Big Dance Primer
Well gang, the college basketball regular season is over, conference tournament bids are set and the bubble is about to burst for some teams...while it's just getting going for others. And the NFL free agency kicked off with a bang this week - so much to hit on here and such little time. Oh, and a little update from the NBA's best friend, Ron Artest. Yep, that guy.
Let's start with the college hardwood. And how can I start here without touching on those pesky Longhorns. No one is a bigger Horns fan than me, but let me tell you why this team will be one and done in this year's big dance - they are a one-dimensional team. Let's be honest, this team is a tremendous offensive team, it's where they thrive and it's why they are so fun to watch. Unfortunately, big games are won on the defensive end of the floor and on the boards. I wasn't able to find updated statistics, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Texas may be one of the worst rebounding teams in D1 basketball. If I'm a coach preparing to play the horns I'm risking easy layups and sending 4 guys to the boards.
Another area that really killed them in the second half against Kansas was the physical play. These guys play a more finese game and don't like to pound inside the paint. Anyone else missing PJ Tucker about now? It's going to take a damn good draw to get these guys very far in the dance this year - it could happen, but I'm putting my money on 1 win, maybe 2 tops. BUT, in the long term, I really like these guys' chances.
WITH THAT SAID...Kevin Durant is utterly ridiculous. I mean, going into Lawrence, KS and dropping 25 in the first half (including 5 of 5 from downtown) is insane. The first NBA GM to lose his job will be the one that passes on Durant for Oden with the first pick of next year's draft.
AROUND THE LEAGUE:
- Did you see that shot that Hansbrough took in the Duke game? That was WWF style, good stuff. I know it's sacreligous to dis Coack K, but questioning why Hansbrough was still in the game was Bush league. He was in there because it was Duke/UNC - your team is no good this year, accept it.
- UCLA and Kansas are 1 and 1a on my list going into the big dance - it will take quite a set of circumstances to change my mind on that front. Big 10 is too weak (just like in football). Florida is still a force, in my opinion, but you simply can't put them above the Bruins and Jayhawks.
- Unlikely team that could end up in the great 8 - Tennessee. Lots of tough games this year, great experience.
NFL Free Agency Notes:
- Did anyone notice how much Jerry Jones paid for Leonard Davis? Uhhh, did anyone see this guy in Arizona the past 5 or 6 years? 7 years at $49 million is quite a bit for a player, who up to this point, has been grossly overrated.
- The Chicago Bears sure do have a ton of faith in Cedric Benson...either that or they're thinking Adrian Peterson (no, not that one) is going to explode onto the scene. Either way, Benson is going to have his shot at being the franchise back - I for one hope he doesn't screw it up...but I suspect he might.
- How pissed off do you think Chris Simms is today? After suffering an unimaginable injury last year (ruptured spleen), the Bucs went ahead and signed for and traded for 2 QBs within 20 minutes - signing Jeff Garcia and trading for Jake Plummer. Of course Plummer looks like he's throwing in the towel, but I think Tampa was sending a message here...regardless of the good things that Gruden has always said about Simms. I say Garcia is the starter come opening weekend.
- Add pretentious snot to the list of things I associate with Brady Quinn. One Peter King of SI.com reports that Quinn will not interview/meet with team officials before or after his workout day. As Pete King said, what does this guy have to hide? Other than the fact that he's overrated, but we knew that already.
- Team I'm most impressed with so far this offseason (all 4 days of it), New England Patriots. They added a much needed (and HUGE) upgrade at linebacker by signing Adalius Thomas. I mean, HUGE pickup there. And with the impending pickup of Wes Welker (from what I've read it's a matter of time) they'll be picking up another big need at the receiver position. That's right folks, Wes Welker, formerly of Texas Tech.
- Team I'm least impressed with so far this offseason: Tennessee. Considering where they were just 2 years ago they had a great year last year thanks to Superman. Since then, they've lost Travis Henry, Drew Bennett, Bobby Wade and Robaire Smith. Signings you ask? Backup QB Kerry Collins. There's still plenty of time between now and the draft, but they really need to make a move here. I can't believe that they're ready to hand the reigns over to Lendale White at RB. Could they be making a move for Jamal Lewis? Perhaps. WR is another need right now - must get VY some help here.
- Back to Thomas Jones - they got a 2nd round pick in return? Man, maybe I don't get it, but the Jets got a freaking deal here.
The Lighter Side of Sports:
Sooo, the Ron Artest saga continues. He was dismissed from the team indefinitely after being arressted for domestic violence. Man, don't you just love second chances? I can only assume and hope that this was final screw up. I must say that if he isn't removed from the league for good after this, the NBA will have reached a new low that they may not recover from for years. It's time for David Stern to show that he has a pair here. I would love to see the Player's Union try and defend this. Let the circus begin.
PrimeTime Minute:
- On the west coast this week and watching 24 as we speak (11:15pm Central time/9:15pm Pacific time) and it's getting kicked up a notch here. Tom Lennox coming through in the clutch to defend the truth. I'm still putting my money on this guy taking a bullet at some point soon.
- OK, you know by now that I'm a huge American Idol fan, yet I do not and will not vote. I mean, am I really going to continue to hit redial for 45+ minutes to cast one vote? C'mon. With that said, to you jackasses out there who DO vote - let's try and get it right. By and far the worst singer is Annotella (sp?). She is HORRIBLE. Not sure if I'm more dissappointed in the American voters, or the judges for allowing this to get this far. This competition is between Lakisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle...and the beat box guy.
