Random thoughts: thinking about hoops

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

This week’s Random Thoughts center around congratulations and best wishes, 2019-2020 poll champions, boys basketball league and conference races,and the Cleveland Cavaliers and John Beilein.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Van Wert wrestler Gabe Steyer for winning his fourth Western Buckeye League championship on Saturday. It’s a rare feat and certainly one to be proud of. Just one other Van Wert wrestler won four league titles – Brad Russell, who graduated in 2002.

Congratulations as well to Van Wert’s Macein Bigham and Eli Kline for their WBL runner up finishes, Killian Sudduth for a third place WBL finish and Lincolnview’s Dylan Bowyer for finishing second in the Northwest Conference tournament, and teammate Tyler Ulery for placing third.

Good luck to each of them and their teammates in the upcoming sectionals.

Girls tournaments

Girls sectional basketball tournaments tip off tonight. Best of luck to Van Wert (Division II) and Lincolnview (Division IV) in tonight’s games and best of luck to Crestview who plays tomorrow night in Division IV.

All three teams have a good chance of advancing to Saturday’s sectional championship games.

Poll champions

The final Associated Press boys basketball poll of the season came out Monday afternoon. Your 2019-2020 poll champions: Division I – Cincinnati Moeller; Division II – Shawnee; Division III – Canal Winchester Harvest Prep; Division IV – Columbus Grove.

Ottawa-Glandorf and Versailles finished No. 2 and 3 in Division III, while Antwerp finished No. 2 in Division IV.

Basketball races

Barring the upset of the year, it appears Shawnee will be crowned outright 2019-2020 Western Buckeye League boys basketball champions. The top ranked and Associated Press poll champion Indians (20-1, 8-0 WBL) will host Bath in the regular season finale on Friday.

Division IV No. 1 Columbus Grove (21-0, 7-0 NWC) has wrapped up an outright Northwest Conference championship and the Bulldogs are Putnam County League champions as well.

Division IV No. 2 Antwerp (21-0, 7-0 GMC) has won the Green Meadows Conference championship for the first time since 2011, while Division III No. 3 Versailles (21-1, 9-0 MAC) has won the Midwest Athletic Conference championship.

So much for suspense down the stretch.

John Beilein and the Cleveland Cavaliers

It’s just a matter of time before the Cavs and rookie head coach John Beilein part ways. All that remains to be seen is how soon it takes place, i.e. this week or at the end of the season.

Beilein isn’t your typical rookie NBA head coach. He’s 67 years old and took over after a successful stint at Michigan. By all accounts he’s a good man and an excellent teacher, but he’s struggled to adapt to the pro game and pro players.

I was a bit skeptical when he was hired, simply because it didn’t make sense. The front office tried to push the teaching angle as a big factor in his hiring, but this isn’t a young team with guys like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson.

I don’t blame Beilein one bit for accepting the job. Why wouldn’t he? There are only so many of these jobs and it was a shot to coach an NBA franchise. However, I blame the Cleveland Cavaliers front office for thinking this would work.

Now it’s back to square one for the 2020-2021 season.

If you have thoughts on any of the above subjects, feel free to email me at sports@thevwindependent.com.