Tons of Coaching Carousel News...KG....

EDIT: Calipari takes the UK job officially...no surprise at all to me...but THE story of this (outside of the obvious) is the recruiting shockwaves...there could be as many as 6 of the top 10 recruits in the country affected by this move (3 were at least verballed to Memphis with 2 more set to, etc).....Keep an eye out...

Got a late start....but here we are

• John Calipari STILL mulling the Kentucky thing...it's been nearly 2 days now...this is going Billy Donovan quite quickly lol.... I think he goes...8 years, $35 million reported offer and that's just patently absurd for a college basketball coach....can't see him turning that down especially when he'll probably be able to lure his top 2 recruits right there with him.....
• Next domino? Mike Anderson...currently the coach of Missouri who received a 2+ million dollar offer from Georgia today to be their head coach BUT would also be the leading candidate at Memphis should Cal leave....Keep your eyes open....but he'd generate alot of buzz in Athens...
• Tony Bennett (of Wazzu) to coach Virginia....Meh...I know Virginia has alot of money/rich alumni...but you still can't recruit there....at least not when Tony Bennett plays in the 50s like his dad lol....Shameful that I can't have the same defensive love for Wazzu next year...sigh

And now for non-coaching stuff....

• KG to be shut down until the playoffs? He'll sit at least the next 4 with a knee issue....There's literally no reason IMO to play him again until the playoffs....he doesn't need the tuneup...
• Gary Sheffield released by Detroit....Caught me off guard but all reports are showing he's lost a good deal of bat speed...and if he doesn't have that....he's pretty much a non-factor since he can't play defense anymore....
• The Braves extend Chipper Jones until 2012....effectively making him a Brave for life....I've never been the biggest fan of his (especially for a Braves diehard) but I like the idea of a guy only playing for one team so I'm fine with this.... EXCEPT for the fact that the Braves are now on the hook for approx. $13 million to a 39-year-old 3B in 2012....yikes
• Courtney Paris...the Oklahoma women's basketball double-double machine....is the first 4-time 1st-team All-American in the sport...congrats...she's pretty much good for like 24 and 15 a night....great player, big ups....

Have a great day folks....baseball starts Sunday so I'll have the rest of the preview up by Friday

Final 4 Set, A little NBA, Tiger....

Greetings!

• Michigan State by 12 huh? I doubt you saw that one coming....I was on the record on them making it a ballgame, but holding Louisville to 52 points is something to behold...They exposed their drive and kick offense, and absolutely dominated on the glass....Goran Suton was everywhere, and anytime you can hold Terrance Williams to 1-7 shooting, you can beat Louisville....Impressive coaching display by Izzo as well, using their strength inside and their depth to his advantage
• UNC over Oklahoma.... First of all, the fact that Blake Griffin managed 23 and 16 (on only 9-12 shooting) was unbelievable simply b/c his guards couldn't make shots, and he was veritably triple-teamed all day long because of it.... 9-29 shooting from their 3 guards isn't going to do it though...ESPECIALLY when (as a team) they started 0-15 on 3's....Too much talent/scoring options from UNC....and Ty Lawson is playing out of his mind in spurts, and had I known he was in the physical shape to be playing 36 minutes on that toe.....sigh, I won't even say it.... An underlying result of this game to me? Hansborough managed only 8 points.... that shouldn't surprise you when you realize who was guarding him....
• So the final 4 is set....Full Preview Friday or Saturday morning.....

Now to some other stuff....

• Tiger, Tiger, Tiger Woods ya'll.... The King himself comes back from 5 down to start the day and he makes a near 20-footer for the win on 18....can't make this stuff up.....What do you say? He's the best...
• The Hawks get a good win....or so it seems? LA wasn't near full-strength with Kobe at half-steam so I'm not impressed....but it looks good on the resume ESPECIALLY when you consider Joe Johnson shot 4-18...that normally indicates a loss....
• John Calipari to Kentucky? Ehhhh I don't really see how either party would want to get mixed in...Calipari is forever shady and Kentucky's already done the whole probation thing.... and Calipari has virtually no restrictions (indicated by his inability to graduate anyone at Memphis) and no competition where he currently resides....30 wins every year as long as he keeps recruiting.....
• Who in the world though Kevin Gregg would beat out Carlos Marmol for the Cubs closer job? Not me.... but I guess when Gregg didn't allow a run all spring that might have done it...
• Seth Curry, brother of Davidson's Stephen Curry and 20+ point scorer at Liberty (as a Freshman)...will transfer to....DUKE! The story was released earlier in the week that he wanted more exposure...that will certainly provide that....he can't play until 2010-11 because of the 1-year rule for D-1 transfers....but he should step in immediately and Coach K doesn't have to worry about filling that spot as Curry is a proven commodity at the college level....of course it's all a moot point if they can't recruit any athletes up front and they keep trotting out Brian Zoubek clones....
• Jeff Capel to meet with Blake Griffin about his "future"...I'll say this...if Capel can convince him to come back? That's the most shocked I would've ever been about somebody coming back to school...and I mean ever....more than Matt Leinart, more than Tim Duncan....more than anyone...It just doesn't happen in today's college hoops
• Chris Paul was from another planet last night down the stretch....making steals, all his FTs....An extremely clutch, impressive performance....
• Memo to Phoenix....if you can't beat Sacto (and allow 126 points to them) you don't deserve consideration for the playoffs.....and now that you are 3.5 games out....Wave goodbye....and to think, Dallas got run of the court by Cleveland (to the tune of 45 points or so in the last 3 quarters since Dallas was up 17 in the 1st half) and still reside comfortably in 8th
• And finally...Mark Cuban got fined by the NBA for criticizing refs via Twitter....awesome lol

A Big-Time Saturday....

First of all...let's recap the best day of the tourney so far from a quality standpoint...

• UConn outlasts Missouri....Missouri hung tough throughout but just too much down the stretch...Freshman Kemba Walker was everywhere (7-9 FG, 23 points, 5 boards, 5 dimes) and he, along with AJ Price, was enough to offset Thabeet's foul trouble and lack of production....Missouri did what they had to do (go right at Thabeet and take him away, etc.) and just came up a little short....Well played on both accounts but in the end....the 45-26 rebounding advantage (patently absurd btw) is what propelled UConn...just too many second shots...
• Game of the tourney: Nova over Pitt.... Big-time ending featuring a stupid inbounds pass by Nova for a TO....2 huge FTs by Mr. Clutch Levance Fields to tie it....then a beautiful play design/execution by Jay Wright and Scottie Reynolds for the win.... big-time performance and a well-played back-and-forth game.... I'll quickly throw Jamie Dixon under the bus for only getting DaJuan Blair 9 shot attempts (he went 9-9 btw) but other than that, the reason Pitt faltered was simply a lack of wing production outside of Sam Young.... Biggs, Dixon, Wanamaker, and Gibbs combined for 10 points...that's not going to cut it in this type of game against the plethora of guards Nova throws at you.... Key stat of the game? Villanova goes 22-23 at the line.... When you win by 2? That's even more magnified....
• Overall? I thoroughly enjoyed the slate... 2 well-fought games by teams that didn't lay eggs...and this sort of saved this year's tournament for me...I had been losing a bit of that fire from underwhelming performances...I'm back

Now....to the Sunday Preview..... First of all, THE PICKS....Now 12-10-1 after the UConn cover....

• Michigan State +7
• Oklahoma +7

As you can see I like both underdogs...here's why

• Mich State/Louisville....2 big factors here.....it's a virtual MSU homegame in Minneapolis....and Louisville has been told how great they are for 2 straight days....there will be a slight letdown if nothing else but b/c they can't possibly shoot that well 2 games in a row....Michigan State will grind the game down, defend, and not be rattled by the pressure b/c their lead guard play is exceptional.... I still like Louisville in the game (Too much Terrance Williams IMO), but look for it to come down to the last 5 minutes....
• UNC/Oklahoma.....Once and for all, we'll all put to rest any of the hangers-on who think Psycho T is the best player in the nation.... Blake Griffin will go nuts here if they single him up (which they shouldn't)....the key to the game? How do Willie Warren and Austin Johnson respond to the biggest game of their lives against veterans Lawson and Ellington? If they can hold their own, Oklahoma wins....I don't necessarily think Warren will get battered...but with how Lawson looked on Friday, I have no choice but to think Roy Williams will be basically forced to double Blake Griffin.... Tony Crocker CANNOT disappear for Oklahoma to have a chance either....UNC already has the depth advantage...I like UNC b/c Lawson looks 100% and this entire team has been here before from Roy Williams on down, whereas Oklahoma doesn't have one guy who's been this far....

To the Elite 8 We Go....

A flop of a night last night....

• Louisville takes Arizona behind the woodshed.... literally.... 103-64 shouldn't happen in the Sweet 16...and don't give me the "Arizona is a #12 seed" stuff....they don't have 12 seed talent and they're from a power conference...so stop it....I think this is more embarrassing for Arizona than indicative of how well Louisville played....they played great...but at no point should they be 39 points better than Arizona on a neutral court....blame the Cats for that...THIRTEEN guys scored Louisville...I don't recall ever seeing that lol....at least Chase Budinger showed up...he was the only one
• Oklahoma picks apart Syracuse....this was "only" a 13 point final score...but it wasn't that close...Oklahoma led by somewhere in the 20s for most of the 2nd half and they were never challenged... Tony Crocker played his best collegiate game (28 points, 6 threes, lockdown D on Devendorf) and ALMOST overshadowed Blake Griffin's 30 and 14 (I kid, I kid)....Griffin was awesome...but that should've been foreseen when factoring Syracuse plays that 2-3 zone...bad matchup...Johnny Flynn tried to carry the Cuse himself despite banging his shoulder early (22 points, 6 dimes) but he wasn't enough to combat Devendorf and Rautins shooting a combined 7-24 and the Orangemen big guys being totally overmatched
• UNC puts on a show.... Well, I was the one touting Gonzaga...you heard it.... then the first 15 minutes of the game happened....UNC put on quite honestly the best offensive exhibition for that amount of time I can ever remember seeing in College....they shot 67% and scored 45 points in the first 15 minutes...and that's all despite shooting 5-13 from the line during that time....they should've been over 50....that pretty much ended things for the Zags, who actually shot well early...just not well enough to combat UNC....Ty Lawson was everywhere with 19 and 9 (despite only taking 9 shots) and they seemingly didn't even need anything from Tyler Hansborough (Psycho T! lol) who somehow ended with 24 and 10 despite never seeming like he was doing anything....the backbreaker? Gonzaga cut it to 11 in the 2nd half....timeout....then Bobby Frasor takes (and makes) his only 2 shots in back to back trips...suddenly its 17 and its over.....Sadly, I thought Gonzaga played decently (47% shooting, only 12 TO's)....not great by any means...but the fact that they lost by 21 is a testament to how ridiculous UNC's offense was....and it didn't help that UNC converted on nearly every Gonzaga TO (19 points off 12 TOs) and won the rebounding battle 40-28
• There WAS one good game....Michigan State edged Kansas in a game to the wire.... Kalin Lucas hit a leaning and-1 to cap it for Michigan State and despite shooting 5-15 and not playing well, will now be hyped beyond measure (lol)....Goran Suton was the story for Mich. State carrying them offensively to the tune of 20 and 9 and somehow adding 5 steals from his center spot.... Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich were quite good...but the role players had nothing to offer....however, I appreciated this close game infinitely...lol

To Saturday.... First...The PICKS! (10-8-1 entering Friday, Now 11-10-1)

• UConn -5.5 over Missouri

That's it for that lol....Previews now....

