2010 Final Four Predictions

Kansas, West Virginia, Duke and BYU will make the Final Four. Yes, that's right. BYU will make the Final Four. I said it. I got a great feeling they will take down Kansas State in the 2nd round and head to Salt Lake City; Where they would then be the favorite in the regional to advance to Indy.

Here me out with my analysis of why BYU and the others will make it:

Every single Final Four team ever participated in the tournament the year before. So that eliminates Kentucky and Kansas State. Every single Final Four team since 1999 (When the rankings started) finished in the Top 25 for defensive efficiency (which computes ppg, fg %, etc). That eliminates Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Maryland, New Mexico, and Baylor.

So the east bracket comes down to Kansas and Ohio State. OSU isn't deep at all and depends A LOT on Evan Turner. I'll take Kansas.

With Kansas St. being eliminated in the West it comes down to Syracuse and BYU. I think BYU will take down Kansas St with Jimmer Fredette and will be motivated to play in Salt Lake. Syracuse vs. BYU in Salt Lake. Who knows how healthy Onawaku will be and BYU has good size. Advantage BYU.

In the South Nova and Baylor are eliminated for defensive reasons. Purdue is without star Robbie Hummel, so by default Duke advances.

In the East Kentucky is too inexperienced/young. New Mexico is already eliminated. Wisconsin doesn't have the firepower offensively to advance. West Virginia will move on because of their defense, athleticism, and size.

So there you have it. Those four teams including BYU will make the Final Four. Mark it.

March is here!

March is finally here, probably my favorite month of the year. We all know what that means, MARCH MADNESS BABY!

In honor of the month of March and March Madness, here's some clips to get you pumped up...

So long Billy Packer

CBS and College Basketball announcer/analyst Billy Packer have recently decided to part ways.

Yesterday, CBS announced that Clark Kellogg would replace Packer after 27 years of broadcasting basketball on CBS. Packer announced every Final Four since 1975.

Not too many people are big fans of Mr. Packer, but to say the least, I am. Packer was a phenomenal announcer. His knowledge of the game far exceeded many other announcers and analysts. He knew the In's and Outs of the game, which is why I respected him.

Sure, he may have said some ridiculous things throughout his years, but this happens to just about all of the announcers out there. He knew the game, he had a great voice for TV, and it was always opinionated. He may not have always been fair, but there is no lie he was a great announcer.

I loved it when Billy Packer announced, especially for the Final Four. It just amazed me some of analysis and comments he did about the game of basketball. He gave us a different perspective at times; which makes me glad to say, you will be missed Billy Packer. March Madness just won't the same without you.

Here's a few good videos of Packer:

National Championship Preview: Third Times a Charm

Let's go back to November, where my Final Four and National Championship picks were still alive. For my pre-season preview I predicted three of the four Final Four teams correctly: Memphis, UCLA, and North Carolina. And I could be right with the national championship pick as I predicted Memphis to win it all way back when.

As I look at this match up I see two very similar styles. Both Memphis and Kansas like to get out and run. Both like to penetrate and kick. This should be a very good championship game tonight. It won't be a boring game, (thank God no Big Ten teams are in it) it'll be a fast paced, high scoring affair which is what nearly every college hoops fan wants to see and deserves.

As you look at both of the two teams they mirror each other pretty well. I think it's all going to come down to individual match ups, as it usually does in the NCAA Tournament.

The guard match ups should be great with Derrick Rose, Antonio Anderson, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Willie Kemp going up against the likes of Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Russell Robinson and Sherron Collins.

Memphis may have a little more depth here and I gotta give the edge to Memphis in this department, Derrick Rose has proved to me during the dance that he is the best point guard in the nation; and Chris Douglas-Roberts has been sensational lately. Kansas doesn't have anyone that matches up well with CDR.

The frontcourt is fairly even as well. Both have three big men that they rely heavily on. Joey Dorsey, Shawn Taggart, and Robert Dozier have done the little things to help Memphis get this far, (not to take anything away from Rose or CDR). And Kansas wouldn't be here without their big men either.

