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Walter's Blog
Post #64: J-Rod Closes Carter Gym In Grand Style
Mon Feb 25, 2008
Former Tropics star Jonathan Rodriguez scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Monday night in Campbell's 96-87 loss to East Tennessee State.
It was the last game ever at Carter Gym, which has served as Campbell's home since 1953. With maximum seating of only 957, it had been the second-smallest gym in Division I college basketball.
Next season, the Camels will play in 3,100-seat Gilbert Craig Gore Arena.
Meanwhile, J-Rod is one of only six players in the nation to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Awesome job by the 6-6 sophomore small forward.
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Post #63: America's Next Sports Star Off To A Great Start
Wed Feb 20, 2008
The TV reality show America's Next Sports Star came to Miami this past Saturday and looked at numerous basketball players in an open casting call.
Five pro players from the Tropics organization showed off their skills for the opportunity to make the television show - guards Marcus Barnes and Jemel Davila, forwards Terence Shelman and Sylbrin Robinson and center Ja Ja Richards.
Miami was the first stop on a national multi-city tour that will include New York this weekend followed by Dallas, Indianapolis and Chapel Hill, N.C.
The show's producers will take the best players they find and invite them to tape the show in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles this April.
And while it is too early to announce who made the cut from the Miami casting call, all five Tropics players were impressive.
Keep tuning in to this website and this blog for news on the show.
Post #62: Congrats To K-State Coach Frank Martin
Thu Jan 31, 2008
Congratulations to Frank Martin, a close friend of Tropics President Art "Pilin" Alvarez, for leading Kansas State to a huge 84-75 win over second-ranked Kansas Wednesday night.
It was the Wildcats' first win over Kansas in 25 years. It also knocked Kansas (20-1) out of the ranks of the unbeatens. Only top-ranked Memphis is still perfect this season.
K-State is 15-4 overall and 5-0 in the Big 12. Watch for the Wildcats to improve on their No. 24 national ranking.
That's thanks to superb freshman forward Michael Beasley, who leads the nation in rebounding and is 4th in scoring. Beasley, who had 25 points and 6 rebounds Wednesday, will be in the NBA next season as a lottery pick. That's pretty much a lock.
K-State's other star is swingman Billy Walker, who had 22 points. He's another first-round pick in training.
The Wildcats, unbeaten in January, are a legitimate threat to win it all this season. Wouldn't that be great for Martin, the former Miami High coach?
Post #61: Seven Hours Away ...
Fri Jan 25, 2008
Here is what I'm thinking as there are just seven hours until the Tropics and Santurce Cangrejeros tip off in the deciding game of their FIBA Americas League quarterfinal matchup.
1 - The Tropics are 4-0 at home in the FIBA League, which makes it a huge advantage. The FIU court is a bit longer than what the Cangrejeros play on in Puerto Rico, but it fits perfectly with the Tropics' full-court style.
2 - The home team has won almost every quarterfinal game so far in the FIBA League, a total record of 8-1. Only Brazil's Minas Tenis has won on the road, another good omen for the Tropics.
3 - I was happy to see reserve forward Marland Dumont have his best game yet as a member of the Tropics. Dumont patiently rode the bench the first four games, playing little but never complaining. On Thursday night, though, he was highly effective, making 3 of 4 shots and finishing with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal in 10 minutes. Very productive.
4 - Point guard Tony Mitchell, who had looked so good in practice but had not transferred that ability completely to his games, had a breakthrough performance Thursday night. He was the Tropics' best three-point shooter by far (5 of 11), led them in assists with 7, grabbed 5 rebounds, got 1 steal and ran the team well. He has become a valuable team leader, too, the type of guy to step up and talk to his teammates.
5 - It was good to see guard Jermaine Watson turn it on in the second half. When he is driving to the hoop, he is nearly impossible to stop because he will either score or get the foul - or both. And he is easily the team's free-throw shooter. Watson also had 4 assists on Thursday and can get even more tonight as Santurce will look to double him on his drives.
6 - Watch out for forward Terence Shelman tonight. He only had 4 points, 2 assists and 4 rebounds on Thursday. He should be well rested with only having played 17 minutes. Shelman is the type who can get a triple-double because he is so versatile. And he won't back down from anyone. He is the heart and soul of the team, and I look for him to be huge tonight.
7 - Forward Sylbrin Robinson, who has such great chemistry with Shelman, played only 13 minutes Thursday. He could have a big game, too.
8 - Center Ja Ja Richards showed a little something something Thursday, scoring on a sweet post move over Tractor Traylor. Richards also grabbed 6 rebounds, got 2 steals and blocked 1 shot. He has experience playing in Puerto Rico's pro league and defending Traylor, which is an asset for the Tropics. He also is the Tropics' biggest player. He had 14 minutes on Thursday and could see even more time tonight.
9 - The Tropics are so deep right now that not everyone can get extended minutes. But guard Jemel Davila has proven he can be a sparkplug in the FIBA League, and guard Junior Matias is playing on his homecourt of FIU. Either or both could make a key contribution tonight.
10 - Santurce looked tired Thursday night. They left for Puerto Rico's airport at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday but did not actually board a flight until 1:30 p.m. So that may have been part of the problem. Plus, it did not help Santurce that the Tropics pressured them all game long. The Cangrejeros are a team that prefers to walk the ball upcourt, run its pick-and-roll offense and get nice and easy open looks. That's the way they played in Puerto Rico, but the Tropics forced them to play fast on Thursday.
11 - Even though the Cangrejeros may be tired, they are still dangerous, and the Tropics will get beat if they become complacent. Santurce's players are not that athletic, but they are smart and crafty. They hit open shots, they lay in the weeds and get steals. This is a team to be respected. But the Cangrejeros can be beat if the Tropics run and pressure as they did on Thursday. If the Tropics do that, they will wear Santurce down.
Post #60: Another Final Four Team Is In
Thu Jan 24, 2008
Argentina's Penarol knocked off Uruguay's Defensor Sporting, 77-68, Wednesday night in FIBA Americas League action.
Penarol became the second team in two nights to rally back from an 0-1 road start by winning two straight at home. Mexico's Soles was the first team to do it.
And the Miami Tropics hope to become the third straight team to accomplish the feat by knocking off Puerto Rican champion Santurce tonight and Friday.
Meanwhile, former Tropics Nike Travel Team point guard Javi Gonzalez had a huge night for North Carolina State on Wednesday. Gonzalez, a 6-0 freshman, made 4 of 8 shots, scoring 9 points and grabbing 3 rebounds.
Gonzalez also had 2 assists and 2 steals and just 1 turnover. ESPN's announcers raved about Gonzalez's performance several times during the telecast.
Post #59: Already One Team In Final Four
Wed Jan 23, 2008
Soles beat Halcones Xalapa Tuesday night in an all-Mexican battle, becoming the first team to punch its ticket to the FIBA Americas League Final Four, which will be played Feb. 8-9.
The development is interesting on a couple of fronts. First of all, Soles accomplished what the Tropics will try to do this week: come back from an opening loss on the road to win two straight at home.
Secondly, it was interesting to see how Halcones fared because that was one of the teams the Tropics beat in the first round.
The Tropics, of course, play Thursday night at home vs. Puerto Rican champion Santurce. The Cangrejeros got good news this week when it was announced that backup center Christian Rivera will be ready to play Thursday. He missed the first game vs. the Tropics due to injury.
Meanwhile, Uruguay's Defensor Sporting and Argentina's Penarol will play the third and decisive game of their series tonight. The winner will join Soles as the second team in the Final Four.
The fourth finalist will be contested between Brazil's Minas Tenis and Argentina's Libertad Sunchales. Minas Tenis leads 1-0 with the culmination of the series taking place on Friday and Saturday (if needed).
Post #58: Big Victory For Javi Gonzalez
Sun Jan 20, 2008
Former Tropics point guard Javi Gonzalez of North Carolina State made some key plays as he helped beat his hometown team, the University of Miami Hurricanes.
Gonzalez, who played for Miami's Krop High, contributed 6 points and 3 assists in 27 minutes off the bench. He made 2 of 5 shots, including a clutch three-pointer late in the game.
He also made a key, heads-up assist to tie the score and send the game to overtime, where the Wolfpack won, 79-77.
Post #57: Diaz Makes History
Sat Jan 19, 2008
Guillermo Diaz, one of the stars of the Miami Tropics program, is the first Puerto Rican to make the NBA without having played in his home country's pro league or their national team.
