Teams to Watch Out for in the Tournament

64 teams get into the most well-known tournament ever, but most are pretenders. They may have got in because they won their weak division, or hit a hot streak when it came down to the conference tournament. Half of the teams in the tournament would get smoked by good teams that got stuck with the NIT. That is the system though, and it seems like most people are happy with it.

There are teams every year like Weber State, Vermont, or Cornell that don't stand a chance. There are teams like North Carolina, UCONN, and Duke that are the heavy favorites to reach the title game. But then there are teams that shock the world, and rise from the depths of the College Basketball universe. Last year it was Davidson, Western Kentucky, and Villanova that went way further than they were supposed to. Let's take a look at some teams that I think could be this year's March Madness sleeper.


I am going to try to steer clear from teams that everyone knows has the potential to get to the Final Four. If the bracket was out already, these would be teams in the 7+ seed range. My "projected seeds" are based on if the selection committee was to meet tonight and are simply my opinion on where the team would be placed.




#24 Florida Gators, 17-3 (projected 8 seed)
The Gators used to be a college basketball powerhouse, but now are stuck in "rebuilding". They have surprised a ton of people already. With big wins against Washington and Vandy, the Gators are the front-runner for the SEC Championship and more. This whole season was supposed to ride on Nick Calathes shoulders. He has done a great job; averaging 18 and 7. Let's be real though, Billy Donovan is the leader, the nucleus. Sure, he doesn't average any points, but he is one of the best coaches in the Nation and refuses to lose.



#23 Washington Huskies, 15-4 (projected 9 seed)
The season started rough, to say the very least. The Huskies started out with a loss to Portland for the first game of the season. After that, they fell to a couple of ranked opponents by a combined 28 points. They quickly turned things around after a 2-3 start with huge wins against Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon State, USC, and (most recently) #13 UCLA. The years of rebuilding are officially over. The Huskies and Coach Lorenzo finally have a talented team that can contend seriously in the Pac 10.



Missouri Tigers, 17-3 (projected 8 seed)
I know what you're thinking... Of course he is going to put his team on here. Well think again, because the Tigers are for real. I would know, I watch every single game and comb through everything they do. They are very, very, very good. Despite the extremely tough conference with teams like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Baylor, etc, they will be right at the top of the list come season's end. The have the perfect mix of experience and youth, with players like Lyons, Carroll, Tiller, English, Denmon, MP3, and everyone else. We have one of the (or the) toughest home court to play at in the country. We have not lost a game in our house in a long, long time... Don't expect us to.



#22 St. Mary's Gaels, 18-1 (projected 10 seed)
This is like the Utah and Boise State of College Basketball. They are tearing up the teams they play, but they aren't much to speak of. They remind me of a team called Davidson of last year. I don't want to jump to anything but these guys have something about them. We will see just how good they are when they square off against Gonzaga twice in the next month. Here is a nice way to put it in perspective. Kobe Bryant said, "He is just too quick and too flashy to guard." You know you have something going for you when one of the best players in the world says that about you. Patrick Mills torched the Americans in the Olympics for 20 points. Back for his sophomore year, Mills will once again lead the Gaels into the NCAA Tournament averaging about the same amount of points he dropped on Kobe.



#24 Minnesota Golden Gophers, 17-3 (projected 7 seed)
The Tubby Smith hype seemed a little overblown heading into last season, but the first year coach at Minnesota turned the Golden Gophers into a 20 win team in one season. What did you expect to happen after another offseason? The talent level has increased, the losing mentality is just about completely gone and Coach Smith has a roster that can make a run deep into NCAA tourney. They will be tested, and we will find out exactly what they are capable of as the Golden Gophers host Illinois at home, but then two road games against Michigan State and Ohio State.



Davidson Wildcats, 16-3 (projected 9 seed)
What better way to finish off this list than with the team that defines this list? Last year, the Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight in the t-ment on the back of sophomore Stephen Curry. Well, this year Curry is a junior and even better. They proved that they can compete with anyone in the Nation when they gave Oklahoma fits in November. Davidson is going to make a run at yet another perfect conference record, and will probably get it. The only thing stopping Davidson from doing things similar to last year, is Curry and his quest to become more NBA-ready. This whole season he has been focused on proving to recruiters that he can be a good point in the next level. I have seen time and time again players get TOO focused on that and cannot take care of what is at hand.




Sure, I do not have every single team that could make a run on here. If you disagree, or maybe I did not list your team that is on the outside looking in... Post your comment below so I can take a look at what you all think.



