NBA: Kenneth Faried is dominating for Team USA

  Kenneth Faried has become a breakout star for Team USA in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

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It's officially football season -- although it's still a little early for that wonderful fall weather -- but something non-football related has caught my attention: Kenneth Faried in group-play of the FIBA World Cup.

Now, to be honest, I haven't watched Team USA play a single game of the tournament, so far. But one thing I cannot ignore is that every time I flip on "SportsCenter," the Manimal is on my screen, posterizing some 7-footer from a random eastern European country. If he's not throwing down monster jams on a fast break, he's swatting some poor wing player's layup attempt into the 14th row. He seems to be the biggest star of this year's U.S. Men's national basketball squad.

For those of us familiar with Faried from watching him play for the Denver Nuggets, his high-energy play is nothing new.

This guy's already good, but his potential is great.

He physical, he plays with a warrior's mentality and isn't afraid to do the hard work needed to get an offensive rebound. His size is ridiculous, standing 6-foot-8, 228 pounds, and his work ethic is made of the kind of stuff that makes NBA franchises shell out a few extra million dollars to keep a player around for the long haul.

According to various sources from around the NBA, Faried has expressed his interest in staying in Denver and has been in talks with the Nuggets' organization over a contract extention.

The 2011 first-round draft pick is coming into his third season with the Nuggets. Last season Faried averaged 13.7 points per game, along with 8.6 rebounds. Faried posted 15 points and 11 rebounds in a Team USA win over New Zealand on Tuesday, and he led Team USA with a 22-point performance in a win over Turkey two days before that. There was even a point during last week's games in which the power forward was shooting 80 percent from the field.

"Overall, from the start of training camp, he's been the biggest and best surprise and has turned out to be a very, very important player for us," U.S. coach Mike Kryzyzewski said of Faried. "He's made that happen. We never call a play for him."

Hopefully, Faried's trend will continue to grow for Team USA, and NBA fans will get to see some of what the Manimal has to offer come November, too.

The NBA Preseason starts Saturday, Oct. 4, the regular season begins Tuesday, Oct. 28, and the Nuggets begin regular-season play Saturday, Nov. 1 vs. Oklahoma City.

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Extra Point: In 2013, the Nuggets ranked second in regular-season team rebounding percentage, averaging 45.4 per game, second only to the Portland Trailblazers, who averaged 46.4 per game, respectively.

OPINION: If Kobe wants to win, he can't settle

Bryant only appeared in six games in 2013. The five-time NBA champion suffered a fractured tibia last December.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has some decisions to make. That is, does he want to win a sixth NBA title or sit idle, merely as a basketball ambassador of sorts, and let the Lakers run out the clock on his playing career?

Last Friday, Bryant told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that he was content with the the effort from the Lakers' free agency moves.

"I can sit here and tell you with 100 percent honesty that I'm happy with the effort the organization put forward this summer," Bryant said.

Kobe said he's happy about the effort of the Lakers' front office, that doesn't mean he's happy with the Lakers roster as currently constructed.

I agree with Kobe about the effort, it was exceptional. General Manager Mitch Kupchak made a herculean effort to lure in Carmelo Anthony, offering him a max contract. But they couldn't get him. They couldn't get Luol Deng, Chandler Parsons or Trevor Ariza. And it seems the Lakers won't land Kevin Love or Eric Bledsoe, either.

However, the Lakers did pick up Carlos Boozer after the Bulls waived him. They also got Jeremy Lin and 24-year-old Ed Davis, previously with Memphis. Jordan Hill, Ryan Kelly and Nick Young will all be returning for another season with the team as well.

Now let's turn back to the star of this story, the Black Mamba.

What I gathered from Kobe's comments:

This isn't the Mamba of old. This is a more reserved version of Kobe. Kobe Bryant from a decade ago wouldn't hesitate to speak his mind and put the Lakers on notice when he saw the front office wasn't getting the talent around him needed to win championships. This is a guy who once went on the radio during the summer of '07 and publicly demanded the Lakers trade him. Where is this version of Kobe hiding?

