A month and a half ago Peyton Manning made big news when he finally got his ring. Now his kid brother is in the news for giving one out. The fourth year QB proposed to his long time girlfriend Abby Crews, a girl he's been dating since their days at Ole Miss. With older brother in town to host SNL, Eli popped the question he's been waiting to ask for months according to family friends. Hopefully his brightened personal future will translate in to greater success on the football field.
In March Madness action two games have gone final, and two more higher seeds have moved on. Kansas and Memphis won tight games to advance to the Elite Eight. The number one Jayhawks survived a close battle with Southern Illinois despite a pace that favored the Salukis. As for Memphis, an unlikely missed layup by Acie Law IV with A&M up one opened the door for the clinching free throws. With A&M eliminated, my brackets have been officially busted. Like this country, I placed my faith in Texas (with UT and A&M) and have been sorely let down.
Showing posts with label College Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label College Basketball. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Tourney, Giants, and More
I've been MIA the past week, but my commentary from March Madness can be found at http://mvn.com/ncaa-syracuse. Opening weekend featured some thrilling overtime games, but most of the higher seeds have survived. In other words, the people who know the least about college basketball are probably winning your office pool. My brackets were busted when the rest of the Texas Longhorns decided not to help out freshman sensation Kevin Durant. While he put together one of the finest seasons ever for a freshman, he can't compete with '03 Melo without that national championship.
With the sport's world transfixed on the Big Dance, there's not too much for NY sports fans to get excited about. The Giants are one of six teams in the NFL not to have signed a free agent and the Yankees are playing well but it's only spring training. On brighter notes, the Knicks and Rangers have played themselves in to playoff position. The Knicks thoroughly dismantled divison leading Toronto at the Garden yesterday and received a huge boost from rookie Renaldo Balkman.
Just a few hours after the Knicks win, the Garden hosted the city basketball championship. The game was broadcast on MSG and I tuned in to check out sophomore sensation Lance Stephenson. Stephenson plays for the Lincoln Railsplitters, the same high school team that made Sebastian Telfair a NYC legend, and many think the sophomore is the next Coney Island great. He did not disappoint, showing off great range and an ability to score in many ways. The biggest knock is his attitude. He showed no defensive intensity and looked very unhappy when he didn't get touches on the offensive end. In short, in many ways he showed that he's still a young kid. Lincoln dominated Boys and Girls High School to take home the city title, their fifth in six years. Remember the name though. Lance Stephenson will be playing elite D-I ball in a couple years.
With the sport's world transfixed on the Big Dance, there's not too much for NY sports fans to get excited about. The Giants are one of six teams in the NFL not to have signed a free agent and the Yankees are playing well but it's only spring training. On brighter notes, the Knicks and Rangers have played themselves in to playoff position. The Knicks thoroughly dismantled divison leading Toronto at the Garden yesterday and received a huge boost from rookie Renaldo Balkman.
Just a few hours after the Knicks win, the Garden hosted the city basketball championship. The game was broadcast on MSG and I tuned in to check out sophomore sensation Lance Stephenson. Stephenson plays for the Lincoln Railsplitters, the same high school team that made Sebastian Telfair a NYC legend, and many think the sophomore is the next Coney Island great. He did not disappoint, showing off great range and an ability to score in many ways. The biggest knock is his attitude. He showed no defensive intensity and looked very unhappy when he didn't get touches on the offensive end. In short, in many ways he showed that he's still a young kid. Lincoln dominated Boys and Girls High School to take home the city title, their fifth in six years. Remember the name though. Lance Stephenson will be playing elite D-I ball in a couple years.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Tourney Field Set With Some Glaring Omissions
The field of 65 teams competing in this year's March Madness was revealed on Sunday, but a lot of attention has been focused on several of the teams who were not selected. As you can tell from this entry on my Syracuse basketball blog, the Orange could take the honor of most slighted. Instead of dwelling on that, if we re-visit Sunday's entry, I accurately projected 31 of the 34 at large bids. To put that in perspective, ESPN's bracketologist pegged 32 of the 34. Not bad for my first stab. All further "bracket banter" will take place at the aforementioned Syracuse blog. Please feel free to visit and engage in some discussion via the comments section.
Just to offer a sneak peek, my early national Champion is the University of Florida. I know, not really going out on a limb by choosing the defending champion and overall number one seed, but they feature one of the most talented starting fives in recent NCAA history. Also, consider the last team to repeat as champions were the Duke Blue Devils of 1991-1992 that feautred one of the best collegiate tandems (Bob Hurley and Christian Laettner) of all time. With their balanced scoring and unparalleled front court, the Gators are certainly the team to beat.
Just to offer a sneak peek, my early national Champion is the University of Florida. I know, not really going out on a limb by choosing the defending champion and overall number one seed, but they feature one of the most talented starting fives in recent NCAA history. Also, consider the last team to repeat as champions were the Duke Blue Devils of 1991-1992 that feautred one of the best collegiate tandems (Bob Hurley and Christian Laettner) of all time. With their balanced scoring and unparalleled front court, the Gators are certainly the team to beat.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Projecting the Field
With the CBS Selection Show just a few minutes away, I wanted to post my projected field. The 31 automatic bids have all been handed out, and there is sure to be plenty of controversy over the final 34. Below is my list for the 34 at-large teams (in no particular order):
Southern Illinois-MVC
Butler-Horizon
Wisconsin-Big 10
UVA- ACC
Virginia Tech-ACC
Duke-ACC
Boston College-ACC
Kentucky-SEC
Pitt-Big East
Louisville-Big East
Notre Dame-Big East
Marquette-Big East
Syracuse-Big East
Maryland-ACC
Texas A&M- Big 12
Michigan St- Big 10
UCLA- Pac-10
Washington St.- Pac-10
USC- Pac-10
Xavier- A-10
Tennessee- SEC
Vanderbilt- SEC
Texas- Big 12
Arizona- Pac-10
Nevada- WAC
Indiana- Big 10
BYU- MWC
Stanford-Pac-10
Drexel- Colonial
Purdue- Pac-10
Kansas St- Big 12
Old Dominion- Colonial
Georgia Tech-ACC
Apologies to:
Texas Tech- Very conflicted on this one. They have several huge victories, but the blowout loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 could have cost them a berth.
Florida St.- Like Texas Tech, several big wins. But they struggled a bit down the stretch and didn't advance far enough in the ACC tournament
Appalachian St.-Bowed out of the Southern Conference tourney early. Once considered a lock, played themselves out in their conference tournament.
Missouri St- Aside from their Wisconsin win, struggled against the RPI top 50. Didn't play well enough down the stretch.
Air Force- Early season darlings who even spent significant time in the top 25. Played terrible basketball down the stretch.
West Virginia-Played a weak Big East schedule and their signature win came against a Darren Collison-less UCLA team.
Oklahoma St-Like several other teams, started off hot but cooled down the stretch. Played well in the Big 12 tourney, but many thought they'd need to make the finals in order to be selected.
Arkansas-Run to the SEC title game not enough for the Razorbacks. Below .500 record in SEC will be downfall
Brackets are about to be announced, let's see how it turns out
Akron-
Southern Illinois-MVC
Butler-Horizon
Wisconsin-Big 10
UVA- ACC
Virginia Tech-ACC
Duke-ACC
Boston College-ACC
Kentucky-SEC
Pitt-Big East
Louisville-Big East
Notre Dame-Big East
Marquette-Big East
Syracuse-Big East
Maryland-ACC
Texas A&M- Big 12
Michigan St- Big 10
UCLA- Pac-10
Washington St.- Pac-10
USC- Pac-10
Xavier- A-10
Tennessee- SEC
Vanderbilt- SEC
Texas- Big 12
Arizona- Pac-10
Nevada- WAC
Indiana- Big 10
BYU- MWC
Stanford-Pac-10
Drexel- Colonial
Purdue- Pac-10
Kansas St- Big 12
Old Dominion- Colonial
Georgia Tech-ACC
Apologies to:
Texas Tech- Very conflicted on this one. They have several huge victories, but the blowout loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 could have cost them a berth.
Florida St.- Like Texas Tech, several big wins. But they struggled a bit down the stretch and didn't advance far enough in the ACC tournament
Appalachian St.-Bowed out of the Southern Conference tourney early. Once considered a lock, played themselves out in their conference tournament.
Missouri St- Aside from their Wisconsin win, struggled against the RPI top 50. Didn't play well enough down the stretch.
Air Force- Early season darlings who even spent significant time in the top 25. Played terrible basketball down the stretch.
West Virginia-Played a weak Big East schedule and their signature win came against a Darren Collison-less UCLA team.
Oklahoma St-Like several other teams, started off hot but cooled down the stretch. Played well in the Big 12 tourney, but many thought they'd need to make the finals in order to be selected.
Arkansas-Run to the SEC title game not enough for the Razorbacks. Below .500 record in SEC will be downfall
Brackets are about to be announced, let's see how it turns out
Akron-
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Florida Falls at Rocky Top
It seems like every bubble team in search of a signature win has been managing to get one. Last night that trend continued when unranked Tennessee defeated the fourth ranked Florida Gators 86-76 on senior night in Knoxville. The final margin is not indicative of how lopsided this game played out from start to finish. Behind Chris Lofton, the Volunteers ceized an early lead which would grow to 27 at one point in the second half. A frenzied full-court press enabled the Gators to cut the lead to single digits, but the game never really felt in doubt. One has to believe that some recent remarks by Gator Al Horford might carry a lot of weight.
The junior forward suggested his team gets lacksadasical on defense when they're not having success on offense. When they made their charge in the second half, the defensive intensity picked up as buckets started to drop. This could be an issue for the defending champs come tournament time. For now, people need to stop the "what's wrong with Florida" talk. They've lost three out of four and all of a sudden it's supposed to be crisis time in Gainesville. It's better to drop games in late February than late March. There's enough time for Billy Donovan to address the issues, which primarily seems to be a lack of focus to start ball games. They routinely fall behind, but often can overcome with their enormous talent level. He should also address their attitudes. Many times throughout last night's broadcast you caught glimpses of Florida players who seem to have a sense of entitlement. If they are to repeat as champions, they have to realize it is not a birth right.
