In one of the wildest college hoops seasons in recent memory, being ranked No. 1 in the country meant that a loss was probably on the horizon.  At one point for 5 weeks in a row there was a new number #1 team in the country every week. Indiana has been one of the best teams in the country  playing in the best conference the Big Ten.

IU has a deep squad and a scoring prowess to the tune of 81.9 points per game good for 2nd best in the country behind Northwestern St. They have no glaring holes and two likely Top 5 picks in the upcoming NBA draft in Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. Both players are expected to forego their remaining eligibility and take that NBA lottery money.

Gonzaga who touts a current 12 game win streak and is undefeated in the West Coast Conference will likely be the overall No. 1 seed if they win their soft conference tournament where only two teams can most likely beat them on an off night. They are lead by the 7 footer from Canada,  Kelly Olynyk ,who is one of the top 5 candidates for Player of the Year.  His Stat line is solid 17.7 PPG 7.0 RPG 67%FG in only 25.6 Minutes per Game so he is extremely efficient.  But the true top player in college basketball this year hails from Columbus Ohio and wears the Maize and Blue jersey from University of Michigan.  

 No player has been more consistent or means more to his team then Trey Burke.

Burke has been the only player in the Big Ten to score 15 plus points in every conference game.  His stat line for the year while going through the rugged Big Ten season reads like this : 35.1 MPG 19.1 PPG 49.2% FG 79% FT 6.9 APG 1.6 SPG 3.6 AST/TO ratio.  What those numbers translate into in overall rankings for the entire country is top 25 in points per game, top 10 in Assists per game and No. 1 in the country in assists to turnover ratio.  This for a player who has the ball in his hands for about 90% of Michigan’s possessions.  

If Michigan can beat Indiana on Sunday they will improve their record at Crisler arena to 19-0 on the season. They will share the Big Ten title with Indiana and a possibly two other teams. If Michigan can win that game then I don’t think there is any way the voters can take the Wooden Award away from the deserving Burke.  I’ve watched every Michigan game this season.  Without Burke Michigan wouldn’t be playing in the NIT tournament let alone playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Burke’s defining moment came versus in state rival Michigan State. MSU embarrassed Michigan by 23 points earlier in the year and sadly they were up by over 30 in the 2nd half.

Michigan had a ten point lead erased with less then 4 minutes to play and Michigan State had the ball with less then a minute to play and clinging to a 1 point lead. Then Trey imposed his will on the defensive side of the ball stripping Appling of the ball and dunking the ball to give Michigan the lead. He then stepped in the passing lane on the ensuing possession and stole the ball without Michigan State getting a final shot off.  These are the moments that Wooden award winners should have and Burke has spoiled Michigan fans with these memorable moments every time he steps on the court. This is why he has been the top player in the country and deserves this award more then any other player in college basketball this year.

Since the Wooden award inception in 1976-1977 there have been five point guards who have won the award: Phil Ford, Jay Williams, TJ Ford, Jameer Nelson, and Jimmer Fredette.  Other then Jimer Fredette, averaging nearly 30 points per game, Burke’s stats stack up with all the other former point guard Wooden Award Winners.

2001-2002 Jay Williams 33.6 MPG 21.3 PPG 45.7 FG% 67.6% FT 5.3 APG 2.2 SPG

2002-2003 TJ Ford 33.6 MPG 15 PPG 40.1 FG% 82% FT 7.7 APG 2.0 SPG

2003-2004 Jameer Nelson 33.9 MPG 20.6 PPG 47.5% FG 79.2% FT 5.3 APG 3.0 SPG

The biggest competition for Burke is Otto Porter Jr. out of Georgetown. He will win Big East Player of Year with his solid play all year. I think he will finish 3rd in voting if Georgetown beats Syracuse in the final game of the season and wil1at least have a share of the Big East title after being upset by Villanova on Wednesday night. He is averaging 34.5 MPG 16.6 PPG 7.6 RPG 51% FG. I think Burke’s biggest competition and the smoothest college player in the game this year is Victor Oladipo. This monster is going to be an immediate asset to some NBA team next year. He plays suffocating defense. He finishes at the rim like the hoss that he is and in my mind is the most efficient player in all of college basketball.  If he wasn’t surrounded by so much talent his stat line would be more impressive from a numbers perspective. 27.7 MPG 13.7 PPG 63% FG (leads Big Ten) 74.5% FT 6 RPG 2.3 SPG. All these players have had great years, but nobody has been as a dominant every time they step on the floor as the 6’0 point guard from Columbus. He has made Michigan basketball relevant again and I haven’t been able to say that since the early 90’s when the Fab Five took the country by storm.

When Michigan State takes the short 65 mile drive to the Big House, there is going to be more on the line than just the Paul Bunyan-Governor of Michigan Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the game between the Wolverines and the Spartans.

