Sports

As Blue Devils Celebrate Title, Looking Ahead to 2015-16

Published

10 years ago

April 8, 2015

Duke players celebrate with the trophy after their 68-63 victory over Wisconsin in the NCAA Final Four college basketball tournament championship game Monday, April 6, 2015, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nobody will hang any nets to replace the ones Duke cut down Monday night for several months, giving the Blue Devils plenty of time to celebrate their fifth national championship.

That doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t thinking about the future.

More talented freshmen are ready to step into the spotlight, headlined by Ben Simmons, the nation’s top-ranked recruit headed to LSU. More coaches are ready to lead new programs, including Shaka Smart at Texas and Avery Johnson at Alabama. And all of them will be trying to snatch that crown off the head of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and his talented bunch in Durham.

Here are some of the intriguing story lines heading into the next season:

CAN DUKE DEFEND: The Blue Devils are almost certain to lose Jahlil Okafor, one of the top two prospects in the upcoming NBA draft, along with likely first-round pick Justise Winslow. Tyus Jones, another freshman, could bolt after a dynamic title game performance.

Good thing for Coach K, two more five-star prospects are ready to step right in. Luke Kennard is a dead-eye shooting guard from Ohio, and Chase Jeter is a 6-foot-10 power forward with a polished game from the Bishop Gorman High School juggernaut in Las Vegas.

The last to win back-to-back titles? Florida in 2006-07. Before that? Duke in 1991-92.

CAN KENTUCKY CONTEND: After their pursuit of perfection came up two games short, coach John Calipari expects five and perhaps as many as seven Wildcats to skip to the NBA. Karl-Anthony Towns is a potential No. 1 pick, Willie-Cauley Stein and Trey Lyles are possible lottery picks, and the Harrison twins Andrew and Aaron are likely gone after their sophomore seasons.

The big question marks are point guard Tyler Ulis and shooting guard Devin Booker. If they return, and Calipari finds another piece to go with highly rated recruits Isaiah Briscoe and Skal Labissiere, the Wildcats will be right in the thick of things.

“We would have loved to have been 40-0,” Calipari said after his team’s Final Four loss to Wisconsin. “Let’s see if we can take another stab at it.”

OTHER FAVORITES: Virginia returns almost everyone from a team that beat out the Blue Devils for the ACC regular-season title and could be the preseason No. 1. North Carolina is expected to return all five of its starters. Georges Niang and Iowa State should be favored to end Kansas’s streak of 11 consecutive Big 12 championships. Maryland, Villanova and Notre Dame could also be in the mix.

“I wouldn’t trade anyone in the world for Georges Niang,” Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg said after his team was eliminated by UAB in the NCAA Tournament. “The kid is an absolute warrior and a winner.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Niang may headline the list, a dynamic point forward who can score from anywhere on the floor. Kyle Wiltjer of Gonzaga, Fred VanVleet of Wichita State, Malcolm Brogdon of Virginia and Yogi Ferrell of Indiana should give college hoops plenty of star power.

Then there are the freshmen: Simmons and Labissiere are names to watch. Jaylen Brown and Malik Newman, two top-five prospects, are still deciding where they will play. Diamond Stone is headed to Maryland, and Ray Smith and Allonzo Trier headline a heralded class at Arizona.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES: Smart is bringing his “havoc” style to Texas, where making 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament and one Final Four appearance wasn’t enough to save Rick Barnes.

It was enough to get Barnes hired by Tennessee in about 30 seconds.

Arizona State is replacing Herb Sendek. Ben Howland is in at Mississippi State and Johnson in at Alabama, giving the SEC some fresh blood. Dave Leitao is back at DePaul, while St. John’s parted ways with Steve Lavin and brought in former star Chris Mullin.

“I looked at it as an obligation, first and foremost,” Mullin said of his decision to take over the Red Storm. “My desire to do it was there.”

AS FOR THE GAME: This is a rules change year for the NCAA, which means the game could look a bit different as the organization tries to spur scoring and speed up games.

Among the ideas on the table are reducing the 35-second shot clock to 30 seconds, moving the restricted area arc from 3 feet to 4 feet to free up the post, and better enforcement of rules in regard to defending players without the ball to help with freedom of movement.

“You could suggest the state of the game is not where we want it,” said Utah State athletic director Scott Barnes, chairman of the NCAA Tournament selection committee. “We’re on the right track, but we have to continue to move forward.”

___

AP Sports Writers Michael Marot and Rachel Cohen contributed to this report.

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WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

3 weeks ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

4 months ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

4 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok