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After their the UAAP and NCAA Finals in which the Ateneo Blue Eagles had captured their fourth consecutive win in the UAAP Finals, and the Red Lions, who streaked to back-to-back crowns in the NCAA, another competition is being held which will pit these teams in a basketball match to see which is the best collegiate teams in the country. This is the 2011 Philippine Collegiate Champions League.

The Best Basketball Team According to latest UAAP news, the Ateneo Blue Eagles is aiming to get its third straight title in the tournament, who long been known as the champions in the inter-collegiate competition. On the other hand, the San Beda Red Lions, which finished third two years ago, seeks to become the first NCAA team to rule the tournament. Other than this year’s best collegiate basketball teams, other teams are also slated to battle it out in this tournament. According to latest UAAP news, those that are assured slots of the Sweet 16 berths are the UAAP Final Four, including Far Eastern University, Adamson, and University of Sto. Tomas.

As for the NCAA, their teams include Letran, San Sebastian, and Jose Rizal U. The Metro Manila qualifying games will stake two spots in the knockout phase, while the regional champions from North-Central Luzon, South Luzon-Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao dispute the remaining berths. Other than in Metro Manila, 2 more slots are also at stake in the Cesafi tournament in Cebu. La Salle’s Aim into the Sweet 16 Both UAAP teams, National U and De La Salle, are gunning to take the slots to the Sweet 16 of the 2011 Philippine Collegiate Champions League when they vie in the Metro Manila eliminations from Nov. 8 to 10 at the FilOil-Flying V Arena in San Juan.

After missing out on the Final Four in the UAAP, the Bulldogs and Archers gun for the two slots at stake against NCAA squads Mapua and Lyceum, University of Manila, St. Francis of Assisi, Centro Escolar University and Technological University of the Philippines. According to PBA News, those that have already entered the Sweet 16 berth are San Beda and San Sebastian, which will vie for the title starting Monday, and semifinalists Letran and Jose Rizal U. For more information visit to our site at

 

Time has gone when children just wanted to excel in studies. Kids of today want to excel in studies and also pursue their hobbies simultaneously. There are number of sports that students opt for, but basketball has emerged as the most preferred sport, both for girls and boys. However, if your kid has interest in learning serious basketball and move to higher levels, then he must opt for basketball coaching clinics Omaha.

Early Starters are the Best We are a premier basketball coaching which believes in rigorous training at all levels to transform people into expert players. Our programs cater to all age groups starting with kids and teaching them fundamentals. Also, we develop team concepts and game spirit to ensure that as they move on, they can play with right skills and spirit. Once, they acquire basic skills, we move them to next level. Personal Basketball Coach Omaha We believe that every player has certain strength which is necessary for the game. Thus, if they are trained in the right way, their strengths can be enhanced and weaknesses can be eliminated. Once a player is well equipped with all the skills and practice, he can go as far as YMCA basketball Omaha.

All we need is the right attitude and determination to learn. You can trust us for training your child. Our coach has an experience which goes deep down in training people of all age groups. He has all the knowledge and experience to work with new comers and transform them to professional players. If you have passion for the game since long but you have never tried a hand in the court, then time is you come to us. We offer free initial consultation for one hour and you will know if you can really take it up seriously. Remember to contact us and start with your journey towards being an efficient player with assistance of best basketball coach Omaha.

Once you are clear that you have to take this forward, you can join the personal training program. Unlike other basketball coaching clinics Omaha, we prefer working in small groups. These one to one sessions allow us to understand each player and observe them for scope of improvement. With our personal instructions, you will soon find yourself improving and it is possible you will develop some of your own moves to success. Taking it to Next Level It will get serious with time and you will have to clear all levels set up by our coach. Each level has new skills and moves on which you will be evaluated using computer analysis. This makes it tough and leaves no room for mistakes. These levels are defined as:

 

After last season’s defeat against Duke, the Bulldogs have a new opportunity to win the first NCAA championship in school history. After assuring themselves a NCAA Tourney berth thanks to their condition as the Horizon League champ, the Bulldogs knew that there was only one way to go if they were really planning to make it into the Final Four and that was none other than “the Butler Way.” For back-to-back seasons the Butler Bulldogs have made the best from this style to rank themselves among the top four teams in college basketball worldwide.

