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 Washington State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington State. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Game-Planning 13
Number One versus Number Two. Does any other game really compare this weekend? It could be considered the second biggest game of the year after the National Championship. Both teams hail from Tennessee. The Volunteers and the Tigers. Every other matchup this week pales in comparison.
Interestingly enough, this is the fifth time ever that the #1 and #2 teams in the AP poll met in the regular season. Even more, in the previous four times the #2 team is 0-4. #1 seems to dominate the series but, of course, for a team like Memphis, who plays in a "weak" conference, it is very possibly, even likely, for Tennessee to win.
I'd also like to mention the recent struggles of the Duke Blue Devils. They've lost their last two games to (no mistake) Wake Forest and Miami. They have been outscored by fourteen points in those two games and it's had me wondering if Duke even has enough to make it to the Elite Eight.
1st Quarter- #2 Tennessee at #1 Memphis
I've already explained what makes this matchup so huge. 1 vs. 2. There isn't anything bigger in sports than the top two teams squaring off. Memphis will be running the high-powered and newly-famous Dribble Drive Motion Offense. They are led by Chris Douglas-Roberts (18 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Rose (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Joey Dorsey (7 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast).
Tennessee, on the other hand, will be pressing on defense and pushing the ball on offense just like the Tigers. Spectators should expect a high-scoring affair in this one. The Volunteers are led by Chris Lofton (15 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), JaJuan Smith (14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Tyler Smith (13 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast). Lofton, after having a slow start to begin the season, is averaging 19 points in his last nine games and has reached the 20-point plateau in six of those games.
In my opinion, it will be interesting to see how each team guards the other's top scorer. For Memphis, they will attempting to shut down the senior sharpshooter, Lofton. For the Vols, they will have the job of stopping Douglas Roberts, or more popularly known as CDR. Douglas-Roberts is averaging an astounding 28 points in his last three games.
Neither of these teams really had a dominant big man to utilize on offense so look for both to rely heavily on their guards and the three-point shot. Memphis averages 8 three-pointers per game; Tennessee is somewhat better at the long ball as they make 9 threes per contest. Keys to the game will definitely be the three-pointer, pressure defense, and the scoring of CDR and Lofton.
I shall be picking Memphis to win this game. Calipari will be getting his 401st coaching victory and the #1 team will then be 5-0 agains the #2 team all time. This game can be viewed Saturday, February 23rd at 9pm eastern time on ESPN. Simply put, you cannot, under any circumstances, miss this game.
Author's Note: I now understand that the rest of this blog may be a let-down due to the awesomeness of the 1st Quarter game.
2nd Quarter- Arizona at #17 Washington State
I suggest that after you finish up watching the Memphis-Tennessee game that you flip over to FSN to catch the second half of this game. It probably will, however, take some getting used to as these teams don't get out and run nearly as much as the top two teams in the country do.
Last time these two teams met, Arizona left with a 76-64 victory over Wazzou. In that game, Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless combined for 45 points. The Wildcats are led by Bayless (21 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), and Jordan Hill (13 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast). The Cougars, however, are led by Derrick Low (14 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast), Kyle Weaver (11 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Taylor Rochestie (10 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) in the backcourt. Down low, Aron Baynes (11 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast) is the key man for Washington State.
Both teams have decent big guys, but neither has a dominant one. Currently, Arizona is on a two-game losing streak and WSU has a four-game winning streak. The Cougars need to win this game if they'd like to contend with Stanford and UCLA for the Pac-10 crown and the number one seed going into the conference tournament. I am picking Washington State to win this game. They are at home and Arizona hasn't been playing very well as of late. Tune in to watch this game Saturday, February 23rd at 10pm eastern time on FSN.
The Halftime Show
So there I sat, wondering what the hell I'm going to write about for three paragraphs for the Halftime Show. All of a sudden, it came to me. I'll be talking about the best unranked teams in college basketball. The first team that is definitely worth mentioning is Arizona. They play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation and have a respectable record of 16-10. The Wildcats have knocked off formidable opponents such as USC, Washington State, and Texas A&M. Arizona also has two possible All-Americans on their team.
The second team that I will talk about is Clemson. Their record is 19-7 and have five players averaging in double figures for points (leading scorer: K.C. Rivers- 15 ppg). The Tigers have played North Carolina very tough two times in a row and have knocked off Virginia, Purdue, and Mississippi State to name a few. This is my dark horse pick come tournament time. They have the talent to make it to the Elite Eight.
The final team I will mention is Baylor. They have a record of 17-8 in the tough Big 12 conference. Yes, the Bears have lost their last four games and six of their last seven but if they pull it together for March they can definitely be dancing for awhile. They lead a balanced attack and, like Clemson, have five players averaging in double figures for points (leading scorer: Curtis Jerrells- 15 ppg). However, if they don't shape up, they won't even make the tournament.
3rd Quarter- #10 Xavier at Dayton
After starting 14-1, Dayton has lost seven of their last ten games and appear to be giving the Selections Committee an easier job come March. However, this time they will have the home crowd behind them and will want revenge for the embarassing 69-43 loss suffered to Xavier in their first meeting this season. In that game, the Flyers shot an abysmal 30% from the field and were outrebounded 38-22. This time Dayton will need to turn it around.
The Flyers are led by Brian Roberts (19 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). Pulling down the rebounds and helping out with the scoring load will be Chris Wright (10 pts, 6 reb), Marcus Johnson (9 pts, 5 reb), and Charles Little (8 pts, 5 reb). The Musketeers, on the other hand, are led by playmaking point guard Drew Lavender (11 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) and senior swingman Josh Duncan (12 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast). Xavier's squad features four MORE players that average in double figures for points (Raymond, Brown, Anderson, Burrell) and two that average 6+ rebounds (Brown, Anderson).