The storylines are abundant in this interstate rivalry game between the 17^th ranked Spartans and the 18^th ranked Wolverines.  This is the first time they’ve both been ranked in the top 25 since 2003.

Michigan State is trying to win three straight games against the Wolverines which would be the longest winning streak they’ve enjoyed in the series since 1965-67.

U of M holds a comfortable series lead at 67-30-5. What makes this game so much more intriguing is that nobody in the preseason expected this to happen.  The only team from the state of Michigan that had votes in the Associated Press preseason poll was Central Michigan.  The Spartans only play one more team ranked in the top 25. If they could top Michigan at the Big House they could possibly win or share their first Big Ten Title since 1990.

If you haven’t heard yet, U of M has the most electrifying player in college Football. Denard Robinson or the “Nard Dog” continues to dominate opposing defenses. He has already become the first player to twice rush and pass for more than 200 yards in a regular season game in the same season. He needs only 95 rushing yards to top 1,000 for the season and 87 to eclipse 2,000 total yards.

To put that into perspective only six players last year passed for more than 1,000 yards and rushed for more than 900 yards. Robinson has already achieved that feat in only 5 games.  He is a one man wrecking crew whose duel threat ability has made him the early Heisman favorite in everyone’s eyes.  With all that said when you turn your eyes to the other side of the ball you see one of the worst defenses in all of college football.

Michigan is ranked 102nd nationally in total defense (433.6 yards);  They are 73rd in scoring defense (25.4); and are 37th in rush defense (125.8 yards) and dead last  and in pass defense (307.8 yards)  Michigan is coming off a 42-35 victory at Indiana last week, a game in which the Hoosiers passed for 480 yards.

Coach Rodriguez said, “I don’t have to look at them to know where our problems are. We have to play better. Some of the problems didn’t happen overnight and won’t be solved overnight, no matter what we do. Some of them we’ve got to try to solve in a hurry and get as good as we can be and the rest of it, we will solve as time goes on.”

The Defense will be tested with the well rounded Spartans who are coming off a great win at home against Wisconsin.

The Spartans are led by their well balanced passing and rushing attack.  Kirk Cousins is their steady leader at QB who averages 225 yards through the air.  There two main feature backs are Edwin Baker and surprise freshman sensation Le’Veon  Bell.  The pair of halfbacks have run for a combined 1007 yards.  Their defense is ranked 41^st in total defense giving up 328.60 a game

Five Keys of the Game

1.      The Denard Robinson factor: Can Denard continue to have his way with opposing defenses.   This will be his biggest test yet, because Michigan State has a solid LB core led by All-American Greg Jones.  Robinson must limit the times he is hit so he doesn’t get worn down in this shootout style game.

2 . Turnover margin: Like everything else in his game,  Denard takes very good care of the ball.  Since he touches it every snap Michigan’s offense is in good hands.  The Wolverines defense must win the turnover battle if they want to win this game.  Their young and inexperienced and will give up a ton of yards to Michigan State’s balanced offense but they must make a few big plays to end drives and put their offense back on the field.

3. The Big House: This is the first true road game for the Spartans since they played against Florida Atlantic at Ford Field.  The atmosphere will be electric and you can’t simulate 113,000 screaming fans.  Michigan needs to score early and often to keep the crowd in the game. I think the home crowd will provide the extra motivation the Wolverines need to get over the hump in this even matchup. Rich Rod is 2-6 at Big House vs. Big Ten foes. This should be a major emphasis of change now that he has such a potent offense.

4. Special Teams: Michigan must limit big returns in the Kick and Punt Return game by State. Keshawn Martin had a 74 Yd Punt Return against Wisconsin in the 2^nd quarter that really set the tone in the first half VS Wisconsin. Michigan’s kicking has been awful this year making only 1-5 field goals.  If opportunity knocks they better answer the call and do their job. Michigan State has a reliable field-goal kicker in Dan Conroy so if the game is decided by 3 points edge goes to State.

5. Intangibles of a Rivalry Game. Spartans pulled one off against Notre Dame with the fake field goal that went for a touchdown to win the game.  Mark Dantonio will be coaching in the press box after missing two games; this should give State an emotional lift heading into the game.  Spartans only play one more team ranked in the top 25 (at Iowa) If they win they could possibly win their first Big Ten Title since 1990.

I’m taking the Wolverines at home 35-31 in the game of the week.

Gameday might be at South Carolina watching the Gamecocks get stomped on by Alabama but this will be the true game of the week.  I think you need to score over 35 points to beat the Wolverines and I think State gives them a great shot, but the Nard Dog prevails with another huge game that keeps the hype rolling on his Heisman status.

Like many Michiganders this Saturday has been long awaited.  The weather is supposed to be 70 and gorgeous. There will be two good football teams battling in one of College Football’s great stadiums.

What could possibly dampen such a great event?

I know ABC could hire Matt Millen to do the color commentary on the game.