Finally, I must applaud UT women's coach Pat Summitt's cheerleading cameo. A few weeks ago I praised Bruce Pearl, and the same goes for coach Summitt. These two really understand that college athletics is driven by school spirit. To see one of the most respected people in their profession demonstrate the loyalty that is necessary to succeed on the collegiate level was refreshing. While her rendition of Rocky Top may have not been the sweetest it's ever sounded, her passion for UT athetics was properly represented. Many have lauded these "side show" efforts, but it in no way detracts from the action on the court. I do not believe Mr. Pearl or Ms. Summitt's actions were anything but genuine and good-natured. They emobody the passion of the students, fans, and alumni whose fervent fanaticism sets collegiate sports apart from their professional counterparts.
The junior forward suggested his team gets lacksadasical on defense when they're not having success on offense. When they made their charge in the second half, the defensive intensity picked up as buckets started to drop. This could be an issue for the defending champs come tournament time. For now, people need to stop the "what's wrong with Florida" talk. They've lost three out of four and all of a sudden it's supposed to be crisis time in Gainesville. It's better to drop games in late February than late March. There's enough time for Billy Donovan to address the issues, which primarily seems to be a lack of focus to start ball games. They routinely fall behind, but often can overcome with their enormous talent level. He should also address their attitudes. Many times throughout last night's broadcast you caught glimpses of Florida players who seem to have a sense of entitlement. If they are to repeat as champions, they have to realize it is not a birth right.
Finally, I must applaud UT women's coach Pat Summitt's cheerleading cameo. A few weeks ago I praised Bruce Pearl, and the same goes for coach Summitt. These two really understand that college athletics is driven by school spirit. To see one of the most respected people in their profession demonstrate the loyalty that is necessary to succeed on the collegiate level was refreshing. While her rendition of Rocky Top may have not been the sweetest it's ever sounded, her passion for UT athetics was properly represented. Many have lauded these "side show" efforts, but it in no way detracts from the action on the court. I do not believe Mr. Pearl or Ms. Summitt's actions were anything but genuine and good-natured. They emobody the passion of the students, fans, and alumni whose fervent fanaticism sets collegiate sports apart from their professional counterparts.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
His Airness' Heirs Struggle in Nationally Televised Game
Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan are used to being the center of attention at basketball games. At opposing gyms they're heckled ruthlessly. Last night, they took their show to ESPN 2. Unfortunately for them, North Central guard Eric Gordon looked like the heir to the airness' throne. Gordon dazzled the crowd with 43 points and showed why he is one of the nation's top recruits. He looked like a man among boys, moving at entirely different speeds and already sculpted like a college player. His efforts sparked a dominant effort for North Central as they handed Loyola Academy their first loss of the season. The Indiana-bound senior even had a highlight reel reverse slam that invoked images of the famous 23 in the crowd. North Central fans appropriately dub him "Air Gordon", and he no doubt impressed the man rooting against him.
While ESPN turned its attention to the royal family of basketball, Gordon's story is the most compelling. Aside from being a spectacular recruit, his college indecision will be a major storyline in the Big 10 next year. His junior year, the shooting guard orally committed to Bruce Weber and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Weber stopped recruiting that position figuring he already had the best of the bunch. Unfortunately for him, the Indiana native wanted to head to Bloomington and finally felt comfortable once Kelvin Sampson took over for the maligned Mike Davis. Gordon switched allegiances and signed his future over to the Hoosiers. Illini loyalists have already sent threats to Gordon and he will undoubtedly be a marked man when the Hoosiers travel to Champagne to take on the Illinois.
For the Jordan brothers, it was a rather forgettable evening. The boys combined for 8 points and several airballs. Neither opt to wear 23, choosing 32 (Jeff) and 11 (Marcus) instead. They did combine on a nice alley-oop, the younger Marcus to big brother Jeff, early in the first quarter but provided little else to get excited about. Jeffrey, a senior, was recently selected for the Jordan All-Star classic but is undecided on his college choice. Marcus, a sophomore, promises to be a more sought after recruit as he matures. Both seem to be better distributors than scorers and certainly play smart basketball. They also shoot lefty, a strange diversion from their right handed father. Luckily for them, even their father didn't develop until he was a senior in high school. Unfortunately, they faced an opponent who will no doubt make an impact on the next level.
While ESPN turned its attention to the royal family of basketball, Gordon's story is the most compelling. Aside from being a spectacular recruit, his college indecision will be a major storyline in the Big 10 next year. His junior year, the shooting guard orally committed to Bruce Weber and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Weber stopped recruiting that position figuring he already had the best of the bunch. Unfortunately for him, the Indiana native wanted to head to Bloomington and finally felt comfortable once Kelvin Sampson took over for the maligned Mike Davis. Gordon switched allegiances and signed his future over to the Hoosiers. Illini loyalists have already sent threats to Gordon and he will undoubtedly be a marked man when the Hoosiers travel to Champagne to take on the Illinois.
For the Jordan brothers, it was a rather forgettable evening. The boys combined for 8 points and several airballs. Neither opt to wear 23, choosing 32 (Jeff) and 11 (Marcus) instead. They did combine on a nice alley-oop, the younger Marcus to big brother Jeff, early in the first quarter but provided little else to get excited about. Jeffrey, a senior, was recently selected for the Jordan All-Star classic but is undecided on his college choice. Marcus, a sophomore, promises to be a more sought after recruit as he matures. Both seem to be better distributors than scorers and certainly play smart basketball. They also shoot lefty, a strange diversion from their right handed father. Luckily for them, even their father didn't develop until he was a senior in high school. Unfortunately, they faced an opponent who will no doubt make an impact on the next level.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Arenas says "I'd score 84 or 85" on Duke
It's no secret that lots of professional athletes play with a chip on their shoulder. After being passed up by every NFL team, New York Giants LB Antonio Pierce carries a list of all linebackers taken in the draft that year. Whoever's not in the league anymore, their name gets crossed off. Despite going undrafted, he has very limited company from that once lengthy list. This act of vengeance is being far surpassed by Wizards star Gilbert Arenas. Coach Mike Kryzewski and his staff on Team USA left Arenas off the team competing at the World Championships last summer. In response, Arenas has sworn revenge on those assistants, namely Suns coach Mike D'Antoni and Trailblazers coach Nate McMillan.
Let me preface the following with this: the call and response trash talking between D'Antoni and Arenas is some of the most clever banter I've seen. After D'Antoni wondered aloud how Arenas would do against Kryzewski's Blue Devils, the Wizards star answered back in a blog on nba.com:
"He'd like to see what I'm going to do against Duke. I thought it was funny because if I have the chance to go back to college, I'll give up one NBA season to play against Duke. One college game that's five fouls, right? ... 40-minute game at Duke, they got soft rims I'd probably score 84 or 85. I wouldn't pass the ball. I wouldn't even think about passing it. It would be like a NBA Live or an NBA 2K7 game, you just shoot with one person."
First of all, tremendous credit to D'Antoni for his unbelieveable creativity in asserting "He's gonna kill Duke." With this little retort, he managed to poke fun at the absurdity of Arenas desire to get back at men who "wronged" him without directly lashing out at him. Since players with Arenas' personality will never avoid a chance for some media attention, he took the bait. He managed to arrogantly, yet with such a matter of fact tone, demonstrate how confident he is in his abilities. It's a bit unsettling how much Arenas wants to get back at Coach K and staff, but his underdog mentality has led to monstrous on-court results this season.
Some sports "purists" hate stories like these, but the fact remains that the sports industry lies in the same bed as the entertainment world. It's stars are celebrities and America is consumed by the lure of entertainers. End zone celebrations, media trash-talking, and larger than life stars all come with the territorry. Almost all sports networks make it a point to prove the entertainment value of the teams they cover. Playful spats in the media, such as the one between Arenas and D'Antoni, are inevitable with the amount of time players and coaches spend catering to all media forums. It is at least refreshing to see one with wit and ingenuity.
Let me preface the following with this: the call and response trash talking between D'Antoni and Arenas is some of the most clever banter I've seen. After D'Antoni wondered aloud how Arenas would do against Kryzewski's Blue Devils, the Wizards star answered back in a blog on nba.com:
"He'd like to see what I'm going to do against Duke. I thought it was funny because if I have the chance to go back to college, I'll give up one NBA season to play against Duke. One college game that's five fouls, right? ... 40-minute game at Duke, they got soft rims I'd probably score 84 or 85. I wouldn't pass the ball. I wouldn't even think about passing it. It would be like a NBA Live or an NBA 2K7 game, you just shoot with one person."
First of all, tremendous credit to D'Antoni for his unbelieveable creativity in asserting "He's gonna kill Duke." With this little retort, he managed to poke fun at the absurdity of Arenas desire to get back at men who "wronged" him without directly lashing out at him. Since players with Arenas' personality will never avoid a chance for some media attention, he took the bait. He managed to arrogantly, yet with such a matter of fact tone, demonstrate how confident he is in his abilities. It's a bit unsettling how much Arenas wants to get back at Coach K and staff, but his underdog mentality has led to monstrous on-court results this season.
Some sports "purists" hate stories like these, but the fact remains that the sports industry lies in the same bed as the entertainment world. It's stars are celebrities and America is consumed by the lure of entertainers. End zone celebrations, media trash-talking, and larger than life stars all come with the territorry. Almost all sports networks make it a point to prove the entertainment value of the teams they cover. Playful spats in the media, such as the one between Arenas and D'Antoni, are inevitable with the amount of time players and coaches spend catering to all media forums. It is at least refreshing to see one with wit and ingenuity.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Keep Up with the Orange
Just wanted to invite everyone to check out my other blog at: http://mvn.com/ncaa-syracuse/. MVN is an independent sports media company that runs a network of sports blogs covering a variety of sports and teams. So far I'm the only one covering the Syracuse Orange, but that could change at any time. I should be updating it pretty frequently to cover Orange basketball players past, present, and future. Please check it out and leave feedback.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Pearl Shows off School Spirit
Bruce Pearl has not taken long to make an impact on the University of Tennessee. A year ago, his first season in Knoxville, he led the Volunteers to a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament and took home SEC coach of the year honors. He drew national attention for his flashy Tennessee orange blazer and his extreme enthusiasm on the sidelines. Tonight he again made news for his wardrobe selection, or more appropriately, lack thereof. At tonight's Lady Vols game versus top ranked Duke, Pearl sat shirtless with his players in the students section. His chest had a large orange "V" painted on as part of "Go Vols" (shown above, taken from http://msn.foxsports.com/wcbk/story/6398446). Save for the Boise State game, this is my favorite sports story of the new year.
