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This Dose is jam-packed with 10 games from last night and 11 games tomorrow night, so we're getting right into it.
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Point Guard Controversy in Toronto?
Jose Calderon is on fire right now and helped power the Raptors to a much-needed win over the Cavs last night. He scored 23 points with five rebounds, six assists, three treys, and two steals and also prompted beat writer Ryan Wolstat to call into a question a starting point guard controversy based on post-game comments made by Dwane Casey. This doesn't mean that there is a controversy, but Lowry's attitude and defense have been issues and the team has been playing more cohesively under Calderon right now. My gut tells me that there will be some hand-wringing and motivational ploys to send a message to Lowry, but that all that we've seen here is a cracking of the door for the idea of a battle to take shape.
Ed Davis (four points, four rebounds, three assists) plunged further into the scenario I outlined in a few places last week, which is that place in which Amir Johnson (17 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block) shows up at his house and eats everything in the fridge. I think both are likely to trade off good nights while Casey rides the hot hand, but with Johnson having a bit better fantasy game he'd be the guy I want after he took the lead in the position battle. Terrence Ross continued to be a mess with just three points and one rebound in 15 minutes, so once again owners can clear the board and consider him a low-priority stash.
Alan Anderson played well enough last night to deserve his own paragraph, scoring 18 points with five treys, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 32 minutes off the bench. He is a prime example of a player that the media hasn't caught up with yet, as he put up numbers at the end of last season that many wrote off because the Raps were fully tanking. One beat writer called him "Scotty Pippen lite" last night, and more accurately he's a guy that is doing many different things correctly and he has forced his way into minutes. I just dropped Davis to add him in a shallow 12-team league, and while I'm not sure he can fend off the Raps' mediocre but Bryan Colangelo-approved wing corps it's worth betting that he can.
Wait on Waiters
The Cavs were ripped by the local media and Byron Scott for their defense and the only two players that got average marks were Kyrie Irving (23 points, full line) and Anderson Varejao (22 points, 10 boards, one steal, one block). Varejao knocked knees during the game and though the whirling dervish finished with 39 minutes, he's not doing owners any favors with the in-game injuries this week. It's acceptable if you want to call him a mild sell-high candidate, but I'm not giving more than a one-round discount in a deal at this time.
Dion Waiters (ankle) started in his return to action last night, and was predictably rusty hitting just 4-of-13 shots for eight points, four rebounds and one block in 28 minutes. When Scott is talking about defense, he's taking about Waiters and C.J. Miles the most and tonight was no exception. The difference between the two players is that Waiters has a future with the Cavs and Miles is a body at this point. Miles logged 30 minutes and scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting with four rebounds, two threes, and one assist, but the minute his offense isn't above average his minutes will be replaced, if possible. With Daniel Gibson (leg) leaving last night's game with yet another injury, it would appear that Miles will have every opportunity to stick in the lineup for now – so ride him until the wheels fall off or a hot free agent hits your radar. As for Waiters, I benched him where I could for the rust factor and will do so until he puts up startable numbers once again.
The Kyle File
The Hawks wandered into an overtime game against the Wizards and eventually won, with typical results. Jeff Teague scored 13 points with a normal stat line, and Al Horford hit just 2-of-11 shots for five points, but had 11 rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block. Kyle Korver wasn't hyped as much as I would have liked in his return, and he has wasted no time picking up where he left off with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting (including three treys), seven rebounds, two assists, and one block in 39 minutes. He's a vital part of what the Hawks are doing and will be a mid-to-late round value when on the court. Devin Harris left during the second quarter with a foot injury and did not return, which will help clear up minutes for guys like Lou Williams (24 points, 40 minutes). Josh Smith backed up his 1-of-10 shooting effort from Saturday with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 13 rebounds, three steals, and five blocks.
The Washington Injections
John Wall's knee situation took a turn toward cloudy when he contradicted reports by saying he had a stress fracture, and the team came out later and emphatically called it a stress reaction. The difference is that a break more or less occured in the former whereas the latter indicates the patellas are 'about' to crack. It feels like this situation could turn in any direction, but we'll get an update in a few days when his Synvisc injection wears off and he can test his knee on the court.
Even if we had news to suggest that Wall was going to return tomorrow, owners should still be clinging to Jordan Crawford tightly after his 27-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple-double from last night. Yes, he has problems with his shot selection, field goal shooting, and turnovers, but there's too much upside to be concerned with what Wall is doing. When you factor in the mystery surrounding Wall's injury, there is no decision to be made. Bradley Beal can be considered a poor man's Crawford right now, and he posted another inefficient but productive night with 17 points on 8-of-22 shooting, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He's a must-own player right now based on the same principles.
Last night Randy Wittman ran with yet another weird lineup, playing Earl Barron significantly down the stretch despite a 2-of-10 shooting mark and plenty of mistakes with the game on the line. Barron did grab 14 rebounds with a steal and four blocks, but his four turnovers were a mess and he looked like a D-league guy trying to make a name for himself on a 10-day contract. Part of Barron's usage was due to Kevin Seraphin's (four points, five rebounds, 20 minutes) foul trouble, and it's pretty clear that Seraphin is in Wittman's doghouse at least a little bit.
It's an odd situation because Emeka Okafor (25 minutes, six points, two rebounds) is awful on most nights and Nene (18 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block, 24 minutes) is on his last legs. It would make sense for the Wizards to setup a consistent arrangement with Seraphin to give him starter's minutes in exchange for a focus on rebounding and high-percentage shots. But instead they toy with his minutes and he naturally tries too hard to make an impact, with the kicker being that this aggression is taunted when the Wizards call his number repeatedly when they need an inside bucket or the outside shooters go cold.
Trevor Booker (strained knee) received a platelet rich plasma shot on Monday and he expects to begin "ramping up his rehab" in one week. I'm not concerning myself with Booker in the places that I own Seraphin, because Booker needs to prove he can stay on the court still, and I'm still holding Seraphin with an eye on the second half of the season. Assuming Wittman is still around, Seraphin still profiles as the healthiest of the bunch and eventually Wittman is going to have to stop toying with the lineup. The players already pushed back on him once. As for Nene, he's still suited for deep leagues until he can get a handful of games under his belt with increasing minutes.
No Love Lost
Ricky Rubio (knee) took a night off for prescribed rest and the Wolves ran into a rejuvenated Heat team in a 103-92 loss. Nikola Pekovic didn't look like a guy with back issues in his 18-point, 12-rebound effort, though he did have six turnovers. Just keep an eye on him as you normally would for injury updates. Kevin Love's shooting woes continued with just 2-of-10 makes from the field, but the 11 points, 18 rebounds, and three assists are enough to keep owners at the pump. There were also reports of arm and shoulder tweaks from last night, and Love is a bit dinged up to say the least.
Alexey Shved got the Dwyane Wade treatment and had his second straight stinker with two points on 1-of-7 shooting, though he did have eight assists in his 31 minutes. Since I've already penciled in a 2-3 week period of struggling while Ricky Rubio gets back on his feet, with an expected emergence that may or may not coincide with an injury to one of his injury-prone backcourt teammates – any struggles are already built into my equation. Looking at his struggles in a vacuum though, he's had his hands full lately defensively and it has broken his rhythm on the other end. He's still a dynamic talent that's learning his way so better days are ahead. The idea of he and Rubio terrorizing defenses is tantalizing.
The Flash
Dwyane Wade continues to show flashes of that situation we see every season in which a superstar takes the first two months of the year to rest or get in shape. He scored 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting with three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes, as reporters continue to talk about the explosion still being there. He's sitting at third round value in the games he plays, and he'll need to turn some of that talk into consistent action before he makes a move back up the rankings.
