College Bball Talk

I Ain't Dead Yet

2010-03-14T17:45:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-19T11:38:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-15T18:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-12T16:57:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-10T11:42:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-06T23:45:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-28T18:44:00.002-05:00

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.

Best Idea Ever

2009-01-07T18:41:00.000-05:00

“Excuse me, could I have everyone’s attention please? I have an urgent and breaking news update…ANNOUNCER SWAP!!!!”

How excited is everyone for this!!?? I can’t believe that ESPN did not think of this idea before now; it’s absolutely brilliant. Dan Schulman and Dick Vitale will take the Heat/Nuggets game at 9, while Mike Tirico, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson will call Davidson at Duke (7 pm). This is probably the single greatest idea that ESPN has ever had (aside from the SportsCenter commercial with Adrian Peterson) and it’s hard to say why it took this long for them to realize how great this would be. Then again, it’s one of those things that seems so simple but nobody realizes it; I mean I never would have thought of it. For all you fans (all 3 of you) of Wife Swap, this is going to put that to shame just for having a similar name. This is sheer broadcast media gold, and I am privileged to witness it. Expect Jeff Van Gundy to rigorously heckle Stephen Curry’s poor excuse for teammates throughout the game, as well as plenty of the fans, and probably some of the Duke players; really no one is safe. Titillating. Also, you will witness Dickie V pee his pants over D-Wade once again; it’s only a shame that ‘Melo had to get injured otherwise it would have been one hell of a reunion. Superb-ia.

Back to the Wife Swap reference; I wouldn’t be surprised if ABC developed this idea into a weekly television show to take the place of Wife Swap. Imagine every Friday night at 8, you turn on your TV to tune into one of the following: Al Michaels and John Madden calling a Sox-Yanks game; Keith Jackson screaming “Whoa, Nelly!” as he covers the World’s Strongest Man; Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas, and Bill Raftery giving superior insight to the World Figure Skating Championships; Gus Johnson saying how awesome every player on the field is during a BCS bowl game; Joe Buck and Troy Aikman giving commentary for an NHL game…oooh, disregard that last one, I may have gone a little too far. But seriously, that would such an awesome idea and would make for the best Friday nights ABC has seen since the TGIF days with Boy Meets World. I know that I would never have another Friday night with nothing to do. Your welcome ABC, I’ll take my payment in cash. For one thing, I know that it would keep my mind off the Celtics. God help us. Or the new ESPN. com format. Anyone else out there not a fan?

*Note: These last few weeks have been rough for various personal reasons (not gonna lie, one of those being laziness). But that doesn’t matter, what I’m trying to say is that posts are going to start coming at you rapid fire, with All-Americans predictions, conference winner predictions, and stuff like that. So be ready! Out.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-11-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again people. Get excited. No, I’m not talking about the holiday season; it’s much much better than that. Behold: college basketball season, the greatest time of the year. I know that I slacked off at the end of last season and didn’t follow through as I kinda-sorta abandoned the blog after the Sweet 16. Don’t worry though, this is a new year and I am re-dedicated and intend to start fresh. Let’s begin.

I like to think of college basketball season as 4 months of Christmas, followed by three weeks of Halloween. Let me see if I can explain my reasoning for this. It’s four months of joy and happiness, with little presents scattered in randomly along the way like Texas v. UCLA (12/4), Michigan State v. UNC (12/3), and UConn v. Gonzaga (12/20) just to name a few, and that doesn’t include any of the conference schedules. Then, to cap the whole thing off, the greatest gift that God ever bestowed upon his beloved children: March Madness. Three weeks of being overwhelmed by an orgy of college basketball greatness, where legends are born and buzzer beaters are abundant. It’s so much excitement in such a short time period; that is why I compare it to a three week Halloween. The kids are completely consumed by going around the neighborhood collecting candy and then indulging in it all night, leading to an extreme sugar high, followed closely by vomiting and then passing out. I can say that this is similar to the experience I share each year come March Madness. Sheer ectasy for three weeks, followed by confusion and sickness, with side of minor depression. There is nothing better. I can already hear the sweet sound of Bill Raftery’s voice: “A little nylon for the big fella!!!” Now let’s get to my Top 25:

#1 North Carolina- This seemed like a fairly obvious selection. They return the reigning national player of the year in Tyler Hansbrough and all their starters from a year ago. There’s no reason to see why this team should miss a beat from last year when they were the #1 overall seed in the dance and made it to the final four. The season-ending injury suffered by freshman hopeful Tyler Zeller against Kentucky hurts, but they still have another freshman big in Ed Davis to help Hansbrough and Deon Thompson out. Ellington, Lawson, Green and Co. will continue to run opposing teams off the court.

#2 Connecticut- Calhoun’s team is absolutely stacked with talent. Jerome Dyson and A.J. Price form one of the most explosive backcourts in the nation, and freshman phenom Kemba Walker and Craig Austrie provide some quality backup as they are both averaging double figures after the first 4 games. Inside, good luck getting a shot off with Mutomb—I mean Thabeet roaming the paint, and Adrien bullying and physically abusing opponents. If Calhoun can get these guys focused and avoid off court problems, this team is going to be scary.

#3 Louisville- The Cardinals young talent has another year of experience and maturity under their belt. Terence Williams and Earl Clark are freak athletes who will surprise people by how much they step up this year. Normally you would think losing David Padgett, Derrick Caracter, and Juan Palacios would be a big loss inside, but UL won’t miss a step with highly-touted recruit Samardo Samuels. He’ll be one of best freshman in the country this year.

#4 Pittsburgh- I love this team. They are gritty, physical, and tenacious, and no one is going to push them around. That is the Pitt attitude, and man-child DeJuan Blair is going to make sure it stays that way. With leadership and experience from Levance Fields and Sam Young (who each seems like they’ve been there for ten years), the Panthers are going to be one of the best in the Big East and the nation.