The fact that Diaz is now an NBA player raises his stock in Puerto Rico, which now badly wants him for the national team. It seems to me that they should have known how talented Diaz was a long time ago, no? Like when he was the No. 2 scorer in the ACC? Or before that when he made Big East All-Freshman?
You didn't have to be Red Auerbach to realize the career path Diaz has been on for years. I hope Diaz does play for his national team because I think that would be a great source of pride for any player. But I know that right now Diaz is concentrating 100 percent on the NBA, the greatest league in the world.
Post #56: Denis Doing Well At K-State
Fri Jan 11, 2008
On Thursday, I talked to some folks who follow the Kansas State program, and they all told me that ex-Tropics star Denis Clemente is by far the best guard on the team.
Of course, Clemente is not eligible until next season because he is a transfer student. But the former Miami Hurricane is looking great in practice, impressing onlookers with his blazing speed.
K-State sophomore center Luis Colon, another former Miami Tropics player, is still a work in progress, I am told. Colon is a hard worker and should begin to blossom in his junior season.
Post #55: DNP For Diaz, L For Huertas
Thu Jan 10, 2008
Combo guard Guillermo Diaz showed up for his first-ever NBA game Wednesday night, but he did not play as his Los Angeles Clippers lost to the visiting Orlando Magic, 113-106.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Diaz was not allowed to suit up because of a clerical error. The Clippers' next game is Saturday vs. the Dallas Mavericks and Diaz's friend Jose Juan Barea.
Meanwhile, shooting guard David Huertas suffered his first loss as an Ole Miss Rebel. Host Tennessee, ranked 9th in the nation, beat No. 15 Mississippi, 85-83.
Huertas started and scored 5 points, but Tyler Smith scored on a layup with 4.2 seconds left to lift the Vols.
The Rebels entered the game with a 13-0 record, the best start in school history. They had been one of only six unbeaten teams left in college hoops this season.
The best news for the Tropics Wednesday night was that shooting guard Jesus Verdejo had 17 points for South Florida in a 79-66 loss to 18th-ranked Pitt. Verdejo made 7 of 9 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 on three-pointers.
Post #54: Record Start For Huertas, Rebels
Mon Jan 7, 2008
Former Tropics shooting guard David Huertas has helped the Ole Miss Rebels get off to a school record 13-0 start. The old record was 12-0.
In the record-breaking win, Huertas had a team-high 17 points with a career-high 5 three-pointers as Ole Miss beat Alabama A&M, 86-50. The 17 points tied a career high.
For the season, Huertas is 4th on the team with a 10.6 scoring average. He is also third on the team in three-pointers made. And in his past five games, he has scored in double figures in each.
The Rebels, ranked 16th in the nation by AP, open SEC play Wednesday night at Tennessee.
The Rebels, picked to finish last in the SEC, have already exceeded expectations. But perhaps that should have been expected considering that Huertas seems to win everywhere he goes.
The 6-5 sophomore helped his high school (Jacksonville ACD) win its first-ever state title. He helped his first college (Florida) win its first national title. And now he is off to a perfect start in his first year of eligibility at Ole Miss.
Post #53: J-Rod & O.J.
Fri Jan 4, 2008
Two former Tropics continue to put up big numbers.
Sophomore small forward Jonathan Rodriguez of Campbell University leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring (22.0) and rebounding (10.3).
As good as his numbers are for the season, J-Rod has been even hotter over the past six games, averaging 26 points per game and making 60 percent of his shots from the field.
Meanwhile, Southern Cal combo guard O.J. Mayo continues to live up to his reputation as one of the best freshmen in the nation and perhaps the top prospect in the 2008 NBA Draft.
Mayo scored 32 points in his college debut in November vs. Mercer. Then, on Thursday night, he was even more impressive with 34 points in his Pac-10 debut vs. Cal.
Post #52: Another Tropics Player Commits
Fri Dec 28, 2007
Forward Paul Cooper recently committed to Tennessee Tech, becoming the fourth member of the Miami Tropics' 2007 Nike Travel Team to pick a college.
The first three were:
Point guard Miguel Paul (Missouri)
Forward Evan Ravenal (Boston College)
Forward Kevin Foster (George Mason)
More ex-Tropics will sign during the April period. Among the most likely to sign are center Freddy Asprilla and guards Marlon Rivera, Isaac Sosa and Gaby Belardo.
Post #51: Big Game For Marlon Rivera
Thu Dec 27, 2007
Combo guard Marlon Rivera, one of the stars of the Tropics' Nike Travel Team the past two years, had 24 points Wednesday night to lead Sagemont High School to a 63-62 win over Coolidge.
Playing in the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Ocala, Sagemont (11-3) rallied from a 9-point deficit with just 3 minutes to go. Rivera was key down the stretch as he hit consecutive three-pointers, slicing Coolidge's lead to 3.
Rivera finished with 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
Post #50: Merry Christmas!
Fri Dec 21, 2007
Starting tomorrow (Saturday), I will take some well-deserved days off to celebrate Christmas.
But when I return on Wednesday, there should be much news to get to as the Miami Tropics prepare to play Santurce in the FIBA Americas League quarterfinals.
In the meantime, I leave you with a bit of news on David Huertas, the shooting guard who rose up from the Tropics' AAU program to win a state high school title at Jacksonville ACD and a national collegiate championship at Florida.
Huertas, now at the University of Mississippi, continues to win wherever he goes. The Rebels are off to a surprising 9-0 start and playing in Huertas' home country of Puerto Rico this weekend. Good luck, David.
And to everyone, Merry Christmas. And remember that the reason for the season is Jesus Christ. Let's all be good to one another.
Post #49: All Even in Brazil
Wed Dec 19, 2007
The four teams competing in the Brazil Region of the FIBA Americas League are all even with 1-1 records.
The two winners of Thursday's games will advance. The games are:
Argentina's Boca Juniors vs. host Minas Tenis of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Flamengo of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil vs. Defensor Sporting of Uruguay.
Personally, I will root for the teams from Brazil, my second favorite nation after the USA.
Flamengo almost improved to 2-0 on Wednesday before Boca rallied to win 77-76. Flamengo led 76-74 with 33 seconds left, but Leo Gutierrez hit a bucket and then a free throw for the win.
Thursday's winners could ultimately play the Tropics in the Final Four. But the Tropics of course will have to knock off Puerto Rican champ Santurce next month to get there.
Post #48: News On Pachi, Barea
Wed Dec 19, 2007
There is news on two of the point guards from the Tropics program.
Pachi Cruz, who played for the Tropics' 2006-2007 ABA team, will return to play for Dorados Chihuahua.
Cruz, who also plays for the Arecibo Capitanes, was hoping to play in the second round of the FIBA Liga De Las Americas. But the Puerto Rican league runners-up from 2007 were eliminated by the Tropics last week.
Meanwhile, Jose Juan Barea of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks is out with an injury to his right shoulder. The injury is not considered serious, but it is disappointing because he was having such a great year.
Post #47: Richie Edwards Stars at Lakeland High
Sat Dec 15, 2007
Junior small forward Richie Edwards, who played for the Tropics' NIKE Travel Team this past summer, is having a banner season for Lakeland High.
He averaged 24.3 points per game in the Dreadnaughts' 3 victories last week. He scored 23 against East Bay, 25 vs. George Jenkins and 25 vs. Riverview as Lakeland remained undefeated for the season. For the season, Edwards is leading the Dreadnaughts with a 23.0 scoring average.
Post #46: Halcones Rolls
Wed Dec 12, 2007
Mexico's Halcones Xalapa, which lost to the Miami Tropics in overtime on Tuesday, routed Puerto Rico's Arecibo, 116-86, on Wednesday.
Arecibo, which lost in the championship series of Puerto Rico last season, fell to 1-1 in the FIBA Liga De Las Americas Miami regional at FIU.
The 1-0 Tropics play 0-1 Fuerza Regia later tonight. The top two teams after Thursday's games will advance to the quarterfinals of the FIBA League, which will be played next month.
Halcones was led by two American players - Sam Bowie, who had 25 points, and Kevin Bradley, who had 18. Bradley also had a game-high 6 assists.
Angel "Buster" Figueroa, who also plays for Puerto Rico's National Team, led Arecibo with 21 points. American center and teammate Tony Massenburg, a veteran of 12 NBA teams, led all rebounders with 10.
Arecibo point guard Pachi Cruz, a former Miami Tropics ABA player, had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Post #45: Arecibo Survives
Tue Dec 11, 2007
Puerto Rico's Arecibo defeated Mexico's Fuerza Regia 96-93 in the first game of the Miami regional in the FIBA Liga De Las Americas at FIU on Tuesday night.
