Why in the Hell Did the Utah Jazz Pick the All Hype, No Talent, Grayson Allen

Why Utah? Why?

A new week, but I still have some basketball stuff I want to get off my chest. As I said, after my draft recap last week, I have a big time problem with Grayson Allen being a first round pick, and with the team that chose him.

First of all, Allen never got better while at Duke. In fact, he got much worse as his career went on. Now, if all you do is watch ESPN, you probably think that I am just a "hater", or misinformed. But, I am one of the very few people out here that still watch, and pay close attention to, NCAA basketball. And when it comes to Duke, I hate watch them. I have talked about hate watching before on the site. I watch them with hopes that they will, not only get beat, but get crushed. I watch them to root against them. I do not care who they are playing, I root against them no matter what. So, I have been very, very aware of Grayson Allen since he was a freshman. I feel as if he played his best game as a freshman, and it just so happened in the title game. Allen kind of burst onto the scene on a team that featured pros like Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow and Tyus Jones. I know none of those guys have been great in the pros, but they were all first round picks, lottery picks in Okafor and Winslow's case, and they are all still in the league. Well, Allen played right up to their level in that game. And, from the moment he stepped on the floor, with his stupid, smug face, I immediately despised him. He just had that look, He looked like a Duke player. If you watch college basketball, you know exactly what I am talking about. He had this look of superiority, like he was better than everyone else. He looks like a kid born with a golden spoon in his mouth, who was never told no. I just despised him.

Then, when all those freshman at Duke left for the pros, I had to hear ESPN shout to the mountains that Grayson Allen was going to be the second coming of JJ Redick, or dare they say, Christian Laetenner. This made me dislike him even more. But, I still paid attention. I wanted to see if this kid was the real deal, or if he was a flash in the pan. And, while he showed flashes, he was always overshadowed by some other incoming freshman on Duke it seemed. He would go into each year, his sophomore, junior and senior year, and he was always the preseason ACC, preseason All American and preseason consensus player of the year. He won all the preseason awards. But, when it came to actual games, he was more known for his antics than his play. He was also, as I said before, overshadowed by incoming recruits. Where Allen didn't grow as a player, he grew as a joke. He was the guy that tripped and kicked players. He was who opposing crowds booed the most. He was a third and fourth and fifth option. He was just a guy that was around. And had it not been for ESPN, he would have just faded into the background. Guys that he played with, guys like all their stud freshman when they won the title, then players like Marvin Bagley, Trevon Duvall, Wendell Carter, Jayson Tatum, Luke Kennard, Harry Giles and Brandon Ingram, just to name a few, where all better than him in college. Allen became a joke, like I stated. He never, ever lived up to the hype. He never won player of the year, or even ACC player of the year. He was never the top player on his own team. He never took the last shot. He was never trusted. He just never really did anything of note, besides trying to inflict bodily harm on players that were besting him. That, and his constant temper tantrums on the Duke sideline.

It all should have stopped there. But no, the freaking Utah Jazz, who I was just starting to like, decided he was worthy of a first round pick. I despised both the Jazz and the Bulls in the 90's. I was, and always will be, a Supersonics fan. I didn't like the Bulls because I didn't appreciate their greatness. I now understand, and very much appreciate, what the Bulls did. And, MJ is the GOAT. Fight me on this. I also despised the Jazz because I did not like John Stockton or Karl Malone. Malone shrunk when the lights were the brightest, and Stockton is most definitely the dirtiest player ever. I CANNOT stand either of those guys. Yes, they are well deserved hall of fame players, but I still loathe them both. Then, the Jazz kind of had this mini renaissance with guys like Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Alec Burks and Trey Burke. I kind of enjoyed this team. I also like Rodney Hood on this team. And even last year, when Hayward left, I loved that they went out and got Ricky Rubio, and they drafted my new favorite player, Donovan Mitchell, and it all worked. Hell, I am even rooting for Mitchell to win ROY tonight, and Snyder to win COY. But, they had to go and screw all of this good will I built up for them by taking this overrated, no more than a bench player that will never average double figures in what I'm most assured will be a very short NBA career. And to watch him put that hat on, and see that stupid smug smile again brought back all that dislike I had for him.