#5 UCLA- Ben Howland brought that Pitt attitude to UCLA when he arrived there in ’03, and that’s why they’ve been to the final four in each of the last three years. They lose Kevin Love from last year, but they still have Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Alfred Aboya, and one of the best freshman classes in the nation, including standout Jrue Holiday. With this much talent and their exceptional defense, don’t be surprised to find the Bruins in Detroit come early April.

#6 Duke- DeMarcus Nelson led the Blue Devils at 14.5 ppg last season, but Duke had five players average double figures and they will be able to compensate. Duke always seems to be ranked in the top 10 no matter who they lose, and this year will be no different. Freshman Elliot Williams joins Paulus, Singler, Henderson, and Scheyer (the other four who averaged double digits) as the Dukies will look to compete with the Heels for the ACC title.

#7 Texas- It’s not easy to replace a first team all-American in D.J. Augustin, but Texas has the tools to be just as good as they were last year. Rick Barnes has decided to move Damion James to more of a perimeter oriented role, which I believe is a good move. James has the talent and athleticism to play out there, it’s just a matter of getting accustomed to his new position. Justin Mason will manage the point so A.J. Abrams can work off screens for open shots as he is deadly from deep, and fifth year big Connor Atchley is a tough matchup.

#8 Michigan State- This will be Raymar Morgan’s breakout year. Yeah he averaged 14.0 ppg last year, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. This year he will be Big Ten player of the year. Diaper dandy-to-be Delvin Roe adds more depth to the frontline, while Kalin Lucas gives the Spartans a spark on the outside.

#9 Notre Dame- It’s all about Luke Harangody. I know you thought the same thing when you first saw him that I did: this guy is an oaf! He looks like Shrek! I’ll be surprised if he can run up and down the court without tripping over his own feet! There’s no way he’s going to be good. And what did he do? Not much, besides winning Big East player of the year of course. He’s obviously got the talent, and he’s a lot more athletic than people know. He’ll lead the Irish to an impressive season as they return almost everyone from last season’s 25-8 campaign.

#10 Purdue- The Baby Boilers are all grown up. Well, maybe not completely grown up, but at least a year older. E’Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel lead this team that returns all its key members from last season’s 15-3 performance in the Big Ten. I think the key will be the play of point guard Chris Kramer. He’s an underrated player who really served as the glue of this team last year, and his leadership and stellar defense will play an important role again this season.

#11 Marquette- The Golden Eagles are a three-headed monster led by arguably the best backcourt in the nation. Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews all return to lead a team that can handle any other team in the nation on the perimeter. I look for Maurice Acker and David Cubillan to show a lot of improvement after getting lots of minutes last year, giving Marquette one of the deepest backcourts as well. They are undermanned and undersized up front, but Lazar Hayward is a beast who plays tough and a lot bigger than he is. It will be interesting to see how all these upperclassmen deal with the loss of head coach Tom Crean.

#12 Gonzaga- Watch out for Austin Daiye; I think this season will be his coming out party. The sophomore turned it on at the end of last season to finish the year averaging 10.5 points a contest and he’s already averaging 15.5 this year. The ‘Zags will need consistency from talents like Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt, as well as consistency on the defensive end of the court.

#13 Memphis- How can a team lose three players like Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Joey Dorsey, after losing a heartbreaker (which they blew) in the national championship, and still return to prominence? Well, if your coach is John Calipari, then easily. The Tigers still have key members from last year’s team like Shawn Taggert, Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack, along with a trio of dynamite freshman led by Tyreke Evans.

#14 Oklahoma- The Sooners game plan is very simple: give the ball to Blake Griffin, and then get the hell out of the way. Every opponent knows exactly what this game plan is, but they most likely won’t be able to do anything about it. Surround him with solid players like Austin Johnson, Tony Crocker, and freshman Willie Warren, and Oklahoma will be a tough team to beat. (P.S. did you know Griffin is averaging 19.8 boards through the first four games!!??)

#15 Arizona State- I love James Harden. I love the way he plays and I like his ability to take control of the game for the Sun Devils. I thought ASU got robbed of an NCAA berth last year (if you remember they were the only team I predicted incorrectly to make the dance) and I think Harden, Pendergraph and Co. are mad about it, as they should be. With a down year coming for the Pac-10, I expect ASU to do very well.

#16 Villanova- I had my mind made up about this team after their first round victory over Clemson in the tourney last year. They were getting run out the gym (I believe they trailed by 18-20 points?) and looked hopeless, and then did a complete one-eighty and dominated the Tigers. Now granted, they played as bad in the beginning as they did well in the end, but I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy. Scottie Reynolds leads a deep backcourt that can literally catch on fire from distance, and Dante Cunningham heads an undersized frontcourt that always seems to do a good job against bigger teams.

#17 Tennessee- Well, they still have one Smith left. Ramar and JuJuan are gone, as well as silky smooth Chris Lofton, but the versatile slasher Tyler Smith remains. He will be an SEC player of the year candidate, and he still has familiar faces in J.P. Prince and Wayne Chism to support him. Scotty Hopson will be a freshman to watch for the Volunteers, and his play will be intricate for UT’s somewhat thin backcourt.

#18 Miami (FL)- Jack McClinton is one of the best player’s you’ve never heard of, or at least don’t know that much about. On top of that, he leads a team that is compiled of solid players that no one knows about. Frank Haith has done a great job down in Miami, and this is the year that people are going to start to take notice.

#19 Florida- They may not show just how good they are at first, but this team will get better with every game. Nick Calathes is a do-it-all type player: a guard who can score, rebound, and assist. He’s triple-double threat. A poor man’s Jason Kidd (a very, very poor man). Although just a sophomore, he will learn to become a leader as the season wears on, as he will be responsible for handling and developing the terrific freshman class the Gators brought in.

