Observations on The Game

Well, I've been busy. I had plans to write, but spring break and a deep NCAA Tournament run by my favorite team got in the way.  So after the Final Four (and a week of depression) I decided I better write again.  Well it turns out I find watching 10 hours of Masters coverage every day more entertaining than, well, anything.  Then it was back to school, and two weeks later, I still hadn't written anything.  So after several hours of procrastination, here I sit, finally writing that ever elusive blog post.  It's great to be back.

You may be thinking "Ugh, he's going to skip over all of that great stuff that happened", and to that, as Lee Corso would say, I give a "Not so fast my friend" in your general direction.  Because even though I might have been gone, I might have been down, but I was not out.  No, not even close.  You see, I have been observing.  Very closely in fact.  These are my observations.  Fittingly, they will be called "Observations on The Game".  I feel like David Hartley right now, writing a philosophical narrative about one man's cunning observations.  Except these aren't exactly cunning, nor are they going to change philosophy forever. This is a  stream of consciousness. About a game.  And it just might be one of the best we will ever see.

Observations on The Game:  
     I sat in my seat and prepared myself for the game of a lifetime.

     Michigan vs Louisville for the national championship.  It did not get any better than this.  I expected great things, but little did I know that the spectacle that was about to appear in front of me would be one of the greatest games in the modern era of basketball.  The fans were great.  The atmosphere was electric.

     The game started, and it was an epic, back and forth affair.  Then a small kid that can shoot the lights out decided to get hot.  Michigan's back up point guard Spike Albrecht made 4/4 threes in the first half, finishing with 17 points at the break in relief of star point guard Trey Burke, who had to sit with 2 fouls.  Spike's performance was inspiring, and raised a chorus of "Who the heck is this kid?" from the Louisville fans in my section.

      Louisville tried everything they could to stop Spike.  But he's an Indiana kid.  "Hoosiers" is probably his favorite movie.  He was unheralded  He was unappreciated   He was just a freshman.  But on the big stage in the big dance everyone is equal.  And Spike proved he belonged there.

      Louisville was out of sorts.  They were getting beaten in every way possible.  Their coach Rick Pitino called a timeout with about 3:40 left in the half.  Whatever he said in that huddle must have worked. Because  Louisville's Luke Hancock looked at what Spike just did, and said to himself "I can do that".  He did just that, and with Louisville down 12, with 3:00 to go in the first half made a three.

     And then on the next possession, made another.  And on the next trip down made another.

      Michigan called a timeout, came out of it, and missed a shot.  Louisville took it down, gave it to Hancock, who just wildly heaved it up from about 28 feet out.  It was an off balance, one footed, going away from his dominant side, shoulder heave.  From where I stood, I had a perfect line on this shot.  My mouth slowly fell open in awe as the ball arched on a perfect trajectory towards the hoop, going through with a perfect swoosh.  That's a 12 point lead eliminated by one player in four possessions in less than 2 minutes on 4 shots. Utter. Pandemonium.

      Michigan managed to take a one point halftime lead.  It didn't feel like a lead thought.  The look on the faces of Michigan fans were that of fans whose team was down 20.  But it felt like that.  Everyone in that building knew that there was a storm coming in the second half.  But there was an air of anticipation   Because that was the greatest first half of basketball I had ever seen, and I couldn't even begin to fathom what the second half had in store.
      This epic back and forth battle between these two heavyweights continued into the second half.  This was Ali vs Foreman. This was The Rumble in Downtown Atlanta. These teams were trading blows, and it was only a matter of time before one of them would become the knockout punch. Michigan took an early lead, and then Louisville, and then Michigan, and then Louisville again.  This was the type of game you never wanted to end.  Just two teams of athletes at their physical and mental best giving everything they had and then some at the pursuit of a National Championship.  That's what it was, and everyone in that building that night knew it.

       This was the most beautiful thing until just over 5 minutes left in the second half. Michigan had just cut Louisville's lead down to three, and there was a buzz in the building.  Was the momentum going to switch back Michigan's way? Could Michigan, the youngest team in the tournament, pull this win off? All they needed was a spark.  Both teams had some momentum when Spike Albrecht missed a layup and Louisville forward Chase Behanan grabbed the rebound. He looked and found Louisville guard Peyton Siva streaking alone in the open court.  The pass was perfect and Siva started to glide in for a layup.  Michigan guard Trey Burke was the only one in the vicinity, he slowed a bit to time his leap.

      With 5 minutes to go in a national title game, you don't concede uncontested layups. Burke and Siva both leaped at the same time, Burke on the inside, closest to the basket.  This all seemed to happen in slow motion to me.  Burke extended his left hand as far as he could, grabbed the ball, and pressed it against the glass.  What. A. Play!

      Almost the moment he did this, a short, shrill noise erupted from near the sideline.

      The whistle of a referee.  At the same time, a Michigan player grabbed the rebound, and looked to start a fast break going in the other direction, because according to him, and most of the stadium, this was the spark that Michigan needed.  This game was theirs for the taking.  Except for that whistle.



     Trey Burke had just made the best play of his incredible career.  And this is what it looked like in the play by play:

5:09	Foul on Trey Burke

5: 09 Foul on Trey Burke. Foul on Trey Burke. Foul.
      Trey Burke couldn't believe it.  His reaction is exactly that of someone that knows he has been robbed of possibly the most athletic and greatest play of his career.

     I knew it. The Michigan bench knew it.  Their coach John Beilein knew it.  The crowd knew it, and immediately erupted into boos.
      Peyton Siva silenced those boos with two free throws, pushing the Louisville lead to 5, a lead that they would not relinquish.  Another Luke Hancock three made it a 10 point game, but like they did all year, and all tournament long, Michigan fought back, pulling it to 4 points with 1:20 remaining.  But they were unable to get that clutch bucket to turn it into a real nail-biter, and a key turnover sealed the deal for Louisville, who after some free throws won 82-76.

     Walking off the court while confetti that could have been for you rains down and another team celebrates a victory has to be one of the worst feelings in the world.

     The way the teams celebrated were total opposites, as one would expect.  For Michigan, it was a solemn handshake between coach John Beilein and freshman forward Mitch McGary.

     For the players it was a simple hug.  No words are needed.

