I Ain't Dead Yet

Don’t get confused. This post is not any sort of resurrection for this blog. The splendorous free time of sophomore and junior year are over for me, and as a result so is this blog, as senior year continues to dominate me. But if you thought I wasn’t going to defend my title against Joe Lunardi, you’ve lost your mind. A perfect 65-for-65 last year to follow 64 out of 65 the season before (if you don’t believe me check the archives). I haven’t had as much time to watch college basketball this season, but I’ve made up for it this last week and I’ve done my homework. There’s obviously no point in listing the automatic bids, so I’ll just hit you with the at-large bids. It’s time to give the people what they want. Here you go:

The first 30 at-large bids (in no particular order):

Xavier
Richmond
Clemson
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Maryland
Wake Forest
Baylor
Kansas State
Missouri
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Georgetown
Louisville
Marquette
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Villanova
Syracuse
Michigan State
Purdue
Wisconsin
BYU
New Mexico
UNLV
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Gonzaga
UTEP

Last Four In:
Minnesota
Virginia Tech
Illinois
Florida

First Four Out:
Mississippi State
California
Utah State
Seton Hall

Next Four Out:
Mississippi
Rhode Island
Dayton
Arizona State

I know Minnesota just got throttled by Ohio State and Mississippi State should’ve beaten Kentucky, but the fact is Mississippi State doesn’t have the resume over the course of the season to get in. Granted they looked like a tournament team today, but while all of the last four teams in have bad losses, so does Mississippi State, California, and Utah State, but neither of them can match the big wins of the last four in. IT’S WHO YOU BEAT.

Just to prove my point, here are the mini-resumes of the last four in and the first four out:

Minnesota
Record: 21-13 (9-9)
Big Wins: Butler (neutral), Ohio State, Wisconsin, at Illinois, Michigan State (neutral), Purdue (neutral)
Bad Losses: Portland (neutral), at Miami, at Indiana, Michigan (2)

Virginia Tech
Record: 23-8 (10-6)
Big Wins: Clemson, Wake Forest, at Georgia Tech
Bad Losses: at North Carolina, at Boston College, Miami (2)

Illinois
Record: 19-14 (10-8)
Big Wins: at Clemson, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Wisconsin (2)
Bad Losses: Utah (neutral), Bradley (neutral), at Georgia

Florida
Record: 21-12 (9-7)
Big Wins: Florida State, Michigan State (neutral), Mississippi State, Tennessee
Bad Losses: South Alabama, at Georgia, at South Carolina

Mississippi State
Record: 23-11 (9-7)
Big Wins: Old Dominion (neutral), Florida, Vanderbilt
Bad Losses: Rider, at Western Kentucky, at Alabama, at Arkansas, at Auburn

California
Record: 23-10 (13-5)
Big Wins: Washington
Bad Losses: UCLA, at Oregon State, at Arizona, at USC

Utah State
Record: 27-7
Big Wins: BYU
Bad Losses: at Long Beach State, at Utah

Seton Hall
Record: 19-12 (9-9)
Big Wins: Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
Bad Losses: at Connecticut

Let the Madness Ensue

Yeah, I know. I’m the man. Forget LeBron James; from now on when people say “The King,” everyone will know that they are talking about me. A perfect 65 for 65. What does Joe Lunardi still have a job for? I am definitely easier on the eyes, smarter, more entertaining, more charismatic, the reasons that I am better suited for his job goes on forever. Once I graduate he better watch his back. I’ll be nice though; I’ll make him be my gopher boy and give him little chores to do here and there, but I’ll be taking care of the important stuff, that’s got to be left to the professionals. Next year I will have to implement a seeded bracket like he does, because that’s the only thing I am missing. Once I display my superiority in that aspect of bracketology as well, ESPN will be on my stuff like those girls in the AXE commercials.

