For the NCAA Tournament, I've decided to try out something new. Here are a few things I'm sure of heading into the tournament and things that you should pay attention to when filling out your bracket in hopes of finally winning the office pool this year.
...all four #1 seeds will make the Elite Eight. The toughest competition faced by any #1 seed this year will be by North Carolina. They would be facing the winner of Indiana/Arkansas and possibly Winthrop, Notre Dame, or Washington State. Nonetheless, there is a very slim chance that they will lose to any of those teams. In your bracket, I suggest placing every team seeded #1 in the quarterfinals.
...there will be more 6-11 upsets than there will be 5-12 upsets. Surprisingly, for the first time ever, I did not pick one 12 seed to advance past the first round. Led by Luke Harangody, Notre Dame is a fairly safe bet to advance past George Mason. Villanova doesn't have much of a chance against Clemson, in my opinion, either. The Tigers are more like a 4 seed than a 5 to me. In the next, Michigan State has an experienced coach who knows how to win in March. Finally, underrated Drake is playing a not-so-talented team in Western Kentucky.
On the other hand, the 6-11 upsets are plentiful this year. In the East, I'm picking St. Joe's, a team that just upset #3-seeded Xavier, over Oklahoma. In the Midwest, I'll take Kansas State over USC any day. Michael Beasley will get at least one NCAA tournament victory before the NBA. Lastly, in the West I took Baylor over Purdue. The Bears have been very streaky this year and I think they have this one against the Boilermakers.
...neither Washington State nor Vanderbilt will make it to the Sweet 16. WSU is usually a tough matchup for teams who cannot adapt to their style of play. Their first round opponent, Winthrop, plays a similar style and will have no trouble giving them a run for their money. Suppose they do pull out a win over Winthrop, Wazzou State will then most likely face Notre Dame. Two tough games in three days? I doubt they win both.
Next, I am confused as to why people think Vanderbilt will do well in the tournament. Look at all their marquee wins and everything; it was all done at home. They CANNOT win on the road. Yes, they are 19-0 at home. However, they are 5-7 on the road. Memorial Gym is obviously quite the advantage for the Commodores. Too bad they can't play their tournament games there.
...neither Duke nor North Carolina will make the National Championship game. I have both teams bowing out in the Elite Eight, but neither will even make it to the title game for a couple reasons. For the Blue Devils, they rely too heavily on the three-point shot. The Clemson game proved they won't win if they don't shoot well from deep. "Live by the three; die by the three." UNC, however, has too much hype and is in an extremely tough bracket. Games against Indiana, Winthrop/Notre Dame, and Louisville/Tennessee make it nearly impossible for the Heels to survive it all.
...Big East teams will contribute to AT LEAST 1/4 of all the teams in the Sweet 16. In my bracket, I have Louisville, Georgetown, Pitt, and Marquette making it to the second weekend of play. Some would argue having Notre Dame or UConn in there as well. My advice is this: if you're filling out a bracket, make sure you have at least 4 Big East teams in the Sweet 16. It will happen. Mark my words.
...the Pac-10 will not have more than one team represented in the Sweet 16. That one team I am referring to is UCLA. Washington State, USC, Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona will all get knocked out in the first two rounds. Of those five teams, I only have Stanford and Oregon winning in the first round. The Pac-10 is strong, but the matchups they got for the tournament weren't the best. All five of those teams excluding Stanford have tough first round opponents.
...UCLA will win the West. In the weakest region, the best team in the tournament will win it. Their second round game may be their toughest as they play a resilient BYU squad that gave North Carolina a good game earlier in the year. However, after that the Bruins face either Drake or UConn and either Xavier or Duke. I don't see any of those teams winning against them. Add to all of that the fact that they won't have to leave their home state of California until the Final Four and it seems as if you can't pick against them.
Anyway, I think I've had enough of making predictions that will undoubtedly help you win the pool so I'll move on to MY bracket.
Elite Eight Picks-
East: #2 Tennessee over #1 North Carolina
Midwest: #3 Wisconsin over #1 Kansas
South: #1 Memphis over #2 Texas
West: #1 UCLA over #2 Duke
Final Four Picks-
#2 Tennessee over #3 Wisconsin
#1 UCLA over #1 Memphis
National Championship Pick-
UCLA 67, Tennessee 60
There you have it. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and I hope that it helps you when you're filling out your bracket. Also, it helps to not be a homer at all. If you're not, it only betters your chance of taking home the big money. Have a good time watching the games tomorrow!
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Showing posts with label Michigan State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan State. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Game-Planning 12
College basketball has been interesting to say the least since my last Game-Planning blog was posted. Duke defeated a North Carolina team that was obviously hurting with the loss of Ty Lawson. Indiana edged out Illinois in double overtime. Louisville defeated highly-ranked Georgetown in a very entertaining matchup. More recently, Texas upset Kansas in a battle between two ranked teams.
I was sick on Tuesday; I'm sure I wasn't the only one either. That night was spent watching the games on ESPN. I had the pleasure of watching Purdue upset Michigan State. What surprised me most about this was the Boilermakers' stifling man-to-man defense they played. In fact, they held Drew Neitzel without a field goal until late in the second half. I then proceeded to watch Vanderbilt put a nice thumping on Kentucky. I was, to say the least, very impressed with A.J. Ogilvy not only on the offensive end but also with his defense on Patrick Patterson.
Also, I'd like to express my deep concern for North Carolina. They have had 57 turnovers in their last three games and only 47 assists. Quentin Thomas is obviously hurting the Tar Heels out there and Lawson must come back soon if UNC wants to win the ACC this season. They only beat Virginia by one point the other night and had another scary outing against Clemson on Sunday.
1st Quarter- #11 Texas at Baylor
In my opinion, this game could be the most exciting one all week. I'm almost beside myself as to which team I should choose as the winner. Obviously, the Longhorns are the favorite but any diehard college hoops fan will tell you that Baylor is definitely one of the best unranked teams in the nation this year. They are led by Curtis Jerrells (15 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) and Kevin Rogers (12 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast) who are only two of the five Baylor players averaging at least eleven points per game. The Bears have posted nice wins over Winthrop, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M (in 5OT).
Texas is led by D.J. Augustin (19 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast), A.J. Abrams (18 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), and Damion James (13 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast). Last time these two teams met, the Longhorns won 80-72 in Austin. In that meeting, Baylor shot a paltry 32% from deep while Texas was shooting 43% from that same distance. The Bears are a much better free throw shooting team and are one of the most well-conditioned teams in the nation though.
That is only part of the reason as to why I am picking Baylor to win. The other would be the fact that Augustin is in a shooting slump right now and appears to be trying to do too much as far as penetrating the lane goes. You can watch this game Saturday, February 16th at 6pm eastern time on ESPN. You should expect this game to be up and down the court with the final score at least making it to the 70s.
2nd Quarter- #10 Michigan State at #13 Indiana
I love two matchups in this game. Eric Gordon vs. Drew Neitzel and D.J. White vs. Raymar Morgan. Gordon (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and White (18 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast) lead the 20-3 Hoosiers. Michigan State is led by Morgan (16 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Neitzel (14 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast). The Spartans are coming off a loss to Purdue and should respond with an intensity that Indiana will have trouble matching.
This game could very well come down to the role players. The Spartans had to rely heavily on Kalin Lucas (10 pts, 4 ast) when things weren't going right in the first half against the Boilermakers. They will also have to depend heavily on the rebounding of Goran Suton (9 pts, 8 reb). Jordan Crawford (11 pts) and Armon Bassett (10 pts) will have to have decent games and Jamarcus Ellis's (8 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast) all-around game could be the difference-maker.
I seriously doubt that Indiana will wreak havoc on defense the way Purdue did. Michigan State will be able to get Neitzel open looks and the inside will open up for Morgan. The Spartans will win over Indiana. You can tune in to watch this game Saturday, February 16th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Halftime Show
Who is the best point guard in America? To me, this comes down to about six or seven players who have proved that they are the elite of point guards today in college. The first two that come to mind are D.J. Augustin (19 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) of Texas and Jamont Gordon (18 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) of Mississippi State. Next would be UNC's Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast), Memphis's Derrick Rose (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and UCLA's Darren Collison (14 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). The last couple would have to be between Sean Singletary (19 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast), Tyrese Rice (20 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast), and Mike Green (15 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast).
For me to rank those point guards would be nearly impossible. However, I will tell you that, if not for the Iowa State game, Augustin would definitely be my choice. Lawson's injury surely hurts his chances as well. Sadly, not a one of these guys even compares to Gary Payton's last season at Oregon State in which he finished with averages of 26 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Here's a little chart for you that compares the top three:
D.J. Augustin -- 19.3 ppg - 5.8 apg - 2.7 TO/g - 1.3 spg - 43% FG - 43 3PM
Jamont Gordon -- 18.1 ppg - 4.7 apg - 3.7 TO/g - 1.1 spg - 45% FG - 43 3PM
Ty Lawson -- 13.6 ppg - 5.7 apg - 2.3 TO/g - 1.9 spg - 54% FG - 20 3PM
Gordon's high turnover rate and low (compared to the other two) assists average has me putting him at #3. Lawson's somewhat low points per game average and lack of perimeter shooting has me putting him at #2. Obviously, that leaves Augustin at #1 who, despite his recent shooting slump, is still the best point guard in the nation. He's a good shooter and, like other good shooters, he will get out of this slump eventually. My decision in putting him #1 was also helped by Texas's upsetting of Kansas on Monday night.
3rd Quarter- #6 UCLA at USC
Ahh yes, the crosstown rivalry. The University of Southern California versus the University of California-Los Angeles. This will be a matchup of two fabulous freshmen: Kevin Love of the Bruins and OJ Mayo of the Trojans. In my humble opinion, Love is twice the athlete and, more importantly, person than OJ is. UCLA is coming off a devastating loss to Washington and should come out with a high intensity level in this one. They are led by Love (18 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) down low while Josh Shipp (14 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), Darren Collison (14 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), and Russell Westbrook (12 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast) control the backcourt.
USC, on the other hand, is led by Mayo (20 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), Davon Jefferson (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), and Taj Gibson (10 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast). They, too, are coming off a loss to Washington State, in which they got their asses handed to them in losing by 24 points! In the first meeting between these teams, USC defeated UCLA 72-63. Davon Jefferson had an amazing game with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Kevin Love wasn't too shabby either with 18 points and 12 rebounds. What lost the game for the Bruins was simply poor shooting. They shot 33% from the field while USC was making 61% of their attempts.
I seriously doubt USC will ever be able to shoot near 60% against UCLA. Therefore, I am picking UCLA to win by about 8-12 points. I expect this game to be filled with tension and intensity. You can tune in to watch Sunday, February 17th at 10pm eastern time on FSN. The good news is (for all you East Coasters) you can stay up late and watch since there is no school on Monday for Presidents' Weekend.