Used with permission of the author.

Mateo Ferda is a Detroit-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Like many Michiganders this Saturday has been long awaited.  The weather is expected to hover around 70 degrees with sunshine beating down on the Big House where the Michigan Wolverines are hosting the Michigan State Spartans in a bitter rival game.

So with two great NCAAF teams battling it out in one of College Football’s greatest stadiums, what could possibly dampen such a great event?

ABC hiring Matt Millen to do the color commentary on the game.

ABC obviously has zero understanding how much sport fans in Michigan despise Matt Millen’s voice and opinion on anything that deals with football.

How can his opinion have any credibility about any issues that deals with player talent, development, or even with coaching after his Detroit Lions posted a 31-84 record under his regime. That record happens to be the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern day NFL.

Despite the team’s record on the field, Matt Millen was the second-highest paid general manager in the NFL and actually received an extension during the implosion.

Here is some first round talent that Millen assessed would be can’t miss pros: Jeff Backus, Charles Rodgers (arrested, failed drug tests, out of league), Mike Williams (another WR bust), and franchise quarterback Joey Harrington (no description necessary).

‘Nuf said. We don’t even care if he made an ass of himself for calling fellow analyst Ron Jaworski a “Pollack”. Matt Millen is a dick who should be doing commentary on a rivalry like Idaho vs. Idaho State, if even that.

Involving him in a classic rival matchup between two good programs in a state that finds him repudiate is a blunder ABC shouldn’t have made.

Used with permission of the author.

Mateo Ferda is a Detroit-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

In this week’s NCAA Football action there weren’t big name matchups that are going to draw as much national recognition as most other weeks, but that doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be any prime time performers making their case for the Heisman Trophy. We call these studs  our “Beasts of the Nation”.

So far this year Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson is a record setting machine and took the college football season by storm by leading the country with 885 total yards from scrimmage in his first two games.  Shoelaces also known as ‘Nard Dog’ wasn’t quite as productive today against the FCS Massachusetts Minuteman, but who could expect him to continue averaging over 440 yards a game. 

Nard Dog still looked solid and even experienced some help from his halfback Michael Shaw who had 126 yards and 3 TD’s. This was the first time this year another player was productive in the Michigan offense.  The Nard Dog finished the game with 345 yards of total offense and 3 TD’s.  His first pass of the game was thrown into double coverage and was picked off for his only turnover this season. 

The Wolverines defense was pathetic and let Massachusetts have their way with them rumbling off 439 yards of total offense making the game much more interesting than it should have been.   This could be Nard Dog’s biggest hurdle is not opposing defenses, but the Michigan defense, not stopping anybody.   This could cause Michigan to lose some games that they should win and would ultimately cost him the Heisman down the road.

The other Big Ten super stud is Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback, Terrelle Pryor. Pryor had another solid outing against a feeble Ohio University squad, compiling 260 total yards of offense with 3 TD’s and two interceptions.  Many have Pryor sitting in the driver’s seat for the Heisman because he is on one of the best teams in the country.   The No. 2 Buckeyes are sure to rack up wins and his mistakes won’t cost him nearly as much as some of his closest competitors due to his strong supporting cast. 

Former Michigan QB Ryan Mallett has led his new team the Arkansas Razorbacks to a 3-0 start with a thrilling TD pass with 15 seconds remaining to break the tie against the Georgia Bulldogs.  Mallet finished the game with 380 yards and three TD’s.   This year Mallett has thrown for a total of 1,081 yards and 9 touchdowns while only being intercepted twice.  This win sets up Arkansas for a huge matchup next week against the defending champions and No. 1 team in the country, the Alabama Crimson Tide.   If Mallett can pull off an upset in that one, he should become the favorite Heisman candidate at that point in the season.

No player in NCAAF Week 3 had more to gain or possibly lose then the Heisman favorite going into the season; Washington’s, Jake Locker. Locker is considered a strong potential No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He started his season off on the wrong foot with a loss to BYU, while throwing for 266 yards and only 1 touchdown.  He bounced back in his second contest putting up Heisman friendly stats throwing for 289 yards and 4 TD’s.  Then Nebraska came into town and he had his chance to spring a big upset and solidify his name in the Heisman discussion.  Instead, Locker put up stats that will take you entirely off this list of “Beasts of the Nation”. Locker went a frightening  4-of-20 for 71 yards and two interceptions.

When it was over, Locker had two meaningless touchdowns in the game and Washington got thumped at home by Nebraska 56-21.  Locker’s season won’t be getting any easier as the Huskies still  have five ranked  teams to play so don’t expect Locker to be in much more of the Heisman conversation. 

