Game-Planning 10

Many of you will be lying around this weekend with nothing to do. You'll be feeling sorry for yourself even though you have absolutely no control over what weekends will feature football. This weekend, sadly, does not. On the flip side, that gives you all the more reason to watch college basketball (or you could try some other ideas that Mac thought of). So here are the games that you should check out...


1st Quarter- Gonzaga at Memphis

Winner: Memphis

Why They'll Win: I'm predicting a Tiger win to keep the undefeated season alive. This is really their last tough game before the big showdown against the highly-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Memphis is led by Chris Douglas-Roberts (17 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Rose (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Joey Dorsey (7 pts, 10 reb). They are currently ranked #1 in both polls and they've only been in one game that they won by less than ten points. The Tigers are a scoring machine as they have scored at least 90 points on five occasions and average 81 points per game. They shoot 36% from deep and 47% from the field. Now, I've said it all year long and I'll say it again: free throw shooting will be the death of this team. They shoot a terrible 59% from the charity stripe. Concerning Gonzaga, they're led by Matt Bouldin (15 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast), Josh Heytvelt (12 pts, 5 reb), and Jeremy Pargo (11 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast). The Bulldogs were ranked at the beginning of the season but have fallen out of the top 25 due to their four losses to Texas Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. They, too, average a good amount of points per game with an average of 76. I expect this game to be highly competitive and very high scoring.

When To Watch: Saturday, January 26th at noon eastern time on ESPN.


2nd Quarter- Doubleheader

Game 1: UConn at Indiana

Winner: Indiana

Why They'll Win: The Hoosiers are ranked #7 and the Huskies are unranked, but don't think that means this game will be easy for Indiana. We've already seen UConn give Memphis, Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Marquette trouble. They even posted a nice victory over Cincinatti. They're led by Jeff Adrien (14 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast), A.J. Price (14 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast), and Hasheem Thabeet (11 pts, 8 reb). Indiana is led by the inside-outside tandem of D.J. White (17 pts, 10 reb) and Eric Gordon (22 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast) and will be the two that UConn needs to keep in check. If they dont, the Huskies have no shot at winning this one.

When To Watch: Saturday, January 26th at 1pm eastern time on CBS.

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Game 2: Washington at Arizona

Winner: Arizona

Why They'll Win: The 11-7 Huskies will travel to Arizona to face the 12-6 Wildcats in what should be a very good game. I'm picking Arizona for two reasons in this game and it doesn't have much to do with team talent because they're too close to choose. Washington is 1-2 on the road and Arizona is 7-2 at home. Therefore, my winner will be the team that plays well at home. Nonetheless, Washington's leader is Jon Brockman (19 pts, 12 reb), who I think is one of the more underrated big men in the nation this year. Arizona is led by a trio of players in Jerryd Bayless (19 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), Chase Budinger (17 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), and Jordan Hill (14 pts, 8 reb).

When To Watch: Saturday, January 26th at 3pm eastern time on FSN.


Halftime Thoughts-

CollegeHoops.Net's Hot Topic of the Week: Mississippi State's winning streak is what has everyone buzzing right now. I'll be honest and admit that I don't know a whole lot about this team; I did, however, decide to do some research. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the SEC and have won all of their past eight games. Their best player is probably Jamont Gordon, who averages 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Mississippi State is not a very good three-point shooting team though (33%) and are an even worse free throw shooting team (60%). I don't see this team getting all that far in March but this is definitely a team to watch.


3rd Quarter- Texas Tech at Texas

Winner: Texas

Why They'll Win: Quite frankly, the Longhorns aren't as good as I thought they were. Yes, D.J. Augustin (21 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) and A.J. Abrams (18 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast) are very, very talented in the backcourt, BUT Connor Atchley, their big guy, is somewhat reminiscent of Mehmet Okur in the way he prefers to stand out by the three-point line and shoot from there, which could be the main reason he only averages 6 rebounds per game. Nonetheless, Texas has won their last two games by two points each time over Oklahoma State and Colorado. They are a surprising 3-1 against ranked teams while the Red Raiders are 2-2 against those ranked in the top 25. Bobby Knight's team is led by Martin Zeno (17 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), Alan Voskuil (13 pts, 4 reb), and John Roberson (12 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast). The bad news about these three is that they are all guards. That is the reason Texas will win this game. The Longhorns don't really have a solid post presence but neither does Texas Tech.

When To Watch: Saturday, January 26th at 8pm eastern time on SNY.


