Stephen Curry seems determined to play for the New York Knicks. Every time he is interviewed, he has dropped not so subtle hints. After a workout with the team on Wednesday, Curry met the media.

"I played (in Madison Square Garden) this year against West Virginia,'' said Curry, who shot well during the workout. "If I can get that experience 41 times, I mean who can beat that. The fans, you've got to play well. They're going to love you. If you're out there and you are giving it your all and your team is winning, doing well, it should be fun. Lot of legacy there. Lot of history. To suit up for the Knicks, then that would be great.''

Stephen Curry worked out for the Knicks

The Knicks pick 8th in this years NBA Draft and Curry would like to be selected there. He should be available if the Knicks want him. I understand this pick from a public relations perspective. Curry is likeable, engaging and just a good kid. He will be popular, he should help sell some tickets at least initially. But is he an NBA Point guard? The Knicks already have a converted point guard in Chris Duhon, who is not really an NBA point guard in an NBA point guard's body. In my mind, Curry would best be used to come in a game and freelance, bring energy and find spots to shoot the ball and score. Offensively, I do not see any problems with his game translating to the next level. Where he will be tested, however, is defensively where he will be facing bigger defenders than he is used to seeing. The case can be made on some level that Curry stuggled in College against teams who were bigger and athletic although I do remember a couple of NCAA Tournament games where he had no problems with bigger defenders. Offensively, Curry will get his shot off just by virtue of his amazingly quick release.

The question begs to be asked, why New York? Other than the fact that it is the media capital of the World (maybe I just answered my own question) but it has been a black hole for basketball players and teams aside from the Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier era. It can be argued that it is one of the worst run franchises in the league. Does Curry really want to step into this? He will not be able to turn around this team by himself and we all know how fickle and quickly their media can turn on you. I like Curry on a team who is a player or so away. I think that is where he will strive and be most successful. A team where he has some help allowing him to move freely on the court without being the center of attention.

I really hope Curry does well wherever he lands. He is a breath of fresh air and was an absolute pleasure to watch play at Davidson. I feel fortunate that I was able to watch his star rise right here in my back yard. It is nothing to see Dell Curry driving around Charlotte and the Curry's have always been a part of the Charlotte community. It seems only yesterday watching little Stephen chasing basketball's around the old Charlotte Coliseum during Charlotte Hornets shootaround while his Dad was swishing three after three. I hope Stephen is successful wherever he lands, I just wouldn't wish the New York Knicks on anybody.

A year ago, four North Carolina Tar Heel players decided to bypass the NBA Draft and return to the University of North Carolina with a goal of winning the National Championship. Disappointed by their effort against Kansas in last season's National Semifinals, Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington set their sites for the 2009 National Championship.

Amid pressure, injuries and bumps in the road, they got it done on Monday Night. At first glimpse, the NCAA Tournament was a breeze for these Tar Heels as not one opponent was able to crack single digits in their losses against North Carolina. They were just better than anyone that came up against them in the tournament and it only took a few minutes of Monday Nights game and it was clear that UNC would be Champions. They were focused, sharp, prepared and went for the jugular early. You got the sense, watching the first half of the Tar Heels 89-72 victory over Michigan State, that the memory of the Kansas loss a year ago was fresh in the minds of this squad. The Heels played smothering defense, were able to get the pace of the game where they wanted it and made shot after shot. It didn't take long and you could see the look of despair on the faces of the Spartans players as if to say, "What can we possibly do to stop this team". And Michigan State tried everything from attempting to run with the Tar Heels to attempting to slow it down, but were never able to cut into the deficit North Carolina built in the first half. The overwhelming Michigan State home crowd never got a chance to get into the game, it was over before it started. The first half set the tone and it was probably the best half of basketball I have seen this UNC team play all season long.