Pearl's unbridled enthusiasm personifies what college athletics is all about. He understands that college sports is about the student-athletes. Having his players root on fellow students who fill a similar role on campus demonstrates everything that is right with amateur sports. School spirit seperates the NCAA from the professional ranks. By acknowledging and embracing that fact, Pearl shows his impact on the program is reaching far beyond their improvement on the court.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Boggan Clutch in Big XII Thriller
It's been a long road to Stillwater, Oklahoma for senior Mario Boggan, but what a sweet ride he's taking the Cowboys on now that he's there. Oklahoma State is the ninth school in eight years for the talented big man and for all those who haven't taken notice, he emphatically announced his arrival last night. With a leaning three pointer in the waning seconds of triple overtime, Boggan keyed Oklahoma State's victory over Big XII rival Texas. In a battle of the conference's two brightest stars, Boggan edged UT freshman standout Kevin Durant. Both led their teams with 37 points, while Boggan grabbed 20 rebounds to Durant's 12 boards.
While OSU's star had the bigger night, it's Durant's immediate impact that has taken the Big XII by storm. He's averaging over 30 points in conference play, peaking at 37 in two games this month. Surrounded by other talented freshman, the rangy wingman has drawn comparisons to former Syracuse standout Carmelo Anthony. Despite an off shooting night Durant scored in many different ways. He demonstrated excellent range, an ability to score down low, and most importantly commanded the ball with the game in the balance. It's clear that he'll be a one and done guy, but is already a leading candidate for Player of the Year honors. Texas must also be commended for how they fought back. Featuring a starting lineup of four freshman, the youngsters battled back in each overtime period. Freshman guard DJ Augustin looked very impressive getting to the basket and an aggressive defense led to fast break points to close gaps. With more collegiate experience, this will be a very dangerous team in March.
The most disappointing, albeit irrelevant, story line of last night was the OSU fans. Their team came in with a higher ranking, yet the fans stormed the court. Given the right circumstances, I'm certainly pro-court storming. It allows fans to interact with the players. The perceived accessibility of college athletes is part of what makes people more attracted to the NCAA than professional sports. But any game in which you are either ranked higher, favored, or should win prohibits a fan from rushing the floor. Great win for the Cowboys, huge loss for their fans.
While OSU's star had the bigger night, it's Durant's immediate impact that has taken the Big XII by storm. He's averaging over 30 points in conference play, peaking at 37 in two games this month. Surrounded by other talented freshman, the rangy wingman has drawn comparisons to former Syracuse standout Carmelo Anthony. Despite an off shooting night Durant scored in many different ways. He demonstrated excellent range, an ability to score down low, and most importantly commanded the ball with the game in the balance. It's clear that he'll be a one and done guy, but is already a leading candidate for Player of the Year honors. Texas must also be commended for how they fought back. Featuring a starting lineup of four freshman, the youngsters battled back in each overtime period. Freshman guard DJ Augustin looked very impressive getting to the basket and an aggressive defense led to fast break points to close gaps. With more collegiate experience, this will be a very dangerous team in March.
The most disappointing, albeit irrelevant, story line of last night was the OSU fans. Their team came in with a higher ranking, yet the fans stormed the court. Given the right circumstances, I'm certainly pro-court storming. It allows fans to interact with the players. The perceived accessibility of college athletes is part of what makes people more attracted to the NCAA than professional sports. But any game in which you are either ranked higher, favored, or should win prohibits a fan from rushing the floor. Great win for the Cowboys, huge loss for their fans.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Bo Knows Homecourt advantage
In the 1990's we learned theres very little that Bo Jackson doesn't know how to do. In the new millenium, its Bo Ryan who simply knows how to win at home. With a 72-69 win over rival Ohio State, the Badgers improved to 40-2 at home against conference foes under Bo Ryan. That record should only get better as Ryan features a deep team poised to play in early April. The final score is not indicative of how this game went, but the Buckeyes had a chance to force overtime. Shoddy late game free throw shooting by the Badgers opened the door for the Buckeyes, but a three point attempt by Jamar Butler clanked off the rim as time expired. Led by an outstanding performance by point guard Kammron Taylor, the Badgers were in command for most of the game. Senior playmaker Alando Tucker struggled from the floor making only 8 of 18 shots, but came up with plays down the stretch including his highlight reel fumbled jumper over Greg Oden. The Badgers also got strong efforts from defensive ace Michael Flowers and improving sophomore Marcus Landry. They have a tremendous scoring duo in Taylor and Tucker, a stiffling defense that creates a lot of turnovers, and a deep enough bench to play with anyone in the country. Even with a poor showing by vastly improving big man Brian Butch, the Badgers had enough to hold off a very strong Buckeyes team. However, as Oden heals and the young guys mature, the story could be different when they meet in Columbus.
With Oden limited by his hurt wrist, Ohio State continues to settle for a lot of threes. In their defense, they nailed a dozen of them last night. Big men Greg Oden and Othello Hunter were saddled early with foul trouble and forced Ohio State in to a more perimeter oriented offense. With Ivan Harris, Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler, and Mike Conley Jr. this team can beat you from the outside, but need more post production to make a run in the tournament. Oden has struggled when teams were able to throw a lot of big bodies at him (UNC, Florida, Wisconsin). Until he feels comfortable health wise, these problems could continue. Freshman swingman Daequan Cook struggled mightily last night, converting only one of eight shots from the field. None of the "Thad Five" had a particularly strong game, which is encouraging for Buckeyes fans for the rest of the Big 10 schedule. Losing at the Cole Center seems to be the norm in the Big 10, so things should only get better for the Buckeyes. With a loss in the football national championship and last night's basketball defeat, things can't get much worse.
.
With Oden limited by his hurt wrist, Ohio State continues to settle for a lot of threes. In their defense, they nailed a dozen of them last night. Big men Greg Oden and Othello Hunter were saddled early with foul trouble and forced Ohio State in to a more perimeter oriented offense. With Ivan Harris, Ron Lewis, Jamar Butler, and Mike Conley Jr. this team can beat you from the outside, but need more post production to make a run in the tournament. Oden has struggled when teams were able to throw a lot of big bodies at him (UNC, Florida, Wisconsin). Until he feels comfortable health wise, these problems could continue. Freshman swingman Daequan Cook struggled mightily last night, converting only one of eight shots from the field. None of the "Thad Five" had a particularly strong game, which is encouraging for Buckeyes fans for the rest of the Big 10 schedule. Losing at the Cole Center seems to be the norm in the Big 10, so things should only get better for the Buckeyes. With a loss in the football national championship and last night's basketball defeat, things can't get much worse.
.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Orange drop Big East opener
Syracuse faithful have tried to be patient with the vaunted class of 2007. After three years of inconsistency, their senior year is put up or shut up time. If the Big East opener versus Pitt last night was any indication, this could be a quiet season. The Orange lost for the third time at the Carrier Dome this season and dropped to 0-1 in Big East play with a 74-66 defeat. Senior trio Demetris Nichols, Daryl Watkins, and Terrence Roberts played well in spots, but could not do enough to seal a big win. Beating a top ten team is no easy task, but the Orange had plenty of opportunities to do so. Pitt did not take the lead until the first basket of the second half, but would not relinquish it. Syracuse has showed time and again this season they will battle back from deficits, but with a limited bench last night it was very difficult. Matt Gorman sat out with injury, Terrence Roberts missed most of the second half after receiving a blow to the face, and freshman Mike Jones has left the team.
Lavance Fields paced Pitt with an impressive array of big threes and tough drives to the basket. Everytime Syracuse made a run in the second half, either Fields or backcourt mate Antonio Graves came up clutch. All-American candidate Aaron Gray struggled against the mixing defenses, finishing with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Credit Daryl Watkins with a tenacious defensive effort. Entering last night's game, Demetris Nichols lead the Big East in scoring. He showed why in the first half, scoring from all over the court. But as he has done in the past, he lost his aggressiveness in the second half. Pitt's defense made it difficult for him to get looks, but he still does not command the ball enough. He attempted only three shots in the second half and was a relative non-factor. The last of the class of '07, (I discount Matt Gorman because he came in with Carmelo) Terrence Roberts played pretty well before getting knocked out of the game. He still plays a bit too fast at times and takes some questionable shots, but got a few tough buckets in the paint last night.
The seniors aren't the only inconsistent ones. Several underclassmen need to play a huge role this season. They got a boost last night from a re-energized Eric Devendorf. Devendorf, whose been slowed by injuries and personal issues, showed what made him so impressive as a freshman last year. He is a pure scorer who does a great job of creating his own shots. However, when Boeheim benched Josh Wright for being careless with the basketball, Devendorf showed questionable decision making himself. If Wright continues to make these mistakes, more ball-handling responsibilites will be thrown on Devendorf. Wright has shown more of a scoring touch this season, but gets caught up trying to push the tempo. He's prone to turnovers, something this team can ill afford. The defense is most effective when it has time to set up in the zone, which is usually after made baskets. Having to play transition defense is not a good fit for this team. Inserted as a starter for the troubled Devendorf, Andy Rautins showed great range and good court vision throughout the game. He brings a lot of energy and will be good coming off the bench in the future. Last, but certainly not least, is highly regarded freshman Paul Harris. The most athletic player on the team, Harris seems content to defer to his older teammates. His inability to knock down long shots has let opponents play off him to limit his ability to get to the basket. He is a tremendous rebounding guard and playmaker. Boeheim should allow the ball to be in his hands more, and probably will with Wright's turnover troubles. If Syracuse wants to contend in the Big East this season, they will need to start beating good teams at home. They have a good mix of senior leadership and talented underclassmen. Boeheim just needs to continue trying to find the lineup that will blend together well.
