The fact that Russell Wilson won’t be playing collegiate football at North Carolina State this season makes the ACC Atlantic far easier to handicap. It’s also a tale whose outcome has its roots in another story from that very same division.

Last week, N.C. State head football coach Tom O’Brien, exasperated by Wilson’s decision to play minor-league baseball for the Asheville Tourists in the Colorado Rockies’ organization over the summer, decided to cut Wilson loose. O’Brien wanted complete buy-in and commitment from his starting quarterback in the offseason, so Wilson’s move cut against his coach’s desires, and the cord was promptly severed. Wilson has been adamant about building a two-sport career, while O’Brien insisted on a single-minded focus devoted entirely to football. The rift was unable to be patched together, and now North Carolina State must look elsewhere for a signal caller as the 2011 season approaches. Mike Glennon, a junior without any appreciable degree of game-day experience or live-action reps under center, is the leading candidate for the starting quarterback job now that Russell is out of the picture. Wilson will seek to play football at another school with his remaining year of eligibility.

Why is this story somehow familiar for those who bet on college football at BetUs, though not quite an exact replica of things that have come before it? You might recall that last year, the Clemson Tigers wondered deep into the spring if their own starting quarterback, Kyle Parker, would choose to return for his senior season. Parker also pursued minor-league ball – ironically enough, for the very same Colorado Rockies – and wanted to develop that part of his two-sport career. Clemson was worried about Parker’s choices, but the Tigers welcomed Parker’s decision to want to return to the gridiron in September. However, the marriage did not work out. Parker suffered through a terrible season and took down the Clemson offense with him. The Tigers finished in the middle of the ACC and fell far short of preseason expectations. It was with this scenario very much in mind that Tom O’Brien laid down the law to Russell Wilson at North Carolina State.

Now, with Wilson – a dynamic playmaking quarterback – removed from the Wolfpack roster, it’s even more difficult to imagine how anyone in the ACC Atlantic will challenge Florida State for the division title. Maryland might have a puncher’s chance with a souped-up passing game, but the Terrapins don’t have athleticism at every spot on the field the way the Seminoles do. Clemson is an incomplete team, and the Wolfpack are now lacking the field general who could outflank Florida State’s defense. Wake Forest and Boston College languish in mediocrity (or worse), so it’s really Florida State’s division to lose.

While NCAA basketball props provided by BetUs are hot on the agenda with the Tournament on the horizon, the NFL still looms large over the sports landscape, and yes, there is something to talk about other than the impending lockout. The combine took place beginning on Thursday and ending on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the New York Jets showed why you shouldn’t take too much from workouts.

The Jets parted ways with end Vernon Gholston, who they picked with the sixth selection in the 2008 draft, and promptly signed to a five-year deal that included $21 in guaranteed money. Gholston was a two-time Big Ten performer at Ohio State and was an All-American in 2007, but his workout at the combine had scouts drooling as he tied for the most number of bench-press reps, and then at the Ohio State pro day, he ran a 4.58 in the 40-yard-dash and a 41-inch vertical. But he never got a good foothold in the Big Apple, and it got even worse when Rex Ryan brought his complicated defensive schemes to New York as Gholston couldn’t grasp him. He never even registered a sack in his three seasons in New York, and that’s not what you want to see out of a No.6 pick.

Gholston is a warning for all those coaches who look at the combine (and pro day) numbers and say, this kid is going to be a star. But so much more goes into drafting a player, especially in the first round. If you watched tape on Gholston at Ohio State, he took too many plays off and while he was explosive when he wanted to be, that didn’t happen all the time, or even frequently. You can get away with being extremely athletic in college, but it’s a different story in the NFL, when you’re playing against grown men who are motivated for every snap. Unless something drastic happens, look for Vernon Gholston to be added to the list of players who made coaches and scouts suffer from Mike Mamula Syndrome.

We don’t know if he will get to keep it, but the amazing Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has won the 2010 Heisman Trophy.

“Honestly, it’s a dream come true for me, something every child has a dream that plays the sport of football, and I’m living testimony that anything is possible,” Newton told the Associated Press.

Newton is the third Auburn player to be so honored. His 729 first-place votes beat runner-up Andrew Luck of Stanford by 1,184 points.

Oregon running back LaMichael James was third.

Reaching the podium, he whispered “oh my God” twice as he pulled out his acceptance speech.

The top-ranked Tigers are headed for the BCS National Championship Game against Oregon.

Newton has been embroiled in controversy since a Mississippi State booster came forward saying Newton’s father tried to get the college to pay $180,000 to have Newton play there.

Playing this weekend in the Rose Bowl is about as close as the USC Trojans will come to a bowl game for the next couple of years, and anyone who’s been betting NCAA Football Odds involving Lane Kiffin’s band of misfits has been close to bashing their television sets. The USC Trojans will match up against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl to end their regular season, and both teams continue to be disasters on the college football line.

You use ATS records to measure how well a team has been playing against expectations of their coaching, talent and overall history. Considering that USC was slapped up the head with a bevy of fines and penalties in the wake of Reggie Bush’s transgressions, it’s still a positive thing that they’re headed in to their final game 7-5 SU.

However, against the college football lines they’ve gone 4-8 ATS and are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games on the road. They are a terribly untrustworthy team not just because of the sanctions that have killed their recruiting potential, but also because the Trojans aren’t living up to the talent potential they already possess.

That being said, this has always been a matchup that has favored the Trojans. They’re 9-1 SU against UCLA and are 6-4 ATS in the past 10 meetings. UCLA is also just 2-3 ATS in their past 5 games and simply haven’t been that consistent. Overall, they’re just 4-7 ATS this season.

Though you can say the exact same thing for the Bruins, the USC Trojans literally have nothing to play for in this game and that could motivate this team to finish off their season with a win. They’re still a much more talented and balanced team and when in doubt about two underachieving teams, you always take the one that is basically more talented.

Technically, when betting college football lines you’re unsure of you should take the points but that’s contrived advice in this game. UCLA is terrible and the only reason this game doesn’t’ have a higher line for USC is because it’s on neutral ground.

End your college football betting day with a victory and take the USC Trojans. They do not want to go in to the off-season with a loss to Notre Dame and UCLA on their backs, and though they have nothing left to play for, they still have their pride and some strong talent. Their college football line is worth taking regardless of what you think of Lane Kiffin.

With our sports editor hailing from Boston University so many years ago and our editor in chief graduating from Northeastern a bit more recently, Monday’s Beanpot championship game had special meaning for the Blast Magazine family.

Whether it had the intended result or not, Blast had a reporter at the TD Banknorth Garden and worked with two photographers, Kristyn Ulanday of the Daily Free Press, and freelancer Peter Keeling, to visualize the game as best we could.

Here are the photos in high resolution:

Reported live from the TD Banknorth Garden

Fans trickled out of the Garden. They were either elated or in the dumps — justified or mortified.

A Boston University 5-2 win over Northeastern left many frustrated that the game — pitting No. 1 versus No. 3 in the country — really wasn’t even close.

At the beginning of the third period BU, already leading, went at it hard and left the Huskies struggling to play catch up. NU’s Wade MacLeod’s seemed simply unable to take the shot after he had an opportunity, letting the puck loose causing one of several pileups at the BU goal.

BU’s David Warsofsky scored fourth goal and Colin Wilson followed about a minute later with the last nail.

Northeastern had a chance, but they were just not aggressive enough to attack and take the shots needed. The Beanpot and the pride of Beantown has been given to BU once again, with BU Sophomore Nick Bonino being named MVP.

Northeastern University students arrived pumped and fiery, chanting “BU Sucks,” but the game was the first serious letdown of perhaps the best hockey season this school’s struggling athletics program has seen in more than 10 years.

In the first period, Boston University managed to score the first goal. The Huskies fought back with a goal in the last minute of the period and have been fighting back BU’s plays since the start.

The rowdy fans got a little bit of drama early on when an official got hit in the face by a puck during the fourth minute. He was taken off the rink by paramedics.

BU played clean and fast, and the Huskies just didn’t have an answer all night. Most frustrating of all may be the fact that BU scored two shorthanded goals, topping off NU’s failure to capitalize on opportunities.

Bessie King reported from the game. Blast Magazine editor John M. Guilfoil contributed to this report with analysis.

