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 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.

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE: What's happening to the Jayhawks?

Johnny J

The Kansas Jayhawks lost their third straight game on Saturday: all to unranked opponents. Falling to the Oklahoma Sooners 72-66, it was their second straight loss on the road. Just last week, the then ranked number two Jayhawks were on the verge of being number one when the then, number one Michigan Wolverines fell to the Indiana Hoosiers. Now after three straight loses in conference play, the Jayhawks find themselves now in third place in the conference after starting out 7-0 in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks had won 18 straight games before hitting this three game slide. Now they find themselves in dangerous waters. In the next four games, they play two of the teams whom have already handed them a loss.
   

"Obviously three in a row is not good, but this game to me today [against Oklahoma], I'm not leaving out of here disgusted with my team at all because we actually played better today," said Kansas coach Bill Self, who was highly critical of his team after a loss at last-place TCU on Wednesday.

No rest for the weary as the Jayhawks welcome the 10th ranked Kansas State Wildcats on Monday night. The Jayhawks slid past the Wildcats in their last game by four, but the Wildcats will be looking for a little revenge after winning four straight heading in to this game.

The Jayhawks will be leaning on freshman guard Ben McLemore to help them get out of these muddy waters. McLemore, who had jumped from #3 to #1 on the NBA 2013 Mock Draft has to show why he should be selected with the top pick. A 6-5 shooting guard from St. Louis, he has the size and the durability to become a good pick for an NBA team in desperate need of scoring. McLemore averages 16.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG. McLemore has infinite shooting range shooting 42% from behind the arc. I know this is asking a lot for a Freshman, but he has to step up even more to guide the Jayhawks to a championship this year.

(All stats are as of Monday, February 11, 2013 before tonight's game between the in-state rivals from Kansas--Ed)

As I was watching the game against the Sooners, I watched McLemore use his talents to help create off the dribble. He stood behind the arc and gave a quick pump fake to get the opponent off his feet. He then drove to the hole and drew the foul. He is NBA ready. Anytime you can keep opponents guessing, you will always have the advantage.  So at least he can rest assure that he will be a very high lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. But first, he needs to take over and dominate for Kansas this year.

This was just a bad week in college hoops for ranked teams, as the top five ranked teams all lost (see my "Hot Potato" simile from last week). With the conference tournament a month away. I really don't see an established team to run through the big tournament. Nobody wants the trophy as I think its up for grabs! I wouldn't be surprised if an unranked team wins the whole thing. None of these so-called "good teams" can win away from home: THEY GET HOME SICK!

Kansas is the team I'm most worried about; anytime you are a ranked team and you lose three straight to unranked opponents, red flags just pop up all over the place. That tells me no one is helping McLemore at all. Other players have to help step up and play to the potential, in which they had before winning 18 games in a row.  But the biggest concern about the the Jayhawks is that this is basically a team that is run by upper classmen.  For example, 6 Kansas players played in double-digit minutes against the Sooners.  Two of those players were under classmen.  The other 4 players were all upper classmen.  You're supposed to be a better team!  How is a team led by battle-tested players drop games against unranked opponents?  It just doesn't make sense (so much for staying in school--Ed).  The Jayhawks haven't dropped three straight since 2005.

The last Freshman that comes to mind to take over games...Carmelo Anthony's Syracuse Orangemen, as he pretty much carried that team to a championship in 2003. That team had only one senior, but they had a phenomenal Freshman who averaged 22.2 PPG and 10 RPG.  Can McLemore be that phenomenal Freshman?  Absolutely, but first he needs to show that he can actually dominate and take over this team.  Add the fact that this team, unlike 'Melo's Syracuse team, actually has Senior leadership on the squad and Kansas makes for a great recipe for success in this year's tournament.  However, Kansas needs to step up and step up quick, because Kansas State, I can assure you, will show no mercy.

Tell us what you think below in the comments' section.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL #1's: Hotter than a Hot Potato!

The college basketball season so far...
(photo courtesy of Felipe M)

Johnny J

Usually a good university with a good college basketball program is ranked #1 in the country. Schools below them would enjoy knocking them out of the top spot. Not only does it boost confidence, but also it looks good on a team's resume when it comes to making the big "March Madness," tournament. I'm sure most teams would love to be be ranked number one and say they're the best in the country.  However, I believe not being at the top spot is the best to be in for any school. If I were a college player or coach, I would prefer to fly under the radar. I would want people to know that my team is good, but I would rather be characterized as being the team that no one is expecting to make a championship run. That way when tourney time comes, we can just play our game and dominate the rest of the country.

 If you're the top school in the country, you're going to be getting everyone's, "A," game.  Even from the school that has lost every game, when they see that #1 squad on the schedule, they will play harder and tougher than possibly a school that is ranked. Also being the top dog brings a lot of pressure to win simply because you're expected to win.  But people forget that it's already tough enough to just simply win a game! So far the teams that have been ranked number one this year have not performed under pressure. Schools want to be number one, but its been too hot for teams to keep that top spot. It becomes what I call a "hot potato" because no team can hold it for a long period of time.

On Saturday, top ranked Michigan Wolverines fell to the Indiana Hoosiers, 81-73. The third ranked Hoosiers jumped two spots on Monday to regain the top spot after the 2nd ranked Kansas Jayhawks fell last week.  It's the Hoosiers' second time they're ranked #1.  Last time the Hoosiers were ranked #1, a loss to Butler in overtime ousted them from the top spot.  Indiana held the #1 spot for six weeks before that loss. Then came the three teams that had it for a combined seven weeks. Those teams were:

• Duke Blue Devils 
• Louisville Cardinals
• Michigan Wolverines

What makes it worse is that the Hoosiers and Cardinals both lost at home while being number one. That's something that is not suppose to happen! I mean you have the game at an advantage, before tip-off.  That's why they call it "home-court advantage!" How do you drop the potato at home? You have a gym that you play on constantly.  You have the fans that help give opponents a hard time. To me that makes the loss that much harder to swallow; a home loss that made you lose the top spot. It's very rare for an elite team, especially a #1 to lose at home, but as mentioned before, when teams see that #1 next to an opponent's name in their schedule, they tend to play a little bit harder.

Why does it matter?  Because the reason a team plays to be a top team in the regular season is to be a top seed in the tournament.  A number one seed in the tournament tend to have the easiest route to get to the Final Four.

In order to get there you can't boil over (keeping with the "hot potato" theme, here).  You have to be willing to take that challenge of being number one.  Being able to take the pressure and the outside distractions and put it to the side as a team. Just playing your game and showing why you are considered a favorite to win it all. Because if you're ranked number 1 you are usually favored to win it--hands down.

I understand that it's not always the case, because I think every team in the tournament plays their hardest regardless of seeding. Just because a team isn't ranked doesn't mean they're not good. Upsets happen all the time, which is usually why my brackets are all messed up after the first round. I'm just saying if you're ranked number one, then play like it!  I'm tired of seeing different teams every other week being the chosen one. Don't let it become a "hot potato!"

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