The dark horse in this conversation that you might not have heard of is Kansas State halfback Daniel Thomas.  He has led his wildcats to a 3-0 record, while averaging 184 yards a game in those contests and has scored 6 touchdowns this season.  If Kansas State can hold up and win the Big 12 North, I believe he has an outside chance.  They have a favorable schedule, so if they can find a way to beat the mighty Cornhuskers at home on October 7^th expect a lot of analysis to hop on the Daniel Thomas bandwagon. 

Three other names that will be in the discussion are Kellen Moore, Taylor Martinez, and Mark Ingram. Kellen Moore is playing on a top tier Boise State team in a league where they will not be challenged.  He will deliver eye-popping numbers against inept opponents who will not challenge the Broncos. 

If Boise St. beats Oregon St. next week, then you’ll be hearing a multitude of national championship and Heisman chatter for this WAC Conference School.  Taylor Martinez proved he was the real deal this week with another strong performance against Washington.  He now has 813 total yards and 9 total touchdowns.  He needs to improve his passing skills but still has loads of talent around him and his  Cornhuskers  only play one  game against a top 25 team. 

The last person I cannot leave out after today’s performance is defending Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram.  After missing the first two games recovering from knee surgery he had 9 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns.   He has a substantial gap to overcome to become a serious candidate but with Alabama’s weapons, he won’t need as many touches as most players to put up comparable numbers on the best team in the country. 

Used with permission of the author.

Mateo Ferda is a Detroit-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

After the All-Star break the Detroit Tigers were trailing the Chicago White Sox by a half game in the American League Central and at that point didn’t have any gaping holes. They could have used a starting pitcher preferably a left hander, since they didn’t have one in the starting rotation after releasing Dontrelle Willis on May 29th.  

Andy Oliver who they called up wasn’t quite ready yet with his ability to throw strikes.  Ted Lilly seemed like he could have been destined to Detroit in that case.   Their offense had been steady placing the team in the top ten in the majors in hits and batting average. 

Their horse in the middle Miguel Cabrera is putting up Triple Crown numbers, as he sits in the top three in batting average, home runs, and has a substantial lead in RBIs.  He also leads the majors by being a part of 32% of the Tigers runs, 5% ahead of Ryan Howard of the Phillies.

Fast forward and we’ll check in with the present day Tigers.  After suffering injuries to Brandon Inge–broken hand out 4 weeks, Magglio Ordonez–fractured ankle out 8 weeks, and Carlos Guillen who pulled his hamstring, the Tigers are looking like their AAA affiliate Toledo Mudhens. 

The serious injuries actually started earlier in the season when they lost their 8^th inning setup man Joel Zumaya who fractured his elbow during the most productive season of his career. In the starting lineup only four players have not seen any time in the minors this year. Rookie Austin Jackson, Johnny Damon, Miguel Cabrera and Gerald Laird, who is hitting a whopping .187.   

Miguel’s Triple Crown chances may be shot now that he shouldn’t expect anything decent to hit with the lineup surrounding him.  Another scary thought is Brennan Boesch. The Tigers’ rookie slugger was tearing up pitching from the day he was called up but is currently battling a 4-for-37 slump, that’s a .108 average.

The Tigers are now are in 3^rd place three games back from the White Sox, after a 3-7 stretch in their last ten.  The road is not getting any easier for the Tigers either as the next 7 series on their schedule is against teams with a record better then .500.  In that stretch they also face the White Sox twice. 

So what are the Tigers to do after missing the postseason last year in heartbreaking fashion.  We all remember losing in extra innings to the Minnesota Twins in an extra game to decide the AL Central crown.  The Twins last season overcame a seven-game gap in the final month, went 17-4 to pull even on the final weekend. 

Do they give up and pack it in and hope for another next year? I hope not, Detroit needs to make a move to try and keep this team’s playoffs chances alive.  I agree with GM Dave Dombrowski to not give up prospects for a rental player for two months.  The Tigers don’t have the depth for one player to make them a World Series Champion.  What they do have though is a good team with a ton of money coming off the books this year.  On opening day the Tigers posted the 6^th highest salary in Major League Baseball at $122 million and $52 million of that will be coming off the payroll next year.  

Coming off the books are Dontrelle Willis $12 million, Jeremy Bonderman $12.5 million, Nate Robertson $10 million, Gerald Laird $4 million and Magglio Ordonez  $17.5 million. Mags had an option for $15 million for next season but he won’t make enough at bats this year to pick that up so he will be a free agent next season.   With all that cap room I think you make a move for a player and then sign him to an extension.  The only player on the roster for the 2011 season that is being vastly overpaid is Carlos Guillen.  Carlos will bring in around $13 million for two bad hamstrings a .280 batting average and the worst range in baseball at second base.  

The Tigers have three viable options before the trade deadline.  Their first and second  option is to make a play at Corey Hart or Jayson Werth.  The Tigers must give up a first tier pitching prospect plus another position player to land him.  Once you land him you make sure you sign him to a nice 4 year extension that takes the place of Magglio at right field for the remainder of this season plus the next few years.  If that can’t happen you go after Josh Willingham of the Nationals.  He is not as valuable and will come cheaper than Werth and Hart but still has numbers that are decent enough to make an impact .272 15 HR’s and 50 RBI’s. 