• UConn/Missouri.... I love the Huskies here....now, let me tell you where my allegiance lies...I'm openly rooting for Missouri....that's out of the way now....UConn is simply a terrible matchup for Missou...Think of it this way, Louisville coach Rick Pitino loudly proclaims how terrible of a matchup UConn is for them b/c they love to go to the rim and there's that 7'3 guy in the middle....plus, the UConn guards deftly handle backcourt pressure....now....imagine that Missouri is basically a Louisville clone...except less talented...hmmm.... I won't dumb it down that much...and I WAS impressed by Missouri against Memphis...but this is another animal...the only way they hang here is having their big guys take Thabeet away from the rim by making some jumpshots, and somehow rattle AJ Price and company...I don't see it....
• Villanova/Pitt.... Another good matchup for Pittsburgh (whose bracket just opened up for them).... These teams are familiar with each other obviously and Villanova took their only meeting in Philly this year.... Contrasting styles with Villanova being more up-tempo and guard oriented where as Pitt will grind you to a halt and ride DaJuan Blair...the key for me? Sam Young... He was borderline awful in the Xavier but has a tendency to follow stinkers with solid outputs...he needs to be on tonight for them to win....Villanova has to contain DaJuan Blair.... While Dante Cunningham is a very good player, he's a bad matchup for Villanova b/c Cunningham is lean while Blair can just body him to the rim.... I like Pitt in the game (and not just because I picked them), but it should be entertaining

Sweet 16 Thursday Wrap; Friday Preview

Greetings..... Forgive my tardiness this morning...let's get it...

• UConn puts away Purdue....Purdue was hanging until midway through the 2nd half when UConn turned the Jets on and blew away the hapless Boilermakers....just not enough talent for Purdue to beat a Huskies team that looks great the last 2 weeks...Chris Kramer for Purdue is certifiably nuts...just going AT Hasheem Thabeet....lol....4 guys in double figures for UConn....a ho-hum type victory
• And they'll matchup WITH.....Missouri who ran virtual circles around Memphis in the first half (up 13 at half) and held their ground late in scoring 102 points in a regulation game...I predicted a game in the high 80s/90s...but jeez...5 guys scored 13 or more for Missouri in the win....the lone bright spot for Memphis? Freshman Tyreke Evans was awesome last night...33 points in the biggest game of his young career....That Missouri/UConn matchup should be quite good
• Villanova pounds Duke into submission...this was a close game in the 1st half....and then it wasn't anymore? Lol...Duke shot the ball abysmally (27% FG, 19% threes, 4-32 from Scheyer and Henderson)....but Nova was very impressive on both ends especially in the 2nd half...scoring 51 points with balance....9 guys scored 4 or more points in the game for Nova....Impressive victory....and they'll face?
• Pitt....who held off Xavier with a big-time 2nd half....first of all, this game was exceedingly ugly....both teams shot under 35% from the field...and while some of that is that both of these teams play defense....some of it was just poor offense....downright poor offense at that....Levance Fields hit the biggest shot of the night (again) on one of those "No...No....YES!" type of threes....vintage for him....I wasn't impressed....but my Tourney champion rolls on.....lol All-Big East regional final in the East bracket is sort of fitting....

To Friday.....First? The picks....9-7-1 entering Thursday....1-1 Thursday.....10-8-1 Entering Friday

• Arizona +9 over Louisville...I don't think they win...but they hang around for 37 minutes or so....
• Gonzaga +8.5 over UNC...I just can't see NOT taking the 8 points with the Zags....but I'm biased....
• Michigan State -1.5 over Kansas

To the actual action...

• Arizona/Louisville....The key matchup here? Nic Wise vs. Edgar Sosa...and no, that's not a joke....if Nic Wise plays well, Arizona hangs here b/c Edgar Sosa is their biggest liability....I see that happening...but not enough to win it outright....but hey, go Cats lol
• Gonzaga/UNC....you know where I stand...I honestly think Gonzaga is the best matchup (outside of UConn maybe) for UNC in the entire field....the depth....the ability to score at every position on the floor...Pargo can handle Lawson....I love the Zags...would I be surprised if they lost? No....but I like them more than everybody else you'll meet
• Cuse/Oklahoma....I honestly have no idea here....I know Blake Griffin has no match on the Cuse side of things....I know Johnny Flynn should go off against the Freshman guards of Oklahoma....but in the end I'm sort of clueless...this may be the most intriguing matchup of the night....I'll pick Cuse based on the fact that I just can't stand having Freshman guards on the other side...but when Blake Griffin puts up his 37 and 19...I'll run home
• Mich. State/Kansas....These teams played in January....The Spartans dominated....take that for what you will...I think the bigger thing is this game is in Minneapolis....aka a home game for Michigan State....and the coaching advantage? Clearly with Izzo....the key matchup is between the best players on both teams who HAPPEN to play the same position...Kalin Lucas vs. Sherron Collins....if Lucas can play this to anywhere near a draw....Michigan State wins....and they will....

The Madness: 2nd Thursday

Let's get back to it shall we! First...to the lines....YTD 9-7-1 and profiting lol

• Xavier +7.5 over Pitt....I don't think Xavier wins this game outright...but 7 is a ton for Pitt to be laying given their style of play....I hope I'm wrong (I picked Pitt to win it all, etc. etc.) but this is the play
• Duke -2 over Villanova.... I know I know I know....Duke in the tourney, blah blah blah....but I love the matchup for them....and this is a better Duke team than the last few years... They've gone with the more athletic lineup featuring Elliot Williams and they are defending in the backcourt, not suffering from Greg Paulus anymore, and are a veteran team....and Nova, who is guard heavy, is a good matchup for them....

To the other 2 games not discussed above....

• Memphis/Missouri....I like Memphis alot in this game....Missouri is going to try to press them as they do to everyone...but Memphis has better athletes....only way Missouri wins this game is if they force Tyreke Evans into some freshman mistakes and capitalize on them consistently...I don't see it....too many athletes with a coaching advantage so I go Memphis
• Purdue/UConn....I like Purdue in the game more than most people would...just not enough to bet on it....or is it that I just don't trust UConn? The matchups are there....Robbie Hummel HAS TO be full-strength and effective for Purdue to have any shot, but they'll slow it down...hang around...get the "underdog" neutral crowd in their favor down the stretch and make UConn make plays....this won't be a blowout....but in the end, I think AJ Price and company are too much here...take it with a grain of salt

A Wednesday Night at Philips Arena

So I was at the Hawks/Spurs game last night at the Highlight Factory (laughter).... and had a few thoughts....10 to be exact

1. The Crowd was absolutely dreadful....first of all, the game was "sold out"....this is a shocker in itself since it's the Hawks, but at tip time...I'm not exaggerating here at all btw....it was maybe 30% full....the stands filled throughout but it was probably the most lackluster packed house I've ever witnessed...it was worse than any late 90's Braves crowd....ESPECIALLY when you factor that the game was in single digits throughout, Tony Parker was out of control, and Joe Johnson had 30 points
2. Josh Smith was abysmal....this isn't news....3-12 shooting....a total liability on the offensive end....sounds like a broken record to me...
3. Flip Murray was absolutely unconscious in the 1st half...and Mike Woodson subsequently rewarded his 6-8 FG, 13 point half with only 28 minutes even on a night when Mike Bibby had it going AND Tony Parker was doing whatever he wanted....
4. Speaking of Parker....there's no matchup on this team for him....Mike Woodson won't even think about putting Bibby on him....Joe Johnson is too tall and Parker can just blow by him....Flip isn't a good defender...Acie Law was in street clothes....but after all that....Parker was UNBELIEVABLE last night....18-25 FG...42 points, 10 dimes and I had the feeling throughout he could've had 55-60...he took the entire 3rd quarter off it seemed like...if he makes jump shots, he's literally unguardable....and you don't realize how fast/crafty he really is until you are live
5. Roger Mason....24 minutes...18 points....0 assists....he was in a zone shooting it (7-10) but I can't get a dime? Speaking of which...I was informed last night by a confidant (hm, Ryan) that the Spurs had 13 assists for the game....they scored 102 points.....aka alot of Iso's for Tony Parker and Roger Mason....
6. Oh yea...I forgot...Tim Duncan, aka the most valuable player of the the last 15 years and the best Power Forward of all time....was a late scratch.....Manu Ginobili was a shell of himself...and the Spurs won by 10 on the road in a building that the Hawks had been dominating in.....I have no idea
7. Mario West should never play 9 minutes in a close game....
8. I liked Drew Gooden better with the hair patch....
9. Has anyone noticed that Bruce Bowen is D-O-N-E? His minutes are now Ime Udoka's....he looked old/slow/disinterested last night...like visibly so....and if your only skill is defense/intensity/etc...and you can't do that? Good luck to you....
10. This Hawks team isn't beating Miami in round 1....say what you want....home-court, blah blah blah.....Who stops Wade? Is there an ounce of your being that thinks if he wants to win the series the Heat won't win it? I've seen this movie before....Home court helps...but the team I saw last night doesn't stand a chance against a full-strength Heat squad.....add in Bennett Salvatore with a zebra shirt....end of series

MLB Preview: NL East

Part 4 of the MLB Preview....My favorite division (obviously with the Braves there)...should be a tight one...and I've agonized accordingly

1. New York Mets- I settled on the Mets for 1 reason....The bullpen solidification job they did adding 2 all-star level closers (Putz to setup and K-Rod to close)....the lineup? Yea, you can't hate on it....Johan too...but that's the biggest difference in this team from last year when they just absolutely could not hold a lead.....Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Delgado....4 legit bats....I like Daniel Murphy in left too....The staff has its question marks after Johan and John Maine...it's really their only hole...I can't figure out why a team with as much of a spending habit as they do trots out Mike Pelfrey, Odalis Perez, and Freddy Garcia's corpse...I don't get it....but at any rate....they'll win 90-93 and be right there.... X-factors: Starting pitching 3-5, Daniel Murphy, Luis Castillo