There may not even be a sleeper team this year. But if there is, I would be surprised if it was a team outside of this list.





Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

Ranked(?) Mizzou Takes on Illinois in Braggin' Rights Showdown

Missouri has won 8 of the past 9 games. As a reward, they have been handed the #25 rank in the nation.Let's just hope that the Tigers do not get a big head after a hot start. That exact problem has crippled Mizzou the past several years going all the way back to the Quin Snyder scandal. Although, with what looks to be a good group, overconfidence (knock on wood) shouldn't be a serious problem this go around. But, hey, this team is good and do not get me wrong... You can strut your stuff and it is perfectly OK to have a little swagger in you. You've deserved it.

(9-1) #25 Mizzou will take on it's third real contest against the (10-1) Illinois Fighting Illini in the 28th Braggin' Rights Game in neutral St. Louis. For the first time in a long time, Mizzou is not only favored, they are ranked! It marks the first time that the Tigers have been ranked in exactly 90 weeks (December 3rd, 2003).

The Fighting Illini are not ranked and haven't been since 2005. However, Illinois is starting to get respect from some of the voters with 20 total votes. If the poll was to be extended, that would be good for #32. This would of been the 3rd consecutive year that neither team was ranked but that streak was halted with today's new AP Poll. At least one of the teams - usually both - have been ranked in 22 of the 28 meetings.

There is a ton at stake this year in the annual meeting, especially with MU. They are favored and expected to win. The pressure is on while they look to break the 8 year skid. With both teams teetering with being ranked or not, which ever team comes out ahead will begin to knife through the polls. Which ever team disappoints, will likely plummet. The game has had a history of providing a boost to the winner...

After a wobbly start that included what was then the worst loss in school history, by 52 points at Arkansas, MU's triple-overtime victory in 1993 propelled it to a national ranking within two weeks. The Tigers then went 14-0 in the Big Eight and advanced to the Elite Eight. In 1996, the Illini were coming off an 18-13 season. They beat Mizzou 85-69, jumped into the national rankings and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams have really out-performed preseason expectations and will get a shot at receiving some well-deserved National attention. The game will be aired tomorrow night on ESPN2 at 6:30 CT.

The once untouchable Fighting Illini (Derron Williams, Dee Brown, and James Augustine) have really declined since the amazing run in 2004. Illinois was turned down by the Selection Committee for the first time in 8 years last year. On the other hand, Mizzou has been on a steady incline in the past several years. The Tigers have not danced in 5 years after making it into the Tournament 5 straight years.

Missouri and their senior leaders, DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, have led the Tigers to a near perfect start. With the only loss coming against #7 Xavier, they have put together some impressive wins when playing previously ranked #15 USC and a very decent California team.

When looking at the other end of the spectrum, you will see that Illinois is 10-1, sure, but you also need to notice that they have had a pretty easy schedule. They hosted and lost their only game against a ranked team a couple weeks ago with Clemson. Other than that, it has been mediocre D1 teams or lower.

I will put it this way, this game is so big that former MU coach Norm Stewart actually spread palm leaves around the locker room and went as far as sprinkling salt on them for good luck when he was at the helm. You can think he is crazy all you want but he was an awesome coach and this just shows the significance of this game. Many think it is the reason that the Tigers have faded after several hot starts these past few years. Like I said, this game has an interesting way of lifting the one that wins and sinking the team that does not prevail.

Mizzou has lost in the final seconds of the past three Braggin' Rights Games. This year, Carroll (avg; 18 & 7) and Lyons (16 & 7) look to put the Fighting Illini away to build that resume for March.

As a diehard Missouri fan, I am very proud to say that the Mizzou program is looking up and getting better each year. We are now finally ranked. A win tomorrow would be huge, propelling us to God knows what.

Some predict us to do amazing things this year and I cannot wait. Last week, I was watching halftime of some College Hoops game and Dick Vitale himself said, "Mizzou will take the Big 12 and cruise through the NCAA Tournament till at least the Sweet 16... mark it down." I guess that is when it kicked in and I got the feeling that this group was special.

I predict some extreme accolades for the Tigers this year. We will look to go to the Tournament for the first time since 2003 and we aren't just going to go. They have the perfect formula if you ask me and they are good. Tomorrow's game will measure how good.

Please feel free to comment in the space provided below. I love to read your thoughts on my posts so comment away! If you need to contact me, my email address is also listed.