#20 Georgetown- I still like the Hoyas because they still have players left over from their final four run two years ago in Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers. These are two savvy players who have the experience and know what it takes to win and win on a big stage when it counts. Do you remember that Elite Eight game against UNC? Unbelievable. Austin Freeman and Chris Wright have had a year to learn JT III’s Princeton offense, and the Hoyas may have lost Hibbert, but they haven’t lost a go-to big man. Freshman Greg Monroe is already averaging 17.0 ppg in his first two games and will be one of the best freshmen big’s in the nation. Wow, I really like this team, maybe I should have ranked them higher.

#21 Wake Forest- I’m going to have to use the “baby” nickname again. It’s actually probably more appropriate for the Baby Deacons, as they will rely mostly on sophomores Jeff Teague and James Johnson and freshmen Al-Farouq Aminu and Tony Woords. This team is fun to watch they are not shy with the trigger and love to shoot three’s , it’s just a question of whether they learn to calm down when they need to and play smart. I’m worried about how their lack of strength in the nonconference schedule may affect them come ACC play however.

#22 Davidson- Everyone knows Stephen Curry from Davidson’s improbable Elite Eight run last year, but I wonder how many fans paid enough attention to remember Jason Richards and his 8 assists per game? The big question mark for the Wildcats coming into this season was how Curry would adjust to playing the point more often and not having Richards to feed him the rock. His response? 35.0 ppg and 8 assists per game through the first five contests.

#23 Baylor- A similar situation to that of the Miami Hurricanes here with Baylor in that they have talented players people don’t know about. LaceDarius Dunn went under the radar last year as a freshman as the nation focused on Beasley and Rose, but this kid can play. He and Curtis Jerrells spearhead an experienced, senior-laden team that is coming off their first NCAA appearance since 1988.

#24 Syracuse- I’m surprised the Orange didn’t start the season ranked. With Eric Devendorf getting another year of eligibility, the backcourt combination of him and Johnny Flynn is very formidable, and I expect Flynn to get even better with Devendorf beside him. Combine that with Paul Harris’ athleticism and Arinze Onuaku’s size down low, and I fully believe the ‘Cuse will compete with the top teams in the Big East.

#25 Xavier- The Musketeers lost half of their “Big 6” that brought them so close to the Final Four last season. Drew Lavender, Stanley Burrell, and Josh Duncan are all gone. I would argue that the three with the more raw (though perhaps unharnessed) talent remain in B.J. Raymond, Derrick Brown, and C.J. Anderson. The question will be whether these three can step up their game and while at the same time taking the young talent around them under their wing, which I think they will in a depleted A-10 conference.

Other teams to watch:

Kansas: I am a huge fan of Sherron Collins. I have felt that he is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and now that he is the man in Lawrence, he will. That being said, I could not put the Jayhawks in my top 25. They lost all five starters from last year’s national championship run. That’s just too much to recover from all at once. Don’t be surprised to find them there as the year goes on though. It all depends on how much Cole Aldrich steps up, and how their heavily touted freshman class develops.

Wisconsin: Any team coached by Bo Ryan will always be competitive. The guy knows how to coach, and he knows how to win games. Bottom line is, I think they will have a tough time adjusting without Michael Flowers and Brian Butch. Who will do the scoring for the Badgers? Can Trevon Hughes and Marcus Landry make up for their loss?

USC: I’m not as big on the Trojans as everyone else. They still have Dwight Lewis, Taj Gibson, and Daniel Hackett, and DeMar DeRozan will have an outstanding freshman year, but they don’t realize how much they are going to be affected by the losses of O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson. It’s going to take some time to get used to life without those two.

Not So Sweet Sixteen...

2008-03-27T18:56:00.000-04:00

…for me at least. I was absolutely awful in my predictions for the first two rounds; it was a nightmare. I was 31-17, which is completely unacceptable if when you count the games which are “sure things” (well, those really don’t exist, but essentially sure things in the #1-#16 matchups). Not all is bad though. While I only had 9 of the sweet 16 teams correct (it really hurts to say that), I still have 7 of my elite 8 and all 4 final four teams. So I could make something of this mess I call my bracket. Anyways let’s see if I can do a little better job predicting the two rounds that will be played this weekend.

Sweet Sixteen Upsets:

#3 Louisville over #2 Tennessee- although I predicted this in my last post (which could be a mistake compared to what happened with the others), I’m going to stick with this upset. Going back even before the first two rounds to the SEC tourney, Tennessee has not looked like the same team they were during the regular season. Something has looked wrong, and if they decide to start J.P. Prince at the point again, their going to put up a huge number in the turnover column against Louisville’s pressure.

#10 Davidson over #3 Wisconsin- my heart is telling me I have to make this pick. I can’t go against Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats. I’m fully on the Cinderella bandwagon. I’m convinced Curry cannot be stopped, and any team that can come from 17 down against Georgetown (which might as well be 30) in the second half and win gets my vote.

#7 West Virginia over #3 Xavier- I originally picked Xavier over Duke in this game, but clearly things have changed. Duke is not there, and instead there is a hot, dangerous West Virginia team awaiting the Musketeers. West Virginia easily handled Arizona’s athleticism in the first round to finish off the Wildcats disappointing season, and then took a punch from Duke early only to slowly wear them down the rest of the game. Xavier gave everyone a scare against Georgia, and then looked shaky at times against Purdue. This would only be an upset by seed.

I’m not going to change anything with my Elite 8; I still like my final four picks to get through to San Antonio. Maybe I should change them based upon how my other predictions fared out, but I’m going to give my bracket a chance to clean itself up and right the ship, which I think it will.

