1. I was at the gym yesterday, and on a treadmill. It was a row of 8 treadmills, and all of them were unoccupied. I was on #7, because the TV with ESPN on it had an obstructed view from #8. Then here comes middle-aged balding guy, and he gets on #8. When #s 1-6 are all wide open. What makes people do things like this? This is the same kind of guy who takes the middle urinal. Or the person who stands waaaaay to close to you in a line, or anywhere really. Is it just a complete and total lack of regard for other people, or just completely missing a sense of personal space? Either way, freakin' knock it off people. It's really irritating.
And then a guy in front of me starts running, but he doesn't move his arms at all. AT ALL. It is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. For real.
2. If you haven't been following the comments section at the bottom of this post, it's interesting to say the least. Sioux fans vs. Gopher fans, and they aren't very polite about it. No kids allowed.
3. Somehow, Northwestern is only a 6.5 point favorite at home against the Gophers. I suggest you jump on that.
4. On to the NFL picks, but I should mention, just to remind everyone how awesome I am, my baseball playoff picks were 3-1, even though I picked all underdogs. Last week, for NFL, was a solidly mediocre 7-5-2.
Bengals -3 @ Chiefs: I just can't bring myself to believe in the Chiefs, no matter who is QB Huard or Croyle. Or maybe it's more that I can't believe the Bengals are really that bad. Their losses are @ Cleveland (better than we thought), @ Seattle (I think overrated, but still a contender), and vs. New England. So that's three losses, but not a bad loss in the group. This would have to be where Carson and company turn it around and get back to winning, or they're done.
Houston +6.5 @ Jacksonville: Two pretty evenly matched teams. Why would home team have to give 6.5? I don't get it. Both teams have beaten who they should, and the only questionable loss is Houston @ Atlanta. Now, the Jags could win by 7, sure. But so could Houston.
Browns -4.5 vs. Miami: Miami could be the only team in history with a 0-16 season to go along with the undefeated team of 76 or whenever. With Trent Green out, they have to turn to Cleo Lemon, who, sadly, would be the best QB on the Vikings. That doesn't mean he's any good though. And I'm still a believer in the Browns, or at least that they're a lot better at Miami when they're at home.
Bears -5 vs. Vikings: It sounds like Tarvaris is starting again. Against the Bears defense. Holcomb didn't exactly set the world on fire and spark the team or anything, but putting Jackson in against the Bears has disaster written all over it. The final here will be about 21-7, with the Bears getting two defensive TDs and one punt return TD, and the Vikings with one score on defense.
Eagles -3.5 @ NY Jets: This one was tough. On the one hand, the Eagles have looked awful except for the Lions game. On the other, the Jets have looked awful, except they are at home, where they have their only win over the horrid Dolphins. The difference will end up being the complete and total lack of a pass rush by the Jets (they have only 3 sacks in 5 games), giving McNabb all the time he needs to pick them apart just like he did the Lions.
Rams +9.5 @ Ravens: I'm guessing I've probably picked for the Rams and against the Ravens every single week. It's worked out well on the Ravens, and not so well on the Rams. I think the Ravens defense will have a very nice day against the Rams, but I don't think they'll be a whole lot of points scored in this game, so it should stay fairly tight.
Tampa -3 vs. Tennessee: Two teams that have surprisingly put themselves towards the top of the league this season. Neither team with a signature win, or anything to distinguish one over the other. In this kind of case, I'll take the home team.
Redskins +3 @ Packers: This would be where it all starts to fall apart for the Packers. They really just aren't that good. Not a bad team at all, but not elite, and after the meltdown against the Bears, they won't be the same team the rest of the year. Whereas the Skins are getting things done, somehow.
Cardinals -4.5 vs. Panthers: So the Panthers are either starting a banged up David Carr, or a 74 year old Vinny Testeverde. And the Cardinals only have to outscore them by five for me to win money. Easiest pick of the week. Which makes me nervous.
Patriots -5.5 @ Cowboys: Sorry Cowboys, you aren't anywhere near the Patriots class. I actually wish the Cowboys would have played better against the Bills, so this line would be a little smaller. Patriots have the firepower to put up points on anybody, and the defense to stop anybody. As much as I hate it, Bill Simmons is right, this team has a shot at 16-0, and it's not going to come close to stopping here.
