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Monday, February 27, 2012

Grab Bag Monday

Well it's Monday, I think we all need some picks to get us started on this week before my spring break. As you all should know, the NHL and College Basketball seasons are well on their way and tonight, both feature some great games!

NHL

New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers - These two Atlantic Division rivals have been after each other all year. This game come at a crucial point for both teams. The Rangers are at the top of the conference standings and are looking to close out the year with the top spot in the East. Henrik Lundqvist has been on fire as of late. Lundqvist is top in the league in save percentage and only has 12 losses to his name. With a goalie like that, you can imagine that the Rangers wouldn't need to score much. The scary part is that they have an amazingly potent offense to boot. Marian Gaborik has been the spark in plenty of the Ranger's games this season and has racked up 29 goals. He will be the key player for the Rangers in this game. The Devils on the other hand have had an up and down season. Their 74 points this season would be good for first or second place in other division in Hockey, but being in the Atlantic Division, they are in 4th. Martin Brodeur has been the primary net-minder for the Devils. He has averaged 2.57 goals per game and has a save percentage of .901. He will need to be hot tonight if he wants to keep up with Lundqvist. Who will the Devils turn to in the pursuit of figuring on the Rangers goal tender? None other than Ilya Kovalchuk. His 60 points and 25 goals show that he is both a scorer and a play maker. The Rangers will have their hands full trying to stop this guy from causeless some major problems. 

Who Wins? Lundqvist is just too good at the moment. He leads the Rangers to the 3-1 victory. 

Other NHL games:

Edmonton Oilers 3 vs Winnipeg Jets 5

Anaheim Ducks 0 vs Colorado Avalanche 3

NCAA Basketball 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs The Georgetown Hoyas
Besides the top 25 implications at play in this game, Notre Dame and Georgetown will be fighting for a quarterfinals spot in the Big East tonight. Both teams have had bad games in the last couple weeks and will be looking to bounce back in a huge way. Notre Dame has been lead by their 5th year senior, Tim Abromaitis. He has averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. His presence down low has been a big help to the Irish all year and has allowed them to average 34.4 rebounds a game. How he matches up against the physical Georgetown post men will be the story of this game. 
The Hoyas have been lurking around the top of the Big East all year, but just haven't been able to find that win that puts them over the top. Key losses to Pitt and Syracuse have really hurt them this season. Statisticly, they are one of the better teams in all of college basketball. They are in the top 100 in rebounds (36.1 per game), assists (13.8 per game), and field goal percentage. This means the Hoyas can dish the ball, drain it, and if they miss, pick up the rebound. With such balance, this Georgetown team can hang with the best of them. I credit most of their success to the senior guard, Jason Clark. All season long he has been running this team with efficiency and poise. If he can figure out the Irish defense tonight, you can expect a Hoya win; which I do. Georgetown win the rebound battle and fight their way to the 65-61 win. 

Other NCAA

Kansans 55 vs Oklahoma State 60

Texas Tech 49 vs Baylor 71

Thanks for reading! 


Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The State of the NHL

The final installment of my "State of the..." for all you football fans! I doubt this one is nearly as necessary for all of us Michiganders, but hey, it gives me a great excuse to talk some hockey in mid season. Let's light the lamp folks as I go glove side on the standings.

Chances on winning the cup this year:

Contenders:  New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers.

On the Verge: Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Black Hawks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators.

Pretenders: Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings.

Under Achievers: Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals

Out: Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks.

When's the draft?: Buffalo Sabers, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets.

The (Potential) Top Seeds 
To me, the Rangers and the Red Wings both look like the best teams in their respective divisions. I could easily see them lifting the cup against the other in June. The Rangers have great goal tending in Henrik Lundqvist and finally have the scoring they need with Marian Goborik. Though they are in the middle of the road in scoring, Henrik is just so good in front of the net. The Wings are almost unbeatable at home. They know every nook and bounce in that arena. I just don't see a team coming in and beating them in a 7 game series. Though they do show some troubles when on the road, I am confident they will be able to over come them with the great goal scoring ability they have. They are 5th in the league in both goals scored and goals allowed. If that doesn't spell championship, I don't know what does!