Let's start with the college hardwood. And how can I start here without touching on those pesky Longhorns. No one is a bigger Horns fan than me, but let me tell you why this team will be one and done in this year's big dance - they are a one-dimensional team. Let's be honest, this team is a tremendous offensive team, it's where they thrive and it's why they are so fun to watch. Unfortunately, big games are won on the defensive end of the floor and on the boards. I wasn't able to find updated statistics, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Texas may be one of the worst rebounding teams in D1 basketball. If I'm a coach preparing to play the horns I'm risking easy layups and sending 4 guys to the boards.
Another area that really killed them in the second half against Kansas was the physical play. These guys play a more finese game and don't like to pound inside the paint. Anyone else missing PJ Tucker about now? It's going to take a damn good draw to get these guys very far in the dance this year - it could happen, but I'm putting my money on 1 win, maybe 2 tops. BUT, in the long term, I really like these guys' chances.
WITH THAT SAID...Kevin Durant is utterly ridiculous. I mean, going into Lawrence, KS and dropping 25 in the first half (including 5 of 5 from downtown) is insane. The first NBA GM to lose his job will be the one that passes on Durant for Oden with the first pick of next year's draft.
AROUND THE LEAGUE:
- Did you see that shot that Hansbrough took in the Duke game? That was WWF style, good stuff. I know it's sacreligous to dis Coack K, but questioning why Hansbrough was still in the game was Bush league. He was in there because it was Duke/UNC - your team is no good this year, accept it.
- UCLA and Kansas are 1 and 1a on my list going into the big dance - it will take quite a set of circumstances to change my mind on that front. Big 10 is too weak (just like in football). Florida is still a force, in my opinion, but you simply can't put them above the Bruins and Jayhawks.
- Unlikely team that could end up in the great 8 - Tennessee. Lots of tough games this year, great experience.
NFL Free Agency Notes:
- Did anyone notice how much Jerry Jones paid for Leonard Davis? Uhhh, did anyone see this guy in Arizona the past 5 or 6 years? 7 years at $49 million is quite a bit for a player, who up to this point, has been grossly overrated.
- The Chicago Bears sure do have a ton of faith in Cedric Benson...either that or they're thinking Adrian Peterson (no, not that one) is going to explode onto the scene. Either way, Benson is going to have his shot at being the franchise back - I for one hope he doesn't screw it up...but I suspect he might.
- How pissed off do you think Chris Simms is today? After suffering an unimaginable injury last year (ruptured spleen), the Bucs went ahead and signed for and traded for 2 QBs within 20 minutes - signing Jeff Garcia and trading for Jake Plummer. Of course Plummer looks like he's throwing in the towel, but I think Tampa was sending a message here...regardless of the good things that Gruden has always said about Simms. I say Garcia is the starter come opening weekend.
- Add pretentious snot to the list of things I associate with Brady Quinn. One Peter King of SI.com reports that Quinn will not interview/meet with team officials before or after his workout day. As Pete King said, what does this guy have to hide? Other than the fact that he's overrated, but we knew that already.
- Team I'm most impressed with so far this offseason (all 4 days of it), New England Patriots. They added a much needed (and HUGE) upgrade at linebacker by signing Adalius Thomas. I mean, HUGE pickup there. And with the impending pickup of Wes Welker (from what I've read it's a matter of time) they'll be picking up another big need at the receiver position. That's right folks, Wes Welker, formerly of Texas Tech.
- Team I'm least impressed with so far this offseason: Tennessee. Considering where they were just 2 years ago they had a great year last year thanks to Superman. Since then, they've lost Travis Henry, Drew Bennett, Bobby Wade and Robaire Smith. Signings you ask? Backup QB Kerry Collins. There's still plenty of time between now and the draft, but they really need to make a move here. I can't believe that they're ready to hand the reigns over to Lendale White at RB. Could they be making a move for Jamal Lewis? Perhaps. WR is another need right now - must get VY some help here.
- Back to Thomas Jones - they got a 2nd round pick in return? Man, maybe I don't get it, but the Jets got a freaking deal here.
The Lighter Side of Sports:
Sooo, the Ron Artest saga continues. He was dismissed from the team indefinitely after being arressted for domestic violence. Man, don't you just love second chances? I can only assume and hope that this was final screw up. I must say that if he isn't removed from the league for good after this, the NBA will have reached a new low that they may not recover from for years. It's time for David Stern to show that he has a pair here. I would love to see the Player's Union try and defend this. Let the circus begin.
PrimeTime Minute:
- On the west coast this week and watching 24 as we speak (11:15pm Central time/9:15pm Pacific time) and it's getting kicked up a notch here. Tom Lennox coming through in the clutch to defend the truth. I'm still putting my money on this guy taking a bullet at some point soon.
- OK, you know by now that I'm a huge American Idol fan, yet I do not and will not vote. I mean, am I really going to continue to hit redial for 45+ minutes to cast one vote? C'mon. With that said, to you jackasses out there who DO vote - let's try and get it right. By and far the worst singer is Annotella (sp?). She is HORRIBLE. Not sure if I'm more dissappointed in the American voters, or the judges for allowing this to get this far. This competition is between Lakisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle...and the beat box guy.
posted by The Bearden Wonder at 10:24 PM
1 Comments:
Aren't we ALWAYS a 1-2 game in and out for March Madness? I never put Texas in my bracket for more than 2 games, even when we're strong. Dang them Horns.
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