Due to the Big Ten Conference likely to expand into 14 or maybe 16 teams many conferences around the nation are taking notice and are considering expanding due to the fall-out. The other conference considering expanding would be the PAC-10, the reason for these conferences expanding is so both could have a conference championship game and gain more revenue for their conference. Many "smaller" conferences are going to be the ones who will have to realign the most due to the bigger conferences raiding them. The only big conference who might have to realign the most could be the Big 12 cause of their television markets they have which include Denver markets and the Texan markets. And even if they do get picked apart by some other conferences the Big 12 has plenty of teams around their area that could easily be put in and continue the Big 12's dominating success. There are currently 120 teams in the FBS and currently 11 conferences but with teams likely to shift the smaller conferences could come together and form a bigger mid major conference.
Conference realignment Predictions:
Big 10 (14 teams) Two Divisions North, South
North
Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan State
Illinois
Pittsburgh
Penn State
Rutgers
South
Iowa
Missouri
Indiana
Minnesota
Northwestern
Purdue
Wisconsin
Big East (8 teams)
Cincinnati
Southern Miss
Tulsa
Troy
Syracuse
West Virginia
Louisville
Connecticut
SEC (14 teams) Two Divisions East and West
East
Florida
Florida State
Clemson
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
South Carolina
Kentucky
West
Alabama
Auburn
Arkansas
Georgia
LSU
Mississippi State
Ole Miss
ACC (12 teams) two divisions
Coastal
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
Miami
North Carolina
Duke
Virginia
Atlantic
Wake Forest
Boston College
NC State
Maryland
East Carolina
South Florida
Pac-10 (12 teams)
Stanford
Washington
Washington State
Southern Cal
UCLA
Oregon
Oregon State
Arizona
Arizona St
Colorado
California
Utah
Big 12 (12 teams)
Texas
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Kansas
Kansas St.
TCU
Iowa State
Houston
Baylor
Nebraska
Texas Tech
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
WWE Draft Nite
The WWE had its annual superstar roster shuffle this past monday night, also known as the WWE Draft. Things got kicked off by the Unified Champions The Miz and Big Show lost to The Hart Dynasty as well as the title belts. The next match was a Diva match as the winning brand got a Diva draft pick. Raw had Maryse and Diva's champion Eve took on Michelle McCool and Layla. Maryse and Eve could not put their bitter rivalry on hold for a week as their hate for each other cost them the match and gave Smackdown the first draft pick. Smackdown received Kelly Kelly from the Raw Roster.
The second match pitted Evan Bourne against CM Punk, and CM Punk once again got help from one his followers to defeat Bourne. Smackdown received Big Show. Then a ten man battle royal took place. The last two man standing in the match were Dibease and Ray Mysterio and Dibease won the match for RAW and got three draft picks. RAW got R-Truth, John Morrison, and Edge.
Christian and Chris Jericho battled it out for the next draft pick. Christ Jericho connected with a code-breaker and knocked Christian out and gave Smackdown a draft pick that sent Kofi Kingston from RAW to Smackdown. With the score tied three to three in draft picks the next match had a lot riding on it. As new RAW roster draftee John Morrison fought against Heavyweight Champion Jack Swaggert. It was a hard fought match but in the end Jack Swaggert put an end to Morrison's run and got Smackdown a fourth pick. The pick sends Christian packing his bags from RAW to Smackdown. The last draft pick match up the night put Dolph Ziggler in one corner from Smackdown and Hornswaggle in the other corner from RAW. Hornswaggle kept Dolph Ziggler out of the ring for ten seconds and won the match and evened the draft picks for the night at 4 a piece per brand. The last pick of the draft monday night was...Chris Jericho.
The WWE has a supplemental draft going on starting at noon eastern, so the drafting will continue.
The last night of the match was against Randy Orton and Sheamus, the winner is the number one contender for John Cena's Championship belt. But before the match started Batista came storming out and was crying that he did not lose to Cena last night at Extreme Rules and got in the middle of the match before it started. Cena came out then declared it a triple threat match. This match was brutal as all three men wanted the chance to face John Cena more than the next person he was wrestling. Just when it appeared that Randy Orton was going to win the match he was in his "Viper stage" RAW's new superstar Edge spears Orton and Batista rolls over and lays his arm on top of Orton for the 1..2..3..! Bastista is the new number one contender!
Draft Recap
Smackdown- Kofi Kingston, Christian, Kelly Kelly, Big Show
RAW- Edge, John Morrison, R-Truth, Chris Jericho
The second match pitted Evan Bourne against CM Punk, and CM Punk once again got help from one his followers to defeat Bourne. Smackdown received Big Show. Then a ten man battle royal took place. The last two man standing in the match were Dibease and Ray Mysterio and Dibease won the match for RAW and got three draft picks. RAW got R-Truth, John Morrison, and Edge.