But in the end, I gotta go with the MEMPHIS TIGERS. Not just because I am a Mizzou Tigers fan. But Memphis has been so consistent this tournament, they've made their free throws when everyone doubted them. Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts have been sensational and they're not going to run out of gas, even when it's $3.19 a gallon.

At a time like this I would like to quote an article I wrote back in June about the Memphis Tigers: "Chris Douglas-Roberts returned for one reason, to get a national title. You know what they always say: “third times a charm”."

March Madness Rolls On

Even with the MLB season starting I simply can't bring myself to stray away from March Madness right now. The Sweet 16 starts tonight so be sure to watch. Now Stefan already gave you his Sweet 16 picks here.

I'm going to give you my predictions as well as some things that I've seen around the blogosphere before. I'm going to predict games with a coinflip (top seed is heads) and then by fantasy mascot battle. Then when the sweet 16 round is over we can look and see how our predictions stacked up against that of honest Abe and the mascots' blood. Let's get it on!

EAST
UNC vs. WSU
Stefan's Pick: UNC
Joe's Pick: WSU *Need it to happen to win my bracket challenge!
Penny: WSU
Mascots: WSU - While a ram is hard nosed and tough I see the Cougar's ferocity and agility paying off in this battle. It goes down to the wire but the Cougar prevails.

Tennesse vs. Louisville
Stefan's Pick: Louisville
Joe's Pick: Tennesse
Penny: Louisville
Mascots: Tennesse - All a cardinal can do is fly away from and peck at the Volunteer. But when the volunteer fires, down goes the cardinals.

MIDWEST
Kansas vs. Villanova
Stefan's Pick: Kansas
Joe's Pick: Kansas
Penny: Kansas
Mascots: Wildcat vs. a Jayhawk? Gotta go with the Wildcat on that one.

Wisconsin vs. Davidson
Stefan's Pick: Wisconsin
Joe's Pick: Wisconsin - Too big & too good of D.
Penny: Wisconsin
Mascots: Badgers are vicious and takes down the wildcat

SOUTH
Memphis vs. Michigan State
Stefan's Pick: Memphis
Joe's Pick: Memphis
Penny: Memphis
Mascots: A spartan's sword is efficient but not enough to protect against the vicious tiger. Tiger gets the nod and a free meal.

Texas vs. Stanford
Stefan's Pick: Texas
Joe's Pick: Stanford
Penny: Stanford
Mascots: A longhorn vs. a tree? I think you know what happens here...Texas wins.

WEST
UCLA vs. WKU
Stefan's Pick: UCLA
Joe's Pick: UCLA
Penny: UCLA
Mascots: My instincts tell me that a Bruin would tear a hilltopper to pieces. however you all know I love the Big Red blob. I'll give WKU a chance here.

Xavier vs. WVU
Stefan's Pick: WVU
Joe's Pick: Xavier
Penny: WVU
Mascots: The Muskateers gun down the mountaineers from a distance.

Wraping Up a Big Day in Sports with the Red Dot

Although I'm exhausted from a busy day of sports. I'm going to give you some quick thoughts on what I saw today before I hit the sack.

-Upsets galore in Tampa Bay kept me entertained all day. I love march madness!

-The biggest surprise to me was how Sienna beat Vanderbilt. I did not see that coming, especially in the way that it happened.

-I was so impressed with Tyrone Brazelton's intelligent play under pressure. Not only did he turn in a great game with 33 points, but I was most impressed by how he got the ball up the floor quickly and made the smart pass back to the inbound man for the buzzerbeater. I felt bad for Drake. They had a dream season this year. But after seeing that I didn't even mind my bracket being busted!

-Sir Alexander Ovechkin is a really good player. It is still amazing to me how a team can be so bad that they have a player score 60 goals in one year and still be fighting for the 8th and final playoff spot in the NHL.

