NFL Draft

With the NFL Draft set to start Tomorrow night, rather than come up with an inaccurate Mock Draft or analyze the over talked about Quarterback debate, Sportacular Sports will look at the most intriguing NFL Draft storylines.

Tyrann Mathieu-Cornerback-LSU

Mathieu, the 2011 Heisman runner-up, was required to take a year off from football because of his Marijuana arrest. Although Mathieu has had a drug problem, no one is going to ignore his play making skills matched with his Heisman appearance. What people may not know, is that Mathieu is actually an undersized corner, standing at 5 foot 11 inches, and doesn't have blazing speed. But how are we going to ignore his play making abilities. Mathieu caused numerous turnovers, many for touchdowns, in the 2011 season and in an entertainment based league, Mathieu's punt return abilities, specifically his change of speed and vision, add to his draft stock. The major red flag I give to Mathieu is obviously the drug problem but more specifically my impression of him in an NFL Network Draft interview. The hours Mathieu has been coached seemed to have gone to waste. His never put the drug rumors away, he kept making excuses for himself, and admitted to chewing tobacco. If I was a team like the 49ers who have 13 draft picks and a very strong locker room, I would take a shot, otherwise no deal.

Manti Te'o-Linebacker- Notre Dame
Manti Te'o's draft stock was high and rising entering the National Championship game. As you all know, it took a tailspin from there. After an egregious appearance, the girlfriend scandal came about and nothing has been great for Te'o since. Add in an awful combine and you somehow still have a surprisingly highly rated prospect. Te'o is still projected to go in the first round and his endeavors may have improved the team in which he'll be playing for. Te'o should be an immediate starter and now may go to a team like the Ravens or Patriots late in the first round where he'd be playing on a championship team right out of College. While the money might not be there, the chance to play for titles will. Te'o is a guy I would want my team to take a chance at.

Star Lotulelei-Defensive Tackle-Utah

Lotulelei at one point in the draft process was projected to be the Number 1 overall pick in this very draft. This happened in last year's draft where Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers at one point was projected to go first overall but slipped into the second round. Lotulelei fell for a different reason though. Doctor's discovered a potential heart problem. Later though, the doctors confirmed that the heart condition was perfectly fine for playing. With that being said, I don't think Lotulelei should drop past his projected 14th selection to the Carolina Panthers. I think the NY Jets should take him though. They can go out and get their favorite player at Number 9 and then potentially steal the draft at 13. Lotulelei has drawn comparisons to Haloti Ngata and Ndamukong Suh and his name and playing style will both fit their production at the next level. Decent sized risk but amazing sized reward.

NBA Playoff Predictions- Sportacular Sports

I know all you NBA fans won't want to hear me say this, but I'm a College Basketball fan at heart. With that being said though, as I scanned the NBA Playoff matchups, I got a little giddy. In most first round matchups, the 4-5 and 3-6 games are of most interest but this season the 2-7 games are actually pretty intriguing.

Heat vs. Bucks
The Miami Heat have been by far the most dominant team all year. They have the best player in the world right now in LeBron James and his sidekick Dwyane Wade ain't that bad either. Throw in the knock down shooters off the bench and the playoff experience of the Heat veterans and you have a clear favorite. While I don't think the Bucks have any chance of taking down Miami, this series could be entertaining based off the fact that the Bucks can shoot the ball. They have Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, JJ Redick, and Ersan Illyasova to stretch the floor. Add Larry Sanders to protect the rim and I think this series goes farther than expected. Miami in 6.

Thunder vs. Lakers
If Kobe Bryant were playing in this series, I think it goes 7. Without their leader and top scorer the Lakers, you would think, should pose no threat. But think about this team without Kobe. They still possess the top 1-2 punch in the league between Howard and Gasol. L.A. has a 2 time MVP point guard in Steve Nash and the surprising play of Earl Clark to help them out. The Lakers aren't terrible without Bryant they're just not good enough to beat OKC. Thunder in 5.