4th Quarter- #19 Purdue at #13 Indiana
The Hoosiers are 1-2 against ranked teams this year. The lone team they beat, Southern Illinois, is no longer ranked. They have lost to Wisconsin twice when the Badgers were ranked 13th and 14th. My first prediction for the game is this: Eric Gordon will not score 15 points. That has only been done twice this season in games that Gordon has played more than twelve minutes. The Purdue defense will completely stifle Indiana, similar to what they did to Michigan State in that upset earlier this week.
Indiana is led by Gordon (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and D.J. White (18 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast). They have four players averaging in double figures for points. The Boilermakers, however, are led by the two freshmen, Robbie Hummel (11 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast) and E'Twaun Moore (11 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast). Keaton Grant (11 pts) should also be a scoring threat for Purdue.
Purdue has only been involved in one conference game that reached the eighties in scoring this year. Don't expect for this one to be extremely high-scoring. In fact, in their three wins over ranked opponents they only average 64 points per game. Purdue's 10-game winning streak will remain alive as they will defeat Indiana. The game can be viewed Tuesday, February 19th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Postgame Video Vault
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Poll Result- 50% of the voters believe that Baylor is the best unranked team in the country while the other 50% think Louisville is the best. Do you agree?
I was sick on Tuesday; I'm sure I wasn't the only one either. That night was spent watching the games on ESPN. I had the pleasure of watching Purdue upset Michigan State. What surprised me most about this was the Boilermakers' stifling man-to-man defense they played. In fact, they held Drew Neitzel without a field goal until late in the second half. I then proceeded to watch Vanderbilt put a nice thumping on Kentucky. I was, to say the least, very impressed with A.J. Ogilvy not only on the offensive end but also with his defense on Patrick Patterson.
Also, I'd like to express my deep concern for North Carolina. They have had 57 turnovers in their last three games and only 47 assists. Quentin Thomas is obviously hurting the Tar Heels out there and Lawson must come back soon if UNC wants to win the ACC this season. They only beat Virginia by one point the other night and had another scary outing against Clemson on Sunday.
1st Quarter- #11 Texas at Baylor
In my opinion, this game could be the most exciting one all week. I'm almost beside myself as to which team I should choose as the winner. Obviously, the Longhorns are the favorite but any diehard college hoops fan will tell you that Baylor is definitely one of the best unranked teams in the nation this year. They are led by Curtis Jerrells (15 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) and Kevin Rogers (12 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast) who are only two of the five Baylor players averaging at least eleven points per game. The Bears have posted nice wins over Winthrop, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M (in 5OT).
Texas is led by D.J. Augustin (19 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast), A.J. Abrams (18 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), and Damion James (13 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast). Last time these two teams met, the Longhorns won 80-72 in Austin. In that meeting, Baylor shot a paltry 32% from deep while Texas was shooting 43% from that same distance. The Bears are a much better free throw shooting team and are one of the most well-conditioned teams in the nation though.
That is only part of the reason as to why I am picking Baylor to win. The other would be the fact that Augustin is in a shooting slump right now and appears to be trying to do too much as far as penetrating the lane goes. You can watch this game Saturday, February 16th at 6pm eastern time on ESPN. You should expect this game to be up and down the court with the final score at least making it to the 70s.
2nd Quarter- #10 Michigan State at #13 Indiana
I love two matchups in this game. Eric Gordon vs. Drew Neitzel and D.J. White vs. Raymar Morgan. Gordon (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and White (18 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast) lead the 20-3 Hoosiers. Michigan State is led by Morgan (16 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Neitzel (14 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast). The Spartans are coming off a loss to Purdue and should respond with an intensity that Indiana will have trouble matching.
This game could very well come down to the role players. The Spartans had to rely heavily on Kalin Lucas (10 pts, 4 ast) when things weren't going right in the first half against the Boilermakers. They will also have to depend heavily on the rebounding of Goran Suton (9 pts, 8 reb). Jordan Crawford (11 pts) and Armon Bassett (10 pts) will have to have decent games and Jamarcus Ellis's (8 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast) all-around game could be the difference-maker.
I seriously doubt that Indiana will wreak havoc on defense the way Purdue did. Michigan State will be able to get Neitzel open looks and the inside will open up for Morgan. The Spartans will win over Indiana. You can tune in to watch this game Saturday, February 16th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Halftime Show
Who is the best point guard in America? To me, this comes down to about six or seven players who have proved that they are the elite of point guards today in college. The first two that come to mind are D.J. Augustin (19 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) of Texas and Jamont Gordon (18 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) of Mississippi State. Next would be UNC's Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast), Memphis's Derrick Rose (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and UCLA's Darren Collison (14 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). The last couple would have to be between Sean Singletary (19 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast), Tyrese Rice (20 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast), and Mike Green (15 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast).
For me to rank those point guards would be nearly impossible. However, I will tell you that, if not for the Iowa State game, Augustin would definitely be my choice. Lawson's injury surely hurts his chances as well. Sadly, not a one of these guys even compares to Gary Payton's last season at Oregon State in which he finished with averages of 26 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Here's a little chart for you that compares the top three:
D.J. Augustin -- 19.3 ppg - 5.8 apg - 2.7 TO/g - 1.3 spg - 43% FG - 43 3PM
Jamont Gordon -- 18.1 ppg - 4.7 apg - 3.7 TO/g - 1.1 spg - 45% FG - 43 3PM
Ty Lawson -- 13.6 ppg - 5.7 apg - 2.3 TO/g - 1.9 spg - 54% FG - 20 3PM
Gordon's high turnover rate and low (compared to the other two) assists average has me putting him at #3. Lawson's somewhat low points per game average and lack of perimeter shooting has me putting him at #2. Obviously, that leaves Augustin at #1 who, despite his recent shooting slump, is still the best point guard in the nation. He's a good shooter and, like other good shooters, he will get out of this slump eventually. My decision in putting him #1 was also helped by Texas's upsetting of Kansas on Monday night.
3rd Quarter- #6 UCLA at USC
Ahh yes, the crosstown rivalry. The University of Southern California versus the University of California-Los Angeles. This will be a matchup of two fabulous freshmen: Kevin Love of the Bruins and OJ Mayo of the Trojans. In my humble opinion, Love is twice the athlete and, more importantly, person than OJ is. UCLA is coming off a devastating loss to Washington and should come out with a high intensity level in this one. They are led by Love (18 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) down low while Josh Shipp (14 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), Darren Collison (14 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), and Russell Westbrook (12 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast) control the backcourt.
USC, on the other hand, is led by Mayo (20 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), Davon Jefferson (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), and Taj Gibson (10 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast). They, too, are coming off a loss to Washington State, in which they got their asses handed to them in losing by 24 points! In the first meeting between these teams, USC defeated UCLA 72-63. Davon Jefferson had an amazing game with 25 points and 9 rebounds. Kevin Love wasn't too shabby either with 18 points and 12 rebounds. What lost the game for the Bruins was simply poor shooting. They shot 33% from the field while USC was making 61% of their attempts.
I seriously doubt USC will ever be able to shoot near 60% against UCLA. Therefore, I am picking UCLA to win by about 8-12 points. I expect this game to be filled with tension and intensity. You can tune in to watch Sunday, February 17th at 10pm eastern time on FSN. The good news is (for all you East Coasters) you can stay up late and watch since there is no school on Monday for Presidents' Weekend.
4th Quarter- #19 Purdue at #13 Indiana
The Hoosiers are 1-2 against ranked teams this year. The lone team they beat, Southern Illinois, is no longer ranked. They have lost to Wisconsin twice when the Badgers were ranked 13th and 14th. My first prediction for the game is this: Eric Gordon will not score 15 points. That has only been done twice this season in games that Gordon has played more than twelve minutes. The Purdue defense will completely stifle Indiana, similar to what they did to Michigan State in that upset earlier this week.
Indiana is led by Gordon (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and D.J. White (18 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast). They have four players averaging in double figures for points. The Boilermakers, however, are led by the two freshmen, Robbie Hummel (11 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast) and E'Twaun Moore (11 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast). Keaton Grant (11 pts) should also be a scoring threat for Purdue.
Purdue has only been involved in one conference game that reached the eighties in scoring this year. Don't expect for this one to be extremely high-scoring. In fact, in their three wins over ranked opponents they only average 64 points per game. Purdue's 10-game winning streak will remain alive as they will defeat Indiana. The game can be viewed Tuesday, February 19th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Postgame Video Vault
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Poll Result- 50% of the voters believe that Baylor is the best unranked team in the country while the other 50% think Louisville is the best. Do you agree?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Game-Planning 8: Midterm Edition
I know that a lot of the people reading this blog are current students so I will not disappoint and will aptly name this the Midterm Edition of Game-Planning. Yeah, I know all of you nerds (shout out to chrono) are exempt but I don't want to hear it. After you're done reading this blog, you should go hit the books. Admit it, you are amidst the wonderful procrastination stage of your studying for exams. Anyways, I don't want to get in the way of the process so I'll just start the part of the blog people like to read.
1st Quarter- NC State at North Carolina
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: The favorite will win this game, but not by as big a margin as many are predicting. This will be a very close game. The Wolfpack are 11-3 currently and are led by freshman J.J. Hickson (17 pts, 8 reb), senior Gavin Grant (14 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), and sophomore Brandon Costner (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). They defeated a tough Villanova team on the road and took down mid-major Davidson by one point at home. Embarrassing are their losses to New Orleans and East Carolina. NC State shoots a below average 30% from deep, 71% from the charity stripe, and 46% from the field. Being led by a freshman to go up against the #1 team in the country doesn't sound all that good to me, which is why I chose UNC to win this one. The Tar Heels are an undefeated 16-0 (coincidence with the Patriots record, I swear) and are #1 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. They're led by Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb), Wayne Ellington (18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast). Sadly (or joyously for Duke fans), they've been stumbling as of late. After leaving the state of South Carolina with a not-so-convincing victory over Clemson, UNC proceeded to defeat North Carolina-Asheville...by only twelve points.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 12th on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Washington St. at UCLA
Winner: UCLA
Why They'll Win: Washington State, in my opinion, is the most overrated team in the top ten and this game will prove that. I'm saying the Bruins will take this game by a minimum of 12 points. The Cougars are led by Derrick Low (13 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Aron Baynes (12 pts, 7 reb). Their "big" notable win? That would be their win over Gonzaga. They've had close games with Air Force, Baylor, and Washington. Washington State shoots 34% from long range, 77% from the free throw line, and 50% from the field. UCLA, however, is one of the better teams in the country and is poised to make a deep run come tourney time. They're led by freshman sensation Kevin Love (17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast), Josh Shipp (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Darren Collison (12 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). They have impressive wins over Stanford, Davidson, Michigan State, and Maryland. Their only loss came at the hands of Texas on a last second lay-up.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 12th on FSN at 2:30pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
In the new power rankings by Luke Winn of SI.com, he put Memphis first, North Carolina second, and Kansas third. For RIGHT NOW, there couldn't be a more perfect top three. He definitely hit the nail on the head. However, I do think he has Tennessee a bit too high at number four, but I digress...