Christian and Chris Jericho battled it out for the next draft pick. Christ Jericho connected with a code-breaker and knocked Christian out and gave Smackdown a draft pick that sent Kofi Kingston from RAW to Smackdown. With the score tied three to three in draft picks the next match had a lot riding on it. As new RAW roster draftee John Morrison fought against Heavyweight Champion Jack Swaggert. It was a hard fought match but in the end Jack Swaggert put an end to Morrison's run and got Smackdown a fourth pick. The pick sends Christian packing his bags from RAW to Smackdown. The last draft pick match up the night put Dolph Ziggler in one corner from Smackdown and Hornswaggle in the other corner from RAW. Hornswaggle kept Dolph Ziggler out of the ring for ten seconds and won the match and evened the draft picks for the night at 4 a piece per brand. The last pick of the draft monday night was...Chris Jericho.
The WWE has a supplemental draft going on starting at noon eastern, so the drafting will continue.
The last night of the match was against Randy Orton and Sheamus, the winner is the number one contender for John Cena's Championship belt. But before the match started Batista came storming out and was crying that he did not lose to Cena last night at Extreme Rules and got in the middle of the match before it started. Cena came out then declared it a triple threat match. This match was brutal as all three men wanted the chance to face John Cena more than the next person he was wrestling. Just when it appeared that Randy Orton was going to win the match he was in his "Viper stage" RAW's new superstar Edge spears Orton and Batista rolls over and lays his arm on top of Orton for the 1..2..3..! Bastista is the new number one contender!
Draft Recap
Smackdown- Kofi Kingston, Christian, Kelly Kelly, Big Show
RAW- Edge, John Morrison, R-Truth, Chris Jericho
LeGarrette Blount
Former Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount has signed with the Tennessee Titans after telling the 49ers he would agree to play for them. Blount is most noted for punching a Boise State player in Oregon's season opener last season. Blount will help the Titans and give them the bruising running back they will need since they sent LenDale White to the Seattle Seahawks along with teammate DT Kevin Vickerson.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Draft Day 2
The second day of the draft included the second and third rounds. There were plenty of story lines heading into day two: When will Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy get picked? How many Nose Tackles would be taken? Would a team take a chance on OT Bruce Campbell? Which Alabama player would get picked first and Would Ben Tate get taken today?
Most experts were astonished that Jimmy Clausen was not picked in the first round. Going into the second round everyone thought that within the first ten picks that Jimmy and Colt would be taken, such was not the case. Jimmy ended up going 48th to the Carolina Panthers, while Colt waited until the third round when the Cleveland Browns came calling at the 85th pick.
The Second Round started off with the Rams selecting a future left tackle to protect Sam Bradford in Rodger Saffold/ Indiana. But it was offensive lineman who dominated the second round, as the nose tackles were selected left and right. A total of six taken in the first twenty-five picks. The Buccaneers got things started off with the third pick and took Brian Price from UCLA. Price joins Gerald McCoy(3rd overall selection) on the front-lines for the Bucs. Other nose tackles taken in this round were Torell Troup (9th pick to Buffalo) from Central Florida, Oakland at number 12 took Lamar Houston/Texas, two picks later the Giants ended up picking Linval Joseph/ East Carolina, with the 24th pick Green Bay took Mike Neal/Purdue, and the last one taken was Terrance Cody/Alabama.
Coming into the second day most people had Terrance Cody pegged as the first player from Alabama to be taken, that was until the Kansas City Chiefs took Javier Arenas/CB with the 18th pick in the second round. Terrance would be taken seven picks later at number 25. At number 26 the Houston Texans selected Ben Tate/RB from Auburn, who could quite possibly be the biggest steal of the second round of the draft, with his open field running skills, able to catch the ball out of the back field and his vision is what could make him a special player.
Bruce Campbell OT/Maryland was on some mock drafts as a first round pick, has yet received a call yet from a team. Expect him to be taken early on day 3.
Most experts were astonished that Jimmy Clausen was not picked in the first round. Going into the second round everyone thought that within the first ten picks that Jimmy and Colt would be taken, such was not the case. Jimmy ended up going 48th to the Carolina Panthers, while Colt waited until the third round when the Cleveland Browns came calling at the 85th pick.
The Second Round started off with the Rams selecting a future left tackle to protect Sam Bradford in Rodger Saffold/ Indiana. But it was offensive lineman who dominated the second round, as the nose tackles were selected left and right. A total of six taken in the first twenty-five picks. The Buccaneers got things started off with the third pick and took Brian Price from UCLA. Price joins Gerald McCoy(3rd overall selection) on the front-lines for the Bucs. Other nose tackles taken in this round were Torell Troup (9th pick to Buffalo) from Central Florida, Oakland at number 12 took Lamar Houston/Texas, two picks later the Giants ended up picking Linval Joseph/ East Carolina, with the 24th pick Green Bay took Mike Neal/Purdue, and the last one taken was Terrance Cody/Alabama.
