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Bigger stage, brighter spotlight for Wall, Lillard

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — John Wall was the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA draft. Damian Lillard hit perhaps the signature shot of the opening round of these playoffs.

Within the game, both are already considered stars.

Over the next couple weeks, casual fans might see why.

Wall and Lillard will be on the biggest stages of their pro careers starting Monday, when the conference-semifinal round of the NBA playoffs gets underway. Major challenges await them both — Wall and the Washington Wizards take on East No. 1 seed Indiana, while Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers face West No. 1 seed San Antonio.

But if the first round was any indicator, neither will fail to embrace the spotlight that’s coming their way.

“Playoffs bring a bigger light,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. “These guys are very good, young, talented players. Now you’re getting an opportunity to see what the future of the NBA looks like with these young guys. They’re ready for the moment. They’re playing unbelievable basketball.”

Plenty of the usual suspects — Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin — are in the second round, and it’s fairly common to see them on television either playing the game or flexing their stardom in other ways.

Wall and Lillard, they don’t exactly have the same status.

Then again, neither had been in the playoffs before now, either.

Wall and Bradley Beal — another postseason rookie — combined to average 38.6 points per game in Washington’s surprisingly easy five-game ouster of Chicago in the opening round.

Lillard made 23 3-pointers in the first round, the first 22 of them all likely to be forgotten, the last one likely to get replayed for generations. His buzzer-beating 25-footer won Game 6 for Portland and finished off the Blazers’ series with Houston.

“That’s definitely the biggest shot of my life — so far,” Lillard said.

Here comes the second round, the biggest chance of his NBA life — so far.

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Five things to know about the conference semifinals:

HOME MATTERS: Yes, road teams won a whopping 24 of the 50 games played in the opening round. But in the end, home court ultimately proved critical, with San Antonio, Oklahoma City, the Clippers and Indiana all winning Game 7’s at home. Toronto was the only home-court team to fall in a Game 7, losing to Brooklyn by a point.

WINNING IS HARD: Here’s something that illustrates how tough it is to win even a first-round series in the NBA: Miami and Oklahoma City are the only teams to appear in the conference semifinals in each of the past four seasons. How hard is year-in, year-out success these days? Consider that six of the eight conference-semifinalists in 2010 didn’t even make the playoffs this year.

CALMER CLIPPERS: The safest bet of the second round is that the Clippers will face much less drama than they did in the opening series. While the Donald Sterling story surely won’t go away anytime soon, the Clippers should be able to have their minds more on basketball now — and that will be critical as they face the Thunder and Durant, the presumed MVP-in-waiting.

UPSET WATCH: The top two seeds in both the East (Indiana, Miami) and West (San Antonio, Oklahoma City) all made the second round. History says at least one of them won’t be going any further. Not since 2005 have the conference finals both been of the No. 1 vs. No. 2 variety.

FISHER CHASING HISTORY: If Oklahoma City doesn’t get swept by the Clippers, Derek Fisher will likely stand alone atop an NBA all-time list. Fisher has played in 155 postseason wins, tied with Robert Horry for the most in league history.

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Follow AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

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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