Are the Ravens a Contender or a Pretender?

Are the Ravens a Contender or a Pretender?

Steve Smith on his way to his first TD of the day

Through 4 weeks of the NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens own a formidable 3-1 record. This includes 2 divisional victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns while they faltered at home to the Cincinnati Bengals. Their most recent victory over the Carolina Panthers was an impressive one in which they led from the start and coasted to a 38-10 victory.  

While still early in the season, I pin the Ravens as a playoff team with potential to be a Super Bowl contender. The Ravens do face a tough stretch coming up including games in Indianapolis, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Escaping any of these road games with a victory would be massive for the Ravens but they are not to worry. Baltimore closes with 6 of 7 very, very winnable games. Home vs Titans, Home vs. Chargers, @ Dolphins, Home vs. Jaguars, @ Texans, Home vs. Browns. Assuming the Ravens can grab 2 or 3 more road wins and hold at home, they will most likely represent one of the two wild card spots in the AFC. Whether the Ravens finish as the 6 seed behind what appears will be San Diego or as the 5 seed, they will need to get hot in the playoffs similar to their 2012 title run. 



The Ravens fortunately have the capability to make a deep playoff run for three reasons. First being, their reining Super Bowl MVP Quarterback Joe Flacco’s playoff experience in addition to his ability to string multiple games together among those of the elite. Flacco has shown he can be a very inconsistent quarterback. Watch a Ravens game and you will see the Raven offense breeze down the field one drive only to see the next drive end up in 3 boneheaded plays by their gun slinger. The thing that Flacco has going for him is the fact that he has made a playoff appearance in 6 of his 7 years including a win in all 6 of those years. Flacco is a prime time performer and getting to the playoffs could be all it takes to spark the performance he had 2 short years ago.

Justin Forsett

Secondly, it appears that the Ravens run game has been fixed with new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. The Ravens lost Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce has been injured but this has not slowed down Baltimore one bit. 7 year veteran Justin Forsett has stepped up unbelievably averaging 5.8 YPC with his 2 touchdowns. Not to mention, 4th round pick Lorenzo Taliaferro has proven he is very capable of handling the rock averaging 4.5 YPC. Even with the injury to Eugene Monroe, who will be sidelined for 4 more weeks, the Ravens managed to rush for a solid 127 yards against the Panthers. 

Rookie Linebacker CJ Mosely
 tackles fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell

The third and final reason why the Ravens could contend come the cold winter months is the defense. The aforementioned offense wins games but defense wins championships. The Ravens have been a little injury prone at cornerback and still have a lot to figure out at the safety position but it’s very early. If you can recall two years ago when the Ravens won it all, many were worried that they couldn’t get it done on the defensive side of the ball. But, what we must remember is that Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, and Ed Reed, the four stars of the defense, did not play until guess when? The Divisional Round of the Playoffs. Compare this to 2014 where Lardarius Webb will most likely battle injury until the playoffs, Will Hunt who was the number 3 ranked safety last season by PFF is suspended for two more games, and two rookies who the Ravens are looking for to make an impact, CJ Mosely and Terrance Brooks, will all be fully gelled by late in the season. A promising thought when you augment that former DPOY Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil line up opposite of each other and Haloti Ngata mans the middle. 

          Give the Ravens their due time and they will stout one of the best defenses in the league  paired with a very capable offense. And if you want some more evidence to why the Ravens can contend, return man, Jacoby Jones, owns the ability to take a kick back whenever he gets his hands on a ball. Finally, they have a pro bowl kicker Justin Tucker with multiple game winning kicks in his short career. The Ravens need to first get to the playoffs but once they get there the top tier of the AFC better not overlook the Black and Purple.

Orioles vs. Red Sox- Sunday Night Baseball 4-20

Orioles @ Red Sox

7:05 p.m.

ESPN

Jimenez (0-3, 7.31 ERA) vs. Peavy (0-0, 1.99 ERA)

Tomorrow night the Orioles make their first appearance of the season on Sunday Night Baseball. The 3rd game of the 4 game series pins the O's newest yet struggling addition, Ubaldo Jimenez, against the solid and steady Jake Peavy. Jimenez has struggled keeping the ball in the park so far this season allowing 4 home runs in his 3 starts. Given that all 4 came in the hitter's Camden Yards, this is not a good sign for the $50 million dollar man. Jimenez has already faced the Red Sox this year allowing HRs to David Ortiz and Mike Napoli in the 6-2 defeat. Jimenez will need to keep the ball in the park to allow the Orioles to grab the win.

