NCAA Tournament Predictions: South Region

Here's our picks and bracket breakdown of the South Region

1st Round

1. Kentucky vs. 16. Western Kentucky
The battle for Kentucky. I'm sure a lot of WKU fans like the Wildcats as well. WKU is below .500, the Cats have NBA talent all over the floor.
The Pick: Kentucky

8. Iowa St. vs. 9. UConn
The Clones love to shoot the 3 and do it well shooting at a 38% clip. They also have Royce White, who is a rebounding machine and a tough matchup inside. UConn has been inconsistent the whole season. Their defense is terrible and they turn it over quite a bit. UConn has some of the best talent in the country though, but we're still not believing some of their hype.
The Pick Iowa State

5. Wichita State vs 12. VCU
We all know VCU made the epic run last season.  They did so because they had athletes and size all over the court.  They also shot the 3 very well.  This season they only shoot 33% from long range. The Rams will win if they can force their tempo and cause turnovers.  The problem is, Wichita St. doesn't turn it over. They can play any style but they will try to force VCU into a half court game.  The play of 7-0 Center Garrett Stutz will  be a key factor as well.
The Pick: Wichita State

4. Indiana vs. 13. New Mexico State
Indiana plays very well as a team. Tom Crean has really turned this program around.  Cody Zeller and Christian Watford are beasts down low. NMSU relies on it's interior play. They're one of the best rebounding teams in the country.  Wendell McKines avg a double-double and 6'11 post Hamidu Rahman is a beast down low. These two can counter Zeller and Watford. The Hoosiers will be missing Verdell Jones III as well.
The Pick: NMSU

6. UNLV vs. 11. Colorado
UNLV is a transition team and all of their losses have come when the pace was slowed and they were forced to play a half court game. The Buffs like to get out and run as well. I think this will tend to favor UNLV; esp. with Mike Moser and Chase Stanback. Colorado could take this one but on a neutral floor I'll give the Rebs the edge.
The Pick: UNLV

3. Baylor vs. 14 South Dakota State
Baylor has been inconsistent all season. They have the ability and tremendous athleticism and length, but they tend to take way too many jump shots instead of getting to the bucket in transition. Coach Scott Drew will utilize his zone to stop the shooters from SDSU. Nate Wolters is one of the best scorers in the country and Jordan Dykstra can stretch the defense for the Jacks.
The Pick: Baylor

7. Notre Dame vs. 10. Xavier
This is a huge toss-up. Notre Dame plays ugly and when their guards aren't hitting shots they are dead in the water. Xavier has been inconsistent but guards Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons are great slashers that can cause problems.
The Pick: Xavier

2. Duke vs. 15. Lehigh
Ryan Kelly's status is still up in the air but it won't matter.
The Pick: Duke

2nd Round

1. Kentucky vs. 8. Iowa State
If ISU wants to pull off the upset they need to be hot from the outside. There's no way they'll be able to do that with Anthony Davis down low. Royce White will be their only chance and he must get Davis in foul trouble. The Cats have too much talent.
The Pick: Kentucky


5. Wichita St. vs. 13. New Mexico State
NMSU's size could give fits to WSU, but this is where I see the Shockers guards coming into play. NMSU is not known for their guard play.
The Pick: Wichita State

3. Baylor vs. 6. UNLV
This looks more like a Sweet 16 matchup. Baylor will try to slow it down a little bit to catch UNLV off guard. The size and length will be a huge problem for the Rebels.
The Pick: Baylor

2. Duke vs. 10. Xavier
Holloway and Lyons need to be on their A game going against Austin Rivers and Seth Curry. Duke will outwork you and likely out shoot you. I see the Musketeers inconsistent play coming back to bite them.
The Pick: Duke

Sweet 16

1. Kentucky vs. 5. Wichita State
Kentucky has so many pieces that WSU will need to account for. Stutz must stay out of foul trouble but they might use a lot of pick and rolls to keep Davis out of the lane. The athleticism and length bodes well for the Cats.
The Pick: Kentucky