Spreading the Floor
Gordon Hayward (seven points, four rebounds, five assists, two blocks, 21 minutes) is working hard for his numbers so far this season. He gets benched when he misses five or more shots in a row, which is understandable for a player if he's not contributing in other ways but right now he's splitting minutes with 3-point specialist Randy Foye. Foye hit 3-of-7 shots for eight points with one rebound and three assists in 27 minutes during last night's win over the Nets, and his 42.3 percent 3-point percentage is the only reason he is winning the battle for minutes lately.
It's yet another example of the Jazz being over-reliant on Al Jefferson (16 points, 11 rebounds, 8-of-15 FGs, no steals or blocks) for their offense. They pound the rock every night and the ball rarely comes out, so Ty Corbin wants to space the floor because defenses are already diving in with reckless abandon. Hayward shoots just 34 percent from distance on the year, and he's four points under his 45.3 percent career mark from the field, and in this philosophy that's all enough to make his versatility a moot point.
I obviously don't agree with the decision to use Jefferson so heavily if he's not willing to pass out of double teams, especially when his defense is crippling the team on the other end, but it's only going to change with an extended losing streak. All is not lost for Hayward owners, though, as he is likely to revert back toward his career shooting numbers and sooner or later questions will arise about the core player's utilization.
Marvin Williams' (11 points, 10 rebounds, 30 minutes) return isn't helping Hayward as our blurber noted, but he's operating in a small forward bucket with DeMarre Carroll (two points, three rebounds, 18 minutes). The real issue here is that if Hayward is losing the position battle with Foye, and there are no small forward minutes for him to spill into then the inconsistency starts to creep in. I have always owned Hayward with an eye toward the second half of the season. A trade, an injury to the injury prone group of Mo Williams, Marvin, and Al Jefferson, or the organization's desire to develop their core can all be reasons Hayward duplicates last year's late-season run.
My Porridge Is Too Cold
Deron Williams went from one of the league's most enjoyable players to one of the association's more difficult players in just under three years. He ran Jerry Sloan out of Utah and his time with the Nets has been bumpy to put it nicely. He complained in the last 24 hours about Avery Johnson's offense having too much one-on-one, just a few years after complaining that Sloan's flex offense didn't have enough one-on-one play. I couldn't help but believe that this complaint is a reflection of Joe Johnson's arrival, which ironically was a massive blunder of an acquisition done to appease Williams. For his part, Williams looks a bit out-of-shape and he's the one initiating the offense improperly at times, and once again the squeaky wheel is looking to get greased.
So it's fitting that he struggled once again last night, scoring 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting with just five assists while getting handled by Mo Williams. Joe Johnson (21 points, 7-of-15 FGs, four rebounds, two assists, three treys, two steals) has been the beneficiary of these struggles, and I'm still keeping with my sell-high recommendations. Williams will improve, at least a little bit, and that will come out of Johnson's bucket. When one factors in that Johnson is hovering around a top-100 value in 8- and 9-cat leagues, he still has way more name value and his poor peripherals are why I am just as down on him as I was to start the year.
Andray Blatche's (eight points, four rebounds, 16 minutes) party appears to be over, while Kris Humphries (eight points, 11 boards, 28 minutes) is back in the starting lineup. Frankly, if I had to choose between the two I'd rather own and bench Blatche than deal with Humphries at all this season. At least Blatche has upside, while Humphries will be a mess all year long. If you have to drop Blatche, it's understandable because he's likely to be inconsistent until further notice.
The Indy offense stagnated against the Bucks last night, who boast a number of effective defenders to throw at main cogs George Hill (18 points, 6-of-16 FGs, two assists), Roy Hibbert (eight points, 10 boards, no blocks, 4-of-10 FGs), Paul George (16 points, 6-of-15 FGs, 10 boards, five assists, one steal, one block), and David West (12 points, 5-of-14 FGs, six rebounds). The good news is that the fantasy pecking order has been fleshed out and there shouldn't be too much ambiguity about that from night-to-night, and George has gotten back on track after a difficult start.
Stay of Execution
If you've been following, I gave Ersan Ilyasova a stay of execution early last week so I'm not going to drop him over last night's two points on 1-of-7 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 14 minutes. It is definitely annoying that Scott Skiles BFF Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (10 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, one block, 34 minutes) is back in the mix, but his knee is holding on by a thread and he's playing a bit over his head right now. If Ilyasova has a nightmare week the guillotine will move back into position for the following seven-day period.
Mike Dunleavy (knee) returned and picked up where he left off, scoring 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting with three treys, six rebounds, and two blocks. He tailed off a bit before going down, but at a mid-round value I'd be hard-pressed not to pick him up in any 8- or 9-cat format. Brandon Jennings scored 34 points on 13-of-22 shooting with a full stat line, and if anybody is whining about his field goal shooting do them a favor and take the top-24 player off their hands.
I'm not quite sure who is more smitten with Larry Sanders, Skiles or yours truly, but he had another five blocks last night and he's a must-start player in 8- and 9-cat formats until further notice.
Green Jam
The Celtics got run by the Bulls last night and the only notable achievement was Rajon Rondo's season-high 26 points. Courtney Lee scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting with no threes, and with Avery Bradley (shoulders) likely to return to a starting role in early January there is no real fantasy appeal. Jason Terry scored just two points on 1-of-2 shooting and it's going to be tough but seeing out his late-round value is recommended until we learn for sure that it's going away due to the shooting guard jam.
Triple Threat
The Bulls, on the other hand, were full of notable achievements as Joakim Noah triple-doubled with 11 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal, and three blocks, Luol Deng bounced back from a terrible Monday with 21 points (11-of-12 FTs), four rebounds, and three blocks, and Carlos Boozer went for 21 and 12 with a steal and two blocks. Marco Belinelli slowed up with 10 points, one block, and zero threes in his 34 minutes, and he deserves some slack if you've been relying on him – at least until Richard Hamilton returns. Kirk Hinrich is useless in most 8- and 9-cat leagues and last night was a prime example, as he scored zero points with two rebounds, two assists, and one block in 24 minutes.
Nate Robinson finally busted out of his slump, scoring 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting with five threes, three boards, and four assists in 22 minutes off the bench, so naturally a report emerged early this morning that his roster spot is in jeopardy. We'll pretend that didn't happen here for a second and come around to that afterward. His 12-16 team value in fantasy leagues hasn't changed too much all season despite the ups and downs, but missing his window to produce with Kirk Hinrich out has cooled his overall value proposition. If he's going to be a stash he needs to turn it on when given the opportunity. I think he can, but it might take a long-term injury to Hinrich before Tom Thibodeau will turn a blind eye to the defensive and basketball IQ issues.
As for this report, I find it interesting on a few levels, but mostly because rookie Marquis Teague hasn't shown much if anything in real game action this season. The Bulls can cut Robinson before January 10 without paying the rest of his $1.1 million salary, which isn't a lot of money. This means one of three things. 1) The Bulls have seen enough of Teague in practice to make a call, which isn't likely. 2) They have an idea of when Derrick Rose will return, which is exciting but not exactly something you bank on to save chump change. 3) They want to put a charge in Robinson to get him to defend and get with the program. Keep in mind that Hinrich could dissolve on the court, and the Bulls probably still want to make a playoff run. Maybe the situation is a confluence of all three things, or none of this, but I don't see giving this threat much credence until we learn more about its real reasons.
Taj Gibson scored 13 points with five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, but these numbers are fluky and he has a right ankle injury to play through. Moving along.