4th Quarter- Duke at Maryland

Winner: Duke

Why They'll Win: I know my choice may seem like a homer pick but it really isn't. The last time I picked a team that gave UNC trouble to beat Duke I was wrong (see Duke-Clemson), and I've learned from my mistakes. The difficulty in picking this game is very great though. You don't know which Maryland team will come to play on any given day. Will it be the team that knocked off #1 North Carolina? Or will it be the team that lost to Virginia Commonwealth, Ohio, and American University? Thoughts aside, the Terrapins are led by Greivis Vasquez (17 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) and James Gist (15 pts, 8 reb). As for Duke, they will suffocate the Maryland guards on defense and they won't stop attacking when on offense. Look for the Blue Devils to get Gist in foul trouble very early on. This will negate any frontcourt advantage Maryland had coming into the game. Duke is led by DeMarcus Nelson (14 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), Kyle Singler (13 pts, 6 reb), and Gerald Henderson (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast). This should be one of the better games of the weekend.

When To Watch: Sunday, January 27th at 6:30pm eastern time on FSN.


Overtime- Villanova at Pitt

Winner: Villanova

Why They'll Win: I am not impressed by this Pitt team at all and apparently neither are other coaches. The Panthers are ranked 17th in the Coaches' Poll and have lost both Levance Fields and Mike Cook to injury. They are now led by freshman DeJuan Blair (12 pts, 9 reb) and Sam Young (19 pts, 7 reb). Due to the injuries I mentioned a sentence or two ago, Pitt is without a playmaker on offense. Ronald Ramon is the only other possible option for that position. If 'Nova actually won this game, it would be considered an upset according to the polls, but not an upset in my mind. Yes, they have three conference losses already, but they've posted nice wins over Pitt earlier in the year and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. The Wildcats are led by the super sophomore, Scottie Reynolds (17 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), and the junior, Dante Cunningham (11 pts, 7 reb). Those two form one of the better inside-outside tandems in the country along with Neitzel-Morgan of MSU and Gordon-White of Indiana.

When To Watch: Wednesday, January 30th at 7pm eastern time on ESPNU.


Double Overtime- Texas at Texas A&M

Winner: Texas A&M

Why They'll Win: I already explained the Longhorns earlier in this post so I'll spend most of this blog space writing about the Aggies of Texas A&M. Simply put, A&M will win if they get DeAndre Jordan the ball inside and Joseph Jones has a decent game because, as I mentioned before, Texas lacks a solid interior player. My main concern is that Turgeon's squad has lost each of their last three games to Baylor, Kansas State, and Texas Tech. My question is when will we see the A&M team that won 15 of their first 16 games of the season with wins over Ohio State and Washington? Finally, they are led by Josh Carter (14 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), Joseph Jones (11 pts, 5 reb), and DeAndre Jordan (10 pts, 7 reb).

When To Watch: Wednesday, January 30th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN2.


That would be the end of this week's edition of Game-Planning. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Here's a video to pass the time between now and the Gonzaga/Memphis game...


Have a good weekend, everyone!

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Game-Planning 3: Jimmy V Edition

Yes, over fourteen years ago the late Jimmy Valvano gave a speech for the ages. Everyday we should laugh, think, and cry. Those were the words he preached to us before his passing. So, without any further delay I would like to start this edition of Game-Planning.

1st Quarter- Duke at Davidson

Winner: Duke

Why They'll Win: Most of you are probably asking why I even chose this game. Well, I've got a couple reasons for you. One, this Davidson team is the team that gave North Carolina so much trouble earlier in the season. Two, Duke is on the verge of getting back to where they were two years ago. And, three, I honestly can't wait to see the backcourts go head-to-head. To me, Davidson, has the best mid-major backcourt in the entire country featuring Richards and Curry. Starting with the former, Richards is the senior point guard with the Wildcats and is currently averaging 11 points and 9 assists. The shooting guard, Stephen Curry, is averaging an astonishing 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists as a sophomore. These two are a great duo and one can only wonder how they will do against Duke's Paulus and Nelson. After reading that you most likely think that Davidson sounds as if they're the clear winner. Hardly. The frontcourt is where the Blue Devils will dominate. One of the most potent freshman in the nation, Kyle Singler (14 pts, 7 reb), fellow freshman Taylor King (11 pts, 51% from deep), and Lance Thomas (6 pts, 3 reb) are the leaders for them down low. Two of the three (King and Singler) can stretch the defense from three as well.

When To Watch: Saturday, December 1st at noon eastern time on ESPNU.


