The NCAA committee was asked to expand the biggest college basketball tournament of the year to ninety six teams. The tournament currently has only 65 teams in it. There is one opening round game in which two teams play and the winner will play the overall number one seed in the tournament. Many people feel that expanding the tournament to 96 will be pointless because there will be a lot of weak teams playing in the tournament. Also it would consume alot of time.
The NCAA took alot of time and thought about the decision. There decision was to expand the tournament to 68 teams not 96. There will be four opening round games instead of 1. They felt that going to 96 teams it would water down the NCAA market. Plus CBS who currently broadcasts the whole tournament says they don't need to make any more profit off the tournament and that 68 teams was enough. This is only the second time in a quarter century that the NCAA has expanded the tournament. The tournament was expanded from 64 to 65 in 2001 and from 48 to 64 to in 1985. The NCAA Felt that the opening round games should seem more important.
Not only is the tournament Field changing also the way fans view the tournament is different. CBS and turner broadcasting signed a 14 year 10.8 billion dollar television contract. This year fans will be able to choose what games they want to watch. The tournament will be televised live. One game will be on CBS and other TNT, TBS, and TruTV. This will give fans more of a chance to see there favorite team play.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
One and Done
There is a big debate whether high school athletes should have to go to college for a year or more after graduating high school or should they be able to enter the draft right after graduating from school. The rule right now is that athletes must attend college for one year or be at least 19 years old before entering the draft. Many people feel the rule should be changed. The commissioner of the NBA David Stern would like to change the draft age to 21.
This rule is a good rule but i think it should be changed. The rule is good because it gives the athlete at least one year to grow and gives more professional scouts a chance to look at the player and see how they will play after high school and against better talent. It also gives alot of college basketball fans a chance to see the really talented players play before they move on to the professional league. The players will also mature after a year out of high school and be able to improve there skills.
The rule should be changed to at a player must be 20 years old before entering the draft or complete at least two years of college. I think this change will help develop the players game even more before going on to the next level. As freshman the players are just learning how to play with better talent and most people develop better skills and get better with experience. With two years experience they will be better prepared for the professional league. Also the rule will allow players to get a better education or possibly a degree. If they have to attend college they should at least get something out of it other than just developing there basketball skills. I know if the players play longer in college there is a greater risk of injury but if they stay longer in college and get a degree then they have that to fall back on.
This rule is a good rule but i think it should be changed. The rule is good because it gives the athlete at least one year to grow and gives more professional scouts a chance to look at the player and see how they will play after high school and against better talent. It also gives alot of college basketball fans a chance to see the really talented players play before they move on to the professional league. The players will also mature after a year out of high school and be able to improve there skills.
The rule should be changed to at a player must be 20 years old before entering the draft or complete at least two years of college. I think this change will help develop the players game even more before going on to the next level. As freshman the players are just learning how to play with better talent and most people develop better skills and get better with experience. With two years experience they will be better prepared for the professional league. Also the rule will allow players to get a better education or possibly a degree. If they have to attend college they should at least get something out of it other than just developing there basketball skills. I know if the players play longer in college there is a greater risk of injury but if they stay longer in college and get a degree then they have that to fall back on.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Offseason Recruiting
The off season has begun and many off recruits have come out an said what college they will be attending next year. The top five recruits have committed to a college. But there are still a few highly skilled recruits left that haven't mad an announcement yet. Three players that haven't made an announcement yet are C.J. Leslie, Terrence Jones, and Cory Joseph.
C.J. Leslie is ranked number eleven out of the top one hundred high school recruits for the 2010 2011 season and ranked number 5 among power forwards. C.J. was a McDonald's all American. Leslie still has not come out an said what college he will be attending next year. His top schools he is considering are University of Kentucky, University of Florida, North Carolina State, and University of Connecticut. Leslie is one out of only six players who have not committed to a school yet. Leslie also said he would like to play with number four recruit Brandon Knight who announced early last week he will be playing at University of Kentucky.
Terrence Jones is ranked number nine in the top one hundred recruits for the 2010 2011 season and ranked 2nd among small forwards. Terrence also was a McDonald's all American. Jones is a 6'9 small forward that can handle the ball very well. Jones top schools include Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Oklahoma, and Washington. Whoever get Jones will benefit alot he is a big man that can handle the basketball and that is very rare in the college basketball these days. Hopefully he will make his decision very soon.
Cory Joseph is ranked 16th in the 2010 2011 recruiting class. Is the ranked 4th among point guards. Joseph is from Canada is was also a McDonald's all American. Joseph is considering Minnesota, Uconn, UNLV, Texas, and Villanova. Joseph is a very dynamic point guard that can create points for himself and his teammates.