Reporting from the TD Banknorth Garden

The players are warming up and the fans are crowding the Garden for the 57th annual Beanpot Championship.

“Execute our game plan and come up high, there’s no more pressure than any other game,” said‚ Albie O’Connell Northeastern assistant coach.

After a decisive win against Boston College, the third-ranked Huskies are ready to go for the cup. Top ranked Boston University though is ready to reclaim its title for the 29th year.

Although a Massachusetts event, this year’s game has reached nationwide‚ attention‚ because‚ Northeastern has not made it to a final in more than 20 years.

So far the expectations are high and the tension is tangible.

In tonight’s consolation game Boston College beat Harvard 4-3. For some this was a good enough prize.

“Its a little depressing that we didn’t make it and its my last year, but we’re rooting for Northeastern because there’s been such a rivalry with BU all these years,” said Keith Malado, a senior at Boston College.

Just like they said they would, Boston College has fired head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski, whose name is roughly as fun to type as that of a certain Illinois governor.

B.C. warned Jagodzinski that if he interviewed for the head coaching vacancy of the N.Y. Jets that they would fire him. Apparently, they weren’t kidding.

“Jeff and I were really divided on the future of this program,” said B.C.’s athletic director Gene DeFilippo. “I just thought I hired a coach that I thought was going to be here a long time and I thought Jeff was that guy. I am looking for someone who can give a commitment of at least four or five years, for the length of the contract.”

He said that there will be an interim coach assigned until he can find a long-term replacement.

As reported on ESPN, “ESPN and the BCS announced the deal on Tuesday. It includes exclusive television, radio, digital, international and marketing rights for the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls from 2011-2014 and the BCS title game from 2011 to 2013.”

This means the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar Bowls, plus the BCS Championship Game, will be televised in prime…blah blah blah…who the F cares?

I read the article about five times and I still haven’t found the sentences that read, “starting in the 2009-10, college football season the NCAA will have a playoff system consisting of the top-eight ranked teams to determine the National Championship. Four newly formed bowls have been named. The Super Awesome Bowl will be featuring the number one and number eight ranked teams. The It’s Finally Here Bowl will be featuring the number two and number seven ranked teams in the nation. The There Will Finally Be No Arguments About Who Is Number One Bowl will play the number three ranked team against the number six ranked team. And finally, the If You Oppose This Playoff Format You Are An Idiot Bowl will host the number four and number five ranked teams.

Don’t give me the argument that the number nine team is left out of this tournament. Nobody cares about Boise State.

After round one we have four teams left, which leaves us three more games that can be played in the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. These three bowls will alternate every year in hosting the National Championship game. It’s that easy.

I’m sorry I left out the Rose Bowl, but Vince Young’s and Matt Leinart’s performances in the NFL have completely ruined my perception of the 2006 game in Pasadena.

This new playoff system would be the best tournament in sports and would trump March Madness.

We absolutely love it when a big media outlet gets college students involved in the news.

PlayboyU.com, the PG-13 Playboy site for students recently polled top college newspaper sportswriters to get their top 25 college football picks.

The “Playboy College Sportswriter Top 25 Poll,” is surprisingly accurate with a few points for debate.

“We’re glad to have students from so many great schools participate in this inaugural poll,” said Gary Cole, Playboy magazine’s sports editor.  “It’s great to be able to add the opinions of these college journalists to Playboy’s coverage of college football and college sports in general … even if their ultimate pick of Georgia over my preseason number one, Oklahoma, is dead wrong.”

The Georgia Bulldogs narrowly edged out the University of Southern California. Rounding out the top five are Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Florida.

The 31 student-pollsters include representatives from nearly every major Division I conference, as well as the Ivy League, including the University of Florida, University of Georgia, USC, UCLA, The Ohio State University, Harvard University, University of Notre Dame, and 24 other schools.

Playboy’s College Sportswriters Top 25

Rank Team Points
1 Georgia 729
2 USC 724
3 Ohio State 698
4 Oklahoma 680
5 Florida 675
6 Missouri 605
7 LSU 566
8 West Virginia 517
9 Clemson 494
10 Texas 486
11 Auburn 451
12 Wisconsin 404
13 Texas Tech 374
14 Kansas 330
15 Virginia Tech 318
16 BYU 295
17 Arizona State 291
18 Tennessee 280
19 Illinois 208
20 Oregon 185
21 South Florida 168
22 Penn State 126
23 Fresno State 87
24 Wake Forest 64
25 Alabama 57

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren admits he doesn’t know too much about fantasy football, but says that his daughter Calla does.

In fact, she was kicked out of a fantasy football league at some point for insider info.

“My daughter, who’s a doctor in Salt Lake City, she captained one of the fantasy teams and then was thrown out of the league because of ‘inside information.’ But I will say, she was clean,” Holmgren said. “It was the appearance.

“She did not phone me about it. And she was very upset about it. But she knows football, as all my girls do.”

The field of 65 is now down to the final two after last night’s national semifinal games. And, after last night I don’t think anyone can doubt that the final game includes the two best teams in the country. Memphis easily handled a very popular UCLA team in the first game 78-63 and Kansas took a huge lead early and held off a North Carolina comeback to win 84-66, setting the stage for a Memphis/Kansas final on Monday evening.

The Memphis Tigers were led again by their two All-American guards, freshman Derek Rose and junior Chris Douglas-Roberts who combined for 53 of the 78 Memphis points. These two players, who are destined for NBA stardom, are that much better than any other guard tandem in college basketball and are a serious match up problem for any team they play. Of their 53 combined points, 20 of them came from the charity stripe on 23 attempts. Rose went 11-for-12 and Douglas-Roberts went 9-for-11. Interestingly, the two players were the only Tigers to get to the line. Maybe this was Coach Calipari’s strategy for fixing their free-throw woes (61% for the year), only allowing his two best-free throw shooters to get there (Rose and Douglas-Roberts, 71%). Senior Joey Dorsey did not score any points, but made his contribution by bringing down 15 rebounds, six of them on the offensive side. Forward Shawn Taggart came off the bench for 22 minutes and scored seven points and grabbed seven boards.

UCLA led 12-11 four and half minutes into the game, but Derek Rose’s lay up put Memphis in the lead for good. UCLA kept it close during the first twenty minutes of the game going into halftime 38-35, but a 10-2 run to start the second half put Memphis up by 11 and UCLA couldn’t fight their way back. UCLA was led by sophomore guard Russell Westbrook who scored 22 points on 10 for 19 shooting. Freshman Kevin Love, who most likely played his last game for UCLA, finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. This was UCLA’s third straight final four appearance and the third straight time they finished empty handed.

The nightcap featured another future NBA star Brandon Rush and his Kansas Jayhawks. On 11-for-17 shooting, Rush dropped in 25 points including 12 in a 40-to-12 run to start the game. The lead looked too big for any team to come back from, especially with the way Kansas was out-everthinging (made up word?) UNC. But, with five minutes left in the first half, Tarheel junior Danny Green sparked a 15-to-4 run with eight points on his own to close the half at 44-27.

The comeback didn’t stop there. With UNC not slowing down any, they came out firing, cutting the lead to 54-50. However, coming back from a deficit that big spends a lot of energy and the Tarheels couldn’t get any closer. Kansas finally regrouped and again took control of the game getting the lead back to 10 points, 71-61, with four and a half minutes left to play. Kansas guard Sherron Collins came off the bench with 11 points, four assists and four rebounds. AP Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Wayne Ellington led all UNC players with 18.

Monday night’s game will feature two of the best guards in the country squaring off against each other with Kansas’ Brandon Rush and Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts. Both are 6-6 and can play inside and outside. The winner of this battle could ultimately help lead their team to a national title.

It’s that time of year again, and since we saw that everyone and their mother is doing a mock NFL draft, we decided it wasn’t too early. We are guaranteeing that every single pick is accurate. Ok…maybe not. Anyway, here is Micah Warren’s 2008 NFL Mock Draft:

1. Miami Dolphins: Chris Long, DE, Virginia

I can’t imagine the Dolphins want anyone at this slot. No one is really worth it, but Chris Long is close. If possible, the Dolphins should trade down and accrue multiple picks, but I just don’t see anyone willing to play ball with them. When you barely win one game (because a veteran misses a field goal that he rarely misses), you have a lot more needs than one guy can fill. That said, Long is the safe pick.

