The Big 5.5 Sports Thread

Started by ice grillin you, December 09, 2009, 10:08:19 PM

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phattymatty

i actually caught a game of theirs last year on espn....crowd was nuts.

MDS

dr john and billy raf doing this nova/temple game with....mic ass boston trash dave o brien

insulting
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

ice grillin you

quiet amazing thing going on at lasalle

they are about to go 0-10 which is literally impossible in cbb
i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

MDS

the good thing is their next game is against alabama a&m which is also winless
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

MDS

Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

QB Eagles


ice grillin you

great story...

QuoteA son of Philly hoops: How his father's path and his city upbringing shaped Temple's Shizz Alston Jr.

If the shot clock​ were running, it may​ have expired. At​ the​ very​ least, Levan​ Shawn​​ Alston Jr., better known to Temple basketball fans as "Shizz," would have been hit with a backcourt violation as he stood there, frozen, unsure where to go or what to think.

But this wasn't on a basketball court and there was no clock, save for the one on the wall. Shizz Alston Jr. was at his North Philly home, looking on with a young boy's wonder at his father, who was back from one of his overseas expeditions.

"When I'd walk in the door, he'd just stand there for at least 15 seconds just because he was so surprised," says Levan Alston. "Then he'd run to me, jump on me, happy and crying. Those were the best times."

A key contributor on Temple's 1994-95 and 1995-96 NCAA Tournament teams, Levan launched a decade-plus professional basketball career after graduating — first in China with later stops in Greece, Cyprus and Italy.

That time was also special for another reason. His first child, whom he would soon nickname "Shizz," was born in 1996, a few months into his professional career. It wasn't easy, of course, to leave his boy on the other side of the world. But the arrangement, in some ways, proved beneficial as Shizz, from a young age, was inspired by his dad's hardwood success and motivated to follow in his footsteps.

That motivation helped lead Shizz to where he is today: a star senior at his dad's alma mater.

"He had to grow up faster," Levan says. "He was the man of the house at the time. And you can see it now by his leadership qualities. Growing up in the way he did, he always had to be a leader. I think that's helping him now in his senior year."

Through the first part of the 2018-19 campaign, his senior year could not be going much better. A leading contender for Big 5 Player of the Year (one of his big goals coming into the season), Shizz ranks second in the city in scoring with 19.4 points per game and first in assists with 5.1 per contest.

Twice this season, the senior guard has eclipsed 30 points in a game, and his career-high 31-point effort versus Massachusetts on Dec. 12 came with three clutch free throws to win it in the closing seconds. Three days later, in a victory over Davidson, the 6-foot-4 guard had 11 assists and one turnover, which Temple head coach Fran Dunphy called an "extraordinary stat." The next game, he torched Drexel for 25 points and had zero turnovers. And most recently, he scored the final seven points in overtime to lead the Owls to a thrilling come-from-behind win at Wichita State on Sunday, helping Temple improve to an impressive 11-3 record heading into Wednesday's home showdown with unbeaten Houston.

What's the reason for Alston's big jump as a senior? If you're the poetic type, you might consider the fact that he switched from the No. 3 to the No. 10 this season — the same number his dad wore on his Temple jersey a couple of decades ago.

"At first, it felt different," says Shizz, who enjoyed solid but less prolific seasons as a sophomore and junior. "Then I started scoring a little more and I was like, 'I kind of like this number!"

Perhaps for some, a father's legacy could weigh you down. But it's only lifted Shizz to greater heights.

"I think he handles it great," Dunphy says. "Is it hard? I guess it could be. But I don't think Shizz makes anything hard. I think he just has a great outlook on life."

He adopted that outlook early on. When he was 5 or 6, Shizz made a point to talk to his dad on the phone as often as he could (in the pre-Facetime era, those calls weren't cheap), usually spouting off random NBA stats and discussing trades he'd learn about from watching ESPN all morning. From an even younger age, he'd enjoy the flow and rhythm of a basketball game, his eyes locked on the court from his stroller while his dad, during breaks from his team in China, would partake in epic pickup games at McGonigle Hall with well-known Philly hoopsters like Lynn Greer, Marc Jackson, Alvin Williams and Kerry Kittles.

"When he was a newborn, he would just watch basketball," Levan says. "That was the one thing that kept him quiet. He never cried at games."

Some of young Shizz's favorite things to watch were the tapes his dad would send back of his games in China. His pride was on full display in kindergarten when he brought a team poster that featured his father, the words in Chinese, to hang up in his classroom — which his elementary school friends thought was the "coolest thing in the world," Shizz now says. And fierce loyalty swelled inside of him when he got to travel to Greece a couple of years later to watch one of his dad's road games, with the home fans heckling Levan throughout. 

The pride went both ways. When back in Philly, Levan says he went to all of Shizz's Biddy basketball games, usually imploring the referee to not let his son get away with double-dribbling even if that's what all of the other 5-year-olds were doing. Once, he watched in amazement as Shizz tripped, hit his face on the court and his tooth fell out. "And he picked up the tooth and gave his mom the tooth and ran back on the court without crying," Levan recalls. "And I was like, 'This kid might have it right here!' That was one of my proudest moments."