For the Sox, Jake Peavy has started off the season pretty well with not much to show for. His three no decisions and two losses in games started are not good signs that would show how well Peavy is pitching. Although he has allowed a home run in each game this season, in 2 of the 3 games, that was the only run he allowed. In addition, he only allowed 3 hits in both of those games.

The Orioles hitters will get to face a righty tomorrow which bodes well for them compared to the lefty Doubront. Pretty much everyone in the Orioles lineup hits righties better except for J.J. Hardy. Matt Wieters should be in the lineup tomorrow, as I see his off day coming on the Monday day game. Markakis was excellent against Doubront as was Nelson Cruz but the rest of the team combined 1-25 on the day. As we've seen the Orioles bats have gotten off to a slow start but I don't think there is much need to worry. As the temperature increases, Davis and Jones will start to pick up the slack and the return of Machado will provide a huge boost. The 3 players with a decent sample size against Peavy are J.J. Hardy, Delmon Young, and Nick Markakis.

J.J. Hardy: 1-17, 4 SO

Delmon Young: 3-13, 1 HR

Nick Markakis: 3-8. 1 BB

As you can see from the players with the biggest sample sizes, Markakis is the only player with true success against Peavy, batting .375. It will be interesting if Buck considers giving Hardy the day off with his putrid stats against Peavy. Nonetheless, we will see if the O's bats can get something started against the tough Peavy.

Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz absolutely demolish the Orioles. Although a majority of those at-bats came when the Orioles were in the midst of a 16 year losing streak, Pedroia and Ortiz come to play against the Birds. Pedroia tagged the O's for 4 hits against Jimenez 2 and a half weeks ago while Papi did the more recent damage against Norris with a Home Run. The Red Sox feed off of Pedroia's energy and Ortiz's power so seeing Jimenez shut those two down would be huge for the Orioles. The most notable Red Sox hitters against Jimenez are as follows; Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli, Johnny Gomes

Dustin Pedroia: 7-13, 4 RBI

Mike Napoli: 4-7, 2 HR

Johnny Gomes: 5-15, 2 HR

While this is Jimenez's first year with the Birds, he has faced the Red Sox hitters before once again struggling with the long ball. Not to mention Pedroia has burned him. A good sign for Ubaldo is that he has limited Ortiz to a 1 for 7 career. This locks down half of the key to the game. Overall, the Red Sox lineup is not as frightening as it was last year when they captured the World Series but it is a solid lineup as we saw today the 7 hitter Brock Holt hit a go-ahead triple.

Prediction: Red Sox 6 Orioles 4

As hard as it is to predict the Sox to win this game, I simply don't think Jimenez will be able to keep the ball in the park nor shut down Pedroia. While the O's should produce a few runs, it simply won't be enough to take game 3 of this series.

Contenders, Pretenders, and Sleepers for the 2014 NBA Playoffs

The NBA is a league where in the playoffs the better teams wins most of the time. So the low-seeded upsets we all love in the NCAA are far and few between around this time of year. This makes it easier to pick the Contenders but definitely proposes a difficult choice as to who the Pretenders and hardest of all the Sleepers are of the NBA playoffs.

Contenders- Excellent chance of at least reaching the Conference Finals
Pretenders- Slim chances of making it much further than the 2nd round
Sleeper-Potential to make a deep run

Miami Heat

How can you not pick the back-back defending World Champions led by the 2nd best player in the world. Yeah, I said it. LeBron James has officially lost his title as best player in the world. I know that LeBron will turn on the switch for the playoffs and show us all why he's truly the best in the world but as of now that honor goes to Kevin Durant. If you didn't know, the Heat's playoff success correlates to the health and good play of Dwyane Wade. But would I be crazy to say that the Heat's x-factor is actually one of the other role players for Miami. Ranging from starter Chris Bosh all the way to the Birdman or the return of Greg Oden. The Heat are a bunch of veterans with playoff experience who should have no problem breezing through the soft Eastern Conference. In fact, Charlotte probably poses the toughest threat for the Heat. Call me crazy but the Heat struggle mightily against big men and this is exactly what the Bobcats have in Al Jefferson. I think the Heat win the series 4-2 and advance to the easier of the 2nd round matchup against the Raptors. From there they get either the slumping Pacers or the anemic offense of the Bulls. It appears that Miami is heading back to the Finals.