Knicks vs. Celtics
Wow. A 2-7 matchup between two historical power houses. While NYK has only won one playoff game in the past 11 years, they are still always at the center of the basketball universe. Carmelo Anthony is blazing hot right now and so are the Knicks. After a promising start to the season, the Knicks slid a little but are now right back at the top. For the Celtics, they'll obviously be without their top Point Guard Rajon Rondo, but am I really going to doubt Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Shocker. Upset Alert. Boston in 6. (Melo please prove me wrong)

Spurs vs.Warriors
No one under 85 years old on this earth enjoys watching the San Antonio Spurs play. They aren't exciting, they play good defense, and they just win games. But if you are looking for some exciting basketball in a Spurs game, check out this kid Stephen Curry. He became big after he took Davidson to a magical Elite 8 run in his college days and hasn't stopped since. Curry can explode for 50 at any moment. I believe he's the best pure shooter in the game right now and he isn't afraid to fire. Golden State has plenty of decent players, David Lee, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes. I think the Warriors win a few games, call it a season, and continue to build on their young team. Spurs in 5.

Pacers vs. Bulls
Unfortunately for basketball fans, it appears that Derrick Rose will NOT be returning this season. While I think it is the RIGHT decision, it's not going to make Bulls fans happy. With Rose, the Bulls can compete for an NBA title. Without him they'll fall in 7 to the Pacers. The Bulls will be happy to match Indiana's physical play, which has been deemed the way to beat the Heat. The Pacers are the favorite right now to take down the Heat if any team can do so but a grueling 7 game series with the Bulls won't help. Once again, Pacers in 7.

Nuggets vs. Rockets
This without a doubt will be your most exciting playoff series. If you like points, like most people do, your going to get a ton in this series. Denver and Houston both prefer to play offense and put up big numbers rather than lock each other down. Just check their last game on April 6. 132-114? Even for NBA standards that's a lot of offense. James Harden could be the deciding factor in the series but I think the Nuggets have too much depth. We'll have to watch and see how the loss of Gallinari hurts Denver in this series. For now, Nuggets in 5.

Nets vs. Hawks
Finally, we've reached the 4-5 matchups and I'm sad to say I'm not as intrigued as the games above. Don't get me wrong both these series should go no shorter than 6 or 7 games but I actually don't think they will. The Nets have a younger looking Deron Williams right now paired up with ex-Hawk Joe Johnson. While I don't think the Nets can compete for the title, they're making a step in the right direction. The Hawks have a Josh Smith who is a great player but would rather be playing somewhere else. I say Brooklyn in a sweep. 4 to zippo.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have held their own since trading their Superstar Rudy Gay before the deadline. Although they have held their own, I don't see them holding up in the playoffs. In a rematch of last year's first round matchup (Clippers in 7), I see Chris Paul calmly leading his team to the next round. If the Clippers do move on, I'm very excited to see the high flying LAC squad against the light it up Thunder team. Clippers in 5.

Thank you guys for reading (if you made it this far) comment below your predictions.

#PrayForBoston

NCAA Championship-Michigan Wolverines vs. Louisville Cardinals

The National Title game has been set! With that being said, Sportacular Sports will analyze and predict Monday Night's game.

Background:
CBS
9:23 PM ET
#4 Michigan Wolverines vs. #1 Louisville Cardinals

Final Four Recap:
In case you missed the two National Semi-finals, here is a quick recap.

Louisville-72
Wichita State-68

At one point in this game, the Shockers actually held a 12 point game. Unlike the Ohio State, Elite 8 game, this WSU lead slipped away. It was not the constant Louisville pressure that spurred a 15-0 crazy run (this did not happen), it was a more gradual comeback by the Cardinals. One you would expect from the Number 1 overall seed. The Shockers played a great game but the Louisville bench, led by Luke Hancock's 20 points, were the main reason the Cards play Monday night. The pivotal play of the game came after a missed Hancock free throw in which the ball was corralled by Wichita State. Unfortunately for WSU fans, Hancock clasped onto the ball and forced a jump ball. The rest is as they say history because Louisville owned the possession arrow and then the National Championship berth.

