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9,223,372,036,854,780,000, the number of possible combinations in the 63 game NCAA college basketball tournament. The experts say it's more likely for one person to be struck by lightning twice on the same sunny day than winning some state lotteries, so I can't really imagine what kind of hyperbole people could come up with for filling out a perfect bracket with more than nine hexillion possible combos.

Maybe - filling out a perfect bracket; less likely than Duke not choking in the first two rounds and advancing to the second week of play. It's alright Coach K, you'll get that 70th career tournament win someday.

Filling out a perfect bracket; less likely than Memphis hitting their free throws at the end of a close game.

Or my personal favorite - filling out a perfect bracket; less likely than underdogs going 4-0 at a tournament site in the first round, including 2 #12 seeds and 2 #13 seeds.

This year, in an effort to get more people to fill out brackets on their site, Yahoo! offered five million dollars for a perfect bracket, and of course could still feel comfortable that their money would stay safe in the bank. Face it, I could offer my first-born and the right to have a personal flying carpet, and a perfect 63 game bracket would still never come to be.

But this weekend, all of you lazy workers looking for a big break may have caught one. Yahoo! is offering one million dollars for a perfect second-chance bracket. Starting with the sweet sixteen and only fifteen remaining games in the tourney, there is now a much more manageable 32,768 possible combinations in this bracket. You know what that means? For the next two days you need to fill out brackets every waking moment you are available; fill them out during breakfast, during work, during lunch, during class, when your wife is trying to have a conversation with you, and before you go to sleep. Pick the obvious games and pick the upsets; make sure to mix and match crazy combinations. And because I opened your eyes to these great new odds, please feel obligated to give me a fraction of your newly found fortune when you pick that coveted perfect second chance bracket.

Most of what I submit to this website can be found at my blog http://sportsnationblog.blogspot.comPlease feel free to go check it out and take a visit. I love feedback from my readers so if you want to tell me something then email me at sportsnationblog@gmail.com

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A big part of what I do as a shooting coach is to ... Teach people to coach themselves and others! The Self-Coaching part of that is huge.

Its one thing to teach people what theyre supposed to do and then judge them on how well they do it. Its another to teach them to know what theyre doing and where they want to get (the most effective way to perform an action, for example) and how to get there. Once they know, then they can coach themselves. They reach a state of awareness where they know what works and what doesnt work. They have a sense of all the possibilities, not just the one action you (or they) think they should know.

In the teaching I got from my golf mentors, I learned that when you can distinguish an action (definition: to perceive or know the difference in; to characterize; to perceive clearly; to make a distinction, a distinction being the act of making or keeping something distinct or unmistakable), then you are free to self-correct, free to coach oneself, free to learn...

ITS IN THE PRACTICE!

Its in the practice of a skill where kids will become great at anything. Its not in games, though occasionally breakthroughs can occur there. Rather its in the hours spent, often by oneself, working on things, that the greatest development occurs. A lot of people are aware that parents these days are too involved with their kids activities, trying to help them achieve things faster and greater. One of the results from that is too many games at young ages. As Ive written before, if youre always testing yourself to see how good you are (like in games), theres less time to play and develop. Its like pulling a flower up by the roots to see how well its growing. Games are for performance, not for trying out different things. Failure is less forgiven when score is being kept. A few kids excel under the pressure of constant games, but the vast majority are hurt by it.

The Swish Method is about learning and (self) coaching. Teach kids to make their own distinctions and you teach them to be independent and self-reliant. Thats one of my biggest goals. The other is to help train coaches to coach shooting more powerfully, to teach them how to empower kids in the process of finding their own distinctions. For coaches, it starts with them being learners. As in learning, when you can distinguish things as a coach, then you will know how to teach others.

Tom Nordland is a shooting expert and coach from California via Minnesota. His videos, coaching and writings are inspiring a Renaissance (a rebirth, a revival) in shooting around the world as players and coaches are taught the things that really matter in shooting. A great shooter as a youth, Tom was given a gift of seeing shooting like few have ever seen it. He sees the essence of great shooting and how to get there. The good news is that its very simple. The few great shooters of today and yesterday mastered simple things, not complicated motions. Improved shooting is now possible for everybody in the game, and mastery is available to those who sincerely dedicate themselves to it. Visit Toms website (http://www.swish22.com) to read of his background and his articles and newsletters, and to view the remarkable endorsements and amazing testimonials for this approach to shooting.