But enough about me, it’s time to get to the good stuff, the Holy Grail of sports, the NCAA tournament. This is the most difficult year to predict that I can remember in recent history. Last year, it seemed so simple. It was clear that all the teams at the top were so much better than everyone else, and that was reflected in the fact that all four #1’s made the Final Four, and it was a matter of just picking the right one (which I just so happened to do). I feel like this year anything could happen. It’s going to be like the first year Florida won it, when they were a 3-seed that got hot at the right time. That’s what’s going to happen, and it’s just a matter of picking the right team that’s going to go berserk in the tourney and make a run. I can say with 100% honesty that I could look at anyone’s bracket and not laugh. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility. I wouldn’t be surprised if a grandma, an infant, or even a dog had a better bracket than me or any other self-proclaimed expert. Strategies for picking winners could be done in the following ways:
-Flipping a coin
-Picking out of a hat
-Selecting the cooler mascot
-Picking the player with the weirdest name (but not really, because Chief Kickingstallionsims and his Alabama State team have already been eliminated)

You get the picture. Anyways here are my upset picks for the first two rounds, if you’re curious. Could get them all right, or all wrong. That’s what you have to do this year, go balls to wall, go for the gold, go big or go home. Just got to roll the dice.

First Round:

9 Siena over 8 Ohio State- the Saints did it last year, why can’t they do it again? They have basically all the same players, they’re a hot team, and Ohio State is young and inexperienced. Seems to make sense.

12 Arizona over 5 Utah- You know that at least two 12-seeds are going to win each year. It’s the classic upset game. With as much talent as ‘Zona has, now that they’re in the dance, they should pull the upset.

14 North Dakota State over 3 Kansas- Why not? NDSU has been a great story in just their first year in Division I. Aside from Collins and Aldrich, Kansas is really young. Maybe they have a championship hangover? Either way, they have a history of being upset. I’ll go out on this branch.

10 USC over 7 BC- I like this matchup for the Trojans. They’ve got the guys on the perimeter to keep Rice in check, who is the Eagles only serious threat. Plus, they’re coming off a great run in the Pac-10 tourney. They got the momentum.

11 VCU over 6 UCLA- I’m calling it right now, and I want everyone to know that they heard it here first. Eric Maynor is the next Chris Paul. Watch him play. If you know basketball, you’ll see it too. I may look pretty stupid if I’m not right, but think of how smart I’ll look if I am indeed right!!!???

9 Butler over 8 LSU- I just really like this matchup. LSU has got a lot of athletic players who know how to defend, but they haven’t played a team of shooters like Butler. Also, the Tigers aren’t great offensively, and thus won’t be able to use their athleticism to their advantage against Butler on offense.

12 Western Kentucky over 5 Illinois- Another prototypical 5-12 uspet. Frazier is hurt for the Illini, and I really just don’t like the Big Ten in general. Western Kentucky has been here before, as they made the Sweet 16 last year. They’ll know how to get it done.

Second Round:

5 Florida State over 4 Xavier- I love the Seminoles length, size, and athleticism. I also love Tony Douglas. I just have a good feeling about Florida State doing well this tourney. Don’t underestimate the gut instincts.

7 Clemson over 2 Oklahoma- The Sooners weakness all year has been their guard play. Everyone knows how dominant Blake Griffin is, but a pressing team like Missouri gave the Oklahoma guards tons of trouble. I see Clemson doing the same thing, and I think Booker can do enough inside to keep Griffin from winning the game himself.

That’s it. Surprisingly not that many upsets in the first two rounds of a tournament that I called “wide open.” I actually feel like I haven’t agonized over picks for the first couple rounds like I have in years past (of course, I could still get a bunch of them wrong), but it’s the later rounds that have been the toughest. I don’t feel like writing out my entire bracket (if you want to see it that bad just ask to see it in person), but look at my Final Four, and you’ll see I expect some upsets in the Sweet 16 and beyond.