Michigan-61
Syracuse-56

The matchup between Michael Carter-Williams and Trey Burke could have been the greatest matchup of the Tourney, instead it was the role players who put on the show. Freshmen Spike Albrecht and Caris LeVert both hit important threes and the other freshmen big man Mitch McGary tallied his 3rd double double of the Tournament. With all those Freshman superstars, the MVP should truly go to Jordan Morgan. As McGary's play has improved, Morgan's minutes have diminished to the point where he didn't record a minute in their opening round game. After being a starter for most of the past two seasons, it is fitting Morgan owns MVP honors of the Semi-Final game. While it might not seem that he played a large part in the box score (3 points) it was his two charges taken that really won the game for the Wolverines. Michigan couldn't hit a Free Throw down the stretch connecting on only 3 of their Final 11 attempts but it was Morgan's charges that got them those extra possessions to save the game. He fittingly ended the game with a Monster slam to put Michigan in the Finals.

Now for the National Championship prediction!

To think that this is the National Championship matchup is a Hard Core fan's dream. The casual fan understands the Guard play matchup between Burke/Hardaway Jr. and Smith/Siva and that's a great storyline but for someone like me, sports lunatic, we see the real storyline. 

Michigan ranks #1 in Offensive efficiency while Louisville ranks #1 in Defensive efficiency. 
For a National title to have the top ranked offenses and defenses is hardly a reality. Fortunately for us that's what we have. Throw in that Louisville loves to force turnovers (2nd to VCU) and Michigan doesn't cough the ball up (2nd to none) and we have two amazing story lines. 

These two teams matchup as evenly as can be. For example, Russ Smith and Trey Burke. Both sporadic shot takers at time, can instantaneously take over and win their school a National Title. Hardaway Jr. and Peyton Siva. Both have amazing leadership and will will their to victory. Chane Behanan and Glenn Robinson Jr. Both slash the lane but have the ability to stretch the floor. 

Louisville has the edge in the experience department. Michigan has 5 Freshamn in their rotation, a Sophomore, a Junior, and a Senior (see above-Jordan Morgan). Louisville went to the Final Four last year and have plenty of Senior leadership. While people say experience doesn't really matter, check Louisville vs. Michigan's free throw shooting down the stretch. 

With the equality of both these teams, I am waffling a ton on my pick. I picked the Cardinals pre-season (I'm impressed with myself) but my favorite College Basketball team happens to be Michigan. Seeing both teams in action this weekend, I can't point out one thing that will separate one from the other.

With ALL this being said, I'm going with the...Wolverines...no Cardinals... tie?...OK

Michigan Wolverines!!!

I think the difference in the game is Mitch McGary down low and Trey Burke being the best player in the Nation. 


Wolverines-67
Cardinals-66

The Final Four is set! Early predictions

The extended tournament weekend started out excellent with another Ohio State buzzer beater, Syracuse's stifling defense taking down Number 1 Indiana, and Trey Burke and Michigan's improbable comeback. If you missed any of those games you truly missed out because the Regional Finals were a bit of a disappointment. I'll explain below.

Louisville vs. Duke

Louisville celebrating their Final Four berth. Pay tribute to teammate Kevin Ware.

Probably the most compelling Regional Final matchup in the past decade. Coach K against Pitino, Louisville vs Duke two perennial power houses, Siva and Smith against Seth Curry and his team of sharp shooters. The game started off with great energy but then it went all down hill after Kevin Ware's injury. If you didn't see this you don't want to. Ware suffered a compound fracture in his leg on an attempted blocked shot. Thankfully his surgery was successful and he has made the trip to Atlanta to be with the team. After the injury, Louisville went on to dominate the 2nd half and won the game by 23 points. Great game on paper, not so much on the court.