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Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith got his first challenge of the first year at the Badgers this past Sunday, however Wisconsin's defense showed to be stronger as Minnesota lost 63-47.

"We knew it was going to be a tough battle for us playing against a team that is ranked second in the nation defensively," Smith said. "They showed it today because we had our lowest (point) production I think all season."

It surely did not make it any easy that Wisconsin shot at 58 percent in the first 20 minutes taken the lead of 39-23 at the halftime, although Minnesota by no means got its offense against UW's aggressive defensive attack, shooting only 36 percent during the game.

Minnesotas's defense slowed Wisconsin down in the second half, but the 16-point lead was better against a team that forced 18 turnovers to Minnesota. "The defense is where we get it started because if our shots are not falling down you can always go back and play good defense," UW's Trevon Hughes said.

Minnesota by no means didn't find a method to stop the sophomore guard, who scored 20 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the field and 6 free throws. "He's just a physical guy. He can get to the line and control the tempo," Smith said of Hughes, who packs 193 pounds on his 6-foot frame. "You aren't going to take the ball off him much, but we did force a few turnovers on him today. Again, he made shots."

Smith alleged "Wisconsin is a very athletic team, which makes its defense hard to score against. UW held Minnesota's top three scorers -- Dan Coleman, Lawrence McKenzie and Spencer Tollackson -- to just 20 points."

"It was either guys not moving to get open or they are just that talented where they can get up and block shots," Smith said. "They blocked five shots and most of those were going to the basket."

Minnesota adds up eight to 10 really horrible shots in the paint, where the Minnesota Gophers were defeated 30-24. The talented sophomore Damian Johnson ended with 10 points; he was given plenty of
recognition for their defensive potential.

"They stayed down on our jump shots," he said. "They stayed down on our layups and they made us go over them, so it was very difficult when 6-11 guys, 6-9 guys try to challenge shots and stand there with their hands up. It's just difficult to go over them". This is Wisconsin's 12 time win in their previous 13 games against Minnesota that was trying to do a statement against one big rival.

"We let them get to us," Johnson said. "That's just too hard to come back from a 16-point deficit to win the game."

Ally White is a top senior copy writer for the sportsbook. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

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The most hyped high school basketball player ever had very little chance of meeting the expectations of basketball fans who were drooling over the prospect of another player of Jordanesque proportions. The hype was so out of control he was put on the cover of Sports Illustrated (talk about hurting someone's chances, i.e., the curse) when he was a senior in high school with the headline "The Chosen One." It made it sound as if God had decided to have a second son (it was a little harder finding a virgin this time), had anointed him to save the basketball world, and that God had decided he was destined to become the best basketball player ever. Tall order for a human being. Unbelievable pressure for a mere mortal. How unfair for the basketball scouts and the media to do this to a teenager. Well, "The King" has arrived and he may be ready for his throne even sooner than expected. This sounds like a made-up story: an overhyped athlete who actually, by all accounts, exceeds his expectations. No, this is reality. This is the enchanting world of (you guessed it ) Lebron James. Welcome to his kingdom and his fairy tale like existence.

Because of the hype, I was practically "forced" to watch to watch the McDonald's High School All-star Basketball Game when Lebron was a senior in high school. I nearly fell off my couch four times. And those were just his passes. Four of the most spectacular passes I had ever seen. All in one game by one person. (By a high schooler, no less!) Oh, yes, there were also some great steals, drives, and of course, a couple of high-flying dunks. The most obvious cliche came into mind immediately, "a man among boys", and this was a gross understatement. A teenager with a body out of Greek mythology (only taller). Michael Jordan with Magic Johnson's passing. Oh my God (pun intended)! Although it hardly seemed possible, the scouts and the media had actually understated his abilities.