- I love the WKU Hilltopper mascot (The Red dot)

-I hate everything about the Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team and hope with all of my being that they lose to DU in the WCHA Championship tomorrow

-I also hope that UND can beat CC tomorrow to solidify a 1-seed in the NCAA tourney tomorrow. GO SIOUX!

-Games to watch tomorrow: (5) Mich St. vs. (4) Pitt, (7) WVU vs. (2) Duke, (5) Notre Dame vs. (4) WSU, (6) Marquette vs. (3) Stanford

-Upset Alert: (11) KState over (3) Wisconsin if Walker and Beasley play possessed again I think the Wildcats can take this one from the Badgers.

-I've come to realize that I will never pick a perfect bracket.

-I can honestly say that I'm almost ready for baseball to start.

What'd you think of the big day in sports today? What will you be watching tomorrow?

5 Teams That Need To Step Up During Conference Tournament Week

We are less than six days away from Selection Sunday where 65 teams will get a ticket to the biggest tournament in sports. However those teams on the bubble have one last chance to make their case for one of those 65 spots. Here are five teams that need a good showing in their conference tournament in order to have a good chance of getting their ticket punched on Sunday.

Syracuse (19-12 (9-9 Big East))-A good end to the season for the Orangemen as they won two straight games heading to Madison Square Garden. Before that Syracuse lost 6 of 7, four of the six were by single digits. The Orangeman have no good non conference wins to account for and losses to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and South Florida doesn't help their resume. They do have conference wins over Georgetown and Marquette. A win or two in the Big East tournament should mean the Orangemen are in right? Consider this, last year Syracuse ended the year 22-10 including 10-6 in the Big East and they didn't get an invitation to the dance. If this years team wants to get their ticket punched they should at least get to the semifinal game of the Big East tournament to feel good about their chances.

Maryland (18-13 (8-8 ACC))-Back to back losses that really could of helped the resume puts the Terps in a position where they really have to make the ACC Championship game in order to feel safe in getting in. They have some bad non conference losses to Missouri, American, and Ohio along with getting swept by rival Duke. They do however have a huge win at North Carolina on the resume but that might be the only bright spot on the resume. Good news for the Terps is the first opportunity to see one of the two powerhouses in the semifinals.

Baylor (20-9 (9-7 Big 12))-The Bears have officially wrapped up the #5 seed in the Big 12 tournament and unless Colorado plays the game of their lives, Baylor will play Oklahoma in the Quarterfinals. If they can get past the Sooners the Bears should feel good about their chances of getting into the tournament. The problem is Baylor has lost both meetings with Oklahoma this season by a combine total of seven points. Will third time be a charm for the Bears? Non conference games include wins over Notre Dame and Winthrop and close losses to Washington State and Arkansas. No bad losses on Baylors resume.

Kentucky (18-11 (12-4 SEC))-The Wildcats are one of the hottest teams in the nation right now losing just twice in their last 13 contests. They should be in with just one win the SEC tournament, and they need to make sure they don't get blown out if they happen to lose in the SEC tournament. They do have glaring losses earlier this season to Gardner Webb and San Diego but their strength is 13th best in the nation because of games against North Carolina, Indiana, and Louisville (all losses).

Dayton (20-9 (8-8 A-10))- The Flyers soared through the non conference season, picking up great wins against Big East foes Louisville and Pittsburgh. But a struggle during the conference season has put Dayton in a tough spot. They have the 8th seed in the A-10 tournament, which if they can get past Saint Louis, has them facing big time rival Xavier for a third time. They realistically need to win that second round game against Xavier to feel decent about an at large birth. This team has the talent to win the A-10 it is just a matter of will they come to play.

Selection Sunday is six days away. I hope everyone enjoys a great week of championship basketball, because I know I will.