Grayson Allen is a scrub. Grayson Allen is a poor man's Jimmer Fredette. Grayson Allen will not even be a viable G League player. I hate this pick so much, and I hope that it will not mess with all the good that Donovan Mitchell did last year. Mitchell is the star of that team and that is the only major player they should cover on all sports networks. Him, and Rudy Gobert too, and a little Ricky Rubio coverage is fine too. But, I swear, if ESPN tries to shoehorn Grayson Allen as a reason why the Jazz are a playoff contender, I will lose my shit. This pick really pisses me off to no end. What a dumb choice, that will bite them inn the ass sooner rather than later.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Grayson Allen and Derrick Rose Represent the Dark Side of Basketball

Allen and Rose are the clouds over some bright and sunny basketball

I was going to write 2 separate pieces about 2 basketball players, but I feel like I can lump them into one piece. Each has been a headache for their teams and fans all season long. Each were once the darlings of their fan base as well, but now, they have lost a lot from the ones who once loved them. One plays college basketball, and the other was a former MVP, All Star and seemed like an all around good guy, until this season happened. I'll start with the college player first because men's college basketball is not the NBA. The NBA is more important.

We have 2 more incidents since Grayson Allen's "suspension" was ended after one game of him acting like a jackass. I know that I have ragged on this kid before, but he is such a shit head, I just can't help myself. I have to hate on this kid. So, last season, he trips the FSU player as his team is getting beat, and he is playing poorly. One time, maybe it was just a mistake. But, coming into this year, you just had the feeling that this punk was the newest Duke player to hate. He started the year as a consensus All American, and many picked him to be player of the year. Well, the season did not start as he expected, and he has let his frustrations boil over. Against Elon earlier this year, he purposefully tripped a player that beat him off the dribble, then threw a tantrum, like a spoiled rotten child, on the bench.

The ever douchey Coach K did not suspend, or even reprimand Allen on the spot, I guess he thinks he only has to reprimand kids on other teams when he gets beat in the tournament, but instead said that they will "take care of it internally". Then, when he gets pushed on the subject of this kids poor sportsmanship and behavior, he defends him, and says that at Duke, they do things their own way. What a bunch of shit. Allen was finally "indefinitely" suspended and had his captaincy taken away from him. I thought this way too little, way too late. It took all major media outlets calling this kid out before Coach K finally suspended him. I think the decision was made easier when Coach K had to announce that he was having back surgery.

Allen finally gets suspended, and surprise surprise, Duke loses their next game to Virginia Tech. With one game left before his leave of absence, Coach K lifted Allen's "indefinite" suspension, and reinserts him in the starting lineup for the very next game against Boston College. What a crock. This game was a big blowout, in Duke's favor, but Allen wasn't lighting it up like he sometimes does. He had a very mediocre game, like he has had all year. Amidst the blowout, while fighting through a screen, Allen contorted his body and stuck his right leg behind him and appeared to trip a Boston College player. Of course it was the talk of sports radio and TV the next day, but no one did anything about it. Coach K did not suspend him, the ACC said there wasn't enough evidence to suspend him, Allen just got a free pass.

Then, while getting hammered by FSU the other night, Allen was chasing a loose ball and in his attempt to save it, he physically shoved a FSU assistant coach. Many people said that this was a "hustle" play. I have played basketball for almost 30 years now, and when I have "hustle" plays, I have never shoved another player, let alone an opposing coach. This was blatant and it seems to be Allen's calling card. When things aren't going his way, he reverts to being the spoiled brat that he is, and shoves and trips the opposition. Look at all the crap that Draymond Green has to deal with, what with the constant kicking of testicles, and he is looked at as the biggest villain ever. But, I'd have to say that Allen is worse. He is not as good a basketball player, and he gives me even more reason to hate on Duke. This kid is a punk, a spoiled rich white kid that never faces consequences for his rude actions and he should not be allowed on a basketball court if he continues this nonsense. Grayson Allen is a joke.