     For Louisville, it was a time for celebration, for rejoicing, for joy.  It was time to cut down the nets.  The hoop was lowered so that Kevin Ware, a sophomore guard who broke his leg in Louisville's Elite Eight game could cut down the final strand. 

 
     They truly won that game for Kevin Ware. They stood for endless pictures, posing with various signs, and of course, the National Championship Trophy.

     When Louisville coach Rick Pitino finally made his way off the court to go celebrate with his players and conduct all of the necessary interviews, he flashed one last sign of victory to the remaining crowd.  He formed his hand into a "L" and held it there for a minute before finally succumbing to a wash of security, fans, and reporters who were all pushing him towards the exit.

     This was truly a game for the ages.

     Something about this game's finish was melancholy for me when it ended.  As I sat there, surrounded by some fans who had tears of joy in their eyes, others had tears of sadness.  In front of me, as confetti streamed down from the rafters, I came to a stark realization.  This is the only time I would ever see something like this ever again.  If this epic of a game had happened in the NBA, both teams would simply resign everyone to a contract, and there was a good chance that this same matchup would happen again next year.  But this is college basketball. This will never happen again.  I'd seen Trey Burke's last game in college. I am very confident that he will have a long and extremely successful NBA career, but there was something magical about that night.  This is what makes college basketball so painful, but so beautiful.  The rosters are always changing, the game is always evolving.  This is what makes it great, but for once, I wish I could have a time machine, so I could go back and see them play this game again.  Not because I didn't like the result the first time, but because it was such an incredible battle between two teams who left everything they had on the court.  That was a game that even Hollywood couldn't have scripted.  But we must move on from the past.  Michigan is losing 7 players from that roster, Louisville only 1 (they have a TON of juniors).  But for about 3 hours in downtown Atlanta, time seemed to stand still.  There was nothing going on in the world except a duel to the death between two opponents on a basketball court.  It was beautiful.  It was a work of art.

March Madness - Hot or Cold

As March plods on, so do I.  Here is a list of hot and cold teams that could potentially bust your brackets.  The hot teams are mostly just teams that have either won their conference tournament or are playing very well.  Note that these are not upset picks (I will have a sleeper picks segment coming soon).   The cold teams are teams that have limped to the finish or struggled down the stretch.  It's always good to pick a team that has been hot down the stretch- remember Connecticut in 2011? They won their last 5 games of the regular season, then the Big East tournament.  They of course went on to win the national championship.  Remember Missouri last year? They didn't play well in the Big 12 tournament and lost in the first round to Norfolk State even though they were a 2 seed.  How hot/cold a team is going into the tournament not only gives a glimpse into how they are playing, but how they might be looking at the games from a confidence aspect.  Is it a "Let's go out and win the whole thing" type mentality, or a "Let's not lose" mentality.  While I can't give you a glimpse into the psyche of the teams, I can tell you who is playing their best (or worst) basketball at the moment.  Here is my 2013 March Madness "Hot or Cold" post. (All times Eastern)

HOT: (4) Saint Louis - There might not be a team playing better basketball at the moment than the Saint Louis University Bilikins. They are 27-6 on the season with a 13-3 conference record out of the Atlantic 10. They won both the regular season crown and the A-10 conference tournament.  On January 19th they lost to lowly Rhode Island.  It seemed like Saint Louis was destined for mediocrity, and they would once again be on the bubble.  But since that day they have won an incredible 16 out of their last 17 games, including 4 wins over ranked teams, including 3 wins over Butler, and 2 against VCU.  Their only loss in that stretch was in overtime on the road against Xavier.  Saint Louis has a great group of seniors and can shoot the three very well.  They have a dynamic backcourt, and if history is any indicator, it helps to have one of those if you are going to make a deep tournament run. They take on 13 seeded New Mexico State on Thursday, March 21 at 2:10 pm. 

COLD: (4) Michigan - Another 4 seed, but Michigan is in a completely different situation than Saint Louis. After starting the season 16-0, and at one point boasting a 20-1 record, Michigan has fallen from grace over the last few weeks.  The various bracket projections had them as a 1 seed all year until they fell all the way down to a 4.  How did this happen? They only managed 5 wins in their last 12 games.  A 5-7 record down the stretch is nothing to write home about.  Some of these losses are justified (Indiana twice, a half court buzzer beater against Wisconsin), but it's how the Wolverines are losing that bothers me.  They blew 8+ point leads against Wisconsin twice, Indiana, and against Penn State, one of the Nittany Lions' two Big Ten victories.  Michigan's overall body of work is still very impressive, but they are not playing they best ball, and rely too heavily on All-American point guard Trey Burke.  He's good, but he can't do everything.  Michigan will take on a tough 13 seeded South Dakota State team led by star guard Nate Wolters Thursday, March 21 at 7:15 pm.  The good news for Michigan: they are playing close to home in Detroit; just a 55 minute drive from the Michigan campus.

HOT: (1) Louisville - Yeah, I know you would imagine that the number one overall seed would be playing pretty well.  Honestly, "pretty well" is a total understatement.  Louisville is playing OUT OF THEIR MINDS right now.  10 straight wins in the tough Big East, and they have won 13 of their last 14, on their way to a 29-5 record.  The only loss was a 5 overtime contest at Notre Dame.  I'm pretty sure we can excuse that as a good loss.  Louisville has beaten 5 ranked teams during that stretch, including Syracuse both on the road and on a neutral court.  They don't have an obvious weak spot in their lineup, and even if they did, their amazing guard play would make up for it.  This is a team that went to the Final Four last year, and returned many players from that team.  They have experience playing good teams in tough environments.  They probably wont get either in their first game: they are playing the winner of a First Four play in game (more information on that HERE), and they are playing very close to home in Lexington, Kentucky.  Louisville will play either North Carolina A&T or Liberty on Thursday, March 21 at 6:50 pm.  If/When they win, they will play the winner of Colorado State and Missouri.  

COLD: (11) Minnesota - Once upon a time the Golden Gophers were 15-1, ranked #8 in the land, and playing incredible basketball. And then the flood gates broke open and they finished the season on a 5-11 run to end up with a 20-12 record.  That's not very good, regardless of what conference you are in.  Luckily, they had enough quality wins that they could still make the tournament as an 11 seed.  Amazingly, they still have 5 wins against ranked teams, but during that 5-11 cold spell they lost to the likes of Purdue, Nebraska, Iowa and Northwestern. None of those teams made the big dance.  I'd say that's a little more than a cold spell: that's an ice age! But the NCAA Tournament is redemption time, and Minnesota will get that chance against 6 seeded UCLA on Friday, March 22 at 9:57 pm. 

