Posts by Shane Ryan
-
![Trey Burke]()
The Hardcourt Shuffle: Michigan and Duke Lose, Chaos Reigns
I was sitting at the bar of a ragged little pub-type restaurant in Durham on Friday afternoon — the kind where nobody is overtly hostile, since this is the South, but where they give you 10-13 fries with your lukewarm burger to hint at a menacing presence in the kitchen — talking hoops with an […]
-
![Jamaal Franklin]()
The Hardcourt Shuffle: Top 10 College Hoops Weekend Games
Wednesday, January 9, will go down in infamy as the Night of Two Dunks. It started with Illinois’ Brandon Paul trying his luck against Minnesota’s Trevor Mbakwe: On any other night, that would easily be the top jam. It was so good that if you had to nominate 10 dunks for some kind of Dunk […]
-
![Minnesota]()
Austin Hollins Rises in ‘The Moment,’ Minnesota Beats Illinois
I’m a big believer in how brief moments can influence and often define outcomes, especially in sports. I freely admit there’s probably some kind of bias at play, and the best name for that bias might be “narrative.” At the same time, I hate the artificial stats/story dichotomy that’s emerged over the past … 15 […]
-
![Ryan Kelly]()
The Hardcourt Shuffle: Duke and Michigan Rise From the Pack
This is a very, very special Monday in Shuffle-land. When we started this column a couple of weeks ago, I joked that “The Hardcourt Shuffle” sounded like a dance crazy from the 1920s, and I encouraged readers to write lyrics for the imaginary song. Today, I’m beyond thrilled to announce that reader Drew Bollinger did […]
-
![Temple basketball]()
The Hardcourt Shuffle: Top 10 Weekend College Basketball Games
Remember that period in college basketball history when the last two weeks of December were the worst of the season? When exam time and cupcake schedules made for a miserable, dormant period leading up to the excitement of conference play? That epoch lasted from 1891, when James Naismith invented basketball, to 2011, when Kansas beat […]
-
About Last Night: Good-bye!
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Thursday. Mason Plumlee had 21 points and 15 boards to lead no. 1 Duke to a 76-54 win over Elon on the same day that the nation’s no. 2 high school recruit, Jabari Parker, committed to the Blue […]
-
About Last Night: Happy Mayan Eve Day!
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Wednesday. Blake Griffin scored 18 points as the Clippers tied a team record with their 11th straight win, 93-77, over the Hornets. Team owner Donald Sterling congratulated the team, but still refused to give players and coaches two […]
-
About Last Night: Never a Dull Moment on The Lake Show
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Tuesday. The Lakers came back from an 18-point third quarter deficit to top the Bobcats, 101-100, and avoid what would have been the most embarrassing moment of their already difficult season. It was a Pyrrhic victory for some […]
-
Jim Boeheim, the Complicated Fatalist, Wins No. 900
My first experience with live college basketball came on February 12, 1994, when my dad and I made the three-hour trip from the Adirondack Mountains to see Syracuse take on Kentucky. Through an old grad school connection, dad got us in to the home locker room an hour before the game, and that’s where I […]
-
About Last Night: Sanchize Delivers Christmas Gift to Titans
In case you were out living a life of leisure, here’s what you missed in sports on Monday. Mark Sanchez finished with five turnovers, including three on the final three possessions, as the Jets lost to the Titans, 14-10, and were eliminated from playoff contention. “So many asses,” said Sanchez ruefully. “Just so many asses […]
