G Tim Howard-5.5 - This was not one of Tim Howard's stronger games. He looked as uncomfortable as the entire team in the first half, and despite his save on Leandor Damiao in the first half looked pretty mediocre. 2 of Brazil's goals passed within a foot of Howard and on his better nights would have been saved.
D Fabian Johnson- 7.5 - Solid in defense, solid in midfield, and solid in distribution. Played the role that Brek Shea had played for the US previously and provided a spark and played with confidence.
D Carlos Bocanegra- 3.5 Did not step up and organize the defense. Was soft with the ball and along with Onyewu allowed too many runs on the inside to connect, and two resulted in goals.
D. Oguchi Onyewu 1.5- Gooch has quite a ways to go before he is completely match fit. He was a liability in defense all game long, allowed Pato's late goal by staying back from the offside trap, and looked
uncomfortable with the ball all game long. Even if he had scored the late goal I wouldn't have bumped him up much.
D. Steve Cherundolo- 5- Made some good runs and was one of the few US players who at least physically attempted to match the Brazilians. His chippiness with Marcelo temporarily distracted the Brazilian.
M Jermaine Jones- 5 -Did not have a strong game. His passing was not sharp, his defense was not sharp, and he was not mentally strong. Needs to show more strength in possession and attack.
M. Michael Bradley- 5.5- His position change in the first half really hampered the US attack. Bradley is much more offensive-minded than Edu and Jones and the offense flowed better through him. That being said, he was too passive with the ball other than his through ball to Johnson for the lone US goal.
M Maurice Edu- 5.5 - Showed well in the first half and hampered the Brazilians through the midfield quite often, but was nearly invisible in the second half.
M Jose Torres- 4.5- Showed some good skill on the ball, but didn't keep it long enough to do any damage. His first half shot was nowhere near the frame of goal.
M Landon Donovan- 6 - Donovan was dominated by Marcelo, but he was almost always alone in midfield with the ball. I think his aggressiveness was lessened somewhat by his lack of support in the midfield, but his corners and crosses were all on target, and he had a few good shots on goal in the game as well.
F Hercules Gomez-8- Man of the match. Was strong up front, drew fouls, held the ball, and when he had opportunities put the ball on goal and made the goalie play. His speed and tenacity really were a joy to watch.
Substitutes
M Clint Dempsey- 7- Made a big difference when he entered the game. Made several beatiful passes to Gomez and had a pinpoint goal taken away by a great defensive play from Thiago Silva. It will be great when the US is back to full strength again as the US really outplayed Brazil from the moment Dempsey came onto the field.
D Michael Parkhurst-5- overall a very average performance. Didn't do anything to hurt the team, but didn't really help them either.
D. Edgar Castillo-5- Nearly the same as Parkhurst, I don't blame him for Pato's late goal as he was in the right position holding the offside trap.
F Terrance Boyd- 5.5- Struck his only attempt on goal very well, but other than that wasn't very dangerous. His pace is something to be feared but needs better possession skills.
M Kyle Beckerman- NR- made a nifty move and won a corner kick late for the US, but wasn't in long enough to really impact the game.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Run to the Stanley Cup Finals
As I watched the Kings win another road game last night to open the finals, I couldn't help but think how magical this run has been. Not just the road wins, but overtime wins, blowout wins, upsets... Now they are on the verge of taking home the Stanley Cup. How did this happen? Let me break it down for you.
If you watched hockey this year, you knew the Kings were good. They competed well in the loaded Western Conference but they didn't play consistent. They limped into the playoffs losing three of four to close the season, and five of eight overall.
In the first round, they took on the best team in the league: Vancouver. Obviously, the Canucks held home court advantage. That didn't matter. The Kings came out great offensively and won the first two games on the road by the score of 4-2. Quick was solid in goal, and the offense kept applying pressure.
When they returned home, the offense slowed in game 3 only scoring a goal, but it proved to be the difference as they shut out Vancouver. Despite a loss in game 4, they Kings returned to Vancouver and closed them out in overtime. This series truly started the theme of winning on the road, and winning overtime games.
Next up was the second best team in the league: St. Louis. Once again, the Kings started on the road and swept both of those games. Once again the offense was great scoring 8 goals between the two games. Quick was solid also only allowing three.
The difference in this series however was that they didn't let the Blues fight back at all. They kept the attack constant, they remained steady on defense, and closed St. Louis out, sweeping them in four games. They made the two seed look like a college team.
As you can guess, they then took on the three seeded Coyotes. And yes, they started on the road. And yes, they swept both of the road games. You can probably guess how many goals they scored combined in those games: 8. But this time they only allowed two against them.
The rest of the series played out like the first round, winning in game 3 before dropping game 4. Then came the clutch factor again. Phoenix played tough against the ropes, but LA picked up the overtime win in game 5 to close them out, and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Things weren't this good in LA since "The Great One" played.
Last night they began the finals against the Devils...on the road. And yes they won. They won in overtime. This makes them 9-0 on the road in the playoffs. Ridiculous. They are also now a perfect 3-0 in overtime. Wow!
Quick has led a defense that hasn't allowed many goals, and the offense is just playing fantastic. They are +20 in goals this postseason which is unreal. Their playoff record is 13-2 and counting. If they close this out, this will go down as one of the more dominating postseasons in NHL history, or even sports history. Not only that, but this is coming from an 8 seed. As they say, it is the hottest team, not always the best team, that wins in the playoffs.
Andrew
If you watched hockey this year, you knew the Kings were good. They competed well in the loaded Western Conference but they didn't play consistent. They limped into the playoffs losing three of four to close the season, and five of eight overall.
In the first round, they took on the best team in the league: Vancouver. Obviously, the Canucks held home court advantage. That didn't matter. The Kings came out great offensively and won the first two games on the road by the score of 4-2. Quick was solid in goal, and the offense kept applying pressure.
When they returned home, the offense slowed in game 3 only scoring a goal, but it proved to be the difference as they shut out Vancouver. Despite a loss in game 4, they Kings returned to Vancouver and closed them out in overtime. This series truly started the theme of winning on the road, and winning overtime games.
Next up was the second best team in the league: St. Louis. Once again, the Kings started on the road and swept both of those games. Once again the offense was great scoring 8 goals between the two games. Quick was solid also only allowing three.
The difference in this series however was that they didn't let the Blues fight back at all. They kept the attack constant, they remained steady on defense, and closed St. Louis out, sweeping them in four games. They made the two seed look like a college team.
As you can guess, they then took on the three seeded Coyotes. And yes, they started on the road. And yes, they swept both of the road games. You can probably guess how many goals they scored combined in those games: 8. But this time they only allowed two against them.
The rest of the series played out like the first round, winning in game 3 before dropping game 4. Then came the clutch factor again. Phoenix played tough against the ropes, but LA picked up the overtime win in game 5 to close them out, and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Things weren't this good in LA since "The Great One" played.
Last night they began the finals against the Devils...on the road. And yes they won. They won in overtime. This makes them 9-0 on the road in the playoffs. Ridiculous. They are also now a perfect 3-0 in overtime. Wow!
Quick has led a defense that hasn't allowed many goals, and the offense is just playing fantastic. They are +20 in goals this postseason which is unreal. Their playoff record is 13-2 and counting. If they close this out, this will go down as one of the more dominating postseasons in NHL history, or even sports history. Not only that, but this is coming from an 8 seed. As they say, it is the hottest team, not always the best team, that wins in the playoffs.
Andrew
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
What to watch for tonight
The USMNT takes on Brazil tonight at 8:00 EST at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. I really hope the US sports those new jerseys as they are pretty sweet. This will be a stiff test for the team as they will have to be disciplined to stave off the incredible team speed the Brazilians possess. My prediction is that the two teams play to a 2-2 draw on US soil. If it was anywhere else I'd give them Brazilians a 1 goal edge, but I believe the US is playing very well right now,and are much better in the midfield and defense than in 2008 when they lost the Confederations Cup final to Brazil 3-2 in South Africa. Should be an entertaining watch!
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is also tonight at 8:30 EST, which happens to be right around halftime of the US vs Brazil match. I look for Boston to bounce back with a close win in Miami tonight and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to rebound from their horrid performances in Game 1. Also, keep a close eye on the officiating to see if the scales are balanced and more than a few unwarranted technicals are levied on the Miami Heat. Boston wins 88-80.
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is also tonight at 8:30 EST, which happens to be right around halftime of the US vs Brazil match. I look for Boston to bounce back with a close win in Miami tonight and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to rebound from their horrid performances in Game 1. Also, keep a close eye on the officiating to see if the scales are balanced and more than a few unwarranted technicals are levied on the Miami Heat. Boston wins 88-80.
Greg's MLB Draft Preview
The MLB Draft is the most unique of all of the major sports drafts, and its coming up starting June 4th. It is unique because each team drafts somewhere between 40-60 players each year, with the hopes that maybe 3-4 players(in an outstanding draft) will make it to the majors as regulars 3-4 years after they are drafted.
No other draft has near the amount of uncertainty and places a more important emphasis on scouting than the MLB draft. The new CBA also has slotted the amount of money teams can pay draft picks, which will significantly impact the younger players being drafted, and will probably result in teams drafting more college players as opposed to high school players in this draft, and in drafts moving forward.
In this version of the blog, I am going to examine Keith Law's Mock Draft 2.0 and give my opinion (limited though it is) on each draftee, and how they fit the needs of the teams that are drafting them.
1. Houston Astros- Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford
The Astros have surprised quite a few people this year with their record (22-27) as most experts thought they'd be a 100 loss team. Bud Norris has been a nice surprise at pitching though, and they have some nice young players at the Major League level. That being said, their overall organizational depth is pretty thin, and starting to build with arguably the college game's best pitcher is a good move and a safer bet than high school OF Byron Buxton.
2. Minnesota Twins- Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County H.S. (Baxley, Ga.)
The Twins need all kinds of help, and no one piece is going to jump in and help them right away, so taking Buxley and giving him a few years to develop alongside some other talent is a smart move. It might be a good time to start looking to trade away some of the valuable pieces they still have left (Mauer, Morneau, Span, Pavano,Willingham) and rebuild internally. That had always been the way the Twins did things prior to giving Mauer his big payday. The Twins were better that way, and in my opinion should get back to building their organization in that mold.
3. Seattle Mariners- Mike Zunino, C, Florida
Some of you may be saying...wait didn't the Mariners just trade for Jesus Montero...and doesn't he play the same position..this doesn't make sense. Hold on a minute, it actually does. Zunino is probably the best college hitter in this draft, and just because he happens to play catcher(a position where hitting is even more valuable) doesn't mean the Mariners shouldn't take him because he plays the same position as Montero. The Mariners are in the AL,and Montero will be accustomed to playing DH and catching by the time Zunino reaches the Majors. Having multiple options at multiple positions is something most managers dream of, and drafting Zunino potentially places the Mariners in that position if he pans out. Good pick who comes from a great baseball school.
4. Baltimore Orioles- Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
The Orioles are the biggest surprise in baseball this year, hands down. Their farm system is well stocked, and their current SS, J.J. Hardy, though having a great year is getting up there in years (29). Drafting a young SS and grooming him is a great pick, and Puerto Rico seems to be getting better and better every year with young Major League talent. Good depth pick here for Baltimore.
5. Kansas City Royals- Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU
Kansas City is a tough team to figure out. Their Major league roster is stocked with young talent and they've got a farm system rated in the top 5, but they can't seem to win baseball games consistently. Gausman is a good pick here, as I'm always a fan of drafting and developing more pitching. You can always compete with great pitching, but great hitting does you no good if you don't have the pitching to back it up.
6. Chicago Cubs- Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake H.S., Studio City, Calif.
The Cubs clearly need a lot of help and this year's draft with be the first run by the team's new trio of front office blue chippers, Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason Mcleod. Many Cubs fans heralded the hiring of Epstein, but Mcleod might end up being the most important hire of the three as he is widely regarded as the best scout in all of baseball. The Cubs top prospects, Anthony Rizzo, Brett Jackson, Javier Baez, Junior Lake, all have one thing in common: they are not pitchers. The Cubs organization is bereft of pitching depth, and starting off their tenure with the Cubs by drafting a pitcher(and a lefty at that) would be a great start for Jedstein & Co. I'd also be satisfied with Clemson 3B Richie Shaffer, a safe pick to be a solid big leaguer at a position of need.
7. San Diego Padres- Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco
This team has a good looking farm system, and it got better when they traded Mat Latos for their 1B of the future in Yonder Alonso. As I said earlier, more pitching is better, and Petco Park makes even average pitching better. Going with a pitcher who is familiar with California weather, and pitching there regularly is a good move here.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates- Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State
Marrero has struggled at the plate this year, and has solid makeup, and great defensive ability at the position. The Pirates haven't had a mainstay at the SS position in quite a long time. Taking a flier on Marrero seems like a solid move.
9. Miami Marlins- Albert Almora, CF, Mater Academy Charter (Hialeh Gardens, Fla.)
Unless Amora can step in and play right away I'm not sure I see the logic in drafting him. The Marlins spent a bunch of money this past offseason, and I'm pretty sure its not to win 3 seasons from now. They have a huge need at 1B, and even though Logan Morrison can probably provide a stop-gap there, that's a position that really needs to be filled fairly quickly. The bullpen also needs help, which can usually come from this early in the draft also. The last thing they need in my opinion is a project CFer who might pan out in a few years, after the team's current stars are old.
