There's a term for when a basketball team (not named Gonzaga or BYU) puts five white guys out on the floor: Garbage time. No, that's not it. It's called a White Wash.

A new basketball league, which would be based in the deep South (I know, shocking!!), is set to attempt to field an entire league of Anglo players.

The All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA), based in Atlanta, announced in a press release early this week it plans to start its inaugural season this summer and hopes to field 12 teams.

A story in the Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle quotes the statement as saying, "Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league."

The story also quoted Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver, who has publicly expressed his support for minor league teams in the past, as saying he would not support this team. Augusta is one of the cities the league would like to house a team.

Don "Moose" Lewis, the commissioner of the AABA, in the same story said the reasoning behind the league's roster restrictions is not racism.

"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," he said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."

Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color."

"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."

I know there may be some people who think this is deplorable. I think it's hilarious. Don't these idiots know the NBA was an "all-white" for the first three years of its existence? The only people of color who were even allowed in NBA arenas until Nat Clifton was signed by the Knicks were the people cleaning the toilets.

I always thought sports was the ultimate equalizer. Sports, in my opinion, transcend race and color and allow people from all aspects of life to put their differences aside in support of a common goal.

"Moose" doesn't see it that way. And even though I in now way agree with what he's trying to do, I'm gonna help him out a bit.

Here are some ideas on how this league can succeed.

-Make the league's major sponsors Ritz, Saltines, Denny's and the NRA.

-Have all the games televised on CMT.

-Make Celtics benchwarmer Brian Scalabrine the face of the League.

-Propose that Wrangler get into the shoe game and have the company sign Indiana Pacer forward Josh McRoberts, Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick and L.A. Laker Adam Morrison to lucrative deals.

-Suggest to Tommy Hilfiger that his company design league apparel.

-Make Tang the official drink of the league and have Chicago Bulls big man Brad Miller serve as official pitch man.

-Screen all prospective cheerleaders and make SURE their butts are as flat as a blown-out tire.

-Hire Don Imus to do play-by-play for the nationally-televised CMT games.

-Make football hall-of-famer Paul Hornung league commissioner.

-Name the MVP Award after David Duke.

-Name the championship trophy after Marge Schott.

-Hire Wayne Brady to host pre- and post-game shows.

-Make certain the only music played by a non-white artist in league arenas is by Darius Rucker. That or "Whoomp! There it is."

Here's the best idea: scrap the league and join everybody else in the 21st Century.

Remember how the Heisman vote went down to the last two weeks of the regular season?

Everyone was waiting for that one guy to pull away from a pack of four or five and take the award.

Alabama sophomore running back Mark Ingram did that with his performance in the SEC Championship game against Florida, snatching the award from Florida's Tim Tebow among others.

This NBA season has been weird. In the first month of the season, you could make a case for five or six guys who should win MVP. Milwaukee point guard Brandon "Young Money" Jennings was a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year after he went off for 55 points in just his seventh game in the League.

Now, both of those are one-horse races in my opinion. So are the races for Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player.

So unless some guys step up the last 40 games of the season, there won't be any shock when award winners are announced in May.

As for who is leading in the chase for those awards...

Most Valuable Player
LeBron James, Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers
You know how Pistons' fans used to treat Michael Jordan? They hated his guts but respected the hell out of his game. That's the way fans are with James now. He might be too silly for anybody to hate, though, with his pre-game antics and sideline dances. So far this season, LeBron is averaging 29 points, with 8 assists ( a career high at this point) and 7 boards a night. He's also posting career highs in field goal, free throw and three-point percentage. James is doing all this, and has his team in the race for the League's best record, without much else around him.

Also considered: Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)

Rookie of the Year
Tyreke Evans, Guard, Sacramento Kings
The same way James saved the Cavs when he was drafted in 2003, Evans has been reviving the Kings so far this season. Sacramento was widely thought of as one of the three or four worst teams in the League at the start of the season, but the Kings have been surprisingly competitive. While Jennings started hot and hit the Rookie Wall, Evans has been steady all season to the tune of 20.8 points, 5 boards and 5 assists a night. At 6'6," 220 pounds, Evans can play any of the perimeter positions. He may be best suited to play off the ball, but his play at the point has been solid. Evans has also scored in double figures in all but two games he's played in so far this season.

Also considered: Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee), Stephen Curry (Golden State)

Most Improved Player
Kevin Durant, Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder
In his third year in the League, Durant has made "The Leap." His scoring average has gone up exponentially each season (from 20 (year one) to 25 ppg (year two) to 29.1 this season. Durant is also averaging a career-high 7 boards a night. He's a threat to go for 40 every night and he's also mastered the art of manufacturing points. When he has an off night from the field, Durant is awesome at getting to the line. In Oklahoma City's 94-91 win over Atlanta Monday afternoon, Durant went 7-19 from the field, but shot 14-15 from the free throw line. He's getting to the line nearly 10 times a game and in flirting with shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Above all of that, he's leading his young Thunder squad to Ws. Oklahoma City currently sits at 23-18, good for 8th in the tough Western Conference. OKC didn't win its 23rd game until the last game of the 2008-09 season. Look for Durant to be in the MVP discussion until he retires.

