Joel Huerto is managing editor of One Man Fastbreak.net and a sports consultant with Opposing Views.com. He has been a member of the sports media for almost 20 years, which included nine years as a news editor at the Los Angeles Times. He will cover a variety of topics, from coach and player profiles to hot-button issues. Joel is also known as "maniLA ice" for his cool demeanor in the friendly confines of the YMCA hardwood. He loves to shoot the "tear drop" and prefers to play zone to hide his deficiencies on defense.
In the movie "Hoosiers," when Norman Dale (played by the legendary Gene Hackman) needed someone to stop the opponents' best scorer, he turned to Buddy. He asked Buddy to stick to his man so close he should be able to tell the type of gum he chews.
"It was Dentyne," Buddy said after fouling out.
Fiction almost became a reality when Loyola College (Md.) Coach Jimmy Patsos, above, instructed two
of his players to stick with Davidson's All-American Stephen Curry, left, during last Tuesday's game. As soon as the game started, both defenders invaded Curry's breathing space and never left him ... the entire game!
The plan worked ... somewhat ... as Curry, who had been averaging 35 points a game this season, went scoreless for the first time in his collegiate career and missed all three of his field-goal attempts. However, Davidson still pounded Loyola, 78-48.
Sources could not confirm if both defenders got close enough to determined whether Curry chews Dentyne.
"I've never seen anything like it," Davidson Coach Bob McKillop told FoxSports.com.
Obviously, Coach McKillop has never seen the HD version of the triangle-and-two defense.
"It seemed to me they were willing to risk the game at the expense of locking up Steph," McKillop said. "When you put two people on somebody and you do it for 30 minutes and at the end of the game, you have to wonder what reasons for that are."
When asked about his "scheme," the very fiery and unconventional Patsos was unapologetic.
"I know the fans are mad at me, but I had to roll the dice as far as a coach goes. I'm not some rookie coach," said the former longtime assistant at Maryland who was on Gary Williams' staff when the Terrapins won the national title.
"We had to play against an NBA player.
"Anybody else ever hold him scoreless? I'm a history major. They're going to remember that we held him scoreless or we lost by 30?"
Kim Shrigley, the ex-wife of Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, has put the painful divorce behind her by getting into the beauty business. This week she opened "Alimony's Hair and Nail Salon" in Knoxville with funds from her split with Pearl.
"I've had friends who've run their own place. I thought, 'Why not?' "
The store's name, Alimony's, is written with green cursive and a red heart on top of the "i."
"The heart up there is to be that extra pain in the ass," she said.
Customers who receive alimony get a 15% discount. While the her salon offers clients hair and nail service, she hopes to expand someday and include Botox treatments, facials and waxing.
"I want them to have a nice experience and see that you can go through some horrible stuff and come out on top."
Jimmy Connors, known for his fiery temperament when he was the world's No. 1 tennis player in the 1970s, was arrested Friday night outside the Thunderdome on the campus of UC Santa Barbara, where the Gauchos were playing host to North Carolina.
Connors, 56, who has a home in the Santa Barbara area, was taken into custody after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the Thunderdome after a confrontation.
Connors, who attends several Gaucho games each season, was booked and released. It's not clear what charges he might be facing.
News item: No. 4 UCLA falls to Michigan, 55-52, at Madison Square.
Reaction: Is anybody really surprised? The Bruins had their hands full last week in a narrow victory over Miami (Ohio), and it was clear UCLA had serious problems, especially in the post. Even the gang at Bruins Nation saw it coming.
We shall see what Michigan is made of Friday night when it plays Duke.
The other major score for the Big Ten came in Nashville, where Illinois ended Vanderbilt's 20-game home winning streak. We keep hearing about all that SEC speed on the football field. Where is it on the basketball court?
Already Kentucky has lost twice, Alabama and Auburn got beat by something called Mercer and Georgia didn't have a prayer against Loyola (Chicago).
Pat Knight would appear to be as big of a bully as his father. Texas Tech raced to a 77-57 halftime lead, then kept its foot on the pedal in crushing its Division II opponent.
Not cool, Pat. Not cool.
The Red Raiders didn't force a complete re-write of the record book. The 52-point victory wasn't close to a 72-point blowout (107-35) of Nicholls State in 2002, so there's clearly work to be done in Lubbock.
For starters, try playing a little defense next time.
In fact, the phone at the Knight household is probably ringing as we type this. On the other end is old man Bobby, ready to give his son an earful because the Red Raiders gave up 115 points to a Division II team. Imagine what a real team like Texas will do to Knight's defenseless squad.