HOT: (8) North Carolina - Sometimes you can determine the "hotness" of a team based on the numbers.  Sometimes you have to use the good ol' fashioned eye test.  UNC (24-10) meets that test.  They struggled with team chemistry for most of the season, but really got it together late and have been really clicking on offense.  They have ability to go out any day and outscore any team that they play against.  They are 8-2 in their last 10 games, and even though they lost to Miami (FL) in the ACC championship game, they are still a very dangerous team.  They will play 9 seeded Villanova on Friday, March 22 at 7:20 pm.  If they win, they will (most likely) have a huge showdown with 1 seeded Kansas.

LUKEWARM: (4) Syracuse - If Syracuse aggravates me, I can't even imagine how their fan base feels, or even their coach.  On one hand, they beat 2 ranked teams and make it to the Big East tournament championship game.  On the other hand, they are 4-5 over their last 9 games.  On one hand, every loss was to a ranked team.  On the other hand, several of them were at home, and several others by double digits. So, I'm just going to categorize Syracuse as "lukewarm" because that's exactly what they are.  They have splotchy big man play, and their guards have a horrible tendency to get themselves into foul trouble. The Orange (26-9) will take on the 13 seeded Montana Grizzlies on Thursday, March 21 at 9:57 pm.

HOT: (2) Ohio State - The Buckeyes (26-7) are on fire right now.  They are on a 8 game winning streak that includes wins against 4 ranked teams, including at Indiana.  They just won the Big Ten tournament over Wisconsin, and they made it look easy.  They have great weapons, but the key right now is Aaron Craft.  He is a prototypical passing point guard.  He racks up the assists and steals first, and looks to score second.  This was no the case over the last few games, as Craft has somehow flicked a switch, and is averaging 13 points over his last 5 games.  Craft, along with Deshaun Thomas, will be the keys for Ohio State to make a deep run this year. Ohio State takes on 15 seed Iona on Friday, March 22 at 7:15 pm.

UNBELIEVABLY SCALDING FIERY HOT: (6) Memphis - If you haven't already figured it out, Memphis is playing some very good basketball right now.  They are on a 24-1 streak.  That's incredible. They are 30-4 overall, and currently on a 6 game winning streak after losing to Xavier in late February. They had a perfect 16-0 record in Conference USA, and won the conference tournament with an overtime thriller against Southern Mississippi.  Memphis is extremely athletic, and is poised perfectly to make a good run.  They will take on an 11 seed that will be determined in the First Four, in a game between Saint Mary's and Middle Tennessee State (Preview of that game HERE).  That game will be played on Thursday, March 21 at 2:45 pm.  

So there you have it. The hot and cold (and Syracuse) teams in the tournament.  I hope that this helps you so you can fill out a great bracket and beat your coworkers, or friends, and you HAVE to beat your boss. There will be a sleeper picks post coming out tomorrow, along with continued March Madness coverage every step of the way.  Happy bracket fillings. 'Til next time.

First Four Preview

Oh how I have waited for this day! May the glorious thing we call "March Madness" commence.  This post will be my first of many involving the NCAA Tournament as I cover the action every step of the way.  The best thing about college basketball is that every college basketball team has a mathematical shot at being the National Champion.  That number has now been reduced to 68 teams.  The field traditionally used to be a 64 team field, but the NCAA has decided they want to make even more money, so two years ago they expanded the field to 68 and started what they call the "First Four", which is simply 4 play-in games that take place in Dayton a couple of days before the actual tournament starts.  This will be the third year that the First Four has taken place.

Surprisingly, teams have had success out of the First Four.  Virginia Commonwealth made it all the way to the Final Four in 2011 even though they had to play an extra game in the First Four.  The NCAA Selection Committee (The people that decide who is in and who is out) has been very lenient towards teams from smaller conferences over the last few years when deciding which teams will be the last ones in. The trend held strong this year, as none of the teams selected for the First Four are from a major conference.  Here is my preview of the First Four games of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. (All times Eastern)

(16) North Carolina A&T vs (16) Liberty - Tuesday March 19, 6:40 pm
The First Four has two games that take place between 16 seeds, and two games with teams that are seeded somewhere between 11-14.  Unfortunately for the 16 seeds, these games are preparing them for the slaughterhouse: the winner will go on to face a 1 seed.  In the long history of the NCAA Tournament a 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed.  In the case of these teams, they will go on to face the number 1 overall seed, Louisville. Both of these teams had to win their conference tournament to receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina A&T was a relatively darkhorse team out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).  The MEAC had been dominated all season by Norfolk State and North Carolina Central, but both of those teams lost in the early rounds of the conference tournament   North Carolina A&T defeated Morgan State by 3 to secure this spot.  They finished 19-16 on the season with a 8-8 conference record.
The Liberty Flames have to be one of the best stories of March Madness.  They started out their year by losing the first 8 games they played.  Add in a poor conference season, and they were 12-20 heading into their conference tournament.  But they got hot at the right time, rattled off 5 straight wins, and beat heavy favorite Charleston Southern in the Big South conference championship game to clinch a berth in the tournament.  They have a 15-20 record, and went 6-10 in conference.
Straight Up Pick: North Carolina A&T

(16) LIU Brooklyn vs (16) James Madison - Wednesday March 20, 6:40 pm
The other 16 seed matchup features LIU Brooklyn and James Madison.  The winner of this game will go on to face the 1 seeded Indiana Hoosiers. LIU Brooklyn has one of the best point guards in the country, Jason Brickman.  Brickman is averaging an incredible 8.5 assists per game.  He has led the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds to a 20-13 record, and a victory in the Northeast Conference tournament to secure their NCAA Tournament bid.
The Blackbirds will face the James Madison Dukes from the Colonial Athletic Conference.  James Madison won their conference tournament over favorite Northeastern by 13 points.  They have a 20-14 record on the season.
Straight Up Pick: LIU Brooklyn

