August 21, 2006
This is a great time of year for all sports fans. I love it when you have so much going on. Yankee fans had to be excited when the Bronx Bombers dominated their series up at Fenway. Joe Torre's team sent a message with the bats going wild, and a never-say-die attitude.
If you love the pigskin, college football is right around the corner. The NFL is playing its preseason so fans can get excited. By the way, playing four exhibition games is ripping off the public, charging regular season prices while the stars play very little.
The PGA championship was another show for Tiger Woods. The U. S. Open tennis tournament starts next week.
I love walking the beach at Siesta Key … it is absolutely gorgeous. You should come down to Florida and enjoy it!
The bottom line is, while there are so many things going on in the world of sports, I still think about basketball. Hoops, hoops, hoops baby!
I can't wait to watch some of the diaper dandies coming in this season. I am looking forward to watching Ty Lawson of North Carolina, whom my buddy Howard Garfinkel of Five-Star camp really loves. He says Lawson will be the best guard at Carolina in many years.
What a class for Roy Williams at Chapel Hill. Brandan Wright, Wayne Ellington, Deon Thompson, Lawson and company. WOW!
Kevin Durant should have an immediate impact at Texas. Rick Barnes lost so much talent as LaMarcus Aldridge, PJ Tucker and Daniel Gibson are gone, but the Longhorns had a solid recruiting class, keyed by Durant.
I am looking forward to seeing Chase Budinger out at Arizona and Spencer Hawes at Washington, as they will be big men on campus in the Pac-10. The 6-7 Budinger and the 6-11 Hawes will have an immediate impact.
Due to a wrist injury, the same cannot be said for Greg Oden at Ohio State. When he does recover and take the court, watch out. Oden is going to be a difference maker on both ends of the court for Thad Matta's Buckeyes.
Down at Duke, Coach K has to replace J. J. Redick and Shelden Williams, but an exciting recruiting class will help out right away. The Blue Devils have Mr. Basketball from the state of Illinois. Jon Schreyer, who said no to Bruce Weber and the Illini; Weber's brother was his high school coach.
Connecticut has an outstanding class coming in. Georgia Tech has a dynamic duo in Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton.
Wow, I can't wait to see these young men on the court. Let's tip it off already. The 2006-07 season will be awesome with a capital A!
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