Brackets Baby

2008-03-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

Well I don’t want to toot my own horn, but let’s just say this guy did a pretty good job in predicting the field for this year’s tournament. I got 64 of the 65 teams correct, and the two teams I mixed up, well one of them was my last team out, and the other surely had to be the NCAA’s last team out. I had Villanova as my last team in as of Sunday, but Georgia really messed me up with that win in the SEC Championship over Arkansas. That took away an at-large bid, and in my eye’s, that was Villanova’s. It’s not known for sure, but I’m confident that in the selection committee’s eyes Arizona St. had to be that team. There’s an argument for Virginia Tech, but if you look at their body of work over the course of the season, I don’t think they got snubbed at all. Sure they were 9-7 in the ACC, but they got the easy side of an unbalanced schedule as they played the four tourney teams (UNC, Duke, Clemson, and Miami) only once each in the regular season, losing all four. Their only top 50 RPI victory came in that victory over Miami in the ACC quarter. The Sun Devils beat Xavier, Stanford, USC, and Arizona (twice). They also had a better conference record than the Catz. Why, Georgia? I was so close.

And now I’ll move on to tourney picks, where karma should take over and screw me for just bragging. Let’s begin with the first round upsets (if I don’t list a game, that means I’m taking the chalk and picking the higher seed to win):

9 Arkansas over 8 Indiana- the Hogs have a load of talent and athleticism on that team, and their hot streak in the SEC tourney has me convinced they’ll beat the recently slumping Hoosiers who haven’t been the same team they lost Kelvin Sampson.

9 Kent St. over 8 UNLV- Al Fisher is a bonafide player and I’ve been high on the Golden Flashes down the stretch. They’ve beat some really good teams this year.

13 Siena over 4 Vanderbilt- I don’t know. I know that big upset is going to happen somewhere and I have a hunch. I don’t trust Vandy.

10 Davidson over 7 Gonzaga- Davidson has one 22 games in a row, and they’re playing in their home state. I think all those games they lost in the non conference to quality teams will help them in this one.

12 Temple over 5 Michigan St.- the typical 5-12 upset here. Temple is a hot team right now, and Michigan St. is too up and down for me.

10 St. Mary’s over 7 Miami- this seems to be a popular pick. St. Mary’s collapsed in the WCC semi against San Diego, but they have a ton of talent. Miami is no slouch either. It should be a really good game, but I give the edge to the Gaels.

11 Baylor over 6 Purdue- I just don’t like the way the Boilermakers have been playing recently, losing to Ohio St. and Illinois down the stretch, and I’m not impressed with the Big Ten to begin with.

10 Arizona over 7 West Virginia- this seems an odd pick because WVU played well in the Big East tourney and Arizona has underachieved all year, but my gut just tells me that Zona’s talent will prevail.

Second Round:

5 Notre Dame over 4 Washington St.- I like the offense of the Irish to conquer the defense of the Cougars in a really good game. In the end Harangody will be too much inside.

6 USC over 3 Wisconsin- the Trojans have a load of talent, and they’ve started to put it together really well towards the latter part of the season. I like offense over defense again in this one, but don’t think the Trojans can’t play a little defense of their own.

5 Drake over 4 UCONN- Drake is a deceptively athletic, REALLY good shooting team. UCONN has beasts on the front line, but Drake kind of reminds me of an improved version of the old Butler teams, and I like them to win this one.

(*notice no Cinderella teams in the Sweet 16. That could be a mistake)

Sweet 16:

3 Louisville over 2 Tennessee- will be one of the best games of the tournament. Two teams that will press each other and grind each other all day long. Only difference is that one wants to use the press to slow the game down, and the other to push the score up. I think Louisville gets their style of play across, and gets the W.

3 Xavier over 2 Duke- Duke looked stellar all season long, but towards the end, their flaws started to show. They have no post presence, and they rely too much on the three. Xavier has guards who can match their talent and quickness on the perimeter, and I think they will exceed it in this game.

Elite 8:

2 Texas over 1 Memphis- Memphis really got unlucky with this draw. Play a loaded Texas team in Houston? That’s going to be too much for Calipari’s poor free-throw shooting Tigers. Texas’ shooters Augustin and Abrams gun-sling their way into the Final Four.

Final Four:

1 Kansas over 1 UNC- I think Kansas’ guards have the advantage over the guards of the Tar Heels because of their depth and defense. Their depth on the front line as well will eventually wear down Hansbrough and the Heels.

1 UCLA over 2 Texas- in a rematch of a game played earlier this season, the Bruins will get some revenge. This time, their defense will suffocate the Longhorns and Love is unmatched inside.

Championship:

1 Kansas over 1 UCLA- KU gets the nod this year. They are an extremely talented, balanced team, and if they stay committed on the defensive end, they will be national champs. The key will be to try and contain Love as best as possible, and they will do that just enough to win it all.

Good luck to everyone in their predictions and pools, unless you’re in one that I am in as well. I’m not saying to take my advice on the picks, because when the tourney rolls around, no one is an expert (And I was never an expert to begin with anyways).

Tourney

2008-03-16T17:57:00.000-04:00

Real quick before the selection show I'm going to list the bubble teams I think are in so I can take the glory when I get all the teams right.

Some of the bubble teams that are in:
Kentucky, Arkansas, St. Joe's, Texas A&M, Kansas St., South Alabama, St. Mary's

And the last four in:
Arizona, Arizona St., Oregon, Baylor

For me the last four slots were really close, and those four teams just edged out Villanova and Illinois St. After that was Dayton, UMass, and VCU.

People Are Dumb

2008-03-13T23:36:00.000-04:00

I just felt the urge to write this particular blog post because of some of the stupidity that is out there trying to judge this year’s bubble situation. I read the Bubble Watch article for today on ESPN.com and was amazed at the sheer lack of intelligence by this one fool wjg24 in his comment. Below are two segments of what he wrote.

· 2. I believe most of Kentucky's problems lie in their losses, not in their wins. The loss to San Diego looks significantly better now, but the Gardner-Webb game still shines awfully brightly in a lot of people's minds. They did a hell of a job in conference play, but 6-7 in non-conference when the schedule wasn't that rough (Louisville, UNC and Indiana were the beasts there) is a difficult thing to overcome. Just ask Temple. I think they're in easily, probably a six or a seven seed...but I've been wrong before.
· 4. ASU's non-conferece sked included Cal Poly, Princeton, Florida GC, Delaware State, Coppin State, Montana State, Idaho and St. Francis. Yes,they did beat down Xavier, but that's not much of a slate. UA, on the other hand, went to Kansas UNLV and Memphis. Granted, they also had Adams St and UMKC, but for the most part they made an attempt at a difficult sked, plus won 10 total games against the top 100, by far the most among teams on the bubble. Hell...a 3rd of their slate was against the top 100. UA's in, ASU needs a win.