(11) Saint Mary's vs (11) Middle Tennessee State - Tuesday March 19, 9:10 pm
The first at-large matchup of the tournament features two 11 seeds that many thought would not even make the tournament.  The winner of this game will move on to face 6 seeded Memphis.  The Saint Mary's Gaels have a 27-6 record on the season, and are led by one of the most dynamic players in the country, point guard Matthew Dellavedova.  They played in the West Coast Conference where they had a 14-2 record, with their only two conference losses coming to Gonzaga, who is a 1 seed in the tournament.
Saint Mary's dynamic back court will have a tough task ahead of them, as they take on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. MTSU has a 28-5 record, and went 19-1 in the Sun Belt conference.  They were favored to win their conference tournament and get an auto-bid, but lost in the second round to Florida International.  These two teams have not played the toughest schedules in the nation, and it will be very interesting to see how they are perform, each team coming off of a loss in their most recent game.
Straight Up Pick: Saint Mary's

(13) La Salle vs (13) Boise State - Wednesday March 20, 9:10 pm
The final First Four matchup features two of the best bubble teams in the nation.  The winner of this game will move on to face a tough 4 seed, Kansas State. La Salle had a great year in one of the tougher mid-major conferences, the Atlantic 10.  They ended up with a 21-9 record, but lost their last 2 games of the season.  They do hold quality wins over Butler and VCU this year however.
La Salle will face one of the hottest teams in the NCAA Tournament, the Boise State Broncos.  Boise State, out of the Mountain West Conference (the best non-major conference in the nation), finished with a 21-10 record, including winning 5 of their last 7 games.  Regardless of who wins this game, they are poised for a deep tournament run.
Straight Up Pick: Boise State

This was the First Four preview, and was also the first piece of A LOT of great March Madness content that is still to come.  Look for more previews, sleeper picks, and a hot/cold chart that will help you pick your brackets.  I love March, and I hope you do too.  'Til next time.

Blind Resumes

It's almost time for the NCAA Tournament! Which means the joy of filling out a bracket, bragging about your picks, and then watching way too much the right amount of basketball as you cheer on your teams.  But to pick a bracket, the NCAA selection committee must choose who is in and who is out.  It is our job as fans to speculate and predict who will be in the field, and who will be left out.  The teams that are on the edge of being barely in or barely out of the tournament are considered to be "on the bubble".  When fans look at these bubble teams to try and determine who should be in or not, they are often extremely biased towards large or traditional schools.  Over the last few seasons the NCAA has shown a bit of reverse bias by picking teams like VCU, Alabama-Birmingham, and Iona over what some people considered to be far superior teams.  I have decided to take all of the bias out of the equation, and introduce to you the blind resume.  I have taken 18 teams that the experts have right on the bubble.  Probably about 6 or 7 of these 18 teams will end up making the tournament, and these are the teams that the selection committee will be deciding over.  The point of a blind resume is that it is purely unbiased.  I have made tables that have three teams and their criteria listed.  The goal of this game is for you to look over the three resumes and then determine who you feel like most deserves a berth in the tournament.  After you are done picking out a team, click on the link below that table.  It will open a window that will show you the three teams that were in the table. You might be very surprised at some of the teams that you pick! (all stats and information as of 3/8/13) (for a brief recap of what RPI and BPI are,  I have them described in a previous post HERE)

Blind Resume Table #1:

Criteria	Team A	Team B	Team C
Overall Record	20-10	20-10	20-9
Conference Record	9-8	11-6	8-7
RPI	94	54	43
BPI	65	46	47
Strength of Schedule	133	82	79
Non-Conference SOS	286	74	218
Home	15-4	15-2	13-1
Away	4-5	4-7	5-8
Neutral	1-1	1-1	2-0
Record vs. RPI Top 25	2-1	0-3	2-5
Record vs. RPI Top 50	4-4	1-4	3-6
Record vs. RPI Top 100	6-8	6-9	7-7
Last 10 games	4-6	6-4	6-4
Good Wins	Colorado, UCLA,  California, @ Colorado	Missouri, @ Ole Miss	@ Creighton, UNLV, Colorado State
Bad Losses	Depaul, @ Utah	@ Georgia	@ Utah, @ Nevada

Click HERE to find out which teams are in Blind Resume Table #1.

Blind Resume Table #2:

Criteria	Team A	Team B	Team C
Overall Record	20-10	21-7	22-8
Conference Record	10-7	11-4	11-4
RPI	70	39	42
BPI	43	45	64
Strength of Schedule	134	98	88
Non-Conference SOS	302	121	87
Home	17-1	11-2	11-1
Away	3-8	8-5	9-6
Neutral	0-1	2-0	2-1
Record vs. RPI Top 25	2-2	1-1	0-3
Record vs. RPI Top 50	4-2	2-2	0-4
Record vs. RPI Top 100	7-3	5-6	3-7
Last 10 games	5-5	8-2	6-4
Good Wins	@ Wisconsin, NC State, UNC, Duke	Villanova, Butler, @ VCU	Denver
Bad Losses	Delaware, @ George Mason, vs. Old Dominion, @ Wake Forest, @Clemson	Central Connecticut State	@ Marshall

Click HERE to find out which teams are in Blind Resume Table #2.

Blind Resume Table #3:

Criteria	Team A	Team B	Team C
Overall Record	22-8	22-8	20-10
Conference Record	10-5	11-6	8-9
RPI	40	57	86
BPI	57	44	54
Strength of Schedule	72	162	123
Non-Conference SOS	68	294	298
Home	13-3	16-1	16-3
Away	8-4	5-6	3-6
Neutral	1-1	1-1	1-1
Record vs. RPI Top 25	1-3	0-2	1-4
Record vs. RPI Top 50	3-3	1-3	2-4
Record vs. RPI Top 100	9-5	6-6	3-8
Last 10 games	8-2	5-5	5-5
Good Wins	vs. Syracuse, La Salle, Saint Louis, @ Villanova	Missouri, Tennessee 2x	NC State, Duke
Bad Losses	Duquesne	@ South Carolina, @ Mississippi State	@ Boston College, @ Georgia Tech

Click HERE to find out which teams are in Blind Resume Table #3.

