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Florida Gators-Auburn Tigers: It All Comes Down to This

March 10th, 2010

Thursday night Florida will take on Auburn at the SEC Tournament. Many of the network pundits believe that this game will decide Florida's NCAA Tournament fate. Sound familiar?

Last year Auburn and Florida met in the semifinals. It was widely speculated at the time that the winner might get an NCAA berth. But when Mississippi State won the whole thing, Auburn was left out in the cold.

At the time, the two teams had no way of knowing that would happen. So they treated the game like it was a playoff game. It came down to the last possession. Florida needed to hit a three pointer to tie the game. Nick Calathes passed the ball to Erving Walker in the corner. His shot was blocked. Florida was off to the NIT for the second year in a row.

Walker was crushed. He cried before he could get off the court. His teammates shielded him from the cameras while he hid his face in his jersey. I have to believe this team has been motivated by that moment all year. To get a shot at the same team that knocked you out last year has to be something the Gators are looking forward to.

If the so called experts are right and the Gators need only to beat Auburn to secure a berth, then this would be a sweet way to get there. Erving Walker has got to be praying for a chance to make the big shot in this one. I look for him to have a great game.

Florida has three years of frustration to take out on the Tigers. Let's hope they get it all out. To have to wait for another year, would be devastating, and another trip to the NIT would be excruciating. To get to the Big Dance this year would give the program a huge shot in the arm. Also, it would give the program some much needed momentum going into recruiting.

To end the season on a four game losing streak after the huge win against Tennessee would set the program back. The last two years, the late season collapses were blamed on a soft non-conference schedule that supposedly did not get the team ready for conference play.

This year the Gators beefed up the non-conference schedule. They even started out 8-0 with wins over Michigan State and Florida State. They looked like a lock. But another late season losing skid has the Gators on the bubble once again. If the bubble pops, what will their strategy be then?

The Gators just need to win on Thursday and then beat MSU on Friday. Then there won't be any need for excuses.

 

 

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Posted in College Basketball, Florida Gators Basketball, NCAA, Opinion

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Florida Gators-Auburn Tigers: It All Comes Down To This

March 10th, 2010

Thursday night Florida will take on Auburn at the SEC Tournament. Many of the network pundits believe that this game will decide Florida's NCAA Tournament fate. Sound familiar?

Last year Auburn and Florida met in the semifinals. It was widely speculated at the time that the winner might get an NCAA berth. But when Mississippi State won the whole thing, Auburn was left out in the cold.

At the time, the two teams had no way of knowing that would happen. So they treated the game like it was a playoff game. It came down to the last possession. Florida needed to hit a three pointer to tie the game. Nick Calathes passed the ball to Erving Walker in the corner. His shot was blocked. Florida was off to the NIT for the second year in a row.

Walker was crushed. He cried before he could get off the court. His teammates shielded him from the cameras while he hid his face in his jersey. I have to believe this team has been motivated by that moment all year. To get a shot at the same team that knocked you out last year has to be something the Gators are looking forward to.

If the so called experts are right and the Gators need only to beat Auburn to secure a berth, then this would be a sweet way to get there. Erving Walker has got to be praying for a chance to make the big shot in this one. I look for him to have a great game.

Florida has three years of frustration to take out on the Tigers. Let's hope they get it all out. To have to wait for another year, would be devastating, and another trip to the NIT would be excruciating. To get to the Big Dance this year would give the program a huge shot in the arm. Also, it would give the program some much needed momentum going into recruiting.

To end the season on a four game losing streak after the huge win against Tennessee would set the program back. The last two years, the late season collapses were blamed on a soft non-conference schedule that supposedly did not get the team ready for conference play.

This year the Gators beefed up the non-conference schedule. They even started out 8-0 with wins over Michigan State and Florida State. They looked like a lock. But another late season losing skid has the Gators on the bubble once again. If the bubble pops, what will their strategy be then?

The Gators just need to win on Thursday and then beat MSU on Friday. Then there won't be any need for excuses.

 

 

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Posted in College Basketball, Florida Gators Basketball, NCAA, Opinion

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Time to Shine for Syracuse: Orange Looking for First Title Since ‘03 Season

March 10th, 2010

It's been almost seven years since Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara carried Syracuse to the school's first National Championship. And now a new cast of players who don the bright orange jerseys will look to bring the school to the promise land once again.

Wes Johnson is the most recognized name of Jim Boeheim's bunch, but, as he puts it, this team has "seven starters." No, Jimmy B's squad won't be playing seven on five, Thursday, when they open Big East Tournament play, but he will have seven guys to choose from that could start on almost any team in the country. 

A team that came in unranked in the AP Poll and 25th in the Coaches Poll has become a team that is one of the favorites to reach the Final Four. After losing three starters from last year's team and star point guard Jonny Flynn to the NBA many felt that the Orange were headed for a down year. 

Then came an inexcusable, mindboggling exhibition loss to LeMoyne College, 82-79. The loss to LeMoyne all but confirmed that Syracuse was in for a rough season. I mean how could a team lose to a Division II school and expect to compete in the vaunted Big East?

As a society we tend to lose perspective and become "prisoners of the moment" as ESPN's Skip Bayless likes to say. Same could be said for the game against LeMoyne, which was after all just an exhibition game.