This year they have also confirmed the strength and reliability of it by getting off their way three higher seeded rivals from major conferences. The first higher seed to be stunned by “the Butler way” was No. 1 Pittsburgh Panthers in the third round; game that the Bulldogs won 71-70 thanks Mike Howard’s free throw with 0.8 seconds left. After that epic victory Butler dismissed No.4 Wisconsin Badgers in the Sweet 16, in a game where they didn’t know how to manage a 20 point lead in the second half, which came to be reduced to 7 in the 61-54 win. No. 4 Florida Gators were next in line and the Bulldogs didn’t miss the chance to prove that “the Butler way” was also effective for over time victories, even if it was in a scenario as decisive as an Elite Eight final game can be. With the buzzer the score reported 60-points each, Bulldogs and Gators, forcing the overtime to be disputed. For a few seconds many fans believed to be having a deja vu, since their 2000 NCAA Championship confrontation also ended up tied at 60 and went to OT.

But that was going to be the only similarity with that game, because this time Butler was going to avenge their loss with a 74-71 victory over Florida. Shelvin Mack had put in 22 points for Butler in the regular time to arise as the squad’s top scorer. Luckily for his teammates he added five more in overtime, which included the three point jumper that put the Bulldogs ahead of the game 72-70 with only 1:21 to go in the OT.

Having knocked out three higher seeds to make their second Final Four appearance in a row had all Butler players euphoric of their accomplishment, which made Zach Hahn questioned himself if “any other mid-major has ever done this.” The answer to Hahn’s question -who came in from the bench and contributed with two three-pointers- is that only one team from outside the six power conferences had been able to sign back-to-back Final Four appearances was the UNLV Rebels from 1990-91.

What does make them unique is that fact that the Bulldogs did so without clinching No. 1 or No. 2 seed in both occasions. Butler coach Brad Stevens only had words of appreciation for his players, as they “carried their coach in a big way,” he said. And it couldn’t be any other way around, because their work as a team turned him into the youngest coach to dispute two Final Fours. Since it was established in 2006, “the Butler way” has always denied selfishness, which is one of its fundamental reasons as of why coach Stevens doesn’t take all the credit for this accomplishment.

But this “way” goes deeper than that, as it promotes humility, passion, unity, servant-hood and thankfulness, principles without which their program wouldn’t have gained prominence. It is under these principles that the Bulldogs will try to get another shot two win their first NCAA championship ring at Houston, where they will need to earn their way into the final by getting rid of the surprising No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth Rams, winner of the Southwest bracket. The Rams have also stunned higher seed teams on their way to the Final Four, which is the case of their most recent victim, the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks, squad that they defeated 71-61. They will now go after the Bulldogs on April 2 at 6:09 ET, in a game where no matter who wins; it is already a surprise to have them both at this decisive stage.

 

When somebody asks you, what is the best conference in the country in college basketball, most people will instantly say the Big 12, Big Ten, Big East, or the SEC. While it is evident that these conferences deserve credit for their extraordinary play and their numerous teams atop the rankings, I am going to make a case for a little talked about conference. This conference is the Mountain West. Even though the Mountain West has been hit by the current uncertainty of university conference membership, they are not letting this affect their play on the court. With BYU and Utah leaving the MWC for greener pastures this past offseason, this left the MWC with only eight member schools for the 2011 season. Utah and BYU had been key contributors to this conference’s success over the past decade but the remaining universities have moved on and maybe put up the best results in conference history this year.

