Beyond the arc: Ain’t no big deal, Holiday hoops, Legend passes

Ain’t that big a deal

In the story that won’t go away, LaVar Ball first responded with “Who?” when asked about President Trump aiding in the extradition of his son LiAngelo Ball and the two other UCLA basketball players accused of shoplifting from multiple stores while in China. The elder Ball told ESPN, “What was (Trump) over there for? Don’t tell me nothing. Everybody wants to make it seem like he helped me out.”

If that wasn’t enough, LaVar also seemed to shrug off the incident altogether, telling ESPN “I’m from L.A. I’ve seen a lot worse things happen than a guy taking some glasses. My son has built up enough character that one bad decision doesn’t define him.”

Really? Mr. Big Ball, it’s not a big deal when a seven-year old child snatches a piece of bubble gum from the neighborhood mini mart. That’s not that big of a deal. The child should be scolded but you are correct, it shouldn’t define the child’s character.

When an 18-year old young man and his equally aged friends allegedly shoplift from several stores in a foreign country. A communist foreign country no less. That tends to be a very big deal. If LaVar Ball doesn’t see the potential severity of the alleged offense, then he must reside in the penthouse level of the tower of stupidity.

Brian Bowen out at Louisville

Brian Bowen, a freshman wing at Louisville has been told thanks, but no thanks, by the school. Bowen, a former five star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, was one of the players at the center of an FBI probe into corruption in college basketball which led to the firing of head coach Rick Pitino. According to the school, Bowen may transfer if he wishes. He will remain on scholarship and allowed to attend classes at Louisville but he will no longer be part of the team.

Big Thanksgiving hoops

Big upcoming week for holiday tournaments. After the Hall of Fame Classic and Maui Invitational tournaments draw to a close, two big tournaments are ready to grab the headlines.

The Battle 4 Atlantis tips off on Wednesday, the 22nd, and goes through Friday, the 24th. Held at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas, the tournament features three top 20 teams including No. 5 Villanova and No. 2 Arizona. SMU also makes an appearance in the field of eight teams.

The premier tournament of the weekend is the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational held in Portland, OR. The PK80 begins on Thanksgiving day and concludes the following Sunday. The tournament field of 16 features five top 20 teams, four of which are top 10 including No. 1 ranked Duke. The Big 12 Conference is represented in this tournament by Oklahoma and Texas. Regional foe Arkansas is in the tournament field as well. The games will be televised on ESPN.

Big 12 hoops

Big 12 Conference hoops teams are off to a strong start to the season. The conference teams have an overall record of 36-4 with three teams currently ranked in the AP top 25 and four others, including Tech, just outside of the rankings. Don’t tell your Texas A&M friends but two of the losses came by way of the Aggies. By the way, you shouldn’t have any Texas A&M friends. I’m just sayin’.

Lady Raiders

The Lady Raiders are on a three-game winning streak after wins this past week over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 74-47, and UMass-Lowell 93-65. The Lady Raiders play host to Texas A&M Sunday. Tip off is 2 p.m. at the United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.

Gerald “Corky” Oglesby

Red Raider nation lost a true legend. Corky Oglesby passed away last Sunday after a battle with cancer. He was 81. Corky was a fixture for 40 years in Texas Tech Athletics. He served as an assistant basketball coach, track and field coach for 20 years, and most recently as a special projects coordinator for the Red Raider Club. Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocut commented that Corky “was a cherished individual that will be deeply, deeply missed by all of us."