Chargers -9.5 vs. Raiders: Yep, they're back. After getting it together last week and destroying the Broncos, I fully expect the Chargers to start ripping off wins left and right. Against teams like the Raiders, look for the same results as that Broncos game.
Saints +6.5 @ Seahawks: I still think the Saints are a good team waiting to figure it out, even with the worst feature back in the league. And I still think the Seahawks are a mirage, shown by the complete lack of competitiveness against the Steelers last week.
Falcons +3.5 vs. Giants: Monday night home underdog. I don't have any stats, because then I'd have to look them up, but it feels like these kind of guys cover most of the time. Plus, any Monday game is a Big Game, and I wouldn't trust Eli Manning in a Big Game. I guess it's Harrington on the other side, but at least he's at home.
LAST WEEK: 7-5-2
SEASON TO DATE: 37-32-7
Friday, October 12, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Ricky Rick's Blog
Rick Rickert's blog, as posted at the Gopher Hole, and I'm not even kidding.
I didn't spend a whole lot of time there, but it seems this New Zealand league he's in must be as easy as Dusty's Australian League, since Rick had a 39 point, 19 rebound game his first time out in that league. It's actually pretty boring. No comments on making one of the worst draft-related decisions in the history of the league.
Baseball playoffs - expect the Rockies in 5, Indians in 7.
Game 1 of Indians/Red Sox is heavily tilted in the Sox favor at the books. Indians are +142, with Sabathia on the hill. I don't care who is on the other side, Sabathia should never have that poor of odds. He pitched against the Sox only once this year, but held them to 1 run on 5 hits in seven innings, striking out 7. Sure, Beckett pitched well against the Indians, giving up 0 runs in 8 and 2 runs in 7 in his two starts against them, but it's not a +142 matchup, not at all. It's a good bet on the Indians.
Golden Gopher Hockey - Catch the Fever
As I think I've made clear, both on here and in my personal life, I am no great fan of hockey. It's too cold.
However, the Gophers are kind of a big deal, and what kind of Gopher blog would this be without a Gopher hockey preview?
With that said, here is my first guest post, as my friend The Todd has decided to graciously write a Gopher Hockey preview for me. I read through it and I've heard of like, two of these people, but that's my deal. It's entertaining, and I'm going to assume it's informative. So here we go:
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It's just about time for the Juggernaut of Golden Gopher Men's Hockey to start the 2007-2008 season. Up here in Gopher country, we don't rebuild...we reload. This year should be familiar with the cream rising to the top. The defending two time WCHA champs have been picked to finish second in the league behind UND courtesy of an obviously biased Grand Forks Herald (the coaches poll).
Last year the Maroon and Gold finished atop the conference with an 18-7-3 record. As the ever growing parity of the WCHA increases from year to year, expect things to tighten even more for the race to the McNaughton Cup. North Dakota, Wisconsin, SCSU and Colorado College all have strong campaigns this year making the charge to the top a wild 5 team scramble. Michigan Tech, Denver, Mankato State, UMD and Alaska Anchorage round out the rest of the conference. Expect some noise and upsets from Denver and UMD as I think they will surprise some teams with their young talent and team speed.
The Gophers will be led by surprising sophomore returnee and all WCHA 2nd teamer Kyle Okposo who was a sure top 10 first round NHL draft pick but opted to stay one more year (my guess to bed some more coeds). Second year player Jay Barriball and Junior Blake Wheeler will also add to the offensive fire power looking to improve on stellar 2006-2007 campaigns. Senior Derek Peltier is captaining this ship and will bolster a young defensive core while junior Jeff Frazee will get the start in goal. This will be his first year to silence any critics as he will be the unanimous number one net minder and carry the bulk of the load between the pipes.
Juniors RJ Anderson, Justin Bostrom and Ryan Stoa combining with Sophomores Mike Carman, David Fischer Ryan Flynn, Tony Lucia and Brian Shack will play key roles to finding the identity of this team with defense being the main focus. Expected departures for the NHL cabbage were defensemen Erik Johnson and Alex Goligoski. Defenseman Mike Vanelli and Goalie Kellen Briggs who were two huge cornerstones of the rock solid defensive core of a year ago, were lost to graduation.
An influx of seven homegrown freshman will need to contribute to this year's success led by high flying All-State Forward Patrick White who hails from Grand Rapids, MN.