I would like to apologize for putting the two preceding paragraphs in the blog, as they are offensive to any person with a spec of knowledge about college basketball. Let’s look at the first point, where the fan compares Kentucky’s non conference to Temple’s, and then declares the Owls are a lock for the tourney. Are you f***ing kidding me? Let’s take a look at Temple’s non conference losses: Duke, Tennessee, Florida, Villanova, Providence, Akron, and College of Charleston. Their best non conference win was over OHIO. They did beat Xavier in conference, and their next best wins are over fellow bubblers UMass and St. Joe’s while they lost to Dayton. So, I’m confused, what makes Temple “in easily,” as a “six or seven seed?” Granted Kentucky’s non conference was no gem either as they didn’t beat anyone, but they did beat Tennessee, Vandy, Florida, Mississippi, and Arkansas in conference. I’m not saying you can’t argue against Kentucky’s non conference schedule, but why do you do it with Temple? And why do you declare Temple easily in? It just pisses me off.

That first point was more of a personal argument/disagreement, but this second one is more general. In the second point I copied, the commenter truly displays his stupidity. He argues Arizona State’s non conference victories over those teams listed, and then follows that by stating Arizona’s trips to Kansas, UNLV, and Memphis. Well guess what, Arizona lost to Kansas and Memphis. That leaves UNLV as their victory. Tell me, which victory is better, Xavier or UNLV? Right, so how is this guy arguing for ‘Zona? Strength of schedule I believe is an extremely overrated tool for measuring a teams resume. He lists those teams that Arizona played, but the fact is they lost two of those games. The important stat is not the strength of the team’s you play, it’s the strength of the team’s you BEAT. The only time strength of team’s you play becomes a factor is if a team loses any of those cupcake games to teams they are supposed to beat. Otherwise, the only important thing is the teams you defeat. For example, give credit to Arizona for playing those teams, but the fact is their only victory of the three was over UNLV, and while Arizona St. beat a bunch of those cupcakes, they then beat Xavier. So, for that slate of games compared between the two teams, ASU has the advantage. It would be different if they lost to one of those cupcakes, but they didn’t. This genius also forgets to realize that ASU beat Arizona both times they played each other this year.

Sorry, I just read that comment and needed to get this off my chest. While I’m at it, I might as well take some time to wave goodbye to the following team’s NCAA Tournament hopes as they lost today and will join the company of Syracuse in the NIT. Adios Florida, UAB, Houston, Maryland, and Mississippi. And congratulations to these proceeding teams for stubbing their toe when they could’ve locked up a bid: Oregon, Arizona St., Baylor, UMass, Villanova, and Dayton. Now you will all have to sweat it out for the next three days when you could have avoided that with a win. Here's a question: who wants to be in the tourney?

Tell Me What I Need To Do

2008-03-11T01:07:00.001-04:00

The bubble situation is so complicated this year, I can’t give a Joe Lunardi-esque last four in, last four out type deal right now. Instead, here is a list of some major conference bubble teams and what they need to do in their league tournaments to guarantee a spot in the big dance (aside from winning it).

Virginia Tech, Maryland- Neither of these teams are in good shape, and Maryland especially has blown chances down the stretch to put themselves on the right side of the bubble. I believe anything less than making the conference title game will not be enough for either team.

Syracuse, Villanova- These two teams play each other in the first round of the Big East tournament in the 8-9 match up. It’s really more than that though. I think it’s a play-in game: winner goes dancing, loser to the NIT, and Villanova has much more at stake since their credentials aren’t as good as Syracuse’s, who would just get clipped if they lost.

Arizona, Arizona St., Oregon- for all these teams, a first round victory (which would be quarterfinal victory for Oregon and Arizona St.) should be enough to get them in, and would give the Pac-10 seven teams in. Arizona St. faces USC and Oregon faces Washington St., and a win in either of those would certainly ensure a trip to the dance, though losses could very well still see both teams in because of the quality of their opponents. Arizona absolutely has to beat the terrible Oregon St. Beavers who are winless in league play, or they’re done.

Texas A&M- as long as the Aggies get a victory over Iowa St. in the first round of the Big 12 tourney, they’ll get themselves into the NCAA Tournament. A loss will put them in trouble depending on how the other bubble teams fare.

Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida- the largest bubble of all the major conferences belongs to the SEC. Kentucky and Arkansas have first round byes, and I believe each have already played their way in. Arkansas looks like they’ll play Vandy in the quarters, so a loss wouldn’t be that damaging, though they can’t afford to lose to Auburn should they pull the upset. A win will guarantee Kentucky a spot, but they should be in already. Mississippi needs a victory over Georgia and then one over Kentucky to have a shot, but with a sub .500 conference record, they may have to win their semifinal match up as well. The same holds true for Florida if they beat Alabama and then Mississippi St., it may not be enough unless they make the final.

Ohio St.- I apologize for sticking a fork in the Buckeyes in my last post. I thought they were dead, and they were; I said they needed a miracle, and that miracle has 2/3 arrived. They beat Purdue and Michigan St. at home to finish 10-8 in the conference, and another win over Michigan St. at a neutral site in the Big Ten quarters will have Ohio St. dancing.

Massachusetts, Dayton, Temple, St. Joe’s- I don’t consider the A-10 a major conference team, though they have considerably large bubble as well. UMass has the strongest case and needs just a win in their quarterfinal game to guarantee a spot, although I think they'll be in either way. Dayton is a tough team to judge as they have dealt with many injury problems this year, and when they were healthy they did damage in the non conference. A first round win and then a win over Xavier would be huge, but I think Dayton needs to make the final to assure themselves a spot in the tourney. St. Joe’s has stumbled down the stretch, and because of the weakness of their draw in the conference tourney, they too will need to make the final. I believe Temple needs the same; an appearance in the conference title game.