The problem with Willingham is he can’t step into the 3rd spot in your order more like 2nd or 6^th in the American League.  I can’t see us going after Adam Dunn because I feel like he is a rental guy and he is making $15 million this season. To re-sign him to an extension would cost way too much money for his overall worth. 

I hope the Tigers don’t sit and do nothing because the product on the field is going to be tough to watch for the remaining months.  “To my knowledge, we have absolutely nothing going on,” manager Jim Leyland said. If that is the case I feel bad for the skipper because Matt Garza simply overpowered us for a no-hitter yesterday by throwing fast balls in the top of the zone and an occasional curveball for a strike in his historical game yesterday. 

If we don’t make any moves there are a few things that will be certain for the remainder of the year. There will be no playoffs, no Cabrera Triple Crown and a lot less Tigers fans going to the ballpark.  The Detroit Tigers rank 13^th overall in major league baseball with over 30,000 fans on average attending their home games. There will also probably be another no hitter against this Tigers team in the months ahead if nothing is done.   For all us Michiganders, I hope we see something happened soon because football season is still too far away when we were right in the pennant race such a short time ago.

Used with permission of the author.

Mateo Ferda is a Detroit-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

How could you not fall in love with Irene Pollin after last night’s NBA Draft Lottery? Her mouth sitting wide open with that stunning look of shock in her eyes that their 10.3% chance of winning the lottery came true.

The N.J. Nets had the highest probability of winning with a 25% chance. She had the 1978 Washington Bullets Championship ring on or what she called her late husband’s good luck charm on her hand.

Irene is the widow of her late husband Abe: the pair holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured owners in the National Basketball Association.

They’ve owned the Green Bay Packers, Zephyrs and Bullets/ Wizards since 1964 and also have been majority owners in some point of time of the Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics. The Wizards deserved this after their tumultuous season where their best player Gilbert Arenas served jail time and was suspended for bringing guns into the locker room and threatening teammate, Javaris Crittenton during a verbal altercation.

Arenas, who was bothered by injury problems, was still awarded a very sweet deal by the Wizards before the 2009 season, $111 million over six years. After his year-long suspension the team had to start fresh and did so by trading their other two stars, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

Ted Leonis who may be buying the Wizards in the future said:

“We’re starting out with fresh air. We’re going to get a core piece who could be with us for 8-10 years.”

Abe Pollin sold Leonsis the NHL Capitals in 1999 and since Leonsis has built that NHL franchise around electric scorer Alex Ovechkin, a top selection in that league’s draft.

The No. 1 pick in this upcoming NBA Draft will almost certainly be point guard John Wall, so we’ll have to see how the new Wizards backcourt looks next year. Two things for certain, Irene Pollin’s priceless facial expression will be one that will always be remembered for as long as the NBA holds a lottery and no matter who they select it will be a wiser choice than when Michael Jordan was their GM and selected Kwame Brown with the 2001 No. 1 pick for the Wizards.

Copyright © 2010 Sports Climax, LLC

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – After seeing the first weekend unfold, the best sporting event once again comes through with everything a sports fan could ever want in a tournament. The first weekend of March Madness had it all. It started with a double OT game as BYU outlasted Florida and finished with Purdue toppling Texas A&M in another OT game.

There were 4 OT games and 12 games that ended within 3 points of each other. There were upsets with Cornell and St. Mary’s making it to the Sweet 16 and then along came Northern Iowa: the giant slayer that shocked the world and turned brackets upside down when they beat the overall #1 seed Kansas.

Hopefully, this was enough of a wake-up call to the NCAA to leave this tournament just like it is because there is no need to mess with this perfect format.

The best part of all of this is we still have 15 games to be played to determine the 2010 National Champion. Here is what we learned from the first weekend. Everyone has considered the Big East the premier conference in college basketball and they received 8 bids to the tournament but with upsets to Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Marquette, only two Big East schools remain. (West Virginia & Syracuse)

The second best conference the Big 12 received 7 bids and only 2 teams also made it to the round of 16 with upsets to Texas A&M and Kansas only Kansas St. and Baylor advanced.

The most surprising conference would have to be the Big Ten who had three teams survive with only 5 teams getting bids. I had Purdue dead in the water after Robbie Hummel went down with a torn ACL. They fought through and did what Big Ten teams love to do in the tournament. They controlled tempo, played good defense and made clutch shots when they counted.