Bryant said, in June, he's 100 percent healthy and ready to play. A healthy Kobe Bryant, that's a good start. But one has to think about "What ifs." What if Kobe gets hurt again early in the season? He'll be 36 years old in August. He's logged a lot of NBA minutes and put many miles on his body, and no matter the type of possible injury that could befall him, he can't beat Father Time. Bryant is a tough guy, but he'll only be able to play through so much pain at his advanced age.

So, how bad does Kobe want to win right now? Surely he can't be complacent with riding out another underachieving season with this Lakers' squad. The addition Jeremy Lin and a poor jump-shooting Carlos Boozer simply won't get it done. The Lakers will need to make more moves this season.

Kobe doesn't have a few losing seasons to burn. If he wants another title, he needs to speak up or ask for a trade. The Lakers, sitting in the tougher Western Conference, aren't even the marquee team in L.A. anymore, that title belongs to the Clippers. The Clippers have even taken over as the dominant team in Staples Center. Free agents would rather sign with the team in red and blue than the team in purple and gold. That's a problem.

I'm not saying it's time for the Lakers to hit the panic button here before the preseason even begins, because the NBA season is very long. There's still plenty of time to make moves, but the Lakers are thinking about the Lakers and Kobe is thinking about Kobe. Those are two totally different agendas to serve, and if Kobe wants to match Michael Jordan in rings, he can't be complacent with the L.A. Lakers.

My first experience with SEC Media Days

Coaches and players from all 14 SEC teams converge on the Hyatt Regency-Birmingham for SEC Media Days.

HOOVER | I reluctantly rolled out of bed at my Tuscaloosa apartment Monday morning to prepare
myself for a trip up the road to Hoover, Ala.  I ate a bowl of corn flakes, gathered my things and made a 45-minute trip to the Hyatt-Birmingham to experience my first-ever SEC Media Days conference.

My affiliation with The Tuscaloosa News got me media credentials for the event. My job at Media Days on Monday was to take down interesting quotes from coaches, players and media, as well as write a short story on what Florida coach Will Muschamp had to say about the upcoming season.

As I walked up to the front entrance of the massive hotel, I noticed many Alabama news vehicles parked out front. A few that caught my eye were some of the Alabama news channels I was familiar with, like Huntsville's WHNT 19 and WAFF 48, and of course, Birmingham stations like WIAT 42 and Fox 6 News.

To get my credentials I had to walk through what is known as "radio row," a row of tables down each side of a hallway lined with numerous radio stations and radio personalities eager to get a word with coaches and players. 

After collecting my media pass and complementary SEC football pamphlets, I made my way to the main media room on the second floor. Once in the room, I looked around the room for a few of my fellow TNews members, but it was to no avail. The room was quickly beginning to fill up and I needed to find an open seat, preferably one near an electrical outlet for my laptop. 

During a brief trip to the restroom, I saw SEC radio personality Paul Finebaum sitting on the ESPN set, in the middle of filming a live shot. Unfortunately, that was the only chance I got to see Finebaum. I really wanted to say hello.

The news conferences began with SEC Commissioner Mike Slive at 11:30 a.m. He spoke for about 25  minutes about the State of the SEC and gave a few details on the new SEC Network, which will premiere in August.

Auburn's Gus Malzahn was up next at noon, where he addressed the latest hot-button issue coming out of Tiger Nation, quarterback Nick Marshall's recent marijuana incident. Malzahn also shared his thoughts on the death of former Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen. 

Florida head coach Will Muschamp stepped to the podium around 2:45 p.m.. He addressed his job status, players returning from injury and new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper and the impact he will have on quarterback Jeff Driskol.

Around 4 p.m., Vanderbilt's new head coach Derek Mason made his appearance at the mic. He gave long answers to every question. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it's something I noticed with him more than with the other coaches. Mason spoke about his coaching philosophy and expectations in his first season as a coach in the SEC.

Vanderbilt wrapped up things around 5 p.m., then I packed up my things into my laptop bag and drove back to Tuscaloosa, thus ending my first SEC Media Days experience.

I had a great time overall and it was great to get that professional experience at such a major media event. I'll be back in Hoover again Thursday for Alabama and Kentucky's press conferences.

Maybe this time I'll get to shake hands with Mr. Finebaum.

