This may or may not come as a surprise, but NBA players don't have much
free time. Between practice, travel, games, community events, family
obligations, and sleep, there's not many hours to focus on anything
else. So while most of America is enamored in March Madness, the Trail
Blazers are focused on finishing out the regular season.
But
every now and then the players will have a spare moment to pay
attention to the tourney, if for no other reason than to razz their
fellow teammates and coaches. Here's a rundown of some of the potential
trash-talking opportunities.
Mississippi State vs. Washington:
This is the most obvious of all the matchups. Brandon Roy, UW royalty
and only the second Husky to ever has his jersey retired, versus close
friend Travis Outlaw, a Starkville stalwart and one-time Bulldog
commit. The fact that Roy and Outlaw are so close adds extra intrigue.
(By the way, Trav and I
talked a bit of trash last year when the Ducks and Bulldogs met in the first round, prompting this all-time quote from Mr. Outlaw:
"Mississippi
State going to whip you. We bad. Ya’ll ain’t physical like us. We just
big, you know what I’m saying? They produce studs, like myself. The
state of Mississippi produce studs.")
Arizona State vs. Temple:
Nate McMillan's son Jamelle is a freshman on Herb Sendek's Sun Devil
squad, playing a primarily defensive role just like his dad. But just
one seat over on the Trail Blazers bench is lead assistant coach Dean
Demopolis, who was an assistant at Temple for 17 seasons under
legendary coach John Chaney. You would think coach Dean would have some
allegiance to a school after working there for almost two decades, but
I'm guessing he knows Jamelle a bit, so he's probably rooting for the
Sun Devils, at least publicly.
Texas vs. Minnesota:
A battle of the Trail Blazers big men. Joel Przybilla was one and done
for the Gophers, while LaMarcus Aldridge was one healthy season and
done for the Longhorns. I get the feeling that LA's affinity for Texas
runs a little deeper than Joel's for the Gophers, but that's just a
feeling.
Utah vs. Arizona, Marquette vs. Utah State:
These two matchups might actually bring the locker room a little
closer. Channing Frye and Jerryd Bayless both played for the Wildcats
and assist coach Maurice Lucas played his college ball for Marquette
Golden Eagles. So if nothing else, all three will probably be rooting
against the state of Utah.