Coming into the second day most people had Terrance Cody pegged as the first player from Alabama to be taken, that was until the Kansas City Chiefs took Javier Arenas/CB with the 18th pick in the second round. Terrance would be taken seven picks later at number 25. At number 26 the Houston Texans selected Ben Tate/RB from Auburn, who could quite possibly be the biggest steal of the second round of the draft, with his open field running skills, able to catch the ball out of the back field and his vision is what could make him a special player.
Bruce Campbell OT/Maryland was on some mock drafts as a first round pick, has yet received a call yet from a team. Expect him to be taken early on day 3.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tigers steals one
The Auburn Tigers received their fifth commitment this past Wednesday as Spanish Fort Center Reese Dismukes chose the Tigers over Alabama. Dismukes is expected to be a top center prospect in this years class. Also, Diskmukes was going to pick Alabama two months ago but decided to hold his decision until he visited other schools and did it ever work out well for Auburn.
Other Auburn Commits:
Izaueu Lanier Ath
Thomas O'Reilly OL
Spencer Region OL
Anthony Swain DB
Other Auburn Commits:
Izaueu Lanier Ath
Thomas O'Reilly OL
Spencer Region OL
Anthony Swain DB
Draft Day 1
The NFL's first "prime-time" draft did not disappoint. It consisted of trades, surprises, and history. The first round got started off with the Big 12 sweeping the first four picks and five of the first six, but the 3 of the first 4 picks were all from University of Oklahoma (common draft record). SEC players would be picked 5 through eight except at number 6. The first ten picks would end up in a mild surprise and a shocker at the tenth pick.
With the first pick of the NFL Draft the St. Louis Rams select...Sam Bradford QB/Oklahoma. I know this is not a shocker as every mock draft pegged him to go number one. Then the next two picks by the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also no brainers as Ndamukong Suh DT/Nebraska and Gerald McCoy DT/Oklahoma were picked. The first surprise albeit a small one came at the fourth pick as the Washington Redskins selected Trent Williams OT/Oklahoma instead of taking Russell Okung, who was predicted by many as the best offensive tackle in the draft. To round out the first five picks the Kansas City Chiefs pick Eric Berry S/Tennessee, by many experts is considered the drafts most ready player to start this year in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks picked up Russell Okung OT/Oklahoma State with the sixth overall selection. Now it was the Browns turn who could have used a quarterback and Jimmy Clausen was still on the draft board, but instead went with cornerback Joe Haden out of the University of Florida. Oakland Raiders had the eighth pick and in the past Al Davis has been known to pick head scratchers, just like last year as he picked up Heyward-Bey ahead of Crabtree. The Raiders were in need of offense but Al Davis shocks the world again by getting All-American linebacker Rolando McClain out of Alabama. The Bills selected next and got all purpose-back C.J. Spiller from Clemson University. The Jacksonville Jaguars are known for reaching for players and they had the biggest surprise of the draft until the 25th pick, and chose Tyson Alualu DT/California.
Other notable picks include the San Diego Chargers trading up from 28th to 12th to get Ryan Matthews RB/Fresno State. Philadelphia traded up not to get safety help but pass rush help as they chose Brandon Graham OLB/Michigan. With the 16th selection the Tennessee Titans chose defensive-end Derrick Morgan out of Georgia Tech and ACC defensive player of the year. Houston Texans got the cornerback help they needed by selecting University of Alabama's Kareem Jackson at number 20. The most shocking pick went at number 25 as the Denver Broncos chose Quarterback Tim Tebow from University of Florida. The New Orleans Saints ended the first round with Patrick Robinson CB/Florida State.
With the first pick of the NFL Draft the St. Louis Rams select...Sam Bradford QB/Oklahoma. I know this is not a shocker as every mock draft pegged him to go number one. Then the next two picks by the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also no brainers as Ndamukong Suh DT/Nebraska and Gerald McCoy DT/Oklahoma were picked. The first surprise albeit a small one came at the fourth pick as the Washington Redskins selected Trent Williams OT/Oklahoma instead of taking Russell Okung, who was predicted by many as the best offensive tackle in the draft. To round out the first five picks the Kansas City Chiefs pick Eric Berry S/Tennessee, by many experts is considered the drafts most ready player to start this year in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks picked up Russell Okung OT/Oklahoma State with the sixth overall selection. Now it was the Browns turn who could have used a quarterback and Jimmy Clausen was still on the draft board, but instead went with cornerback Joe Haden out of the University of Florida. Oakland Raiders had the eighth pick and in the past Al Davis has been known to pick head scratchers, just like last year as he picked up Heyward-Bey ahead of Crabtree. The Raiders were in need of offense but Al Davis shocks the world again by getting All-American linebacker Rolando McClain out of Alabama. The Bills selected next and got all purpose-back C.J. Spiller from Clemson University. The Jacksonville Jaguars are known for reaching for players and they had the biggest surprise of the draft until the 25th pick, and chose Tyson Alualu DT/California.