San Antonio Spurs 

The Spurs are such a boring team to watch. They out coach you, wear you down, and then just flat out beat whoever they're playing. They are good every year and somehow when Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green both go down with injury they don't blink an eye on their way to best record in the league. Meanwhile, they sit Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan throughout the season while calmly posting a 38-14 conference record. They even lucked out with the 1st round matchup against the Mavericks. This will take less of a toll on them than the gritty Memphis team that the #2 seeded Thunder will face. In the next round, the Spurs would get a matchup with either the Trail Blazers or Rockets, two teams that prefer not to play defense. A formula that we've seen not work in the playoffs year after year. Their is no doubt that the Thunder will be the toughest matchup for the Spurs as San Antonio was 0-4 vs. OKC this season.

Oklahoma City Thunder
I know I just picked the 3 favorites to win the title as my contenders. But that's the way it is in the NBA. The best teams just tend to win the games because unlike the NCAA tournament's one win and you move on, the teams must win 4 of 7 games, a system in which the better teams usually wins out. The Thunder will have the hardest road to the NBA Finals though. They get no reward for finishing 2nd in the West. OKC will have to match up with a Grizzlies team that finished 7th in the West because of injuries. With Gasol and Randolph at full strength, this Memphis team is more of a 4 or 5 seed. Don't forget that Memphis went to the Western Conference Finals last season. I believe OKC wins in 6 or 7 which could wear them down throughout the playoffs while the other contenders are looking at sweeps or 5 game series. OKC then would most likely see a face off with a Clippers team who was fighting with OKC for that 2 seed until the last game of the season. It is crazy to think that with all the publicity the Thunder got this season, they could have been a 3 seed entering the playoffs. The first 2 rounds for the Thunder could theoretically be tougher than a Western Conference Final with the Spurs whom they've owned so far this year. But I'm not going to say that facing the best team in the league is easier than playing anyone else. We all know how good KD is. The success of the Thunder relies on Westbrook's willingness to share the ball as well as the play of the big men. Serge Ibaka has been struggling this season while Kendrick Perkins has been a nightmare. If the OKC big men rise to the occasion, I believe the Thunder will be World Champions.

Pretenders

Indiana Pacers 

The Pacers could not have started the year any better nor could they have finished it any worse. It is crazy to think that the #1 seed in the East could be considered a Pretender but the way Indiana is playing it makes sense. The key to the Pacers deep run last season was the excellent play of Roy Hibbert who this season has been virtually non-existent. Throw in the fact that Lance Stephenson has been taking late game shots instead of Indiana's best player Paul George and you have a recipe for disaster. Fortunately for the Pacers they play in the East so they should be able to advance through the 1st round but I would not be surprised if Chicago beat them in the 2nd round.

Portland Trail Blazers/ Houston Rockets 

The Trail Blazers and Rockets get grouped into the Pretender category together because of their 1st round matchup. While one team has to advance, I believe whoever that may be will lose in 5 games to the Spurs. The Trail Blazers burst out of the gates this year similar to the Pacers only to realize that it's a marathon not a sprint. They have an unbelievable young core and with a good offseason could be considered a Contender next season. For the Rockets, it all boils down to Dwight Howard. Ever since his departure from Orlando, he has been a different player. In addition, he is always hobbled with injuries. James Harden is an excellent player but he isn't good enough to carry the Rockets past a deep Spurs team especially with the under performance of Chandler Parsons.

Sleeper

Chicago Bulls 

My sleeper comes from the East by way of the Chicago Bulls. The two things that frighten me bout Chicago is there lack of scorer without Derrick Rose but more importantly the heart/hustle aspect of the playoffs. To touch on the latter, The Bulls play with unmatched passion and intensity throughout the Regular Season. But as we so often hear about teams like the Heat is the ability to turn on the switch in the playoffs. My question is, is the switch already on for Chicago? Can the Bulls take it up a notch? It is hard to imagine they can but I'm never going to doubt Joakim Noah nor coach Tom Thibodeau. Joakim Noah played like an MVP this season and a team with a spectacular defense always has a chance in the playoffs. Add in the fact that they get the Pacers rather than the Heat in the 2nd round. The Bulls inability to score at times could be problematic but they definitely have the pieces to at least reach the ECF or potentially make it all the way to the Finals.

NCAA Championship Preview

#7 Connecticut Huskies vs. #8 Kentucky Wildcats

CBS 9:10 ET

These two basketball power houses came into the tournament ranked much lower than their former experiences but they both have found the same success as their prior teams. Neither one of these teams was even in the tournament last year but now they find themselves playing for the National Championship. This article will give you everything you need to know about the game tonight as well as a prediction of the winner.

