College Basketball Thoughts

Aaron Craft

Youth may not rule this season as it has this past few. Kentucky struggled against a sneaky Maryland team and lost to Duke. They're not close to the team they were last season but could still fit into the Final Four. UCLA also had a tough game against a weaker team and then lost to a veteran team, like Kentucky.

Pitt and Georgetown are both Top 25 teams in my opinion. The Hoyas and Panthers always tend to exceed expectations and this year could be much the same. Georgetown has a dynamic player in Markel Starks and one of the most dangerous players in the Big East in Otto Porter. Pitt has Tray Woodall at point guard and a bunch of solid options including Lamar Patterson, Steven Adams, Talib Zannia and Dante Taylor.

Butler will still be a contender even with a move to the Atlantic 10 as they proved with a strong performance in the Maui Invitational, as they beat Marquette and a fantastic UNC team. Rotnei Clarke proved he can be a deadly weapon maybe the backcourt scoring threat that Brad Stevens lacked last season. Down low they have a bunch of possible contributors that could make them a deep tournament possibility.

The Big Ten will have multiple teams in the Final Four this season. Even with Cody Zeller struggling the Hoosiers rode several different threats to a win over Georgetown and are the best team out there right now. Ohio State looks really good this season with All-American possibilities Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas, who looks just as good as Sullinger. Michigan has tons of scoring options with Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway and Jordan Morgan. Michigan State and Minnesota look to be also in the mix.

By the time Maryland joins the Big Ten in 2014 they will be one of the best programs in the nation again. Mark Turgereon is a great coach and has a young strong team and a good base around him. He'll probably have his second consecutive top 25 recruiting class and he has great sophomores that in a few years will probably form a Final Four club with Alex Len, Nick Faust, Dez Wells and Jake Layman.

Bowl Projections

Jordan Lynch and NIU in Little Caesars

New Mexico Bowl: Nevada vs. Washington
Idaho Potato Bowl: Utah State vs. Ball State
San Diego County Poinsettia Bowl: BYU vs. San Diego State
Beef O' Brady's Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Tulsa
New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State vs. SMU
Las Vegas Bowl: Fresno State vs. Arizona
Hawaii Bowl: East Carolina vs. Boise State
Little Caesars Bowl: San Jose State vs. Northern Illinois
Military Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Louisiana Tech
Belk Bowl: Miami vs. Cincinnati
Holiday Bowl: Stanford vs. TCU
Independence Bowl: Toldeo vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Russell Athletic Bowl: UNC vs. Louisville
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Iowa State vs. Minnesota
Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force vs. Houston
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Navy vs. USC
Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia vs. Syracuse

Gary Nova, RU in Orange

Alamo Bowl: UCLA vs. Texas
Buffalo Wild Wing Bowl: Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State
Music City Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Duke
Sun Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Oregon State
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Texas A&M vs. NC State
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Ohio vs. Purdue
Gator Bowl: Michigan State vs. Mississippi State
Capitol One Bowl: Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Outback Bowl: Michigan vs. LSU
Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. South Carolina
Compass Bowl: Missouri vs. ULM
GoDaddy.com Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Kent State
BCS Bowls
Rose Bowl: Nebraska vs. Oregon
Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Clemson
Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Oklahoma
Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Rutgers
BCS National Championship: Notre Dame vs. Alabama

So What Now for BCS?

Championship for McCarron?

Well I just saw Jordan Williamson nail the game-winning field goal against the second-ranked Oregon Ducks. And, before that I watched Kansas State get murdered by unranked Baylor by four touchdowns. So what does this mean for the whole BCS?

When Johnny Football and the Aggies stunned Alabama it seemed that the SEC won't get yet another crown as the Crimson Tide fell to Number 4 in the polls. But, this weekend everything changed. Kansas State and Oregon lost which means Notre Dame will almost definitely move to Number One, while Alabama likely to second. Georgia will be in the mix as well as they will probably move up to number three. Then, the SEC has Florida and LSU, while K-State and Oregon will still be in BCS bowls at least.

Next weekend: The newly crowned number one hopes to do what K-State nor 'Bama could; win at that spot. It won't be easy as the USC Trojans come to challenge Manti Te'o and the undefeated Irish. The Trojans have struggled mightily and played terrible against UCLA. Though, until Matt Barkley(if he is ready to go) is off the roster USC will have a legit chance of defeating these Irish.

Alabama gets an appetizer for the SEC championship game in the Iron Bowl against an atrocious Auburn team. They might not even need to play A.J. McCarron as this one should be done before halftime. The Tide should be looking ahead to a big showdown against Georgia.

The Bulldogs benefit just as much as Alabama with the upsets. They play an intense rival in Georgia Tech who hasn't had the season they imagined with Tevin Washington returning. If the defense holds up the Bulldogs should role into the SEC championship game 11-1. Though hopefully they play better than they did against LSU last year.

What will happen: Notre Dame wins comfortably against the Trojans thanks to a more confident Everett Golson. Alabama and Georgia square off in a game that decides who plays Notre Dame. Alabama uses their superior pyschicality to run the ball over an inconsistent Georgia defense and their defense holds Georgia to under 20.

Early NFL Mock Draft

1. Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Barkley The Jaguars are 1-8 and must take desperate measures in order to stay in Jacksonville. That may mean replacing Blaine Gabbert after just two seasons with Matt Barkley.
2. Kansas City Chiefs, Geno Smith The Chiefs are one of the better teams in the AFC except for one major position, quarterback. If Barkley isn't available the big-armed Smith is a no-brainer.

Geno Smith

3. Cleveland Browns, Barkevious Mingo Cleveland needs some type of pass rush which means Mingo could be a solution. He'll play at defensive end but the Browns need him more at outside linebacker.
4. Tennessee Titans, Jarvis Jones The fantastic pass rusher from Georgia should become the most talented pass rusher the Titans have had since Albert Haynesworth.
5. St. Louis Rams, Luke Joeckel Jason Smith never worked out which means they need some more help on the line. Joeckel is no doubt the top linemen available in this year's draft.
6. Carolina Panthers, Star Lotulelei The Panthers have a lot of issues and not all of them have to do with Cam Newton. The huge tackle from Utah should help improve their rush defense.
7. Buffalo Bills, Manti Te'o The Bills don't need a linebacker urgently in fact they might prefer a quarterback or receiver here. But Te'o will upgrade any defense even one as bad as the Bills.
8. Cincinnati Bengals, Bjoern Werner The Bengals need help at linebacker and Werner could fill them even though he is naturally a defensive end.
9. New York Jets, Johnathan Hankins A lot of Jets fans will push for Tyler Wilson here but they also have holes on defense. Hankins is a big bulky force up the middle.
10. Philadelphia Eagles, Chance Warmack Might be weird to see a guard this high up but Warmack is just that good and the Eagles need him.
11. Oakland Raiders, Tyler Wilson No Carson Palmer should be done very soon as he hasn't really upgraded these Raiders. They might go with a quarterback later but it will be tough to pass up Wilson if he is available.
12. Dallas Cowboys, Johnathan Jenkins Not as flashy as what some Cowboys fans might want but hey they really need a defensive tackle.
13. St. Louis Rams, Tyler Eifert The Rams need receivers, but when is the last time they had a quality tight end? They should pick up Eifert, the next in a long line of great Notre Dame tight ends.
14. New Orleans Saints, Sam Montgomery The Saints are aging especially on the line which may be adressed earlier then linebacker.
15. San Diego Chargers, Keenan Allen Phillip Rivers has struggled mightily but he needs more recievers. Keenan Allen should be a quality pickup.
16. Arizona Cardinals, Taylor Lewan At times the Cardinals protection has been atrocious. If Lewan is still on the board he'll be this team's pick.
17. Miami Dolphins, Justin Hunter If Tannehill is to develope he needs more options then Brian Hartline.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaners Dee Milliner The Buccaners should keep trying to improve their secondary and Milliner should be a steal this late.
19. Minnesota Vikings, Kawaan Short The Vikings addressed their O-Line. Now about that defensive line. Short is a nice pickup from around the area.
20. Indianapolis Colts, Johnathan Banks Banks, a shutdown corner from Mississippi State should help the Colts pass defense immediately.
21. Detroit Lions, Barrett Jones The versatile Jones will help the Lions improve on protecting Stafford.
22. Seattle Seahawks, Robert Woods When a team wants Terrell Owens you know they need receivers. Woods should be an easy selection for an improving team,
23. Pittsburgh Steelers, C.J. Mosley The Steelers love gritty football. Mosley should be exactly what the Steelers need.
24. New York Giants, Dion Jordan If Jordan is available the Giants should bolster their pass rush with this talent from Oregon.
25. Denver Broncos, Slyvester Williams This monster from UNC should give the Broncos a fantastic defense.
26. Green Bay Packers Alex Okafor The Packers don't have many holes. They'll use this as a consolation pick.
27. Chicago Bears, Sheldon Richardson The Bears defensive line has been atrocious over the years which means Richardson shouldn't be too tough of a pick here.
28. Baltimore Ravens, Alec Ogletree Will Ogletree be the replacement for Ray Lewis?
29. New England Patriots, Terrance Williams Wes Welker won't last forever. Tom Brady's next go-to target could be Williams, a stud from Baylor.
30. Houston Texans Jesse Williams The beast from 'Bama should be a formidable presence alongside J.J. Watt.
31. San Francisco 49ers, Eric Reid The sure tackler Reid will be a fantastic late pickup for the Niners.
32. Atlanta Falcons Eric Fisher The Falcons will get someone to protect Matt Ryan. Fisher could be that guy.

