In a Big East Battle Villanova wins

In Elite Eight action the 3 Villanova team played the 1 Pittsburgh Panthers and surpisingly won to advance on to teams 4th Final Four appearence in school history. 'Nova guard Scottie Reynolds hit the shot that sealed the win for 'Nova after he hit a layup with 0.05 left in the game. The Panthers has a chance though as they inbounded the ball to PG Levance Fields who shot a long half court shot which banked off the top of the basket giving the win to the celebrating 'Nova squad.

I Made a New Blog!

I made a new blog. It's called The View and this one is not only about college sports. Check it out at http//: the view-tom.blogspot.com.

SE:NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers Key Editions:Manny Ramirez(resigned)
The Dodgers spent most of their off season trying to resign LF Manny Ramirez. To their dismay they lost Derek Lowe and Brad Penny but Chad Billingslly is going to fill the gap in the rotation. Watch out for the Dodge in October.

2. Arizona Diamondbacks Key Editions:None
Although the D'Backs made no big edtions they still have promising young stars in 3B Chris Reynolds and CF Chris B. Young. Also add on SS Stephon Drew. Usally youth on a team is bad but for the D'Backs it's great.

3. San Francisco Giants Key Editions:Randy Johnson
With the edition of Randy "The Rocket" Johnson the Giants pitching staff looks great with underrated Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito. The O will be okay.

4. Colorado Rockies Key Edtions: None
The Rockies have weak players at key editions like catcher( Yorvit Torrelbea) and second base (Jayson Nix). They need to improve or problems will strike.

5.San Diego Padres Key Editons:None
Horrid is one word for the Padres weak lineup. They have no fantastic infielders except for the 1B Adrian Gonzalez. This team is bad.

How About A Great Game?

Want a great game in the Elite Eight? Here's one.
1 Louisville against 2 Michigan State. The Big East Champs Louisville are hot off a huge win against Arizona 103-64 the third biggest victory in the Sweet Sixteen. Meanwhile Michigan State had to perform a last second shot to beat the former champs Kansas Jayhawks in a 2 vs. 3 seeded matchup.

How the 1 Seeds Will do in the Sweet Sixteen

Here are some of my picks for the Sweet Sixteen:

1 Louisville
12 Arizona
My Pick:
Sorry Arizona, Louisville is too skilled with underrated Terrence Williams and Earl Clark. A 12 seed can not make the Elite Eight.

1 UConn
5 Purdue
My Pick:
UConn has been on fire with skilled center Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson has replaced Jerome Dyson. But Purdue is underrated with Robbie Hummel and more.

1 Pittsburgh
4 Xavier
My Pick:
It's a blowout. Pitt has huge center DeJuan Blair and guard Levance Fields who will pick away on the Xavier O.

1 UNC
4 Gonzaga
My Pick:
It will be a close game. UNC is great and will be even better with Ty Lawson returning. But, Gonzaga still has Austin Daye and Jeremy Pargo. . .

The Sweet Sixteen: What to Expect

Which team should be on upset alert?
I think UNC may be on upset alert against 4 Gonzaga. Gonzaga is agressive with star player Austin Daye and guard Jeremy Pargo leading the team. It will be a tough test for the Tar Heels.

Teams that will stumble?
UConn against Purdue. UConn is playing impressive but Purdue still has Robbie Hummel and center JaJuan Johnson. Don't worry though UConn will still advance.

Underrated team?
The Kansas Jayhawks. After stumbling in the Big 12 tournament Kansas has regained itself led by center Cole Aldrich who had a game were he had 20 rebounds. Yeah I said it 20 rebounds.

Next Year for College Basketball

Here are some questions for next year in college basketball:

Q:Who will be next year's number one?
A:I think Louisville will be number one next year. I would say UNC but since Tyler Hansbrough is leaving...

Q:How good will Minnesota be next year?
A:About 20 or so wins with the recruits they're getting.

Q:Who will win the Big East?
A:I think either UConn or Louisville. Because of Hasheem Thabeet and Kemba Walker for UConn and Terrence Williams for Louisville.

SE: Japan plays Korea in WBC Championship

The former World Baseball Classic champs Japan plays Korea in a huge rival. Japan defeated team USA in the WBC semifinals as the Korea defeated Venezuela in their semifinal matchup. Both looked impressive espeacially Korea who had 5 runs in the first inning against Venezuela and Venezuelan pitcher Carlos Silva( a former Twin now with the Mariners). I predict Japan to beat Korea in the championship.

Speacial Edition:USA In Semifinals against Japan

The USA team is now in the World Baseball Classic semifinals against former champion Japan led by Ichiro and Kusuke Fokodome of the Chicago Cubs. I predict USA to lose against Japan because of Japan's experience in the WBC(World Baseball Classic).
The winner of this game will play Korea/Venezuela in the WBC championship for 2009. I predict Japan to win consecutive WBC championship's.

