Final Four

The final four teams are set. The best game in the elite eight was far and away the Pitt versus Villanova game. It ended on a last second running shot in the lane by Villanova to advance them to the final four. It was simply incredible and if you missed it catch it on ESPN Classic in the next couple days...It'll be there I'm sure.

The Bracket looks like this:

The matchups in the final four are interesting. Starting with the Michigan State/Connecticut game we find a couple of smash mouth teams. Michigan State likes to slow ya down (like the rest of the Big Ten Conference, just better). UConn's Hasheem Thabeet will likely cause the Spartans to shoot a lot of jumpers which they are obviously going to have to hit to have a chance. The Huskies seem more able to get up and down the floor than Michigan State. However, there should be something said about the locale of the game. Michigan State doesn't have far to go to get to Detroit's Ford Field where the final four and national championship games will be played. This is essentially a home game for MSU and that could be a factor. That being said I still like UConn to take this game and play for the title.

The other game is a contrast of styles between Villanova and North Carolina. Villanova is a run and gun, spread you out, blow by you type of team. North Carolina, while not averse to running, will likely try to slow the game down and use their sive advantage with Hansborough and company in the paint. The team that imposes their style on the other will win this game and I think it is easier to slow a game down than to consciously speed it up. That leads me to believe that North Carolina will be playing for the nets in the national championship game.

That's my prediction for the final four, UNC will play UConn in the national championship game.

1 great game, 1 decent game, and 2 crappers

Let's start with the crappers.

The first crapper was obviously Louisville versus Arizona. This game was controlled wire to wire by the Cardinals who simply smothered Arizona in every possible way. Chase Budinger scored a game high 22 points and Jordan Hill added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats. These efforts weren't enough to even keep it close against Louisville who had five players in double figures lead by the 19 points of Earl Clark. The final score was 103-64. Every player that saw the floor for Louisville scored at least 2 points in this game...ouch.

The other crapper is still being played but that certainly doesn't mean it isn't over. North Carolina is man handling Gonzaga by a score of 95 to 68 with 4:22 left in the game. Lawson is clearly getting healthier and Hansborough had another double-double, big whoop. See ya next year 'Zags have a nice summer vacation.

The decent game tonight was actually the game I was most excited for. Though my excitement stemmed mostly for the opportunity to see Syracuse knock off Oklahoma so that needed to happen for me to really enjoy this game. Jonny Flynn did his part scoring 22 points for the Orangemen and Andy Routins was the only other Orange in double figures with 12. That sounds like I probably didn't enjoy the game...Tony Crocker scored 28 points and the widely considered player of the year, Blake Griffin, had a 30 point 14 rebound double-double...now I know I didn't enjoy this game. The final score was 84 to 71. Good run for Syracuse at the end of the year but they were no match down low for Mr. Griffin.

Now for the great game! The rematch between Kansas and Michigan State. In the first game Michigan State edged Kansas by a narrow margin. Would the Jayhawks reap their revenge on the Spartans this time around? Sherron Collins was certainly trying to make it happen with his 20 point scoring effort and Cole Aldrich had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. They got little else from their teammates though. Michigan State's Goran Sutan scored 20 points with 9 rebounds and 5 steals to compliment Kalin Lucas' 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. The 6 additional turnovers the Jayhawks had proved to be a deciding factor down the stretch. The game was then sealed as Kansas missed a late free throw that fell into the hands of a Spartan with less than 20 seconds left. This was the game of the night and none of the other games even came close.

The bracket heading into the weekend games, where the final four teams will be decided, looks like this:

See ya tomorrow for the games sports fans.

What time is it?!

Game time, WHOOP!

Arizona and Louisville up first, hopefully the 'Cats can figure out the press and at least make a game of it.

Tiger Supremacy

Missouri and Memphis battled tonight for the title of Tiger supremacy...oh, and a trip to the elite eight. Missouri was up big and the game looked like a route at times. All five Missouri Tigers scored in double figures including Leo Lyons' double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. Nobody could have expected that this game between two teems that run full court presses for much of the game would be so high scoring either. The final was 102-91. Senior Robert Dozier finished his career at Memphis with a double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds to compliment sensational freshman Tyreke Evans scoring 33 on the night. But alas, it wasn't enough as Missouri ran away with it and earns the right to take on UConn in the next round.

The Duke and Villanova game just wrapped up as well. This was a great game for twenty minutes. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils they play forty minute games. A three point game at halftime turned ugly as the Duke offense continued to stall throughout the second half with the pressure of the 'Nova defense. Duke standout, Gerald Henderson, struggled all game finishing with 7 points on 1 of 14 from the floor...not the way you want to finish out your year. Highlights for the Wildcats include Dante Cunningham's double-double (14 points 11 rebounds) and Reggie Redding's 11 points with 9 rebounds and some amazingly stiffling defense on Henderson all game. A truly remarkable performance from Villanova in this one and if they play like this in the next round they could quite easily take down the Pittsburgh Panthers.

The tournament bracket looks like this:

More games tomorrow night to decide the remaining four spots in the elite eight. See you then.

Xavier/Pitt

Great game as a fan with no tie to either team. Pitt's Levance Fields hit a huge (and deep) three with just under two minutes to play to give his Panthers a 1 point lead. On the ensuing possession for the Musketeers DeJuan Blair poked the ball away leading to Fields picking up the ball on the run and laying it in on the other end for a 3 point lead. Xavier would be fouled at the other end and make 1 of 2 free throws. Pitt knocked down their two free throws after securing the rebound on the second free throw miss from Xavier. The three point attempt to tie the game hit back iron for the Musketeers and fell into the hands of a Panther. For the first time ever Pitt will advance to the Elite 8.

The Panthers will play the winner of the Villanova and Duke game to be played in a matter of minutes.

Sweet 16, Day 1

The first two games are winding down in this year's sweet 16 action.

The Purdue versus UConn game was never out of hand but after a well played first half that saw Purdue's Robbie Hummel keeping the Boilermakers in it with the jumper. Hummel would finish with 17 points and JaJuan Johnson had 13 as well. UConn was just too much for the overmatched Big Ten team down low though. Hasheem Thabeet tallied 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks clearly controlling the paint. Three other Huskies finished in double figures including another double-double for Stanley Robinson. UConn advanced fairly easily by a final score of 72-60.

