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SEC Basketball Tournament: Round One Predictions Not a Simple Task

March 9th, 2010

LSU vs. Tennessee

The Bengal Tigers (11-19, 2-14) have no chance of upsetting the Tennessee Vols. In fact, the Volunteers have the inside track to the championship due to their seeding and draw against the West Division teams.

Since the loss to Florida on the road, the Vols rebounded with wins at home over Kentucky and Arkansas, then went on the road and defeated the West Division Champion Mississippi State Bulldogs.

While the Wildcats kicked and scratched in the second half and nearly overcame the Vols, they held on for a nine point victory. Wins over Arkansas and Mississippi were more convincing and never in doubt.

If UT doesn't expend too much energy defeating LSU, they should win the second round game and end up in the finals.

Prediction: Volunteers by 17.

 

Alabama vs. South Carolina

On January 26, the Gamecocks defeated the Kentucky Wildcats and held an overall record of 12-8 (3-3 SEC). Then Georgia came to Columbia and the Gamecocks nearly lost to the last place team in the East Division. While they escaped with a one-point victory, it seems that this was a blow to the team confidence.

Meanwhile, opponents were planning a defensive strategy to diminish the utility of point guard Devan Downey's skills and forcing others on the team to take shots. That strategy paid off for opponents.

Following a loss on the road at Tennessee and a home victory against the Florida Gators, the Gamecocks dropped the next six games, three at home and three on the road. Looking back, it was one of the toughest stretches in the SEC schedule for any team.

USC went on the road to play Georgia and Arkansas. The loss to the Bulldogs was tightly contested as in the first game.

Against the Hogs, the wheels fell off and the Razorbacks defeated the road weary team 79-92.

When the Gamecocks returned home, the Tennessee Volunteers were rested and waiting. Bruce Pearl and his Volunteer gang put an old fashioned whippin' on the home team, the final score of 63-55 didn't even begin to tell the story.

The Carolina boys looked winded and desperate. Darin Horn was in for a real surprise in Lexington.

The No. 1 team in the country, still stinging from the loss to USC, hung 82 points on way to a 21-point victory over the Gamecocks.

Carolina then traveled home for a two game stand. Mississippi State, leading the West Division defeated Downey, et al by 13.

In the final home game, Alabama rolled into town and left with a nine point victory while their best player (Jamychal Green) was benched for breaking team rules.

Out of nowhere, the Gamecocks salvaged the season by going on the road and defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 77-73. Downey came out of his funk and scored 26 while Sam Muldrow poured in 20 from the forward position.

In their last outing, the Gamecocks were 49 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range, and 70 percent from the charity stripe. While Vandy was even better from the free throw line, the difference was the points piled on by Muldrow from underneath.

USC may have turned things around at just the right time.

Alabama has athletes at every position. Youth and depth is their major concern. First year coach Anthony Grant has had a tough year shaping this team into the type of team he would like to put on the court week in and week out.

Having said that, The Men in Crimson have won their last two and seem to have figured out the recipe for victory: Closing out in the last ten minutes of the game.

This season has been exhausting for the young coach and his team. They started the SEC schedule at 10-4 with respectable losses to Purdue (No. 5), Kansas State (No. 22), Cornell (NCAA bound), and Florida State. The loss to Purdue set the stage of things to come for the young Crimson Tide team.

The Boilermaker's overcame a 16 point second-half deficit to pull out an eight-point win at Coleman Coliseum. The Tide made just three baskets in the final 14 minutes of the game.

Later in the season, the Crimson Tide lost to Ole Miss after leading by 23 points in the second half, and UGA after leading by 13 with under ten minutes remaining in the game.

Three games were lost by one point after leading the majority of the game and the entire second half, only to lose the lead in the last minute. On the road against in-state rival Auburn, Alabama held the lead or was tied with the Tigers the entire game until the last four seconds. The Tide lost by one.

After a three game skid, the Tide finished the regular season with wins against South Carolina and Auburn. The Pachyderms finally learned how to hold a lead and pull ahead even further in the waning minutes rather than wilt.

I believe this is the toughest game of the first day to make a call. For South Carolina to finish like they did against Vandy was totally unexpected.

Alabama has shown promise all year but did not deliver victories to the fans despite good fan support. The last two games give the Tide faithful hope for a strong showing in the Tournament.

Prediction: Alabama wins by eight.