The Maroon and Gold should have plenty of offensive fire power and weapons to keep them in every single game this year. That should be a given. The one question is how will the D respond with so many new faces defending the goal.
Keep your eye on the weekends of 12/7-12/8 and 2/1-2/2 as these four games against North Dakota could prove pivotal determining the outcome for the McNaughton Cup and who is king of the hill. One thing is certain, it's going to be a dogfight to the very last weekend before a conference winner will be determined.
My homer prediction of course is the Gophers by a landslide over a surprise push from Wisconsin.
The Gophers open the season this weekend at the Xcel Energy Center against RPI and then the winner/loser of Michigan and Boston College.
Put the women and children to bed (and get Woog a drink), it's time to drop the puck!
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Thanks The Todd, and yeah for hockey! I am fired up now!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Tubby Grabs Another Juco Player
Tubby Smith has a commitment from his second junior college transfer for the 2008 season, with 6-5 Wing Devron Bostick from Southwest Illinois CC joining the team.
There's not a whole lot of information out there about him, as both Scout and Rivals don't seem to pay him much attention, likely because he was just a mid-major type player coming out of high school. He had signed with Youngstown State as a freshman, but didn't qualify academically.
He blossomed his first year in Juco, averaging 19.5 ppg and being named a second-team Juco All-American. He had offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, and Washington State as well as the Gophers, and it seems St. Louis was after him pretty hard as well.
I love what Tubby is doing with his first class. Rather than having freshman and a bunch of guys like Kevin Payton and Damian Jackson as the team in 2008, he's grabbed two JC guys who are likely more ready to play than freshmen would be. And they aren't JC guys like an Engen Nurumbi, they are highly rated and highly recruiting quality JC players. Brilliant strategy, and a good way to get the rebuilding of this program kicked up into high gear.
There's not a whole lot of information out there about him, as both Scout and Rivals don't seem to pay him much attention, likely because he was just a mid-major type player coming out of high school. He had signed with Youngstown State as a freshman, but didn't qualify academically.
He blossomed his first year in Juco, averaging 19.5 ppg and being named a second-team Juco All-American. He had offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, and Washington State as well as the Gophers, and it seems St. Louis was after him pretty hard as well.
I love what Tubby is doing with his first class. Rather than having freshman and a bunch of guys like Kevin Payton and Damian Jackson as the team in 2008, he's grabbed two JC guys who are likely more ready to play than freshmen would be. And they aren't JC guys like an Engen Nurumbi, they are highly rated and highly recruiting quality JC players. Brilliant strategy, and a good way to get the rebuilding of this program kicked up into high gear.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Stupid Hockey
I'm drunk and in a weird bar up north called the Naughty Pine and I want to watch the baseball playoffs and I can't because they have to put it on the stupid Wild game because people up north are all weird.
Stupid hockey.
Also, I'm about 90% sure that our bartender chick is on crystal meth. 95% maybe.
And then we asked if we could get the TV on the baseball game because all the drunk rednecks went to smoke outside, and she asked if the Twins were playing.
Also, it's really sad that the Twins lost L-Rod. He was the future. Now what do we do? Time to rebuild I guess. Can't win without your 31-year old utility infielder. Realy a shame.
I miss Shane Mack
Stupid hockey.
Also, I'm about 90% sure that our bartender chick is on crystal meth. 95% maybe.
And then we asked if we could get the TV on the baseball game because all the drunk rednecks went to smoke outside, and she asked if the Twins were playing.
Also, it's really sad that the Twins lost L-Rod. He was the future. Now what do we do? Time to rebuild I guess. Can't win without your 31-year old utility infielder. Realy a shame.
I miss Shane Mack
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Chip Hale?
Apparently Chip "Chiper" Hale is the third base coach for the Diamondbacks. He's one of the worst Twins in history. How the hell did he get that job?
I'm heading out of town this weekend, so I won't be able to comment on the Gopher game, but I'd bet they lose big against Indiana. The Hoosiers are a 13.5 point favorite. They'll win by 20.
Also, I told you about the Indians and Sabathia.
And Ted Lilly sucks.
Week 5 NFL Picks
Had a great week last week, coming in at 11-3. Hopefully I can keep it going this week.
Arizona -3 @ St. Louis: I was really tempted to go with the Rams here, since their at home, and a QB switch might give them the spark they need to get back on track. Then I realized I was talking about Gus Frerotte, and my brain went back to normal. Plus, Leinart seems to be gaining some confidence and Arizona just stomped on the Steelers.