CollegeHoops.net's Hot Topic of the Week: The top fifteen in the nation is what has this particular message board buzzing as if it's a bee's nest in the summer. The person who posted had Kansas first, UCLA second, Memphis third, and UNC fourth. Some other interesting choices were Xavier at 9 and West Virginia at 15, both of which I think are too high for them as of now. I would like to hear your opinion on it.
My next topic of discussion has absolutely nothing to do with today's college basketball. Instead, we're going back a few years to talk about the greatest in history. (Author's Note: Special thanks to Andy Katz for helping me with this topic.) I will attempt to countdown the top three. This is very tough to try and put these in any order but here goes:
3. Lew Alcindor, UCLA, 66-67; 29 ppg on way to 30-0 record.
2. Pete Maravich, LSU, 69-70; 44.5 ppg while shattering scoring record.
1. Oscar Robertson, Cincy, 57-58; 35.1 ppg and 15.2 rpg made this year remarkable.
3rd Quarter- Georgetown at Pitt
Winner: Georgetown
Why They'll Win: You may know me to be not the biggest fan of the Hoyas this season if you've read any of my previous posts. However, they're facing a Pitt team that has lost two of their last four games after losing players to injuries. G'Town is 12-1 right now and are led by Roy Hibbert (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), DaJuan Summers (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Jonathan Wallace (11 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast). The Hoyas do not have really a big win on their schedule (in fact, they don't have a win against an opponent that is currently ranked) and this is their best opportunity. The Panthers shoot 35% from deep, 71% from the line, and 47% from the field. They're led by Sam Young (18 pts, 7 reb) and DaJuan Blair (12 pts, 10 reb), and they've lost Levance Fields and Mike Cook to injuries. Prior to that though, they had an impressive win over the Duke Blue Devils. Nonetheless, I don't see Georgetown losing this game.
When To Watch: Monday, January 14th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- Ohio State at Michigan State
Winner: Michigan State
Why They'll Win: Both teams are undefeated in conference play, yet I'm definitely giving the edge to the Spartans in this one. They rely on the play of Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Drew Neitzel (13 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast). Their only loss to date is their 5-point defeat at the hands of UCLA. Michigan State has posted wins over NC State, BYU, and Texas. They shoot 36% from behind the three-point line, 75% from the stripe, and 50% from the field. If you stop the inside-outside tandem of Neitzel and Morgan, you stop this team. However, it's easier said than done. The 12-3 Buckeyes will have their hands full in this one and will make it interesting. The fabulous freshman, Kosta Koufos, leads the frontcourt with his 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. Jamar Butler (14 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) has also been vital for this young Ohio State team. They have six players averaging 22+ minutes per game. Their three losses came to Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Butler (all ranked), but they can boast their wins over Syracuse and Florida.
When To Watch: Tuesday, January 15th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
Yes, I know this post is coming a little late so I decided to give you a link to recaps of the past games on Thursday night that you may have missed if you've been living under a rock.
A) West Virginia at Louisville
B) Illinois at Wisconsin
C) Washington State at USC
And here's a video for the road. It's the top ten NBA plays of the year 2007. Enjoy.
That ends this edition of Game-Planning. I hope you liked it, but don't spend too much time in front of the tube this weekend. You need to study!
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1st Quarter- NC State at North Carolina
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: The favorite will win this game, but not by as big a margin as many are predicting. This will be a very close game. The Wolfpack are 11-3 currently and are led by freshman J.J. Hickson (17 pts, 8 reb), senior Gavin Grant (14 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), and sophomore Brandon Costner (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). They defeated a tough Villanova team on the road and took down mid-major Davidson by one point at home. Embarrassing are their losses to New Orleans and East Carolina. NC State shoots a below average 30% from deep, 71% from the charity stripe, and 46% from the field. Being led by a freshman to go up against the #1 team in the country doesn't sound all that good to me, which is why I chose UNC to win this one. The Tar Heels are an undefeated 16-0 (coincidence with the Patriots record, I swear) and are #1 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls. They're led by Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb), Wayne Ellington (18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast). Sadly (or joyously for Duke fans), they've been stumbling as of late. After leaving the state of South Carolina with a not-so-convincing victory over Clemson, UNC proceeded to defeat North Carolina-Asheville...by only twelve points.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 12th on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Washington St. at UCLA
Winner: UCLA
Why They'll Win: Washington State, in my opinion, is the most overrated team in the top ten and this game will prove that. I'm saying the Bruins will take this game by a minimum of 12 points. The Cougars are led by Derrick Low (13 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Aron Baynes (12 pts, 7 reb). Their "big" notable win? That would be their win over Gonzaga. They've had close games with Air Force, Baylor, and Washington. Washington State shoots 34% from long range, 77% from the free throw line, and 50% from the field. UCLA, however, is one of the better teams in the country and is poised to make a deep run come tourney time. They're led by freshman sensation Kevin Love (17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast), Josh Shipp (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Darren Collison (12 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). They have impressive wins over Stanford, Davidson, Michigan State, and Maryland. Their only loss came at the hands of Texas on a last second lay-up.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 12th on FSN at 2:30pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
In the new power rankings by Luke Winn of SI.com, he put Memphis first, North Carolina second, and Kansas third. For RIGHT NOW, there couldn't be a more perfect top three. He definitely hit the nail on the head. However, I do think he has Tennessee a bit too high at number four, but I digress...
CollegeHoops.net's Hot Topic of the Week: The top fifteen in the nation is what has this particular message board buzzing as if it's a bee's nest in the summer. The person who posted had Kansas first, UCLA second, Memphis third, and UNC fourth. Some other interesting choices were Xavier at 9 and West Virginia at 15, both of which I think are too high for them as of now. I would like to hear your opinion on it.
My next topic of discussion has absolutely nothing to do with today's college basketball. Instead, we're going back a few years to talk about the greatest in history. (Author's Note: Special thanks to Andy Katz for helping me with this topic.) I will attempt to countdown the top three. This is very tough to try and put these in any order but here goes:
3. Lew Alcindor, UCLA, 66-67; 29 ppg on way to 30-0 record.
2. Pete Maravich, LSU, 69-70; 44.5 ppg while shattering scoring record.
1. Oscar Robertson, Cincy, 57-58; 35.1 ppg and 15.2 rpg made this year remarkable.
3rd Quarter- Georgetown at Pitt
Winner: Georgetown
Why They'll Win: You may know me to be not the biggest fan of the Hoyas this season if you've read any of my previous posts. However, they're facing a Pitt team that has lost two of their last four games after losing players to injuries. G'Town is 12-1 right now and are led by Roy Hibbert (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), DaJuan Summers (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Jonathan Wallace (11 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast). The Hoyas do not have really a big win on their schedule (in fact, they don't have a win against an opponent that is currently ranked) and this is their best opportunity. The Panthers shoot 35% from deep, 71% from the line, and 47% from the field. They're led by Sam Young (18 pts, 7 reb) and DaJuan Blair (12 pts, 10 reb), and they've lost Levance Fields and Mike Cook to injuries. Prior to that though, they had an impressive win over the Duke Blue Devils. Nonetheless, I don't see Georgetown losing this game.
When To Watch: Monday, January 14th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- Ohio State at Michigan State
Winner: Michigan State
Why They'll Win: Both teams are undefeated in conference play, yet I'm definitely giving the edge to the Spartans in this one. They rely on the play of Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Drew Neitzel (13 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast). Their only loss to date is their 5-point defeat at the hands of UCLA. Michigan State has posted wins over NC State, BYU, and Texas. They shoot 36% from behind the three-point line, 75% from the stripe, and 50% from the field. If you stop the inside-outside tandem of Neitzel and Morgan, you stop this team. However, it's easier said than done. The 12-3 Buckeyes will have their hands full in this one and will make it interesting. The fabulous freshman, Kosta Koufos, leads the frontcourt with his 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. Jamar Butler (14 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) has also been vital for this young Ohio State team. They have six players averaging 22+ minutes per game. Their three losses came to Texas A&M, North Carolina, and Butler (all ranked), but they can boast their wins over Syracuse and Florida.
When To Watch: Tuesday, January 15th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
Yes, I know this post is coming a little late so I decided to give you a link to recaps of the past games on Thursday night that you may have missed if you've been living under a rock.
A) West Virginia at Louisville
B) Illinois at Wisconsin
C) Washington State at USC
And here's a video for the road. It's the top ten NBA plays of the year 2007. Enjoy.
That ends this edition of Game-Planning. I hope you liked it, but don't spend too much time in front of the tube this weekend. You need to study!
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Saturday, January 5, 2008
The Good & The Bad of The Top 8
So here I was at my computer. Sitting. I was trying so very hard to think a good blog idea that people will read. Then it hit me. Break down what's good and what's bad about the AP Top 8. However, some may have opened this thinking I was referring to college football. I am most certainly not. I'm talking basketball. You can leave this page. Now, for those of you who actually want to read this blog, continue on. But, first, here are the eight teams that will face my criticism.
1. North Carolina Tar Heels (14-0; 1,772 votes)
2. Memphis Tigers (12-0; 1,744 votes)
3. Kansas Jayhawks (13-0; 1,667 votes)
4. Washington State Cougars (12-0; 1,534 votes)
5. UCLA Bruins (13-1; 1,499 votes)
6. Michigan State Spartans (12-1; 1,419 votes)
7. Georgetown Hoyas (10-1; 1,324 votes)
8. Tennessee Volunteers (12-1; 1,259 votes)
I'll start with number eight and work my way down the list in descending order.
#8 Tennessee Volunteers
Key Players: Chris Lofton (15 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), J.P. Prince (14 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), Tyler Smith (13 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast).
The Good: It's truly a collective effort with this group. They have six players averaging at least 8 points per game, and eight players are averaging at least 18 minutes of playing time. This all indicates that Bruce Pearl is getting his players to buy into the kind of system he wants them to play, which is to pressure the team on defense and run with the ball when they get it. After suffering a 19-point loss to #16 Texas, Tennessee has won seven straight games with wins over Xavier and Gonzaga. They have a couple tough tests coming up with Mississippi, Vanderbilt, and Ohio State.
The Bad: Chris Lofton is not playing the basketball he's capable of playing out on the court. His sophomore and junior seasons were successful when he averaged 17 and 21 points, respectively. However, there has been a significant drop-off and he's averaging only 15. He has had four games with ten or less points. He only had four all of last season, two of which came when he was injured. Next is the problem I have with their frontcourt. Their "big guy" down low is only 6'9", and he's only averaging five rebounds. Their next tallest guy is Tyler Smith who, at 6'7", is putting up decent numbers but still lacks the great rebounding total (his average is 6). That will kill them against a good rebounding team like Mississippi.
March Forecast: I see this team making a run to the Sweet 16, but not much farther than that. As I mentioned earlier, they just don't have a good interior player.
#7 Georgetown Hoyas
Key Players: DaJuan Summers (13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), Roy Hibbert (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), Jonathan Wallace (10 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast).