Lavance Fields paced Pitt with an impressive array of big threes and tough drives to the basket. Everytime Syracuse made a run in the second half, either Fields or backcourt mate Antonio Graves came up clutch. All-American candidate Aaron Gray struggled against the mixing defenses, finishing with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Credit Daryl Watkins with a tenacious defensive effort. Entering last night's game, Demetris Nichols lead the Big East in scoring. He showed why in the first half, scoring from all over the court. But as he has done in the past, he lost his aggressiveness in the second half. Pitt's defense made it difficult for him to get looks, but he still does not command the ball enough. He attempted only three shots in the second half and was a relative non-factor. The last of the class of '07, (I discount Matt Gorman because he came in with Carmelo) Terrence Roberts played pretty well before getting knocked out of the game. He still plays a bit too fast at times and takes some questionable shots, but got a few tough buckets in the paint last night.
The seniors aren't the only inconsistent ones. Several underclassmen need to play a huge role this season. They got a boost last night from a re-energized Eric Devendorf. Devendorf, whose been slowed by injuries and personal issues, showed what made him so impressive as a freshman last year. He is a pure scorer who does a great job of creating his own shots. However, when Boeheim benched Josh Wright for being careless with the basketball, Devendorf showed questionable decision making himself. If Wright continues to make these mistakes, more ball-handling responsibilites will be thrown on Devendorf. Wright has shown more of a scoring touch this season, but gets caught up trying to push the tempo. He's prone to turnovers, something this team can ill afford. The defense is most effective when it has time to set up in the zone, which is usually after made baskets. Having to play transition defense is not a good fit for this team. Inserted as a starter for the troubled Devendorf, Andy Rautins showed great range and good court vision throughout the game. He brings a lot of energy and will be good coming off the bench in the future. Last, but certainly not least, is highly regarded freshman Paul Harris. The most athletic player on the team, Harris seems content to defer to his older teammates. His inability to knock down long shots has let opponents play off him to limit his ability to get to the basket. He is a tremendous rebounding guard and playmaker. Boeheim should allow the ball to be in his hands more, and probably will with Wright's turnover troubles. If Syracuse wants to contend in the Big East this season, they will need to start beating good teams at home. They have a good mix of senior leadership and talented underclassmen. Boeheim just needs to continue trying to find the lineup that will blend together well.
Friday, October 27, 2006
First Coaches Poll Released- Defending Champion Gators at the top
The pre-season college basketball coaches poll revealed what everyone expected; the defending champion Florida Gators are near unanimous favorites to repeat. Billy Donovan's Gators received all but one of the first place votes and topped the first coaches poll ahead of a talented North Carolina team. Led by 2006 NCAA Tourney MOP Joakim Noah, the Gators return all five starters and introduce a strong freshman class. They are one of five SEC teams in the top 25, tied with the Big East for most conference teams in the poll.
So who can beat the Gators? It's really tough to imagine this team going down after watching them roll to the title a year ago, but there are some teams loaded with young talent that should be exciting to watch. A season ago the Tarheels of UNC made a surprising run to the NCAA's before being dropped by tourney Cinderella George Mason. They enter this season as the number two ranked team in the country. Super sophomore Tyler Hansborough will be the focal point, but should get a ton of help from possibly the strongest freshman class in the country. Lots of pepole are jumping on the Ohio State bandwagon with projected 2007 #1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden in the post, but a wrist injury has him sidelined until January. The Buckeyes grabbed the remaining first place vote and should benefit from what appears to be a down year in the Big 10. It is clear that Oden will be a one and done guy, but can he lead Ohio State to a championship? Aside from the Gators, there are a lot of inexperienced teams at the top of the polls which should lead for a very unpredictable season.
So who can beat the Gators? It's really tough to imagine this team going down after watching them roll to the title a year ago, but there are some teams loaded with young talent that should be exciting to watch. A season ago the Tarheels of UNC made a surprising run to the NCAA's before being dropped by tourney Cinderella George Mason. They enter this season as the number two ranked team in the country. Super sophomore Tyler Hansborough will be the focal point, but should get a ton of help from possibly the strongest freshman class in the country. Lots of pepole are jumping on the Ohio State bandwagon with projected 2007 #1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden in the post, but a wrist injury has him sidelined until January. The Buckeyes grabbed the remaining first place vote and should benefit from what appears to be a down year in the Big 10. It is clear that Oden will be a one and done guy, but can he lead Ohio State to a championship? Aside from the Gators, there are a lot of inexperienced teams at the top of the polls which should lead for a very unpredictable season.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Driving Duke Athletics in to the Ground
As the Duke campus was finally recovering from the shameful allegations brought upon their lacrosse team, Duke's golden boy of the last few years is just the latest to put Duke athletics further behind the eight ball. JJ Redick, Duke's famed sharpshooter and the all-time scoring in the ACC, is being charged with drunk driving after being pulled over by Durham police near campus early Tuesday morning. Head basketball coach Mike Kryzewski staunchly defends the character of his former star, so this appears to be nothing more than an isolated incident. However, given the importance that is being placed on character on draft boards in all sports, a projected early lottery pick could fall deeper in to the first round. More importantly for Cameron Crazies and Duke enthusiasts across the country is the further negative attention focused on the Blue Devils athletic program. While I am certainly no Duke sympathizer, linking the two distinctly different infractions is ridiculous. The two allegedly guilty parties share a campus, but very likely not much else.
An incident such as this forces general managers and team owners to think twice before selecting a player. As one executive put it, it does not necessarily reflect his character, but it forces the organization to look deeper. In Redick's case it would be surprising to find skeletons in his closet, but to other players a more thorough evaluation could unveil a host of new issues. The growing trend of team's putting an emphasis on character is a welcomed change. Teams are not willing to take on another Ryan Leaf and deservedly so. Not only do character issues often surface on the field, it also helps teams stay off the front pages when a player acts unprofessionally off it. The prime example on the importance of character can be seen in the recent success of the New England Patriots. Having players who make good teammates and work well as a unit is often more important than teams stacked with talented, but individual minded stars. Team chemistry can not be overlooked, and the key ingredient is a team full of good characters. My only point of contention is where you draw the line. For a player like Redick, this appears to be his first infraction and is apparently just a lapse in judgement. This is not to absolve him of his sins, but the incident does not seem to be a true testament of his character. Certain executives feel this will adversely affect his draft status, but the punishment does not seem to fit the crime. However, in an age where sports stars often feel they are above the law, it is important that they be humbled by experiences such as these.
An incident such as this forces general managers and team owners to think twice before selecting a player. As one executive put it, it does not necessarily reflect his character, but it forces the organization to look deeper. In Redick's case it would be surprising to find skeletons in his closet, but to other players a more thorough evaluation could unveil a host of new issues. The growing trend of team's putting an emphasis on character is a welcomed change. Teams are not willing to take on another Ryan Leaf and deservedly so. Not only do character issues often surface on the field, it also helps teams stay off the front pages when a player acts unprofessionally off it. The prime example on the importance of character can be seen in the recent success of the New England Patriots. Having players who make good teammates and work well as a unit is often more important than teams stacked with talented, but individual minded stars. Team chemistry can not be overlooked, and the key ingredient is a team full of good characters. My only point of contention is where you draw the line. For a player like Redick, this appears to be his first infraction and is apparently just a lapse in judgement. This is not to absolve him of his sins, but the incident does not seem to be a true testament of his character. Certain executives feel this will adversely affect his draft status, but the punishment does not seem to fit the crime. However, in an age where sports stars often feel they are above the law, it is important that they be humbled by experiences such as these.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Opening Day and the Final Four
Yesterday marked a huge day on the sports calendar with the opening of baseball season and the NCAA Men's Basketball championship game. A very exciting day of baseball culminated in the Yankees throttling of the Athletics 15-2 in Oakland. Led by Alex Rodriguez's second inning grand slam and a three run shot by Hideki Matsui, the most potent offense in baseball was firing on all cylinders. Newcomer Johnny Damon added three hits in seven at bats and Randy Johnson hurled seven innings of one run ball.
In either the saddest or funniest moment of opening day, depending on how you feel about Barry Bonds, a fan in San Diego threw a plastic syringe at Barry Bonds as he came off the field. Initially I thought the fan should be applauded for his creativity and the comedic value he produced. However, I've backed off on that after watching Bonds' reaction and the actions MLB has taken to increase security. Well I certainly do not hide my disliking of Barry Bonds, even prior to steroid allegations, fans may have begun to cross the line in their efforts to chide him. You can tell in his post game demeanor this event got to him, even though he claims it did not. Fans certainly have the rights to rag on players, and any athlete should be able to withstand most of what fans can yell at them, but they should not have anyone run on the field or have anything thrown on to the field in their direction. I'm sure the fan had no intention of hitting Bonds with the syringe, but irregardless nothing should be thrown on to the field of play. This may seem hypocritical after I loudly applauded Yankees fans' decisions to hurl bottles on to the field in protest of the scandalous Rodriguez-Arroyo play in Game Six of the 2004 ALCS, but that was before taking a step back to evaluate the bigger issue. Fans throwing objects at players has become a serious issue since the Pacers-Pistons brawl and must be curtailed by whatever means necessary. The syringe flinging covered up Bonds 1 for 4 debut in a Giants loss to division rival San Diego. Mike Piazza homered in his Padre debut, as did shortstop Khalil Greene to support Jake Peavy's strong outing.
In other games around the league, Curt Schilling seems to have rebounded from the injuries that affected him last year as he smothered a dangerous Texas lineup through seven innings. The Boston offense struck its big blows through the bats of David Ortiz and Jason Varitek. Mike Lowell homered in his Boston debut as the Sox held on for a 7-3 win. Japanese import Kenji Johjima homered in his first ML game, but Seattle dropped a 5-4 decision to the Angels. In the National League, reigning MVP Albert Pujols homered twice as the Cardinals pounded the Phillies. Jimmy Rollins extended his hitting streak to 37 games with an eighth inning double. Out in Los Angeles the Braves outslugged the dodgers 11-10 behind homeruns by Andruw Jones, Ryan Langerhans, and Adam LaRoche. Atlanta's division rival New York Mets held on to a 3-2 win at home against the Nationals behind a strong outing from Tom Glavine and a homerun by David Wright.