2. Duke vs. 3. Baylor
Duke's 3 point shooting will go cold at some point in the tourney.  This could be that game. They do not matchup well at all with the athletes of Baylor. The Bears defense can get lazy at times but they defend the 3 well enough.
The Pick: Baylor

Elite 8

1. Kentucky vs. 3 Baylor
This is my ideal matchup in this region. Both teams can get up and down the floor and have tremendous NBA talent and length. Kentucky has better guards and that could be the difference.
The Pick:: Kentucky

2009-2010 College Basketball Preseason Rankings 2.0

Okay here's my updated version of my preseason top 25.


1. Michigan St.- Sure they lose Suton and Walton, but Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen, and Raymar Morgan are back. Look for the in-coming 6-10 recruits to make an impact.

2. Kansas- All five starters will return, add-in recruit Xavier Henry and this team looks like a national title threat.

3. Purdue- Will Purdue be 2009's Spartans? The 2010 Final Four is in home state Indianapolis and return 7 of their top 8 scorers.

4. Kentucky- The Cats are on the rise once again with John Calipari taking over. Patrick Patterson returns but the loss of Jodie Meeks will be a huge blow. Recruit's DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall will make this team the favorite in the SEC.

5. Texas- The Longhorns were a PG away from being an elite team, Florida transfer Jai Lucas should help fill that void.

6. Villanova- Nova will once again have a dominant backcourt lead by Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher.

7. North Carolina- This will be a totally different Heel team but there will still be plenty of talent.

8. Duke- It will be very tough to replace Gerald Henderson and Elliot Williams. But look for frosh Mason Plumlee to finally give them a valuable inside presence.

9. West Virginia- With Devin Ebanks returning they will be one of the best in the Big East. Da'Sean Butler, Darryl Bryant, Joel Mazzula, and Kevin Jones are back as well.

10. Connecticut- Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, and Stanley Robinson will be back. A decent recruiting class is coming in as well to help fill some voids.

11. Butler- This past season was supposed to be a rebuilding year after losing a lot. All five starters are back.

12. Clemson- 3 of the top 4 scorers are back including ACC POY Trevor Booker. Plus star recruit Milton Jennings should help.

13. Louisville- They lose Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, but still have plenty in the stable. Samardo Samuels should have a breakout year.

14. Illinois- With another year of experience under sophomores Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, and Mike Tisdales' belts, they'll improve.

15. Washington- Look for Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter to keep the Huskies atop the Pac 10.

16. Siena- A nice nucleus (5 of Top 6 scorers) returns for the Saints.

17. Ohio St.- The Buckeyes will be good and I mean that.

18. Dayton- The Flyers are flat-out athletic and talented.

19. Tennessee- the Vols had some problems last year, but there's still too much talent to go around.

20. Georgia Tech- The Jackets return a solid core. With Gani Lawal, Zach Peacock and frosh Derrick Flavors they could make some noise in the ACC. DeAndre Bell is also back from injury.

21. Minnesota- Keep an eye on the Gophers. Royce White is a top recruit who will make the Gophers a top contender in the Big Ten.

22. California- This will be a senior-laden team that has been scratching the surface waiting to break open. Next year will be that year.

23. Gonzaga- The Zags will reload with Demetri Goodson, Matt Bouldin and Stephen Gray all back.

24. Xavier- They drop after Derrick Brown stayed in the draft. But they'll reload with Dante Jackson, Terrence Holloway, Jason Love and IU transfer Jordan Crawford.

25. Michigan- The Wolverines were very inconsistent but looked good in March. The dynamic duo of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will keep them in the thick of things.

Just missed the cut:
Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St., Wisconsin, Mississippi, Mississippi St., Florida, Georgetown, Syracuse, Creighton, UNLV, UCLA

Just make a decision already!

The nations top two high school basketball prospects John Wall and Lance Stephenson have yet to make a decision on their college careers. The late signing period runs from April 15-May 20, so they now have 5 days to make a decision. Time is ticking boys!

This really irks me, these two fine young men have been recruited vastly for the past few years. Why is it taking this long to make a decision? With all due respect to these kids, but they need to just make a decision already!

All of this has been drug on long enough. You just can't keep coaches, recruiters and colleges on their toes this long. I'm sorry that it comes down to this, but I have no other reason than to believe that these guys just want to be in the spotlight. More specifically John Wall.

Wall goes on interview after interview telling multiple sides to his decision. One week he liked Kentucky, then Duke, the next was UNC, believe it or not he was interested in North Carolina Central at one point. And now all of a sudden he loves Miami... Come on Mr. Wall, enough with the games. Just make a decision already.

This is so ridiculous, I just cannot take it anymore and the NCAA is partially to blame. I do not think these kids need a little more than a month to decide. A lot of colleges give you until mid-April to accept admission for regular students. Why should it be any different for the athletes?

The NCAA should reduce it to one week. April 15-22 should be the late signing period for college basketball. This won't keep the coaches waiting so they can get on with their lives and job instead of lurking around waiting and waiting.

I know that this is a tough decision and some refer to it as a business decision. But from the looks of it, it seems more like monkey business. John Wall is just taking advantage of the system and dragging out this process to remain in the spotlight as long as he can. Because once he picks a school, the media will only make a big deal about it for a day or two and the spotlight will end.

I hope the NCAA looks in to this because it's something that should be fixed and kids shouldn't exasperate the decision.

Advice to John Calipari: Take the UK job!

The word is John Calipari and Kentucky are in talks and discussing a potential 8 year/$35 million contract.

Well Mr. Calipari, this is your opportunity. This is what you've been waiting for your whole coaching career! You now have an opportunity to coach for what is IMO, the best coaching job in all of college basketball. I can tell from seeing interviews and you on ESPN over the years, that this job is made for you.

The Kentucky job is what most and every college coach should dream about. Kentucky has some of the best facilities, pay, fan base, and history in all of college basketball.

If you turn down this offer, it will come back to bite you. But I personally doubt you will.

I know you've been working on building Memphis and you've come a long way with it. But this is your opportunity to take a job with such a history-rich program back to where it belongs. This is your ticket to the Hall of Fame coach!

John Calipari is the best man for this job. He is one hell of a recruiter, he's done a very good job making Memphis a household name in College Basketball. But I cannot stress enough how big of a deal this job is.

Like I've said, Kentucky is the best college program in all of College Basketball. It is the winningest program ever, tied for 4th in Final Four appearances, 2nd in total national championships... what is there not to like?

If Calipari takes this job, the SEC and everybody else (including UNC, Duke, Kansas, UConn, Michigan St, etc.) need to watch out! Calipari is a terrific coach and if you give him the resources that Kentucky has, he'll have this program back to where it once was.

College Football Weekend Preview

Auburn at LSU
Just imagine if Auburn knocked off LSU here and took the SEC West lead. Auburn has been playing pretty well lately, but LSU is looking to avenge their loss against Kentucky from last week. LSU's Defense should give fits to Brandon Cox and Auburn's Offense.

The Pick: LSU

Oregon at Washington
This may be a tough game for the Ducks. Washington usually plays pretty well at home and can match up individually with Oregon. The secondary could give Dennis Dixon some trouble as well.

The Pick: Washington

Texas Tech at Missouri
This is a big game for both teams as each is vying for a Big XII Championship appearance. Texas Tech's Offense can score no doubt on Mizzou but can their defense slow down Chase Daniel and the rest of the Tigers' Offense? Expect a game in the 40's.

The Pick: Missouri

Michigan at Illinois
I would have to say this is a must win for both teams if either of them want to contend with OSU for the Big Ten Title. Michigan has been on a roll lately after their embarrassing start to the season. Illinois's talent and overall athleticism will help them play with Michigan.