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Tyler Hansbrough and the TarHeels win the Championship

North Carolina was picked as early as last summer as a team who could possibly run the table and were quickly anointed the team to beat this season. In fact, most prognosticators cited that the ACC would be a runaway. But things did not go as easily as planned. First, injuries to Marcus Ginyard and Tyler Zeller took away the majority of games for those two this season. Tyler Hansbrough missed games early and of course Ty Lawson struggled with a toe injury late in the season. Will Graves was suspended for the season and suddenly this North Carolina team lost most of it's depth. Second, the naysayers came out in droves as the Tar Heels lost their first two games of conference play and were dead last for a brief moment. This from the team who some thought might go undefeated. But North Carolina did not panic, they chipped away and found themselves at the top of the conference at the end of the regular season which included a sweep of arch rival Duke. Next, Carolina fell to Florida State in the second round of the ACC Tournament without Lawson and again, there was talk of this team limping into the NCAA Tournament. Yet, despite the status of Ty Lawson entering the tournament, North Carolina was the favorite to cut down the nets in Detroit.

Watching UNC the last few weeks, you almost got the sense that in their minds the real season had just started. It was if they just couldn't wait to get to the NCAA Tournament. That target that had been on the board all those months. The tournament that would redeem their abysmal game against the Jayhawks in the Final Four last season. They swept through the tournament with little resistance. You have to look hard for a point in which they were challenged. The closest moment would be in the second half of their game against LSU in Greensboro where they fell behind. In that game Ty Lawson proved that his toe was just fine and he carried his teammates to a double digit victory to keep the express going.

Monday Night, you could see the pressure release, the big exhale. You could see it in the joy of the usually stoic Tyler Hansbrough as he came off the court. You could see it in the teary eyes of Wayne Ellington and Coach Roy Williams. There was something special going with this team, possibly the unity of the four returning starters who came back to Chapel Hill and refused to allow this team to lose. Coach Williams said this, "I felt like it was fitting for us to do what this group just accomplished". When asked about returning for his senior season, Tyler Hansbrough added, "Sounds like I made a pretty good decision..Nothing beats this feeling right here". On Tyler Hansbrough, Coach Williams added, "I desperately wanted this championship for that young man". It was the perfect storm, a group of players who were determined to erase their bitter disappointment from last season and a coach who managed to keep this team together through adversity. The end result? North Carolina's 5th National Championship to go with one Helms Foundation Championship. It was the perfect ending for a class who were the most successful on the hardwood than any other who wore the Carolina blue and white before them.

After two weekends of wall to wall basketball, the NCAA Tournament field has been reduced to four teams, two number one seeds, a two and a three. Two from the Big East Conference, one from the Big Ten and one from the ACC. Two of the teams have held the number one spot at some point during the season but for North Carolina, Michigan State, Villanova and Connecticut it will all be sorted out on the hardwood next weekend.

The Connecticut Huskies enter the Final Four in Detroit as no stranger to the event. Coach Jim Calhoun has two National Championships and a Final Four appearance in the last decade. This particular appearance doesn't come without some controversy surrounding the program. A Yahoo.com report was released last week citing NCAA infractions involving the UConn Men’s basketball program. Calhoun has acknowledged that if the allegations had occurred, it was an accident. None the less, there is no escaping the media on this and there will be a number of inquiries in the upcoming week. On the court, it did not seem to bother the team's play as they hit all the big shots down the stretch to put away Missouri on Saturday. A.J Price came up big for the Huskies on Saturday and has been solid at the point guard spot since the loss of Jerome Dyson to injury. That was the question mark coming into the tournament for Connecticut, whether the Huskies could win a Championship without Dyson. They will have a chance to prove it next weekend. One area there are no questions marks for UConn is with their inside play. Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien anchor a solid inside game. The Huskies will play in the first National Semifinal game a gainst Michigan State, on Saturday.

If there is a surprise team left in the tournament, you could make a case that it is Villanova. Although they are a three seed, they may have found themselves lost in the Big East Conference as so much of the focus has been on Louisville, Connecticut and Pittsburgh, three teams who have been ranked number one in the nation at some point during the season. The Wildcats are playing well. They are quick, they are interchangeable and athletic. They could cause problems for North Carolina with their quick and smothering defense. They will certainly be undersized in their match up but they play much bigger than their actual height. They get excellent balance in scoring and have a solid point guard in Scottie Reynolds. The most intriguing match up could be Reynolds against UNC’s, Ty Lawson. These are two point guards playing the best basketball of their respective careers. The Wildcats victory over Pittsburgh may have been one of the best regional finals ever, ending with a last second drive by Reynolds. It was a game that went back and forth wi th little separation. It is the first Final Four for Villanova’s coach, Jay Wright, one of the best young coaches out there.

