Good week for the KINGS

Hello Everyone,

I now have been to Jämtland Sweden, home of the largest ski resort in Sweden. We flew up on the day of the game. It was a quick 2 hour flight into a really small airport. They have one or two flights a day to Stockholm. The hotels here in Sweden are better then the ones I was staying at in France, but still are nothing compared to the home land (except for some choice Red Roof Inns). The bathroom in the hotel had a movable sink that converted to a shower (hints a very small bathroom). They hotel did have some good food after the game so there were plenty of positives. After the game we hung out with some of the players from Jämtland. With Sweden being so small in population all the basketball players know each other on all the teams. We were up pretty early on Wednesday for the short flight back.

I was invited to one of the teammate’s parent’s house for a Sunday dinner. We had lamb steak with snapped peas and potatoes, very delicious. These dinners are always nice because you learn so much about Swedish culture and they learn so much about ours. It is so unique because much like the French team, everyone on this team is very young. Every one is younger then 25 except 2 players. So the parents are still very involved in many of there lifes.


This week we play a home game on Wednesday and then the All- star game is on Saturday. I’m not exactly sure the plan for it, but I am going to try and hook up with TJ (past Butler player). It is a shame that he did not make the team because he has been playing really well and keeping his team in playoff contention. No one on our team made it either, which we defiantly had a player that should have as well.

Team

It was a good week for the Kings with two wins. We first beat Jämtland by 17 and followed that up with a thrilling win at home against first place Plannja. The best thing about these wins was that the team did not play particularly well in either game and we still came up with the victories.


We had slow start against Jämtland and were not very in tune on Defense. We established a nice 15 point lead going to half and gave it up in the first 2 minutes in the third quarter. We hit our free throws and they did not which enabled us to pull away at the end.

Personally, I had a very slow start in first half going 1-3 from the field and not really into the game. The second half started off a lot better with me hitting my first 3 shots. I ended the game with 14, 9 boards and a steal. I have been rebounding really well lately, getting on the offensive glass for a couple buckets a game.

Plannja was a game where we played back in forth the whole game. We went into the game not knowing if we would have a center. Greg collided with another player in practice and had to get stitches on and around his ear the day before the game. He ended up playing and was very strong for us. Our other center is out with back trouble. They seemed to pull away a couple times and we would fight back. They were up 2 with 7 seconds and decided to foul us, but were called for an intentional foul when the guy went a little over board. We knocked down the 2 free throws and then our forward knocked down a 3 with no time remaining. It was bitter sweet as that was the same way we lost to them at there place.

I had a very good game defensively getting 4 steals and 2 blocks. I also grabbed 11 boards. Offense was another story, I ended with 12 points on 5-13 shooting. The crazy thing is that 4 of our top 5 scores went 7-38 from the field and we were still able to come away with a win. We have established ourselves as a defensive team and I believe we have a real shot at making a run for the championship (still a lot of games left till then).





This is a video of Mike Green talking on an ESPN show, check out the charge from the 6-10, 260 pound hofford from Florida!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3209892&n8pe6c=1


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Jeff Dunham and Bubba J

Achmed dead Terrorist

Very funny

Big Games

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to figure out if I’m really in Sweden. All I was told is how cold and how much snow they get. In fact many of my teammates made fun of me the first couple weeks I was here because I did not bring a winter jacket (I was hoping the team issued one, they did). It is almost the end of January and I have only seen one snow fall and only a couple days where I would consider it really cold. I think I would have made it through the winter without a huge jacket. I have been hearing many of my family and friends saying how cold it is at home and I just kind of laugh because I thought I would be complaining with them (all I have had to complain about is how early it gets dark). Of course that will probably all change in February and they will get the most snowfall ever.

It was a very relaxing week where I watched a lot of the new released movies. I am becoming an expert in movies only because I watch about 2 a day. This week should fly by as we have 3 games in 7 days, one of them on the road up north. We head to the airport on Tuesday to fly up to Jämtland. It is a very critical game as many of them are becoming. Hopefully I will get some good pictures as I have none to add this week.

Team

The short win streak we put together was stopped by a 3 point home loss on Saturday. It was not a huge deal that we lost because the team was ahead of us in the league, but we need every win at this point to stay in the playoff hunt. We started the game very sluggish having 10 turnovers in the first quarter (ended with 16). We sharpened up playing a very solid defensive game. Both teams had runs, but in the end they made the shots at the end to win the game.