Blind Resume Table #4:

Criteria	Team A	Team B	Team C
Overall Record	19-12	17-13	18-11
Conference Record	10-8	9-9	10-7
RPI	52	77	56
BPI	59	90	63
Strength of Schedule	17	57	49
Non-Conference SOS	144	29	49
Home	12-4	11-3	12-3
Away	6-7	4-9	4-7
Neutral	1-1	2-1	2-1
Record vs. RPI Top 25	4-1	1-1	1-2
Record vs. RPI Top 50	5-7	3-5	2-3
Record vs. RPI Top 100	7-10	7-6	8-9
Last 10 games	6-4	4-6	7-3
Good Wins	Louisville, Syracuse, @ Connecticut, Marquette, Georgetown	vs. Miami (FL), @ Wichita State, Creighton	Wichita State, Florida, Massachusetts, Kentucky
Bad Losses	Columbia	@ Morehead State, @ Southern Illinois, @ Missouri State, Drake 2x, @ Bradley	Georgia 2x

Click HERE to find out which teams are in Blind Resume Table #4.

Blind Resume Table #5:

Criteria	Team A	Team B	Team C
Overall Record	20-10	18-10	20-10
Conference Record	10-7	8-7	12-6
RPI	50	55	49
BPI	39	95	53
Strength of Schedule	54	62	37
Non-Conference SOS	148	80	70
Home	16-1	10-4	11-5
Away	3-8	7-4	6-5
Neutral	1-1	1-2	3-0
Record vs. RPI Top 25	1-4	0-2	2-2
Record vs. RPI Top 50	3-7	1-6	5-5
Record vs. RPI Top 100	6-8	7-8	8-9
Last 10 games	6-4	5-5	8-2
Good Wins	Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State	@ La Salle, Ohio	Oregon 2x, @ Arizona, UCLA, Colorado, @Denver
Bad Losses	@ Texas Tech	George Washington	Harvard

Click HERE to find out which teams are in Blind Resume Table #5.

Blind Resume Table #6:

Criteria	Team A	Team B	Team C
Overall Record	18-11	26-5	17-13
Conference Record	11-6	14-2	8-9
RPI	62	34	69
BPI	67	32	49
Strength of Schedule	85	124	30
Non-Conference SOS	78	138	43
Home	12-3	16-1	11-5
Away	4-8	9-2	4-7
Neutral	2-0	1-2	2-1
Record vs. RPI Top 25	0-1	0-2	0-5
Record vs. RPI Top 50	0-4	1-2	1-5
Record vs. RPI Top 100	7-7	5-3	4-10
Last 10 games	6-4	9-1	3-7
Good Wins	vs. Villanova, Kentucky	Creighton, BYU 2x	Oklahoma State, @ Kentucky, BYU
Bad Losses	Tulane, @ Auburn, Mercer	vs. Pacific, vs. Georgia Tech	Northwestern, Charleston

Click HERE to find out which teams are in Blind Resume Table #6.

I hope that this blind resume game was fun, and that it helped you discover some teams that you might have previously written off.  Remember, there is still some great basketball left to be played! This weekend has some great games, including Syracuse @ Georgetown, Duke @ UNC, and Indiana @ Michigan.  After this weekend, there is a whole glorious week of conference tournaments, and then the moment of truth for all of these schools listed above: Selection Sunday.  It's March.  This basketball is Madness.  Wait... It's MARCH MADNESS BABY! Clearly, I'm just a little excited about this.  'Til next time.

Mailbag: Uniforms and Badgers

Have you ever wanted to pick the mind of your favorite sports blogger? Now you can! Just send me a question to straightupsports1@gmail.com or tweet it at me @straightsports1.  The content is up to you, so make it good! 

Darrel C. writes: "What's up with the new Adidas uniforms for March Madness? Do you like or dislike?"

Straight Up Response: Darrel, thanks for the question.  For those of you who have no idea what he is talking about, he is referring to these new uniforms that Adidas released this week: 

I normally like the new uniforms or big game uniforms that have been becoming increasingly popular over the last few years.  The key word there is normally.  I don't even know where to start with these.  The teams that have chosen to adapt these uniforms for the NCAA Tournament are Cincinnati, Kansas, Notre Dame, Baylor, UCLA, and Louisville.  This honestly looks like something that you would see a surfer or BMX rider wear.  What's next from here? Glow in the dark? Advertisements? 

There are some teams that you just don't mess with the uniforms.  UCLA and Kansas have two of the most classic and recognizable uniforms in college basketball.  You don't mess with that.  You don't mess with perfection.  Michigan and NC State, the two Adidas teams that opted out of wearing these uniforms, will wear their regular Adidas gear during the NCAA Tournament.  But in the long run, it's not the uniform, but the team on it that matters.

Hank M. writes: "Which team will take the Honey Badger? One who needs him bad enough to risk his off the field issues? Do his 4 bench reps matter?

Straight Up Response: Hank, thanks for hitting me up on Twitter with this question.  Being confined to 140 characters can be difficult, so I'll expand on this a bit.  Hank is talking about Tyrann Mathieu (at right), a former LSU defensive back, who was dismissed from the team before the 2012 season for drug issues.  Mathieu, who was nicknamed the "Honey Badger" in college, is a prospect that is practically covered in red flags.  The off the field problems are obviously a big one, but his combine results, including the bench press reps that Hank mentioned, are a bigger issue.  He also has not played in a game in over a year. 

Despite all of these issues, I think Mathieu has cleaned up his act, and will be a great pickup for a team in the 2-4 round.  I think that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the team that is most likely to pick him.  They are depleted in the defensive secondary, and are in desperate need of an interception producing player.  That was one of Matthieu's strengths in his time in Baton Rouge.  He forced 8 turnovers in just a 13 game season.  The Steelers' star corner back Keenan Lewis is also testing the waters of free agency, making secondary a must get position for the Steelers in the draft.  Another incredible upside to Mathieu is his punt and kickoff returning skills. If playing defense never works out for Tyrann, he could always be converted to a Devin Hester type kickoff and punt return specialist, seeing limited action on the offensive end.  The Steelers have also struggled with finding a solid kick and punt returner, and Tyrann might be their guy.

So to recap: I think the Steelers will take him (but I've been known to be wrong), the upside greatly outweighs the negative (especially if he slips to the 3rd or 4th round), and I think the bench reps don't matter a whole lot in the end (the Steelers will care more about his good 40 time).  Thanks for the great question Hank, and remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner!

Dave R. writes: "What is your opinion on Wisconsin basketball? Do you enjoy watching the games? What do you think of Bo Ryan as a coach?"

