Tourney, Giants, and More

I've been MIA the past week, but my commentary from March Madness can be found at http://mvn.com/ncaa-syracuse. Opening weekend featured some thrilling overtime games, but most of the higher seeds have survived. In other words, the people who know the least about college basketball are probably winning your office pool. My brackets were busted when the rest of the Texas Longhorns decided not to help out freshman sensation Kevin Durant. While he put together one of the finest seasons ever for a freshman, he can't compete with '03 Melo without that national championship.

With the sport's world transfixed on the Big Dance, there's not too much for NY sports fans to get excited about. The Giants are one of six teams in the NFL not to have signed a free agent and the Yankees are playing well but it's only spring training. On brighter notes, the Knicks and Rangers have played themselves in to playoff position. The Knicks thoroughly dismantled divison leading Toronto at the Garden yesterday and received a huge boost from rookie Renaldo Balkman.

Just a few hours after the Knicks win, the Garden hosted the city basketball championship. The game was broadcast on MSG and I tuned in to check out sophomore sensation Lance Stephenson. Stephenson plays for the Lincoln Railsplitters, the same high school team that made Sebastian Telfair a NYC legend, and many think the sophomore is the next Coney Island great. He did not disappoint, showing off great range and an ability to score in many ways. The biggest knock is his attitude. He showed no defensive intensity and looked very unhappy when he didn't get touches on the offensive end. In short, in many ways he showed that he's still a young kid. Lincoln dominated Boys and Girls High School to take home the city title, their fifth in six years. Remember the name though. Lance Stephenson will be playing elite D-I ball in a couple years.

His Airness' Heirs Struggle in Nationally Televised Game

Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan are used to being the center of attention at basketball games. At opposing gyms they're heckled ruthlessly. Last night, they took their show to ESPN 2. Unfortunately for them, North Central guard Eric Gordon looked like the heir to the airness' throne. Gordon dazzled the crowd with 43 points and showed why he is one of the nation's top recruits. He looked like a man among boys, moving at entirely different speeds and already sculpted like a college player. His efforts sparked a dominant effort for North Central as they handed Loyola Academy their first loss of the season. The Indiana-bound senior even had a highlight reel reverse slam that invoked images of the famous 23 in the crowd. North Central fans appropriately dub him "Air Gordon", and he no doubt impressed the man rooting against him.

While ESPN turned its attention to the royal family of basketball, Gordon's story is the most compelling. Aside from being a spectacular recruit, his college indecision will be a major storyline in the Big 10 next year. His junior year, the shooting guard orally committed to Bruce Weber and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Weber stopped recruiting that position figuring he already had the best of the bunch. Unfortunately for him, the Indiana native wanted to head to Bloomington and finally felt comfortable once Kelvin Sampson took over for the maligned Mike Davis. Gordon switched allegiances and signed his future over to the Hoosiers. Illini loyalists have already sent threats to Gordon and he will undoubtedly be a marked man when the Hoosiers travel to Champagne to take on the Illinois.

For the Jordan brothers, it was a rather forgettable evening. The boys combined for 8 points and several airballs. Neither opt to wear 23, choosing 32 (Jeff) and 11 (Marcus) instead. They did combine on a nice alley-oop, the younger Marcus to big brother Jeff, early in the first quarter but provided little else to get excited about. Jeffrey, a senior, was recently selected for the Jordan All-Star classic but is undecided on his college choice. Marcus, a sophomore, promises to be a more sought after recruit as he matures. Both seem to be better distributors than scorers and certainly play smart basketball. They also shoot lefty, a strange diversion from their right handed father. Luckily for them, even their father didn't develop until he was a senior in high school. Unfortunately, they faced an opponent who will no doubt make an impact on the next level.