Conference by Conference Breakdown

As of 3:30pm on 3/11/2012


Automatic Bids: 30
Total Locks: 61
Bubbles: 14

There are technically then 15 teams fighting for 7 spots

ACC: Lock- UNC, Duke, FSU, UVA  Bubble- NC State
America East: Vermont
Atlantic 10: Lock- St. Bonaventure, Temple, Saint Louis, Xavier
Atlantic Sun: Belmont
Big 12: Lock- Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Iowa St., Kansas St.  Bubble- Texas
Big East: Lock- Syracuse, Marquette, ND, Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati, UConn
                Bubble- USF, West Virginia, Seton Hall
Big Sky: Montana
Big South: UNC Asheville
Big 10: Lock- Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue 
Big West: Long Beach St.
CAA: VCU  Bubble- Drexel
C-USA: Lock- Memphis, Southern Miss
Horizon: Detroit 
Ivy: Harvard
Metro Atlantic:  Loyola  Bubble- Iona
Mid-American: Ohio
Mid-Eastern: Norfolk State
Missouri Valley: Lock- Creighton, Wichita State
Mountain West: Lock- New Mexico, San Diego St., UNLV, Colorado State
Northeast: LIU Brooklyn
Ohio Valley: Murray State
Pac-12: Colorado  Bubble- Washington, California, Oregon, Arizona
Patriot: Lehigh
SEC: Lock- Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama  Bubble- Tennessee, Mississippi St., Ole Miss
Southern: Davidson
Southland: Lamar
Summit: South Dakota State 
Sun Belt: Western Kentucky 
SWAC: Mississippi Valley State
WAC: New Mexico State 
WCC: Lock- St. Mary's, Gonzaga  Bubble- BYU



There it is. Keep checking the article, as I will be updating it after every day of games up until Selection Sunday.

Tournament Time 2/27

2/27
Only 2 weeks until Selection Sunday!

ACC

Lock: Duke, UNC, Florida State

Probable: Virginia

Work to Do: Miami, NC State

Big 10

Lock: Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana

Probable: Purdue

Work to Do: Northwestern, Iowa

Big 12

Lock: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas, Iowa State

Probable: Kansas State
Work to Do: Texas

Big East

Lock: Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Louisville

Probable: Cincinnati
Work to Do: South Florida, Seton Hall, West Virginia

Pac-12

Lock: Haha None

Probable: Washington, California, Arizona
Work to Do: Oregon, Colorado,

SEC

Lock: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt

Probable: None
Work to Do: Mississippi, Alabama, Mississippi State, Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas

Mountain West

Lock: New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV

Probable: None

Work to Do: Colorado State, TCU

Atlantic-10

Lock: Temple

Probable: Saint Louis

Work to Do: UMass, Xavier, LaSalle, St. Joseph, St. Bonaventure, UMass, Dayton

CAA

Lock: None

Probable: VCU, Drexel, George Mason

Work to Do: Georgia State, Old Dominion

Others

Lock: Murray State, Creighton, St. Mary’s, Wichita State, Gonzaga, Long Beach State

Probable: Harvard, Nevada, Iona, BYU

Work to Do: Belmont, Cleveland State, Oral Roberts, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Loyola Marymount, Davidson, Memphis, Akron, Valparaiso, Loyola (MD), Southern Miss, South Dakota State, UT-Arlington, Weber State, Montana, UNC Asheville

Tournament Time 2/20

Only 3 weeks until Selection Sunday!

ACC

Lock: Duke, UNC, Florida State

Probable: Virginia

Work to Do: Miami, NC State

Big 10

Lock: Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin

Probable: Indiana

Work to Do: Purdue, Minnesota, Northwestern

Big 12

Lock: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas

Probable: Iowa State, Kansas State

Work to Do: Texas

Big East

Lock: Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Louisville

Probable: Cincinnati

Work to Do: West Virginia, South Florida, Seton Hall

Pac-12

Lock: Haha None

Probable: Washington, California

Work to Do: Oregon, Colorado, Arizona

SEC

Lock: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt

Probable: None

Work to Do: Mississippi, Alabama, Mississippi State

Mountain West

Lock: New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV

Probable: None

Work to Do: Colorado State

Atlantic-10

Lock: Temple

Probable: Saint Louis

Work to Do: UMass, Xavier, LaSalle, St. Joseph

CAA

Lock: None

Probable: VCU, Drexel, George Mason, Old Dominion

Work to Do: Georgia State

Others

Lock: Murray State, Creighton, St. Mary’s, Wichita State, Gonzaga

Probable: Harvard, Nevada, Long Beach State, Iona

Work to Do: Cleveland State, Oral Roberts, Middle Tennessee, BYU, New Mexico State, Loyola Marymount, Davidson, Memphis, Akron, Valparaiso, Loyola (MD), Southern Miss, South Dakota State, UT-Arlington

Weekend Preview 2/17

With Selection Sunday just over three weeks away, some teams are looking for a statement win to put on their NCAA tournament resume.