Alas, the home court advantage and vengeance will not be enough for the stumbling Dayton Flyers. I am picking Xavier to win this game. Be sure to tune in and watch Sunday, February 24th at 2pm eastern time on CSTV.
4th Quarter- #2 Tennessee at #16 Vanderbilt
Coming off the big game at Memphis, Tennessee has to travel to Vandy. In my opinion, Vanderbilt's home arena is one of the toughest to play at in college basketball because it's different. The shot clocks aren't in the same place, the benches are down by the baselines, and the court is just more open as the fans sit back farther from the action than normal. All of this is playing against the Vols chances. Oh, wait, did I mention that the Commodores are 16-0 at home this season?
Tennessee is led by, as I mentioned earlier, Lofton, JaJuan Smith, and Tyler Smith. They have NINE players averaging at least five points per game. Vanderbilt, however, is led by Shan Foster (19 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast) and Andrew Ogilvy (17 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast). Recently, they have defeated Kentucky...by 41 points! In that game, Ogilvy was a complete force as he finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds in only 24 minutes of playing time.
Vanderbilt is 16-0 at home. Tennessee is 9-1 on the road. Both average over eighty points per game on offense. Vanderbilt will win. The game will be aired Tuesday, February 26th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time. This is a must-see game as it is vital to the SEC standings. If Vandy can pull off the upset, then it will give teams like Mississippi State and Kentucky a chance to knock the Vols down and out of first place.
The Postgame Video Vault
I couldn't resist with that last video. haha
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Interestingly enough, this is the fifth time ever that the #1 and #2 teams in the AP poll met in the regular season. Even more, in the previous four times the #2 team is 0-4. #1 seems to dominate the series but, of course, for a team like Memphis, who plays in a "weak" conference, it is very possibly, even likely, for Tennessee to win.
I'd also like to mention the recent struggles of the Duke Blue Devils. They've lost their last two games to (no mistake) Wake Forest and Miami. They have been outscored by fourteen points in those two games and it's had me wondering if Duke even has enough to make it to the Elite Eight.
1st Quarter- #2 Tennessee at #1 Memphis
I've already explained what makes this matchup so huge. 1 vs. 2. There isn't anything bigger in sports than the top two teams squaring off. Memphis will be running the high-powered and newly-famous Dribble Drive Motion Offense. They are led by Chris Douglas-Roberts (18 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Derrick Rose (14 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast), and Joey Dorsey (7 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast).
Tennessee, on the other hand, will be pressing on defense and pushing the ball on offense just like the Tigers. Spectators should expect a high-scoring affair in this one. The Volunteers are led by Chris Lofton (15 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), JaJuan Smith (14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Tyler Smith (13 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast). Lofton, after having a slow start to begin the season, is averaging 19 points in his last nine games and has reached the 20-point plateau in six of those games.
In my opinion, it will be interesting to see how each team guards the other's top scorer. For Memphis, they will attempting to shut down the senior sharpshooter, Lofton. For the Vols, they will have the job of stopping Douglas Roberts, or more popularly known as CDR. Douglas-Roberts is averaging an astounding 28 points in his last three games.
Neither of these teams really had a dominant big man to utilize on offense so look for both to rely heavily on their guards and the three-point shot. Memphis averages 8 three-pointers per game; Tennessee is somewhat better at the long ball as they make 9 threes per contest. Keys to the game will definitely be the three-pointer, pressure defense, and the scoring of CDR and Lofton.
I shall be picking Memphis to win this game. Calipari will be getting his 401st coaching victory and the #1 team will then be 5-0 agains the #2 team all time. This game can be viewed Saturday, February 23rd at 9pm eastern time on ESPN. Simply put, you cannot, under any circumstances, miss this game.
Author's Note: I now understand that the rest of this blog may be a let-down due to the awesomeness of the 1st Quarter game.
2nd Quarter- Arizona at #17 Washington State
I suggest that after you finish up watching the Memphis-Tennessee game that you flip over to FSN to catch the second half of this game. It probably will, however, take some getting used to as these teams don't get out and run nearly as much as the top two teams in the country do.
Last time these two teams met, Arizona left with a 76-64 victory over Wazzou. In that game, Chase Budinger and Jerryd Bayless combined for 45 points. The Wildcats are led by Bayless (21 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast), Budinger (17 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), and Jordan Hill (13 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast). The Cougars, however, are led by Derrick Low (14 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast), Kyle Weaver (11 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Taylor Rochestie (10 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) in the backcourt. Down low, Aron Baynes (11 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast) is the key man for Washington State.
Both teams have decent big guys, but neither has a dominant one. Currently, Arizona is on a two-game losing streak and WSU has a four-game winning streak. The Cougars need to win this game if they'd like to contend with Stanford and UCLA for the Pac-10 crown and the number one seed going into the conference tournament. I am picking Washington State to win this game. They are at home and Arizona hasn't been playing very well as of late. Tune in to watch this game Saturday, February 23rd at 10pm eastern time on FSN.
The Halftime Show
So there I sat, wondering what the hell I'm going to write about for three paragraphs for the Halftime Show. All of a sudden, it came to me. I'll be talking about the best unranked teams in college basketball. The first team that is definitely worth mentioning is Arizona. They play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation and have a respectable record of 16-10. The Wildcats have knocked off formidable opponents such as USC, Washington State, and Texas A&M. Arizona also has two possible All-Americans on their team.
The second team that I will talk about is Clemson. Their record is 19-7 and have five players averaging in double figures for points (leading scorer: K.C. Rivers- 15 ppg). The Tigers have played North Carolina very tough two times in a row and have knocked off Virginia, Purdue, and Mississippi State to name a few. This is my dark horse pick come tournament time. They have the talent to make it to the Elite Eight.
