In one of the best-kept NBA secrets since “The Decision,” the New York Knicks practiced at McGill’s Love Competition Hall on Thursday. Amid little fanfare, the Knicks put in an afternoon of practice in preparation for an exhibition game Friday night against the Toronto Raptors at the Bell Centre. Members of the Redmen and Martlets basketball teams, as well as some members of the local sports media, observed the superstars.

It was the kind of event that doesn’t come around every day, and those who were there to witness it were not disappointed. On the same hardwood that our varsity teams call home and on which many of us play intramural sports, NBA players were practicing. Signs around the gym notified students that the gym was closed, and many did not even realize that their intramural contests were cancelled because of the presence of professional basketball players.

The Knicks relished a day outside of their usual surroundings and enjoyed practicing in a university environment. “To be able to go to a college where there’s lots of energy and excitement, that’s always good,” said Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni. “Practicing every day, it becomes a bit of drudgery, so it’s a nice change.” Many of the pros took some time to help out the McGill athletes with some shooting technique.

The coach also mentioned that his players were enjoying their time in Montreal. “Most of our players have never been to Montreal. It’s a beautiful city, and for them to be able to experience the city the night before, I think it’s great.”

Whether that statement meant that players were loading up on poutine and enjoying the infamous Montreal nightlife or soaking in the culture is a mystery. If anyone saw some larger than average men on their way to the bar scene on Thursday night, they probably saw the Knicks.

While varsity athletes were allowed down to the gym to watch the practice, those who are not so athletically gifted were forced to watch from the windows above the gym near Tomlinson Hall. Surprisingly, in this age of instant communication, there were only about twenty people watching from above. Whether this was because McGill students don’t care about basketball or if they were too focused on their studies is irrelevant; they missed a rare opportunity.

Later on, a crowd gathered in the hall as the Knicks made their way from the gym to the bus back to their hotel. Some lucky students were able to take pictures with stars, like power forward Amar’e Stoudamire. One fan was even heard shouting to the newly signed free agent, “Take us back to the Holy Land!” A clever pun combining Amar’e’s task of revitalizing the team with the NBA’s longest playoff drought and the summer rumours that the star big man travelled to Israel and is now exploring his alleged Jewish heritage.

Returning to the playoffs will be a tough task for the Knicks but in an Eastern Conference dominated by only a couple of teams, the last few spots should be up for grabs. “We have some good players, we’re young and we need to come together,” said D’Antoni. “We’ll try to make the playoffs, and 29 other teams are trying to do the same. We have a good shot at being pretty good this year.”

If the Knicks live up to expectations this season, a few McGill students will remember that the road back to the post-season began with a shoot-around at our very own gym.

John Kelsey

John Kelsey

The McGill Redmen trounced the Queen’s University Gaels 7-1 Saturday night, in a lopsided, but spirited game that featured strong defence, volatile tempers, and a four-goal performance by star forward Francis Verreault-Paul. It was the sixth straight win for the Redmen, who are undefeated this season.

From the opening face-off, the Redmen (6-0) played a high-intensity game, dominating in shots and scoring chances. They relegated most of the play to the Queen’s zone and led 3-0 by the end of the first period. Redmen sniper Verreault-Paul scored McGill’s opening two goals.

 “Queen’s is a solid team and we played really well tonight. We played well in our own end,” said Captain Evan Vossen, clearly pleased with his team’s efforts. “Just the little things we’ve worked on are paying off, so if we can just keep going like that we’ll have a lot of success.”

During the second period, McGill’s offence exploded with four unanswered goals. Verreault-Paul led the second-period offensive assault with his third and fourth goals of the game. Verrault-Paul was unstoppable all game, earning praise from his teammates

 “That’s just the kind of guy he is,” Vossen said. “He’s definitely a sniper, with him you know what you’re going to get. Everybody like [centre Guillaume] Doucet made great plays tonight and he was the beneficiary. He was able to finish them off.”

In the second period, tempers flared as the Queen’s team became increasingly frustrated. As a series of after-the-whistle shoving matches ensued, the rambunctious and large home crowd roared. Nine separate players went to the penalty box for roughing in the span of less than one minute.

“We were up 5-0 at that point and tried not to get in their game too much, but we have to protect and defend ourselves a bit, so for sure the tempers were running high,” said Guillaume Doucet, who picked up three assists in the contest. “It’s always a rivalry when we play against Queen’s. The crowd is always loud, especially when it’s here.”

By the start of the third period, the Redmen led 7-0. McGill noticeably relaxed failing to score and only mustering four shots on goal in the third. The Gaels put up the lone marker of the period when forward Brock Ouellet scored at 1:13. The goal was the only blemish on Redmen goaltender Hubert Morin’s near-perfect night. He stopped 16 of the 17 shots sent his way.

The game was a penalty-filled outing and resulted in the Redmen’s special teams units dominating the night. They scored twice on the powerplay and notched two impressive shorthanded markers.

“Those goals are definitely big momentum builders,” said Head Coach Kelly Nobes about McGill’s special teams dominace. “Scoring on your penalty kill is unexpected and our special teams were very effective, with our power play also generating a couple goals. We were very opportunistic. We scored when we got our chances.”  

With an impressive six straight wins, the pressure is on for the Redmen to continue performing at this calibre.