C.J. Leslie is ranked number eleven out of the top one hundred high school recruits for the 2010 2011 season and ranked number 5 among power forwards. C.J. was a McDonald's all American. Leslie still has not come out an said what college he will be attending next year. His top schools he is considering are University of Kentucky, University of Florida, North Carolina State, and University of Connecticut. Leslie is one out of only six players who have not committed to a school yet. Leslie also said he would like to play with number four recruit Brandon Knight who announced early last week he will be playing at University of Kentucky.
Terrence Jones is ranked number nine in the top one hundred recruits for the 2010 2011 season and ranked 2nd among small forwards. Terrence also was a McDonald's all American. Jones is a 6'9 small forward that can handle the ball very well. Jones top schools include Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Oklahoma, and Washington. Whoever get Jones will benefit alot he is a big man that can handle the basketball and that is very rare in the college basketball these days. Hopefully he will make his decision very soon.
Cory Joseph is ranked 16th in the 2010 2011 recruiting class. Is the ranked 4th among point guards. Joseph is from Canada is was also a McDonald's all American. Joseph is considering Minnesota, Uconn, UNLV, Texas, and Villanova. Joseph is a very dynamic point guard that can create points for himself and his teammates.
Monday, April 12, 2010
NBA Prospects
The college basketball season has come to an end. Now what will the players do. There was so much talent in college basketball this season. Which players will stay in school and which players will go to the NBA? Many of college players have already made the announcement on what they are going to do. The draft date is June 24th and players that have entered the draft have until may 8th to withdraw there name. The players can play college ball again only if they have not hired an agent.
There are many players who have already come out and said they will be entering the draft. A few of these players include Player of Year Evan Turner five Kentucky Players John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton. Others players include Georgia Techs Derrick Favors, and West Virginia's Devan Ebanks. These are just a few of the players who have decided to go pro. Many of the players entering the 2010 draft are freshman. Who will be drafted first who will have trouble being drafted? Its all up in the air many teams are going to have to rebuild next year.
Who will be drafted first? The First three picks i think will be John Wall from Kentucky will be number one pick. I think he will be the number one pick because if he could have went pro right out of high school many people feel he would have been the number one pick in 2009's draft. He has proven he has the talent he led the Wildcats to the elite eight which many people felt was not good enough considering the talent on the team but Wall once again is just a freshman. The number two pick i think will be the Player of The Year Evan Turner. Turner led the league in many stats columns. He was able to take the roll of point guard this year even though that was not the position he played. Turner led Ohio State without him they would have gone no where. The number three pick i think will be another Kentucky Player Demarcus Cousins. Cousins did not play all the minutes he should have due to foul trouble but when he played he put up incredible numbers and the things he does on the court most big men cannot even dream of doing. Cousins helped lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight he has also matured very much since the beginning of the season.
These are just a few of the players declared for the draft. Any of them can be picked at any time of the draft. It all depends on how the do in there workouts for the NBA teams. It also depends on what the NBA teams need. What positions are available and whats not. Either way there will be a lot of young talent in the Professional League next season.
There are many players who have already come out and said they will be entering the draft. A few of these players include Player of Year Evan Turner five Kentucky Players John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe, and Daniel Orton. Others players include Georgia Techs Derrick Favors, and West Virginia's Devan Ebanks. These are just a few of the players who have decided to go pro. Many of the players entering the 2010 draft are freshman. Who will be drafted first who will have trouble being drafted? Its all up in the air many teams are going to have to rebuild next year.
Who will be drafted first? The First three picks i think will be John Wall from Kentucky will be number one pick. I think he will be the number one pick because if he could have went pro right out of high school many people feel he would have been the number one pick in 2009's draft. He has proven he has the talent he led the Wildcats to the elite eight which many people felt was not good enough considering the talent on the team but Wall once again is just a freshman. The number two pick i think will be the Player of The Year Evan Turner. Turner led the league in many stats columns. He was able to take the roll of point guard this year even though that was not the position he played. Turner led Ohio State without him they would have gone no where. The number three pick i think will be another Kentucky Player Demarcus Cousins. Cousins did not play all the minutes he should have due to foul trouble but when he played he put up incredible numbers and the things he does on the court most big men cannot even dream of doing. Cousins helped lead the Wildcats to the Elite Eight he has also matured very much since the beginning of the season.