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

Freshman Phenoms Teams Struggling As Dance Is Upon Us

O.J Mayo and Michael Beasley are two of the best freshman playing college basketball this season. Both players are averaging over 20 points per contest, and both decided not to go to the elite basketball programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kansas or Indiana. Despite how much game these future NBA All-Stars have, both Mayo and Beasley are having a hard time getting to the big dance next month. They both are seeing that basketball is a team game, and neither of these guys have the supporting cast to carry them into the field of 65. So they have to carry their teams themselves. Beasley looked like his Wildcats had all but wrapped up an at large bid. However they are back on the bubble again after losing four out of the last five games including losses to Nebraska and Texas Tech. USC has won two straight since losing at home to arch rival UCLA, but still is looking for another good win to put on their resume. They beat UCLA at UCLA earlier in January, but that is their only good win. Losses to Mercer and California are the only real blemishes on their resume. Both teams are safely in ESPN's Bracketology, but as March creeps closer both teams could be bumped out in the coming weeks.

Kansas States Road To The Dance
Looks like the Wildcats are gonna push their losing streak to four straight and five out of their last six when they face arch rival KU this Saturday in Lawrence. If they can win against Colorado and at Iowa State the Wildcats should have the third seed going into the Big 12 tournament. They would get a bye in the first round of the tournament, and with win in the second round would give them 21 wins on the season which should be good enough to get an at large bid. However beating ISU in Ames is not a going to be a piece of cake as Hilton magic has helped ISU win some big games over ranked opponents the past couple of years. As bad as they are struggling, I think Kansas State is going to ultimately be in the NCAA tournament.



USC's Road To The Dance
Four tough games lie ahead for the Trojans as they finish up the season with Arizona, Arizona State, California, and Stanford. Winning three out of the four games would put them at 20 wins on the season, which seems to be the magical number every year for teams to get into the tournament. Realistically this team could lose the last four games, and wind up having a high seed in the Pac 10 tournament and if they lost first round Mayo and the Trojans would be playing NIT basketball. However I think the Trojans spilt the next two games and win one in the Pac 10 tournament to get them in the NCAA tournament.


Possible Matchup?
I could see an 8 vs 9 first round match up between these two. In fact I think it would be entertaining and is something the committee should look into. It would be inside presence verse a tandem of guards. Mayo and Beasley will battle it out on the hardwood a couple times a year, why not get started early by matching them up in the NCAA tournament?

Nate Gonner is a guest writer for The Sports Flow. He writes his columns every Monday and Thursday for Gonners View. Check his site out here

It's Finally March

It's March Madness time. We have about one week left for the major conferences before the conference tourney's start. Then March 15 it is Selection Sunday. And finally the Thursday of that week is the start of the NCAA Tournament! Boy I can't wait!

So to get you ready for March Madness, I will highlight some games to watch for the remainder of the season that will effect the tournament and show you some great videos to pump you up for the tourney.

Games to keep an Eye on:

March 2
Indiana at Michigan St.
UCLA at Arizona
Villanova at Louisville

March 4
Nebraska at Texas
Arkansas at Mississippi

March 5
Tennessee at Florida
Oklahoma at Oklahoma St.
Texas A&M at Baylor

March 6
Xavier at St. Joseph's
Stanford at UCLA
Arizona St. at Oregon

March 8
Louisville art Georgetown
UAB at Memphis
Stanford at USC
Marquette at Syracuse
North Carolina at Duke

March 9
Michigan St. at Ohio St.
Oklahoma St. at Texas

2007 NCAA Tournament Memories and Highlights

Never too Early for Brackets

I stumbled across some articles on Yahoo and Rivals. Rivals has an early predictions bracket for which teams will make it and what seed they will be. They have a few more articles about teams on the rise and bubble teams. I always love predictions on the NCAA Tournament, it just gets me more excited and eager for March Madness.

I would like to give a few predictions and some insight myself.

Darkhorse Final Four Candidates you could easily pass up:
Arizona
Washington St.
Butler
Xavier
Louisville
Gonzaga
Marquette

My current Final Four Predictions: *(Subject to Change)
Memphis
Michigan St.
UCLA
Georgetown

Mid-Majors to keep an eye on:
Butler
Xavier
Drake
Rhode Island
UMass
Dayton
St. Mary's
VCU
Davidson
Oral Roberts