Playoff Race: Eastern Conference

As we get towards the end of the NBA season, it's time to take a look at the playoff picture and some of the potential storylines. Let's start with the East, because I'm too lazy to do both conferences right now.

A possibly great 4/5 matchup - As things sit right now, Miami would be the 4 seed (because they will win their division) and Cleveland will be the 5 seed. Meaning Lebron vs. Wade. We all saw what these guys did in the playoffs last year... playing against each other in a 7-game series would be really great to see. I'd rather see it in the conference finals, but I'll settle for it here.

The race for the 8 seed - Then again, does this really matter? Right now Orlando is the 8 seed at 36-42, but Indiana is 2 games back and Philly is 3 games back. Regardless of who finishes 8th, these teams are not good. In other words, I'm not all that optimistic that any of them can hang with Detroit.

The Wizards could be the worst playoff team ever - I mean, they're a solid club at full strength... but (no disrespect to Prada over at Bullets Forever), without Arenas and Butler they're really bad. Their bench was already thin, and now Donnell Taylor is their 6th man. I have a feeling it will be a short and ugly playoff appearance for the Wizards this year.

Competitive 2nd round matchups - If the seeds hold, we could get some really good matchups, and I think any of 5 teams are very capable of winning the conference. The first round doesn't look like it will be very exciting (except Heat/Cavs), but possible matchups involving Detroit vs Miami/Cleveland and Chicago vs. Toronto would be very competitive.

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm not really excited about the playoffs in the East this year other than seeing LeBron in the playoffs... the West, on the other hand, should be awesome. We'll do a recap of what things look like tomorrow.

The MLB Season so far

A little over a week into the MLB season, and I haven't really mentioned it at all... until now! Here is some of the good and the bad so far in the MLB season.

Good - The top of the NL East - The Braves are 6-1, Mets are 5-2, and the Marlins are 5-2. Through 7 games, the Mets have outscored their opponents 47-16. That's pretty good.

Bad - The bottom of the NL East - We knew the Nats would be bad (1-7) but the Phillies at 1-6? They're scoring over 4 runs a game, but the pitching staff has mostly embarrassed themselves. Obviously too early to panic or draw too many conclusions, but yikes!

Good - Alex Rodriguez - Can Yankees fans finally shut up about this guy? After being booed after an error in the first game of the year, all A-Rod has done since is hit twice as many HR as anyone in the AL.

Bad - Snow in Cleveland - I need Travis Hafner and Felix Hernandez to play for my fantasy team!

Good - Rich Harden - He's been healthy very early on, and that's about all you need to know. He's always had the talent.

Good - Zach Greinke - After battling lots of problems last year, he has looked like the top prospect he once was in his first 2 starts. His ERA is 1.38, he's got 12 Ks, and he has shown great control with only 1 BB. This hasn't translated into any wins yet, but that's not his fault.

Bad - Kei Igawa - It's just one start, but that can't be encouraging for the Yankees... 5 IP, only 2 Ks to 3 BB, 2 HRA, and 11 total baserunners.

What has stuck out to you most so far?

Kenny Mayne

These days, I generally try to avoid ESPN as much as possible (Sportscenter included), because most of their programming isn't that good. So while I knew Kenny Mayne was back on Sportscenter, I hadn't really seen him on it yet.

But a couple of nights ago I watched part of Sportscenter with him on it, and it reminded me so much about why Kenny Mayne is my favorite thing about ESPN. The guy is hilarious.

Here is a sampling of a mere 20 minutes of Sportscenter that I watched:

- "Maicer Izturis, no relation to Al Newman."
- "Barry Bonds with homerun #735. Not this season, that would be a record."
- "He hit that ball over some fencing they put up in the outfield prior to the game."
- "He was traded for a player to be named later. Right now no one knows his name, they just say 'What's up big guy?'"

Again, this was in like 20 minutes, and I was laughing my head off.
*Note: It was like 1:45 in the morning when I started watching.
*Note 2: Then again, it is like 1:00 in the morning as I type this.

So if having Kenny Mayne back on Sportscenter was all a cunning ruse just to get me to watch again, well, it may work. He's the best.

Other Mayne quotes from throughout the years (many from The Sportscenter Altar):

- "I am amused by the simplicity of this game."
- "Tell 'em what they've won...it's an American League baseball game."
- "We're gonna show it again, cause we have editing equipment."
- "But we all know that games aren't played on paper...they are played by little men inside our TV sets." (this could be the best ever)
- "Jeff Gordon takes the checkered flag, and he'll have to give it back for the next race."
- "Now on to tackle football news..." (Note: I just like the shtick where he calls it 'tackle football' or 'ice hockey')
- "We show you this to see how women 18-34 feel about the play."
- "Portions of this game were taped for training purposes..."
- "He scored [number] off the bench. Had he been on the bench, he'd have been out of bounds."
- "That's his first homerun. The media pressure will be intense for his second."
- "He makes the restaurant-quality play."
- "[Football player] has decided to tackle people on behalf of the [NFL team]. Terms of the contract are not disclosed, but we believe it has something to do with money."