 

Florida vs. Auburn

Lebo has been a plainsmen for all of ten years and has not delivered what was promised. They did not finish strong against in-state rival Alabama and they are 5-5 in the last ten games. They have played with a lot of energy and pulled out the unexpected victory against Mississippi State on March 3, at home in the final home game of the season.

During the regular season, Florida defeated the Tigers 78-70. Dewayne Reed led all scorers with 22 points on the day. The leading scorer for UF was forward Chandler Parsons with 17 points.

Both teams shot under 25 percent from beyond the trey, but Florida shot better at the line. Moreover, Florida was at the line much more that Auburn, hitting 32-40 FT attempts while Auburn was 17-22.

As a team, UF has averaged 70 percent from the free throw line on the season. If they shoot their average in this game, they may find themselves on the losing end of the first round contest, particularly if Auburn gets hot from 3-point range. The Tigers are shooting 33 percent on the year.

Prediction: Upset of the day, Auburn by five.

 

Arkansas vs. Georgia

Georgia is a talented team that has not found a way into the world of consistent play. They have quality wins against Georgia Tech (No. 17), Tennessee (No. 8), and Vanderbilt (No. 20).

All five SEC victories were at home at Stegman Coliseum. They have faltered on the road, going 0-8, including a loss to LSU on March 6.

Arkansas, on the other hand, plays well and then plays poorly without explanation. After nine games into the SEC schedule, they sat in the drivers seat of the West Division at 6-3, only to lose the next six of the last seven games of the season.

Four of the six losses were on the road; the two home losses included a blowout by South Carolina, 92-79, and falling to Ole Miss in the season finale 68-66 after leading by 10 points with 12:42 remaining in the game.

Ole Miss took the lead in the game on a second chance three point basket by Chris Warren following a missed free throw by Murphy Holloway. In the last five seconds of the game, Arkansas missed three shots from under the basket that would have sent the game into overtime.

Arkansas has shown some resilience this season and have wins on the road.

UGA freshman Trey Thompkins is 6'9", 247 pounds, and scores 17.7 points per game. He leads the team with 33 blocks and 239 rebounds on the season. Guard Travis Leslie, 6'4" 202 lbs., has 29 blocks on the season and 13 ppg.

If Leslie man's up on Courtney Fortson and keeps the feisty Razorback guard under 10 points for the game, despite the earlier loss to Arkansas, Georgia wins by 10.

If Fortson is left to run wild and distribute the ball to the open man, the Dogs are ousted in the first round.

Prediction: Georgia by four.

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Posted in College Basketball, NCAA, Preview/Prediction, SEC Basketball

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WTA Power Rankings: Venus Williams Reigns Supreme, Retains No. 1 Spot

March 9th, 2010

Venus Williams held on to her top spot in the power rankings with a victory in Acapulco, while Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Alisa Kleybanova recorded their first ever WTA Tour titles in Monterrey and Kuala Lumpur, respectively. 

Less than half of the women from my last series of rankings have claimed a place here, with many of the more established players opting to miss the trio of events over the past fortnight in favor of resting up for the big competitions in Indian Wells and Miami.

One thing is for sure though. With Venus yet again giving the BNP Paribas Open a miss, there will be a new name at the No. 1 spot by the time IW is through.

Svetlana Kuznetsova and Caroline Wozniacki will both fancy their chances, and both Victoria Azarenka and Elena Dementieva will enter the tournament full of confidence and form. Reigning champion Vera Zvonareva will her hands full if she wants to carry the trophy away for the second straight year, but there's no shortage of players looking to claim the $4.5 million payday.

Urszula Radwanska, Shahar Peer, Jill Craybas, and Na Li all upset the apple cart in California 12 months ago...who will it be in 2010?

 

1) Venus Williams (WTA ranking 5, Previous power ranking 1)

Venus won her second straight tournament on the red clay of Acapulco to maintain her spot at the top of the power rankings. In fact, the victory in Mexico gave her a back-to-back Dubai-Acapulco double, a pair of tournaments she also won in 2009.

Williams has only appeared in three competitions this year, but she is 14-1 and she proved she is still capable of winning on a surface other than the hard courts.

The top seed was pushed all the way though, needing three three-set victories in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final.