Arecibo led 54-38 at halftime but was outscored 30-19 in the third quarter. Fuerza rallied all the way back to take the lead at 84-83 with 3:45 left.
But a three-pointer from Carlos Payano put Arecibo up 88-86, and the Capitanes never trailed again.
Fuerza Regia will play the Tropics Wednesday night at 8. Arecibo will play Halcones Xalapa.
Post #44: Diaz Impresses
Sun Dec 9, 2007
Combo guard Guillermo Diaz, playing his first season in the NBA's Development League, is averaging 18.9 points per game. That ranks him 20th in the NBDL.
Diaz is shooting 46 percent from the field and an excellent 83 percent from the field.
But perhaps the most important stat is 38, which is the average number of minutes he is playing per game. That is the type of playing time he needs to impress NBA scouts and break in to the league.
Case in point was his most recent game, when he had an impressive 11 assists and just one turnover. NBA scouts know he can score. But running the Anaheim Arsenal is surely opening some scouts' eyes.
Post #43: Big Year For J-Rod
Sat Dec 8, 2007
Campbell is off to a poor start at 2-5, but it's not Jonathan Rodriguez's fault.
The ex-Tropics small forward, who led Calusa Prep to the only state title in school history, scored a season-high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Saturday night. But it was not enough as host Radford beat the Camels, 75-68.
Rodriguez made 12 of his 17 field-goal tries, but his teammates converted on just 30 percent (13 of 43).
For the season, J-Rod is averaging 19.3 points and 10.9 rebounds, ranking him No. 1 in the conference in each category.
As a freshman last season, he led his conference in rebounding with 8.8 per game. He was also second in second in the nation in scoring at 17.2.
For 2007-2008, he was the preseason Conference Player of the Year in the Atlantic Sun. So far, he is living up to the hype.
Post #42: Big Victory For Mexico
Fri Dec 7, 2007
The Tropics" first two games in the inaugural FIBA league next week will be against teams from Mexico.
Those games should be tough because both Mexican teams will come to Miami in midseason form, having already played more than 30 games each.
In addition, the results of the regional being played in Puerto Rico this week show that the Mexican league is no joke. Mexicali Soles is 2-0 so far, the only undefeated team in the regional.
Mexicali beat the Dominican Republic's Santiago Metros, 94-83, Thursday night to improve to 2-0. Santurce of Puerto Rico and Chicago PBL are both 1-1, and the Metros are 0-2.
Tonight's games will decide which two teams advance to the next round. Mexicali is obviously a good bet to advance. Santurce, which plays winless Santiago tonight, should be the other team.
Santurce, which got ex-NBA player Robert "Tractor" Traylor back on Thursday, routed Chicago 97-73.
Post #41: Milestone For Shakey
Fri Nov 30, 2007
Congratulations to former Tropics Gold Coach Shakey Rodriguez, who led Miami's Krop High to victory Monday night to earn career vcitory No. 500.
Rodriguez became the fourth boys' basketball coach in Miami-Dade County history to surpass the 500-win mark for a career, joining ex-Miami High coach Vince Schaefer, Horeb Christian's Isaac Liber and Killian's Bob Kaufman.
Rodriguez has a 500-77 career record, believed to be the best winning percentage in county history. Rodriguez won five state titles at Miami High and guided the Lightning to the regional finals each of the past two seasons.
Post #40: Diaz Debut Set For Friday
Wed Nov 21, 2007
Combo guard Guillermo Diaz, one of the stars of the Miami Tropics program, makes his official NBDL debut on Friday night as his Anaheim Arsenal take on Colorado.
On Monday, Diaz played his first exhibition game in the NBA's Development League and had 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 33 minutes. The Arsenal lost to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, 107-93.
As good as those numbers were, Diaz could have really starred had his three-point shot (0 for 6) been falling as usual. His other shooting numbers were strong: 8 of 9 on free throws and 4 of 6 on two-point tries.
Anthony Harris, Diaz's teammate at the University of Miami, is also on the Arsenal team. He came off the bench on Monday to score 4 points.
Post #39: Congrats, Canes
Mon Nov 19, 2007
Congratulations to the University of Miami Hurricanes for winning the tournament in Puerto Rico on Sunday night and doing so on national television (ESPN2).
The Canes are 4-0, their best start since finishing 24-8 and making the NCAA Tournament in 2001-2002.
The Canes beat a good Virginia Commonwealth team in the semifinals and a tough Providence club in the final.
Two Canes are former Tropics players - freshman point guard Edwin Rios and sophomore forward Dwayne Collins. A third player - small forward Brian Asbury - played for Tropics General Manager Ed Auricchio with the South Florida Heat.
Still, the victory was bittersweet because ex-Tropics point guard Denis Clemente would have been on this team and playing in his home country of Puerto Rico had his career not veered. He is now at Kansas State, and the Wildcats may play in Puerto Rico next year.
But I couldn't help feeling for Denis, knowing how much he would have loved to have played for UM in PR. And, too, the Canes would be even better with the speedy and experienced Clemente running the team. Point guard, after all, is the team's weakness so far.
The Canes, though, are off to a great start with the hot-shooting Jack McClinton at guard. Coach Frank Haith deserves credit for discovering this gem at Siena.
Another major plus has been the return of senior center Anthony King, who was granted an extra year by the NCAA after being injured last season. King gives the team shot-blocking and rebounding and adds about 10 points per game.
Collins is athletic, sophomore guard James Dews is much improved, Asbury is a glue player at the 3 and Rios could hold the key at the point.
Congrats, Canes.
Post #38: Javi Gonzalez Makes Debut
Sat Nov 17, 2007
Tropics players continue to make an impact on big-time college basketball.
On Thursday, point guard Javi Gonzalez made his college debut. The North Carolina State freshman had 1 point and 1 steal in the Wolfpack's 66-47 win over William & Mary. Most impressive perhaps was the fact that Gonzalez did not turn the ball over even once in 12 minutes. That is a vital stat for a freshman point.
Gonzalez, who broke his thumb in the preseason, came back sooner than expected and did not miss a regular-season game. He played off the bench in support of starter Farnold Degand (2 points, 2 steals, 2 assists, 1 turnover in 28 minutes).
Gonzalez and Johnson will get more competition for minutes at point guard when transfer Marques Johnson is eligible late next month.
Meanwhile, when the University of Miami beat Virginia Commonwealth on Friday, there were four ex-Tropics on the floor.
Miami was led by freshman point guard Edwin Rios and sophomore forward Dwayne Collins. VCU was represented by freshman point guard Joey Rodriguez and sophomore forward Franck Ndongo.
Post #37: Early Signing Period
Wed Nov 14, 2007
Today through next Wednesday marks the early signing period for college basketball prospects. The Miami Tropics are expected to have three players from their organization sign early and several more sign late.
The early signees will be:
PG Miguel Paul to Missouri
PF Evan Ravenal to Boston College
SF Kevin Foster to George Mason
The late signees will likely include center Freddy Asprilla, forward Paul Cooper and combo guards Marlon Rivera, Isaac Sosa and Gaby Belardo.
Post #36: College Season Is Here
Fri Nov 9, 2007
The college basketball season gets started for most teams this weekend.
On this website, we will track the former Tropics players. One of them, freshman forward A.J. Stewart already made his college debut earlier this week in the Wildcats' embarrassing loss to Gardner-Webb. Stewart played 5 minutes and did not score.
Elsewhere, forward Sammy Hernandez, who transferred from George Mason to Florida Atlantic, will be eligible to play in the spring semester. The date for his return is either Dec. 20 or Dec. 23.
Another debut that will be delayed is that of North Carolina State freshman point guard Javi Gonzalez. He suffered a thumb injury in the preseason and is expected to miss a couple of games.
Two players sitting this season out as transfers are point guards Denis Clemente (Kansas State) and Josue Soto (FIU).
Most everyone else, though, is ready to go. Southern Cal point guard O.J. Mayo is the star of the show, of course, but others are expected to come up big.
The surprise in the preseason has been U-Mass freshman small forward Max Groebe, an excellent shooter who has been putting up big numbers.
Other players to watch are Jonathan Rodriguez at Campbell, Luis Colon at Kansas State, David Huertas at Ole Miss, L.D. Williams at Wake Forest and Raul Orta at St. Peter's.
Keep an eye on Orane Chin at South Florida, Joey Rodriguez and Franck Ndongo at VCU, Martavis Kee at Temple, Cedric Essola at FIU and Dalky Melendez at Louisiana-Monroe.