The more heatly contested of the two early games was that of Pittsburgh and Xavier. Close games are becoming a theme of this year's tournament for the top seeded Panthers of Pitt. Pittsburgh actually trailed at the half by 8 points and Xavier has kept them on the run all game. There is still 3:46 left in this game at the moment and the two teams are tied at 52. More to come at game's end.

NIT Update

The first NIT game of the night found Norte Dame hosting Kentucky. A hard fought game between two pretty evenly matched teams. The Wildcats were paced by the 21 points of Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson also had 18 points and 7 rebounds for UK. The Fighting Irish's Luke Harangody wasn't ready to end their season though. Harangody's double-double with 30 points and 11 rebounds lead Notre Dame who had three other players in double figures. The final was 77-67 in favor of the home Irish.

The second game to decide the final member of the foursome that would travel to New York was between San Diego State and Saint Mary's. The Aztecs are the only number one seed left in the NIT and hosted the Gaels in San Diego for this one. It was a rout early as the Aztecs found themselves up by as much as 16 at times in the first half. The teams headed to the locker room with SDSU up 11 at the half. Saint Mary's was down but certainly not out. They would battle back to tie the game late in the second half. Patty Mills lead the Gaels' attack with his 18 points and 5 assists. Diamon Simpson's 11 points and 14 rebounds along with Omar Samhan's 10 points and 12 rebounds were the games only double-doubles.

The Aztecs were lead by the 17 points of Billy White off the bench. Ryan Amoroso added 12, Kyle Spain had 11 and Lorrenzo Wade chipped in 10 for SDSU. Richie Williams was the story of this game though. The biggest man on the court stood all of 5 foot 10 inches. Williams was constantly in the pocket of Patty Mills forcing one of the best point guards to commit 5 turnovers. Williams, a 65% free throw shooter, also found 4 of his 8 points from the line with the game's outcome hanging squarely in the balance. This was a great game by both teams but as the clock ticked to zeroes it was the host fans joyously storming the court as the Aztecs nipped the Gaels 70-66.

The top seeded San Diego State team will face the lowest remaining seed in Baylor, a 3 seed. In the other semi-final in Madison Square Garden Notre Dame will take on Penn State, both teams are 2 seeds. These should be some great games coming up on March 31st.

Sorry gotta do it.

S-D-S-U...AZTECS FIGHT!

Bracket looks like this.

NIT Update

Half of the Final four has been decided...er...for the NIT that is.

Baylor played the played at Auburn tonight in what was a very good game. Back and forth the Bears and Tigers would go all night. Baylor was lead by LaceDarius Dunn's 19 and 9 in addition to Kevin Rogers' 15 and 12 double-double. Auburn had three players in double figures lead by Korvotney Barber's 11 points and 13 rebounds. His effort wasn't enough to overcome the Bears though as Auburn lost the game 74-76 after missing their attempt to tie in the final seconds.

Penn State and Florida also met tonight in a fight to get to Madison Square Garden on the 31st. This game was certainly not as exciting as the first game but didn't lack its moments either. Florida had three players in double digits lead by Erving Walker's 16 and Alex Tyus' 15. The real star of this game was a Nittany Lion though. His name, Jamelle Cornley. Cornley scored a game high 23 points and collected a game high 12 rebounds. A total of four players for Penn State scored in double digits but Cornley was certainly the alpha lion of the pride.

The updated tournament bracket looks like this:

San Diego State will host Patty Mills and the St. Mary's Gaels tomorrow night and Kentucky will travel to take on Notre Dame to decide the other half of the NIT final four.

Let's go Aztecs! :)

Late games escalate quickly

...I mean, they really got out of hand fast.

USC fell to Michigan State which was no surprise really. The Trojans made a game of it though and only lost by a score of 74-69. Taj Gibson fouling out with over 4 minutes to play was huge as the Trojans missed his defensive presence down low late in this game. Four USC players finished in double digits lead by Dwight Lewis' 19 and DeMar DeRozan's 18. Four Spartans also finished with double digits lead by Travis Walton's 18. Walton hit a number of key jumpers down the stretch simply not allowing his team to fall behind late. Michigan State will play the Kansas Jayhawks in the round of 16.

Marquette and Missouri turned out to be one hell of a game. At one point this looked like a run away win for the Tigers of Mizzou as they had a 16 point lead for a while. The Golden Eagles battled all the way back to tie the game late but made a key mistake on an inbound play stepping over the end line with the ball and turning it over. Then, down four with 4.4 seconds left a desperation three, and a questionable no call on the shot, fell short of everything and the ball came crashing to the floor out of bounds taking Marquette's tournament hopes with it. Marquette's Jerel McNeal was sensational in the comeback effort scoring 30points. His teammate Wesley Matthews added 24 points and Lazar Hayward chipped in a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Five Missouri Tigers scored in double digits lead by Leo Lyons' 18. Kim English produced 17 off the bench. Missouri will take on Memphis in a battle for Tiger supremacy.

Perhaps the biggest roller coaster of a game was that of Siena and Louisville. At first it was the Cardinals that looked in control and well on their way to the next round. Then after a strenuous effort by the Saints they found themselves up 5 late in the second half. Unable to hold on to their lead, however, Siena trailed by 4 with 14 seconds to play. Louisville hit just enough of their free throws down the stretch to stave off the upset bid. For Siena, Edwin Ubiles cashed in for 24 points and 8 rebounds to lead the team. Two double-doubles for Louisville are the main reason they will move on as Earl Clarks 12 points and 12 rebounds were only outdone by Terrence Williams' 24 points and 15 rebounds. The Cardinals will face the Arizona Wildcats in the sweet 16.

After all of the second round has been completed the updated bracket looks like this:

Games keep on rolling

Number 1 seeded Pittsburgh looked like it was going to have another struggle on their hands as they were tied at the half with Oklahoma State. The Panthers asserted themselves over the Cowboys in the second half on their way to an 84-76 win. Fields had 13 points and 9 assists to compliment Blair's double-double of 10 points 12 boards for Pitt. The star of the game was Sam Young for the Panthers who dropped 32 points and collected 8 rebounds and 3 blocks on the game. Oklahoma State was balanced in their point production having 5 players in double figures...unfortunately those were the only 5 players that scored for the team. Pittsburgh will play Xavier in the sweet 16 as the Musketeers took down Wisconsin today as well.

Wisconsin put up another good effort trying to advance again after many doubted their even being in the field. The final score was 60-49 in favor of Xavier, however. Xavier will be hard pressed to tackle the top ranked Panthers in the next round.