Atlanta +8 @ Tennessee: I believe the Titans are the kind of team that won't lose to the Falcons, but I also don't think they're the kind of team that destroys people. Eight is too much.
New Orleans -3 vs. Carolina: With the Saints coming off their bye week and Carolina starting David Carr, this might be the week the Saints get back a little rhythm and confidence. If they can't do it here, they might as well pack it in for the season.
Cleveland +17 @ New England: Well, this gives you an idea of how good the Patriots are. Playing a team that is 2-1 since a QB change, with wins over preseason playoff favorites Cincy and Baltimore, and the Pats are favored by 17. And it's a tough call.
Detroit +3.5 @ Washington: I believe in the Lions. I don't believe in the Redskins, and now they likely won't have Santana Moss. And how awesome is it that with Moss hurt, they decide to sign Keenan McCardell? Take one of the fastest receivers in the league, and replace him with a 37 year old man who hasn't scored a TD since 2005. Isn't this why you have back ups, so you don't have to do this? Actually, I just checked and holy crap, other than Moss and Randle-El, no other WR on the Skins has a single catch. It's just those two, tight ends, and RBs. How bizarre. Nice freakin' team.
Kansas City +2 vs. Jacksonville: Two straight wins and showing some serious signs of life for the Chiefs, thanks in part to the Dwayne Bowe Show. Remember how everybody thought Maurice Drew was going to be a stud this year? I guess Fred Taylor's not dead yet.
Houston -5.5 vs. Miami: I think I'll probably just keep picking against Miami until they actually cover, which might never happen. But how weird is it that on such a bad team, Ronnie Brown is putting up the numbers I thought LT would have this year? Ronnie Brown?
Giants -3 vs. Jets: This is one of those games where I just don't get the line. The Giants, winners of two in a row over division opponents, against the Jets, who just lost to the Bills. I figured this would be more like a 7-8 point line, not three. Of course, anytime I think I'm smarter than the line, it usually means I get this game wrong.
Pittsburgh -6 vs. Seattle: I'm not exactly sure why, but I have a feeling Seattle is holding this season together with duct tape. I'm waiting for the implosion, I really feel like it's coming. The Steelers should be fine after that little hiccup against the Cards.
Indy -10 vs. Tampa: Tampa is better than expected, and can handle a lot of teams, but the Colts are on a whole different level than the rest of the NFL other than the Pats. With or without Harrison & Addai, the Colts still have plenty of firepower.
San Francisco +3 vs. Baltimore: Apparently, people haven't got on to the fact that the Ravens aren't very good just yet. San Fran certainly isn't anything special, and might be going with Dilfer at QB, but they're at home and the Ravens aren't very good.
San Diego +1 @ Denver: I have to believe that as bad as things were, getting rolled at home by the Chiefs should be enough to slap the Chargers in the face and wake them up. There's way too much talent here to be this bad, and it can't all be the new coach.
Green Bay -3 vs. Chicago: You know what would be great? Brett Favre leads the Pack to the Super Bowl for one last hurrah, and then goes 7-27 for 88 yards with 0 TDs and 5 interceptions. I can't even describe how much I would enjoy that.
Buffalo +10 vs. Dallas: Maybe Trent Edwards will turn this team around. And by turn around, I just mean bring them from bottom of the barrel to mediocre. I was clearly wrong about JP Losman. I'm not completely sold on the Cowboys though. Their four opponents so far are a combined 3-13, and now they get the 1-3 Bills. Next week is going to be interesting when they play the Pats, going from the bottom of the NFL to the very top.
Last Week: 11-3
Season-to-Date: 30-27-5
Arizona -3 @ St. Louis: I was really tempted to go with the Rams here, since their at home, and a QB switch might give them the spark they need to get back on track. Then I realized I was talking about Gus Frerotte, and my brain went back to normal. Plus, Leinart seems to be gaining some confidence and Arizona just stomped on the Steelers.
Atlanta +8 @ Tennessee: I believe the Titans are the kind of team that won't lose to the Falcons, but I also don't think they're the kind of team that destroys people. Eight is too much.
New Orleans -3 vs. Carolina: With the Saints coming off their bye week and Carolina starting David Carr, this might be the week the Saints get back a little rhythm and confidence. If they can't do it here, they might as well pack it in for the season.