Here are a few bubble teams that have a chance to get a big win this weekend:

Kansas State @ #10 Baylor

K State is 6-7 in the Big 12 and really needs a win to put them back into the top half of the conference. Baylor won the first meeting at Kansas State by 2.

UConn vs. #13 Marquette

UConn is going to need some late season magic to have a chance to defend their title. They welcome in second place Marquette to Storrs, CT. UConn needs a boost after losing 6 of its last 8.

NC State vs. #21 Florida State

NC State blew their chance at getting a huge win by blowing a 20 point lead to Duke. Luckily, they can redeem themselves with a home win against a ranked Florida State, coming off a buzzer beater win against Virginia Tech.

Arkansas vs. #12 Florida

6 teams in the SEC are 6-5 or 5-6. Arkansas needs a win against Florida to stay alive in the tournament hunt. Florida has lost 2 of its last 3, but remains the SEC’s second best team.

Purdue vs. #8 Michigan State

Purdue lacks a big conference win and this could be it. Michigan State is coming off an impressive road win at Ohio State. Purdue is currently on the right side of the bubble and a win here should make them a lock for the tourney.

This weekend only has two games featuring two ranked teams, but this weekend is special because it is highlighted by a couple Bracketbuster matchups. Here are some games I am really looking forward to this weekend:

#6 Ohio State @ #19 Michigan

This is the big one. Ohio State is coming off a rare loss to the Spartans and will be looking to avoid consecutive losses. Michigan is undefeated at home this year and a win would keep them in the hunt for a Big-10 regular season title.

#11 UNLV @ New Mexico

First place in the Mountain West: UNLV? No, SDSU? No, it is New Mexico. The Lobos have taken over first place in the MWC after winning at San Diego State. UNLV has lost their last two road games, but did beat New Mexico 80-63 in their first matchup. The Lobos have quietly been taking care of business and could be a tough out in the NCAA tourney.

#16 St. Mary’s @ #14 Murray State

This is the big Bracketbuster matchup of the weekend. Even though we expected Murray State to be undefeated, it should still be a great game. We will figure out how good Murray State actually is and if St. Mary’s is good enough to dethrone Gonzaga as the WCC’s top team.

Wichita State @ Davidson

Wichita State has proven itself to be the MVC’s top team and has won 13 of 14 in 2012. Davidson should win its conference this year. It will be interesting to see how they play against the caliber of Wichita State because they haven’t played a team this good in a while.

Nevada @ Iona

These two teams make for another good Bracketbuster matchup. Iona has two very good players in Scott Machado and Michael Glover. It is hard to tell how good they are because they have yet to play a ranked team and have some very questionable losses. Nevada is another solid team without a quality win, but they have their conference title locked up. Both teams will provide a tough matchup in the NCAA tourney.

Long Beach State @ Creighton

Long Beach State played a tough non-conference schedule, but is undefeated in the Big West. They should make the tourney even if they don’t win their conference tourney. Creighton is having a solid year behind the scoring of Doug McDermott. They have lost 3 of their last 4, but should make the tourney regardless of their finish. Creighton leads the nation in FG%.

Super Lintendo

He did it again and better than ever.

Tournament Time 2/13

2/13

 Tournament Time

 ACC

Lock: Duke, UNC, Florida State
Probable: None
Work to Do: Virginia, Miami, NC State

Big 10

Lock: Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin

Probable: Indiana
Work to Do: Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota

 Big 12

Lock: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas

Probable: Iowa State
Work to Do: Kansas State, Texas

 Big East

Lock: Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame

Probable: Louisville

Work to Do: West Virginia, Cincinnati, South Florida, UConn, Seton Hall

 Pac-12

Lock: Haha None
Probable: Washington, California
Work to Do: Oregon, Colorado, Arizona

 SEC

Lock: Kentucky, Florida

Probable: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt
Work to Do: Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama

 Mountain West

Lock: San Diego State, UNLV

Probable: New Mexico
Work to Do: Wyoming, Colorado State

 Atlantic-10

Lock: Temple

Probable: Saint Louis
Work to Do: UMass, Xavier, LaSalle

CAA

Lock: None

Probable: VCU, Drexel, George Mason

Work to Do: Old Dominion, Georgia State

Others

Lock: Murray State, Creighton, St. Mary’s, Wichita State, Gonzaga

Probable: Harvard, Nevada, Southern Miss

Work to Do: Cleveland State, Oral Roberts, Middle Tennessee, BYU, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Loyola Marymount, Davidson, Iona, Memphis, Akron, Valparaiso, Loyola (MD),  

Linsanity

How does a California state player of the year not get a Division 1 athletic scholarship? That doesn't make any sense. He wanted Stanford, they didn't want him. This was a steal for Harvard. He never averaged over 20 points a game, but there was no questioning his talent. In his junior year, Lin was the only Division 1 player to finish in the top ten in his conference for scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage. He went undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft. He eventually ended up on the Warriors and played 29 games with them before going to play for the Rockets. They decided they needed to cut him, so they could sign someone else. Now Lin, plays for the New York Knicks and has gotten a lot of playing time with all of their injuries.

