Letters to the editor
Linkin Park definitely worst band
Recently I went to see a doctor after some unfavorable CT scan results. He informed me that my brain had a leak in it. Next, he asked me if I had listened to Linkin Park recently.
I would like to thank Josh Fedder for stating the obvious in his article "Linkin Park: worst band ever?" in the Jan. 15 issue. Besides the guys who made "Who Let the Dogs Out," Linkin Park could be the worst band ever, except for their rendition of "Dust in the Wind." That was just sweet!
Jared Houck
Psychobiology and Biology '09
John Bryant not worthy of the NBA
Justin Phan was absolutely correct in stating that Santa Clara basketball does not have a lot of bright spots right now in his article "Making the case for Bryant" on Jan. 22. And I would agree that one of those bright spots has been the play of John Bryant. Though he was an early contributor, and thus expected to significantly improve by the time he reached his fourth season on campus, Bryant has lived up to lofty expectations.
To suggest, however, that he will be selected in the NBA draft might be a little too optimistic.
Yes, Bryant has a high player efficiency ranking. Yes, he is in the top ten in the country, along with marquee names like DeJuan Blair, Blake Griffin and James Harden. Bryant's win score is significantly higher than the reigning NCAA player of the year Tyler Hansbrough, to which I say, so what?
Bryant has not played at the same level of competition that each of these other players has. Translation: His numbers will be better than if he played in a power conference, such as the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Sure, everybody plays a few cupcake opponents here and there, but Santa Clara's schedule hasn't exactly been on par with those of the teams of the players mentioned above.
Bryant is simply a good college player. Think of the many players from Duke that excelled at the collegiate level, only to flop in the same way. J.J. Reddick is the most recent example.
Perhaps most glaring is Bryant's lack of athleticism. Though I am certainly one to appreciate his knack for solid footwork and baby jump hooks, these don't always allow for success in the NBA.
Is Bryant a distinctly above-average college player? Absolutely.
Does he deserve accolades for the numbers he's putting up this year? Without a doubt.
We just can't view him as falling short if he isn't selected next June.
Realistically, such an expectation is, like a three-point shot for Bryant, out of his range.
Michael Kaufmann
Communication '09