Straight Up Response: Thanks for the email Dave! I have the feeling that this is a loaded question considering you said you were from Wisconsin, but I'll answer it truthfully anyways.  Wisconsin basketball bores me.  It verges on almost painful to watch at times.  But that does not mean that it isn't good basketball.  Sometimes it is hard to watch a team because they are sloppy, or can't make a shot.  This is not the case with Wisconsin.  Their whole strategy is to slow the game down to the point where they take almost every shot with less than 10 seconds left on the shot clock.  Don't think about running on them either: they forego offensive rebounds to get every player back in transition. You might think that there is no way that Wisconsin can win like this, but they have been extremely successful under Bo Ryan's scheme.  He never recruits top players because he recruits specifically to his scheme, and then develops his players into what he wants them to be.  I think Bo Ryan is one of the best coaches in the country.  Over the 12 seasons that he's been at Wisconsin, they have never finished worse than 4th in the very tough Big Ten, and have made the NCAA Tournament every singe year. He's on his way to do the same this year, leading the Badgers to a 20-8 record, including 5 wins over ranked teams   Maybe the only criticism result wise with Bo Ryan that he has never gotten a team to the Final Four.  But I think that the Badger faithful can live with that one.  Ugly, hard to watch, slow basketball can work as long as you have the right coach and the right scheme.  Bo Ryan is that coach, and so far in his career, his scheme is working just fine.

I think this first mailbag is a success.  Remember, email me at straightupsports1@gmail.com or tweet me @straightsports1, and maybe you can have your question answered! 'Til next time.

The Year of the Stretch Forward

In the last two weeks since my rankings came out, there have been many changes: upsets, shocking victories, and the Chinese New Year.  That's right, on February 10th we officially entered The Year of Snake.  So, in honor of The Year of the Snake, I am naming this college basketball season "The Year of the Stretch Forward".

The stretch forward, or stretch four, is a term used to designate a player that plays at the power forward position, but has skills that are not normally associated with a power forward, namely: the ability to knock down a three pointer. The difference between a traditional forward and a stretch forward is purely on the offensive end. The stretch forward has the ability to play inside and around the perimeter, thus stretching out the defense.  Made popular in the NBA by players like Ryan Anderson, Kevin Love, and Ersan Ilyasova, the stretch forward position, if played correctly, can become a team's most dangerous weapon on offense. Recently however, college teams have began recruiting and developing players to play this role, and for many of them, it is working very well.  I am going to highlight five of the best in the college game at this position, and show the impact they are having on their teams.

Erik Murphy - Florida Gators - 6'10" 238 lbs. 

The senior (pictured right) from South Kingston, Rhode Island is one of the best stretch forwards in the nation.  He is averaging 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game for the 5th ranked Gators.  Murphy, a career 44% three point shooter, is shooting a blazing 50% from 3 this year, making 52 of his 104 attempts from deep.  He is an 83% free throw shooter, and also takes care of the ball: only 1.4 turnovers per game.  Murphy has led Florida to a 21-3 record, and a first place standing in the SEC with an 11-1 conference record. They are in running for a potential 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, with ESPN projecting them for one of the four coveted top seeds.  Florida arguably would not be in the situation they are now without Murphy, who has stepped up in a huge way in the last few weeks as Florida's front line has been plagued by injuries   Look for Murphy to lead his Gators deep into the NCAA Tournament this year.

Romero Osby - Oklahoma Sooners - 6'8" 232 lbs.

Osby is making a big name for himself in Norman.  The transfer from Mississippi State has played his last two seasons of eligibility with the Sooners.  Known as a lock-down defender, Osby has improved on offense to become the leading scorer for Oklahoma averaging 14 points per game.  He is shooting 56% from three this year, and grabbing 7 rebounds per game as well.  He doesn't take a lot of threes, but his ability to knock them down is what often opens up lanes for him to drive, which is exactly what he did to score 17 points in Oklahoma's upset win last week over #5 Kansas.  As for the rest of the team, Oklahoma is 16-8 with a 7-5 conference record.  They have quality wins over Kansas, and Oklahoma State; and no bad losses  so far.  They are being projected for an 8 seed in the tournament, and 5-1 or even a 4-2 record to finish out the season should place them safely in the NCAA Tournament. 

Doug McDermott - Creighton Bluejays - 6'8" 225 lbs.

You have to love those coach's sons.  Greg McDermott, Doug's father and Creighton's head coach, has to be pleased with his son's (and his team's) play this year.  Creighton is #1 nationally in 3 point percentage at 43%, and #2 in 3 pointers made per game at 9.3.  Doug McDermott is averaging 22.9 points per game, which is good for 3rd in the nation.  He also adds 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.  Doug has shot 48% from 3 the last two years, and adds an 86% mark from the charity stripe.  He is not afraid to shoot the ball, hoisting 118 attempts so far this year, and making 57 of them.  Doug McDermott went to Ames High School in Ames, Iowa where he was teammates with All-American and now Golden State Warrior, Harrison Barnes.  During McDermott's and Barnes' junior and senior seasons they posted a 53-0 record, and won two state championships.  Now McDermott has led his Creighton team to a 21-6 record, and they have been ranked most of the year.  They have however fallen a bit in conference play in the Missouri Valley Conference  and trail Wichita State by 1 game.  The good news is the Shockers have to travel to Omaha and take on Creighton in the last game of the year on March 2nd.  Both teams are projected to get seed somewhere in the 7-9 range in the NCAA Tournament. 

Ryan Kelly - Duke Blue Devils - 6'11" 230 lbs. 

Senior Ryan Kelly is by far the most valuable player for Duke this year.  He has averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this year to go along with 52% shooting from three.  His defense is incredible: he's known as a shut-down post defender.  He is deadly in transition shooting the three, and is an 80% free throw shooter.  The only problem is that he has been out with a leg injury since January 12th.  This is where you realize just how valuable Kelly is to Duke: they are 15-0 with Kelly, including 3 wins over top 5 teams, and they are 7-3 since then, going 0-2 against ranked teams.  This included a 27 point thrashing they took at Miami.  After losing to Maryland this past weekend, Duke has fallen to #6 in the rankings.  They are still projected for a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but how far they go in that tournament will solely depend on the heath of Ryan Kelly, who is projected to be healthy by the time the tournament starts. 