2nd Quarter- Gonzaga at Connecticut

Winner: Connecticut

Why They'll Win: UConn is back...enough to pull out a win over the Bulldogs. At 5-1, the Huskies are hardly the team of last year. They are led by A.J. Price (13 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb), Hasheem Thabeet (11 pts, 10 reb), and Jerome Dyson (14 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast). They have 6 players averaging at least 20 minutes a game and are poised to be back atop the Big East this year. Gonzaga is ranked 19th as I type this and are fresh off an overtime win over St. Joe's. Their backcourt is headed by Matt Bouldin (14 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) and Jeremy Pargo (11 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb). Down low is the sensational freshman, Austin Daye, who's putting up 14 points and 5 rebounds per contest. The Bulldogs' only loss so far has come at the hands of Bob Knight and Texas Tech. However, their wins are unimpressive. Montana, Idaho, and UC Riverside started off their year. They have what you'd call a cupcake schedule to start the season.

When To Watch: Saturday, December 1st on ESPN at 3:30pm eastern time.


Halftime Thoughts-

Who would have thought BYU would have been in the game with North Carolina in Las Vegas last Saturday? Wait a second, who even thought they would make it past Louisville in the semifinals? I'm guessing not too many of you did. Well, I can guarantee you that they aren't any kind of one-hit wonders. The Cougars are here to stay...for the season, anyways. Currently, they are ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll. BYU is led by junior big man Trent Plaisted (19 pts, 9 reb), who some consider to be the Tyler Hansbrough of the West, and sophomore sharpshooter Jonathan Tavernari (17 pts, 6 reb). The latter made 6 threes against UNC, including 5 in the first half, to account for all of his points in the game. The former was even more magnificent in the game, scoring 24 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

The burning question in Westwood right now is whether or not the Bruins will be able to recover from all these injuries they're suffering right now. Aboya, Roll, and, most significant, Collison are all recovering. The team's bright spot is obviously freshman Kevin Love, who's putting up 18 points and 11 rebounds (both team highs). Some would consider Collison's 14 points and 5 assists as a reason to answer yes to the question but you have to remember that it was against a less than formidable opponent in George Washington.

I will conclude the Halftime Thoughts by saying the Big Ten/ACC Challenge is a joke and it isn't very competitive. In nine consecutive years, the Atlantic Coast Conference has made buffoons out of their opposing conference and this year is no different. Quite Simply, the Big Ten can't match the talent of the ACC. College basketball should find another conference duel. Suggestions? I was thinking an ACC/Pac-10 one would be intriguing or even a ACC/Big East Challenge. Anything but what they have now.


3rd Quarter- Kansas at USC

Winner: Kansas

Why They'll Win: The Jayhawks are sitting pretty at number four in both polls with a 6-0 record. Sherron Collins (16 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb), Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb), and three other Kansas players are averaging double figures in points. Darrell Arthur leads the team in rebounding with 6 a game and Chalmers is their best threat from behind the arc (he's shooting 48% on 23 attempts). USC is led by their ballhog-at-times OJ Mayo. Yes, he's averaging 21 points and 5 rebounds yet only 3 assists to almost 5 turnovers. To top it all off, Mayo has shot 116 times this year. Next on the team would be Dwight Lewis with (get ready for it) 58 times! As a point guard, OJ's job is distributing the ball yet no one else is getting shots. That's ludicrous. I'm predicting that Kansas will win by 10-15 points.

When To Watch: Sunday, December 2nd at 2pm eastern time on FSN.


4th Quarter- Texas at UCLA

Winner: Texas

Why They'll Win: I'm calling the upset here. The Bruins (as I mentioned before) are hampered by injuries. The Longhorns, to the contrary, seemed to have forgotten all about Kevin Durant. A.J. Abrams has picked up the scoring load averaging 21 points and D.J. Augustin (18 pts, 7 ast) is looking as if he's a little Steve Nash clone out on the floor. Three other players are always scoring in double figures for Texas, a feat that would not be possible without the departure of a certain superstar. But enough with the allusions, let's move on to UCLA. Kevin Love is the main man for the Bruins this year. As I mentioned before, he's scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. Three other players (Shipp, Collison, Westbrook) are also averaging double figures in points. Mata-Real is helping out Love with the rebounding which is evident from his 7 rebounds per game average.

When To Watch: Sunday, December 2nd on FSN at 8pm eastern time.


Overtime- USC at Memphis

Winner: Memphis

Why They'll Win: I don't think this will be much of a game mainly because I don't think the Trojans have the talent or coaching to compete with Memphis. Calipari has his men running his system (Princeton on steroids) perfectly. Chris Douglas-Roberts is the scorer on the team averaging 22 points to go along with 6 boards. The fabulous freshman, Derrick Rose (17 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), is leading the break for the Tigers; Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier are shouldering the rebounding load averaging 9 and 8 rebounds, respectively. Of their six games, Memphis have only scored under 80 points once and have eclipsed the century mark twice.

When To Watch: Tuesday, December 4th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.


Here's a video every single reader should watch. It's Jim Valvano's 1993 ESPY speech.


To donate money to the V Foundation, go to the website by clicking here. Have a nice weekend, everyone.

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