OPINION: Carmelo to the Bulls makes sense

Knicks' forward Carmelo Anthony finished second to Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant in the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.4 points per game in 2013. Anthony has averaged 25.3 points per game during his 10 NBA seasons.

The Carmelo Anthony bidding war began in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon.

The six-time All-Star forward continues his tour around the country this week, making stops in Houston, Dallas and with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When I first heard of Carmelo Anthony's interest in possibly continuing his career in the Windy City, I must admit I was intrigued by the concept. And as the image of Carmelo in a Bulls jersey crept into my psyche, the idea of Carmelo running with the Bulls just makes sense to me.

Starting at the top, the Bulls are one of the NBA's first-class organizations, a strong, stable organization. The Bulls have championship tradition, top-tier attendance and, most importantly in Carmelo's decision, a ready-to-win roster.

Carmelo's best bet is to stay in the Eastern Conference; it's an easier path to the Finals. The Bulls offer a better starting point than the Knicks. Chicago's defense is still one of the league's best. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are a lethal combination of shot blockers, as they have developed into a dynamic duo in the paint. And you know Carmelo wants to run with Derrick Rose.

Best case scenario: a healthy Rose and new addition Carmelo will more than fill the scoring hole Chicago lacked in last year's playoff bout with the Washington Wizards. However, if Rose is still not his old, dynamic self by the start of the 2014-15 season, Carmelo can still be the pillar on offense the Bulls will need.

A report from The Chicago Tribune said Gibson has become a key in landing Carmelo. The report also said that if the Bulls were to keep Gibson and his $8 million salary, Carmelo would have to take a pay cut. And if Gibson and Carmelo were to coexist on Chicago's roster, per report, the Bulls would likely amnesty Carlos Boozer and trade Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Randolph. This would give Carmelo a starting salary of $16.9 million.

All of this brings up another good question: If Carmelo is willing to take a pay cut, how low is he willing to go?

It's all going to come down to how bad Carmelo wants a title. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all took pay cuts in Miami and were able to crank out two NBA titles for it. Carmelo doesn't have to join the Superfriends in order to win a championship. All he has to do, at this point in his career, is be willing to accept less money so his team can accumulate the necessary talent needed to procure a championship(s).

The San Antonio Spurs are an excellent example of how Carmelo can get it done. The Spurs have a winning recipe of young talent, veteran leadership and great coaching.

Here's the winning recipe for Carmelo in Chicago as I see it:

First, take a cup of Carmelo and put him into Chicago's mixing bowl. Add two tablespoons of veteran presence (guys like Kirk Hinrich, Noah, Mike James and possibly Boozer). Add a tablespoon of young talent (Rose, Gibson, Jimmer Fredette, Cameron Bairstow, Doug McDermott, Tony Snell). Add a teaspoon from the free agency bowl and a generous cup of Tom Thibodeau.

Stir and place in the NBA's regular season oven for 82 games. What comes out of that oven may contain ingredients that will stay hot enough to last all the way into the NBA Finals.

OPINION: No matter today's outcome, U.S. soccer should be proud

The U.S. men’s national soccer team began this year’s World Cup with the mindset of starting with a clean slate, where if you perform up to the best of your ability, good things will happen no matter what the past has dealt.

The past has not been kind to the Americans. It’s been full of first-round World Cup exits, and, on several occasions, the team didn’t even perform well enough to qualify for the World Cup.

But this year is different.

The U.S. men's soccer team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2014 World Cup by surviving the "Group of Death" -- the nickname given to the World Cup's Group G -- a group that featured Germany, Portugal and Ghana.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann has done something Bob Bradley couldn’t do in his five years at the helm – Bruce Arena couldn’t either – and that’s make the U.S. truly compete with the best in the world. I’m talking about having to face the powerhouse teams of soccer like Portugal and Germany and being able to stand toe-to-toe with them on the pitch.

Strictly by using the “eye test,” I can see that this team is the best U.S. team we’ve seen in a long time. The back line has stepped up its defense to a new level, having defended against waves of attacks from Ghana in the first round, keeping level with Portugal and holding Germany to a single goal. American teams in recent years would not have faired so well against an up-tempo team like Ghana. In fact, if we were to take the U.S. team from the 2010 World Cup and paired it against this relentlessly attacking 2014 Ghana team, the Black Stars might blast in four or five goals, as opposed to just one goal.