2. St. Louis Rams: Jake Long, OT, Michigan

I was tempted to say Glenn Dorsey, and that very well could happen (like how I’m covering myself in case they take Dorsey?), but their offensive line was simply a mess last year.

3. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

Unless they really have an aversion to Ryan, I don’t know how they can pass on a QB. Currently, they have Chris Redman, Joey Harrington and D.J. Shockley on their roster. I just don’t see how you can win football games with those players. It’s easy to make a case for a bunch of other players they could draft because there is a reason they are drafting this high.

4. Oakland Raiders: Vernon Gholston, LB, Ohio St.

I know, no one wants to believe that Al Davis will pass on Darren McFadden. But he has a logjam at running back and his current group can get it done. The Raiders currently have six RB’s on their roster, four of which are of note. Dominic Rhodes could have been Super Bowl MVP two years ago. Lamont Jordan can do some damage with a little room. Justin Fargas was great at times last year. And the wild card is Michael Bush. Many thought he was a sure first-rounder last year before he broke his leg in the season opener at Louisville. The Raiders need help elsewhere.

5. Kansas City Chiefs: Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.

The key to the Chiefs success in the past was that dominant offensive line. It made superstars out of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson. Willie Roaf, Brian Waters, Will Shields…studs. Waters is still there, but not much else. Rebuilding the offensive line will be the key for the Chiefs.

6. New York Jets: Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

The running game just wasn’t working last year, and I personally blame the offensive line. As soon as Pete Kendall left, it was a mess. Thomas Jones is an excellent back who didn’t have a lot of room last year. But the Jets will take McFadden anyway. GM’s are drunk with thoughts of Adrian Peterson last year and everyone wants to add an All Day to their roster.

7. New England Patriots: Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy

The Patriots defense woes were largely covered up last year by the high-flying offense. In close games, they showed their holes. Their secondary in particular isn’t very good and they lost their top player in the back, Asante Samuel. They need to replace him. I may suggest that the Patriots use all of their draft choices on the secondary.

8. Baltimore Ravens: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

I know, I know, Brohm’s stock has fallen considerably. But, the Ravens need a quarterback and John Harbaugh knows this. He watched how the Eagles were built and it started with the selection of Donovan McNabb.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

Anytime you ring up 45 points in a game and lose, something is wrong on the defensive side of the ball. Seriously wrong. Ellis will hopefully provide an anchor to the defensive line and set up everything else on the defense. A disruptive force in the middle changes everything.

10. New Orleans Saints: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU

Again with the defensive tackles. Dorsey wouldn’t have to move very far to play for the Saints. This New Orleans team desperately needs playmakers on defense and newly acquired LB Jonathan Vilma would love to see Dorsey on the roster. With the additions of Vilma and Dorsey, the Saints would have the beginnings of a real NFL defense. Oh wait, the secondary. Well, there is always round two. This would be the perfect time to trade for Lito Sheppard, especially considering the Saints affinity for former Eagles.

11. Buffalo Bills: Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma

I don’t love Kelly, but Limas Sweed has injury issues. At 6-4, Kelly would be that target that they would love to put opposite Lee Evans.

12. Denver Broncos: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt

Quick: Name an offensive lineman on the Broncos. Exactly. Jay Cutler would love some blind side help.

13. Carolina Panthers: Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

The Panthers need help in a lot of places, especially QB, but I don’t see a QB worth taking this high. They lost DT Kris Jenkins in a trade and that makes it even more important that they get Julius Peppers some help.

14. Chicago Bears: Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

The Bears desperately need o-line help, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jeff Otah go here. But the Bears best WR right now is Marty Booker. Yep, read that again. Marty Booker. Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammed weren’t even that great, and now they don’t even have that. The simple fact is that Jerry Angelo needs to prove that he can draft offensive players.

15. Detroit Lions: Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

The Lions need help in a lot of places, but with the loss of Kevin Jones, they’ll need someone to pound the rock. Especially with the pass-happy Mike Martz gone. Tatum Bell and Brian Calhoun just don’t do it for me.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee St.

All I heard was "Cromartie" and I was sold. They didn’t make the move for Lito Sheppard and they desperately need help in the secondary (thanks for nothing, Antrel Rolle). This guy is big, fast and makes plays. All things the Cardinals need.

17. Minnesota Vikings: Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan St.

I’ve seen many mock drafts that have the Vikings taking a DE here because of the sad news about Kenechi Udeze (leukemia). But they’ve invested a lot of first rounders in recent years on the defensive line (Kevin Williams, Erasmus James) and they desperately need more playmakers on offense. Adrian Peterson is going to get killed with no threat of the pass. I think they should address QB in the second round.

18. Houston Texans: Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh

The offensive line of the Texans has become a running punch line in the NFL. They need to protect Matt Schaub and give their mediocre running backs a little room.

19. Philadelphia Eagles: Kenny Philips, S, Miami

I really think the Eagles want an offensive lineman first, but there aren’t any tackles right now that they like. Brian Dawkins isn’t getting any younger and the Eagles value the secondary enough to take a safety in the first round.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Keith Rivers, LB, USC

The Bucs get a steal here. The Cover 2 requires athletes and the Bucs linebackers could use a shot in the arm.

21. Washington Redskins: Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida

While the Redskins desperately want to add a big-time WR, they need help on the defensive line. This would be the smart thing to do, but as we all know, Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato don’t always do the smart thing.

22. Dallas Cowboys: Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas

Jerry Jones will get his Arkansas running back, just not the one everyone expected. With Julius Jones gone, they need a compliment to Marion Barber. His running style is just too violent to be conducive to long-term health.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Branden Albert, G, Virginia

They need to replace Alan Faneca. Didn’t have to dig too deep to figure this one out.

24. Tennessee Titans: James Hardy, WR, Indiana

I was thinking of going with Desean Jackson from Cal, but then I remembered he’s not that big and Vince Young isn’t the best passer. Hardy solves this problem. At 6-7, he is basically daring Young to over throw him. In all fairness to Young though, he really hasn’t had any weapons to play with during his time in the NFL. That has to change.

25. Seattle Seahawks: Fred Davis, TE, USC

This may be a bit of a reach here, but the Seahawks would love to get Matt Hasselbeck a good tight end. Jerramy Stevens was a waste of time, and Marcus Pollard is going to be 64 in August. Davis is a nice, big target and averaged 14.2 yards per catch last year.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars: Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College

The offensive line is just too important, especially when you like to pound it. Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew just got that much better. If one of the 18 WR’s that they acquired in the offseason turns out to be something, extra time for Garrard could mean a lethal offense.

27. San Diego Chargers: Reggie Smith, CB/S, Oklahoma

The Chargers really don’t have any glaring needs. They came close to beating the mighty Patriots in the playoffs last year with an ACL-less QB, no starting MVP-caliber RB, and no all-world TE. The addition of Chris Chambers last year and the emergence of Vincent Jackson downgrades the priority of wide receiver. Why not bolster the secondary?

28. Dallas Cowboys: Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

I can’t believe he fell this far. I know they need WR help, but they need a corner even more. Did anyone else not realize that Terrence Newman turns 30 in early September? Don’t be surprised if they grab DeSean Jackson here as their WR’s are ancient too, but defense has to come first.

29. San Francisco 49ers: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina St.

They could grab tweener Quentin Groves, but a good defensive tackle is tough to pass up. Imagine if Patrick Willis had a monster in the middle of that line? 174 tackles will seem like a down year.

30. Green Bay Packers: Brandon Flower, CB, Virginia Tech

Green Bay really doesn’t have many holes. Even the retirement of Brett Favre is covered by former first-round pick Aaron Rodgers. Running back was a problem, then along came Ryan Grant. Greg Jennings and James Jones look like they are going to be fine at WR. The big issue is the age of Al Harris and Charles Woodson at corner. They should start grooming a new guy.

31. New England Patriots: Forfeited

32. New York Giants: Dan Connor, LB, Penn St.

If you watched Penn St. over the last couple of years, you know about Dan Connor and Paul Posluszny. All they do is play football. I don’t know about their 40 times or high jumps or bench press reps, but these guys are damn good football players. The Giants will be getting help immediately if they can nab Connor.