Final Four:

Louisville
Missouri
Villanova
Gonzaga

The Field

Oh boy. Never before have a felt such pressure to succeed. The SAT’s, finals, even my high school basketball playoff games cannot compete with this. Unprecedented. Trying to correctly predict the field of 65 has taken its toll on me all season, and the closer to the selection show we get, the more I feel I am getting squeezed. It’s not like I don’t have anything on the line. My reputation and good name is at stake here. How do I follow up last year’s 64 out of 65 performance? The only way to go is down. I’m gonna throw up. This is where the men are separated from the boys. Let’s just do this. I can find comfort in the fact that I know I will at least get 31 teams right. What a relief.

Alright, I’m not going to list the 31 teams that have automatic bids because that’s pointless. Look it up if you really don’t know. But here is my list of the top 30 teams that will receive at-large bids (in no particular order):

Clemson, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Florida State, Illinois, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Kansas, Connecticut, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova, Arizona State, California, Washington, Dayton, Boston College, Texas, West Virginia, LSU, Texas A&M, Butler, Michigan, Oklahoma State, BYU, Xavier, Ohio State, UCLA, Tennessee.

I know it wasn’t necessary to list all of those teams because most of them are obvious, but I don’t want there to be any confusion when I nail all the teams. This ain’t gonna be no 2000 Florida re-count. People are going to know right away and they won’t be able to deny it.

And now, the last 4 in:

Maryland- The Terps win over Wake put them into the Dance. In a year where the bubble has been ever-shrinking and other bubble teams have put themselves in trouble, Maryland earned the bid with a solid performance in the ACC tourney, getting their fourth big win over a tourney team (UNC, Michigan State, Michigan) and more importantly, a win away from home.

Minnesota- Three victories over tourney teams (and that jumps to six if Penn State and Wisconsin make it) including one over the potential No. 1 overall Louisville coupled with no bad losses is a recipe for dancing in the Gophers case, and that’s where they’ll find themselves.

Arizona- The last two spots were the hardest to fill, and I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the first three teams I have left out took one of these spots. The Wildcats have slumped lately and don’t have any good victories away from home (in fact they only have two in total), but there is no denying this team’s talent, and they have the big wins to prove it (Gonzaga, Kansas, UCLA, Washington).

Wisconsin: I have to give it to the Badgers by default. They played good teams in the non-conference, but only beat Virginia Tech, and NIT team. I think they deserve this spot because they beat Penn State head-to-head twice, and I just don’t think Creighton and St. Mary’s have tournament-worthy resumes.

I love disagreeing with Joe Lunardi, because it shows that I have original thoughts, and that I’m not just some wannabe pawn of his. I was waiting to jump all over him for having South Carolina and New Mexico in the field, but unfortunately he smartened up and gave them the boot. So, alas, the only teams Lunardi and I differ on are Arizona and Creighton. Last year, the only teams we differed on were Arizona State and Villanova, and we all know how that ended. This is my time though. Today, I get my revenge.

First 4 teams out:

Penn State- sorry guys. You are only out because the bubble shrank fast as USC, Temple, and Mississippi State stole bids. If it were a different year, you’re probably in, but it’s not, and only 65 can make it, and you are 66.

Creighton- they did win 11 in a row before following to Illinois State in the MVC semis, but they don’t have the resume. The only tourney teams they beat were Dayton, who is somewhat on the bubble, and Northern Iowa, who wouldn’t have got an at-large bid if they lost the MVC. They also have losses to UALR, Wichita State, and Drake.

Saint Mary’s- they are a great team with Patty Mills, but he is not healthy, and that was evident in the loss to Gonzaga in the WCC final. The committee is not going to roll the dice and hope that he is 100% for the tourney. That is too risky, considering the only tourney team they beat was Utah State.

San Diego State- another victim of the shrinking bubble. I just can’t put the Aztecs ahead of Arizona or Saint Mary’s, who both beat SDSU head-to-head. They’re only good wins were in conference, and only two were over NCAA teams (Utah and BYU).

Next Four out:

UNLV
Auburn
Virginia Tech
Florida

Club Schill

Welcome to Club Schill! The hottest new club in town, where all the best ballers in the nation come to dance! Only 65 get in, so make sure you get here early and make sure you’ve got the rep to get in! This is only for the real playas! Posers can talk a walk down the street to the NIT.