Other notable picks include the San Diego Chargers trading up from 28th to 12th to get Ryan Matthews RB/Fresno State. Philadelphia traded up not to get safety help but pass rush help as they chose Brandon Graham OLB/Michigan. With the 16th selection the Tennessee Titans chose defensive-end Derrick Morgan out of Georgia Tech and ACC defensive player of the year. Houston Texans got the cornerback help they needed by selecting University of Alabama's Kareem Jackson at number 20. The most shocking pick went at number 25 as the Denver Broncos chose Quarterback Tim Tebow from University of Florida. The New Orleans Saints ended the first round with Patrick Robinson CB/Florida State.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Former NFL Super Bowl MVP gets traded
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a ton of conterversy to say the least this off-season and they sent one of their main problems away. They shipped Santonio Holmes, former NFL Super Bowl MVP, to the Jets for a 5th round draft pick.
Now everyone is waiting to see if they will trade their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as well, which is most likely not going to happen.
Now everyone is waiting to see if they will trade their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as well, which is most likely not going to happen.
Three team trade
The Detroit Lions sends rising star linebacker Ernie Sims to Philadelphia. Philadelphia sends their fifth round draft pick in this year drafts to the Denver Broncos, who in return send TE Tony Scheffler and a seventh round pick in this years draft to the Detroit Lions.
The recruiting train is still rolling
The University of Alabama received their eleventh commit this past Monday. This is their fourth prospect to verbally commit in three days.
DJ Pettway is considered a top DE/DT prospect in the Southeast. The Pensacola, Florida product stands in at 6' 2.5" and tips the scales at 255 lbs. As a junior he registered 85 tackles accompanied by 12 sacks playing for Catholic High School.
DJ Pettway is considered a top DE/DT prospect in the Southeast. The Pensacola, Florida product stands in at 6' 2.5" and tips the scales at 255 lbs. As a junior he registered 85 tackles accompanied by 12 sacks playing for Catholic High School.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The rich get even richer
This past Saturday the University of Alabama had their annual glorified scrimmage, where the public could come out for free and watch the event. The crowd at this years game was 91,000+. If your a recruit that attends a spring game with the stadium almost packed to capacity that is something that will make an impression on you. It did it ever make an impression on three prized recruits who went on to commit to the Tide this past Saturday.
First recruit off the board was Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix. Ha'Sean comes from Miami and planned on making his college destination at the Under Armor All-American game this year but he just couldn't wait. Ha'sean is considered to be one of the top overall players in this years recruiting class. According to Scout.com rankings he is the top overall safety in the country and a 5-star prospect.
A little later on Saturday Alabama recieved even more great news when Auburn High prospect LaMichael Fanning decided to commit. LaMichael is thought of to be a top Defensive End prospect in the nation and is a 4-star prospect, according to Scout.com.
Late Saturday night news broke out that Jabriel Washington was rumored to have committed to the Crimson Tide. The rumor was true as Washington decided to end his recruitment which was a shock to most people. The Jackson, Tennessee native is a 4-star prospect and is rank in the top 10 in cornerback rankings, according to Scout.com.
These latest commits brings Alabama's total up to ten on the year.
First recruit off the board was Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix. Ha'Sean comes from Miami and planned on making his college destination at the Under Armor All-American game this year but he just couldn't wait. Ha'sean is considered to be one of the top overall players in this years recruiting class. According to Scout.com rankings he is the top overall safety in the country and a 5-star prospect.
A little later on Saturday Alabama recieved even more great news when Auburn High prospect LaMichael Fanning decided to commit. LaMichael is thought of to be a top Defensive End prospect in the nation and is a 4-star prospect, according to Scout.com.
Late Saturday night news broke out that Jabriel Washington was rumored to have committed to the Crimson Tide. The rumor was true as Washington decided to end his recruitment which was a shock to most people. The Jackson, Tennessee native is a 4-star prospect and is rank in the top 10 in cornerback rankings, according to Scout.com.
These latest commits brings Alabama's total up to ten on the year.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Dolphins exchanges playmaker for draft pick
The Miami Dolphins are involved in moving a play making wide receiver from the East to the West, but this time they were the ones letting go the wide out. Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has been traded to the San Francisco 49ers for what is believed to be a 5th round draft pick in this years draft. Ginn was drafted by the Dolphins with the 9th overall pick in the 2006 draft. Ginn was an All-American out of Ohio State.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Chris Nelson
Theodore Quarterback Chris Nelson has received his first collegiate offer and it came from the school just down the road. The three star QB (according to scout.com) got the offer from the University of South Alabama. This is a big offer for him but it will certainly not be his last.