Also considered: Aaron Brooks (Houston), Channing Frye (Phoenix)

Sixth Man of the Year
Jamal Crawford, Guard, Atlanta Hawks
Crawford has always been known as a gunner. But you can't win with guys like that in your starting lineup unless their name is Kobe. Crawford is in the perfect role in Atlanta. He's been a major reason why the Hawks are atop the Southeast Division. He's the Hawks' version of Vinnie Johnson and he's flourishing in his new role. So far this season, in 30 minutes a night, Crawford is netting 17 points and shooting 45 percent from the field. That number doesn't look that great until you consider that's the best he's shot from the field since shooting .476 from the field in 23 games in 2001-02.

Also considered: Carl Landry (Houston), Jason Terry (Dallas)

Defensive Player of the Year
Dwight Howard, Center, Orlando Magic
Although Howard's offensive numbers have trailed off from last season and his post game is almost nonexistent, his defensive play always remains at a high level. Howard once again leads the League in rebounds (13.1) and blocks (2.49). He also ranks in the top 50 in steals - a category dominated by wing players.

Also considered: LeBron James (Cleveland), Gerald Wallace (Charlotte)

Coach of the Year
Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets
No Yao. No Tracy McGrady, yet, at 23-18, Adelman has the Rockets in the seven spot out West. Prior to the start of the season, I picked Houston to finish with one of the worst records in the League, since the team's roster is made up of no-name players. Houston has been able to stay afloat despite switching from a team that thrived on good defense to a team that likes to run on offense. During his career, Adelman has coached some supremely talented teams in Portland and Sacramento, but this may be his best work.

Also considered: Lionel Hollins (Memphis), Scott Brooks (Oklahoma City)

Having versatile players on your roster is crucial in today's NBA.

It seems the best players all do several things well.

LeBron James can get you a triple-double on any given night. Kevin Durant, who can get you 40 any time, has improved his rebounding numbers each year he's been in the League.

Very few teams have players like this, but they can be franchise changers (James, Dwayne Wade, Brandon Roy) or saviors (Durant, Sacramento's Tyreke Evans).

Another player who exhibits this versatility who may be available when the Pistons are on the clock in this summer's NBA Draft is Ohio State junior guard Evan Turner. Turner, who has two triple-doubles this season, is a 6'7," 205-pound swingman who can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court - Turner averages 17.5 ppg on 59-percent from the field. He's extremely aggressive on the boards for a player his size, a la Jason Kidd and Gerald Wallace, shown by his 10.3 rebounds/game average. He's makes solid decisions when he has the ball (5.9 apg), and he has the ball a lot, serving as the Buckeyes' primary ball handler.

Turner suffered a back injury Dec. 12 in a loss to Butler. With Turner, Ohio State was 7-1 and ranked in the top 15. Without him, the Buckeyes went 3-3, 0-3 on the road. Turner's injury was supposed to keep him sidelined for about eight weeks. He was back half that. He started slow, playing 20 minutes and scoring 8 points in a win over Indiana. Turner amped it up in a 73-62 loss to Minnesota, showing his all-around skills by pouring in 19, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

Turner showed he was back in a huge 70-66 win at No. 6 Purdue tonight, giving Ohio State its first true road win of the 2009-10 season. He started off slow, going 5-12 in a first half that saw Purdue forward Robbie Hummel steal the show with a 29-point performance, which included hitting 8 three-pointers, on his way to a game-high 35. But Turner picked it up in the second half, going 7-9 and finishing with a career-high 32 points, along with 9 boards.

Watching how smooth and composed Turner stays on the court reminds me of Portland do-everything guard Brandon Roy. They play the exact same way, except Turner is more aggressive on the boards. Pistons fans take note, Roy fell to No. 6 in the 2006 Draft. So far, Roy's the lone all-star from that draft class.

Right now, Detroit, at 12-25, is tied with Indiana and Philadelphia for the fourth-worst record in the NBA. If that holds true to form, and the Pistons land what (right now) would be the sixth pick in the draft, Detroit should take a long, hard look at Turner. His versatility would give the Pistons something they haven't had since Grant Hill.

Some people worry about Turner's back issue. I would, too, if he hadn't come back in half the time doctors said he was supposed to. Bringing in Turner may not sell tickets at first, but it would solve a couple of Detroit's (many) problems. It would relieve Rodney Stuckey of some of his ball-handling duties, which I'm sure every Pistons' fan would love. Adding to that, Turner would give Detroit that versatile athlete teams covet.

The Pistons will have to build through the draft, seeing as Detroit has never been a free agent destination. Sure, they may be able to get some second-tier free agents; but even then, the Pistons will most likely have to overpay them. Detroit needs to draft and cultivate players who will make up their core for the next decade. Turner should be a part of that. He's been the type of player the last two seasons who makes the guys around him better. I believe he can take that intangible with him to the next level.

I think it's safe to say the Pistons won't catch New Jersey in the race for the League's worst record, which basically takes them out of the John Wall sweepstakes. There will be big men on the board with Detroit makes its selection, but they'll all be projects. I KNOW Pistons fans don't want President Joe Dumars to draft anymore "projects," do they?

Based on his track record when it comes to drafts, Dumars will screw this pick up. He can improve that record by drafting Turner if he's staring Dumars in the face on draft night.

I was at the last game the Pistons won: a 104-95 victory over the equally hapless Golden State Warriors Dec. 12 at the Palace.

That W gave Detroit a 5-game win streak and put the Pistons at 11-12, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference at the time.

Since then, the team has lost 12 straight games by an average score of 100-87 to put the Pistons at 11-24. Detroit is now tied with Golden State for the fourth-worst record in the League and, if the NBA Draft were held today, the Pistons would most likely have a top-five pick in a fairly deep draft.

As bad as they've been, Detroit is only five games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East (currently held by the 15-18 Milwaukee Bucks. God, the East is awful). It's not completely out of the realm of possibility that the Pistons could make the playoffs and play sacrificial lamb to the Cleveland Cavaliers (again), but what would that accomplish?

A lot of people have talked about Detroit trading either Richard Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince to get a big man. What (decent) big man would either of those guys, who make - combined - about $23 million, be able to get you? All of the solid big men have been locked up long term or will command big dollars on the free agent market, which would mean the possibility of the Pistons having to pay the luxury tax, which they've always been reluctant to do.

Others have suggested offering one or both Hamilton and Prince to a team with a big expiring deal as a way to free up cash this summer and go after a superstar, such as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade. Who's the last "big name" free agent to come to Detroit?

Detroit has never been a place where free agents wanted to come. It is important to find a way to get one or both of those guys off the roster at some point this season, as Detroit already has about $51.4 million in salaries on the books for next season. With the cap set to drop to about $52 million, moves must be made if the Pistons are going to be a player in the free agent game this summer. I'm just not sure any team would want Hamilton or Prince.

Detroit should keep doing what it's doing: being a bad team.

In the NBA, it doesn't pay to be middle of the road. So you get to the playoffs and get bounced in the first round. You've got no shot at a lottery pick and the Draft is usually a crapshoot outside of the lottery. Lady Luck hasn't exactly been on team President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars' side when it comes to the Draft.

The Pistons are awful. I've heard of teams "tanking" the season, but it's not tanking when you already stink. I had Detroit pegged to finish 27-55 before the start of the season. I'm not sure they'll win that many games. Looking at their schedule, the Pistons have two games against Minnesota (8-30) and three against the Detroit Lions of the NBA: the New Jersey Nets (3-33), who would probably struggle with Hickory High at this point. Those are (probably) their only "gimmes" the rest of the way.

Detroit has to build through the Draft. When you're not a free agent destination, stockpiling young talent through the Draft is how you build a winner. At this point, it's safe to say the Pistons will have a top-five pick. And if the Lottery balls bounce their way, the Pistons could luck up and get Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall and pair him with Rodney Stuckey, allowing Stuckey to slide to his natural position: shooting guard.

A backcourt of Wall and Stuckey would be a nice start.

So while the losses keep adding up for Detroit (and they will), fans should think about the long-term effects.

I never would have predicted that Alex Rodriguez would be a key cog in a World Series win.

I never could have even dreamed what happened to Tiger Woods.

But I can predict some things that will happen in sports in 2010.

-No Detroit-area professional sports team will reach the postseason this year.

-Michigan defensive lineman Brandon Graham will wow NFL Scouts at this year's combine, leading to him becoming a first-round pick in April's draft. Graham is projected by most as a mid-second to third-round pick.

-Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant will finish in the top three in NBA MVP voting this coming spring.

-Kobe Bryant will win his second NBA MVP award.

-Curtis Granderson will have a career year in his first season in pinstripes.

-Despite the efforts of the local teams, no big name free agents will be lured here this year.

-Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis will continue to look like the Cryptkeeper.

-Tiger Woods will return at some point this year and tear up the PGA Tour. Golf is all he has now, so all his time and effort will be put toward that...even more than before.

-Twitter will get an athlete suspended for an extended period of time.

-The World Cup will draw a record number of viewers...in other countries.

-A blogger will break a major sports story.

-Justin Verlander will be the 2010 version of Zack Greinke.

-Someone will be fatally injured in a widely-viewed MMA fight.

-Kentucky freshman phenom John Wall will be the first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft but he and his team will have a short run in the NCAA Tournament.

-The Philadelphia Eagles will be the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XLIV.

-The Texas Longhorns will win the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament.

-The Los Angeles Lakers will repeat as NBA Champions...only if the Boston Celtics limp into the postseason like they did last year.

-The Philadelphia Phillies will win their second World Series title in three years.

-This time next year, USC will be back on top of the College Football world.

-Michigan State will play in the 2011 Rose Bowl (I hope!)