ROUND ONE
1. Miami - Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St. Louis- Chris Long DE Virginia
3. Atlanta- Matt Ryan QB BC
4. Oakland- Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
5. Kansas City- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State
6. New York Jets- Glenn Dorsey DT Arkansas
7. New England (from San Francisco)- Sedrick Ellis DE USC
8. Baltimore- Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
9. Cincinnati- Branden Albert OG Virginia
10. New Orleans- Keith Rivers LB USC
11. Buffalo- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
12. Denver- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
13. Carolina- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
14. Chicago- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
15. Detroit- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illonis
16. Arizona- Rodgers-Cromartie CB Troy
17. Kansas City- Ryan Clady OT Boise State
18. Houston- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
19. Philadelphia- Devin Thomas WR Michigan State
20. Tampa Bay- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
21. Washington- DeSean Jackson WR Cal
22. Dallas (from Cleveland)- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
24. Tennessee- James Hardy WR Indiana
25. Seattle- Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
26. Jacksonville- Kentwan Balmer DT UNC
27. San Diego- Gosder Cherilus OT BC *
28. Dallas- Limas Sweed WR Texas *
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis)- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee
30. Green Bay- Dustin Keller TE Purdue
31. New York Giants- Tyrell Johnson S Arkansas State
* One of the starred picks will be traded to either Baltimore or The Chiefs to select Joe Flacco QB of Delaware
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
CJ's Mock Draft 1.0
Final Mock with comments will be posted Friday but for now here are the players i currently project each team taking.
ROUND ONE
1. Miami - Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St. Louis- Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta- Matt Ryan QB BC
4. Oakland- Chris Long DE Virginia
5. Kansas City- Ryan Clady OT Boise State
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State
7. New England (from San Francisco)- Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
8. Baltimore- Sedrick Ellis DE USC
9. Cincinnati- Branden Albert OG Virginia
10. New Orleans- Keith Rivers LB USC
11. Buffalo- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
12. Denver- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illionis
13. Carolina- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
14. Chicago- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
15. Detroit- Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
16. Arizona- Rodgers-Cromartie CB Troy
17. Minnesota- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
18. Houston- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
19. Philadelphia- Devin Thomas WR Michigan State
20. Tampa Bay- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
21. Washington- DeSean Jackson WR Cal
22. Dallas (from Cleveland)- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
24. Tennessee- James Hardy WR Indiana
25. Seattle- Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
26. Jacksonville- Kentwan Balmer DT UNC
27. San Diego- Gosder Cherilus OT BC *
28. Dallas- Limas Sweed WR Texas *
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis)- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee
30. Green Bay- Dustin Keller TE Purdue
31. New York Giants- Tyrell Johnson S Arkansas State
* One of the starred picks will be traded to either Baltimore or The Chiefs to select Joe Flacco QB of Delaware
ROUND ONE
1. Miami - Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St. Louis- Glenn Dorsey DT LSU
3. Atlanta- Matt Ryan QB BC
4. Oakland- Chris Long DE Virginia
5. Kansas City- Ryan Clady OT Boise State
6. New York Jets- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State
7. New England (from San Francisco)- Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
8. Baltimore- Sedrick Ellis DE USC
9. Cincinnati- Branden Albert OG Virginia
10. New Orleans- Keith Rivers LB USC
11. Buffalo- Aqib Talib CB Kansas
12. Denver- Rashard Mendenhall RB Illionis
13. Carolina- Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
14. Chicago- Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
15. Detroit- Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
16. Arizona- Rodgers-Cromartie CB Troy
17. Minnesota- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
18. Houston- Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
19. Philadelphia- Devin Thomas WR Michigan State
20. Tampa Bay- Phillip Merling DE Clemson
21. Washington- DeSean Jackson WR Cal
22. Dallas (from Cleveland)- Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh- Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
24. Tennessee- James Hardy WR Indiana
25. Seattle- Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
26. Jacksonville- Kentwan Balmer DT UNC
27. San Diego- Gosder Cherilus OT BC *
28. Dallas- Limas Sweed WR Texas *
29. San Francisco (from Indianapolis)- Jerod Mayo LB Tennessee
30. Green Bay- Dustin Keller TE Purdue
31. New York Giants- Tyrell Johnson S Arkansas State
* One of the starred picks will be traded to either Baltimore or The Chiefs to select Joe Flacco QB of Delaware
Friday, April 11, 2008
Frozen Four Championship Game
My dream scenario became a reality when the Irish overcame problem after problem to defeat Michigan 5-4 in OT but BC was extremely dominant in their 6-1 win over North Dakota.
I'm going to give the edge to forwards, defense, goaltending, coaching, and the X-factor and then the final score.
Forwards- Advantage: BC- Notre Dame is hot in the tournament average 5 goals a game however their offense couldn't score the previous 2 months. Which offense is going to show up? Thats probably one of the big keys in this game. Gerbe is a stud and will be a challenge for the Irish defense.
Defense- Advantage: Irish- The Irish have a good mixture of veterans and young players anchoring the blue line, but with the age also comes elite talent with 1st rounder Ian Cole, U.S. Under-18 star Kyle Lawson along with Brett Blatchford have been very solid all season long keeping the Irish in games when they couldn't score. Look for ND to have some success shutting down the powerful BC attack. BC is young on the blueline, but are talented but they just don't have the minutes that the ND defense has and late in a big game that could be all the difference.
Goaltending- Advantage: Even (But forced to choose I'd take the Irish)- Both talented goalies in their 1st full year as a starter and this will be the biggest game of their careers. Pierce although more experienced and wiser as a junior is coming off a very weak performance. Will he pick up his game or is he cracking under the pressure? BC's goalie never had to deal with that pressure since that game was over in the 1st period. What happens if BC falls into a 1-0, 2-0 or even 3-0 hole? Will he be able to keep his cool? And as the game gets later and later, will he focus on saves or thinking about being the next goat?