For the first time in NCAA Tournament history, all four number one seeds advanced to the final four. While most are commending the selection committee for their brilliant seeding this year, I view the glass as half empty. This is the only time since 1985 (first year with 64 teams) that the selection committee got it right. The brackets are supposed to protect the best teams in the country and allow them the easiest route to the Final Four. Shouldn’t all number one seeds represent the Final Four more often? After three sentences, I now view the glass as half full. This is the beauty of the single-elimination NCAA Tournament. Any team can catch a hot hand and send the loser packing. In a five-game or seven-game series, the better team almost always prevails.

The Philadelphia 76ers would have won the NBA Championship in 2001 if the Finals were only one game, but they played a seven-game series and the Lakers won the next four. The Lakers were clearly the better team. In that same year, Jamaal Tinsley’s number two seed Iowa State Cyclones (25-6) lost to the number 15 seed Hampton Pirates in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. And that was it. Iowa State went home and Hampton advanced. That is the beauty of this tournament. One and done. Would Iowa State have won in a five or seven-game series? Most likely, but college teams need to out-play, out-hustle, out-gut, and play their best in every single game or they’re going home. This is what makes the 2008 NCAA Tournament so special. The four best teams in the country all season long did out-play, out-hustle, and out-gut every opponent and they are the lone teams left standing. Each team is playing at their best with only three more games left to play. Furthermore, there is no clear-cut favorite which makes this one of the most anticipated Final Fours in tournament history.

Let’s take a look at who is left.

East regional winner: North Carolina Tar Heels
They are the overall number one seed in the tournament and it’s no surprise to see them in the final four. Their lineup is stacked and their bench could’ve probably formed another team to play in the tournament. They are led by All-American and ESPN.com Player Of The Year Tyler Hansbrough. He is the heart and soul of this team with an endless motor. In their victory over Louisville it was Hansbrough who scored seven straight points when Louisville tied the game at 59. And it was Hansbrough who made consecutive two-point jumpers that helped his team withstand the Cardinals comeback when they had cut the lead to five with three minuets left to play. Hansbrough is leading his team with 21 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. With Hansbrough and teammates Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington (both averaging 15 points per game in the tournament) all possibly leaving next year for the NBA, this could be their last shot at a National Championship.

Midwest regional winner: Kansas Jayhawks
They ended Stephen Curry and Davidson’s Cinderella run. It wasn’t easy, but in a balanced effort led by center Sasha Kaun’s (off the bench) perfect effort from the field going 6-6 for 13 points and six rebounds the Jayhawks advanced to the final four for the first time under coach Bill Self. Kansas is one of the best defensive teams in the country. Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson have combined for 18 steals in the tournament and the Kansas team has held their opponents to 57 points per game. Chalmers also leads his team in scoring averaging 15 points per game and junior Brandon Rush is averaging 14.5 a game. The Jayhawks are going to play against their former coach, Roy Williams, next weekend in San Antonio. Williams started coaching Kansas in 1988 until he left for UNC in 2003. This only adds to the drama of a matchup that already has a storied history.

West regional winner: UCLA Bruins
The Bruins advanced to their third straight final four with their convincing victory over Xavier on Saturday 76-57. The Bruins are led by freshman Kevin Love who probably is the best player in the country. The 6-10 center understands the importance of having an inside prescence and plays effectively with his back to the basket. He can score, pass, and rebound with the best of them. Love is averaging 21.8 points (61% shooting) and 11 rebounds per game. Guards Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison have combined for 94 points to help support their big man’s dominance. Similar to UNC, UCLA’s window for the National Championship could be getting shut after with Love, Westbrook, and Collison all considered possibilities for the NBA draft next season.

South regional winner: Memphis Tigers
Despite one game where they had trouble on the free throw line (Mississippi State) the Tigers have completely dominated their opponents in the tournament. Their most impressive win was their 85-67 victory over Texas yesterday in front of almost 30,000 Longhorn fans. They jumped out early and never looked back behind their star-studded backcourt featuring Chris Douglas-Roberts (25 points) and freshman Derek Rose (21 points). Rose could be one of the top three picks in this years NBA draft. This Memphis team will give any one of the other teams left serious matchup problems. Douglas-Roberts (6-7), Rose (6-3) and Antonio Anderson (6-6) are three big guards. And forwards Robert Dozier (6-9), Joey Dorsey (6-9), and Shawn Tagger (6-10, off the bench) are huge bodies that take up space in the paint. This is the reason that Memphis has only lost one game this season and this is the reason that Kevin Love and UCLA face their biggest task in San Antonio next weekend.

Four teams advanced to the Elite 8 (Great 8?) last night in the NCAA Tournament. The first two games of the evening featured Xavier vs. West Virginia and North Carolina vs. Washington State. Let’s take a look at what went down:

(7) West Virginia vs. (3) Xavier:
Xavier jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and with a barrage of three pointers that lead stretched to 18 points with around nine minutes left in the first half. It was not looking good for WVU. Xavier was hitting everything and had complete control of the game. However, Mountaineer forward Wellington Smith went on a run of his own scoring eight unanswered points to pull within ten. WVU was able to cut the lead to seven at the half.

The Mountaineers continued their comeback in the second half and were able to pull within one point 41-40 with around 15 minutes left in the game. The game stayed tight the rest of the way. With 14 seconds left in the game, WVU forward Joe Alexander kissed a shot off the glass while getting fouled. The basket tied the game up and with one free throw left he had a chance to put his team up by one. His free throw went long hitting the back of the rim and when Xavier guard Drew Lavender’s shot missed the other way, the two teams headed into overtime.

In the extra session, WVU jumped out to a 71-65 lead within the first minute and a half, but a resilient Xavier team went on a 10-3 run led by B.J. Raymond’s back-to-back three pointers. With Alexander on the bench with five fouls, West Virginia was not able to recover and the Musketeers prevailed 79-75. Senior forward Josh Duncan led Xavier with 26 points and teammate C.J. Anderson added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Joe Alexander finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers. OTR is hoping that Alexander returns for another season at WVU, because we have enjoyed watching him develop into one of the best college players in the country. If you get a chance, ESPN’s Dana O’Neil wrote a great piece on Alexander that is worth reading.

(4) Washington State vs. (1) North Carolina
Washington State plays great defense and they were able to hold UNC to 68 points on 43% shooting, but it was not enough. They forgot to score points. 47 points and only making 31% of your shots is not going to win you basketball games this deep in the tournament. Did anyone really think the Cougars had any shot at winning this game anyway? UNC hasn’t been tested yet and they weren’t last night in their 68-47 victory. All-American forward Tyler Hansbrough didn’t have his best shooting night, but his 18 points and 9 rebounds led his team in both categories. Junior Danny Green contributed 15 points off the bench. Junior center Aron Baynes played well for the Cougars, but foul trouble plagued him all game. He finished with 14 points on 6-8 shooting. That’s about it for this game. It really wasn’t an exciting game. All fifteen players played again for UNC for the third straight game.

The later games featured Tennessee vs. Louisville and UCLA vs. Western Kentucky. Let’s take a look:

(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Louisville
Tennessee went up 7-6 early in the game when forward Duke Crews made a two-point basket, but that was the last lead they held the whole game. The next time down the court Louisville’s Juan Palacios nailed a three pointer and the Cardinals never looked back. The Volunteers were able to pull within one point 37-36 during a 6-0 run to begin the second half; however, Louisville was able to take control and outscored Tennessee 42-24 the rest of the way. Louisville shot 52% from the field and were led by sophomore Earl Clark (off the bench) who dropped in 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Four other players contributed with ten or more points in a very balanced effort for the Cardinals. Senior guard Chris Lofton, who may have been ailing from an injury, had a horrible shooting night (3-15), but went 7-7 from the stripe to lead all Volunteers with 15 points. Louisville advances to play North Carolina in the East regional finals. The Big East is 2-0 against the ACC in this year’s tournament, but UNC will have something to say about that on Saturday.

(1) UCLA vs. (12) Western Kentucky
How good is UCLA freshman Kevin Love? Good to quite good is the answer. Love scored 29 points on 10-14 shooting and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead his UCLA Bruins to an 88-78 victory. Western Kentucky never held a lead in this game, but did pull within four points 61-57 with seven minutes left in the game. Western Kentucky senior guard Tyrone Brazelton played a great game in their defeat. He led all scorers with 31 points and added five assists. UCLA’s James Keefe also had a solid game off the bench with 18 points and 12 rebounds. UCLA will now play Xavier in the West regional finals.