UCONN

Starting Lineup

Shabazz Napier-G

Ryan Boatright-G

Niels Giffey-G/F

DeAndre Daniels-F

Phillip Nolan-F

Other important players:

Amida Brimah-F

Tyler Olander-F

Terrance Samuel-G

Lasan Kromah-G

The Huskies are coached by Kevin Ollie who brings an incredible amount of NBA experience and techniques to this Uconn team. 

Starting from the top is the Huskies best player in Shabazz Napier. He is a do it all guard who can rebound the ball, pass very well, but most importantly score the ball. If this game comes down to a last shot situation, expect the ball to be in the senior's hands. His backcourt mate is Ryan Boatright, a junior. Boatright compliments Napier perfectly as he is a strong defender who can pick up the scoring slack if need be. Boatright doesn't do anything special but he is one of the most consistent players in the NCAA. Boatright and Napier show how much the NCAA has transformed from years past. The deadly two guard combination is what has carried the Huskies to the championship game and will be a mold for future teams looking to find success in the tournament. Niels Giffey is an international player who is a great three point shooter. With solid size, defenders must respect Giffey's ability to drive but his end game is shooting the perimeter shot. He opens up driving lanes for all the Connecticut players. DeAndre Daniels is the MVP of the tournament for the Huskies. While UCONN would be nothing without Napier, Daniels has elevated his game to a whole new level. Daniels scored 20 points and snagged 10 rebounds in a game where Napier really struggled to get it going. Daniels ability to stretch the floor, similar to that of Giffey, also opens up driving lanes. Daniels hit two huge threes in their Final Four matchup with Florida that completely changed a game that could have gotten away from them. The fifth starter is big man, Phillip Nolan. Nolan only averages around 20 minutes per game and is a defensive specialist.

The other important players for the Huskies are most notably the cavalry of Olander, Brimah, and Nolan. While Nolan starts, it really depends on the flow of the game and more importantly foul trouble. The UCONN bigs have no trouble spending their fouls. Brimah and Nolan both had 4 fouls in a combined 27 minutes and Olander grabbed 2 fouls in 5 minutes. Brimah is the most talented of the three but he struggles to stay on the floor. Kentucky's bigs should be able to get the UCONN big men in foul trouble but this doesn't usually affect Connecticut as they'll just throw in one of the 3 without foul trouble. Lasan Kromah is the Huskies guard defensive specialist as he is excellent at reading passing lanes and coming up with steals. The final man that the Huskies use and who will probably get a lot of run again tonight is Terrance Samuel. Samuel becomes the 3rd guard when Coach Kevin Ollie decides to go small. This was the effective strategy that he utilized against Florida and will probably be the similar strategy tonight against Kentucky's three guard lineup. Samuel is an average player who takes care of the ball and helps the team win.

Kentucky

Starting Lineup

Aaron Harrison-G

Andrew Harrison-G

James Young-G

Julius Randle-F

Dakari Johnson-F

Other important players:

Alex Poythress-F

Marcus Lee-F

Dominique Hawkins-G

The Wildcats are coached by John Calipari arguably the best recruiter in the country who profiles as a solid coach. Calipari won the National Championship two years ago at Kentucky and lost to Kansas back in 2008 in heartbreaking fashion.

The Wildcats starting five is all Freshmen, the first team to do so since Michgan's Fab Five. Aaron Harrison. My oh my. This kid has hit game winning 3 pointers in their past 3 games. The most recently coming against Wisconsin a mere two days ago. Harrison, not known as a great 3 point shooter, has come up huge for the Wildcats and has carried them in clutch situations. Kentucky while being ranked as the #8 seed probably should not have been overlooked. They were the pre-season #1 and have grown incredibly over the season. This includes Aaron's brother, Andrew. Both brothers use their extra size for a Guard to overpower and overmatch the backcourt counterparts. They use their size to get in the lane and make shots over their shorter defenders. Their 3rd backcourt mate is James Young. A slashing 3 point shooter who is not afraid to let it rip from outside but also isn't afraid to put it on the deck and drive to his left hand. Young probably profiles as the most "freshmen" out of the 5 starters as he can become erratic at times but nonetheless he is a great player. The Wildcats best player is their big man, Julius Randle. Randle, a projected top 5 pick, is a huge presence down low and his performance will most likely determine the game. On a night like tonight, Randle has the ability to go for 30 points. You will rarely see him take a layup with his right hand, his weak hand, but he is so strong that it doesn't even matter. To round out the starting lineup is Dakari Johnson who is filling in for the injured Willy Cauley-Stein. Cauley-Stein hurt his ankle a couple games ago and will not be playing in the Title Game. Dakari Johnson brings his 7 foot body and decent rebounding skills to the table. He can finish layups but besides that his offensive game is raw.

The other Wildcats that will have an impact on this game are Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress, and Dominique Hawkins. Hawkins is a defensive guard who will play spotty minutes to give one of the Harrisons or James Young a break. He is relied on to not turn the ball over and play defense. Hawkins will most likely find himself matched up against Boatright or Napier for a few minutes at a time. Moving on to Dakari Johnson's replacement, Marcus Lee. Marcus Lee wasn't seeing any time on the court a few weeks ago. Now he has become the greatest put back dunker in the game. A bit of hyperbole but all joking aside Lee has become a presence on both ends of the court. He cleans up the boards and is excellent at protecting the rim. In 10-15 minutes, Lee can have a huge presence in this game. Finally, the Wildcats 6th man. Alex Poythress was a highly touted Freshman coming out of High school 2 years ago. Unfortunately, he did not turn out as great as projected but he has come back with a great attitude as a Sophomore and has been invaluable for Kentucky. Poythress actually injured his knee in the post game celebration following the victory over Wisconsin but will be fine to play. Poythress is another important factor in this ball game.

X-Factor

Julius Randle vs. DeAndre Daniels

While I cannot exactly predict how both coaches will approach this matchup, I can try and predict how important this matchup will turn out. Not to confuse anyone, Randle is far and away a better player than Daniels. But in this matchup we are looking at who has more success in terms of expectations. Randle must play like Kentucky's best player tonight while Daniels must limit Randle as best he can. The fun in this matchup is the two's opposing style of game. Randle likes to bang down low while Daniels is an effective 3 point shooter. This leaves the question for both coaches as how to defend each player. Will Kevin Ollie put Daniels on the bigger Dakari Johnson and place his big men on Randle or will he let Daniels guard Randle straight up. The same goes for Calipari. Will he let the quicker Daniels exploit Randle on the wing or have Alex Poythress play the majority of the minutes as he is a better matchup for Daniels. This 2nd option would put Kentucky in a size disadvantage down low. Whatever the coaches choose to do, the performances of these two players will determine the game.

Prediction

UCONN-68

Kentucky-64

I believe the senior presence of Napier and the experience of Boatright will be too much to handle for the Kentucky guards. In my x-factor matchup, I think Daniels will continue his incredible tournament run and propel the Huskies to the 2014 National Championship.

My NCAA Bracket- Regrets and Predictions for the Thursday Games of the Sweet 16

Today we are going to take a look at my NCAA bracket as the Sweet 16 schedule has been set. It has been such an amazing tournament so far with wonderful upsets and a bunch of overtimes. The great thing about the tournament is that we get to see the heart and passion of these under dogs beat the wonderfully skilled teams. We get the upsets in the early rounds and a premier brand of basketball from this point on. Enjoy!

My entry into the the ESPN Tournament challenge is currently ranked 195th out of the some 11 million entries. I have 550 points, 40 behind the leader. Below is a look at my bracket.

Looking at my bracket, I can't say I have many regrets so far. If I had to choose one, it would probably be the against the grain mindset. This may seem ironic since I picked 3 of the 4 favorites to make the final four but picks like KSU over Kentucky and GW over Memphis were selections that I chose to go against the greater population. While these were simply first round match ups, with my impeccable 20-20 vision, they were obvious picks. 

Predictions for Thursday

Stanford #10 vs. Dayton #11

Let's start with the double digit seed Sweet 16 matchup. Stanford versus Dayton deems two of the the three cinderellas remaining in the tourney. For me the selection is simple, I believe Stanford moves on based on their inability to stop Chasson Randle and Dwight Powell. The Flyers, I'm anticipating, are spent and their magic has run out. As amazing of a run as Dayton has put together my instincts tell me that Stanford's talent will overcome the heart of the Flyers. This may seem ridiculous as the Flyers have defeated Syracuse and Ohio State, two teams who arguably sport much more talent than the Cardinals but one must remember that both squads struggled a lot down the stretch. Therefore, I believe Stanford wins 70-64.

Wisconsin #2 vs. Baylor #6

The streaking Bears take on a Wisconsin team that is back in their best form. What people forget is that the Badgers began the year on a tear ranked among the top 3 teams in the country. They hit a rough stretch during the Big Ten slate of games but found themselves during the tournament. Their counterparts have struggled all year despite having NBA caliber talent and high expectations. They are finally beginning to show their true potential. Wisconsin needed a huge 2nd half to escape the 7 seed Oregon Ducks while the Bears coasted past Creighton and McDermott. Baylor's newly implemented zone has posed problems with their superior length. Wisconsin, though, has the shooters to stretch the zone and cause problems. On the other side, Baylor should be able to crush the Badgers down low. Wisconsin does have Frank Kaminsky, a 6' 11 big man, but he does not compare to both Isaiah Austin and Corey Jefferson. I believe both teams will be able to score the ball tonight and this game will come down to getting defensive stops. In the tournament, I'm going to roll with the team that is going to force their opponent to shoot 3s. This team is Baylor. Baylor takes down Wisconsin by 5 and advances to the Elite 8.  70-65 Bears.

Florida #1 vs. UCLA #4

The other game in the South region pits Florida vs. UCLA in what I believe is the one team stopping Florida from winning a National Championship. Call me crazy but if Florida beats UCLA they have a  relative cake walk into the final four. Many will argue that Michigan State and Arizona/Louisville could pose problems in Texas but I truly believe the Gators, if they surpass UCLA, win will it all. But hold on. The Bruins pose major match up problems for Florida. Everyone knows about the senior experience of the Gators especially their Point Guard, Scotty Wilbekin, but UCLA has their own 6 foot 9 point guard who is a walking triple double. Wilbekin will have trouble guarding Kyle Anderson all day long. In addition, the Bruins best wing player, Jordan Adams, is a flat out scorer who could overcome Florida's tough defense. Finally, the Wear twins, the two big men for the Bruins,   have the ability to stretch the floor with their excellent mid range game. This could pull Patric Young away from the basket opening up driving lanes for Anderson and Adams. As much as I'm touting the Bruins, I cannot pick against my Gators. They simply have the experience and coaching to counter anything the Bruins can do. I think the Gators win 70-68.

Arizona #1 vs. SDSU #4

The last game of the night touts the best defensive team in the country against the remaining power house from not one of the Power 6 conferences. SDSU's best player is a Guard, Xavier Thames. Thames is an unbelievable senior player and the Aztecs sport a tough inside game but this simply isn't a good matchup for them. SDSU goes through stretches where they struggle to score which against Arizona is not a good flaw to have. If Thames is struggling, the entire team struggles. Because of this problem, Arizona will end up reeling off a huge run that they will be able to hang on to for the game. The Wildcats match up pretty evenly down low with Kaleb Tarczeswki and freshman phenom Aaron Gordon but on the perimeter is where the Wildcats will overmatch San Diego State. Nick Johnson is a Wooden Award Candidate for player of the year in the NCAA and his back court mate T.J. McConnell will be too much for the aforementioned Thames to handle in a solid victory by the Wildcats. Arizona wins 61-52. 

All-NCAA Team. The best 5 compilation of college basketball players in 2014

ALL-NCAA TEAM
Today I thought I would write an interesting article inspired by Bill Simmons "Book of Basketball"  in honor of the upcoming Conference and March Madness Tournaments. I am going to create my All-NCAA team, key word team. This is different than the All-Americans or simply the 5 best players in college basketball. For example, the 3 best players in college could all be Small Forwards but the 2nd or 3rd may not make the team. In addition, this is a winner take all, Space Jam kind of game. This team is defending our country from aliens. I am choosing the team that will work well together and will defeat any other combination of 5 college basketball players.

PG- Kyle Anderson (UCLA) 14.9 PPG, 8.6 REB, 6.8 AST, 49% FG, 1.8 STL, 3.2 TO (Sophomore)
Others receiving consideration: Russ Smith (Louisville), Shabazz Napier (UCONN), Marcus Paige (UNC)

A 6' 7 facilitating Point Guard was just too good to pass up. His 3.2 TO per game worry me a little as I want my team taking care of the ball to maximize my shots but his ability to rebound and spread the ball around is just unmatched by any other point guard in the country. There's not much to say about Anderson besides his facilitation and his length. These two things were more important to me than the other 3 guards ability to score. Finally, if we decide to press, play a pressure style defense, or even a zone, I love his length and his defensive capability.

SG- Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) 20.3 PPG, 4.5 REB, 2.6 AST, 43% FG, 85%, 2.1 TO (Senior)
Others receiving consideration: Gary Harris (Michigan State), Juwan Staten (West Virginia)

While Kilpatrick is a true Small Forward, he gets bumped up to the Shooting Guard position for the sake of McDermott. Don't worry, Kilpatrick can definitely handle this. In fact, I'm pretty sure he'd play Center if I asked him to. If you ever have a chance to read about Kilpatrick, take the opportunity. I've never heard a bad thing said about him and he is talked about as an uncanny leader. Throw in the fact that he can get you 20 points, rebound the ball, and even facilitate a little and I'm thrilled. Also, Kilpatrick can lock down your best player at about every position besides the Center. I love everything about Kilpatrick which is why he is the Team Captain of the this squad. Late game, we can throw the ball to him  to either hit the big shot or ice the game with Free Throws. Kilpatrick is the real deal and the fact that he got left off the Wooden Award Candidates is a sick joke. His Bearcats are ranked 15th in the country and are very capable of a late tourney run.

SF- Doug McDermott (Creighton) 26 PPG, 7.0 REB, 52% FG, 89% FT, 1.9 TO (Senior)
Others receiving consideration: CJ Fair (Syracuse), Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), TJ Warren (NC State), Melvin Ejim (Iowa State)

When I first thought of the idea to create an All-NCAA team, McDermott didn't make my team. You must be thinking, what was I thinking. This dude is the best player in College Basketball, he scores 26 points per game, and has Creighton, who would be no better than .500 in the league, ranked 13th in the country. Why didn't he make my initial team? I've seen McDermott play and he is truly unbelievable but two things bothered me. He seemed to get his points by volume shooting. This was my original thought that turned me away from him. Just like Carmelo Anthony, I thought that McDermott was just shooting 20 times a game to get his points. But after the research, I saw that his 52% Field Goal percentage was the highest on my list of players besides the center position. This really changed my opinion. The other thing that worried me was that the entire offense runs through McDermott. Now you are questioning me again. Doesn't the offense always run through the best player? Yes, but for McDermott it usually consists of him posting up or holding the ball for extended periods of time. I didn't like that in the college game especially on this team where I am preaching unselfishness and team play. At the end of the day though, I figured the best player in the game deserved to make my team and his 26 points aren't going to hurt us in the end. Oh, and by the way, McDermott is a 4 year starter. That doesn't hurt given all the late game experience he has gained from that.

PF- Jabari Parker (Duke) 18.8 PPG, 8.9 REB, 48% FG, 2.4 TO (Freshman)
Others receiving consideration: NONE

Jabari Parker is the best power forward in the country but am I saying that no one is close. There are players that could have garnered consideration but to be honest none really contested with Parker. McDermott could qualify as a PF so I guess him but ultimately Parker is far and away the best power forward in the country. He is going to bring the effort, the rebounding, and can add on a little scoring if needed. On this team, I don't need everyone to score their 20. Rather, I'm looking for the little extra and that is exactly what this Freshman adds on. His presence down low and his ability to stretch the floor when needed in addition to his great rebounding are all factors that led to Jabari receiving the PF spot on this team.

C- Jordan Bachynski (Arizona State) 11.2 PPG, 8.4 REB, 55% FG, 4.2 BLK (Senior)
Others receiving consideration: Joel Embiid (Kansas), Julius Randle (Kentucky)

To be honest, the casual college basketball fan has probably never heard of the big man from ASU but now you have. Is Bach the best center in college basketball? Absolutely not, but he is going to complete my team by doing what I believe is most important, protecting the rim. Looking at the numbers, he is on average with Embiid for points and rebounds but clearly surpasses him at the rim. Randle's scoring and rebounding are better but once again his defense does not match that of Bachynski.  In addition, Jordan can finish at the rim so he is not an offensive liability. Besides the shot blocking ability, the second most important factor that I considered was Bachynski, a senior, versus the two Freshmen, Randle and Embiid. If Bachynski picks up two early fouls, I trust him to not foul and I can keep him in the game. I feel much differently with Randle and Embiid who will play with the same reckless abandon whether they have 0 or 4 fouls.

Coach: Mike Krzyzewksi (Duke)
Others receiving consideration: Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), John Calipari (Kentucky)

Who else would you want coaching this team besides Coack K. His 4 national championships and 11 final fours are a great number but more importantly all this guy does is win. It was a pretty simple decision and throw in the fact that he already coaches the only freshmen on this team and you have icing on the cake. Boeheim received consideration because he is of equal ability as a coach but I would rather have this team in man to man than a 2-3 zone. For me a hot shooting team can beat any zone no matter how good the players, I'm not going to take that risk. And finally, John Calipari. Personally, I don't think Calipari is that great of a coach but he has actually had a team built with a bunch of superstars so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt of knowing how to coach with 5 superstars. In the long run though, Coach K is leading my All-NCAA team to victory.