The Rest of the Field
Like always, you can never sleep on the rest of the playoff bound teams in the NHL. Both Boston and Vancouver (currently 2nd seeds) look primed for a Cup rematch, Philly is always dangerous, and you can't rule out the Penguins or the Blues. A team to really look out for is the Ottawa Senators. They will really be able to take it to whoever they face in the playoffs. If they gain any sort of momentum they could really start a whole lot of trouble for the big wigs in the East. Sadly, both three seeds look very weak to me. The Florida Panthers play in the worst division and hockey and quite frankly, they look the part. I also have bad vibes about the Sharks every year. They seem to do great in the regular season, but when you get to the playoffs, it's a different story. I won't ever take them as a legitimate contender until they can prove to me that they can take it to the next level.

No Stars? No Problem!
This season has really been played without the major influence of the game's two biggest stars. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin haven't been that good this season and have virtually been non factors. With that, the league is still thriving. New players have arisen on both squads and in other cities through out the league. I think we are close to getting to an NHL where there are more than just a couple of stars. We aren't quiet there yet, but trust me, when the league gets to that point, hockey will be light years better than it is today in popular American culture.

EARLY Finals Prediction 


In the East: Rangers win in 6 over the Flyers. In the West: Red Wings win in 6 over the Canucks.

Rangers beat the Wings in a thrilling 7 game series that comes down to the wire in almost every game.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The State of the NBA

Hello sports fans! Today I am continuing with my states of sports besides football. Today's sport is the NBA. You probably think the biggest story of this NBA season is the Linsanity that has unfolded in New York, that is totally untrue. Jeremy Lin is a great story, but he has been blown way out of proportion by the mass media. Without Sports Center there would be no Linsanity. So let's get to the real stories here.

Chances of winning the title:

Contenders: Lakers, Heat, Thunder, Mavericks, Bulls, Spurs.

On the Verge: Celtics, Clippers, 76er's, Magic, Nuggets, Jazz, Hawks.

Pretenders: Knicks, Pacers, Bucks, Rockets, Trail Blazers.

No Chance: Toronto, Cleveland, Grizzlies, Jazz, Warriors.

When's the draft?: Hornets, Kings, Suns, Bobcats, Wizards, Pistons, Nets.

Scoring Is Down
You can tell that the lockout has really taken it's toll on the players. The short off-season has really created some low scoring games. If you like games that end up in the hundreds, this isn't the season for you. Players are getting really tired, really quickly. Teams sometimes have to play three nights in a row. Tired players = low scores. It's really that simple.

There is a Great Game Every Night
The condensed schedule has caused low scoring games, but there is almost always a great game on every night. In a regular NBA season we would be lucky to get two huge games within a week. Now, there are literally two worthwhile games being player every night. For example take a look at this Sunday. In the earlier games on ABC there is a double header which features two games with playoff implications. First you have the Mavericks and the Knicks, then you have the Magic taking on the Heat. What a day! As the late Billy Mays said, "But wait! There's more!" Later that night, the night cap pits the Nuggets and the Thunder in a Western conference stand off. That's three great games that would be weeks apart in a regular season. So if you hear the the NBA is on, you better tune in.

The Playoffs are Wide Open...
Honestly, with how the season has gone so far, I wouldn't be so surprised if this year's playoffs are just like the NHL's. If you don't follow the NHL let me clue you in. The NHL is notorious for teams barely making it into the playoffs then absolutely catching fire once they get there. With the condensed schedule in the regular season and the wide open schedule in the playoffs, once teams get rest they could be completely different. When it gets to be playoff time, it will be any given team on any given night. Plus, the race will be close down the stretch this year. Hold on to your hats folks, this is going to be a wild ride!