Post #35: NBDL Draft Set For Thursday
Mon Oct 29, 2007
Guillermo Diaz, one of the stars of the Miami Tropics program, is expected to be one of the first players selected in Thursday's NBA Development League Draft. The 10-round draft will be televised by NBA-TV, starting at 8 p.m.
The Colorado 14ers have the first pick in the draft. Below is the complete order:
1) Colorado 14ers
2) Dakota Wizards
3) Albuquerque Thunderbirds
4) Idaho Stampede
5) Rio Grande Valley Vipers
6) Sioux Falls Skyforce
7) Fort Wayne Mad Ants
8) Los Angeles D-Fenders
9) Anaheim Arsenal
10) Utah Flash
11) Tulsa 66ers
12) Austin Toros
13) Bakersfield Jam
14) Iowa Energy
Post #34: It's How You Bounce Back
Fri Oct 26, 2007
Because I know players such as Guillermo Diaz and Denis Clemente personally, it's a bit sad when things don't go their way. But that's life. It's how you deal with adversity that shows the mark of the man.
Diaz was cut by the Clippers Thursday, surely the first time he has been cut in his life. But by all accounts, he is in good spirits and ready to play ball and get another opportunity in the NBA.
And having spoken with Clippers executive Neil Olshey (you can read the story in our news section), I am very optimistic that Diaz will have a long career in the NBA.
Clemente, meanwhile, transferred from the University of Miami to Kansas State after last season. He will have to sit this season out under transfer rules.
I feel sure that Clemente will have two great years under Coach Frank Martin at K-State. But at the same time, it's tough knowing he would have been Miami's full-time starter at point guard this season (not back and forth with Anthony Harris as was the case the past two years).
What makes it worse is that the Canes play three games in Clemente's native Puerto Rico this year - Nov. 15-18. I am sure all his fans would have loved to see him there.
But again, Clemente and Diaz have to respond to adversity in a positive way.
The same goes for other members of the Tropics program. Javi Gonzalez at North Carolina State broke his thumb. But I spoke to him Wednesday and he said that the cast has been removed. He is bouncing back.
Another point guard, Josue Soto, transferred from Florida State after not getting much playing time. He has to sit this year out at FIU and then bounce back.
David Huertas (Ole Miss) and Sammy Hernandez (FAU) are now ready to go after sitting out last season. Jesus Verdejo (South Florida) is primed for a comeback year after underachieving last season.
It's all about the bounce back.
Post #33: NCAA Needs To Act
Wed Oct 24, 2007
The NCAA really needs to make a rule that no player can make a verbal committment to a college until the start of his senior season.
As it is, basketball players are committing to colleges ridiculously early - as prep sophomores, freshmen and even as young as 7th and 8th-graders.
Verbal committments are not binding anyway, so most of the time, the pledges will lead to hurt feelings. If the player develops more than expected, there is a good chance he dumps the college he committed to and signs elsewhere.
Or, the college could dump the player if it finds someone else better. Often, the coach is no longer at the school by the time the kid is ready to sign.
It's just ridiculous. The NCAA needs to act. College coaches should not be recruiting middle-school kids.
Post #32: Ray Waters Doing Well
Sat Oct 20, 2007
Former Miami Tropics guard Ray Waters is adjusting quickly in his freshman season at Hillsborough Community College.
In an exhibition game earlier this week, Waters was used as the 6th man and came through with 9 points and his trademark tough defense - 4 steals.
"The coaches are working with me at point guard," said Waters, who played off the ball with the Tropics.
Academically, Waters said he is taking a full course load of 15 credits.
Waters added that highly-touted teammate Keith Brumbaugh scored 35 points in the recent exhibition. Brumbaugh is a kid who talked about going from high school to the NBA, decided against in and signed with Oklahoma State. But when that did not work out, he enrolled at Hillsborough.
Post #31: Wise Warning For J-Rod
Wed Oct 10, 2007
Former Miami Tropics star Jonathan Rodriguez is getting a lot of hype at Campbell University. He was his conference's Freshman of the Year last season. And he is the preseason 2007-2008 Player of the Year in the conference, according a national magazine.
But Campbell Coach Robbie Laing has told the 6-6 point forward to be careful with all that attention.
"Preseason honors are really based on what a player did last year,” Laing said. “We’ve told Jonathan that he’s got to be careful because he’ll probably get the top defensive assignment from every team. He’s got to come prepared every night to receive those honors again.”
Post #30: Ready For FIBA League
Sat Sep 22, 2007
The Tropics have a coach (Don Kelbick), a great home arena (FIU's Pharmed) and a center who has won for them in the past (Karel Rosario).
Now team president Art Alvarez and general manager Ed Auricchio will have to fill out the rest of the roster. It should be interesting.
While we wait for the news on player signings, here is the schedule for the league:
Dec. 4-6-7: Puerto Rico region. The other three teams will likely be from Mexico, USA and Dominican Republic.
Dec. 11-12-13: The Tropics' region at FIU. The other three teams will likely be from Puerto Rico and two more from Mexico.
Dec. 18-19-20: Region in either Brazil or Argentina.
Jan. 8-9-10: Region in either Brazil or Argentina.
SECOND ROUND - Eight teams - the top two from each regional - advance. The top team from Puerto Rico will play the second-place finisher from Miami in a three-game series. The second-place team will host the first game. The second game will be played at the first-place team's home - as will the third game, if needed.
The same format will be used for the other three series, with the Miami champ playing the No. 2 team from Puerto Rico and the Brazil and Argentina qualifiers playing each other.
The second round will be played from Jan. 14 to Jan. 25, 2008.
FINAL FOUR - The two top teams from the North (Puerto Rico and Miami regions) will play the best pair from the South (Argentina and Brazil) at a site to be determined. The dates for the games are Feb. 8-9, 2008.
Post #29: May God Bless Miguel Mercado
Fri Sep 14, 2007
Legendary coach Miguel Mercado, one of the most beloved members of the Miami Tropics family, will need all the support and prayers possible in the coming weeks.
Mercado has lung cancer - which is rare in his case since he is a non-smoker - and was scheduled for surgery. But once he was on the table, doctors in Puerto Rico saw that the tumor was inoperable.
Chemotherapy is set to begin in about a month. The good news is that the cancer has not spread to the rest of his body.
Please keep Miguel in your prayers.
Post #28: Incredible Experience
Wed Aug 29, 2007
What did you expect?
Puerto Rico got routed by Team USA late Tuesday night, 117-78, in the FIBA Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas.
Team USA improved to 5-0 and guarnteed a trip to the semifinals on Saturday. Argentina, also 5-0, is the other nation that has already punched a ticket to the semis.
USA and Argentina will play each other in an interesting game on Thursday night. The winner will be seeded first and play the fourth-place team in one semifinal. The loser will be seeded second and could play a tougher team such as Brazil.
The two semifinal winners assure themselves a place in the 2008 Olympics in China.
The teams that finish third through fifth will get another shot to qualify next year.
Puerto Rico (1-4) is currently in a three-way tie for sixth place. Puerto Rico has a must-win game tonight against Venezuela, which is better than expected.
Venezuela beat a good Uruguay team, 88-79, Tuesday night. (Uruguay beat Puerto Rico earlier.) Hector Romero, a 6-8 forward, had 35 points and 11 rebounds for Venezuela. Teammate Manuel Barrios made 5 of 6 on three-pointers.
On Thursday, Puerto Rico will close the second round with a game against Canada, which beat P.R. in an exhibition game just before this tournament started.
So it won't be easy. But at least the two former Tropics on the Puerto Rican squad - power forward Angelo Reyes and point guard Jose Juan Barea - are getting great experience.
Reyes had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist vs. Team USA. He made 3 of his 6 shots from the field.
Barea had 4 points and a team-high 3 assists in 19 minutes off the bench. He did this against the greatest collection of talent in the world.
Check out our photo gallery for photos of Barea defending Kobe Bryant and making a pass against Lebron James. That's incredible stuff when you really think about it. For a young guy like Barea who grew up in Puerto Rico dreaming about basketball to be able to compete and score against the likes of Kobe and Lebron is mind-boggling.
In the first half, Barea showed no fear, scoring on a runner in the lane, making a strip on defense and executing a sweet pass inside. He showed his great quickness by getting to the hole ahead of legends, even though he ultimately missed the layup.
I am sure this is an experience Barea will never forget - the type he will tell his grandkids about one day.
Post #27: Miami Representing
Thu Aug 23, 2007
There are at least seven players with Miami ties playing in the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas:
*Jose Juan Barea (Puerto Rico) - State champ at Miami Christian.