The final team I will mention is Baylor. They have a record of 17-8 in the tough Big 12 conference. Yes, the Bears have lost their last four games and six of their last seven but if they pull it together for March they can definitely be dancing for awhile. They lead a balanced attack and, like Clemson, have five players averaging in double figures for points (leading scorer: Curtis Jerrells- 15 ppg). However, if they don't shape up, they won't even make the tournament.
3rd Quarter- #10 Xavier at Dayton
After starting 14-1, Dayton has lost seven of their last ten games and appear to be giving the Selections Committee an easier job come March. However, this time they will have the home crowd behind them and will want revenge for the embarassing 69-43 loss suffered to Xavier in their first meeting this season. In that game, the Flyers shot an abysmal 30% from the field and were outrebounded 38-22. This time Dayton will need to turn it around.
The Flyers are led by Brian Roberts (19 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast). Pulling down the rebounds and helping out with the scoring load will be Chris Wright (10 pts, 6 reb), Marcus Johnson (9 pts, 5 reb), and Charles Little (8 pts, 5 reb). The Musketeers, on the other hand, are led by playmaking point guard Drew Lavender (11 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) and senior swingman Josh Duncan (12 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast). Xavier's squad features four MORE players that average in double figures for points (Raymond, Brown, Anderson, Burrell) and two that average 6+ rebounds (Brown, Anderson).
Alas, the home court advantage and vengeance will not be enough for the stumbling Dayton Flyers. I am picking Xavier to win this game. Be sure to tune in and watch Sunday, February 24th at 2pm eastern time on CSTV.
4th Quarter- #2 Tennessee at #16 Vanderbilt
Coming off the big game at Memphis, Tennessee has to travel to Vandy. In my opinion, Vanderbilt's home arena is one of the toughest to play at in college basketball because it's different. The shot clocks aren't in the same place, the benches are down by the baselines, and the court is just more open as the fans sit back farther from the action than normal. All of this is playing against the Vols chances. Oh, wait, did I mention that the Commodores are 16-0 at home this season?
Tennessee is led by, as I mentioned earlier, Lofton, JaJuan Smith, and Tyler Smith. They have NINE players averaging at least five points per game. Vanderbilt, however, is led by Shan Foster (19 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast) and Andrew Ogilvy (17 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast). Recently, they have defeated Kentucky...by 41 points! In that game, Ogilvy was a complete force as he finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds in only 24 minutes of playing time.
Vanderbilt is 16-0 at home. Tennessee is 9-1 on the road. Both average over eighty points per game on offense. Vanderbilt will win. The game will be aired Tuesday, February 26th on ESPN at 9pm eastern time. This is a must-see game as it is vital to the SEC standings. If Vandy can pull off the upset, then it will give teams like Mississippi State and Kentucky a chance to knock the Vols down and out of first place.
The Postgame Video Vault
I couldn't resist with that last video. haha
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Thursday, January 31, 2008
Game-Planning 11: Early Edition
After a one-week hiatus, the Game-Planning blog is back. I decided to forego writing it due to being very busy this past week with school, and I also considered that not many people would care about much outside of the Super Bowl.
Now, I guess it depends on how you interpret matters such as this, but to me this would be an early edition of Game-Planning, right? Or are you considering this late from last week? Nonetheless, it's here and I have some great game to break down for you. But first, I would like to tell you have I have fared with my predictions so far this season. I will say that I'm pretty sure I did better than Dan's Ravens-Eagles SB prediction. Overall, I have posted a solid 33-16 record on my predictions. I have had a winning record in all but two weeks and have made beautiful upset calls such as Texas beating UCLA, Villanova over Pitt, and West Virginia over Marquette to name a few.
However, I have been wrong on more than a few occasions as well. Most notably, I was dead wrong in thinking Indiana would defeat UConn and I admit it was a terrible predictions. (There ya go, Tracy) I was also wrong in picking Clemson to upset my favorite team, Duke. This in no way means that I will stop being wrong though as that is what makes bloggers like myself so popular. Anyway, without any furthur adieu (that's how it's spelled; not ado, Nomarfan)...
1st Quarter- #2 Duke at #3 North Carolina
I thought I would start this edition of Game-Planning off with a bang heading down Tobacco Road to the greatest rivalry in all of college basketball. You have no right calling yourself a basketball fan unless you tune in to watch this game. In my opinion, Duke has no choice but to shut down Tyler Hansbrough or they lose this game. That is much easier said than done though as the Blue Devils have not featured a solid big man all year. Look for the Tar Heels to get Lance Thomas in foul trouble very early similar to what Maryland did.
Both of these teams love to get out and run so expect to see a score in the 80s by the end of this one. Duke is led by DeMarcus Nelson (15 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), Gerald Henderson (14 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), and Greg Paulus (10 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast). UNC, on the other hand, is led by Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast), Wayne Ellington (17 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast).
The big matchup that I want to watch in this game is Paulus against Lawson. These two are both fantastic players coming off great games. Lawson had 16 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals the other night against Boston College. Paulus is averaging 19 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in his last two games against NC State and Miami.
By 11:30 on Wednesday night we will know the winner of this game. I am picking the North Carolina Tar Heels. Duke's lack of a good interior presence will doom them in this one. Make sure you tune in on Wednesday, February 6th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- #11 Indiana at Illinois
You may be asking yourself what the big deal is with this game, right? Let me explain. Eric Gordon, the Hoosiers' star, committed to home-state Illinois before backing out and deciding to play for rival Indiana. Last time these teams met, the Hoosiers got the better of the Fighting Illini by four points at home. This time, however, they will be going on the road into Illinois where Gordon will most likely be verbally abused by the student body in Champaign.