In smaller conference news, a possible Conference USA semifinal match-up between Houston and UAB could be a play-in game, as well as one in the Mountain West between New Mexico and UNLV, though the latter two teams are in much better shape and have stronger cases than the former two.

Depending on what happens with all these bubble teams collectively, the requirements I give for each may not be necessary. Another determining factor will be whether or not the mid-major bubble teams take care of business in their conference tournaments. San Diego has already taken away an at-large bid by taking the WCC title from Saint Mary's and Gonzaga (who will both be in), as has South Alabama (most likely) by losing in the Sun Belt semis. Other mid-majors like VCU could fill up the bubble as well if they lose in their conference tournaments. One thing is for certain, and that is that nothing will be certain until the conference tournaments are done with. And probably not even then.

Bursting Bubbles

2008-03-02T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here’s a list of some teams who seemed to be on their way towards earning a spot on the dance floor, but now may find themselves a wallflower come selection Sunday.

Mississippi- the Rebels had a terrific non conference schedule where they went undefeated, beating the likes of South Alabama, Winthrop, New Mexico, and Clemson. They started the season 13-0, but much like Clemson last year, the Rebels could be another team to go deep into the season undefeated and then undo themselves in conference play. Mississippi is just 5-9 in the SEC and 19-9 overall, and while victories over Florida, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt help their cause, the Rebels lost too many games against poor teams near the bottom of the conference, and that's just not going to cut it.

Ohio St.- I think it’s finally time to say you can stick a fork in the Buckeyes. Ohio St. has to get credit for the non conference schedule they played against UNC, Butler, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, but not too much considering they lost all four of those games. They did beat two other bubble teams in Syracuse and Florida, but the problem for the Buckeyes is that that is as good as it gets. Ohio St. beat most of the people they were “supposed” to in the Big Ten, but none of the ones they weren’t. The Buckeyes have now lost four in a row and are a mere 8-8 in league play with Michigan St. and Purdue left. Simply put, Ohio St. needs a miracle.

Kansas St.- most people are blinded by the brilliance of Michael Beasley (which they should be), but don’t realize that Kansas St. has worked their way onto the bubble. The Wildcats are still 8-6 in what I believe to be an underrated Big 12, but they have lost five of six to drop to 18-10 overall. The only noteworthy victory the Wildcats have is over Kansas, which is a big note, and they have wins over Oklahoma and Texas A&M as well, but that is it. Kansas St. will need to win their last two games against Colorado and Iowa St. A falter in one of those games and the Wildcats could conceivably be on the outside looking in when all is said and done, barring a deep run in the conference tournament.

St. Joseph’s- Two weeks ago St. Joe’s was sitting in solid position for the NCAA tournament. The Red Hawks were 7-3 in the A-10, alone in second place, and 16-7 overall. When you are in the A-10, however, every game is precious, because every loss to a team like La Salle and Saint Louis hurts that much more, and that’s what happened to St. Joe’s. With those two losses, the Red Hawks are now tied for second in conference with Temple, and just half a game ahead of the next three teams. Now, St. Joe’s has Temple, Xavier, and Dayton, left, and a misstep (not Xavier) could cost them a trip to the dance.

Number one seeds for this week:

1-UNC
2-Memphis
3-UCLA
4-Tennessee

*Stats from ESPN.com

Walking In Memphis

2008-02-23T19:10:00.000-05:00

#1 vs. #2. In state-rivalry. Arguably the two most athletic and electric teams in the nation. There won’t be a bigger college basketball game this regular season than tonight when #2 Tennessee travels to the western part of the state to take on rival, #1 and undefeated Memphis. Three weeks ago I said that Memphis would prevail in this game, but a lot has changed since then. I’m not saying that my pick has changed too, but there are several factors that will play a big part in the outcome.

My one bone that I have to pick with Tennessee is their consistency, on both ends of the court. Offensively, the inconsistency lies with the 3-point shot. Tennessee lives and dies by it, and when they are on they are untouchable. When Tennessee is hitting their threes their offense is unstoppable, as they are fourth in the nation averaging 83.9 points per game and have scored over 90 points seven times, eclipsing the century mark three times. In games where they struggle with the three point shot, their offense hits lulls occasionally and their games are much closer. The two games that stand out in my mind was the 104-82 victory over Florida in which they caught fire, followed by a 47-45 win over LSU where, well, the numbers speak for themselves.

The bigger concern is on the defensive end. Tennessee’s full court pressure is probably the best in the nation and frustrates offenses to no end. It allows the Volunteers to average 10 steals a game, which lead to easy buckets. The half court defense is another story. At times it almost looks as if Tennessee gets tired on defense and lets the other team score simply so they can go back on offense. But then again, maybe the LSU game does say something about the Tennessee defense. They didn’t let there offensive woes get in the way of earning a victory through their defense, and that says something about how far the Volunteers have come.

Memphis is undefeated, but they are not perfect. The Tigers have a lot of their own issues to worry about that they need to resolve. The one big, glaring discrepancy is at the charity stripe. At 58%, Memphis is near the bottom of Division I. Memphis has beaten a lot of very good basketball teams, but has had trouble against some Conference USA foes including a 1-point escape at UAB where they probably should have lost. Overall Memphis hasn’t been playing the same type of quality ball they were a month ago, and now they face off against maybe the one team that can match their athleticism. With a dangerous opponent like Tennessee that can score in a hurry and go on spurts with that full court pressure, I think that inability to capitalize on the freebies could finally come back to haunt the Tigers. The home-cooking is a great equalizer, but I’m still going to go against my previous pick from three weeks ago and take Tennessee in the best game of the year.