“You try not to think about it, we go one night at a time, but tonight feels good, it’s a big win,” Doucet said. “It doesn’t mean much for the streak though, because next game we have to do it all over again. But it’s still a big step in the right direction. We need to keep playing like we did tonight.”

The Redmen look to keep their win streak alive on Friday in Kingston.

Adam Scotti

The nation’s number-one-ranked team, the Laval Rouge-et-Or (8-0) massacred the winless McGill Redmen (0-8), who were looking for just their second home victory in two years. Laval scored a minute and a half into the first quarter and never looked back, posting a 68-0 win over the Redmen.

There were no good signs for McGill on Saturday, especially for the many seniors who have now played their last game on McGill’s home field.

“We can’t take a lot out of this game,” said Head Coach Sonny Wolfe. “It just shows us how far we have to go to compete with the best.”

Laval scored as many touchdowns as McGill had first downs. When Rouge-et-Or placekicker Christopher Milo sent his seventh extra point through the uprights just before halftime, a flock of seagulls that had been congregating on the empty north side stands abruptly got up and flew away. Like looking directly into the sun, no one, not even the birds, could keep their eyes on the game for an extended period of time.

Except, that is, for the many Laval fans who made the trip to Montreal and were louder than the home supporters.  They at least had something to cheer about.  The highlight of the game for McGill came in the first quarter when third year defensive back Joff Gorin intercepted an errant Bruno Prud’homme pass, one of the few mistakes Laval made all game. The drive, of course, ended in another three-and-out for the Redmen.

The 130th season of McGill football will mercifully end next weekend as the Redmen go on the road to face Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or. The team is already eliminated from playoff contention, meaning that McGill has now missed the Quebec University Football League playoffs four years in a row. A loss to Sherbrooke would cap off McGill’s third winless season in the last four years.

The NBA and College Basketball Seasons are about to begin and there is no better time to revisit the debate on which league is more entertaining and deserving of your attention.  NCAA fan Rebecca Babcock and NBA advocate John Willcock duke it out.

NBA

Coaching/Game play

The quality of coaching and game play in the NBA is the best in the world. There are undoubtedly great coaches and players in college, but they are spread thinly among schools that prioritize sports. The talent in the NBA is deeper than in college basketball. The most significant differences between the NCAA and NBA’s gameplay are the foul-out rules, game time, threepoint line, and shot clock. The NCAA is said to have more emphasis on tactics and defensive execution. As a spectator I don’t care about who can run the best 2-3 zone defense; I want to see the fast-paced and high-quality game play of the NBA.

Competitiveness

The NBA, quite simply, has the best talent. Many critics have argued that NBA players are overpaid and  complacent once they’ve signed a significant contract. How then would one explain Dwyane Wade’s memorable 2006 finals performance with the Heat, or Kobe Bryant’s relentless pursuit of his fifth Championship this past season after signing an $87 million, three-year extension? In both instances, players met the expectations placed before them. True competitors prevail in the end, and the players who are financial drains do not last. NBA players are paid proportionally to the entertainment they generate.

Professional vs. Amateur

In 2006, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed upon a collective agreement prohibiting players from going directly from high school to the NBA, or prep-to-pro. The agreement is indicative of a changing trend  The NCAA has typically acted as a farm system for the NBA. However the system is quickly evolving, with many elite players demonstrating their inclination to find their way into the spotlight of the NBA as quickly as possible. In the 2010 NBA draft, seven of the top 10 draft picks were collegiate freshmen opting out of college. In 2008, Brandon Jennings, a highly touted high school player, chose to play in Italy for a year as opposed to playing college ball. Both trends indicate that college basketball is becoming transitory.

– John Willcock

NCAA

Coaching/Game play

Coaching in the NCAA is much more tactical than coaching in the NBA. NBA offences are repetitive because teams use isolation plays for their star players over and over. How many times in an average game does Steve Nash drive to the basket and dish to one of his centers? How many isolations will the Lakers run for Kobe?  The teams in the NCAA have more varied offences. Duke, for instance, has a 3 out 2 in offence, 4 out offence, and a zone offence. The coach can strategically change offences, which creates variation in the game.

Competitiveness

Two words: March Madness. This tournament is the essence of competition. Players play urgently in the hopes of pursuing basketball professionally. In contrast to the NBA’s best-of-seven playoff format, this tournament is single-elimination, which raises the stakes and creates upsets that the NBA playoffs cannot offer. With a closer three-point line, any team can make a huge comeback if they catch fire from three-point land. Just last March, ninth seeded Northern Iowa beat the top-ranked, defending champion Kansas. This is common in the NCAA tournament. Also, the vast array of teams in the NCAA adds to the excitement. Who doesn’t like “discovering” a mid-major?

Professional vs. Amateur

The NBA is a business, so many of the decisions are made for financial, not competitive reasons. Because of salary cap restrictions, every year there are uneven trades that will unevenly stack certain teams while other teams become less competitive to save money. In the NCAA, without the aspect of money, you see passion, which is sometimes lost in the midst of business. After his final year at Gonzaga, Adam Morrison cried. The players of the NCAA play with a passion that is often absent in the NBA.  For example, this past season the Boston Celtics coasted through the regular season. In a shorter NCAA season ever game matters. On Selection Sunday every year deserving teams are left out of the tournament because of one or two bad losses.

– Rebecca Babcock

Winner:

NBA