Williams reeled off six straight games against Spanish qualifier Laura Pous Tio in
the quarterfinals to fight back from 1-5 down to book her place in the final four. Williams wasn't in as much trouble against Edina Gallovits, but she still needed to regroup after dropping the second set 2-6. The American then claimed her 43rd Tour title against Polona Hercog—looking for her first—after powering through the final two sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a tick over two hours.

She will return to action in Miami in two weeks time after her customary absence at Indian Wells this week, but she will be no higher than third in the next power rankings list.

Should any of the other 15 women in this edition of the power rankings make it to the quarterfinals in California, Williams will drop even further down by the time she plays her next game. It's not too far fetched to think she could drop to fifth or sixth.

 

2) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (WTA ranking 25, Previous power ranking 12)

The No. 3 seed in Monterrey started March off on the right foot by claiming her maiden Tour title.

In a relatively weak field, Pavlyuchenkova was never seriously tested until the final. She won her first three matches without dropping more than three games in any one set, and with the exception of a mid-game blip against Anastasija Stevastova, the Russian cruised into the final against second seed Daniela Hantuchova.

But the rain delays meant that Pavlyuchenkova had to play both her semifinal and final on Sunday, whereas Huntuchova had all of sunday to relax, recover, and prepare. It didn't seem to daunt the teenager, who became the youngest player inside the top 40 to win a main event.

The Slovakian jumped out to an early 6-1 first set, but Pavlyuchenkova fought back with stunning tennis to take 12 of the next 13 games to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-0. It was her first ever WTA Tour title, and her first trophy since an ITF win in 2008. Fatigue? What fatigue?

She jumps three spots in the WTA rankings and, with the help of a quarterfinal run in Dubai, moves up to the No. 2 spot in these power rankings. There's every reason to think she will be inside the top 10 again after Indian Wells.

 

3) Elena Dementieva (WTA ranking 7, Previous power ranking 6)

After retiring injured in Dubai last month, Dementieva showed she was back to full health with a run to the final in Malaysia.

She did not drop a set until the final, and she made light work of fellow seeds Magdelena Rybarikova and Sybille Bammer in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In fact, Dementieva only lost 15 games in her opening four matches. Originally the No. 2 seed, Dementieva was given the top spot after Serena Williams' continued injury ruled her out of action.

Kuala Lumpur was a great chance for Dementieva to pick up her third title of the year, but she will still head into Indian Wells with a lot of confidence. She may have had difficulty putting away points against Kleybanova, but I would expect her to be a lot more clinical when the stakes are upped in California.

 

4) Victoria Azarenka (WTA ranking 6, Previous power ranking 3)

20-year-old Azarenka drops just one spot, despite not playing in any of the three events over the past fortnight. Her loss to Venus in the final at Dubai is the only thing holding her inside the top 10.

She is set to compete in Indian Wells and Miami before returning to Europe to play in the Andalucia Tennis Experience International event in Marbella, Spain. She made it to the semis in Indian Wells in 2009 and followed that up by beating Serena Williams in the final at Miami, so expect her to maintain her position near the top of the rankings over the next month or so as the clay court season gets into full swing.

 

5) Daniela Hantuchova (WTA ranking 22, Previous power ranking 27)

Hantuchova makes her first appearance in the power rankings for 2010 after making it to the final in Monterrey last week.

She took home $19,000 for her efforts, but she will be left wondering how her fourth Tour title slipped away after running out to a rapid-fire 6-1 first set.

Hantuchova had struggled early on against both Vania King and fellow Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, but she had grown in strength as the two matches wore on. After taking the opening set of the final, many expected her to wrap up the match without much of a second thought, especially considering she completed her semifinal on Saturday before the rain came.

She will be happy with her performance up until the second set of the final, and there's obviously more titles in her future.

 

6) Shahar Peer (WTA ranking 20, Previous power ranking 7)

Peer, like Azarenka, did not play in Acapulco, Kuala Lumpur, or Monterrey, but makes the rare move of climbing one spot because of the combination of Na Li's first round exit and Serena Williams and Justine Henin not playing since the Australian Open.

She was originally expected to compete in Monterrey, but she was forced to withdraw because of plantar fascitis, or an inflamed left foot, to you and I.

If Peer performs well in Indian Wells, there's a good chance she will stick her spot inside the top 10. If not, she may need a late run in Miami to climb back into the upper echelons of the rankings.