Justin Hulsey

StLDieHard24@gmail.com

www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

www.collegesports-fans.com Mizzou/SLU Correspondent

Big-12 Championship Preview

One of my keys that I follow when I am writing is backing my statements up. When I decide that I am going to post an article out here, I first find out what I will write about, I get my notebook that is full of side notes about the topic that I choose to write about, and I just write about whatever I know about the subject. If I feel that I need to know more or I do not have enough to create a solid post, I research and read article after article on the subject. At the top of every page of notes, I write in all caps “BACK IT UP” and underline it. I do this to remind myself that it is one thing to have an opinion, it is a complete other thing to prove your opinion, to provide details and examples of what your talking about, throw out stats (nobody can argue numbers), just back it up. It, in a way, ties into Billy Packer’s famous quotes, and one of my favorites, “I may be wrong, but I am never in doubt.” Packer knows what he’s talking about and that is a simply brilliant quote. In sports, team are tagged with certain titles and it is that team’s choice to back the notion up or to just let it hang their and it gets taken right from under you.

Back to subject. In case you weren’t aware of the big college sports weekend ahead, there are some huge games that will decide the layout of the BCS bowls announced on Sunday. One of those games is the Mizzou vs. Oklahoma game that airs on ABC at 8:00 pm. The bad news is I have a Championship basketball game to play in at 8:00 pm tomorrow night.

Although I cannot join the Texas Longhorn fans in watching the game, I can tell you that I am sick and tired of hearing people moan that the right team was not picked in the South division. I mean, come on what’s the point? There was a system in which you pick the team in case of a tie. In this case there was a 3-way tie and it then went down to the team’s BCS rank. Oklahoma had the better rank of the 3 teams and they made it in. End of story. Whether you agree with the whole situation or not, that’s the way it goes. If you wanted in so badly, Texas, you shouldn’t have lost to Tech in Lubbock on a 35 yard, final second, miracle play. If you would ask me, I would tell you that the best team got in and leave it at that.

You have to understand, this is a very hard blog to write keeping in mind that I am a die-hard Mizzou fan and have watched them throw a great opportunity away. It is difficult to admit but I can’t lie, Oklahoma appears to be in the driver’s seat leading to the BCS Championship game. They are in the fast line but let’s not sleep on #20 Mizzou.

Oklahoma has put on an absolute clinic this season, scoring at will. It is a weekly show and, no matter who you are or what team you root for, you gotta love tuning in to see OU bust through teams like it’s nothing. They have literally scored like no other team has.. Ever. Just take a look at the past three games. 61 points vs. Oklahoma State, 65 vs. Texas Tech, 66 vs. Texas A&M, 62 vs. Nebraska. I mean, seriously? Four straight 60+ point games? No way. Yes way, and it has almost become a joke. It is way too easy and, heck, how can you say defense even matters when you just cannot be stopped. For example, the game against OKST.. I sat there and watched Oklahoma score on six straight possessions thinking you gotta be kidding me. OU is averaging 53 points/game and 560 yards/game. With the dynamic offense, a nation’s top-3 o-line, and a defense that can at least hold a team under 60 the question may be asked.. Can they be stopped by anyone? According to the “experts”, not by Mizzou. Vegas has Oklahoma favored by 17 points and who can blame them?

Meanwhile, Missouri, who saw it's national title dream go up in a puff of smoke, or more like a Curtis Lofton big play, in last year's 38-17 Big 12 dream matchup title game loss to Oklahoma, can't stop anyone's passing game, and is coming off a loss to a mediocre Kansas team even though that was the best game I’ve seen this season. The best win this year was over a Nebraska team that hadn't quite hit its stride, the second-best win was against an Illinois team that's not going bowling, and against the two big boys on the schedule from the South, Oklahoma State and Texas, the Tigers lost in back-to-back weeks. Let’s be honest with ourselves here.. Is it possible that my Tigers are a tad bit overrated? In my mind there is a fine line between wasted potential and just straight up overrated and Mizzou is right on it.

So, with that in mind, the game is a blow out right?

Well how about we just keep our pants on here. Does anyone remember the 2003 B12 Championship between #1 OU and Kansas State when Darren Sproles lead the Wildcats to a stunning 35-7 victory? How about the 2001 title game when Chris Simms flushed the Longhorns right down the toilet with about 20 pick-6’s that led to a Colorado victory? Same thing with the Championship games of 1998 (A&M vs. K State) and 1996 (Texas vs. Nebraska). Unlike the SEC Championship which generally follows the chalk, the B12 has a history of wild upsets. Guess what.. Missouri has the potential to do the same exact thing as these other teams have accomplished.