2. Atlanta Braves- Well I could write 3 pages on them...but I'll scale it back.... This is the best pitching collection in the division....The starting pitching is the deepest and best of the 5 teams when you factor in the signing of Lowe and Kawakami, the trade for Vasquez, and the prospect of adding Tommy Hanson AND Tim Hudson late in the year...and the bullpen is only 2nd to the Mets (and are actually deeper, just not better, cough, James, cough)....That's the bright side....The lineup, however....It isn't the lack of guys who can hit .300...they are everywhere...Chipper, McCann, Garret Anderson, Casey Kotchman, Kelly Johnson....can all hit .300....but where's the power? Outside of Chipper and McCann...there isn't a single guy who has above-average power for his position (save maybe Yunel Escobar)....the only guy in that lineup with 90 RBI capability is Jeff Francoeur and he's gotta avoid hitting .220....The pitching itself should take them to the wild card race the entire way....but unless they get some production from Franceour/Anderson/Kotchman at the power spots, they have no shot..... X-factors: Kenshin Kawakami (who noone has any idea on), Jeff Francoeur, bullpen health


3. Philadelphia Phillies- You may be shocked to see them behind the Braves...but hear me out.... You can't tell me a team that features Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, and someone you've never heard of in it's rotation is a lock....you can't tell me Brad Lidge won't blow a save this year....their setup guys are borderline at best....and they still only won 92 games last year with everything going their way.... I'm not saying they disappear....and they'll be in the Wild Card to the end...but the pitching won't allow it.... The infield is out of this world good....Howard/Utley/Rollins/Feliz can't be topped by anyone short of the healthy Yankees infield, and the outfield isn't anything to sneeze at if Raul Ibanez can drive in 100 with Shane Victorino giving you speed and pop....I actually like their lineup more than the Mets...but I value pitching above all else....so they reside here.... X-Factors: Brad Lidge repeat, 3-5 starters, Setup question marks


4. Florida Marlins- On young talent alone...this a fairly scary roster....Hanley Ramirez is a top-5 player in all of the league hands down.... Maybin, Cantu, Uggla, and Hermida are legit options...but there are holes/youth question marks there....the pitching is young but good with Ricky Nolasco (who looked fantastic in the 2nd half last year), Josh Johnson, and the underrated Chris Volstad....the bullpen looks borderline awful on paper though, and that could be a hamper....They won't be putrid, but not enough to compete with the other 3 teams...and there's always the threat of fire sale here.... X-Factors: Bullpen, Cameron Maybin's development, Whether they will trade Hanley


5. Washington Nationals- Well, the lineup isn't bad at all...especially by Washington standards...Adam Dunn, Elijah Dukes, Lastings Milledge is an above-average OF....Ryan Zimmerman can play...but the rest of the infield is spotty at best....and we haven't discussed the rotation.... I like John Lannan and Scott Olsen...but yikes after that....same goes for the bullpen save Joel Hanrahan....there's some talent and it almost seemed like they wanted to spend some money giving Dunn 10 million a year and offering Mark Texeira all that money....but I still think they should have thrown $30 million a year at Manny to make a splash...there's just not alot of life there....X-Factors: Pitching, Elijah Dukes keeping his head on straight, Did I mention pitching?

MLB Preview: AL West

Part 3 of the MLB Preview (search the archives to the right for the other parts) takes a look at the AL West....aka the easiest division winner to pick in the entire league....and they are...

1. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (insert laughter to the name) - Clearly, and I mean clearly, the best team in this division...best lineup....best starting pitching....probably the best bullpen too if Brian Fuentes stays healthy at the backend....the Outfield is loaded with Abreu (who they are paying a ridiculously low rate), Torii Hunter, and Juan Rivera/Vlad Guerrero (and the other will DH)....the infield is a bit more questionable just b/c they are very young, but the talent is there, and if they can get a full year out of do-everything Chone Figgins, they'll be scary....the rotation has a set back with Ervin Santana being injured, but they are deep with Lackey, Saunders, and Weaver.... I'm thinking 91-93 wins and an easy cruise to the division title.... X-Factors: Ervin Santana's health, Kendry Morales and Howie Kendrick on the right side of the infield production-wise, Bullpen
2. Seattle Mariners-Here's where the division gets interesting....there's a big drop here...but I settled on Seattle rather quickly b/c of their pitching....Bedard is reportedly 100% healthy...add in King Felix who was dominant in the WBC, and young stud Brendan Morrow (battling a little elbow trouble though) and they could easily have the 3 best pitchers in the entire rest of the division....I wish I was kidding....the lineup is average to below-average but you still have Ichiro, Adrian Beltre (who has been consistently good), and under-valued Jose Lopez.....The Griffey move? Bleh...but if he hits 25 bombs, it's a success...the bullpen? Shaky on paper...Miguel Batista? Mark Lowe? Move Morrow there? I have no idea....but they are the best of the worst in the division.... X-Factors: Morrow/Bedard health, 1st base (Russell Branyan? yikes), Griffey's production
3. Oakland A's- First of all, before the last month, I had them last....but this is Moneyball at it's finest....you won't find alot of guys that you know on this team unless you're a diehard baseball fan...but they're counting on that.....Matt Holliday is a legit star, but will he get traded if they fall out of it? I love, love, love the Giambi pick-up at a big discount...he'll produce, and the same goes for Orlando Cabrera at 50 cents on the dollar....and anything they get out of Nomar is gravy....but Jack Cust is a strikeout machine who will kill you....The Bullpen is good at the backend with Joey Devine and Brad Ziegler you have 2 fireballers who can be dominant...but the starting pitching is what keeps them behind Seattle...other than Justin Duchscherer (who is a viable option)....there's not alot there..... X-Factors: 2-5 starting pitching, Nomar, bullpen setup guys
4. Texas Rangers- You already know the story....bats aplenty.....absolutely no pitching whatsoever....and it's repeating itself....they have a very good lineup on paper...Josh Hamilton is the truth....Ian Kinsler is a beast, Chris Davis showed signs of following....Michael Young and Hank Blalock? check....Throw is highly touted former Braves prospect SS Elvis Andrus at the top of the order....fireworks.....but that's not the problem....their #1 starter? How bout Kevin Millwood.....#2? Vicente Padilla.....and this isn't 2002....yea, it's ugly folks....they have a surplus of decent bullpen arms highlighted by Frank Francisco...but they'll never have the lead with that starting staff.... X-Factors: Umm...starting pitching maybe? lol....Elvis Andrus' production is key as well

Madness 1st Weekend Wrap

Another big day of college hoops...

• First of all...the higher ranked team in every game today won...that basically never happens....so that should lead any story....
• Pitt looks better/outlasts Oklahoma State....the Cowboys were game, but that is the Pitt team I picked to win it all...thanks for showing up....
• Another day, another elite 8 team gone from my bracket....Arizona State couldn't handle Syracuse....Eric Devendorf was the story and if Johnny Flynn had played well it might've gotten ugly....
• Umm...Dominic James played for Marquette...and I'm not sure it was a good thing....he put up 17 minutes of nothing and they lost by 4 points....are we convinced if they have a full strength guard in there they don't win that game? Just saying....A weird win for Missouri to get outrebounded by 11 and win, but they only committed 7 TO's
• There's a 12 seed in the Sweet 16 (Arizona) but not the one I thought would be (Wisconsin)....Zona got the benefit of playing an under-talented Cleveland State and took advantage with a cruising victory...Wisconsin led at half but absolutely died in the 2nd half (scoring 22 points) and only shot 29% for the game....29!!!
• Blowout of the day? Not Louisville/Siena (Somehow, although the Cardinal wasn't ever really in doubt)....how bout Kansas over Dayton? I saw that one coming a mile away....Dayton wasn't ready for primetime, and Sherron Collins had 25 and 7 (along with Cole Aldrich and his crazy 20 rebound/10 block triple-double game)

The Sweet 16 is set....A full game-by-game preview will post Thursday...but a quick overview

• The theme....for a second year in a row...is Chalk, Chalk, Chalk....lowest seed (other than #12 Arizona)? how bout #5 Purdue.....Every single 1,2, or 3 seed in the field is alive....Jeez...
• I'm actually excited for the prospects of the 2nd weekend with no "cinderella"....hear me out here...the quality of play will be higher....and I know there is a #12 left but it's the #12 that features 2 lottery picks (Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger)....I know the "tourney only" basketball fans love the cinderella...but I'm really fine with a higher quality of play...
• And finally...the thing that angers me most about this upcoming week's (namely Thursday and Friday) games....Why ON EARTH would they still be showing regional doubleheaders at this point instead of showing all 4 games in their entirety? I just don't get it....Go with 5:00, 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00 if you have to....or even overlap them by 45 minutes so we can just see the 2nd halfs....SOMETHING! I don't understand why there is still a game we can't watch on our TV (if we dont have the package, etc.) in the Sweet 16....Makes no sense at all to me...

That's it...some other content until Thursday (with madness sprinkled in)...maybe even a couple more parts of the MLB Preview...Until then...

On to Sunday...

Sunday's coming...BUT FIRST! (lol) some Saturday recaps...

• Nova pounds UCLA...that's the Nova team everyone expected...and the home crowd didn't hurt...they dominated from the tip and looked quite impressive...UCLA was overmatched in every way and it'll get even worse next year minus Collison and Shipp...yikes
• Same story with Memphis over Maryland...the Terps were at no point competitive and without the favorable round 1 matchup of Cal (who was hideous) they wouldn't have been there...on a positive note, Memphis redeemed themselves (and possibly lent itself to the fact that Cal State Northridge was actually good)
• Okay....same story again....but that was the theme of the early games....UConn absolutely took it to Texas A&M....like worse than the first 2 games....As I was saying in previous days about the Aggies they are a hit or miss team....and they missed badly today....UConn clearly wins the award for most dominant team of the first 2 rounds...
• My Final Four is broken....Washington lost a close battle with Purdue today to maybe cause me to toss my bracket away....a valiant effort from Isiah Thomas and Jon Brockman...but too many bad shots early, and some game free throw shooting/ball control by Purdue down the stretch....I like them against UConn...but I don't know how much yet
• UNC over LSU...standard "close for a while" game....LSU battled but weren't as talented, as deep, or as well coached....typical....The thing of note is Ty Lawson's return and he looks full strength on top of it....they're scary with him
• My Wolverines are gone too....expected....but what do you do when Blake Griffin goes for 33 and 16 on you? Nothing it seems...oh well, was nice to be relevant for the first time since Robert "Tractor" Traylor and Maurice Taylor were manning the post....
• What a game between Gonzaga and the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky....Gonzaga blows a double digit lead in the last 2 minutes...only to see backup guard Dmitri Goodson go the length for a leaner for the win....the guards from WKY played out of their minds and almost pulled off the upset....total bracket collapse averted lol
• Duke narrowly avoids the upset against Texas to end the night....A weird sequence at the end cultivated by a long behind the back save of an errand steal by Jon Scheyer coupled with a dumb foul by Texas...and they sneak away despite Elliot Williams bricking both FT's when he only needed one to seal it...Gerald Henderson was huge for Duke...

