LeBron James- Are We Witnessing Greatness?

LeBron James-Are We Witnessing Greatness? 

If you haven't heard, LeBron James claimed his 4th MVP in the last 5 years officially Sunday afternoon. James averaged 27 ppg, 8 rebounds a game, and topped that off with 7 assists per contest. LeBron led Miami to the number 1 overall seed in the East, was obviously the key component of their 27 game win streak, and guided the Heat to a 1st round sweep over the Milwaukee Bucks. That's just a short statistical recap of James' unbelievable MVP season which is far from over.

James received 122 of the 123 1st place votes. Not really sure who had anyone else in the top spot...
Anyways, with James winning his 4th Most Valuable Player trophy in the past half-decade, the question must be asked is he the greatest or will he be the greatest?

Me personally, have never cared for LeBron after his shenanigans in leaving Cleveland but as a sports fan I would be doing a disservice to not at least respect him. LeBron James does not belong in the sport of Basketball. He is a physical specimen that the game has never seen before and quite possibly might never see again. He can guard your Point Guard one possession, than battle down low with your 7 footer the next. He can take the inbounds and run your offense one possession, than take you down into the post the next. He's a 6 foot 8, 250 pound machine which is why as sports fans we must appreciate what we have.

James in Cleveland had no supporting cast which is why he had to score 40 points a night for them to compete. Now that he has the talent around him like Jordan had we can see that he can truly do it all. He's the most powerful dunker in the league but can also hit the deep 3. The reason I'm writing this post tonight is to understand what we truly have in LeBron James. In your lifetime, you will never see another player like this which is why I think it's important to appreciate his greatness.

Now the most ridiculous part about LeBron James. How high is his ceiling? As I predict, the Heat will cruise, yes cruise, to their 2nd straight title with Bron Bron casually leading the way. But the crazy thing is, will he get better. Like most players in their prime, they gradually get better and it's a scary thought to think that Mr. James could be a more dominating force than he already is.

With all this being said, and we much more could be, I think their are still many but very possible goals for LeBron to reach before he is declared the Greatest of All Time.

Win a Title without another Star player (Dwyane Wade)- I understand that MJ won it with Pippen and Shaq with Kobe, but because of the way he left, the critics will never let that go until he does it himself.

Compete in the Dunk Contest- One of Jordan's most iconic moments is his Free Throw line dunk in the Dunk Contest. All LeBron has to do is show up and he'll win.

Hit the Big Shot in the Big Game- This final task would seal the deal for me. Michael Jordan's most famous moment is sinking a game winner in Game 6 of his last Finals with the Bulls. LeBron's whole career has been down played because he has been missing the "clutch factor". While James seems to be finding his confidence late in games, he still needs that Iconic Moment to be the best to ever play the game.

Who Impressed and Who did not Impress this March Madness Weekend

Today, Sportacular Sports looks at who left the Round of 32 with a positive impression versus the others who left not looking so hot. 

Impressive
1. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 

Sherwood Brown-The Eagle's lovable Senior

This is the obvious pick for who impressed this weekend. The Eagles from Florida became the first 15 seed to ever advance to the Sweet 16 in their impressive 81-71 win over San Diego State. If you have been in a cave, FGCU also defeated Otto Porter and the #2 seeded Georgetown Hoyas on Friday. Their's not much to say about the Eagles except their so easy to love. Who doesn't love the Cinderella story and to augment to their amiable story is the fact that they are having so much fan. You constantly see the players soaking up the experience whether it be shaking hands with the Broadcast teams or dancing around in the locker room. If you aren't rooting for the Eagles, you're probably a SDSU or Georgetown fan but even in that case you've got to respect this truly unbelievable story.

Trey Burke-Sophomore Guard-Naismith Award Finalist

2. Michigan Wolverines
After I put Michigan on upset alert a few days ago, the Wolverines now find themselves on my impressed list. Michigan had a solid performance against South Dakota State on Thursday but came away as major impressers after the game against VCU. The Rams turned teams over the most in the nation at 20 times per game, while the Wolverines turned the ball over the least amount of times at 9.0. When you see this matchup, you know something's got to give. Unfortunately for Rams fans, it was their defense. The Wolverines dominated in a 78-53 win in which they only turned the ball over 12 times and were never in grave danger of losing. Even more impressive than their win, is the importance of this game. A Blue-collar Freshmen named Mitch McGary may have had his official coming out party. McGary went 10-11 for 21 points and added 14 rebounds in an excellent performance. The reason Michigan has had so many doubters is their lack of an inside presence. While this was only 1 game, if McGary plays with consistent efficiency the Wolverines have an excellent chance of knocking off the top seeded Jayhawks in the Sweet 16.