Cleveland +17 @ New England: Well, this gives you an idea of how good the Patriots are. Playing a team that is 2-1 since a QB change, with wins over preseason playoff favorites Cincy and Baltimore, and the Pats are favored by 17. And it's a tough call.
Detroit +3.5 @ Washington: I believe in the Lions. I don't believe in the Redskins, and now they likely won't have Santana Moss. And how awesome is it that with Moss hurt, they decide to sign Keenan McCardell? Take one of the fastest receivers in the league, and replace him with a 37 year old man who hasn't scored a TD since 2005. Isn't this why you have back ups, so you don't have to do this? Actually, I just checked and holy crap, other than Moss and Randle-El, no other WR on the Skins has a single catch. It's just those two, tight ends, and RBs. How bizarre. Nice freakin' team.
Kansas City +2 vs. Jacksonville: Two straight wins and showing some serious signs of life for the Chiefs, thanks in part to the Dwayne Bowe Show. Remember how everybody thought Maurice Drew was going to be a stud this year? I guess Fred Taylor's not dead yet.
Houston -5.5 vs. Miami: I think I'll probably just keep picking against Miami until they actually cover, which might never happen. But how weird is it that on such a bad team, Ronnie Brown is putting up the numbers I thought LT would have this year? Ronnie Brown?
Giants -3 vs. Jets: This is one of those games where I just don't get the line. The Giants, winners of two in a row over division opponents, against the Jets, who just lost to the Bills. I figured this would be more like a 7-8 point line, not three. Of course, anytime I think I'm smarter than the line, it usually means I get this game wrong.
Pittsburgh -6 vs. Seattle: I'm not exactly sure why, but I have a feeling Seattle is holding this season together with duct tape. I'm waiting for the implosion, I really feel like it's coming. The Steelers should be fine after that little hiccup against the Cards.
Indy -10 vs. Tampa: Tampa is better than expected, and can handle a lot of teams, but the Colts are on a whole different level than the rest of the NFL other than the Pats. With or without Harrison & Addai, the Colts still have plenty of firepower.
San Francisco +3 vs. Baltimore: Apparently, people haven't got on to the fact that the Ravens aren't very good just yet. San Fran certainly isn't anything special, and might be going with Dilfer at QB, but they're at home and the Ravens aren't very good.
San Diego +1 @ Denver: I have to believe that as bad as things were, getting rolled at home by the Chiefs should be enough to slap the Chargers in the face and wake them up. There's way too much talent here to be this bad, and it can't all be the new coach.
Green Bay -3 vs. Chicago: You know what would be great? Brett Favre leads the Pack to the Super Bowl for one last hurrah, and then goes 7-27 for 88 yards with 0 TDs and 5 interceptions. I can't even describe how much I would enjoy that.
Buffalo +10 vs. Dallas: Maybe Trent Edwards will turn this team around. And by turn around, I just mean bring them from bottom of the barrel to mediocre. I was clearly wrong about JP Losman. I'm not completely sold on the Cowboys though. Their four opponents so far are a combined 3-13, and now they get the 1-3 Bills. Next week is going to be interesting when they play the Pats, going from the bottom of the NFL to the very top.
Last Week: 11-3
Season-to-Date: 30-27-5
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Baseball Playoffs are Here
The Baseball playoffs have arrived, a most wonderful time of the year, and if you were a betting man, there are some very good prices on some very good matchups. Such as
Indians +150 vs. Yankees
Angels +150 vs. Red Sox
Rockies +120 vs. Phillies
D-Backs +110 vs. Cubs
I especially love the Indians here. They have home field advantage and the two best pitchers in this series in Sabathia and Carmona, and it's a five-game series. Yes, obviously the Yankees hit the crap out of the ball. They have six guys with OPS of over .800 (the Twins had 2, FYI), but Sabathia and Carmona were two of the eight best pitchers in the AL this season. They could shut down the Yankees at home in the first two games, send Byrd and Westbrook out there in games 3 & 4 and hope to get lucky, and then bring back Sabathia in game five if needed, back at home.
The Indians don't have the best offense in the world, but it's serviceable with enough good hitters that all they'd need is a couple to get hot. Plus, facing Wang, Pettitte, Mussina, Clemens, and Hughes isn't exactly the '78 Orioles. The series should be even at the worst, so this +150 is a bonus.