Upstate New York continues to party as Syracuse's run in the tournament continues. The Orangemen took down the Arizona State Sun Devils 78-67 today. The zone that Syracuse employs forced the Sun Devils to shoot from the outside often. Ty Abbot and Rihards Kuksiks both hit 6 three pointers for ASU but James Hardin and Derek Glasser missed all 10 of their combined attempts. Abbot and Rihards both finished with 20 points each. Eric Devendorf paced the Orange with his 21 points and the team had a total of 5 players in double figures to secure the win. Syracuse will attempt to keep up with the Griffin's and Oklahoma in their sweet 16 match-up next week.

Bringing some good news to the state of Arizona is that of the university's Wildcats. Arizona beat Cleveland State 71-57 and never looked back after crafting a 10 point halftime lead. Cleveland State's bid for a sweet 16 spot was denied by a team many believe to be the last at large team invited to the tournament. Nice Wise lead all scorers with 21 on the game for the Wildcats. Arizona will face the winner of the Louisville versus Siena game to be played in today's nightcap.

Another perennial tournament terror moved on today as well. Kansas had little trouble dispatching the Dayton Flyers by a final of 60-43. Cole Aldrich continues his absurdly dominate play throwing in a triple double today that included 10 blocks to go along with his 13 points and 200 rebounds. Yowza! Aldrich will lead his Jayhawks into battle against the winner of the Michigan State and USC game being played as I type.

Games being played right now are Marquette and Missouri in addition to the afformentioned USC and MSU game. Marquette got their star point guard (James) back tonight which would be a huge lift for them against a very tough Missouri team. Should be a good game either way.

Siena versus Louisville was scheduled to tip off at 5:20pm EST (2:20pm PST) but tipped a bit late of that. They are less than a minute underway in that game. Louisville shouldn't have any problems smothering the Saints of Siena with their high pressure defense.

Tournament day 4

Syracuse and Arizona State are already well underway. The Orangemen lead ASU at the half by a score of 41-32 and look as though they are picking up where they left off continuing their hot play of late. Jonny Flynn already has 5 assists at half for Syracuse. Also for the Orange, Devendorf and Onuaku already have double digit points with 11 and 10 respectively. Rautins has 2 three pointers and 8 points off the bench.

For the Sun Devils, Rihards Kuksiks has poured in 15 first half points and Ty Abbot has 8 but that is the extent of the production on that side. ASU is going to need to find some scoring in the second half if they hope to have a chance here.

Four more games are scheduled to start before noon on the west coast:

(4) Xavier v. (12) Wisconsin - Xavier is the better team in this one but the Badgers were able to slow the game down in their first round game against Florida State and will likely try to do the same here. Pace of the game should dictate who is ultimately victorious.

(3) Kansas v. (11) Dayton - Dayton is a dangerous team as they get scrappy play in the paint from their bigs and can shoot the equalizing three pointers. I wouldn't be surprised if Dayton showed up and gave the Jayhawks all they can handle and more in this one. Kansas doesn't impress me.

(13) Cleveland State v. (12) Arizona - Cleveland State beat arguably the most purely talented team in the ACC in the first round in Wake Forest and if they can pull that off they should be able to give the Wildcats of Arizona some fits. Arizona is wild at times but have been playing their best basketball in the tournament. I still like Cleveland State here.

(1) Pittsburgh v. (8) Oklahoma State - The Cowboys played tough in their first round game against Tennessee needing every minute of that game to advance. The Panthers of Pitt didn't find easy going of it in their first game either and it will be interesting to see who has what left in the tank after playing their tough games only a full day removed. I think Dejuan Blair will prove too much to handle down low and that means Pitt moves on.

The updated bracket looks like this after last night's games became final.

Second round action

The most interesting finish so far was that of Purdue's win over Washington. The game came down to the wire for the Boilermakers who made just enough late free throws to take the 76-74 victory over the Huskies of UW.

Washington was down by considerable margins early in this game and for them to battle back took quite an effort. They had 3 players recording 20 points or more in Jon Brockman and Quincy Pondexter who both had triple doubles and freshman Isiah Thomas, who was the main reason for the comeback scoring 24 and using his quick dribble penetration to cause problems in the lane in the second half.

Keaton Grant recorded a double-double off the Purdue bench to help stave off the late surge from the Huskies and JaJuan Johnson was a man all game scoring 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting and adding 4 blocks on the defensive end.

Purdue will face another pack of Huskies in the sweet 16, this time it is the top seeded Connecticut Huskies.

The other game currently being played is that between Oklahoma and Michigan. The Wolverines had hung tough all game but clearly rang out of gas toward the very end of the game. Blake Griffin was a beast as usual recording a double-double that included 33 points and 16 rebounds. Willie Warren and Austin Johnson also added double figure scoring for the Sooners with 16 and 12 respectively.

CJ Lee, Manny Harris, and DeShawn Sims all scored 11 points for Michigan. Anthony Wright added 14 off the bench but there was just no answer for arguably the best player in the country in Griffin.

The Sooners await the winner of the Arizona State and Syracuse game to be played tomorrow.

Other less interesting results include North Carolina's win over LSU (though if Lawson hadn't returned in this game and played so well in the second half this game was on pace to be far more interesting than it actually turned out), UConn blowing out Texas A&M, Memphis smothering Maryland with defensive pressure, and UCLA coming up well short of Villanova.

The evening session of play pits Texas against Duke and Western Kentucky battles Gonzaga. Both could, and should, be highly contested match-ups and anything can happen. If I were a betting man I would take the higher seeds in Duke and Gonzaga, but I have heard good arguments for Western Kentucky and Texas as well. Should be fun, enjoy.

NIT Update

The only NIT game has already been completed. Baylor dismantled Virginia Tech by a score of 84-66. The Hokies couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in this thing shooting only 32% from the field. Baylor, on the other hand, couldn't miss. The Bears shot 61% on the game. This was a huge reason they won the game as most of their shots were ridiculously high percentage shots in the paint.

The result has been recorded and added to the NIT bracket (below) and the Baylor Bears will take on Auburn in the next round.

Games currently underway

Maryland and Memphis just tipped off. Memphis is the better team to be sure but Maryland is scrappy and doesn't lay down for anybody. Maryland appears to be the hotter team at this point in the year also. This should make for a good game.

Texas A&M is set to tip off against Connecticut in about 5 minutes or so. UConn should handle the Aggies easily in this game. Jim Calhoun is hydrated and back on the bench which should lead to a quicker start to this game than the Huskies showed in their first round game.