To Sunday's games.....First to the lines...YTD 6-6-1 after an ugly 0-2 Saturday

• Arizona -3 over Cleveland State....I know how good they looked....but I think it was more Wake laying the egg, and they'll have the hangover...wayyyyy too much talent on that Arizona squad and with Nic Wise playing good ball, they'll be a tough out for anybody
• Missouri -3.5 over Marquette...Missouri presses...Marquette is without their point guard...that's enough....
• Michigan State -4 over USC.....virtual homecourt in Minneapolis....far more talent...and a HUGE, I repeat HUGE coaching advantage with Tom Izzo vs. under-the-radar Tim Floyd (in his ineptness of course)
• Wisconsin +4 over Xavier...I think they win outright...but it'll be low-scoring and tight either way...take the 4 and bank it

Other games not covered yet such as above....

• Dayton/Kansas....I like Kansas here...I wasn't high on them (still not) but I'm not high on Dayton's ability to play at that high of a level in back to back games....Sherron Collins takes this one over
• Louisville/Siena....Louisville by 15....Not enough talent...they'll wear them down with the press....and fast
• Pittsburgh/OK State....Pitt gets off the lull they were in the other night....OK State hangs around but Pitt distances late...Fields and/or Young rebounds from the stinker...
• Zona State/Syracuse....Love this game...best game of the day IMO...I really like Arizona State....no matchup for Pendergraft...and James Harden isn't going 1-8 for 4 points again....

On to Round 2...

Alot happened on Friday...here's a quick little rundown...

• 2 overtime games in the late session....First, Wisconsin takes down Florida State behind a ridiculous spinning and-1 by Trevon Hughes....The style difference was enough for Wisky to beat the highly ranked FSU team...I saw that coming in that Florida State doesn't deal well with the slowdown game.......Secondly, Siena and Ohio State played a 2OT classic (lengthened and subsequently ended by Ronald Moore of Siena burying 3's) that was indicative of how close those 8/9 games should be....I had the Buckeyes but was blindly rooting for Siena...nothing like a small school in an instant classic over a power university...gutty effort by the team with no depth against a team with endless resources
• Wake gets run out of the building...Cleveland State made a statement tonight...and it was that the Horizon can play lol....Actually, I think Wake just laid an egg...but an embarrassing score for Wake here....no excuses
• RIP Utah State....we hardly knew ye....That broke my heart a little inside....but hey, they covered
• Pitt gets challenged...well I didn't see that coming...I'm gonna say it may wake them up a bit....but it's never good to be challenged by the 16 seed who shouldn't be on the same floor as you...
• Dayton over WV....Well, I lost an elite 8 team here....In retrospect, Bob Huggins is an awful tourney coach (and has the record to match) so I'm not sure why I overlooked that...but his refusal to make an adjustment down the stretch killed them....their offensive continuity was non-existent
• Arizona over Utah isn't an upset....Arizona was the Vegas favorite as a 12 seed and they have 2 top-10 NBA draft picks on that team....Stop it already lol
• USC explodes in the 2nd half....Well, this exchange happened when I was talking about this game..."Yea, last I checked BC was up 4....::Looks at phone:: Umm...they're down 13...Yes, I'm serious"....

Great opening round as always....very entertaining....

• Well, really only 2 "upsets" in this first 2 days....Cleveland State is a monster one (especially the way they dominated as a #13 seed) and Western Kentucky as a 12....Not too shabby b/c there were some threats....that's all you can really ask for...but 3 #12 seeds won in the same year...that's pretty crazy even if 2 of them were major conference teams in Wisconsin and Arizona
• I went 24-8 on straight picks (including a trainwreck 10-6 Friday)...not terrible but should've been better I feel....6-4-1 in line picks makes you money so I'm happy with that...Still have 13 of my 16, 7 of my 8 and all my final 4....so it could've been worse...

To Saturday...First...With my picks on the line....YTD (After Friday): 6-4-1

• Washington -1 over Purdue
• Gonzaga -10.5 over W. Kentucky

Quickly to the games...

• UCLA vs. Villanova....This is the game of the day for me....I'd actually love UCLA alot in this game if it weren't in Philly...as it stands, I'm sticking with my pre-bracket pick of Nova...but this could be a classic...it'll come down to the PG matchup between Reynolds and Collison...
• Maryland vs. Memphis....Can the Tigers rebound? Maryland clearly has a shot in this one...but I'm gonna say Memphis just out-physicals them and is able to contain Vasquez enough to hold them off
• A&M vs. UConn....I keep hearing that if A&M can play how they did Thursday they'll give UConn a run...I agree with this...BUT if you know anything about A&M they don't really play that well 2 games in a row....they are hit and miss....but hey, this will either be to the wire or UConn will win by 20....I'm semi-clueless but the Aggies do have the physical players to combat them
• Purdue vs. Washington....2nd best game of the day...I love Washington as mentioned above...Purdue has too many question and Washington has too many guards and veterans for them to bow out here....Robbie Hummel's back could be the key...short turnaround on games for Purdue
• LSU vs. UNC....Tar Heels win easily...and that's with or without Lawson by the way (aka I don't like LSU's chances lol)
• W. Kent. vs. Gonzaga....well I picked Gonzaga on the 10.5 point line....that should tell you a little something about how I feel on this one....but I really only took WKY to win in the first round b/c I hated Illinois minus-Frazier and Gonzaga is just too deep....add in that they are playing a home game virtually....they cruise
• Texas vs. Duke...In greensboro....Not a big fan of Rick Barnes...he'll get worked here and they'll take Abrams away with Williams/Nolan Smith....Double digit win for the Devils
• And Finally....Michigan/Oklahoma....Okay...you know where my interest lies....but I'm a realist....there's little to no way Michigan wins this game....the only way is if the Freshman guards for Oklahoma just implode...certainly plausible but the Wolverines would have to shoot out of their minds....I don't see it...too much of Mr. Griffin....

Enjoy the slate

Day 1 Recap, Day 2 Preview

This will be the format during the tourney weekends....let's get it...first? Some thoughts on Thursday (in semi-chronological order)....

• CS Northridge was the early story of the day....hanging with (and even leading) Memphis for stretches only to fall by 11...a valiant effort by them, but without the random 35 point outburst for Robert Sallie (who averages under 5 ppg for the year) Memphis goes down...let's just say I wasn't impressed....
• Texas A&M was one of those teams I just couldn't pick...and their performance actually didn't change that opinion...they are the classic hit-or-miss team and they were hitting today....
• UConn 103, Chattanooga 47.... What a ludicrous score ESPECIALLY when you factor this game was 16-15 early....that's 87-32 the rest of the way....and our thoughts are with Jim Calhoun...
• Washington....plugs along...under the radar...I like it...
• American takes Nova's best shot.... American (whom I discussed as a sleeper pick in my preview column) took a 10 point lead to halftime only to get outlasted by a game Nova squad late....the 13 point spread was a laughable indication of how close this game was....
• Game of the night? UCLA over VCU..... Great game....Classic big-school/little-school matchup that ended with the small-school hero Eric Maynor coming up a bit short....I was impressed with UCLA's resolve and they are still dangerous b/c of their style of play...
• Upset of the day: W. Kentucky over Illinois....Well, I picked this one....but it should've been obvious to more people...Chester Frazier out for the Illinois....5 guys who played to the Sweet 16 for WKU last year....They were actually winning convincingly pretty much throughout....
• And of course....THE VICTORS VALIANT! Yes, Michigan is back....and they won too...I'm fired up as you can imagine....even though they almost blew a big lead against Clemson...the fact that they are still playing is enough for me
• 14-2 in picks for the bracket, 3-2 in "Picks" vs. the Spread.... Satisfying....but I swear to you, if American +16.5 didn't hold b/c of the ridiculous fouling....I was gonna lose it...

An eventful day, but only one true upset in the 12/5 game...It'll get better...Now to Friday...First the "lines"...YTD 3-2

• Arizona State -5.5 over Temple
• Ohio State -3 over Siena
• Oklahoma State +2 over Tennessee
• N.D. State +10 over Kansas
• Utah State +4.5 over Marquette
• Portland State +10.5 over Xavier

The picks for the Bracket are up in the original (Scroll down!)...and let's get this going....Here are the games I'd watch at each slot

• Approx 12:30 Utah State and Marquette...I love USU here....and I like this game even more than the 8/9 Tennessee/OK State matchup that I think will be close but boring....
• Approx 2:50 Temple and Arizona State...I think the Sun Devils roll honestly...but this is the most watchable matchup
  
• Approx 7:00 Arizona and Utah....Love, Love, Love this game.....but a close runner-up to BC and USC which is under-ratedly close....
• Approx 9:45 Wisconsin and Florida State....contrasting styles....Should be very competitive...

Let's do it all again....It's a great time of the year...

My Official Bracket!

Okay.... Before I start.... I've taken some risks here...but my advice to anyone in a pool is that...you have to...or you aren't winning it.... Here are a few thoughts before I post the bracket

• There was no team I was sold on to win the whole thing....I spent a solid week thinking about it and no one distanced themselves more than the team I posted...but even then....ehhhhh
• There was only 1 region that I had a consistent winner in during every bracket I filled out....and it's the team I have winning it all....
• 2 teams I was sold on (upset-wise) immediately? Utah State going to the Sweet 16 and West Virginia going to the Elite 8....
• Most likely upsets that I didn't pick in round 1? (And yes, I mean true upsets....meaning #13 seed or higher)... Cleveland State over Wake, American over Villanova
• I was really, really angry when I saw the bracket because I was planning on taking VCU and American blindly in round 1....but then saw their matchups and both were probably the worst imaginable....UCLA is a terrible physical matchup for VCU b/c Collison is probably the best defender at PG in the land vs. Maynor....and American (a team I loved b/c they have 8 seniors that play) drew Villanova....IN PHILLY WHERE VILLANOVA IS FROM!
• And finally....Listen closely....Nobody has any idea what they are talking about when it comes to March Madness.....On the whole I mean....Individual games? sure, people can make informed decisions on who should/can win games based on matchups....but trying to pick the entire bracket? Please....Anybody that tells you they feel "great" about their bracket is out of their mind....and I write about sports....They won't admit it...but I will...don't take my bracket as an indictment on my knowledge....and don't take anyone's bracket that happens to land right as an indication of any brilliance on their end....

Drumroll please.....

• Round 1 Winners (From the Midwest, West, East, and South regions in order): Louisville, Ohio St., Utah, Wake, W. VA, Kansas, BC, Mich St., Connecticut, BYU, Purdue, Washington, Utah St., Missou, Cal, Memphis, Pitt, Okla St., Wisconsin, Xavier, UCLA, Nova, Texas, Duke, UNC, LSU, Western Ky, Gonzaga, Ariz. St., Syracuse, Michigan, Oklahoma
• Sweet 16 (Same order, etc.): Louisville, Wake, West Va, Mich St., UConn, Washington, Utah St., Memphis, Pitt, Wisconsin, Nova, Duke, UNC, Gonzaga, Ariz. St., Oklahoma
• Elite 8: Louisville, West VA, Washington, Memphis, Pitt, Duke, Gonzaga, Arizona State
• Final 4: Louisville, Washington (yes, that Washington), Pitt, Gonzaga
• Finals: Pitt over Washington 72-65

So hear me out on a few things....