Coaching- EVEN- Jackson vs York, York vs Jackson... this is as even as it will ever get
X-factor- Advantage: Irish- BC has been to 2 straight title games and come away empty. If they fall behind early will they see it as fate dooming them again? If its tight late, will replays of the last 2 years enter their minds? Irish are hot and playing on a 2nd life so they should be more relaxed than BC will be...
Final Score: I'm torn... BC is more talented team but the formula seems right for the Irish, Cinderella ride, team that can't win titles... I'm going to say the slipper fits:
Irish 5-3
I'm going to give the edge to forwards, defense, goaltending, coaching, and the X-factor and then the final score.
Forwards- Advantage: BC- Notre Dame is hot in the tournament average 5 goals a game however their offense couldn't score the previous 2 months. Which offense is going to show up? Thats probably one of the big keys in this game. Gerbe is a stud and will be a challenge for the Irish defense.
Defense- Advantage: Irish- The Irish have a good mixture of veterans and young players anchoring the blue line, but with the age also comes elite talent with 1st rounder Ian Cole, U.S. Under-18 star Kyle Lawson along with Brett Blatchford have been very solid all season long keeping the Irish in games when they couldn't score. Look for ND to have some success shutting down the powerful BC attack. BC is young on the blueline, but are talented but they just don't have the minutes that the ND defense has and late in a big game that could be all the difference.
Goaltending- Advantage: Even (But forced to choose I'd take the Irish)- Both talented goalies in their 1st full year as a starter and this will be the biggest game of their careers. Pierce although more experienced and wiser as a junior is coming off a very weak performance. Will he pick up his game or is he cracking under the pressure? BC's goalie never had to deal with that pressure since that game was over in the 1st period. What happens if BC falls into a 1-0, 2-0 or even 3-0 hole? Will he be able to keep his cool? And as the game gets later and later, will he focus on saves or thinking about being the next goat?
Coaching- EVEN- Jackson vs York, York vs Jackson... this is as even as it will ever get
X-factor- Advantage: Irish- BC has been to 2 straight title games and come away empty. If they fall behind early will they see it as fate dooming them again? If its tight late, will replays of the last 2 years enter their minds? Irish are hot and playing on a 2nd life so they should be more relaxed than BC will be...
Final Score: I'm torn... BC is more talented team but the formula seems right for the Irish, Cinderella ride, team that can't win titles... I'm going to say the slipper fits:
Irish 5-3
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Frozen Four- Dream vs Reality
The Dream Scenario:
BC wins 3-1 over North Dakota and Notre Dame beats Michigan 5-2 to make it a rivalry championship game between the Irish and the Eagles... one side will make this happen... the other won't
Reality
BC wins 3-1: When BC gets to Frozen Four's, they get to title games and with this team as hot as it is I see no reason they won't take out the overtired North Dakota.
Michigan wins 4-3: The Irish will keep this close but Michigan's numerous X-factors will make sure the Big Blue get to the final.
-CJ
Comments to ccsportsblog@yahoo.com or post them here
BC wins 3-1 over North Dakota and Notre Dame beats Michigan 5-2 to make it a rivalry championship game between the Irish and the Eagles... one side will make this happen... the other won't
Reality
BC wins 3-1: When BC gets to Frozen Four's, they get to title games and with this team as hot as it is I see no reason they won't take out the overtired North Dakota.
Michigan wins 4-3: The Irish will keep this close but Michigan's numerous X-factors will make sure the Big Blue get to the final.
-CJ
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D1 Men's Lax picks 4/12
Now that the college basketball season is over and we are waiting for the muddle of the NBA early entries to clear, its time to get into the stretch drive of the college lacrosse season. Here are my picks for games involving ranked teams this Saturday
1 Duke at 3 Virginia- The two most explosive teams meet in a battle to decide the #1 seed in the ACC tourney and perhaps the NCAA tourney as well. Though Duke may be the more talented team, I will take UVA at home, 13-11
2 Syracuse at Rutgers- The Orange will have too much talent in this one, theyll win big, 16-5 Cuse
4 Georgetown at 19 Loyola- A must win game for the Hounds, who are still unbeaten in the ECAC. But with Scott Kocis expected to return for the Hoyas, expect Georgetown to win a close game, 10-8
Dartmouth at 5 Cornell- Cornell wins this one big, bouncing back from the big loss at Syracuse. 15-6 Big Red over Big Green
6 Navy at 13 Army- The best West Point team in a few years has a real chance to end a 13 game losing streak to their archrivals from Annapolis. My upset of the week, the Cadets win 7-6.
7 Maryland at 15 Johns Hopkins- A must win for Hopkins, who is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. I don't think that these players will let themselves be the ones to ruin the streak, and they'll pull this one out over the Baby Terps, who start 3 freshmen at attack. 11-8 Hopkins
Albany at 11 UMBC- Albany has hit its stride after an 0-5 start, and has confidence coming into this game, but UMBC wont let them take the America East title on the Retreivers home field. 9-7 UMBC
12 Drexel at Towson- Drexel has been slipping since a 7-1 start. Will it continue in this CAA contest? I don't think so. The Dragons pull it out, 11-6.
14 Brown at Penn- Brown has had a nice season and has surprised many, but Franklin Field is always a tough place for Ivy opponents to win. Quakers in a close one, 10-9.
17 Princeton at Harvard- Harvard probably has more talent, especially on offense, but they have yet to put it together. 8-5 Tigers in typical Princeton style.