In his last four games, Lin has scored 25, 23, 28, and 38. He is putting up these numbers with a high field goal percentage, and at least seven assists in each game. Every time he touches the ball, the crowd at Madison Square Garden goes crazy.

NBA All-Star Rosters

Western Conference                                                                Eastern Conference

         

         Starters                                                                                      Starters

   G Chris Paul                                                                             G Derrick Rose

   G Kobe Bryant                                                                         G Dwyane Wade

   F Kevin Durant                                                                        F LeBron James

   F Blake Griffin                                                                         F Carmelo Anthony

   C Andrew Bynum                                                                    C Dwight Howard

         Reserves                                                                                   Reserves

  C Marc Gasol- Memphis Grizzles                                   C Roy Hibbert- Indiana Pacers

  F LaMarcus Aldridge- Portland Trail Blazers                 F Joe Johnson- Atlanta Hawks

 F Kevin Love- Minnesota Timberwolves                         F Andre Iguodala- Philadelphia 76ers

  F Dirk Nowitzki- Dallas Mavericks                                F Chris Bosh- Toronto Raptors

  G Tony Parker- San Antonio Spurs                                 F Paul Pierce- Boston Celtics

  G Steve Nash- Phoenix Suns                                           F Luol Deng- Chicago Bulls

  G Russell Westbrook- Oklahoma City Thunder              G Deron Williams- New Jersey Nets

Where is Rondo?! The guy is second in the league in assists. The Eastern Conference only has one reserve guard. It almost makes too much sense to pick him. He is averaging more points and rebounds per game, and his field goal, free throw, and three point percentage are all higher than his All-Star season last year. Not only that, his team is worse than it has been in recent years. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have both been injured and there has been more pressure on him to perform. The East roster was just harder to make this year. Guys like Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Danny Granger, and Josh Smith were well-derserving of a spot too. Some of the players on the Western Conference team are questionable. Dirk is a fantastic player, but he is definitely not having an All-Star caliber year. Also, old guys like Steve Nash and Tony Parker are big names, but they don't belong there this year. I think it is funny to see Marc Gasol and not Pau Gasol on the roster. Kevin Garnett's streak of 14 and Tim Duncan's streak of 13 consecutive all-star appearances has come to a close.

With the All-Star game being played in Orlando, look out for Dwight Howard to make a statement in front of his home crowd, or at least for now his home crowd.

No More Ochocinco

Chad Ochocinco is changing his name back to Chad Johnson. Is this a joke? I can never tell with this guy.

Chad Ochocinco Name Change

Is the Streak Coming to an End?

Sorry to disappoint you all, but this is not an article about Adam Morrison. I know it's an awesome picture, but keep reading and you will see why it is relevant.

Thursday’s slate of college basketball games does not feature a Duke-UNC or Syracuse-Georgetown matchup, but there is one game I am really looking forward to watching.

There is a lot on the line for tonight’s St. Mary’s-Gonzaga game. In recent years, St. Mary’s has been close at ending Gonzaga’s reign atop the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga has won eleven straight WCC regular season championships, the longest streak in the nation, and the second longest of all-time. UCLA won 13 straight Pac-10 championships from 1966-1979. The big talk in the WCC was the arrival of BYU to potentially end Gonzaga’s streak. But, it is the Gaels of St. Mary’s that are on top of the conference with a record of 11-0. At 8-2 in the conference, Gonzaga needs to win this game to have a realistic chance of catching St. Mary’s. With a win tonight, the Gaels could give themselves a three game lead heading in the final six games of the season. Basically a win tonight, would ensure St. Mary’s a WCC championship, ending Gonzaga’s streak.

It’s not going to be easy though. Playing in Spokane is never easy and the fans are going to be fired up for this one. Elias Harris, Kevin Pangos, and Robert Sacre are the Bulldogs’ top players.  The only loss at home this year for Gonzaga came against Michigan State. St. Mary’s hasn’t lost since December 22^nd and that was to Baylor. They beat Gonzaga by 21 the first go-around at McKeon Pavilion. I have a feeling this one is going to be much closer.

Rivalry Week at it's Finest

In case you missed it, or you just want to see it again, here's is Austin Rivers's game winning shot to beat the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. Duke was down 10 points with a little over two minutes to go and they started to knock down big shots. Why didn't Tyler Zeller have his hands up? I don't know.

This was a huge win for Duke and the rest of the ACC. Florida State wasted a huge opportunity by losing at Boston College. Had North Carolina or Florida State won their game, they would have had sole possession of first place in the ACC. Now UNC, Duke, and FSU are tied for first with UVA, NC State, and Miami right behind.



College Basketball's Ultimate Night

Today is a great day for college basketball.

Three matchups featuring top 11 teams. Are you kidding me?!

Let’s preview some of tonight’s great games.