Indiana is led by Gordon (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and D.J. White (17 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast) who, as I mentioned before in my blogs, combine to form one of the better inside-outside tandems in the entire nation. Trying to stop them will be Illinois, who is led by Shaun Pruitt (13 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast), Trent Meacham (11 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast), and Brian Randle (10 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast).
The key to this game will be how Gordon responds to all the despise among the home crowd and whether the Illini will be able to keep White off the boards. All that pressure is tough for a freshman and Pruitt, with the help of his teammates, is more than capable of stopping White. I say Illinois takes the W in this one. Make sure you tune in to watch Thursday, February 7 at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Halftime Show
During this segment of The Halftime Show, I will be talking about the Final Four. As I see it now, Memphis, Kansas, North Carolina, and UCLA are all near the top of my list of the best teams in the nation this year. However, Texas, Duke, Tennessee, and Michigan State are not far behind. After that, you have the sleeper teams such as Texas A&M, Baylor, Kansas State, and Xavier that could always make a nice tournament run come March.
Anyway, my midseason Final Four choices are North Carolina, Memphis, Michigan State, and either Kansas State or Xavier. I'm not quite sure on the last pick. I'm thinking it will be one of those last four teams though. I like Xavier's chances just because they have a fantastic ball handler to rely on late in games in Drew Lavender. I also chose the Spartans because of the dynamic inside-outside duo they feature in Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan that many, many teams will have trouble matching up with. Tom Izzo definitely has the experience to know what he's doing.
Memphis and UNC were fairly easy picks. Both are having great seasons and have very good chances at #1 seeds, especially the Tigers. The other four teams rounding out the Elite Eight will be Duke, Texas, UCLA, and once again either Xavier or Kansas State. Nonetheless, we still have over a month of basketball to play before the regular season wraps up and the seedings for the tournaments are announced. Enjoy watching all the great basketball until then.
3rd Quarter- USC at #17 Washington State
Washington State, in my humble opinion, is one of the most overrated teams in college basketball. It was one of my easier predictions in calling their loss to UCLA earlier this year. They are led by Derrick Low (14 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Aron Baynes (11 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast). The Cougars will be facing the Bruins yet again on Thursday and expect the same result.
USC, on the other hand, is led by freshman OJ Mayo (20 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), who I have already spent time writing about why I am not a fan, and Davon Jefferson (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast). This is a team that lost their first game of the season to Mercer by FIFTEEN points! They have come a long way since then though with impressive wins over Southern Illinois, Oklahoma, and Washington and close losses to Kansas and Memphis by four.
The last time these two teams met Wazzou won by 15 points. In that game, the Trojans shot from the free throw line only four times compared to the Cougars' eighteen attempts. USC also had thirteen turnovers to WSU's 7. (If it matters, five of those thirteen were supplied by Mayo.) In conclusion, USC can win this game if they limit their turnovers and get to the line early and often.
Do I see that happening against a very disciplined team such as Wazzou? No. That's the exact reason as to why I'm picking Washington State in this one. Make sure you tune in Saturday, February 9th at 3:30pm eastern time on ABC.
4th Quarter- #6 Georgetown at Louisville
If you're a fan of my posts you'll now that I don't think the Hoyas are as great as everyone is chalking them up to be. Roy Hibbert is vastly overrated as he was shut down and held to only six rebounds against the undersized Memphis frontcourt not too long ago. They are led by Hibbert (13 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), DaJuan Summers (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Jessie Sapp (10 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast). They are currently 8-1 in Big East play.
Louisville is one of favorite teams to do very well in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. They are peaking at just the right time with back-to-back wins over Rutgers by 37 and Marquette by 14. The Cardinals are headed by many players as they have five players averaging at least ten points per game but none averaging more than thirteen. They have a balanced attack under Coach Rick Pitino who, like many of his past teams, loves to play with pressure defense on the opponent.
Honestly, I think G'Town will lose this one to the surging Cards of Louisville. The score in this game will probably get up in the 70s or 80s so it should be fun to watch. The game will be shown Saturday, February 9th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Clemson at #3 North Carolina
I focused much of the First Quarter segment on the Tar Heels so Overtime will be used to talk about Clemson and the last time these two teams met. The Tigers are led by K.C. Rivers (15 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), who is one of five players on Clemson's roster that averages 11 or more points per game. The other key player for them will be Trevor Booker. He, along with the rest of the frontcourt, will have the job of stopping arguably the best big man in the nation, Tyler Hansbrough.
The last time these teams played it was a hard fought battle in the Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson ended up losing by two but if not for a defensive lapse at the end, Wayne Ellington doesn't get such a good game-winning shot. Another reason the Tigers lost that game was their free throw shooting. I just read an article in my local paper this week about the poor free throw shooting going around nowadays. Where has it gone? Clemson shot 14-27 against UNC last time while the Heels were 24-30 that game.
I'm going with the upset in this one. After defeating Duke on Wednesday, North Carolina will let their guard down just long enough for Clemson to sneak in and take the victory in Chapel Hill. This game can be seen Sunday, February 10th at 6:30pm eastern time on FSN.
Double Overtime- #4 Kansas at #12 Texas
After predicting the Longhorns' upset of UCLA, I seriously considered making them my pick to win it all. Since then, however, it has been a roller coaster ride for Texas. They dropped two straight and three out of five games to Michigan State by six, Wisconsin by one, and Mizzou by thirteen. Texas then followed it up by winning their next three games before getting their asses handed to them by Texas A&M. I do believe they are on the up again, and their handling Baylor very nicely on the second of February proves it. (Baylor is my dark horse pick for the NCAA Tournament.) In that game, D.J. Augustin didn't play that well. I think that shows that this team relies on more than just their one playmaker.