The U.S. has made great strides this year, and no matter if the Americans make it past their first round-of-16 match against Belgium or not, the team should view its performance in this World Cup as a big step forward, a positive step to be proud of.

First of all, the U.S. has a brilliant goalkeeper in Tim Howard, and I mean brilliant in every sense of the word. He deserves so much credit for keeping America’s hopes alive. If not for Howard’s excellence, the Americans wouldn’t have made it past the wave of offensive attacks from Ghana, let alone into the round of 16.

Secondly, this U.S. team plays until the final whistle. Guys may be completely gassed out there by the 90-minute mark, but somehow they have pushed through the pain and have found that small amount of energy needed to continue for one last effort at a late-game goal. Just look back to what the U.S. did in the match vs. Germany. The U.S. gave itself at least two decent opportunities to tie the match in stoppage time, and all because guys played to the final whistle.

And here’s some more good news for American supporters: Jozy Altidore will be “ready and available” in today’s match. The energetic, aggressive striker suffered a hamstring injury in the opening match vs. Ghana.

This 2014 team has not only prospered on the field, but it has also helped grow the sport of soccer in America. The match against Germany was rated as the most watched soccer game in U.S. history. In national team sports like soccer, the people of America will always feel a little more patriotic when there’s a high probability for success. When there’s actually something to talk about, people will tune in.

And right now there’s so much to talk about.

The World Cup has been a huge draw in restaurants and bars here in Tuscaloosa, Ala. over the past few weeks. I have seen countless pictures where legions of folks gathered in crowded bars to watch the World Cup, pictures coming from the newspaper, on local news and social media, too. Tuscaloosa is traditionally a football town, but for now, Tuscaloosa appears to be on loan as a futbol town (at least until the end of the World Cup in July). But, hey, since there’s no football right now, people need something exciting to gravitate toward until football season, so why not the World Cup?

As long as U.S. soccer keeps moving in this positive direction, Americans will continue to warm up to the sport.

The U.S. continues its quest for the World Cup in a match against Belgium today at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

Alabama soccer season ends in cloud of disappointment

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. | The loss to Auburn brought a bitter end to a season filled with disappointment and frustration, leaving the Alabama soccer team and head coach Todd Bramble wanting more.

The University of Alabama's soccer team played in its final game of the 2013 soccer season Thursday night. The Crimson Tide finished with a 4-7 overall record and a 6-12 SEC record. Pia Rijsdijk led the scoring with seven goals.

“I wish we could have had more offensive production out of some of our other players,” Bramble said. “For one reason or another we just couldn’t get the consistent play needed to be successful.”

Auburn beat Alabama in a 1-0 game in the rain Thursday, ending the Tide’s season with a 4-7 record in Southeastern Conference play and a 6-12 record overall.

Alabama was hit with an injury to a key player early in the season. Sophomore Merel Van Dongen was leading the team in goals scored when she suffered a season-ending leg injury while away training with the Netherlands Women’s National Team.

Junior Pia Rijsdijk took command as the new leading goal scorer and finished the season with seven goals. She was selected as an All-SEC performer for the third consecutive year on Nov. 4. Sophomore Abby Lutzenkirchen praised Rijsdijk’s performance from a teammate’s perspective.

“She’s so fun to watch play everyday,” Lutzenkirchen said. “[Rijsdijk] is a hard player to defend in practice, and she’s very deserving of the award she got.”

The team put on rollercoaster performances throughout the season, beginning with a 3-0 loss to Wake Forest. The home-opening 2-1 overtime victory over Georgia State was followed by a discouraging four-game losing streak, including a 6-0 loss at Memphis. Alabama rode a three-game winning streak during the middle of the season, but that came to an end when they played host to LSU on Oct. 6 -- which led to another four-game losing streak. Finally, the 1-0 loss to Auburn closed the vault on a season plagued by disappointing results.

Defensively, UA struggled to keep its opponents from blasting the ball into the net. The Crimson Tide gave up 39 goals in 18 games, and opponents were averaging 2.17 goals per game.