The Good: The Hoyas are 11-1 and look ready to run the table in the Big East, as long as Pitt stays out of their way. They are 7-0 at home this season and have very good depth with nine players averaging at least 18 minutes of play per game. Patrick Ewing Jr. has been playing pretty well as of late as well. In the big game with Memphis, he posted a nice stat line of 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. His problem? Shooting from the outside. Back to the team as a whole though, Georgetown has outscored their opponents by an average of 73-52 since the loss to Memphis.
The Bad: The have played a weak schedule so far with the exception of Memphis, whom they lost to. Roy Hibbert was downright terrible in that game as well with only 6 points, 6 rebounds, 0 free throws attempted, 3 turnovers, and 4 personal fouls. Of the top 8 teams, I think Georgetown is the second weakest behind Washington State. I watched the entire game against the Tigers, and NOT ONE player stepped up for them at the end. They don't have a go-to player, and, in my humble opinion, Roy Hibbert is overrated.
March Forecast: Not much more than a Sweet 16 for this team. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they got knocked off in one of the early rounds.
#6 Michigan State Spartans
Key Players: Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), Drew Neitzel (14 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast).
The Good: Raymar Morgan has emerged as a threat down low and has combined with Neitzel to form one of the better inside-outside combinations in the country. They've had a couple good wins as well, which include beating Texas, BYU, and NC State. They lost to highly-ranked UCLA by only five points. They have a very good chance at winnning the Big Ten with their biggest opponents being Indiana and Wisconsin. Goran Suton is doing a decent job for the Spartans on the boards, averaging 8 rebounds per game to go along with his 9 points.
The Bad: If Morgan or Neitzel has a rough game, then the team may be in serious trouble. Against Kevin Love and UCLA, Morgan went for only 10 points and 2 rebounds, well below his season averages. They lost that game. It's their major area of concern when they lean so heavily on two players like that.
March Forecast: This team is definitely capable of getting to the Elite 8, depending on the draw. They may even sneak into the Final Four. Now winning when they get that far? It most likely will not happen because teams with good big men will start to shut down Morgan.
#5 UCLA Bruins
Key Players: Kevin Love (17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast), Josh Shipp (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), Russell Westbrook (12 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast).
The Good: What's not to "love"? (pun not intended) The Bruins have impressive wins over Michigan State, Stanford, Cal, Davidson, and Maryland, all of which may be dancing come March. They have a big game coming up against #4 Washington State. It will be a tough test and will prove how serious of contenders they are. More good news is that this team has recovered from most of the injuries they had earlier in the season. Darren Collison is back averaging 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. UCLA has eight players averaging at least 18 minutes of PT, and five players are averaging double figures in points.
The Bad: This team falters once in awhile from behind the arc. Against Texas, the shot a whopping 29% from deep. The inexperienced Love also has trouble in big games, which is natural for freshmen like himself. He had only 11 points and 5 rebounds in the game. Another underclassman, Westbrook, had trouble scoring only 7 points and 2 rebounds. These young guys for UCLA have trouble when the games become more meaningful. I just hope for their sake they don't crumble at the end of the season when even more pressure is put on them.
March Forecast: This team is very skilled, and I'd say they are a Elite 8/Final Four team depending, of course, on who stays healthy and who responds well at the end of games.
#4 Washington State Cougars
Key Players: Derrick Low (13 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), Aron Baynes (12 pts, 7 reb).
The Good: The Cougars have six players logging a lot of minutes for them right now (22+). All six are averaging at least 9 points per game. They are riding a 13-game winning streak (they're undefeated) and have posted wins over Washington and Gonzaga to name a few. The have two big games coming up against USC and UCLA. As a team, Washington State shoots 77% from the line, 34% from deep, and 50% from the field, all of which are decent numbers. They defeat their opponents by an average score of 69-50. The Cougars have held their opponents under 50 points seven times in thirteen games, which is a credit to their defense. They average 7 steals and 4 blocks per game.
The Bad: Their cupcake schedule will be the downfall of them. They've been playing teams like Boise State, Mississippi Valley State, Baylor, Portland State, Citadel, North Carolina A&T, etc. They could quite possibly lose four of their next five games and fall tremendously in the rankings. Washington State has one, maybe two, good teams they've played, and they've only won by an average of four points.
March Forecast: The Sweet 16 will be as far as this team will go. Struggling with teams like Air Force and Baylor, the Cougars can't compete with the powerhouses of tough conferences.
#3 Kansas Jayhawks
Key Players: Darrell Arthur (14 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), Darnell Jackson (13 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast).
The Good: Kansas is 14-0 and have wins over Arizona, USC, Georgia Tech, and Boston College. They've won those games by an average of ten points. They also have depth. Eight Jayhawks average 17+ minutes of playing time. Kansas also averages 11 steals and 6 blocks per game. They shoot 39% from deep and 53% from the field. And, finally, they've scored 85 points or more in nine of their fourteen games. This team can put the ball in the basket better than a lot of teams that are ranked this high.
The Bad: Free throw shooting is crucial come tournament time. Kansas shoots just 64% from the charity stripe. Darrell Arthur averages a horrid 3.1 turnovers to every assist. Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun aren't much better. Back to the free throw concern though, their best player at shooting them is Brandon Rush...at 76%. They haven't one guy that they can depend on to sink free throws at the end of games. This problem will be the death of the team.
March Forecast: Elite 8 or a Final Four is where this team will probably be at the end of March. However, as I mentioned earlier, they won't make it to the National Title Game because of their free throw shooting.
#2 Memphis Tigers
Key Players: Chris Douglas-Roberts (17 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Rose (14 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast), Joey Dorsey (8 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast).
The Good: This team may very well be the most talented team in the entire nation. They may also be the best team in the nation. The Tigers go about 9 or 10 deep, but they'd almost have to with the frenetic pace that they play at. It's hard enough for teams to keep up with them, let alone actually beating them at the end of the game when Memphis still has fresh legs coming in and the other team is tired. They shoot a lot of three-pointers and are decent at making them with 37% of them making it through the hoop. Memphis averages 9 steals and 7 blocks per game, which have only helped them to their fantastic 13-0 start. Of all the undefeated teams left, I think they have the best shot of anyone at going the distance undefeated. The Tigers have had impressive wins over Oklahoma (by 10), UConn (by 11), USC (by 4), Georgetown (by 14), and Arizona (by 13).
The Bad: Free throw shooting should be a major concern of John Calipari. His team shoots an absolutely abysmal 57% from the line. Their best is Doneal Mack with 75%. However, NOT ONE other person on the team shoots even 70%. The only other possible problem for Memphis is the incredibly weak conference schedule. They play in Conference-USA, which doesn't boast many top teams, yet they have managed nice wins over tough teams in their non-conference schedule.
March Forecast: The Final Four and beyond for Memphis. They are definitely one of the two best teams in the country. After watching the Clemson vs. North Carolina game recently, it's very possible to say they are the BEST team in the country.
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels
Key Players: Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast), Wayne Ellington (18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), Ty Lawson (13 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast).
The Good: If not for the loss of Bobby Frasor, I may be even more excited about the chances this team has at a national title. With the scare that was provided to UNC by Clemson recently, I think this makes the Tar Heels even more dangerous when March rolls around. They've proved that they can come through in the clutch. North Carolina basically has six players that receive most of the playing time and contribute most of the scoring. As a team, they shoot 38% from deep, 74% from the line, and 50% from the field. Danny Green and Wayne Ellington are the ones you need to watch out for when they spot up from deep during a game. North Carolina has beaten, most notably, Davidson, BYU, Ohio State, Valparaiso, and Clemson. However, none of those teams are currently ranked with the exception of Clemson.
The Bad: They've had a weak non-conference schedule as they have faced a total of ZERO ranked teams. They also are without the services of Bobby Frasor, as I mentioned earlier. If Lawson gets in foul trouble, they don't have a reliable backup point guard to go to. Those are my only two worries with this deep, well-coached, and experienced Tar Heel team.
March Forecast: Anything less than being at the Final Four will be a huge disappointment for this team. I don't see them falling out early in March either.
That's all I have to say in regards to the main premise of this blog. But I'm not done, and you should definitely not stop reading this blog. I will now talk about my overly premature Final Four picks. It's very early, but I'll go with North Carolina and Memphis as the sure ones. I'll put Kansas in their as well. For the fourth spot, I don't think it will be anyone else that was mentioned in this blog. It may be UCLA or Michigan State, but I'll go with the Texas Longhorns. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams make this one of the tougher backcourts to defend in the country. For more on the very impressive Clemson/UNC game, click on this link. Have a good day!
Poll Result- 60% of voters thought that Pitt would make it as far as the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament this year while 20% thought they would lose in the 1st or 2nd round. Also worth mentioning is the 20% that thinks the Panthers are going to make it to the Final Four this season.
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1. North Carolina Tar Heels (14-0; 1,772 votes)
2. Memphis Tigers (12-0; 1,744 votes)
3. Kansas Jayhawks (13-0; 1,667 votes)
4. Washington State Cougars (12-0; 1,534 votes)
5. UCLA Bruins (13-1; 1,499 votes)
6. Michigan State Spartans (12-1; 1,419 votes)
7. Georgetown Hoyas (10-1; 1,324 votes)
8. Tennessee Volunteers (12-1; 1,259 votes)
I'll start with number eight and work my way down the list in descending order.
#8 Tennessee Volunteers
Key Players: Chris Lofton (15 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), J.P. Prince (14 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), Tyler Smith (13 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast).
The Good: It's truly a collective effort with this group. They have six players averaging at least 8 points per game, and eight players are averaging at least 18 minutes of playing time. This all indicates that Bruce Pearl is getting his players to buy into the kind of system he wants them to play, which is to pressure the team on defense and run with the ball when they get it. After suffering a 19-point loss to #16 Texas, Tennessee has won seven straight games with wins over Xavier and Gonzaga. They have a couple tough tests coming up with Mississippi, Vanderbilt, and Ohio State.
The Bad: Chris Lofton is not playing the basketball he's capable of playing out on the court. His sophomore and junior seasons were successful when he averaged 17 and 21 points, respectively. However, there has been a significant drop-off and he's averaging only 15. He has had four games with ten or less points. He only had four all of last season, two of which came when he was injured. Next is the problem I have with their frontcourt. Their "big guy" down low is only 6'9", and he's only averaging five rebounds. Their next tallest guy is Tyler Smith who, at 6'7", is putting up decent numbers but still lacks the great rebounding total (his average is 6). That will kill them against a good rebounding team like Mississippi.
March Forecast: I see this team making a run to the Sweet 16, but not much farther than that. As I mentioned earlier, they just don't have a good interior player.
#7 Georgetown Hoyas
Key Players: DaJuan Summers (13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), Roy Hibbert (12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), Jonathan Wallace (10 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast).
The Good: The Hoyas are 11-1 and look ready to run the table in the Big East, as long as Pitt stays out of their way. They are 7-0 at home this season and have very good depth with nine players averaging at least 18 minutes of play per game. Patrick Ewing Jr. has been playing pretty well as of late as well. In the big game with Memphis, he posted a nice stat line of 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. His problem? Shooting from the outside. Back to the team as a whole though, Georgetown has outscored their opponents by an average of 73-52 since the loss to Memphis.