• Washington as a final 4 team....First of all, they are playing in their home region that features all 3 higher seeds in that region that are NOT from the West....They play their first 2 games (Against Miss. State, and either Purdue or Northern Iowa) in Portland, Oregon....aka a virtual home game....then comes the limb....I have them beating UConn in Glendale in the Sweet 16....3,000 mile trip for UConn is #1....Then the matchups....The only significant advantage (IMO) that UConn employs is at the PF position with Jeff Adrian....Hasheem Thabeet vs. Jon Brockman? I'll take Brockman with a gun to my head...but if you want a push, I'll give you one.....Quincy Pondexter vs. Stanley Robinson? Adv. Pondexter.....Justin Dentmon vs. Craig Austrie? Dentmon all day.....Isiah Thomas vs. AJ Price....Price...but only slightly....and UConn has no bench suddenly....the loss of Jerome Dyson really hurts them..... So in a nutshell....I have reasons...I didn't just point and click on Washington....They are a veteran team who is well-coached and have guys who have been there
• Gonzaga as a Final 4 team.... I had contemplated this one alot....They have the same advantage as Washington in that play 2 virtual home games in Portland as well...then they draw UNC in Memphis....First of all, I don't believe that Ty Lawson is/will be healthy....That's big....2nd....Gonzaga is the only team in the country with as much depth as UNC....I like Pargo as a matchup vs. Lawson b/c he's strong and a veteran...they score in different ways, and won't be intimidated...and they have the ever-popular name of Gonzaga to propel them if they can hang around and get the buzz going in the building....you call it a hunch....but I like them....
• Arizona State over Oklahoma....I've been pimping Blake Griffin in this space all year....so you may be shocked...but don't be....The Sun Devils are just a bad matchup for OU with Pendergraph to cover Griffin and veteran guards to expose the youth of Oklahoma....
• As a sidebar....I can't belive the Midwest Region.... Louisville gets the free pass of all free passes here (EXCEPT of course that they have to play Ohio State IN Dayton but that's surpassed by the rest of the region)....They get the weakest #2 seed in Michigan State....A toss-up with Missouri for the weakest #3 seed in Kansas....The weakest #5 in Utah...on paper nobody can beat them....I'm not a fan of Louisville's tourney makeup (namely a lack of a lead guard b/c Edgar Sosa is an abomination) but there's just nobody in their way.....
• Pitt to win it all..... First...I love the veteran guard play from Sam Young and Levance Fields....you can't replace that type of experience....I love pass-first PGs too and Fields fits the bill....DeJuan Blair is still a sophomore (I forgot this) but is an absolute man on the block...and they are deep.... Then last of all....this team defends...Jamie Dixon brings the Ben Howland school and with all these added in plus a region that matches up well for them (i.e. I can't see Duke or Villanova beating them in Boston)....Give me the panthers

Okay....That went long....but let me tell you that I'll also be picking games on the Betting lines daily and keeping track (Football-style) of how I do.....Enjoy it everyone!!!!

Day 1 Line Picks

• Duke -21.5 over Binghamton
• BYU -2 over TA&M
• American +16.5 over Nova
• Cal -1 over Maryland
• Washington -5.5 over Miss. State

Almost to the madness...

One more day folks....from tomorrow (when I post my bracket, etc.) until it's over...they'll be a ton of madness in this space...be ready...but until then...

• That Julius Peppers to New England deal? Take a step back....couple of sources seriously doubting it....ah well....
• The principle reason I doubt UNC this year (other than their overall overrated-ness) is that Ty Lawson is still questionable with that toe...he may miss the opening round game....and if he's not 100% they have no shot
• Stephen Curry hangs 32 to shoot another day...vintage....
• Bulls 127, Celtics 121....I saw this score midway through the 3rd and it seemed like Boston was in control...I got home....and saw this....Chicago hung 78 2nd half points on the defending champs (compared to a "paltry" 66 for the Celts)....and behind John Salmons' season high 38, they were able to win the St. Patty's game....I was semi-shocked when I saw this score so I pass it along...
• Hawks 119, Kings 97...another semi-shocking output....from 2 different perspectives....First, the Hawks rarely, if ever, score 119 points in a regulation game....and 2nd....the Kings came out firing in this one once leading by 12 points in the 1st....and then proceeded to get run out of the gym....6 in a row for the Hawks....
• My NBA MVP ballot...1) Wade, 2) Lebron.....Kobe isn't in the discussion for me....and that will cause "hater" allegations...but I want people to know/realize that I championed Kobe for the MVP in years past when the Lakers were down...I just feel like Miami and Cleveland would be far worse off without their guys than LA would be without Kobe (now that Gasol is playing at this level).....Give me the guy (Wade) who has meant literally 30 wins to his team.....In fact, I think I may even have Chris Paul over Kobe....to have that team in contention for a top-3 seed in the West while getting virtually nothing from Chandler and Peja? While leading the league in assists and steals and averaging 22 ppg a game no less? Jeez.....
• Oh...the US won a WBC game to avoid elimination in the 9th inning....yawn..
• Something's been bothering me since listening to the BS Report....Al Thornton of the LA Clippers....what does he do well? He seems to absolutely kill the Hawks every time they play....he puts up good numbers on a regular basis such as his 25 and 9 last night....somebody tell me?

That'll do it for now...

Cutler Cries...Etc.

• Boy...Jay Cutler is sure making Josh McDaniels feel stupid for trying to get Matt Cassel huh? I'm going to go the other way on that one....Cutler's reaction to the professional roadblock he ran into with being on the trading block almost illustrates the reason they did it....That being said, If I was the Jets, the Bucs, or the Lions....I'd be on the phone....
• The UConn women aren't going to lose....
• Julius Peppers playing OLB in the Pats 3-4 scheme? Yikes....If they can get him for that pick...I'd do it in a heartbeat....they get younger right away, and he can still rush the passer
• Matt Jones released from Jacksonville....too much headache for a guy who can't really play....the former combine wonder also has a cocaine issue...in addition to getting busted for drinking while on probation...I honestly think he won't get a job...but maybe that's just me
• Hmm...Durant's team goes down 27-10 early....and then holds the Spurs to a paltry 49 points after that and wins....The league should start hoping they don't win the lottery....
• Here come the....Bobcats? Yea....I don't know either...but they're suddenly within a game of the 8th spot (held by ready-to-wilt Milwaukee)...I'd still take Chicago for the 8th spot (as I said preseason) but Larry Brown is doing a nice job with this squad especially given he basically sent Sean May home, they traded former #3 overall pick Adam Morrison, AND dealt their leading scorer Jason Richardson....This is what we thought Larry might do in New York...

What to watch for tonight....

• If you're starved for TV....the NIT starts tonight...Davidson, Notre Dame, Kentucky, and St. Mary's are all in action on the deuce.....
• And that's it....not even the local Hawks can draw TV coverage over the Thrashers tonight....sigh

Enjoy

A little NBA...

It's gonna be NBA-heavy until the Madness starts on Thursday....let's get it

• The Hawks win their 5th straight...I hear you now...."they're all at home" you say....and I concur...but 4 wins over playoff teams (Detroit, NO, Utah, Portland) and 3 legitimately good teams (the above teams minus Detroit)....and all without Marvin Williams? I'm enjoying the run alot....gotta get some distance for the 4th seed....and Joe Johnson has turned it on....He looks fresh again
• Quick...what's the game you'd LEAST want to see in the NBA right now? For me....It's the Kings and the Wizards....and that's the game that happened last night....yikes...
• How can Utah be taken too seriously as a Finals contender when they are so bad on the road? 13-20 on the year isn't gonna cut it....I don't care how good you are at home...you're only gonna have homecourt for 1 series....
• On the other end...Cleveland is 29-1 at home...that's not a misprint
• Phoenix had 120 points through 3 quarters....I can't ever remember seeing that...I'm amazed....but of course, it was at the mercy of Don Nelson....So put an asterisk by it.....Sidebar....Keith Smart (of Indiana baseline jumper fame) is the head assistant for Golden State...I had no idea...At any rate, as I write this near Midnight Eastern...Phoenix has 138 points with 7 minutes left....it's suddenly the 80s Nuggets out there
• An overlooked (and rightly so) story...??? How bout Darko going back to Detroit and throwing up a double-double in a random Memphis win at the Palace? Where does that rank on the famous vengeance scale? lol

What to watch for....

• Umm...the sports scene is going to be dead outside of the NBA until Thursday....so...unless you have NBA-TV and can get the Spurs/Thunder game...there's a 2 hour Bracketology special on ESPN tomorrow night? Yea...I got nothin

Back to it...

Sorry for the lost weekend in this location....but special thanks to Ryan for filling in on Friday quite admirably.... To my thoughts from the weekend....

• Duke wins its 8th ACC tourney in 11 years....astounding numbers when you factor in how good/deep the ACC has been....Still didn't get them a #1 seed (and it shouldn't have) but they are a strong 2....
• Syracuse...I mean, what do you say? 6OT win....OT win over an extremely hot West VA team...and a valient loss on no rest against a top 4 team in the country in Louisville....mad props to Johnny Flynn and company...
• The SEC is officially the most irrelevant "power" conference in college basketball history....or at least as far back as I can remember...any time the highest seeded team in your conference is an 8 seed, and you only got 3 teams in because Mississippi State won today....you've died....
• Surprise of the weekend for me? Purdue winning the Big 10....
• Tiger didn't win his first stroke play event either! The humanity! Seriously folks...get a grip on your life
• Louisville as the #1 overall seed...wow that's strong for a team that was borderline at best for a #1 seed 3 days ago....but it makes sense with the gauntlet they ran and every other viable candidate not even making the finals of their conference tourney....
• How in the world, on this great day of selection (lol), can Jay Cutler and Josh McDaniels be a top-line story on the major sports websites? In March....sigh

Okay...so I know you're ALL anxiously awaiting my bracket....but don't fear....it'll be posted Thursday morning....Enjoy!

