It’s an amazing feat…that should have never happened

I’m sure you’ve heard the story about the kid who scored 138 points during a basketball game earlier this week. If you haven’t……Yes, you heard that right 138 points in a single game by one player. In comparison….I’m pretty sure I didn’t score 138 points in my entire high school career!

Jack Taylor of Division III Grinnell (Iowa) College scored 138 points last Tuesday night in a 179-104 rout over Faith Baptist Bible, breaking the NCAA all-time single game scoring record — a record that has stood since 1954.

So, how is it possible to score 138 points in a game you ask? You basically have to take a shot every 20 seconds.

How is it possible to be in a position to take a shot every 20 seconds? Answer: You play for Grinnell College.

If you’ve never heard of Grinnell College, it is a program that has become nationally recognized under head coach David Arseneault for its fast-paced style that emphasizes shooting and scoring as often as possible. Players typically substitute in hockey-style (5-in, 5 out) shifts every 35 seconds to a minute. They press full court hoping for quick steals and will allow uncontested layups in an effort to get the ball back and shoot within the first seven seconds of the shot clock.

The team’s coaches set goals each game to shoot at least 94 times, 47 of which should be 3-pointers.

Just last season, Grinnell received national attention when Griffin Lentsch set an NCAA Division III scoring record when he scored 89 points in a single game.

Typically, Grinnell’s offense is designed to be balanced. However, on Tuesday night, Taylor shot 108 field goals (he made 52), 71 of which were 3s (he made 27). He recorded three rebounds and zero assists.

This was no fluke. It was a well-planned publicity stunt meant to give the program… and more importantly its coach some national recognition.

According to Grinnell players, the coaching staff sent out e-mails to the team that they would try to break the scoring record in the next game. They formulated a game plan during Monday’s practice, and players agreed to help Taylor chase the all-time scoring mark. It is no secret that Grinnell purposely schedules games against weaker opponents with the sole purpose of breaking records.

It was obvious that Coach Arseneault instructed his team to allow the opposing team to score at will so Jack Taylor could cherry-pick (he didn’t cross the half-court line to play defense). Players were instructed to throw the ball to Taylor, even if that player was wide open or had an easy layup.

Don’t get me wrong, the feat is amazing! Just getting up 108 shots in a 40-minute game and making almost half of those shots (many of them 3-pointers) takes an amazing amount of skill. However, it’s also one of the most disrespectful and embarrassing attention-grabbing schemes ever imagined in the history of college basketball.

There was no need for Taylor to keep shooting with the game out of hand. Grinnell, which led 85-46 at halftime, broke every unwritten rule of sportsmanship.

Let me tell you…if I was on the other side of the ball playing for Faith Baptist Bible, I would have never let that kid get the ball. As a coach I would have had all 5 of my guys defending him just so he wouldn’t score another point. It’s amazing that a coach would have so little respect for another team and the game of basketball to purposely allow this and encourage this type of play.

You can’t really blame Taylor. I’m sure there aren’t many kids who wouldn’t want the chance to be seen on ESPN. However, the coaches and school should be ashamed of themselves.

Grinnell is not a legitimate basketball program, it’s a sideshow. It’s not just the basketball program that’s a joke, it’s the entire college and community. You would think that the school would use the publicity to highlight some of its educational offerings, but when I checked their site on Wednesday morning, the entire website was dedicated to Taylor’s scoring record….nothing about the educational services they provide.

So, congratulations Grinnell and Coach Arseneault! Enjoy your 15-minutes of fame!

Taylor’s record will stand for a very long time …. at least until Grinnell decides to break it again.

Hey, if you want a good laugh, check out this video on YouTube of a basketball player who tries (unsuccessfully) to score on his own hoop, 4 times until one of his teammates steps in. I laugh because this happened to me in high school…I would have scored on my own hoop had it not been for a player from the opposite team blocking me from doing so. My friends still bring up this embarrassing moment every chance they get. Anyhow, if you want a good laugh….check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ7ZxvCnEXo

NFL Week 12 Picks

I went 11-3 overall last week, 0-2 with my upset picks and 3-0 with my locks.  Record: Overall (105-52), Upsets (15-15), Locks (16-3).

Game of the Week

Green Bay at NY Giants | Winner: NY Giants

Lock of the Week

Denver at Kansas City | Winner: Denver
New England at NY Jets | Winner: New England

Upset Special

Pittsburgh at Cleveland | Winner: Cleveland
Buffalo at Indianapolis | Winner: Buffalo
Tennessee at Jacksonville | Winner: Jacksonville
Seattle at Miami | Winner: Miami
St. Louis at Arizona | Winner: St. Louis

The Rest

Houston at Detroit | Winner: Houston
Washington at Dallas | Winner: Dallas
Minnesota at Chicago | Winner: Chicago
Oakland at Cincinnati | Winner: Cincinnati
Atlanta at Tampa Bay | Winner: Atlanta
Baltimore at San Diego | Winner: Baltimore
San Francisco at New Orleans | Winner: San Francisco
Carolina at Philadelphia | Winner: Carolina

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