 

#11 Georgetown  at  #2 Syracuse

Both teams are off to great starts. Georgetown lost some key players from last year, but has gotten out to an 8-3 start in the Big East. Syracuse, despite all the Bernie Fine allegations, has only lost one game all year and is college basketball’s deepest team. Syracuse destroyed St. John’s in Fab Melo’s first game back from a suspension due to academics. Before you pick Syracuse to win this game, just know that the away team won both matchups last year. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim needs one more victory to pass Dean Smith and take over third place on the Division I all-time wins list. Boeheim enters Wednesday’s game with 879 career victories. In addition to passing Smith on the career victories list, Boeheim would have the most wins by a coach at one school. Expect a 33,000 plus crowd tonight at the Carrier Dome.

Prediction:  Syracuse 69  Georgetown  59

#10 Kansas  at  #6 Baylor

Baylor received a major wake-up call when Kansas destroyed them at Allen Fieldhouse to give them their first loss. Since then Baylor has only lost once and that was against the talented Mizzou Tigers. Missouri is currently a half game up on both teams in the Big 12 standings and tonight’s winner will join the Tigers with a 9-2 conference record. Tonight’s matchup features many standout players including Kansas’s Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor who combined for 55 points in the first Kansas-Baylor game. Kansas is coming off a three point loss at Missouri and will be looking to extend its streak of not losing consecutive games for over six years, a span of 227 games.  Baylor will need a big game from Perry Jones III to win this one.

Prediction:  Kansas 78  Baylor 76

#9 Duke  at  #5 North Carolina

It’s the biggest rivalry in college basketball, maybe in all of college sports, and sports in general. Here’s a stat that sums up this incredible rivalry. The combined score of the last 75 Duke-UNC basketball games is 5,858-5,857, with Duke having a one point advantage. That’s simply incredible. UNC is tied with Florida State atop the ACC standings, while Duke is one game back. People have overlooked UNC, after their blowout loss to FSU, but they are still a national championship caliber team. Duke is talented, but hasn’t been as dominating usual, with home losses to FSU and Miami. Backcourt advantage goes to Duke with Seth Curry and Rivers, while the frontcourt advantage goes to UNC with Tyler Zeller, John Henson, and Harrison Barnes. North Carolina has yet to lose at home this year and I don’t see that first loss coming tonight.

Prediction:  North Carolina 81  Duke 72

If you are a college basketball fan, then you will be in heaven tonight. Three top 11 games, two of college basketball’s best rivalries, and some of the country’s best coaches make for a night to remember. Enjoy!

Boston vs. New York

When I get sad about the Patriots loss, I look at this to make me feel better.

Boston, MA

Titletown, USA

Heartbreaker

I am a very superstitious person. I chose not to write an article leading up to the Superbowl because I did not want to jinx my Patriots. Turns out it wouldn’t have made a difference.

Everyone knew this was going to be a close game. Anyone who thought it would be a blowout is crazy. The setup was perfect for the Patriots. In 2007, the Patriots were the favorites, beat the Giants in the regular season, and ended up losing. Because the Giants were favored by most analysts and beat the Patriots in the regular season, I thought they might end up losing. The football gods were simply not on New England’s side.

It all started with the very first offensive play by the Patriots. An intentional grounding call in the endzone gave the G-Men a quick 2-0 lead. Really Brady?! You had plenty of time in the pocket and couldn’t find anybody to throw it to, before launching it into no man’s land. The Patriots did a great job of forcing fumbles and with a couple of fortunate bounces, New England could’ve ran away with this game. Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw both fumbled, but the New York Giants recovered both times. The one that hurt the most is when AFC championship game hero Sterling Moore forced a fumble. The Patriots recovered the fumble, but a 12-man on the field penalty negated the turnover. The Patriots had 5 penalties, which combined for more than their previous two playoff games.

The Giants punter Steve Weatherford did a good job of forcing the Patriots bad into field position. Only one of the Patriots nine drives started in front of their 25 yard line and none in front of their own 30. After getting down 9-0, the Patriots rallied for 17 straight points to take a 17-9 lead. In this stretch, Brady led a 96 yard drive and set a Superbowl record with 16 straight completions. The gameplan was certainly different without a full healthy Gronkowski. Gronk had two catches and was targeted three times. Compare that, to Aaron Hernandez’s eight catches on fourteen targets.

Being up by two points from the beginning of the fourth quarter to the final minute was nerve-racking. You just knew the Giants were going to score, but how time would the Patriots have left to put together a final drive. When I saw the David Tyree-esque catch made by Mario Manningham, feelings of 2008 started to set in. It looked like the Giants would run down the clock and kick an easy field goal as time expires to win the Superbowl. But, in one of the strangest plays of NFL history, Ahmad Bradshaw broke through the New England defense, stopped at the goal line, and for some reason, fell into the endzone (momentum?).

