Black Thursday, april 3, 2014
sporTs / B9
[Keene-Equinox.com] COMMENTARY
(Cont. from B10)
Boulay played in nine out of ten games for the Owls on the trip. Boulay swung a hot stick, recording 14 hits in 32 at-bats. Boulay currently leads the Owls regulars in hitting with a .438 average. As of March 31, Boulay has drove in 6 RBIs. “I came out this year with something to prove to myself and my teammates,” Boulay said. ward, the Owls cannot fall behind early. “We would always be down to start games. I think we need to really focus on coming out strong and staying ahead rather than playing catch up,” We lost ball games we shouldn’t have. I think we are really going to gel as a team if we can minimize the errors and stay behind our pitching staff when we The trip also helped the chemistry for the Owls, that helped determine the identity of the team and who we are going to be. I think the whole team Sophomore pitcher Kevin Guild believes the Owls are heading in the right direction. “I think result-wise everybody was a little disappointed. I think as we come home people will start putting it all together,” Guild said. Guild said the Owls’ best strength is their ability to battle through adversity. “I would say our resiliency and ability to stay together. We easily could have split apart with all of the losses,” Guild said. The Owls are hopeful they will be able to play soon in New England. The Owls two mid-week games on March 25 and March 26 were cancelled.
MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO Members of the Kentucky and Michigan basketball teams jump for a rebound in the second half of the Midwest Regional final on March 30 in Indianapolis.
against Western Connecticut State University was cancelled on Saturday, March 29. According to Western Connecticut’s baseball schedule on their athletics’ website, both teams are hoping to make up the game this weekend. If that were the case, the Owls would then play Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, April 5, and then go to Western Connecticut on Sunday, April 6. In an interview on March 25, Howe said that he hopes the Owls could potentially play at home by this weekend if need be. However, the weather will determine what happens. The National Weather Service’s long term data states that there is a 31 percent chance for the average temperature to be slightly above normal for the next three months. However, there is a 34 percent chance for the forecast to have temperatures below normal. Finally, based on data from 1981-2010 the temperature has a chance to be right at normal, which is up to 55.7
As millions of fans watch March Madness, the NBA should be watching too
Brian Clemmenson can be contacted at bclemmenson@keene-equinox.com
Zach Winn can be contacted at zwinn@keene-equinox.com
ZACH WINN
SportS Editor The thing about March Madness is that it makes even casual college basketball fans pour over statistics and opinions in hopes of making a successful bracket. NBA fans, like myself, immediately notice the differences between the college and pro games. Some of the differences in college basketball could never be replicated at the NBA level, but others should serve to teach the NBA how to improve its game. Because despite the lucrative TV deal, rising ticket sales and international popularity, the NBA could learn a thing or two from NCAA basketball. The difference that college basketball fans like to point to most, between their game and the NBA, is that the college players seem to be trying harder. A lot of
people attribute this to student-athletes’ love of the game. They’re not playing for money— the reasoning goes— so they must be driven by some passion instead. The truth probably has more to do with the relative shortness of the college basketball season. While teams play about thirty games a year in college, that number can jump to over one hundred in a single NBA season. A lot of NBA games are played on back-to-back nights, with travel in between. NBA players can’t bring the same nightly intensity as student-athletes because the pro game takes such a bigger toll on their bodies. It would cost the NBA some money (which means it will likely never happen), but if the league shortened the season its players’ nightly effort would probably increase. Another difference between the college and pro games is the amount play-
ers are allowed to complain to referees before they are penalized. In the NBA a player can voice his displeasure with a call well after the whistle is blown and are much quicker to call a foul on a player who starts complaining. There seems to be a belief among NBA haters that the league’s players are arrogant and entitled. It’s logical to think this has been fueled at least in part by the nagging that has become commonplace after most calls. If the pros scaled back their complaining outside perceptions of the league could improve. Another NCAA rule that the NBA would do well to follow is the procedure when a possession is under dispute. In the NBA, possession is decided with a jump ball between the two players involved. This can lead to comical matchups where a 6’10” forward is pitted
against a 6’0” guard. The NCAA, however, rotates between teams using a possession arrow. This splits tough calls up, providing each team with a fair number of disputed possessions. The NBA’s jump ball system usually only rewards the taller player in the dispute, something that shouldn’t factor into the actual call at all. There’s a lot of rules the NBA could not take from the NCAA. With bigger and more athletic players, the NBA needs a shorter shot clock, longer three-point line and wider paint. But the league shouldn’t be ignoring college basketball’s popularity either. If the NBA was smart, they would recognize the potential for a broader fan base and adjust their game accordingly.
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