Greatest Game Ever?...Upsets and LA Lakers

Hi everyone....I'm the guest blogger filling in for Brad..my name is Ryan..lets skip the formalities and get to the wild night last night

• You have to lead with the 6 overtimed legendary matchup between UConn and Syracuse.What I learned from this marathon of a game was this..Syracuse is very scrappy..to have never lead in a game that had 6 overtimes but always finding a way to stick around and make plays(even though UConn helped) has to resonate with people during bracket picking.Somehow people will be less impressed with UConn because of last night even though both teams were ranked,but you have to ask "Why weren't they able to close the deal?" Giving away multiple leads isn't a good quality to have when every possession is magnified..they'll still be a 1 or 2 seed but it should be in the back of your mind.
• Conference upsets Oklahoma lost to Oklahoma State,Kansas lost to Baylor and Pitt lost to West Virginia...really?...yes...all happened.While these upsets aren't super big because these 3 teams are in without doubt.. now that the favorites are out it will be even more harder for the Arizona's,Florida's and St Mary's to get in because they are taking spots that should have already been filled.There will be a really big crunch for the "bubble teams" and for alot of them there isn't much light at the end of the tunnel.
• Lebron tosses up another triple double against Phoenix..to the tune of 34 pts 13 asts and 10 rebs..I can make a really easy case that he'll be our MVP this year..its simple as that..and oh yeah..that was a foul on the block of J-Rich's 360 dunk..come on...anyways...on the flipside...can we stop pretending like Phoenix was going to make a push for the playoffs now?..remember when they weren't very good with Amare and Terry Porter?...yeah lets simulate that effect.Sadly the era of this Phoenix Suns is all but closed with really nothing to show for it much like the Jason Williams/Vlade Divac Kings and Dirk/Nash Mavs...
• Kobe and the Lakers put away the Spurs...its getting a tad scary in the West honestly...if the Spurs seem like a distant reach to even be in the conversation of who could win the west...it might be the Lakers conference to lose...and I don't think that will happen because Kobe Bryant is still on the roster and they are missing(and by missing I mean not having) Andrew Bynum.The way they are playing I could really pencil them into the Finals.
• Red Sox Closer Jonathan Papelbon completely runs Manny Ramirez into the ground by calling him a "cancer to the locker room" and "took the entire team down"..now look..what Manny did I would completely bash him for...his perceived dogging it in the form of lightly jogging during groundballs and doubleplays is completely unacceptable...completely..but it seems as if Boston just can't let it go...after you trade the guy,you bash him like nobody's business which help contribute to the lack of suitors this offseason which is wrong..but you are still bashing him now...8 months later!..face it..Manny wasn't the reason Boston lost in the postseason last year and thats all Boston fans or players should be concerned with..but alas they seem to continue to play the "hurt girlfriend" role for the foreseeable future.

• $100 million man Albert Haynesworth indicted on traffic charges of reckless driving,having a expired registration and seriously injuring another person in the wreck....did you keep the receipt?

What to watch tonight:

• Michigan/Illinois 6:30pm-Michigan would really like to get off the bubble officially..heres your chance
• Villanova/Louisville 7pm-Get familiar with all your good Big East teams
• West Va/Syracuse 9pm-Will they have anything left?
  
• Arizona St/Washington 9pm-Washington is a real sleeper..as well as Arizona St..get familiar with your good Pac-10 teams
• San Diego St/BYU 9pm
• USC/UCLA 11:30pm

Everyone enjoy some form of games tonight...you could be watching an instant classic and not even know it yet

A bit of a dilemma...

Okay...long story short...I'm playing a music gig in Asheville, NC this weekend...and my sporting resources are quite limited (bad wi-fi, lack of consistent TV access)....so please forgive my lack of updates...In the meantime, we MAY have a guest blogger (no pressure sir) lol....keep your eye out

Mostly NBA....

Tomorrow (Thursday) is slam-packed so gonna blog a little here late-night and hopefully it'll be relevant tomorrow morning....

• Say goodbye to that 12-game win streak Utah Jazz.....the Hawks somehow beat the red-hot Jazz tonight even without Marvin Williams, and getting virtually nothing from Mike Bibby....Joe Johnson led the way with a big-time 31, but I can't even hate on Josh Smith's game tonight....22 and 12 in a huge spot, he didn't attempt a 3-pointer (a moral victory if there ever was one) and had 3 blocks...that's the kind of night I wanna see....
• My favorite NBA player....Mr. Chris Paul himself....threw up another triple-double tonight...and it wasn't your ho-hum 11/10/11 game either....how does 30 points, 10 boards, 13 dimes sound? Man-like to me....
• Antonio McDyess had  22 rebounds tonight.....raise your hand if that shocked you.....::raising hand::.....I left him for dead
• I meant to mention this yesterday....but I'd like to thank the national media for jumping on the "D-Wade for MVP" campaign that I've been chanting about for months....you're late fellas....
• Mike Singletary of Texas Tech broke the Big 12 tournament scoring record with 43 in the Red Raiders win over Texas A&M tonight....but that isn't even the lead story....at one point....The young man scored 29 straight points for his team....29 in a row....I need the Elias Sports Bureau on this....

What to watch for on a jam-packed Thursday....

• Big East Tourney: Providence vs. Louisville, ESPN Noon.....these are the type of games that make this week good TV....
• Big East Tourney: Marquette vs. Nova ESPN 2:30....can Marquette get right?
• Big East Tourney: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh ESPN 7:00
• Big 10 Tourney: Michigan(!) vs. Iowa ESPN2 2:30....Win and its automatic to the tourney...lose and it's the bubble again...Go Blue
• Pac 10 Tourney: Arizona State vs. Arizona FSN 3:00....Rivalries in the conference tourney are awesome...
• Pac 10 Tourney: Cal vs. Southern Cal FSN 9:00
• Lakers @ Spurs 8:00 TNT....Geez the NBA is overlooked on these huge college weekends...but this one can't be ignored
• Cavs @ Suns 10:30 TNT....And this one isn't bad either if you like watching the best player alive against the rejuvenated (at least from a watching standpoint) Suns

Enjoy it folks...and I know I shamelessly plug Bill Simmons' columns....but if you have ever been at the end of your rope as a fan of a team (or you just love to read about NBA on-court dynamics, etc.)....his article on the Clippers today is a must-read....

Lebron, Cutler, Cleveland State, etc.

Coming to you live from the land of insomnia....it's 2:12 eastern as I begin this....

• Lebron James with a ho-hum triple-double tonight.....that's 2 in a row....32, 13, and 11 in this one and they came back to get a road win....felt like this was worth mentioning....
• Jay Cutler is a bit of a headcase it seems....apparently he went nuts on a conference call with Josh McDaniels...get over it sir....
• The UConn women won by 39....39!!! against #5 Louisville to win the Big East....Louisville was #5 in the country!!!! I can't stop using exclamation points!!!....But seriously....I realize not many people care about this....but just to add it on....this team lost the #1 recruit in the nation this year b/c Elena Donne Donne quit basketball the week before practice started....and they've subsequently won every game by an average of over 30 per, and not won a game by single digits all year....it's patently absurd
• Ladainian Tomlinson to return to San Diego....restructures his deal....we all saw this coming...but he's at least making more than his backup (which was somehow in question)
• Butler loses in the Horizon final....and costs some poor bubble team a spot....The Bulldogs are in no danger....but Cleveland State will steal the spot from Florida or San Diego State or something....ah well....
• Suddenly Larry Hughes isn't forgotten....39 points helps....but that situation fits him perfectly.....
• Does Russell Westbrook have any chance of edging Rose and Mayo for ROY honors? He should....
• I guess I should mention the Netherlands/Dominican Republic upset....Congrats to the Dutch squad....and it's a nice story....but the event still means generally nothing to me

I exhausted alot of my blogging options earlier....BUT....What to watch for....LOTS of college hoops....

• Big East Tourney: Depaul/Providence Noon ESPN
• Big East Tourney: West Va/Notre Dame 7:00 ESPN
• Pac-10 Tourney: Oregon State/Stanford 9:00 FSN
• Pac-10 Tourney: Wazzou/Oregon 11:30 FSN
• Jazz @ Hawks 7:00 SportSouth....Gotta have the local love....and while I'm here....the Hawks are a 1st-round exit regardless of matchup without Marvin Williams....so get better soon

MLB Preview-Part 1: AL East

Okay....So this is part of a 7 installment MLB preview....I'm not going to predict records b/c I think it's ridiculous over 162 games....but It's what I do....let me know what you think

1. Boston Red Sox- The Sox are once again loaded from top to bottom....there are still studs in the lineup...namely David Ortiz (now healthy and on a mission), Dustin Pedroia (the reigning AL MVP in case you forgot), Jason Bay (who crushed last year when he got to Boston), and the ever under-rated Kevin Youkilis....it shapes up as a potent lineup that isn't DOMINATING but very solid.....but in the end...the pitching depth is staggering......By the time June rolls around....this rotation could be 5 deep with top-flight starters, then throw in Tim Wakefield and Clay Bucholz? Jeez.....Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Smoltz, the forgotten Brad Penny....ridiculous....and that doesn't get to the best part of this squad on paper.....The Bullpen....Jonathan Papelbon returns as a dominant closer and the setup situation is flat-out awesome....They have 3 legit top-tier guys as setup men in Justin Masterson, Takashi Saito, and Hideki Okajima....and Manny Delcarmen has elite potential too.....So basically, Boston is #1 b/c the pitching staff is scary.....end of story.....X-Factors: Brad Penny/John Smoltz injury concerns, Mike Lowell's hip
   
2. Tampa Bay Rays- People seem to forget that this team lost nothing in the lineup.....and added a legit bat in the DH spot with Pat Burrell....oh yea, and they are all a year older....I expect a jump out of BJ Upton and Longoria, and a healthy, dominant Carl Crawford.....and this Starting staff is underrated....James Shields looked like a legitimate ace last year, we know about Scott Kazmir's talent....and if they can get 170-180 good innings from young stud David Price....wow....the question marks are in the bullpen....namely at closer as they have a plethora of quality arms...but no dominant arm....X-Factors: Longoria's maturation, The Closer Battle, David Price
3. New York Yankees- This was one of the huge debates of my preparation.....Who wins the Wild Card/#2 in the East battle between NYY and Tampa.....I chose the Rays, even before the A-Rod hip news....but on paper, this Yankees team may have the best infield in terms of hitting that I've ever seen....A-Rod (post-hip surgery), Jeter, Cano and Tex are enough to scare anybody....throw in Posada at least an average Catcher level, and the under-rated bats of Xavier Nady, Nick Swisher, and Johnny Damon (who can still hit, he just can't field) and this is a potential 1000 run squad....The Pitching lies the question marks for me....CC weighs about 350 pounds and was down pre-trade last year (before that whole "Oh I need to dominate now for my contract" thing), AJ Burnett is constantly hurt, Chien Meng Wang can't run the bases without shattering his leg.....See where I'm going with this? They have alot of arms...but alot of question marks.....and the Bullpen outside of Mariano Rivera? Shockingly bad.... X-Factor: Joba Chamberlain: Can he start effectively?, A-Rod's effectiveness post-surgery, healthy starting pitching
4. Baltimore Orioles- I had the Orioles penciled in the basement until I saw their depth chart....I was pleasantly surprised....and this team will fly under the radar...but they have some very good young bats....Nick Markakis, Adam Jones (a breakout player of mine), Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora....that sounds like a good lineup to me....throw in do-everything Catcher prospect Matt Wieters...could be special down the road....the problem is the pitching....outside of Jeremy Guthrie who has been wholly solid....there's...Rich Hill? Adam Eaton? Hmm....I knew there was a reason I didn't like them.... X-Factors: Pitching, Pitching, Pitching, Adam Jones' growth
5. Toronto Blue Jays- Quick fact: Did you know Toronto's 86 wins last year were more than the NL West champion Dodgers had? Oh yea...the Jays came in 4th in the division.....They will win well less than 86 this year...the starting staff has taken a significant step back (Roy Halladay excluded)...Other than Jesse Litsch who was solid last year...their best hope for an above-average starter? Matt Clement...yea the guy who hasn't pitched in around 2 years.....yikes.... The lineup is solid with Alex Rios, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and the under-rated Adam Lind....but unless they get stellar bullpen work and an emerging starter (or 2)...they'll stay in the cellar.....X-Factors: #3-5 starting pitching, production up the middle

A rare mid-day blog? Weird...

