Read more about the article My trip down March Madness memory lane watching Butch Lee as the most decorated player, Magic as the best and John Shoemaker the top all-around athlete

My trip down March Madness memory lane watching Butch Lee as the most decorated player, Magic as the best and John Shoemaker the top all-around athlete

PHOTO: John Shoemaker (right) the night he was honored at Dodger Stadium as the franchise's "Captain of Player Development" in 2015. Then-Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis stands with him as one of the 133 big-leaguers Shoemaker has helped groom. Shoemaker was one of the first college athletes to take advantage of an NCAA rule that permitted signing as a pro in one sport and retaining college eligibility in another. Magic Johnson and Shoemaker are both Dodgers now, but on…

Continue ReadingMy trip down March Madness memory lane watching Butch Lee as the most decorated player, Magic as the best and John Shoemaker the top all-around athlete
Read more about the article Duke basketball takes a step back with a thud

Duke basketball takes a step back with a thud

By TOM SHANAHAN Duke is Mike Krzyzewski winning five NCAA titles and 1,091 games. Duke is annual 5-star and 4-star talent stocking the roster. That usually doesn’t add up to the Blue Devils impressively winning two in a row followed by a sudden thud. But that was Duke in Monday night’s 77-75 loss at Miami. And this was Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who didn’t like what he saw in Sunday’s practice: “I thought we were soft and I…

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Read more about the article Duke’s lost football season giving way to basketball’s late start

Duke’s lost football season giving way to basketball’s late start

PHOTO (Duke Athletics): Porter Wilson has been one of Duke's few bright spots, averaging 44.6 yards per punt with six downed inside the 20-yard line against Miami. By TOM SHANAHAN Basketball long ago crept into into football season, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the overlap. Even though basketball started nearly a month later in late November, football has extended into mid-December. Some schools – especially those with strong hoop programs – that are suffering through a disappointing…

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