Finally, last night's championship game capped off a weekend of unexciting basketball in Indianapolis. This weekend was an eerie flashback to the last time Indy hosted and hopefully will change when it returns there in 2010. On a brighter note for Gator fans, they were able to redeem their 2000 Finals loss with a 73-57 victory over the UCLA Bruins. Led by Most Outstanding Player Joakim Noah, the Gators dominated from start to finish and the Bruins never made it close. Billy Donovan became just the third person in NCAA Men's history to play in a final four and coach a team to a championship. He joins Bobby Knight and Dean Smith, two of the greatest coaches of all-time. That is a very exclusive company to join and bodes well for the second youngest coach to win a championship (behind Bobby Knight). So often in the tournament the better team does not win, but it is safe to say the best team won last night.
In either the saddest or funniest moment of opening day, depending on how you feel about Barry Bonds, a fan in San Diego threw a plastic syringe at Barry Bonds as he came off the field. Initially I thought the fan should be applauded for his creativity and the comedic value he produced. However, I've backed off on that after watching Bonds' reaction and the actions MLB has taken to increase security. Well I certainly do not hide my disliking of Barry Bonds, even prior to steroid allegations, fans may have begun to cross the line in their efforts to chide him. You can tell in his post game demeanor this event got to him, even though he claims it did not. Fans certainly have the rights to rag on players, and any athlete should be able to withstand most of what fans can yell at them, but they should not have anyone run on the field or have anything thrown on to the field in their direction. I'm sure the fan had no intention of hitting Bonds with the syringe, but irregardless nothing should be thrown on to the field of play. This may seem hypocritical after I loudly applauded Yankees fans' decisions to hurl bottles on to the field in protest of the scandalous Rodriguez-Arroyo play in Game Six of the 2004 ALCS, but that was before taking a step back to evaluate the bigger issue. Fans throwing objects at players has become a serious issue since the Pacers-Pistons brawl and must be curtailed by whatever means necessary. The syringe flinging covered up Bonds 1 for 4 debut in a Giants loss to division rival San Diego. Mike Piazza homered in his Padre debut, as did shortstop Khalil Greene to support Jake Peavy's strong outing.
In other games around the league, Curt Schilling seems to have rebounded from the injuries that affected him last year as he smothered a dangerous Texas lineup through seven innings. The Boston offense struck its big blows through the bats of David Ortiz and Jason Varitek. Mike Lowell homered in his Boston debut as the Sox held on for a 7-3 win. Japanese import Kenji Johjima homered in his first ML game, but Seattle dropped a 5-4 decision to the Angels. In the National League, reigning MVP Albert Pujols homered twice as the Cardinals pounded the Phillies. Jimmy Rollins extended his hitting streak to 37 games with an eighth inning double. Out in Los Angeles the Braves outslugged the dodgers 11-10 behind homeruns by Andruw Jones, Ryan Langerhans, and Adam LaRoche. Atlanta's division rival New York Mets held on to a 3-2 win at home against the Nationals behind a strong outing from Tom Glavine and a homerun by David Wright.
Finally, last night's championship game capped off a weekend of unexciting basketball in Indianapolis. This weekend was an eerie flashback to the last time Indy hosted and hopefully will change when it returns there in 2010. On a brighter note for Gator fans, they were able to redeem their 2000 Finals loss with a 73-57 victory over the UCLA Bruins. Led by Most Outstanding Player Joakim Noah, the Gators dominated from start to finish and the Bruins never made it close. Billy Donovan became just the third person in NCAA Men's history to play in a final four and coach a team to a championship. He joins Bobby Knight and Dean Smith, two of the greatest coaches of all-time. That is a very exclusive company to join and bodes well for the second youngest coach to win a championship (behind Bobby Knight). So often in the tournament the better team does not win, but it is safe to say the best team won last night.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Championship Game Preview
After an exciting three weeks of basketball, March Madness has dwindled to two teams. Tonight at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis the University of Florida takes on UCLA. Both teams won handily over the weekend to set up an exciting final for tonight. Florida is making its first finals appearance since they lost to Michigan St. in the same building in 2000. UCLA last advanced to the championship game when it defeated Arkansas to win the 1995 Championship. Since the game tips in just a little while, this will be just a brief preview of what to look for tonight:
UCLA: The Bruins have advanced to the Championship game with tenacious defense. They have held their last two opponents (Memphis and LSU) to just 45 points. The Pac-10 Champs are carried by their starting backcourt of Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo. They received a tremendous effort from Freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in their semifinal win over LSU and need him to play well against Florida's formidable front court. Center Ryan Hollins and swingman Cedric Bozeman provide senior leadership for a very young team. They have tremendous depth, being able to go to a 9 or 10 man rotation.
Florida: The Gators boast a tremendous starting five, with four sophomores and one junior. The lone junior, Lee Humphrey, shot the Gators in to the finals with 6 three pointers against George Mason. Humphrey is joined in the backcourt by sophomore Taurean Green who gets to the basket and distributes very well. Sophomore swingman Corey Brewer is a very tough defender with a versatile offensive game. Fellow sophomores Al Horford and Joakim Noah join him in the front court and are both extremely athletic. Florida's length on defense drove George Mason crazy. Joakim Noah has been the star of the tournament and could be the key to this game.
PREVIEW: UCLA will need their frontcourt to play at the top of their game to stick with a very talented, big frontcourt of Florida. Florida's starting frontcourt is as good as there is in the country and they bring big men off the bench to spell Horford and Noah. UCLA will need to hit open shots and effectively score in the paint like it did against LSU. The Bruins hold a slight edge in the backcourt with Afflalo and Farmar, but only if they can hit some shots from beyond the arc. For UCLA to win they must keep the score down, which is not easy against the nation's best shooting team. Florida has played better than anyone else in the tournament and has a stronger starting five. UCLA has a lot of bench depth, but Florida has enough guys off the pine to keep their starters fresh. I've been predicting Florida since the Final Four was set and I'm sticking to it.
Prediction: Florida 67, UCLA 61
UCLA: The Bruins have advanced to the Championship game with tenacious defense. They have held their last two opponents (Memphis and LSU) to just 45 points. The Pac-10 Champs are carried by their starting backcourt of Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo. They received a tremendous effort from Freshman forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute in their semifinal win over LSU and need him to play well against Florida's formidable front court. Center Ryan Hollins and swingman Cedric Bozeman provide senior leadership for a very young team. They have tremendous depth, being able to go to a 9 or 10 man rotation.
Florida: The Gators boast a tremendous starting five, with four sophomores and one junior. The lone junior, Lee Humphrey, shot the Gators in to the finals with 6 three pointers against George Mason. Humphrey is joined in the backcourt by sophomore Taurean Green who gets to the basket and distributes very well. Sophomore swingman Corey Brewer is a very tough defender with a versatile offensive game. Fellow sophomores Al Horford and Joakim Noah join him in the front court and are both extremely athletic. Florida's length on defense drove George Mason crazy. Joakim Noah has been the star of the tournament and could be the key to this game.
PREVIEW: UCLA will need their frontcourt to play at the top of their game to stick with a very talented, big frontcourt of Florida. Florida's starting frontcourt is as good as there is in the country and they bring big men off the bench to spell Horford and Noah. UCLA will need to hit open shots and effectively score in the paint like it did against LSU. The Bruins hold a slight edge in the backcourt with Afflalo and Farmar, but only if they can hit some shots from beyond the arc. For UCLA to win they must keep the score down, which is not easy against the nation's best shooting team. Florida has played better than anyone else in the tournament and has a stronger starting five. UCLA has a lot of bench depth, but Florida has enough guys off the pine to keep their starters fresh. I've been predicting Florida since the Final Four was set and I'm sticking to it.
Prediction: Florida 67, UCLA 61
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Final Four Preview
After a crazy month of March Madness, the last four teams standing meet in Indianapolis tonight. The city hosts for the first time since 2000 when Mateen Cleaves and the "Flintstones" defeated Florida for the national championship. For anyone who remembers, the semifinals that year featured two eight seeds (Wisconsin and UNC) and quite possibly the least entertaining games of recent history. For the semi-final games I was seated in a Michigan State section in the upper deck of the RCA dome, and even their fans were dull despite advancing to the Championship game. Hopefully tonight will not be a repeat of that. The one team that remains a constant, Florida, looks to be the favorite heading in to the final weekend. However, stranger things have happened throughout the last couple of weeks.
#3 Florida vs. #11 George Mason, 6:07 ET:
The final four kicks off with the most intriguing matchup in Indianapolis. Florida is the most talented, deepest team remaining in the tournament. George Mason is the best story of the tournament, and has had the most remarkable run of recent history (rivaled by the '85 Villanova Wildcats).
How they got here:
Florida has been the most impressive team in the tournament. They've gotten great all-around play and can play several different styles. Coming from the Minneapolis region they opened by beating South Alabama handily 76-50. The Gators were fueled by the strong second half shooting of Lee Humphrey and the interior presence of Al Horford and Joakim Noah. In the second round they faced UW-Milwaukee, where they again won easily 82-60. This time it was sophomore swingman Corey Brewer who lead the attack with 23 points. The Sweet Sixteen provided Florida with its toughest test of the tournament, the 7th seeded Georgetown Hoyas. Georgetown was able to play the game at its tempo, making it a low-scoring, grind it out game. Again, Florida received contributions from several of their stars and squeaked out a 57-53 win to advance to the elite eight. In the regional final the Gators faced the 4-Guard attack of Villanova and benefitted from the frequent misfirings of second-team All-American Allan Ray, and fellow guards Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry. Joakim Noah continued his unbelieveable tournament play with 21 points and 15 rebounds to lead Florida to a 75-62 victory. Noah deservedly was named the region's most outstanding player.
George Mason started off it's improbable run by defeating 6th seeded Michigan State, a final four team from a year ago. Despite the absence of Tony Skinn (suspended for one game due to a cheap shot he threw in the CAA championship game), the Patriots were led by a solid 21 point performance from Folarin Campbell for a decisive 75-65 win. In the second round GMU faced defending National Champion UNC. This time it was Lamar Butler who lead the charge with 18 points, but it was the defense on UNC's super talented freshman Tyler Hansborough that made the difference limiting him to a meager 10 points. George Mason prevailed 65-60 sending them to Washington D.C. for the sweet sixteen against Wichita State. Campbell again lead the Patriots in scoring with 16, but it was their timely shooting and well-balanced attack that helped them to a 63-55 win over the Shockers. In the Elite Eight GMU faced top seeded UCONN, considered by many to be the most-talented team in the country. This time it was Forward Jai Lewis who led the offense with 20 points, but again received help from a handful of contributors. Lamar Butler was named the region's most outstanding player.
PREVIEW: This game features two teams with talented starting fives and very talented coaches. George Mason's Jim Larranaga has pulled all the right moves and continues to keep his team focused and relaxed. Florida's Billy Donovan is the only coach who has lead a team to the Final Four in the past. As I've stated throughout, Florida is the most talented team left in the tournament. They have an outstanding front line with super sophs Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and swingman Corey Brewer. In the backcourt Taurean Green keeps the offense moving and Jeff Humphrey is a big time threat beyond the arc. Joakim Noah is playing arguably the best basketball of any player in the tournament and the athleticism of Florida's big guys will be very tough to handle. On the other side, George Mason does not fear any team. They've already taken out 3 top notch programs and are hungry to keep their run going. Since many people felt they did not even deserve to make the tournament, this team has played with a huge chip on its shoulder. That being said, they've defeated teams who were vulnerable. Michigan State had a lot of experience with Shannon Brown, Maurice Ager, and Paul Davis, but were a very inconsistent team all year. UNC had a lot of talent, but were very young and returned only one minimal contributor from last year's national champion. UConn had the deepest, most talented team in the country but often played down to its opponents. They seemed to be able to score at will when they wanted to, but often fell in to lapses where they thought they could just cruise by opponents. George Mason is running in to a hot Florida team. However, their run is no fluke. They have power inside with Jai Lewis and sophomore Will Thomas. Tony Skinn and Lamar Butler can fill it up from the outside and they have gotten tremendous contributions from swingman Folarin Campbell. They've proven they can play with anybody despite being a bit undersized. George Mason has shot extemely well from the perimeter and have gotten big defensive stops when they've needed them. Both teams have gotten solid contributions from their bench and should be relatively fresh due to their deep lineups. George Mason did a great job limiting a very talented UConn front line, but Florida's big men provide a greater challenge to a defense. The play of Noah and Horford should be the difference in a tight game.
Prediction: Florida 76-72
#4 LSU vs. #2 UCLA, 8:47 ET:
The second game of tonight's semi-finals features teams from major conferences, Pac-10 Champion UCLA versus SEC West regular season champion LSU Tigers. UCLA is a young team with a rich tradition hoping to hang another championship banner while LSU is a sentimental favorite hailing from the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina.
How they got here:
LSU emerged from the Atlanta region through the impressive play of their frontcourt. The outstanding play of SEC player of the Year Glen "Big Baby" Davis started right from the first game. Davis' 22 points and 15 rebounds lead the Tigers to a 80-64 win over 13th seeded Iona despite a slow start. In the second round the Tigers faced an upset minded Texas A&M team fresh off a first round victory over 5th seeded Syracuse. While Davis again lead the team in points and rebounds (21 and 8), it was senior Guard Darrel Mitchell who knocked down the game winning three pointer with 3.9 seconds to go for a one point victory over the Aggies. The Sweet Sixteen matched Davis against Duke All-American Shelden Williams, but the Tigers jumped out to a first half lead despite sitting their top two scorers (Davis and Tyrus Thomas) for most of the half due to foul trouble. LSU did a fantastic job on AP Player of the Year JJ Redick, thanks in large part to the smothering defense of Garrett Temple. Tyrus Thomas was a disruptive force in the paint, blocking 5 shots and altering several more. Darrel Mitchell and Glen Davis led the way offensively with 14 points a piece as LSU took out top seeded Duke with a 62-54 win. In the elite eight the Tigers faced second ranked Texas and again relied on Davis. Despite facing a tough Texas frontcourt of projected number one pick LaMarcus Aldridge, along with Big 12 Player of the Year P.J Tucker and Brad Buckman, LSU's frontcourt stars won the battle. Along with Davis' 26 points, Tyrus Thomas chipped in 21 points as LSU dominated the OT period to take a decisive 70-60 victory sending them to Indianapolis. Thomas was named the region's most outstanding player.
UCLA's road to the final four has kept them in the state of California. They opened in San Diego with a dominating win over 15th seeded Belmont lead by a career game for Freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute who notched 17 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists. In their second round game versus 10th seeded Alabama, the Bruins were led by the outside shooting of star Jordan Farmar. His 18 points lead to a 62-59 decision over the Crimson Tide. For the sweet sixteen the Bruins moved over to Oakland to face #2 Gonzaga. In the most impressive comeback of the tournament, UCLA came back from 9 points down with under 3 minutes to play for a 73-71 victory. Arron Afflalo lead the Bruins in scoring with 15 points, but this game was marked by the collapse of the Bulldogs. Turnovers and bad decisions by Gonzaga down the stretch enabled UCLA to take its only lead of the game in the final seconds and move to the elite eight. Facing number one seed Memphis in the regional final, the Bruins again turned up the defense. Afflalo again lead the team offensively with 15 points, but it was UCLA's ability to shut down Memphis superstar Rodney Carney that lead to a 50-45 win for the Bruins. Center Ryan Hollins collected the region's most outstanding player award.
Preview: This game features two teams that play tremendous defense and have a couple of offensive threats. For the Bruins, the backcourt of Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar carries the team offensively. Either one can put up a bunch of points in a hurry and could really do damage against a thin backcourt for the Tigers. For LSU, Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas can take over games in the paint. Davis is a load inside who eats up space but is surprisingly nimble. Thomas might be the best athlete remaining in the tournament who can elevate unlike anybody else in Indianapolis. Both of these teams are young and prone to making mistakes. UCLA is carried by sophomores Farmar and Afflalo, but does get contributions from Seniors Ryan Hollins and Cedric Bozeman. Freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has been impressive in the tournament and fellow freshman Darren Collins also chips in. Besides Sophomore Glen Davis and redshirt Freshman Tyrus Thomas, LSU relies heavily on lone senior Guard Darrel Mitchell. His ball handling and clutch outside shooting has brought this team where they are. The Tigers also receive contributions from freshmen forward Tasmin Mitchell and guard Garrett Temple. This game should be relatively low scoring and UCLA's stingy defense could create problems for an LSU team without many ballhandlers. However, the tandem of Davis and Thomas should create headaches for UCLA and the Tigers should advance to Monday's championship game.
Prediction: LSU 61-57
#3 Florida vs. #11 George Mason, 6:07 ET:
The final four kicks off with the most intriguing matchup in Indianapolis. Florida is the most talented, deepest team remaining in the tournament. George Mason is the best story of the tournament, and has had the most remarkable run of recent history (rivaled by the '85 Villanova Wildcats).
How they got here:
Florida has been the most impressive team in the tournament. They've gotten great all-around play and can play several different styles. Coming from the Minneapolis region they opened by beating South Alabama handily 76-50. The Gators were fueled by the strong second half shooting of Lee Humphrey and the interior presence of Al Horford and Joakim Noah. In the second round they faced UW-Milwaukee, where they again won easily 82-60. This time it was sophomore swingman Corey Brewer who lead the attack with 23 points. The Sweet Sixteen provided Florida with its toughest test of the tournament, the 7th seeded Georgetown Hoyas. Georgetown was able to play the game at its tempo, making it a low-scoring, grind it out game. Again, Florida received contributions from several of their stars and squeaked out a 57-53 win to advance to the elite eight. In the regional final the Gators faced the 4-Guard attack of Villanova and benefitted from the frequent misfirings of second-team All-American Allan Ray, and fellow guards Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry. Joakim Noah continued his unbelieveable tournament play with 21 points and 15 rebounds to lead Florida to a 75-62 victory. Noah deservedly was named the region's most outstanding player.
George Mason started off it's improbable run by defeating 6th seeded Michigan State, a final four team from a year ago. Despite the absence of Tony Skinn (suspended for one game due to a cheap shot he threw in the CAA championship game), the Patriots were led by a solid 21 point performance from Folarin Campbell for a decisive 75-65 win. In the second round GMU faced defending National Champion UNC. This time it was Lamar Butler who lead the charge with 18 points, but it was the defense on UNC's super talented freshman Tyler Hansborough that made the difference limiting him to a meager 10 points. George Mason prevailed 65-60 sending them to Washington D.C. for the sweet sixteen against Wichita State. Campbell again lead the Patriots in scoring with 16, but it was their timely shooting and well-balanced attack that helped them to a 63-55 win over the Shockers. In the Elite Eight GMU faced top seeded UCONN, considered by many to be the most-talented team in the country. This time it was Forward Jai Lewis who led the offense with 20 points, but again received help from a handful of contributors. Lamar Butler was named the region's most outstanding player.
PREVIEW: This game features two teams with talented starting fives and very talented coaches. George Mason's Jim Larranaga has pulled all the right moves and continues to keep his team focused and relaxed. Florida's Billy Donovan is the only coach who has lead a team to the Final Four in the past. As I've stated throughout, Florida is the most talented team left in the tournament. They have an outstanding front line with super sophs Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and swingman Corey Brewer. In the backcourt Taurean Green keeps the offense moving and Jeff Humphrey is a big time threat beyond the arc. Joakim Noah is playing arguably the best basketball of any player in the tournament and the athleticism of Florida's big guys will be very tough to handle. On the other side, George Mason does not fear any team. They've already taken out 3 top notch programs and are hungry to keep their run going. Since many people felt they did not even deserve to make the tournament, this team has played with a huge chip on its shoulder. That being said, they've defeated teams who were vulnerable. Michigan State had a lot of experience with Shannon Brown, Maurice Ager, and Paul Davis, but were a very inconsistent team all year. UNC had a lot of talent, but were very young and returned only one minimal contributor from last year's national champion. UConn had the deepest, most talented team in the country but often played down to its opponents. They seemed to be able to score at will when they wanted to, but often fell in to lapses where they thought they could just cruise by opponents. George Mason is running in to a hot Florida team. However, their run is no fluke. They have power inside with Jai Lewis and sophomore Will Thomas. Tony Skinn and Lamar Butler can fill it up from the outside and they have gotten tremendous contributions from swingman Folarin Campbell. They've proven they can play with anybody despite being a bit undersized. George Mason has shot extemely well from the perimeter and have gotten big defensive stops when they've needed them. Both teams have gotten solid contributions from their bench and should be relatively fresh due to their deep lineups. George Mason did a great job limiting a very talented UConn front line, but Florida's big men provide a greater challenge to a defense. The play of Noah and Horford should be the difference in a tight game.
