Final Four/ NC prediction

North Carolina-Michigan St.

I'm going to be honest, I can't think of a single person I've talked to that had Michigan in the championship game, come to think of it, I can't think of anyone who had them in the Final Four. They had (in my opinion) by far the hardest road to get to the Final Four, were picked against since after their first round game against Robert Morris (yes, many people picked USC-who had played 1 week straight of above average ball-to beat them)-but if you look back on their wins, are you really surprised they won? Tom Izzo has his kids play with such toughness, physicality, heart, and hustle...that opponents just run out of gas and will power and they cant overcome it. It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see them hit Carolina in the mouth right out of the gate and put it to them for 40 minutes and come out as national champions.

That being said, I'm not sure the Spartans can keep up with the talent and the run n' gun style of UNC. They may not be the greatest defensive team or have a true "killer instinct" but they may be able to get away with that with the amount of talent they have on the floor (and on the bench...and in the coaches seat)

In the end, I say North Carolina's talent just barely trumps the heart and hustle of Michigan St. with a 78-74 win. (But keep in mind though that everyone's been saying MSU will get out talented by the likes of USC, Kansas, Louisville, and now UCONN)

Elite 8, day 2

The first round of games was definitely more exciting. Neither of these games unfortunately was really all that close.

Michigan State started off the day with a drubbing of Louisville. I really didn't and still don't see how they could lose to MSU, granted they are a great team, I just thought Louisville matched up well with them. They will take on UCONN in the Final Four
PREDICTION: UCONN by 5

North Carolina capped off the afternoon with a solid beatdown of OU. Blake Griffin was dominant as usual, but he got little help from the rest of his team. UNC on the other hand, several of their players looked good...except for Psyco T and his ridiculous...dunk? attempt. Dude's arm was four feet away from the basketball when he tried to throw down. He did little with that "dunk" attempt to dispell the rumors that he is a fairly uncoordinated typical white hustle player. Thanks Tyler, you're really not helping us whites shake that rep. Anyway, UNC will play Nova in the Final Four
PREDICTION: North Carolina by 12

Elite 8, Day one

Yesterday was a great day of college basketball. Both games were very competitive and could have gone to either team had they made just one or two more plays down the stretch.

The UCONN/Missouri game was won by the Huskies with a score of 82-75 thanks in large part to freshman guard Kemba Walker who scored 23 points and chipped in 5 boards and 5 assists in the game. Quick side note-why is everyone so shocked that Kemba scored 23? His style of play fits in perfectly with the tempo that was played and...the kid is probably going to the NBA within the next few years. 23 points for him is really good, but lets not act like we are so shocked this happened.

Anyway, UCONN got the win and is headed to the Final 4 where they will play the winner of Lousiville/Michigan State. Prediction-Lousiville by 8

Villanova/Pittsburgh may have taken the title of most exciting game of the tournament. Both teams had chances to pull away the entire game with one stop here and a jumper made there, but each time one of them would start to lenghthen the lead, the other would storm right back. The end was...crazy to say the least. Pitt's Levance Fields got fouled with only a handful of seconds left on the clock and his team down two, went to the line and cooly tied the game. Then Nova races down the court, passes twice, the last pass to Scottie Reynolds, he drives the ball, pulls up with about 2, maybe three seconds left, shoots and nails it with .5 seconds left. Game over? Well just wait, Levance Fields gets the pass from inbounds, turns and chucks an 80 or so foot shoot which just misses the basket on the other end and Pittsburgh is sent home with a crushing defeat.

Villanova will play the winner of the UNC/OU game. Prediction-UNC by 4 in overtime.

Sweet 16 recap

Louisville/Arizona (103-64)
This game turned out to be a whole lot bigger blow out than I thought it would be. I thought Arizona's Big Three could match up fairly well with the Cardinals, but I was sorely mistaken. Louisville came out of the gate with very high energy and didn't let up until the final buzzer sounded. The only thing that they really could have done a little better was get to the foul line a few more times, but if you are up by 20 at the half, I guess you can get away with only shooting 14 FTs in a game.

Michigan State/Kansas (67-62)
By far the most competitive game of the night, the Spartans of Michigan State battled back from a 7 point halftime deficit to take down defending champ Kansas 67-62. I guess if you step back and look at this game, it really isn't overwhelmingly surprising that Kansas and their limited experience let the game slip away against a more poised squad.

UCONN/Purdue (72-60)
The Huskies continued dominating their Tournament opponents last night as they cruised to a 72-60 win over Purdue. Hasheem Thabeet and fellow front-courter Stanley Robinson dominated the Boilmakers on the glass and in the paint, physically punishing them the entire game. It wasn't their greatest showing, specifically Jeff Adrian and AJ Price, but if they continue to play at that level and Adrian and Price get back to how they were the first two games, UCONN could very well be hanging another championship banner in the rafters.