But, how would he do against the big boys -- two levels higher? As expected, James went straight to the pros and his first televised game was hyped to the max. Again, I was "forced" to watch. Before the game, the biggest knock on him was his lack of an outside shot. Like a legend in the making, he rose to the occasion, and made it look as if it was his strong suit. Okay, it was only one game of shooting, but that was not the point. Lebron, "The Chosen One", "King James", was making a statement: I can handle the pressure, and any weakness you see in my game will be corrected with hard work and determination. He was letting the world know he had mental toughness to go along with his ridiculous talent and athletic ability. Not since Jordan hit the game winning jumper as a freshman against Georgetown in the NCAA Final with 16 seconds left had such a significant statement been made in the sports world (or, at least, the basketball world). After the game, I told all my friends and acquaintances who were sports fans that the only question now is: Will he become the greatest basketball player of all time or only the 2nd greatest basketball player of all time (after Jordan -- a perfect basketball player if there was one)? This was a bold statement after witnessing only one pro game and considering all the great players and careers that had preceded him. (And almost blasphemy coming from a huge Jordan fan like myself, but not really since I said 1st OR 2nd greatest all-time.) Today, June 3rd, 2007, the day after James has just led "his" Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in just his 4th season, I feel exactly the same way. If you are a basketball fan, by now you have heard that the NBA playoffs are "where legends are made." Well, get ready, because it will be shocking if James does not become a legend in the next 10 or 12 years of the NBA playoffs and take us on the best sports ride since Jordan.

But, before we get carried away (and it is hard not to with James), Lebron has a lot of work to do and a lot to accomplish before he will be considered the 1st or 2nd best basketball player of all time. First and foremost, James needs to become a great defender. What made Jordan the greatest was that he was the best offensive player ever and probably the second best defensive player ever (after Bill Russell). James, while a pretty good defender (and he played some great defense last night ), is nowhere near that right now. However, lest we forget, he is currently only 22 years old. Secondly, his free throw shooting needs to improve -- he struggled this year, shooting only 70%. That is not going to cut it. (Jordan, in case you're wondering, shot 84% for his career.) For his career, James has shot 73% and has shot 77% in the playoffs so far this year. Better, but not great, and I have seen him miss a lot of free throws late in the fourth quarter in his career. Currently, James is a good, but not a great shooter (46% career, Jordan 50%; 3-point shooting for James is .327, coincidentally, Jordan shot the identical percentage.) Up until the end the regular season last year (spring of 2006), James was not good at closing out and winning close games. This is a learned skill and perhaps a couple of years of college would have helped in this area. However, whether James learned this skill in college or the pros, this skill takes time to learn. Even Jordan, who turned out to be the master at it, did not have this skill very early in his career. Besides, in game 5 against the Pistons, Lebron seemed to have it all figured it out, scoring 30 of his team's 31 points (his teammates were 0 for 10 shooting during that stretch) in the Cavaliers' double-overtime win. James was remarkable, and now the only question is: Can he do it on a consistent basis?

Both James and Jordan are excellent rebounders for guards (6.7 and 6.2 per game, respectively), while James is the better passer (6.4 and 5.3 assists per game, respectively). Jordan was an excellent and probably underrated passer, but James is already one of the 5 best passers (along with Johnson, Larry Bird, Steve Nash, and John Stockton) in the NBA since 1969 (when I started watching pro basketball). Now, if only he had better players around to receive his wonderful, unselfish passes. (He did have lots of help last night, as rookie Daniel Gibson scorched the Pistons in game 6 with 31 points, 19 in the fourth quarter including 5 of 5 threes. It was only one game, however, and it will be interesting to see how much he contributes in the finals.)

James still needs lots of MVP awards, finals MVPs, and championships to be the greatest player of all time, however, by leading the not-so-talented Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, he made a big step in that direction. Think about how much more talent that Russell, Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bird, Wilt Chamberlain (the two times he won), and Oscar Roberston (the one time he won he had Jabbar) had around them than James has in Cleveland. They all had great teams and Hall of Famers around them. Jordan had Scottie Pippen for all 6 of his championships. Lebron has Larry Hughes. I think you get the point. This is like Batman without Robin, the Lone Ranger without Tonto, Hillary without Bill (or vice versa). The odds are against the Cavaliers, but with "The Chosen One" on top of his now remarkable game, they at least have a puncher's chance. Yes, the West was better than the East this year (again) and the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs deserve to be favored; however, a week ago the experts on ESPN thought Detroit would have had a 50/50 chance against the Spurs if they met in the finals. But, the last I checked, "King James" led Cleveland to 4 straight wins over Detroit, and he positioned himself for a shot at his first NBA championship and what looks like his place in NBA history as one of the two greatest players ever. James still has a long way to go, but after Lebron's performances the last week, Jordan's throne is no longer secure.

Mark D. Hauser
Owner: http://UltimateSportsRankings.com

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