South Region (Houston, TX)
Summary of the first two rounds:

The South region, similar to the East region, only had one game where the higher seed advanced past the lower seed (higher meaning higher number) when (5) Michigan State defeated (4) Pittsburgh 65-54 in the second round. The Spartans also won their first round game by 11 points in their victory over Temple. Their next opponent will be the number one seed Memphis Tigers, who made easy work of Texas-Arlington in the first round, but found themselves a little too close for comfort against Mississippi State. For Memphis, foul shooting was a major problem in this game as it has been all season long. They went 15-32 from the stripe including only 2-6 when the game was on the line with under 20 seconds left. Their poor foul shooting gave Mississippi one last chance to tie it, but junior Jamont Gordon’s three-pointer missed the target.

The bottom half of the bracket went as planned with no upsets. Stanford rolled over Ivy League champ Cornell 77-53, but a pesky Marquette team took them to overtime in the second round. With nine seconds left in regulation Robin Lopez made one of two free throws to tie it up and Marquette’s Lazar Hayward missed his opportunity at winning the game when his two point shot fell short. In the overtime, Robin’s twin brother Brook Lopez was the hero. Brook scored eight points in the extra session including a two point jumper with three seconds left to win the game 82-81.

Guard A.J. Abrams led his number two seed Texas Longhorns in scoring with 26 points in each of the first two games of the tournament helping them defeat Austin Peay 74-54 and a resilient Miami team 75-72. Miami was down by 17 points with just under 11 minutes left in the game, but junior guard Jack McClinton surged a comeback that pulled them within three points when senior Raymond Hicks (off the bench) nailed a three pointer with 15 seconds left. However, two clutch free throws by A.J. sealed the deal for Texas which allowed them to advance to play Stanford in the round of 16.

Let’s look at the Sweet 16 match ups:

(1) Memphis vs. (5) Michigan State:
Should we worry about this team’s capability of hitting foul shots? Maybe, but this team isn’t an 11-loss team. They have only lost one game all season long, so they must be doing something right. Let’s ignore the shade-under-60% free throw average and focus on why this team is so good. Memphis has a lot of guys on their team that can play and constantly throw different lineups at the opposition. They can play big, they can play small, and this rotation keeps them fresh. They are led by 6-7 guard Chris Douglas-Roberts who shoots 54% from the field and freshman guard Derek Rose who leads the Tigers in assists. They have two 6-9 forwards that play very big in Robert Dozier and senior Joey Dorsey who loves to call the painted box his own. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Memphis has a lot of depth which is very important. Can Michigan State compete with this team? The Spartans have all five starters back from last year and are led by senior guard Drew Neitzel who leads the nation in assist to turnover ratio. I like that. However, if Michigan State has any chance at knocking off Memphis they will need a huge game from forward Raymar Morgan. Raymar had a hot start in the beginning of the year, as did the Spartans (19-2), but became very inconsistent in the second half of the year getting himself into foul trouble in a lot of the games. So, if Raymar can avoid the whistle Michigan State might have a shot, but I still think Memphis is too tough.

Perry’s Edge Memphis

(2) Texas vs. (3) Stanford:
I love this Texas team and let me tell you why. They have an outstanding point guard in D.J. Augustin who leads the team in scoring and assists. They have a deadly sharp shooter, A.J. Abrams, who is having a great tournament thus far. And 6-7 forward Damion James loves to rip down the rebounds and establishes a solid presence in the middle. However, center Connor Atchley and forward Gary Johnson are going to have their biggest task of the season. They will be facing up against the Lopez twins, Robin and Brook. I just noticed the Lopez twins have girly names. That’s funny. Ms. Robin and Ms. Brook both stand seven-feet tall and love to dominate the paint. Combined they averaged 29 points and almost 14 rebounds per game. Furthermore, for Stanford to win, junior point guard Mitch Johnson and company will need to stop D.J. and A.J. from dominating the perimeter. For Texas to win, their big men are going to need to contain the Lopez girls and Stanford’s inside game. I usually will take the inside presence over the perimeter game, but I love D.J. Augustin. Oh, and they’re playing in Houston. Perry’s Edge Texas.

Final Four Pick: Texas

West Region (Phoenix, AZ)
Summary of the first two rounds:

Mississippi Valley State scored 29 points in the first round. Not the first half, but the first round. UCLA laughed and advanced to round two where they found a legitimate opponent, Texas A&M. With 10 minutes left in the second half UCLA found themselves down by eight points 44-36. Texas A&M went scoreless for almost six minutes which allowed guard Russell Westbrook and the best freshman in college basketball Kevin Love to rally their team back within one point with 5:51 left. Russell scored all of his five points in that 7-0 run. Love tied the game at 45 and put UCLA up by two with consecutive two point baskets. The teams traded baskets until UCLA junior Darren Collison iced the game with 12 seconds left with a layup capping off his 21-point night.

The Cinderella team in the West, 12th seed Western Kentucky, provided us with the best game of the tournament in round one against Drake. In overtime, down by one point, Western Kentucky’s Ty Rogers took the hand-off from Tyrone Brazelton just behind the arc and nailed a three pointer to win the game as the buzzer sounded. In an easier game in the second round, WKU was able to defeat the 13th seeded San Diego who pulled off an upset of their own in the first round over Jim Calhoun’s UCONN Huskies. Western Kentucky will now face off against UCLA.

Xavier proved worthy of their number three seed by defeating SEC Tournament Champion Georgia 73-61 and a solid Purdue team 85-78. They will advance to play against the seventh seeded Mountaineers of West Virginia who defeated Arizona in the first round and that team I don’t like from Durham in the second round. If you want to read more of what happened in those games or how I really feel you can click here or here or here.

Let’s look at the Sweet 16 match ups:

(1) UCLA vs. (12) Western Kentucky:
I don’t think Western Kentucky has any shot at winning this game, but lets pretend. Western Kentucky has a shot at winning this game if future NBA star Courtney Lee and point guard Tyronne Brazelton can control the tempo of this game. In all honesty, Lee is one hell of a player. He averaged 20 points per game this year and has led his team to 19 victories in their last 20 games. He’s 6-5, 200 pounds, and has four years of college experience. However, Kevin Love only has one year of experience, he’s better, he’s bigger, and he plays for UCLA. Look for Love to control the inside game as his teammate Darren Collison controls the perimeter. These two players carried the Bruins down the stretch in their second round victory over Texas A&M and look for them to do the same against the Hilltoppers. Perry’s Edge UCLA.

(3) Xavier vs. (7) West Virginia:

I don’t trust basketball players under 5-10 and Xavier has one of those. His name is Drew Lavender, he’s 5-7, and he is good. That’s pretty much all I know about Xavier. They have pretty balanced scoring, they have a veteran team and they don’t turn the ball over. I shouldn’t have underestimated them a week ago, because these are the type of team that can go deep in the NCAA Tournament. However, they are playing against the team that I like most. If you haven’t seen Joe Alexander play yet, you’re in for a treat. This kid is good. He tends to force the issue at times but when he is under control he is a heck of a basketball player. He is 6-8 230 pounds and has both an inside game and outside game. He can handle the ball up top, play the post, and create his own shot. He plays defense, blocks shot, and loves to talk smack. Did I get my point across? In the game against Duke, Joe Mazulla came off the bench and controlled the whole game while coming two assists short from getting a triple double (a rare feat in college basketball). Look for Coach Huggins to turn to him early in this game. Keep your eye on forward Da’Sean Butler and guard Alex Ruoff as well. Ruoff probably has the best jumper of all the players left in this tournament. West Virginia has some guys that can play. They remind me of the team with Pittsnogle and Gansey. I’m riding the Alexander train till it ends.

Perry’s Edge: West Virginia

Final Four Pick: UCLA

East Region (Charlotte, NC):
Summary of first two rounds:
North Carolina steam rolled their first two opponents (Mount St. Mary’s and Arkansas) 113-74 and 108-77. Roy Williams was able to get all fifteen players on the court for both games and they collectively shot over 60% from the field. Although the East has a couple very strong teams, nobody was as dominant or made things look as easy as UNC. UNC stands as the lone ACC team left in the tournament and will be facing off against Washington State. In the first round, WSU was even at the half against Winthrop but outscored them by 31 points in the second half and kept it going in the second round by defeating Notre Dame 61-41.