My all Kingpin Team of the 1st weekend:
Omar Samhan St. Mary’s- 30.5 ppg 9.5 RPG
Jordan Crawford Xavier- 27.5 ppg
Ali Farokhmanesh N. Iowa- 2 game winning shots 16.5ppg
Wes Johnson Syracuse- 24.5ppg 10 RPG
Louis Dale/Ryan Whitman Cornell- 23.5 ppg 22ppg

My Goats of the 1st weekend:
Scottie Reynolds- 4-31 Fg, 1:1 Assist T:O ratio
Sherron Collins- 4-15 0-6 3 pt attempts. 5 To’s vs N. Iowa
Georgetown giving up 97 points to the Ohio University
Predictions of Sweet 16.
Cornell vs Kentucky

Can the Big Red machine continue to dominate in this tournament against the Young flashy Wildcats. Cornell does a great job of controlling tempo and limiting their opponent’s possessions.

I would love to see a team who doesn’t give athletic scholarships beat the coach who always seems to land the top recruits every year who then leave for millions the next year. ESPN’s Jay Bilas picked Cornell into the Elite 8 and I would love to see our second #1 seed go down against an Ivy league school.

Butler vs. Syracuse – In this 5 vs. 1 matchup, I see the Syracuse Orangeman taking advantage of their length and athleticism to cause Butler some issues. I expect their 2-3 zone to suffocate Butler’s shooters and Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins to continue their good tournament play with another victory.

Xavier vs. Kansas St. – In this matchup, I like Xavier to spring the upset and beat Kansas St. in a rematch from Dec. 8 where K-St beat them by 15 at home. In Salt Lake City, I like kingpin Jordan Crawford to continue his strong play scoring the basketball. Xavier has been playing great team defense in the tournament and I think this will continue as they stifle the Wildcats and earn a trip to the Elite 8.

West Virginia vs. Washington – Washington is getting a lot of hype in possibly upsetting the Mountaineers. Washington was ranked 13th in the preseason coaches’ poll and looked to be having a disappointing season before getting their act together and reeling off 7 straight victories and winning the Pac 10 Tournament.

They have two studs in Quincy Pondexter and Point guard Isaiah Thomas. I feel that even though they are playing their best basketball they are playing a far superior opponent then their other two tourney matchups. West Virginia plays incredible team defense and crashes the boards better than any other team. I think they will slow down the 2 headed Husky monster and make it to the Elite 8for the third time in their schools history.

Tennessee vs. Ohio St. – In the Midwest bracket where Georgetown and Kansas have been eliminated can Tennessee add to the list of upsets? I don’t think so, I think the steady hand of Evan Turner and company will end their upset bid and beat the winner of MSU and N. Iowa to make it to their school’s 11th Final Four.

N. Iowa vs. Michigan State – In this matchup where the upset heard around the world is back at it against Tom Izzo’s Spartans who have made it to 7 Sweet sixteen’s in the last decade. I would love the Spartans in this one if their leading scorer and floor general Kalin Lucas wasn’t out for the year with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Since he is hurt, I think N. Iowa will win this one in a close game. I wouldn’t count out Izzo’s Spartans because it’s March and he knows how to win in spring.

Duke vs. Purdue – I will say it, I was totally wrong about the Boilermakers. I thought they had no chance to make it through the weekend. They proved to me how tough and competitive their coach and team can be by beating a very good Texas A&M team in the second round. They are one of the biggest surprises for me in the Sweet 16 and have really come together and have played well thus far. I don’t think they can score enough to beat the Blue Devils and so I see Duke advancing to their 18th Elite 8.

Baylor vs. St. Mary’s – In the last of the sweet sixteen games, I like the Bears putting St. Mary’s Cinderella run on hold. I think kingpin Omar Samhan will run into the best interior defender he has ever seen in Ekpe Udoh. Udoh is long and 6’10 and I think will be able to bother Samhan. Baylor also has a number of big bodies they can throw at him to continue to make him work. I love St. Mary’s shooters but I think Baylor’s overall talent is better and I expect them to make it to their school’s 3rd Final Four.

Mateo is the NCAA contributor for SportsClimax.com.

Watch NCAA March Madness Games Free on your computer at NCAA.com

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

As we spring ahead our clocks, March Madness is creeping that much closer to tip-off. While everyone starts to put the finishing touches on one of their 5 brackets in 3 different pools, do we ever stop and think that no matter how many of these damn things we do we’re still going to have so many gaping holes?

If only we could combine all five for one super bracket. Well for myself and the million others I think that is part of the beauty of this madness.

When the 2010 brackets came out there were a few things that came to mind. First off I think the committee did a great job picking the tourney this year. For those that were left out in the Alaskan cold I can’t say it’s the committee’s fault.

To the three saddest teams in America: Virginia Tech, Mississippi State and Arizona State, I looked over your resume and I can only give Miss. State the benefit of the doubt on this one. They played Kentucky into OT twice and have three wins against teams in the tournament Old Dominion, Vanderbilt, and Florida.

Arizona State you went 12-6 in the weakest power conference, which isn’t bad, but you only beat Washington and Arkansas Pine Bluff and even though you played a great non-conference schedule you lost to all three of those tournament bound teams. So in my mind the best place for you was the NIT.

Virginia Tech who I thought was the biggest snub at first but when digging deeper saw that your best non-conference win was Seton Hall who is an NIT team and of your three quality wins against tournament foes, none of those teams are higher than a No. 7 seed. The two teams in question that made it from the ACC ahead of you Georgia Tech and Wake Forest both have five wins against tournament bound teams and have beaten much better teams like Duke, Maryland, and Butler.

Now on to the actual bracket without a second glance its seems obvious to me which No. 1 seed got a cake walk of draw and which one got stuck fighting off the wolves of the pack.

The #1 overall seed Kansas has got to deal with Ohio State, Georgetown, Maryland, Michigan State, and Tennessee. I name Tennessee because even though they are a sixth seed they have beaten Kansas and Kentucky and have a great coach in Bruce Pearl. Michigan State is the toughest No. 5 seed I can remember because who wants to face Tom Izzo and the always dangerous Spartans.

If you don’t know ask Uconn, Louisville, and Kansas last year. Oh by the way you also have two very capable final four teams in Ohio St. and Georgetown. Ohio St has the best player in the country in Evan Turner and Hoyas have great inside and outside presence. The Hoyas have been streaky this year but when their playing well they can beat anyone at any time. They dominated Duke and have beaten Syracuse, Villanova, and lost by only two points in the Big East Championship game to West Virginia.

The opposite of this bracket is the South region where the Duke Blue Devils sit as the #1 seed. I feel like Dick Vitale made up this region. Dickey V has quite the man crush on the Blue Devil’s program and has for years. Villanova who has lost 5 of their last 7 games is the No. 2 seed. Baylor who is the three seed is a good team that only has two bad loses all year, but there still the Baylor Bears and this is a stage that their not accustomed to being on.

The fourth seed Purdue is about as sorry as a No. 4 seed can get since they lost their second leading scorer and defensive leader Robbie Hummel to injury. They have look lackluster since that injury barely beating the bottom feeders of the Big Ten and then got blown out by Minnesota by 27 in the Big Ten Tourney.

My picks from the sweet sixteen on go a little like this.

In the Midwest I like Kansas, Michigan State, Georgetown and Ohio St. No surprises here these are the best teams in the bracket and I’ll take Tom Izzo’s five final fours over Maryland’s squad even though I feel they are pretty evenly matched.

Izzo’s magic is no secret come tournament time. From here I do like Kansas and Ohio St. advancing. The Jayhawks just have too much firepower this year and will be looking for revenge after the Spartans ended their season last year in heartbreaking fashion. Ohio St. and Georgetown is a tossup and I’ll use my Midwest biases here and take the Buckeyes. In the Elite 8 matchup I have to go with the Depth and star power of the Jayhawks to beat the Buckeyes.

In the West I like Syracuse, Butler, Xavier, and Kansas State. Butler played a difficult non-conference schedule winning some games losing others but were in every game and then went undefeated in conference play. I think the winner of their first round matchup with UTEP makes the sweet sixteen. Xavier I like upsetting Pittsburgh because although they started slow they’ve been playing better in an underrated Atlantic 10 conference and Xavier has always been a tough outcome tournament time. I like Syracuse and Kansas State Advancing with Syracuse making it to the Final four joining the Jayhawks.

In the East bracket I like Kentucky, Wisconsin, Marquette, and West Virginia. Kentucky should handle the defense of the badgers pretty easily with their athletic ability. In a Big East matchup for the second time this season I think West Virginia beats Marquette in a tight game and heads to Syracuse to face Kentucky. In this Elite 8 matchup I like the Mountaineers Offensive rebounding and experience to upset the young Kentucky Wildcats. Sorry John Calipari, I just don’t see your freshman sensations getting it done against the tenacity of the Big East tournament champs West Virginia.

In the South Bracket I like Duke, Texas A&M, Richmond, and Baylor. I like the Aggies here to upset Duke with their solid defense and ability to get to the free throw line. I have not been high on Duke all year and feel the ACC was the second weakest power conference in America and think that they will get bounced in the round of 16.

I like Baylor to advance also to the Elite 8 in nearby Houston by beating 7th seeded Richmond in a close contest. I love Richmond’s team and their A-10 player of the year Chris Anderson but I think playing so close to home for Baylor is a huge factor in advancing this round. I like Baylor beating Texas A&M in a Big 12 clash and advancing to their first final four in school history.

My Final Four I like West Virginia beating Baylor and Kansas upending Syracuse. In the Finals I think the best team in the tourney survives and Bill Self brings home the title for the Jayhawks.

My Sleeper teams that could make some NOISE!