Much like Jim Calhoun, the Final Four is no stranger to Michigan State coach, Tom Izzo. He has a National Championship to go with four Final Four appearances during his career. One of the most interesting aspects of this weekends games is the fact that the Spartans will be playing less than a 100 miles from their campus. There will be a home court advantage for Michigan State. Unfortunately for the Spartans, the one time they played in Ford Field this season was against North Carolina. They lost that one by 35 back in December. This is a much different team now. The Spartans refused to let Louisville get into their pace on Sunday. They held the Cardinals to 52 points and under 40% from the field, for the game. When the Spartans can keep the game to their style of play, they have been successful. Michigan State were led by Goran Suton’s 19 point, 10 rebound effort on Sunday. The Final Four match up against Connecticut has the potential to be a physical game inside with a lot of banging. The Spartans will play a tough inside style and I don’t see Connecticut backing down. Should be a good game.

North Carolina appeared to be business like in the post game after winning the South region against Oklahoma on Sunday. This is likely because they have been there and done that. When Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington decided to bypass the NBA draft last season, they pointed to getting back to the Final Four this season and have had a Championship or bust mentality. They have been fueled by the memory of the Final Four loss last season to Kansas where they felt almost embarrassed by their performance in that game. They expected to get to the Final Four and have had a lot of outside pressure to do so. I think you will see an inspired effort against Villanova this weekend. The TarHeels jumped on Oklahoma from the start and never really looked back on Sunday. Oklahoma never made a serious run at North Carolina in the second half of the game. North Carolina’s defense has become better as the season has progressed. This was the knock on UNC that started after last season’s Final Four. Was their defense good enough to win a National Championship? They will be tested again by Villanova’s quick, athletic team on Saturday. If North Carolina’s defense plays well, there is little to stop this team from cutting down the nets. Roy Williams did just that in 2005 with a veteran group who had played together for a few years, much like this team.

I look for good ball games in the Motor City on Saturday. North Carolina and Connecticut have been the two best teams most consistently this season, in my mind. But Michigan State and Villanova are certainly formidable enough to win it all. All four schools have done it before. They all have solid basketball programs and good coaching. Should be a fun Saturday.

The North Carolina Tar Heels entered the 2008-09 basketball season as the overwhelming number one team in the Nation after Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green and Ty Lawson decided to bypass the NBA and come back for another season at Carolina. North Carolina held on to the number one spot for most of the early season until conference play started and much to many people's dismay, they lost back to back ACC games to Boston College and Wake Forest starting ACC play at 0-2. The Heels battled through injuries and kept near the top of the rankings. After their victory over Duke, they find themselves back atop the National Polls going into conference tournament season.

So, it's mission accomplished for the first leg of their journey. The Tar Heels started number one and finished number one after regular season. But we all know that the talented group of players who returned to Chapel Hill did not come back just to win the regular season, they have a National Championship in their sights. In fact, many feel as though it is National Championship or bust for this team. The question is, are they playing well enough to accomplish this? I believe they are.

Despite looking uninterested at times and losing their focus a few times along the way, Carolina showed what they are capable of on Sunday. They were never really allowed to play their style against Duke, much to the Blue Devil's credit. In fact, Duke played a very good basketball game, maybe the best of the season. But North Carolina shot 52.8 percent against the stifling Blue Devils defense and held the Blue Devils to 44 percent from the floor for the game. That's right, the team who is labeled as one who cannot play defense did so on Sunday and have done so pretty well the last few weeks of the season. They especially did so in the second half of the game against Duke on Sunday, as the Blue Devils were shooting in the mid 50's from the floor at halftime. North Carolina challenged the Duke perimeter shooters for the most part in the second half and did a much better job controlling Duke's, Gerald Henderson. This, from a team labeled as one who will go as far as their defense takes them.