Right now the MWC has two of their eight schools in the top 25 with (20-3) San Diego State and (21-4) UNLV, with (19-4) New Mexico and (18-5) Wyoming right on their heels. It wouldn’t surprise to see them get as much as 50% of their members in the top 25 at some point before the end of the year. The MWC also has six of their eight universities in the top 100 of the RPI. This puts the MWC at 75% of their schools in the top 100 of the RPI. Only the Big Ten has a higher rate at 83%. The MWC currently ranks as the 5th best conference in the RPI ahead of perennial powerhouses like the ACC and PAC 12 and just hundredths of percentage points behind the top rated Big Ten Conference. The MWC schools have racked up wins against the likes of Arizona, Cal (2), North Carolina, Illinois, Virginia, and Saint Louis who have all been rated in the top 25 at some point this year. Not included in this list are a number of other BCS schools like USC (3), Arizona State, Washington State, Boston College, Oklahoma State, Colorado (2), Texas Tech, and Utah. Most of these BCS schools have more resources than any of these MWC schools could dream of, but yet they have proven that money doesn’t buy wins.

Right now I legitimately think this conference deserves 4 bids to March Madness with the following schools: Locks to make the tournament UNLV (21-4) Best Wins: North Carolina, Illinois, Cal, New Mexico Questionable Losses: None Current RPI: 7 Strength of Schedule: 51 This is probably the easiest case to make out of all the MWC teams. Their win over, at the time #1 rated, North Carolina really propelled this team on the national stage. This is the best win this conference has produced this year and the only national recognition I have seen from the media on any team from the MWC. They have also taken wins from Illinois and Cal on their way to a solid overall season and a potential #2 seed. San Diego State (20-3) Best Wins: Arizona, Cal, UNLV, New Mexico Questionable Losses: None Current RPI: 21 Strength of Schedule: 85 San Diego State is one of those teams that have done nothing to shoot themselves in the foot and they show up for every game.

They have some goods wins but nothing that will get them considered for a top seeding like UNLV can receive. If they continue to play solid ball to finish the year I see them getting somewhere between a 3-5 seed. New Mexico (19-4) Best Wins: Saint Louis, Oklahoma State, Missouri State Questionable Losses: Santa Clara, New Mexico State Current RPI: 41 Strength of Schedule: 97 Even though this team doesn’t have any top caliber wins they have stockpiled a bunch of wins against quality opponents. Also in my opinion this team has the ability to make just as much noise in the big dance as UNLV and SDSU.

This team has depth and talent to go along with a great head coach in Steve Alford. This is my dark horse to make a big run in the tournament this year and they have the potential to make the final four if everything goes right. Right now New Mexico is looking at somewhere between a 7-10 seed. Still has work to do Wyoming (18-5) Best Wins: Colorado, UNLV Questionable Losses: Green Bay, TCU Current RPI: 84 Strength of Schedule: 163 Much like San Diego State, Wyoming has really played consistent all year and they haven’t had many slipups.

They just picked up their biggest win of the year last week against UNLV and going forward they can earn their way into the tournament. Their win over UNLV finally gets them in the conversation as a legitimate tournament team. This team also has a great group of players and they could be bracket busters in March. Don’t rule out a run to the sweet sixteen if this team slides in somewhere between a 9-12 seed.

Even though I think this conference deserves at least 4 teams in the tournament I am realistic. Many of the people deciding who gets in have what we call “east coast bias” or haven’t even seen these MWC teams play. I assure you these teams pass the eye test and if given a chance I think they would make serious noise in the March Madness. If given this opportunity I think many people would be convinced that this year the MWC is the most competitive conference in the country.

 

The Dallas Mavericks have been around since 1980 and are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association. They play in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the league and are based out of Dallas, TX. The Mavericks have consistently been a great team in the league with a few exceptions. They have won a conference championship in 2006 and have also won three individual division titles in 1987, 2007, and most recently in 2010. They have had some incredible players over the years including Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Jason Kidd but have still yet to capture a Championship. The Mavs have one of the most valuable franchises in the league at about $466 million. This puts them as having the seventh most valuable franchise among NBA teams.