New England fans were given some hope. 57 seconds left, 2 timeouts, and 80 yards to go. The Patriots set themselves up for a decent hail mary opportunity and were nearly successful. Imagine if that ball was tipped a foot higher or if Gronkowski was closer to where the ball was deflected. This was a great Superbowl with average commercials, and a mediocre at best halftime show by Madonna. Unfortunately, the Patriots didn’t come out on top, but there is no reason to be bashing Brady and Belicheck. Both the Giants and Patriots have great teams and look out for them to make deep postseason runs again next season.

Tournament Time 2/6

Tournament Time

 Now that football season is over, it’s time to focus on college basketball. Here’s the current tournament picture.

ACC

Lock: Duke, UNC

Probable: Florida State, Virginia

Work to Do: NC State, Miami

Big 10

Lock: Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin

Probable: Indiana

Work to Do: Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota

Big 12

Lock: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas

Probable: Iowa State

Work to Do: Kansas State

Big East

Lock: Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown
Probable: UConn, Notre Dame
Work to Do: West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida

Pac-12

Lock: Haha None
Probable: Washington
Work to Do: California, Oregon, Colorado, Stanford, Arizona

SEC

Lock: Kentucky, Florida
Probable: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt

Work to Do: Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama

Mountain West

Lock: San Diego State, UNLV
Probable: None
Work to Do: New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado State

Atlantic-10

Lock: None
Probable: Temple
Work to Do: UMass, Xavier, LaSalle, Saint Louis

CAA

Lock: None
Probable: VCU
Work to Do: George Mason, Drexel, Old Dominion 

Others

Lock: Murray State, Creighton, St. Mary’s

Probable: Wichita State, Harvard, Nevada, Southern Miss, Harvard, Gonzaga
Work to Do: Cleveland State, Oral Roberts, Middle Tennessee, BYU, Davidson, New Mexico State, Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State, Iona

Wooden Player of the Year

Although, this espn rank em' poll has no say in who wins the Wooden Award, it is interesting to see what the fans think.

Mike Scott is in the lead!

Please read the comments because they are incredibly funny.

ESPN Wooden Award Rank Em' Poll

Lob City

Is this Blake Griffin's best dunk ever?!

Tournament Time 1/30

Tournament Time

It’s not even February, but bubble season has begun. Here’s a breakdown of tournament teams by conference:

ACC

Lock: Duke, UNC

Probable: Florida State, Virginia

Work to Do: NC State, Maryland                            

Big 10

Lock: Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin

Probable: Indiana, Purdue

Work to Do: Illinois, Minnesota

Big 12

Lock: Missouri, Baylor, Kansas

Probable: None

Work to Do: Iowa State, Kansas State

Big East

Lock: Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown

Probable: UConn, West Virginia, Notre Dame

Work to Do: South Florida, Louisville, Cincinnati, Seton Hall

 Pac-12

Lock: Haha None

Probable: Someone has to win the conference

Work to Do: Washington, California, Oregon, Colorado, Stanford, Arizona

SEC

Lock: Kentucky, Florida

Probable: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt

Work to Do: Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama

Mountain West 

Lock: San Diego State, UNLV

Probable: None

Work to Do: New Mexico, Wyoming

 Atlantic-10

Lock: None

Probable: Temple

Work to Do: UMass, Xavier, LaSalle, St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, Dayton

 CAA

Lock: None

Probable: No one has separated themselves from the rest of the pack

Work to Do: George Mason, VCU, Drexel, Old Dominion

Others 

Lock: Murray State, Creighton, St. Mary’s

Probable: Wichita State, Harvard, Nevada, Southern Miss, Harvard, Gonzaga
Work to Do: Memphis, Cleveland State, Oral Roberts, Middle Tennessee, BYU, Long Beach State

Here are some big games that could shake up the field of 68:

Monday:
Missouri at Texas

Tuesday:
Michigan State at Illinois
Vanderbilt at Arkansas
Kansas State at Iowa State

Wednesday:
UConn at Georgetown
Indiana at Michigan

Thursday:
Gonzaga at BYU

Saturday:
Ohio State at Wisconsin
Kansas at Missouri
UNC at Maryland
South Florida at Georgetown
Florida at Vanderbilt
UNLV at Wyoming
Indiana at Purdue
Virginia at Florida State
Marquette at Notre Dame
Middle Tennessee at Denver
Old Dominion at George Mason
Iona at Manhattan

Sunday:
Michigan at Michigan State

Enjoy this week's games!

Deciphering the ACC

Before the season, the take on the ACC was Duke, Carolina and everybody else. Many people still believe this. Let's take a look at the ACC standings. Each team has played 2 conference games and only two teams are 2-0. Here's a hint, I mentioned them earlier. Only two teams lost both conference games, leaving eight teams at 1-1. Did it only take two games for UNC and Duke to separate themselves from the rest of the pack? Let's take a look through the rest of the ACC teams and see if we can figure out this mess.

