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The Secondary Break: Wednesday’s Links

backcourt

Bond of T.J. McConnell, Nick Johnson goes beyond Arizona basketball court (USA Today)
Two of the players prominently involved in No. 1 Arizona’s hot start are point guard T.J. McConnell and shooting guard Nick Johnson, and it’s a connection that has been a couple years in the making. Johnson hosted McConnell while the latter was making the decision of where to transfer two after playing two seasons at Duquesne, and the friendship that began at that point can be seen as a turning point of sorts for the Arizona program as a whole.

Kobe Bryant is right and wrong about college basketball (CBS Sports)
Last week Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant grabbed some attention with his statement that college basketball wasn’t exactly training players for the professional ranks. Was he right? Wrong? Or, maybe he was both right and wrong in his comments.

Martin, Gamecocks face long losing streak (The State)
With eight newcomers on board, South Carolina was expected to take its lumps in SEC play this season. And that’s exactly how things have played out for the Gamecocks, who are looking to avoid losing their first seven conference games for the first time ever as an SEC member.

Broncos tight end was a basketball player first (Philadelphia Inquirer)
With the Super Bowl just a few days away, one of the stories that is sure to grab some headlines is that of Julius Thomas, who played basketball at Portland State before landing in the NFL and breaking out as one of the Peyton Manning’s key targets in his third NFL season.

Arik Armstead leaves Oregon basketball team to focus on football (The Oregonian)
Oregon lost a member of its basketball program on Tuesday, as it was announced that burly forward Arik Armstead has left to focus on football. Armstead, who could be a high NFL draft pick after his junior season (2014), was one of northern California’s best basketball players while in high school.

Basketball balancing act (Austin Statesman)
For young players the grassroots slate can be just as important as their high school games, resulting in basketball becoming a year-round sport. That makes it important for players to properly balance playing games with making the developmental steps needed to land a college scholarship.

Roberto Nelson is a reliable Carte Blanche cardholder (The Oregonian)
Through three-plus seasons at Oregon State, senior guard Roberto Nelson has not only been one of the Pac-12’s best scorers but he’s also managed to do so while improving from an efficiency standpoint. That’s earned him a “green light” of sorts, and it’s a distinction head coach Craig Robinson doesn’t hesitate to give Nelson given the fact that his star doesn’t abuse the privilege.

Louisville’s Russ Smith learns to pass on shots - and to teammates (Sports Illustrated)
Louisville senior guard Russ Smith had some adjustments to make once he decided to return for his senior season, with the desire to show NBA scouts that he’s a capable lead guard being one of the objectives. In order to do that Smith had to become wiser in his shot selection, and he had to become better at getting his teammates good looks.

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