3. Close calls 

Aaron Craft's Game Winner to send the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16

While Indiana barely escaped Temple, Ohio State needed a bogus call, Miami some clutch free throw shooting, and Marquette yet another escape, what impressed me about all these teams were their ability to win tight games. In every championship run, a team must win a game they had no business in winning and I believe all of these teams may have just done that. Indiana closed out Temple on a 10-0 run in a game they could have easily lost. While people may think teams like Indiana should crush a team like this, it's the tournament and their are no easy games come the weekend. For Ohio State, even though it took a questionable call (see Bad impressions), Ohio State found away and that's what it's all about come March. While Miami got a great battle from Illinois, they showed that the pressures of the NCAA Tournament won't be getting to them down the stretch. While Illinois fell victim to a bad call as well, Miami never gave the Illini a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute nailing all 6 of their FT attempts. Finally, my Final Four pick, Marquette, once again got my heart beating in my favorite game of the weekend. The Butler and Marquette game was just a great game that Marquette found a way to win for the second straight game. Marquette won't be able to win 6 games by less than 3 points but they've shown their ability to win in tight situations.

Considered- Louisville (Blowout performance, playing like the Number 1 overall seed) La Salle (Game winner against a feisty Ole Miss team- 13th seed to the Sweet 16)

Not Impressive 

Missed Call on Aaron Craft-But really, they're supposed to get this call?

1. I do not want to take away from both the great Ohio State-Iowa State and Miami-Illinois game but for a moment I want to talk about the refereeing. In both games, the call ultimately cost ISU and Illinois the game but to your surprise I'm more upset about the Illinois call. If you were still in your cave, Aaron Craft from Ohio State took a charge with under a minute to play which should have been an And-1 pushing the Cyclone lead to 4 or possibly 5. I am not upset at the refs for this call. The play is happening so fast and Craft is literally 2 inches over the restricted area. While the NCAA has admitted the wrong call was made, that's the toughest call of the weekend and I'd say 9 refs out of 10 call that a charge. Now for the Illinois game. This points towards the NCAA Rules Comittee. With under 30 seconds to play, Illinois trailed by 2 and missed a shot but on the rebound, a Hurricane player (Kenny Kadji) clearly knocked the ball out of bounds. While it was another bang-bang play, it was seen clearly on replay. With that being said, why can't the officials go to the monitors with under 2 minutes to play. While we all know one play doesn't determine a game, why can't we get that call right and not knock Illinois out of the tournament. Unfortunate for both teams, but I honestly believe one of these issues could be fixed. 

2. Ben McLemore-Kansas 
A projected NBA lottery pick (top 5), Big 12 player of the year, and top Freshman in the nation, Ben McLemore did not show up against North Carolina on Sunday. McLemore shot 0-9 from the field and his 2 points came from the Free Throw strike not to mention his mere 2 assists. While the Jayhawks advanced, is it possible that the Freshman superstar is afraid of the spotlights. In a poor team performance against 16th seeded Western Kentucky, McLemore shot 2-5 from the field and got most of his points from the FT line. He scored only 11, 5 points below his season average. If McLemore is the superstar that all the NBA scouts believe he is, he better put on a strong showing against an undersized Michigan size.

Considerations- MWC (only 1 of 5 teams made it to the Sweet 16), VCU (got clobbered by Michigan)

NBA Hot News-LeBron, Rose, and Parker injury updates

NBA Hot News-Injury updates

In the past few days there have been many interesting stories to cover and Sportacular Sports will now break them down.

Miami Wins 15 in a row but how's LeBron?
The Miami Heat are absolutely on fire right now. After their 97-81 defeat over the Timberwolves tonight, the Heat have extended their franchise record winning streak to 15 games. While this is quite a feat, the bigger story is how LeBron James knee is holding up after the scare Sunday against the Knicks. On an attempted alley oop, James landed extremely awkwardly on his knee but did not leave the game to much surprise.

 He actually performed better from that point on totaling 15 more points and leading a come from behind victory over New York at MSG. LeBron's knee appeared fine in tonights game against Minnesota as he scored 20 points while adding 10 boards. His partner in crime, Dwyane Wade, picked up the "slack" with 32 points himself as the Heat cruised to a victory. With question before the game, answers were given and LeBron appears to be perfectly fine.






