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.

2012-13 College Football Bowl Preview (Part II)

Here is the second installment of my College Football Bowl Preview series (all times Eastern):


The Independence Bowl: Friday December 28th, 2:00 pm.
Ohio (8-4) vs Louisiana-Monroe (8-4) - Both these teams had some of the biggest upsets of the year: Ohio took down Penn State, and Louisiana-Monroe won a thriller against Arkansas. Led by dual-threat quarterback Kolton Browning, UL-Monroe is one of the most exiting teams to watch in football.  After starting 7-0, Ohio lost 4 of their last 5, including their last 3 games of the year.  Straight Up Pick: Ohio


The Russel Athletic Bowl: Friday December 28th, 5:30 pm.
Rutgers (9-3) vs Virginia Tech (6-6) - Virginia Tech had a huge letdown this year, coming in with big expectations, but barely managing to become bowl eligible.  Virginia Tech has the ability to play better than their record suggests.  It all comes down to the decision making of junior quarterback Logan Thomas. Meanwhile, Rutgers was one of football's biggest surprises before they lost their last two games after coming so close to a possible BCS bowl bid. Straight Up Pick: Rutgers.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Friday December 28th, 9:00 pm.
Minnesota (6-6) vs Texas Tech (7-5) - Minnesota has reached their goal of getting to a bowl game.  The only problem is it's against Texas Tech who boasts the number 2 ranked passing offense in the nation.  Minnesota has won games this year by playing good defense, but that will be very difficult in this game.  Texas Tech is much the more seasoned unit, having played 6 ranked teams this year, and beating 2 of them.  Their only other loss was against a very good Baylor team who had just knocked off #1 Kansas State. Straight Up Pick: Texas Tech.


The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Saturday December 29th, 11:45 am.
Air Force (6-6) vs Rice (6-6) - Both of these teams finished their season in opposite ways.  Air Force finished by losing 3 of their last 4 games, their unique triple-option attack failing them down the stretch.  Rice, on the other hand, had to win their last 4 games to become bowl eligible, and they were able to do just that.  Rice is very balanced in all aspects of the game, while Air Force relies on their running attack to generate enough points to win.  Straight Up Pick: Rice.

The New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Saturday December 29th, 3:15 pm.
West Virginia (7-5) vs Syracuse (7-5) - Usually when these teams meet it's on the hardwood, not the gridiron.  West Virginia seems to have steadied the ship after a 5 game losing streak in the middle of the year by winning their last two.  Syracuse boasts several quality wins over the likes of Louisville and Missouri.  Both of these teams score lots of points, and I'm still not sure if West Virginia fields a defense.  Straight Up Pick: West Virginia.


The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Saturday December 29th, 4:00 pm.
Navy (8-4) vs Arizona State (7-5) - Navy brings one of the nation's top 10 running games into this game.  They finished the year on a 7-1 run, capping off the year with a 17-13 victory in the Army-Navy game.  Arizona State brings in a very balanced team.  They limit opponent's opportunities and take care of the football on offense.  All of their loses this year came against top level competition, while Navy had a couple of games where nothing clicked and they lost to someone they shouldn't have. This is the type of game where you have to throw records out the window.  Straight Up Pick: Arizona State.

The Valero Alamo Bowl: Saturday December 29th, 6:45 pm.
#23 Texas (8-4) vs #13 Oregon State (9-3) - Oregon State was not on very many people's radars going into this season.  But after rattling of impressive victory after impressive victory, they finished the year with a great record and a high ranking.  Oregon State has a very good defense and passing offense, something they will try to utilize against a Texas secondary that has been susceptible to the big play.  Texas went into the year with huge expectations and came out with what many call a disappointment (and a quarterback controversy). What was to be a top ranked defense turned out to be not as good as advertised.  Both of these teams will scheme very well and try to play to the other's weaknesses.  Straight Up Pick: Oregon State.


The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Saturday December 29th, 10:15 pm.
TCU (7-5) vs Michigan State (6-6) - Both of these teams are 2-3 against ranked teams.  Both have had quarterback problems.  TCU kicked starter Casey Pachall off the team, and Michigan State has had to deal with the woes that accompany starting a true freshman.  It seems like TCU has found an answer at quarterback in freshman Trevone Boykin, who since becoming the starter has played exceptionally well.  Michigan State hasn't found any answers on the offensive end this season, but the defense is anther story.  They have the number 10 scoring defense in the country, giving up an average of 16.3 points per game.  Straight Up Pick: TCU.

The Music City Bowl: Monday December 31st, 12:00 pm.
North Carolina State (7-5) vs Vanderbilt (8-4) - North Carolina State is in a tough situation, facing a good Vanderbilt team with a new coach.  Having fired Tom O'Brien, NC State hired Dave Doeren from Northern Illinois.  But NC State did have some high points this year, including a comeback 17-16 win over then #3 Florida State.  Vanderbilt, on the other hand, is riding just about as much momentum as one team could possible have.  They were just 2-4 to start the year, but finished strong with 6 straight victories, 4 of them coming against SEC opponents.  Straight Up Pick: Vanderbilt.