10. Colorado Rockies- Courtney Hawkins, OF, Carroll (Texas) H.S.
This draft so far has many more H.S. players than I originally thought since they will be harder to sign as the money that can be offered is limited, but this move makes some sense, as the Rockies really only have 2 OF right now. Tyler Colvin is playing now, but really should be a bench option, and Dexter Fowler is struggling a bit. Those are two good pieces on a good team, and Hawkins looks like a plus power bat that could really do well in Colorado.
11.Oakland Athletics- Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson
Already talked about him as an option for the Cubs. All-star caliber power, and a Rafael Furcal-like arm project him as a solid big league 3B. Oakland is where prospects to go get traded and get rich, but this is a position of need for this team and a solid pick.
12. New York Mets-David Dahl, CF, Oak Mountain H.S. (Birmingham, Ala.)
Yet another H.S. OF drafted in the top 15 with the new CBA. Since this is still only a mock draft, I really feel that more college players will be drafted higher, and these H.S. athletes will fall down a little bit because of their signability issues. That being said, the Mets have serious needs in their OF, and this looks to be a good start.
13.Chicago White Sox-Matt Smoral, LHP, Solon (Ohio) H.S.
The White Sox system is nearly bare after Kenny Williams' wheeling and dealing over the last few seasons. It looks to be paying off, especially with the drafting of Chris Sale 2 seasons ago, and the White Sox find themselves in first place in the AL Central. If Williams has a good draft, that could put the Sox system back on the map and help owner Jerry Reinsdorf to save a little bit of money over the next few years as Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, and Jake Peavy's contracts all are up. If Williams can make this draft count, they can continue competing over the next few seasons. Smoral has some injury issues that could scare the White Sox and other teams away from him, and if it does look for them to draft a college arm that can help the big league team sooner rather than later.
14. Cincinnati Reds- Andrew Heaney, LHP, Oklahoma State
The Reds look to be set at 1B, 2 OF positions, 2B,C, and have a good young player in Zach Cozart at SS. That being said their pitching rotation will almost continue to be decimated as long as Dusty Baker is the manager, so loading up on solid(but not spectacular) replacements is a good idea. Heaney is the best left-handed college starter available and the Reds GM Walk Jocketty has a history of drafting pretty decent pitchers. Whoever they choose could see action with the big league club later this season as they are contending for the NL Central title.
15.Cleveland Indians-Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State
The Indians are a team that is in contention, but surprisingly so, and may need as much immediate help as possible. They have the lowest attendance in all of baseball and if they drop too far out of contention they will be on the trade market and can stock the farm system that way. Swinging for the fences on a guy that can help right away wouldn't hurt their farm system all that much, and a guy with a high immediate impact- especially a pitcher, is a distinct possibility.
16. Washington Nationals-Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M
Wacha is a low ceiling pitcher that may not even be a big leaguer, and this team could really use some pitching help with Strasburg's innings ceiling and injuries to key members of their pitching staff. Law points out that GM Mike Rizzo has never drafted a pitcher under 6'2", so that would seem to limit his options here.
17.Toronto Blue Jays-Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe, H.S. (Lake Charles, La.)
The Blue Jays are another team whose farm system is well stocked, and can afford to wait and see on a H.S. player. Yunel Escobar is not a long term solution at SS, so I like this pick for value, need, and depth.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers-Ty Hensley, RHP, Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe H.S.
The Dodgers go big here with a H.S. pitcher who currently possesses an above average major league fastball and curveball. Depending on how they want to use him (starter/reliever) he could be groomed as a dependable #2/3 starter alongside Clayton Kershaw.
19. St. Louis Cardinals-Stryker Trahan, C, Acadiana H.S. (Lafayette, La.)
High school catcher with a real chance to be a force at the plate. Yadier Molina isn't going anywhere soon, and to me this is just a depth pick. St. Louis has the luxury of having 2 first round picks this year (this pick is compensation for the Angels signing Albert Pujols) and GM John Mozeliak has drafted well over the last 3 seasons.
20. San Francisco Giants-Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty (Fla.) H.S.
Another depth pick here for GM Brian Sabean. They can't spend much more money on pitching after locking up Matt Cain this year and Tim Lincecum will certainly command a high $ amount, assuming he bounces back from the awful year he is having. This seems to be a luxury pick, and I see the Giants having many more pressing needs.
21. Atlanta Braves-Tanner Rahier, Palm Desert (Calif.) H.S.
H.S. SS that has a chance to stay there through the big leagues. Pastornicky might be old enough to move to 3B at the point Rahier comes up, or he might be a piece they could trade away in the future.
22. Toronto Blue Jays-D.J. Davis, OF, Stone County (Miss.) H.S.
A H.S. outfielder who can absolutely fly. Scouts rate him an 80 speed on a 20-80 scale. Outfield depth is a must for this organization as Jose Bautista ages.
23. St. Louis Cardinals-Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo (Calif.) H.S.
Law doesn't project Virant any higher than average on any pitch other than his changeup. Ceiling could be as a MR but don't see anything special unless his velocity really increases.
24.Boston Red Sox-Tyler Naquin, OF, Texas A&M
College outfielder who could step in and contribute soon. First draft for GM Ben Cherington. It'll be interesting if he follows Epstein's model or develops one of his own.
25. Tampa Bay Rays-Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Stanford
Rays GM Andrew Friedman hasn't disappointed in his tenure with the Rays. I have no doubt that whoever they pick will be a good pick, but their needs include 1B, C, OF, and bullpen help. Longoria isn't getting any younger, but assuming he doesn't fall off completely I think he's signed for another 6 years, which is plenty of time to find a replacement.
26.Arizona Diamondbacks-Nick Travieso, RHP, McCarthy H.S. (Southwest Ranches, Fla.)
Arizona is a good young team. They don't need a whole lot position player-wise. They'd be wise to go out and draft 20-25 pitchers this draft to see if they can get some additional help that way. I like where this team is going.
27/28 Milwaukee Brewers- Clint Coulter, C, Union H.S. (Camas, Wash.)/Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood (Ga.) H.S.
Milwaukee's season is certainly not going as they would have hoped. They really miss Prince Fielder's bat in the middle of their lineup, and have decimated their farm system in the last few seasons trying to trade for players to help them win now. If they don't win this season(and it doesn't look like they will) expect them to try to replenish their farm system by trading some valuable pieces away (Axford,Braun,Marcum,Greinke) and start a rebuilding trend.
29.Texas Rangers-Duane Underwood, RHP, Pope H.S. (Marietta, Ga.)
The Rangers are the best team in baseball and its not really close. They don't have many holes on their ML roster and their farm system is in good shape. GM Jon Daniels is very, very good. I expect they will stock up with young, high ceiling players and continue to let them develop behind their superstars in the bigs.
30.NY Yankees-Joey Gallo, 3B, Bishop Gorman H.S. (Las Vegas)
Best power hitter in this draft. A lot of teams project him to be a pitcher also, but he's unwilling to change positions. He has below average feet for 3B but his bat could make up for that.
31.Boston Red Sox-Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke
Projects almost strictly as a reliever, and considering this is a compensatory pick for Jonathan Papelbon that seems like poetic justice for the Red Sox. They have quite a few needs, and are currently in the basement of the AL East. Bobby V is pretty much the most exciting thing they have going on most nights, unless you actually like watching 5 hour games and Wil Middlebrooks(who is actually very exciting).
No other draft has near the amount of uncertainty and places a more important emphasis on scouting than the MLB draft. The new CBA also has slotted the amount of money teams can pay draft picks, which will significantly impact the younger players being drafted, and will probably result in teams drafting more college players as opposed to high school players in this draft, and in drafts moving forward.
In this version of the blog, I am going to examine Keith Law's Mock Draft 2.0 and give my opinion (limited though it is) on each draftee, and how they fit the needs of the teams that are drafting them.
1. Houston Astros- Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford
The Astros have surprised quite a few people this year with their record (22-27) as most experts thought they'd be a 100 loss team. Bud Norris has been a nice surprise at pitching though, and they have some nice young players at the Major League level. That being said, their overall organizational depth is pretty thin, and starting to build with arguably the college game's best pitcher is a good move and a safer bet than high school OF Byron Buxton.
2. Minnesota Twins- Byron Buxton, OF, Appling County H.S. (Baxley, Ga.)
The Twins need all kinds of help, and no one piece is going to jump in and help them right away, so taking Buxley and giving him a few years to develop alongside some other talent is a smart move. It might be a good time to start looking to trade away some of the valuable pieces they still have left (Mauer, Morneau, Span, Pavano,Willingham) and rebuild internally. That had always been the way the Twins did things prior to giving Mauer his big payday. The Twins were better that way, and in my opinion should get back to building their organization in that mold.
3. Seattle Mariners- Mike Zunino, C, Florida
Some of you may be saying...wait didn't the Mariners just trade for Jesus Montero...and doesn't he play the same position..this doesn't make sense. Hold on a minute, it actually does. Zunino is probably the best college hitter in this draft, and just because he happens to play catcher(a position where hitting is even more valuable) doesn't mean the Mariners shouldn't take him because he plays the same position as Montero. The Mariners are in the AL,and Montero will be accustomed to playing DH and catching by the time Zunino reaches the Majors. Having multiple options at multiple positions is something most managers dream of, and drafting Zunino potentially places the Mariners in that position if he pans out. Good pick who comes from a great baseball school.
4. Baltimore Orioles- Carlos Correa, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
The Orioles are the biggest surprise in baseball this year, hands down. Their farm system is well stocked, and their current SS, J.J. Hardy, though having a great year is getting up there in years (29). Drafting a young SS and grooming him is a great pick, and Puerto Rico seems to be getting better and better every year with young Major League talent. Good depth pick here for Baltimore.
5. Kansas City Royals- Kevin Gausman, RHP, LSU
Kansas City is a tough team to figure out. Their Major league roster is stocked with young talent and they've got a farm system rated in the top 5, but they can't seem to win baseball games consistently. Gausman is a good pick here, as I'm always a fan of drafting and developing more pitching. You can always compete with great pitching, but great hitting does you no good if you don't have the pitching to back it up.
6. Chicago Cubs- Max Fried, LHP, Harvard-Westlake H.S., Studio City, Calif.
The Cubs clearly need a lot of help and this year's draft with be the first run by the team's new trio of front office blue chippers, Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason Mcleod. Many Cubs fans heralded the hiring of Epstein, but Mcleod might end up being the most important hire of the three as he is widely regarded as the best scout in all of baseball. The Cubs top prospects, Anthony Rizzo, Brett Jackson, Javier Baez, Junior Lake, all have one thing in common: they are not pitchers. The Cubs organization is bereft of pitching depth, and starting off their tenure with the Cubs by drafting a pitcher(and a lefty at that) would be a great start for Jedstein & Co. I'd also be satisfied with Clemson 3B Richie Shaffer, a safe pick to be a solid big leaguer at a position of need.
7. San Diego Padres- Kyle Zimmer, RHP, San Francisco
This team has a good looking farm system, and it got better when they traded Mat Latos for their 1B of the future in Yonder Alonso. As I said earlier, more pitching is better, and Petco Park makes even average pitching better. Going with a pitcher who is familiar with California weather, and pitching there regularly is a good move here.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates- Deven Marrero, SS, Arizona State
Marrero has struggled at the plate this year, and has solid makeup, and great defensive ability at the position. The Pirates haven't had a mainstay at the SS position in quite a long time. Taking a flier on Marrero seems like a solid move.
9. Miami Marlins- Albert Almora, CF, Mater Academy Charter (Hialeh Gardens, Fla.)
Unless Amora can step in and play right away I'm not sure I see the logic in drafting him. The Marlins spent a bunch of money this past offseason, and I'm pretty sure its not to win 3 seasons from now. They have a huge need at 1B, and even though Logan Morrison can probably provide a stop-gap there, that's a position that really needs to be filled fairly quickly. The bullpen also needs help, which can usually come from this early in the draft also. The last thing they need in my opinion is a project CFer who might pan out in a few years, after the team's current stars are old.
10. Colorado Rockies- Courtney Hawkins, OF, Carroll (Texas) H.S.
This draft so far has many more H.S. players than I originally thought since they will be harder to sign as the money that can be offered is limited, but this move makes some sense, as the Rockies really only have 2 OF right now. Tyler Colvin is playing now, but really should be a bench option, and Dexter Fowler is struggling a bit. Those are two good pieces on a good team, and Hawkins looks like a plus power bat that could really do well in Colorado.
11.Oakland Athletics- Richie Shaffer, 3B, Clemson
Already talked about him as an option for the Cubs. All-star caliber power, and a Rafael Furcal-like arm project him as a solid big league 3B. Oakland is where prospects to go get traded and get rich, but this is a position of need for this team and a solid pick.
12. New York Mets-David Dahl, CF, Oak Mountain H.S. (Birmingham, Ala.)
Yet another H.S. OF drafted in the top 15 with the new CBA. Since this is still only a mock draft, I really feel that more college players will be drafted higher, and these H.S. athletes will fall down a little bit because of their signability issues. That being said, the Mets have serious needs in their OF, and this looks to be a good start.
13.Chicago White Sox-Matt Smoral, LHP, Solon (Ohio) H.S.