I Predict Louisville to Win it All

Here is my NCAA tournament championship prediction:

1 Louisville vs. 1 UNC

Stats:

T. Williams,LU,20 points

T. Hansbrough,UNC,23 points

E. Clark,LU,16 points

D. Green,UNC,15 points

Louisville, 82 UNC,76

Upset in The Tournament

In the first round of the NCAA tournament the 13th seeded Cleveland State squad beat the ACC power house 4 seeded Wake Forest team. The Cleveland State squad beat the Wake Forest squad 84-69. Wake Forest has been disappointing at the end of the season in the ACC and out of the tourney.

My NCAA Bracket:West Region

Here is my bracket in the West region:

First Round
1 UConn UConn advances
16 Chattanooga

8 BYU Texas A&M advances
9 Texas A&M

5 Purdue Purdue advances
12 Northern Iowa

4 Washington Washington advances
13Mississippi State

6 Marquette Utah State advances
11 Utah State

3 Missouri Missouri advances
14 Cornell

7 Califronia Maryland advances
10 Maryland

2 Memphis
15 Cal State Northridge

Second Round
1 UConn UConn advances
9 Texas A&M

5 Purdue Purdue advances
4 Washington

11 Utah State Missouri advances
3 Missouri

10 Maryland Memphis advances
2 Memphis

Sweet 16
1 UConn UConn advances
5 Purdue

3 Missouri Memphis advances
2 Memphis

Elite Eight
1 UConn Memphis advances
2 Memphis
Memphis wins west region

Memphis avoids,Texas wins and Texas A&M advances

In the first day of the NCAA tournament the 2 Memphis Tigers played 15 Cal State Northridge. Many predicted Memphis to make a Final Four appearance but the Tigers cut it close making people wonder about the Tigers.

Meanwhile the Texas Longhorns(7 seed) played 10 Minnesota in an expected close game. But the Gophers couldn't handle Texas sharpshooter A.J. Abrams as he hit consecutive 3's against Minnesota. The Gophers meanwhile, couldn't make any shots as the momentum shifted to the Longhorns.

In a 8 vs. 9 seeded matchup Texas A&M beat BYU in another expected close game. I predicted Texas A&M to win.

My NCAA Bracket:The Midwest Region

1 Louisville Louisville advances First Round
16 Alabama State*

8 Ohio State Siena advances
9 Siena

5 Utah Utah advances
12 Arizona

4 Wake Forest Wake Forest advances
13 Cleveland State

6 West Virginia West Virginia advances
11 Dayton

3 Kansas Kansas advances
14 North Dakota State

7 Boston College USC advances
10 USC

2 Michigan State Michigan State advances
15 Robert Morris

Second Round
1 Louisville Louisville advances
9 Siena

5 Utah Wake Forest advances
4 Wake Forest

6 West Virginia Kansas advances
3 Kansas

10 USC Michigan State advances
2 Michigan State

Sweet 16
1 Louisville Louisville advances
4 Wake Forest

3 Kansas Michigan State advances
2 Michigan State

Elite Eight
1 Louisville Louisville advances
2 Michigan State

Louisville wins Midwest Region

UNC falls,Duke rises in ACC Semifinals

It's been an exciting March already and it got interesting in the ACC semifinals. No. 1 UNC played underrated No. 22 Florida State in the semifinals. The Tar Heels got off to a fast start with Wayne Ellington who had 13 points in the first half as they were leading. But the Seminoles had other things in mind as Florida State's Tony Douglas (second in ACC in scoring behind Tyler Hansbrough) broke out and Florida State finished the job by defeating the former number one.

Meanwhile Duke defeated Maryland in the semifinals in order to go to the ACC championship. Maryland was on fire led by forward/guard Grevis Vasquez but Duke PF Kyle Singler helped Duke finish the job.

Baylor Cruises In the Big 12

The underrated Baylor Bears have made a surprise appearance in the Big 12 championship against Missouri. Baylor has wins against Kansas and Texas led by guards Curtis Jerrells and Lacedurin Dunn. Who will win the Big 12 in my mind?I think Missouri is too skilled to lose to Baylor. But Baylor will put up a good fight.

Upsets in the Big East

In the Big East tournament many strong teams have been knocked off. Including:

No.20 Syracuse beats No. 4 UConn
West Virginia beats No. 2 Pittsburgh

In the Syracuse-UConn game the game held 6 OT's and lasted a dull 4 hours as Syracuse finished the job.
In the West Virginia-Pittsburgh it was well matched but West Virginia finished the job.

The Team That No One's Talking About

Want a surprise team? How about underrated team Memphis from C-USA. Memphis has a huge win streak led by guard Tyreke Evans the huge freshmen who is a possible Freshmen of the Year canidate. I believe Memphis will win C-USA easily and with their experience in the tournament the Tigers will be very, very dangerous. The Tigers will be great and make a major run.