Personally it was the worst shooting game I have had since being here. I was 3-11 and ended the game with 9 points, 7 rebounds and a couple assists. Solna has Brandon McKnight who played at Purdue. I knew him before coming here because we played together in the summer. He scored 23 but really did not shoot that well either I believe he was 4-11 (5-17 overall) from three. The refs seemed to like to bail him out a little on drives as well. He has played well in this league averaging 23 points.

We don’t have any time to worry about this game as the team we play on the road Tuesday is behind us by one game. It is a very important game, but as I mentioned earlier they are all becoming must wins especially if the team is below us in the standings witch 2 out of our next 3 are.

Random notes: this week in practice my elbow ran into one of my teammate’s forehead and he had to get 4 stitches.

Butler went 1-1 and now they are 17-2 and 6-2 in conference play!

Great Debaters and Charlie Wilson’s War are great movies.

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5th and climbing

Hello Everyone,

Another week is complete here in Sweden, and it was very successful. I’m sure many are disappointed in Indiana as our beloved colts were defeated today at home (never good to lose in the playoffs when you’re at home). Now I have to suffer through reading all the articles about how good the patriots are (I will probably just stay off ESPN for a while).

Morgan made it back to the states, but not without delays and missed planes. I think flying has become more of a headache then ever. Not just with extra security precautions, but with long delays, late planes, or engine troubles. I need to figure out how to run an airline that has none of these problems or just develop teleporting.

I spent Saturday at our manager’s brother’s house. He lives about 10 minutes outside of Sodertalje and has a beautiful house. I’m not exactly sure what he does but he is associated with one of the big factories in the city. He is also big into motor cross having five bikes in a separate garage. He also has a nice sauna and Jacuzzi which was the main reason we went out there. It was two teammates and myself, I would love to do that everyday. It ranks right up there with the hotel I sneaked into in Ireland.

Team

We traveled on another five hour bus trip to play Gothia. They are in the bottom bunch of the league, but we had every excuse to lose as we arrived very late to the game. We had about 20 minutes to change and warm up from a long trip like that. Luckily we did not use it as an excuse and came out and played well. We were tied at 44 at halftime, but it felt like we were in control the entire game. We came out in the second half and took control early on pushing our lead up to as much as 11. We outlasted them in the fourth and ended up wining by 20. We have a very deep team which will help drastically in the playoffs as most teams are not as deep as us. We had 7 guys in double figures and most games we have at least five.

I had a solid game scoring 15, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and a huge charge. I have been shooting the three at a good percentage 36% (no Pete Campbell) along with my free throws at almost 80%. The floor was one of the worst in the league, it was basically concrete, but they did have the nicest rims (ironic).

We have to wait an entire week to play a very big home game as we have moved up to 5th place in the league and play the 4th place team. They beat us prior to Greg and I coming here. Brandon McKnight from Purdue scored 24 points in the first half in the last match up. It will be a great test for us as we have been playing defensively really well. After this week long delay we will be playing every third or fourth day until the end of the season. I’m going to enjoy this week as much as I can before the horse race to the end begins!!

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I'm BACK

Hello Everyone,

I hope the Holidays were great for everyone. It always feels like there is this huge buildup for them and then they are gone in a second. I spent my first Holiday season away from home and it was not all that bad (still would rather be home).

Christmas

Greg (American center) and I hopped on a train on the 24th and headed about 30 miles west of Sodertalje to a town called Laggesta. I had met a lady after one of our home games. She has three sons and one of them plays for a younger division associated with the kings program. Her husband is also American so it seemed to be a pretty good fit for us to go partake in a Swedish Christmas (I have mentioned earlier they celebrate Christmas here on the 24th). We arrived at the train station around 1:30 and it was about a 10 minute drive to their house. They lived in this tiny neighborhood way out in the country off a dirt road. It was a nice setting and had a lake right next to there house. The lake was frozen over and the sons were trying to get us to take a winter bath. I guess you sit in the sauna at like 70 degree then go and jump in the frozen lake (We both passed). It is a tradition here to watch an hour of cartoons starting at 3 PM. This was started back when the television was introduced. They play exactly the same cartoons every year until the very last skit and then that one is new (this year was ratatouille).