The White Sox system is nearly bare after Kenny Williams' wheeling and dealing over the last few seasons. It looks to be paying off, especially with the drafting of Chris Sale 2 seasons ago, and the White Sox find themselves in first place in the AL Central. If Williams has a good draft, that could put the Sox system back on the map and help owner Jerry Reinsdorf to save a little bit of money over the next few years as Adam Dunn, Alex Rios, and Jake Peavy's contracts all are up. If Williams can make this draft count, they can continue competing over the next few seasons. Smoral has some injury issues that could scare the White Sox and other teams away from him, and if it does look for them to draft a college arm that can help the big league team sooner rather than later.
14. Cincinnati Reds- Andrew Heaney, LHP, Oklahoma State
The Reds look to be set at 1B, 2 OF positions, 2B,C, and have a good young player in Zach Cozart at SS. That being said their pitching rotation will almost continue to be decimated as long as Dusty Baker is the manager, so loading up on solid(but not spectacular) replacements is a good idea. Heaney is the best left-handed college starter available and the Reds GM Walk Jocketty has a history of drafting pretty decent pitchers. Whoever they choose could see action with the big league club later this season as they are contending for the NL Central title.
15.Cleveland Indians-Chris Stratton, RHP, Mississippi State
The Indians are a team that is in contention, but surprisingly so, and may need as much immediate help as possible. They have the lowest attendance in all of baseball and if they drop too far out of contention they will be on the trade market and can stock the farm system that way. Swinging for the fences on a guy that can help right away wouldn't hurt their farm system all that much, and a guy with a high immediate impact- especially a pitcher, is a distinct possibility.
16. Washington Nationals-Michael Wacha, RHP, Texas A&M
Wacha is a low ceiling pitcher that may not even be a big leaguer, and this team could really use some pitching help with Strasburg's innings ceiling and injuries to key members of their pitching staff. Law points out that GM Mike Rizzo has never drafted a pitcher under 6'2", so that would seem to limit his options here.
17.Toronto Blue Jays-Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe, H.S. (Lake Charles, La.)
The Blue Jays are another team whose farm system is well stocked, and can afford to wait and see on a H.S. player. Yunel Escobar is not a long term solution at SS, so I like this pick for value, need, and depth.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers-Ty Hensley, RHP, Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe H.S.
The Dodgers go big here with a H.S. pitcher who currently possesses an above average major league fastball and curveball. Depending on how they want to use him (starter/reliever) he could be groomed as a dependable #2/3 starter alongside Clayton Kershaw.
19. St. Louis Cardinals-Stryker Trahan, C, Acadiana H.S. (Lafayette, La.)
High school catcher with a real chance to be a force at the plate. Yadier Molina isn't going anywhere soon, and to me this is just a depth pick. St. Louis has the luxury of having 2 first round picks this year (this pick is compensation for the Angels signing Albert Pujols) and GM John Mozeliak has drafted well over the last 3 seasons.
20. San Francisco Giants-Zach Eflin, RHP, Hagerty (Fla.) H.S.
Another depth pick here for GM Brian Sabean. They can't spend much more money on pitching after locking up Matt Cain this year and Tim Lincecum will certainly command a high $ amount, assuming he bounces back from the awful year he is having. This seems to be a luxury pick, and I see the Giants having many more pressing needs.
21. Atlanta Braves-Tanner Rahier, Palm Desert (Calif.) H.S.
H.S. SS that has a chance to stay there through the big leagues. Pastornicky might be old enough to move to 3B at the point Rahier comes up, or he might be a piece they could trade away in the future.
22. Toronto Blue Jays-D.J. Davis, OF, Stone County (Miss.) H.S.
A H.S. outfielder who can absolutely fly. Scouts rate him an 80 speed on a 20-80 scale. Outfield depth is a must for this organization as Jose Bautista ages.
23. St. Louis Cardinals-Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo (Calif.) H.S.
Law doesn't project Virant any higher than average on any pitch other than his changeup. Ceiling could be as a MR but don't see anything special unless his velocity really increases.
24.Boston Red Sox-Tyler Naquin, OF, Texas A&M
College outfielder who could step in and contribute soon. First draft for GM Ben Cherington. It'll be interesting if he follows Epstein's model or develops one of his own.
25. Tampa Bay Rays-Stephen Piscotty, 3B, Stanford
Rays GM Andrew Friedman hasn't disappointed in his tenure with the Rays. I have no doubt that whoever they pick will be a good pick, but their needs include 1B, C, OF, and bullpen help. Longoria isn't getting any younger, but assuming he doesn't fall off completely I think he's signed for another 6 years, which is plenty of time to find a replacement.
26.Arizona Diamondbacks-Nick Travieso, RHP, McCarthy H.S. (Southwest Ranches, Fla.)
Arizona is a good young team. They don't need a whole lot position player-wise. They'd be wise to go out and draft 20-25 pitchers this draft to see if they can get some additional help that way. I like where this team is going.
27/28 Milwaukee Brewers- Clint Coulter, C, Union H.S. (Camas, Wash.)/Lucas Sims, RHP, Brookwood (Ga.) H.S.
Milwaukee's season is certainly not going as they would have hoped. They really miss Prince Fielder's bat in the middle of their lineup, and have decimated their farm system in the last few seasons trying to trade for players to help them win now. If they don't win this season(and it doesn't look like they will) expect them to try to replenish their farm system by trading some valuable pieces away (Axford,Braun,Marcum,Greinke) and start a rebuilding trend.
29.Texas Rangers-Duane Underwood, RHP, Pope H.S. (Marietta, Ga.)
The Rangers are the best team in baseball and its not really close. They don't have many holes on their ML roster and their farm system is in good shape. GM Jon Daniels is very, very good. I expect they will stock up with young, high ceiling players and continue to let them develop behind their superstars in the bigs.
30.NY Yankees-Joey Gallo, 3B, Bishop Gorman H.S. (Las Vegas)
Best power hitter in this draft. A lot of teams project him to be a pitcher also, but he's unwilling to change positions. He has below average feet for 3B but his bat could make up for that.
31.Boston Red Sox-Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke
Projects almost strictly as a reliever, and considering this is a compensatory pick for Jonathan Papelbon that seems like poetic justice for the Red Sox. They have quite a few needs, and are currently in the basement of the AL East. Bobby V is pretty much the most exciting thing they have going on most nights, unless you actually like watching 5 hour games and Wil Middlebrooks(who is actually very exciting).
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Football Contracts
Now that OTA's have started in the NFL, there isn't much news at this stage in the off-season. The main storyline remains the contract situations of football stars such as Drew Brees and Matt Forte.
As a fan, I see both sides of things. Each player wants longterm stability and money, and each wants to be paid near/at the top of the pay scale. Each player is basically at the prime of their careers and they want to be paid like it. And honestly, each player is one of the best at the positions. I view each differently though.
The Saints situation is an easy solution...pay Brees what he wants. He basically put up the best numbers in the NFL last year as a QB. He is your franchise. And with their coach sidelined for the year, he is their stability and source of leadership. The longer he is out the longer they are stuck without moving forward.
Not only that, but QB's win football games. They are the most important players on the fields so locking him up is a no brainer. Any other position you can deal with when you don't have a star, but not at the QB position.
The Forte situation is a lot trickier. I'm with Matt that he is one of the best RB's in the game. He can run and is one of the best pass catching backs as well. He produces despite a terrible offensive line and a lack of quality receivers around him to take pressure off. He accounted for a majority of their offense when he played last year. And at a position that fluctuates a lot year to year, he wants his big contract now. I get that.
But that is part of the problem as well. Bears' management know that RB's don't sustain that high level of play as long as other positions. And with the signing of Michael Bush, they have quality at the RB spot already. Also, he got injured last year and missed the second part of the season. That's a major concern. They don't want to shell out all this money to a guy that may not live up to the contract, or even be healthy throughout the length of it.
The Bears have made some large offers, but Matt wants more. Personally as a Bears fan, I want Forte in uniform, but don't want to break the bank either. I want to see that money go other places, particularly because our defense is aging and we need to address that in the off-season next year. But at the same time, the Bears can do big things this year, maybe win a Super Bowl, but they need Forte to do that. Why can't they just meet in the middle?
And I hate contact holdouts. Chris Johnson tried that last year and when he finally returned he was awful (compared to pre-holdout). It's a lose lose situation for all. So I hope they get things figured out soon.
Bottom line is this: when they are making the amount of money they are, what's a couple million? If they are smart with their finances, every player in the NFL should be set for life. Big stars (like Brees and Forte) should be set for their lives, and the lives of generations to come. So it makes me angry when these guys complain about money. But that is professional sports, and we'll continue to hear about it. We can all agree about this though...I can't wait for the NFL season to get here.
Andrew
As a fan, I see both sides of things. Each player wants longterm stability and money, and each wants to be paid near/at the top of the pay scale. Each player is basically at the prime of their careers and they want to be paid like it. And honestly, each player is one of the best at the positions. I view each differently though.
The Saints situation is an easy solution...pay Brees what he wants. He basically put up the best numbers in the NFL last year as a QB. He is your franchise. And with their coach sidelined for the year, he is their stability and source of leadership. The longer he is out the longer they are stuck without moving forward.
Not only that, but QB's win football games. They are the most important players on the fields so locking him up is a no brainer. Any other position you can deal with when you don't have a star, but not at the QB position.
The Forte situation is a lot trickier. I'm with Matt that he is one of the best RB's in the game. He can run and is one of the best pass catching backs as well. He produces despite a terrible offensive line and a lack of quality receivers around him to take pressure off. He accounted for a majority of their offense when he played last year. And at a position that fluctuates a lot year to year, he wants his big contract now. I get that.
But that is part of the problem as well. Bears' management know that RB's don't sustain that high level of play as long as other positions. And with the signing of Michael Bush, they have quality at the RB spot already. Also, he got injured last year and missed the second part of the season. That's a major concern. They don't want to shell out all this money to a guy that may not live up to the contract, or even be healthy throughout the length of it.
The Bears have made some large offers, but Matt wants more. Personally as a Bears fan, I want Forte in uniform, but don't want to break the bank either. I want to see that money go other places, particularly because our defense is aging and we need to address that in the off-season next year. But at the same time, the Bears can do big things this year, maybe win a Super Bowl, but they need Forte to do that. Why can't they just meet in the middle?
And I hate contact holdouts. Chris Johnson tried that last year and when he finally returned he was awful (compared to pre-holdout). It's a lose lose situation for all. So I hope they get things figured out soon.
Bottom line is this: when they are making the amount of money they are, what's a couple million? If they are smart with their finances, every player in the NFL should be set for life. Big stars (like Brees and Forte) should be set for their lives, and the lives of generations to come. So it makes me angry when these guys complain about money. But that is professional sports, and we'll continue to hear about it. We can all agree about this though...I can't wait for the NFL season to get here.
Andrew
Monday, May 28, 2012
The Official Blog Schedule
Since we are new to this blogging thing, we decided we would make a tentative schedule as to what we will be blogging about. Obviously, if there is a large topic that needs blogged about mid-week (like March Madness or the Olympics), we will no matter the day. But for the most part, we will try and follow the schedule below:
Monday - Basketball
Tuesday - Football
Wednesday - Tennis/Golf/Hockey/Soccer/Other
Thursday - Baseball
Friday - Weekend Super 6
Saturday (if applicable) - Relevant Topics
Sunday (if applicable) - Weekend Wrap-Up
Like we said on our very first blog, we will also respond to comments and emails that are submitted by followers. Visit our comment section under every blog, and email us at thesportsguys2008@gmail.com.
Monday - Basketball
Tuesday - Football
Wednesday - Tennis/Golf/Hockey/Soccer/Other
Thursday - Baseball
Friday - Weekend Super 6
Saturday (if applicable) - Relevant Topics
Sunday (if applicable) - Weekend Wrap-Up
Like we said on our very first blog, we will also respond to comments and emails that are submitted by followers. Visit our comment section under every blog, and email us at thesportsguys2008@gmail.com.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Andrew's French Open Preview
The second major of the year begins today in Paris. Although this tournament doesn't mean as much to Americans (because we stink on clay), this is a very important event worldwide. It's also a stark contrast to the other events because of the surface. And it's the beginning of summer tennis, with Wimbledon a couple weeks after, then the summer hard court tournaments, Olympics, and climaxing with the US Open.
Before I break down the entire men's draw, I'll make a couple predictions on the other events. In doubles I'll go with the Bryan brothers. They struggle on clay compared to other surfaces but they are coming off a win and are always in the mix.
In Women's Singles it really is a toss up. The women's game is in a state of parity and a number of women could rise up to take the title. My prediction though is Sam Stosur. She got her first major last year and she enjoys the clay.
As for the men, I'll break down each quarter below followed by my final weekend predictions:
Novak's Quarter
In the top section of the draw you'll find top seed Novak Djokovic. He is seeking to hold all four slam trophies by winning here. He will be challenged in this section by...nobody. The other top seeds here include Tsonga, Simon, and Verdasco. Djokovic plays too well for anybody here to top him, particularly on this surface and in a five set match.