Conference Tournaments

Here are my predictions for some big conference tournaments:

Big Ten:Michigan State beats Purdue
Big 12:Oklahoma beats Kansas
ACC:UNC beats Duke
Big East:Pittsburgh beats UConn
Pac 10:Washington beats UCLA
SEC:Tennessee beats Florida
C-USA:Memphis beats Southern Mississippi
MCC:Gonzaga beats Saint Mary's
Atlantic 10:Xavier

SE:NL East

1.New York Mets Key Editions:Francisco Rodriguez,J.J. Putz

The Mets added all-star Francisco Rodriguez to be a closer and they can use Billy Wagner or underrated J.J. Putz(formerly of Seattle)as a setup man. They still have all-star David Wright at 3B. They're my pick to win the World Series.

2.Philedelphia Phillies Key Editions:Raul Ibanez

The former World Series champs lost Pat Burrell at LF but they added Raul Ibanez in his place. In the infield Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are great hitters along with Jimmy Rollins.

3.Florida Marlins Key Editions:None

The Marlins have a nice double play threat with SS Hanley Ramirez and 2B Dan Uggla. Even though they lost 1B Mike Jacobs they can play Jorge Cantu at any base including 1B.Watch out for the Fish.

4.Atlanta Braves Key Editions:Derek Lowe

The Braves missed the playoffs because of constant injuries and they added huge pickup Derek Lowe. But they might be attacked by injuries again.

5.Washington Nationals Key Editions:None

The Nationals have no big stars. Hopefully Ryan Zimmermen can supplie support.

SE:AL West

1.Oakland Athletics Key Editions:Matt Holliday,Jason Giambi,Orlando Cabrera
The A's added stars in LF Matt Holliday and former all-star Jason Giambi. And they still have underrated relief pitcher Brad Ziegler.
2.Los Angeles Angels Key Editions:Bobby Abreu
Even though the Angels lost Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira they still have Torii Hunter and Vladamir Guerreo(2007 Home Run Derby champ)and they added Bobby Abreu.
3.Texas Rangers Key Editions:None
The Rangers have a nice infield with SS Michael Young and 2B Ian Kinsler. Their O is nice and they have okay fielder in Marlon Byrd.
4.Seattle Mariners Key Editions:None
The M's lost J.J. Putz to the Mets and although they still have Ichiro,it won't be enough.

Final Four Predictions

It's been a crazy season so far and here is my Final Four predictions:

1.UConn:With Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien inside the Huskies will be great and Kemba Walker and A.J. Price...
2.UNC:Two words:Tyler Hansbrough. If he can get passes from Ty Lawson watch out for the Tar Heels.
3.Pittsburgh:DeJuan Blair leads the D and Levance Fields leads the O along with Sam Young.
4.Kansas:Kansas earned experience from last year's blowout against UNC. Cole Aldrich might string together an upset.

Pittsburgh is Unstoppable!

No. 3 ranked Pittsburgh beat UConn,the previous number one in the nation. It's another chapter of No.1's being defeated, but the final chapter might be in the Big East tournament. If Pitt gains No. 1 will they be knocked off by a surprise? Or an expected? Can UConn bounce back? We can only wonder.

Kansas Soars In the Big 12

After Oklahoma got off to a fast start in the Big 12 but there's a new team in town. And it's the Kansas Jayhawks. The Hawks are No.9 in the polls going into March 8th but the real factor is how good the Hawks play in the Big 12 tournament. In order to earn top-notch respect Kansas must get to the championship or win the Big 12. It will be tough considering Oklahoma and underrated Missouri. Kansas has been led by center Cole Aldrich and other underrated players. The former national champs look pretty hot.Watch out for the Hawks!

Minnesota Tournament Troubles

After a roaring start the Minnesota Gophers have been disappointing. Their Big Ten record has been disappointing as their only big wins include:No.23 Illinois and Wisconsin. Their losses include:No.8 Michigan State and No.20 Purdue. Now it comes down to how they do in the Big Ten tournament. The Gophers need to be very lucky...

SE:AL Central

Here is my AL Central preview:

1.Minnesota Twins Key Editions:Joe Crede
The Twins added 3B Joe Crede who will strengthen an already strong infield led by home run derby champ Justin Morneau and underrated 2B Alexi Casilla. The Twins will make a run in October.
2.Chicago White Sox Key Editions:None
The Sox still have strong hitter,Jermaine Dye,Jim Thome and young Alexei Ramirez. They might be a wild card team.
3.Detroit Tigers Key Editions:None
The Tigers have an all-star offense led by Miguel Cabrera and Maggilo Ordonez. The also have a nice bullpen with Joel Zumaya and Kyle Farnsworth. Watch out for the Tigers!
4.Cleveland Indians Key Editions:Kerry Wood
Two words:he's a pitcher,an all-star and led the team in wins. Who is it? Cliff Lee,who will lead the Indians.Kerry Wood was a nice addition.
5.Kansas City Royals Key Editions:None
The Royals are short on pitching and their O might fall short.