The Rule Changes in College Basketball and How it Affects FSU

Everyone just hates on college basketball hardcore, but then come March they are in love with it. Yeah, maybe the madness part helps ratings, but college basketball is still alive and well. There are still some major issues, however, and the NCAA has finally stepped in and made some major changes.  I love college basketball so I am ecstatic about the upcoming season and how the rule changes will effect the game. Why am I writing about these rule changes with college football right around the corner (PRAISE JESUS)? Because #basketballneverstops. These rule changes could help the Civic Center and Nole Nation rock all year long, even deep into March. People will mainly notice the change in the shot clock from 35 seconds to 30 seconds, but many other rule changes have been put into place to help the flow of the game.

Derwin James is Coming

Derwin James is one of the most highly anticipated recruits in Florida State history. He committed to the Seminoles way back in 2012 and has stayed true to his word since becoming an early enrollee in January. James even got a Seminole tattoo on his arm to show his loyalty in high school. He is rated higher than any other safety recruit coming out of high school has ever been according to Rivals.com. The buzz in this town is quite often centered around the football team, and with a 29-1 record the past two years and a freshman class such as Jimbo's latest led by James, there is certainly a lot of excitement around the program.

Why Won't Bacon and Beasley Play Us?

On May 7th, 2015, I replied to a tweet sent by Malik Beasley informing his followers that he was headed to Tallahassee for the weekend. For whatever reason, Mr. Beasley did not respond to my request to play him one on one (below).

@MaLiKK_5 I want the one on one

— Johnathan Kelly (@jfk11_) May 7, 2015

According to 247Sports.com, Malik is a 5-star shooting guard. The 6'4" Georgia product chose to come to Tallahassee for his college career over 30+ other major programs. Beasley is one of the best athletes and scorers in the 2015 class and now that he is on campus, I want to see what he's made of on the court.

Yesterday, I called Mr. Beasley out again. This time I told him he could have help from McDonald's All-American Dwayne Bacon in a 2 on 2 matchup against Sean and I. The only response we received was a favorite of our tweet. That's nice and all, but it's not what we were looking for. Bacon is yet to acknowledge our challenge:

@MaLiKK_5 me and @ToneCapone_4 want the 2on2 @BaconDwayne1000

— Johnathan Kelly (@jfk11_) July 21, 2015

This brings me to the question, why won't Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon play us? Maybe they don't respect us? Maybe coach Ham won't let them? Maybe they are too busy posterizing people? Maybe they just don't like the match-up and are scared? Let's take a look at a few reasons as to why, I think, they refuse to play us:

1) Sean is a physically-intimidating force.
At 5'10" and 185-lbs, Sean is an impressive physical specimen. As if his natural size wasn't enough, he adds strength, quickness, and athleticism. He can bench roughly 145-lbs, which may be somewhat impressive considering he hasn't worked out since high school. He couples his physical stature with an above-average basketball IQ - Steve Nash-esque - along with streaky shooting. In his senior year he hit two straight threes coming off of the bench in a packed house against our cross-town rival Chiles. We called him the microwave because, well, the dude heats up fast from downtown. Above all of his attributes, Sean has a D1-level competitiveness and intensity when he plays, which once made a dude cry. It's understandable that the two Florida State recruits would be hesitant of the match up since Sean is now involved.

9 of the Scariest Athletes in Sports

Professional athletes have always been super-hero-like figures in our society. Fans everywhere admire them for their elite skills and talents and sometimes, their excellent personalities. Most athletes are freakish in size and physical stature which is often a reason we, as spectators, admire them, some are so huge that they are terrifying.

It's not always just that they are big, but maybe they also have a sketchy personality, a scary voice, an "I want to eat you" expression on their face or maybe it's just the way they play. These are the athletes you wouldn't invite over for dinner with your family, the ones that opponents have nightmares about, and the last ones you would want to run into in a dark alley. So let me introduce you to the nine athletes that scare me the most.

Shawn Oakman
Oakman is the definition of a grown ass man. At 6'9" 280, he is the most intimidating player college football has to offer. After this picture of Oakman at last season's Cotton Bowl coin toss surfaced on the internet, twitter proceeded to explode with hilarious meme-age. He also dyes his mohawk before games for an added effect.

My Ten Favorite Saturday 'Noles

Seminole sports have been an enormous part in my life and I wouldn't change that for the world. My passion in sports is basketball, but nothing compares to Saturdays in the Fall at Doak Campbell Stadium. The first season I remember is Chris Rix's first year (2001-2002), I know I came in at the wrong time. My fan-hood began in the "Lost Decade", but remembering those years is what made the 2013 championship so special. Today, I will introduce you to my ten favorite players that I've had the privilege to watch (2001-present).

10. Graham Gano, Kicker/Punter (2005-2008)

2 Months Too Early College Football Top 10

We are just under two months away from the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas, College Football Season. With (I think) 53 days until our beloved Seminoles kickoff, let's take a look at my very, very early top 10 teams in the upcoming season:

#10 Clemson
The Tigers return freshman-phenom DeShaun Watson along with one of the best receiving corps in the nation. They lost a lot on the defensive side of the ball from last season but still have talent to step up. Their schedule also sets up very nicely with three of their biggest games at home.
Key Games: vs Notre Dame, vs Georgia Tech, vs Florida State, @ South Carolina

Are the Timberwolves the NBA's Next Best Thing?

It has been quite a few years since the Minnesota Timberwolves were a relevant power. In fact, you could argue that it's been over a decade, with their last playoff appearance being way back in 2004. Established in '89, the 'Wolves have had a rough franchise history centered mostly around two great power forward's named Kevin, but is that about to change?

Sean's "Renegadies"

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for...my "Renegadies." I do not watch the Office quite like Johnathan, but we wanted to do some form of NBA awards when the season was over and here we are. Hopefully I can beat him in page views because I know that will keep him up at night. Here are my "Renegadies":

Individual Renegadies 

THE MOST RANDOM SPONSORSHIP AWARD sponsored by the Washington State Flag : Nik Stauskas, Sacramento Kings (BUT NOW MY 76ERS).

What was a media blip turned into a nickname for Mr. Stauskas and he and the Kings ran with it. Sauce Castillo is the nickname, and the Kings even made a hot sauce for a promotional night. It is random, but it really gets the people going, and I cannot wait to yell this every time he hits a three next year for my 76ers!

The Best and Worst Uniforms in College Football

In the past few years, teams have really reached to stick out from competition. Putting a team on the field that loses often doesn't help do that, so teams will resort to a variety of other eye-grabbers. New scoreboards, indoor facilities, and new locker rooms are just a few ways of hiding your teams underachieving, but the most in-your-face way to to cover it up is with new flashy new uniforms.

I think entirely way too much about uniforms throughout the games I watch - in all sports - and it often dictates which teams I want to win. Today, I will take you through a few of the best and worst uniforms that I've seen in today's college football world. There are some great ideas, and some atrocious ones if you ask me (which you didn't, but you're reading this, so you kind of did), but they are all interesting. Here we go.

The Bad

All of Maryland's Uniforms in the Past Few Years.

The best example of a uniform cover-up (20-30 record the last four years), Maryland football is the definition of trying too hard. They are Under Armor's test subject, their poster boys, and Under Armor is failing miserably if you ask me. Maryland has tried a variation of clown costumes including grey, white, yellow, black and just about anything else you can think of involving their loud state flag. Oh, and the first ever uniforms (that I know of) to look completely different from each side, which could potentially be a cool idea, but also just plain pointless.