Derrick Rose-The Return?

Could we possibly see a return from Chicago Bulls all-star Derrick Rose in the coming days? While Rose appeared on the Chicago bench for the first time this season, my guess would be no but I believe it is very possible we could see the 2011 MVP back this season. Two questions need to be answered during Rose's recovery process. Does DRose trust the surgery and everything that has gone into it. With a knee injury, more than half the battle of coming back, especially for a quick player like Rose, is trusting that the knee will hold up. This leads up to the next question, is it worth the risk for Rose to come back in a season where Miami is unstoppable? While Rose could make the Bulls a Championship Contender, will he even be the same player coming off a torn ACL. Rose relies on his quick cuts and extreme athletic ability to be the dynamic player he is. I believe Derrick Rose will return this year but when is the question Check Rose's progress in him dunking in a pre game warmup. This is a great sign for the Bulls and all basketball fans as DRose is one of the best players in the league to watch.

Tony Parker sidelined up to 4 weeks-What does this mean for San Antonio?



Tony Parker is the most underrated player in the NBA not only at the Point Guard position but in the entire league. What he means to the Spurs is incalculable. Parker went down with a broken ankle against the Sacramento Kings leaving him on the bench for about 4 weeks. The Spurs lead the West and it would not surprise me one bit if San Antonio relinquishes their 3 game lead over the Thunder in the coming weeks. With that being said, the Spurs aren't going to care what seed they are, they are the classy vets who are just going to win games. When it comes playoff time, Parker will be ready to go and Ginobli and Duncan will be rested. While the Spurs might lose their lead in the West, this could be a blessing in disguise as backup Point Guard 2nd year vet, Corey Joesph could get some useful experience for the postseason. I think the Spurs will be just find come playoff time. 

NFL Draft Combine-Who Impressed?

Today, Sportacular Sports will be looking at who impressed at this weekend's NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis.

1. Tavon Austin- West Virginia- Wide Receiver
The speedster ran an official 4.34 40 yard dash after unofficially being clocked in the 4.2 range. While the official high of the day (4.27) came from track star Marquise Goodwin out of Texas, Austin impressed the scouts with his hands. While Austin isn't projected to go in either of Mel Kiper's or Todd McShay's first round, chatter has begun about Austin. What was supposed to hold Austin back is his small frame. 5 feet 8 inches and only 173. While I think he'll fit perfectly in the slot, Tavon had many doubters. That all changed Sunday. Austin caught the ball beautiful only to augment to the already great speed. Scouts instantly moved him up their draft boards, including John Clayton from ESPN who claims Austin might slip into the first round. Possible suitors for Austin could be New England or his hometown Baltimore Ravens. New England could be satisfied to replace pending free agent Wes Welker with some newer legs while Baltimore could look to sign defensive players over Jacoby Jones. Austin works well in the return game as well which is only a plus. Austin impressed and that is why he ranks number 1 on today's list.

2. Geno Smith-West Virginia- Quarterback
You might think I'm a West Virginia fan at this point but I am not. I'm just impressed by both guys out of this University. As he declined from Heisman Front Runner to just about no one during the College Football Season, Geno Smith gained a ton of doubters. Then, to much surprise, rumors this weekend began to swirl that Geno could be taken first overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. While I don't believe this, the question must be asked-Why did Geno impress today-Simply because of his speed. While it was known Smith had valuable speed, he clocked in at an unexpected 4.59 highest in the draft class. In today's evolving quarterback class, speed is almost a necessary element. Cam Newton, RGIII, Russell Wilson are all revolutionizing the game and the Quarterback needs speed more than ever these days. Smith may have boosted his draft stock but will it be enough to get to the top?

3. Matt Barkley-USC- Quarterback
You might be thinking-Matt Barkley? He didn't he attend this weekends combine. While this is true, multiple reports have come out stating that Barkley will make it nowhere past the 7th spot in the draft owned by the Arizona Cardinals. While Barkley is still recovering from injury, this is major news. Pre-season the Trojans were Number 1 and Barkley was supposed to be the #1 pick after receiving the Heisman. Everything went wrong, yet Barkley might be lucking out. In a draft filled with needs at Quarterback, a weaker Quarterback class might be doing better than expected. While Barkley has time to impress at the USC Pro-day, apparently he's done enough to be a top 10 pick.