These are just a few of the players declared for the draft. Any of them can be picked at any time of the draft. It all depends on how the do in there workouts for the NBA teams. It also depends on what the NBA teams need. What positions are available and whats not. Either way there will be a lot of young talent in the Professional League next season.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Final Four
After all the upsets and buzzer beaters and other madness in this years NCAA tournament the field has been cut from 64 down the final four. The four teams that have avoided a loss through the tournament are Michigan State, Butler, Duke, and West Virginia. Even though these are not the teams that were expected to make it to the final four they did. They battled and fought and now the have a chance to win it all.
Lets look at the left side of the bracket. The match up on this side of the bracket is Michigan State versus Butler. Both teams are a five seed in the tournament. Michigan may be a five seed but they were favored throughout the tournament because they have coach Tom Izzo who always finds a way to win in march. Its incredible how coach Izzo has gotten his team to the final four this year, his leading scorer and star player Kalin Lucas has not played since he was injured in the sweet sixteen. The Spartans are also missing another key player Chris Allen who has been dealing with an injury all season. The Spartans played the Tennessee Volunteers in the Elite Eight and won by one point. This will be Michigan States sixth final four in twelve years. Maybe coach Izzo can actually win one this season.
Butler on the other hand was not expected to make it this far in the tournament. The Butler Bulldogs right now are every ones favorite underdog. The bulldogs have made a very good surprising run through the tournament. The Bulldogs prevented a last second shot against Murray State to move on to the Sweet Sixteen. The next obstacle in the way of the Bulldogs was number one seed Syracuse. The Bulldogs pulled off the unbelievable upset to move on to the Elite Eight. The Elite Eight is where most people felt the Bulldogs run would come to an end when they would face a tough number 2 seed Kansas State. Kansas state would come into the Elite Eight game with no rest. The night before the Elite Eight game Kansas State played the late game and went into two overtimes to pull out the win and get to the Elite Eight, but they ran out of gas against the Bulldogs. Butler is shocker of the tournament and the alot of people pulling for them to win the whole thing.
Lets look at the other side of the bracket. Not so much of a shocker with the teams left on this side of the bracket. The only number one seed left Duke will play the number two seed West Virginia. West Virginia won the Big East conference title which most people feel the Big East is the best conference. West Virginia is not who most people had being in final four on the right side of the bracket. Most people expected the powerhouse of Kentucky to be there, but West Virginia pulled a bit of an upset over the wildcats to get themselves to the Final Four. Even with there starting point guard out with a broken foot the mountaineers managed to beat Kentucky and move on to the Final Four. West Virginia is who i like to win it all. I think if they play the way they have been playing they have a very good chance at winning the whole thing.
The only number one seed left in the tournament the Duke Blue Devils. This is certainly not the first time or the last time Coach K and his Blue Devils have made it this far in the tournament. But it is the first time most people had the Duke Blue Devils being the first number one seed out of the tournament. The Blue Devils have proven many people wrong and have showed that they deserve to be the only number one seed left in the tournament. The Blue Devils have three players that basically run there team and get them wins. The three are Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and John Scheyer. If these three players play the way they have been and Duke continues to make the three ball then they also have a great chance to win the tournament.
Lets look at the left side of the bracket. The match up on this side of the bracket is Michigan State versus Butler. Both teams are a five seed in the tournament. Michigan may be a five seed but they were favored throughout the tournament because they have coach Tom Izzo who always finds a way to win in march. Its incredible how coach Izzo has gotten his team to the final four this year, his leading scorer and star player Kalin Lucas has not played since he was injured in the sweet sixteen. The Spartans are also missing another key player Chris Allen who has been dealing with an injury all season. The Spartans played the Tennessee Volunteers in the Elite Eight and won by one point. This will be Michigan States sixth final four in twelve years. Maybe coach Izzo can actually win one this season.
Butler on the other hand was not expected to make it this far in the tournament. The Butler Bulldogs right now are every ones favorite underdog. The bulldogs have made a very good surprising run through the tournament. The Bulldogs prevented a last second shot against Murray State to move on to the Sweet Sixteen. The next obstacle in the way of the Bulldogs was number one seed Syracuse. The Bulldogs pulled off the unbelievable upset to move on to the Elite Eight. The Elite Eight is where most people felt the Bulldogs run would come to an end when they would face a tough number 2 seed Kansas State. Kansas state would come into the Elite Eight game with no rest. The night before the Elite Eight game Kansas State played the late game and went into two overtimes to pull out the win and get to the Elite Eight, but they ran out of gas against the Bulldogs. Butler is shocker of the tournament and the alot of people pulling for them to win the whole thing.
