Michigan vs. Indiana Game Preview

1 Michigan vs. 3 Indiana, Assembly Hall, 8:00 CT Saturday



Nik Stauskas

It seemed like just yesterday when Tom Crean, in his first season, inherited a disaster and ended up with a 6-25 season. Now the Hoosiers are ranked Number Three in the nation, with a Wooden Award candidate in Cody Zeller and the chance to take control of the Big Ten with a win over Michigan. Meanwhile, the Wolverines have been haunted since the great days of the Fab Five, and have achieved their first number one ranking since that time. Indiana (19-2) is led by Zeller who has played fantastic in big games this season, and is coming off a double-double in their 37 beatdown of Purdue. He is helped by dynamic forward Christian Watford and explosive Victor Oladipo who can change games on offense as well as on the defensive side of the ball. Their biggest challenge will be shutting down speedy Wolverine point guard Trey Burke. Burke is averaging nearly 18 points and over 7 assists a game but struggled mightily in Michigan's only loss to Ohio State. Though, much like the Hoosiers, the Wolverines have a load of players that can score including Glenn Robinson,Tim Hardaway Jr. and sharpshooting Nik Stauskas. Stauskas could be the scariest as he can be truly lethal when you don't get a hand in his face. Need further evidence? On YouTube, there is a video of him hitting 45 of 50 three pointers. A bounty of shooters should keep Michigan's offense going but Indiana must show their great transition offense that shamed North Carolina a few months. No matter what happens in Bloomington expect it to be a high scoring affair as Indiana has the best scoring offense in the nation with 84 a game, and Michigan the 14th best scoring offense. Their should be a ton of passion on Indiana's campus in the biggest game so far this season but expect Indiana to use the lethal punch of Zeller and Watford and Oladipo's defensive ability to sneak out a close win at home.

Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana, 80 Michigan, 75

January Madness?

NC State fans after beating Duke

Sure, over the years in college hoops we've seen big upsets. But, this January we are seeing complete craziness. Duke is losing by 27 to a football school. Syracuse and Louisville are being haunted by Villanova. And, Kentucky is still looking like a NIT team. So what does this all mean? Here are some thoughts from this crazy month for college basketball:

• The Big Ten is still as good as we thought it was when Ohio State, Michigan and Indiana were all ranked in the top five. Sure, Minnesota looks like they are collapsing and Illinois already has, but Indiana still looks like a title contender. Wisconsin appears to be a very scary team after escaping with a victory over Minnesota, which means just more teams to watch battle it out in March.
• We knew coming into the season that Kentucky and UNC weren't going to be as good as last season. But, this? Kentucky is 13-6, but has had close wins over Maryland, Vanderbilt and LSU and has fallen to Alabama this season. The Tar Heels appear to be in a little better shape but the ACC appears tougher than we originally thought. Sure, there is time to fix the disaster that is both of these teams but we know neither are title contenders right now.
• Thank goodness the NCAA didn't expand the tournament too much a couple of year ago. We won't be able to see the craziness that should ensue through much of February as teams struggle for a spot in the Big Dance. Among, those bubble teams is Kentucky, Illinois, St. Mary's, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and many more. 
• Over the years the ACC basketball program has lost some of it's appeal. Duke and UNC was fun to watch and both were championship contenders but it seemed nobody else could stay with them for more than a season. Now it looks as if the ACC might be the third best conference behind the Big Ten and Big East. Duke is still a Final Four threat, Miami could be scary good, NC State continues to improve and we get to see Maryland, UNC and Florida State fight for tournament contention.

