Category: Basketball

Kenny Sailors, Credited with Inventing Basketball Jump Shot, Dies at Age 95

On By A.P.In BasketballLeave a comment

By Alec Nathan

Basketball pioneer Kenny Sailors, who has been credited with inventing the modern-day jump shot, died at 95 years old Saturday, the Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball program announced.

“The University of Wyoming has lost one of its great heroes and ambassadors with the death of Kenny Sailors,” University of Wyoming President Dick McGinity said. “As the entire university community mourns his passing and celebrates his life, we offer our thoughts and prayers to his family.”

A standout at Wyoming, Sailors helped put the school’s basketball program on the map as he led the Cowboys to the 1942-43 NCAA championship while becoming the fifth-ever winner of the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player Award, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

n a 2015 interview with CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin, Sailors explained that he was motivated to develop the jump shot because his older brother, Bud, was 6’5″ and repeatedly blocked his shots during their individual battles:

So one day, finally, I guess the good Lord just put it in my head that if I jumped up higher than [Bud], and if he didn’t time everything just right and jump up with me, he couldn’t block my shot. So that’s what I did. I ran right up to him and jumped straight out of the dribble, and I shot it one-handed, because I found that I could get more height that way.

Following his historic stretch at Wyoming, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Famer went on to play five seasons at the professional level with the Cleveland Rebels, Chicago Stags, Philadelphia Warriors, Providence Steam Rollers, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Baltimore Bullets.

As he bounced around from team to team from 1946 to 1951, Sailors averaged 12.6 points and 2.8 assists per game. Following the 1948-49 Basketball Association of America campaign, Sailors earned second-team All-BAA honors while posting 15.8 points per contest.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2612509-kenny-sailors-credited-with-inventing-jump-shot-dies-at-age-95?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Free Pizza With a Vasectomy in Cape Cod

On By A.P.In Basketball, Cape Cod, College Basketball, Massachusettes, Pizza, Sports, VasectomyLeave a comment

 

If you’re considering a vasectomy, and happen to like pizza and basketball, a Massachusetts urology clinic has an offer for you.

Urology Associates of Cape Cod says it’s offering a free pizza to vasectomy patients during March Madness. An administrator with the group says it’s a lighthearted way to raise awareness about the procedure and drum up business.

Evan Cohen of the clinic told the Cape Cod Times that getting a vasectomy during the NCAA basketball tournament is the perfect time because typically a day or two of recovery is needed following the operation, so it gives patients an excuse to lie on the couch and watch hoops.

A commercial promoting the deal asks the question, “Hey guys! Want to watch the college basketball tournament guilt-free? You know you’ve been thinking about a vasectomy, anyway. Now’s the time to get it done.”

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57398849-10391704/mass-clinic-offers-free-pizza-for-vasectomy-during-march-madness/

Evansville Day School High School Basketball Has Its First Sectional Victory

On By A.P.In Basketball, High School BasketballLeave a comment

 

Day School finally got to live the dream of the school’s first championship Saturday in the Class A sectional at Tecumseh.

One night after knocking off the host Braves, the Eagles were able to power inside in Saturday’s final for a 70-52 championship win over Cannelton.

The difference in the game was 6-foot-5 senior center Alex Hanke, who had scored just nine points in the previous two games after being plagued by fouls against Wood Memorial and Tecumseh.

Saturday would be far different as Hanke collared the Bulldogs inside for a career high 33 points. He also added 12 rebounds.

“Coming into the game I told Alex it was going to be his night,” said coach Kelly Ballard. “I told him he should be fresh after not getting to play much in the last two games.

“He was really the difference tonight. He had a size advantage and we were able to take advantage of it. We just kept throwing him the ball down there and he kept scoring, especially in the third quarter.”

Hanke scored 12 points in the third quarter alone as the Eagles (20-3) pushed their 32-26 lead at the half into a 52-41 lead at the last quarter stop.

“It was really hard having to sit so much in those last two games, especially Tecumseh,” said Hanke. “So I wanted to come out for my team as one of the seniors and step it up.

“Tonight my teammates were setting good screens to get me open and then getting me the ball. Then I was able to finish. This has been a goal for a while, so this feels really great, but especially for the seniors.”

Day School’s senior class carried the night Saturday. Behind Hanke, Basel Allaw added 13 points and four assists and Ethan Black 10 points and four assists. Junior Jeremy LaGrone had six assists.

“It was really fitting for Alex to come through for this senior class tonight,” said Ballard, whose team will play Loogootee in the regional on Saturday. “Ethan and Basel did such a great job getting us to the final and then Alex helped push us through.

“The thing was it was really tough for us to recover emotionally from the Tecumseh game. We were sluggish in the first half and (Brandon) Cook was playing great for Cannelton. But we were able to pick it up defensively and get out in the open floor in the second half where we’re more effective.”

Cook, who had 37 points Friday for Cannelton (5-17), had 15 points in the first half Saturday. But he scored just six more after intermission to finish with a team-high 21.

“Cook was really hurting us with the dribble drive in the first half,” said Ballard. “But then we adjusted in the second half and went to a trap and made him give up the ball.”

Cannelton, which placed just four players in the scoring column, also got 14 points from Elijah Littles.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/mar/03/ev_04classaboys/

 

Unfortunately, there is no footage of the championship game. 

So, here are some hi-lites on YouTube of the team from last year.