The Orange splashed onto the national scene with a pair of back-to-back beat downs of Cal and North Carolina—which at the time appeared to be two top teams as Cal was ranked 12th and North Carolina fourth—and quickly erased the memory of LeMoyne. Looking back on those wins they have taken a hit as both teams are currently unranked and haven't lived up to preseason expectations.

Now, after one of the programs most successful seasons in school history Syracuse will look to top it off by cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. With Johnson as the Big East Player of the year, and a veteran leader in Andy Rautins, Syracuse has the look of a champion.

They don't have a DeMarcus Cousins or a Greg Monroe, but they have Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson, two efficient low post players who play within themselves even though they won't be hearing their names called in the NBA Draft. Outside of Johnson, Syracuse doesn't have anybody heading to the pros anytime soon.

They don't rely on individual talents as much as they rely on working as a cohesive unit offensively and defensively.

When Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph enter the game the Orange aren't losing anything, in fact, the opposite could be said. Joseph—Big East Sixth Man of the Year—is averaging 11 points per game and third on the team in scoring. Jardine has topped the 20-point mark twice this season, most recently in the Orange's loss to Louisville.

How many teams can say seven of its players have scored 20 or more points in a game this season? Syracuse can. 

In two separate games, Johnson suffered two separate injuries causing his production to fall off. Yet, the Orange have continued to win without Johnson at full strength and fight their way to a Big East regular season title. Syracuse has taken the approach all season long that no player is as important than the next.

Team work, selflessness, and a common goal to put individual goals to the side is the main reason Syracuse has achieved success.

It is the reason they will be a No. 1 seed come Sunday and the reason Syracuse could win its first National Championship since Melo donned the bright orange jersey.

 

 

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Posted in College Basketball, NCAA, Preview/Prediction, Syracuse Basketball, ncaa tournament

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Dodgers Spring Injuries: Ho-Hum

March 10th, 2010

With Spring Training in full swing, the Dodgers injuries are starting to tally. However, fans shouldn't panic—this sounds like the same record we have listened to for years. For the past decade, the Dodgers have had preseason injuries that make the news, and most often they make the news simply because it's Spring Training, and nothing else is going on.

Russell Martin, Casey Blake, and Cory Wade are already making headlines with reported injuries, but the Dodgers organization and the players don't seem concerned.

Casey Blake took the day off against the Rockies with sore ribs but is confident he will be ready for Opening Day. He is able to swing a bat slowly with limited pain. He mentioned that if this situation occurred in the regular season, he would probably play through it, and if it were playoffs, he wouldn't miss an inning.

Martin suffered a torn groin but mentioned the pain was so mild it seemed as though it was just early-spring soreness. The doctor-recommended recovery time is four to six weeks. Martin received a cortisone shot Tuesday to expedite the healing process, and those familiar with the catcher and his work ethic know he will be doing whatever he can to get back in game shape by the start of the regular season.

Los Angeles does seem to be taking it slow with reliever Cory Wade. His chronically ailing shoulder was examined via MRI, and tests revealed no structural damage. He also received a shot to the shoulder, and manager Joe Torre says Wade will be taking several days off as a precaution and will then be re-evaluated.

It seems every year players return from the break a little stiff in the joints and in need of a little work. As the Spring progresses, don't fret over reports of injuries unless the Dodgers make no light of the situation. Blake and Wade will be ready to follow-up on their productive campaigns from last season, and Martin will be ready to turn things around. Dodgers fans, have no fear.

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Posted in Baseball, MLB, Preview/Prediction, Russell Martin, los angeles dodgers

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Supply and Demand: A Reminder To Sports Fans

March 10th, 2010

*Credit must go to Ryan Schwan for this article .

 

It seems that the New Orleans Hornets finally have a problem worth having these days, even though our star player went down, our wings can't play, and we will be on the outside looking in during the playoffs.

It is, of course, the play of our rookies that is setting the league on fire, with Darren Collison and Marcus Thorton ranked amongst the top five rookies in the entire class (and in the latest ESPN rankings they are three and four respectively).

This, of course, has only added fuel to the Hornets' trade fire. Scouring multiple NBA forums over the past few days (I'm moving back to the States soon, so I'll have even more free time here), New Orleans Hornets trade threads compose a good 15 percent of all trade threads spanning four major sites like ESPN and RealGM forums. However, almost all of these aspiring GMs play the same card: "The Hornets are in a weak position and will bend over for my team because we walk on water."

Now if the Hornets are the team with the hot commodities and a HUGE amount of expiring contracts next season, in what way are they in a position of weakness?

If I recall, those with the supply have a little more leverage than those with the need, but then again, economists may be debating that for the next decade or so.

Yes, the Hornets have had a sub-par season, and yes, the playoffs last year were an embarrassment, but thanks to a great draft, everything looks like it's on the rise.

As Ryan posted in his article, teams should be looking at the Hornets as the one with more bargaining power than, say, a Kwame Brown for Pau Gasol trade.

"But what about the fact the two best players play the same position, they must get rid of one!"

Again, we must not do anything at all. Collison is on his rookie contract, after all, and Bower can look at the Phoenix situation from Nash's first stint there for guidance.

Now to be fair, there are a lot of very good ideas out there, like getting Iggy and Andrew Bynum for Okafor, Collison, Peja, etc. But this is just a little article for my fellow sports fans reminding them that the NBA usually and will probably continue to work on the concept of Supply and Demand.

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Posted in Basketball, Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton, NBA, Opinion, new orleans hornets

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