Now, lets get to the NBA player. I think we all can agree that Derrick Rose's best days are behind him. He is not the slasher and penetrator that he was 6 years ago. He does not play the game with reckless abandon like he used to. He doesn't attack like he used to. Sure, he has flashes, but he just isn't the same player, 2 Achilles injuries will do that to anyone. He is also a very suspect jump shooter and defender, but he was always mediocre in those 2 areas. He was able to make up for it early in his career with his athleticism, but now, he is just a wasted high contract player.

Rose recently has become a bit of headache for coaches, GM's and teammates as well. His time in Chicago, at the end, was rough. I don't think he liked that the coaches and players wanted to hand the team over to Jimmy Butler, who is much better than Rose. He didn't like being marginalized, and all but forced his way out this past summer. He got traded to New York, and since the trade happened, he has flown off the rails. He called the Knicks a "super team". He showed up to his press conference dressed like I dress, and I have zero fashion sense. He openly talked about wanting big money in his next deal, and didn't seem to care if it was with the Knicks. His first impression was a disaster.

Then, when he got on the floor, the chemistry just didn't work. I know some people were high on the Knicks (ed note: I was), I was not, but he and Carmelo Anthony cannot coexist as teammates. They are both ball hogs that play no defense, but at least Carmelo can hit an 18 footer. Rose also seems to ignore big men, instead trying to go to the basket himself. When Rose is on the floor, players like Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle O'Quinn barely see the ball. Those guys need to get the ball to get engaged in the game, but Rose will not give it to them. Hell, even Carmelo has tried to get the post players involved recently. But, Rose does not. He has become a ball hog when he does show up for games.

Rose has missed some time this year due to nagging injuries, but what he did the other day was bizarre. He just disappeared before a game. No call, no show. He wasn't answering his phone, or returning text messages. It was like he vanished. Eventually it surfaced that he wasn't available due to a "family emergency". Look, I hope everything is okay, but that is the type of excuse I would use when I did not want to go to one of my shifts at the various sandwich shops I worked in. Also, if I no called no showed at those menial jobs, I would have been fired. What did the Knicks do you ask? They started him the next night. Just like with Allen, Rose faced no consequence for his childish actions.

Rose said while he was away that he was contemplated retiring from the NBA. But, the very next night, he brought up his upcoming free agency and said the he wants a contract that will pay him 150 million dollars. IS HE INSANE! NO ONE IS PAYING YOU THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY DERRICK ROSE! NOT EVEN THE 76ERS! I cannot believe the foolishness coming from him right now. I do not know what happened to Derrick Rose. When he was at Memphis, and then his first couple of years in the NBA, I genuinely enjoyed watching him play. But, after the injuries, fall out in Chicago and this whole ridiculous half season in New York, I just do not care for Derrick Rose the basketball player. He appears selfish and single minded, just like Grayson Allen.

These 2 are peas in a pod, in a bad way. They are selfish assholes that think they are bigger than the game. Well, I have news for you too, you are both irrelevant and not that many people, if any, really care about you as basketball players anymore. Your time is up Derrick Rose, and Grayson Allen, you're a never was that never will be.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He urges the developers of a new NBA Jam to include a Derrick Rose / Grayson Allen team. They can trip others, throw tantrums, and disappear during points. Just like real life. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Grayson Allen has Evolved Into the Most Pure Duke Basketball Player

Coach K has Grayson's binkie ready

Earlier this year, I wrote about what a petulant little brat Duke guard Grayson Allen is. I compared him with many other Duke players that seem to have the same disposition, arrogant, whiny, spoiled brats that get whatever they want from their coach and the refs. He is probably, talent wise, the worst one of the bunch, but that is besides the point.

We have had 2 instances this past week that have went above and beyond his true terrible attitude and the way he carries himself on a basketball court. He acts like he is the greatest player in college basketball, but he may not even be the sixth or seventh best player on his team. But, his arrogance has gotten out of hand.

First off, he is not playing up to the incredibly high, unachievable goals that writers and pundits put on him this preseason. People were calling him an All American, saying he was going to be the player of the year and that he would cement himself as a first round draft pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He has been average, at best this year. As I have already said, he isn't even the main man on his own team, let alone a player of the year candidate.