The Bad: The have played a weak schedule so far with the exception of Memphis, whom they lost to. Roy Hibbert was downright terrible in that game as well with only 6 points, 6 rebounds, 0 free throws attempted, 3 turnovers, and 4 personal fouls. Of the top 8 teams, I think Georgetown is the second weakest behind Washington State. I watched the entire game against the Tigers, and NOT ONE player stepped up for them at the end. They don't have a go-to player, and, in my humble opinion, Roy Hibbert is overrated.
March Forecast: Not much more than a Sweet 16 for this team. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they got knocked off in one of the early rounds.
#6 Michigan State Spartans
Key Players: Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), Drew Neitzel (14 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast).
The Good: Raymar Morgan has emerged as a threat down low and has combined with Neitzel to form one of the better inside-outside combinations in the country. They've had a couple good wins as well, which include beating Texas, BYU, and NC State. They lost to highly-ranked UCLA by only five points. They have a very good chance at winnning the Big Ten with their biggest opponents being Indiana and Wisconsin. Goran Suton is doing a decent job for the Spartans on the boards, averaging 8 rebounds per game to go along with his 9 points.
The Bad: If Morgan or Neitzel has a rough game, then the team may be in serious trouble. Against Kevin Love and UCLA, Morgan went for only 10 points and 2 rebounds, well below his season averages. They lost that game. It's their major area of concern when they lean so heavily on two players like that.
March Forecast: This team is definitely capable of getting to the Elite 8, depending on the draw. They may even sneak into the Final Four. Now winning when they get that far? It most likely will not happen because teams with good big men will start to shut down Morgan.
#5 UCLA Bruins
Key Players: Kevin Love (17 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast), Josh Shipp (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), Russell Westbrook (12 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast).
The Good: What's not to "love"? (pun not intended) The Bruins have impressive wins over Michigan State, Stanford, Cal, Davidson, and Maryland, all of which may be dancing come March. They have a big game coming up against #4 Washington State. It will be a tough test and will prove how serious of contenders they are. More good news is that this team has recovered from most of the injuries they had earlier in the season. Darren Collison is back averaging 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. UCLA has eight players averaging at least 18 minutes of PT, and five players are averaging double figures in points.
The Bad: This team falters once in awhile from behind the arc. Against Texas, the shot a whopping 29% from deep. The inexperienced Love also has trouble in big games, which is natural for freshmen like himself. He had only 11 points and 5 rebounds in the game. Another underclassman, Westbrook, had trouble scoring only 7 points and 2 rebounds. These young guys for UCLA have trouble when the games become more meaningful. I just hope for their sake they don't crumble at the end of the season when even more pressure is put on them.
March Forecast: This team is very skilled, and I'd say they are a Elite 8/Final Four team depending, of course, on who stays healthy and who responds well at the end of games.
#4 Washington State Cougars
Key Players: Derrick Low (13 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), Aron Baynes (12 pts, 7 reb).
The Good: The Cougars have six players logging a lot of minutes for them right now (22+). All six are averaging at least 9 points per game. They are riding a 13-game winning streak (they're undefeated) and have posted wins over Washington and Gonzaga to name a few. The have two big games coming up against USC and UCLA. As a team, Washington State shoots 77% from the line, 34% from deep, and 50% from the field, all of which are decent numbers. They defeat their opponents by an average score of 69-50. The Cougars have held their opponents under 50 points seven times in thirteen games, which is a credit to their defense. They average 7 steals and 4 blocks per game.
The Bad: Their cupcake schedule will be the downfall of them. They've been playing teams like Boise State, Mississippi Valley State, Baylor, Portland State, Citadel, North Carolina A&T, etc. They could quite possibly lose four of their next five games and fall tremendously in the rankings. Washington State has one, maybe two, good teams they've played, and they've only won by an average of four points.
March Forecast: The Sweet 16 will be as far as this team will go. Struggling with teams like Air Force and Baylor, the Cougars can't compete with the powerhouses of tough conferences.
#3 Kansas Jayhawks
Key Players: Darrell Arthur (14 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), Darnell Jackson (13 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast).
The Good: Kansas is 14-0 and have wins over Arizona, USC, Georgia Tech, and Boston College. They've won those games by an average of ten points. They also have depth. Eight Jayhawks average 17+ minutes of playing time. Kansas also averages 11 steals and 6 blocks per game. They shoot 39% from deep and 53% from the field. And, finally, they've scored 85 points or more in nine of their fourteen games. This team can put the ball in the basket better than a lot of teams that are ranked this high.
The Bad: Free throw shooting is crucial come tournament time. Kansas shoots just 64% from the charity stripe. Darrell Arthur averages a horrid 3.1 turnovers to every assist. Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun aren't much better. Back to the free throw concern though, their best player at shooting them is Brandon Rush...at 76%. They haven't one guy that they can depend on to sink free throws at the end of games. This problem will be the death of the team.
March Forecast: Elite 8 or a Final Four is where this team will probably be at the end of March. However, as I mentioned earlier, they won't make it to the National Title Game because of their free throw shooting.
#2 Memphis Tigers
Key Players: Chris Douglas-Roberts (17 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Rose (14 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast), Joey Dorsey (8 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast).
The Good: This team may very well be the most talented team in the entire nation. They may also be the best team in the nation. The Tigers go about 9 or 10 deep, but they'd almost have to with the frenetic pace that they play at. It's hard enough for teams to keep up with them, let alone actually beating them at the end of the game when Memphis still has fresh legs coming in and the other team is tired. They shoot a lot of three-pointers and are decent at making them with 37% of them making it through the hoop. Memphis averages 9 steals and 7 blocks per game, which have only helped them to their fantastic 13-0 start. Of all the undefeated teams left, I think they have the best shot of anyone at going the distance undefeated. The Tigers have had impressive wins over Oklahoma (by 10), UConn (by 11), USC (by 4), Georgetown (by 14), and Arizona (by 13).
The Bad: Free throw shooting should be a major concern of John Calipari. His team shoots an absolutely abysmal 57% from the line. Their best is Doneal Mack with 75%. However, NOT ONE other person on the team shoots even 70%. The only other possible problem for Memphis is the incredibly weak conference schedule. They play in Conference-USA, which doesn't boast many top teams, yet they have managed nice wins over tough teams in their non-conference schedule.
March Forecast: The Final Four and beyond for Memphis. They are definitely one of the two best teams in the country. After watching the Clemson vs. North Carolina game recently, it's very possible to say they are the BEST team in the country.
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels
Key Players: Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast), Wayne Ellington (18 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), Ty Lawson (13 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast).
The Good: If not for the loss of Bobby Frasor, I may be even more excited about the chances this team has at a national title. With the scare that was provided to UNC by Clemson recently, I think this makes the Tar Heels even more dangerous when March rolls around. They've proved that they can come through in the clutch. North Carolina basically has six players that receive most of the playing time and contribute most of the scoring. As a team, they shoot 38% from deep, 74% from the line, and 50% from the field. Danny Green and Wayne Ellington are the ones you need to watch out for when they spot up from deep during a game. North Carolina has beaten, most notably, Davidson, BYU, Ohio State, Valparaiso, and Clemson. However, none of those teams are currently ranked with the exception of Clemson.
The Bad: They've had a weak non-conference schedule as they have faced a total of ZERO ranked teams. They also are without the services of Bobby Frasor, as I mentioned earlier. If Lawson gets in foul trouble, they don't have a reliable backup point guard to go to. Those are my only two worries with this deep, well-coached, and experienced Tar Heel team.
March Forecast: Anything less than being at the Final Four will be a huge disappointment for this team. I don't see them falling out early in March either.
That's all I have to say in regards to the main premise of this blog. But I'm not done, and you should definitely not stop reading this blog. I will now talk about my overly premature Final Four picks. It's very early, but I'll go with North Carolina and Memphis as the sure ones. I'll put Kansas in their as well. For the fourth spot, I don't think it will be anyone else that was mentioned in this blog. It may be UCLA or Michigan State, but I'll go with the Texas Longhorns. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams make this one of the tougher backcourts to defend in the country. For more on the very impressive Clemson/UNC game, click on this link. Have a good day!
Poll Result- 60% of voters thought that Pitt would make it as far as the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament this year while 20% thought they would lose in the 1st or 2nd round. Also worth mentioning is the 20% that thinks the Panthers are going to make it to the Final Four this season.
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Friday, December 21, 2007
Game-Planning 6: Christmas Edition
Are you ready? For the special occasion, I'll have 6 games that will be good for two weeks. It's going to be a great time to be a fan of basketball and these games are all must-see events.
1st Quarter- Georgetown at Memphis
Winner: Memphis
Why They'll Win: Can Memphis push the tempo? If they can, Georgetown is in trouble. Hibbert is the Hoyas' main man. Everything they do goes through him. But he is NOT very good at running the floor. Also, when he's in foul trouble, the entire team stalls. They practically seem helpless out on the floor. The attacking Tigers will force Hibbert into committing some cheap fouls out there. Georgetown has five players averaging 9+ points per game (the leader is Hibbert with 13), and the rebounding load is carried by both Roy Hibbert (7) and DaJuan Summers (6). Important to mention is the Hoyas' 52% free throw shooting. They don't have a guy making 75% of his free throws and Hibbert is only making 52% of his. My suggestion? Foul him when he has position. Now, for Memphis, all I can say is don't blink because you might miss something great. This team plays faster than any team I've seen before. They are led by junior Chris Douglas-Roberts (17 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast) and freshman Derrick Rose (16 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast). The Tigers' main rebounders are Robert Dozier (7 per game) and Joey Dorsey (9). Lastly, Memphis is a very deep team. They'd almost have to be with their style of play though. They have nine players averaging at least 10 minutes per game and six guys averaging at least 20 minutes per game.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 22nd on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Tennessee at Xavier
Winner: Xavier
Why They'll Win: Chris Lofton is Tennessee's leading scorer. He was a preseason player of the year favorite. He's now shooting a paltry 35% from deep and 36% from everywhere else. That's what worries me about the Volunteers. Coming into the season, everyone knew Lofton was their key guy, yet he has struggled so far. He has scored 10 or less points three times this year and has only reached 20 points in a game twice. He's already averaging fewer minutes, points, assists, and steals this year. It hardly sounds like he should even be mentioned with the likes of Michael Beasley and D.J. Augustin. Tennessee is 10-1 and have struggled against teams like West Virginia, Chattanooga, and Western Kentucky. Xavier, however, has been surprising in a very good way this season. They've worked their way to 24th in the Coaches' Poll and are playing very well. The Musketeers are led by Drew Lavender (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast), C.J. Anderson (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Derrick Brown (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). Of the six players averaging 20+ minutes per game, FIVE are upperclassmen.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 22nd on ESPN at 2pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
Other games that you may want to watch this weekend that could be fairly good games will be Miami (Ohio) at Kansas (Saturday, 1:00 PM, ESPN FullCourt/Regional TV) and Florida at Ohio State (Saturday, 4:00 PM, CBS). You'll get to see a couple good freshmen play including OSU's big man, Kosta Koufos.