My bracket is completely effed so I am just pulling for pure underdogs at this point, so go Maryland and go A&M...thanks a lot Wake Forest, you really effed me here.

No surprise early

Villanova handled UCLA very easily today.

UCLA was not without it's highlight though. Josh Shipp contributed a fine 18 points to lead the Bruins but they couldn't seem to find a rhythm offensively. Only 10 team assists is not the way to get to the sweet 16 for any team, especially when your opponent nearly doubles that statistic. Nova had 6 players in double figures paced by Dante Cunningham with 18. The only starter to not score in double figures was Shane Clark who apparently slacked for only 8 points...I kid.

Villanova awaits the winner of today's later match-up between the Texas Longhorns and the Blue Devils of Duke.

NIT Update

There were three games in the NIT last night and none of them were close. Miami (FL) met up with Florida in a battle for the state of Florida end of season supremacy. Miami is a dangerous team if you let them get hot but Florida did not. The Gators won the game 74-60 advancing at the hands of the Hurricanes.

The second game on the ticket was between Tulsa and Auburn. Tulsa couldn't get anything started all game and allowed the Tigers to run away with this one. The final score was 74-55.

San Diego State took on Kansas State in the nightcap. The game was close at halftime but then the Aztecs of SDSU asserted their will on KSU. SDSU was nearly an NCAA tournament invitee and are playing as though they should have gotten a nod. 70-52 the final in this one.

For those of you, like myself, who have an interest in the NIT this year I bring to you the bracket as it sits now:

There is one NIT game to be played today between Baylor and Virginia Tech. Should be a good game between two solid teams. It has already tipped off and Baylor leads 7-3 with 5 minutes gone by in the first half.

First round recap

The games in last night's final group were far and away the best games of the tournament so far. The least entertaining was that of 15th seed Robert Morris and Michigan State, and that's is a stretch to call it that. Robert Morris lost by 15 points eventually but they played MSU much tougher than that score indicates.

The second most boring game was probably the biggest upset so far. Cleveland State ran away from Wake Forest. The 13th seeded Vikings looked like the power conference team while the 4th seeded Demon Deacons looked like what they are, a quite young and sporadic team. WF is so talented it is embarrassing they lost in the first round, but they are an inexperienced team and should be a force in years to come...just not this one I guess. Kudos to the Vikings.

One of, if not the, last teams in the field was the Wisconsin Badgers. The 12 seed was 19-12 on the year and really surprised me when their name was called last weekend. They took on a Florida State team that was 25-9 heading into the tournament which is no small feat in a very competitive ACC. Well, when two teams as seemingly uneven as these two meet in the month of March you know what that means, just throw out statistics and papers and let them play the game. FSU asserted themselves early on but the Badgers battled 'til the end. Mounting a comeback late in the fourth Wisconsin tied the game and would need extra basketball to knock off the 5th seeded Seminoles. This was a great game and one heck of an effort from the Badgers.

Siena and Ohio State is the game of the tournament so far and we may not beat it later on either. The teams were only separated by 2 points in the final score and it took two extra frames to decide that slim margin. The Siena Saints were the lower 9th seed in this 8/9 match-up so by seed this wasn't a huge upset. However, most experts had the Buckeyes winning in the first round so this was likely to be considered something of a surprise. Either way it was the greatest game played in this years tournament so far and even though it is no SyraConn game it will likely be on ESPN Classic in the coming days. Nice win for the Siena Saints.

The updated bracket looks like this (click for larger image):


Games I am looking forward to on today, March 21, 2009 include:

Purdue versus Washington - I am going to give a slight edge to the Huskies of UW as this game is being played in Portland, OR.

Maryland versus Memphis - Should be interesting to see how Memphis responds to being tested by Cal State Northridge in the first round. The Turtles are dangerous but inconsistent.

Western Kentucky versus Gonzaga - Two well known mid-majors meet to end one's tourney run. Gonzaga should win this game, and really needs to to solidify their spot as THE mid-major program in the country.

Texas versus Duke - Playing in Greensboro, NC is a distinct advantage for the Dukies but Texas will be no push over and Duke has struggled at time with their younger players playing such large roles in the offense. I'll go with Duke here, but it's going to be close.

Other games being played:

UCLA versus Villanova - Should be a decent game though Villanova is more talented and should win it if everyone plays as they are capable.

UNC versus LSU - Lawson is a game time decision and the Tar Heels are a decidedly differently paced team with him healthy. I think they can beat the Tigers without him but if he plays they run away with it, if not they get to sweat it out.

Michigan versus Oklahama - Oklahoma will assert themselves down low with Griffen in this game. It may take a little while to build their lead but they will build it and they will build it big.

UConn versus Texas A&M - Huskies should own this game and the paint with Thabeet. A&M will try to get up and down on UConn but they can run some too and the Aggies won't have an answer for the Connecticut talent.

Portland State/Xavier

Probably the least interesting game of this early evening group. Xavier didn't blow them out but didn't really let the game become in question at any point. It was just a bit of a coast out there. The final was 77-59. Both teams were balanced in scoring as Jamie Jones, Andre Murray, and Jeremiah Dominguez all scored in double digits for the Vikings of PSU (16, 14, and 13 respectively). The Musketeers were lead by CJ Anderson's 14 while Derrick Brown, BJ Raymond, and Dante Jackson all scored 13. All in all, a relatively boring game and I am glad it wasn't the televised game in my region...sorry kids.

Xavier will play the winner of the final 5/12 match-up left, Florida State and Wisconsin.

USC/BC

So Many initials I don't know what to do with myself!

This game was much closer than the final score would indicate as the Trojans of USC pulled away to beat the Boston College Eagles 72-55. Corey Raji and Joe Trapani lead the Eagles with 15 and 12 points respectively, both adding 7 boards. BC only shot 32% from the field and when your opponent shoots a staggering 53% it makes for a long night. USC's attack proved to be three headed. Dwight Lewis threw in 20 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, a steal and a block...nice fantasy line. DeMar DeRozan added 18 points and 9 rebounds...also a solid fantasy game. The fantasy stud would have been Taj Gibson, however. Gibson was a perfect 10 for 10 from the floor (4 of 5 from the line) for 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks...can I draft him now?

USC will likely face 2nd seeded Michigan State unless 15th seeded Robert Morris catches lightening in a bottle.