*Angelo Reyes (Puerto Rico) - Played for the ABA Miami Tropics.
*Carlos Arroyo (Puerto Rico) - Played his college ball in Miami at FIU.
*Jaime Lloreda (Panama) - Played high school ball in Miami-Dade County at Berkshire.
*Jamaal Levy (Panama) - Played high school ball in Miami-Dade County at Berkshire.
*Martin Osimani (Uruguay) - Played high school ball in Miami-Dade County at Champagnat.
*Leandro Garcia-Morales (Uruguay) - Played high school ball in Miami-Dade County at Champagnat.
Post #26: P.R. Takes On Nolan Richardson
Tue Aug 21, 2007
Tonight in Las Vegas, Puerto Rico and Miami Tropics point guard Jose Juan Barea will try to survive "40 Minutos de Infierno."
That's because former Arkansas Coach Nolan Richardson, 65, is now leading the Mexican National Team and his style with the Razorbacks was always to press all over the court and run the fast break i- the so called "40 Minutes of Hell".
Puerto Rico and Mexico will be playing their opening game in the FIBA Americas Pre-Olympic tournament. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. (Eastern).
There are 10 teams in the tournament, including overwhelming favorite Team USA, 2004 Olympic champion Argentina and 2007 Pan Am champ Brazil.
The top two teams automatically qualify for the Olympics in 2008 in China. The teams that finish third through fifth will still get a shot at qualifying. The next five teams are out.
Puerto Rico would love to get off to a good start tonight with a win over Mexico. And it should, especially with Barea and fellow NBA guard Carlos Arroyo leading a squad that certainly has more credentials than Mexico.
The Mexicans have not qualified for the Olympics in men's basketball since 1976 and have won just one medal - bronze in 1936.
Richardson, though, has great credentials. He was 509-207 in his college coaching career, including a national championship.
But he hasn't even been interviewed for a college job since he was fired at Arkansas in 2002. Richardson made the mistake of challenging the administration at Arkansas. He later sued the school and lost.
Now he takes on a Mexican team without a single NBA player. Eduard Najera, the only current Mexican-born NBA player, declined to play. Horacio Llamas, a 6-11 center who became the first Mexican in the NBA when he played for the Phoenix Suns in 1997, will play for his country. But at age 34 and after 8 knee surgeries, he doesn't have much left.
Post #25: Latins Have Room To Grow In Hoops
Mon Aug 20, 2007
Boxer Oscar De La Hoya had the biggest year of any Latin athlete last year - making an incredible $55 million. Soccer star Ronaldinho of Brazil was next with a haul of $32.7 million.
Rounding out the top five were baseball slugger Alex Rodriguez ($28M), Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo ($20.7) and baseball's Manny Ramirez ($20.5M).
The top auto racer is Juan Pablo Montoya, who made $16 million.
Only one basketball player made the top 30 - the San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili, who made $10.25 million.
Hopefully, in a couple of years, the Tropics' Guillermo Diaz and Jose Juan Barea will make one of those top-30 lists.
Speaking of Barea, he had 19 points and 6 assists for Puerto Rico's National Team on Saturday. But despite Barea's continued brilliance, host Puerto Rico lost all three of their games - to Canada, Brazil and Argentina, respectively.
That does not bode well for Puerto Rico as the small nation travels to Las Vegas on Aug. 22 to try and qualify for the 2008 Olympics.
The United States, with superstars such as Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, is expected to earn one of the two automatic berths.
The other spot will be a battle between 9 other nations. Even the Virgin Islands, with NBA standout Raja Bell, and Uruguay, with Esteban Batista of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, are expected to be competitive.
But after what happened this past weekend in Puerto Rico, it would seem that Brazil and perhaps Argentina would be favored to earn the second automatic berth.
Puerto Rico and Canada will have to overcome the odds to get in. Real longshots include Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay and Virgin Islands.
Post #24: Nash May Not Play
Mon Aug 13, 2007
Here is the latest news out of the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament, set for Aug. 22 to Sept. 2 in Las Vegas:
*Canada will have NBA center Samuel Dalembert but does not yet have a commitment from point guard Steve Nash. If Nash does not play, Canada is done. That would almost guarantee that the Canadians do not get one of the two top spots and the automatic Olympic bid that goes with it. Even with Nash, they would have a big battle on their hands.
*Brazil will have star Leandro Barbosa at guard as well as Nene at power forward. But contract issues have left big men Anderson Varejao and Rafael Araujo potentially out of the tournament.
*As expected, Argentina - the 2004 Olympic champ - will not have star guard Manu Ginobili.
If Nash, Ginobili, Varejao and Araujo don't play, Puerto Rico's chances of qualifying will increase greatly. Puerto Rico will be led by star guards Carlos Arroyo, who plays for the NBA's Orlando Magic, and Jose Juan Barea, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks and is a product of the Miami Tropics program.
Post #23: Reyes To Play In China
Sun Aug 12, 2007
Former Miami Tropics forward Angelo Reyes announced Saturday that he is temporarily leaving Puerto Rico's National Team so he can play for a pro team in China.
He will report immediately to the team's training camp in Hawaii and continue playing through the end of China's season in February.
Reyes had been Puerto Rico's top rebounder, averaging 9.5 per game, as the national team made its way to tonight's Caribe Series final against the Dominican Republic.
But even without Reyes, Puerto Rico has many talented players for tonight's gold-medal match, including former Tropics point guard Jose Juan Barea.
The Dominicans, 4-0 so far in the tournament, also have a former Tropics player - Hey, they are everywhere! He is combo guard Carlos Morban, who helped Tropics President Art "Pilin" Alvarez win the 2000 state championship at Miami Christian. Two years later, Barea equaled Morban's feat, also playing for Coach Alvarez.
Now they face off in Caguas, Puerto Rico - with Carribean supremacy at stake.
On Saturday, Morban had 12 points in a 93-82 win over Cuba. Meanwhile, Barea had 6 points as Puerto Rico (4-0) beat the Bahamas, 77-64.
Post #22: Team USA Should Win Big
Tue Aug 7, 2007
The top two teams in the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas later this month will qualify for the Olympics. Team USA would seem to be a lock to advance.
Puerto Rico, with our own Jose Juan Barea, will have a good shot at beating out Brazil, Canada and Argentina for the other spot.
If Argentina was bringing their "A" team with Manu Ginobili, they would be favored to win the other spot. But as it is, Puerto Rico will have a good shot when the tournament begins Aug. 22.
Team USA's talent, however, can not be denied. Here is who they are bringing to Vegas:
POINT GUARD - Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, Kirk Hinrich.
SHOOTING GUARD - Kobe Bryant, Michael Redd, Tayshaun Prince.
SMALL FORWARD - Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony.
POWER FORWARD - Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh.
CENTER - Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler.
Team USA's talent runs so deep that they could easily put several teams together that would be among the world's best. For example, among the American players who are hurt and not making this tournament are Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand and Greg Oden.
That's deep.
Post #21: Mavs Sign Jones, Clips Lose Brand
Sat Aug 4, 2007
Jose Juan Barea's Dallas Mavericks made their first free-agent signing of the offseason on Friday, giving a two-year contract to Eddie Jones.
The former Miami Heat shooting guard is a three-time All-Star. But at age 35, he is now just a role player.
Meanwhile, Guillermo Diaz's Los Angeles Clippers continue to be a cursed franchise. Last year, point guard Shaun Livingston blew out his knee. Livingston, who the Clips drafted high in the first round, is now out until at least February of 2008.
The latest bit of bad news for the Clips is that All-Star power forward Elton Brand ruptured his left Achilles' tendon on Friday. Brand, clearly the Clips' team leader, is out at least 6 months ... if not the entire season.
About the only positive to come out of this would be if Diaz got more of an opportunity to show what he can do. With Brand out, the Clippers will need more scoring, something Diaz has proven he can provide.
The Clips also signed point guard Brevin Knight, 31, on Friday to a two-year contract. That the Clips would add a veteran point to back up Sam Cassell was expected and will not affect Diaz's status with the team.
Post #20: Topics - Pachi Cruz, Kevin Garnett
Tue Jul 31, 2007
Point guard Pachi Cruz, who played for the Miami Tropics' ABA team, will lead Arecibo vs. Santurce Wednesday night in the 7th and final game of the Puerto Rican pro league championship.
Cruz has played for Arecibo his entire BSN career - 14 years. Arecibo, meanwhile, has won just two BSN championships - 1959 and 2005.
Meanwhile, in the NBA, the huge news is the Boston Celtics acquiring power forward Kevin Garnett and having him team up with shooting guard Ray Allen and small forward Paul Pierce.