Rotoworld.com Hot Topic: Does Texas deserve to be the #1 team? My answer: no. Yes, they have defeated two Top 10 teams this season, but look at who's ahead of them in the polls. Can you justify putting them ahead of Kansas or Memphis or North Carolina? Definitely not. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams are playing very well for the Longhorns, but they are lacking a solid post presence. I think you need a decent big man (a la Hansbrough) to be put number one and have the title of the best team in the entire nation.
The famous Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, recently spoke out about the game of basketball. He said the referees need to call traveling, carrying, and moving screens. He also spoke about his dislike of fancy dunks that are performed quite often anymore. Do I agree with this? It's hard to tell. Yes, calling the rules more closely would change the game, but what about all these players in the NBA like Allen Iverson who have made a living off carrying the ball to get by a defender for a layup. What happens to the Dunk Contest? All of this only hurts the money that the game of basketball is bringing in. Should it happen? Possibly. Will it happen? Heck no!
3rd Quarter- Texas at Michigan State
Winner: Texas
Why They'll Win: The Longhorns, as I mentioned before, are led by D.J. Augustin (20 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) and A.J. Abrams (19 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast). Their leading rebounder is Damion James with 10 rebounds per game. Also, you can't leave Connor Atchley alone behind the arc. He's shooting 63% from deep this season. Texas sits at 11-0 right now with impressive wins over Tennessee and UCLA. In those games, Augustin has really stepped up as the Horns' leader out on the court. He managed a game-winning assist to beat the Bruins. Can Drew Neitzel match up with Augustin? It'll be tough to do for the entire game considering that D.J. is averaging 36 minutes per game and Neitzel is only getting 29 minutes each game. Nevertheless, the Spartans have a very good chance at winning this one and it will most likely come down to the wire. They're led by Raymar Morgan (17 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), Neitzel (15 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast), and Goran Suton (9 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast). Michigan State is decent down low but if Neitzel is on Augustin then who picks up Abrams on the perimeter? Chris Allen?
When To Watch: Saturday, December 22nd at 6:30pm eastern time on ESPN2.
4th Quarter- Tennessee at Gonzaga
Winner: Gonzaga
Why They'll Win: Well, I've already talked about Tennessee, so I'll just start with Gonzaga and make this one pretty quick and to the point. The Bulldogs are led by Jeremy Pargo (13 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast), Matt Bouldin (13 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and freshman Austin Daye (12 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast). Granted, they've had some tough losses to Texas Tech, highly-ranked Washington State, and, most recently, Oklahoma, but I think that gives them all the more reason to come out gunning for Tennessee. Gonzaga has not lost two games in a row all season. In the game immediately following a loss, they've outscored their opponents by a score of 167-123. This is their time.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 29th 4pm eastern time on ESPN2.
Overtime- Arizona at Memphis
Winner: Memphis
Why They'll Win: I talked quite a bit about Memphis in the 1st Quarter so I don't think there's anything else that's essential to know. But here is what you need to know about Arizona. They're led by two underclassmen, Jerryd Bayless (19 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) and Chase Budinger (16 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), which gives me even more reasons to pick Memphis in this one. Their leading rebounder is a sophomore, Jordan Hill, and do you really expect him to dominate Joey Dorsey in the post? I sure as hell don't. Worthy of mention is their depth, however. They have eight solid guys that can play and contribute to the team's success.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 29th ESPN2 at 10pm eastern time.
2nd Overtime- Kansas State at Xavier
Winner: Kansas State
Why They'll Win: I guess we're getting some repeat teams here. I've talked earlier in this post about Xavier; therefore, I will fore go the breakdown of their team and head straight for Kansas State. My theory is this: Xavier will be feeling great about their big win over Tennessee. They'll come to play Kansas State and they'll fall apart in the early going. The Wildcats had some close games with Oregon and George Mason (both of which are quality teams). Their offense is based solely on Michael Beasley as he contributes 25 (and 14 reb) of the team's 78 points on average, which comes out to about 1/3 of his team's offensive production. But you can't just bypass the play of Bill Walker (13 pts, 7 reb), who is having quite the season as well.
When To Watch: Monday, December 31st at 7pm eastern time on ESPNU.
That concludes this edition of Game-Planning and I'll see you again in two weeks. Until then, you should keep up on college basketball at March Madness All Season.
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Poll Results- Will Kidd be traded? If so, where? 60% of voters thought he would be traded to a Western Conference team while 40% of voters thought he would be traded to an Eastern Conference team. Therefore, a whopping 0% of those who voted thought he would stay in New Jersey.
1st Quarter- Georgetown at Memphis
Winner: Memphis
Why They'll Win: Can Memphis push the tempo? If they can, Georgetown is in trouble. Hibbert is the Hoyas' main man. Everything they do goes through him. But he is NOT very good at running the floor. Also, when he's in foul trouble, the entire team stalls. They practically seem helpless out on the floor. The attacking Tigers will force Hibbert into committing some cheap fouls out there. Georgetown has five players averaging 9+ points per game (the leader is Hibbert with 13), and the rebounding load is carried by both Roy Hibbert (7) and DaJuan Summers (6). Important to mention is the Hoyas' 52% free throw shooting. They don't have a guy making 75% of his free throws and Hibbert is only making 52% of his. My suggestion? Foul him when he has position. Now, for Memphis, all I can say is don't blink because you might miss something great. This team plays faster than any team I've seen before. They are led by junior Chris Douglas-Roberts (17 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast) and freshman Derrick Rose (16 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast). The Tigers' main rebounders are Robert Dozier (7 per game) and Joey Dorsey (9). Lastly, Memphis is a very deep team. They'd almost have to be with their style of play though. They have nine players averaging at least 10 minutes per game and six guys averaging at least 20 minutes per game.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 22nd on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Tennessee at Xavier
Winner: Xavier
Why They'll Win: Chris Lofton is Tennessee's leading scorer. He was a preseason player of the year favorite. He's now shooting a paltry 35% from deep and 36% from everywhere else. That's what worries me about the Volunteers. Coming into the season, everyone knew Lofton was their key guy, yet he has struggled so far. He has scored 10 or less points three times this year and has only reached 20 points in a game twice. He's already averaging fewer minutes, points, assists, and steals this year. It hardly sounds like he should even be mentioned with the likes of Michael Beasley and D.J. Augustin. Tennessee is 10-1 and have struggled against teams like West Virginia, Chattanooga, and Western Kentucky. Xavier, however, has been surprising in a very good way this season. They've worked their way to 24th in the Coaches' Poll and are playing very well. The Musketeers are led by Drew Lavender (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast), C.J. Anderson (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Derrick Brown (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). Of the six players averaging 20+ minutes per game, FIVE are upperclassmen.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 22nd on ESPN at 2pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
Other games that you may want to watch this weekend that could be fairly good games will be Miami (Ohio) at Kansas (Saturday, 1:00 PM, ESPN FullCourt/Regional TV) and Florida at Ohio State (Saturday, 4:00 PM, CBS). You'll get to see a couple good freshmen play including OSU's big man, Kosta Koufos.
Rotoworld.com Hot Topic: Does Texas deserve to be the #1 team? My answer: no. Yes, they have defeated two Top 10 teams this season, but look at who's ahead of them in the polls. Can you justify putting them ahead of Kansas or Memphis or North Carolina? Definitely not. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams are playing very well for the Longhorns, but they are lacking a solid post presence. I think you need a decent big man (a la Hansbrough) to be put number one and have the title of the best team in the entire nation.
The famous Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, recently spoke out about the game of basketball. He said the referees need to call traveling, carrying, and moving screens. He also spoke about his dislike of fancy dunks that are performed quite often anymore. Do I agree with this? It's hard to tell. Yes, calling the rules more closely would change the game, but what about all these players in the NBA like Allen Iverson who have made a living off carrying the ball to get by a defender for a layup. What happens to the Dunk Contest? All of this only hurts the money that the game of basketball is bringing in. Should it happen? Possibly. Will it happen? Heck no!
3rd Quarter- Texas at Michigan State
Winner: Texas
Why They'll Win: The Longhorns, as I mentioned before, are led by D.J. Augustin (20 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) and A.J. Abrams (19 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast). Their leading rebounder is Damion James with 10 rebounds per game. Also, you can't leave Connor Atchley alone behind the arc. He's shooting 63% from deep this season. Texas sits at 11-0 right now with impressive wins over Tennessee and UCLA. In those games, Augustin has really stepped up as the Horns' leader out on the court. He managed a game-winning assist to beat the Bruins. Can Drew Neitzel match up with Augustin? It'll be tough to do for the entire game considering that D.J. is averaging 36 minutes per game and Neitzel is only getting 29 minutes each game. Nevertheless, the Spartans have a very good chance at winning this one and it will most likely come down to the wire. They're led by Raymar Morgan (17 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), Neitzel (15 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast), and Goran Suton (9 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast). Michigan State is decent down low but if Neitzel is on Augustin then who picks up Abrams on the perimeter? Chris Allen?
When To Watch: Saturday, December 22nd at 6:30pm eastern time on ESPN2.
4th Quarter- Tennessee at Gonzaga
Winner: Gonzaga
Why They'll Win: Well, I've already talked about Tennessee, so I'll just start with Gonzaga and make this one pretty quick and to the point. The Bulldogs are led by Jeremy Pargo (13 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast), Matt Bouldin (13 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and freshman Austin Daye (12 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast). Granted, they've had some tough losses to Texas Tech, highly-ranked Washington State, and, most recently, Oklahoma, but I think that gives them all the more reason to come out gunning for Tennessee. Gonzaga has not lost two games in a row all season. In the game immediately following a loss, they've outscored their opponents by a score of 167-123. This is their time.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 29th 4pm eastern time on ESPN2.
Overtime- Arizona at Memphis
Winner: Memphis
Why They'll Win: I talked quite a bit about Memphis in the 1st Quarter so I don't think there's anything else that's essential to know. But here is what you need to know about Arizona. They're led by two underclassmen, Jerryd Bayless (19 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast) and Chase Budinger (16 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), which gives me even more reasons to pick Memphis in this one. Their leading rebounder is a sophomore, Jordan Hill, and do you really expect him to dominate Joey Dorsey in the post? I sure as hell don't. Worthy of mention is their depth, however. They have eight solid guys that can play and contribute to the team's success.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 29th ESPN2 at 10pm eastern time.
2nd Overtime- Kansas State at Xavier
Winner: Kansas State
Why They'll Win: I guess we're getting some repeat teams here. I've talked earlier in this post about Xavier; therefore, I will fore go the breakdown of their team and head straight for Kansas State. My theory is this: Xavier will be feeling great about their big win over Tennessee. They'll come to play Kansas State and they'll fall apart in the early going. The Wildcats had some close games with Oregon and George Mason (both of which are quality teams). Their offense is based solely on Michael Beasley as he contributes 25 (and 14 reb) of the team's 78 points on average, which comes out to about 1/3 of his team's offensive production. But you can't just bypass the play of Bill Walker (13 pts, 7 reb), who is having quite the season as well.