College Basketball Preview: 16. Michigan State Spartans

16. Michigan State Spartans 29-8 in 2011 (13-5 Big Ten)

Keith Appling

It seems it is almost a crime to not place the Spartans in the preseason top 20, whenever Tom Izzo is directing them. Last season, the Spartans did what the Spartans do, losing tough games early but then getting hot and gaining a high tournament seed. This year's squad looks much the same even with some significant losses including Draymond Green and Brandon Wood. Green was an important scorer and Michigan State's all-time leading rebounder. Izzo should keep this team competitive and likely a tournament team but somebody must step up in order for the Spartans to make a deep tournament run.


Backcourt: Izzo is hoping Keith Appling can continue to mature in his junior season after two strong seasons in East Lansing. Appling is a leader and can score if needed but with the rest of the talent on this roster he may not need to. Sophomore Travis Trice will likely start alongside him in the backcourt and gives Izzo one of the best shooters he has had in a while. Trice averaged 40.5 percent from long range in his freshman year, numbers that could increase with more minutes and opportunities. Junior Russell Byrd will come off the bench this season after two injury filled seasons and is huge for a shooting guard. Sophomore Brandon Kearney should get a lot more minutes this year and his versatility is much needed. He can play some minutes at point but is more comfortable at shooting guard. Freshman Gary Harris will get some minutes but will be relied on mostly for depth.

Branden Dawson

Frontcourt: Rebounding could be an issue without Green, unless junior Adreian Payne or senior Derrick Nix can step up. Payne has an intriguing mix of size and athleticism, as he has a back to basket game and can shots in the mid range occasionally. Nix is huge and takes him a lot of space in the paint but he has had various issues that have kept him out of the starting rotation. If he can learn how to use his big frame to his advantage he could have some success. Sophomore Branden Dawson should have a fantastic year after a solid freshman campaign. He has the size to play in the backcourt or up front and can make shots nearly anywhere. He is also a decent rebounder averaging 4.5 a game in 2011-2012. Sophomore Alex Gauna didn't played occasionally in his first year coming off a redshirt and can help in a number of different ways. Freshman Matt Costello is an interesting prospect that could get playing time.

Top NBA Prospect: Branden Dawson
Big Ten Rank: 4th
PROJECTED LINEUP
PG Keith Appling- Junior
SG Travis Trice- Sophomore
SF Branden Dawson- Sophomore
PF Derrick Nix- Senior
C Adreian Payne- Junior
Sixth Russell Byrd- Junior

College Basketball Preview: 15. Memphis Tigers

15. Memphis Tigers 26-9 in 2011 (13-3 C-USA)

Josh Pastner

Look under disappontment in the dictionary and you might see a picture of last year's Memphis Tigers. The Tigers were expected to dominate a weak Conference USA but even though they won their conference the dominance wasn't really there. Then, with a weak out-of-conference schedule, Memphis faltered to an eight seed only to beat by Saint Louis. With nearly every starter back, no disappointment should happen in Memphis' final year before their move to the Big East.

Joe Jackson

Backcourt: Josh Pastner finally has some experience in the backcourt with guys like juniors Joe Jackson and Antonio Barton. Jackson will likely be the point guard and he could have a truly special season. He can put up double digit points every single night and will improve in the assist with all the talent around him. Barton could take big steps in his junior year in nearly every single category including points where he averaged 6.6 a game last year. Another junior, Chris Crawford should start at shooting guard or small forward. He also is a big contributor in the scoring column but he is probably the best defender on the team averaging 1.8 steals a game in 2011-2012. Freshman Damien Wilson provides some depth and looks like the rest of these Tigers, very exciting but not great shooters. Junior Geron Johnson will be a deep reserve this season but has a chance to play solid in small minutes this year.

Frontcourt: The Tigers will be very small up front but with their style of play that may not be such a bad thing. Junior Tarik Black is very efficient in the frontcourt making 68.9 percent of his shots from the field. He has to show more in the rebounding column though, which was the Tigers biggest weakness a season ago. He'll have scoring ability all around him especially with sophomore Adonis Thomas who can score anywhere. With more minutes he'll really have the green light this season which is bad news for opponents. Senior Ferrakohn Hall won't be lethal in any one area but is a solid option in scoring, defense and can help keeping Memphis stable on the boards. Pastner gained a player who could have a huge freshman year in Shaq Goodwin. Goodwin is raw in a number of areas but has the potential to be one of the better players in the conference, if he gets the minutes to do so.

Top NBA Prospect: Tarik Black
Conference USA Rank: 1st