After the cartoons are over dinner begins, they like to eat food for there holidays as well. We started off with cold appetizers which included salmon, pickled heron, deviled eggs with shrimp, and eel (do not recommend this). Once you had your fill of those the hot meal begins with meatballs, ham, little hotdogs, short ribs, potatoes, and salad. After the dinner the family opens presents. (I was wondering when Santa came for the little kids, and they said when they were little this is when there dad would say he needed to get the paper and come back dressed as Santa).

Greg and I took a short nap on the couch while they finished this part. Once all the presents were done, dessert was then served. This included vanilla ice cream and rice pudding with strawberry sauce to pour over both (I had seconds of this as well). It was a great meal and we were very thankful for the family inviting us. Once again it would not be complete without one slip up. They misread the train schedule going back. We were stuck riding back with the family’s Uncle, Aunt, and pregnant cousin who live in Stockholm. Again this would not be that bad if Europeans did not drive cars that were never meant to hold 6’6” people or taller (especially with me weighing an extra 10 pounds from dinner). We made it back and only had to stretch for about 5 minutes, so I can not complain too much.

New Year’s

New Years Eve was all most a disaster as the shoes Morgan brought were two of the same shoe (that is how the store sold them to her). She had no real shoes to go out in, but she was a trooper and put on her boots. We ended up having a really good time at a small private party with friends from the basketball team. At 12 o’clock they shoot fireworks off here like it is Independence Day at home. Everyone goes downtown by this lake and just cheers and watches the fireworks. It was a nice change up from the pots and pans that people bang. I have not made a New Years resolution. Does anyone really make realistic New Years resolutions? Or even follow through with any of them? I’m not sure I have ever really made one or if I did I do not think I followed up or remembered it long enough to complete it. I’m making that a poll question because I am curious to see if people actually use them or follow them through.

Morgan’s Visit (my girlfriend of five years)

She has been here for about 7 days and has three more days left with me. We have been eating well as we have been switching off on dinner duties. I have not had to cook much before she came because I bring dinner home from the lunch spots, but I still got it. I also have a lot more dishes with another person in the apartment, but we have found a great way to decide who has this duty. UNO solves this, winner watches the loser wash them. I like this way because I’m fairly good at the game. It has been pretty uneventful for her as I have practice twice a day, but that is how vacation is suppose to be anyway just a lot of relaxing.

We did manage to make a trip to Stockholm and she loved the city. I think we went on the coldest day since I have been here. We had to make extra stops in stores just to warm up. We walked around and saw all the unique things and then had lunch at Fridays. This is my favorite restaurant at home so it was nice tasting the Jack Daniels sauce. We also made a stop at a coffee shop to keep the hands warm while walking. I think her favorite part of the day was the last stop in downtown Sodertalje. We stopped at another café for a piece of cake and ran into one of the best chocolate cakes I may have ever had. As she describes it, it was the texture of cookie dough but the taste of brownie batter all wrapped into a delicious slice of chocolate (we won’t be walking by there again).


Team

We took a 5 hour bus ride up to Sundsvall on the 28th to play the third place team in the league. The team lost to them at home before I arrived here. They have an American three man who is a very good player both offensively and defensively. It was going to be a very good game for me to proof myself. Well I did not exactly do that. I got in early foul trouble getting my second foul on a very bad call. I went back in before half and picked up my third. This was my second game here where the refs were horrendous. I believe we had 35 fouls to there 10 or 11. In the game of basketball that honestly is not possible. I did not play much in the second half; coach was trying to protect me a little, but ended up keeping me on the bench to long. I scored 7 quick points at the end of the 3rd quarter, but he kept me on the bench to long in the fourth and it was too late for us to come back. We were up at the end of third but only scored 8 points in the fourth and ended up loosing by 15.

We came back with a strong home performance on Friday. It was a very high scoring game with the final score 119-93 (we were victorious). I had a very solid game scoring 17 (on 7-12 shooting), 6 boards, 3 steals, 2 assists. I’m ninth in the league right now averaging 2 steals a game (Thomas Jackson is first with 3). Greg had a very solid game as well scoring 31 and 11 boards. This was a big game for him as the team was getting a little nervous about his abilty and was thinking about a change if he did not perform this game. I think he got the monkey off of his back and can relax a little.

This is a big stretch of games for us as there are six teams jostling for 4 positions. We really need to go 8-0 or at least 7-1. We have started it off right, now we go on the road for good test.

This is BC gone for now