Lets look at the other side of the bracket. Not so much of a shocker with the teams left on this side of the bracket. The only number one seed left Duke will play the number two seed West Virginia. West Virginia won the Big East conference title which most people feel the Big East is the best conference. West Virginia is not who most people had being in final four on the right side of the bracket. Most people expected the powerhouse of Kentucky to be there, but West Virginia pulled a bit of an upset over the wildcats to get themselves to the Final Four. Even with there starting point guard out with a broken foot the mountaineers managed to beat Kentucky and move on to the Final Four. West Virginia is who i like to win it all. I think if they play the way they have been playing they have a very good chance at winning the whole thing.
The only number one seed left in the tournament the Duke Blue Devils. This is certainly not the first time or the last time Coach K and his Blue Devils have made it this far in the tournament. But it is the first time most people had the Duke Blue Devils being the first number one seed out of the tournament. The Blue Devils have proven many people wrong and have showed that they deserve to be the only number one seed left in the tournament. The Blue Devils have three players that basically run there team and get them wins. The three are Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, and John Scheyer. If these three players play the way they have been and Duke continues to make the three ball then they also have a great chance to win the tournament.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Who you pickin?
Selection Sunday for the NCAA men's basketball tournament is five days away. So that means its time to fill out your brackets. Who to pick? anyone can win. What sleeper teams are gonna go far. Who's gonna make it to the final four, who's gonna win it all, who knows.
The teams that i think will make it to the final four this year are Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse, and Michigan State.
I think Kansas will make the final four because they are gonna be the overall number one team in the tournament. Kansas also has lots of experience in the tournament. There senior point guard Sheron Collins has been to the final four multiple times, so has coach bill self. So the Jayhawks will have plenty experience and know what to do come tournament time.
I feel Kentucky will make it to the final four because of there talent. Kentucky doesn't have much experience because they start three freshman. But they have they have plenty of talent three of the five starters are first round NBA drafts picks. They also have two candidates for player of the year in Demarcus Cousins and John Wall. Not to mention there coach John Calipari has been there before. The cats wont have experience on there side but they sure will have the talent.
I think Syracuse will be in the final four because they have proven they can play. They are the best team in there conference which is the Big East. Which many people feel is the toughest conference to play in. Syracuse has a lot of talent on there team. They also have a very experienced coach in Jim Boeheim who knows how to win come tournament time. Look for Syracuse to make it to the final four.
Last but not least i think the Michigan State Spartans will make it to the final four. Some how every year Tom Izzo gets his team playing well come tournament time. The Spartans might not be ranked very high but they seem to always make a run in the tournament every year. Izzo really knows how to coach and motivate come tournament time.
The teams that i think will make it to the final four this year are Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse, and Michigan State.
I think Kansas will make the final four because they are gonna be the overall number one team in the tournament. Kansas also has lots of experience in the tournament. There senior point guard Sheron Collins has been to the final four multiple times, so has coach bill self. So the Jayhawks will have plenty experience and know what to do come tournament time.
I feel Kentucky will make it to the final four because of there talent. Kentucky doesn't have much experience because they start three freshman. But they have they have plenty of talent three of the five starters are first round NBA drafts picks. They also have two candidates for player of the year in Demarcus Cousins and John Wall. Not to mention there coach John Calipari has been there before. The cats wont have experience on there side but they sure will have the talent.
I think Syracuse will be in the final four because they have proven they can play. They are the best team in there conference which is the Big East. Which many people feel is the toughest conference to play in. Syracuse has a lot of talent on there team. They also have a very experienced coach in Jim Boeheim who knows how to win come tournament time. Look for Syracuse to make it to the final four.