...But There Still Isn't Much Parody
Let's face it folks, in the past fifteen years there have probably been seven different teams to win the championship. With my guess out of the way, let's check the stats:

Dallas Mavericks - 2011
Los Angeles Lakers - 2010, 2009, 2002, 2001, 2000
Boston Celtics- 2008
San Antonio Spurs- 2007, 2005, 2003, 1999
Miami Heat- 2006
Detroit Pistons- 2004
Chicago Bulls- 1998, 1997

I'm shocked I was really able to guess that...Wow...Sometimes I scare myself! Seven was really the first number that came to mind! Anyway, back to this season. The NBA has always been a monopoly and what is going to change that. If you look at my list of contenders the only teams that are not in contention and have won a championship or haven't won a championship are the Celtics, Pistons, and the Thunder. So what makes you think that is going to change? Nothing. So let's just sit back and enjoy what is the NBA. The All-Star game is only a few weeks away and then the season really picks up.

So who do I have in the Finals now? As of right now, I feel the Thunder are the best team in the league and they will take on the Bulls in June (only if Rose comes back healthy!).

Thanks for reading!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

The State of College Basketball

Now that the Super Bowl is over, all of football has finally come to a stop. For some of you, this may be the end of the world. You may say, "What am I supposed to do now?" Well my wonderful sports fans, there are indeed more sports than football. As a service to you football junkies, I will be bringing you up to speed on all things college basketball.

The Top 25 Breakdown

Contenders 
Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Ohio State, Duke, Missouri, Michigan State, Florida, Kansas.

Pretenders 
Baylor, UNLV, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Creighton, Marquette, Harvard, St. Mary's.

On The Verge
San Diego State, Florida State, Murray State, Wisconsin, Louisville, Georgetown, Mississippi State.


The Race for the Title is Wide Open
Many college basketball seasons have a clear favorite to win the title. This year, it is an entirely different story. Every night seems to change the title race entirely. Kentucky has been the number one seed for most of the year, but they have had many games were they have looked deeply troubled. The loss against Indiana wasn't pretty and could easily be replicated by any other top 25 team. The Syracuse Orange have also been near the top for most of the season, but they too look pretty beatable at times. Ohio State, Missouri, and North Carolina all have 3 losses to their name, but still look like major contenders. I know nothing truly matters until the tourny, but with a regular season like this, the big dance could be won by almost anyone in the top 15!

Beware the Mid-Majors 
It's been a long time since we have seen so many "Mid-majors" scattered throughout the top 25. In my short viewing window of college basketball, I have been used to small schools like Butler and Gonzaga getting the big attention, but never have I heard of Murray State or Creaghton being title contenders. Usually what happens is that there is a small conference champion that goes totally under the radar for the whole season then they make a big splash in the tournament. This season, the voters are taking note of all these diamonds in the rough long before March. From what I've seen, the praises are deserved. Murray State has yet to lose a game and even though the wins have come against lower grade opponents, a win is a win. If any of these teams obtain a high ranking, the nation might want to get ready for an interesting Sweet 16.

This Isn't Your Father's Big East
The Big East looks totally different than it usually does. Big names like Pittsburgh, Villanova, and Uconn find themselves at the bottoms while Syracuse, Marquette, and Notre Dame are the new top togs. Though many teams aren't as good as they usually are, the Big East is still one of the better conferences in the Nation. Look for plenty of Big East teams to make a run towards the Elite 8.

The Big 10 IS the Best Conference
There are no easy games in the Big 10 any more. Just look at the top 5! There's Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. Nothing strikes more fear in the opposing conferences when they hear that the the 5th best team in the Big 10 beat arguably the best teams in America (Kentucky). They also have 2 teams that I believe have an amazing chance at winning the Nation Championship. Top to bottom, this conference beats both the ACC and Big East in my book.

Final Remarks 
What ever you do, don't look at the rankings. THEY DON'T MATTER. All they are at this point are just speculations. Every year people get too caught up in the top 10 and fail to see all the talent behind the big dogs. Keep an open mind to any team at this point in the year and have fun watching!

Final Four 
As of right now here is my Final Four:
Kentucky
Syracuse
Michigan State
Missouri

Keep an eye to the blog for my NBA and NHL updates as well as some picks!

Thanks for reading!