Louisville has also looked very strong as many Rick Pitino teams have in the past. Louisville made easy work by defeating Boise State in the first round and dominated Oklahoma by 30 points in the second round. However, their next round opponent didn’t have it so easy. Tennessee got a scare yesterday when Butler’s Willie Veasley tipped in a two-point shot with 35 seconds left in the game to send it to overtime. In the OT session, Tennessee’s JaJuan Smith went four for four from the charity stripe to seal the victory 76-71. In the first round, Tennessee defeated American University 72-57.

Overall, the East region has gone as planned with no major upsets. The only game where a lower seed lost to a higher seed was (9) Arkansas’ win over (8) Indiana in the first round. Besides Tennessee, the teams left in this region haven’t been tested yet, but who does this favor? Tennessee has felt the pressure that this tournament is all about in their OT game against Butler and they were able to come out victorious. This could be very valuable in their next game and the regional final game if they are able to advance. Don’t look at that Butler game as a sign of weakness for Tennessee. Butler was a very strong team and was ranked almost all season long.

Let’s look at the Sweet 16 match ups:
(1) North Carolina vs. (4) Washington State:
This game is going to be tough for Washington State to win. They are many miles from home and have to face the best team in the country in their own backyard. Moreover, Ty Lawson is healthy and playing extremely well right now. Tyler Hansbrough is the All-American on this team, but UNC is at its best when Lawson is running the show. He controls this offense and brings them the stability they need. Washington State is going to have their hands full. They are going to have to play the perfect game or hope UNC comes out cold. Center Aron Baynes has to play huge in the middle and senior guard Derrick Lowe needs to shoot lights out for the Cougars to have any shot at winning this game. Perry’s Edge UNC.

(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Louisville:
This is going to be a very good game. Even though Georgetown won the Big East this year, many people thought Louisville was the best team in that Conference and they find themselves playing against the only team that beat Memphis this year. These are two very strong teams. Louisville has a very balanced attack with a solid eight man rotation, but look for guard Jerry Smith and forward Earl Clark (coming off the bench) to try to take control of this game for Louisville. Tennessee is led by sophomore Tyler Smith who has been very clutch all year long. Senior guards Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith could ultimately give Tennessee the edge in this game. There is nothing like having senior guard leadership on your team in the NCAA Tournament. Perry’s Edge Tennessee.

Final Four Pick: UNC

Midwest Region (Detroit, MI):
Summary of the first two rounds:
The Midwest region was filled with upsets and probably was the most exciting region of the four. In the first round, 12th seed Villanova found themselves down by 18 points in the second half to Clemson. However, they didn’t pack it in. Sophomore guard Scottie Reynolds led his team back and upset the fifth seed 75-69. That set up a second round match up against the 13th seed Sienna who defeated the fourth seed Vanderbilt with ease 83-62. Villanova did advance past Sienna and will now face off against the number one seed Kansas who easily got by Portland State 85-61 and UNLV 75-56. Kansas guard Mario Chalmers might finally have his hands full with Villanova’s Reynolds.

Another Cinderella story surfaced in the bottom half of the bracket when 10th seed Davidson defeated Gonzaga in the first round and shocked Georgetown 74-70 in the second round. The win against Georgetown was Davidson’s 24th in a row. They last lost to NC State by one point on December 21st. A very impressive streak. They are led by former NBA star Dell Curry’s son, Stephen Curry who scored 40 points in his first game and 30 points against G’town.

In the battle between future NBA stars O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley, Beasley’s Kansas State team was victorious and defeated USC 80-67, but eventually lost to a very impressive Wisconsin team 72-55. In the first round, the Badgers made quick work of Cal State-Fullerton which helped set the match up against Davidson in the round of 16.

Let’s look at the Sweet 16 match ups:

(1) Kansas vs. (12) Villanova:
Villanova seems to have that edge ever since that controversial loss against G’town in the regular season. And Scottie Reynolds is playing out of his mind, but can a three guard offense keep it going and defeat one of the best teams in the country? They might have a lot of heart, but I’m not sure they are big enough to take down Kansas. Junior forward Dante Cunnigham is their tallest player at 6-8. Similar to Nova, Kansas runs a three guard offense with 6-8 and 6-9 forwards sophomore Darrell Arthur and Senior Darnell Jackson. Therefore, size might not matter this round. If Scottie Reynolds can continue his magic and outplay the guards of Kansas, maybe Nova does have a chance. However, Kansas’ Brandon Rush will be the X-factor in this game. Look for the team to lean on him in the crucial possessions. Perry’s Edge Kansas.

(10) Davidson vs. (3) Wisconsin:
Wisconsin was very impressive in containing Michael Beasley in the second round and got a huge game out of sophomore guard Trevon Hughes who dropped in 25 points. They have two big guys that can plug the lane in 6-11 centers Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma (off the bench). Stiemsma hasn’t done much all season, but I mention his name because he scored 14 points in 14 minutes against Kansas State. Maybe they’ll go to him again? But no other player will have a bigger impact on this game than Stephen Curry. He could single handedly win this game for Davidson, but saying this is making me lean towards Wisconsin. I’m not saying Curry is the only person on Davidson, because senior point guard Jason Richards is a heck of a player, but when a team relies too much on one player at this point of the season, it never ends well. The better teams know how to contain those players. Perry’s Edge Wisconsin.

Final Four pick: Kansas

Check out Off The Record’s Day 1 recap right here.

Editor’s note: You can check out Perry’s thoughts on the rest of the bracket here.

South Region:

Contenders for the final four spot:

(1) Memphis – The Tigers were the number one seed almost all year, winning their first 26 games in a row. They finally lost to a great Tennessee team on their home court. Since that loss, they put together seven more wins out of seven games to finish 33-1. Although they played in a weak conference, they did tally up some great non-conference wins against UCONN, Georgetown, USC and Oklahoma. Their star player is junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts who kills it in the land of three pointers, shooting almost 45%. Freshman Derrick Rose is another player to watch as he has scored over 20 points six times this season.

(2) Texas – I love this team. They have beaten Tennessee, UCLA and Kansas this year, so they know how to get up for the big game. Sophomore guard D.J. Augustin is a stud. He’s averaged 22.5 points per game in his last nine games including 20 points and nine assists against Kansas on Sunday. Look for this team to be playing in their backyard in the regional finals, which are being played in Houston.

(3) Stanford – Even though they play in the PAC 10, they don’t play like a PAC 10 team. They’re a half-court team with two seven-footers plugging the middle. Furthermore, those big men are twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez. Brook is the better one. If they can get out of the first two rounds without a scare, they should be a viable opponent for Texas. They did lose to UCLA three times, so they haven’t been able to take down a big dog. However, the game tends to slow down in the post season, so that could play to their advantage.

(4) Pittsburgh – They are the first four seed in this tournament that I view as a contender. They have won seven of their last eight games, including four straight in four straight days to take down the Big East Conference Tournament. Hopefully, the three days rest will give them enough time to recoup. Pitt has beaten Duke, Georgetown twice, Louisville and Marquette, so they can hang with the better teams. Keep your eye on junior forward Sam Young.

Upset Specials:

(11) Kentucky over (6) Marquette. After starting the season 7-9 which included four straight losses, Kentucky has turned things around. They went 11-3 in the second half of the season with wins over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. I’ve also seen Marquette not show up for games, losing by double digits five times this season.

(10) Saint Mary’s over (7) Miami. I have a feeling that the Gaels are going to come out firing and I don’t think Miami is good. They were only 8-8 in the ACC and an unimpressive 8-7 in the second half of the season when their schedule got a little tougher.

South Region Winner: Texas – D.J. Augustin seems to be the type of player that will excel in this tournament and everyone will feed off of him. I see them out gunning Stanford, setting up a match against Memphis in Houston where they will have a little home court advantage. I believe this will be the toughest region to win. A lot of good teams and a lot of good players.

West Region:

Contenders for the final four spot:

(1) UCLA – They are the favorite to win it all according to Vegas. The smartest sports people in the world think they are the best team. They went 16-2 in arguably the best conference in college basketball. Their only losses came against Texas, USC and Washington. Freshman Kevin Love has been outstanding, a solid 6-10 center that averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 55% from the field. The Bruins also have three other players that are capable of scoring 20 a night in Darren Collison (5), Josh Shipp (3) and Russell Westbrook (1). Overall, the team shoots very well at almost 48%. They aren’t the best three-point shooting team, but expect Shipp and Collison to hold their own.