The best first round matchup in this section is young American Ryan Harrison vs. Giles Simon. It's tough luck for Ryan randomly drawing the 11 seed from France. I expect a nice fight though. Lleyton Hewitt can meet Novak in the second round which would be an entertaining early match. If only Hewitt was a decade younger, then he might stand a chance. As for the third round, I like the matchup between Simon and Wawrinka. Both guys have tremendous backhands and are even on the clay. Verdasco and Novak could meet in the fourth round which would be a highly colorful match. And that leads to Tsonga and Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Fans will be torn as they love Novak, but Tsonga is a native Frenchman. Novak will pull through though earn a spot once again in the semifinals. My dark horse in the section is Verdasco who possesses a lot of skills and is quick enough to win on clay.
Roger's Quarter
The next section is where you'll find Roger Federer. Roger wants to continue to win tournaments this year and get back to number one in the world. He needs one more week to tie Pete Sampras for most weeks at number 1. It's one of the few records Federer doesn't own. Roger's big goal this year in terms of a tourney is to win the Olympics, but the French Open would mean a lot too. He has won only one French Open and that was when Nadal got injured.
In the first round I am intrigued by Roddick and Mahut. Andy has struggled to find his game over the last year or two. Mahut is famous for his marathon with Isner a couple years ago. There won't be many breaks in this one but let's hope Roddick pulls through. The second round could see Nalbandian and Federer square off. These old rivals still could put on a show. Then if all goes right, Federer and Roddick could face off in the third round. Although it would be a headline matchup, Roger would win easy. For the best fourth round matchup I'll go to the lower half where we find Del Potro vs. Berdych. These tall, big hitting players play very similar. I like the slight upset here and am picking Del Potro. That sets up the quarterfinal matchup of Del Potro and Federer. Team Fed has won four straight matches against Del Potro without dropping a set. Clearly, I am going with Roger. My dark horse in the section is Cilic who has never realized his potential. Maybe it's his time.
Murray's Quarter
Andy Murray is often the forgotten man when it comes to the top players in the world. He sits quietly at fourth in the world and is still looking for his first major title. His draw doesn't make it easy. Ferrer, Isner, Gasquet, and Tomic lay in this section.
The first round matchup that gets my attention is James Blake vs. Youzhny. We haven't heard much from James over the last couple of years but he still has plenty in the tank. In the second round I like Haas and Dolgopolov. Haas is a classic player and Dolgopolov is anything but. The third round features up and comer Tomic taking on the section favorite Murray. Tomic has a funky game but Murray just does the same thing, but better. We could see Isner and Ferrer face off in the fourth. There is a massive difference in how those guys play. Since it's on clay, I like Ferrer there. That moves him on to face Murray in a great quarterfinal match. As is the norm, I like Murray to move on as the seeds will hold form. Ferrer won't make it easy though, and we could be in for a lengthy match there. My dark horse in this section is Gasquet. He is from France and is more skilled than most players in the world.
Nadal's Quarter
Way down at the bottom of the draw we find the favorite Rafa. To spare from extra typing, he clearly will emerge from this section. He has only lost one match at the French Open ever (and that was a fluke).
In the first round we find Sam Querrey vs. Tipsarevic. Sam has fallen off the chart after showing promise a couple years ago, but he could make things interesting in this one. In the second round, Chela and Almagro should be entertaining. These under the radar guys matchup pretty well. Things pick up in the third round as we'll watch Raonic and Monaco. Everyone is so high on Raonic right now, myself included, so I like him to pull through here. The fourth round we'll hopefully see Raonic then take on Nadal. He has the firepower to make things tough for Rafa, but it won't matter. Then potentially we'll see Nadal and Tipsarevic. Guess who wins? In terms of a dark horse, there really isn't one. Like I said, nobody stands a chance to advance here outside of Nadal.
The "Final 4" - Final Weekend
Just like most majors over the course of the last few years, the semifinals will feature the top four players in the world. Nadal and Murray will be the less talked about matchup. I would love to say it will be hard fought and long, but Nadal will most likely cruise. The tough pick is Federer and Novak. Federer spoiled Novak's perfect season last year by taking him out in the semis. And even though Novak hasn't dominated this season, I think he'll take Roger out in a tough, long match.
Of course that sets up the same matchup we saw at the Australian, Rafa vs. Djokovic. The outcome will be different however as Nadal will come through. He's too tough on clay, at this tournament, and he has figured Novak out a little just beating him a week ago. I know, a boring prediction, but most likely an accurate one. Nadal will walk away with his 7th French Open title.
Hope everyone enjoys watching over the next couple weeks, I know I will. Happy Memorial Day once again!
Before I break down the entire men's draw, I'll make a couple predictions on the other events. In doubles I'll go with the Bryan brothers. They struggle on clay compared to other surfaces but they are coming off a win and are always in the mix.
In Women's Singles it really is a toss up. The women's game is in a state of parity and a number of women could rise up to take the title. My prediction though is Sam Stosur. She got her first major last year and she enjoys the clay.
As for the men, I'll break down each quarter below followed by my final weekend predictions:
Novak's Quarter
In the top section of the draw you'll find top seed Novak Djokovic. He is seeking to hold all four slam trophies by winning here. He will be challenged in this section by...nobody. The other top seeds here include Tsonga, Simon, and Verdasco. Djokovic plays too well for anybody here to top him, particularly on this surface and in a five set match.
The best first round matchup in this section is young American Ryan Harrison vs. Giles Simon. It's tough luck for Ryan randomly drawing the 11 seed from France. I expect a nice fight though. Lleyton Hewitt can meet Novak in the second round which would be an entertaining early match. If only Hewitt was a decade younger, then he might stand a chance. As for the third round, I like the matchup between Simon and Wawrinka. Both guys have tremendous backhands and are even on the clay. Verdasco and Novak could meet in the fourth round which would be a highly colorful match. And that leads to Tsonga and Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Fans will be torn as they love Novak, but Tsonga is a native Frenchman. Novak will pull through though earn a spot once again in the semifinals. My dark horse in the section is Verdasco who possesses a lot of skills and is quick enough to win on clay.
Roger's Quarter
The next section is where you'll find Roger Federer. Roger wants to continue to win tournaments this year and get back to number one in the world. He needs one more week to tie Pete Sampras for most weeks at number 1. It's one of the few records Federer doesn't own. Roger's big goal this year in terms of a tourney is to win the Olympics, but the French Open would mean a lot too. He has won only one French Open and that was when Nadal got injured.
In the first round I am intrigued by Roddick and Mahut. Andy has struggled to find his game over the last year or two. Mahut is famous for his marathon with Isner a couple years ago. There won't be many breaks in this one but let's hope Roddick pulls through. The second round could see Nalbandian and Federer square off. These old rivals still could put on a show. Then if all goes right, Federer and Roddick could face off in the third round. Although it would be a headline matchup, Roger would win easy. For the best fourth round matchup I'll go to the lower half where we find Del Potro vs. Berdych. These tall, big hitting players play very similar. I like the slight upset here and am picking Del Potro. That sets up the quarterfinal matchup of Del Potro and Federer. Team Fed has won four straight matches against Del Potro without dropping a set. Clearly, I am going with Roger. My dark horse in the section is Cilic who has never realized his potential. Maybe it's his time.
Murray's Quarter
Andy Murray is often the forgotten man when it comes to the top players in the world. He sits quietly at fourth in the world and is still looking for his first major title. His draw doesn't make it easy. Ferrer, Isner, Gasquet, and Tomic lay in this section.
The first round matchup that gets my attention is James Blake vs. Youzhny. We haven't heard much from James over the last couple of years but he still has plenty in the tank. In the second round I like Haas and Dolgopolov. Haas is a classic player and Dolgopolov is anything but. The third round features up and comer Tomic taking on the section favorite Murray. Tomic has a funky game but Murray just does the same thing, but better. We could see Isner and Ferrer face off in the fourth. There is a massive difference in how those guys play. Since it's on clay, I like Ferrer there. That moves him on to face Murray in a great quarterfinal match. As is the norm, I like Murray to move on as the seeds will hold form. Ferrer won't make it easy though, and we could be in for a lengthy match there. My dark horse in this section is Gasquet. He is from France and is more skilled than most players in the world.
Nadal's Quarter
Way down at the bottom of the draw we find the favorite Rafa. To spare from extra typing, he clearly will emerge from this section. He has only lost one match at the French Open ever (and that was a fluke).
In the first round we find Sam Querrey vs. Tipsarevic. Sam has fallen off the chart after showing promise a couple years ago, but he could make things interesting in this one. In the second round, Chela and Almagro should be entertaining. These under the radar guys matchup pretty well. Things pick up in the third round as we'll watch Raonic and Monaco. Everyone is so high on Raonic right now, myself included, so I like him to pull through here. The fourth round we'll hopefully see Raonic then take on Nadal. He has the firepower to make things tough for Rafa, but it won't matter. Then potentially we'll see Nadal and Tipsarevic. Guess who wins? In terms of a dark horse, there really isn't one. Like I said, nobody stands a chance to advance here outside of Nadal.
The "Final 4" - Final Weekend
Just like most majors over the course of the last few years, the semifinals will feature the top four players in the world. Nadal and Murray will be the less talked about matchup. I would love to say it will be hard fought and long, but Nadal will most likely cruise. The tough pick is Federer and Novak. Federer spoiled Novak's perfect season last year by taking him out in the semis. And even though Novak hasn't dominated this season, I think he'll take Roger out in a tough, long match.
Of course that sets up the same matchup we saw at the Australian, Rafa vs. Djokovic. The outcome will be different however as Nadal will come through. He's too tough on clay, at this tournament, and he has figured Novak out a little just beating him a week ago. I know, a boring prediction, but most likely an accurate one. Nadal will walk away with his 7th French Open title.
Hope everyone enjoys watching over the next couple weeks, I know I will. Happy Memorial Day once again!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
The Biggest Race in Sports
Yesterday in my Super 6, I left out the Indy 500. I wanted to devote today to blogging about it.
So what can we expect in Sunday's race? Excitement, fast cars, a few wrecks, and a dramatic finish. There will be many leaders and many drivers who will have a chance to win, but only one will take over over 2.5 million. So who will it be?
Before I break down what might happen tomorrow, let's take a brief moment to reflect on what's happened in the last year.
We all remember Dan Wheldon winning last year. Then, sadness with his tragic death. His wife, Susie is in Indianapolis this year accepting his ring, but the racing world still grieves his death. RIP.
As for this year, pole winner Ryan Briscoe seems to have the best car, but we know that doesn't mean anything. If having the best means winning then Lebron's teams would have won championships (I may run out of time soon to dog him so I am getting them all out of my system now). So I rule him out.
Franchitti cheated during qualifying, but is still allowed to race. Karma won't allow him to win though. So I rule him out.
Danica won't win because she isn't able to race (due to her Nascar schedule)... plus she is a female. So I rule her out.
Helio would be a logical choice, although nobody has won four times, and I just don't see it happening this year. So I rule him out.
Rahal looks to join his father as an Indy 500 winner, but that's a lot of pressure. I tried to become a doctor to take after my dad but I switched majors after my first year. I rule him out.
Tony Kanaan carries the label as best driver never to have won. While I would like to say he'll get it done, too bad. I'm just mean. He'll never win. I rule him out.
Then you have Hildebrand, who seemed to have the race won a year ago. Sorry, won't happen this year either. I rule him out.
While I could continue to list out people and reasons they won't win, let me just announce my winner: Marco Andretti. It's in his blood, he has come close before, seems to be his time, and he has one of the best cars this week, and sits in a good spot on the pole. Any questions?
Hope you all enjoy the race. We know many people will. If you have never been to the race, it is spectacular and Indianapolis is a great city. I live an hour away and can nearly hear the noise. That's all for now. Enjoy your weekend.
So what can we expect in Sunday's race? Excitement, fast cars, a few wrecks, and a dramatic finish. There will be many leaders and many drivers who will have a chance to win, but only one will take over over 2.5 million. So who will it be?
Before I break down what might happen tomorrow, let's take a brief moment to reflect on what's happened in the last year.
We all remember Dan Wheldon winning last year. Then, sadness with his tragic death. His wife, Susie is in Indianapolis this year accepting his ring, but the racing world still grieves his death. RIP.
As for this year, pole winner Ryan Briscoe seems to have the best car, but we know that doesn't mean anything. If having the best means winning then Lebron's teams would have won championships (I may run out of time soon to dog him so I am getting them all out of my system now). So I rule him out.
Franchitti cheated during qualifying, but is still allowed to race. Karma won't allow him to win though. So I rule him out.
Danica won't win because she isn't able to race (due to her Nascar schedule)... plus she is a female. So I rule her out.
Helio would be a logical choice, although nobody has won four times, and I just don't see it happening this year. So I rule him out.
Rahal looks to join his father as an Indy 500 winner, but that's a lot of pressure. I tried to become a doctor to take after my dad but I switched majors after my first year. I rule him out.
Tony Kanaan carries the label as best driver never to have won. While I would like to say he'll get it done, too bad. I'm just mean. He'll never win. I rule him out.
Then you have Hildebrand, who seemed to have the race won a year ago. Sorry, won't happen this year either. I rule him out.
While I could continue to list out people and reasons they won't win, let me just announce my winner: Marco Andretti. It's in his blood, he has come close before, seems to be his time, and he has one of the best cars this week, and sits in a good spot on the pole. Any questions?