The Tide’s four seniors Molly Atherton, Sophie Campise, Shelby Church and Kendall Khanna are leaving the team, having played their final season of soccer at UA. Bramble said he was proud of the work each of them had put in during their time with the team.

“I’m really happy for the sacrifices they’ve made to change the culture here,” Bramble said. “The fruits of their labor will have an impact on the players that come play here in the future.”

Lutzenkirchen said the hard work and dedication she watched the departing seniors put forth makes her want to work even harder.

“They have all been great teammates, they’re a lot of fun in the locker room and at practices, and it’s been great having the opportunity to play with them,” Lutzenkirchen said.

Bramble said the play he was able to get out of the freshmen was a pleasant surprise to him this season. He said Auburn Mercer was one of the freshmen that made big contributions to the team, she played 90 minutes in several games this season, and she’s a player with a lot of upside to her game.

This season might not have lived up to the expectations of neither the players nor the coaching staff, but Bramble said the outcome of this season doesn’t have to dictate what happens next season.

“We’d like to get our program to a place where one injury won’t affect the whole portion of our team,” Bramble said. “We have to work our way up in the (SEC), constantly perform from half to half or game to game.”

Alabama dismantles Tennessee in blowout win

Alabama beat Tennessee 45-10 in a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. Wideout Kevin Norwood had six reception for 112 yards and a touchdown. Safety Landon Collins started in place of the injured Vinnie Sunseri.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. | Alabama continued on its path toward an undefeated season, as the  Crimson Tide cruised to a 45-10 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide faithful got what they came for Saturday afternoon as Alabama dismantled its Southeastern Conference rival to the north. The crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium was loud and proud for 60 minutes—even though the game was essentially over by halftime.

“You get defined by what you do every week,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I think we want our identity to be that every guy is going to try to dominate his space when he plays his position.”

 “They kind of disrespected us by calling us Red team the whole week,” Crimson Tide quarterback McCarron said regarding Volunteer coach Butch Jones’ practice reference toward Alabama. “We feel like we’re not just anybody, so we kind of took it personally.”

McCarron finished with another sizzling performance, completing 19 of 27 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Alabama wide receiver Kevin Norwood was a recipient of many of McCarron’s throws on the day and finished with a stellar performance, including six receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. Norwood made arguably the highlight reel play of the day in the third quarter when he collected a back shoulder pass for a 34-yard gain.

“AJ (McCarron) just looked my way and the next thing you know I was in the air, and I looked at the ball and was on the ground after that,” Norwood said.

“Kevin (Norwood) has been so consistent throughout his career here in making big plays,” Saban said. “He’s a great athlete. He has great hands. He made a great catch today—I mean an unbelievable catch.”

UA running backs T.J. Yeldon and Kenyan Drake both played well in the backfield for the Tide. Drake led the team in rushing with 89 yards on 14 carries, and Yeldon finished with 72 yards on 15 carries.

UA safety Landon Collins got the nod to replace injured safety Vinnie Sunseri at the strong safety position and had a big game in his fourth career start Saturday against the Volunteers. Collins led the team in tackles (six, five solo) along with defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson.

With under a minute remaining before halftime, Collins recorded an 89-yard interception return for a touchdown off an errant pass from Volunteer quarterback Justin Worley.

“When I saw opportunities to make plays, that’s what I did for my team, and as a player, I try to make everything easy for my team as much as I can,” Collins said.

Earlier in the week there was a question to whether or not injury-riddled cornerback Deion Belue would be able to start in Saturday’s game. He ended up starting and played well, intercepting a pass in the second quarter and returning it 28 yards into Volunteer territory.

With injuries continuing to nag the team, Alabama’s bye week couldn’t come at a better time. Saban said UA defensive lineman Brandon Ivory did not play against Tennessee for medical reasons, and running back Jalston Fowler did not return after halftime due to a concussion he suffered in the first half.

“The extra time is going to help us get healthy, get some rest, and maybe improve a little bit in lots of areas,” Saban said.

After the win over Tennessee, Alabama improved to 8-0 on the season and maintained its No.1 ranking. The Crimson Tide will play the LSU Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium.