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Pacers think best plan is to stay the course

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Larry Bird came up with Indiana’s championship blueprint.

He still believes it can work even after a second straight discouraging playoff exit in the Eastern Conference finals to Miami amid cries for change. The old-school Bird contends now is the time to stay the course.

“We’ve got a young team and we’d like to keep them together and let them develop together,” said Bird, the Pacers’ president of basketball operations.

Indianapolis fans have heard all this before.

A decade ago, across town, the Colts dealt with similar complaints after losing to New England in the playoffs following the 2003 and 2004 seasons and then blew home-field advantage with a divisional-round loss to Pittsburgh to open the 2005 playoffs. Colts President Bill Polian never flinched, keeping the core group together another year and the Colts eventually broke through with a second-half rally to beat the Pats in the AFC Championship following the 2006 season. Two weeks later, they won the Super Bowl.

Now it’s Bird’s chance to steal a page from the Colts’ playbook.

“It’s hard to get there (the NBA Finals), I know that,” he said. “I feel we had a great season for this reason: They set their goal to have the No. 1 seed and they did. They set their goal to play Miami again and they did. But we ran into a better basketball team. They went nine or 10 deep and we didn’t. And they’ve been there before and we haven’t.”

So how does a team unwilling to pay the luxury tax, with four starters already under contract and the fifth ready to cash in on free agency create enough maneuverability to beat the Heat?

Bird and coach Frank Vogel both talked Monday about considering trades, and Bird even suggested he might make a move to get back into the first round. He traded the Pacers’ top pick to Phoenix last summer for Luis Scola. But they expect most of the changes to come from the roster that already exists.

“I think with internal growth we can, but we’re going to look at all the external possibilities as well,” Vogel said. “We’re going to try and make sure we grow this team in the right direction. We’ve gone from the first round (in 2011) to the second round (in 2012) to the third round the last two years and now we’ve got to take that next step next year.”

The talk around town and around the league since Friday night’s season-ending debacle has centered on what the Pacers need and what they’re willing to do to close the gap with Miami.

There’s been speculation about trading the inconsistent Roy Hibbert, a two-time All-Star, or nonconventional point guard George Hill, or both. There’s also been a raging debate about re-signing Lance Stephenson. Bird’s preference appears to be bringing everyone back.

He advised Hibbert to spend time this summer with Hall of Fame centers such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Walton. Bird also said he wanted Hill to be more active on offense, noting he “loves” the way Hill defends and that he plays “the hardest position on the court.” As for Stephenson, Bird made it clear he wanted him back, too, despite all the antics.

But will that be enough to catch Miami or stave off other teams in the East?

Chicago would be dangerous if Derrick Rose comes back healthy, Brooklyn might emerge as a stronger contender with the injured Brook Lopez on the court, the Wizards are emerging as one of the league’s best young teams and the perimeter-shooting Hawks, who pushed Indiana to seven games in the first round, could be better in their second season under coach Mike Budenholzer, too.

Bird and Vogel know this: The Pacers need better bench play, more consistency, fewer turnovers and more experience to win a title.

“We’ve built something here that gives us a chance every year,” Vogel said. “I believing in our coaching staff, how we push this team and I really believe in our talent level. I think when you have the things operating like that, you feel like you have a chance to win it every year.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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