Delaware at 20 Hofstra- A very important CAA game for both teams. Hofstra is tough to beat at home, but hasn't been playing as well lately. Theyll still take this one to stay in the hunt for the CAA title. Flying Dutchmen 12-11
1 Duke at 3 Virginia- The two most explosive teams meet in a battle to decide the #1 seed in the ACC tourney and perhaps the NCAA tourney as well. Though Duke may be the more talented team, I will take UVA at home, 13-11
2 Syracuse at Rutgers- The Orange will have too much talent in this one, theyll win big, 16-5 Cuse
4 Georgetown at 19 Loyola- A must win game for the Hounds, who are still unbeaten in the ECAC. But with Scott Kocis expected to return for the Hoyas, expect Georgetown to win a close game, 10-8
Dartmouth at 5 Cornell- Cornell wins this one big, bouncing back from the big loss at Syracuse. 15-6 Big Red over Big Green
6 Navy at 13 Army- The best West Point team in a few years has a real chance to end a 13 game losing streak to their archrivals from Annapolis. My upset of the week, the Cadets win 7-6.
7 Maryland at 15 Johns Hopkins- A must win for Hopkins, who is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. I don't think that these players will let themselves be the ones to ruin the streak, and they'll pull this one out over the Baby Terps, who start 3 freshmen at attack. 11-8 Hopkins
Albany at 11 UMBC- Albany has hit its stride after an 0-5 start, and has confidence coming into this game, but UMBC wont let them take the America East title on the Retreivers home field. 9-7 UMBC
12 Drexel at Towson- Drexel has been slipping since a 7-1 start. Will it continue in this CAA contest? I don't think so. The Dragons pull it out, 11-6.
14 Brown at Penn- Brown has had a nice season and has surprised many, but Franklin Field is always a tough place for Ivy opponents to win. Quakers in a close one, 10-9.
17 Princeton at Harvard- Harvard probably has more talent, especially on offense, but they have yet to put it together. 8-5 Tigers in typical Princeton style.
Delaware at 20 Hofstra- A very important CAA game for both teams. Hofstra is tough to beat at home, but hasn't been playing as well lately. Theyll still take this one to stay in the hunt for the CAA title. Flying Dutchmen 12-11
Monday, April 7, 2008
Explaining my poll methodology
I know I could get a lot of complaints, so I am just going to say that I considered tournament success as the biggest factor in my rankings by far. I also tried to take into account head to head results where tiebreaking was applicable. I feel that if a team reached the sweet 16, they have proven themselves worthy of a spot in the top 25. Villanova, for example, went through a lot of rough times this year but they are a talented team and pulled it together when it mattered most, reaching the second weekend. Tournament success moved a team way up in my book, while tournament failure could easily tarnish a regular season that may have warranted a higher ranking (see Duke and Georgetown, as well as unranked teams UConn and Clemson to name a few)
Chris
Chris
CJ's Final Top 25
Wow!!! What a game, and I accurately told you Memphis FT shooting would kill them, and it cost them a National Championship. With that, my final Top 25 Polls, these polls are a combination of regular season and postseason success:
1) Kansas (37-3) - National Champions
2) Memphis (38-2) - 1 FT...
3) UCLA (35-4)- Final Four then bust... i'll remember next yr... only to bash them again
4) Louisville (27-9)- Better team than UNC, just didn't bring their A game and was stuck in NC
5) Texas (31-7) - Loss in Houston still surprises me but they are very talented
6) UNC (36-3)- Very overrated, they leave the State of North Carolina and they get blown out, surprise... I think not
7) Davidson (29-7)- Probably still underrated on here... 1 shot from being a legit Final Four contender
8) Stanford (28-8)- Playing Texas in Houston was really unfair, but they did get lucky to get by Marquette
9) Wisconsin (31-5)- Big X champ, played with Davidson til Curry decided to become Superman
10) Tennessee (31-5)- Lofton really didn't play well this year at all
11) Butler (30-4)- Ran into Tennessee and took them into OT
12) Xavier (30-7)- OVERRATED OVERRATED, they had the easiest road to the Elite 8...anybody remember them being down at half to UGA???
13) Marquette (25-10)- got robbed in Anaheim vs. Stanford, really were starting to get hot too
14) Duke (28-6)- Live and Die by the 3...and they died
15) Western Kentucky (29-7)- Didn't win the Sun Belt, won on a prayer 3 vs Drake, but showed they belonged vs UCLA
16) West Virginia (26-11)- Got hot at the right time...never pick againist WVU as a 7 seed... ever
17) Michigan State (27-9)- Ultimate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team so they get put here cause I don't know where to put them
18) Washington State (26-9)- Underrated all season and made ND look like a foolish High School team
19) Gonzaga (25-8)- Ran into a hot Davidson team in Raleigh, if they had won that they would deserve to be a top 10 team
20) Oklahoma (23-12)- Injuries to Blake Griffin never allowed us to see the true potential of this team
21) Georgetown (28-6)- Did nothing in the regular season, did nothing in the NCAA's...this is quite frankly a gift
22) Pitt (27-10)- Struggled with injuries all year but unlike GT showed up in the NCAA's but too many regular season losses to put them above them
23) Notre Dame (25-8)- With a normal loss to WSU they'd be top 18 but they didn't lose a normal game
24) Drake (28-5)- One desperation 3 by WKU away from being the Cinderella in the Sweet 16
25) Purdue (25-9)- Tough luck in 2nd round game but will be co-Big X favorite
Also Recieving Consideration (in Order) : Arizona, Siena, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Villanova, UMass
-CJ
Comments/criticism to ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
1) Kansas (37-3) - National Champions
2) Memphis (38-2) - 1 FT...
3) UCLA (35-4)- Final Four then bust... i'll remember next yr... only to bash them again
4) Louisville (27-9)- Better team than UNC, just didn't bring their A game and was stuck in NC
5) Texas (31-7) - Loss in Houston still surprises me but they are very talented
6) UNC (36-3)- Very overrated, they leave the State of North Carolina and they get blown out, surprise... I think not
7) Davidson (29-7)- Probably still underrated on here... 1 shot from being a legit Final Four contender
8) Stanford (28-8)- Playing Texas in Houston was really unfair, but they did get lucky to get by Marquette
9) Wisconsin (31-5)- Big X champ, played with Davidson til Curry decided to become Superman
10) Tennessee (31-5)- Lofton really didn't play well this year at all
11) Butler (30-4)- Ran into Tennessee and took them into OT
12) Xavier (30-7)- OVERRATED OVERRATED, they had the easiest road to the Elite 8...anybody remember them being down at half to UGA???