(2) Duke – They live and die by the three, and they will die in this tournament. I haven’t liked this team all season. One reason is that I hate Duke with a passion. The other reason is more logical, they don’t have anyone taller than 6-8 on their team. And that 6-8 player, Kyle Singler, only shoots three-pointers. They don’t have anyone on their team that can play with their back to the basket. Nobody! You need someone that can to win a tournament like this. Joe Alexander & Da’Sean Butler are going to expose this team in the second round. Send Duke home…somebody.

(4) Connecticut – I skipped right over Xavier and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are upset in the first two rounds. Moving along to UCONN. I love this Huskie team. Like every Jim Calhoun coached team they have a player that fits every position. Unlike Duke, they do have someone who can play with their back to the basket in sophomore center Hasheem Thabeet, who stands 7-3 tall. Junior A.J. Price plays the role of point guard, dishing out six assists per game. And Junior forward Jeff Adrien is capable of bringing down 20 points and 10 boards on any given night. This team is deep, they have a bunch of players that can play and they will be a tough draw for number one seed UCLA.

Upset Specials:
(12) Western Kentucky over (5) Drake. These teams are so evenly matched it really wouldn’t be an upset if the Hilltoppers won, but they are a (12) and Drake is a (5). Western Kentucky played Tennessee very tight this year and they’ve won 17 of their last 18. As for Drake, Missouri Valley Conference teams play the role of ‘Cinderella’ better than ‘favorite.’

(6) Purdue over (3) Xavier. Purdue beat Louisville and Wisconsin twice, so they can play. I’m just not sold on Xavier. If it wasn’t for them, Saint Joseph’s wouldn’t be in this tournament. They lost to them twice in eight days. This really doesn’t mean anything, but it does for this segment.

(7) West Virginia over (2) Duke. Joe Alexander & Da’Sean Butler. I hate Duke. I actually will be surprised if Duke beats Belmont in the first round. Belmont and Duke have combined for 1,729 three-pointers this year. I’m placing the over/under at 54 total three-pointers in that game. Anyone wanna wager some Perry Dollars on that?

West Region Winner: UCLA – I truly believe this is the weakest region. UCLA, Connecticut and that’s it. The winner of their match-up will head to the Final Four in San Antonio. Also, look for a Cinderella to come from this bracket.

East Region:

Contenders for the final four spot:

(1) UNC – North Carolina has been solid all year long and are the team to beat in this bracket. Indiana should not be a threat in the 2nd round. (8) Indiana has yet to score over 88 points on the road this year and that is the exact number the Tar Heels average per night. (4) Washington St. shouldn’t be a problem for UNC either. Washington St. is 0-7 vs. UCLA, Stanford, and Arizona, three tournament teams.

(2) Tennessee – They played in the weak SEC, but their out of conference schedule included wins against Temple, West Virginia, Xavier, Gonzaga, Ohio State, and Memphis. They also lost a tough game to Texas, but this Tennessee team is battle tested. They shouldn’t have any trouble until they face Louisville in the sweet 16.

(3) Louisville – Many thought that the Cardinals were the best team in the Big East this year. This is a conference that’s sending eight teams to the NCAA Tournament. Moreover, to be thought of as the best, they gotta be doing something right. Having Rick Pitino as your coach isn’t just canned potatos either. However, I do see Tennessee beating Louisville.

Upset Specials:
(12) George Mason over (5) Notre Dame. George Mason still has two starters from their 2006 run to the final four. And Notre Dame guns threes. They shoot too many of them. Live and die by the three.

(10) South Alabama over (7) Butler. My only reasoning in taking South Alabama is that this game is being played in Birmingham, Alabama.

East Region Winner: UNC – I think they are too strong right now with a healthy Ty Lawson. Hansbrough is a beast. They have quality starters at each position and they can put up points with the best of them. They really don’t have any weaknesses right now. UNC is going to be a tough team to beat.

Midwest Region:

Contenders for the final four spot:

(1) Kansas – Kansas started off the year going 20-0, finally losing to Michael Beasley’s Kansas State Wildcats. Their 20 straight wins included out of conference games against Arizona, USC, Georgia Tech, and Boston College, so they did mix it up a little with the PAC 10 and ACC. They only lost three games this year by a total of 13 points, one of those games being against Texas. Just like UNC, they should have no trouble getting thru the first two rounds.

(2) Georgetown – Regular season champs of the Big East, but they did lose to a hot Pitt team in the Big East Conference Tournament. Georgetown loves to slow down the game. They run the Princeton offense and love to get their big man Roy Hibbert involved as much as possible. They have a great point guard in Jonathan Wallace and a very deep bench. If you want to beat G’town, you’re gonna have to break their defense (5th in the nation) and score some points.

(3) Wisconsin – The Badgers are on fire right now. They have won 10 straight games and their season resume includes a huge win at Texas and two season sweeps over Indiana and Michigan State. They seem to have no problem with the teams they are supposed to beat, so I don’t see this team getting upset too early. Their only losses came against Purdue twice, Duke, and Marquette.

Upset Specials:
(12) Villanova over (5) Clemson. I think it’s all mental with Clemson. They can never win the big game. They’re gonna come out still thinking about how they lost to UNC (again) and Nova’s gonna come out guns a blaz’n.

(10) Davidson over (7) Gonzaga. Davidson has won 22 straight games and check out this out of conference schedule: Lost to UNC by four, lost to Duke by six, and lost to UCLA by 12. It looks like they can hang with the big dawgs. I understand they lost all three games, but out of respect for getting those three teams on the schedule, I’m taking them.

Best Game of the First Round:
(11) Kansas State vs. (6) USC. Two lottery picks are going to be facing off against each other in this game, USC’s OJ Mayo & KSU’s Michael Beasley. These are two teams that nobody wanted to face in the first round and the Selection Committee matched them up against each other. I guarantee that all the pro scouts will be at this game. This is the 7:10pm EST game on Thursday. Make sure you tune into this one.

Midwest Region Winner: Kansas – Yep, I took another number one seed. I see Wisconsin having too tough of a road. In the second round they will have to play the winner of the USC/KSU game, then face off against G’town? They’ll be spent by the time Kansas is in their face. Furthermore, I see Kansas being too tough for G’town. I can’t see G’town beating them either.

Ok, everyone, it’s Tourney time. It’s time to fill out your brackets and get ready for two of the best days in sports (Thursday and Friday of the NCAA’s are always phenomenal). Click here to play in the Blast Magazine Tourney Pool. It’s free and Perry and I are going to come up with some prizes that we’ll let you all know about as soon as we figure it out (give us a break, these things take time).

March is easily one of the best months of the year.

Few things in sports, if any, can measure up to what the NCAA Tournament brings us. The only things that are close are the conference tournaments the weekend before the Tournament begins. This year, we got to kick off the month of March by watching Coach K win his 800th game by pulling one out of his back pocket to steal a win.

We were also served up a great win for Georgetown in overtime at Marquette. We saw Texas lose to bubble team Texas Tech, keeping the Red Raiders’ hopes alive for the dance. Arkansas did the same in upsetting Vanderbilt, virtually locking them into the Tournament. In all, six ranked teams lost on the first of March.

Settle in people, it’s going to get even better next weekend.

This is when you need to be paying attention to college basketball, if you want any chance at winning your pool this year. The next two weeks will tell us who will make it all the way to San Antonio, and who will be ending their season early. And in the process, we are going to get to see some of the best basketball games of the year. Here is a quick rundown of the major conferences, who I think will win their tournaments, and who I think could be headed to the big dance:

ACC

North Carolina is once again the favorite to cut down the nets in Charlotte, and also to do so in San Antonio. The Tar Heels are getting their starting point guard Tywon Lawson back just in time, not to mention national Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansbrough. The Heels are stacked and ready to make a run deep into the Tournament. Look for UNC to win the ACC Tournament and never look back.

Duke is also a threat to cut some cotton this year, as Coach K has built another strong team. Duke will only go as far as their shooters will take them, as they lack any real inside presence. Problem is, they don’t seem to go cold very often. Look for the Blue Devils to do well in late March.