That could be the best trio in the Eastern Conference if they stay healthy. And the Celtics now have to be regarded as a contender to win the Eastern Conference.
My top 10 in the East:
1 - Detroit - Still the most solid team.
2 - Chicago - Young team on the rise.
3 - Boston - Garnett is the real deal.
4 - New York - Randolph and Curry inside tough to handle.
5 - Miami - Aging team still has Shaq and Wade.
6 - Cleveland - Lebron is great, supporting cast weak.
7 - New Jersey - Trio of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson makes them a contender.
8 - Toronto - Shooter Kapono added to nucleus of Bosh, Bargnani and Ford.
9 - Orlando - Rashard Lewis joins Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.
10 - Washington - Gilbert Arenas a one-man wrecking crew.
Post #19: Brazil Shot It Like Golden State
Mon Jul 30, 2007
Not only is Jose Juan Barea a talented player, he is a straight-talker off the court as well.
After Puerto Rico earned the Pan Am Games silver medal - losing to host Brazil in the championship game - Barea compared his country's plight to the that of his NBA squad, the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs, of course, lost their 2007 first-round playoff series to red-hot Golden State.
"I don't know if we were a bit tired since Saturday's game was so tough," Barea told El Nuevo Dia, referring to Puerto Rico's semifinal win over Argentina. "We came out flat. Brazil was better prepared than us. They are a better team than us right now. They shot the ball like Golden State did against us in Dallas."
Post #18: Time Is Now For Barea, P.R.
Fri Jul 27, 2007
Puerto Rico put up a good fight Friday night, rallying from a 19-point deficit before losing to host Brazil, 97-94, in the Pan American Games.
Both teams advanced to the semifinals in Rio De Janeiro. Puerto Rico (2-1) will play Argentina (2-1) tonight. Argentina barely beat Panama and Uruguay in its first two games and then lost to a weak USA club on Friday.
With a win over Argentina, Puerto Rico would play for the gold medal on Sunday. The opponent? Expect Brazil to make it to the title game.
Post #17: Colleges Hot For Miguel Paul
Mon Jul 23, 2007
Tropics point guard Miguel Paul is getting a ton of attention. Rivals.Com recently wrote a big feature on the Lakeland Kathleen star, who is being recruited by over 30 Division I programs.
Two schools with Tigers as their nickname - Clemson and Missouri - lead the battle for his services with Georgia Tech and Miami close behind.
Also in the running are Florida, North Carolina State, Maryland, Georgetown, Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, St. John's and South Florida.
Paul, who is super quick and adept at getting in the lane and either scoring or dishing off, has a 3.1 grade-point average and is fully qualified for college. He wants to decide on a college by the time he starts his senior year of high school on Aug. 20.
Post #16: Disappointment For Team USA
Sun Jul 22, 2007
Team USA lost to host Serbia, 74-69, Sunday in the gold-medal game of the Under-19 World Games. France beat Brazil to win the bronze medal.
Players and coaches from Team USA said they were pleased with the silver medal. For example, Jonny Flynn, who will be a freshman at Syracuse this fall, said the following:
"This is a big accomplishment. A lot of people didn’t expect us to be here. If you look at the big picture, this is second in the whole world, not just in any old tournament. This is second in the whole world."
While I respect Flynn's view, I still feel it is a disappointment anytime the U.S. fails to win a basketball tournament. We haven't won the Under-19 World Games - which are held every four years - since 1991.
Team USA - still the kings of the sport when it comes to producing talent - will get another chance to win gold this coming week in the Pan American Games in Brazil.
Post #15: Barea Tops In Utah
Sat Jul 21, 2007
The brief Utah summer league - called the Rocky Mountain Revue - is over, and Jose Juan Barea finished on top of the assists leader board.
In two games, Barea averaged 7.0 assists. He also finished 9th in the league in scoring with 16 points per game.
Next up for the Dallas Mavericks' second-year point guard is a trip to one of the most exotic cities in the world - Rio De Janeiro.
Brazil is the host of the Pan American Games this year, and Barea is the co-captain of the Puerto Rican National Team, along with 7-5 center Peter John Ramos, the former second-round pick of the NBA's Washington Wizards.
The basketball portion of the Pan Am Games will begin on Wednesday.
Post #14: Big Win For Team USA
Fri Jul 20, 2007
After finishing a disappointing 5th in the 2003 World Under-19 Games, the United States (7-0) has already improved that record by advancing to the semifinals on Friday.
Team USA beat Argentina 112-86 in Serbia. Next up is Saturday's semifinal game against the winner between France (4-2) and Spain (4-2).
Team USA is the only unbeaten team left. Brazil (4-3), which eliminated previously unbeaten Australia, 73-72, on Friday, and host Serbia (5-1) are perhaps the top two teams on the other side of the bracket.
DePaul Coach Jerry Wainwright has done a real good job of leading an American squad that could have had superstars Greg Oden at center and Kevin Durant at forward were it not for the fact that the two teenagers are already in the NBA.
The top talent on the USA team is forward Michael Beasley, who will be a freshman at Kansas State this season and likely in the NBA as a high lottery pick by 2008. Beasley had 13 points and 7 rebounds on Friday.
Team USA's top scorer was Arkansas' Patrick Beverley with a game-high 20 points.
Raymar Morgan of Michigan State had 16 points, Stephen Curry of Davidson and Jonny Flynn of Syracuse had 12 each and David Lighty of Ohio State and Tajuan Porter of Oregon had 10 apiece. North Carolina's Deon Thompson had a game-high 10 rebounds.
The World Junior Games have been held every four years since 1979. Team USA has a record three gold medals - but none since 1991. Since then, Greece won in 1995, Spain in 1999 and Australia in 2003. No nation other than the U.S. has ever won more than one World Junior title.
The event, which has yet to be held in the U.S., has seen some great players, including James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Sleepy Floyd on the Americans' gold-medal team of 1979.
The 1987 team, led by future NBA stars Larry Johnson, Gary Payton and Stacey Augmon, somehow lost to Yugoslavia in the final.
The 1995 team, led by future NBA stars Stephon Marbury and Vince Carter, was an even bigger mystery, finishing 7th in Greece. Then again, Marbury has yet to show he is a true winner.
In 2003, the Americans had Deron Williams, Dee Brown, J.J. Redick, Paul Davis and Kevin Pittsnogle - and still finished just 5th.
This time around, gold looks good for Team USA.
Post #13: Great Praise For Barea
Wed Jul 18, 2007
DraftExpress.Com had some very complimentary things to say about Jose Juan Barea, the second-year Dallas Mavericks point guard and the star of the Miami Tropics program.
Here is what they wrote on their website after Barea had 15 points and a game-high 8 assists Monday night in a summer-league loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Salt Lake City, Utah.:
"Barea has been fantastic in every game he has played in this summer."
"Barea wasn’t hitting his outside shots today, but he proved to be an extremely capable finisher around the rim. He can finish with either hand and does a great job of not getting his shot blocked by using his body and putting the ball high off the glass."
"Barea did a tremendous job distributing the ball as always and was really trying to push his teammates late in the game."
Post #12: Bad Break For Puerto Rico
Tue Jul 17, 2007
The Puerto Rican Under-19 National Team went 0-3 at the World Junior Games in Serbia.
There are five former Miami Tropics players on the Puerto Rican side, but they could not lead their country to victory in games against Spain, Korea and Argentina.
While Puerto Rico is out of the tournament, the United States is one of four undefeated teams left. Joining Team USA at 4-0 are Spain, France and Australia.
Meanwhile, the Americans have picked their final roster for the Pan Am Games. The stars are center Roy Hibbert of Georgetown and shooting guard Wayne Ellington of North Carolina.
D.J. White of Indiana could emerge as the starting power forward. The point guard situation is less clear. Virginia Commonwealth's Eric Maynor, who led the upset over Duke in the NCAA Tournament, made the team and will be a factor. Drew Neitzel of Michigan State and Scottie Reynolds of Villanova will also battle.
The head coach is Jay Wright of Villanova, which could give Reynolds an advantage.
Post #11: Soto Stars Again
Thu Jul 5, 2007
Former Miami Tropics point guard Josue Soto scored a team-high 15 points in just over two quarters of play on Thursday as Puerto Rico lost to Africa in the Global Games in Dallas.
After Soto sprained his ankle, Puerto Rico took him out of the game to rest him for Friday's matchup against the United States.
Post #10: Busy, Busy, Busy
Thu Jul 5, 2007
It's a very busy time for the Tropics' program. We just finished our third annual Hoop Dream Camp at South Miami Community Center, where we hosted 28 kids from Puerto Rico, 1 from Spain and 1 from Costa Rica.
Next year, it would be great if the turnout from South Florida matches that of Latin America because the local kids would truly prosper from the first-rate coaching they would get at this camp. And making a connection with Coach Art Alvarez would be a wise move for any youngster's career. Just check our alumni to see all the great players who have come through the program.
Anyway, three days after camp ended, we flew to Las Vegas, where the Tropics Nike Travel Team will play in the Rivals Summer Showcase, starting on Friday. Stay tuned to this website for news on how the Tropics perform. But suffice to say that optimism is high right now.
While the Tropics are playing in Las Vegas, two of the program's most famous graduates will also be competing in Sin City. Guillermo Diaz of the Los Angeles Clippers and Jose Juan Barea of the Dallas Mavericks are playing in the Las Vegas Summer League.
I will bring you all the news on how they do with reports and photos after each game.
Told ya I was busy!
Post #9: Good News, Bad News For Canes
Tue Jun 19, 2007
The University of Miami men's basketball program, which served as the springboard to Guillermo Diaz's pro career and NBA aspirations, suffered a tough loss this past weekend.
Small forward Devin Ebanks, considered one of the top 10 prospects in the nation, rejected the Hurricanes and committed to Indiana. Ebanks, who is from New York, said he was swayed by Indiana's passion for basketball, something Miami simply can not match.
I suppose it is a positive that a prospect such as Ebanks had Miami in his final three along with Rutgers.
But the Canes can't suit up an almost. They need an actual star to lead them. They already have several kids on their roster who played for the Tropics, including Dwayne Collins and Edwin Rios. Center Freddy Asprilla has signed with Miami. And forward Brian Asbury played for Tropics recruiting guru Ed Auricchio.
But they still need a superstar to emerge, and they couldn't close the deal on Ebanks.
In more positive news, Jorge Fernandez, who I have known for decades, was promoted to Associate Head Coach. That is absolutely great news for Jorge. Congrats.
The Canes also hired a former UM player as an assistant - ex-guard Jake Morton. He played pro ball in Israel for 6 years and spend 3 seasons as an assistant coach at James Madison.
In the coaching-change process, however, the Canes lost a pair of excellent assistants in Butch Estes and Michael Hunt. Estes coached with the Tropics in 2005 when Art Alvarez put together a team that stunned the island of Puerto Rico. The Tropics went 3-0, beating the host nation's National and Junior National teams and also beat Argentina's Junior National Team. Estes was a big part of that, and I am sure he will soon get another major opportunity to show his coaching skill.
Post #8: Thanks, Dad
Thu Jun 14, 2007
Instead of strictly sports, today's blog is a personal one. Since Sunday is Father's Day, I am dedicating this essay to my dad and all the other great dads out there.
Notice I didn't say "all the dads" - only the great ones. After all, any man can be a dad. It takes a special person to be a great dad like my father, Roberto. He is the reason I became a sports writer and editor. He loved sports - and his passion became mine as well.
My dad, now 75 years old, was a champion weightlifter in Cuba. He won 5th place in the Mr. Cuba competition and also dabbled in boxing and swimming.
Since coming to the United States in 1955, he followed basketball and football, but his favorite sports have always been baseball and boxing.
My dad has always been an incredibly hard-working and energetic person. He used to hit a million ground balls to me back when I was a young shortstop. And even at age 75, he and my mom still dance tango every week.
Thanks, Dad. Thanks for everything you have done for me and our family. What I owe you is a debt I can never fully repay except to honor you, respect you and love you.
Aside from my dad, I also want to congratulate some of the other great dads I know. My brother, Robert, for example, is a great dad. He raised two sons who are now in college. Kevin is studying to be an engineer, and Brian, is studying to be a doctor. And then there's David, an 11-year-old shortstop, a Chicago Cubs fan and a super kid.
Thanks, Robert, for raising three outstanding young men.
Thanks, too, to my brother-in-law, who is a great dad to my two wonderful nieces, Natalie and Nicole. Those girls could not possibly be sweeter, smarter and more beautiful than they already are. Thanks, Rolo.
A special shout out goes to my friend Pilin Alvarez. He is a great dad to his three kids - all of them very talented. His daughters are in drama and dance and his son, Danny, contributed to a pair of state championships at Miami Christian. It would be impossible to find a more loving dad than Pilin.
Thanks, Pilin, for raising three great kids and for helping so many others - myself included - along the way.
Thanks to Santos Perez, the best boxing writer in the nation and the proud pops of two great kids.
Thanks to Chris Corchiani, one of the giants of the game of basketball when you combine his skill on the court with his merit and kindness off of it. Thanks, Chris.
Ted Green, my big-brain editor friend in Indianapolis who stayed home for a few years to take care of his daughters. I always admired you, Ted.
Can't leave out Brad Lehman, another incredibly smart journalist and a great dad. I have always admired Brad's faith and all-around goodness.
A special mention to Mr. Feijoo, a kind-hearted and wonderful dad, who passed away recently. He will be missed. And, of course, to my grandfathers, Carlos and Pancho, I miss them still. They were so different - one calm, one fiery - but they both loved me. I don't think I ever fully appreciated them while they were alive.
Thanks to all the other great dads I know, including Carlos Parra, Ed Auricchio, Miguel Mercado, Gonzalo Villa, Rene Villa, Jorge Sauma, Tim Fowler, Shakey Rodriguez, Eddie Gonzalez, Victor Rodriguez, Jaime Barea, Javi Yanes, Jorge Rojas, Kevin Baxter, Mike Newton, Kelly Ortiz, Bill Pinder, Luis Catasus, Dave Barry, Mike Fisher, Marty Pantages, William Sanchez and Steve Holder.
A standing ovation to all of you!
Post #7: Waiting For Ebanks
Wed Jun 13, 2007
Talented forward Devin Ebanks, ranked by rivals.com as the 11th best prospect in the nation says he will announce his college decision this Saturday.
Ebanks, a skinny, 6-8, 185-pound small forward from Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More High School, will choose between Rutgers, Indiana and Miami.
Rutgers is the choice if he wants to stay close to home. Indiana is the pick if he wants to go to a place with great basketball tradition and fan support. And Miami is the place he signs if he likes the idea of being the guy who spearheads a program change from mediocre to something far better.
Ebanks' mom is said to be against him coming to Miami. Ebanks, however, said it will be his decision, not his mom's. We'll see.
Ebanks has said that Miami Coach Frank Haith is one of the main reasons for his interest in the Hurricanes. Now we will see if Haith can close this deal. Haith badly needs that Darius Rice-type signing that will make national news and get the momentum going for the Canes again.
The Canes had a rebuilding year last year after losing Guillermo Diaz and Rob Hite to the pros. As a Canes fan, I certainly wish Haith good luck.
Post #6: Headed To Vegas Again
Fri Jun 8, 2007
Next month, the Miami Tropics Nike Travel Team will make its second trip of the year to Las Vegas. This time, they will take a loaded roster.
Check our news stories on www.miamitropicslive.com for more information, which will be released in the coming days.
In the meantime, I had to laugh when I read that Stan Van Gundy took the Orlando Magic job. What a fiasco. First the Magic hires Billy Donovan - and he quits after a weekend. Then they hire a guy who quit the Heat during a season two years ago because he "wanted to spend more time with his family."
That family wasn't even mentioned in news reports I read about Van Gundy's latest move. Plus, his good friend, Pat Riley of the Heat, held the Magic up for a second-round pick and the possibility of switching first-rounders next year in exchange for Van Gundy, who was doing nothing for Miami.
The Magic looks really dumb right now.
Check out this hilarious quote from Magic GM Otis Smith: ''During this process, we targeted two guys - and we actually hired them both.''
Meanwhile, Donovan is giving up $2 million a year by turning down the Magic contract and taking the Florida Gators' deal. But he is still making $3.5 million per year, and he's happy, so good for him. He is actually making more money than the UF football coach, which had never happened before in Gators history.
Score that as a big win for college basketball.
And then there's this: Gators Athletic Director Jeremy Foley was in Virginia to interview VCU Coach (and ex-Miami High star) Anthony Grant. But moments after he landed, he heard Donovan was having second thoughts. Foley canceled his meeting with Grant, got on another plane back to Gainesville and "rehired" Donovan.
Crazy.
Post #5: Bad News For Gator Haters
Wed Jun 6, 2007
Billy Donovan's decision to remain at the University of Florida and break his signed contract with the Orlando Magic had numerous repercussions:
1- It was bad news for Gators Hators and rival coaches in the state such as Florida State's Leonard Hamilton and Miami's Frank Haith. With Donovan gone to the NBA, the Gators program would have been easier to beat. But now that it looks like he is staying, UF will be tough to beat in the recruiting wars. No one can negative recruit Florida by saying that Donovan will abandon his signees and head elsewhere. Because after turning down the NBA and the University of Kentucky before that, it is crystal clear that Donovan plans on being the Gators coach for a long, long time.
2 - It was good news for Nick Calathes and the other Gators recruits for the Class of 2007. When he signed with the Magic, that surely left the recruits confused as to their futures. But now that he is staying, all is well in Gator land.
3 - It was bad news for the Magic, who have the proverbial egg all over their faces. Former Miami High player and assistant coach Anthony Grant, who had the Florida job all lined up, will have to stay at Virginia Commonwealth a while longer.
Meanwhile, make sure to check out the new MiamiTropicsLive.Com poll, which asks readers to choose which young point guard from the program will have the best career.
The choices, in alphabetical order, are Denis Clemente, Javi Gonzalez, Edwin Rios and Josue Soto.
Point guard, of course, has long been the Tropics' glamour position. Jose Juan Barea is already in the NBA, and Guillermo Diaz, a combo guard who could play a lot of point for the Los Angeles Clippers this coming season, is on the way.
Plus, two guys who played for former Tropics Gold Coach Shakey Rodriguez - Carlos Arroyo and Steve Blake - are prospering in the NBA.
Post #4: A Wealth Of Talent
Fri May 25, 2007
The five-year-old Overtown Youth Center, also known as the House That Alonzo Mourning Built, was host to some talented young players on Thursday.
Future NBA lottery pick O.J. Mayo was there to watch, but several other members of the Miami Tropics family put in a vigorous workout.
Nobody looked better than Los Angeles Clippers combo guard Guillermo Diaz, who showed his pre-knee injury explosion with one thunderous slam and also displayed his highly-underrated shooting touch from the perimeter.
Diaz, the Clippers' second-round pick in 2006, will play for L.A.'s Summer League team in Las Vegas this July. Expect him to be on their regular roster in the fall.
After Diaz, the next most impressive player was 6-9 center Freddy Asprilla, a University of Miami signee. Asprilla absolutely took apart Virginia Tech starter Coleman Collins.
Consider that Collins, who is 6-9 and 240 pounds, just finished his senior year of college and is trying to get to the NBA. And yet, Asprilla, who has yet to play a single game of college, was posting him up at will and grabbing numerous rebounds. Defensively, Asprilla did not allow Collins to get past him once. The only couple of buckets Asprilla allowed came on jumpers from the foul line.
I've said this since I first saw Asprilla: If he works hard - and that is still a big if - he will be an NBA player and make a lot of money.
Also at Thursday's workout was former University of Miami point guard Denis Clemente, who looked very quick and was making his much-improved mid-range jumper. Clemente has yet to decide his future plans. Stay tuned.
Another player looking good was former Krop point guard Javi Gonzalez, who is set to graduate from high school this month. The Miami Herald's Player of the Year is off to North Carolina State this summer.
Post #3: Pan Am Fever
Thu May 24, 2007
The Pan Am Games, set for Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, are only two months away. The basketball portion of the Games will be held from July 25 to July 29.
Rosters are not out yet, but there is a strong chance that former Tropics guards Jose Juan Barea and Guillermo Diaz will be on the Puerto Rican team. After all, Barea is one of only two Puerto Ricans in the NBA right now. The other is guard Carlos Arroyo.
Meanwhile, Diaz last year became just the 5th Puerto Rican ever drafted by the NBA. He is expected to make the Los Angeles Clippers roster this year.
For my money, Puerto Rico's starting three-man backcourt should be Barea, Arroyo and Diaz. That is a great start to a team.
Puerto Rico and host Brazil should advance past Canada and the Virgin Islands in their half of the Pan Am pool. Team USA and Argentina should advance past Panama and Uruguay in the other half.
That should set up a great Final Four in the medal rounds. But don't assume the United States will win. After winning Pan Am gold in 8 of the first 9 Pan Am Games, the Americans have failed to earn the championship in the past five competitions, dating to 1983.
Brazil has won 4 golds in Pan Am basketball, including the past two competitions. Argentina won in 1995 and Puerto Rico in 1991.
Post #2: Knicks Fans Can Relax Now
Wed May 23, 2007
The NBA Draft Lottery was held Tuesday night, and Memphis and Boston, which entered the process with the best chances at getting superstar prospects Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, got screwed.
Instead, the lucky teams were from the Pacific Northwest as Portland got the No. 1 pick, which they will likely use to draft Oden at center, and Seattle, which will pick second and take Durant at forward.
In New York, Knicks fans rejoiced. In last year's Eddy Curry trade with the Bulls, Knicks General Manager Isiah Thomas gave Chicago the right to switch first-round picks this year. Had that pick turned out to be in the top two, the Knicks would have been crushed in the media. But the Knicks got lucky, and Chicago will instead pick 9th.
Or, as The New York Post put it: "Isiah Thomas can come off the ledge now."
Elsewhere, it was interesting to note that Oden and Durant will go out west, which is already the NBA's strongest conference.
Meanwhile, in Boston, the Celtics are trying to spin the news in a way that isn't as negative for their fans, who had hoped their team would land Oden or Durant.
"Every time I saw Oden, he was in foul trouble," Celtics broadcaster Tommy Heinsohn said. "People tell me he's a franchise player, but they're trying to compare him to Bill Russell and Bill played four years of college basketball, won 55 straight games, won two NCAA titles, a gold medal in the Olympics. I don't think this kid is ready to deliver that."
In Memphis, the Grizzlies are also bitter. They owned the NBA's worst record but will only select fourth.
"This is not sour grapes at all, but I've never liked this system," Griz GM Jerry West said. "In the other professional leagues, they all draft according to how they finished the season."
I actually like the system because it discourages teams from tanking games at the end of the season in an effort to get the No. 1 pick.
But the big winner Tuesday night was Portland, which now gets Oden at center to go with Zach Randolph at power forward and NBA Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy at shooting guard. Jarrett Jack is developing at point guard, and star small forward Darius Miles is expected back from injury.
Last year's first-round pick LaMarcus Aldridge should become a quality big man off the bench. And the Blazers still have high hopes for young perimeter players such as Martell Webster and Sergio Rodriguez.
In Seattle, expect some changes because Durant plays, basically, the same small forward position as Rashard Lewis, who could be gone. Lewis is a free agent, so a sign-and-trade is possible.
Post #1: Welcome To Tropics Town
Tue May 22, 2007
Welcome to my first blog in our new website, www.miamitropicslive.com, which was formerly called hoop-rap.
In addition to the new name, we have redesigned the website. The redesign, which will be complete at the end of this month, will add more than a new look. We will have three new blogs:
Miguel Mercado, the head coach of the Tropics' Nike Travel Team, will file periodic reports from Puerto Rico, where he is an expert on all the basketball talent on the island. He has been our main man in Puerto Rico, finding and developing talent for the Tropics and promoting the program tirelessly.
Mercado will blog in Spanish - which will give our website a true bilingual feel consistent with life in the Tropics. He will update fans on what is going on with our program on the island.
Another new blog will be written by Ed Auricchio, who has an encyclopedic mind when it comes to anything roundball. Ask him about the most obscure player 20 years ago, and Ed will respond with his height, weight and scoring average.
Auricchio is also a great coach. He served as the assistant coach to Tropics President Art "Pilin" Alvarez during Miami Christian High's glory days. Alvarez then selected Auricchio to coach his ABA Tropics this past season. Auricchio led a collection of pros to an 18-5 record and a No. 3 ranking in the league.
The third new blog will be mine. I will still write all the main stories. In addition, there will be times when I have something that does not rise to the level of a main story but will be a perfect blog item.
We hope the three new blogs give our fans added perspective on our program, which we feel is the best in the nation. The credit goes to Alvarez, who created the Tropics in 2002. By 2004, he had secured NIKE sponsorship, making it one of the elite teams in the nation.
In 2005, Alvarez took a team to Puerto Rico and beat their national team as well as the junior national teams from Argentina and Puerto Rico.
Last year, the Tropics dominated in the ABA.
The future? It's too soon to say what the Tropics will do, although owning an expansion franchise in the NBA Development League has been rumored.
One thing is for sure, whatever happens, you can read it about here on our new, redesigned website.