Thoughts? Do you like Mayne as much as I do?

Happy Easter (Links!)

I'm on Easter break right now, so I'm kind of lazy. So I'll just go with some link-giving.

A little bit of everything, from the coaching hires to thoughts on Barry Bonds. [The Sports Flow]

Ricky Williams has apparently kicked his drug habit. And an interesting question.. would you be upset if you found out your favorite players occasionally smoked marijuana? [WBRS Sports Blog]

As if you already didn't have enough reasons to like Colin Cowherd... here's another one. [The Big Picture]

Can the Gators win the College Baseball World Series now too? On a related note, I am starting to hate the University of Florida. Too selfish with all the winning. [Shot to Nothing]

As Tim Brewster tries to revive a struggling Gopher football program, this isn't exactly what he needs right now. [Signal to Noise]

And Happy Easter!

College Basketball Coaching Changes

As you probably know, lots of changes have been taking place in college basketball as far as coaching goes over the past few days... here are some of my thoughts.

- Billy Donovan is back, which did surprise me a little. I really thought he would leave for Kentucky. To be honest, I kinda wanted to see him go to Kentucky just to see what he could do (Kentucky is still one of the best jobs in America), but I'm not disappointed that he's staying in Florida. He's already established himself as one of the best coaches in America (maybe the best), and it'll be interesting to see how he builds on the momentum from the titles.

- Bob Huggins to West Virginia was a little befuddling to me... all that buzz and excitement at KSU. Bill Walker will be back after tearing his ACL, and he just brought in a top 3 class to KSU (including Michael Beasley). And he's gone, just like that? Look, Huggy's a great coach. But after all of the scrutiny and allegations at Cincy, and then bolting after one year from the school that brought you back, would you want this guy coaching your team? I'm not sure I would.

- The whole Dana Altman situation was just strange. Hey, I think it's fine that a guy makes the decision to stay where he's happiest... too bad though that he couldn't have made the decision before he decided to accept the Arkansas job.

- I really like the hiring of John Beilein for Michigan. The guy is just a good, good basketball coach. Even if he's not getting all of the top recruits, he knows how to recruit guys that fit into his system and then teach that system to them.

- It's hard for me to even make a guess as to who will be the Kentucky coach. Latest news is that they're going after Billy Gillepsie, but for some reason I just don't see it. I think Mark Few and Tom Crean are the most likely to get the job, but that's pure speculation.

What are your thoughts on the changes so far and who do you think will the Kentucky coach?

Will they stay or will they go?

It certainly wouldn't be a shock to see any of these guys stay, but if I was a betting man, I'd bet that none of them will be taking finals next year (of course, that might be the case whether they're in school or not).

Here's how I would rank them as far as likeliest to come back:
1) Mike Conley
2) Kevin Durant
3) Greg Oden
4) Brandan Wright

What do you think these guys will do?

What could be... 2007-2008 Top 15

OK, the season is over but I'm not ready to let of college basketball quite yet. Here are my thoughts on what next year's top 15 could look like... based on the premise that no underclassmen decalred for the draft (which obviously won't happen). I thought it would be interesting to see what could be.

1) Florida Gators
Lose: Lee Humphrey, Chris Richard
Comments: They lose 2 out of the top 6, but would you bet against them? Walter Hodge could step in for Humphrey, and the fine recruiting class coming would add depth. The Oh-Fours would be title contenders for the 3rd straight season.

2) Kansas Jayhawks
Lose: None
Comments: This was one of the top 2 or 3 talented teams in America last year, and with nobody leaving they'd be back near the top once again. Another year for that excellent starting 5 to grow together, and another year for the extremely talented freshman class to grow up and become even better. Kansas could be scary good next season.

3) UCLA Bruins
Lose: None
Comments: The Gators exploited the Bruins weakness in the Final Four... they're too reliant on Arron Afflalo for offense. With the addition of Kevin Love (a big man that is good offensively, which the Bruins didn't exactly have this year), the continued maturation of Darren Collison at point, and hopefully better health for Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, the Bruins would become a much better team offensively to go with the surly defense.