13) Marquette (25-10)- got robbed in Anaheim vs. Stanford, really were starting to get hot too
14) Duke (28-6)- Live and Die by the 3...and they died
15) Western Kentucky (29-7)- Didn't win the Sun Belt, won on a prayer 3 vs Drake, but showed they belonged vs UCLA
16) West Virginia (26-11)- Got hot at the right time...never pick againist WVU as a 7 seed... ever
17) Michigan State (27-9)- Ultimate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team so they get put here cause I don't know where to put them
18) Washington State (26-9)- Underrated all season and made ND look like a foolish High School team
19) Gonzaga (25-8)- Ran into a hot Davidson team in Raleigh, if they had won that they would deserve to be a top 10 team
20) Oklahoma (23-12)- Injuries to Blake Griffin never allowed us to see the true potential of this team
21) Georgetown (28-6)- Did nothing in the regular season, did nothing in the NCAA's...this is quite frankly a gift
22) Pitt (27-10)- Struggled with injuries all year but unlike GT showed up in the NCAA's but too many regular season losses to put them above them
23) Notre Dame (25-8)- With a normal loss to WSU they'd be top 18 but they didn't lose a normal game
24) Drake (28-5)- One desperation 3 by WKU away from being the Cinderella in the Sweet 16
25) Purdue (25-9)- Tough luck in 2nd round game but will be co-Big X favorite
Also Recieving Consideration (in Order) : Arizona, Siena, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Villanova, UMass
-CJ
Comments/criticism to ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Chris' Post-tourney top 25
1. Kansas (37-3)- National Champions
2. Memphis (38-2)- National Runners-up
3. North Carolina (36-3)- My pre-tournament pick to win, ran out of gym early vs Kansas
4. UCLA (35-4)- Took advantage of the weakest regional, but was a top 5 team all season
5. Louisville (27-9)- Became a different team once Padgett was healthy
6. Texas (31-7)- DJ Augustin did not play up to potential in the tourney
7. Xavier (30-7)- Validated themselves and the A-10 by reaching Elite Eight
8. Davidson (29-7)- I had them in the top 20 pre tournament, and I was underrating them
9. Stanford (28-8)- Reached as far as they should have, then lost. Good enough for this spot
10. Tennessee (31-5)- Overrated all season, sweet 16 exit was just right for them
11. Wisconsin (31-5)- Overachieved all year, but I dont believe loss to Davidson was an upset
12. West Virginia (26-11)- Improved by leaps and bounds towards the end of the season
13. Washington State (26-9)- Still underappreciated, but they were unable to give UNC a game
14. Georgetown (28-6)- Disappointing season for the Hoyas
15. Duke (28-6)- This is where I thought Duke belonged all year
16. Michigan State (27-9)- Not impressive all season, but nevertheless in the sweet 16
17. Butler (30-4)- Proved they belong in this group with their impressive showing vs Tennessee
18. Marquette (25-10)- Brook Lopez miracle shot away from the sweet 16
19. Western Kentucky (29-7)- Sweet 16 appearance including thrilling win over Drake
20. Purdue (25-9)- Baby Boilers will be Big Ten favorites next season
21. Pittsburgh (27-10)- Disappointing second round loss snaps sweet 16 streak
22. Drake (28-5)- One ridiculous shot should not ruin the entire season for the Bulldogs
23. Miami (23-11)- Took Texas down to the wire after great comeback
24. Villanova (22-13)- Made the Sweet 16, and that should get you ranked
25. Notre Dame (25-8)- Maybe a bit of bias here. Ugly loss to WSU
Coming Soon: Pre-Preseason conference previews and top 25
-Chris
ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
2. Memphis (38-2)- National Runners-up
3. North Carolina (36-3)- My pre-tournament pick to win, ran out of gym early vs Kansas
4. UCLA (35-4)- Took advantage of the weakest regional, but was a top 5 team all season
5. Louisville (27-9)- Became a different team once Padgett was healthy
6. Texas (31-7)- DJ Augustin did not play up to potential in the tourney
7. Xavier (30-7)- Validated themselves and the A-10 by reaching Elite Eight
8. Davidson (29-7)- I had them in the top 20 pre tournament, and I was underrating them
9. Stanford (28-8)- Reached as far as they should have, then lost. Good enough for this spot
10. Tennessee (31-5)- Overrated all season, sweet 16 exit was just right for them
11. Wisconsin (31-5)- Overachieved all year, but I dont believe loss to Davidson was an upset
12. West Virginia (26-11)- Improved by leaps and bounds towards the end of the season
13. Washington State (26-9)- Still underappreciated, but they were unable to give UNC a game
14. Georgetown (28-6)- Disappointing season for the Hoyas
15. Duke (28-6)- This is where I thought Duke belonged all year
16. Michigan State (27-9)- Not impressive all season, but nevertheless in the sweet 16
17. Butler (30-4)- Proved they belong in this group with their impressive showing vs Tennessee
18. Marquette (25-10)- Brook Lopez miracle shot away from the sweet 16
19. Western Kentucky (29-7)- Sweet 16 appearance including thrilling win over Drake
20. Purdue (25-9)- Baby Boilers will be Big Ten favorites next season
21. Pittsburgh (27-10)- Disappointing second round loss snaps sweet 16 streak
22. Drake (28-5)- One ridiculous shot should not ruin the entire season for the Bulldogs
23. Miami (23-11)- Took Texas down to the wire after great comeback
24. Villanova (22-13)- Made the Sweet 16, and that should get you ranked
25. Notre Dame (25-8)- Maybe a bit of bias here. Ugly loss to WSU
Coming Soon: Pre-Preseason conference previews and top 25
-Chris
ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
NHL First Round Predictions
Eastern Conference:
Montreal (1) over Boston (8) in 5 games- Look at the season series and you'll see I'm being a homer by giving the Bruins one win. Although, I'll say Bergeron coming back for the playoffs is eerily similar to a playoff series a few years ago when the roles were reversed and Koivu came back from a concussion in the playoffs...and he led his team to a series win
Pittsburgh (2) over Ottawa(7) in 6 games- I know Ottawa has been struggling down the stretch, but there are 2 factors that will make this a series (1) Its playoff hockey and (2) Its playoff hockey in Canada. However, Pittsburgh will have too much firepower for Ottawa to match.