Boston College was picked to finish last in the ACC. All five of their starters are freshmen and their team has nine total. A finish 11th or higher would certainly be a big surprise. Remember folks, this team has lost to teams such as Holy Cross, UMass, Boston U, Saint Louis, and URI. Everyone expected them to lose badly to UNC, but to beat Clemson on national TV is a shocker. Clemson isn't regarded as one of the ACC's top teams, but they had just come off a 20 point win against Florida State. FSU has had a disappointing start to the season, but they were the clear-cut #3 team in the ACC at the beginning the year. They are a strong defensive and rebouding team, but they have struggled to put points up on the board. Their record is 10-6, but those losses are to good teams like Florida, Michigan State, UCONN, and Harvard (yes, they're good now).

NC State is another team that has the potential to finish right behind Duke and Carolina, but they are very inconsistent. They have a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging between 12 and 14 points per game. State beat Texas and a good Maryland team, but lost to 8-8 Georgia Tech at home. Georgia Tech is also very inconsistent. Some of their bad losses include Mercer, Fordham, and Tulane. Then, they almost beat Duke and win at NC State. Georgia Tech is led by first-year coach Brian Gregory. The Yellow Jackets play in Philips Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, because they are currently constructing a brand new arena.

The Hurricanes of Miami are 0-2 in ACC play, but that's because their first two games were at UVA and at UNC. Miami was picked to finish 5th in the ACC. They are 9-6, but 5 of those 6 losses were true road games and they played a tough non-conference schedule. A plus for Miami is that Reggie Johnson is finally healthy and he gives them the big, strong post player they need to compete. Virginia Tech is the other 0-2 team in the ACC. They came into conference play 11-3, winning the games they should have won and losing the games they should have lost. Tech gave Syracuse a good game at Madison Square Garden and was within 5 points with five minutes to go in the game. The Hokies are led by Erick Green who averages 16 points per game and shoots almost 50% from the field. They have struggled to find a second consistent scorer. Only one other player on the team averages double digit points. With losses to Wake Forest and Florida State, Tech appears to be heading towards a finish in the bottom half of the ACC.

Wake Forest has already matched last year's ACC wins total. After a 1-15 year, the Demon Deacons are much improved. Travis McKie and CJ Harris both average over 17 points per game and combine for over half of the team's scoring. Don't expect a huge turnaround in ACC play. They are on their way to another finish in the bottom half of the league, but with the ACC's parity, who knows? Wake Forest's ACC loss was against Maryland. Maryland's 11-4 record looks good, but they have only played one ranked team, Alabama, who is no longer ranked. The Terps are led by sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin. He averages over 20 points per game and will likely be an ACC first team player. Maryland also has a talented 7 foot 1 freshman center from Ukraine named Alex Len. He averages around 12 points and 8 rebounds per game, plus averages 2.4 blocks per game. Len missed the first nine games of the season and the Terps are 5-1 with him in the lineup. Maryland looks to be heading in a good direction, but with 2 games against UVA, UNC, and Duke it is tough to tell where they finish in the conference.

So, I have talked about every team in the ACC, except for one. There's a reason why I waited until the end to mention the Cavaliers of Virginia. This is because I believe they are the definite third best team in the ACC. We should not be talking about who is going to finish third in the ACC, we should be talking about who is going to finish fourth. The team is off to its best start since the Ralph Sampson era. The reason for their great start is defense. UVA is one of the country's top teams in scoring defense. Virginia played Duke right down to the wire at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the toughest place to play in college basketball. Though they lost be three, they proved that they can compete with the top teams in the league. The score was 61-58. Duke averages over 80 points per game and UVA held them to their lowest point total of the season. By scoring 61 points, Duke became only the second team all year to score more than 60 points on Tony Bennett's stingy defense. UVA's best player Mike Scott is one of the country's most underrated players and a lot of UVA's success relies on him. He averages 17 points per game and shoots nearly 60% from the field. UVA is a good free throw shooting and three point shooting team thanks to players such as Sammy Zeglinski, Joe Harris, and Malcolm Brogdon. UVA plays UNC twice, but the rest of their games are very winnable. Third-year coach Tony Bennett should a candidate for coach of the year. Expect UVA to finish in the top three in the ACC and get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007 and only the third time since 1997.

Predictions:

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Florida State
5. NC State
6. Miami
7. Maryland
8. Virginia Tech
9. Clemson
10. Georgia Tech
11. Wake Forest
12. Boston College

Between teams 4 and 7, and teams 8 to 11, you might as well pick from a hat, that's how much of a mess the league is in. This will likely be the ACC's last year with 12 teams, as Syracuse and Pittsburgh join for the 2012-2013. Then there will be more than 2 elite teams every year. Until then, enjoy the ACC's parity and make sure to watch some basketball this weekend.

Should the ACC beware of UVa?

The Virginia Cavaliers have been criticized for their weak non-conference schedule this season, during which the Wahoos pulled off a 13-1 record, with the lone loss to TCU at the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands. However, Tony Bennett's squad got solid wins at Oregon and LSU, as well as a convincing win at home against then-ranked 14th Michigan. As the season has transitioned into conference play, we have seen UVa take on two tough ACC competitors in Miami and Duke; in these two games, the Cavs put up solid performances, and as a result I think it's safe to say that the Wahoos belong in the top tier of the ACC. Although both games came down to the wire, the 'Hoos proved that rather than breaking down in adverse situations as they have in the past, they are now a team that will not back down and will not let up, and this is why UVa's competitors should not take this team lightly.