Kyle Wiltjer - Kentucky Wildcats - 6'10" 239 lbs.

In a season that has been highlighted by disappointments for the defending national champions, Kyle Wiltjer has been a bight spot for Kentucky.  The sophomore from Portland, Oregon has been a great scoring option for the Wildcats, averaging 11.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.  The 41% three point shooter showed up the biggest in Kentucky's most pivotal game of the season against then #16 Ole Miss.  The game was in Oxford, Mississippi, and Wiltjer silenced the crowed with 26 points, including 5 threes.  Kentucky, who is clinging to a tournament spot received more bad news last week, as standout center Nerlens Noel tore his ACL and is out for the season.  In their first game without him, Kentucky suffered a 30 point defeat to Tennessee who is just a .500 SEC team.  Kentucky sits at 17-8 with an 8-4 SEC record.  They will have to prove themselves in their 6 remaining games to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, where they are currently projected for a 10 seed.  

I can't believe that March Madness is almost here! This has been a crazy year for college basketball, and I'm pretty sure that it will only get crazier from this point on.  I will be releasing the second edition of my Straight Up Index rankings tomorrow.  'Til next time. 

College Basketball Roundup

2011-2012 was a great year for the sport of college basketball.  We saw incredible depth throughout the Power Six conferences, great games every week, the excitement of a cinderella in Murray State, and most of all, one of the most riveting tournaments in recent memory.  But this is my favorite part of the season, when you are able to look back and reflect on what made this season so amazing.  Here, I will have the Straight Up Sports Post-Season Awards, given to the players, coaches, students, and yes, even the mascots, that made this season memorable:

"First Team" All Straight Up Sports: These players were, in my opinion, the best at their respective positions:

G- Kendall Marshal, UNC

G- Marcus Denmon, Missouri
G/F- Michael Kidd-Gilchrest, Kentucky

F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky

F- Thomas Robinson, Kansas

The (Very Good) "Second Team" All Straight Up Sports: There were the guys who didn't quite make the cut on the first team, but still had incredible years. 

G- Marcus Teague, Kentucky

G- Pierre Jackson, Baylor

G- Bradley Beal, Florida

F- Jae Crowder, Marquette

F- Draymond Green, Michigan State

Honorable Mentions:
John Henson, Doug McDermott, Mike Scott, Michael Snear, Austin Rivers, Tyler Zeller, Kevin Jones, John Shurna, Darius Johnson-Odom.  

The 6th Man Award: The 6th Man Award goes to the best bench player in the country. It's not easy to come off the bench, and still give your team what it needs every game to win.
G- Dion Waters, Syracuse

The Freshman of the Year Award:
F- Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Guards Trey Burke (Michigan) and Bradley Beal (Florida), and Indiana forward Cody Zeller were right behind Davis, who not only was the best freshman, but the best player in the country.  It was a tough year to be a freshman.

Coach of the Year Award:
This was a very tough one for me, with so many great coaches this year.  You had great coaches like Tom Izzo and Roy Williams have good years like usual, and so many great stories across the country.  I thought of going with John Calipari, who won his first National Championship with the Kentucky Wildcats, or maybe someone like Rick Majerus of Saint Louis University, who brought the Billikens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 years. For me, it came down to Steve Prohm of Murray State, and Frank Haith of Missouri, and I had to go with Haith.  In his first year as a coach in the Big 12, he brought the Missouri Tigers to a Top 10 ranking, and a number 2 seed in the tournament.  He finished 30-5 (14-4 in the Big 12), including winning the Big 12 Tournament at the end of the season. Though Missouri lost a heart-breaker in the first round to 15 seed Norfolk State (who played the perfect game to pull off an upset like that), I believe that Frank Haith wins the Coach of the Year Award.

The Best Atmosphere in College Basketball Award:
One of the things that I love about college hoops is the student sections and gyms across the nation.  The sheer noise of the fans can bring an intimidation factor to your opponent, making it so hard to go and win big games on the road.  Places like Duke's Cameron Indoor, and Michigan State's Breslin Center carry an atmosphere with them that makes opponents nervous just thinking out playing there.  But the school who had the best student section of this past season (and many previous) is San Diego State.  Loud, annoying, obnoxious, and sometimes offensive, their student section makes their area a place to be feared throughout college basketball.  Their student section, called "The Show", was the first one to use the giant cutouts of peoples faces, waving them in the air when someone is shooting.  Playing in this crazy atmosphere not only hinders visiting teams, but helps the Aztecs carry one of the best home records in college basketball over the last few seasons.

The Best Mascot:
A banana slug, a tin keg, and a red blob. Just some of the unique mascots that make their home in college gyms throughout the country.  But nothing matches Syracuse University's Orangeman.  This goofy orange creature has been a part of Syracuse basketball culture for many years, adding just one for facet to their successful and entertaining basketball fans for years to come.

That is it.  The 2011-12 college basketball season is finished, and we look forwards to next year. I know its WAY to early to be thinking about this, but look for Indiana and Michigan to emerge out of the Big Ten, becoming two of the top teams next season.  It saddening for this season to end, and for us to lose great seniors throughout the country.  But that's past us, because it's time for baseball now! 'Til next time. 

Mailbag

Wow.  What a year for college basketball, followed up by a great tournament, and a final matchup between two traditional powers (more on that coming soon).  This week might... no, WILL be the best sports week all year.  We have the Maters, Opening Day for baseball, and two collegiate basketball national championship games.

Before I go off on a tangent about how I think Tiger Woods will win the Masters, I want to present the Straight Up Sports Mailbag. A couple times a month, I will be answering questions from my dedicated followers about literally anything involving any sport they want to talk about.  Just send your question to straightupsports1@gmail.com.  It's that simple, just leave your first name, and I'll take care of the rest.  If it wasn't for you guys, this blog wouldn't be here.

I hope this mailbag works, but in case it doesn't, baseball is about to start... so I'll still keep myself occupied. 'Til next time.

Can You Feel the Madness?

It's in the air. It's that time again. It's March Madness!