*Stats from ESPN.com

Who's HOT, Who's Not

2008-02-19T00:44:00.000-05:00

HOT

I’m going to skip some of the obvious teams at the top like Memphis, Tennessee, UNC etc. and focus more on the teams up and coming. I’ll also skip UConn since I covered them in my last post.

TEXAS- The Longhorns have won 9 of their last 10 games, all coming in conference play, including a 3 point win over #3 Kansas at home. While some of those games were closer than they should’ve been (2 points over Colorado and Oklahoma St., overtime over Iowa St.) Texas just continues to win, led by super sophomore D.J. Augustin. With only one truly tough game left at Kansas St., Texas should continue this hot streak into the Big XII tourney, which they have a great shot at entering as the #1 seed.

BUTLER- Just win baby. That’s what the Bulldogs have been doing. They’re 13-2 in the underrated Horizon League and 24-2 over all, and they’ve creeped all the way up to #8 in the polls. It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Bulldogs have taken care of business. A Horizon League tournament championship should have Butler in store for a favorable seed come March.

PURDUE- The surprising leaders of the Big Ten have been virtually unbeatable at home this year, at literally so in conference play (7-0). They have also proven they can win anywhere with their victory in Madison over Wisconsin where almost nobody walks in and beats Bo Ryan’s Badgers. Matt Painter has does a great job with this young team and their 12-1 mark in the Big Ten is as impressive a mark as any other major conference team has achieved this year.

LOUISVILLE- They are finally healthy and finally playing ball the way people were expecting them to. David Padgett has returned and the Cardinals have won 8 of 9, with that lone loss being by 2 points at UConn in a game where the Cardinals did not play their best. One of those victories was over #6 Georgetown at home, where the Cardinals defense put on a show giving up only 51 points. It has been the defense that Pitino's Louisville squad has been playing that has been the key to their success, as during this 9 game run they’ve given up only 59 points a contest. O yeah, and they’re first in the mighty Big East.

Not

Texas A&M- The Aggies have gone 5-5 since starting the season 15-1. While they did get those 5 wins consecutively, they were sandwiched between 3-game and 2-game skids, respectively. Some losses in conference were to teams that aren’t bad, but teams they probably should’ve beat in Texas Tech, Baylor, and Oklahoma St. have the Aggies at 6-5 in conference. This is good enough for 4th right now, but it’s only two games away from tenth. If they’re going to get back on the right track, A&M is going to have to be more consistent offensively.

Michigan St.- Tom Izzo’s bunch has dropped from first to fourth in the Big Ten in the last few weeks. After starting conference play 7-1 the Spartans have lost 3 of 4 and find themselves 3 ½ back of Purdue. The loss at Purdue was not that big of a shock, but a blowout at Indiana was not expected. Needless to say, the loss at Penn St. was a demoralizing one and it seems to have made an impact as that loss started the slide.

Arizona- Coach Kevin O’Neill has done a terrific job filling in for Lute Olsen this year, but the Wildcats are beginning to enter the danger zone. 3 losses in their last 4 games put the ‘Catz at 6-6 in the Pac-10 and 16-9 overall. Arizona has 6 games left, 3 of which are against Washington St., UCLA, and USC. It will be tough for Arizona to get in with a 9-9 record in conference and 12 losses overall unless they do damage in the Pac-10 tourney. To be safe they’ll need to take care of business in their other 3 games and win against one of those teams I mentioned, otherwise they’ll be cutting their tourney chances close.

*Stats from ESPN.com

UConn's Resurgence

2008-02-13T22:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the time off between posts, it’s been a busy week. I know I’ve disappointed millions of fans.

After the first 16 games of the season, the UConn Huskies sat at a respectful 11-5, but it wasn’t as respectful as it sounds. UConn played a weak non-conference schedule and lost to the only tough teams they played; Memphis and Gonzaga. In fact, their most notable non-conference victories were over Gardner-Webb, who they beat twice, and that is only notable because of GWU’s early-season stunner over Kentucky. So even with a decent record, UConn was expected to hit some hard times entering Big East play, and they did. They had a 9-2 non-conference record, and then started 2-3 in the Big East leading them to that 11-5 record. That’s when things began to turn around for Husky nation.

The hot streak actually started on a cold note, when UConn lost guards Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins, both intricate and valuable players for the Huskies, due to an off the court legal incident. It’s safe to say that the result was a lot better than anticipated. UConn has gone 8-0 (including the win over Notre Dame tonight) since that 11-5 mark, with 6 of those wins coming in Big East play and 5 over top 25 teams. They also got a huge non-conference win over what was a top ten team at the time in Indiana, and now UConn is one of, if not the hottest team in the country.

While the loss of Dyson (Wiggins has since returned) has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, his return will only help the Huskies maintain their scolding temperature. The biggest reason for their success, however, has been to giant 7’3” Hasheem Thabeet. Literally before our eyes, Thabeet has turned from a somewhat uncoordinated, take-up-a-lot-of-space kind of big man who can’t really do too much on offense, to a legitimate threat on both ends of the court. Thabeet is averaging 11.2 points per game and 7.5 boards, but the most crucial stat is his 4.0 blocks per game, which is third in the nation. And while there are two people ahead of him in this category, believe me that there is no one more valuable in middle on defense. The number of shots Thabeet alters and empty possessions he yields for opponents are too many to be counted. There’s no reason why UConn will not continue this torrid pace into March.

Like I said, I will post my four #1 seeds about once a week, and here are mine for this week:

1-Memphis
2-Duke
3-Kansas
4-UCLA

I still have to put Kansas and UCLA ahead of Tennessee despite both teams losing this week. I just think they are more stable, solid teams all-around.

*Stats from ESPN.com

Why Duke will beat UNC

2008-02-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

I’m here to give a couple reasons why Duke WILL beat UNC in Chapel Hill tonight. Both of the reasons have to do with the fact that Tar Heel point guard Ty Lawson will most likely not be able to play, and even if he does, no one could ever convince me he will be near 100%. Still, I felt it necessary to separate the reasons. Let’s begin.