Hope you all enjoy the race. We know many people will. If you have never been to the race, it is spectacular and Indianapolis is a great city. I live an hour away and can nearly hear the noise. That's all for now. Enjoy your weekend.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Andrew's Weekend Super 6
Heading into Memorial Day Weekend there are some major story lines in the sports world. I'll preview the weekend and make my predictions in my weekend Super 6:
1. NBA Playoffs - On Saturday we'll watch an exciting Game 7 between Philly and Boston. The winner gets the Miami Heat who finished off the Pacer's last night. Although the Sixers are coming off a great win a couple days ago, I'll still give Boston the edge. The C's are playing at home and have an experience advantage with Rondo, Allen, Pierce, and Garnett. I say the "Big 4" play well and control the game. Rondo will flirt with a triple double, Allen will hit at least three 3's, Pierce will score 25+, and Garnett will have a double double. C's by 12.
In the Western Conference, fans are getting hyped for the start of the Spurs/Thunder series. I too believe it could be an extremely entertaining series and can't wait until Sunday night. I'm taking the Spurs in the series and will take them Sunday night also. They are playing well right now and will continue their winning ways. Tony Parker (not Durant or Westbrook) will be the best player. He'll go off for over 30 points and Spurs will pull away late to win by 9.
2. NHL Playoffs - All eyes are on the Eastern Conference Finals to see who will face the red-hot Kings for the Stanley Cup. Many believe the Rangers can level the series and send it to a Game 7... not me. The Devils will protect their home ice and Brodeur will play great in goal. Devils will win 2-1 in OT. The Kings will find out who they will play after tonight.
3. USA Soccer - New"ish" coach Klinsmann has gotten the defense playing well. And coming off their shutout upset at Italy a few months ago, expectations are building. My worry is the offense. I am still waiting for things to click and for the US to find some weapons outside of Dempsey.
Saturday, the US hosts Scotland in an International Friendly. As they continue to ramp up to World Cup Qualifying, I expect the Americans to find a way to win in a low scoring affair. I'll stick with the score that has become the norm: 1-0.
4. Weekend Baseball - In the NL, my eyes are drawn to the two top teams in the NL East when the Nationals head to Atlanta for some weekend fun. Although the Braves just got swept by the Reds over the last four days, these teams have started the season strong. These are the types of series that may have an impact in the standings coming down the stretch. Expect to see good pitching, timely hitting, and the series to come down the Sunday's matchup. The Braves will win the series though after Brandon Beachy pitches a gem on Sunday.
In the AL, I'll also go east again and focus on the Rays/Red Sox series. It's the Red Sox who are in last place currently and need a good showing this weekend. I'll be bold and predict that Boston sweeps Tampa Bay. This will be the weekend Boston breaks lose and makes a move in the standings. Couple this with the Celtics win and it will be a good weekend in Beantown.
5. How about a little golf. The main story line personally is that I am playing 27 holes Monday with my family. But, as I mentioned in my golf blog yesterday, the Crowne Plaza is going on at Colonial. I went with Zach Johnson (who leads after round 1 actually) and Greg went with Jason Dufner (who sits 1 back in second place). We'll see what happens this weekend though as it's been a crazy year on the PGA Tour. My guess is that whatever happens, it will once again be exciting.
6. The second slam in tennis starts this weekend as well (French Open). Novak Djokovic is the top seed, and with the win he would hold all four major trophies (Australian in January, Wimbledon and US Open in 2011). For now I'll just say that it may be a Spaniard who is celebrating at the end of the tournament, but stay tuned for a full French Open Preview this weekend.
Lastly, I hope everyone has a great weekend. But let us not forget why we celebrate this weekend (and get a day off of work Monday). I want to say thank you to all of the military that are currently serving across the globe, and thank you to the veterans who have served before. My thoughts are also with the men and women who have lost their lives serving to protect this country. My prayers go out to all of them, and their families this weekend. God bless!
Andrew
1. NBA Playoffs - On Saturday we'll watch an exciting Game 7 between Philly and Boston. The winner gets the Miami Heat who finished off the Pacer's last night. Although the Sixers are coming off a great win a couple days ago, I'll still give Boston the edge. The C's are playing at home and have an experience advantage with Rondo, Allen, Pierce, and Garnett. I say the "Big 4" play well and control the game. Rondo will flirt with a triple double, Allen will hit at least three 3's, Pierce will score 25+, and Garnett will have a double double. C's by 12.
In the Western Conference, fans are getting hyped for the start of the Spurs/Thunder series. I too believe it could be an extremely entertaining series and can't wait until Sunday night. I'm taking the Spurs in the series and will take them Sunday night also. They are playing well right now and will continue their winning ways. Tony Parker (not Durant or Westbrook) will be the best player. He'll go off for over 30 points and Spurs will pull away late to win by 9.
2. NHL Playoffs - All eyes are on the Eastern Conference Finals to see who will face the red-hot Kings for the Stanley Cup. Many believe the Rangers can level the series and send it to a Game 7... not me. The Devils will protect their home ice and Brodeur will play great in goal. Devils will win 2-1 in OT. The Kings will find out who they will play after tonight.
3. USA Soccer - New"ish" coach Klinsmann has gotten the defense playing well. And coming off their shutout upset at Italy a few months ago, expectations are building. My worry is the offense. I am still waiting for things to click and for the US to find some weapons outside of Dempsey.
Saturday, the US hosts Scotland in an International Friendly. As they continue to ramp up to World Cup Qualifying, I expect the Americans to find a way to win in a low scoring affair. I'll stick with the score that has become the norm: 1-0.
4. Weekend Baseball - In the NL, my eyes are drawn to the two top teams in the NL East when the Nationals head to Atlanta for some weekend fun. Although the Braves just got swept by the Reds over the last four days, these teams have started the season strong. These are the types of series that may have an impact in the standings coming down the stretch. Expect to see good pitching, timely hitting, and the series to come down the Sunday's matchup. The Braves will win the series though after Brandon Beachy pitches a gem on Sunday.
In the AL, I'll also go east again and focus on the Rays/Red Sox series. It's the Red Sox who are in last place currently and need a good showing this weekend. I'll be bold and predict that Boston sweeps Tampa Bay. This will be the weekend Boston breaks lose and makes a move in the standings. Couple this with the Celtics win and it will be a good weekend in Beantown.
5. How about a little golf. The main story line personally is that I am playing 27 holes Monday with my family. But, as I mentioned in my golf blog yesterday, the Crowne Plaza is going on at Colonial. I went with Zach Johnson (who leads after round 1 actually) and Greg went with Jason Dufner (who sits 1 back in second place). We'll see what happens this weekend though as it's been a crazy year on the PGA Tour. My guess is that whatever happens, it will once again be exciting.
6. The second slam in tennis starts this weekend as well (French Open). Novak Djokovic is the top seed, and with the win he would hold all four major trophies (Australian in January, Wimbledon and US Open in 2011). For now I'll just say that it may be a Spaniard who is celebrating at the end of the tournament, but stay tuned for a full French Open Preview this weekend.
Lastly, I hope everyone has a great weekend. But let us not forget why we celebrate this weekend (and get a day off of work Monday). I want to say thank you to all of the military that are currently serving across the globe, and thank you to the veterans who have served before. My thoughts are also with the men and women who have lost their lives serving to protect this country. My prayers go out to all of them, and their families this weekend. God bless!
Andrew
Greg's weekend preview (what to watch for)
Roland Garros:
First I have to share a story that I read yesterday on the online WSJ about an American Tennis comeback(in lue of the French Open starting this weekend). Brian Baker was a promising young American tennis player who came up in the junior tennis circuit with players such as Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils...you get the picture. His career was ravaged by injuries as he had multiple hip, knee and even Tommy John surgery. He quit tennis and was a student assistant coach at Belmont University (shout out to Kelly and Jared Blumenburg) and just recently started playing tennis at the challenger and professional levels. He won a tournament a few weeks ago in Atlanta that qualified him as a wild card into the French open. In his warm up tournament this week in Nice, France, he is in the semifinals of the tournament after having beaten Sergiy Stakhovsky, Gael Monfils, and Mikhail Kukushkin and meets Nikolay Davydenko (who ever thought there'd be so many russians in France not during WWII?) in the semifinals. If you're having trouble figuring out who to root for because no Americans are going to do well, root for Brian Baker. The guy deserves it.
On a tennis side note what has happened to Andy Roddick? He lost yesterday to a guy who was named after an action verb (Go Soeda) and hasn't won a tour match in two months. Dont expect him to do well at the French Open.
Coverage of the French Open starts on Sunday, and I'd write more about it except I really don't think anyone other than Rafa(on another side note, when I have a son, which I hope isn't any time soon, I'm going to groom him to be exactly like Rafa) has a shot at winning the men's championship.
NBA Playoffs:
Now that Miami has gotten past the Pacers, it seems a formality that they will roll through whoever comes out of the Boston/Philadelphia series, and the real drama lies out west between the Spurs and the Thunder. That series starts on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on TNT and should be one of the better series in the last 10 years. Both teams are playing well and the contrast of styles is great.Though I like the Thunder, I think they are a true point guard away from making it out of the west, and San Antonio prevails in 6 really tough, tightly contested games.
NBA trade rumors- Dwight Howard is on the trading block again according to Chris Sheridan at SheridanHoops.com. Dallas, New Jersey, and LA have to be the favorites, it should be interesting to see what happens as his trade soap opera keeps on going through the summer.
The Colonial(Crowne Plaza Invitational):
My man Jason Dufner has pulled even with Zach Johnson to start round two. After choking away his lead at the Players last year and allowing Keegan Bradley to win his first major in his first try, Dufner has played exceptional, consistent golf. I expect the weekend's final two pairs include he and Johnson as they prepare for the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in 3 weeks.
NHL Playoffs:
Game 6 between the Devils and Rangers is tonight, and should be a very entertaining game, but I gotta say I'm rooting for the Devils. Marty Brodeur is one of the greatest goaltenders ever, and what better way for him to go out than by winning a Stanley Cup. Nothing like going out on top, just ask Didier Drogba. A series between the 8 seeded Kings and 6 seeded Devils would make for great theater. Nothing like the NHL playoffs to remind you that its not what your seed is going it, but how hot your goaltender is going in to the playoffs that determines who gets the Stanley Cup (although I became disinterested after the Blackhawks were bounced in the first round for the second year in a row).
Its a great weekend for a weekend off and the weather will be beautiful. This will be the first time this season I will be going to a Cubs game, and the first time I will be experiencing it from Wrigley Rooftops all you can eat and drink at 1032 Waveland Ave. I will blog about my experience Monday night after the game, assuming I am coherent enough to write and not burnt to a crisp.
Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy your sports!
First I have to share a story that I read yesterday on the online WSJ about an American Tennis comeback(in lue of the French Open starting this weekend). Brian Baker was a promising young American tennis player who came up in the junior tennis circuit with players such as Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils...you get the picture. His career was ravaged by injuries as he had multiple hip, knee and even Tommy John surgery. He quit tennis and was a student assistant coach at Belmont University (shout out to Kelly and Jared Blumenburg) and just recently started playing tennis at the challenger and professional levels. He won a tournament a few weeks ago in Atlanta that qualified him as a wild card into the French open. In his warm up tournament this week in Nice, France, he is in the semifinals of the tournament after having beaten Sergiy Stakhovsky, Gael Monfils, and Mikhail Kukushkin and meets Nikolay Davydenko (who ever thought there'd be so many russians in France not during WWII?) in the semifinals. If you're having trouble figuring out who to root for because no Americans are going to do well, root for Brian Baker. The guy deserves it.
On a tennis side note what has happened to Andy Roddick? He lost yesterday to a guy who was named after an action verb (Go Soeda) and hasn't won a tour match in two months. Dont expect him to do well at the French Open.
Coverage of the French Open starts on Sunday, and I'd write more about it except I really don't think anyone other than Rafa(on another side note, when I have a son, which I hope isn't any time soon, I'm going to groom him to be exactly like Rafa) has a shot at winning the men's championship.
NBA Playoffs:
Now that Miami has gotten past the Pacers, it seems a formality that they will roll through whoever comes out of the Boston/Philadelphia series, and the real drama lies out west between the Spurs and the Thunder. That series starts on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on TNT and should be one of the better series in the last 10 years. Both teams are playing well and the contrast of styles is great.Though I like the Thunder, I think they are a true point guard away from making it out of the west, and San Antonio prevails in 6 really tough, tightly contested games.
NBA trade rumors- Dwight Howard is on the trading block again according to Chris Sheridan at SheridanHoops.com. Dallas, New Jersey, and LA have to be the favorites, it should be interesting to see what happens as his trade soap opera keeps on going through the summer.
The Colonial(Crowne Plaza Invitational):
My man Jason Dufner has pulled even with Zach Johnson to start round two. After choking away his lead at the Players last year and allowing Keegan Bradley to win his first major in his first try, Dufner has played exceptional, consistent golf. I expect the weekend's final two pairs include he and Johnson as they prepare for the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in 3 weeks.
NHL Playoffs:
Game 6 between the Devils and Rangers is tonight, and should be a very entertaining game, but I gotta say I'm rooting for the Devils. Marty Brodeur is one of the greatest goaltenders ever, and what better way for him to go out than by winning a Stanley Cup. Nothing like going out on top, just ask Didier Drogba. A series between the 8 seeded Kings and 6 seeded Devils would make for great theater. Nothing like the NHL playoffs to remind you that its not what your seed is going it, but how hot your goaltender is going in to the playoffs that determines who gets the Stanley Cup (although I became disinterested after the Blackhawks were bounced in the first round for the second year in a row).