She's only made it past the fourth round at Indian Wells once (quarterfinals, 2007) and once at Miami (semifinals, 2007), so don't expect miracles this time around either. Both events attract the cream of the crop and, with $4.5 million on the line, nothing comes easily. She'll need two good feet to stand a chance.

 

7) Alisa Kleybanova (WTA ranking 27, Previous power ranking 50)

Kleybanova moved to within three spots of her career WTA high by winning in Kuala Lumpur. She had never even been to a major final before this tournament, having lost at all three semifinals she contested in 2009 (Fes, Toronto, and Moscow).

The 20-year-old had not had the greatest start to the season, with three first-round exits in the first five tournaments, but only against Anastasia Rodionova was she really tested at the Malaysian Open.

I'm not sure many experts gave her a chance against the red-hot Dementieva, but her 6-3, 6-2 victory was actually as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Whether you want to attribute much of her success to the 90-minute rain delay or not, Kleybanova proved she could hold her own against am on-form big hitter in cruising to victory in the all-Russian affair.

 

8) Vera Zvonareva (WTA ranking 14, Previous power ranking 8)

Zvonareva is still riding the coat tails of her performances in Pattaya City and Dubai, and she remains in the top 10 despite giving Acapulco and Monterrey a pass in order to rest up for Indian Wells.

She has made it to the quarterfinals on four of her five trips to the BNP Paribas Open and, as defending champion, she will be among those expected to perform well again. She will be seeded around 12 or 13 when the draw comes out, meaning her first real test would likely come in the quarterfinal.

She met Ana Ivanovic in each of the past two years there. Are we in for a rubber match this week?

 

9) Agnieszka Radwanska (WTA ranking 8, Previous power ranking 9)

Radwanska is the last of the top 10 to gold onto a place in the power rankings without playing a competitive match this past fortnight. It's no real surprise, as she too wants to be in the running for Indian Wells.

Not including her Fed Cup matches for Poland in February, Radwanska has only played nine matches this year, so there's no reason to think she needed the rest this early on in the season. If anything, a lack of match practice could be her downfall pver the next three weeks.

She will likely have her best ever seedings for Indian Wells and Miami, and if history is anything to go by, will need every advantage she can get. She has never advanced past the the quarters in IW or the fourth round in Miami.

 

10) Polona Hercog (WTA ranking 52, Previous power ranking 81)

Hercog is an unknown to a lot of casual fans, but I like the 19-year-old from what I know of her. She is a decent clay courter and she takes her inspiration from role model Justine Henin.

After winning an ITF event in Cali, Columbia, last month, Hercog made the world take notice of her game when she gave Venus a fright in Acapulco.

As the No. 8 seed, Hercog cruised through her opening two contests before getting a set up on second seed Agnes Szavay who had to retire with a left abdominal strain.

She then beat Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in straight sets in the semifinal, and she was a set up against Venus in the final before the experienced American found her groove. It would be an understatement to Hercog's game to say Venus handed her the first set, because she earned every point and rarely missed a shot.

She could be dangerous later this spring on clay, although I wouldn't expect too much more from her until then. She's ojn the cusp of the top 50..expect her to crack it this year.

 

11) Agnes Szavay (WTA ranking 30, Previous power ranking 38)

Unlike a lot of the top women, Szavay used the past fortnight to get more experience and points under her belt. She currently sits at No. 30 in the WTA rankings, and even if she gets a favorable draw at Indian Wells, she's not someone who's really expected to make it through to the second week of the competition.

That said, she picked up four more victories over the last two weeks, and that's good enough to move her inside the top 16. She was the only player on the Tour, in fact, to make it to the quarterfinals of two events since the last power rankings came out a fortnight ago.

As noted above, she had to retire in her quarterfinal match with Hercog at Acapulco, and she was a set up against Cibulkova the following week in Mexico before losing 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

The 21-year-old will be making just her second appearance at Indian Wells, but she will need to get past the third round to maintain her spot here.

 

12) Dominika Cibulkova (WTA ranking 29, Previous power ranking 55)

Cibulkova had her best finish of the year so far when she made it to the semifinals of the Monterrey Open. Three of the top four seeds made it to the semis though, and with the Slovakian in the wrong half of the draw, she had the more difficult of the matchups.

Cibulkova was never firing on all cylinders throughout the tournament though, and she needed three sets to see of lower-ranked Sara Errani and Agnes Szavay on her way to the semifinal. She won the opening set against Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 before finally running out of steam and dropping to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 defeat.

