Renaissance?

Both the Tulane Green Wave and the Philadelphia 76ers basketball efforts have been pretty darned encouraging as of late, no? One could almost believe things are on the upswing.

Sixers first. Their win over Phoenix was classy, and their run of .500 plus ball is now at 19 games. With another 20 or so to play, many at home, they are a real threat to extend this run of winning basketball to the entire second half of the season. Again, I’m of the school of I’d rather see them play well then play as if to try and win the draft lottery. Isn’t this better, more hopeful, more indicative of being close to 45 wins and some degree of relevance by even next year?

And wow!, they are really putting a cramp on their chances of winning the lottery too. It is one thing to pass Boston and lose a ping pong ball or two. But now they seem real likely to overhaul a bunch of clubs. Milwaukee, Atlanta and Charlotte are all within two games- and another cluster of three teams two games from that. Even the Knicks seem reach-able: five games up but looking square at an injury to a pretty key piece. See, winning is more fun too.

I’m not sure if you started the season today, the Sixers would make the play-offs. The Nets and Toronto are still better than them- and that is just the lame Atlantic. But they now might be a legit .500- with coming reinforcements (three first round draft picks) & a better draft position than their second half record would indicate.

Speaking of better than average, the Tulane Green Wave season has been upgraded from "have they lost sixteen yet?" to a “little curious”. Their only chance for post-season play, due to their utterly unreal weak out of conference schedule, is to win the C-USA tournament outright. But they have fifteen wins, with at least two more get-able games out there. Of course, they could lose to UAB too- and a first round tournament game is always chancy. Bottom line: get two wins here at the end- and their RPI is nearer to 100 than it has been in a long time.

I almost kind of hope they don’t get the tie-breaker for fourth place (and thus a first round bye)- get another game against a weak conference sister: a #5 vs. #12 seed style game, another chance for another resume enhancing “W”. But seventeen wins, in Dickerson’s second year, a year after the hurricane leveled the place, is certainly ahead of schedule.

Add that to yet another win over LSU baseball up there in Baton Rouge- and it has been an encouraging week.