The following exchanges took place outside Club Schill:

Kansas State: “Hey, I’m with them.”
Bouncer: “Woah, woah, woah, not so fast buddy.”
KSU: “What? What’s the problem?”
Bouncer: “You thought that just because you brought your friends Texas A&M and Oklahoma State that I’d let you waltz right in? Back of the line.”
KSU: “But I brought my victories over Texas, Texas A&M, and Missouri.”
Bouncer: “Yeah, and those were your only three good wins. You also brought your losses to Kentucky, Iowa, and Oregon. Are you serious? Beat Texas and then we’ll have a longer discussion. Now, back of the line.”

San Diego State: “What’s up man? Why ain’t you lettin’ me in, are you stupid or somethin’? I have an 11-5 conference record.”
Bouncer: “You need to relax. Who the hell do you think you are? Last time I checked the Mountain West wasn’t a power conference. Yeah you got some good teams, but you don’t have a lot of quality wins.”
SDSU: “But I beat UNLV twice, and they’re in the club. I even finished two games better than him in the same league. What’s up with that?”
Bouncer: “Sorry dude. They brought their big victories over Arizona, Louisville, Utah, and two over BYU. You can’t match that.”
SDSU (walking away): “Damn man, I blew it.”
Bouncer: “Hold on a second. You’ve got another crack at UNLV tonight. You beat them again, and we’ll find room to squeeze you in.”

Maryland: “Hey, is there any chance I can get in?”
Bouncer: “Not tonight, son. Typically, wins over North Carolina and Michigan State will do the trick, but you need more than that.”
UM: “Aw, man. I figured. Is it because I finished with a 7-9 record in the ACC?”
Bouncer: “You betcha. But it’s not just that: you’re losses to Morgan State, Virginia, and a blow out at the hands of Georgetown didn’t help your cause. Not to mention the fact that you had only two true road wins.”
UM: “I understand. What can I do to change my fortune?”
Bouncer: “Well, to be honest, you’ve had a lot of chances. But if you beat NC State and then Wake Forest in the ACC tourney, then you might just play your way in as other teams fade. Just stay positive.”

South Carolina: “Yo, make way. USC in the building!”
Bouncer: “Uh, no you’re not.”
USC: “What you talkin’ ‘bout? Do you know who I am? I got a 10-6 record in the SEC.
Bouncer: “You don’t really keep up with current events, do you? The SEC isn’t the SEC anymore. You’ve only got two teams in the club right now. You’re only about the 7th or 8th best conference nowadays.”
USC: “Nah, I don’t believe that crap. 10-6 in a power conference is automatic. Now step aside.”
Bouncer: “Not for you. Your best wins our over fellow SEC bubblers Florida, Kentucky and Auburn. You lost to the only two teams from your league in their right now, LSU and twice to Tennessee. And, you lost to College of Charleston. Do some damage in the conference tourney before you even think of showing your face around here again.”

Creighton: “Excuse me, sir. Do you by any chance have any openings whatsoever in your club? I promise I’ll keep to myself and stand in the corner. No one will have to know I was ever in there, and I won’t tell anyone if you let me in.”
Bouncer: “Sorry, we’re at capacity. I’d really like to let you in, but I just can’t. If some of these guys in here start acting up and get booted though, you’ll be the first to know. You and your buddy St. Mary’s. Keep your fingers crossed.”
Creighton: “Thanks!!!” (runs away).
Bouncer (yelling after them): “There’s a church two blocks down, it wouldn’t hurt you to stop and say a little prayer!”