Its a great weekend for a weekend off and the weather will be beautiful. This will be the first time this season I will be going to a Cubs game, and the first time I will be experiencing it from Wrigley Rooftops all you can eat and drink at 1032 Waveland Ave. I will blog about my experience Monday night after the game, assuming I am coherent enough to write and not burnt to a crisp.
Happy Memorial Day weekend! Enjoy your sports!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Andrew's World of Golf
So I went out the other day and played golf on a course I have never played. I shot a 77 and was pretty thrilled considering most told me this course is a tough venue. Then I saw in the paper that some local high schooler had shot a 70 the day before. So I realize I am indeed a ways off towards playing on the tour...
But if you're a golf fan, there hasn't been much to complain about this year. In fact, we have seen so many storylines in 2012 that it's hard to keep track of them all. Here are some of the stories that have stuck out to me.
Bubba Watson in green. There really hasn't been a better moment in golf, maybe even in sports, than watching Bubba win the Masters. It was intense in the playoff seeing him hit a massive hook out of the trees to 15 feet. In fact, it was nothing short of SPECTACULAR. He deserves it to. He is now the highest ranked American player at 4 in the world.
Speaking of the World Rankings, Rory finally got to number 1. I give credit to his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniaki, because she held that ranking for a long while. Her advice must have been the difference. Of course, her experience still hasn't led to winning a major herself so strike that. It really has been a great story but I am tired of all those videos of him as a kid saying he wanted to be top ranked in the world. He wasn't that cute...
How about Kyle Stanley. We watched one of the more shocking chokes in a long time at Torrey Pines on the 18th hole. After that, most thought he'd fall apart like David Duval did a decade ago. But give him credit, he came back and won the next week in Phoenix.
I guess it's easier to come back after watching a lead disappear than watching something meaningful disappear like a marriage... but Tiger Woods finally did make it back to the winner's circle. Winning at Arnie's tourney was something so rare for him... I mean he hadn't won on tour in 30 months. That's the same length of time as Lebron since his last championship... oh wait, he's still waiting. Tiger is back up to number 7 in the world, but even that seems weird.
Jason Dufner has been the MAN over the last month winning twice. He had been close so many times before but finally has learned how to close things out. Lebron, once again, needs to take notice.
The man in orange winning his first tourney was exciting. Fowler winning in a playoff over Rory was something I thoroughly enjoyed watching as an American golf fan. Hope that's a preview for the Olympics.
Americans have been so playing well this whole year actually. Hunter Mahan winning the Match Play Championship (over Rory once again) was some incredible golf. Kuchar at The Players was thrilling as well. Nothing like the Stadium Course.
Which leads me to thinking about the rest of the year:
Will Lee Westwood ever win a major? (Not this year) We know Sergio won't ever but Lee really does have a legit shot.
Will Kevin Na step off another tee shot? (YEP!)
Who will make the Ryder Cup teams? (My guess is Americans and Euros)
Will Tiger win a major or switch swing coaches? (in no particular order, yes and no)
Personally, I can't wait for the summer tourneys and final three majors to begin. I have played The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island so I can't wait for that course to host the PGA Championship in August. I hope the wind is as crazy as it was when I played (30+ mph with large gusts). My predictions and commentary to continue throughout the year.
As for this week, let's go with Zach Johnson. He's been playing well and Colonial seems to be a Zach Johnson course! Peace
Andrew
But if you're a golf fan, there hasn't been much to complain about this year. In fact, we have seen so many storylines in 2012 that it's hard to keep track of them all. Here are some of the stories that have stuck out to me.
Bubba Watson in green. There really hasn't been a better moment in golf, maybe even in sports, than watching Bubba win the Masters. It was intense in the playoff seeing him hit a massive hook out of the trees to 15 feet. In fact, it was nothing short of SPECTACULAR. He deserves it to. He is now the highest ranked American player at 4 in the world.
Speaking of the World Rankings, Rory finally got to number 1. I give credit to his girlfriend, Caroline Wozniaki, because she held that ranking for a long while. Her advice must have been the difference. Of course, her experience still hasn't led to winning a major herself so strike that. It really has been a great story but I am tired of all those videos of him as a kid saying he wanted to be top ranked in the world. He wasn't that cute...
How about Kyle Stanley. We watched one of the more shocking chokes in a long time at Torrey Pines on the 18th hole. After that, most thought he'd fall apart like David Duval did a decade ago. But give him credit, he came back and won the next week in Phoenix.
I guess it's easier to come back after watching a lead disappear than watching something meaningful disappear like a marriage... but Tiger Woods finally did make it back to the winner's circle. Winning at Arnie's tourney was something so rare for him... I mean he hadn't won on tour in 30 months. That's the same length of time as Lebron since his last championship... oh wait, he's still waiting. Tiger is back up to number 7 in the world, but even that seems weird.
Jason Dufner has been the MAN over the last month winning twice. He had been close so many times before but finally has learned how to close things out. Lebron, once again, needs to take notice.
The man in orange winning his first tourney was exciting. Fowler winning in a playoff over Rory was something I thoroughly enjoyed watching as an American golf fan. Hope that's a preview for the Olympics.
Americans have been so playing well this whole year actually. Hunter Mahan winning the Match Play Championship (over Rory once again) was some incredible golf. Kuchar at The Players was thrilling as well. Nothing like the Stadium Course.
Which leads me to thinking about the rest of the year:
Will Lee Westwood ever win a major? (Not this year) We know Sergio won't ever but Lee really does have a legit shot.
Will Kevin Na step off another tee shot? (YEP!)
Who will make the Ryder Cup teams? (My guess is Americans and Euros)
Will Tiger win a major or switch swing coaches? (in no particular order, yes and no)
Personally, I can't wait for the summer tourneys and final three majors to begin. I have played The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island so I can't wait for that course to host the PGA Championship in August. I hope the wind is as crazy as it was when I played (30+ mph with large gusts). My predictions and commentary to continue throughout the year.
As for this week, let's go with Zach Johnson. He's been playing well and Colonial seems to be a Zach Johnson course! Peace
Andrew
NFL Season Win totals Projections
Cantor Gaming (Las Vegas bookkeeper) just launched their first NFL season projections for win totals. Andrew and I make our picks, first by stating an OVER/UNDER, and then by putting our projected win totals for each team in parentheses. Cantor's projections are listed right next to the team names. Let the debating begin!
Team: Greg Andrew
Arizona Cardinals-7- Under (5) OVER (8)
Atlanta Falcons-9- Push (9) PUSH (9)
Baltimore Ravens-10- Push (10) OVER (11)
Buffalo Bills-7- Over (11) OVER (8)
Carolina Panthers-7.5 Over (9) UNDER (7)
Chicago Bears-8.5- Over (12) OVER (11)
Cincinnati Bengals-7.5- Under (6) OVER (9)
Cleveland Browns-5.5- Under (4) UNDER (2)
Dallas Cowboys-8.5- Under (7) OVER (10)
Denver Broncos-9.5- Under (9) OVER (11)
Detroit Lions-9.5- Under (9) OVER (10)
Green Bay Packers-12- Over (13) PUSH (12)
Houston Texans-10- Under (8) OVER (11)
Indianapolis Colts-5.5- Under (5) UNDER (4)
Jacksonville Jaguars-5.5- Under (3) UNDER (3)
Kansas City Chiefs-8- Over (9) UNDER (5)
Miami Dolphins-7.5- Under (6) UNDER (7)
Minnesota Vikings-6- Under (3) PUSH (6)
New England Patriots-12- Push (12) OVER (13)
New Orleans Saints-10- Under (7) PUSH (10)
New York Giants-9.5- Under (9) OVER (10)
New York Jets-8.5- Over (9) OVER (9)
Oakland Raiders-7- Push (7) OVER (9)
Philadelphia Eagles-10- Over (11) UNDER (8)
Pittsburgh Steelers-10- Over (11) UNDER (9)
San Diego Chargers-9- Under (8) OVER (10)
San Francisco-10- Over (11) PUSH (10)
Seattle Seahawks-7- Push (7) UNDER (6)
St. Louis Rams-6- Under (5) UNDER (4)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-6- Over (9) UNDER (4)
Tennessee Titans-7- Under (6) UNDER (3)
Washington Redskins-6.5- Over (8) OVER (7)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Greg's First NCAA Football Preseason Rankings
College Football Season is coming up in about 100 days. Here is my First College Football Preview:
1. Alabama Crimson Tide- Even with all of the losses this team had from this year's national championship team I stick with them at the top of the rankings. They have a great recruiting class coming in, a solid offensive line, are returning A.J. McCarron at QB, and have a budding star in RB Eddie Lacy, who saw time spelling #3 overall pick Trent Richardson last year. The SEC will be tough once again, but I can't see anyone topping the Crimson Tide at this time.
2. USC Trojans- Matt Barkley, Robert Woods & Co. return from a postseason ban to a Pac-12 minus Andrew Luck. That should spell great success for them as they nearly won the Pac-12 outright last season even with Luck's Cardinal in the league. If Barkley can handle the pressure of being the early favorite for consensus #1 overall pick, the Trojans will be in the National Championship hunt.
3. South Carolina Gamecocks- Returning RB Marcus Latimore will really help this team to grow from last year's team that went to the SEC title game. Jadaveon Clowney's second year with the team should also spell loads of trouble for the other teams in the SEC west. The old ball coach has finally got this program back to where expectations are high again. Can they meet them?
4. Michigan Wolverines- Brady Hoke's second year should have great returns for this improving squad. If Denard Robinson can improve as a passer and a decision-maker this team's offense will grow by leaps and bounds. The defense improved mightily last year and a great incoming recruiting class should help. Big season-opening test on September 1st against Alabama at Cowboys Stadium should give the rest of the Big 10 a taste of just how good Michigan will be this year.
5.TCU Horned Frogs- Gary Patterson's team finished the season strong last year after a rough start. Returning QB Casey Pachall should be much improved in his second season as the Horned Frogs' starter. A relatively easy early part of the schedule should leave TCU well rested and fresh for a monumental last two weeks of the regular season. I expect them to challenge Kansas State and Oklahoma in their first full season for the Big 12 title.
6. Arkansas Razorbacks- Only Bobby Petrino's absence kept this team out of the top 5. They have a great scoring offense led by returning starting QB Tyler Wilson. If their defense improves at all they have a chance to challenge LSU and Alabama for the SEC title.
7. Oklahoma- Landry Jones returns for a final season with hopes to lead the Sooners to a National title. The loss of Ryan Broyles, and several key LB's to the NFL draft. The Sooners host Kansas State, Notre Dame, Baylor, and Oklahoma state but key late road games include West Virginia and the season finale at TCU that will likely decide the Big 12 champion.
8. LSU Tigers- The starting QB battle between Sophomore Zach Mettenberger, Freshman Jared Foster, Freshman Jerrard Randall, and Freshman Stephen Rivers will go a long way toward determining LSU's success. They made it to the National Championship game last year with suspect QB play all year long. If they can get more out of that position, the Bayou Bengals will be a title contender all year long.
9. Kansas State Wildcats- If Junior QB Colin Klein can improve as a passer, Kansas State will have a shot at the Big 12 title. Bill Snyder always seems to get the most out of his teams and the stadium in Manhattan is one of the toughest places to play in the Big 12. The league is tough this year,and I see TCU and Oklahoma ahead of K-State to start the season, but don't be surprised if they jump up and surprise one or both of these teams to win the league title.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes- It'd be hard to have Urban Meyer coaching and not have OSU in the top 10 wouldn't it? That'd be like having UK out of the top 10 in Men's CBB(oh wait, Andrew Miller has them at 17 in his preseason poll). As is the theme with most of these top 10 teams, Braxton Miller's play at the QB position and his adjustment to Meyer's schemes will determine the Buckeyes' success this year. I expect Wisconsin and Michigan State to take a step back after losing QB's to the draft, and don't be surprised to see the biggest football rivalry in the Big 10 determine the champion of that conference.
11. Oregon Ducks- Dropping them down a bit simply because even though Kenyon Barner will be very good, they have to replace LaMichael James. DeAnthony Thomas should help some, as he averaged a touchdown every 8 touches last year(insane), but the bigger workload could knock his production down a bit. The last 3 years Chip Kelly's team has lost the Rose Bowl, lost the National Championship, and won the Rose Bowl. Not too shabby. A weak non-conference schedule could hurt them in the computer rankings however.
12. Virginia Tech Hokies- Finished last year 11-3, and even though they lost RB David Wilson, they should be a lock to win double digit games. With the switch to the Big East the Hokies should really run away with that conference. I don't see any legitimate challengers, other than potentially Cincinnati. Hokie fans should rejoice as an undefeated season is not out of the question.
13.Georgia Bulldogs- QB Aaron Murray returns for a third season as the starter, and though he lost his most reliable target in Orsen Charles, the Bulldogs' offense should be better if Murray improves. A great recruiting class should help Mark Richt's team challenge 'Bama, LSU, and South Carolina for the SEC crown.
14. Florida State Seminoles- The 'noles started last season in the top 5 before an embarassing defeat to Oklahoma left them bruised and without their starting QB. A lower starting point this season doesn't mean lower expectations as they have a plethora of talent at this school. They will be a team to watch all season long.