4) Ohio St. Buckeyes
Lose: Ron Lewis, Ivan Harris
Comments: They lose 2 starters, but with the freshmen becoming sophomores and the talented class coming in, they hardly miss them. With Greg Oden healthy and playing like he did in the title game, and an even better Mike Conley, the Buckeyes would be very strong contenders for the Title. A healthy Oden could put up something like 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks a night.

5) Georgetown Hoyas
Lose: None
Comments: Final Four notwithstanding, the Hoyas were a very good offensive team last year, and would be even better with another season running John Thompson's timing based offense. The frontcourt of Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green, and DaJuan Summers might be 2nd only to the Gator trio in the college basketball nation.

6) Texas Longhorns
Lose: Craig Winder
Comments: For all intents and purposes, Texas would return everyone. Including Kevin Durant, who might be able to put up 30 per game with another year. Throw in the continued development of DJ Augustin, Justin Mason, Dameon James, and sharshooter AJ Abrams and this would be a well-oiled offensive machine.

7) North Carolina Tar Heels
Lose: Reyshawn Terry, Wes Miller
Comments: This ranking might be a little low, but that says more about the strength of the top 6 rather than UNC. With another year for all of the young players learning Roy Williams' secondary break, the Heels would be one of the top offensive teams in the country. Another year of maturation for Lawson would leave him as one of the best PG in America (as if he isn't already), as he and Brandan Wright would be a dynamic duo. Oh, and that Hansbrough guy isn't bad either.

8) Tennessee Volunteers
Lose: Dane Bradshaw
Comments: Things started to come together for the Vols more and more as the season went along, as Bruce Pearl continues to get players that are a good fit for his system. The glue guy Dane Bradshaw is gone, but every other major piece returns, including the dynamic freshmen big men in Wayne Chism and Duke Crews. Add that to the great shooting guards and the Vols would challenge the Gators in the SEC.

9) Duke Blue Devils
Lose: None
Comments: The Blue Devils big problem last season was athleticism, which should be aided by the addition of Kyle Singler, one of the top 5 recruits in the country. Also returning in this hypothetical scenario is Josh McRoberts, who (like him or not) is a very skilled big man. The guards also return, as does the ever-improving Gerald Henderson. Singler and Henderson form a dynamic duo on the wing.

10) USC Trojans
Lose: Lodrick Stewart
Comments: The story here, of course, is the addition of the polarizing OJ Mayo. But like him or not, he's immensely talented and takes USC to another level. If the chemistry is good between Mayo and talented holdovers Nick Young, Gabe Pruitt, and Taj Gibson, the Trojans immediately become one of the best teams in the Pac-10 and a darkhorse title contender.

11) Louisville Cardinal
Lose: Brandon Jenkins
Comments: Louisville was one of the most improved teams in the country in the 2nd half of last season, and that should continue with almost everyone returning. Edgar Sosa showed he can be a big-time player with his performance against A&M, and Terrence Williams has the talent to do the same. Inside, with a healthy David Padgett and Juan Palacios, Rick Pitino's boys can play with just about anybody.

12) Michigan St. Spartans
Lose: None
Comments: Perhaps the most improved player in the country, Drew Neitzel is back to lead the Spartans on a Tourney run. But there is much more for Tom Izzo to work with, including Raymar Morgan, who was very good as a freshman. They also have solid depth down low, adn Travis Walton is a very good defender on the perimeter. Toss in a possible top 10 recruiting class and the Spartans will be a threat in the Big 10.

13) Memphis Tigers
Lose: Jeremy Hunt
Comments: The loss of Hunt hurts, but the addition of top 5 recruit Derrick Rose should help to ease the pain. Everyone else is back, giving John Calipari another talented squad with potential to make a deep run in the Tourney. Memphis should once again roll through Conference USA.

14) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Lose: None
Comments: Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young were two of the most talented freshmen in the country this year, and are talented enough to make the leap and become two of the best players in the country. Add a supporting cast of Anthony Morrow on the wing and Dickey on the inside, and Tech will be very tough.

15) Washington St. Cougars
Lose: Ivory Clark
Comments: It was a great first year for Tony Bennett, but now the expectations have been raised. Fortunately, almost everyone returns. The Cougars should again be very good defensively while remaining efficient offensively. That formula worked this year and should make the Cougars a solid team again next year.

Apologies to: Marquette, Indiana, George Mason, Oregon, Kansas St., Texas A&M

What changes would you make?

Florida is pretty good

Well, that's about what I expected. Ohio St. showed flashes that they could make it interesting, but in the end Florida was just the better team, and this one was never really in doubt.

Even Nantz disappointed... he pulled out something like, "Florida takes its place in history. Back-to-back." I'm not going to say he read my post and decided to keep the puns on the down low this year... well, actually that's what I'm going to say to make myself look important.