Best Gift Ever

Happy Holidays! It is Championship Week, the official beginning of second Christmas. Last year, I received the best present that I have ever been given (and that includes my Ninja Turtles full-body costume): I got my brilliance, greatness, and expertise confirmed. 64 out of 65 NCAA Tournament teams predicted correctly, you can’t say anything to that. That’s a fact, chief. Come to think of it, I really got all 65 teams right, I just frequently mix up my Arizona State’s with my Villanova’s (they’re so similar, it’s an honest mistake). But seriously, if you don’t believe me, go back in the blog history, it’s all there. Once you’re a master though, you have a reputation to protect, and expectations are high for this year. No doubt I’m going to live up to them. Here’s an early taste.

Dancin’ in the Streets- Texas A&M, Utah

These teams are in like sin baby. Texas A&M just closed out the regular season by beating Mizzou, and they can add that to victories over Arizona, LSU, Texas, and Oklahoma State. They’re 23-8 (9-7 in the Big 12) and their only bad loss was to Tulsa (who really isn’t that bad). A win over Texas Tech in the first round of the conference tourney wouldn’t hurt their cause, but I think they’re in regardless, winning six straight down the home stretch.

Utah has a similar situation. They beat Gonzaga and laid a 30-point smack down on LSU, and they split with the other four legitimate NCAA contending teams in their conference (BYU, New Mexico, UNLV, San Diego State). This reminds me: I like to think of Rick Majerus as the Santa Claus of this second Christmas. Think about it, it makes perfect sense. Personally, I hope Utah goes down early. The only image I have when I think of them this year is that dirt bag kid who blatantly tripped Blake Griffin when they played OU in December (couldn't find the Youtube clip, my apologies). Guess what dude, karma is a bitch.

Feelin’ Alright- UNLV, Michigan

Michigan is going back to the dance. Duke, UCLA, Illinois, Purdue, Penn State, and Minnesota (twice) are all checked off on the Wolverines’ hit list. The fact that they’re best road wins are at Northwestern and at Minnesota may is troubling, but I don’t think it will be enough to keep them out. If they avoid a loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament, they guarantee a spot.

UNLV is a tough team to get a read on. Look at their wins (Arizona, Louisville, New Mexico, Utah, and BYU twice) and it’s hard to snub them. But then again, they lost to TCU, Wyoming, and Colorado State in conference. With a 9-7 record in the Mountain West, it will be difficult to put them ahead of any of the other four teams ahead of them. That said, they play San Diego State in the first round of the tourney, and that could lock it up for them.

Livin’ on a Prayer- Creighton, Davidson

A 25-point loss in the conference championship game is not a good taste to put in the selection committee’s mouth. They’ll be tasting that sour defeat all week while they decide to let Creighton in or not, and after a week they’ll be pretty sick of it. Davidson played big time competition early in the year, but they didn’t win any of those games, aside from West Virginia. 18-2 is a great conference record, but the Southern Conference is not a great league by any means. Both these teams need the other bubble teams to have a Mighty Ducks-esque collapse (when they are the JV team in D3 against the Blake Bears) to have a chance at putting on their dancing shoes.

Down N’ Out- Virginia Tech, Kentucky

VA Tech has some big wins over Wake and Clemson, but 7-9 in conference and 13 losses already overall is just too much to overcome. They didn’t beat anyone in the non-conference and lost to Seton Hall and Georgia, and are 3-9 in their last 12. Can you spell NIT? I know Kentucky can. The Wildcats finished 8-8 in a mediocre SEC (which I believe only has two teams in the tourney as of now), and their non-conference didn’t help them either, with a loss to VMI. After losing four straight, they are bound for the NIT as well.

Important Conference Tourney games

Miami v. Virginia Tech- If the ‘Canes can get a win here, their chances can improve greatly depending on what other bubblers do, but it would give them a crack at UNC, and a victory over the Heels would earn them a bid. VA Tech is done-zo, but you never know what could happen if they win and go on a tear.

UNLV v. San Diego State- The Aztecs have more to lose here, but either way, it will be difficult for the loser to get in. UNLV has the inside track right now, but a third loss to SDSU (along with their 9-7 conference record) would put them in serious jeopardy. SDSU doesn’t have the resume that the Rebels do, and this first round loss could be the nail in the coffin.