Texas is led by Augustin (20 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) and A.J. Abrams (17 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast). They also receive much-needed contributions from Damion James (13 pts, 11 reb) and Connor Atchley (11 pts, 6 reb) down low. They will be going up against the 22-1 Kansas Jayhawks, who are spearheaded by Darrell Arthur (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), Brandon Rush (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Darnell Jackson (13 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast), and Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast).
Kansas has a very tough game against Baylor on Saturday before having to travel to Austin to play this game. I do not see the Jayhawks winning both games. That is why I'll be picking the Texas Longhorns to win this game. Kansas won't be able to shut down all of Texas's weapons and it will cost them. Make sure you tune in to watch Monday, February 11th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Postgame Video Vault
That's it for this week's Early Edition of Game-Planning. I will be back with more next week. Enjoy your day!
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Poll Result- Which team is currently the best in the NBA? 50% of voters thought it was the L.A. Lakers while 25% agreed on it being the Boston Celtics. The Suns and Hornets also drew 12% of the vote each.
Now, I guess it depends on how you interpret matters such as this, but to me this would be an early edition of Game-Planning, right? Or are you considering this late from last week? Nonetheless, it's here and I have some great game to break down for you. But first, I would like to tell you have I have fared with my predictions so far this season. I will say that I'm pretty sure I did better than Dan's Ravens-Eagles SB prediction. Overall, I have posted a solid 33-16 record on my predictions. I have had a winning record in all but two weeks and have made beautiful upset calls such as Texas beating UCLA, Villanova over Pitt, and West Virginia over Marquette to name a few.
However, I have been wrong on more than a few occasions as well. Most notably, I was dead wrong in thinking Indiana would defeat UConn and I admit it was a terrible predictions. (There ya go, Tracy) I was also wrong in picking Clemson to upset my favorite team, Duke. This in no way means that I will stop being wrong though as that is what makes bloggers like myself so popular. Anyway, without any furthur adieu (that's how it's spelled; not ado, Nomarfan)...
1st Quarter- #2 Duke at #3 North Carolina
I thought I would start this edition of Game-Planning off with a bang heading down Tobacco Road to the greatest rivalry in all of college basketball. You have no right calling yourself a basketball fan unless you tune in to watch this game. In my opinion, Duke has no choice but to shut down Tyler Hansbrough or they lose this game. That is much easier said than done though as the Blue Devils have not featured a solid big man all year. Look for the Tar Heels to get Lance Thomas in foul trouble very early similar to what Maryland did.
Both of these teams love to get out and run so expect to see a score in the 80s by the end of this one. Duke is led by DeMarcus Nelson (15 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), Gerald Henderson (14 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), and Greg Paulus (10 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast). UNC, on the other hand, is led by Hansbrough (22 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast), Wayne Ellington (17 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), and Ty Lawson (14 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast).
The big matchup that I want to watch in this game is Paulus against Lawson. These two are both fantastic players coming off great games. Lawson had 16 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals the other night against Boston College. Paulus is averaging 19 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in his last two games against NC State and Miami.
By 11:30 on Wednesday night we will know the winner of this game. I am picking the North Carolina Tar Heels. Duke's lack of a good interior presence will doom them in this one. Make sure you tune in on Wednesday, February 6th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
2nd Quarter- #11 Indiana at Illinois
You may be asking yourself what the big deal is with this game, right? Let me explain. Eric Gordon, the Hoosiers' star, committed to home-state Illinois before backing out and deciding to play for rival Indiana. Last time these teams met, the Hoosiers got the better of the Fighting Illini by four points at home. This time, however, they will be going on the road into Illinois where Gordon will most likely be verbally abused by the student body in Champaign.
Indiana is led by Gordon (21 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and D.J. White (17 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast) who, as I mentioned before in my blogs, combine to form one of the better inside-outside tandems in the entire nation. Trying to stop them will be Illinois, who is led by Shaun Pruitt (13 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast), Trent Meacham (11 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast), and Brian Randle (10 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast).
The key to this game will be how Gordon responds to all the despise among the home crowd and whether the Illini will be able to keep White off the boards. All that pressure is tough for a freshman and Pruitt, with the help of his teammates, is more than capable of stopping White. I say Illinois takes the W in this one. Make sure you tune in to watch Thursday, February 7 at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Halftime Show
During this segment of The Halftime Show, I will be talking about the Final Four. As I see it now, Memphis, Kansas, North Carolina, and UCLA are all near the top of my list of the best teams in the nation this year. However, Texas, Duke, Tennessee, and Michigan State are not far behind. After that, you have the sleeper teams such as Texas A&M, Baylor, Kansas State, and Xavier that could always make a nice tournament run come March.
Anyway, my midseason Final Four choices are North Carolina, Memphis, Michigan State, and either Kansas State or Xavier. I'm not quite sure on the last pick. I'm thinking it will be one of those last four teams though. I like Xavier's chances just because they have a fantastic ball handler to rely on late in games in Drew Lavender. I also chose the Spartans because of the dynamic inside-outside duo they feature in Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan that many, many teams will have trouble matching up with. Tom Izzo definitely has the experience to know what he's doing.
Memphis and UNC were fairly easy picks. Both are having great seasons and have very good chances at #1 seeds, especially the Tigers. The other four teams rounding out the Elite Eight will be Duke, Texas, UCLA, and once again either Xavier or Kansas State. Nonetheless, we still have over a month of basketball to play before the regular season wraps up and the seedings for the tournaments are announced. Enjoy watching all the great basketball until then.
3rd Quarter- USC at #17 Washington State
Washington State, in my humble opinion, is one of the most overrated teams in college basketball. It was one of my easier predictions in calling their loss to UCLA earlier this year. They are led by Derrick Low (14 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast), Kyle Weaver (12 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast), and Aron Baynes (11 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast). The Cougars will be facing the Bruins yet again on Thursday and expect the same result.