Then, earlier this week, he went for a layup against some very low level out of conference opponent and missed. But, on the way up, he assumed he would get fouled, so he looked for contact that wasn't there. The defender smartly pulled away, not risking grabbing a cheap foul, and decided to just let these 2 points go. But, Allen missed the shot, and when he went to the ground, he threw a fit, and since the game was at Duke, the ref blew his whistle and called a foul. This may be one of the worst calls of all time, at any level, that I have ever seen. The defender literally did not even touch him. The coach of the opposing team was beside himself, as he should have been. I mean, Duke gets so many cheap calls, but this was on a whole new level. Seriously, go find tape of this and tell me when and where he got fouled. He was not touched.

Then, the other night against another low level non conference team, Elon, Allen came back with his trademark trip. He was having another poor performance, which is becoming his norm, and when he was beaten on defense by an Elon player, Allen did what he does best and tripped the kid. He blatantly stuck his leg in the air, almost kicking the player, and the Elon kid fell to the ground. After the foul was called, and a timeout ensued, instead of looking remorseful, or anything emoting regret, Allen decided it was time for him to throw yet another tantrum. This one was one for the ages. He looked worse than my 4 year old when I tell him I'm not buying him a toy at Five Below. He was jumping up and down on the bench, seemingly trying to hold back tears and yelling at anyone within earshot. And this is the supposed player of the year? Please. 

Afterward, many people wanted to know why Coach K has never done any real punishment for all this nonsense from Allen, and he said that they deal with this stuff internally. Bull shit Coach K. You want Allen to be your next Laettener, Parks, Redick, any of those guys, but he is not. Coach K may be the biggest hypocrite of all this Grayson Allen ridiculousness. He protects the players he likes and the ones on his team, but he feels like he needs to call out Dillon Brooks for hitting a long three after Oregon had the tournament game wrapped up last year. I heard Stephen A Smith, who I almost always disagree with, say this morning that if this was a Kentucky player coached by Calipari that the media would put his feet to the fire, so why don't they do the same with Coach K? I could not agree more, as unbelievable as it is for me to agree with Stephen A Smith. If this was say, Malik Monk tripping players over and over and over again, and throwing multiple tantrums, the "good" folks at ESPN would be punishing Monk and Calipari's handling of the situation. They already chastise him for all the "one and done" recruiting, but they turn around and praise Coach K for "adapting to the new style of men's college basketball". What a crock.

Duke should be embarrassed by this. Grayson Allen did get suspended indefinitely, but I guarantee that, by the start of ACC play, he is reinstated, and ESPN will then praise Coach K for his "handling" of this situation, even though it took Allen tripping a third player before he did anything at all. And all the talk from NFL execs saying they don't want Fournette or McCaffery because they are sitting out a bowl game, if I were a NBA GM, I would not touch this tripping, tantrum throwing child with a ten foot pole. There is no way I'd draft him. He would be a pariah from the moment he meets his new teammates. I can deal with the Draymond Green stuff because he is an incredibly gifted basketball player, which Grayson Allen is not.

The person that deserves the most blame for allowing this behavior to continue on an unusually regular basis is Coach K. This stuff has been going on at Duke since he was announced as the head coach there. The player deserves a lot of the blame, but players also act like their coach. They learn all the stuff from their coach. The coach is like there parent away from home, and we all know that children, for the most part, want to be like their parents. So, while Allen deserves a good share of blame, I also think Coach K deserves just as much, if not more. He is the figurehead that kept allowing this type of activity to constantly occur. Shame on Allen, Duke, but most of all, Coach K.