Arizona/Utah

The first game to finish up will be that of 12th seeded Arizona and 5th seeded Utah. The Utes have gotten the majority of their production from the bench. Tyler Kepkay and Shaun Green have combined for 29 of Utah's 71. Luke Nevill was the Mountain West Conference's best player all year long but didn't look like it in this one. Jordan Hill for Arizona was the better man in the paint today as his double-double (17 points 13 rebounds) proved too much for the Utes down low. A pair of players scoring 20 points or more for the Wildcats out shone Utah's bench production as Nic Wise capped 29 for the game followed by Chase Budinger's 20.

Arizona will take on the winner of the Wake Forest and Cleveland State 4 versus 13 tussle.

Louisville/Morehead State

After a slow start the top seeded Louisville Cardinals found a rhythm in the second half. The final was 74-54 in favor of Louisville. After trailing by only 2 at halftime the Eagles of Morehead State scored only 21 points unable to match their energy from the first half. Leon Buchanan lead the Eagles with 17 points and two others had 14. Louisville was balanced as usual in the scoring column having 6 players scoring between 15 and 7 points for the game. Samardo Samuels paced the Cards with his 15 on 6-10 shooting.

Louisville will play the winner of the 8/9 match-up between Ohio State and Siena to be played in the night group.

Early evening, day two

Portland State is hanging tough in the first half against Xavier. I picked Xavier to win this one and didn't really expect Portland State to put up much of a fight...though it is always more fun when they do.

Boston College and Southern Cal are nearing the half (5 minutes left) and it's a 1 point game. This one should be close to the end. USC looks to be continuing their hot play of late. I wouldn't want to be playing this team in the tourney that is for sure.

Arizona and Utah are within 3 minutes of reaching halftime. Arizona currently leads 31-23 and most people aren't giving the Utes much of a shot in this thing. Even though there were many talking heads that questioned Arizona's even being in the field those same talking heads picked them to win...hypocrisy at it's finest I guess. Utah is going to need to quit turning the ball over if they want to have a shot at this game though.

The biggest surprise of this group of games so far is another 16 seed. Morehead State is down only 3 to top seeded Louisville and they are under 2 minutes to play in the half. I didn't have Louisville going all that far in my bracket so I must admit I am really pulling for this upset. On the 100th playing of a 16 versus a number 1 it would be kinda fun to see it finally happen.

More updates later, enjoy the games.

Second batch of games out of the oven

There were some really interesting games in this second group of games. I predicted Cornell against Missouri and Dayton versus West Virginia would be the games to watch. I can claim fifty percent on that.

Cornell didn't put up quite the fight against Missouri that I thought they would. Big Red lost the game 59-78. They clearly couldn't handle the swarming defense of the Tigers for the game's entirety. Missouri will face Marquette in the next round in what should be one of the better games of the round. Missouri likes to run the floor and play their full court press while Marquette isn't opposed to getting up and down but they will likely want to avoid a track meet with this Tiger team.

In an interesting surprise, East Tennessee State gave Pittsburgh all they could handle today. Even though Pitt ended up winning this game they needed a full effort from Dejuan Blair who had 26 points and 16 rebounds. This was a game that should have been a walk for the Panthers and turned out to be anything but. All in all, Pitt moves on and will face Oklahoma State over the weekend. That match-up should also be a hard fought battle which makes me think a little bit. Assuming Pitt gets past the Cowboys, how much are they going to have left in the tank after two difficult games in the first and second rounds?

The biggest surprise was the 11th seeded Dayton Flyers upsetting the 6th seeded West Virginia Mountaineers. Huggins and company were in the game the whole way down the stretch and had a ridiculous amount of chances to tie the game and even take the lead late but could never seem to find the buckets when it mattered. Ruoff being in foul trouble, and eventually fouling out, certainly didn't help any. Tough loss for both WVU and my bracket. It's never a good thing when you have a team you pick as your sleeper sweet 16 team lose in the first round, ouch. Dayton gets Kansas next round and I am convinced the Flyers have more than an average chance at winning that game also.

It is break time for the tourney games and that means we all have a chance to breath, eat, workout, shower...ya know, whatever you gotta take care of until the 7:00pm EST games start. Those games include:

(1) Louisville vs. (16) Morehead State
(5) Utah vs. (12) Arizona
(7) Boston College vs. (10) Southern Cal
(4) Xavier vs. (13) Portland State

The Utah game should be the best one as they match up well against the Wildcats. The only other game that I could see being a great game is BC vs. USC but that all depends on which USC team we get today. Will we get the team that was red hot and won the Pac-10 tourney or will we get the team from the regular season that was average at best? No way to know until we watch the game. Enjoy your break and see ya on the other side.

Arizona State

The Sun Devils just polished off the Temple Owls. Wasn't a terrible game but ASU was in control pretty much since the half. There were runs here and there by Temple, but it's basketball and those will happen. ASU had runs of their own and were victorious in the end behind a career high 22 points for Derek Glasser. The Sun Devils will face a hot Syracuse team in the next round.

Temple/ASU

Just reached the half and it was close for a long time in this one. The Sun Devils went on a run before the end of the half behind some timely shooting by Derrick Glasser who has 17 at the break including 4 three pointers. ASU looks like the better team inside and out. I really can't see them giving their 35-26 lead but hey, it's March so anything is possible.

First set wrapping up

As mentioned, Syracuse is already awaiting the winner of the Arizona State v. Temple game that will be played later today.

North Dakota State played a very tough game against Kansas until the very end. However, Aldridge proved to be too much for the Bison as he collected a double double in his return to his home state of Minnesota. Woodside scored a game high 37 points for NDSU but couldn't find any help on the offensive end. Too much size and talent for the Jayhawks in this one. At least it was a close game all the way through. 84-74 was the eventual final. Kansas will play the winner of the 6 v. 11 match-up between West Virgina and Dayton coming up later.

Oklahoma State stayed alive in another tight ball game. Tennessee was leading by 1 with less than 30 seconds to go, but Byron Eaton wasn't having any of that. Eaton drove to the hoop hard and some how converted a diving layup, absorbing contact and a foul. After making the free throw the Cowboys were up 2 and the Vols final shot would fall short. 77-75 was the final here, and this was a close game wire to wire. I think the biggest lead for either team was 8. OK State will likely play the top seed in the East region, Pittsburgh Panthers unless Eastern Tennessee State becomes the first 16 seed to dethrone a number 1.

