Category Archives: sports

2015 March Madness: #16 Seed Play-In Game – Hampton vs Manhattan

I hope the NCAA will once again call their ‘first round’ games as what they used to be called…play-in games. As a person who writes a lot about the NCAA Tournament, it’s confusing as hell to call, the first real games of the tournament, ‘second round’ games.

Hampton comes into the NCAA Tournament with a record under .500 (16-17). They got hot at the end of the year and stole an automatic bid away from the top reams in the MEAC.

Manhattan nearly lost their head coach Steve Masiello after last year’s tournament appearance. He was hired by South Florida, but wasn’t hired due to lying that he graduated on his résumé. He completed the course he needed and kept his job at Manhattan. The Jaspers ended up winning the MAAC conference tournament.

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #6 Butler vs #11 Texas

In years past, the Butler and Texas seedings would be flip-flopped. Butler was always the underdog and Texas would be a Goliath. It shows how much the NCAA selection committee have changed their mindset over the years.

Butler didn’t make the NCAA Tournament last season during a transition after Brad Stevens left to coach the Boston Celtics. It didn’t take long for The Bulldogs to look just as good as they were under Stevens.

Texas has had some good teams under head coach Rick Barnes. He is often criticized for underachieving in the NCAA Tournament. That would once again be the case if they fail to advance into the third round.

Can Chris Holtmann get his first NCAA Tournament win as the coach of Butler?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #7 Iowa vs #10 Davidson

I love when Davidson makes the NCAA Tournament. It reminds me of all the great Cinderella moments they had when Stephen Curry was in college. It’s amazing how one player’s NCAA Tournament success could put them on the map long-term.

Iowa hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament in almost a decade. It took the Hawkeyes nearly a decade to find their identity after Steve Alford left. Iowa is now a physical team that relies less on guards and more on wings/forwards.

Davidson has an enrollment of less than 2,000 students, but their program has been larger than life. Head coach Bob McKillop is one of the best basketball coaches in the game. Can he get Davidson to another Elite Eight?

How many Big Ten teams can push deep into the tourney?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #7 Michigan State vs #10 Georgia

This game pairs a perennial title contender (Michigan State) against a school more known for football (Georgia).

Michigan State is coming off a close loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament final. They had a double-digit lead late in the game, but coughed it up. Tom Izzo is great in the NCAA Tournament, so I have high expectations for the Spartans.

Georgia wasn’t expected to have an NCAA Tournament-bound team to start the season. Head coach Mark Fox had his best record at Georgia since he took over the job in 2009. This will be his second tournament appearance with the team.

Can Georgia pull off the upset and beat Michigan State?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #7 VCU vs #10 Ohio State

There are some great #7 vs #10 games this season. Many of the teams are on trending upwards instead of falling into these spots. Winners of these games have a real shot at beating a #2 seed the next round.

VCU made a name for themselves when they made the Final Four after in 2011 after playing in the play-in game. Head coach Shaka Smart is great on his toes. He’s an X’s & O’s guy who knows when to make adjustments.

Thad Matta and the Ohio State Buckeyes have also made some noise in the NCAA Tournament in the past. Matta has had success in the Big Dance with both OSU and Xavier. This coaching match-up will be one of the best of tourney.

Can Briante Weber’s injury hurt VCU’s shot at advancing?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #7 Wichita State vs #10 Indiana

This game pits Wichita State, who was last year’s dark horse title contender, and Indiana, who many believe shouldn’t have received an at-large bid from the NCAA Selection Committee.

The Wichita State Shockers are one of the representatives of the Missouri Valley Conference. They won the regular season, but were upset by Illinois State in the conference tournament final.

Indiana is limping into the NCAA Tournament. They have some really nice individual players, but head coach Tom Crean has had trouble getting them to play together as a team. The Hoosiers haven’t looked ‘right’ since mid-January.

Will this be the last game Tom Crean coaches for the Hoosiers?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #8 San Diego State vs #9 St. John’s

This match-up pits two head coaches with NCAA Tournament experience. Neither are still with the team they had the most success with, but Steve Fisher and Steve Lavin will have their current teams ready for this game.

San Diego State have come into the NCAA Tournament with better teams recently, but this seed better suits this squad. They couldn’t live up to the high seeds Fisher’s teams have received from the selection committee.

This will only be the fourth time this century that St. John’s will appear in an NCAA Tournament. The once-powerful program fell on hard times in the late 90’s. Lavin helped resurrect them from the dead.

This game will be a chess match between two great head coaches. Which team will advance?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #8 Oregon vs #9 Oklahoma State

This match-up is one of the most intriguing 8 vs 9 games in this the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The styles of teach team won’t mesh well at all.

Oregon’s offense is their best asset. Joe Young can put up points in a hurry and is a lot of fun to watch. The Ducks will do their best to keep pushing the ball up and down the court.

Oklahoma State will play the role of the turtle in this game. They are methodical and use their defense to set up a lot of their offense. I don’t want to compare their half-court offense to watching paint dry, but it’s damn close.

Which team will get their way and force their pace of the game?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #8 NC State vs #9 LSU

We love a good #8 versus #9 matchup. It’s often one of the most difficult picks you’ll have to make on your bracket.

The ACC was top-heavy this season. Virginia and Duke lead the way, but there are a few other teams that could win a few games in the NCAA Tournament.

Kentucky was the cream of the crop in the SEC, but there were plenty of teams playing for at-large bids this season. LSU was a bubble team, but unlike Texas A&M, they received an invite to the tourney.

How will LSU’s low-post offense do against NC State’s smaller lineup?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: #8 Cincinnati vs #9 Purdue

This is the first of many NCAA Tournament games we are picking to help you fill out your bracket.

The Big Ten was the arguably the strongest conference from top to bottom in the country. They have seven teams representing them in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Purdue was a bubble team and I strongly believe they deserved a spot in the Big Dance.

The American Athletic Conference wasn’t as strong, but Cincinnati made it through the season with a lot of adversity.

Can Cincinnati score enough points to win games in the NCAA Tournament?

How will Purdue handle Cincinnati’s elite perimeter defense?

Who do you think will win? We help you fill out your bracket.

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2015 March Madness: Which Bubble Teams Didn’t Get In?

There are 351 Division-I teams in college basketball eligible for the postseason 2015 NCAA Tournament. Obviously, not every team can get an invite.

These teams were all on the bubble, but failed to make it into the field of 68.

There were some big upsets in conference tournaments and they took spots away from teams that deserved a nod. I was surprised a few times during the Selection Show, but I feel good about the field overall.

Did Indiana and Purdue do enough to get into the Big Dance?

Here is a list of bubble teams which had their bubble burst.

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2015 MLB Team Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays were a popular pick to make a big leap in 2013, but they ended up finishing in last place in the AL East that season. Expectations leveled out last year and they finished a few games over .500. After acquiring Josh Donaldson in a trade and signing Russell Martin, Toronto is expected to once again contend in the AL East again. Can they pull it off or will they fall flat on their faces again?

Injuries plagued Toronto’s potential resurgent season in 2013 and they were already dealt a huge blow when they learned their young pitching phenom Marcus Stroman tore his ACL. He will miss the entire season. Which one of Toronto’s many young pitching prospects will take his spot in the starting rotation?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Toronto Blue Jays.

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