15. Wisconsin Badgers- Losing Russell Wilson hurts, but Montee Ball coming back was a big boost for this program. Their tough running style of play should keep them in the thick of things as long as they have solid QB play. Another team that lost a lot of talent to the draft, and will need to replenish several positions on the offensive line at a high level to remain this high on my list.
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys- Outside of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon this team didn't lose a whole lot....wait those two players were the reason they were in the National Championship discussion most of the year last year. The determining factor this season for them will be if their defense can continue to produce turnovers at a high level as they did last year. History says they fall off a bit from their totals last season.
17. Boise State Broncos- Chris Petersen's team has been in the upper echelon of college football for 5 years running now, but losing the winningest QB in the history of D-I football has to have an effect on the program, as will joining the Big East conference. The competition might not be that much better, but you have to factor in the travel time to get to a lot of those east coast schools. Expect a slight drop off this season.
18. Stanford Cardinal- This team lost more starting players than any other team in college football last year to the NFL draft. They have to replace half of their offense and whoever the starting QB will have the pressure of following a legend on campus. If they can tread water and get adequate performances out of some of the replacement players, they should remain in the top 25, but I don't expect Stanford to legitimately compete for a Pac-12 championship.
19. Cincinnati Bearcats- Losing RB Isaiah Pead will hurt the offensive attack of this team, but historically the third season under a new coach is usally a make or break season. I say that it makes the Bearcats and they give Virginia Tech a run for their money in the Big East.
20. Clemson Tigers- Dabo Sweeneys team again looks strong in the ACC as it comes down to Clemson and Florida State in the ACC with Virginia Tech's departure for the Big East. Look for a strong season from Taj Boyd at the QB position. He struggled with turnovers much of last season, but a solid offseason of work should pay off on the field this season for the Tigers.
21.Baylor Bears- Losing RGIII and Kendall Wright will be big for this program as RGIII really put Baylor football on the map. The Big 12 will be as competetive as ever, but the atmosphere and competetiveness of every program at Baylor over the last few years should result in the Bears staying relevant this season.
22.Nebraska Cornhuskers- Bo Pelini's team won 9 games a season ago, and if Taylor Martinez can ever learn to actually throw a football, this team will be much better. Down years for Wisconsin and Michigan State should help Nebraska challenge Michigan and Ohio State at the top of the conference.
23.Notre Dame Fighting Irish- Brian Kelly's third year at the school should pay dividends, and play at the QB position will determine success for the Irish. Gunner Kiel, Andrew Kendricks, and Everett Gholson provide a young, talented nucleus for this team. Legal problems for Tommy Rees should remove him from the conversation completely. If the QB's can keep from turning the ball over in the red zone the Irish's overall team speed and team defense have improved enough to make them a solid contender even with the loss of Aaron Lynch.
24.Michigan State Spartans-Losing Kirk Cousins, B.J. Cunningham, and Jerel Worthy will create large question marks on this team. Sophomore RB Le'Veon Bell returns and should challenge Montee Ball as the top RB in the conference. Look for this team to play spoiler to a few teams that are attempting to win the conference late in the season.
25.West Virginia Mountaineers-Switching to the Big 12 will have a bigger effect on West Virginia than any other school switching conferences this season. Every road game is a cross country trip, and that will take a toll on this team outside of Morgantown. I expect them to be in the bottom half of the Big 12 this season, simply because I don't see them winning more than 1 conference road game.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide- Even with all of the losses this team had from this year's national championship team I stick with them at the top of the rankings. They have a great recruiting class coming in, a solid offensive line, are returning A.J. McCarron at QB, and have a budding star in RB Eddie Lacy, who saw time spelling #3 overall pick Trent Richardson last year. The SEC will be tough once again, but I can't see anyone topping the Crimson Tide at this time.
2. USC Trojans- Matt Barkley, Robert Woods & Co. return from a postseason ban to a Pac-12 minus Andrew Luck. That should spell great success for them as they nearly won the Pac-12 outright last season even with Luck's Cardinal in the league. If Barkley can handle the pressure of being the early favorite for consensus #1 overall pick, the Trojans will be in the National Championship hunt.
3. South Carolina Gamecocks- Returning RB Marcus Latimore will really help this team to grow from last year's team that went to the SEC title game. Jadaveon Clowney's second year with the team should also spell loads of trouble for the other teams in the SEC west. The old ball coach has finally got this program back to where expectations are high again. Can they meet them?
4. Michigan Wolverines- Brady Hoke's second year should have great returns for this improving squad. If Denard Robinson can improve as a passer and a decision-maker this team's offense will grow by leaps and bounds. The defense improved mightily last year and a great incoming recruiting class should help. Big season-opening test on September 1st against Alabama at Cowboys Stadium should give the rest of the Big 10 a taste of just how good Michigan will be this year.
5.TCU Horned Frogs- Gary Patterson's team finished the season strong last year after a rough start. Returning QB Casey Pachall should be much improved in his second season as the Horned Frogs' starter. A relatively easy early part of the schedule should leave TCU well rested and fresh for a monumental last two weeks of the regular season. I expect them to challenge Kansas State and Oklahoma in their first full season for the Big 12 title.
6. Arkansas Razorbacks- Only Bobby Petrino's absence kept this team out of the top 5. They have a great scoring offense led by returning starting QB Tyler Wilson. If their defense improves at all they have a chance to challenge LSU and Alabama for the SEC title.
7. Oklahoma- Landry Jones returns for a final season with hopes to lead the Sooners to a National title. The loss of Ryan Broyles, and several key LB's to the NFL draft. The Sooners host Kansas State, Notre Dame, Baylor, and Oklahoma state but key late road games include West Virginia and the season finale at TCU that will likely decide the Big 12 champion.
8. LSU Tigers- The starting QB battle between Sophomore Zach Mettenberger, Freshman Jared Foster, Freshman Jerrard Randall, and Freshman Stephen Rivers will go a long way toward determining LSU's success. They made it to the National Championship game last year with suspect QB play all year long. If they can get more out of that position, the Bayou Bengals will be a title contender all year long.
9. Kansas State Wildcats- If Junior QB Colin Klein can improve as a passer, Kansas State will have a shot at the Big 12 title. Bill Snyder always seems to get the most out of his teams and the stadium in Manhattan is one of the toughest places to play in the Big 12. The league is tough this year,and I see TCU and Oklahoma ahead of K-State to start the season, but don't be surprised if they jump up and surprise one or both of these teams to win the league title.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes- It'd be hard to have Urban Meyer coaching and not have OSU in the top 10 wouldn't it? That'd be like having UK out of the top 10 in Men's CBB(oh wait, Andrew Miller has them at 17 in his preseason poll). As is the theme with most of these top 10 teams, Braxton Miller's play at the QB position and his adjustment to Meyer's schemes will determine the Buckeyes' success this year. I expect Wisconsin and Michigan State to take a step back after losing QB's to the draft, and don't be surprised to see the biggest football rivalry in the Big 10 determine the champion of that conference.
11. Oregon Ducks- Dropping them down a bit simply because even though Kenyon Barner will be very good, they have to replace LaMichael James. DeAnthony Thomas should help some, as he averaged a touchdown every 8 touches last year(insane), but the bigger workload could knock his production down a bit. The last 3 years Chip Kelly's team has lost the Rose Bowl, lost the National Championship, and won the Rose Bowl. Not too shabby. A weak non-conference schedule could hurt them in the computer rankings however.
12. Virginia Tech Hokies- Finished last year 11-3, and even though they lost RB David Wilson, they should be a lock to win double digit games. With the switch to the Big East the Hokies should really run away with that conference. I don't see any legitimate challengers, other than potentially Cincinnati. Hokie fans should rejoice as an undefeated season is not out of the question.
13.Georgia Bulldogs- QB Aaron Murray returns for a third season as the starter, and though he lost his most reliable target in Orsen Charles, the Bulldogs' offense should be better if Murray improves. A great recruiting class should help Mark Richt's team challenge 'Bama, LSU, and South Carolina for the SEC crown.
14. Florida State Seminoles- The 'noles started last season in the top 5 before an embarassing defeat to Oklahoma left them bruised and without their starting QB. A lower starting point this season doesn't mean lower expectations as they have a plethora of talent at this school. They will be a team to watch all season long.
15. Wisconsin Badgers- Losing Russell Wilson hurts, but Montee Ball coming back was a big boost for this program. Their tough running style of play should keep them in the thick of things as long as they have solid QB play. Another team that lost a lot of talent to the draft, and will need to replenish several positions on the offensive line at a high level to remain this high on my list.
16. Oklahoma State Cowboys- Outside of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon this team didn't lose a whole lot....wait those two players were the reason they were in the National Championship discussion most of the year last year. The determining factor this season for them will be if their defense can continue to produce turnovers at a high level as they did last year. History says they fall off a bit from their totals last season.
17. Boise State Broncos- Chris Petersen's team has been in the upper echelon of college football for 5 years running now, but losing the winningest QB in the history of D-I football has to have an effect on the program, as will joining the Big East conference. The competition might not be that much better, but you have to factor in the travel time to get to a lot of those east coast schools. Expect a slight drop off this season.
18. Stanford Cardinal- This team lost more starting players than any other team in college football last year to the NFL draft. They have to replace half of their offense and whoever the starting QB will have the pressure of following a legend on campus. If they can tread water and get adequate performances out of some of the replacement players, they should remain in the top 25, but I don't expect Stanford to legitimately compete for a Pac-12 championship.
19. Cincinnati Bearcats- Losing RB Isaiah Pead will hurt the offensive attack of this team, but historically the third season under a new coach is usally a make or break season. I say that it makes the Bearcats and they give Virginia Tech a run for their money in the Big East.
20. Clemson Tigers- Dabo Sweeneys team again looks strong in the ACC as it comes down to Clemson and Florida State in the ACC with Virginia Tech's departure for the Big East. Look for a strong season from Taj Boyd at the QB position. He struggled with turnovers much of last season, but a solid offseason of work should pay off on the field this season for the Tigers.
21.Baylor Bears- Losing RGIII and Kendall Wright will be big for this program as RGIII really put Baylor football on the map. The Big 12 will be as competetive as ever, but the atmosphere and competetiveness of every program at Baylor over the last few years should result in the Bears staying relevant this season.
22.Nebraska Cornhuskers- Bo Pelini's team won 9 games a season ago, and if Taylor Martinez can ever learn to actually throw a football, this team will be much better. Down years for Wisconsin and Michigan State should help Nebraska challenge Michigan and Ohio State at the top of the conference.
23.Notre Dame Fighting Irish- Brian Kelly's third year at the school should pay dividends, and play at the QB position will determine success for the Irish. Gunner Kiel, Andrew Kendricks, and Everett Gholson provide a young, talented nucleus for this team. Legal problems for Tommy Rees should remove him from the conversation completely. If the QB's can keep from turning the ball over in the red zone the Irish's overall team speed and team defense have improved enough to make them a solid contender even with the loss of Aaron Lynch.
24.Michigan State Spartans-Losing Kirk Cousins, B.J. Cunningham, and Jerel Worthy will create large question marks on this team. Sophomore RB Le'Veon Bell returns and should challenge Montee Ball as the top RB in the conference. Look for this team to play spoiler to a few teams that are attempting to win the conference late in the season.
25.West Virginia Mountaineers-Switching to the Big 12 will have a bigger effect on West Virginia than any other school switching conferences this season. Every road game is a cross country trip, and that will take a toll on this team outside of Morgantown. I expect them to be in the bottom half of the Big 12 this season, simply because I don't see them winning more than 1 conference road game.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Andrew's Early College Basketball Top 25
Now that the NBA Draft Declaration Period has passed and the recruiting classes of most schools are complete, I wanted to take a very early look at college basketball next season. I am, after all, a massive college hoops fan (Indiana Hoosiers to be specific).
1. Indiana Hoosiers - Take note that I was the first to place them in this spot. I may not have published this post until today, but before the season ended I pegged IU as the best team in 2012-2013 before the publications followed suit. This past year they were a top fifteen team that made it to the sweet 16 before losing a close game to the champion. In fact, they seemed like the only team in the tourney capable of beating the Wildcats (which they did in December). They return the best player in the game (Zeller), the best shooter in the game (Hulls), a great scorer in Watford, defender in Oladipo, spark plug Sheehey, and bench guys Elston, Remy, and possibly Roth. Not to mention they bring in a top level recruiting class with at least three guys who will contribute immediately (Yogi Ferrell, Hanner Perea, Jeremy Hollowell).
2. Louisville Cardinals - They return most from a final four team and are the Big East favorites for sure. Peyton Siva is one of the most valuable players in the country and Behanan will emerge as a star this year. Kuric and Smith will be losses but they add back many guys who were injured a year ago: Marra, Buckles, Blackshear. If they are stay healthy, they may keep the NCAA championship trophy in state. George Mason transfer Luke Hancock should help too.
3. Kansas - I know Robinson and Taylor are gone, but they return so many other great players that helped get them to the title game. Perry Ellis is a big time recruit and Bill Self is a coach I trust. They will be the favorites again in the Big 12 and be a power on the national scene once more.
4. NC State - I was high on this team last year and they proved me right by making it to the sweet 16. Coach Gottfried did a great job with them and they return all their stars including CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown. Surprising as this may seem, they also add three McDonald's All-Americans. Yes, they are the ACC favorites... NOT Duke or Carolina.