Washington (3) over Philadelphia (6) in 5 games- If there is a team of destiny, its the Capitals. Left for playoff dead a few weeks ago, the Capitals have been RED RED hot and should continue against an over-achieving team. The only way the Capitals lose this series is if Huet gets ultra-cold really fast
Devils (4) over Rangers (5) in 7 games- Never pick against Brodeur in a playoff series, and I think that will hold true in this matchup between extremely even teams. Look for the Rangers to steal one in New Jersey but the Devils will steal one in Game 6 and clinch it at home in Game 7.
Western Conference:
Detroit (1) over Nashville (8) in 4 games- Superior talent, goaltending, and coaching lead to the essential first round bye for the Wings.
San Jose Sharks (2) over Calgary (7) in 5 games- SJ trading Toskala in the offseason proved to be the best move of the year as it gave Nabokov confidence in his starting job and he proved it to be a great decision. Now with a near record year in Wins, can he stay hot during the playoffs? I say yes for round 1.
Analysis of the following series to come:
Colorado over Wild
Ducks over Stars
Montreal (1) over Boston (8) in 5 games- Look at the season series and you'll see I'm being a homer by giving the Bruins one win. Although, I'll say Bergeron coming back for the playoffs is eerily similar to a playoff series a few years ago when the roles were reversed and Koivu came back from a concussion in the playoffs...and he led his team to a series win
Pittsburgh (2) over Ottawa(7) in 6 games- I know Ottawa has been struggling down the stretch, but there are 2 factors that will make this a series (1) Its playoff hockey and (2) Its playoff hockey in Canada. However, Pittsburgh will have too much firepower for Ottawa to match.
Washington (3) over Philadelphia (6) in 5 games- If there is a team of destiny, its the Capitals. Left for playoff dead a few weeks ago, the Capitals have been RED RED hot and should continue against an over-achieving team. The only way the Capitals lose this series is if Huet gets ultra-cold really fast
Devils (4) over Rangers (5) in 7 games- Never pick against Brodeur in a playoff series, and I think that will hold true in this matchup between extremely even teams. Look for the Rangers to steal one in New Jersey but the Devils will steal one in Game 6 and clinch it at home in Game 7.
Western Conference:
Detroit (1) over Nashville (8) in 4 games- Superior talent, goaltending, and coaching lead to the essential first round bye for the Wings.
San Jose Sharks (2) over Calgary (7) in 5 games- SJ trading Toskala in the offseason proved to be the best move of the year as it gave Nabokov confidence in his starting job and he proved it to be a great decision. Now with a near record year in Wins, can he stay hot during the playoffs? I say yes for round 1.
Analysis of the following series to come:
Colorado over Wild
Ducks over Stars
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Title Game Prediction
So if you want to see my analysis for the phantom 3rd place game see my Final Four post...but since those were a total disaster this will be the last time I mention them. The only thing I said right was that the game would be semi-close if Kansas played like its dominant self. Memphis defying logic and maybe basic life principles is now shooting the free throws better than most NBA teams.
My friend and esteemed colleague has made some very valid points as to why Memphis will win the game however he's absolutely wrong its time for the ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK to bring home the National Title.
Chris got it exactly right as to how Memphis will lose this game: the 3-pt line. Kansas has the athleticism to stay with Memphis and also the height that will allow them to play a very tight 2-3 zone and still get out to contest shots. The reason that UCLA couldn't do this is that they didn't have the height that the Kansas Jayhawks do. Memphis doesn't start a guard shorter than 6 feet and for the shorter Darren Collision this was a big problem. Kansas however doesn't have this problem as its starting guards are Brandon Rush (6'6") and Mario Chalmers (6'1"). Both are tall enough to prevent easy shots for Memphis. By keeping a tight zone, they can prevent Memphis from driving and kicking with Derrick Rose and as a result have to settle for mid-range shots or 3 pt shots, neither of which is a strength. Kansas also has the ability to put up points in a hurry, as we saw on Saturday Night. The inside game of Sasha Khan and Darell Arthur will be important as getting CDR into foul trouble will be an early key for Kansas. I just don't think that Memphis has seen a team that has the athleticism to play 40 minutes of intense defense and have the offensive firepower as Kansas. Look for Brandon Rush to dominate late as Memphis will in fact... I almost guarantee... will shoot like Memphis shoots FT's allowing Kansas to escape with a shootout win.
Kansas: 84
Memphis: 79
-CJ
Send comments/criticism to ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Additionally Coming Soon:
-NHL 1st Round Predictions
-NBA 1st Round Predictions
My friend and esteemed colleague has made some very valid points as to why Memphis will win the game however he's absolutely wrong its time for the ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK to bring home the National Title.