Duke basketball is becoming synonymous with having privileged assholes on their team that think they are bigger than the game, and that is sad. I hope Grayson Allen never plays basketball again, and I hope Coach K gets caught in some kind of recruiting scandal and he is relieved of his duties. Until then, this nonsense will continue to occur, and most of ESPN will be there to heap praise on this joke of a university.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He never thought he would see the day that one Dike basketball player would make Christian Laettner look like a gentleman. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Duke Basketball Learns Bad Sportsmanship from the Top

Even the real Ducks were laughing at Duke last night

So, I was watching the Duke-Oregon game last night, and much to my delight, Oregon was pulling away late and they ended up winning by 14 points. It was glorious on so many levels. It was great for a Duke hater, such as myself, to see them get beat by double digits. It was great to see that punk ass Grayson Allen have a miserable shooting performance, and overall bad game. It was great to see that another one of these teams led by "one and done" players get ousted by an older, more experienced team. And it was great to see that dip shit Coach K sit and grimace as his young team was getting their asses beat. The only positive for them was the play of Brandon Ingram, but I even found joy watching him try to do everything and missing shots and getting his shots blocked. This game couldn't have gone any better for me, as I was hate watching this game. I don't care about Oregon either way, but I HATE everything about the Duke basketball program. Anytime they lose, that's a win for me.

What happened at the end of the game made me even happier and showed me Duke and Coach K's real personality. They know how to act like winners, but they sure as hell don't know how to take a loss. You have to be as gracious in a loss as you are in a win, but Duke basketball is the epitome of a sore loser. So, what happened, at the end of the game, Grayson Allen was moping and dribbling hard because he was upset at the outcome. Totally understandable. I've been on the side of a loss more than once or twice in a basketball game in my life and it really stinks. But, when the Oregon guard, I believe his last name is Brooks, went to give Allen a "hug" and say good game, Grayson Allen, the whiny, bitchy little baby showed up. He pushed Brooks off of him and went and whined to his coach that the Oregon guard was a sore winner. This, coming from one of the dirtiest players in men's college basketball. This coming from the same kid that intentionally trips players on opposing teams. Also, people say he was tripped by an Oregon player last night, he was not, he slipped making a move, then tried to make it look like a trip. Go back and watch the game, the defender's foot was nowhere near Allen's feet. Not even close. He lost his footing, then tried to cover it up, like a douchebag. Allen was also seen trash talking earlier in the game when he made a block. Yeah, you blocked one shot, good for you. But, where were you when Oregon was dunking all over you? Or where were you when Oregon was making three after three on you? That's right, you were playing non existent defense and their guys were destroying you on offense all night. You were a liability Grayson Allen.

Now after the game and the hug and push off, did the mighty Coach K confront his player and tell him that he needs to conduct himself in a proper manner? That's what a responsible and respectable coach should do, right? You have to discipline your own players when they act out and make a spectacle of themselves, correct? Well, Coach K did quite the opposite. He decided, in the line to shake hands after the game, it was his responsibility to confront this player that was just trying to say good game to Grayson Allen. He grabbed him and gave him a lecture about winning with class. He told him that what he did was wrong and classless. He said that his players would never do something like that had they won the game.

I say, SCREW YOU COACH K, YOU SUPREME ASSHOLE. You are the worst when it comes to everything. Sure, you are a legendary coach, but I didn't realize that you felt the responsibility to tell one of Dana Altman's players how to act. This kid does not go to Duke and has no ties with your program, so why are you lecturing him? What gives you that right? This is the exact definition of a sore loser, and it was on full display from a Hall of fame coach last night. If I was Dana Altman, I'd be absolutely livid with what coach K did last night. Imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and Altman did this to one of Duke's players, had Duke won. Major networks like ESPN, Bleacher Report, SI, ESPNU, all of them would have been crushing Altman. But, when it's the mighty Coach K, they all brush it off. What a crock.