Wisconsin v. Ohio State- It’s so hard to get a read on the Big Ten, because all the bubble teams in that conference have such similar resumes. I could be that they all get in, or none get in. How do you decide which to exclude? I think they are all right now, but the loser of this game will be sweating like Michael Jackson on a playground come Selection Sunday.

Now it’s time for me to get my Joe Lunardi on.

Last four in:
Arizona, Minnesota, Penn State, St. Mary’s

First Four Out:
Creighton, New Mexico, San Diego State, Miami

Next Four Out:
Florida, Davidson, South Carolina, Providence

The Best of the Best

I’m not going to play games. I’m not going to make excuses and dance around the subject. I suck. This was supposed to be my big year. This was supposed to be my coming out party. I even bought the streamers, kazoos, and party hats. I was supposed to uphold a prestigious college basketball blog that would be fun to write, read, and score me points for future job opportunities. Well, fail, fail, and definitely fail. I guess I underestimated how hard junior year is, but at the same time I underestimated how lazy I am, and just really expected too much out of myself. No more disappointment though; I am going to salvage what is left of this college basketball season and write the hell out of this blog. “Hold on to your long johns, Bobby!!!”

First Team All-Americans

James Harden, Guard, Arizona State- Of the five positions on the first team, this is certainly the most debatable and up-for-grabs spot. The other four have been for the most part a given, but for me this is a lock too. There is no question it should be Harden. He does it all for the Sun Devils. He leads the Pac-10 in scoring at 20.8 per contest, and is second on his team in rebounding and assists. Let’s face it, most college basketball fans can’t even name another player on the team, yet Harden has kept the Sun Devils in the Top 25 all season. He’s always been a slashy-scorer type who can put points up in many ways, and he’s put his weakness to bed by shooting 37.6% from distance this year.

Stephen Curry, Guard, Davidson- Obvious choice here. Despite being the sole focus of every single team Davidson plays defensively, Curry still manages a measly 28.4 ppg, only good enough to lead the nation. And there’s no excuse that he is doing so well because he plays subpar competition; 44 points at Oklahoma, 44 against NC St., 27 and 10 assists against West Virginia, and 29 and 8 boards at Duke. He’s proven himself more than just a shooter. He has adapted his game to how defenses play him and he has become better off the dribble, and a better passer (6.4 apg). The kid’s a gamer and he belongs on this team.

Blake Griffin, Forward, Oklahoma- Another no-brainer. Griffin is a man amongst boys when he steps on the court. He’s faster, stronger, and more athletic than everyone he goes up against. The guy gets 22 and 14 a night. He’s the LeBron James of the college game (no disrespect to LeBron, I’m not making a legit comparison here). He has kept OU in the top 5 all season and has made everyone around him better. They are a definite title contender, although they don’t seem to have that rep. But trust me, with Griffin, they are.

Luke Harangody, Forward, Notre Dame- Shrek is in baby. I don’t care that his team has been more disappointing this year than the Asian kid’s performance when Clint Eastwood locks him in the basement at the end of Gran Torino, numbers don’t lie. In the toughest conference in the nation, a conference filled to the brim with talented big men, he’s going to lead the Big East in scoring again, and he’s only half a rebound per game behind Dejaun Blair in that category. It may look like he has less control over where his shot goes than Rick Ankiel did over his pitches, but somehow he’s a sniper.
And not only is he on my first team, he’s getting a nomination for the All-Ugly team (release date TBD).

Tyler Hansbrough, Forward, North Carolina- I’m glad that he’s making the most of his game right now in college, because I don’t think he’ll last more than a couple years in the NBA. His ability to make ridiculous shots with contact is mind-blowing, but at the next level that’s not even going to be an issue. He’s going to eat his own shot every time he tries to get it off. But I’m not a hater; I completely respect his work ethic and determination. That’s what college basketball is all about, and that’s how he gets 21 and 8 every game against guys that may be bigger and more talented.