In the fourth and final game of the early session on day two we find another great game. 11 seeded Utah State trailed the entire game against the Marquette Golden Eagles but that didn't stop this game to come down to the final seconds. Behind a late flurry of jumpers from Quayle and the rest of the Aggies they pulled the margin to 3 and had the ball with less than 20 seconds to go. They got a decent look at a three for the tie but the effort came up short and Marquette corralled the rebound. After a foul and one Golden Eagle free throw the margin was 4. Utah State hit a three pointer at the buzzer to make the final score 57-58. A great game and effort for the Aggies but they came up 1 short in the end. Marquette will play either 3 seeded Missouri or 11 seeded Cornell in the next round.

Arizona State and Temple have just tipped off. Other games included in the second session of games today include Eastern Tennessee State versus Pittsburgh, Dayton versus West Virginia, Cornell taking on Missouri. Dayton/WV and Temple/ASU are the potentially entertaining games in this group.

Syracuse

The Orangemen of Syracuse made quick work of Stephen F. Austion University today. Their game is a final and the next closest game is at 4:36 left in the second half, that being the NDSU/KU game. Final score in this one was 59-44 and the outcome was never in question. Too much Orange and it was clearly overwhelming for SFA.

Things getting interesting

Tennessee and Oklahoma State are tied at 44, Utah State has battled back and trial by only one against Marquette, and North Dakota State is down only 3 to Kansas. These are all early in their second halves but still getting very tight. Hopefully this keeps up. Good games for all!

First break, day two

Stephen F. Austion and Syracuse are at the half with a score of 38-22 in favor of the Orange. This is no surprise, though SFA is a pretty good mid-major team they have just run into a team playing hot at the right time. Don't expect this outcome to change any in the next twenty minutes of play in this one.

Tennessee and Oklahoma State have just reached their halftime as well. The score in that one is 34-38 with OK State holding the slight lead. This game will continue to be tight and if the Cowboys want to hold on Byron Eaton is likely going to have to avoid further foul trouble in the second half as he picked up his third infraction before the break.

Kasnas closed the first half on a 16-7 run against the Bison of North Dakota State and the Jayhawks find themselves leading 43-34. This game is by no means out of the realm of possibility for NDSU as they are a much better three point shooting team than Kansas and that could equalize things later in this game. Someone other than Ben Woodside may need to do anything for NDSU to have a chance though. Kansas has a distinct advantage and if NDSU hits a cold streak that advantage in the paint could allow this game to get out of hand.

Marquette and Utah State has been the slowest tempo game of the morning. The Golden Eagles lead the Aggies by a score of 26-18 at halftime. I am calling this one a victim of poor offense as opposed to good defense. Utah State is shooting only 30% from the floor including 1 of 8 from behind the arc. Marquette is only marginally better at 34% overall with 3 of 10 from downtown. I can only hope as a spectator that this doesn't continue as my TV is contemplating spontaneous combustion...I can see it, we have that kind of relationship.

Day Two Introduction

Here we go folks. Day two is underway in the NCAA Tournament. The first set of games is as follows:

14th seeded Stephen F. Austin takes on 3rd seed Syracuse. The Orangemen have been playing their best basketball of the season at the exact right time and should have no trouble with SFAU in this one.

9th seeded Tennessee battles 8th seeded Oklahoma State. This should be the best game early as both teams have been a little up and down all season. The teams seem to be evenly matched and I am looking forward to keeping my eye on this one.

Another interesting game which could have a perennial power school on upset watch is number 3 Kansas versus 14th seeded North Dakota State. NDSU is one of those senior heavy smaller schools that could prove to be dangerous around this time of the year. This is their first year of tournament eligibility and I am sure they will make this first round contest quite a game.

The fourth game early on is 11th seed Utah State against 6th seeded Marquette. This looks pretty lopsided on paper as the Golden Eagles have been a highly ranked team all season. We must remember that one of Marquette's best players (James) is injured and that could be a factor against a hungry mid-major.

Enjoy early action, updates to come.

Day One Conclusion

All in all this was a pretty good day one for the NCAA tournament. The later games weren't all that exciting as it saw a couple 1 and 2 seeds beat up on some 15 and 16 seeds but there were some close ones as well. The 12 seed success continues against the 5 seeds as Western Kentucky knocked off the Fighting Illini. Though I don't know if I consider it a huge upset, I picked it to happen. Most experts I have listened to had it happening, so regardless of what the seeds say I think this was a pretty good game of evenly matched teams and really, the better team won.

The bracket after day one looks like this (click for larger image):


More action tomorrow sports fans, I know I'm looking forward to it and you should be too. See ya then.

Second set of games

The second set of games are coming to a close. As we know, Purdue outlasted Northern Iowa.

Maryland has just defeated California. This was a slight upset as the fighting turtle's were ranked 10th against the 7th seed bears (who turned out to be cubs). The final score was 84-71 but the game was much closer than that indicates. Vasquez was the games leading scorer with 27 and was clearly the best player on the floor for either team. Cal shot an uncharacteristic 29% from three point range and that was one of the big factors that did them in. The Terps have the second seeded Memphis Tigers, who survived a scare from Cal State Northridge earlier today, in the second round.

North Carolina dismantled Radford by a final score of 101-58. This wasn't a shocker. Perhaps the margin of victory could be considered a surprise with Lawson on the sideline but UNC was never in danger of losing to RU.

Uconn also handled their 16 seed by a considerable margin. 103-47 is the final that Chattanooga fell victim to. A nice "win one for the gipper" victory for the Huskies in this one as they hope to have Calhoun back for their weekend game.

There are no games currently on TV here on the west coast and the only game being played right now is the Washington Huskies taking on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The teams are currently locked at 10 all early in the first half. This is clearly my cue to go on my run for the day so I can get back before the night caps get rolling. God bless March.

Updates, Updates, Updates! (part deux)

Purdue and Northern Iowa is a final now. Purdue won by hitting free throws down the stretch. UNI hit some clutch shots to make this a very good game to the end though. Kudos to UNI for not giving up and battling back.

Both of the 1 v. 16 matchups are embarrassing.

Cal and Maryland is still a heck of a game though. Currently Berkeley is up 1 with 11:49 left in the second half. Foul trouble is mounting for the Bears as time moves along, we'll have to wait and see if that becomes an issue later in the game.

Second break

Well, the second set of games today in the NCAA Tournament is well underway. The majority of the games are at halftime.

Purdue versus Northern Iowa is already more than halfway through the second half and finds the Boilermakers up by 10 with 8:23 left. Still a lot of game for a comeback and ten points is certainly a manageable margin. However, Northern Iowa is going to need to score on a more consistent basis as they have been hot and cold in spurts throughout the game.

