First time cheering for Canes basketball? Here are the basic positions of the game

Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor in Miami, and a huge Hurricanes fan. Every time the football and basketball teams of the U are playing, he has the volume turned way up. The other week, he had some visitors at home. Dwyer had them watch a video of the best basketball moments of the Hurricanes. He was surprised that one of his visitors had no idea about basketball. Dwyer then realized that many people who are fans of university teams aren’t familiar with some of the sports at all.

On that note, Patrick Dwyer would want to share a few notes on the basic positions of basketball for those looking to cheer for their favorite teams.

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Point Guard

The PG is the offensive leader of the team. He orchestrates the offense and brings the plays of the coach to life.

Shooting Guard

The SG completes the back court of a team. He should be reliable on both offense and defense.

Small Forward

The SF can be switched with the SG at times. Also known as the “swing man,” SFs are traditionally great at offense. Today though, SFs are multi-threats.

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Power Forward

On offense, PFs work down low on the post to score. He also aids the Center in rebounding. Many PFs also double as Centers because of their size.

Center

Many of Patrick Dwyer’s favorite players are centers. They are usually the biggest players on their team and stay close to the basket both on offense and defense.

Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, actively supports the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF) in its quest to develop treatments for various neurological diseases. Visit this blog for more reads on the Miami Hurricanes.

How good was Shane Larkin for the Hurricanes?

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An interesting trivia about former Hurricanes star Shane Larkin was that his first love was baseball. He was primed to excel in the sport, having joined a coach-pitch league at the tender age of seven. But his coach didn’t like his swing, and the young Shane didn’t understand. It was enough to shift his focus to another game, one he felt he could dominate, sans a coach who didn’t approve of his posture. 

By 2009, with future Canes coach Jim Larrañaga watching curiously in the sidelines, the then-committed, young basketball player stole a pass from a three-man fast break, which he was the only guy left to defend. The fiery coach immediately saw a bright future for the 5’11 guard with great basketball smarts. Pretty soon, he was offering Larkin a scholarship at George Mason University.

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Things didn’t pan out for the young Larkin, who wanted to go to a school closer to home. How convenient then that Larrañaga—the guy who first saw his potential and in whom Larkin had complete trust—had just been named new coach of the Miami Hurricanes. The rest is Canes basketball history.

Shane was already an elite point guard when he entered the Canes program in 2011. And by 2013, he had already led Miami to the top of the ACC, a clutch player who can make shots almost at will and a solid defender too, reminiscent to many of the NBA’s Chris Paul. That regular season, he averaged 13 points, four assists, and four rebounds. He would go on to be picked 18th by the Atlanta Hawks in the same year’s NBA draft and will be remembered as one of the best ball handlers the Canes program has ever seen.

Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, supports the medical organization Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF) in its advocacy of putting an end to chronic neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. He also avidly follows the Miami Hurricanes. For similar reads, visit this blog.

Interesting Basketball Trivia For The Sports Junkie

It’s every man’s sport, and if this doesn’t hold true then basketball remains an athletic pursuit of unparalleled popularity and mass appeal. Here are some interesting basketball facts and trivia, especially for fellow huge supporters of Miami teams like the Miami Hurricanes.

History and rules

Basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith, who also was a P.E. teacher from Springfield, Massachusetts. It was borne out of the desire to keep his gym class busy while it was raining outside. Originally, two teams made up of nine players played the game – a number anchored on the standard number of players on a baseball team. Obviously, the teams were later reduced to having five players each.

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Basketball superstars

Michael Jordan had a so-called “love of the game” clause in his contract, and this effectively allowed him to play basketball against anyone, anytime, and practically anywhere. Tim Duncan, on the other hand, grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he was preparing for the 1992 Olympics as a competitive swimmer, until a hurricane destroyed the only Olympic-sized pool on the island. He was left with the option to swim in the ocean, but there was one problem: he was afraid of sharks.

Historic brawls

The Pacers-Piston game on Nov. 19, 2004 marked the most infamous fight that broke out in the NBA. It involved a massive brawl among players and spectators, where the league suspended nine players and had to deal with $11 million in lost earnings. Five fans, on the other hand, were slapped with criminal charges and were banned from Piston home games forever.

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Patrick Dwyer, a financial advisor, encourages everyone to give the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF) continued support because it is working on key research to improve the diagnosis, management, and treatment options for these illnesses. He is a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes basketball team. Learn more about great American sports on this page.

A Review: Miami Hurricanes 2017-18 Basketball Season

The 2017-18 basketball season for the Miami Hurricanes is marked by a first-round NCAA Tournament exit, despite the coaching staff and team braving the odds, injuries, and many distractions during the journey. But it’s not one without valuable lessons to bring into the seasons they will face.

The team came into the season as number 12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, as well as number 13 in the Associated Press Top 25. They leveraged on a weak non-conference schedule and gallantly worked their way to a 10-0 start to the season. Part of the winning streak is an 86-81 win they had on the road against Minnesota during the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. UM also manage to clobber Pittsburgh at home as well as Virginia Tech on the road in January.

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Add this to the fact that there trudged along with a limited Lonnie Walker IV, the freshman who was still working his way back into the game after an offseason knee surgery.

The season may not have emerged with the ideal results, but it’s another teaching moment for head coach Jim Larrañaga and his staff in their unyielding quest to build a winning program. For one, it enjoyed significant contributions from the freshman squad of Bruce Brown Jr., DJ Vasiljevic, and Dewan Huell, as well as an exciting game element in the form of point guard Chris Lykes.

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Amid the spirit of resiliency, UM has to grapple with a number of negatives from the season, such as its spate of injuries, inconsistent shooting, recruiting shortcomings, and underperforming for much of the season.

Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor and avid supporter of the Neuroscience Centers of Florida Foundation, Inc. (NSCFF). He is also a huge fan of the Miami Hurricanes basketball and football teams. Similar reads on this page.

Double Crown: Famous Athletes Who Have Won The Ncaa And Nba Championships

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Winning a championship is an athlete’s dream. They train, work, and play hard for it. So winning it at different levels of competition -- the NBA and college -- is a rare distinction. Here are some of the famous NBA players who have a knack for winning championships:

Bill Russel

If being the G.O.A.T is determined by the number of rings you have, then Bill will easily take that spot. He led San Francisco to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, then won 11 titles with the Boston Celtics.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem is arguably the best center of all time. Having led the UCLA to three championships – 1967, 1968, and 1969 -- he then brought the cup to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson

Magic Johnson not only has NCAA and NBA rings, he has won titles at every level: high school, college, the NBA, and the Olympics. He won an NCAA championship in 1979 with Michigan State and is a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers.

Isiah Thomas

Before becoming the captain of the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” and winning two NBA Championships with them, Isiah Thomas brought the crown to Indiana in the 1988 NCAA championships.

Michael Jordan

Even as a freshman, Michael Jordan had it in him as he scored the game-winning basket which gave the North Carolina the 1982 NCAA trophy. As a professional basketball player, he led the Chicago Bulls to six championships.

Patrick Dwyer is a financial advisor who follows college basketball and other tournaments. Visit this blog for more interesting reads on college sports.