Holiday Season Blues
Jrue Holiday (foot) did not play last night and the Sixers fell one game below .500 with their 107-100 loss to the Mavs. Evan Turner did his thing with 17 points, five boards, five assists, one steal, one block, and three 3-point shots, and he has moved into a top-65 position on the year. It feels like he's more valuable than that, but he'll need to continue this deep-shooting trend and also improve on his defensive numbers to gain much more ground. With upside that appears to be capped in that respect, this certainly feels like a sell-high moment to me.
Our game blurber said that Jason Richardson should be 'held in deep leagues,' but for a guy with mid-round value on the year that's been struggling I'd say a high-volume 5-of-14 shooting night is just what the doctor ordered. He finished with 11 points, six rebounds, four rebounds, and three steals, and I'm calling him a must-own player in 12-team formats and the only thing keeping me from being more aggressive is his injury risk. When he goes back to his early season form I'll feel dumb for not going with my gut here. Nick Young scored eight points and hasn't been worth owners' time unless you count one empty 30-point outburst in a sea of McDonald's fish fillets a haul.
Dorell Wright nabbed all the headlines on the Philly side last night, with a season-high 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting, seven 3-pointers, five rebounds, and two assists in 30 minutes off the bench. It feels like he should have been more of a factor this season and it's still possible the team or player has been covering up an injury, but whatever the case may be he needs to do it again in a crowded wing situation before owners in regular formats consider an add. Spencer Hawes picked up the pace yet again with 18 points, seven rebounds, and a block in 27 minutes off the bench, and if you need a big man you should go ahead and make the add.
Gone Fishing
The Mavs' Derek Fisher experiment hit a snag when he left last night's game with a right knee strain and did not return, so Darren Collison (12 points, 2-of-7 FGs, 7-of-8 FTs, two assists, two steals, 31 minutes) is going to get a crack at resuscitating his fantasy value. Collison has been providing low-end value coming off the bench, and I'd caution owners not to get too high or low here. He is what he is and Dirk's return will more or less cap any upside.
O.J. Mayo did his thing with 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting (2-of-2 3PTs, 8-of-9 FTs), three rebounds, eight assists, and three steals, as his top 15-20 season continues to roll onward. Chris Kaman will be worth starting anytime he is healthy, as evidenced by his 20 points, seven rebounds, and one block last night. Shawn Marion should be back in lineups, too, as he had another nice night with 14 points, nine boards, two steals, and one block. Vince Carter (three points, two blocks) has been struggling lately and belongs on the wire when he's not getting it done.
Duncan Domination
What else can we say about Tim Duncan that we haven't already said? He bombed on the Nuggets for 31 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, two steals, five blocks, though it wasn't enough to secure a road win. He's a top 5-10 fantasy play in 9- and 8-cat formats, respectively, and yes those are sell-high numbers with the various risks we've discussed around here a million times. I'd probably limit any deal to top-30 value with no major red flags. Danny Green hit just 1-of-10 shots for three points in last night's loss to the Nuggets, and with Kawhi Leonard (quad) coming back soon things could get tight for Green. He's still posting mid-to-late round value on the year in 8- and 9-cat formats, though, so owners will probably want to limit any drops to above average free agents unless they don't need Green's peripheral stats. Leonard needs practice time before playing according to Pop, which sounds like a championship contender not taking any chances with a guy they plan to ride heavy.
Manu Ginobili (quad) returned to action last night, scoring 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting (including two threes) with six rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block in 30 minutes. He should be in most lineups when healthy. Tiago Splitter continued to solidify his role with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block over 23 minutes in another start at center, and there's enough upside to go with his season-long late-round value to consider an add. Yes, Pop is a mess and he could demote Splitter at a moment's notice, but Splitter has the chance to be a nice player and if he's making inroads on that then Pop is going to reward it.
Denver's Playground
Ty Lawson (12 points, 4-of-15 FGs, five assists) and Andre Iguodala (14 points, nine boards, six assists, two steals, one block, two threes) continued to see-saw, and I'm kicking myself for letting the chorus saying that wouldn't happen get to me. Danilo Gallinari's shooting woes continued as he hit just 9-of-21 shots, but the 28 points and nine boards with an otherwise full line are a good look.
Kosta Koufos had 14 rebounds and four blocks and is a pretty underrated center. He's averaging seven points, eight boards, and 2.4 blocks over his last five games, and is worth a look in deeper center leagues. JaVale McGee played just 11 minutes and still had 10 points and three blocks, as owners continue to tap their fingers waiting for the breakout. Corey Brewer may have staved off the grim reaper with 16 points, two threes, and four boards, but owners shouldn't feel connected at the hip for the low-upside player. Kenneth Faried beasted with 19 and 11 and apparently yacked on the bench. Hey-O!
Make Your Layups
The Bobcats always play the Lakers tough and they would have stolen a road win had Gerald Henderson (19 points, nine boards, four assists, three treys) not missed a layup off a rebound in the game's final seconds. Henderson should be added in all formats now that he's putting up numbers like this in the starting lineup. Kemba Walker continued to silence doubters like me with 28 points on 12-of-25 shooting, five rebounds, seven assists, and three treys, and Bismack Biyombo continued to make his case for ownership with eight points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks in 33 minutes.
Byron Mullens would have had a huge night if not for his 5-of-19 shooting mark, finishing with 13 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, one steal, four blocks, and three treys in 44 minutes. If he can ever put it all together he could do some serious damage, but for now he'll be in inconsistent player that has leveled out with solid late round value this season. Ramon Sessions scored 20 points with four rebounds and six assists against his old squad, and is worth a look now that he's somewhat turned the page from a very cold stretch.
Run Old Guys, Run
For once in Pau Gasol's career it felt like Staples Center was fully on his side, as he represents everything that is wrong with Mike D'Antoni right now. The Lakers have personnel to play a big, beat-you-up lineup, but D'Antoni is hell-bent on running with his slow, aging team. So when Pau got into the game there were big cheers anytime he did anything good and real anxiety when the rust showed itself. For his part, Pau had a nice game with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, but he was benched down the stretch and finished with just 29 minutes while being separated from Dwight Howard (16 points, 18 rebounds, four blocks) as much as possible.
Ironically, it is Howard that benefits from high-low passes from Gasol as much as anybody, but D'Antoni is already making small overtures towards running the small lineup that minimizes Pau's role. He moved Metta World Peace (17 points, seven rebounds, 6-of-18 FGs, two threes, four steals, one block) into a bench role to maximize his ability to play power forward and is going to start Jodie Meeks (17 points, five threes) at shooting guard according to recent reports. Kobe Bryant (30 points, full line) is going to start at small forward, and both he and World Peace are going to play as many minutes as they can handle. Meeks saw 39 minutes last night and D'Antoni can't get enough of a one-center and four-shooters lineup, so Gasol isn't in the clear after everybody in America including Kobe has talked about the need to go to Pau down low.
I talked about the risk-reward of buying Pau low in last week's Dose, but seeing D'Antoni so committed to rooting him out I'd just suggest holding steady after one game back. I think D'Antoni might experience some massive blowback if he doesn't change his ways, but it's a tricky situation right now that demands a day-to-day outlook from fantasy owners. As for Meeks, he's a must-add player in 12-team leagues with a starting job in tow, but it's worth noting that the Lakers could change things up frequently if the losing continues.
Steve Nash is now "50-50" to play on Saturday against the Warriors, but that could be expectation management after the reliable Marc Spears broke news of his return earlier this week.
Pelican Particulars
Nothing with Eric Gordon (knee) surprises me. So when a report came out from Ken Berger of CBS well over a month ago pointing toward January 15 for Gordon's return because he would be eligible to be traded – I took a mental note. He didn't want to be in New Orleans as recently as this summer, and he pulled the same sort of injury behavior last season when he saved his knee strength for late-season auditions in order to get paid. Wouldn't you know the talk surrounding his return has picked up just weeks before that magical deadline. I'm not saying he's getting traded or that I know for sure that this is what he's up to, but I am saying he should be owned in almost every league for the chance he rolls up on the battlefield like Commodus.
As for the game, the Pelicans ran into Golden State and gave them a game, which caused national columnists with no business commenting on NBA basketball to have to quickly re-write their 'Warriors are a well-oiled machine' stories by the end of the night. Anthony Davis returned to the starting lineup and had a bit of a concussion scare, but he stayed in the game and finished with 15 points, 16 boards, four steals, one block, and a perfect 7-of-7 mark from the foul line. It's been a rough start, but the returns should be plentiful as long as he stays on the floor.
Ryan Anderson scored 28 points on 8-of-22 shooting with four threes and a steal, but somehow managed to go without a rebound in 41 minutes of action. Other than to condemn the act, I'm just going to say it's weird and move on. Austin Rivers scored 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting with no threes, two rebounds, four assists, and no steals or blocks. Unless you're in a format where peripherals don't matter, I still need to see way more especially when Monty Williams almost killed him tonight for his effort on the defensive end. And despite the assists he has been getting, he is still one of the league's worst passers at the guard positions. Al-Farouq Aminu played three minutes and is living in the dog's doghouse nowadays.
Warrior Wobbles
As I alluded to above, the praise of the Warriors is silly after such an easy schedule and we're seeing early signs that they were playing over their heads. Of course, as a browbeaten Warriors fan I hope I'm wrong, but we'll see. David Lee scored 26 points with nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, and Carl Landry (16 points, nine boards) stole a few minutes out of Harrison Barnes' (zero points, 19 minutes) bucket tonight. I've been talking about the Warriors' need for better interior defense when the schedule tightens, but it might take Mark Jackson a few losses to get off the Lee train. Jarrett Jack scored 16 points with 10 assists in 34 minutes, and while his role looks stable now just be careful that my prediction of GSW struggles doesn't knock him off his perch.
Who Cares What You Guys Want
I'm working on a story for PBT along the same lines, but I pledge my allegiance to you guys first and them second but I'll break the news here (and bury it in the middle of my column). Sources close to the Kings players told me a few days ago that most of Isaiah Thomas' teammates want him to be starting and playing heavy minutes. According to the source, "they don't have any idea what Keith Smart is doing" and they wonder if he is even making the call.
This of course, begs the question of whether Geoff Petrie has issued the directive to play Aaron Brooks, and multiple sources have told me that Jimmer is getting additional playing time for marketing reasons. The source tells me that the frustration amongst the players over this playing time issue is palpable, and one of the reasons that DeMarcus Cousins came out wearing an IT jersey after his big game. The situation in Sacramento is coming to a head, as local blogs and media outlets that aren't the Sac Bee or team-sponsored radio station are going in heavy on the decision to play Brooks and/or Jimmer at the expense of IT.
How this all plays out in the short or long-term is anybody's guess, but this is Isaiah's team inside the confines of the locker room as far as the point guard position goes. I added IT as a flier in one deeper big money league that operates like a 14-teamer, and I wrote the blurb that said he was a unique stash for those with an iron clad stomach. For a team that needs a solid on- and off-the-court persona to rally around, and a playmaking presence that can distribute the ball in Smart's no-concept offense – Thomas could be the guy that brings it all together for the fans, the players, and an abused city.
News and Notes
LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) did not practice yesterday and he's a game-time decision for Thursday's national TV game. He is no longer using crutches, but he hasn't been a picture of health so far this season and I don't have a strong sense of whether he'll play or not. Wes Matthews (hip) did not practice and I have him in the same boat as Aldridge. Sasha Pavlovic (butt strain) missed time, too, which is what happens when you go from bench warmer to heavy minute guy so fast.
Wednesday Night Lights
BKY @ NYK: Carmelo Anthony (ankle) is a game-time decision but a rivalry game should up the ante a bit. The Knicks' defense really fell apart without him on Monday and I can't believe I'm writing that. Raymond Felton has bone bruises on both hands but isn't expected to miss any time. Rasheed Wallace (foot) is questionable and is not a fantasy factor right now.
DET @ TOR: Rodney Stuckey (back spasms) practiced yesterday and his status is going right down to the wire by the morning report. Kyle Singler slowed down right after convincing owners to pick him up, and failed to take advantage of Stuckey's absence on Monday. The most interesting news for the Raptors might happen off the court, as we'll be following up on Dwane Casey's comments from last night about the point guard position.
WAS @ ORL: We'll be watching to see how Kevin Seraphin bounces back from last night, but otherwise these two teams don't have a lot of fantasy question marks in standard formats right now.
UTA @ IND: The Gordon Hayward situation outlined above is worth watching, and in the back-to-back for both teams look to see if Roy Hibbert can get on track against defenseless Al Jefferson.
OKC @ ATL: Russell Westbrook took a hard spill in Monday's game and left with a brace on his left wrist, but we've heard nothing about an injury and that's probably good news.
CLE @ BOS: Both teams' fantasy players are well-defined right now, with Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles just outside of must-start status for the Cavs and the Celtics' roles practically etched into stone.
PHI @ HOU: It sounds like Jrue Holiday (foot) will miss tonight's game if I had to guess, but he'll be a game-time decision after a report emerged that the team is going to play it safe (duh). The Rockets are buzzing after their win in New York and we'll be watching to see if Marcus Morris can take advantage of Patrick Patterson's (foot) absence. Omer Asik could use a bounce back game and he should get it against the Sixers.
CHA @ PHO: Look for a Bobcats letdown after the big game in L.A., though they could come out fired up to get a win after their close loss. Gerald Henderson, Bismack Biyombo, and Byron Mullens are still under the microscope, as is Ramon Sessions after his big night. Marcin Gortat has built some slight momentum the past few games, and Jared Dudley is one game away from being a must-own player. Shannon Brown is hot and so it's probably time to let owners down again. Luis Scola got numbers against the Kings but he needs to follow that up with a few good games and if he can't keep it up against the Cats coming away from Staples Center that will be a bad sign.
MIL @ MEM: Of course we'll be watching the Ersan Ilyasova show, Mike Dunleavy's comeback, and Larry Sanders' block party. The Grizzlies don't have any surprises right now.
GSW @ SAC: Keith Smart basically put Tyreke Evans' (knee) future on Evans and the team trainers, which is another way of saying that the Kings aren't going to interfere with the player during his contract year. My gut tells me that if they had to decide today the Kings would re-sign him, and it doesn't hurt them if he hurts his own market value by taking games off. Either way, team sources tell me that he could take games off down the road, and owners need to evaluate the situation accordingly. This improves the outlooks of virtually everybody on the squad, and as I said on Twitter I have nothing to do with any advice one sees here about dropping Marcus Thornton. Thornton will return tonight after being with his ill mother, and that along with the dysfunction in Sacto are explainable reasons for his slump. He is one of the league's better scorers and with Evans' issues, a turnaround is more likely than not. Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette get a small bump in their outlooks while Evans' issue isn't technically serious, but the whole team will operate much better when Evans is not the featured player. This isn't to say Evans can't be a positive influence, but that he needs much better coaching and development to tie it all together and that's obviously not happening under the current regime.
NO @ LAC: The Clippers are still without Chauncey Billups, and we'll get an update on his status tonight. Owners will be watching to see if Matt Barnes and Eric Bledsoe can keep up their productive ways in their bench roles.


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The bill mandating universal background checks for gun transfers, including private sales, won initial approval on the Senate floor Friday.
The bill, House Bill 1229, had one of the lengthiest debates of the day.
Senators opposed to the universal background checks say it nothing more than an infringement on the Second Amendment.
"All we are doing is imposing costs and burdens on law-abiding citizens and not making them safer," said state Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction.
State Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, one of the bill's sponsors, said the bill will create a tighter woven safety net, keeping guns out of the hands of people who mean to do harm.
Some disagree.
"The bill will not improve safety one iota," said state Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray.
The contentious bill passed out of the State, Veteran and Military Affairs Committee on a 3-2 party-line vote Monday and passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday on a 4-3 party-line vote.
The bill is sponsored by Carroll and state Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora.
Exceptions for the private checks include those given a gun by a family member or if the gun is inherited.
In addition, the bill allows a 72-hour loan period as along as the person getting the firearm is not prohibited under law.
An amendment passed allowing military personnel to transfer a firearm to a family member or friend before deployment.
Current state law requires people who buy guns from a licensed dealer to pass a state background check by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Such checks are not required for private sales and transfers between individuals.
Proponents of the bill say it will create a tighter woven safety net, keeping guns out of the hands of people who mean to do harm.
Opponents say the bill say is a blatant infringement on the people's rights, nothing more.
"This is a day of dysfunctionalism," King said. "This won't work at the expense of Colorado citizens."
In addition, opponents of the bill claim it would only work if a gun registry is created, which is an unacceptable option.
Carroll said that claim was not true.
"There is no registry," she said. " I do not support a registry."
With the initial Senate approval, it will move to a third reading in the Senate. Gov. John Hickenlooper supports the measure.
Ryan Parker: 303-954-2409, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/ryanparkerdp

subset: commoncrawl


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When Tecumseh High School baseball player Jacob Britt starting drawing recruiting interest, there was a chance he might have added a wrinkle to an existing family rivalry.
Britt's mother, Pamela, graduated from Michigan and his father, Keith, graduated from Michigan State. In a household divided on the in-state rivalry, the outfielder/pitcher said he cheers for the Wolverines.
The senior attended Michigan baseball games growing up and became close with the coaching staff during the recruiting process. Michigan State took notice of him as well, but family ties were promptly put aside when Britt chose to accept a baseball scholarship from the University of Toledo.
"As soon as I came back from Toledo, I told my parents it was a place I could see myself living for the next four years and playing baseball at," Britt said. "My mom is a pretty big Michigan fan, and she loves to watch their games, but when I decided on where to go to college my parents really supported me and wanted what was the best fit for me both academically and for athletics."
Britt was attracted to the camaraderie of the Rockets baseball team, but also chose Toledo because he plans to pursue a doctorate degree in physical therapy and the university offers a renowned program.
"I use Jacob as an example a lot," said Tecumseh coach Tom Bullinger. "He's an extremely hard worker inside the classroom and out."
His dedication on the field translated to a standout junior season in 2011 that garnered Division 2 second team All-State and first team All-County honors.
Britt batted .394 with 10 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 38 RBIs, a .473 on-base percentage and .606 slugging percentage. On the hill, he went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 38, walking 13 and allowing 33 hits in 39 1/3 innings.
Last spring, Britt and the Indians piled up a school-record 29 wins and earned the Southeastern Conference White Division championship.
In 2010, Tecumseh made a run to the Division 2 state quarterfinals. Britt smashed home runs in both the state regional and quarterfinal.
"He's a kid who leads by example," Bullinger said. "He's pretty quiet, but he works extremely hard and he's passionate about the game. Day in and day out his work ethic makes him a great kid to have on your team."
Britt credits Bullinger for playing a significant role in his development the past three years. He said Tecumseh assistant coach Joe Linde, a standout pitcher at Eastern Michigan from 1999 to 2002, also became an important resource as the slugger began narrowing down his options.
"Whenever I had any questions about going off to college and what it will take to play at that level, Coach Linde has always been available," Britt said. "He's been there before, so he's a great mentor."
Following his senior season at Tecumseh, Britt will head to a Toledo program which has earned its way to the Mid-American Conference Tournament the past three seasons, winning the MAC West Division for the first time in 2011.
Toledo coach Corey Mee raved about Britt, saying he will be a valuable addition to the Rockets roster.
"We targeted Jacob as one of our top recruits," Mee said. "He's a really good athlete who swings well from the left side. We project him to be in the middle of the order during his time here. He's also an excellent student and a top-notch person from a great family. He's a really a great fit for us."
Toledo does not have plans to use Britt as a pitcher, but seeing him on the mound at the next level is not entirely out of the question, according to Mee.
"We know Jacob pitches for his high school team and has been quite successful, but we envision him as an outfielder and a middle-of-the-order type hitter," Mee said. "You never say never, though."
Tecumseh's Britt to continue baseball career at Toledo
When Tecumseh High School baseball player Jacob Britt starting drawing recruiting interest, there was a chance he might have added a wrinkle to an existing family rivalry.


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Welcome to the ASAPS Members Forum
A private area for members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF). For Login Instructions, see below.
Please enter your user name in lower case letters with no punctuation or spaces as follows: first initial, middle initial (if you have one) and full last name. Do not include any abbreviations for Jr. or Sr. Example: Robert William Smith, Jr., MD = rwsmith
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Click on Sign In to complete the process.
If you do not know your Member ID Number and need assistance, please call ASAPS at 800-364-2147.


text:
Please enter your username and password for the CQ Researcher Online:
If you do not have a log in check your high school, university or local public library website to find out if they have a subscription. You will be able to access the complete report via that site.
Learn more about subscribing to CQ Researcher here.
Just want this report? You can purchase a PDF for download here.


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Event Calendar
December 2012
Performances and Films/Videos
Lectures and Conferences
Tours and Talks
Family Activities
Courses and Demonstrations
Food Events
Free Hours at L.A. Museums (PDF, 269 KB)
Art Platform – Los Angeles
A + D Museum
Autry National Center
Craft and Folk Art Museum
Fowler Museum at UCLA
Hammer Museum
Huntington Library
Japanese American National Museum
Los Angeles Public Library
MAK Center for Art & Architecture
Museum of Latin American Art
Natural History Museum
Norton Simon Museum
Orange County Museum of Art
Pacific Asia Museum
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Skirball Cultural Center
December 3, 2012
Getty Center closed.
December 3, 2012
Tours and Gallery Talks
Garden Tour
10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Getty Villa
Discover the rich mythological and cultural connections of ancient gardens in this 40-minute tour of the Getty Villa's four Roman gardens. Meet at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance.
Architecture Tour
10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Museum, Getty Villa
Explore the architecture of the Getty Villa and learn more about daily life in the ancient world in this 40-minute tour. Meet at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance.
Spotlight Talk: Collection Highlight
Mondays through January 28, 2013
1 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Villa
Discover the richness of ancient art in this 30-minute gallery talk that looks in-depth at a major work in the Museum's collection. Sign-up begins 15 minutes before the talk at the Tour Meeting Place.
Collection Highlights Tour
Mondays through January 28, 2013
2 pm
Museum Galleries, Getty Villa
This one-hour tour provides an overview of major works from the Museum's collection. Sign-up begins 15 minutes before the tour at the Tour Meeting Place.
Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity
Museum, Floor 2, Getty Villa
In 2003, the J. Paul Getty Museum acquired a collection of over 350 pieces of ancient glass, formerly owned by Erwin Oppenländer. The works on view in
Molten Color
are remarkable for their high quality, their chronological breadth, and the glassmaking techniques illustrated by their manufacture. The vessels are accompanied by text and videos illustrating ancient glassmaking techniques.
Learn more about this exhibition
Roman Ephebe from Naples
Getty Villa
Youth as a Lamp Bearer
, a long-term loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, is on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa.
Learn more about this exhibition
The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection
Daily through January 7, 2013
Museum, Floor 2, Getty Villa
Pompeii and the other cities destroyed and paradoxically preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79 are usually considered the places where we can best and most directly experience the daily lives of ancient Romans. Rather than presenting these sites as windows on the past, this exhibition explores them as a modern obsession. Over the three hundred years since their discovery in the early 1700s, the Vesuvian sites have functioned as shifting mirrors of the present, inspiring foremost artists—from Piranesi, Fragonard, Ingres, and Alma-Tadema to Duchamp, Dalí, Rothko, and Warhol—to engage with contemporary concerns in diverse media. This international loan exhibition is co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art in association with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
Learn more about this exhibition
The Sanctuaries of Demeter and Persephone at Morgantina
Daily through January 21, 2013
Museum, Floor 1, Getty Villa
A cache of votive offerings excavated from the sanctuaries of the ancient city of Morgantina is on loan from the Museo Archeologico of Aidone, Sicily. These objects, which date from 400 to 200 B.C., were given as gifts by worshippers to Demeter and her daughter Persephone, goddesses of agricultural fertility. Ranging from terracotta figures of the deities to bone hair pins and oil lamps used in nocturnal rituals, the artifacts reveal worship practices and highlight the vibrancy of local craftsmanship. Several works have been conserved by the Getty, such as a bust of Persephone, for which treatment uncovered a painted scene of dancing women on her garment.
Learn more about this exhibition
Lion Attacking a Horse from the Capitoline Museums, Rome
Daily through February 4, 2013
Museum, Floor 1, Getty Villa
Among the most storied works of art to survive from antiquity, the spectacular Lion Attacking a Horse was created in the era of Alexander the Great. A trophy of war in imperial Rome, then a symbol of justice in the medieval city, this image of savage animal combat was admired by Michelangelo and inspired generations of artists. On the Capitoline Hill, its presence heralded the Renaissance spirit, laying the foundation for the worldÕs first public art collection. The extraordinary loan of this recently conserved marble group, presented in a special installation at the Getty Villa, signals a new partnership between the J. Paul Getty Museum and the civic museums of Rome.
Learn more about this exhibition
Relief with Antiochos and Herakles
Daily through May 4, 2015
Museum, Floor 2, Getty Villa
On loan from the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, a stele honoring Prokleides, a military officer in the Athenian army, is on view at the Getty Villa in a gallery (208) devoted to Religious Offerings. Carved in relief above a public decree are figures of Antiochos, the mythical founder of the tribe Antiochis, and his father, the Greek hero Herakles.
Learn more about this exhibition


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Huskers Aim For Cipriano Classic Crown
Nebraska Cornhuskers
2012-13 Record: 4-0, 0-0 Big Ten
Head coach: Tim Miles
Record at Nebraska: 4-0 (1st year)
Career Record: 287-220 (18th year)
Kent State Golden Flashes
2012-13 Record: 3-2, 0-0 MAC
Head coach: Rob Senderoff
Record at Kent State: 24-14 (2nd year)
Career Record: Same
Huskers on TV/Radio/Internet
Television: BTN and BTN2Go
(Ch. 610 on DirecTV; Chs. 439, 9500 on DISH; Chs. 24 and 333-SH, 1333-HD on Time Warner Cable; Chs. 80 SD, 1080-HD on Cox Cable)
Play-by-play: Brian Anderson
Color: Jim Jackson
Radio: Across the state on the IMG Husker Sports Radio Network, including KLIN (1400 AM/94.5 FM) in Lincoln, KFAB (1110 AM) in Omaha and KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington.
Play-by-play: Kent Pavelka
Color: Matt Davison
Internet Radio/Stats: Free on Huskers.com
Satellite Radio: None
Huskers Aim For Cipriano Classic Crown
The Nebraska men's basketball team looks for its first in-season tournament title since the 2005-06 season Saturday night, as the Huskers play host to Kent State on the final evening of the Joe Cipriano Nebraska Classic.
Tipoff from the Devaney Center is slated for 8 p.m. and tickets are on sale for as little as $5 by visiting Huskers.com, by calling 1-800-8-BIGRED or by visiting the Devaney Center Ticket Office 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
Saturday's game will be carried across the state on the 29-station Husker Sports Network, including primary flagship stations KLIN (1400 AM/94.5 FM) in Lincoln, KFAB (1110 AM) in Omaha and KRVN (880 AM) in Lexington, with Kent Pavelka and Matt Davison calling all of the action. The game can be heard for free on Huskers.com and is also available on the Huskers' app on iOS or android devices.
The Nebraska-Kent State game will be televised nationally on BTN with Brian Anderson and Jim Jackson on the call. Saturday's game will also be available on BTN2Go on both Apple and Android devices.
The Huskers come into Saturday's matchup with a 4-0 record following a 61-57 win over Tulane Wednesday night. Dylan Talley and Ray Gallegos topped the Huskers against the Green Wave with 14 points apiece, while Andre Almeida had nine of his 10 points in the second half to help the Huskers remain unbeaten. Nebraska held Tulane to just 39 percent shooting in holding the Green Wave to its lowest offensive output of the year.
With a win Saturday night, the Huskers can win their first tournament title since winning the John Thompson Foundation Basketball Challenge in 2005-06 and only the second tournament crown since 2000.
Standing in the way is a Kent State squad which has traditionally been one of the best teams in the Mid-American Conference. The Golden Flashes, who have won 20 or more games in 13 of the past 14 seasons, have been tested early on, knocking off Colonial Athletic Association favorite Drexel in the season opener and taking Horizon League favorite Valparaiso to overtime before losing. Kent State, which is 3-2 on the season, comes off a 69-68 win over Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday, as Randal Holt's jumper with 1.2 seconds left in regulation providing the margin.
By The Numbers
2008 - The last time Nebraska started a season 5-0, as the Huskers opened the year with six straight wins en route to an 18-13 record.
1.4 - Blocks per game in Andre Almeida's two-year career at Nebraska. The 6-foot-11 senior has 46 career blocks in 34 contests following his four-block effort on Wednesday against Tulane.
7 - Assists by Benny Parker in Wednesday's win over Tulane, which was the most by a Husker guard since Cookie Miller had eight assists at Kansas State on Feb. 6, 2008. Prior to Wednesday's game, Parker had five assists in NU's first three games
13-6-3 - Senior guard Dylan Talley is the only player in the Big Ten who is averaging at least 13 points, six rebounds and three assists per game entering this weekend's action. Talley is currently at 13.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.0 apg.
Joe Cipriano Nebraska Classic Info
The Joe Cipriano Classic features seven teams - Nebraska, Kent State, Valparaiso, Tulane, Nebraska-Omaha, Bethune-Cookman and Chicago State - playing four games apiece from Nov. 13 to Nov. 24. The Devaney Center will serve as one of the four host sites, and the Huskers have already faced Valparaiso, Nebraska-Omaha and Tulane before hosting Kent State on Saturday.
The event honors the many contributions of Joe Cipriano to the Nebraska basketball program. He served as the Huskers' head coach from 1963 until 1980, when he died of cancer just four days short of the start of his 18th season. His teams at Nebraska posted a 253-197 record and made three postseason appearances. He was a three-time Big Eight Coach of the Year (1967, 1978 and 1980) and his 253 wins at the time of his death were 167 more than any previous basketball head coach at Nebraska. Cipriano coached the Huskers to a 20-5 record and a No. 11 national ranking in 1965-66, the Huskers' first winning season in 15 years and the most wins at Nebraska since 1920. The team is considered by many to be the best basketball team in the program's 117-year history. The following season, he guided NU to its first postseason appearance, becoming the first Big Eight program to play in the NIT and his 1967-68 squad won the Big Eight Holiday Tournament, Nebraska's only title in the event's history. In the 1970s, his teams finished below the .500 mark only once, while his most successful Husker team of the decade was in 1977-78, which tied the school record for wins at the time with a 22-8 mark and reached the quarterfinals of the NIT.
Members of the Cipriano family will be recognized during Saturday's halftime ceremony, including Randy CIpriano, who served an assistant coach from the 1981-82 through the 1985-86 seasons.
Scouting Kent State
The Golden Flashes come to Lincoln for the first time since 1992 to square off with the Big Red. Rob Senderoff is in his second season at Kent State after serving two stints as an assistant coach at KSU (2002-06, 2008-11) sandwiched in between two years at Indiana. Senderoff guided the Golden Flashes to 21-12 mark in 2011-12 highlighted by a win at West Virginia. The Golden Flashes, who were picked to finish third in the MAC Eastern Division, have reached postseason play in 13 of the last 14 years, highlighted by an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2001-02.
The 2012-13 Golden Flashes are led by senior Randal Holt, the squad's only returning starter. Holt averages 13.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Senior forward Chris Evans, who was the team's sixth man in 2011-12, leads the Golden Flashes in both scoring (16.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg) while shooting 55 percent from the floor. Kent State averages 75.2 points per game and attacks the offensive glass, averaging over 15 offensive rebounds per game.
Nebraska-Kent State Series History
Saturday's game is the third all-time meeting between the Huskers and Golden Flashes and the first since the 2000 San Juan Shootout semifinals.
Nebraska overcame a six-point deficit in the final 5:44, winning 69-68 on Kevin Augustine's jumper with 24.2 seconds remaining. Augustine, who a had 13 points, hit a jumper to beat the shot clock and give NU a one-point lead. Kent State had a chance to win, but the Huskers forced a bad shot, and Augustine got the rebound as time expired. Kimani Ffriend led NU with 19 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots as the Huskers shot 61.9 percent from the field.
The first matchup between the two programs was a 85-61 win over the Golden Flashes in the championship game of the 1992 Ameritas Classic. In that game, Eric Piatkowski had 23 points and 16 rebounds to earn tournament MVP honors, while Derrick Chandler added 17 points and seven rebounds.
Kent State will be the first of two MAC schools on the 2012-13 schedule, as Nebraska will face Central Michigan in the opening round of the Sun Bowl Invitational next month in El Paso. The Huskers are 17-5 all-time against schools from the Mid-American Conference, but have faced just four MAC schools since the 2000-01 season.
Last Time Out
Nebraska made the stops down the stretch when it had to, as the Huskers pulled out a 61-57 win over Tulane. Nebraska didn't allow a field goal during the final seven minutes to overcome a three-point deficit and remain unbeaten.
Trailing 55-52, the Huskers held Tulane scoreless for nearly five minutes, as seniors Dylan Talley and Andre Almeida supplied the offense. Talley's runner in the lane with 5:43 left pulled NU within one before Almeida, who did not attempt a field goal for the first 35 minutes, gave the Huskers 56-55 lead on a mid-range jumper that kissed off the glass with 4:55 left. Almeida and Talley then combined on NU's biggest offensive play down the stretch, as Talley found Almeida wide open for a dunk to put Nebraska up 59-57 with 1:45 left.
On Tulane's next possession, the Green Wave got an offensive rebound and regained possession with 1:07 left. On the inbounds play, Jordan Callahan was fouled attempting a 3-pointer. Callahan, a career 73 percent shooter from the line, missed all three attempts. Tulane had two chances to tie or take the lead in the final minute, as Josh Davis, who led all players with 19 points and 12 rebounds, could not hit a jumper to tie the game with 21 seconds left before Callahan, who finished with 16 points including a trio of 3-pointers, missed another jumper with five seconds remaining. Ray Gallegos then clinched the win, hitting a pair of free throws with three seconds left to give NU a four-point lead.
Gallegos and Dylan Talley led Nebraska with 14 points apiece.
Worth Noting from the Tulane Game
Nebraska improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Nebraska went 10-of-19 from 3-point range which was a season high. The Huskers had just 11 3-pointers in their first three games.
Freshman Benny Parker dished out a career-high seven assists and had just one turnover in 31 minutes. The Huskers also dished out a season-best 15 assists.
Andre Almeida finished with 10 points, marking his second straight game in double figures. Almeida, who had nine of his 10 points in the second half, also blocked a season-best four shots. It marked the seventh time in his career he has blocked three or more shots in a game. Almeida also played a career-high 25 minutes for NU.
The Huskers shot 50 percent for the second time in four games, going 20-of-40 from the field.
Nebraska was 2-of-7 from the line in the first half, but went 9-fo-12 after halftime.
Shavon Shields made his Husker debut after missing Nebraska's first four games with an elbow injury.
Mike Peltz's 3-pointer in the first half marked his first career points as a Husker.
Ray Gallegos tied his career high with four 3-pointers, which he also had against Valparaiso on Nov. 15.
Tulane's 57 points was a season low, as its previous low was 61 against Georgia Tech on Nov. 9.
A Good Milestone for Tim
Tim Miles has gotten off to a fast start in his first season in charge of the Husker basketball program. Of the 27 head coaches in Nebraska basketball's 117-year history, Miles is only the sixth coach to start his Husker career with a 4-0 mark and just the second since 1920 to accomplish the feat.
Creep, Walk, Crawl, Run
With four new starters and a 10-player rotation which includes three current or former walk-ons, it has taken some time to implement a new offensive system and the headline has been a common mantra of Coach Miles during his first season on the job. NU shot just 40 percent in its lone exhibition game, but as improved to 46.3 percent through the first four games. Nebraska is also averaging just 11.5 turnovers per game despite having to replace its top three ball-handlers from last season. Last year, the Huskers averaged 16.0 turnovers in their first four contests. NU ranks fifth in turnovers per game in the Big Ten entering this weekend's action.
Ubel Looks to Expand Game
The veteran of the Husker lineup, senior Brandon Ubel has become a focal point to Nebraska's attack this season. The senior from Overland Park, Kan., leads the Huskers in both scoring (15.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg), ranking eighth in the Big Ten in scoring and sixth in rebounding.
He is one of four players in the top 10 in the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding entering the weekend, joining preseason All-Americans Cody Zeller (Indiana) and Deshaun Thomas (Ohio State) and Michigan's Tim Hardaway Jr.
Ubel began his senior year in style, posting his second career double-double with career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds against Southern. It was the first of four consecutive double-figure efforts, as Ubel led NU in scoring with 17 points and added five rebounds against Valparaiso and added 11 points and seven rebounds in the win over UNO. He also chipped in 12 points in the win over Tulane.
The 6-foot-10 forward is the Huskers' top returning rebounder (5.3 rpg) and second-leading scorer (6.7 ppg) and has the skills that could flourish in Tim Miles' new offensive system. Throughout his career, Ubel has been one of NU's top shooters, as he is a career 80.3 percent shooter from the foul line, including 82.5 percent during his junior year. He is now just two free throw attempts from qualifying for Nebraska's career list in free throw percentage, where he would rank fourth on the Husker career list. Ubel has the shooting range that reaches out to the 3-point line, including his freshman year when he went 11-of-21 from 3-point range.
Ubel closed out his junior season by playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 9.3 points on 68 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the Huskers' final six contests. He reached double figures in scoring seven times in 2011-12, including a season-high 17 points against Iowa on Feb. 28, on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting from the floor.
Return of the Redshirts
While Nebraska had six returning letterwinners back from the 2011-12 team, it is a pair of returning redshirts who have taken the slack from a lineup which lost four starters from last year. Senior center Andre Almeida and junior guard Ray Gallegos have played major roles early on.