If Coach Joey Jones can keep Nelson inside the Mobile area, He could have his QB of the future and be able to compete better once South Alabama moves into FBS (formally Div. 1-A). He stands in at 6'2, 215 lbs and is considered a duel-threat QB (meaning he can run out of the pocket if it breaks down). On the video i have watched of him he has a nice touch on his ball, he has quick feet and can elude defensive lineman, his arm strength can improve as he was short on a couple of deep balls, but overall he could be a great QB for the Jaguars for three or four years if he decides to stay in Mobile. He also has Illinois, Alabama, Auburn, UAB, UCLA, Mississippi, and Tennessee currently looking at him, but none have offered him.
If Coach Joey Jones can keep Nelson inside the Mobile area, He could have his QB of the future and be able to compete better once South Alabama moves into FBS (formally Div. 1-A). He stands in at 6'2, 215 lbs and is considered a duel-threat QB (meaning he can run out of the pocket if it breaks down). On the video i have watched of him he has a nice touch on his ball, he has quick feet and can elude defensive lineman, his arm strength can improve as he was short on a couple of deep balls, but overall he could be a great QB for the Jaguars for three or four years if he decides to stay in Mobile. He also has Illinois, Alabama, Auburn, UAB, UCLA, Mississippi, and Tennessee currently looking at him, but none have offered him.
Number Seven
The Alabama Crimson Tide picked up their seventh commit today as Malcolm Faciane gave his verbal pledge. Malcolm is listed at 6-6 265 lbs and he hails from Picayune, Mississippi. He became the Tides fourth commit on the offensive side of the ball, with the other three being receiver.
List of Alabama Commits:
Shannon Brown LB
Brent Calloway LB
Daryl Collins WR
Quinton Dial DE
Malcolm Faciane TE
Marvin Shinn WR
Danny Woodson WR
List of Alabama Commits:
Shannon Brown LB
Brent Calloway LB
Daryl Collins WR
Quinton Dial DE
Malcolm Faciane TE
Marvin Shinn WR
Danny Woodson WR
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Brandon Marshall
The Denver Broncos have traded disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for their 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft and a 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft as well.
This is a great move for both organizations as the dolphins get the play maker at wide receiver they been needing for the past couple of years. The Broncos get rid of a complainer in the locker and also has a chance to pick up two solid contributors to help out the team in the coming years.
The Broncos had said all along they wanted a 1st round pick for Marshall but its hard to pass up a package that includes a 2 2nd round picks in the next two drafts.
The NFL Draft is only 8 days away!!!!!
This is a great move for both organizations as the dolphins get the play maker at wide receiver they been needing for the past couple of years. The Broncos get rid of a complainer in the locker and also has a chance to pick up two solid contributors to help out the team in the coming years.
The Broncos had said all along they wanted a 1st round pick for Marshall but its hard to pass up a package that includes a 2 2nd round picks in the next two drafts.
The NFL Draft is only 8 days away!!!!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
McNabb to Redskins
The Philadelphia Eagles traded Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins for a 2010 second round pick ( 37 overall) and a 3rd or 4th round pick in the 2011 draft.
First reaction...Eagles how could you be so stupid. Second reaction...Eagles how could you be so stupid to trade away your teams best player and leader. I don't know why the Eagles decided to trade McNabb and not Kolb, who is a quarterback that show promise but is not proven. The Eagles were looking for a top 42 pick in this years draft for McNabb and got it with the Redskins.
If i was an Eagles fan (thank goodness im not) I would wake up and be furious at this. The Eagles just went from contender in the NFC East to bottom dweller, I don't see how the Eagles will win over 6 games next year with Kolb at the helm.
All the other NFC East teams got better in the off-season and the Eagles did not. I don't know if they were just tired of him teasing the Eagles and getting them just to the NFC Championship for four years in a row and not winning a Super Bowl. Whatever the reason is, it doesn't matter cause Eagles will be down for 5 years at minimum.
This trade just put the Redskins as a major contender to the Cowboys and might have put them as the front runner for the division.
First reaction...Eagles how could you be so stupid. Second reaction...Eagles how could you be so stupid to trade away your teams best player and leader. I don't know why the Eagles decided to trade McNabb and not Kolb, who is a quarterback that show promise but is not proven. The Eagles were looking for a top 42 pick in this years draft for McNabb and got it with the Redskins.
If i was an Eagles fan (thank goodness im not) I would wake up and be furious at this. The Eagles just went from contender in the NFC East to bottom dweller, I don't see how the Eagles will win over 6 games next year with Kolb at the helm.
All the other NFC East teams got better in the off-season and the Eagles did not. I don't know if they were just tired of him teasing the Eagles and getting them just to the NFC Championship for four years in a row and not winning a Super Bowl. Whatever the reason is, it doesn't matter cause Eagles will be down for 5 years at minimum.
This trade just put the Redskins as a major contender to the Cowboys and might have put them as the front runner for the division.
Mens Basketball Championship Game Prediction
Its finally here, the game all college basketball fans look forward to...the National Championship! And what kind of match-up did the fans get? Butler vs Duke...this sounds like a snooze to me. There is no way Butler can contend with Duke's Scheyer, Singular and Smith...not a chance. WRONG. I don't know if you have noticed but Butler is not your average mid-major school. They actually have a NBA prospect and have not had an easy road to the National Championship game. Butler has defeated Kansas State and Syracuse just to name a few. Also they avoided the ever common first round upset of the 5 vs 12 seeds.
Tonight's match-up is an interesting one to say the least. You have a team who depends on defense to win games and one who depends on its offense to win. Butler will need an even better defense than it played during the national semi-final against Michigan State if they want a chance to beat Duke. If they are able to shoot better than 45 percent, they should keep this game close with a chance to win it at the end.
Duke...the team that is now expected to win for the first time probably since the second round. Going into the tournament they were thought of as the worst of the number one seeds but turn out to be the best and most consistent. If they play the same type of game they did against West Virginia then this game will not be close after tip-off but i would not bet on it. The key will be if Zoubek can continue to be a dominant rebounder and gets his six or eight points a game then they should be in great shape.
Duke is a seven point favorite according to the odd-makers. Ill take that seven points and predict that Duke will cut down the nets for the fourth time.
Duke 77 Butler 70
Tonight's match-up is an interesting one to say the least. You have a team who depends on defense to win games and one who depends on its offense to win. Butler will need an even better defense than it played during the national semi-final against Michigan State if they want a chance to beat Duke. If they are able to shoot better than 45 percent, they should keep this game close with a chance to win it at the end.
Duke...the team that is now expected to win for the first time probably since the second round. Going into the tournament they were thought of as the worst of the number one seeds but turn out to be the best and most consistent. If they play the same type of game they did against West Virginia then this game will not be close after tip-off but i would not bet on it. The key will be if Zoubek can continue to be a dominant rebounder and gets his six or eight points a game then they should be in great shape.
Duke is a seven point favorite according to the odd-makers. Ill take that seven points and predict that Duke will cut down the nets for the fourth time.
Duke 77 Butler 70
Saturday, April 3, 2010
MLB Predictions
The official Opening Day for 2010 is Sunday night when the New York Yankees take on the Boston Red Sox. This is easily the most hated rivalry in Major League Baseball. This year looks as exciting as ever with many a player moving from team to team. Somethings to look for in this years baseball season...Can Jason Heyward help to Braves win the National League East title? Will Roy Halladay keep his dominating ways in the National League? Could the Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday combination be the best in baseball? WIll Cliff Lee be what Seattle needs to jump over Anaheim in the division? How will Curtis Granderson fair in the eighth wonder of the world? Will this finally be the Cubs year to win it all? All these questions will be answered in about 5 months/162 games. Here is what I see happening this year in baseball:
AL East- This is the Yankees and Red Sox division without a doubt. Whoever finishes second in this division should be the Wild Card team. Look-out for Tampa Bay Rays, they have the talent and finally a bullpen to contend with the Yanks and Red Sox. Baltimore will finish last in the division. Toronto is in a major rebuilding year.
AL Central- Twins signed Mauer in the off-season to a huge deal to keep him with them forever. Chicago is primed to be back into the playoffs this year. The Tigers are the dark horse in this division and could easily win the wildcard as well. The Royals are still and always will be rebuilding again...too bad for Zach Greinke.
AL West- This is going to be a great division to watch with the Angels losing Lackey to the Red Sox this past off-season and Mariners picking up Cliff Lee from the Phillies. Oakland is still not up to par with the rest of the division. The Rangers should be in the division race until the last month of the season.
NL East- This has become the Phillies division, after it was the Braves for so long. The Phillies picked up Roy Halladay and should win this division, but i would not count out the Braves. The Braves are celebrating Cox's last season and that could motivate them into the playoffs. The Marlins are good and possibly have the best player in the division with Hanley Ramirez but they dont have much else. The Nationals should be at the bottom again in the division.
NL Central- This is the Cardinals to lose. There is no way with a tandem like Pujols and Holliday should they not beat up on everyone in this division. The Cubs will be no good. The Astros are still living the glory days with the killer B's (Biggio and Bagwell). The Pirates...are well the Pirates. Cincinnati is still in rebuilding mode. The Brewers have the best chance to dethrone the Cardinals but Fielder and Braun can only do so much with a team that is overrated.
NL West- The wildest divison in the National League, where anyone can make a case for three teams easily to win the division. Sorry Padres but your not one of the three teams, i guess your most exciting thing this season will be which team are they going to trade Adrian Gonzalez to. Giants have the rotation but not the hitting to win the division. Colorado has the hitting but not the pitching to win it. Arizona is average at hitting and pitching equally so who knows with them.
Here is my predictions on playoff teams:
AL East- Boston Red Sox
AL Central- Chicago White Sox
AL West- Seattle Mariners
Wild Card- Tampa Bay
NL East- Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central- St. Louis Cardinals
NL West- San Francisco Giants
Wild Card- Atlanta Braves
Playoffs:
AL:
Divisional:
Red Sox over White Sox
Mariners over Rays
Championship:
Red Sox over Mariners
NL:
Divisional:
Phillies over Giants
Braves over Cardinals
Championship
Phillies over Braves
World Series:
Red Sox over Phillies in 5 games
AL East- This is the Yankees and Red Sox division without a doubt. Whoever finishes second in this division should be the Wild Card team. Look-out for Tampa Bay Rays, they have the talent and finally a bullpen to contend with the Yanks and Red Sox. Baltimore will finish last in the division. Toronto is in a major rebuilding year.
AL Central- Twins signed Mauer in the off-season to a huge deal to keep him with them forever. Chicago is primed to be back into the playoffs this year. The Tigers are the dark horse in this division and could easily win the wildcard as well. The Royals are still and always will be rebuilding again...too bad for Zach Greinke.
AL West- This is going to be a great division to watch with the Angels losing Lackey to the Red Sox this past off-season and Mariners picking up Cliff Lee from the Phillies. Oakland is still not up to par with the rest of the division. The Rangers should be in the division race until the last month of the season.
NL East- This has become the Phillies division, after it was the Braves for so long. The Phillies picked up Roy Halladay and should win this division, but i would not count out the Braves. The Braves are celebrating Cox's last season and that could motivate them into the playoffs. The Marlins are good and possibly have the best player in the division with Hanley Ramirez but they dont have much else. The Nationals should be at the bottom again in the division.
NL Central- This is the Cardinals to lose. There is no way with a tandem like Pujols and Holliday should they not beat up on everyone in this division. The Cubs will be no good. The Astros are still living the glory days with the killer B's (Biggio and Bagwell). The Pirates...are well the Pirates. Cincinnati is still in rebuilding mode. The Brewers have the best chance to dethrone the Cardinals but Fielder and Braun can only do so much with a team that is overrated.
NL West- The wildest divison in the National League, where anyone can make a case for three teams easily to win the division. Sorry Padres but your not one of the three teams, i guess your most exciting thing this season will be which team are they going to trade Adrian Gonzalez to. Giants have the rotation but not the hitting to win the division. Colorado has the hitting but not the pitching to win it. Arizona is average at hitting and pitching equally so who knows with them.
Here is my predictions on playoff teams:
AL East- Boston Red Sox
AL Central- Chicago White Sox
AL West- Seattle Mariners
Wild Card- Tampa Bay
NL East- Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central- St. Louis Cardinals
NL West- San Francisco Giants
Wild Card- Atlanta Braves
Playoffs:
AL:
Divisional:
Red Sox over White Sox
Mariners over Rays
Championship:
Red Sox over Mariners
NL:
Divisional:
Phillies over Giants
Braves over Cardinals
Championship
Phillies over Braves
World Series:
Red Sox over Phillies in 5 games
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Final Four Prediction
The time has come…its time to crown a champion in Men’s college basketball. This year’s Final Four includes the Butler Bulldogs, Duke Blue Devils, West Virginia Mountaineers, and returning after being in the championship game from a year ago is Michigan State Spartans. There are plenty of storylines as well: Can Michigan State return to the championship game and win it his year? Is Butler going to be able to feed off the home court advantage and win the entire thing. Can Duke win Coach K his fourth title? What will Joe Mizzoula do for an encore after the Kentucky game?
Can Michigan State return to the title game? First instinct is no. Not without injured start guard Lucas. After mulling it over for a second, yes. It is tough to bet against a coach like Tom Izzo who has taken his teams to the Final Four 6 times in the past 12 years. If Michigan State is going to win the tournament they will need big games from Draymond Green and Durrell Summers also, Korie Lucious cannot hurt the Spartans and turn the ball over. But all Spartan hopes depends on the play of Raymar Morgan, as he will need to lead his team to victories in all aspects of the game and not just points.
How will Butler handle home-court advantage? Butler is the first team since the 1972 UCLA Bruins to play the Championship game in their own home city. Butler needs to feed off the home crowd if they want to win the tournament. They are going to have a tough time with all the Final Four experience their first opponent will throw at them (Michigan State). Butler is a young team and has never been on such as high as a stage as this but Butler should be able to handle all the hype and stage fright. Butler’s suffocating defense is going to need to be just as good if not better as it has been in the tournament thus far. Ronald Nored is where the defense intensity starts. Of course you must score points to win and Butler has their fair share of big time scorers, and as Gordon Haywood and Sheldon Mack both average 15 points per game.
Can an over-achieving Duke team win Coach K his fourth title? I have been very skeptical of this Duke team all year because I don’t see how they earned a number one seed in this years tournament. Yes they did win the ACC regular and tournament title, but ACC was down this year. I thought Duke would make it to the Sweet 16 and get bounced by Purdue, as you know that did not happen. If Duke wants to win its fourth title with Coack K they will need Jon Scheyer to continue his timely shooting and use his leadership skills to keep his team from losing focus during games. After Sheyer the only scoring threats left are Nolan Smith and Kyle Singular. Both are average over 17 points a game and Duke will need them to compliment Scheyer if they want a chance to bring home title number four.
Can Joe Mazzulla keep up his stellar play with Darrell Bryant out? Going into the Kentucky game all eyes were on back-up guard Joe Mazzulla. Mazzulla, who isn’t known for his shooting ability, but in the Kentucky game he went for a career high 17 points. West Virginia is going to need him to continue that success if they want to beat Duke come Saturday. The player to keep an eye on is De’Sean Butler. As he goes, the team will go. He can’t have an off day or West Virginia could be going home early. West Virginia’s best chance to win will be how they score in the post. If they do that they should be in the championship game.
PREDICTIONS
Duke v.s. West Virginia
Duke’s guard play will be key to a victory.
Mazzulla scores big then West Virginia wins.
Duke 58 West Virginia 60
Michigan State v.s. Butler
Michigan State will have to have stellar play from Kori Lucious.
Butler’s D will need to be just as good if not better than it has all tourney.
Michigan State 70 Butler 60
Can Michigan State return to the title game? First instinct is no. Not without injured start guard Lucas. After mulling it over for a second, yes. It is tough to bet against a coach like Tom Izzo who has taken his teams to the Final Four 6 times in the past 12 years. If Michigan State is going to win the tournament they will need big games from Draymond Green and Durrell Summers also, Korie Lucious cannot hurt the Spartans and turn the ball over. But all Spartan hopes depends on the play of Raymar Morgan, as he will need to lead his team to victories in all aspects of the game and not just points.
How will Butler handle home-court advantage? Butler is the first team since the 1972 UCLA Bruins to play the Championship game in their own home city. Butler needs to feed off the home crowd if they want to win the tournament. They are going to have a tough time with all the Final Four experience their first opponent will throw at them (Michigan State). Butler is a young team and has never been on such as high as a stage as this but Butler should be able to handle all the hype and stage fright. Butler’s suffocating defense is going to need to be just as good if not better as it has been in the tournament thus far. Ronald Nored is where the defense intensity starts. Of course you must score points to win and Butler has their fair share of big time scorers, and as Gordon Haywood and Sheldon Mack both average 15 points per game.
Can an over-achieving Duke team win Coach K his fourth title? I have been very skeptical of this Duke team all year because I don’t see how they earned a number one seed in this years tournament. Yes they did win the ACC regular and tournament title, but ACC was down this year. I thought Duke would make it to the Sweet 16 and get bounced by Purdue, as you know that did not happen. If Duke wants to win its fourth title with Coack K they will need Jon Scheyer to continue his timely shooting and use his leadership skills to keep his team from losing focus during games. After Sheyer the only scoring threats left are Nolan Smith and Kyle Singular. Both are average over 17 points a game and Duke will need them to compliment Scheyer if they want a chance to bring home title number four.
Can Joe Mazzulla keep up his stellar play with Darrell Bryant out? Going into the Kentucky game all eyes were on back-up guard Joe Mazzulla. Mazzulla, who isn’t known for his shooting ability, but in the Kentucky game he went for a career high 17 points. West Virginia is going to need him to continue that success if they want to beat Duke come Saturday. The player to keep an eye on is De’Sean Butler. As he goes, the team will go. He can’t have an off day or West Virginia could be going home early. West Virginia’s best chance to win will be how they score in the post. If they do that they should be in the championship game.
PREDICTIONS
Duke v.s. West Virginia
Duke’s guard play will be key to a victory.
Mazzulla scores big then West Virginia wins.
Duke 58 West Virginia 60
Michigan State v.s. Butler
Michigan State will have to have stellar play from Kori Lucious.
Butler’s D will need to be just as good if not better than it has all tourney.
Michigan State 70 Butler 60
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