USC, on the other hand, is led by freshman OJ Mayo (20 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), who I have already spent time writing about why I am not a fan, and Davon Jefferson (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast). This is a team that lost their first game of the season to Mercer by FIFTEEN points! They have come a long way since then though with impressive wins over Southern Illinois, Oklahoma, and Washington and close losses to Kansas and Memphis by four.
The last time these two teams met Wazzou won by 15 points. In that game, the Trojans shot from the free throw line only four times compared to the Cougars' eighteen attempts. USC also had thirteen turnovers to WSU's 7. (If it matters, five of those thirteen were supplied by Mayo.) In conclusion, USC can win this game if they limit their turnovers and get to the line early and often.
Do I see that happening against a very disciplined team such as Wazzou? No. That's the exact reason as to why I'm picking Washington State in this one. Make sure you tune in Saturday, February 9th at 3:30pm eastern time on ABC.
4th Quarter- #6 Georgetown at Louisville
If you're a fan of my posts you'll now that I don't think the Hoyas are as great as everyone is chalking them up to be. Roy Hibbert is vastly overrated as he was shut down and held to only six rebounds against the undersized Memphis frontcourt not too long ago. They are led by Hibbert (13 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), DaJuan Summers (11 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast), and Jessie Sapp (10 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast). They are currently 8-1 in Big East play.
Louisville is one of favorite teams to do very well in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. They are peaking at just the right time with back-to-back wins over Rutgers by 37 and Marquette by 14. The Cardinals are headed by many players as they have five players averaging at least ten points per game but none averaging more than thirteen. They have a balanced attack under Coach Rick Pitino who, like many of his past teams, loves to play with pressure defense on the opponent.
Honestly, I think G'Town will lose this one to the surging Cards of Louisville. The score in this game will probably get up in the 70s or 80s so it should be fun to watch. The game will be shown Saturday, February 9th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Clemson at #3 North Carolina
I focused much of the First Quarter segment on the Tar Heels so Overtime will be used to talk about Clemson and the last time these two teams met. The Tigers are led by K.C. Rivers (15 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast), who is one of five players on Clemson's roster that averages 11 or more points per game. The other key player for them will be Trevor Booker. He, along with the rest of the frontcourt, will have the job of stopping arguably the best big man in the nation, Tyler Hansbrough.
The last time these teams played it was a hard fought battle in the Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson ended up losing by two but if not for a defensive lapse at the end, Wayne Ellington doesn't get such a good game-winning shot. Another reason the Tigers lost that game was their free throw shooting. I just read an article in my local paper this week about the poor free throw shooting going around nowadays. Where has it gone? Clemson shot 14-27 against UNC last time while the Heels were 24-30 that game.
I'm going with the upset in this one. After defeating Duke on Wednesday, North Carolina will let their guard down just long enough for Clemson to sneak in and take the victory in Chapel Hill. This game can be seen Sunday, February 10th at 6:30pm eastern time on FSN.
Double Overtime- #4 Kansas at #12 Texas
After predicting the Longhorns' upset of UCLA, I seriously considered making them my pick to win it all. Since then, however, it has been a roller coaster ride for Texas. They dropped two straight and three out of five games to Michigan State by six, Wisconsin by one, and Mizzou by thirteen. Texas then followed it up by winning their next three games before getting their asses handed to them by Texas A&M. I do believe they are on the up again, and their handling Baylor very nicely on the second of February proves it. (Baylor is my dark horse pick for the NCAA Tournament.) In that game, D.J. Augustin didn't play that well. I think that shows that this team relies on more than just their one playmaker.
Texas is led by Augustin (20 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast) and A.J. Abrams (17 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast). They also receive much-needed contributions from Damion James (13 pts, 11 reb) and Connor Atchley (11 pts, 6 reb) down low. They will be going up against the 22-1 Kansas Jayhawks, who are spearheaded by Darrell Arthur (13 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast), Brandon Rush (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), Darnell Jackson (13 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast), and Mario Chalmers (12 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast).
Kansas has a very tough game against Baylor on Saturday before having to travel to Austin to play this game. I do not see the Jayhawks winning both games. That is why I'll be picking the Texas Longhorns to win this game. Kansas won't be able to shut down all of Texas's weapons and it will cost them. Make sure you tune in to watch Monday, February 11th at 9pm eastern time on ESPN.
The Postgame Video Vault
That's it for this week's Early Edition of Game-Planning. I will be back with more next week. Enjoy your day!
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Poll Result- Which team is currently the best in the NBA? 50% of voters thought it was the L.A. Lakers while 25% agreed on it being the Boston Celtics. The Suns and Hornets also drew 12% of the vote each.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Game-Planning 9
As many of you already know, basketball is the basis of my life. Everything I do and think about revolves around the sport that Dr. James Naismith invented over a century ago. So believe me when I say that I was quite upset in missing BOTH the North Carolina/Georgia Tech and Duke/Florida State games the other night. Nonetheless, I try to be optimistic in my life so I decided to get a head start on the upcoming marquee matchups by breaking them down for your enjoyment.
Author's Note: Every time you see a link to the phrase "per game", you should click on it. It will take you to a blog that I've read on FanNation.com recently that held was very good in my opinion.