Last year, Mizzou played as the #1 team in the nation and fell under the spotlight. This year’s game isn’t as sexy and, nobody is picking Mizzou even with the 4th best offense in the country averaging over 500 yards/game. Nobody is picking the team with nothing to lose over the team that has everything to lose. Everyone is expecting a 60-point rout but do not sleep on Mizzou. All bias-ness aside, MU has the potential weapons and talent on both sides to weasel their way into a football game. Oklahoma has only won the last three games of the regular season once since 1980. Realistically, Missouri will need its fair share of luck tomorrow going against Bradford with the worst pass defense in the B12 and we didn’t even see the big-3 (Herrell, McCoy, Bradford). With that said, Bradford had trouble with Missouri last year and (unlike the past year) the spotlight is on him and everyone is expecting SAMUEL to perform like the Heisman candidate he is. Very, very similar to last year’s game just switched roles.

It's the official end of the Big 12 campaign after the conference, more specifically the South, saved the college football season. One way or another, it'll be a show with lots of offense and plenty of big plays. It'll be fun no matter what happens. With these two offenses, it has to be.


Mizzou will win if…

...Oklahoma’s linebacking crew struggles. In OU’s only loss of the season to Texas, the Longhorns picked the back-up linebackers apart after the first string was injured and it ultimately led to a Texas victory.
...They can keep Sam Bradford off of the football field. We all know what happens when he is on it, and I can’t see him playing much DB. Missouri needs to ruin his Heisman campaign to have a shot.
...They can convert on 3rd downs (both sides of ball). Missouri has been a wash with 3rd downs on offense and defense. OU was 12 of 18 on 3rd downs against OKST and was one of the reasons they scored 60+.
...They can, of course, spark something in the secondary. If they play as badly on defense as they did in the Kansas game.. Consider it over with fellas.

Oklahoma will win if…

...They don’t let their guard down. If they are looking forward to that Championship game against ‘Bama or Florida then they better get their heads straight before it’s too late or it will be Texas playing them.
...Chase becomes a running back instead of a quarterback. The games that Chase had a significant total of rushing yards were two of the three games that Mizzou has lost so far. He had a 103 yard performance vs. KU and we lost. As well as the 50 yard total against Oklahoma State. If you want to win, Chase, do your job. And that is to say hike and get it into the hands of our playmakers (Maclin, Coffman, etc).
...They simply take what the shaky Tiger defense gives you. The secondary has been in a comma all season. Get the ball and chuck it to wide open defenders and move the ball down field.


Prediction:

Missouri will play well, but not well enough. It'll be a continuous trade of big blow after big blow with the Tigers hanging around after three quarters, but Daniel will make a few key mistakes and Bradford won't. The Sooners will open it up late and Bradford will have his Heisman stats padded enough to answer Tim Tebow's big game earlier in the day against Alabama. Oklahoma is going to BACK UP the notion that they are the team to beat.

58-45, Oklahoma

Please tell me what you think in the comment section below. Thanks!

Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com
www.thejaystick.blogspot.com

Ranking the Big-12 Quarterbacks

This is, officially, the year that the Big-12 passes the SEC in conference dominance. This could possibly be the best Big-12 class that has ever been put together, and it shows. All this due largely in part to the Big-12 Quarterbacks who have been simply astonishing. It is almost guaranteed that at least 3 of the Heisman finalists will be from the B-12 and will be QBs. The Quarterbacks are so good that a guy like Oklahoma State’s junior Zac Robinson, one of only three quarterbacks in the nation to rush for more than 800 yards and throw for more than 2,800 last season, can't get a sliver of national attention. When it comes to QB rating, the Big-12 owns 4 of the top 5 spots, 3 of 5 in passing yards, 3 in completion %, 4 in TD passes, and on and on and on. The Big-12 Quarterbacks are simply blowing away opponents and putting up some hefty numbers doing so.

The proven talent at this position goes way deep in the conference. Yet each of them has something to prove either as an individual or as the leader of a team for the rest of this college football season. For example, Mizzou’s Chase Daniel(no ‘s’) must beat Texas and win in the Big-12 Championship to have a shot at the National Championship, as well as the Heisman Trophy. If 2008 continues to fulfill its headline as The Year of the Quarterback in the Big 12, it will be because these 12 players have overcome the hurdles that await them.