Michigan vs. Florida

Nik Stauskas after one of his 6 three pointers.

If your a Michigan fan like myself, you actually enjoyed watching the Wolverines beat down on Florida. But for the rest of the nation, this was just another blowout in the Elite 8. Michigan got off to a 13-0 start and never looked back. The Gators once again fell in the Elite 8 and can't seem to get over the hump since their Titles in '05 and '06. Trey Burke earned POY honors on Friday against Kansas thanks to his domination in the 2nd half as Canadian Nik Stauskas stole the show on Sunday in a punishing performance against Florida.

Syracuse vs. Marquette

Syracuse celebrating their first Final Four berth since 2003
when they won it all with Freshman Carmelo Anthony

If your an old-timer you probably enjoyed this game. Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense embarrassed Marquette on Thursday night. Being in the Big East, you would expect the Golden Eagles to have some sort of clue of how to perform against the zone but they showed no signs of that. They were terrible shooting 28% from the field. To show their offensive struggles note that the Golden Eagles accounted for 39 points in the game while Michigan put up 47 in the first half. Marquette bad, Syracuse good.

Wichita State vs. Ohio State

In what was probably the most exciting game of the Elite 8, Wichita State continued their run as Cinderella. Leading by 20 points at one point, the Shockers almost gave the game away. The Buckeyes got back in the game by pressuring an inexperienced Wichita squad. At one point, the Shockers went 14 possessions with only 1 Field Goal. With about 3 minutes to go, OSU had cut the lead to 3 when, and this bothers me, they called off the pressure. Ohio State had cut the lead down by 17 points with constant pressure but when they finally made it one possession they stop pressuring. This let the Shockers who two enormous shot. One by Teleke Cotton a clutch 3 and then a fall away jumper by the Freshman VanVleet which closed the game for the Shockers. I think Ohio State is going to regret those last 3 minutes as they were a great matchup with Louisville. 

Now, here is my analysis of the Final Four games and my predictions.

The early game tips off at 6:09 ET between Louisville and Wichita State.

Peyton Siva (left) and Russ Smith (right) are the most dominant
duo in the entire nation right now.

While many people though Ohio state would blow out Wichita State, myself included, I honestly believe this is an extremely lopsided matchup. If you read above, which I hope you did, Wichita State started to turn the ball over when they faced some defensive pressure. Now look what they have ahead of them. Besides maybe VCU, Louisville is the best defensive team at forcing turnovers. They also have the ability to speed you up and play their up tempo style of Basketball. Louisville will cruise to the Title game with Kevin Ware heavy in their hearts.

Louisville 78

Wichita State 65

Now for the more intriguing game. Syracuse's 2-3 zone vs. Michigan's sharp shooters.

Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Wolverines to their
first Final Four berth since the Fab 5 in 1993.

If you remember back to midway through the College Basketball season both these teams at one point reigned atop the College Basketball world. While both teams struggled, Michigan deemed too young and Syracuse struggled offensively, both these squads should not have been surprising picks. For Michigan it's the emergence of Freshman Mitch McGary who gives the Wolverines an inside presence and for Syracuse it's the stifling 2-3 zone. The Cuse' defense has caused more turnovers than they've allowed field goals, that stat tells a lot. With that being said, Michigan matches up very well with the Cuse. Michigan poses outside threats Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Nik Stauskas. If the Wolverines are hot from beyond the arc, Syracuse has absolutely no chance. Yet, if they are not, Syracuse has a great chance of advancing to a rematch of the Big East Championship game. This Syracuse team is more physical than Michigan and poses a ton of matchup problems. Almost every player in the Syracuse starting line up will be a few inches taller than their respective Michigan matchup. The key to this game will be whether Michigan shoots well from outside or whether Syracuse controls the game down low. I give the edge to the Wolverines but not by much.

Michigan 60

Syracuse 58

My title game pick will come later in the week, so keep checking back!!