College Basketball Weekly Picks

January 25th to February 1st

Maryland vs. (1) Duke

Cody Zeller

Duke may be sitting at number one in the nation, but they're are a lot of questions about this team. They were dominated by Miami from start to finish and could fall to .500 inside the ACC with a loss to an underrated Maryland squad. The 15-4 Terps look like a tournament team headed by Alex Len and Dez Wells, but they haven't faced a team like Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils should use their perimeter scoring in Quinn Cook and Seth Curry to stretch out the Terps defense early. The last time I saw Maryland get off to a weak start was against UNC and that was a comfortable Tar Heels win. This one could be much the same.
Duke, 78 Maryland, 66

(7) Indiana vs. (13) Michigan State
The craziness should continue in the Big Ten this weekend. No team appears to be gaining an edge but the winner of this one hopes too. The Spartans have a huge post presence in senior Derrick Nix and they will need one to stop Player of the Year candidate Cody Zeller and Christian Watford. It's odd to say that teams may not be able to keep up with the Hoosiers but Indiana has some serious speed on their roster in point guard Yogi Ferrell and Victor Oladipo. They should use all of it to outrun a relatively weak transition Spartans team.
Indiana, 80 Michigan State, 71

(24) Notre Dame vs. Villanova
'Nova is on an emotional high after beating the fifth-ranked Louisville Cardinals in their last game. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish have hung around in the Big East but haven't been overwhelming. Don't think Notre Dame will run away with this one, in fact I pick the upset as the Wildcats led by JayVaughn Pinkston in the post and Ryan Arcidiacono on the perimeter pull out a close one. The Irish have one of the Big East's best rebounders in Jack Cooley but he may have met his match against big men Mouphtaou Yarou and Daniel Ochefu of Villanova. That may be the key in the upset for 'Nova.
Villanova, 65 Notre Dame, 60

NHL Preview 2013: Western Conference

Northwest

Henrik and Daniel Sedin

1. Vancouver Canucks
It looks like the Canucks will once more be the top team in the Northwest division. They can credit that to the return of the Sedins, Henrik and Daniel, who have dominated the past few seasons. The team improved their defense adding Jason Garrison and retaining much of last year's unit. It seems Roberto Luongo's time in Vancouver may be up. Cory Schneider will likely be the starting goalie now.
2. Minnesota Wild
After scoring just 177 goals a year ago, the Wild invested big money in superstar Zach Parise. Parise will join Dany Heatley and Mikko Koivu to form an offense that looks like it can manage 200 plus this year. Minnesota also added Ryan Suter to help the defense. The question remains whether these big signings will pay off in the long run.
3. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche look to also be in contention for the Northwest crown. Milan Hejduk is slow now at 36 but can still be an effective goal scorer. Colorado also has an improving player in Gabriel Landeskog who won Calder Trophy a year ago. The Avalanche had a productive off season acquiring P.A. Parenteau from the Islanders.
4. Edmonton Oilers
Pretty soon, the Oilers have to start winning. Right? Edmonton looks to continue their slow rise up but it has stalled. Led by Taylor Hall this team has the talent to at least not end up with the number one pick. Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz give the team some more to work with but their is still way too many holes for the Oilers to be playoff contenders.
5. Calgary Flames
The Flames haven't enjoyed much success the past couple of seasons but they seem to not care. Other than keeping aging stars Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff the Flames haven't done anything to try to help the team reach the playoffs. Some minor moves may help but not enough for the Flames to climb out of the cellar.

Central
1. St. Louis Blues
What happened last year? The Blues seemed to come from nowhere to win the Central thanks to a solid score of players that are back this season. That list includes T.J. Oshie, David Backes and Brian Elliot. Elliot formed quite the tandem with Jaroslav Halak in goal last year which was one of the main reasons St. Louis had so much success. It would be tough to imagine the Blues having the regular season they had last year but they should still win the Central.
2. Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks aren't the best team in the Central, but they still have enough on the roster to at least make the playoffs. They have Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa to provide enough goals but the real issue is goalie where Corey Crawford and Ray Emery will spend time.
3. Nashville Predators
Nashville rarely has the best team in the NHL but they always seem to fight hard and end up in contention in the Central. That should be the case once more for the Preds. They lost Ryan Suter but still have Shea Weber to help on defense. They also have one of the best net minders in the league in Pekka Rinne. With a commitment to defense the Preds should wind up in the playoffs.
4. Detroit Red Wings
After years of prolonged success the Red Wings time might be drawing to a close. Nicklas Lidstorm retired, Detroit didn't add anyone significant and they are very old everywhere. Jimmy Howard won't let up much but Detroit could soon look like the Lakers of the NHL.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Rick Nash is now off to New York which basically erases any chance the Blue Jackets have of making the playoffs. The only decent goal scorer is going to be R.J. Umberger who scored 20 a year ago. The goalie position is also a complete mess.