No other ACC teams are a threat to get to San Antonio. When the official brackets are announced, I expect six teams from the ACC to be called: UNC, Duke, Clemson, Maryland, Virginia Tech, & Miami.

Big East

Georgetown was the early favorite in the Big East, and here on March 2nd they are tied in the loss column with Louisville (who has a game in hand). Georgetown is indeed a threat to make it all the way to San Antonio, but I have a hunch they won’t make it that far. I see them losing in the Regional Finals, however, and depending on their draw they could certainly make the Final Four. How they play in the Big East tournament will determine whether or not they make it to the Alamo.

Louisville is the other team playing for the regular season championship in the Big East. The Cardinals have not lost in over a month now, and are a serious threat to make it to San Antonio. Rick Pitino is proving why he is the best coach in college basketball, and has his team playing as well as anyone in the country. The Cardinals could easily be the last team standing in the Big East Tournament and given the right draw, Louisville could be cutting down the nets in Texas too.

The Huskies of Connecticut have seemingly come out of nowhere to become one of the best teams in the country. All they have been this year is steady, and none of their six losses were to bad teams. While I don’t think they can make a run at the Final Four, they are certainly a dangerous team to watch. I wouldn’t want to see my favorite team in their bracket right now, as UCONN has won twelve of its last thirteen games. Sophomore center Hasheem Thabeet uses his 7"3" frame to his advantage, as he blocks an average of 4.4 shots per game. The big guy can score too, averaging 10.2 points per game. Problem is he can disappear completely in some games, and that’s why I don’t think the Huskies will make it past the second weekend.

While they aren’t threats to go deep in the dance, Notre Dame, Marquette, Pittsburgh and West Virginia have all punched their tickets already. Cincinnati needs only beat Depaul on Thursday to do the same. Villanova has a shot to join them, which would make it an astounding nine teams from the Big East to go dancing.

Big-Ten

Wisconsin and Purdue are battling it out to see who will get the automatic bid and a likely two seed in the NCAA. While both teams are good, quality basketball teams, I don’t see either team as a serious threat to make the Final Four. Wisconsin should win the automatic bid, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Purdue take it either. Both of these teams could make a Regional Final, as could Indiana, but don’t expect to see the Big Ten represented in San Antonio.

Indiana does have Eric Gordon though, and everyone needs to see this kid play at least once. Gordon is the kind of player who could get hot and cause magical things to happen for his team. He’s that good. Problem is, with all of the turmoil surrounding the Hoosier’s program right now, I just can not see them making it past the Sweet Sixteen.

Michigan State will also be going to the Tournament this year. The question is how many other Big Ten teams will get called? I could easily see both Minnesota and Ohio State making the dance, but Ohio State has a tough slate ahead to make that happen. Both teams sit at 8-8 in the league with two games to go. If they split those games, they will be in the NCAA’s.

SEC

The SEC really only has one legitimate candidate to make the Final Four this year. Bruce Pearl has his Volunteers playing as well as anyone in the country. Despite losing at Vanderbilt this past week, Tennessee is a serious threat to make it to San Antonio. Chris Lofton leads a guard-heavy scoring attack that averages 82.8 points per game. While I don’t see the Vols cutting down the nets in San Antonio, I would not be surprised to see them there with a chance.

No other SEC teams appear to be serious threats to make the Final Four. Up to as many as six teams could be dancing, though. Mississippi State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt have all punched their tickets to join Tennessee in the Tournament. Florida and Arkansas both have a shot at joining them, with Arkansas having the best shot based on remaining games. I expect they will both make it, but if Florida loses out they will be very nervous on Selection Sunday.

Big-12

Kansas and Texas are still fighting to be the best team in the Big 12. The two teams have only played once this season, and won’t meet again unless it’s in the Big 12 tournament. Texas won that first match up, by the way. Head coach Rick Barnes has the Longhorns playing well, and they are a threat to make it to San Antonio this year. They are also good enough to win once they get there. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams make up one of the best backcourts in the country, and guard play is the most important factor in the Tourney.

Kansas could also make it to San Antonio if given the right draw. The Jayhawks are extremely well balanced, and are playing good basketball right now. They aren’t playing great, though, and they are going to have to kick it up a notch if they want to make it past the second weekend of the dance.

No other Big 12 teams are a threat to make it to the Final Four. After Texas wins out, and gets the automatic bid and possible #1 seed, I see five other teams making the tournament. Baylor, Kansas State and Texas A&M have all pretty much punched their tickets already, and Oklahoma is likely to join them. Be glad that Kansas State will make it, because it means more Michael Beasley for us. If you have not seen Beasley play this year, you are truly missing out on one of the best seasons in a long time. The freshman forward scores at will (26.7 ppg), and cleans the glass (12.6 rpg) with amazing power. So do yourself a favor and watch the two games he will get to play in before heading off to the NBA.

PAC-10

UCLA has regained its past glory and is a serious contender to make waves in San Antonio. Freshman center Kevin Love leads a pretty well-balanced scoring attack that has four players averaging more than twelve points per game. Head coach Ben Howland has the Bruins playing as well as anyone in the country, and it’s a treat that we’ll get to see them face off against Stanford on Thursday. Look for UCLA to win that game as well as make it all the way to the Final Four.

Stanford is also a legitimate contender for the Final Four. They have quietly gone 24–4 this year and with twin brothers, who happen to both be seven-feet tall, Brook and Robin Lopez, they have a post-heavy attack that could carry them to San Antonio. The story of the twins will be compelling and they will be fun to watch.

Washington State and USC are in. Herb Sendek’s Arizona State Sun Devils should be in later in the week as well. Arizona could also finish at 9–9 in the conference, so we will see what the committee does with them. If they get the nod, that would be six PAC-10 teams in the tourney.

The only other team that could make the Final Four is Memphis. Freshman point guard Derrick Rose is a special, special player. A lot of people will discount the Tigers because they play in Conference USA, but don’t be fooled. They played the second toughest out-of-conference schedule this year (according to the RPI), and Conference USA isn’t the cakewalk it used to be. It’s still easy for a team of Memphis’ caliber, mind you, but it is improved. Memphis has only lost one game this year and I don’t think they will lose another unless they meet UNC in the Tournament.

With only 34 at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament up for grabs, and there being 34 bubble teams covered here, they all had better play like they aren’t in the dance as of yet. It only makes sense that some of these bids are going to be lost to mid-majors, and each one that does knocks one of the power conference teams out. Keep in mind as well that some of these mid-major conferences are good too. The Atlantic-10 alone could steal two or three bids.

When it’s all said and done, look for UNC, Texas, UCLA and Memphis to all make it to the third and final weekend of March Madness. Then look for Roy Williams to bring home another banner to hand in the Dean Dome.

The state of Tennessee plays host to the NCAA’s regular season game of the year Saturday night for the 1-2 showdown at FedEx Forum, home of John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers (26-0).

The second ranked Tennessee Volunteers (24-2), coached by Bruce Pearl, are traveling across the state in attempt to repeat their 76-58 win over the Tigers from last year.

However, this is not last year. Memphis is going for perfection. They are going for the first perfect season since Bobby Knight’s ’76 Indiana Hoosiers, when they went 32-0.

Memphis has been unbeaten on their home court for 47 straight games, but Tennessee brings one of the deepest teams in college basketball to the FedEx Forum. They are led by two long-range snipers in senior guards Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith, who have drained 156 combined three pointers. Their front court is led by two sophomore forwards, Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism, who are two big men that love to run the court in up-tempo games.

Tennessee has scored over 90 points seven times this season with their only two losses coming on the road against Texas and Kentucky.

For Memphis to continue on their road to perfection, junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who shoots at an amazing 55 percent from the field, will need to defend the three point arch all night long. His help will come from one of the best freshman guards, Derrick Rose, who is averaging 14 points, four rebounds and four assists per game. Memphis also has two guys that love to pound it down low in junior Robert Dozier and senior Joey Dorsey. However, this is going to be a run-and-gun game where sophomore guard Doneal Mack could flourish.

If you are a fan of basketball, college or pro, this is the game to watch Saturday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN. FedEx Forum will be rocking with Tiger fans and a few Volunteer fans, Peyton Manning included, that dare to make the trip. The Southeastern Conference against Conference USA. Let the best team win.