She should get a first-round bye at Indian Wells this week, but a run past the round of 32—however the draw pans out—is anything but a sure thing.

 

13) Anastasija Sevastova (WTA ranking 63, Previous power ranking 69)

Sevastova earned herself some major points in Monterrey as the other losing semifinalist.

The Latvian teenager had never made it to a Tour semifinal before and, when she was drawn against top seed Jelena Jankovic, nobody gave her a chance at progressing.

But Sevastova, ranked 72nd in the world coming into the tournament, came from a break down in the deciding set to clinch a 5-7 6-4 6-4 victory. She then dispatched Iveta Benesova in short order one and two, before rallying from a set down to beat France's Alize Cornet in the quarters.

Her semifinal match with eventual winner Pavlyuchenkova was postponed from the Saturday to the Sunday because of heavy rain, but after two even sets (3-6, 6-2) the Russian found an extra gear in the decider.

Still, it moves Sevastova nine players in the WTA rankings and into the top 16 in the power rankings when combined with her qualification in Dubai.

 

14) Flavia Pennetta (WTA ranking 12, Previous power ranking 11)

The World No. 12 hasn't done anything over the past fortnight, and she is clinging on to a spot in the rankings on the diminishing strength of a semifinal appearance in Paris and a third-round exit in Dubai.

She'll be seeded at both Indian Wells and Miami, although her best chance for ranking points could come in April in Marbella. Serena and Azarenka are also scheduled to compete for the Andalucia title, but a run to a semifinal is certainly possible.

Getting back to the immediate future, Pennetta has only ever made it past the third round of Indian Wells once. In a similar vain, she's never made it past the round of 32 in Miami. It's set to be a long month for the Italian.

 

15) Sybille Bammer (WTA ranking 47, Previous power ranking 57)

Bammer's run to the semifinals in Kuala Lumpur highlight an otherwise disappointing first few months of 2010.

She fell at the first hurdle in Dubai, Hobart, and Sydney, drew Venus Williams at the Australian Open, and lost to top seed Vera Zvonareva in Thailand.

Bammer, the No. 6 seed at the Malaysia Open, fought hard to overturn an opening set deficit against Kai-Chen Chang in the quarters, but she was simply overmatched against Dementieva in the semifinal, losing 6-3, 6-1.

Her career has kinda stalled since she broke into the top 50 in 2007, and she'll need more good performances in the Premier and, more likely, International events.

 

16) Lucie Safarova (WTA ranking 39, Previous power ranking 23)

Much like Bammer, Safarova's season has been very poor so far. She has climbed up seven places into the top 16 this time out, but "backed in" to the top 16 is more fitting.

She crashed out in the first round of Monterrey to Julie Coin who is 50 places below her in the rankings, and she only climbs spots is because the results from the Australian Open—where she also went out in the first round—are no longer taken into consideration.

Her runner-up trophey from Paris is all that stands between Safarova and obscurity right now, as her three first-round exits point to a player underperforming right now.

She hasn't been terrible at Roland Garros over the past three years, which is good considering that is all she really has to look forward to.

 

On the Bubble: Gisela Dulko, Na Li, Mariano Duque Marino, Maria Sharapova, Carla Suarez Navarro, Sara Errani, 

 

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Posted in Rankings/List, Tennis, Venus Williams

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Women’s Professional Soccer 2010 Preseason Kicks Off with Many Changes

March 9th, 2010

U.S. National Team players and top internationals reported to camp this past weekend as the 2010 WPS Preseason got underway. Preseason will run March 7-April 10, when the league kicks off with a full slate of four games during WPS Kick-Off Week—the first time ever that four WPS games will be played over one weekend.

The 2010 WPS Season will feature several fan enhancements including a longer regular season schedule, a mid-season WPS All-Star Game presented by the U.S. Coast Guard, three new stadiums (Atlanta, Bay Area, and Philadelphia), and many stadium upgrades to improve the fan experience.

In addition, the 2010 WPS Playoffs will stretch into September, allowing for increased visibility for the league among youth clubs and school teams that return from summer break in late August and early September.

“We’re excited about all the changes we have put in place for this season,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “In 2010, it’s about growing our league and building on the foundation that we laid down this past year."