5. Michigan - When Trey Burke decided to return Wolverine fans rejoiced (trust me, one of my best buddies is a Michigan fan). Along with Burke, Hardaway Jr. comes back to form a great 1-2 punch. Glenn Robinson and Mitch McGary highlight a sparkling recruiting class that makes up for the losses of Douglass, Novak, and Smotricz. Ann Arbor could see another Big Ten title this season.
6. Ohio State - Losing Sullinger and Buford hurts badly, but Thomas chose to return which gives them a big time scorer. Aaron Craft is one of the most underrated players in the nation, not too mention an incredible defender. Some of the young talent they had hidden will shine (cough, cough...Smith Jr. and Ross) and Thad Matta will be in the thick of things once again in the Big Ten.
7. Duke - Austin Rivers is gone and Miles Plumlee graduated. But his brother Mason returned along with the rest of the contributors. Adding two great recruits to the mix will keep the Blue Devils in the national spotlight. My belief is that Coach K is the best of the best as a coach, and he will prove it again this year even with lower expectations.
8. UCLA - How can a team as bad as UCLA jump this high in the national rankings? RECRUITING. It's amazing to me that most publications have Kentucky in the top three nationally in their rankings. It was UCLA who nabbed the best class, and they return way more talent to surround them than Kentucky does. So it is UCLA who will ride their freshman Shabazz and Anderson deep into March this time around.
9. Florida - Yes, I have Florida as the top SEC team. They return more from an Elite 8 team than other contending SEC teams and have some nice talent coming in also. Patric Young should become a star this year and could hear his name near the top of next year's draft.
10. Wisconsin - I wouldn't be surprised if this is even too low for the Badgers. They lose Jordan Taylor but bring back everyone from a very good Sweet 16 team. Sam Dekker is one of the best recruits they have had in some time too. Bo Ryan's team will play at their pace, protect the ball, and shoot the lights out. Once again, this team can beat anyone in the nation.
11. Missouri - They lose their top 3 scorers but get back the rest of their team that earned a number one seed in the tourney. They also return their best player from two years ago, Laurence Bowers. They welcome in 4 transfers who could start for most teams in the nation. Yes, Frank Haith will lead a very dangerous squad in their new conference.
12. North Carolina - This team was decimated by departures more than any team in the nation other than Kentucky. But they were a deep team that will return some key players who were injured. They also welcome a top ten recruiting class and are still coached by Roy Williams.
13. Michigan State - Tom Izzo loses one of his favorite players in Draymon Green but return a lot of core pieces from one of the best national teams. Hopefully Dawson will recover well from his ACL tear. Obviously, MSU can recruit and did it again with a top ten class. They will crash the party in a loaded Big Ten this season.
14. Baylor - Their loaded frontcourt got killed by early entries but they have two more big studs coming in. Pierre Jackson and Brady Heslip should provide scoring, shooting, and leadership. The may not be quite as good as last year, but they are extremely dangerous once again.
15. Arizona - After a down year, the Wildcats welcome in one of the best classes they have had in a long time. The core of Hill, Johnson, Parrom will give them some returners to lean on. In a resurgent Pac 12, they will be there in March.
16. Syracuse - They too lost a lot in the offseason, but were the deepest team in the country last year. Some great recruits will join the mix also (aka DeJuan Coleman) to give Syracuse a formidable squad. The zone will always give teams trouble and they have a coach who is one of the best in the business.
17. Kentucky - I truly don't understand why people think they are a top 3 team next year. They lost their six best players (and they only played 7). Most people forget they didn't win with freshman last year... they had Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller as half of the "starting 6" returning from the previous year. This year they have their 7th best player, sophomore-to-be Kyle Wiltjer as their best returner. Of course they had a top 3 recruiting class led by shot-blocker Noel, but this team will need leadership. NC State transfer Ryan Harrow could become very important this season. If Coach Calipari gets this team to the final four, I will be the first to admit he is more than just a great recruiter.
18. UNLV - Like I said with Wisconsin, this ranking could be too low. They were a top 15 last year for most of the year and get most of their guys back. Maybe even more important is that they added transfer Khem Birch from Pitt and just got top PF recruit Anthony Bennett to commit. Couple them with Mike Moser and you're looking at the best frontcourt in the nation.
19. Creighton - Doug McDermott is back. Do I need to say more? He proved to be one of the best players in the country and they only lost their starting point guard. This year, Creighton could be the mid-major to make a deep run.
20. Butler - Brad Stevens will return his team to the NCAA tournament this year. They are bringing in shooting, the biggest thing they lacked a season ago. That will make room for Andrew Smith and Khyle Marshall to control the interior. This is a team nobody will want to see in March.
21. San Diego State - Have you caught on to the mid-major theme yet? This is yet another team that is well coached and returns the majority of their team. As is another theme this season, they will be impacted by three transfers who can play this year. Look out for the Aztecs.
22. VCU - Everybody saw again how dangerous they are when they knocked off Wichita State last year in the NCAA tourney. They nearly toppled IU as well but fell just short. Nonetheless, Shaka Smart is the key returner that will return this team to the NCAA tourney.
23. Gonzaga - Robert Sacre is gone but this is another mid-major that will be dangerous next season. Elias Harris is a star and they also feature a top level backcourt. Remember, they nearly knocked off the Buckeyes who made the final four.
24. Minnesota - Tubby's team fell apart last season when Trevor Mbakwe got injured. But they pulled together and got runner up in the NIT. Now with Mbakwe rejoining that same team, they will make noise in the NCAA tourney this season. It's scary to think they are 6th in the Big Ten, but that just speaks of the depth in the conference.
25. Notre Dame - They weren't able to get Abromitis another year of eligibility but Scott Martin was granted another season. And they get most back from a team that placed third in the Big East. If they keep that momentum going, they could finish there once again this season.
This may all change by the time the season comes, but I think this coming season will prove extremely competitive and exciting. Anything can happen and things can change quickly. But I can't wait!
Andrew
1. Indiana Hoosiers - Take note that I was the first to place them in this spot. I may not have published this post until today, but before the season ended I pegged IU as the best team in 2012-2013 before the publications followed suit. This past year they were a top fifteen team that made it to the sweet 16 before losing a close game to the champion. In fact, they seemed like the only team in the tourney capable of beating the Wildcats (which they did in December). They return the best player in the game (Zeller), the best shooter in the game (Hulls), a great scorer in Watford, defender in Oladipo, spark plug Sheehey, and bench guys Elston, Remy, and possibly Roth. Not to mention they bring in a top level recruiting class with at least three guys who will contribute immediately (Yogi Ferrell, Hanner Perea, Jeremy Hollowell).
2. Louisville Cardinals - They return most from a final four team and are the Big East favorites for sure. Peyton Siva is one of the most valuable players in the country and Behanan will emerge as a star this year. Kuric and Smith will be losses but they add back many guys who were injured a year ago: Marra, Buckles, Blackshear. If they are stay healthy, they may keep the NCAA championship trophy in state. George Mason transfer Luke Hancock should help too.
3. Kansas - I know Robinson and Taylor are gone, but they return so many other great players that helped get them to the title game. Perry Ellis is a big time recruit and Bill Self is a coach I trust. They will be the favorites again in the Big 12 and be a power on the national scene once more.
4. NC State - I was high on this team last year and they proved me right by making it to the sweet 16. Coach Gottfried did a great job with them and they return all their stars including CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown. Surprising as this may seem, they also add three McDonald's All-Americans. Yes, they are the ACC favorites... NOT Duke or Carolina.
5. Michigan - When Trey Burke decided to return Wolverine fans rejoiced (trust me, one of my best buddies is a Michigan fan). Along with Burke, Hardaway Jr. comes back to form a great 1-2 punch. Glenn Robinson and Mitch McGary highlight a sparkling recruiting class that makes up for the losses of Douglass, Novak, and Smotricz. Ann Arbor could see another Big Ten title this season.
6. Ohio State - Losing Sullinger and Buford hurts badly, but Thomas chose to return which gives them a big time scorer. Aaron Craft is one of the most underrated players in the nation, not too mention an incredible defender. Some of the young talent they had hidden will shine (cough, cough...Smith Jr. and Ross) and Thad Matta will be in the thick of things once again in the Big Ten.
7. Duke - Austin Rivers is gone and Miles Plumlee graduated. But his brother Mason returned along with the rest of the contributors. Adding two great recruits to the mix will keep the Blue Devils in the national spotlight. My belief is that Coach K is the best of the best as a coach, and he will prove it again this year even with lower expectations.
8. UCLA - How can a team as bad as UCLA jump this high in the national rankings? RECRUITING. It's amazing to me that most publications have Kentucky in the top three nationally in their rankings. It was UCLA who nabbed the best class, and they return way more talent to surround them than Kentucky does. So it is UCLA who will ride their freshman Shabazz and Anderson deep into March this time around.
9. Florida - Yes, I have Florida as the top SEC team. They return more from an Elite 8 team than other contending SEC teams and have some nice talent coming in also. Patric Young should become a star this year and could hear his name near the top of next year's draft.
10. Wisconsin - I wouldn't be surprised if this is even too low for the Badgers. They lose Jordan Taylor but bring back everyone from a very good Sweet 16 team. Sam Dekker is one of the best recruits they have had in some time too. Bo Ryan's team will play at their pace, protect the ball, and shoot the lights out. Once again, this team can beat anyone in the nation.
11. Missouri - They lose their top 3 scorers but get back the rest of their team that earned a number one seed in the tourney. They also return their best player from two years ago, Laurence Bowers. They welcome in 4 transfers who could start for most teams in the nation. Yes, Frank Haith will lead a very dangerous squad in their new conference.
12. North Carolina - This team was decimated by departures more than any team in the nation other than Kentucky. But they were a deep team that will return some key players who were injured. They also welcome a top ten recruiting class and are still coached by Roy Williams.
13. Michigan State - Tom Izzo loses one of his favorite players in Draymon Green but return a lot of core pieces from one of the best national teams. Hopefully Dawson will recover well from his ACL tear. Obviously, MSU can recruit and did it again with a top ten class. They will crash the party in a loaded Big Ten this season.
14. Baylor - Their loaded frontcourt got killed by early entries but they have two more big studs coming in. Pierre Jackson and Brady Heslip should provide scoring, shooting, and leadership. The may not be quite as good as last year, but they are extremely dangerous once again.
15. Arizona - After a down year, the Wildcats welcome in one of the best classes they have had in a long time. The core of Hill, Johnson, Parrom will give them some returners to lean on. In a resurgent Pac 12, they will be there in March.
16. Syracuse - They too lost a lot in the offseason, but were the deepest team in the country last year. Some great recruits will join the mix also (aka DeJuan Coleman) to give Syracuse a formidable squad. The zone will always give teams trouble and they have a coach who is one of the best in the business.
17. Kentucky - I truly don't understand why people think they are a top 3 team next year. They lost their six best players (and they only played 7). Most people forget they didn't win with freshman last year... they had Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, and Darius Miller as half of the "starting 6" returning from the previous year. This year they have their 7th best player, sophomore-to-be Kyle Wiltjer as their best returner. Of course they had a top 3 recruiting class led by shot-blocker Noel, but this team will need leadership. NC State transfer Ryan Harrow could become very important this season. If Coach Calipari gets this team to the final four, I will be the first to admit he is more than just a great recruiter.
18. UNLV - Like I said with Wisconsin, this ranking could be too low. They were a top 15 last year for most of the year and get most of their guys back. Maybe even more important is that they added transfer Khem Birch from Pitt and just got top PF recruit Anthony Bennett to commit. Couple them with Mike Moser and you're looking at the best frontcourt in the nation.
19. Creighton - Doug McDermott is back. Do I need to say more? He proved to be one of the best players in the country and they only lost their starting point guard. This year, Creighton could be the mid-major to make a deep run.
20. Butler - Brad Stevens will return his team to the NCAA tournament this year. They are bringing in shooting, the biggest thing they lacked a season ago. That will make room for Andrew Smith and Khyle Marshall to control the interior. This is a team nobody will want to see in March.
21. San Diego State - Have you caught on to the mid-major theme yet? This is yet another team that is well coached and returns the majority of their team. As is another theme this season, they will be impacted by three transfers who can play this year. Look out for the Aztecs.
22. VCU - Everybody saw again how dangerous they are when they knocked off Wichita State last year in the NCAA tourney. They nearly toppled IU as well but fell just short. Nonetheless, Shaka Smart is the key returner that will return this team to the NCAA tourney.
23. Gonzaga - Robert Sacre is gone but this is another mid-major that will be dangerous next season. Elias Harris is a star and they also feature a top level backcourt. Remember, they nearly knocked off the Buckeyes who made the final four.
24. Minnesota - Tubby's team fell apart last season when Trevor Mbakwe got injured. But they pulled together and got runner up in the NIT. Now with Mbakwe rejoining that same team, they will make noise in the NCAA tourney this season. It's scary to think they are 6th in the Big Ten, but that just speaks of the depth in the conference.
25. Notre Dame - They weren't able to get Abromitis another year of eligibility but Scott Martin was granted another season. And they get most back from a team that placed third in the Big East. If they keep that momentum going, they could finish there once again this season.
This may all change by the time the season comes, but I think this coming season will prove extremely competitive and exciting. Anything can happen and things can change quickly. But I can't wait!
Andrew
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