1st Quarter- Villanova at Syracuse
Winner: Villanova
Why They'll Win: The Wildcats of Villanova are ranked 25th in the most recent AP poll and are led by Scottie Reynolds, who averages 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. This team doesn't really have a true center to rely on. However, Syracuse doesn't have a dominant big man either. This game will be a matchup of very good backcourts. I'm still contemplating as to whether Eric Devendorf's absence will hurt or help the Orange. The majority of people would say hurt because of his experience and scoring (17 per game), but you can't forget that at times he would hog the ball out on the court. I always looked at him as a negative influence on the team (I'm sure many would disagree with that assumption). Regarding Syracuse, they're led by the fantastic freshmen duo of Donte Green (19 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) and Jonny Flynn (15 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast) who, by the way, recovered nicely from his weak performance in the NIT game I attended and saw him play in. Notwithstanding, I still think 'Nova takes the win in this one. Syracuse has unimpressed me with their play against so many mediocre teams such as West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Massachusetts.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Ohio State at Tennessee
Winner: Tennessee
Why They'll Win: You probably know that I've picked against the Volunteers quite a bit in my previous eight editions of this blog but I'm threw with all of that. This team is very good even if Chris Lofton isn't having the season everyone was expecting him to have. They're led by JaJuan Smith (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), Lofton (14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Tyler Smith (13 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast). They've posted nice wins over Xavier and Gonzaga. As a team, Tennessee shoots 35% from deep and 47% from the field. Their Achilles' heel would definitely have to be their shooting 67% from the line. Worth mentioning are the six players scoring at least nine points per game. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are coming off a 6-point loss to the highly-ranked Spartans of Michigan State. They're led by Jamar Butler (15 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) and Kosta Koufos (14 pts, 7 reb). Ohio State has defeated Syracuse by fourteen and Florida by thirteen.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th at 3:30pm eastern time on CBS.
Halftime Thoughts-
A must-read for college hoops' fans is Grant Wahl's annual "Magic Eight". In it, he says why the Tar Heels will NOT be cutting down the nets this year. He also tells how one of the eight teams in the article WILL be winning it all. Of those are Kansas, Memphis, and Xavier to name a few.
CollegeHoops.Net's Hot Topic: This was an interesting choice this week. It's called Sleeper of the Century and it tells, using advanced statistics, who some of the best freshmen in the country are. You'll be surprised who's #2...
I'm pretty sure I called it. Washington State doesn't have nearly as good a team as UCLA. They were not as good as many had presumed. Their defensive stats were nothing but overrated due to their weak schedule. This team will be lucky if they make it to the Sweet Sixteen.
3rd Quarter- Texas A&M at Kansas State
Winner: Texas A&M
Why They'll Win: The Aggies are currently ranked tenth in the AP poll and are led by Josh Carter (13 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), Joseph Jones (11 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), and DeAndre Jordan (10 pts, 7 reb). They're coming off a loss to Texas Tech and that will be all the more reason to pick against Kansas State on Saturday. That was only their second loss of the season--the first one coming to Arizona. They have seven players averaging seven points per game, each one having no more than 13. A&M shoots 39% from long-range and 51% from the field. However, they shoot a paltry 61% from the free throw line, but Kansas State isn't much better at 68%. They also shoot considerably worse from deep at 31%. The Wildcats are led by Michael Beasley (25 pts, 13 reb) and Bill Walker (16 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast). They've gotten nice wins over Cal and Oklahoma yet have losses to teams such as George Mason and Notre Dame (no offense, IrishR#1).
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th at 4pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- Clemson at Duke
Winner: Clemson
Why They'll Win: It pains me to think that Duke isn't going to win this game. I'll root for them, but their lack of a great post player will definitely hurt them in this game. That's my main reason for choosing Clemson. It will be close with no team going ahead by more than six or eight points. Clemson is currently ranked 24th in the AP poll and are coming off a 16-point victory over NC State. Their only loss this season has been to #1 North Carolina by only two points. They're led by K.C. Rivers (15 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Trevor Booker (13 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast); all of the Tigers' starters average AT LEAST eleven points per game. The Blue Devils, on the other hand, don't feature a solid post presence and are led by DeMarcus Nelson (14 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), Gerald Henderson (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), and Kyle Singler (13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). Duke will most likely play stifling man-to-man defense the entire game but when Clemson starts pounding the ball inside, it will be very difficult for the Dukies to pull ahead even on their home court. Duke shoots 39% from three-point range, 69% from the stripe, and 48% from the field.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th at 6pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Dayton at Xavier
Winner: Xavier
Why They'll Win: I knew I had to break down a Xavier game soon or else Tracy would send a search party out to come and kill me so here it is. The Flyers, who are ranked 14th, are led by Brian Roberts (20 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) and Chris Wright (10 pts, 6 reb); they've defeated ranked teams such as Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Rhode Island. Their only has been to George Mason by nine points early on in the season. The downside is that Dayton has a NEGATIVE assist-to-turnover ratio. The Musketeers have a decent 1.3/1 assist-to-turnover ratio and are led by Drew Lavender (12 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast) and B.J. Raymond (12 pts, 4 reb). They are ranked 20th in both polls and have four losses to Miami of Ohio by two, Arizona State by twenty-two, Tennessee by seven, and Temple by nineteen. In my opinion, Dayton is a little overrated and I'm going with the upset pick in this one. Drew Lavender will literally pick their defense apart. Xavier averages nearly 80 points per game.
When To Watch: Thursday, January 24th at 8pm eastern time on CSTV.
And that will do it for this week's edition of Game-Planning. If you didn't notice, there are four great games on Saturday that you won't want to miss. Besides, you need something to relieve the stress of midterm examinations. Have a great weekend!
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Author's Note: Every time you see a link to the phrase "per game", you should click on it. It will take you to a blog that I've read on FanNation.com recently that held was very good in my opinion.