Plus. for Coach K to have the gall to give this kid a lesson on winning with class, I mean, come on. He has coached some world class sore losers like Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, JJ Redick and now, Grayson Allen. The list of punk ass, whiny little brats that he has coached could go on for miles and miles. Did he ever lecture these kids in a situation where it could be seen by everyone, absolutely not. He has been too busy heaping praise on their "tenacity" and "will to win". This one little act showed me pretty much everything I needed to reaffirm my hatred and displeasure with Duke and, more importantly, Coach K. Grayson Allen is a brat, this has been well established by me on the site, but he is a child, and he isn't even close to being the best player on the team, that's Brandon Ingram. Allen definitely deserves some blame for his actions last night, but Coach K deserves to be roasted by, not only me, but every respectable journalist there is because his behavior was childish. If my four year old did something like this, I would have put him in timeout for talking out of place. Coach K had no right telling another coaches player what he thinks and how he should conduct himself. This was a low class move by a very, very low class coach. I don't care how many titles, games or gold medals you have won, because you acted like a world class asshole last night. You showed all of us Duke haters who you really are and you gave us even more ammo to attack your character.

I have something to say to Coach K, you stink and I hope Duke never wins another title while you still are the coach there. You over stepped your bounds last night and I hope you realize that what you did was childish and wrong. Screw you Duke and screw you Coach K. I'm so glad you got your asses beat by Oregon last night. It was a glorious hate watch.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. The chaos of the tournament has been wothit just for Ty to see Michigan State and Duke both lose in spectacular fashion. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ben Simmons Represents Everything that is Wrong with Men's College Basketball

The one thing the NCAA seems to be forgetting.

I know that I bag on men's college basketball a lot and today will be no exception. The game has become way too watered down. The talent level isn't nearly as good as it was, as little as 6 or 7 years ago. The "one and done" culture has ruined the game. You can't ever really figure out which players are on which big time team because the majority of that team leaves after one, or if you're lucky, two years. Kentucky, who was in the Final Four last year, lost 7 players to the pros. You read that right, 7 players left with at least 2 years of eligibility left. They're ranked in the top 25 again, and will make the tournament again, but the only player I can name that's still on the team from last year off the top of my head is point guard Tyler Ullis. He's good, but if you are a top 25 team, I should be able to name 3 of 5 starters I think. I know they had a great recruiting class, but they always do and they are always changing the roster.

This is so frustrating to me, a big time basketball fan. I love all basketball, especially the NBA, but I used to love college basketball, not anymore though. I hate the "one and done" culture and this season has been a huge reason why. All these "studs" that were going to come in and turn the top teams around have not really lived up to the task. The two best teams in college basketball, Kansas and Michigan State, have mainly upperclassmen. They're led by guys that have been there before and know how to play. Oklahoma is also a really good team, led by a senior, Buddy Hield. Those three teams I have faith in to go far in the tournament.

These teams led by freshman, teams like Duke, Kentucky and LSU, I have no faith in to make deep tourney runs, or even make the tournament. Duke will be there, but Grayson Allen(sophomore) and Brandon Ingram(freshman), will not guide them to back to back titles, they'll be lucky to make it to the first weekend. Kentucky will bow out very early because their freshman class has been a humongous disappointment and they have no upperclassmen leader, except for the oft injured Alex Poythress. And then there's LSU, the team that is the reason for this blog today.

Louisiana State University had the cream of the crop sign there, Ben Simmons. This kid was a can't miss prospect out of Australia. He was a once in a lifetime player. He could pass like Magic, shoot like Durant and run the floor like Chris Paul. He was going to bring LSU back to its glory days, when Shaq was patrolling the paint. He was compared, by every journalist no matter what publication, to all those players I mentioned above. He was supposed to be the best freshman since Kevin Durant was at Texas for one year, said Bill Simmons. This kid was going to make this season a must watch for college basketball fans. Now, with all that being said, he is a very good basketball player and he will almost certainly be the first pick in the NBA draft, but there is also some problems that have come along with this kid.

First of all, LSU has a slim, and I mean very slim, like winning the SEC tournament may be their only chance to make the NCAA tournament slim, chance at getting in. Some of this is coaching and some is the kid's fault. The coach at LSU clearly doesn't know how to use Simmons properly. He'll use him as a decoy way too often and he doesn't have the ball in his hands at critical times, even though it's clear he is the best player on the floor. But Ben Simmons sometimes seems gun shy at the end of critical games and he passes on the final shot way too much. I know he wants to be unselfish, but if you are supposed to be the best player in over a decade, you have to be selfish and take those final shots, you're team is expecting that out of you.