Mostly NFL randomly...

• Alex Smith reworks his deal in SF....doesn't get cut after all.....Amazing to me....This guy is David Carr without the glove....he'll never be a successful NFL starter...but he continues to keep people up on him somehow (I even personally fell into this with Carr upon him leaving Houston).....I'm still down on you sir....
• Orlando Pace released.....At one point, he was the best OT I had seen in this era....shame he's deteriorated due to injuries.....was once absolutely dominant in every way and deserving of his #1 overall draft pick
• The Falcons have a linebacker! Mike Peterson, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars, signs a 2-year deal to replace Keith Brooking....I'm high on this move...he's played reasonably well recently, is reportedly a clubhouse leader...and can't possibly be worse in coverage than Sir Brooking.....I'll take a quality vet when SOMEBODY has to lead that unit when they are starting 3 rookies in September....
• A rant on the NBA....how in THE WORLD does Lamar Odom leaving the bench become the lead story out of Trevor Ariza nearly killing Rudy Fernandez last night? It's the most absurd rule in sports....it should interpretation....period....He left the bench like 3 feet....
• The Big East tourney is going strong....Depaul (previously winless in conference all year) had lost 18 in a row....yes, EIGHTEEN....and beat supposed bubble team (if they won a couple Big East games) Cincinnati....highest of high comedy when this stuff happens....oh yeah, I almost forgot....I read 3....literally 3....articles claiming Georgetown had the best chance of going on a conference tourney run and sneaking in the tournament....they lost in round 1 to a bad St. John's team....and anybody who thinks Greg Monroe (who averaged 13 and 6 in his freshman year) is worthy of a top-5 NBA pick makes me visibly angry....

That is all

Flash wins one, Blazers show out....

Not a huge night...but some NBA stuff for sure...

• Dwyane Wade puts the dagger in Chicago in 2OT....oh yea, and he had 48 as a sidenote....but that steal and buzzer-beating runner was outta control....a man-type play for sure....Props to a nemesis of mine in Ben Gordon who had 43 and hit the shot to put it into OT...
• It may be a bad example since Orlando is scuffling lately (especially on the road) but what has gotten into the Pistons? Barring the Saturday road loss to Atlanta....they've been playing fantastic ball....BUT I still think I'd rather the Hawks see them than Miami in Round 1....
• Speaking of those Hawks....a surprising (at least to me) 10 point home win over New Orleans....despite David West's 16 and 20, and CP3 putting up his normal 24 points, 10 dimes even....good to see Joe Johnson get out of the gate a little bit and end up with 30....a satisfying win....
• I can't remember the last time the Lakers got it handed to them like that....I'm thinking it hasn't happened since the Finals....
• On a collegiate note....the WCC finals underwhelmed....I apologize lol I had no idea St. Mary's would lay the proverbial egg....and this one may hurt their at-large bid status b/c they really weren't even competitive in this one even with Patty Mills....
• Siena is good....Remember them beating Vandy into submission last year in the tourney? Team is for real...just so you know.....but you know who isn't? Davidson....done....read it here...D-O-N-E

What to watch for....

• Umm...I really can't find anything.....not gonna lie...but didn't want you to think I wasn't paying attention...there are some small conference title games on ESPN if you are interested lol

A-Rod's Surgery, UNC over Duke, etc....

Straight in...

• A-Rod opts for surgery....this only impacts your life if you play fantasy (and were stuck with him in the top 3 overall somehow) or if youre a Yankees fan....but I was monitoring it b/c we had our fantasy baseball draft last night....so yea, he's out 6-9 weeks....at least a month of regular season play.....but the real key is how he responds off of this less invasive procedure
• Somehow the "lead" ESPN story is the Chargers presenting their "last" and "final" offer to LDT....This can't be news.....I object
• Jon Lester inks a $30 million extension....he deserves every penny...he was the ace of that staff last year and has been fantastic....

To the college hardwood....

• You already know I'm leading with UNC/Duke....The Heels swept the series this year despite the best efforts of Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler....and now have a virtual hammer-lock a number 1 seed barring some embarrassing loss in the ACC tourney this week....
• Speaking of conference tourney week....there's pretty much nothing better (other than opening weekend of the NCAA's of course) than live Big East basketball from the Garden starting at like Noon Wednesday.....brilliant!
• Speaking of great basketball....the West Coast Conference, the group of teams that I often shamelessly plug in this space, will play it's Finals tonight....but that's not what this bullet is....Gonzaga has made 12....yes, 12! straight conference finals appearances....that's an absolutely unbelievable number....let it sink in
• Northwestern's tourney chances took a significant blow....and I, for one, felt for Michael Wilbon....laughter

To the Association....

• Really Boston? We're suiting up Steph and Big Baby as starters? Yikes, it must've gotten bad up there....
• 35 points and 10 dimes for the still underrated (somehow) Devin Harris in New Jersey's home win....
• Maybe the most under-the-radar steal of this season in free agency? Nenad Krstic to the Team that Shall Not Be Named....Sam Presti fleeced the world on that one.....He's playing fantastic ball lately and he's still only 25...
• 2 of the top 15 point guards ever...Steve Nash and Jason Kidd....both are famously mediocre defenders....but now that they are up in years....Please do me a favor and just gander at their opposing PG's numbers every time they play them....and yes, I know Tony parker is good....but he carves Steve Nash like a rotisserie chicken every time they play....to the tune of 30 and 9 last night
• Somebody get Chris Bosh some help......

What to watch for!

• WCC Title Game 9:00 ESPN...Gonzaga vs. St. Mary's for the crown....Patrick Mills is healthy...and this is their dream matchup....I'm excited lol....like genuinely....and it's from Vegas and they have a 3-man announcing team involving Steve Lavin and Stephen Bardo? Do me a favor and tune in
• Hornets @ Hawks 7:00 FSN....The Chris Paul road show rides in....I actually like the Hawks in the matchup....but Mike Bibby guarding Chris Paul makes me throw up in my mouth a little...I can't lie to you on this....

Enjoy

TO to Buffalo, #1 Goes Down....

Even on an amazingly loaded basketball saturday....the lead is....

• TO on his way to Upstate New York....1 year, 6.5 million....ALL guaranteed....This seems like a coup for Owens and Drew Rosenhaus b/c it's guaranteed money and that's more than I thought he'd get....On one hand I think the smaller market may help him just play football....and on the other, it may make him go at Trent Edwards and company even harder....I don't see this ending well, but the honeymoon period gives them a suddenly competent skill-position lineup of Edwards/Lynch/TO/Lee Evans....I like that

To the college hardwood....

• Pitt knocks off #1 UConn at home....well it seems like Pitt is a very bad matchup for UConn but underneath the surface, Pitt has just played out of their minds in both matchups....thanks to Sam Young's 31 points, Pitt looks like it has a strong-hold on a #1 seed barring a Big East tourney implosion....
• Missouri has to be the best example of a good home team/worst road team combination in the land....they got blitzed by Texas A&M on the road after taking it to Oklahoma at home....
• Speaking of the Sooners....Blake Griffin is back to form with 33 and 14 in a Bedlam rivalry W....
• Marquette can't buy a win without Dominic James....they go down in OT thanks mostly to Johnny Flynn's 24 points in the Cuse's road win....
• The previous lock for "Best team in the dreadful SEC" LSU gets run out of the gym @ Auburn today....and there really isn't a single threat in that entire conference for even a semi-deep tourney run outside of them....so SEC fans better hope they get it together
• Washington wins the Pac 10 regular season....for the first time in 50+ years....amazing story of a bunch of guys who have been their forever finally coming into their own (Quincy Pondexter and Justin Dentmon mostly) with an infusion of freshman talent (Isiah Thomas)....I'm rooting for them
• Xavier with a classic let-down after clinching the A-10....The usual suspects are the "Non-major" threats again this year....Gonzaga, Xavier, Butler, and St. Mary's are the 4 you've heard about....but watch for Utah State, BYU, and Siena.....don't forget I told you...
• And a personal-interest story for me....Michigan wins @ Minnesota! It's looking to be a promising bubble situation...I couldn't be happier lol

To the NBA....

• The Hawks live and breathe again.....a huge, gigantic, massive, over-riding (enough adjectives?) home win over Detroit tonight....and Josh Smith re-emerges with 19 and 12....and 43 minutes....what changed? your guess is as good as Mike Woodson's....
• I had a proud moment....as one of my basketball man-crushes...Mr. Mike Conley had his career night....31 points...9 dimes....loved it
• Cleveland beats Miami with ease....but Lebron has only 15 points? seems impossible....until you factor his 12 dimes and 10 boards....Win at all costs seems like the montra to me....

What to watch for...

• Duke @ UNC 4:00 CBS....Speaks for itself....For the ACC crown adds even more...
• Missouri Valley Title Game: Illinois State vs. Northern Iowa CBS 2:00....Always an underrated league
• Clemson @ Wake Forest 6:00 FSN
• Phoenix Suns @ SA Spurs 3:30 ABC....gotta have the Sunday pm NBA game....but I'd choose Duke/UNC here

Boy that ran long....

Celtics over Cavs, and more NBA

It's an NBA kind of night....

• Boston takes care of Cleveland.... This was closer than it seemed until Boston blew it open at about the 6 minute mark of the 4th....Paul Pierce was outstanding (yet again in a big game) but the real key was Leon Powe....yes, that Leon Powe....He of 20 points and 11 boards last night...Lebron was a bit off shooting 5-15 and he can't afford to do that in a game IN Boston....
• Hawks goes down....Anytime you let a team shoot 81% (81!!!!) in the first quarter and you're suddenly down 18 on the road.....you aren't winning....but the real story is Josh Smith being unceremoniously benched for the entire 2nd half after a reported "argument" with Mike Woodson at halftime....The saga continues....
• Dwyane Wade leads Miami over Toronto.....42, 6 and 8 for Flash....and he's averaging a ridiculous 38 a game in the last 7.....when does the MVP buzz begin? If he gets that team homecourt in the 1st round, he should win it hands down
• Utah somehow came back from 17 down in the 1st half to beat Denver....but my favorite storyline? JR Smith putting up 27 points because he is....now....starting! Hurray George!