Pacific
1. Los Angeles Kings
Surprise could be called a complete understatement as the Kings stunned everybody on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. A lot remains including shutdown goalie Jonathan Quick, right winger Dustin Brown and defender Drew Doughty. Anze Kopitar will miss some games to start the season but by the time the games really matter the star center should be ready to go and try to defend the crown.
2. Phoenix Coyotes
Don't think LA will run away with the Pacific. The Coyotes are quite a formidable opponent led by their own goalie Mike Smith and a number of goal scorers. Phoenix gave Shane Doan a lot of money to stay and lead the squad in scoring. The Coyotes will miss Ray Whitney, who had 77 points last year but was signed by Dallas.
3. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks title window is closing as center Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Patrick Marleau and Brent Burns continue to age but it doesn't look like San Jose is improving at all.  Those players still have enough star talent to score a bunch of goals but Anti Niemi has struggled in goal throughout his career. The Sharks still have enough bite to be in the playoffs but nothing to deep.
4. Anaheim Ducks
Youth is not something the Ducks have had the past few seasons. They still have 42 year old Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Sheldon Souray and a number of other old veterans. What does it all mean? The Ducks will struggle to keep up with the speedier teams in the Western Conference.
5. Dallas Stars
The Stars are in a weird stage. The team appeared to be rebuilding the past couple of seasons with such talent as Loui Eriksson and Derek Roy. Then, this off season Dallas went out and payed big money to gain 40 year olds Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney. Jagr inspired Philly in a big way but he likely won't help Dallas climb out of the cellar.

NHL Preview 2013: Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Henrik Lundqvist

1. New York Rangers
New York dominated the Eastern Conference through much of last season before falling in the playoffs. Shutdown goalie Henrik Lundqvist is back after a fantastic 2012 season. He'll be helped out thanks to more scoring help with the addition of former Blue Jacket Rick Nash. A healthy Marian Gaborik should propel the Rangers to the number one seed in the East.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins should be in Stanley Cup contention thanks to the return of a healthy Sidney Crosby. If not Crosby struggles the Pens will rely on Evengi Malkin and fabulous goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The big question in Pittsburgh is who will replace Jordan Staal, one of the league's most efficient centers.
3. Philadelphia Flyers
Up front, Philadelphia is as strong as anyone. Claude Giroux was dominant through much of last year and should continue that in 2013. Danny Briere isn't a superstar but will be an effective center. And, the Flyers still have big right winger Scott Hartnell. But, defense will be a big issue for Philly this year. Chris Pronger is really starting to slow at 38, Matt Carle is now gone and Andrej Meszaros has struggled with injuries.
4. New Jersey Devils
The Devils surprised more than a few when they ended up in the Stanley Cup against LA. But, this is a different team. Star Zach Parise is now in Minnesota and Martin Broduer is continuing to age in goal. Ilya Kovalchuck, Travis Zajac and a number of others must step up in order for a shot at repeating last year's success.
5. New York Islanders
Once more the Islanders will be in the cellar of the Atlantic. They do have a couple of dangerous players including  John Tavares and Matt Moulson but not enough to contend in a division filled with stars. However, goal is solid with Rick DiPietro and Evengi Nabakov.

