then Antoine Caldwell is from Alabama also, so we went out there and watched the Tide beat up on Texas. Kareem Jackson went there too, which is cool. Hopefully we can watch Alabama do that again this year. PM: Do you play Madden very often? DR: I just started playing the new one this season. PM: You saw that they gave you only a 90 rating, right? What’s up with that? DR: (Laughs.) I don’t usually play with the Texans so I didn’t see that. PM: Which team do you play with? DR: Anybody but the Texans. I always pick a different team. I’ll just hit random for the computer and go from there. PM: We’re going to get that ﬁxed because there’s no way a two-time Pro Bowl player deserves a 90. DR: (Laughs.) I appreciate it.

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