What to watch for on this Saturday....(and it's alot)

• UConn @ Pitt CBS 12:00....This speaks for itself....2 top-5 teams on national TV is a must-watch....unless....
• Michigan @ Minnesota Noon ESPN.....Okay, the other game is the must-watch unless you are Me.....Go Blue...win and you're in!
• Texas @ Kansas 4:00 CBS
• Wazzou @ Washington 5:30 FSN....Big-time Pac 10 game that you should be aware of
• USA vs. Canada in Toronto in the WBC....2:00 ESPN...I won't watch this...but it gives you a baseball option

Get it...

Even More A-Rod....Marshawn Lynch, etc.

A little slower than the day before (mercifully)....

• A-Rod diagnosed with Torn Labrum....this was thought to be just based on a cyst on his hip....but now the Labrum thing....reportedly, he'll try and avoid surgery and be back by opening day, but if he doesn't avoid surgery, he's looking at 3-4 months and the Yankees take a massive hit.....Let's see how his pain tolerance shapes up....
• Manny is always good for a hilarious press conference....
• NBA Roundup: Carmelo leads the Nuggets.... Fresh off his 1 game suspension for refusing to come out of a game (you can't make this stuff up), he responds with 38 and a convincing W over the Blazers....motivation!......CP3 is the best in the Business.....Chris Paul aka ya boy....27 and 15 last night and a 2nd half blowout of Dallas....it's like Jason Kidd wasn't even there...I don't love the +/- stat....but the highest and lowest by anyone in that game are....ready? Chris Paul at +22 and Jason Kidd at -22....not a coincidence
• NFL News: Roy Williams cut.... no, not the receiver....just the former Pro Bowl Safety that can't cover a stationary chair....I'd sign him as a linebacker if he gained 15-20 pounds though, b/c he can tackle.....Marshawn Lynch gets probation.... How many times can he do crazy stuff and avoid the wrath of Goodell? We'll see on this one....
• Earlier in the year....James Harden and Arizona State went on the road to Stanford and beat them by 30 points....last night? They took it on the chin AT HOME by 10....good luck explaining that one...

What to watch for....

• Cleveland @ Boston 8:00 ESPN....The game of the night (obviously) pits the top 2 teams in the East....I wish they were at full strength, but this will do
• Denver @ Utah 10:30 ESPN.....an underrated West matchup....this could be the #3 and #4 seeds eventually....and Utah has been hot
• Hawks @ Charlotte 7:00 SportSouth....Not the most glamorous matchup but hey, I'll be tuned in.... lol

Happy viewing...

A Busy, Busy Night in Sports....

Wow...a ton to get to....I'll break it up by subject....and b/c the NFL gives us the "lead" story...we'll go there first

• And that lead is....TO released by the Cowboys.....well, I'm not overly shocked but there's nothing I can really say about it....hasn't been worth the trouble in Dallas b/c he hasn't produced wins and he's getting up in age and down in production.....I don't necessarily support the move....they better get something out of Roy Williams this year or they suddenly have no receivers and with the way they timed this (TJ Housh off the board already and no real top flight FA WRs)....and if you haven't noticed, Jerry Jones is a terrible GM (he shouldn't be the GM anyway) and if he thinks getting rid of TO is the answer....good luck to him
• Kurt Warner agrees to stay in Arizona for 2 years, $23 million... a bit of a discount from what he asked for....but I can't see any reason he'd wanna leave there for San Fran other than pure $ b/c Arizona is still the better spot as long as he gets to throw to Fitzgerald....
• Other FA News....Ray Lewis stays in Baltimore (where he rightfully should be, lol) and Laveranues Coles signs with Cincinnati to replace TJ.....Sort of a "meh" move there
• Torry Holt asks for his release from the Rams....this is flying wayyyyy under the radar but the guy is a borderline hall of famer right now....yes, I said that....and still has some gas left....teams would be insane not to go after him if the Rams grant him this.....go get him Dallas...

To the NBA....

• The Hawks go down in New York....Al Horford gave what he had (20 and 13) but Josh Smith provided a fantastically terrible 2 rebounds on the night....I can't deal with him sometimes....
• Miami 135, Phoenix 129.....Gotta love Phoenix Boxscores...my favorite part of this one? Dwyane Wade...how does 35 points, 16 dimes and 6 boards sound? My goodness....anytime you can overshadow a 29 and 10 dime game from Steve Nash AND a combined 57 points from Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley off the heat bench? Awesome....
• Big win for the Mavs at home.....Tony Parker had a big-time 37 point game....but Dallas held on at home...at least JJ Barea is getting buried again (right Ryan? lol)
• Cleveland clinched a playoff spot tonight....MAN, that sounds early to me.....shows how bad the bottom of the East is too lol

To the unpaid athletes (we think).....

• Pitt over Marquette....well, Marquette has failed both tests since losing Dominic James...and have done so badly....Looking ugly for them going forward compared to what they thought they had
• Missouri over Oklahoma....Missouri goes a ridiculous 18-0 and undefeated at home for the year....and despite Blake Griffin's 21 boards, this is a big time game for the Tigers
• 2 pretty significant upsets.....#9 Kansas gets absolutely blasted in Lubbock by previously hapless Texas Tech....that one is shocking b/c of how bad Tech is but it looks like Kansas just let up after clinching the Big 12.....and Vandy takes down #12 LSU in Baton Rouge....not as shocking, but at the same time, this was a home loss....

Well there you have it

MLB Preview: AL Central

First of all....My God the AL Central is baffling....Let's get it

1. Cleveland Indians-Well if there is one thing I know....the best lineup top-to-bottom in this division belongs to the Indians....they are young, yes.....but guys like Shin-Soo Choo, Ryan Garko, and Ben Francisco (aka maybe guys you don't know) are very productive, young guys....add them in with Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez (healthy now), and do-everything contributor Mark DeRosa....I'm in....The rotation is contingent on 2 things....The follow-up of Cliff Lee and the re-emergence of Fausto Carmona.....I think they hit one of those 2 things...if they hit both? It could be momentous....Lee will come down a little, but will still be productive, and I'm very high on Carmona....Add in Aaron Laffey, Anthony Reyes, and about 6 other guys vying for that 5th spot....I'm a bit wary of the bullpen because of Kerry Wood and inevitable Groin Pull or Elbow Sprain....but the setup crop is deep and effective....The LEAST holes in this division resides here... X-Factors: Victor Martinez's rebound, Cliff Lee's rebound, Fausto's health
2. Detroit Tigers- This lineup is definitely better on paper than it is in real life....Miguel Cabrera is a legit top-10 player in the league...Curtis Granderson and Magglio should be there....but Carlos Guillen? Placido Polanco? What do you get out of Gary Sheffield? I like the makeup...but there are questions....The rotation can't possibly be worse than it was last year...I think Justin Verlander rebounds...I'm a BIG fan of Armando Galarraga and Jeremy Bonderman is semi-solid....but Dontrelle Willis is a wreck....yikes...I'm scared to death....The setup guys are back in Zumaya and Rodney, but will they be healthy? X-Factors: Bullpen, Bullpen, Bullpen....Anything out D-Train Willis....


3. Kansas City Royals- Okay...quit laughing and hear me out....I love....not like, love....some parts of this roster....The lineup is very good (although young) with guys like Alex Gordon, the underrated Mike Jacobs, rising star Mike Aviles, and smasher Billy Butler at DH....factor in guys who needed scene changes like CoCo Crisp (who will steal 70-ish bases on this team) and Jose Guillen (who mashes when he's healthy) and I'm sold...Zach Greinke as your ace? I'm cool with that....Gil Meche? He was a top 10 pitcher in the AL after the break last year....The rotation isn't the deepest in the world....but Joakim Soria slams the door every night and the bullpen is better than advertised.....They'll be near .500....X-Factors: Backend of the rotation, young guys progressing (Namely Gordon, Aviles)


4. Minnesota Twins- You know the story....Smoke and mirrors....Mauer and Morneau are there...but I simply can't wrap my around the rest of that lineup competing for a division title....and with Mauer you don't even get the power....I just can't do it... I'm a big Denard Span fan though.....The rotation is actually nice....I think Liriano comes back strong and is an all-star caliber guy this year, and along with Scott Baker they form a very strong 1-2...The setup situation has taken a hit....but if they can consistently get the ball to Joe Nathan with a lead, they'll win enough where they won't be out of it until August..... X-factors: Liriano's elbow, Where does the power come from?


5. Chicago White Sox- When researching for this....I had the White Sox higher until I actually saw what they were working with.... Alexei Ramirez? Check...I love him...huge upside at SS...You know you're getting 30 bombs from Jermaine Dye and near that money from Paul Konerko and Jim Thome (despite their low averages)....but that's it on the sure things...Carlos Quentin is a one-year wonder who subsequently got hurt and looms as a question mark....Josh Fields is a malcontent....The once frighteningly deep rotation now has 3 starters in Buehrle (aging), Danks (solid), and Gavin Floyd....Bartolo Colon? Former Michigan Wolverine QB Clayton Richard? Yikes....The bullpen is a plus on paper until you realize that every single setup guy that you know the name of has aged significantly since they were good....Look for the implosion and possibly the removal of Ozzie before season's end....

Manny almost done?, Coast Guard Search Ends, etc....

Straight in....

• First of all....I wanna express that thoughts and prayers are with the families of the 3 current and former football players who have been lost at sea with the Coast Guard suspending its full search efforts....The story will fade away from the national consciousness, but not from their families hearts...

To sports...

• Manny set to sign a 2 year, 45 million dollar deal....at least we think he is....We've been here before but it's being reported as "agreed to terms" so that's what I'll go on.....Huge for LA....they have to have him in camp
• 2 NBA Signings....Joe Smith to Cleveland and Drew Gooden to San Antonio....Gooden is the better player at this stage, but has a health issue that he's been battling.....Smith has been to the buyout table before, and should contribute right away (especially since he's already been in Cleveland), but Gooden is a bigger flier that could pay huge for SA
• On the same night....ranked teams Washington and Gonzaga played Seattle and USC-Upstate respectively....in the middle/end of their conference slate....how does that even happen?
• Duke takes care of Florida State at home to set up the all-encompassing regular season ending tilt with UNC for the regular season crown....as it should be....
• Nothing too absurd in the NBA last night....so that gives me an opportunity to shamelessly plug 2 of my favorite young players in Kevin Love (18 and 14) and Brook Lopez (24 and 12)...but while we're here in the Association...
• What has gotten into Detroit? I know the Iverson injury has sort of forced Michael Curry's hand on the rotation....but they're beating good teams suddenly....I'm not gonna blame AI because there are other issues in Detroit (Sheed's decline, Stuckey's over-ratedness, lack of offensive identity, etc.), but they are playing infinitely better when the rotation forces itself
• I could watch Kevin Martin shoot free throws all day and night....

What to watch for this evening:

• UNC @ Va Tech ESPN 7:00.....Way bigger for VT than it is for UNC at this point
• Marquette @ Pitt ESPN2 7:30....I have NO idea why this is the ESPN2 game and not the ESPN game....
• San Antonio @ Dallas ESPN 9:00
• Hawks @ Knicks SportSouth 7:30....This is the type of road game the Hawks shouldn't lose but they often do...