Others:
Terron Armstead-ran a 4.71 as an Offensive Lineman
Cordarrelle Patterson- Rated as the top wide receiver only impressed with his great frame and blazing speed

Report:
Top 5 projected pick- Star Lotulelei- out of Hawaii has been removed from the Combine list for Monday. The defensive tackle has been diagnosed with poor deficiency in one of his ventricles. The condition is not life threatening but he is in no shape to participate. Lotulelei's draft stock shouldn't fall much unless worse reports come out.

Which team has the best chance of being upset this Rivalry Saturday?

This college basketball season has been filled with crazy upsets and one would think the same would follow this weekend. This entire week is filled with games matching up hated rivals. All the action finishes today. When a rival comes to town, especially with a number 1-25 next to their name, a team seems to play inspired basketball which leaves those aforementioned ranked squads in serious danger if they don't come to play. So as I said before, one would think we would see many upsets this weekend yet I feel otherwise.










As I scanned the matchups for today, I really couldn't put my finger on any that caught my eye. But when I analyzed it deeply I figured the Number 2 team in the land could be in grave danger.

#2 Duke Blue Devils vs. Maryland Terrapins
The Duke squad has already won their major rivalry game this week handling a feisty UNC team which leaves me to believe they won't be as motivated come 6pm Saturday. Maryland on the other hand as been reeling losing 3 out of their last 5 and falling from the tournament contenders. UMD really needs a statement win and there is no greater opportunity than today. The Terps have the team that can match up with this Duke team.

Key matchup: Mason Plumlee vs. Alex Len
The last time these two teams played, the show was stolen by freshman Rasheed Sulaimon who dropped 25 points at Cameron Indoor Stadium. But when the game got close, the Blue Devils went to Senior Mason Plumlee to finish the game. He did rightly so and Duke took care of business on their home court. Today though could be a much different result. The Terps will obviously be ready to play in front of their home crowd and Len performs better at the Comcast Center. If Alex Len can dominate inside, Maryland will be able to defend the deadly shooters out on the perimeter and exploit the loss of Ryan Kelly.

                      Prediction:

Do I think Maryland will be able to get the job done? Unfortunately, no. Mason Plumlee has been the best player in the entire nation the past two weeks and Len simply won't be able to stop him. Len might play well but not well enough to stop the Blue Devils. Seth Curry is too much for Maryland at the point. The living chance that Maryland has is Sophomore standout Dez Wells who can put up 30 points in the blink of an eye. If he wants to have a serious coming out party, there would be no greater moment than tonight.

Final Score: Duke-72 Maryland-66

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Did Notre Dame belong in the National Championship

Did Notre Dame belong in the National Championship?

A lot of people are asking after last night's beat down, if the Irish should have been in the National Championship. Most of this concern comes from the over reaction of the blowout but I do believe it is a valid question.

In today's system, there was no other team in the land that deserved to be number one purely to the fact that the Irish went undefeated. Were they the best team in the country, clearly not but Notre Dame was the only team that took care of business and won every game. While their schedule obviously does not line up with an SEC schedule, the Irish played formidable opponents like Michigan and Stanford.

Everyone will point out the magical escape of the Pittsburgh Panthers in Triple Overtime but every championship team has a game like that over the course of the season. For example, tears and all, AJ McCarron led a comeback victory in Baton Rouge earlier in the season. Of course Pitt and LSU do not match up but the theme is winning a game they had no business in winning.

Playoff System:
Thankfully, the NCAA board or whoever made this decision has chosen to institute a 4 team playoff in the 2014 season. In this system, Notre Dame would have faced Oregon who, after seeing this game, would look like a Duck blowout. But in fact Notre Dame is similar to Stanford who were the Duck's kryptonite this season. Florida would've faced Alabama and probably showed up for the game in an SEC clash. An Alabama-Oregon championship was every fan's dream and in the new playoff system it would have been made possible.

Deserving?
I honestly do believe Notre Dame did belong in the title game. They set themselves up with tough opponents throughout the season and took care of business. You can't fault them for going undefeated. The final point comes from the talk that I saw this coming. My response to that is 20-20 vision. Unless you had it in writing before the game thats a load of ___. I was one of the people that thought Notre Dame's defense would be able to keep them in the game but the first quarter and 4 seconds proved me wrong. I'm proud enough to admit it but would you if you were wrong?

Alabama-42
Notre Dame-14