Memphis/Missouri (91-102)
Missouri's attacking style was far too much for Memphis in this matchup. They played with more energy and hustle than any other team I've seen all year. Sure, they couldn't keep Tyreke Evans out of the lane to save their lives down the stretch, but they made more than enough of their fair share of plays on offense to put this game away. Two things that scare me about Missouri though, in their last two games, they've let huge second half leads evaporate to scary close margins, and two, how much longer can they keep up this relentlessly attacking pace? I love watching these guys play, but I'm just afraid that they are going to run out of gas towards then end of a close game.

Pittsburgh/Xavier (60-55)
Pittsburgh has been the most frustrating number 1 this whole tournament. They have shown the real grit and heart that they displayed up until the Tournament. I think getting a 1 seed may have went to their head. Anyway, they managed to come back in the final minutes to beat Xavier by 5, although it easily could have gone the other way had Xavier made just one or two plays towards the end of the game.

Duke/Villanova (54-77)
I, like many others, thought this game was going to be all about offensive firepower and be a ridiculous high scoring game. We couldn't have been more wrong. Duke's star players Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer, and Kyle Singler combined to shoot an ATROCIOUS 9-45 from the field (20%) and 4-21 from deep (19%). Sure part of this was on those players for their shot selection and just having an off game, but Nova's D suffocated them and didn't let them get any good looks the entire game so kudos to them. Nova looks like it could cause some serious problems for any team they face.

UNC/Gonzaga (98-77)
The Tarheels showed how dominate their team could be yet again tonight. Offensively they pushed the ball, got open looks, and hit their shots and defensively they forced Gonzaga to shoot a few more jumpers than they would have prefered as they waltzed onto a 21 point victory. As long as Lawson's toe is okay, UNC has as good a shot as any, maybe better, to get to and win the National Championship

OU/Syracuse (84-71)
In a game that was being dubbed by many one of the potential best games of the tournament, OU flat out dominated Syracuse instead. Blake Griffin, as usual, dominated the game on both ends, scoring 30 points to go along with his 14 boards. Junior sharpshooter Tony Crocker took over Willie Warren's normal spot as the Robin to Blake Griffin's Batman, scoring 28 points on only 17 shots. The most annoying player in college basketball, Eric Devendorf, decided to do absolutely nothing to help his team win, shooting just 3-12 from the field and 2-7 from deep with zero free throw attempts (he did get 4 steals, but I still hate him). We'll see on Sunday if Blake Griffin can continue to carry his team to greater hieghts against a very talented UNC team.

NCAA Sweet 16 Picks

Here are my picks for the Sweet 16 (winner in bold)

Louisville vs. Arizona:
Arizona has definitely shown that they belong in the tournament as an at-large team, they always had the talent with three future NBA players in Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, and possibly Nic Wise, but the question this year with them has been their drive and motivation. Now that they are in the tournament fighting for a national championship, they have their motivation, but in the end I think Louisville's depth, coaching, and overall skill will prove to be too much.

Difference Maker: Terrence Williams (LOU)

Michigan State vs. Kansas:
I have Kansas winning, but in a very close, hard fought battle. This game very well could come down to the final minutes, and if it does, I think Kansas' junior PG Sherron Collins will take over as he has done many times this year.

Difference Maker: Cole Aldrich (KAN)

UCONN vs. Purdue:
UCONN has been rolling through the tournament so far, obliterating both Chattanooga and Texas A&M by a combined 82 points. I just don't think Purdue has enough of a workhorse inside to challenge Hasheem Thabeet and get him in foul trouble. I think this game will have the largest point differential of all the Sweet 16 games

Difference Maker: Stanley Robinson (UCONN)

Memphis vs. Missouri:
Missouri is hoping that their high energy pressure defense will throw Memphis off of its game and force them into a high number of turnovers. Personally, I think that Missouri will accomplish their goal on defense tonight and will force just enough turnovers to overtake Memphis.

Difference Maker: Kim English (MIZZ)

Pittsburgh vs. Xavier:
As long as DeJuan Blair stays out of early foul trouble, Pittsburgh should roll to a fairly easy victory over physically overmatched Xavier. The Muskateers just don't have anyone who can bang with Blair on the blocks or anyone who can consistently keep him off the glass. If Blair does get in some foul trouble, expect Sam Young to take over the game and put it away early.

Difference Maker: Jermaine Dixon (PITT)

Duke vs. Villanova:
With two teams that play a relatively similar style, this could turn out to be quite an exciting game. In the end though, I think that the two Duke superstars Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson will use their size/skill combination (Singler) and overall athleticism (Henderson) to overtake Villanova in a close game.