The Hyundai Sun Bowl: Monday December 31st, 2:00 pm.
Southern California (7-5) vs Georgia Tech (6-7) - The USC Trojans had everything going their way.  A #1 ranking, a quarterback projected to win the Heisman, and pick by almost every expert to reach the national championship game.  The only problem for USC was that all of this was preseason.  They had an okay year for a team without all the hype that USC had gotten, with 4 of their 5 losses coming to ranked teams. Georgia Tech has had their share of issues too: A defense that can't stop anyone, and losses to the likes of Middle Tennessee  BYU, and Miami.  But through the luck of bad seasons, self imposed bowl bans, and the luck of being in the easy division, Georgia Tech found themselves in the ACC Championship against Florida State.  They made a game of it, but lost 21-15.  Both of these teams have something left to prove, and both of their coach are beginning to feel a little warmth under their chairs.  Straight Up Pick: Southern California.

The AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Monday December 31st, 3:30 pm.
Iowa State (6-6) vs Tulsa (10-3) - It's a rarity that a two teams play each other in the same season.  Usually that second game takes place in a conference championship game.  But on September 1st in Ames, Iowa, Tulsa and Iowa State took the field against each other.  Tulsa jumped out to a 16-7 lead, but Iowa State took control by scoring 24 unanswered points, eventually cruising to a 38-23 victory.  Both teams played well from that point on, with Tulsa winning Conference USA, and Iowa State struggling a bit to a 3-6 record in the Big 12.  Who will win the rematch? Straight Up Pick: Iowa State.




The finale (Part III) is coming up soon.  Also: don't miss the exclusive BCS National Championship Preview coming your way soon. Enjoy the football! '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. 

Super Bowl and Some Upsets

This has been the craziest last few days in sports. Good thing I am here to straighten it out.

Today, Sunday January 22nd, former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno passed away at the age of 85 due to complications with lung cancer.  Paterno won 409 career games as a head coach, all of them with Penn State. He is the all time winningest coach in college football history.  He took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships, and over 250 of his players would go on to the NFL. "He will go down as the greatest football coach in the history of the game," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said today.  The circumstances surrounding his death are extremely sad. 

How do I describe this week in college basketball? Exciting? Crazy? Unstable? How ever you say it, it was awesome for any hoops fan, or anyone that loves to watch a good upset.  The first team I would like to highlight is Baylor.  The Bears came into this week 17-0 and ranked #3 with two top ten matchups within  the Big 12. They lost them both. First, an 18 point whooping at #7 Kansas, followed by a 1 point 89-88 loss at home to #5 Missouri.  This gives Kansas 16-3(6-0) the lead in the Big 12, but with a very tough schedule to come, that includes Missouri twice, and Baylor one more. Looks like a great race in the Big 12.  

Duke came into the week with a 45 home court winning streak. That streak is no more.  Thanks to the giant killer Florida State, Duke suffered their first ACC loss at the hands of the Seminoles.  Junior guard Michael Snaer hit a game winning three as time expired to upset the #4 Blue Devils 76-73. A week earlier the 'Noles upset #5 North Carolina 90-57. This is coming from a team that lost to Harvard and Princeton, and lost their first ACC game by 20 to a inconsistent rebuilding Clemson team. But Florida State is 4-1 in the ACC, and might be the hottest team in college hoops right now.  

After Baylor went down, there were two undefeated teams left: number 1 ranked Syracuse and Murray State. Then Syracuse lost.  Playing in a very hostile environment at Notre Dame, the Irish were in control of the game from the start, out hustling Syracuse the whole game. The Orange, playing without their starting center Fab Melo, who was unable to make the trip due to academic issues, were outmatched in the post. Notre Dame is now 12-8 (4-3 in the Big East), and has suffered this year after losing star forward Tim Abromaitis early in the season to an injury.  But this win could spark the Irish, who definitely have to ability to step up this year in the Big East. Syracuse still leads the Big East, however, leaving Murray State as the only undefeated team left in college basketball.

The Super Bowl matchup is set, and I can't wait.  Patriots vs. Giants. The New England Patriots, defeated the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 thanks to a Billy Cundiff missed 32 yard field goal with 11 seconds left to send the game into overtime. This will be Tom Brady's fifth career trip to the Super Bowl.  

It is very difficult to win games when you go 0-12 on 3rd down conversions. The San Francisco 49ers learned this, losing to the red hot New York Giants 20-17 in overtime. Two fumbles on punt returns for the normally turnover free 49ers led to a crucial touchdown and the game winning Lawrence Tynes field goal in overtime. Tynes also kicked a game winning overtime field goal in 2007 to put the Giants in the Super Bowl against the Patriots, which the Giants won. The stage is set for a great, deja-vu, Super Bowl!

The Super Bowl is set, college basketball is on fire, the NBA and the NHL are getting exciting, and I think I can almost smell spring training! 'Til Next Time.