1st Quarter- Villanova at Syracuse
Winner: Villanova
Why They'll Win: The Wildcats of Villanova are ranked 25th in the most recent AP poll and are led by Scottie Reynolds, who averages 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. This team doesn't really have a true center to rely on. However, Syracuse doesn't have a dominant big man either. This game will be a matchup of very good backcourts. I'm still contemplating as to whether Eric Devendorf's absence will hurt or help the Orange. The majority of people would say hurt because of his experience and scoring (17 per game), but you can't forget that at times he would hog the ball out on the court. I always looked at him as a negative influence on the team (I'm sure many would disagree with that assumption). Regarding Syracuse, they're led by the fantastic freshmen duo of Donte Green (19 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast) and Jonny Flynn (15 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast) who, by the way, recovered nicely from his weak performance in the NIT game I attended and saw him play in. Notwithstanding, I still think 'Nova takes the win in this one. Syracuse has unimpressed me with their play against so many mediocre teams such as West Virginia, Cincinnati, and Massachusetts.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th on ESPN at noon eastern time.
2nd Quarter- Ohio State at Tennessee
Winner: Tennessee
Why They'll Win: You probably know that I've picked against the Volunteers quite a bit in my previous eight editions of this blog but I'm threw with all of that. This team is very good even if Chris Lofton isn't having the season everyone was expecting him to have. They're led by JaJuan Smith (15 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), Lofton (14 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast), and Tyler Smith (13 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast). They've posted nice wins over Xavier and Gonzaga. As a team, Tennessee shoots 35% from deep and 47% from the field. Their Achilles' heel would definitely have to be their shooting 67% from the line. Worth mentioning are the six players scoring at least nine points per game. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are coming off a 6-point loss to the highly-ranked Spartans of Michigan State. They're led by Jamar Butler (15 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) and Kosta Koufos (14 pts, 7 reb). Ohio State has defeated Syracuse by fourteen and Florida by thirteen.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th at 3:30pm eastern time on CBS.
Halftime Thoughts-
A must-read for college hoops' fans is Grant Wahl's annual "Magic Eight". In it, he says why the Tar Heels will NOT be cutting down the nets this year. He also tells how one of the eight teams in the article WILL be winning it all. Of those are Kansas, Memphis, and Xavier to name a few.
CollegeHoops.Net's Hot Topic: This was an interesting choice this week. It's called Sleeper of the Century and it tells, using advanced statistics, who some of the best freshmen in the country are. You'll be surprised who's #2...
I'm pretty sure I called it. Washington State doesn't have nearly as good a team as UCLA. They were not as good as many had presumed. Their defensive stats were nothing but overrated due to their weak schedule. This team will be lucky if they make it to the Sweet Sixteen.
3rd Quarter- Texas A&M at Kansas State
Winner: Texas A&M
Why They'll Win: The Aggies are currently ranked tenth in the AP poll and are led by Josh Carter (13 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast), Joseph Jones (11 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), and DeAndre Jordan (10 pts, 7 reb). They're coming off a loss to Texas Tech and that will be all the more reason to pick against Kansas State on Saturday. That was only their second loss of the season--the first one coming to Arizona. They have seven players averaging seven points per game, each one having no more than 13. A&M shoots 39% from long-range and 51% from the field. However, they shoot a paltry 61% from the free throw line, but Kansas State isn't much better at 68%. They also shoot considerably worse from deep at 31%. The Wildcats are led by Michael Beasley (25 pts, 13 reb) and Bill Walker (16 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast). They've gotten nice wins over Cal and Oklahoma yet have losses to teams such as George Mason and Notre Dame (no offense, IrishR#1).
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th at 4pm eastern time on ESPN.
4th Quarter- Clemson at Duke
Winner: Clemson
Why They'll Win: It pains me to think that Duke isn't going to win this game. I'll root for them, but their lack of a great post player will definitely hurt them in this game. That's my main reason for choosing Clemson. It will be close with no team going ahead by more than six or eight points. Clemson is currently ranked 24th in the AP poll and are coming off a 16-point victory over NC State. Their only loss this season has been to #1 North Carolina by only two points. They're led by K.C. Rivers (15 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast) and Trevor Booker (13 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast); all of the Tigers' starters average AT LEAST eleven points per game. The Blue Devils, on the other hand, don't feature a solid post presence and are led by DeMarcus Nelson (14 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast), Gerald Henderson (13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast), and Kyle Singler (13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast). Duke will most likely play stifling man-to-man defense the entire game but when Clemson starts pounding the ball inside, it will be very difficult for the Dukies to pull ahead even on their home court. Duke shoots 39% from three-point range, 69% from the stripe, and 48% from the field.
When To Watch: Saturday, January 19th at 6pm eastern time on ESPN.
Overtime- Dayton at Xavier
Winner: Xavier
Why They'll Win: I knew I had to break down a Xavier game soon or else Tracy would send a search party out to come and kill me so here it is. The Flyers, who are ranked 14th, are led by Brian Roberts (20 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast) and Chris Wright (10 pts, 6 reb); they've defeated ranked teams such as Louisville, Pittsburgh, and Rhode Island. Their only has been to George Mason by nine points early on in the season. The downside is that Dayton has a NEGATIVE assist-to-turnover ratio. The Musketeers have a decent 1.3/1 assist-to-turnover ratio and are led by Drew Lavender (12 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast) and B.J. Raymond (12 pts, 4 reb). They are ranked 20th in both polls and have four losses to Miami of Ohio by two, Arizona State by twenty-two, Tennessee by seven, and Temple by nineteen. In my opinion, Dayton is a little overrated and I'm going with the upset pick in this one. Drew Lavender will literally pick their defense apart. Xavier averages nearly 80 points per game.
When To Watch: Thursday, January 24th at 8pm eastern time on CSTV.
And that will do it for this week's edition of Game-Planning. If you didn't notice, there are four great games on Saturday that you won't want to miss. Besides, you need something to relieve the stress of midterm examinations. Have a great weekend!
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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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