Difference Maker: Nolan Smith

North Carolina vs. Gonzaga
Gonzaga reminds me a lot of North Carolina, they have very talented players all over their roster and they don't rely completely on any one player. That being said, UNC is far more talented than the Zags and so I am predicting a 15 to 20 point victory for the Tar Heels

Difference Maker: Wayne Ellington

Oklahoma vs. Syracuse
This was the most difficult game for me to pick. On one hand I can see Syracuse winning mainly because of their backcourt play (particularly Jonny Flynn) and how well they play that 2-3 zone, but on the other hand, OU has 2 probable lottery picks on their team in Blake Griffin (for sure lotto) and Willie Warren (borderline lotto). In the end, I'll take the star power over the zone in a single digit nail biter

Difference Maker: Blake Griffin's free throws

NCAA Tournament, day 4

Going into the tournament, I had a hunch that we were going to be in for a fairly boring slate of games until the Elite 8. Only a handful of games had me moderately excited, and the first day did little to prove me wrong. Since then though, my goodness, its been crazy! It seems like every game is competitive until the buzzer sounds. Its been great, everyone i know is enjoying it-even my girlfriend who nags at me every time i even pass over a sports channel is glued to the edge of her seat when the games are on.

Speaking of my lady, you know...the one who has refused until the beginning of the Tournament to watch sports, well I talked her into doing a bracket this year. She had a few upsets here and there, mainly picked well known schools like Duke and Kansas and such, has Missouri winning the title over OU. Well, I picked up the Sports Illustrated Tournament preview issue and compared her picks to theirs, and through two rounds, she has picked 35 out of the 48 teams right compared to the 'experts' 33 out of 48. Can we get some better analysts up there? Please?

NCAA Tournament, day 3

With a heavy heart, i reluctantly admit that today was another solid day of NCAA basketball. My Boys in Burnt got beat today, but it wasn't entirely bad. I saw Damion James finally step it up and play fairly big time against a top opponent. I think my least favorite player on earth right now though may be DJ Augustin. Imagine if he were still donning the burnt orange and white. You would be hard pressed to find any team in the nation that would be able to stop Texas. The one thing Texas has lacked all year is someone who can bring the ball up, pass, shoot the three, drive n' kick or take it all the way, you know...point guard type things. I mean, I suppose the Horns do have that, if you were to combine all four players that have manned the point at some time this season (Abrams, Mason, Balbay, and Ward), but hey, you gotta make do with what you have right?

Most thrilling finish so far happened tonight in the Western Kentucky/ Gonzaga game. Good luck finding a final ten seconds with that much action and controversy any time soon.

Back tomorrow with even more news on the goings ons of the world of college basketball, probably will update with some other sports news as well.

NCAA Tournament, day 2

Day two was definitely a much more exciting day than day one. There was 2 overtime games, 4 games decided by two or less points, a handful of bracket-busting upsets (Cleveland St.-Wake Forest) and a couple almost disasters (yes, that'd be you Pittsburgh).

Funny, one of the most boring 9 and a half minutes to start a game ends in one of the most exhilarating games we'll see all tournament. Wisconsin and Florida St. combined for 15, you read right, 15 measly points in the first 9.5 minutes. Sure, the defense was great, but it was just painful. In the end, all was well, it was a fantastic finish-even though i had FSU going on to victory.

Is it just me, or are some college officials becoming way too full of themselves? Some of the refs walk around with more inflated egos than almost all of the coaches and players on the court. Its getting ridiculous! It'd be one thing if the performance of said referees was off-the-charts amazing, buttttttt....they SUCK! How does Marshall Moses of OK ST get a tech for doing one tenth of the dunk/pull up that I think it was Jamelle Horn of Zona did???? It was atrocious! And then whenever a player questions a call, even if they do it as polite as possible, the refs just laugh at the kids and tell them they're wrong (when half the time the ref blantantly blew the call). I know that being a referee on that level is hard and there is no way on earth anyone could make every call 100 percent right, but at least have some class when you officiate. Don't act more immature than the 18 year old college freshman that is sharing the court with you.

Well, Round 2 starts tomorrow, should be another exciting day of college basketball.

Opening round (Day 1)

Today, definitely not the most exciting opening round ever. I think i got genuinely half-excited maybe two, three times max (towards the end of the UCLA-VCU game and the WKU-Illini game). The opening day of the opening round did open my eyes to a few things though:

1. I know it was against a 16 seed, but UCONN is scary good...when they choose to be. I wanted to put this team all the way to championship in my bracket (not brackets...thats just cheap) but they just seem too soft at times. Who knows, maybe playing for a championship will help some of their players find their mean streak/swagger.
2. How does Damion James of Texas not DOMINATE games? He could be a superstar at both ends, well...maybe only a borderline star on offense, but still, he's a freak athlete, solid handles, solid to almost consistent jumper, and a good motor, but it just doesn't come to be on gameday. Its not good how much Texas has to rely on Abrams for points so much. If James can help out signifigantly like he physically could, I smell Sweet 16 for the boys in burnt.
   
3. I think Western Kentucky will make it to the Sweet 16. Gonzaga seems like they'll overlook this game to go onto their matchup with (most likely) North Carolina and will be shocked going into the lockerroom to find themselves down by 15+ points and in too far a hole to claw back.

Well thats all for now, just a few quick notes about todays action. I'll be back tomorrow on the goings ons of day 2.