Three things I'd really like to see happen:
1. Indians beat the Yankees, but A-Rod has an awesome series and the rest of the team sucks so maybe all the idiotic journalists and retarded Yankee fans will shut up about how A-Rod isn't a true Yankee and he's isn't clutch (which is mostly a myth anyway).
2. Angels over Red Sox. Or Indians/Yankees over Red Sox in the ALCS. No more Red Sox please. I'm begging you.
3. Please media, don't turn the Angels' Reggie Willits into the next David Eckstein. His slugging percentage was .344 with a .293 average. I had no idea that was even possible. He had 21 extra-base hits. Nick Punto had 24. That's really all you need to know.
Finally, if you're into the whole betting thing, the Indians are +105 against the Yankees in game 1 tomorrow night right now, with Sabathia vs. Wang. I'd jump on it.
Also, it was pointed out to me that the Phillies are going to start Kyle Lohse in game two against the Rocks. I'd strongly consider hitting that as well.
Big Ten Preview
Since there's not much going on, here's a quick preview of the Big Ten basketball season.
11. Northwestern - Oof. This team never gets better, never steps forward. You'd think they'd at least be competitive at some point. Interesting fun fact is that even though they run the Princeton style offense, which requires good three-point shooting, and even though their whole team is basically little weiner white guys every year, they've only shot better than 33% once in the seven years since Carmody's been the coach. No wonder they suck every year. They'll still beat the Gophers though, since Minnesota has never been able to figure out that zone.
10. Michigan - What do you get when you have a crappy team and then lose your four best players? This team. Beilein is not going to have a very easy first year. He has three players of any significance back - Jerret Smith who was a decent all-around guard, Ekpe Udoh who is a physical freak, and Ron Coleman who was so boring I don't even remember who he is. They have an interesting freshman in Manny Harris, who might be the team's best player right off the bat.
9. Iowa - What do you get when you have a crappy team and then lose your two best players? A slightly better team than Michigan - maybe. Iowa has five guys back who played about 20 minutes a game last year, although none are very special - with the possible exception of guard Tony Freeman. If Freeman can play a little more under control, he could end up having a very good season. Iowa has a freshman in Jeff Peterson who they are really hoping can step in and play the point, allowing Freeman to play the 2 where his game is a more natural fit.
8. Penn State -The Nittany Lions have their top two players back in Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, but then again, they are the top two players back from a team that was 2-14 in conference play last year. Surprisingly, they also have some decent newcomers with two redshirts, two new freshman (including four-star PF Jeff Brooks, why he is at PSU I have no idea), and two juco transfers who could all contribute. In case your curious, the Nittany part of the name comes from nearby Mount Nittany.
7. Minnesota - This actually feels too high, but those other four teams are just terrible. IF Dan Coleman can play defense and learn to score in the paint and IF Lawrence McKenzie can distribute rather than forcing shots and trying to showcase himself and IF Spencer Tollackson can stay out of foul trouble and refine his offensive game and IF Jonathan Williams comes up with some semblance of an offensive game at all and IF Blake Hoffarber can defend on the college level and IF Tubby Smith can outsmart every coach this team may be able to rise as high as 5th. But don't count on it.
6. Illinois Some other Big Ten previews I've seen have these guys higher, but I don't get it. They were going to have four good players back, except Jamar Smith is out for the year after getting drunk and crashing his car, and Brian Randle actually sucks. They are going to have Shaun Pruitt and Chester Frazier back as well, but Frazier is the kind of guard you don't even defend at the three-point line. It will basically be Pruitt and some decent recruits, including guard Demetri McCamey (very good) and MJ's son Jeffrey Jordan (not very good).
5. Purdue - Flippin' Purdue. Who knows how to rate a team that is going to count so much on freshman? More in depth preview herer, but basically they have a few decent players back, and one hell of a recruiting class, tops in the conference, coming in.
4. Wisconsin - It seems weird to put a team losing it's two top scorers (Alando Tucker & Kam Taylor) at number four, but it's typical Wisconsin. They will have a lot of experience back, their style of play will screw up a lot of teams, and the Big Ten is really, really, weak this year. Brian Butch is back after breaking his elbow, and I expect him to take a big leap forward this year with more of the scoring burden on him. With Butch and Bohannon, Flowers, Krabbenhoft, Landry, and Stiemsma all back and being joined by four-star freshmen Jon Leuer (dammit) and Keaton Nankivil, Wisconsin will be pesky good this year. They'll probably end up with 7 guys averaging the same amount of points per game and just annoy the crap out of you.