Then there is the fact that LSU has almost no chance of making the NCAA tournament. Most teams that have had a big time recruit like this have made the tournament and most have made very deep runs. Duke won the title with three freshman as their top guys. When Durant was at Texas I believe they made the sweet sixteen. Kentucky last year made the final four and won with an Anthony Davis led team a few years before that. Arizona, with Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made the elite eight last year. So yeah, most of these freshman led teams make at least some noise in the NCAA tournament. Even though the NCAA doesn't recognize it, Michigan and the Fab Five made the title game in their first and second seasons. LSU though, they look like your prototypical NIT team. Good enough to be over .500, but barely. They are 18-13 as we speak, with little to no quality wins. They do not have a resume that screams at large bid, not even close. If they don't win the SEC tournament, I don't see them getting into the NCAA tournament. There are a lot of better teams that have better resumes that are more deserving of an at large bid.

Which brings me to my last and most crucial point of today. Ben Simmons was not eligible for the Wooden Award, given to the best player in men's college basketball, for "academic reasons". Some reporters, mainly ESPN and Bleacher Report, came out and said what a travesty it is that this kid won't even be considered for the award, that it was an injustice to a great player. I say, what the hell is the matter with you morons that think basketball is more important that getting good grades? I know that most of these "one and done" players don't go to go to school, but at least the ones there make the grades, or it's made to seem that they have made the grades, keeping them eligible to play. Ben Simmons has clearly not been up to snuff in the classroom which is the most important thing. It's called student athlete for a reason. There is a reason student comes first. That is the main thing you should be focused on when entering college, being a student first and an athlete second. I know, he's going to be a multi millionaire in less than 2 moths, but Jesus Christ, go to class. I guarantee that the professors will just pass you for showing up. Also, I don't think he'd even have a 10 percent chance to win the award. I'd give it to Denzel Valentine, Buddy Hield, Perry Ellis or Georges Niang before I'd even consider Ben Simmons. Those guys are all leaders on top 25 teams that should make deep tourney runs.

People in the major media, I'm looking at you Bleacher Report and ESPN, need to stop coddling this kid and make him own up to his faults. He will be the first pick in the upcoming draft, but what if he is a bust? What if he is Sam Bowie? Will the same reporters still be there for him? I doubt it. This kid is good, possibly great, but he needs to get his head on his shoulders and grow up fast if he wants to earn the money that is about to be showered upon him. He is not Steph Curry or LeBron James or Kevin Durant yet. Hell, he's not even at DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry's level yet, at least those guys have proven they're real NBA players.

Screw the NCAA and screw the NBA for this stupid "one and done" culture that they've created. It's a menace and it will cheapen the NBA is 5 or 6 years. Enjoy great basketball now because the "one and done's" are coming to ruin professional basketball.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He often wonders why these kids even bother with college, play overseas and then come to the draft. It seems so simple. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Grayson Allen is Carrying on the Blue Devil Tradition

Just try and trip me, jackass

I want to take my time today to take a crack at this punk ass Duke men's basketball player, Grayson Allen.

This kid is a world class asshole. He looks like every whiny, over priveledged arrogant white kid that has played basketball at Duke. The problem with him, he isn't even in the top 25 or 30 or kids that have played at Duke. He is not that bad, but he is not some superstar that is going to set the NBA on fire in two years either. He reminds me of another white kid that was looked at as a "star" by some idiot analysts when he was in college and that kid is Aaron Craft. Does anyone remember this douchebag? Yes, I have a preconceived hatred for this kid because he played at that lame ass college full of cheaters in Columbus, Ohio, but he was not this "great" that so many analysts made him out to be. He was dirty, he was a cheap shot artist, he was a terrible shooter and he did not make that team any better. Not at all in fact. Without guys like Jared Sullinger on the same team as him, they would have been lucky to be a .500 team had Craft been their best option. He was an annoyance that hasn't made it out of the D League, so maybe he wasn't this all time great college player. I see a lot of the same thing in Grayson Allen that defined Aaron Craft. Grayson is a better shooter, but trade his shooting for Craft's defense, and you get the exact same player.