This is my favorite time of year. I also say that phrase about five other times when different sports go down to the wire.  But this has to be the best. In less than a month, 1 team out of 68 will be crowned NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Champions.  But just as those teams are about to embark in a month of mayhem to see who comes out on top, you are also most likely eyeing a struggle of your own: the bracket. Whether it's with your co-workers, friends, schoolmates, or family, you have to win! However, that's a lot easier said than done. The key to picking a winning bracket, is not only picking the winner, but making sure one of your final four teams doesn't get upset.  Here is where I come in.  This is a list of 10 potential sleeper teams, or teams that could pull off an upset or two, and maybe even become the next Butler:

Wichita State (27-5):
Not a true sleeper team, getting a 5 seed, but the Shockers are a team that I believe can go far in the tournament. They have a very winnable matchup against 12 seed VCU, and would play the winner of Indiana, and New Mexico State. They finished ranked number 16 in the AP Poll, and boast a 16-2 record in the very difficult Missouri Valley Conference.  The Shockers are a veteran team with great senior leadership, led by Joe Ragland's 48% from behind the arc.  This balanced attack can adapt to any style of play: they can slow it down, run-and-gun, or pound it into the paint.  They have good wins against Creighton, UNLV, and a 17 point thrashing of Davidson. This is a scary team to play.

Colorado (23-11):
Colorado was not supposed to get into the tournament after an up and down year in the Pac 12. But they went on an absolute tear in the Pac 12 tournament, beating Arizona for the title, and earning an automatic bid. This team is a sleeper simple because they are hot.  After winning a tight contest against Oregon, they beat favorite Cal by 11, playing their way to an 11 seed.  They play a streaky UNLV team in the first round.  If Colorado can contain the potent play of UNLV forward Mike Moser, and continue their hot shooting, it might be their time to pull an upset or two.

South Dakota State (27-7):
The Jackrabbits, a 14 seed, champions out of the Summit League, are the perfect team to pull an upset. They have an incredible guard in Nate Wolters, who averages 21.3 points, and 6.0 assists per game. Though he only shoots 24% from three point, the rest of the team nails 43% from deep.  The Jackrabbits do lack in size in the post, but they have a tantalizing matchup with Baylor. Baylor is a very good and athletic team, but they have been plagued by inconsistency, especially in big games.  South Dakota State, with their solid guard play, could be the perfect team to take advantage of this. They only allow 57.3 points a game, and they must slow it down like that if they are to beat Baylor.

Long Beach State (25-8):
I absolutely love this team. They have the perfect combination of good shooting guards, and big men that can run the floor.  As a 12 seed, they played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, having a "go anywhere, play anybody" mentality. This has paid off, as they went 15-1 in Big West play.  They are battle tested, and will not be intimidated by big games, or tough opponents. They beat Pittsburgh and Xavier, and played Kansas, UNC, and Louisville tough. They play New Mexico, a 5 seed, in the first round. New Mexico is a ferocious squad, who attacks the boards very well. Can Long Beach State prevail, behind the dynamic guard play of Casper Ware and Larry Anderson.

Davidson (25-7):
To say that the Wildcats can shoot the three is an understatement. They are one of the better three point shooting teams in the country, and are also a very clutch free throw shooting team as well.  They beat Kansas by 6 on the road, which was the highlight win of their season. But it took them 2 overtimes to beat Western Carolina in the Southern Conference Championship. Another good strength of Davidson is their ability to rebound, averaging 38.9 per game, which is good for 19th in the country. But all of that is about to be tested, when they take on 4 seed Louisville, fresh of a victory in the Big East tournament.  But as we well know, a team that can shoot the three is always capable of an upset!

Colorado State (20-11): 
The Rams have squeaked their way into the tournament, receiving an 11 seed, out of an unusually good Mountain West Conference. They had an 8-6 conference record, with good wins against UNLV, San Diego State, and New Mexico. They don't have much of a post presence, but can knock down the three. Led by Wes Eikmeier, they are one of the better three point shooting teams in the country, and one that you can never count out of a game.  However, they are taking on one of the best three point shooting teams in the country, Murray State, who finished the season 30-1. Can Colorado State stick with the Racers long enough to pull off an upset? We will see!

Southern Mississippi (25-8): 

The Golden Eagles, a 9 seed out of Conference-USA, have plenty of late game experience. They have had 5 overtime games, with two going into double overtime. One of these double overtime games was a loss to Murray State. They play Kansas State for their first game, and are liable to take down anyone with their outstanding depth. They have six players that score between 9.5 and 12.2 points per game. But will this balanced attack be enough to knock off the Wildcats? 

Montana (25-6):

The Grizzlies, or "The Griz" as they are known, have played their way to a 13 seed, strutting a 15-1 conference record in the Big Sky. They have won their last 14 games, and are a solid all-around team. They -have size in 7-footer Derek Selvig, but have yet to face a test. They are getting one in their first game, however. The Wisconsin Badgers, out of a very good Big Ten Conference, will take on the Griz. Wisconsin, however, has been prone to upsets in the last few years. They play a very slow pace. Can the Griz, an unknown, pull off the upset? 

Creighton (28-5): 
They Bluejays have had a great year, and come into the tournament red hot as an 8 seed.  Creighton has won their last 7 games to cap off a 14-4 season within the Missouri Valley Conference, led by the dynamic play of coach's son, Doug McDermott. They are the nation's most accurate shooting team at 50.9%. They have good leadership and experience, with wins against Wichita State, San Diego State, and Long Beach State. They get 9 seed Alabama in the first round, with the winner taking on (probably) UNC. Creighton has the ability to play with a team like that, but they have to keep McDermott out of foul trouble and play solid ball down to the wire.

NC State (22-12):
The Wolfpack are pumped and ready to go, getting an 11 seed after a 9-7 campaign in the ACC. Led by C.J. Leslie, the Pack look to knock off San Diego State.  They made a good run in the ACC tournament, beating Boston College and Virginia before losing a heartbreaker to UNC. Leslie fouled out with 8 minuets to play, and the Wolfpack were unable to hold on against UNC's late game surge. Richard Howell is a great compliment to Leslie, and Scott Wood adds a deadly three point shot.  NC State is definitely a team that could go deep into the tournament if they get hot at the right time.

Well there you have it. 10 sleepers that may just surprise a few folks this year.  If you have any last minute questions, please use the comment section below. I will get back to you as soon as possible. Normally I would ramble on and on here about how Spring Training has started (see I just did it), and other sports, but all I can focus on is college basketball.  'Til next time.