"That includes all the fan enhancements and stadium changes, as well as an increasing number of local and national partnerships which are helping us build momentum going into our second year.”

Ticket sales are up with five of the six teams returning from the 2009 season tracking above where they were at the same time last year in season-ticket sales. The league has already seen an increase in overall sponsorships from last year, and is projecting that four of eight teams will feature a jersey partnership this season with logos on the front of their uniforms—a two-fold increase on last year.

The 2010 WPS Preseason includes several compelling exhibition games among WPS teams. The roster cut-downs for each of the teams will be announced on March 16 (24 players) and the final team rosters will be announced April 1 (18 players plus four optional developmental players).

See the 2010 Preseason Rosters by clicking on links below:

2010 WPS Preseason Schedule

Tuesday, March 9
Washington Freedom vs. U-23 US Women’s National Team (Vero Beach, FL) Closed Scrimmage

Wednesday, March 10
Atlanta Beat vs. Auburn University (Auburn, AL)                                               Scrimmage
Boston Breakers vs. Boston College (Newton, Mass.)                                         Scrimmage

Friday, March 12
Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Freedom (Vero Beach, FL) Exhibition

Saturday, March 13
FC Gold Pride vs. TEPCO Mareeze (Danville, CA) Exhibition
Saint Louis Athletica vs. Illinois (Fenton, MO) Closed Scrimmage

Wednesday, March 17
Boston Breakers vs. U-20 Women’s National Team (Gainesville, FL) Exhibition
Chicago Red Stars vs. South Florida (Tampa, FL) Exhibition
Sky Blue FC vs. Florida State (Tallahassee, FL) Scrimmage

Friday, March 19
Atlanta Beat vs. U-20 US Women’s National Team (St. Augustine, FL) Scrimmage

Saturday, March 20
Boston Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC (Gainesville, FL) Exhibition
Philadelphia Independence vs. North Carolina (Downingtown, PA) Exhibition
Washington Freedom vs. University of Virginia (Richmond, VA) Scrimmage
Saint Louis Athletica vs. University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)

Sunday, March 21
Atlanta Beat vs. University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) Scrimmage

Tuesday, March 23
Atlanta Beat vs. Boston Breakers (St. Augustine, FL) Exhibition
Sky Blue FC vs. University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) Scrimmage

Wednesday, March 24
Boston Breakers vs. University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) Scrimmage    

Thursday, March 25
Atlanta Beat vs. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) Scrimmage
FC Gold Pride vs. Univ. of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) Exhibition

Saturday, March 27
Philadelphia Independence vs. Washington Freedom (Boyds, MD) Exhibition
Sky Blue FC vs. Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) Scrimmage

Sunday, March 28
Atlanta Beat vs. North Carolina (Kennesaw, GA) Exhibition

Thursday, April 1
FC Gold Pride vs. Santa Clara Broncos (Santa Clara, CA) Exhibition
Philadelphia Independence vs. Penn State (Downingtown, PA) Exhibition

Saturday, April 3
Atlanta Beat vs. Saint Louis Athletica (Tulsa, OK) Exhibition
Washington Freedom vs. North Carolina (Boyds, MD) Exhibition


About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
Headquartered in San Francisco, Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is the world’s premier soccer league for women with eight teams across the United States featuring the best players from around the world. WPS completed its inaugural season in August 2009 as Sky Blue FC of New Jersey became the first-ever WPS Champions.

In 2010, eight teams will each play 24-game schedules from April 10-September 12 including six original WPS teams—Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride (Bay Area), Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY), and Washington Freedom—and two expansion teams—Atlanta Beat and Philadelphia Independence. The top four finishers in the regular season will qualify for the 2010 WPS Playoffs scheduled for September 19-26. For more information, visit the WPS official website at www.womensprosoccer.com or follow all the news at www.twitter.com/womensprosoccer .

The previous story is printed from a press release as part of an agreement with Bleacher Report and the WPS to help promote the league. What's News is the alternate profile of writer, Todd Civin, and is used for press releases only for the WPS, The Can-Am Baseball and the AHL.

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Posted in FC Gold Pride, Opinion, Soccer, World Football

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Big 12 Basketball Power Rankings 8.0: Tournament Time!!

March 9th, 2010

After a grueling conference season that saw three teams lose starting point guards (Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State), the Big 12 tournament represents a welcome relief for some squads. Although the Big 12 features no bubble teams this year and thus no intriguing story lines to follow, this week's action at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO., should prove entertaining none the less.