When To Watch: Monday, December 31st at 7pm eastern time on ESPNU.
That concludes this edition of Game-Planning and I'll see you again in two weeks. Until then, you should keep up on college basketball at March Madness All Season.
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Poll Results- Will Kidd be traded? If so, where? 60% of voters thought he would be traded to a Western Conference team while 40% of voters thought he would be traded to an Eastern Conference team. Therefore, a whopping 0% of those who voted thought he would stay in New Jersey.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Game-Planning 4
Welcome to this edition of Game-Planning. We've got some good games on the schedule that you need to watch this week. But you don't want to watch them with no prior knowledge of the teams so here ya go.
1st Quarter- Michigan St. at BYU
Winner: BYU
Why They'll Win: Upset alert. The Brigham Young Cougars are a very, good team this year. They had an impressive game against North Carolina in which two players for BYU made very big impressions on me. One was Trent Plaisted, whose name will forever remained etched in my memory from that night alone. The big man scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, outdoing All-American Tyler Hansbrough. Prior to that game, he led his team to an upset of Louisville, a game that he had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Currently, he's averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds, just shy of a double-double. The second player I was surprised by was a sophomore sharpshooter by the name of Jonathan Tavernari. In the UNC game, he had 18 points on 6 threes. He also had a good showing against Pitino's squad when he scored 29 points (5 threes). Ben Murdock leads the team in assists (5 a game) for the 20th-ranked Cougars. Regarding Michigan State, I am worried with their play recently. The Spartans defeated Bradley by...six? Terrible for such a highly-ranked team. They are led by sophomore Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 8 reb) and senior Drew Neitzel (14 pts, 5 ast). Honestly though, I don't think Morgan will do very well against Plaisted underneath. Besides the two previously mentioned, no other Michigan State player is averaged double figures in points. Their leading rebounder is Goran Suton (9 per game). Michigan State is currently ranked ninth in the AP Poll.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 8th at 4pm eastern time on Versus.
2nd Quarter- Marquette at Wisconsin
Winner: Marquette
Why They'll Win: Coming off a big win over UW-Milwaukee, the Golden Eagles are led by Jerel McNeal (16 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) and Dominic James (15 pts, 3 ast). Marquette's leading rebounder is Lazar Hayward (6 a night). Also worth mentioning is that they have five players averaging 23+ minutes per game. They'll be going up against an Alando Tucker-less Wisconsin led by Trevon Hughes (17 pts, 5 reb) and Brian Butch (13 pts, 9 reb). Other than that, the Badgers don't have much to go to. Marcus Landry and Michael Flowers are both giving them a little bit averaging 9 points per contest. The Golden Eagles have a good inside-outside duo, but Wisconsin doesn't have a true point guard. No one is averaging more than three assists per game. I've seen Marquette and Wisconsin both play against Duke and it's safe to say that the former looked a lot better. This could be closer than some think though.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 8th on ESPN2 at 6pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
I would like to take the time to mention Arizona's 6'3" guard, Jerryd Bayless. I've mentioned him a couple of times but never really told you much about him. He's a freshman and deserves to have his name up there with guys like Singler of Duke, Gordon of Indiana, and Love of UCLA. In the last two games, he's averaged 24 points and 4 assists. He put up 26 on one of the best teams in the country in Texas A&M. His team is 5-2, thanks in large part to his 20 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds he's averaging each game. Interestingly enough in the Wildcats' two losses, Bayless is averaging 20 points. Anyways, you should definitely keep an eye on this guy.
Author's Note: Starting this edition, every Game-Planning blog will feature the Rotoworld.com Hot Topic.
Rotoworld.com Hot Topic: Hitting all over the message boards is freshman Eric Gordon. (It seems I only talk about freshman as of late.) Up until a few days ago, Gordon hadn't scored less than 20 points in a collegiate game; Tennessee State put an end to that. He's averaging 24 points per game and is shooting 50% from deep. Also take notice of his 84% average from the line and 54% average on field goals. This guy is off to a fantastic start and is must-see TV right now.
Who's the nation's number 1 team? North Carolina? Memphis? Maybe even Kansas? In my opinion, it's Memphis. They play a brand of basketball that seems nearly impossible to defend. The ony flaw in their system is that they're vulnerable if they have an off-shooting night (as a team; it doesn't happen very often). However, the leadership of Rose, Douglas-Roberts, and Dorsey will help them in key games. Derrick Rose is already playing like an experience-laden senior. Douglas-Roberts has proved to be the go-to-guy when the Tigers need a bucket down the stretch. And, finally, Dorsey is the man coming up with key rebounds and blocks, the little stuff a team needs to win.
3rd Quarter- Boston College at Maryland
Winner: Maryland
Why They'll Win: The talk this year is all about the freshman, yet it's important to remember last year's fabulous freshmen as well. One of them, you may remember, was Greivis Vasquez. He was pretty good then, but he's even better now. This year, he's scoring 16 points, dishing out 6 assists, and grabbing 5 rebounds per game. Vasquez is 6'5", and he'll be matched up against the 6'1" Tyrese Rice (20 pts, 6 ast, 4 reb). I think this one easily goes to Vasquez because of his height and quickness which will wreak havoc against the much shorter Rice. The Terrapins also have James Gist (14 pts, 7 reb) and Eric Hayes (12 pts, 6 ast, 4 reb). Boston College hasn't faced a ranked opponent yet and that will hurt them in this game. Their team is very young. They only have three upperclassmen on the team. Three of the starters are freshman as well. All of this doesn't bode well against Maryland. The Eagles' leading rebounder is Shamari Spears (10 per game).
When To Watch: Sunday, December 9th at 8pm eastern time on FSN.
Sadly, there isn't another good game this week so your college basketball viewing may be a little slow for the next few days. Don't worry; there will be plenty of matchups for the next edition of Game-Planning. To make it up to you, I thought I would find some good videos from YouTube for you to enjoy.
I know you may not want to hear it, but I'll remind you of it again. The V Foundation, started by the late Jimmy Valvano, is raising money for cancer research so that one day we will be saved from this disease. If you would like to donate money, please click here. Have a good weekend!
Poll Results: In the latest poll, I questioned readers on who the best team in college basketball was. Memphis got 28% of the vote and UCLA had 14% of it but the winner was, in fact, Other with 57% of the vote. I must have forgot a team or something. haha
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1st Quarter- Michigan St. at BYU
Winner: BYU
Why They'll Win: Upset alert. The Brigham Young Cougars are a very, good team this year. They had an impressive game against North Carolina in which two players for BYU made very big impressions on me. One was Trent Plaisted, whose name will forever remained etched in my memory from that night alone. The big man scored 24 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, outdoing All-American Tyler Hansbrough. Prior to that game, he led his team to an upset of Louisville, a game that he had 21 points and 12 rebounds. Currently, he's averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds, just shy of a double-double. The second player I was surprised by was a sophomore sharpshooter by the name of Jonathan Tavernari. In the UNC game, he had 18 points on 6 threes. He also had a good showing against Pitino's squad when he scored 29 points (5 threes). Ben Murdock leads the team in assists (5 a game) for the 20th-ranked Cougars. Regarding Michigan State, I am worried with their play recently. The Spartans defeated Bradley by...six? Terrible for such a highly-ranked team. They are led by sophomore Raymar Morgan (18 pts, 8 reb) and senior Drew Neitzel (14 pts, 5 ast). Honestly though, I don't think Morgan will do very well against Plaisted underneath. Besides the two previously mentioned, no other Michigan State player is averaged double figures in points. Their leading rebounder is Goran Suton (9 per game). Michigan State is currently ranked ninth in the AP Poll.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 8th at 4pm eastern time on Versus.
2nd Quarter- Marquette at Wisconsin
Winner: Marquette
Why They'll Win: Coming off a big win over UW-Milwaukee, the Golden Eagles are led by Jerel McNeal (16 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) and Dominic James (15 pts, 3 ast). Marquette's leading rebounder is Lazar Hayward (6 a night). Also worth mentioning is that they have five players averaging 23+ minutes per game. They'll be going up against an Alando Tucker-less Wisconsin led by Trevon Hughes (17 pts, 5 reb) and Brian Butch (13 pts, 9 reb). Other than that, the Badgers don't have much to go to. Marcus Landry and Michael Flowers are both giving them a little bit averaging 9 points per contest. The Golden Eagles have a good inside-outside duo, but Wisconsin doesn't have a true point guard. No one is averaging more than three assists per game. I've seen Marquette and Wisconsin both play against Duke and it's safe to say that the former looked a lot better. This could be closer than some think though.
When To Watch: Saturday, December 8th on ESPN2 at 6pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
I would like to take the time to mention Arizona's 6'3" guard, Jerryd Bayless. I've mentioned him a couple of times but never really told you much about him. He's a freshman and deserves to have his name up there with guys like Singler of Duke, Gordon of Indiana, and Love of UCLA. In the last two games, he's averaged 24 points and 4 assists. He put up 26 on one of the best teams in the country in Texas A&M. His team is 5-2, thanks in large part to his 20 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds he's averaging each game. Interestingly enough in the Wildcats' two losses, Bayless is averaging 20 points. Anyways, you should definitely keep an eye on this guy.
Author's Note: Starting this edition, every Game-Planning blog will feature the Rotoworld.com Hot Topic.
Rotoworld.com Hot Topic: Hitting all over the message boards is freshman Eric Gordon. (It seems I only talk about freshman as of late.) Up until a few days ago, Gordon hadn't scored less than 20 points in a collegiate game; Tennessee State put an end to that. He's averaging 24 points per game and is shooting 50% from deep. Also take notice of his 84% average from the line and 54% average on field goals. This guy is off to a fantastic start and is must-see TV right now.
Who's the nation's number 1 team? North Carolina? Memphis? Maybe even Kansas? In my opinion, it's Memphis. They play a brand of basketball that seems nearly impossible to defend. The ony flaw in their system is that they're vulnerable if they have an off-shooting night (as a team; it doesn't happen very often). However, the leadership of Rose, Douglas-Roberts, and Dorsey will help them in key games. Derrick Rose is already playing like an experience-laden senior. Douglas-Roberts has proved to be the go-to-guy when the Tigers need a bucket down the stretch. And, finally, Dorsey is the man coming up with key rebounds and blocks, the little stuff a team needs to win.
3rd Quarter- Boston College at Maryland
Winner: Maryland
Why They'll Win: The talk this year is all about the freshman, yet it's important to remember last year's fabulous freshmen as well. One of them, you may remember, was Greivis Vasquez. He was pretty good then, but he's even better now. This year, he's scoring 16 points, dishing out 6 assists, and grabbing 5 rebounds per game. Vasquez is 6'5", and he'll be matched up against the 6'1" Tyrese Rice (20 pts, 6 ast, 4 reb). I think this one easily goes to Vasquez because of his height and quickness which will wreak havoc against the much shorter Rice. The Terrapins also have James Gist (14 pts, 7 reb) and Eric Hayes (12 pts, 6 ast, 4 reb). Boston College hasn't faced a ranked opponent yet and that will hurt them in this game. Their team is very young. They only have three upperclassmen on the team. Three of the starters are freshman as well. All of this doesn't bode well against Maryland. The Eagles' leading rebounder is Shamari Spears (10 per game).