Post-Game analysis:
What scares me about this team is that only one of them, Jabari Parker, is ranked in the top 10 and both UCLA and ASU aren't ranked. What brings me back down to earth is that I have a nice balance of 3 seniors, a sophomore, and a freshman. I know that I'm getting scoring from somewhere and I can rebound the ball as well as protect the rim. The only issue my team has is distribution. While I have some solid passers, I don't have an excellent assist man at the 2 spot because of Kilpatrick's shift to the shooting guard position. Nonetheless, I'm confident that my team would beat any grouping of 5 men in college basketball

Toughest decision/Biggest regrets:
The point guard and center position were the hardest positions for me to choose from. Kilpatrick, McDermott, and Parker as the core 3 were simple selections but passing up two national champions at the PG spot (Napier, Smith) was tough but they just didn't fit the mold of the team. They are some times erratic with the ball turning it over and shooting bad shots. I couldn't risk that when this team should be getting the highest quality of shot every time down the floor. The Center spot was tough because I love Randle and Embiid but the freshman aspect and inability to be as supreme defenders as Bachynski were too much to keep them off the team. My final regret or decision was not including anyone from the top 3 teams in the country. I need winners on my team and those guys simply win. The thing is that those top 3 teams are built as a team where each player compliments the other which is exactly the mold that I attempted to build with my All-NCAA team.

ALL-NCAA TEAM:
PG Kyle Anderson
SG Sean Kilpatrick (Captain)
SF Doug McDermott
PF Jabari Parker
C Kyle Anderson
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski

NFL Divisional Round Saturday Predictions

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks: 4:25 p.m. Saturday

       In a clash of opposites, Drew Brees and company will travel cross country to face what seems to be an unbeatable Russell Wilson at Century Link field. I'm sure everyone knows how good the 'Hawks are at home evident by Wilson's lone career loss at home coming a few short weeks ago. While this may seem promising for the visiting Saints, I don't think they should read too much into it.

       Week 13 this season marks the last time these teams met and it was very ugly for New Orleans. They were blown out 34-7 as Drew Bree's road struggles continued. On the road this season, Drew Brees has completed 10% less of his passes compared to at the SuperDome. He's thrown for 500 less yards with 28 more pass attempts. The most telling stat is his 27 touchdowns at home compared to 12 on the road while totaling 9 interceptions away from home while just three in New Orleans. This is a scary stat for New Orleans fans who are hoping their team can take down the king of the NFC.

        Although Brees managed to get over his road woes in the playoffs last week against the Eagles, he will be facing a much tougher defense this weekend. That augmented to the fact that the 'Hawks have a very efficient offense is what will prove too much this weekend. Marshawn Lynch will control the game against a mediocre run defense. While the Saints will limit Seattle through the air, it won't be enough to hold Seattle from advancing to the Championship Game.

                                                   

                                                                                              X-Factor: Jimmy Graham 

     While this pick may seem obvious, the x-factor is in fact obvious. The Saints best chance of staying in/winning this game is Jimmy Graham having his biggest game of the year. This is a lot to ask because Graham has already had a 10 catch, 179 yard, and a touchdown performance this season.

Final Score: Seahawks-30 Saints-17




Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots: 8:10 p.m. Saturday

     Andrew Luck and the Colts needed a spectacular comeback last week to escape the Chiefs and are granted with a trip to a cold New England. This matchup pairs the Future of the NFL versus the face of the league for the past decade. You can't ask for much more than Brady versus Luck but this game will actually be decided on the other side of the ball.

   
The Colts own a bottom 5 rush defense but fortunately for them the Patriots have serious troubles rushing the ball. On the contrary though, the Patriots may be on to something. In the regular season finale, LeGarrette Blount ran for 189 yards and 2 scores on the Patriots' way to a 14 point win over the Bills. With the loss of Gronk many people thought New England's season was over but there is a chance that the Pats have new hope. No matter how much the NFL leans towards the Quarterback, the Super Bowl Champion seems to always represent the team that got production from their running game and defense. This screams Patriots for me. With a shaky defense and a struggling offense all season it seems to be coming around for Brady and Co.

X-Factor: Griff Whalen/Da'rick Rogers

     You are probably saying who? Indy came into the season with their Wide Receiver depth chart as such. 1. Reggie Wayne 2. TY Hilton 3. Darius Heyward-Bey
      Well things have clearly changed with the injury from Wayne and lack of production from DHB. Whalen and Rogers sport the 2 and 3 slots for the Colts. If you know anything about football, you know that Belichick will shut down TY Hilton who had a monster week against the Chiefs. Coverage will lean towards Hilton and all types of schemes will focus on shutting him down. While this may seem problematic, this does open up opportunities for the 2 and 3. Therefore, Whalen and Rogers production will determine the outcome of the game.

Final Score: Patriots-34 Colts-27