In addition to being overhyped, Grayson Allen is one of, if not the, most dirty players in all of college basketball. How many times does he get to trip opposing players before the ACC lays down some real punishment? Sure, they sent him a letter to reprimand him and deemed that sufficient, but that's a crock of shit. If this kid played anywhere else, save for Kentucky, he would have been suspended multiple games for tripping people. First of all, tripping an opponent on a hard wood floor could cause a very bad, possibly career ending injury. What if one of the two kids he tripped fell so hard they smacked their heads on the floor and were concussed? Would the ACC deem that enough of a problem to suspend him? Sure, if he played for Syracuse or North Carolina, but not for anyone on the Duke Blue Devils. Coach K is a standup guy and he doesn't teach his players to be dirty, right? Absolutely not, he has had some of the dirtiest players to ever step foot on a college basketball court, but no one in the main stream media has the guts to call him out.

Let's look at some past dirty players that the mighty Coach K has had. You have to start with Christian Laettener. He is one of the all time greatest college basketball players, but he was also one of the dirtiest. He'd kick players while they were down, he'd foul guys excessively hard when it was not needed, he was arrogant and could be a malcontent. Hell, ESPN even did a "30 For 30" on him called "I Hate Christian Laettener", that how epic his play and his dirty play was. It turned out to be a fluff piece because that's how ESPN rolls, but at least some got to show and tell about his dirty play. Later in his coaching career you can take guys like Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer and Steve Wojohoweski. These guys all came off like they were good, decent, respectable human beings on the court, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Battier was an arrogant, self righteous asshole while in college. Whenever he didn't get a call he thought he deserved, he would bitch and moan so much, that officials would give in. Carlos Boozer used to set dirty and illegal screens all the time while at Duke, but no one ever called him out on it because he was "playing the Coach K way". Steve Wojohoweski was an undersized little shit that fouled everyone on every play because that was his way of trying to get in opponents heads. Even recently you can look at players like Kyrie Irving, Greg Paulus and Jahlil Okafor. Kyrie Irving was a prized recruit who only played 11 NCAA basketball games, but was looked at as a star because of the nice things Coach K had to say about him. Now, he comes off as a diva. He couldn't lead the Cavs to the playoffs when it was his team and now that LeBron is back, and is the unquestioned leader and coach and GM, reports have come out that he is unhappy with his role and he wants to be traded. Sounds like a whiny, spoiled brat to me, AKA a Duke Blue Devil. Greg Paulus was so average at college basketball, he tried his hand at football and that was a disaster. He sounds like another kid that was given everything he wanted in life, no questions asked, and when the times got tough, he whined and complained instead of working hard at something else, AKA a Duke Blue Devil. Jahlil Okafor is proof positive of "getting way too much, way too soon". He won a title in his lone season at Duke, was looked at as the star of that team, was drafted in the lottery and now, he's making mistake after mistake, and is he really a good NBA player? First of all, without Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow, Duke doesn't even come close to even being in that title game, so no, Okafor was not the reason they won. Second, sure he ended up in a terrible situation, being picked by the 76ers, but that doesn't make it okay for him to get in bar fights and to play terrible, non existent defense. He is also a bad teammate. He clearly only cares about his stats and himself, AKA a Duke Blue Devil.

Now we have this Grayson Allen shithead. This kid may take the cream of the crop. He is the worst since Laettener, but at least Laettener could back it up with his game. Allen is mediocre at best and he is an extremely dirty player. This tripping nonsense needs to stop before he really hurts someone. It also makes the play look even worse than it has all season. It is childish and the fact that the ACC and Duke aren't doing anything about it makes it even worse. I'd take all the players, plus a lot more, that I mentioned above before I'd even consider this Allen kid and his childish behavior on the court makes me even more sure that I would not want him on my team.

So, no Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas and Seth Davis and Clark Kellogg, Grayson Allen is not a transcendent player, he is a malcontent, whiny and arrogant douchebag, AKA a Duke Blue Devil.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He has a love hat relationship with Duke basketball, he loves when they lose and hates when they win. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.