53-34 is the halftime score of North Carolina against Radford. No Lawson, no problem for the Heels in this one. I don't expect anything to change in the second half either.

Even without Jim Calhoun on the bench for the Huskies they did eventually find that flow I mentioned last post. They are up 28 over Chattanooga at the half. Don't expect that to change in this game either. Looks like both the number one seeds in action in this set are going to advance comfortably.

With the point that the first three games are at I would really consider going on my run right now since they aren't close at all. However, California and Maryland are single handedly keeping me from doing so. There is a 3 point advantage for the Terrapins in this one at the half. I don't want to miss the second half of this thing. My earlier assessment that Maryland appears to be the more athletic team while Cal is more prolific shooting jumpers has held true. Some Cal players have struggled at times and if that turns around this could turn out to be a Beary good game...lots of pun intended.

In the time it took me to type this post Northern Iowa has crawled back to within 6 against Purdue...I love when they make it interesting for me.

Updates, Updates, Updates!

Purdue has opened up a 12 point lead at their halftime over Northern Iowa, no surprise there really...unless you took UNI as your 12 seed upset in the first round.

Radford is down 12 midway through the first half to UNC, again no surprise there either. Without Lawson, the Heels shouldn't have a problem in this game. Tyler Hansborough's flop fest will continue to get whistles against teams like this.

Chattanooga is only down 3 to UConn nearing the halfway point of the first half. This is a tough situation for the Huskies as they are without their coach Jim Calhoun for health reasons. While they are far more talented than their opponent it will likely take them a little bit to get into the flow of the game without their coach.

As expected the California versus Maryland game has been the closest and most interesting contest so far in this second set of games. Both teams lack tremendous size. Maryland appears to be a bit more atheletic than Cal, but them Bears sure can shoot that rock. Cal trails by 3 with 7:31 left in the first half.

Forgot to mention...

The other game starting before the end of the hour is California versus Maryland at 11:55 am PST. I am looking forward to this one. There have been reports that the Bears of Berkeley feel disrespected with their 7-seed. Maryland, on the other hand, has been playing much better basketball late in the season and will be a very tough opponent for anyone at this point. Being from northern California I am biasly (making up words) pulling for Cal, though I am expecting a UM win. Though if this were nature I would imagine a bear wouldn't have much problems with a turtle, so we'll see.

First set of games...

The first three games are in the books, or close enough to it for me to pencil them in.

Butler played hard the whole way but eventually fell to LSU. Howard played well for the Bulldogs down low but they weren't able to slow down the LSU offense. The Tigers shot 49% from the floor spearheaded by Marcus Thornton's 30 points on 10 of 15 shooting. LSU is going to need to play just as well, if not better, in the next round as they will likely face the number one seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.

California State University at Northridge put up one hell of a fight that saw my cellular and social networking usage spike for nearly half an hour. The score won't reflect how well the Matadors played today as they lost by 11 but it was a battle through and through. These Tigers needed 35 points and 10 three pointers from Roburt Sallie off the bench to down CSUN. This was surprisingly the most entertaining game of the morning for me, and it wasn't even close.

Texas A&M handled BYU easily beating them 79-66. The Aggies shot a gaudy57% from the floor. Their defense kept BYU from ever really making a game of this thing. Another disappointing performance from a Mountain West Conference team in the tourney. Utah hopes to improve on this slightly in tomorrow's tournament games.

Starting now is the 12th seeded Northern Iowa Panthers taking on the 5th seeded Purdue Boilermakers. I took Purdue in this one but there is usually a 12 seed upsetting a 5 seed so anything could happen.

At 11:50 am PST (2:50 EST) our first number one seed will take to the floor as the Tar Heels of North Carolina face Radford and their Highlanders (There can only be one...unless you're the movie, then there can be six).

My mind

Where has it gone? I've lost it due to the insanely good play in the Butler/LSU and CSUN/Memphis games. If only BYU didn't mail it in...

My cell phone and facebook chat has exploded at the hands of the Northridge effort. What a game this is. 8:33 left and Memphis just turned the ball over with CSUN up 3. Amazing.

Also, Butler currently down 2 with just under 5 minutes left. Bulldogs and Matadors, don't fail me now.

Ole!

Matadors of CSUN just hit a three to take the lead by one with 13:52 left in the second half. Still tons of game to be played but Memphis is playing the worst defense they have all season. Northridge guards are in the lane and by them in transition before the Tiger defenders even turn around.

Still a long ways to go, but the Tennessee area is certainly consuming less oxygen right now.

First break

It's half time in all three early games in today's tournament action and surprisingly the closest and most entertaining game so far is the Cal State Northridge Matadors versus the Memphis Tigers. The fifteenth seeded Matadors have handled the press of Memphis very well in the first half and only trail by three. If they can continue to hang around the way they are playing an upset would not be out of the question here.

BYU started atrociously against Texas A&M. They've trailed big most of the first half and have had to use the three point shot to keep this thing even remotely interesting. The Cougars trail the Aggies by twelve at the half. The key to this game has been the A&M defense as they have drawn at least three offensive fouls that I've seen while skipping back and forth between the games.

The other eight versus nine matchup finds Butler trailing LSU by six at their break. Butler, like BYU, started quite slowly but have done better to battle themselves back into the game and keep it close by halftime. Butler should be able to play a better second half as they shouldn't be expected to keep shooting an abominal 34% from the floor. It's not all Butler's woes that are the key here though as LSU is shooting 50% from the floor including three three pointers and have only missed once from the charity stripe.

All great stuff so far, let's go Matadors!

Another game started

BYU tipped off against Texas A&M not too long ago. I took the Cougars in this one but I am confident that is only because my alma mater resides in the MWC and I am hoping for a decent showing from our two representatives (Utah being the other). The Aggies have jumped out to an 11-3 lead after nearly three minutes of play...not a great start for my pick here. Though it doesn't entirely bother me as it's hard to root for BYU for me, and their losing doesn't destroy my bracket.

I love March.

Off and running

Cal State Northridge playing Memphis in the first round. This fifteen versus two seeded game is obviously not supposed to be close. Many have Memphis going to the championship game as they entered the tournament as the second overall ranked team. The Tigers look pretty sluggish to start as the Matadors of CSUN have started the game on an 11-4 run.

I didn't pick it in my bracket but having a friend that is an alumnus of CSUN I am pulling for them...Go Matadors!

Here we go!

