Slam Magazine BBall Preview

[SupaDave]

They have Duke as a pre-season #5. UNC is at #1 of course and really those are the only two names I looked at. Notre Dame was in their top 20 as well as some of the usual suspects.

But I have a problem with Slam, they are pretty much Duke Haters. Even with the #5 ranking they still call us slow and small. LOL! (Gotta be the best slow and small basketball team ever RIGHT?)

So I'm thinking some of us need to send old Lang Whitaker and company a message and let him know just how much talent we have this year - not much of it slow - or small. (If you've seen Gerald Henderson lately you'd know what I mean - I'm talking 22" pythons!)

http://slamonline.com/online/2008/09/slam-122-drops-like-its-warm/

[Huh?]

SLAM is like the AND1 of sports magazines. They are the magazine I go to when I need my guy jumping over a VW 360 dunk fix. They hate Duke because we actually care about the fundamentals of the game. My hatred for SLAM runs deep.

[SupaDave]

SLAM is like the AND1 of sports magazines. They are the magazine I go to when I need my guy jumping over a VW 360 dunk fix. They hate Duke because we actually care about the fundamentals of the game. My hatred for SLAM runs deep.

However, they expose a lot of young talent to the world long before other magazines offer them any camera time. I've known about Lance Stephenson for years b/c of them.

Oh and they've given PLENTY of love to our own VW jumping guru - Olek! (actually they started looking into him after he committed).

[Huh?]

You're right. Looks like Olek is going to be loved nationwide.

[roywhite]

Won't be too long now until the preseason basketball magazines hit the newstand, a sure sign of the approaching season. :) Used to look forward to Street & Smith and Barry Jacobs Fans Guide back in the day, but ACC Handbook is the best of the bunch now.

[jimsumner]

Athlon and Lindy's are already out. I got my contributor's copy of the ACC Handbook the other day, so it shouldn't be long until that hits the stands.

[weezie]

We used to get Slam here a few years ago. They were giving subscriptions away for $1/yr. The fashion shoots featuring young NBA players were always hilarious.
I'm surprised they would rank Duke as high as #5 but, whatever.

[COYS]

they still call us slow and small. LOL! (Gotta be the best slow and small basketball team ever RIGHT?)

Man, the sports media is fed these talking points and they never seem to be able to let them go. Like the whole Paulus=unathletic line that every commentator has harped on since the Drexel game in 2005. Granted, i recognize that Paulus isn't a ridiculously quick PG or anything, but he has dramatically improved his defense over the years. Now, we'll play a game and his man will take him off the dribble all of once during the entire game and the commentators will say something like "see, now, in that matchup, Paulus doesn't have the athleticism to keep up with (enter point guard's name) . . . as if every single point guard in the entire country is able to easily abuse Paulus.

[roywhite]

Athlon and Lindy's are already out. I got my contributor's copy of the ACC Handbook the other day, so it shouldn't be long until that hits the stands.

Glad to hear it, Jim...all the more reason to pick up the issue. Did you do the Duke preview or another piece?

[jimsumner]

I did an article on the 1984 UVA team, which came out of nowhere to make the FF. 25th anniversary and all that.

I would note that Mr. Hansbrough is the cover boy, which means that every college-basketball-magazine in my possession over the last two seasons has the same cover. Kinda makes it hard to pick them out. :)

[RelativeWays]

Don't know about slow, but as far as players with experience, we are kinda small. Hopefully Miles and Olek can help with that as well as an improved Zoubs.

Actually, no way in hell we're slow. Yes, Paulus is not the fastest off the dribble compared to the other flashy point guards, but he's no snail and the rest of the team is pretty fast.