3. Ohio State - Yep, they lost a ton from last year's National Runner Up team, 73% of their scoring to be exact, but in a weak conference they still have enough to finish third. Jamar Butler, Othello Hunter, and David Lighty are all back. Any one of the three would be Minnesota's best player, but they were overshadowed by all the talent the Buckeyes had last year. Lighty was the 8th best SF recruit last season. Joining them is another stellar class, with three 4-stars and one 5-star player. The five star is big man Kosta Koufos, a seven-footer who can knock down the three or post up. I have a man-crush on this guy already.
2. Michigan State - It's basically a two team race this year, and the Spartans fall just short. Drew Neitzel is the leader of this team, a great scorer who won't have to worry about handling the ball much this season. Not only is fellow returning guard Travis Walton back to handle the pooint, but freshman Kalin Lucas was the #5 rated point guard recruit this season. More scoring punch comes from a super athletic trio in forwards Marquise Gray and Raymar Morgan and incoming freshman guard and 5-star recruit Durrell Summers. This team will likely beat the Gophers by 40.
1. Indiana - I love this team this year. D.J. White is a monster who managed to stay healthy last year and should take his game to another level this season. Two very solid guards in Armon Bassett and A.J. Ratliff are returning (Ratliff suspended for the early season, but will be back). Joining them is Eric Gordon, super freshman who could win Big Ten Player of the Year in his first (and only) season. And the incoming class isn't all Gordon, there are three 4-star players joining the Hoosiers as well.
ALL CONFERENCE TEAM:
G - Eric Gordon
G - Drew Neitzel (player of year)
F - David Lighty
F - DJ White
F - Shaun Pruitt
ALL FRESHMAN TEAM:
G - Eric Gordon
G - E'Twaun Moore
F - Durrell Summers
F - Manny Harris
C - Kosta Koufos
ALL OVERRATED TEAM:
G - Lawrence McKenzie
G - Chester Frazier
G - Tony Freeman
F - Brian Randle
C - Goran Suton
ALL UNDERRATED TEAM:
G - Jason Bohannon
G - Geary Claxton
F - Marquise Gray
F - David Lighty
C - Othello Hunter
11. Northwestern - Oof. This team never gets better, never steps forward. You'd think they'd at least be competitive at some point. Interesting fun fact is that even though they run the Princeton style offense, which requires good three-point shooting, and even though their whole team is basically little weiner white guys every year, they've only shot better than 33% once in the seven years since Carmody's been the coach. No wonder they suck every year. They'll still beat the Gophers though, since Minnesota has never been able to figure out that zone.
10. Michigan - What do you get when you have a crappy team and then lose your four best players? This team. Beilein is not going to have a very easy first year. He has three players of any significance back - Jerret Smith who was a decent all-around guard, Ekpe Udoh who is a physical freak, and Ron Coleman who was so boring I don't even remember who he is. They have an interesting freshman in Manny Harris, who might be the team's best player right off the bat.
9. Iowa - What do you get when you have a crappy team and then lose your two best players? A slightly better team than Michigan - maybe. Iowa has five guys back who played about 20 minutes a game last year, although none are very special - with the possible exception of guard Tony Freeman. If Freeman can play a little more under control, he could end up having a very good season. Iowa has a freshman in Jeff Peterson who they are really hoping can step in and play the point, allowing Freeman to play the 2 where his game is a more natural fit.
8. Penn State -The Nittany Lions have their top two players back in Geary Claxton and Jamelle Cornley, but then again, they are the top two players back from a team that was 2-14 in conference play last year. Surprisingly, they also have some decent newcomers with two redshirts, two new freshman (including four-star PF Jeff Brooks, why he is at PSU I have no idea), and two juco transfers who could all contribute. In case your curious, the Nittany part of the name comes from nearby Mount Nittany.
7. Minnesota - This actually feels too high, but those other four teams are just terrible. IF Dan Coleman can play defense and learn to score in the paint and IF Lawrence McKenzie can distribute rather than forcing shots and trying to showcase himself and IF Spencer Tollackson can stay out of foul trouble and refine his offensive game and IF Jonathan Williams comes up with some semblance of an offensive game at all and IF Blake Hoffarber can defend on the college level and IF Tubby Smith can outsmart every coach this team may be able to rise as high as 5th. But don't count on it.