When To Watch: Sunday, December 9th at 8pm eastern time on FSN.
Sadly, there isn't another good game this week so your college basketball viewing may be a little slow for the next few days. Don't worry; there will be plenty of matchups for the next edition of Game-Planning. To make it up to you, I thought I would find some good videos from YouTube for you to enjoy.
I know you may not want to hear it, but I'll remind you of it again. The V Foundation, started by the late Jimmy Valvano, is raising money for cancer research so that one day we will be saved from this disease. If you would like to donate money, please click here. Have a good weekend!
Poll Results: In the latest poll, I questioned readers on who the best team in college basketball was. Memphis got 28% of the vote and UCLA had 14% of it but the winner was, in fact, Other with 57% of the vote. I must have forgot a team or something. haha
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Friday, November 23, 2007
Game-Planning 2
Well, for the second edition of Game-Planning I will be doing individual games which should be the norm for a while.
1st Quarter- Arizona at Kansas
Winner: Kansas
Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks look great this year. They are poised to take the Big 12 crown this year and early season tests such as Arizona are good for them. However, I still don't think Arizona will win. They've got Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless back but not much else. Kansas has everything and everyone back except Julian Wright. They're 4-0 right now and haven't scored less than 85 points in a game. Sherron Collins is scoring 16 points a game while adding a team-high 5 assists. Four other players are also averaging double-figures. Now, the Wildcats are sitting at 3-1. They suffered their first loss to Virginia by three points. Since then they've been killing their opponents but I guess that doesn't mean much when they've only played UMKC and Adams State in that time. Bayless (18 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) are the lead men for this team. Knowing this, I got Kansas.
When To Watch: Sunday, November 25th at 8pm eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- Wisconsin at Duke
Winner: Duke
Why They'll Win: The Blue Devils are 5-0 and fresh off a Maui Invitational championship. They're looking great out there and Wisconsin shouldn't be much of a problem. The freshman sensation Kyle Singler is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds. Six players are averaging 20+ minutes per game. Now, the Badgers are 4-0 and, to me, seem underrated. Yes, they lost Alando Tucker, but that doesn't mean they're a bad team. Trevon Hughes is scoring 20 points while grabbing 5 boards and dishing out 3 assists. Down low, Brian Butch is putting up 16 points while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds per contest. Also, don't discount Derrick Rose's high school and AAU teammate, Michael Flowers. He's averaging 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists as a freshman. In the end though, Wisconsin just doesn't stack up against the big bad Blue Devils.
When To Watch: Tuesday, November 27th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
Michael Beasley. I honestly can't believe it. It seems we have this year's Kevin Durant. Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds while leading his team to a 3-1 start. My only gripe? His shooting 69% from the line. Of course, I guess he makes up for it by 63% from the field and 44% from deep.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 4-0 right now and Chris Lofton ISN'T the main reason. He's averaging a paltry 12 points per game and hasn't taken more than 13 in a game. This tells me a couple of things. First, Lofton isn't forcing shots because most defenses are keying in on him. Second, his teammates must be stepping up somewhat to make up for his struggles. Now I wondered, "who is that teammate(s) stepping up?" Well, JaJuan Smith is scoring 17 points a game. The other two Smiths are both averaging 12 per contest. I guess for Coach Pearl it doesn't really matter who's scoring just as long as someone putting the ball in the hoop.
Gonzaga will be facing their first real test of the season tonight against Texas Tech. The Bulldogs are ranked 14th with a record of 4-0 thanks in large part to Austin Daye (16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Jeremy Pargo (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Matt Bouldin (12 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have impressed me so far and will need to keep up with other improving mid-majors such as Davidson and George Mason.
3rd Quarter- NC State at Michigan St.
Winner: Michigan St.
Why They'll Win: I know this isn't what you'd call a "marquee" matchup but the early season isn't very good and this will have to do. Anyways, NC State, fresh off a win over South Carolina, is somewhat strong this year. They are predicted by some to finish as high as third in the ACC. But let's not forget how they surprised everyone late in the season last year. They'll probably give MSU a game (within 10 points) but they won't be able to pull it off. Tom Izzo knows how to get his team to play hard out there and win when the going gets tough. They are a top two team in the Big Ten and are led by senior Drew Neitzel who's putting up a solid 15 points and 4 rebounds.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- North Carolina at Ohio State
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: This game doesn't really bode well for the Buckeyes. I mean, Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb) will match up well with Kosta Koufos (20 pts, 8 reb) and I really haven't seen Koufos go up against a really good big man yet--although I will tonight. Also, Jamar Butler (16 pts, 6 ast) is overmatched by Ty Lawson (10 pts, 6 ast) at the point. Then you have to consider the Tar Heels' depth and how great it is. They have eight players logging 15 minutes or more each game. But one guy UNC must watch out for is Jon Diebler. He's a freshman and has a beautiful tough from deep. He's had a rough start to the season but should pick it up eventually. As a side note, he was Ohio's Mr. Basketball last year.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Oregon at Kansas State
Winner: Kansas State
Why They'll Win: To me, this game is very, very intriguing. The Ducks are a top team with a lot of experience and Kansas State is completely led by freshman. As I mentioned earlier, Michael Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds. However, another freshman by the name of Bill Walker is no slouch either. He's contributing a solid 12 points and 5 rebounds for the Wildcats. But after those two there really isn't anyone that will hurt the Ducks (trust me, it's enough). Now, Oregon is still regrouping from their disappointing loss to St. Mary's...who? They are led by Malik Hairston (20 pts, 5 reb) and Maarty Leunen (16 pts, 11 reb). As a team they are shooting 51% from the field and are averaging 90 points a game. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out.
When To Watch: Thursday, November 29th on ESPN2 at 9pm eastern time.
In addition, I think you should check out this video about the most exciting team in the entire nation, the Memphis Tigers.
1st Quarter- Arizona at Kansas
Winner: Kansas
Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks look great this year. They are poised to take the Big 12 crown this year and early season tests such as Arizona are good for them. However, I still don't think Arizona will win. They've got Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless back but not much else. Kansas has everything and everyone back except Julian Wright. They're 4-0 right now and haven't scored less than 85 points in a game. Sherron Collins is scoring 16 points a game while adding a team-high 5 assists. Four other players are also averaging double-figures. Now, the Wildcats are sitting at 3-1. They suffered their first loss to Virginia by three points. Since then they've been killing their opponents but I guess that doesn't mean much when they've only played UMKC and Adams State in that time. Bayless (18 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) are the lead men for this team. Knowing this, I got Kansas.
When To Watch: Sunday, November 25th at 8pm eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- Wisconsin at Duke
Winner: Duke
Why They'll Win: The Blue Devils are 5-0 and fresh off a Maui Invitational championship. They're looking great out there and Wisconsin shouldn't be much of a problem. The freshman sensation Kyle Singler is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds. Six players are averaging 20+ minutes per game. Now, the Badgers are 4-0 and, to me, seem underrated. Yes, they lost Alando Tucker, but that doesn't mean they're a bad team. Trevon Hughes is scoring 20 points while grabbing 5 boards and dishing out 3 assists. Down low, Brian Butch is putting up 16 points while grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds per contest. Also, don't discount Derrick Rose's high school and AAU teammate, Michael Flowers. He's averaging 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists as a freshman. In the end though, Wisconsin just doesn't stack up against the big bad Blue Devils.
When To Watch: Tuesday, November 27th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time.
Halftime Thoughts-
Michael Beasley. I honestly can't believe it. It seems we have this year's Kevin Durant. Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds while leading his team to a 3-1 start. My only gripe? His shooting 69% from the line. Of course, I guess he makes up for it by 63% from the field and 44% from deep.
The Tennessee Volunteers are 4-0 right now and Chris Lofton ISN'T the main reason. He's averaging a paltry 12 points per game and hasn't taken more than 13 in a game. This tells me a couple of things. First, Lofton isn't forcing shots because most defenses are keying in on him. Second, his teammates must be stepping up somewhat to make up for his struggles. Now I wondered, "who is that teammate(s) stepping up?" Well, JaJuan Smith is scoring 17 points a game. The other two Smiths are both averaging 12 per contest. I guess for Coach Pearl it doesn't really matter who's scoring just as long as someone putting the ball in the hoop.
Gonzaga will be facing their first real test of the season tonight against Texas Tech. The Bulldogs are ranked 14th with a record of 4-0 thanks in large part to Austin Daye (16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Jeremy Pargo (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Matt Bouldin (12 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have impressed me so far and will need to keep up with other improving mid-majors such as Davidson and George Mason.
3rd Quarter- NC State at Michigan St.
Winner: Michigan St.
Why They'll Win: I know this isn't what you'd call a "marquee" matchup but the early season isn't very good and this will have to do. Anyways, NC State, fresh off a win over South Carolina, is somewhat strong this year. They are predicted by some to finish as high as third in the ACC. But let's not forget how they surprised everyone late in the season last year. They'll probably give MSU a game (within 10 points) but they won't be able to pull it off. Tom Izzo knows how to get his team to play hard out there and win when the going gets tough. They are a top two team in the Big Ten and are led by senior Drew Neitzel who's putting up a solid 15 points and 4 rebounds.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 7pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- North Carolina at Ohio State
Winner: North Carolina
Why They'll Win: This game doesn't really bode well for the Buckeyes. I mean, Tyler Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb) will match up well with Kosta Koufos (20 pts, 8 reb) and I really haven't seen Koufos go up against a really good big man yet--although I will tonight. Also, Jamar Butler (16 pts, 6 ast) is overmatched by Ty Lawson (10 pts, 6 ast) at the point. Then you have to consider the Tar Heels' depth and how great it is. They have eight players logging 15 minutes or more each game. But one guy UNC must watch out for is Jon Diebler. He's a freshman and has a beautiful tough from deep. He's had a rough start to the season but should pick it up eventually. As a side note, he was Ohio's Mr. Basketball last year.
When To Watch: Wednesday, November 28th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Oregon at Kansas State
Winner: Kansas State
Why They'll Win: To me, this game is very, very intriguing. The Ducks are a top team with a lot of experience and Kansas State is completely led by freshman. As I mentioned earlier, Michael Beasley is averaging 30 points and 18 rebounds. However, another freshman by the name of Bill Walker is no slouch either. He's contributing a solid 12 points and 5 rebounds for the Wildcats. But after those two there really isn't anyone that will hurt the Ducks (trust me, it's enough). Now, Oregon is still regrouping from their disappointing loss to St. Mary's...who? They are led by Malik Hairston (20 pts, 5 reb) and Maarty Leunen (16 pts, 11 reb). As a team they are shooting 51% from the field and are averaging 90 points a game. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out.
When To Watch: Thursday, November 29th on ESPN2 at 9pm eastern time.
In addition, I think you should check out this video about the most exciting team in the entire nation, the Memphis Tigers.
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