Last but not least i think the Michigan State Spartans will make it to the final four. Some how every year Tom Izzo gets his team playing well come tournament time. The Spartans might not be ranked very high but they seem to always make a run in the tournament every year. Izzo really knows how to coach and motivate come tournament time.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Madness has Arrived
It is the first day of march, which in the college basketball world this means the madness begins. This is month is when the conference tournaments begin and the selection for the biggest tournament of the year occurs. Some teams have work left to do to get into the tournament and some teams have already secured a spot and are working on there seeding in the tournament
This weekend was an exciting one in college basketball. The top three teams in the country got a loss this weekend. There were many upsets this weekend. Lets start out with the Number one ranked team in the country Kansas. Kansas has lost one game all season and was 12-0 in the Big 12 conference. That all changed when the traveled down to Stillwater Oklahoma on Saturday. The Kansas Jayhawks had a match against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Jayhawks have already secured a spot in the NCAA tournament but the Cowboys had not. The Cowboys were fighting for a spot in the tournament and they showed they could compete. The Cowboys led almost the entire game they were up by fifteen points at halftime which is very impressive against the number one team in the country. The Cowboys were able to keep this lead in the second half and hold off the Jayhawks. Oklahoma State has now secured themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Not only did the number one team in country go down the number two team also got a lost this weekend. The number two the Kentucky Wildcats also went on the road to Knoxville Tennessee. The cats would face there rivals the Tennessee Volunteers. They Volunteers lost once to the cats this year in Lexington at Rupp arena so they were looking for revenge. The Volunteers dominated the whole entire game until about the last five minutes when the Wildcats made a big come back to tie the game up. But the cats couldn't regain the lead and defeat the Volunteers for a second time this season. The Volunteers had probably already secured a spot in NCAA tournament but now that spot is more secure. The Wildcats still have the best record in the SEC and have a bye in the first round of the SEC conference tournament.
The number one and two teams went down on the road this weekend, so could the number three team in the country Purdue hold on for a win at home? Purdue would have a chance to be number one in the country if they could the number fourteen team in the country the Michigan State Spartans. Many people were anticipating how Purdue would play without out there star player Robbie Hummel who is out for the season with a knee injury which occurred against Minnesota. Purdue led at halftime but without there star player Hummel they could not hold off they very talented Michigan State Spartans. Purdue had already secured a spot in tournament but with the loss they probably lost there chance to be a number one seed in the tournament. Michigan State also secured themselves a spot in the tournament with the upset.
The madness has just begun. Teams will be fighting harder and harder as march goes on and we get closer to tournament time. Most games will be exciting and hard fought down to the end of game. I'm sure there will be plenty more upsets in the coming weeks.
This weekend was an exciting one in college basketball. The top three teams in the country got a loss this weekend. There were many upsets this weekend. Lets start out with the Number one ranked team in the country Kansas. Kansas has lost one game all season and was 12-0 in the Big 12 conference. That all changed when the traveled down to Stillwater Oklahoma on Saturday. The Kansas Jayhawks had a match against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Jayhawks have already secured a spot in the NCAA tournament but the Cowboys had not. The Cowboys were fighting for a spot in the tournament and they showed they could compete. The Cowboys led almost the entire game they were up by fifteen points at halftime which is very impressive against the number one team in the country. The Cowboys were able to keep this lead in the second half and hold off the Jayhawks. Oklahoma State has now secured themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Not only did the number one team in country go down the number two team also got a lost this weekend. The number two the Kentucky Wildcats also went on the road to Knoxville Tennessee. The cats would face there rivals the Tennessee Volunteers. They Volunteers lost once to the cats this year in Lexington at Rupp arena so they were looking for revenge. The Volunteers dominated the whole entire game until about the last five minutes when the Wildcats made a big come back to tie the game up. But the cats couldn't regain the lead and defeat the Volunteers for a second time this season. The Volunteers had probably already secured a spot in NCAA tournament but now that spot is more secure. The Wildcats still have the best record in the SEC and have a bye in the first round of the SEC conference tournament.
The number one and two teams went down on the road this weekend, so could the number three team in the country Purdue hold on for a win at home? Purdue would have a chance to be number one in the country if they could the number fourteen team in the country the Michigan State Spartans. Many people were anticipating how Purdue would play without out there star player Robbie Hummel who is out for the season with a knee injury which occurred against Minnesota. Purdue led at halftime but without there star player Hummel they could not hold off they very talented Michigan State Spartans. Purdue had already secured a spot in tournament but with the loss they probably lost there chance to be a number one seed in the tournament. Michigan State also secured themselves a spot in the tournament with the upset.
The madness has just begun. Teams will be fighting harder and harder as march goes on and we get closer to tournament time. Most games will be exciting and hard fought down to the end of game. I'm sure there will be plenty more upsets in the coming weeks.
Monday, February 15, 2010
March Madness
With march just around the corner its time to talk about the tournament. Who's playing who and what teams will be where in the bracket. There is a lot of good teams out there and anybody can win. Then end of February is approaching so it is about time for the madness to begin.
The four number teams that i feel will be a number one seed come march are Kansas and Kentucky will both but be number one seeds but i think the team with the best record overall will be the overall number one seed. I also feel that Villanova and Syracuse will both be number one seeds.
I feel that Kansas and Kentucky will be number one teams because both teams have the best record overall right now. Also Kansas has the experience and knows how to win ball games they will finish out the season strong and they know how to play come tournament time. Kentucky on the other hand has no experience in the tournament they start three freshman John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Demarcus Cousins and sophomore transfer Darnell Dodson who is considered a freshman. This will have a lot of impact on how Kentucky will do in the tournament. Even though they don't experience this team has amazing talent with two of the best freshman in the country in Cousins and Wall. Four of the five starters are expected to be chosen in NBA draft in the 2010 summer. The cats still have not reached there full potential and are still growing they can get better then they already are.
I feel Villanova and Syracuse will be number one teams in the tournament because both have proven they can play. Villanova also has experience and have played great this season. They may have lost two games but they are a dominate team in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball the Big East. Villanova is led by senior guard Scotty Reynolds. Reynolds has plenty experience in the tournament and this will help the team out greatly. Syracuse is also a very tough team. They have the best record in there schools history. Even though they just lost to tough unranked Louisville team the are still strong. They also compete in the tough conference of the Big East. Syracuse is tied with Villanova for the number one spot in the Big East standings. They have only lost two games in conference play. There coach Jim Boeheim has been coaching at the school several years and been to the tournament and won several times, he knows how to win and will get the orange far in the tournament.
The i feel will not get in the tournament at this point are Connecticut and defending champions North Carolina. Louisville would have been on my list as well but they got a big win over Syracuse this season which will really help them out come tournament selection time. Connecticut and North Carolina are both still struggling and have not proved anything this season. Which is a big Step back considering both were number one seeds last year in the tournament and Carolina won the whole thing. This will be a very interesting and entertaining tournament March is so close and the madness will begin.
The four number teams that i feel will be a number one seed come march are Kansas and Kentucky will both but be number one seeds but i think the team with the best record overall will be the overall number one seed. I also feel that Villanova and Syracuse will both be number one seeds.
I feel that Kansas and Kentucky will be number one teams because both teams have the best record overall right now. Also Kansas has the experience and knows how to win ball games they will finish out the season strong and they know how to play come tournament time. Kentucky on the other hand has no experience in the tournament they start three freshman John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Demarcus Cousins and sophomore transfer Darnell Dodson who is considered a freshman. This will have a lot of impact on how Kentucky will do in the tournament. Even though they don't experience this team has amazing talent with two of the best freshman in the country in Cousins and Wall. Four of the five starters are expected to be chosen in NBA draft in the 2010 summer. The cats still have not reached there full potential and are still growing they can get better then they already are.
I feel Villanova and Syracuse will be number one teams in the tournament because both have proven they can play. Villanova also has experience and have played great this season. They may have lost two games but they are a dominate team in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball the Big East. Villanova is led by senior guard Scotty Reynolds. Reynolds has plenty experience in the tournament and this will help the team out greatly. Syracuse is also a very tough team. They have the best record in there schools history. Even though they just lost to tough unranked Louisville team the are still strong. They also compete in the tough conference of the Big East. Syracuse is tied with Villanova for the number one spot in the Big East standings. They have only lost two games in conference play. There coach Jim Boeheim has been coaching at the school several years and been to the tournament and won several times, he knows how to win and will get the orange far in the tournament.
The i feel will not get in the tournament at this point are Connecticut and defending champions North Carolina. Louisville would have been on my list as well but they got a big win over Syracuse this season which will really help them out come tournament selection time. Connecticut and North Carolina are both still struggling and have not proved anything this season. Which is a big Step back considering both were number one seeds last year in the tournament and Carolina won the whole thing. This will be a very interesting and entertaining tournament March is so close and the madness will begin.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Upsets
This Weekend in college basketball theres been quite a few upsets. Seven top twenty five teams got upset on Saturday. Not a good weekend for the top twenty five I guess.
A very big rivalry in the Big East between Villanova and Georgetown was not as expected. The game was suppose to be a very good game where both teams would battle. Both teams are in the top ten of the polls. Villanova is the number two team in the country and Georgetown is number eight. Georgetown led the whole game with a double digit lead for almost all forty minutes of the game. It was not as good of game as expected. Villanova was upset 103 to 90 and Austin Freeman led all scorers with twenty five.
Another upset that occurred Friday was between Illinois and Michigan State. Michigan State is ranked number five in the country but there star player Kalin Lucas did not play because of injury. Illinois is not ranked in the top twenty five but the Illini were ready to play. ESPN's college game day was at the game so that could of been a motivator for the Illini's excellent play. The Illini didn't win by much but they played hard an came out with the victory upsetting the number five team in country 78-73.
The number ten team in the country Texas, traveled to Oklahoma to try and get a win. They would not find it there. Texas formally a number one team has not been playing very good basketball. They were one of three unbeaten teams in the country. Now they have lost four out of there last six games, two games were against unranked opponents. Oklahoma pulled out the upset with the final score being 71-80. Tommy Mason-Griffin Oklahoma's guard led all scores with twenty four points, he also hit five three pointers.
A very big rivalry in the Big East between Villanova and Georgetown was not as expected. The game was suppose to be a very good game where both teams would battle. Both teams are in the top ten of the polls. Villanova is the number two team in the country and Georgetown is number eight. Georgetown led the whole game with a double digit lead for almost all forty minutes of the game. It was not as good of game as expected. Villanova was upset 103 to 90 and Austin Freeman led all scorers with twenty five.
Another upset that occurred Friday was between Illinois and Michigan State. Michigan State is ranked number five in the country but there star player Kalin Lucas did not play because of injury. Illinois is not ranked in the top twenty five but the Illini were ready to play. ESPN's college game day was at the game so that could of been a motivator for the Illini's excellent play. The Illini didn't win by much but they played hard an came out with the victory upsetting the number five team in country 78-73.
The number ten team in the country Texas, traveled to Oklahoma to try and get a win. They would not find it there. Texas formally a number one team has not been playing very good basketball. They were one of three unbeaten teams in the country. Now they have lost four out of there last six games, two games were against unranked opponents. Oklahoma pulled out the upset with the final score being 71-80. Tommy Mason-Griffin Oklahoma's guard led all scores with twenty four points, he also hit five three pointers.
Monday, February 1, 2010
NIT Bound?
Its to early to call but three teams may be on there way to the NIT(National Invitational Tournament) if they don't improve play. Three powerhouse teams are struggling this year and if they don't pick it up they may miss the big dance(NCAA Tournament). The three teams i am speaking of are Louisville, Connecticut, and North Carolina.
Lets start off by discussing the tar heels play so far this season. The tar heels started off the season as a top ten team in the polls. They are the defending national champions. Don't get me wrong they have lost to some good teams such as Syracuse, Texas, and Kentucky. But lately the tar heels cant seem to get it together. They have lost eight games overall, dropped out the top 25, have lost four out of there last five games and are 2-4 in conference play. This does not look like the powerhouse North Carolina teams we have seen in the past.
Also a number one seed last year in the tournament and ranked fourteenth in preseason the Connecticut Huskies have fallen behind. The huskies have lost nine games and dropped to three and six in the Big East. Is it because there head coach is on medical leave? The huskies did get a big win over Texas who was ranked number one win Connecticut beat them, but the huskies are still struggling. If the huskies want to make the NCAA Tournament(National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament) they better pick it up.
Last but not least the number one overall seed in the big dance last year the Louisville Cardinals. The Cardinals have had very close call games this season. Even some controversial calls at the end of close games that didn't really go the Cardinals way. They were the "Beast of the East" last year according to fans. What has happened? The cards have also lost eight games already this season and are five and four in the conference. Not really looking like much of a "Beast" anymore. The cards did pick up a must win need over another big east struggling opponent the Connecticut Huskies on Monday. The cards really are not looking as good as they should.
Three number one seeds in the tournament last year. Now are unranked in the polls and on the bubble of missing the big dance. Its crazy how much can change in a little less than a year. But maybe these teams will some how miraculously find a way into the big dance.
Lets start off by discussing the tar heels play so far this season. The tar heels started off the season as a top ten team in the polls. They are the defending national champions. Don't get me wrong they have lost to some good teams such as Syracuse, Texas, and Kentucky. But lately the tar heels cant seem to get it together. They have lost eight games overall, dropped out the top 25, have lost four out of there last five games and are 2-4 in conference play. This does not look like the powerhouse North Carolina teams we have seen in the past.
Also a number one seed last year in the tournament and ranked fourteenth in preseason the Connecticut Huskies have fallen behind. The huskies have lost nine games and dropped to three and six in the Big East. Is it because there head coach is on medical leave? The huskies did get a big win over Texas who was ranked number one win Connecticut beat them, but the huskies are still struggling. If the huskies want to make the NCAA Tournament(National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament) they better pick it up.
Last but not least the number one overall seed in the big dance last year the Louisville Cardinals. The Cardinals have had very close call games this season. Even some controversial calls at the end of close games that didn't really go the Cardinals way. They were the "Beast of the East" last year according to fans. What has happened? The cards have also lost eight games already this season and are five and four in the conference. Not really looking like much of a "Beast" anymore. The cards did pick up a must win need over another big east struggling opponent the Connecticut Huskies on Monday. The cards really are not looking as good as they should.