6. Illinois Some other Big Ten previews I've seen have these guys higher, but I don't get it. They were going to have four good players back, except Jamar Smith is out for the year after getting drunk and crashing his car, and Brian Randle actually sucks. They are going to have Shaun Pruitt and Chester Frazier back as well, but Frazier is the kind of guard you don't even defend at the three-point line. It will basically be Pruitt and some decent recruits, including guard Demetri McCamey (very good) and MJ's son Jeffrey Jordan (not very good).
5. Purdue - Flippin' Purdue. Who knows how to rate a team that is going to count so much on freshman? More in depth preview herer, but basically they have a few decent players back, and one hell of a recruiting class, tops in the conference, coming in.
4. Wisconsin - It seems weird to put a team losing it's two top scorers (Alando Tucker & Kam Taylor) at number four, but it's typical Wisconsin. They will have a lot of experience back, their style of play will screw up a lot of teams, and the Big Ten is really, really, weak this year. Brian Butch is back after breaking his elbow, and I expect him to take a big leap forward this year with more of the scoring burden on him. With Butch and Bohannon, Flowers, Krabbenhoft, Landry, and Stiemsma all back and being joined by four-star freshmen Jon Leuer (dammit) and Keaton Nankivil, Wisconsin will be pesky good this year. They'll probably end up with 7 guys averaging the same amount of points per game and just annoy the crap out of you.
3. Ohio State - Yep, they lost a ton from last year's National Runner Up team, 73% of their scoring to be exact, but in a weak conference they still have enough to finish third. Jamar Butler, Othello Hunter, and David Lighty are all back. Any one of the three would be Minnesota's best player, but they were overshadowed by all the talent the Buckeyes had last year. Lighty was the 8th best SF recruit last season. Joining them is another stellar class, with three 4-stars and one 5-star player. The five star is big man Kosta Koufos, a seven-footer who can knock down the three or post up. I have a man-crush on this guy already.
2. Michigan State - It's basically a two team race this year, and the Spartans fall just short. Drew Neitzel is the leader of this team, a great scorer who won't have to worry about handling the ball much this season. Not only is fellow returning guard Travis Walton back to handle the pooint, but freshman Kalin Lucas was the #5 rated point guard recruit this season. More scoring punch comes from a super athletic trio in forwards Marquise Gray and Raymar Morgan and incoming freshman guard and 5-star recruit Durrell Summers. This team will likely beat the Gophers by 40.
1. Indiana - I love this team this year. D.J. White is a monster who managed to stay healthy last year and should take his game to another level this season. Two very solid guards in Armon Bassett and A.J. Ratliff are returning (Ratliff suspended for the early season, but will be back). Joining them is Eric Gordon, super freshman who could win Big Ten Player of the Year in his first (and only) season. And the incoming class isn't all Gordon, there are three 4-star players joining the Hoosiers as well.
ALL CONFERENCE TEAM:
G - Eric Gordon
G - Drew Neitzel (player of year)
F - David Lighty
F - DJ White
F - Shaun Pruitt
ALL FRESHMAN TEAM:
G - Eric Gordon
G - E'Twaun Moore
F - Durrell Summers
F - Manny Harris
C - Kosta Koufos
ALL OVERRATED TEAM:
G - Lawrence McKenzie
G - Chester Frazier
G - Tony Freeman
F - Brian Randle
C - Goran Suton
ALL UNDERRATED TEAM:
G - Jason Bohannon
G - Geary Claxton
F - Marquise Gray
F - David Lighty
C - Othello Hunter
Van Coleman tells me Not Much
I asked recruiting expert Van Coleman over at hoopmasters a question about Ralph Sampson, and he really didn't give me much.
DWG (St. Paul, MN): What's the word on Ralph Sampson? Minnesota, Georgia Tech, or somewhere else?
Van Coleman: He's planning on visiting Kentucky as well and may consider Virginia, which is his dad's former school. Maryland's also a school trying to get a visit.
So, there you go.
DWG (St. Paul, MN): What's the word on Ralph Sampson? Minnesota, Georgia Tech, or somewhere else?
Van Coleman: He's planning on visiting Kentucky as well and may consider Virginia, which is his dad's former school. Maryland's also a school trying to get a visit.
So, there you go.
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