Last season, the Cavs lost two heart-breaking games to the Miami Hurricanes, both of which ended in OT. Furthermore, the second meeting between the two teams last season came in the first round of the ACC Tournament; the 'Hoos gave up a 10 point lead with 40 seconds to go in regulation, then subsequently lost in stunning fashion by seven in OT. After putting up a dominant defensive showing in the first half of this season's match-up, the Hurricanes were once again able to come back and give themselves an opportunity to steal another win from the Cavs. However, this time, UVa stepped up to the challenge and closed the game out with their impressive and stout defense--one of the best in the country. Miami is undoubtedly a tough team to beat, but the Cavs finally got their game together and put away a good team.

Following the close victory against Miami, the Cavs faced an even tougher test in Duke, at Cameron Indoor. One of the top defenses against one of the top offenses in the nation. The Blue Devils pulled it out at home, but just barely. The 61-58 loss for the 'Hoos is a really tough one to swallow, however, it is an extremely encouraging loss. Tony Bennett knows his team better than anyone, and for him to claim that they didn't execute in all facets against Duke is quite the statement. The 'Hoos got off to a good start in the game, mainly as a result of Mike Scott's performance. Scott dropped 16 points in the first half--just as many as the rest of his teammates combined--to boost his team to a 4-point halftime lead. UVa held Duke to only two 3-pointers in the first half, which was a major defensive key for the Wahoos going into the matchup. Additionally, the Blue Devils had absolutely no answer for Mike Scott in the first half, as he went 7-10 shooting. The second half was a bit of a different story for both teams however. Duke stepped it up defensively, limiting the number of open looks for the Cavaliers, especially for Mike Scott. Austin Rivers and Seth Curry put up solid second half performances, but I think the key for Duke was the spark provided by the Plumlee brothers. UVa's defense somewhat broke down early in the second half, which allowed Rivers and Curry to get good looks inside to the brothers. Although UVa lost this game, so many positives came as a result; the depth of this team has been a very important discussion as of late, particularly because of the departure of two more class of 2010 recruits--James Johnson and K.T. Harrell. However, Bennett got some really valuable bench production from freshmen Malcolm Brogdon, Paul Jesperson, and Darion Atkins, and especially from sophomore Akil Mitchell, who ignited the 'Hoos and kept their opportunity to win alive with a late put-back slam. Defensively, the Cavaliers could not have done that much better. I think the key in determining the game was the play of UVa's senior guard Sammy Zeglinski. Zeglinski came into the game averaging nearly 10 points per contest; however, to put it simply, he laid an egg in this one. Zeglinski went 0 for 8 from the field, and got a number of good looks. You can't blame the guy for the loss--it happens to every athlete. If this game was played at a neutral site, I think the advantage goes to the 'Hoos.

The Cavaliers may be one of the most underrated teams not only in the ACC, but in the nation, and to nearly pull off an upset at Cameron solidifies the fact that UVa is a force to be reckoned with. A major proponent of this team's success has been Mike Scott. He is one of the most underrated players in the nation, averaging 17 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game. After his stellar performance against Duke, he has to be considered a top candidate for the ACC Player of the Year Award, and he should definitely be considered a candidate for the Wooden Award. Scott and much-improved big man Assane Sene have combined to form an extremely reliable post defense. Furthermore, his dominance on the court has allowed Joe Harris and Sammy Zeglinski to get even more looks from the outside as a result of double-teams implemented against him. At this point, UVa needs that third consistent scorer behind Scott and Harris, and that player has to be Sammy Zeglinski. He is a dangerous, yet streaky scorer, and it is absolutely necessary that he becomes that consistent spark for the 'Hoos in order for this team to continue its success.

The biggest surprise to me has been the bench play for this team. Freshman Malcolm Brogdon, in particular, has been the 6th man for this team, averaging about 7 points per game. Brogdon is a smart and mature player, and he is going to be a huge factor for the Cavaliers this season. In addition to Brogdon, we have seen increased minutes for sophomore Akil Mitchell and freshman Darion Atkins, who will both comprise the front court for Virginia in the coming years. These two big men are very athletic and have made a number of highlight plays this season. Last but not least, I think freshman Paul Jesperson--who dropped his redshirt status as a result of the two transfers--finally has his sea legs under him, as he has put together two straight solid efforts against tough ACC teams. I expect Jepserson's role as a sharp shooter to increase as he becomes more comfortable on the court--don't forget: he has only played 5 games thus far.

Ultimately, this is still a young, but well-coached team, and I expect them to continue successfully throughout the remainder of the season.