Second Team

Jeff Teague, Guard, Wake Forest- He’s the go-to-guy for the Baby Deacons averaging 19.6 ppg, and he’s turned Wake into a legitimate Final Four contender in my opinion. His posterization of Dave Neal cemented his spot on this team ahead of Sherron Collins and Nick Calathes.

Jerel McNeal, Guard, Marquette- In a league dominated by bruisers down low, Marquette has held their own with three outstanding guards, the best being McNeal. He’s their leading scorers at 19.8 per, and he’s one of the best defenders in the conference. They’ll need even more out of him now down the stretch without James though.

Jodie Meeks, Guard, Kentucky- “Oh, hey, what’s up Jodie? Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” That’s what everyone is saying to Meeks right about now. I had no idea this guy was going to erupt for 25 ppg and be the fifth leading scorer in the nation. He’s just a flat out scorer. My apologies for not noticing your talent before.

Sam Young, Forward, Pittsburgh- I love this guy’s game because he is a mismatch nightmare. He can score inside against smaller defenders or shoot over the top of them outside, and he can blow by bigger, slower defenders. Fields and Blair are a huge reason for Pitt’s success, but Young is the heart.

Hasheem Thabeet, Center, Connecticut- He doesn’t have the stats that Blair and Patterson have, but neither of them, actually no one, affects the game like Thabeet does. Teams have to change their entire game plan when they play UConn because this 7’3” monster roams the paint like no one else with 4.5 blocks per. The best way I can describe is to think of Big Foot in Munchkin Land.

Third Team

Sherron Collins, Guard, Kansas
Nick Calathes, Guard, Florida
Tyler Smith, Forward, Tennessee
Patrick Patterson, Forward, Kentucky
Dejuan Blair, Forward, Pittsburgh


Player of the Year

Blake Griffin- My heart says Curry, but my mind says Griffin. He’s just too damn consistent and too damn beastly. You know he’s going to get his numbers every night, and there’s nothing you can do to stop him.

A Battle of Two Evils

The Blue Devils against the Demon Deacons, to be more exact. No. 1 Duke travels across state to Winston-Salem where they will take on No. 4 Wake Forest tonight in this year’s Tennessee/Memphis matchup (of course there will be a few more of those games between Duke/UNC and Pitt/UConn). Last year I went with the slight underdog and took Tennessee at home. How did that pay off for me? Yup, and there’s no reason to change it. If it works, don’t mess with it. Did Jack Bauer let those FBI Agents prevent him from torturing Almeida’s associate? Hell no. And that is why I’m going to stick to my formula and not listen to my roommates who are all picking Duke. There’s actually no formula, that was a lie, but all you have to do is look at the matchup.

Sure, Duke has won ten games in a row and is one of the hottest teams in the nation, fresh off of a 85-44 smackdown over Maryland on Saturday, which, like the movie Grandma’s Boy says, “was as if Tyson fought an infant.” At one point the score was 60-20. They should get two wins for that. I still am not sold on Duke though. They do this every year; dominate during the nonconference, but then stumble a little in ACC play when they play a more athletic team. Believe me, every team they play they will have outcoached and most likely outhustle, but sometimes there are games where lack of athleticism cannot be accounted for with either.

In addition to an advantage in athleticism, I just think that Wake has more skill players. Gerald Henderson is a freak athlete; the guy could probably rest his chin on the rim, but after that, who else is there? Who can matchup with Johnson? Or Aminu? Or, most importantly, Teague. Teague took over the game against UNC like a man possessed. As I like to say he “Kobe-ed” it (in reference to Kobe’s 81 point performance where he refused to let his team lose).

And it’s not like Wake is cold. I mean they did win 16 in a row before losing to VT. Duke is like a well-oiled machine. The pressure defensively, they hustle, they shoot the ball well from outside. But Wake has answers. They are one of the tallest teams in the nation, and they are second in the nation in rebounding and field goal shooting. They may be young and inexperienced, but these Baby Deacons are growing up fast. With the home crowd on their side, they’ve pulled me there as well.