Prediction: Florida 76-72
#4 LSU vs. #2 UCLA, 8:47 ET:
The second game of tonight's semi-finals features teams from major conferences, Pac-10 Champion UCLA versus SEC West regular season champion LSU Tigers. UCLA is a young team with a rich tradition hoping to hang another championship banner while LSU is a sentimental favorite hailing from the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina.
How they got here:
LSU emerged from the Atlanta region through the impressive play of their frontcourt. The outstanding play of SEC player of the Year Glen "Big Baby" Davis started right from the first game. Davis' 22 points and 15 rebounds lead the Tigers to a 80-64 win over 13th seeded Iona despite a slow start. In the second round the Tigers faced an upset minded Texas A&M team fresh off a first round victory over 5th seeded Syracuse. While Davis again lead the team in points and rebounds (21 and 8), it was senior Guard Darrel Mitchell who knocked down the game winning three pointer with 3.9 seconds to go for a one point victory over the Aggies. The Sweet Sixteen matched Davis against Duke All-American Shelden Williams, but the Tigers jumped out to a first half lead despite sitting their top two scorers (Davis and Tyrus Thomas) for most of the half due to foul trouble. LSU did a fantastic job on AP Player of the Year JJ Redick, thanks in large part to the smothering defense of Garrett Temple. Tyrus Thomas was a disruptive force in the paint, blocking 5 shots and altering several more. Darrel Mitchell and Glen Davis led the way offensively with 14 points a piece as LSU took out top seeded Duke with a 62-54 win. In the elite eight the Tigers faced second ranked Texas and again relied on Davis. Despite facing a tough Texas frontcourt of projected number one pick LaMarcus Aldridge, along with Big 12 Player of the Year P.J Tucker and Brad Buckman, LSU's frontcourt stars won the battle. Along with Davis' 26 points, Tyrus Thomas chipped in 21 points as LSU dominated the OT period to take a decisive 70-60 victory sending them to Indianapolis. Thomas was named the region's most outstanding player.
UCLA's road to the final four has kept them in the state of California. They opened in San Diego with a dominating win over 15th seeded Belmont lead by a career game for Freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute who notched 17 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists. In their second round game versus 10th seeded Alabama, the Bruins were led by the outside shooting of star Jordan Farmar. His 18 points lead to a 62-59 decision over the Crimson Tide. For the sweet sixteen the Bruins moved over to Oakland to face #2 Gonzaga. In the most impressive comeback of the tournament, UCLA came back from 9 points down with under 3 minutes to play for a 73-71 victory. Arron Afflalo lead the Bruins in scoring with 15 points, but this game was marked by the collapse of the Bulldogs. Turnovers and bad decisions by Gonzaga down the stretch enabled UCLA to take its only lead of the game in the final seconds and move to the elite eight. Facing number one seed Memphis in the regional final, the Bruins again turned up the defense. Afflalo again lead the team offensively with 15 points, but it was UCLA's ability to shut down Memphis superstar Rodney Carney that lead to a 50-45 win for the Bruins. Center Ryan Hollins collected the region's most outstanding player award.
Preview: This game features two teams that play tremendous defense and have a couple of offensive threats. For the Bruins, the backcourt of Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar carries the team offensively. Either one can put up a bunch of points in a hurry and could really do damage against a thin backcourt for the Tigers. For LSU, Glen Davis and Tyrus Thomas can take over games in the paint. Davis is a load inside who eats up space but is surprisingly nimble. Thomas might be the best athlete remaining in the tournament who can elevate unlike anybody else in Indianapolis. Both of these teams are young and prone to making mistakes. UCLA is carried by sophomores Farmar and Afflalo, but does get contributions from Seniors Ryan Hollins and Cedric Bozeman. Freshman Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has been impressive in the tournament and fellow freshman Darren Collins also chips in. Besides Sophomore Glen Davis and redshirt Freshman Tyrus Thomas, LSU relies heavily on lone senior Guard Darrel Mitchell. His ball handling and clutch outside shooting has brought this team where they are. The Tigers also receive contributions from freshmen forward Tasmin Mitchell and guard Garrett Temple. This game should be relatively low scoring and UCLA's stingy defense could create problems for an LSU team without many ballhandlers. However, the tandem of Davis and Thomas should create headaches for UCLA and the Tigers should advance to Monday's championship game.
Prediction: LSU 61-57
Friday, March 31, 2006
College Basketball
Final four weekend in Indianapolis has officially arrived with last night's Slam Dunk and 3 Point Contests. It was nice to see a bunch of standout seniors agree to participate, but there was not too much excitement. Steve Novak of Marquette won the men's 3 point shootout, looking very impressive in his final round against Chris Quinn of Notre Dame. At 6'10'' with such a sweet outside stroke he should be a decent NBA player. The dunk contest is the main event, but outside of a few spectacular dunks it was not too impressive. Rodney Carney, Memphis' freakishly athletic small forward who will definitely be a lottery pick in the upcoming draft, disappointed by failing to make the finals. David Noel of UNC ended up winning, but his only noteworthy dunk came from an impressive gymnastic display prior to a rather routine dunk. James White of Cincinnati stole the show by finishing a couple of tough dunks taking off at the free throw line.
The game's start tomorrow at 6:07 with 11th seeded George Mason taking on Florida. The late game features UCLA and LSU. While it's been exciting that no number one seeds made the final four, it may be shaping up to be a bit of a disappointment. Tomorrow I will give a preview of each game and attempt to make some predictions. Florida is playing the hottest basketball right now and I see them cutting down the nets, but this tournament has been very tough to predict. On a brighter note, Florida stars Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Joakim Noah are reportedly returning to school. I could see this changing if they go on to win it all.
Free Agency continues to be in a low spot right now with rumors being reported by many Giants fans bloggers concerning the whereabouts of Lavar Arrington. The Giants are also reportedly interested in Packers Offensive Lineman Corey Ruegamer and Panthers WR Rickey Proehl. In a recent interview with Ernie Accorsi published in a Giants fan newsletter, he discussed his keys to building a team. Accorsi said the order of importance is quarterback, pass rushers, and corners. This was made apparent in his strong move to make Eli Manning his franchise quarterback, and as I've discussed previously, in his dealings with DE Osi Umenyiora. This offseason he has splurged on defensive backs, hoping to upgrade last year's biggest shortcoming. With that in mind, and some rumors have floated, that the Giants are considering Raiders CB Charles Woodson. Especially if they are making a serious run at Lavar Arrington, I would find this very doubtful. However, he is still young and potentially a big time playmaker. He will probably carry an astronomical price tag and he's had plenty of issues in his NFL career.
The game's start tomorrow at 6:07 with 11th seeded George Mason taking on Florida. The late game features UCLA and LSU. While it's been exciting that no number one seeds made the final four, it may be shaping up to be a bit of a disappointment. Tomorrow I will give a preview of each game and attempt to make some predictions. Florida is playing the hottest basketball right now and I see them cutting down the nets, but this tournament has been very tough to predict. On a brighter note, Florida stars Al Horford, Corey Brewer, and Joakim Noah are reportedly returning to school. I could see this changing if they go on to win it all.
Free Agency continues to be in a low spot right now with rumors being reported by many Giants fans bloggers concerning the whereabouts of Lavar Arrington. The Giants are also reportedly interested in Packers Offensive Lineman Corey Ruegamer and Panthers WR Rickey Proehl. In a recent interview with Ernie Accorsi published in a Giants fan newsletter, he discussed his keys to building a team. Accorsi said the order of importance is quarterback, pass rushers, and corners. This was made apparent in his strong move to make Eli Manning his franchise quarterback, and as I've discussed previously, in his dealings with DE Osi Umenyiora. This offseason he has splurged on defensive backs, hoping to upgrade last year's biggest shortcoming. With that in mind, and some rumors have floated, that the Giants are considering Raiders CB Charles Woodson. Especially if they are making a serious run at Lavar Arrington, I would find this very doubtful. However, he is still young and potentially a big time playmaker. He will probably carry an astronomical price tag and he's had plenty of issues in his NFL career.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
McDonalds Game
Last night was the McDonald's High School All-American game in San Diego. The game is always worth tuning in to, but tough to sit through. As with any All-Star game it is only an exhibition, so defense is rare. Both teams showed tremendous selflessness that had been lost when many pro scouts would be in attendance. With players not having to worry about impressing scouts and improving draft status players actually looked to pass the ball. Although I only watched bits and pieces, a few things really stood out.
First, Ohio State is going to be a tough team to deal with next year. The regular season Big 10 champs are being improved with 5 terrific incoming freshman, which include three from last night. The most highly touted, and National Player of the Year, is 7'2'' Center Greg Oden. He was slowed by a wrist injury, but he can really change a game on defense. In the opening minutes of last games he had a few blocked shots, and altered many throughout the game. Another Ohio State bound player who looked good was Daequan Cook who ended up in double digits (guessing around 14, not sure though). Another team who will really benefit is Georgia Tech. After having a down year look for them to rebound with the additions of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenden. Crittenden really impressed me in the first half with his range and ability to see the court. As usual, the Duke and UNC recruits looked good. The announcers were touting Duke-bound Guard Jon Scheyer as the next JJ Redick and he did demonstrate a nice scoring touch. His teammate for next year, Gerald Henderson, won the Dunk contest and played very well for the East last night leading them with a team-high 16 points. Finally, the co-MVPs for the West were extremely impressive. Texas-bound Kevin Durant had a game high 25 points and demonstrated excellent athleticism. His co-MVP Chase Budinger is headed to Arizona where Lute Olson already is speaking high praises. Earlier in the week he was the runner-up in the Dunk Contest (although his final round dunk looked more impressive than champion Henderson). Budinger reminds me of last year's McDonalds MVP Josh McRoberts (who just finished his freshman year at Duke). He could afford to put on a little muscle, but he's extremely athletic, has good range, and sees the court very well. His 11 points came from all over the court and he dished out 4 assists.