The Dominance of SEC Football: When Will it End

January 4^th, 2006. Rose Bowl. Texas vs. USC. Vince Young vs. Matt Leinart. Texas beat USC 41-38 in one of the greatest championship games of all-time. What’s the significance? Look at the NCAA champions since then:

2006- Florida

2007- LSU

2008- Florida

2009- Alabama

2010- Auburn

2011- Alabama

You guessed it. They are all from the Southeastern Conference. Everyone knows the SEC is the best football conference in America, but how come no other conference has been able to beat them in the championship game? Well this year, the BCS chose two SEC teams to play for the title, ending any hopes of breaking the streak. The SEC dominated college football this year. At one point in the season, LSU was #1, Alabama was #2, and Arkansas was #3. Not only are those three teams from the SEC, but they are from the SEC West. Luckily, the BCS has a rule that one conference cannot have more than one at-large BCS bid. If they didn’t have this rule, Arkansas and South Carolina could have easily played in a BCS game this year.

Will this dominance continue? You would have to think so. With all of these big bowl wins, the SEC is bringing in much more money than any other conference. The SEC won six bowls this year, more than any other league. This source of revenue, plus the revenue from television contracts is being split between the conference’s twelve schools. This benefits everyone from champions Alabama to 2-10 Ole Miss. The more money these schools have, the more effectively they will continue to recruit and obtain the nation’s top players.

Another reason why the SEC will continue to dominate is because of conference realignment. The Big East is in shambles. The Pac 10 added Colorado and Utah to become the Pac 12. The Big 12 lost some good teams and added TCU. The Big 10 added Nebraska to make a 12-team conference. The ACC added Syracuse and Pittsburgh to make 14. Notre Dame is still independent. What did the SEC do? They added Missouri and Texas A&M. The best high school football players are in Texas. Now, these players can choose to stay in the state of Texas and play in the best conference in America. This is certainly a game changer for years to come.

While the SEC is emerging, many of college football’s great programs have been recently declining.

Florida State was a powerhouse in the 1990’s, winning titles in 1993 and 1999, while losing in the title game in 1996 and 1998. Those two losses were to Florida and Peyton Manning’s Tennessee, both SEC teams. FSU has still kept its streak of bowl appearances, but has not made a run for the title since they won it all in 1999.

The University of Miami was a powerhouse in the 1990s and early 2000s. They won it all in 2002 and were runner ups in 2001, 1994, and 1992. Since their championship, Miami has not been impressive and chose not to enter a bowl game this year. They are also dealing with serious NCAA allegations.

The University of Nebraska has been one of the nation’s most successful college football programs. They won back to back titles in 1994 and 1995, and also won a shared national title in 1997. Since 2001, Nebraska has taken a step back in the Big 12, thanks to Oklahoma and Texas, and will move on to the Big 10.

It’s fair to call Notre Dame, Michigan, and Penn State great college football schools. Notre Dame won a title in 1998, Michigan won it all in 1997, and Penn State won a championship in 1986. Since their titles, none of these schools have been back to the championship game.

Since 2003, Ohio State and Oklahoma have each had two chances to beat an SEC team in a national title game. Ohio State lost to Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2007. The combined margin of defeat was 41 points, so neither game was close. After a 6-7 season and facing serious NCAA allegations, the Buckeyes will likely remain out of the national title spotlight for awhile. Oklahoma lost to LSU in 2003 and Florida in 2008. To add to Bob Stoops’s frustration, they lost to USC in 2004. They have come so close, that you figure they will be the team to end the SEC’s streak. Before they start thinking about winning a title, they need to back the title as Oklahoma’s best team. This year Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma 44-10, won the Big 12, beat Stanford to win a BCS bowl, and will finish the season as the nation’s #3 team.

The SEC has a good chance to extend their streak to 7 as LSU is the preseason favorite for the 2012 season. Alabama is losing a lot of players, but they will be very good, as will Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas.

If you look at this year’s final AP poll, the top 7 includes three SEC teams, three Pac-12 teams, and Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State will definitely need to rebuild, now that Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon are gone. Stanford will certainly drop off now that Andrew Luck is likely to go to the NFL. This leaves #4 Oregon and #6 USC as the top two non-SEC teams. Oregon returns quarterback Darron Thomas and the defense will be improved from last season. Losing star running back LaMichael James to the draft is a huge loss. The guy ran for over 1800 yards and that’s with missing two games. Oregon has another runningback who might be faster and better than James. His name is DeAnthony Thomas aka the Black Mamba. Not only is he a good runningback, he was Oregon’s leading receiver, and is a serious special teams threat. As for USC, they flew under the radar this season. They went 10-2, won at Oregon, and lost in triple overtime to Stanford. Their two year post-season ban is now over and star quarterback Matt Barkley and all Pac-12 safety TJ McDonald are both returning to USC for their senior seasons.

There is no way the SEC will get two teams in the title game again next year. That was an incredible feat, but I think it will not happen again until the BCS changes to a playoff system. 

2012 Prediction

Championship: LSU vs. Oregon

Barring a major surprise, USC and Oregon will meet in next year’s Pac-12 championship game. This game will have conference championship implications, but it could be a virtual play-in game for the national title.

The offseason is just beginning, but 2012 should be another great year for college football.