The Mavericks were first created in 1980 and had a rough time putting together a team. In the 1981 draft they were able to pick up Jay Vincent, Mark Aguirre, and Rolando Blackman to help back their lone superstar, Brad Davis, and make something of the team. In 1982 they had their first winning season but were still not able to reach the playoffs. In 1983 they picked up Derek Harper in the draft and made their first appearance in the post season. Around 1986 the Mavericks were finally starting to get into their groove. They got a Midwest Division Title that year but they went out early in the playoffs after suffering a defeat to the Seattle Supersonics. The team would visit the playoffs over the next few years but still struggled to get too far into the post season.

By 1990 they would lose one of their valuable players in Sam Perkins and would fall to the bottom of the standings with only 28 wins on the season. In 1994 the Mavericks picked up Jason Kidd in the draft, and he had a supporting cast of Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. They were a formidable scoring force in the league and Jason Kidd even led the league that year with triple doubles. Even with these weapons, however, the team still was not able to reach the playoffs so they went through another rebuilding stage where they got rid of Jason Kidd and got Michael Finley, Sam Cassell, and A.C. Green. This didn’t prove to do too much until in 1998 they secured the rights to Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash and would start a dominant run.

They would also change management when Mark Cuban bought the franchise from its original owners. This lineup would prove to be a good one as the Dallas Mavericks would reach the NBA Finals in 2004-2005 but ended up losing to the Miami Heat in six games. Since then they have traded out Nash and acquired Jason Kidd again and have built a solid team. Going into the 2010 playoffs they were the second ranked team in the Western Conference. They have showed their dominance over other teams in the league and look to be a real force in the post season. Dirk Nowitzki is nearly unstoppable from anywhere on the floor and Jason Kidd is playing as well as he did when he entered the league sixteen years ago.

 

The New York Knicks is a name to be reckoned with and there is no doubt that it is at the heart ofthe matter for all basketball fans. Only two teams have stayed true to their home town since theirorigins and the Knicks are one of them. This makes them the quintessential New York basketballteam and also the team that many of the world immediately associate with the great game.Immortalised in films, TV shows and music, the New York Knicks are a perfect example of basketballgreatness and so much more. There is no doubt that history makes up a great deal of the excitement and passion that makes upthe club. The Championship years may not come around as often as they did in the 60s and 70sbut the Knicks have always bounced back. Stars like Patrick Ewen and Willis Reid have written theirnames all over the record book and are still talked about in excited tones by Knocks fans today.

Notthat the current crop should feel intimidated by these legends though as there are a number of greatplayers in the current line-up. There is something magical about the New York Knicks when they are on form, carrying the hopesand dreams of their city on their shoulders. Sporting success, like in many cities, is crucial to thepsyche of the average New Yorker and the form of the Knicks can have a massive impact on the dayto day mood of people in the city. Roaring along in support of the team could make the differenceto the sort of service you receive the following day! This is why so many people are turning to make sure that they grab hold of their New York Knicks tickets.

Of course, if you want to see the New York Knicks in their true home, you will have the chance to seeone of the finest venues the world has ever seen. Madison Square Gardens is not only an amazingsporting venue, it has played host to some of the biggest names in music, comedy and theatre aswell. There is no doubt that buying Madison Square Garden tickets is as big a part of the event formany people as getting to see the basketball action! If you are a tourist looking to see all the sightsor you just want to see one of the finest sporting venues around, a visit to the MSG has to be onyour agenda.

The retired jerseys hanging from the rafters indicates that the New York Knicks have more thantheir fair share of heroes and legends but there is plenty of room for more. With keen rivalries andtensions with a number of other NBA teams, there is usually a heated passion and excitement to befound in the MSG when the Knicks are playing. When it comes to watching quality basketball in aworld famous venue, it is hard to find better than the New York Knicks and Madison Square Gardens.