The other big news in sports is Bud Selig appointing former Senate majority leader George Mitchell to probe past steroid use in baseball. At this point I'm so sick of this issue, I don't know what to think. While I do not dispute that steroids certainly give a competitive edge, there's no way of truly determining their effect on performance. It definitely helps put on muscle, but they don't tell a player when to look for a curve or select a pitch to hit. Don't get me wrong, steroids have given baseball a black eye. I'm just not convinced on what actual affects it has on baseball performance. Since baseball does not have the authority to grant immunity, none of these players will admit their use for fear of legal ramifications. This probe is Selig's way of attempting to make up for screwing up the first time, but it's too late. As Tim Kurkjian reported on ESPN, this era has already been tainted, the bigger focus should be on preventing further use. The only nice thing is it's timing. While Barry Bonds had a great career prior to alleged steroid use, I've never liked how he's handled his fans and the media. He's a spoiled player with a bad attitude who does not deserve to be in the same company as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Even if he had not been included in the allegations (and I for one find it impossible that he didn't use for many reasons), I still would not be a Barry Bonds fan.
First, Ohio State is going to be a tough team to deal with next year. The regular season Big 10 champs are being improved with 5 terrific incoming freshman, which include three from last night. The most highly touted, and National Player of the Year, is 7'2'' Center Greg Oden. He was slowed by a wrist injury, but he can really change a game on defense. In the opening minutes of last games he had a few blocked shots, and altered many throughout the game. Another Ohio State bound player who looked good was Daequan Cook who ended up in double digits (guessing around 14, not sure though). Another team who will really benefit is Georgia Tech. After having a down year look for them to rebound with the additions of Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenden. Crittenden really impressed me in the first half with his range and ability to see the court. As usual, the Duke and UNC recruits looked good. The announcers were touting Duke-bound Guard Jon Scheyer as the next JJ Redick and he did demonstrate a nice scoring touch. His teammate for next year, Gerald Henderson, won the Dunk contest and played very well for the East last night leading them with a team-high 16 points. Finally, the co-MVPs for the West were extremely impressive. Texas-bound Kevin Durant had a game high 25 points and demonstrated excellent athleticism. His co-MVP Chase Budinger is headed to Arizona where Lute Olson already is speaking high praises. Earlier in the week he was the runner-up in the Dunk Contest (although his final round dunk looked more impressive than champion Henderson). Budinger reminds me of last year's McDonalds MVP Josh McRoberts (who just finished his freshman year at Duke). He could afford to put on a little muscle, but he's extremely athletic, has good range, and sees the court very well. His 11 points came from all over the court and he dished out 4 assists.
The other big news in sports is Bud Selig appointing former Senate majority leader George Mitchell to probe past steroid use in baseball. At this point I'm so sick of this issue, I don't know what to think. While I do not dispute that steroids certainly give a competitive edge, there's no way of truly determining their effect on performance. It definitely helps put on muscle, but they don't tell a player when to look for a curve or select a pitch to hit. Don't get me wrong, steroids have given baseball a black eye. I'm just not convinced on what actual affects it has on baseball performance. Since baseball does not have the authority to grant immunity, none of these players will admit their use for fear of legal ramifications. This probe is Selig's way of attempting to make up for screwing up the first time, but it's too late. As Tim Kurkjian reported on ESPN, this era has already been tainted, the bigger focus should be on preventing further use. The only nice thing is it's timing. While Barry Bonds had a great career prior to alleged steroid use, I've never liked how he's handled his fans and the media. He's a spoiled player with a bad attitude who does not deserve to be in the same company as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Even if he had not been included in the allegations (and I for one find it impossible that he didn't use for many reasons), I still would not be a Barry Bonds fan.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Rule Changes
Today at the NFL Owners Meetings several changes were voted on and approved by the league owners. The most disturbing is the enactment of further rules to limit end zone celebrations. While the league still allows for spiking, spinning, and leaping in to the stands, it prohibits most of what the fans would consider creative dances. As one ESPN analyst put it in an inteview with Chad Johnson, basically a rule prohibiting everything he likes to do. I consider this disturbing because it again demonstrates the NFL as being the No Fun League. While Mr. Johnson often says things that do not much make sense, he did raise one solid point. There are people out there who will turn in to a Cinicinnati game just to see what he will do when he gets in the end zone. While this rule shouldn't adversely affect viewership to a large extent, it will certainly alienate a small fan base. For those who break the rule, it will result in a fine (an undisclosed amount at this time) and a 15 yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff. The part of the rule that bugs me is the fifteen yard penalty on the ensuing kickoff. If this was just a matter of fines, these guys would certainly write a check for the opportunity to entertain. However, coaches will certainly rein in their stars when they could lose important field position in a game.
While I certainly disagree with the virtual elimination of end zone celebrations, the owners did pass some helpful rules. One in particular that stands out is allowing teams to review "down by contact" plays. The league's supervisor of officials, Mike Perreira, claims 12 plays in 2005 could have been overturned if this rule had been enacted earlier. While 12 plays over the course of an entire season seems very insignificant, any chance for officials to make the proper call on a turnover is extremely beneficial. Another rule change that I agree with is the expansion of the "horse collar rule". It became a rule last year after Terrell Owens suffered his catastrophic injury due to Roy Williams pulling him down from the neck. However, it was only called twice last year and seemed to occur far more frequently than that. They have expanded the "horse collar" from the back of the shoulder pads to also include tackles grabbing the back of the jersey.
The initial rush of NFL Free Agency has died down but many stars remain without a new team. Lavar Arrington, Ty Law, Charles Woodson, and several other standouts are still looking for new homes. Of the most interest to Giants fans is the pursuit of Lavar Arrington. With Barrett Green out the door and Nick Griesen soon to follow, the Giants need more LB depth. There are some concerns that he wouldn't fit well in to the Giants schemes, but he does bring an important element in his ability to rush the passer. Ernie Accorsi consistently defends the importance of the pass rush, which is the big reason he held on to Osi Umenyiora when San Diego asked for him (and look how smart that was). Can you imagine the headaches offensive coordinators would face having to come up with protection schemes against Strahan, Umenyiora, and Arrington? I'd also like to see them keep Antonio Pierce happy with this signing. He had a tremendous year before it was cut short by injury, and he's lobbied the front office hard for this signing. With those two and Carlos Emmons, thats a very solid LB corps. Another name that has popped up for the Giants is former Packers DT Grady Jackson. He's a space eater inside and could fill a similar role to what Kendrick Clancy did last year. However, he might not be a priority. According to Giants.com, Umenyiora feels that despite losing Clancy "we have capable players in Fred (Robbins), Willie Joe (William Joseph), (Damane) Duckett, and Kenderick Allen. I think we should be okay."
This has been a real exciting offseason in the NFL and should continue through the draft in late April. I'll be attempting a few mock drafts prior to that, should be interesting. In about half hour the McDonalds All-American game is coming on. It is always fun to see next year's top recruits, although most of them are always committed to Duke and UNC. Syracuse's top recruit, Guard Paul Harris, is not in tonight's game despite being a top 20 player. He was not invited due to past "character" issues but will participate in other high school all-star games. With the new NBA draft rules sending the elite HS players to college, the game will be of greater value. Should be an enjoyable one. That's it for now, will probably have more tomorrow.
While I certainly disagree with the virtual elimination of end zone celebrations, the owners did pass some helpful rules. One in particular that stands out is allowing teams to review "down by contact" plays. The league's supervisor of officials, Mike Perreira, claims 12 plays in 2005 could have been overturned if this rule had been enacted earlier. While 12 plays over the course of an entire season seems very insignificant, any chance for officials to make the proper call on a turnover is extremely beneficial. Another rule change that I agree with is the expansion of the "horse collar rule". It became a rule last year after Terrell Owens suffered his catastrophic injury due to Roy Williams pulling him down from the neck. However, it was only called twice last year and seemed to occur far more frequently than that. They have expanded the "horse collar" from the back of the shoulder pads to also include tackles grabbing the back of the jersey.
The initial rush of NFL Free Agency has died down but many stars remain without a new team. Lavar Arrington, Ty Law, Charles Woodson, and several other standouts are still looking for new homes. Of the most interest to Giants fans is the pursuit of Lavar Arrington. With Barrett Green out the door and Nick Griesen soon to follow, the Giants need more LB depth. There are some concerns that he wouldn't fit well in to the Giants schemes, but he does bring an important element in his ability to rush the passer. Ernie Accorsi consistently defends the importance of the pass rush, which is the big reason he held on to Osi Umenyiora when San Diego asked for him (and look how smart that was). Can you imagine the headaches offensive coordinators would face having to come up with protection schemes against Strahan, Umenyiora, and Arrington? I'd also like to see them keep Antonio Pierce happy with this signing. He had a tremendous year before it was cut short by injury, and he's lobbied the front office hard for this signing. With those two and Carlos Emmons, thats a very solid LB corps. Another name that has popped up for the Giants is former Packers DT Grady Jackson. He's a space eater inside and could fill a similar role to what Kendrick Clancy did last year. However, he might not be a priority. According to Giants.com, Umenyiora feels that despite losing Clancy "we have capable players in Fred (Robbins), Willie Joe (William Joseph), (Damane) Duckett, and Kenderick Allen. I think we should be okay."
This has been a real exciting offseason in the NFL and should continue through the draft in late April. I'll be attempting a few mock drafts prior to that, should be interesting. In about half hour the McDonalds All-American game is coming on. It is always fun to see next year's top recruits, although most of them are always committed to Duke and UNC. Syracuse's top recruit, Guard Paul Harris, is not in tonight's game despite being a top 20 player. He was not invited due to past "character" issues but will participate in other high school all-star games. With the new NBA draft rules sending the elite HS players to college, the game will be of greater value. Should be an enjoyable one. That's it for now, will probably have more tomorrow.
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