Chris got it exactly right as to how Memphis will lose this game: the 3-pt line. Kansas has the athleticism to stay with Memphis and also the height that will allow them to play a very tight 2-3 zone and still get out to contest shots. The reason that UCLA couldn't do this is that they didn't have the height that the Kansas Jayhawks do. Memphis doesn't start a guard shorter than 6 feet and for the shorter Darren Collision this was a big problem. Kansas however doesn't have this problem as its starting guards are Brandon Rush (6'6") and Mario Chalmers (6'1"). Both are tall enough to prevent easy shots for Memphis. By keeping a tight zone, they can prevent Memphis from driving and kicking with Derrick Rose and as a result have to settle for mid-range shots or 3 pt shots, neither of which is a strength. Kansas also has the ability to put up points in a hurry, as we saw on Saturday Night. The inside game of Sasha Khan and Darell Arthur will be important as getting CDR into foul trouble will be an early key for Kansas. I just don't think that Memphis has seen a team that has the athleticism to play 40 minutes of intense defense and have the offensive firepower as Kansas. Look for Brandon Rush to dominate late as Memphis will in fact... I almost guarantee... will shoot like Memphis shoots FT's allowing Kansas to escape with a shootout win.
Kansas: 84
Memphis: 79
-CJ
Send comments/criticism to ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Additionally Coming Soon:
-NHL 1st Round Predictions
-NBA 1st Round Predictions
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Final Four didn't go so well, lets see if I can do better
Well tonight was pretty much a disaster for my picks. Memphis once again made foul shots with remarakble accuracy, defying the odds for a second straight game. They pretty much ran UCLA out of the building, not allowing the perceived inside advantage to affect the game at all. Kevin Love spent most of the game trying to catch his breath and was never effective. As for UNC, they were just shellshocked for the first 15 minutes and then did not have enough energy to recover in the second half when they staged a comeback. I have a feeling that that game may cause Hansbrough, Lawson, and Ellington to all return next year. Now on to Monday.
Memphis has finally made a believer out of me, and I feel like Derrick Rose gives them a huge advantage on the perimeter in this one. Kansas has a good backcourt, but after Rose thoroughly outplayed who I thought was the best PG in the nation this year, Darren Collison, don't expect this matchup to bother him. Memphis also has so much depth and strength on the front line, and their foul shooting woes haven't been an issue so they have appeared nearly unbeatable. The only thing that Memphis that would give them a good chance of losing this game is settling for too many threes, because this would be giving Kansas a free pass on defending all of the inside options Memphis has. As we saw in the Tennessee game, most likely the outside shots for Memphis won't fall for the entire game, so it will be Rose penetrating and dishing to Dozier and Taggart which will really be the biggest weapon for Memphis. Of course they also have Chris Douglas-Roberts, who seems to get the better of a matchup with Brandon Rush at the "swingman" spot. Memphis won't have a problem getting those transition points on a Kansas team that likes to run almost as much as they do. If the teams execute well on offense and stay in control, this could be a very high scoring game. I like Memphis, as strange as it sounds, to cut down the nets on Monday night, despite the fact that they were the only 1 seed that I didn't have in the final four.
Memphis 81 Kansas 75
Coming soon: Final top 25, pre-preseason top 25 and BCS conference previews
-Chris
ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Memphis has finally made a believer out of me, and I feel like Derrick Rose gives them a huge advantage on the perimeter in this one. Kansas has a good backcourt, but after Rose thoroughly outplayed who I thought was the best PG in the nation this year, Darren Collison, don't expect this matchup to bother him. Memphis also has so much depth and strength on the front line, and their foul shooting woes haven't been an issue so they have appeared nearly unbeatable. The only thing that Memphis that would give them a good chance of losing this game is settling for too many threes, because this would be giving Kansas a free pass on defending all of the inside options Memphis has. As we saw in the Tennessee game, most likely the outside shots for Memphis won't fall for the entire game, so it will be Rose penetrating and dishing to Dozier and Taggart which will really be the biggest weapon for Memphis. Of course they also have Chris Douglas-Roberts, who seems to get the better of a matchup with Brandon Rush at the "swingman" spot. Memphis won't have a problem getting those transition points on a Kansas team that likes to run almost as much as they do. If the teams execute well on offense and stay in control, this could be a very high scoring game. I like Memphis, as strange as it sounds, to cut down the nets on Monday night, despite the fact that they were the only 1 seed that I didn't have in the final four.
Memphis 81 Kansas 75
Coming soon: Final top 25, pre-preseason top 25 and BCS conference previews
-Chris
ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Who should Marquette hire to replace Crean?
UNLV's Lon Kruger, Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings, Xavier's Sean Miller, Butler's Brad Stevens and Wright State's Brad Brownell, and Washington State's Tony Bennett are all the major candidates for the Marquette job but I'm going to tell you who should be the next coach at Marquette.
Tom Crean was a passionate young coach whose attitude helped defined that team, bring in someone with a more lowkey attitude like an Al Skinner and that team would crumble, you need to bring someone in with that mojo. The answer therefore is Butler's Brad Stevens, who in his 1st year as Butler head coach led Butler to 30 wins and a NCAA tourney domination over South Alabama basically playing a home game, and taking Tennessee to OT. Stevens is very young, can recruit the Indiana and Midwest region. His ability to understand the current college player can't be underrated and clearly can be a great in game coach. He'll bring the passion that Crean did to Marquette only I think Stevens can do it better than Crean did.
-CJ
Comments or Criticism, send them my way at ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Tom Crean was a passionate young coach whose attitude helped defined that team, bring in someone with a more lowkey attitude like an Al Skinner and that team would crumble, you need to bring someone in with that mojo. The answer therefore is Butler's Brad Stevens, who in his 1st year as Butler head coach led Butler to 30 wins and a NCAA tourney domination over South Alabama basically playing a home game, and taking Tennessee to OT. Stevens is very young, can recruit the Indiana and Midwest region. His ability to understand the current college player can't be underrated and clearly can be a great in game coach. He'll bring the passion that Crean did to Marquette only I think Stevens can do it better than Crean did.
-CJ
Comments or Criticism, send them my way at ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Tom Crean to IU
This was probably the best possible hire that IU could have hoped for, especially given the circumstances surrounding the program right now. Crean has never violated NCAA rules, he knows the Big Ten and the midwest in general (got Dominic James out of Indy to Marquette), and he knows how to handle a school that really cares about basketball (Marquette doesn't have a football team, so it's all about hoops, all the time). Indiana will be bad next year. In fact, they will be terrible. They are a long shot to go .500 overall and will struggle to compete in the Big Ten, as Jordan Crawford will be their leading scorer coming back at under 10 ppg, assuming Eric Gordon leaves for the draft, as he should considering IU's situation and his stock, which is too high but nevertheless he should take advantage of it. The future of the IU program Tom Crean, however, looks very bright. If I was a Hoosier fan, I would be celebrating today. In fact, I am celebrating because Crean has now left the Big East and I won't have to see my team play against his anymore.
Chris
(ccsportsblog@yahoo.com, cmkmets13 AIM)
Chris
(ccsportsblog@yahoo.com, cmkmets13 AIM)
Baseball Preseason Predictions
Its time for the flowers to come out which means its baseball season, I'll come back later with a more detailed preview for every team but for now I'm going to give you the playoff teams, and a sleeper team that might take a wild card or division you aren't thinking about, and then I'll rate the divisions based on the top talent and balance.
Due to multiple complaints about my sleeper team procedure I've decided that it has to be a team 5th or lower in the 6 team division...therefore the bold illustrates these modifications
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Mariners
Wild Card: Tigers
Sleeper: Royals
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Diamondbacks
Wild Card: Rockies
Sleeper: Reds
Playoffs:
Red Sox over Indians
Mariners over Tigers
Diamondbacks over Cubs
Braves over Rockies
Red Sox over Mariners
Diamondbacks over Braves
Sox over Diamondbacks in 5 (if it was to go longer, advantage Diamondbacks)
-CJ
ccsportsblog@yahoo.com with comments/constructive criticism
Due to multiple complaints about my sleeper team procedure I've decided that it has to be a team 5th or lower in the 6 team division...therefore the bold illustrates these modifications
AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: Indians
AL West: Mariners
Wild Card: Tigers
Sleeper: Royals
NL East: Braves
NL Central: Cubs
NL West: Diamondbacks
Wild Card: Rockies
Sleeper: Reds
Playoffs:
Red Sox over Indians
Mariners over Tigers
Diamondbacks over Cubs
Braves over Rockies
Red Sox over Mariners
Diamondbacks over Braves
Sox over Diamondbacks in 5 (if it was to go longer, advantage Diamondbacks)
-CJ
ccsportsblog@yahoo.com with comments/constructive criticism
CJ's Final Four Thoughts
Heading into the final weekend of the greatest month of the sport year. I'm going to take a line to just say how amazing Stephen Curry is. He quite literally carried an entire program on his back, and just to think how his Davidson team was in the game til the very end. But it wasn't only during the tournament, in fact Stephen Curry's Davidson team played 3 of the 4 Final Four teams and only lost by a combined total of 18 pts. ( One of which was a 12 pt loss to UCLA in a game they at one point had a 17 pt lead) This team is no tourney fluke and is in fact a Top 10 team in the country.
Now this Final Four is very interesting and different as its the first time that all four 1 Seeds made the Final Four. As a result, the talent level is all even and its going to come down to the intangibles, such as hustle, FT shooting, coaching, and senior leadership. Taking all of these into effect I've made my Final Four Predictions.
North Carolina over Kansas- This game would have been a much closer game earlier in the season when Kansas was playing dominant basketball, but that distinction clearly belongs to the Tar Heels. While it will be interesting to see the Heels finally play on a neutral site in this tournament, Tyler Hansbrough has been too dominant and Ellington is due for a huge, huge game. Roy Williams is better coach, and the Oklahoma State distraction is the tip of the iceburg for this Kansas team.
UCLA over Memphis- This game is quite interesting as this is a clash between 2 different styles as UCLA would love this game to be in the 50's and the Tigers would love this to be in the 70-80's. Every year I've picked against UCLA to lose in the early rounds for reason X or reason Y, but you can't argue against 3 consecutive Final Four's and Darren Collision will make sure that he finally gets to a title game, and Kevin Love could be playing his final game or 2 so he'll be sure to step up. Averages are due to even out so since Memphis shot 85% they are due to shoot about 20% this game. Granted it won't be that low but UCLA just has the it factor...
North Carolina over UCLA- ...but the it factor can only get you so far. Collison will explode in this game but North Carolina is just too talented offensively for UCLA to keep up with in this game. Watch for Ty Lawson to try and play on Collision's emotions and get him into early foul trouble. Same goes for Hansbrough on Love. This game could be decided by who can stay on the floor between Hansbrough/Lawson vs Collison/Love. Also if this game comes down to coaching in the last 2 minutes, Roy Williams has a huge advantage with his National Title over Ben Howland who just can't seem to get over the hump.
Scores:
North Carolina: 77
Kansas: 68
UCLA: 64
Memphis: 60
North Carolina: 75
UCLA: 64
-CJ
Comments or Want to Argue/Laugh at my opinions: Email me @ ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Now this Final Four is very interesting and different as its the first time that all four 1 Seeds made the Final Four. As a result, the talent level is all even and its going to come down to the intangibles, such as hustle, FT shooting, coaching, and senior leadership. Taking all of these into effect I've made my Final Four Predictions.
North Carolina over Kansas- This game would have been a much closer game earlier in the season when Kansas was playing dominant basketball, but that distinction clearly belongs to the Tar Heels. While it will be interesting to see the Heels finally play on a neutral site in this tournament, Tyler Hansbrough has been too dominant and Ellington is due for a huge, huge game. Roy Williams is better coach, and the Oklahoma State distraction is the tip of the iceburg for this Kansas team.
UCLA over Memphis- This game is quite interesting as this is a clash between 2 different styles as UCLA would love this game to be in the 50's and the Tigers would love this to be in the 70-80's. Every year I've picked against UCLA to lose in the early rounds for reason X or reason Y, but you can't argue against 3 consecutive Final Four's and Darren Collision will make sure that he finally gets to a title game, and Kevin Love could be playing his final game or 2 so he'll be sure to step up. Averages are due to even out so since Memphis shot 85% they are due to shoot about 20% this game. Granted it won't be that low but UCLA just has the it factor...