Three number one seeds in the tournament last year. Now are unranked in the polls and on the bubble of missing the big dance. Its crazy how much can change in a little less than a year. But maybe these teams will some how miraculously find a way into the big dance.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Toughest Conferences
What are the toughest conferences right now in men's college basketball? My top three conferences that i think are the toughest right now are the Big East, the SEC ( South Eastern Conference), and the Big 12. These are the toughest conferences in the country at this point in the season.
I think that the Big East is one of the toughest conferences because they have 6 teams in the top twenty five poll. Four of those six teams are in the top ten of the polls. Also the Big East has two teams in the top five scoring offenses in the country. Villanova and Syracuse which are number three and four in the top five scoring offenses, they average over eighty points per game.
I feel that the SEC is a tough conference because like the Big East they have four out of twelve teams ranked in the top twenty five poll. Also the SEC contains the number one team and only unbeaten team in college basketball the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky also has the number two leader in assists on there team, John Wall and they are number four in the country in leading rebounds. SEC teams have also beaten some tough opponents. Tennessee beat at the time number one and undefeated Kansas when they were underhanded with suspended players. Georgia has also beaten a highly ranked Georgia Tech team.
The Big 12 is a tough conference because they have three ranked teams in the top twenty five. Also they have previously number one and two teams Kansas and Texas in the conference. Despite Texas's two game losing streak they are still a very strong team. Not to mention one of there two loses came from a very strong Kansas State team who is also in the Big 12 conference.
These are my top three toughest conferences so far this season. All the conferences are strong and anyone can win. I just think these three kind of stand out from the rest. All this could change come the end of February and beginning of March. Only time will tell and most teams will become better as the season progresses.
I think that the Big East is one of the toughest conferences because they have 6 teams in the top twenty five poll. Four of those six teams are in the top ten of the polls. Also the Big East has two teams in the top five scoring offenses in the country. Villanova and Syracuse which are number three and four in the top five scoring offenses, they average over eighty points per game.
I feel that the SEC is a tough conference because like the Big East they have four out of twelve teams ranked in the top twenty five poll. Also the SEC contains the number one team and only unbeaten team in college basketball the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky also has the number two leader in assists on there team, John Wall and they are number four in the country in leading rebounds. SEC teams have also beaten some tough opponents. Tennessee beat at the time number one and undefeated Kansas when they were underhanded with suspended players. Georgia has also beaten a highly ranked Georgia Tech team.
The Big 12 is a tough conference because they have three ranked teams in the top twenty five. Also they have previously number one and two teams Kansas and Texas in the conference. Despite Texas's two game losing streak they are still a very strong team. Not to mention one of there two loses came from a very strong Kansas State team who is also in the Big 12 conference.
These are my top three toughest conferences so far this season. All the conferences are strong and anyone can win. I just think these three kind of stand out from the rest. All this could change come the end of February and beginning of March. Only time will tell and most teams will become better as the season progresses.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Who's Hot and Who's Not
The teams that i feel are hot rite now in men's college basketball are Kentucky, Villanova, and Tennessee. I feel that Kentucky is hot rite now because they are the only unbeaten team left in college basketball, after Texas's loss last nite. They will become the number one team in the nation if they can beat Arkansas at home on saturday. Villanova is also doing well. They are on a seven game win streak. Beating Marquette twice, and coming back to beat a tough Louisville team in overtime on the road. Also beating number twelve Georgetown on sunday. Tennesse is also hot rite now after beating the previous number one team, now number three team Kansas. They gave the Jayhawks there first loss of the season, while they were missing three players due to suspension and there star player Tyler Smith who was dismissed from the team. Now lets discuss who is not hot rite now in college basketball. Lets start out with Texas one of the two unbeaten teams, and number one in the country. Texas barely pulled out a win in overitme against Texas A&M. Then on monday night lost there first game to number nine Kansas State leaving only one unbeaten team in college basketball. Another team i feel is not doing so hot rite now is defending national champions North Carolina. They lost to college of Charleston and just lost two games conference games in a row to Clemson and Georgia Tech. Last but not least lets talk about Purdue. One of the previous four unbeatens has lost three games in a row to underdog opponents. Hopefully they can get a win against Illinois and get out of this losing streak. Those are the teams that i feel that are hot and are not. But these could change at anytime.
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