Tempo- North Carolina is a team that thrives on getting up and down the court, getting as many possessions per game as possible, and running the opponent into the ground. The magic key that enables the Heels to do this, of course, is Ty Lawson. If he is unable to give it a go, UNC’s style will be severely hampered. Backup Quentin Thomas is not a bad player, but the shoes he’ll be trying to fill will be much bigger than he can handle. Lawson’s speed, handle, vision, and ability to make things happen in the open court are nearly unrivaled. North Carolina is second in the nation averaging 91.0 points per game, but without the head, their offense will struggle to accommodate. Another problem: Duke is right behind them at third in the nation in scoring with 85.7 points per game.

Pressure-While the Tar Heels won’t be able to replace the 5.7 assists per game they’ll be missing, their bigger problem will be with Duke’s pressure. Duke is a team that prides itself on its defensive pressure, and in-your-face style that tires the offense out and forces turnovers. In a year where Duke is scoring a lot of points, it is still the job they’re getting done on the defensive end that is allowing them to create turnovers which lead to easy baskets. Without Lawson to handle to Blue Devil pressure and keep Carolina steady, Duke is going to be able to pressure the ball, get out in the passing lanes and force turnovers.

The one area where the Heels still have an advantage over Duke is on the boards. Hansbrough will dominate the glass and should be able to have his way down low with the undersized Blue Devils and get to the free throw line as he’s done all season. The one game Duke lost was against a bigger, more physical Pittsburgh team, but they’ve beaten plenty of other bigger teams this season, and I think they will do it again tonight.

*stats from ESPN.com

Calling It A Knight

2008-02-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest shocks of the college basketball season comes the day after one of the biggest shocks in football history. I like to think Knight resigned as head coach of Texas Tech to try and lure media attention away from the Patriots’ loss (can you still tell I’m crying myself to sleep over it?) Whatever Knight’s reason for resigning is, you can’t help but question his timing. Why in the middle of the season, with ten games remaining on the Red Raiders schedule? It doesn’t seem like Bobby Knight to not finish what he started. Some could question his age, where at 67 he’s getting up there and it’s not like he can coach forever. Others can say he did it to move over and make way so that the reigns could be handed over to his son Pat, who will serve as head coach for Texas Tech for at least the remainder of the season. Neither of these reasons for resigning explain why he did so in the middle of the season. The timing would suggest that Knight was after the 900 win plateau, but everyone knows he doesn’t care about that. Again, it seems un-Knight-like to seemingly abandon his team in mid-season, but he left them in good hands, and then again, it was never really Knight’s style to do anything that the media would consider “appropriate.”

To me it is almost certain that the way Knight went out indicates that he is done coaching. It’s over for him. He is clearly ready to move on to the next phase of his life, and all that is left of his coaching career is its legacy. And his legacy is undeniable. Knight leaves the game the all-time leading coach in men's Division I victories with 902, and he did so with three different teams; Army, Indiana, and Texas Tech. He won three NCAA Championships, all with Indiana, in 1976, 1981, and 1987, according to ESPN.com, and that 1976 Hoosier team was the last Division I men's team to complete a season undefeated. Despite all these accolades, Knight will be more known for his actions than his success. All his collisions with the media, tossing a chair across the court in the middle of a game, and allegedly choking a player all come to mind before his numbers do. The thing that remains constant about Knight, and what I love about him, is that he just doesn’t care. I don’t think he ultimately cares about his legacy or how the media portrays him, but there are enough people out there who support him and will not leave his legacy tarnished, and rightfully so. He leaves the game as one of the best coaches of all time, and probably the most talked about and famous...or infamous.

*I will address comments/questions on the comments page for each post

Who is the real Kansas St.?

2008-02-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday has finally arrived. The underdog Giants take on the seemingly invincible Patriots as they try to complete an undefeated season. The Boston/New York rivalry has crossed over sports into football, and I am right in the middle of it at Quinnipiac University. I can’t think of a better time to discuss…college basketball.

The big story of the week was the game that took place in Manhattan, KS where freshman star Michael Beasley led Kansas State to a victory over #2 Kansas. It had been over twenty-four years since K-St. last beat Kansas at home, and they did so over a 20-0 team, one of only two undefeated teams left along with Memphis. It had finally seemed like K-St. was coming along and developing into a formidable team after an early season loss to George Mason and then back-to-back losses to Oregon and Notre Dame. The victory enabled the Wildcats to leap to the top of the Big 12 standings. Then came Saturday.

Kansas St. lost at Missouri by 3, and questions about who exactly the Wildcats were began to arise. Were they a team that was developing into a title contending threat with a freshman leader, the way Durant carried Texas into a dangerous tourney team last year? It seemed so after blowing out Texas A&M and then beating KU at home, but the loss to Missouri keeps their status uncertain. It could be just a letdown, but either way it is hard to get a read on where this team is going to be at the end of the season. Having a freshman in Beasley who averages 25 points and 12 boards a game doesn’t hurt; his only competition for freshman of the year will be O.J. Mayo. Only time will tell whether Huggins left his imprint on this team.

KU’s loss leaves only a single undefeated team in the nation, the #1 ranked Memphis Tigers. The fact that they’ve entered conference play in the powerhouse Conference USA (joke) means Memphis is one step away from finishing the season undefeated, with that lone step being a battle with Tennessee. Despite the weak conference schedule, Memphis depth of talent is undeniable and they played a nonconference schedule that is getting stronger by the day; wins over Oklahoma, Arizona, USC, Georgetown, and Gonzaga. I think the home court advantage will get them by a Tennessee team that is one of the few who can come close to matching the Tigers talent level. Both teams have been solid defensively, but with that much talent on the court the game is certain to be a barn-burner.

I’ll end my blogs by giving for 4 number one seeds for the tourney according to me that week. This week:

1-Memphis
2-Kansas
3-Duke
4-UCLA

Send in your comments and questions.