North Carolina over UCLA- ...but the it factor can only get you so far. Collison will explode in this game but North Carolina is just too talented offensively for UCLA to keep up with in this game. Watch for Ty Lawson to try and play on Collision's emotions and get him into early foul trouble. Same goes for Hansbrough on Love. This game could be decided by who can stay on the floor between Hansbrough/Lawson vs Collison/Love. Also if this game comes down to coaching in the last 2 minutes, Roy Williams has a huge advantage with his National Title over Ben Howland who just can't seem to get over the hump.
Scores:
North Carolina: 77
Kansas: 68
UCLA: 64
Memphis: 60
North Carolina: 75
UCLA: 64
-CJ
Comments or Want to Argue/Laugh at my opinions: Email me @ ccsportsblog@yahoo.com
Final Four thoughts
Well, I guess I started this a bit late as far as the NCAA tournament is concerned but I will give my thoughts on the Final Four.
North Carolina vs. Kansas
As someone who had the Tar Heels as the top team all season long and picked them to win the tournament, this was definitely the game that scared me the most on their road to San Antonio. Kansas is perhaps the only team that will not attempt to slow the game down against UNC and has the talent to go along with it, allowing them to successfully run with the Heels for 40 minutes. The Jayhawks are athletic and long, a good defensive combination, and Chalmers and Robinson have perhaps the best chance of anyone left of containing Ty Lawson. Wayne Ellington could be in for a tough matchup with Brandon Rush who could be a key factor in contesting Ellington's jumpshots. Where Kansas will lose the game however is on the inside. Though Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson are good players, they did not give KU that much of an advantage on the inside against the undersized Davidson frontcourt, and that doesn't figure to get any better against Tyler Hansbrough (who should be national player of the yaer) and the rest of the UNC frontline including Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson. The Tar Heels are the best rebounding team in the nation and that will certainly be what moves them into the championship game. Look for Lawson and Ellington to be somewhat neutralized on the scoring end (Lawson will get his assists), but Hansbrough will have a big game and lead UNC to the win.
North Carolina 88 Kansas 81
UCLA vs Memphis
I really did not think that Memphis would be here, but somehow they shot over 85% from the foul line and beat Texas on Sunday. They also proved to me that they are better than I thought overall. However that does not mean that they will beat UCLA on Saturday. I just don't think that there is one spot on the floor that Memphis has a real distinct advantage. Some might say that they do at the point or at the 2-guard spot, but Collison and Westbrook have proven to be a top backcourt, and if I were starting a college team with a point guard I would take Collison over anyone, including Rose. Though Rose is very impressive, the experience that Collison has having been to 2 Final Fours previously cannot be understated. Collison is also a much better shooter than Rose, as he shoots 52% from three point range, a great asset for a PG. UCLA also has enough depth on the inside to easily offset Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and the rest of the Memphis frontcourt. I could see Dorsey getting into early foul trouble and Kevin Love just dominating the game on the inside. Love can also force Dorsey, Dozier, Taggert and whoever else is on him outside with his three point range. Then of course if the game comes down to foul shooting, UCLA has a definite edge, shooting 73.5% from the line to Memphis' atrocious 60.7%. Collison will have the ball in his hands at the end of the game and he is nearly automatic at 87.4%.
UCLA 74 Memphis 69
Chris
North Carolina vs. Kansas
As someone who had the Tar Heels as the top team all season long and picked them to win the tournament, this was definitely the game that scared me the most on their road to San Antonio. Kansas is perhaps the only team that will not attempt to slow the game down against UNC and has the talent to go along with it, allowing them to successfully run with the Heels for 40 minutes. The Jayhawks are athletic and long, a good defensive combination, and Chalmers and Robinson have perhaps the best chance of anyone left of containing Ty Lawson. Wayne Ellington could be in for a tough matchup with Brandon Rush who could be a key factor in contesting Ellington's jumpshots. Where Kansas will lose the game however is on the inside. Though Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson are good players, they did not give KU that much of an advantage on the inside against the undersized Davidson frontcourt, and that doesn't figure to get any better against Tyler Hansbrough (who should be national player of the yaer) and the rest of the UNC frontline including Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson. The Tar Heels are the best rebounding team in the nation and that will certainly be what moves them into the championship game. Look for Lawson and Ellington to be somewhat neutralized on the scoring end (Lawson will get his assists), but Hansbrough will have a big game and lead UNC to the win.
North Carolina 88 Kansas 81
UCLA vs Memphis
I really did not think that Memphis would be here, but somehow they shot over 85% from the foul line and beat Texas on Sunday. They also proved to me that they are better than I thought overall. However that does not mean that they will beat UCLA on Saturday. I just don't think that there is one spot on the floor that Memphis has a real distinct advantage. Some might say that they do at the point or at the 2-guard spot, but Collison and Westbrook have proven to be a top backcourt, and if I were starting a college team with a point guard I would take Collison over anyone, including Rose. Though Rose is very impressive, the experience that Collison has having been to 2 Final Fours previously cannot be understated. Collison is also a much better shooter than Rose, as he shoots 52% from three point range, a great asset for a PG. UCLA also has enough depth on the inside to easily offset Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier and the rest of the Memphis frontcourt. I could see Dorsey getting into early foul trouble and Kevin Love just dominating the game on the inside. Love can also force Dorsey, Dozier, Taggert and whoever else is on him outside with his three point range. Then of course if the game comes down to foul shooting, UCLA has a definite edge, shooting 73.5% from the line to Memphis' atrocious 60.7%. Collison will have the ball in his hands at the end of the game and he is nearly automatic at 87.4%.
UCLA 74 Memphis 69
Chris
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