Given the defensive deficiencies North Carolina may have, it may be their only weakness and if Ty Lawson plays like he has done down the stretch, they may be able to overcome any defensive liability they may have. He has been nothing short of spectacular. No point guard in the nation is playing better than Ty Lawson and as we all have learned, good point guard play is critical in the NCAA Tournament. Take a look at the rest of North Carolina's game. They led the ACC in three point shooting percentage, second in free throw percentage, second in field goal percentage, first in rebounding and rebounding margin, and first in assists. They have the X-factor in Tyler Hansbrough and the little engine that could, Ty Lawson. They really have no other weakness other than their defense which has improved. They will still have to do a solid job on guarding perimeter shooters which has hurt them at times. Does all this mean they cannot lose? Absolutely not. The NCAA Tournament is all about match ups. In a one and done scenario, there is always that chance that you may run into one of those nights or one of those teams having one of those nights. But you would have to like North Carolina's chances of cutting down the nets in Detroit as well or more than any team in the Country.

North Carolina has pretty much locked down a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament despite what happens in the ACC Tournament and should play their first and second round games in Greensboro, right down the road from Chapel Hill. That is a pretty good leg up as they will be huge favorites in those two games. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, there is still this little thing called the ACC Tournament coming up this week in Atlanta. North Carolina will look to continue their momentum in this tournament and accomplish their second goal of the season. For the Tar Heels, it's one goal down, two to go.

Tiger Woods announced this week that he will be returning to the PGA Tour next week, at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, in Arizona. This is the first tour appearance since knee surgery sidelined Woods last season and not coincidentally, the buzz is back in the PGA.

If you want a preview of what the PGA Tour will look like the day Woods hangs up the sticks, just rewind back through the last several months of tour events. No Tiger Woods, no vibe. No disrespect to the rest of the tour players, but Woods has set the bar so high with popularity in the sport that there is a huge drop off when he is not a part of it. Since Woods' departure eight months ago, television ratings have dropped, attendance has dropped and with the state of the economy, some sponsorships are in financial trouble. Can Woods' return be the answer to all these woes? Maybe not, but he certainly will add a transfusion to a sport that clearly could use a shot in the arm.

Woods' absence speaks to a bigger issue when considering the long run with golf. Someday, Woods will not be a part of the game. Barring another amazing player who comes along and captures the imagination of the fans and media, what we have seen the last eight months is what you will have when he retires. This is partially self inflicted by the PGA and networks who cover it and have put all their eggs in Tiger Woods' basket, there again, that was fueled by America's infatuation with him. I compare him to Michael Jordan because to me, Woods may even have had a bigger impact on his sport than Jordan had upon basketball. Jordan came along and took the NBA and basketball to a level it had never reached before. He became an icon, arguably bigger than the game he played. Granted, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the two players who took the NBA out of the cellar and helped popularize the game again. Jordan clearly took the ball from there and took it to heights it may never see again in our lifetime. Woods' impact not only picked golf up and took it to another plateau, it also introduced the game to a genre that had only shown mild support prior to his arrival. As an African-American, Woods gave a segment of the population a competitor they could relate to and pull for, thus the sport boomed. Woods was not just a golfer, he was and is the greatest to ever play the sport.

I have learned from Michael Jordan to soak it all in and appreciate a player who comes along like Tiger Woods. Sure, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James came along and are fun to watch but there will never be another Jordan. I feel the same way about Woods and try to just sit back and take it all in before it is gone. Hopefully, this surgery will cure the problems he has been having and that he will be the same Tiger Woods he was prior to. I look forward to that red shirt on Sundays, fist pumping after a big putt, that smile when things are going well and that scowl when they are not. I am pulling for Tiger to return to his top form and hope he will be as competitive for many years to come.

Once again comparing Woods to Jordan, is this the equivalent to Jordan retiring to play baseball, thus returning to win more Championships? I remember when Jordan retired the first time, I thought to myself, is that the end? Surely there will be more of those amazing dunks, those Championship teams,those special moments that you knew would be talked about as legend for years to come. And luckily, Jordan came back to give us more. Hopefully, Woods will do the same and we are treated to observing this legend for years to come.