Southeast
1. Washington Capitols
It was a disastrous 2011-2012 for the Caps but there is hope to turn things around in a big way. Alex Ovechkin is back but without his sidekick Alexander Semin. The Caps need a big turnaround in Mike Green who played terrible through much of last year. Ovie better score a lot of goals because the Capitols are weak in between the pipes.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The 'Canes enjoyed a great off season trading for center Jordan Staal from Pittsburgh, and landing Alexander Semin who could dominate now being the premier scorer on a team. Some old pieces are also back such as center Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward to lift Carolina into the playoffs.
3. Florida Panthers
Florida had a huge turnaround last year winning the Southeast. And, they could do it this year as well. The Panthers have a lot returning including center Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann. They also added 36 year old Filip Kuba to keep the defense strong.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning aren't short of star power. They still have aging stars Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavlier who are losing a little bit of speed but not much. Those two have become backseats to the sensational Steven Stamkos who shreds defenses with his slapshot. As much as the Lightning can score the team is very weak in the back which could hurt them in the long run.
5. Winnipeg Jets
In their first year away from the Atlanta Thrashers the Jets narrowly missed the playoffs and hope this year they can make it over the hump. Evander Kane is the focal point on offense putting up 30 goals last season. Winnipeg signed journeyman Olli Jokinen to help Kane out on the offensive side. The defense is solid with Zach Bogosian and Dustin Byfuglien but there isn't enough star power for the Jets to climb out of the cellar.

Northeast
1. Boston Bruins

Kyle Turris

Once more it looks like the Bruins will rule the Northeast thanks to stifling defense and an efficient offense. Boston has dangerous centers Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic to dominate at the left wing spot. The Bruins also feature a new goalie in Tuukka Rask who takes over for Tim Thomas, who will sit out the year. All this should mean a deep playoff run in the East.
2. Ottawa Senators
The Senators look very dangerous heading into 2013 thanks to Kyle Turris and some aging vets. Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza were once the cornerstones of an Eastern Conference power but now are background noise to others. Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar should keep opponents from getting anything easy.
3. Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo could also end up being quite a scary team. They have scoring punch in newcomer Steve Ott, Thomas Vanek and improving Cody Hodgson. The X-factor is Ryan Miller who had possibly his worst year in the NHL last season. If he returns to his old self then Buffalo should wind up in the playoffs.
4. Montreal Canadiens
Things don't look as bright for Montreal as Ottawa or Buffalo.The Canadiens added right winger Colby Armstrong and retained Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec. Overall, even with Carey Price in goal and an okay defense the Canadiens don't have enough scoring punch for them to really make noise out east.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
This might be well too low for the Maple Leafs a team with a lot of intriguing players. Phil Kessell continues to be a their go to scorer and continues to be helped by Joffrey Lupul. The Maple Leafs are also excited about left winger James van Riemsdyk who is beastly at times. The gaping hole is goalie where Toronto is relying James Reimer.

College Basketball Power Rankings

Ben McLemore
 

1. Louisville
2. Duke
3. Kansas
4. Syracuse
5. Michigan
6. Gonzaga
7. Arizona
8. Indiana
9. Creighton
10. Florida
11. Minnesota
12. Ohio State
13. San Diego State
14. Butler
15. Missouri
16. Michigan State
17. Kansas State
18. Oregon
19. New Mexico
20. VCU
21. NC State
22. Illinois
23. UCLA
24. Wisconsin
25. Notre Dame

College Basketball Weekly Picks

January 10th to January 17th

Saint Mary's vs. (9) Gonzaga
The West Coast Conference starts to take shape as the top two contenders square off in Spokane. The Bulldogs have lost just one game to this point and that was a close one to a good Illinois squad. They have been relying on a previous unheard of, Kelly Olynk, to win games. Olynk, who had 33 points and 10 boards in a win over Santa Clara, is averaging 17.1 points per game and is snatching rebounds at an incredible rate. Meanwhile, the 12-3 Gaels bring fantastic point guard Matthew Dellavedova to the table. Expect some scoring on the Gonzaga campus in this one.
Gonzaga, 80 Saint Mary's 72