Either way, any excuse to hit up the famous Power & Light District located conveniently across the street from the Sprint Center is a good one. Especially if it's basketball.

First round games tip off Wednesday afternoon and continue all day. Let's take a look at those first couple games....(all times Central Standard)

Wednesday, March 10

11:30 AM - No. 8 Colorado (15-15, 6-10) vs. No. 9 Texas Tech (16-14, 4-12)

The Buffaloes are fresh off a 101-90 win versus Texas Tech in their regular season finale. The 101 point outburst represented the highest point total for CU this season since beating Cal State Northridge 92-58 on Dec. 22 of last year.

Winners of four of their last six, including three straight, CU appears to be building some momentum heading into tournament play. With the combination of junior wing Cory Higgins (19 points/game) and Big 12 Freshman of the Year Alec Burks (16.8 points/game), basketball hopes appear to be rising in the Rocky Mountain State.

On the other hand, Texas Tech have lost seven straight. However, this streak may have aptly prepared them for tournament play. Those seven games were all against either at the time ranked teams or played away from Lubbock, TX.

Nonetheless, look for much of the same that was seen on Saturday this Wednesday afternoon. Lots of Colorado (made) free throws and too much Higgins/Burks.

The winner will take on No. 1 Kansas at 11:30 AM Thursday.

Prediction: Colorado 80, Texas Tech 62

2:00 PM - No. 5 Missouri (22-9, 10-6) vs. No. 12 Nebraska (14-17, 2-14)

Tempo. Tempo. Tempo. Whoever can control the tempo will move onto the quarterfinals. Known for their break-neck tempo, Missouri can put up points in bunches if their system is working. If it is not working however, look for Missouri guards to force ill-advised threes that have led to dangerous scoring droughts throughout the season.

Nebraska loves to slow it down, use the entire shot clock, and get high percentage shots. If the Cornhuskers can force their methodical play on the Tigers like they did in their first matchup this season, Nebraska will pose problems for Missouri . Much more than fans in Columbia think.

All in all, Missouri is too talented and will win a close game, but the scoreboard won't indicate it.

The winner will take on No. 4 Texas A&M at 2:00 PM on Thursday.

Prediction: Missouri 78, Nebraska 62

6:00 PM - No. 7 Oklahoma State (21-9, 9-7) vs. No. 10 Oklahoma (13-17, 4-12)

The James Anderson Show kicks off the nightcap in a matchup of in-state rivals. In the history of the conference, only four players have scored more points in Big 12 conference games than Anderson's 385 this year. While on paper this game may be a lock for the Cowboys, don't count anyone out in a rivalry game, especially one as heated as the Bedlam Rivalry.

While Anderson (22.9 points/game), Keiton Page (10.2), and Obi Muonelo (13.4) will ultimately be too much for OU to handle, the lingering effects of the stress and strain of a rivalry game as your first tournament game may leave the winner gassed for their game on Thursday, according to OSU coach Travis Ford.

For the Sooners, it will be up to a mix of underclassmen and veterans to guide OU to a few upsets this week. In his only matchup against Oklahoma State (he missed the second game due to suspension), freshman center Tiny Gallon dominated for 13 points and 18 rebounds in a 62-57 victory in Norman. That game also saw sophomore Willie Warren, who has only played in four games since Jan. 23 because of mono, go for 15 points and seven assists.

Coach Jeff Capel will look to freshman Tommie Mason-Griffin to pick up the slack left by Warren. Since Warren's diagnosis, Mason-Griffin has averaged 38.9 minutes, 18.5 points, and 5.3 assists.

The rematch was ugly: A 97-76 beatdown by Oklahoma State. This game will be much like the second one. Oklahoma will keep it close early, but their lack of depth will prove to be their downfall as well as leaning so heavily on two freshmen.

The winner will take on No. 2 Kansas State at 6:00 PM Thursday.

Prediction: Oklahoma State 85, Oklahoma 66

8:30 PM - No. 6 Texas (23-8, 9-7) vs. No. 11 Iowa State (15-16, 4-12)

Finishing out the first round games is maybe the most interesting game of the day. For Iowa State to have a shot, they must lean on second-team All Big 12 forward Craig Brackins (16.5 points/game, 8.6 rebounds/game) to lead them like he did Saturday at K-State. In that game, Brackins had 19 and 12 but more importantly kept the highly aggressive Wildcats off the offensive boards.