With that said, I have brought it upon myself to rank the top-5 Big-12 QBs from best to “worst”.

Note: These rankings have NOTHING to do with NFL potential or readiness but to do with their ability in the NCAA and how they conduct themselves on the football field.


1. Colt McCoy
In 2006, McCoy surpassed all expectations for a redshirt freshman. He even set a then-NCAA first-year record with 29 touchdown passes. Last season, that number fell to 22, while his interceptions rose from seven to 18. Mack Brown took all responsibility of McCoy’s “decline” saying that they put too much on him, asking him to lead that team as a sophomore, and also pointed out the Colt was simply not ready to be that guy that everyone thought he was.

After a year of maturing and preparing to become the leader of his team, McCoy is pwning everybody. Halfway through the season, you would have to admit that Colt has the Heisman firmly in grasp. McCoy, like Matt Stafford of Georgia, can combine the benefit of two years' experience with an easier brand of leadership that comes with age.


2. Sam Bradford
Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency as a freshman with a rating of 176.5, which was a tie for the seventh-best single-season rating in history. He threw 36 touchdowns and only eight interceptions, and he completed 69.5 percent of his passes. I would say Bradford has more than proven that he has received his vaccine for a sophomore slump.

Bradford is 2nd in the nation in TD passes and leads in QB rating, the list goes on and on. Sure, his team lost to Texas this past week, (which was why I flip-flopped him and McCoy) but Bradford still threw for a mind-blowing 390 yards and 5 touchdowns. His only Achilles heal might be interceptions. He threw 2 against Texas and is on pace for 12 on the year which might be a little more than desired when you consider he really isn’t throwing that much.


3. Chase Daniel
The senior from Southlake, Texas, has played his entire career as if he has needed to prove something. He had to prove Texas wrong after they stopped recruiting him after his Junior year in high school. He had to prove that a man of his size (6-0, 225) could play big-time quarterback. He had to prove that Missouri should be taken seriously in the conference and on national stage. Daniel has done all of that. He has thrown for 10,235 yards, 78 touchdowns and only 27 interceptions (all Mizzou records). Last season, he was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and finished fourth in the Heisman vote.

Now, he needs to prove that he can rebound himself and his team from an embarrassing loss to Oklahoma State that should have never ever happened. Daniel threw the ball 52 times for 390 yards, 1 TD, and (oh my) 3 INTs. Some think that the OKST game draws a close to all Heisman hopes for Chase but I would have to disagree. With big wins over Texas, Kansas, and then the B-12 Championship, not only would Chase become the front-runner again but would also propel his team back toward #1.


4. Graham Herrell
Like his predecessors in Lubbock, Harrell has stats on steroids. In 2007, Harrell threw for 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns, both of which led the nation. But, like Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and Cody Hodges before him, Harrell has garnered more stats than he has respect. Unfortunately, the skepticism will continue even while the Red Raiders challenge for the Big 12 South championship.

Most skeptics think the way they do because, yes, Texas Tech throws the ball like nobody out there. Herrell threw it 713 times last year and is on pace for 600 this year. He already has more attempts than most teams will gather all season. However, this year is different than last for Herrell. Herrell has only thrown 3 interceptions so far compared to last year’s 7 at this point in time. He finished with 14 last year and will be around 6 this year. That will grab many voters when they case their ballot. It takes an extremely good QB to only throw 6 interceptions on 600 pass attempts.


5. Todd Reesing
The Jayhawks went 12-1 last season in no small part because of Reesing. He is listed at 5-11, which must be in his platform cleats, yet Reesing threw for 3,486 yards, 33 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He also proved, as Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has said all along, that the spread offense doesn't need tall quarterbacks, only smart ones.

Todd is off to a very familiar start for himself in his Junior year, on pace for more pass yards but three fewer TDs. However, it is evident that the Jayhawks are not quite as good as their team last year but still has a respectable 16th ranking. He will have to show what he is made of with some ridiculous games left that include: #1 Texas, #4 Oklahoma, #7 Texas Tech, #11 Mizzou, as well as Nebraska. That means that Kansas only has two games left that they will be favored in and only one sure-thing win. Pretty stupid of me to say that though, as this season has been anything but sure-thing.


There you have it. There aren’t many (if any) conferences out there that can say their #5 QB is as good as Todd Reesing is, and there aren’t any that can say they have 5 QBs as superior that these men are.

Please tell me what you think at the comment section below.


Justin Hulsey
StLDieHard24@gmail.com