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With the success of players like Josh Childress, many mid level NBA players are considering shipping their talents overseas for a pretty pay check. Viewed as somewhat of a new frontier, many European teams and leagues aren't subjected to the Salary Cap that limits the paychecks of NBA players. Josh Childress opted top play in Greece for $20 Million over 3 years, with opt out clauses after each season. No team in the NBA would offer the choice to opt out of their contract out of every year.

Why should players consider this move? Just take a look at some of the former American Collegieate players who make a living playing hoops in Europe, on name that jumps out is Lynn Greer, former Temple Guard and the school's All Time Leading Scorer. Greer went undrafted in the NBA and had a limited stint with the Bucks for near leauge minimum. Today, Greer is a reserve for the Olympacios, the same team as Childress, making nearly $3 Million USD (2.2 Million Euros) in each year of his 2 year contract.

Perhaps the most important reason players are shipping overseas are the lucrative endorsement deals available. Unlike America, where there is only one dominant league, with most big endorsement deals going to the Top 10% of the players (Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, etc.) there are hundreds of countries, many with their own league, in Europe that offer thousands of endorsement deals that would be unavailable to most players in the NBA.

Not every story coming from Europe is a success story, as former top NCAA recruit Brandon Jennings chose to play in Rome, forgoing his college career, for a $2 Million contract last summer. He has since complained about communication problems, coaching philosophies, and the lack of attention and playing time he receives.

While the NBA is still the top league in terms of Superstar pay, Europe is quickly becoming a more viable option for role players and the 7th-8th men off the bench. Who knows, maybe one day Kobe Bryant will take up the Olympiakos offer of $83 Million untaxed dollars sometime in the future.

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Well, this has been all over the sports world since Saturday, as Calhoun blew up on a nimrod reporter (Ken Krayeske) who questioned Calhoun's right to make more money as a Basketball Coach than the Governor of Connecticut.

Ken Krayeske knew exactly what he was doing, baiting Calhoun into another meltdown, just days after he criticized Big East Officiating following a defeat against Pitt. Krayeske should have waited until after the Press Conference to ask an off hand question that had nothing to do with the game just played.

Jim Calhoun on the other hand fell right into the trap, proving once again why most people in the sports world think he is an arrogant and short tempered buffoon. He could have easily given any one of the credentials as to why he makes the money (such as being 2 time National Champion, and 2 time National Coach of the Year), instead he spouts back like a small child with condescending statements like, "Oh, I make much more than that [$1.6 Million]."

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Marquette Senior Dominic James left their game against UCONN early in the first half, only to later reveal a broken bone in his foot, the Fifth Metatarsal. This is the same injury that Levance Fields suffered against Dayton last year, he missed 3 months of court time and has had corrective surgery as many as 3 times since. James is likely to miss the Big East and NCAA Tournament barring a miraculous recovery. It is sad to see a hard working Senior go down so late in the season, especially when he is such a crucial part to their team's success.

James averaged 11.7 Point Per Game, and led the team in Assists averaging 5.3 and steals, 2.3, per contest. If James does not return, he will finish as Marquette's third All-Time leading scorer, behind Jerel McNeal and George Thompson.

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Never in my wildest dreams did I think that the Pitt Men's Basketball Team would take down UCONN in Hartford last week, nor did I think they would lose to Providence last night. In a supreme dose of bittersweet karma, both happened. Just one game after being voted to the top of both Polls, the Panthers fumbled away a golden oppurtunity for a 1-2 matchup when they meet UCONN at the Pete on March 6th.

Summed up by the picture above, the Panthers were never truly there until the beginning of the second half, after which they had already dug an 18 point deficit.

Star of the Game : Providence's penetration. I can't even count the number of times that the Friars were able to simply slice and dice the Panthers interior, finding someone wide open for an easy layup or dunk.

Least Valuable Player/s : Pitt's first half play. Where they even in the arena? They were no where to be found on offense, mustering up just 26 first half points, and surrendering a 15-1 run to end the half. Turnovers and missed gimmies led to an 18 point hole they could never climb out of.

Up Next: @ Seton Hall, Sat.

For more of my thoughts on non-sports topics, check out my blog.