Two weeks into the 2010-2011 NBA season and the only undefeated team left standing is the Atlanta Hawks.  Strong openings have also been shown by the expected powers of the defending champion Lakers, Eastern Conference Champ Celtics, and the Big Three of the Heat.

The Knicks have shown well early but still can't shake the Ghost of Knicks Past in Isiah Thomas.  Thomas, the coach of Florida International, whether quoted in or out of context, is quoted as saying he sees himself as running the Knicks again in the near future and being able to land LeBron James in 2014.  Further upsetting the present regime is Thomas's statement that he is not enamored with Carmelo Anthony, a 2011 free agent target of the Knicks.

The NBA season opened Tuesday night with the much anticipated debut of the Miami Heat taking on the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics.  Result: a Boston victory in a game that shows they are to be taken seriously in defending their crown in the east.  What was also shown was the lack of floor time LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh had during the pre-season conditioning and games.  Wade was beset with personal and medical issues that kept him off the court.  While James did have a solid game scoring 31 points, it was apparent that the big three still need time on the floor to mesh into a cohesive unit.

Elsewhere, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant's 27 points defeated the Houston Rockets at the Staples Center after raising their championship banner and receiving their rings.

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Midnight Madness struck several days ago on college campuses across the nation.  Perhaps no school had a greater day than St. John's University.  The storied program has fallen on hard times since the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesseca.  Like at UCLA when Coach John Wooden retired, many coaches tried to continue the success of a legendary coach.  Ironically St. John's turned to one of the coaches that attempted to following in Wooden's footsteps, Steve Lavin.  Recently a ESPN game analyst, Lavin took over the Red Storm program and is creating a foundation that will not only bring the program back to Big East prominence, but is looking to become a Top Ten program.

With 10 seniors leaving the team after this year, Lavin has gone on a nationwide campaign signing recruits from Los Angeles, Texas, Michigan, and New York. Not taking the approach of past coaching staffs, Lavin decided that to rebuild a program that has been left in the bottom half of its conference, in could no longer just rely upon local talent.  Talent that has been leaving New York City for better opportunities in ACC, SEC and other Big East programs is not Lavin's sole source for the resurrection of St.John's.  But he fired an early salvo when he snatched Maurice Harkless out from under Big East and NCAA power UConn.

But perhaps his biggest coup came on the eve of Midnight Madness when he was able to get one of all time winningest NCAA coaches, Hall of Famer Gene Keady, to become a staff member.  The former Purdue head coach brings experience and X & O knowledge to a staff that rivals none in recruiting. Now that Lavin has gone shopping, he has to make the feast.  And with the ingredients that he has collected, he must succeed.

Ernie Lorch, founder and coach of Riverside Church's fabled AAU Basketball program was indicted on a 32-year-old charge of sexual assault on a 17 year old minor during a team trip to to the University of Massachusetts sometime between March 1977 and April 1978.  The Grand Jury indicted Lorch also on charges of attempted rape and indecent assault and battery on a person 14 years or over.  The indictment is permissible due to the statute of limitations having frozen when Lorch left the state of Massachusetts after the tournament.

Famous Riverside Church alumni include Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Elton Brand, and Ron Artest.  After Lorch resigned in 2003 on the allegations of sexual misconduct, the program fell on hard times but was brought back to life in 2005.  It is just now beginning to reclaim its status and prominence in the AAU community as being a relevant program.

Reports have former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson signing a contract to play in Turkey this coming season.  Rumors had Iverson following former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury to China but sources now have Iverson playing in Europe.

Better late than never, NBA Commissioner David Stern has taken responsibility for the Isiah Thomas fiasco this late summer.  The New York Knicks were attempting to hire Thomas, the head coach of Florida Atlantic University, as a consultant to the team.  Questions arose to conflict of interest on both the NBA side with the Knicks possibly gaining unfair advantage over its rivals to sign free agents (those eligible to sign but not selected in the yearly draft) and the NCAA for his ties to an NBA team and therefore perceived ability to funnel players to the Knicks for after-school jobs.  Both Stern and the Knicks took considerable heat from the press and public for the attempted hire.