One thing I have to mention... for anyone complaining that Oden didn't have a signature game, well, there you go. He was fantastic. 38 minutes, 25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, and he was getting almost anything he wanted down low. A brilliant effort and his best game as a freshman in what will probably be his final collegiate game.

But he just didn't have enough help, mainly because of the enormous difference in 3-pointers. Gators were 10/18, Buckeyes were 4/23. That's the ballgame.

Great season for the Buckeyes with all of the freshmen, but when it came down to it, for the 2nd straight year the Gators were clearly the best team in the country. Congratulations to Florida and all of their fans!

Title Game Prediction

In all honesty, this Tournament hasn't really been as exciting as I was hoping for. It was a great regular season, and there have been great matchups and great games, but a lot of the Tourney hasn't quite lived up to the hype.

The Final Four was no exception there. The matchups looked like they would be fantastic, but the games weren't that good. This title game is the last chance to save us.

It's a matchup between two really good and really talented teams... Florida is older and more experienced, while Ohio St. may have more physical talent. They played earlier and the game was tied at 40 with 17 minutes left (though Florida ran away with it from there), but the Buckeyes are a lot better now than they were back then.

Still, I kinda feel like this game will reflect the rest of the Tournament... the potential to be great, but it won't quite live up to the hype. The Sports Pulse is picking Florida by 15, The Sports Flow is picking Florida, and I've got them as well. And unfortunately, I think the margin of victory will be around double digits.

My reasons:

- Corey Brewer - He shut down Arron Afflalo (when he was in the game) and will be able to do the same to Ron Lewis. The 6'4'' Lewis won't be able to many shots up over the long-armed Brewer. Also, another interesting matchup would be if Donovan decides to put Brewer on Conley for stretches... I'm not sure how well this would work, but Brewer might be able to bother Conley with his length.

- There's been some talk about Mike Conley being the best freshman PG ever... but hold on a minute. I love the guy and I think he's great, but let's not forget, he doesn't really have a jumpshot. I mean, he's still wildly effective without it, but he's better as a freshman than Magic Johnson was? Than Kenny Anderson was? His game is predicated on getting in the lane (scoring wise), and that could be tough against a great defensive duo in Noah and Horford, not to mention Brewer flying in from the wing.

- Oden will be under constant pressure defensively. Hey, Oden's great, but he's not exactly been able to avoid foul trouble all the time. With Joakim Noah, Al Horford, and Chris Richard down low for the Gators, Oden should be under constant pressure. He has to avoid the cheap fouls (the moving screen, the charge, etc) in this ballgame, and frankly, I'm not sure that he'll do it.

Add it all up, and I've got the Gators winning fairly handily. Hopefully I'm wrong and we can get a great game.

Who do you have winning it?

Rematch

Well, that sucked.

It kinda looked like a replay of last year's title game. Florida was not as dominant in this game as they were last year, but they were plenty good enough.

Really, it came down to 2 keys:
1) Arron Afflalo was a nonfactor - He scored 17 points, but that was basically all in garbage time. He picked up 2 fouls within 2 minutes, and picked up a 3rd midway through the first half shortly after Ben Howland brought him back. Josh Shipp provided enough offense to keep things interesting in the first half, but with no contributions from their first team All-America, UCLA didn't have the firepower in the 2nd half.
2) Florida hit 3-pointers - After a slow start they finished 9/22, which was a good enough. UCLA almost always doubles the post, so if you can rotate the ball quickly around the perimeter and known down shots, you can beat them. Florida wasn't hitting these shots for the first 8 or 9 minutes, but after that they were real good.

Really, that was the ballgame. UCLA didn't play awful, they were just outmanned. They took care of the ball very well (only 3 turnovers), they just couldn't get shots with Afflalo being such a nonfactor. It sucks, but it was a bad time for the starting backcourt to go 8/28 from the field and 4/15 from downtown. Congratulations Gators.


As for the OSU/Georgetown game, the Buckeyes were better when Oden was out than Georgetown was when Hibbert was out. Obviously that's not the way I thought it would go down, but it did. As is becoming a theme, Mike Conley was really good and he controlled this game. Same old.

On a final note... take a good look Buckeyes fans, because I think this will be the last game Greg Oden and Mike Conley play for Ohio St. I've always kind of been of the opinion that if one was gone, the other would be too, and this Tournament has propelled Conley (most likely) into the top-ranked PG. So with that being the case, I think he'll go, and I'm betting Oden goes with him.

Buckeyes vs. Gators Monday night. We've seen that before.