Against Texas, he'll face another team who loves to crash the glass (14.8 offensive rebounds per game). To combat the talent of UT, Iowa State must imitate Nebraska's approach to games and slow the tempo. The impatience and under-performance displayed by Texas all year may force the Longhorns into an embarrassing first round exit.

The winner will play No. 3 Baylor at 8:30 PM Thursday night.

Prediction: Iowa State 72, Texas 65

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Posted in College Basketball, NCAA, Preview/Prediction

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PGA TOUR Honda Classic Sunday Morning Report

March 8th, 2010

Featured Columnist Andy Reistetter is on site at the Honda Classic this week.

 

The associated video is available on YouTube.com.

 

 

Welcome to the Sunday Morning Report, live from the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

 

The Honda Classic is advertised as "18 holes of refined sport and raucous celebration."

 

The PGA National Resort & Spa is a gorgeous resort open to public partying during the entire tournament week. With onsite concerts complemented by fireworks the venue is true to its proclamations of "raucous celebration."

 

Kenny G orchestrated the start of the party this week with his Wednesday Kenny G Gold Pro-Am. This year he played with the legendary Jack Nicklaus, Dan Marino, and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees of the "MARCHING ON" New Orleans Saints.

 

One member of the gallery told me it was the most entertaining golf he had ever seen.

 

The Champion Course here at PGA National is a Jack Nicklaus classic- perhaps his finest work as a golf course architect.

 

The most famous holes comprise "The Bear Trap"—the par-3 15th over water, the par-4 16th around water, and the par-3 17th over water. That's a bear TRAP not a bear HUG though if the bear hugs you isn't it all over anyways?

 

If the Bear traps you on Sunday afternoon, you will not win the Honda Classic today.

 

 

On Thursday I followed defending champion Y.E. Yang who won his first PGA Tour event right here last year.

 

The 38-year-old South Korean then went on to tame the Tiger and win the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.

 

Yang shot 79 courtesy of a 9 on his second hole and missed the cut.

 

On Friday I followed first round leader Nathan Green, Vijay Singh and a struggling Padraig Harrington.

 

Green felt a little intimidated by the pairing. The other two guys happened to have three majors apiece.

 

The Aussie wasn't intimidated though and rose to the occasion with a bogey-free 66 on Thursday.

 

On Friday it was a different story with Green making par after par which isn't all that bad at PGA National.

 

Though when you walk that par tight rope for so long it is only a matter of time until you fall off. After making several par saves he finally missed a 12-footer on 16 and made bogey. His even par round of 70 kept him in the hunt.

 

Then yesterday the birdies kicked in with Green making four of them shooting a 67. At 8-under par he is in the final group today at 1:45 p.m.

 

Vijay didn't putt very well but his iron shots were so good that he ended up just kicking the ball in the hole. The 47-year-old player is now resigned to utilize reads from his caddie.

 

Singh played the best and was by far the most exciting to watch making 6 birdies in the last 12 holes to shoot a 66.

 

The most exciting thing I saw on Friday was Vijay missing a 4-footer for birdie on No. 16 and then making a bomb of 65 feet for deuce on the very next hole.

 

C'est la vie when the score is good. Who cares how and when they go in?

 

On Saturday I followed Vijay Singh again.

 

He looks young and strong.

 

Still making birdies to offset mistakes he managed a 69 to tie Nathan Green at 8-under par and three strokes behind the leader.

 

Who is the leader? Camilo Villegas!

 

What happened to Anthony Kim?

 

With 13 birdies in the first two rounds I thought we would see another burst of birdies out of the AK gun but instead he bogeyed the last 3 holes and is 6 strokes back.

 

Instead Villegas made six birdies on Saturday, shot 67 and opened up a three stroke lead.

 

This tournament is Columbia's Camilo Villegas' to win, but don't rule out the big Fijian Vijay Singh or the Aussie Nathan Green.

 

Well, my golfing friends, this is Andy Reistetter live from the Honda Classic—where it is "18 holes of refined sport." Thanks for joining me, and have a great Sunday.

 

 

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering and working part time for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and The Golf Channel.

 

He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

 

He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to AndyReistetter@gmail.com

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Posted in Game Recap, Golf, Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods

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