NCAA tournament starts right now. First game on the slate is Butler versus LSU. Should be a close game between two pretty solid teams. This is the eight/nine match-up from the South region where North Carolina is the top seed.

Enjoy the games today, more updates as the games continue to roll out throughout the day.

SyraConn, wowzers!

I just wanted to post something about the Syracuse vs. UConn game that went six overtimes last night. It is easily the greatest game I've watched in my lifetime, and I'm not even a fan of the Big East. You have got to respect the efforts put forth by both teams in last night's effort. Jonny Flynn from Syracuse played sixty-seven of a possible seventy minutes...just remarkable. Especially since he was still able to break down the Huskies off the dribble until the very end. The turning point for this game was when Connecticut's Thabeet fouled out. This let the Orangemen into the lane unchecked from that point on.

After not leading a single time in the first five overtimes Syracuse gained it's lead in the sixth extra frame on a Routins three pointer that was well defended but splashed the net regardless. 'Cuse never looked back in the final overtime and went on to win the longest Big East, and the second longest NCAA, game ever played.

I also want to give a quick shout out to my alma matter, San Diego State Aztecs. They beat UNLV for the third straight time this season in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Hopefully yesterday's win puts them into the big dance but nothing is for sure as the many top teams continue to fall in their conference tourneys (I'm looking at you UConn, Pitt and the Big XII). A win today against a BYU team that the Aztecs have yet to beat this year would surely put them in as the Cougars are headed to the NCAA Tournament already.

It should be another great day in college basketball, enjoy the games!

North America's Team? Really, T.O.?

The release of Terrell Owens from the Dallas Cowboys, I must admit, surprised me some. I was sure that Jerry Jones would champion the case for TO to stay with the club for at least one more season. That was not the case and Owens found himself looking for his fourth NFL team at the age of thirty-five.

Apparently there was more of a market for the wideout than many anticipated. Within a week Terrell was standing in his favorite spot: in front of the media. This time to comment on his signing with what he calls "North America's Team", the Buffalo Bills. Despite Dallas being apart of North America as well I feel compelled to say that I hate the term America's Team pertaining to a team in a state that most people dislike unless you are from that state. I realize they seemingly have fans everywhere but if that were the criteria for the nickname I would contend that the Steelers should be America's Team. Steeler fans are everywhere for some reason, and jebus they are noisy. If there were a franchise that embodied America's Team aside from fan fare I have always thought it was a the Bills though. First of all, they wear Red, White, and Blue uniforms. If that isn't a start I don't know what is, I have never once seen the Steelers or Cowboys in such patriotic uniforms. Secondly, they are a small market team...the perennial underdog so to speak. America is the youngest of the top tier nations in the world. The younger brother of all the other world influencers out there, always fighting for our leg of the chicken at the table. Finally, the Bills are owned by Ralph Wilson who is one of the best owners in the league. They are essentially the coolest mom and pop shop in the country, the American dream for America's Team.

But I digress. The real story is Owens fitting into this team that has been mediocre for quite some time now. Their defense is solid but they have lacked any sort of offensive consistency despite Lee Evans being one of the most dynamic receivers in the league. TO's addition to the team should open things up for Evans and vice versa should teams focus on Evans more than Owens. Trent Edwards is a good young quarterback who has performed well when healthy. His main issue is staying on the field which he has yet to do in the NFL. If everyone on this offense stays healthy and they draft a talented tight end like many, including myself, believe they will do I could see the Bills winning something in the range of ten to twelve games and fighting for a playoff spot in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL (AFC East).

AFC East Prediction:

1. New England Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Miami Dolphins
5. New York Jets

Quick Notes: The Patriots have shown faith in Tom Brady's health by dealing Matt Cassel to the Chiefs so I tend to believe they are the team to beat again in this division. Without the learning curve games for MC last year they would have been right at the top of the division again...The Bills have a much better offense than the Ravens and with some of the players moving on from the Baltimore defense I am inclined to believe they will drop off at least a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I like Joe Flacco but Derrick Mason is no spring chicken and I would take Trent Edwards with TO and Evans over Flacco/Mason anyday...The Dolphins were on the rise in 2008-09 and should mix things up this season as well. It's doubtful that they have all the pieces to win the division though and the Chad Pennington love affair can't last two season's, can it?...The Jets lost their most consistent wide receiver (Coles) and their starting quarterback (Favre). That doesn't sound like a great offensive combination to me, even with their defense improving.

Manny Returns to SoCal; NL West

Well, it finally happened. Reports have Manny Ramirez signing a two-year $45 million contract today. This is bad news for the rest of the NL West teams including my beloved Giants. However this is great news for Dodger fans. The boys in blue were a clearly different team after adding Manny last year propelling them to the top spot in the west and the playoffs. They now have to be considered the favorite to repeat as western division champions. Their lineup with Remirez in the middle, also includes talented hitters such as Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Rafeal Furcal who can not only hurt a team with their bats but cause some trouble on the paths once they get on.

The Giants did little to add bats to their offense which was near the bottom of the MLB last season in scoring. They instead are relying on Bengi Molina's consistency, a rebound year for last season's free agent signing Aaron Rowand, and hoping for a break out season for the hard hitting Pablo Sandoval. The club did add a consistent hitter and defensive player at shortstop in Edgar Rentaria to replace veteran Omar Vizquel. The pitching rotation is rock solid and free agent signings should improve the bullpen from last season also. Offense looks to be the team's Achilles heel again in 2009.

Hopes are still high in the desert for the Diamondbacks and why shouldn't they be with an ace like Brandon Webb. If it weren't for the team stumbling down the stretch and a couple late season losses of his own Webb likely would have stolen last season's NL Cy Young award from the Giants Tim Lincecum. The D-backs were the division leader for most of last season and continued to be the lone challenger to the Dodgers towards the end of the year. The same looks to be true for this upcoming season as it seems that the Giants, Rockies, and Padres haven't improved enough to contend for that second rung on the ladder...let alone the top step.

The bottom of the division should be a fun battle. I was hopeful that the NL West would have a resurgent year in 2009, bouncing back from being widely considered the worst division in baseball last season, but I am entirely convinced that neither the Rockies nor the Padres have any intentions of bettering themselves from their efforts from a year ago. San Diego, however, is the clear cut favorite to finish in the cellar though. They have added little and subtracted much. The draw of a great new stadium (PetCo Park) has worn and it's time to start winning games...which is unfortunately not in the cards for this team.

My Prediction for the NL West:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Arizona Diamondbacks
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres