BUCKET BRACKETS 103: Best Defense Ever?

Johnny J

The Syracuse Orange were the first team to punch their ticket to the Final Four next weekend in Atlanta by beating Marquette 55-39. The Golden Eagles defeated the Orange back in February 74 -71, but Saturday was all Syracuse. The 2-3 zone swarmed all over Marquette  as they coughed up the ball 13 times. Both teams shot poorly from the field: Syracuse just 38% and Marquette a measly 23%. They shot 12%from behind the arc going 3-25.

"They cover ground really good. You've got to get the ball in the middle, you've got to play inside out, you've got to get to the free-throw line and wear them down with the 3-pointer when you can,"said Marquette's junior guard, Vander Blue. "They're really good at what they do in that zone." Blue went 3-15 from the floor.

Syracuse makes their fourth Final Four appearance, the last time was in 2003, when they won the National Champion. Led by a guy you may know, by the name of Carmelo Anthony. So what's better than having Anthony's jersey retired this year? Wait, wait--what's better than saying good bye to the Big East Conference and saying hello to the Atlantic Coast Conference? I'l tell you what; it's bringing home a Championship trophy and switching conferences at the same time. Hello ACC! Welcome the University of Syracuse, 2013 Champions!

"You want to go out with a win," said junior forward C.J. Fair.

Barack Obama was in attendance as well as Washington Redskins quarterback, Robert Griffin III. I guess Obama had to see the team that beat his team up-close in person (he had Indiana winning it all).  Not a bad way to leave the nation's capital, brushing off your shoulders.

Syracuse played an up and down season all year long. The first part of the season they went 18-1.  They looked like a dominant Big East team that couldn't be slowed down. They finally did in the second half, going 5-7 against teams in the Big East. They played so bad down the stretch, that they had to open the Big East tournament against Seton Hall. Usually a good team in the conference gets a first round bye to let the weaker teams battle it out. Yes, Syracuse was considered a weak team late in the season. They overcame adversity by making it past three teams to reach the Big East Championship. They lost it by 17 to Louisville.

I have no idea how you lose 7 out of 12 games and still be a ranked team. Syracuse were ranked 19th at the end of the season, which helped them secure a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Somebody must have known something I didn't because they turned it on after that loss to Louisville, winning three straight to reach the Final Four.

The Orange are making more rounds than the Blue Man Group!

Also reaching the Final Four is Wichita St.  A team that has reached the Final Four for the first time since 1956. Since my bracket is totally ruined, I wouldn't mind seeing Syracuse and Louisville in the Championship game. A rematch and a farewell gift. The battle of the Big East for one last time! With Louisville all ready punching their ticket to the Final Four, that scenario is one step closer to becoming a reality.

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BUCKET BRACKETS 101

Charles Barkley said the Mountain West Conference is better than the Big Ten. Hurry, you want to get into Barkley’s bracket pool.
— steve rosenbloom (@steverosenbloom) March 19, 2013

Johnny J

Everyone may know how to fill out a bracket, but I'm here to help you keep an open mind about when making these selections. As we know, all teams are capable of losing at anytime. I take all match-ups in the tournament serious and with that said, there is no such thing as an "easy" match-up, regardless of the seeding (Unless of course a match-up involves a #16 seed--Ed). For instance, looked what happen to Kansas in 2010. They were the number one seed overall and they lost to ninth-seeded Northern Iowa in the second round.  No one saw that coming and it teaches everybody a lesson: it's always smart to do research on these small schools that no one has never heard of. When you look at match-ups, you have to take into play everything. I mean EVERYTHING:  where is the game going to be played? Are any of the key players injured or in a slump? And how did this school I never heard of make the tournament?

With that said, let's take a look at the top seeds:

• Kansas 
• Louisville 
• Gonzaga 
• Indiana 

Now in my opinion, Indiana shouldn't be a number one seed. Miami, who just won the ACC tournament, as well as the ACC regular season crown, should have been rewarded with the #1 seed. Indiana, on the other hand, lost three times in six games. Three times!  They got crushed by Wisconsin, in the Big Ten. Not to mention they lost three times as a number one seed (Hotter than a Hot Potato--Ed).  Another thing I don't understand is how is Louisville number one overall in the tournament? Gonzaga--hello?--they've only won 14 in a row; going a perfect 16-0 in their conference and only losing two games all year. No love for the small institutions.  I'm sorry, "mid-majors."

With the tournament starting on Thursday, now is the time to fill out your brackets. You wanna be able to take your time and do research on these teams. You don't wanna rush into it, because every mach-up is harder than it looks. The seeds that are in the middle are always the hardest.  If you just look at the match-up you realize it can go either way. For example my favorite team is North Carolina.  Currently, they are an eight-seed playing ninth-seeded Villanova. Of course I want North Carolina to win, but Villanova is tough. I had them to win the Big East tournament. They were 4-2 against top 50 RPI teams. That is a tough match-up if I've ever seen one. I definitely have to think about some of these picks. So starting early is beneficial.

Looking at team stats is a plus as well. If a team ranks fifth in scoring in the country, I know they can score anywhere, anytime, and at any place.  The thing is, "can their opponent keep up? Can they score?  Can they play defense?" All these things come into play. Here's a good example: the Creighton Blue Jays of the Missouri Valley Conference, is not a ranked team, but they can score. They are ranked 24th in the nation averaging 75 points per game. And they make shots consistently ranking 1st in the nation at almost 51% from the field. They are a dangerous seventh-seed. If they get past Cincinnati, they could face two-seeded  Duke in the third round, which would be a very tough match-up for them.

You should now have a better understanding of filling out your bracket. Look at all angles of each game: who has the "home advantage" at a particular "neutral site?" Who can score? What teams are hot? Most important of all, start thinking about these match-ups early. Oh yes, there will be upsets!

I already hate my bracket.

— Barry Rozner (@BarryRozner) March 17, 2013

More NCAA is available here.

THE BIG EAZY: The Final Big East Conference Tournament

The Big East final at Madison Square Garden as a special thing to cover. The passion of the players, fans, coaches, everybody.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) March 14, 2013

Johnny J

The "Big Eazy," also known as the "Beast," or simply the Big East Conference, is one of my favorite tournaments to watch. The conference is full of ranked and sleeper teams, including NBA prospects and at a stage that gets no bigger than playing at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks, are on a four game road trip out west, racking up losses. So who is going to be filling the seats at the Mecca? Fans of college basketball, fans of the big east, fans of the most exciting conference tournament in college basketball  Welcome to the "Big Eazy!"

The Big East Tournament started on Tuesday and goes through Saturday. The teams that played first are the weaker teams of the conference. Seton Hall defeated South Florida and Rutgers defeated DePaul.  Now on to round two, where things get pretty interesting.  The game I believed that could of went either way were between, Villanova and St. John's. These are teams that really didn't get noticed at all, simply because their conference is loaded. There are six, ranked teams in the Big East. Villanova is 20-12 overall and 11-8 in their conference, after beating St. John's on wednesday, 66-53; they are ranked seventh in conference play. The Red Storm, on the other hand ,have lost five in a row. They are 16-15 overall and only 8-11 in the Big East. They took number 15th ranked Marquette to the edge after a 69-67 loss in last Saturday's game.  I figured that might have been enough motivation to make a deep run in the Conference Tournament.  That didn't happen. They're done!

I still think Villanova is on the bubble, although, they do have some upsets on their resume. They've beaten Syracuse, Louisville, and Georgetown at home. They play better at home, yes, but in this tourney, Madison Square Garden is everyone's home. Now a win over Louisville, again, should secure a spot.

Another good match-up I look forward to is, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in round three. The last time these teams played, unranked Pittsburgh won by 10 in early February, while the Orangemen were ranked 6th overall. This time, Pitt is ranked 17th and Syracuse is ranked 19th.  Syracuse started the first half of the season strong, but has dropped in the 2nd half, losing four out of their last six games, but somehow still find themselves ranked. (this UNC Tar Heel fan is furious about this!). You never know with a team like the Orangemen. They played their last game in the Carrier Dome, their home-streak of 38 was snapped and they retired former Syracuse player Carmelo Anthony's jersey, all in the same-day. Where is the emotion? Where is the effort?  Show something for your last Big East run!   Because after this season, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Norte Dame are all heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference, where the conference tournament is held in Greensboro, N.C.

"I was thinking about all the times coming here," said  Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim after his 48th Big East tournament win, 13 more than the second-place coach. "I first came to the Garden when I was a sophomore in college, the old, old Garden. Seems like about 50 years ago. Oh, it was 50 years ago.

"I was thinking in the locker room before the game, about some of the games, and some of the highlights. Things have kind of been two years coming, but now that it's here, your whole life has been spent in this league, and the last 31 years coming to this building, that's a lot. That's a lot of memories, a lot of time."


The Panthers, however, have been gaining momentum: they've won their last four games and have a great record at the Garden, winning 30 out of 45 games there over 13 years and have won two out of three there this season. They have found new life at the right time. They've only lost four times out of the last 15 games, all against Big East teams. They're winning the old-fashioned way; by feeding each other the rock. They rank 8th in assists with almost 17 a game. Their leading scorer, Tray Woodall, averages only 12 points per game; he's their point guard, people! Repeat: a point guard is the leading scorer on the team. That's amazing! This is college, not the pros.  I'm kind of curious to see how far this team will go in the big tournament. They look dangerous finishing their big east record at 12-6. This game is definitely going to be worth watching. The winner plays Cincinatti, or Georgetown in the semi-finals. That game is going to be good as well.

The whole Big Easat Tournament is a joy to watch and very interesting once the 2nd round gets uderway. I like underdogs, so i'm going to go with Villanova winning the Tournament. They have something to prove, plus they have already beaten Louisville and Georgetown. I like them, but getting past Louisville would be the toughest task at hand. The Cardinals still remember that loss and they have won seven in a row entering Thursday's match-up, two against ranked teams. They are led by guard Peyton Siva, who averages close to 10 points and six dimes per game (a point guard, people!). Wow, what a conference!  This is the Big Eazy!  This is the Beast!  R.I.P.

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THE BATTLE OF THE BLUES: Duke-UNC

Johnny J



UNC PRIDE!



With conference tournaments starting next week, it's only right for me to finish up the NCAA regular season with my favorite team, the North Carolina Tar Heels. They had won six straight, before losing Saturday night to their rival, the Duke Blue Devils, who headed to Chapel Hill to face a re-surging Carolina team.The match-up and the location didn't phase Duke as they beat Carolina 69-53. Duke started the game on a 14-0 run and never looked back.  Duke would wind up doubling-up on UNC 28-14 in the 1st half.  What better way to finish the season and send a message to your rival?

I was hoping the Tar heels would send Coach K, better know as Mike Krzyzweski (or vice-versa--Ed), and the Blue Devils a lesson. It didn't happen. In fact, Duke senior Mason Plumlee, had one of his best games finishing with 23 points and 13 rebounds.

"You want to be playing at your best going into the tournament and you can't afford a loss at this point in the season where you're questioning your lineups and what your identity is," Plumlee said. "It was the kind of win we needed going into tournament time."

The Tar Heels currently sit at 22-9 and finished at 12-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and 9-3 in their last 12 games. They finish two games behind Duke in the conference. The Heels have shown why they should be considered a high seed a two or three seed. If they win their conference tournament, why not a number one seed?  I mean, I know its a long-shot, but hey, the rankings are all politics anyway, right? For instance, how does Duke and Indiana keep high rankings, when they keep losing?  Indiana has lost three times as a number one seed this season, but for some reason they find themselves sitting at number two behind Gonzaga.

UNC to make noise in the tourney?
I'll drink to that!

I tell you one team that should at least break the top 25 rankings next week--it's North Carolina. The Tar Heels  have gone 6-1 in their last seven games and are one of the hottest teams in the ACC right now (Currently 31st in BPI; 18th in RPI--Ed). Why? It's simple; a small tweak in the line-up. They have been playing "small ball." North Carolina's Coach, Roy Williams made the change of starting reserve guard P.J. Hairston. The change puts another deadly, three-point shooter on the floor. Hairston shoots a decent 38% fom long range and is another player on the floor who can create his own shot. It also takes pressure off of guard Reggie Bullock, who shoots a ridiculous 45% from behind the arc.

“One of the ways we've been struggling is scoring and so putting P.J. in there gives us another scorer in the lineup," said coach Williams.

Williams first made this move on Feb 13, when North Carolina lost by five at Duke.  Ever since that loss, the Tar Heels have won by double digits, in the last five of seven games and 6-1 overall.


#22, Wayne Ellington,
Carolina Blue! 

“It’s like a triple barrel gun — all of us shooting at the same time. It’s hard to stop us." said Hairston referring to Bullock and James Michael McAdoo, the latter being a great, low-post player.

This causes match-up problems for opposing teams. It puts Hairston at the power forward position, with McAdoo moving from the four to the five. Now remember, Hairston, is a guard playing the four. This stretches the floor, allowing penetration from the guards, or a one-on-one situation for McAdoo, who moves to the five.  You feed the ball to the big man, he gets doubled, and he's able to kick it out to shooters all across the perimeter. I like it--small ball at its finest!  My only concern is rebounding and the next man off the bench. Right now the heels are tied for 8th in the nation in rebounding.  They average 39.5 per game. They replaced 6-9 Desmond Hubert, with 6-5 Hairston. I hope that number doesn't dip heading into the tournament.

The sixth man is a very important part of a team; someone who can bring instant offense. Now that Hairston is starting, they're going to need someone to step up in his former role. I believe that person can be junior guard Leslie McDonald. McDonald tore his ACL in 2011, although he hasn't let the injury slow him down.  He only averages 7.6 points per game, but he has potential to be more of a threat: he shoots, he drives and he can dish.

I like this move by Coach Williams as he finds ways to exploit other teams' weaknesses. He uses his team's areas of strength very well. So even though the Heels lost their last regular season game, I believe they still can go deep in the tournament. That lost was just a wake-up call. Time to get serious now. Cheers to that!

More NCAA is available here. 

All photos courtesy of Johnny J.

HURRICANE COMING! How did the 'Canes move up to #2 in the Country?

THE U!

Johnny J

The Miami Hurricanes have done the unthinkable this season. They have beaten the Duke Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels by more than 25 points at home. They are currently ranked number two in the nation, with a record of 21-3 and a perfect 12-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, after slipping past Clemson yesterday 45-43 (Looks more like a football score than a basketball score--Ed). They were never ranked higher than eighth, until this season. Not bad for a team that started the season unranked.



Hurricane fans Rob and fiance Erin

Clemson has always been a tough place to play and yesterday the Tigers proved it. The Tigers held the Hurricanes to just 18 points at halftime and a combined seven free throw attempts for the game. 45 points is the Hurricanes lowest points outing of the season. The Hurricanes star senior, Kenny Kadji, hit the go-ahead three pointer over Clemson.

"We're going to fight until the clock is finished," Kadji said. "That's something coach always tells us. You want to play hard and try to win."

At 6'11" Kadji is more of a wing player than a post-up player. With his ability to shoot, Kadji stretches the floor, which opens the hole for driving teammates. He is third on the team in scoring and second in rebounding. He is projected to go in the second round of the NBA Draft.


The Hurricanes are dominating with seasoned veterans.  They have a total of nine juniors and seniors on their team. They have four players who average points in double figures and the highest is only 14.0 PPG, by senior guard Durand Scott. That tells me this is a team to be reckoned with because of their depth.  You take the ball out of one person's hand and somebody else steps up. With this team not scoring a lot of points, you wouldn't think this team would have won 13 games in a row. They haven't lost since Christmas (Those pesky Indiana State Sycamores--Ed)!

“I don’t think it’s anything we do,” guard Shane Larkin said. “I just think we stay poised and play our game."

 Here's why they win games. They're shooting at 46% from the field as a team. That shows they take good shots consistently. Here's how ESPN has them ranked across the board with the rest of the country:

Points/Game    Rebs/Game     Assts/Game     Field Goal%  

128th at 69.5   106th at 36.4   258th at 11.6    54th at .460     

Hurricane fan giving their team a thumbs up

Sharing the ball is not really their forte, its more of shooting at a high percentage each time. They ranked near the top 50 in one category, but it may be the most important in my eyes. Everyone on the team is a shooter and if they're not, they make a great number of shots around the basket. If their shooting becomes better each game, they will be a handful come tournament time.  Throw in a team with veteran moxie and this team becomes a real threat in the post-season.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were a #1 seed. This wouldn't be a Cinderella team come March Madness time because everyone knows about them now, but they have been all season, especially in the ACC. Even though I'm a big North Carolina fan, it doesn't look like they can compete. So why not root for the team that just came out of nowhere? The Hurricanes have never won a NCAA Tournament game, let alone making an appearance in the Final Four. So hey, if North Carolina falls, let's make history 'Canes nation!

All photos courtesy of Rob Collins.

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