(1) Duke vs. (20) NC State
Just how good is Duke? This game will help us find out. The Blue Devils have used their star center Mason Plumlee to get off to a fast 15-0 start. Plumlee is a great rebounder with a back to the basket game but can also run the floor surprisingly well for his size. With him dominating down low it helps Duke swing the ball outside to sharpshooters Seth Curry and Quinn Cook. The Wolfpack haven't quite met expectations placed on them in the preseason. They have quite a frontcourt player as well in C.J. Leslie who isn't huge but is athletic enough to get points and rebounds in the paint. Both have the talent to make a Final Four but Duke will win this one.
Duke, 70 NC State, 66

(5) Indiana vs. (8) Minnesota
Minnesota has gotten off to the great start this season but they haven't faced a team like Indiana on the road. So far, the Gophers have relied on Dre Hollins and the imposing combo of Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams who kill it on the boards. The Hoosiers have a Player of the Year threat in Cody Zeller who may be the only player in the Big Ten that can shut down Mbakwe. He has size and has great post moves so that he can score in bucnes which is what Indiana relies on. If this was on a neutral court or at Williams Arena, the Gophers might have a shot at winning. But, in Bloomington, with a healthy Zeller the Hoosiers win comfortably.
Indiana, 67 Minnesota, 58

Trey Burke

(2) Michigan vs. (15) Ohio State
The Michigan Wolverines put their undefeated record on the line against an Ohio State team that has been inconsistent this year. If you want to see great players go at each other watch these point guards. Michigan has sophomore Trey Burke who is a double-double machine that can hit shots on the perimeter. The Buckeyes also have a leader at point in Aaron Craft who is a great passer and is a shutdown defender. The player who performs better will give his team the upper edge. While the Buckeyes have Deshaun Thomas one of the best scorers in the nation, the Wolverines have a commitee which is the reason they'll win.
Michigan, 74 Ohio State, 67

Final Top 25 Poll 2012-2013

Kenjon Barner

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Ohio State
4. Georgia
5. Notre Dame
6. Stanford
7. Texas A&M
8. South Carolina
9. Florida State
10. Clemson
11. Florida
12. Kansas State
13. Louisville
14. Utah State
15. LSU
16. Boise State
17. Oklahoma
18. Northwestern
19. Texas
20. Northern Illinois
21. Oregon State
22. San Jose State
23. Nebraska
24. Vanderbilt
25. Baylor
Others Considering
Michigan
UCLA
Penn State
Cincinnati

National Championship Prediction

Manti Te'o

The quest for seven straight titles begins for Alabama and the SEC. The Tide meet in Miami against undefeated and number one Notre Dame. If any non-SEC team had a shot at beating 'Bama it would be the Irish, because they are basically a SEC team. They run right at the defense and use a dominant rush defense to keep opponents from scoring. Their rush defense is led by Heisman runner-up Manti Te'o, 300+ pound tackle Louis Nix and pass rushing Kapron-Lewis Moore. But, they haven't faced an offensive line like the Tide's. Guard Chance Warmack and tackle D.J. Fluker push defenders back with ease. And, the Irish haven't seen backs that Alabama has. Eddie Lacy has the frame of a linebacker but has okay speed and great vision. Notre Dame should know they can't finish him off with mere arm tackles. Freshman T.J. Yeldon adds more speed and a great receiver out of the backfield (refer to the final minute of the LSU game). Though, Notre Dame has their fair share of offensive weapons. Quarterback Everett Golson hopes to have the success Johnny Manziel had against the Tide's defense using his legs. Though, the key is how well he throws the ball to receivers like Tyler Eifert and T.J. Jones. The scariest person Alabama may needto worry about on Notre Dame's roster? Not Eifert, Golson, back Cierre Wood or even Te'o but back/receiver Theo Riddick. Once a great receiver for the Irish, Riddick switched to back this spring. He can line up in the backfield as a receiver and swing out for a security blanket for Golson in the flats. Expect a low-scoring, pyschical, old-school football game in this one and expect a surprise winner.
Notre Dame, 17 Alabama, 14

The Game BY THE NUMBERS
17- National titles won by both universities.
12-0- Golson's record as starter for ND.
45- Days since Notre Dame as played a football game.
9- Wins over bowl elgible teams for ND, compared to 5 for 'Bama