The Pick: Michigan

Upset of the Week
Colorado over Kansas
Kansas is a good team but other than Kansas St., they really haven't been challenged this season. Should be a pretty good game in Boulder.

D-1AA (FCS) Game of the Week
McNeese St. over Nichols St.
This game will probably determine the Southland Champion.

Game of the Week
Florida at Kentucky
Can Kentucky make it back to back big time wins at home? I have a feeling that the winner of this game will probably be vying with South Carolina for the SEC East Title. Florida desperately needs a win here if they want to play in the SEC Championship or want a BCS Title berth for that matter. We may have another classic here like last weeks game in Lexington.

The Pick: Florida

College Hoops Weekend Preview

There are some intriguing and big games coming up this weekend. Just about the majority of them will have a heavy impact on the conference standings.

Analysis and Predictions
There's one non-conference game that sticks out most to me and I have been anticipating this game from the beginning of the season. UNC-Arizona will square off this Saturday in which will have Final Four implications. The deep and experienced Wildcats will get their shot at the young and highly touted Tar-Heels.

This is a great matchup as both teams love to get up and down the floor. I love the point guard matchup between Tywon Lawson and Mustafa Shakur. But this is where Arizona has the advantage with Shakur, as UNC's Lawson hasn't played in a hostile environment or an experienced team quite like this away from home. The other matchups will be interesting as well with Wayne Ellington guarding Jewann McClellan, Reyshawn Terry on Marcus Williams, and the freshmen on freshmen matchup of Brandan Wright on Chase Buddinger. But the matchup of Tyler Hansbrough and Ivan Radenovic will be very intriguing. Radenovic is a very good defender, but Hansbrough should be able to out physical him inside.

The Tar-Heels weakness will be their perimeter defense. They've had some lapses at times and they definitely showed that they can give up the long ball vs V-Tech. But if Arizona has a terrific shooting night, Zona will walk all over UNC and will win by atleast double digits. But this matchup will be won on the defensive side, both teams are very potent on the offensive side but whoever can come up with stops and force turnovers will come out on top.
The Pick: Arizona 82 UNC 77- Arizona will win because they're playing at home and UNC's young guns haven't played in this big of a game all year outside of Chapel Hill.

Another matchup which will have a big impact on the SEC East race is Tennessee vs Kentucky. Tennessee is a very good shooting team but not having the SEC's leading scorer Chris Lofton will hurt, very badly. Kentucky is improving but they have stuggled at times. The Wildcats have a very balanced attack with Randolph Morris leading the way and with Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley on his side. Kentucky needs to be more consistent on both sides of the court if they want a chance to win the SEC. This will be a big game for them to be able to get things going in the right direction. Meanwhile, Tennessee will need to pick up it's game without their main man and they can't always rely on the long ball. Tennessee will struggle but can easily stay in this game with their strong defense.
The Pick: Kentucky 70 Tennessee 63

The late Sunday matchup between Boston College and Duke will tell us which team is ready to step up as the ACC team that will challenge UNC. Boston College has had some on and off the court problems all year long that's been effecting their game drastically. They just can't seem to get things going as expected. BC has been way too inconsistent. Although they do matchup very well with Duke, playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium will not be an easy task. I like the matchups with first of all Jarred Dudley going at it against Josh McRoberts. Dudley should be able to handle McRoberts well but needs a lot of help from his teammates. I also like the Tyrese Rice-Greg Paulus square off. Paulus has not been his normal self but it's pretty much been the same with Rice.

With the recent departure of Sean Williams, Duke has an edge in the front court. Also depth will factor into this game as Coach K will continue to sub as the game goes on to tire and wear down the Eagles. It's hard to pick Duke in this but BC just can't seem too play well, especially on the road.
The pick: Duke 74 BC 67

Other Predictions:
Wisconsin 75 Iowa 60
UCLA 79 Stanford 71