Almeida missed all of last season following a knee injury after playing 30 games in 2010-11, but has been healthy and playing solid basketball early on. He is averaging 8.8 points on 54 percent shooting, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, ranking sixth in the Big Ten in blocked shots. After a slow offensive start, Almeida enjoyed one of his best games of his career against UNO on Nov. 18. Almeida totaled 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and matched his career best with seven rebounds. Against Tulane, the 6-foot-11 center keyed Nebraska's second half effort with 10 points, six rebounds and four blocks, scoring nine of his 10 points in the second half. He also played well defensively in NU's 50-48 win over Valparaiso with five rebounds and three blocked shots
In 2010-11, he averaged 5.2 points on 56 percent shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Almeida reached double figures on five occasions, including a 20-point, seven-rebound effort in his debut against South Dakota. Two of Almeida's best efforts of 2010-11 came against a pair of top-five teams, as he had 10 points and seven rebounds at No. 3 Kansas and 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting and five rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in Nebraska's win over third-ranked Texas. Almeida was a force on the defensive end, ranking sixth in the Big 12 in blocked shots.
Gallegos used his redshirt year to get stronger and worked on improving his all-around game and the signs have been evident early in the season. Gallegos is 16th in the Big Ten in scoring at 13.8 ppg while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. He has been in double figures in all four contests after reaching double figures just three times in his first two seasons. Gallegos is third in 3-pointers per game (3.0) and ninth in the Big Ten in minutes per game (33.5) after never playing more than 30 minutes in his first two seasons. Gallegos racked up a career-high 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the opener against Southern and had 14 points, including a career high four 3-pointers, in wins over Valparaiso and Tulane.
As a sophomore, he played in 25 games, including a start in the season opener, and averaged 2.8 points and 1.0 rebound per game. The Salt Lake City native's best game of 2010-11 came against Grambling, when he came off the bench for 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 22 minutes of action. Gallegos is one of NU's most experienced players, as he ranks second among Husker returnees in both games played (56) and starts (5).
Talley Takes Offensive Role
Senior Dylan Talley came into the 2012-13 season as the Huskers' most proven scorer and has shown versatility early in the season. The 6-foot-5 senior enters Wednesday's game averaging 13.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game - the only player in the Big Ten averaging at least 13 points, six rebounds and three assists per game entering this weekend's action. He is among the top 20 in the Big Ten in all three categories and comes off a 14-point, seven-rebound, three-assist performance in the Huskers' 61-57 win over Tulane. Talley put together one of his best efforts of his career against UNO, scoring 22 points and added five rebounds and four assists in the Huskers' 75-62 win. He also had 17 points 7-of-12 shooting and seven rebounds against Southern and showed he was more than just an offensive threat in NU's two-point win over Valparaiso. Talley was held to one point, but topped NU in rebounds (six) and assists (four) and held Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff to just 2-of-11 shooting.
In his first season at Nebraska, Talley tied for the Big Ten lead in scoring by a reserve, averaging 8.9 points per game, as he was in double figures 11 times. Talley has been a prolific scorer throughout his collegiate career, earning America East Conference Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 2009-10, averaging 11.8 points per game at Binghamton University. At Blinn (Texas) College, he was sixth nationally in scoring at 23.0 points per game. In 51 career games at the Division I level, Talley has been in double figures 28 times.
Parker Makes A Point
The lone freshman in the Husker starting lineup, Benny Parker became only the 10th freshman to start a season opener since 1995. Parker has been steady early on, averaging 6.5 points on 57 percent shooting and 3.0 assists per game. Parker is among the Big Ten leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio and has had one turnover or less in three of the Huskers' four game. Parker dished out a career-high seven assists in Nebraska's win over Tulane. Against UNO, he had eight points - all coming in the second half - after sitting most of the first half because of foul trouble. Parker had seven points, three rebounds and three assists against Valparaiso on Nov. 15.
Parker was a four-year starter at Sumner Academy of Arts and Science, leading the school to an 85-15 mark and a pair of state titles during his high school career. As a senior, he averaged 24.8 points, 6.2 assists and 3.9 steals per game, winning the 2012 DiRenna Award, representing the top player in the Kansas City metro area.
Of Nebraska's three active point guards playing this season, two are Division I newcomers, as junior college transfer Mike Peltz joined the team in October. Sophomore Trevor Menke is the Huskers' other primary point guard, as junior college transfer Deverell Biggs will redshirt this season.
Rivers Looks to Get into Offensive Flow
Throughout the summer and the preseason, one Husker returnee who was flying under the radar was sophomore David Rivers. The 6-foot-7 wing totaled only 20 points and 16 rebounds in 19 contests as a freshman, but has added nearly 20 pounds since last year. Rivers' improvement has been evident early on, as he has averaged 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game as the Huskers' sixth man entering Saturday's game with Kent State. Rivers had seven points and five rebounds against Valparaiso and established personal bests in minutes (27), rebounds (six) and assists (three) in the opener against Southern. That followed on the heels of an exhibition game where he had nine points and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
Shields Returns to Add Depth
For the first three games, Nebraska relied on eight scholarship players, as Shavon Shields was sidelined by an elbow injury. He made his debut against Tulane and played 14 minutes after being cleared for practice on Tuesday. His return helps the Huskers depth, as NU has only nine scholarship players available for this year and one of them is former walk-on Trevor Menke. For the first three games, Nebraska only had six players crack the scoring column before Mike Peltz hit a 3-pointer in Wednesday's win over Tulane. Of NU's nine scholarship players, only four (Dylan Talley, Brandon Ubel, David Rivers and Menke) saw action during the 2011-12 season.


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I find myself reading this board and it seems to be in such a panic. Rightfully so maybe, we got destroyed in the first off-season phase of free agency. We do have some holes primarily in depth some with more immediate needs. However if fisher, Kelce, commings, Cooper, Catapano if these guys can step up and some contribute some start and do well. How much stress does that relieve surrounding this team?
Personally I think this team is not in bad shape and you have to love the freedom and flexibility we have with our first round pick. Ya we are limited with our number of picks but the potential to land any number of players at 23 or lower if we can trade back who can immediately contribute is crazy and at the end of the day that's all you can ask for.
Bottum line we have to trust what Dorsey and Reid are doing and assume they have a plan until they prove otherwise. I'm excited for draft day because I have absolutely zero idea what te chiefs will do. However all the people that could be available I dot see very many that the chiefs could take and I would be upset because they could all contribute. It's gumna be exciting and I can't wait to see what happens.


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The Innova DX Wedge is an understable putt and approach disc. Actually, it is 'wedged' between a putter and a mid range driver. Smaller hands and those preferring a low profile straight flying putter will find the Wedge easier to grip and release. Beginners will like this as a great multi purpose disc as it flies straight with minimal fade. As a putter, it has a neutral flight pattern. More advance players will find the Wedge to be an accurate mid range roller and turn over mid range flyer. 21.2 cm diameter.
DX discs are affordably priced and provide an excellent grip in all types of weather conditions. Over time, DX discs will take on new and varied flight characteristics that stem from their use. They start out more overstable, but with use will match the flight ratings. With continued use, they'll eventually become more understable than the ratings.
About Color and Availability - Pictured above are some available DX colors. This model may not be available in all of these colors. Likewise, each weight range may not be available in all colors. Therefore we ask you to list and prioritize your color preferences and to give us guidance if the color or weight range you want happens to not be available. Feel free to contact us if you need more specific info.
|150 Class - 175 grams
|150 Class - 175 grams
"I was prepared to be under-whelmed and was not. It has a very smooth release and a terrific low speed under-stable glide that will allow me to keep a straight, or even right-turn at approach speeds. I think this will squeeze between the Hammer and the Roc in the upshot line-up. So glad to see some attention going to the finesse side of the game!" - Gregg Hosfeld