Richmond 7 seed
UTEP 12 seed
Siena 13 seed
BYU 7th seed

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Yes, it’s that time of year again when the snow begins to melt and the flowers begin to bloom and the weather starts to ripen into something that brings a smile to all us Michiganders who appreciate the coming of spring.

With the beautiful temperature increase we also get to celebrate St. Patty’s Day with the best sporting event the year has to offer. Before we get into my picks for the bracket that will come on Monday.

I would like to speak my mind on the expanding the perfect tournament to 96 teams and why this is a lackluster idea. First off it waters down the talent and overall game play of the tournament by allowing any team with a decent record into the tourney.

Did you see some of the bowl games in college football this year. . . need I say more?

Instead of allowing almost anyone in wouldn’t it be better to make it more exclusive as is and just leave a few out in the cold. That is why the NCAA has the NIT to celebrate the success of teams who had solid years but just didn’t quite play well enough to go dancing.

Since 1980 only 3 teams had a team that made it to the finals of the NIT tournament.

Bradley -1982 won the NIT and runner ups Wyoming -1986 and Lasalle-1987. All those bubble teams that went to the NIT lost to power conference opponents who are much weaker then the teams in the actual dance.

I understand that some mid-major teams usually five or six each year get their bubble busted by the committee due to poor RPI ratings, strength of schedule, and quality wins or important road wins.

It’s not an exact science nor should it be that is what is so special about the tournament if you cannot win your own conference tournament or beat a big dog school on their home floor then I think the tournament for you is the NIT unless you are one of the 6-8 at large bids for non-power conference teams.

I understand it’s not fair that these mid-major programs never get large schools to travel to their gyms to play home games but that is a part of being the underdog.

Every year the mid major powerhouses of Butler and Northern Iowa’s and Gonzaga’s win their conference tournament taking away automatic bids from other mid-major schools when they would all make at large bids no matter what happened in their conference tourney.

Saint Mary’s this year proved something and that is the answer to making the tournament prove something at the end of the year by beating a worthy opponent. If you expand the field you eliminate the excitement and importance of so many games throughout the year as well as watering down the excitement and game play of the NCAA tournament by adding teams of mediocrity to the field.

The feeling of accomplishment for teams that make the tourney would decrease drastically because it’s no longer a private party it’s a commercial gathering with anyone with a Facebook invite is allowed in.

It should be a special invite to go dancing in March not like making a bowl game that happens for any team that did anything during the year. I will fill out my picks starting with the sweet sixteen and moving forward once the bracket has been posted.

Copyright © 2010 – Sports Climax^TM

Contributed by freelance sportswriter Mateo

It’s time to give some dap to the SEC for playing down and dirty ball and being head and shoulders above all the other conferences in NCAAF.

The Big 12 at the top is awesome but I’ll take the SEC’s dominating speed, finesse, athleticism, and defensive powerhouses over the spread-em-out high-powered offenses of the Big 12.

For the second week in a row the SEC has the game of the week. Nick Saban’s 8th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide travel to Athens to play the 3rd ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Expect much of the same of what took place in the Auburn/LSU matchup last week. Heavy hitting on defense with a great balance of rushing and passing from both offenses. Football fans call this the best brand of ball in the country.

The SEC justifiably has four teams ranked in the top eight. LSU is second in the SEC in rushing, averaging 220 yards per game and has only given up three touchdowns on defense all season.

The ‘Dawgs have one of the most balanced offenses in the country, racking up 450 yards per game with their talented trio of underclassman studs filling the skilled positions. Georgia’s ‘D’ is the worst out of the four ranked teams and they are allowing less than 14 points per game. The phrase defense wins championships is something the SEC takes to heart.

The Florida Gators, this year, has not been led solely by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Their defense is second best in the country, allowing just 19 points in three games.

‘Bama may be the most impressive team in the SEC so far this year. They started the season ranked 22nd and are climbing steadily up the charts after kicking some ass on the road. They beat #9 Clemson, 34-10 then went into Arkansas and took them to school 49-10.

‘Bama also leads the SEC in rushing, averaging over 235 yds. per game while maintaining an iron-curtain defense, allowing an average of less than 10 points per contest. They also has one of the best offensive lines in the country so don’t be surprised if they take care of business on the road this weekend in Athens against the high-powered ‘Dawgs.

The SEC over the last few years has taken title of being the best conference in the country. Their talent pool are highly scouted by the NFL and many of the top prospects get drafted in the early rounds.

Don’t expect this trend to change anytime soon. Expect bigger things out of Tennessee who will have a new coach next year, and Arkansas under Coach Bobby Petrino who may transfer former Michigan QB Ryan Mallett to his football team.

Look out, rest of the country, the SEC is playing down and dirty football.

Mateo is the NCAA contributor for SportsClimax.COM. Mateo spends his spare time chasing his degree while slingin’ drinks at the Grotto near Western Michigan University.

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