It would be easy to say Shizz was born with that toughness but, in fact, it was learned. Through his father's friendships, Shizz got to know former NBA players Rasheed Wallace (Levan's high school teammate at Philly Public League powerhouse Simon Gratz), Aaron McKie (one of Levan's best friends who also played at Gratz and Temple), and Jerome Allen (another one of Levan's best friends and Shizz's godfather). When McKie — now a Temple assistant who will take over as the Owls' head coach next season — played for the Sixers, he'd sometimes leave tickets for Shizz (who "got to chill with Allen Iverson a couple of times"). And later, Shizz went to almost of all of Penn's home games when Allen, a former star guard at Penn, was the Quakers' head coach between 2009 and 2015.

More than being a well-traveled student of Philly hoops, however, Shizz had the unique privilege of working out with many of the city's premier guards, soaking in their smarts, determination and grit.

"Him watching these guys and seeing how successful they were, he always wanted to get in the gym, he always thought it was a way of life," Levan says. "Shizz is a product of Philadelphia basketball. ... One thing we're always known for is having toughness, guards from Philadelphia. I wanted him to know they were tough, how hard they played. Guys play tough in Philadelphia. That's the kind of basketball player I wanted him to be."

The most valuable hoops lessons Shizz ever got, though, didn't come from an NBA star. They came from his dad, who served as an assistant coach at the Haverford School during Shizz's final two seasons there and pushed him in workouts every day in the summer. That's the main reason, Shizz says, that he became an ESPN Top 100 recruit for the Class of 2015 (one of his biggest high school goals) and the Gatorade Pennsylvania State Player of the Year.

And when it was time to decide where he'd go to college, even though he had enticing offers from Notre Dame, Marquette, VCU and other Division I programs, Shizz knew in his heart he wanted to wear the same uniform as his father, in the city where he grew up, on the same campus he visited as a baby.

"When it came down to it," he says, "I'm a Philly guy."

Shizz's decision to go to Temple was exciting for Levan, who wasn't necessarily shy about making his opinion on the matter known. And not surprisingly, he's been a courtside fixture at Temple games over the past four seasons, cheering on his son, telling him to be smart, get his teammates involved and be aggressive.

"I hear him sometimes," Shizz laughs. "It was a little worse in high school and AAU because he was right there. There's a little more people in the crowd now."

The father and son also like to engage in some playful banter with Shizz reminding his dad that he's shattered all of his Temple records. That's fine with Levan, a steady pass-first point guard in his day, who happily admits that "Shizz is a much better scorer than me." But there are still two things dad can boast about at family gatherings: he's never lost to his son one-on-one, mainly because he's stopped playing him. And he made two NCAA Tournaments at Temple after arriving as a transfer from the University of New Orleans, while Shizz has only gotten to the Big Dance once, as a freshman reserve on the Owls in 2016.

"The only thing I haven't passed him (on) yet is NCAA Tournaments," Shizz says. "Everything else I've passed him."

Shizz, of course, would love to make one more NCAA Tournament to match his dad, especially since this is Dunphy's last year in charge. So would Levan, who would also almost certainly be one of the most excited Temple fans at March Madness.

No matter how this season plays out, though, Levan knows he doesn't have to worry about Shizz's future anymore. Shizz graduated from Temple early with a degree in marketing. He had an internship with a real estate company last summer. He's gotten into wine and the Center City restaurant scene.

And if the NBA doesn't come calling, the Temple senior who's been to more than 10 countries and whose Twitter handle is "InternatlShizz" certainly might be able to enjoy a productive pro career overseas.

Just like his dad. Following in his footsteps once again.

"When he puts his mind to something," Levan says, "there's usually a good outcome.

"I'm extremely proud of him."
i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

MDS

dont look now but temple is 13-3 and 3-1 in the american

problem is their best win is houston
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

MDS

Quote from: MDS on January 12, 2019, 05:01:26 PM
dont look now but temple is 13-3 and 3-1 in the american

problem is their best win is houston

after the dumbest win in ages temple is on the right side of the bubble because cbb is a farce

lets dance
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

MDS

temple is probably going to the tournament but dont let that fool you...they are a travesty
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

Geowhizzer

Todd's favorite Villanova wins its third straight Big East title.

MDS

belmont's most famous alumni is the skinny kid from road trip

temple's most famous alumni is a rapist

should be fun
Zero hour, Michael. It's the end of the line. I'm the firstborn. I'm sick of playing second fiddle. I'm always third in line for everything. I'm tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I'm mad about, and I'm taking over.

ice grillin you

i can take a phrase thats rarely heard...flip it....now its a daily word

igy gettin it done like warrick

im the board pharmacist....always one step above yous

Geowhizzer


Don Ho

Just saw that.  Honestly I thought he was there longer than 24 years.  Always seemed like a descent guy.
"Well where does Jack Lord live, or Don Ho?  That's got to be a nice neighborhood"  Jack Singer(Nicholas Cage) in Honeymoon in Vegas.