Sunday, March 30, 2008

NCAA FINAL 4 PREVIEW


From www.cbssportsline.com

Memphis (37-1)

Coach: John Calipari, eight years at school, five years in NCAA Tournament.

How they got here:
Automatic bid (C-USA tournament champion); South first round: def. No. 16 seed Texas-Arlington 87-63; South second round: held of No. 8 seed Mississippi State 77-74; South semifinals: pasted No. 5 seed Michigan State 92-74; South final: routed No. 2 seed Texas 85-67

They'll keep winning if: Memphis has many interchangeable parts and John Calipari can substitute in five-man shifts if he so chooses. When the Tigers are at their best, they're playing aggressive defense, crashing the boards hard and sharing the ball through their dribble-drive motion offense. When senior forward Joey Dorsey is dominating the boards, scoring off offensive rebounds and altering shots, the Tigers are a bear inside and out. If he can neutralize Bruins freshman phenom Kevin Love, Memphis will be in good shape.

Memorable moment: The Tigers was ranked No. 1 in both polls and 26-0 when it lost 66-62 at home to then-No. 2 Tennessee on Feb. 23. That loss probably did more for the Tigers than any of their C-USA wins. It forced the Tigers to re-focus before the tournament.

Go-to guys: Memphis has multiple go-to scorers. Sophomore reserve guards Willie Kemp and Doneal Mack can score from the perimeter, junior guard Antonio Anderson can score off the drive and junior forward Robert Dozier can produce inside, but no two players are more valuable to the Tigers than their first-team all-conference selections -- junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts and freshman point guard Derrick Rose. If the game is close and the Tigers need a basket, the ball will be in their hands.

Strengths: Memphis has the No. 1 RPI and was tested outside the well-cushioned conference schedule. The Tigers are deep and versatile, and their interchangeable parts fit together well. Rose is the closest thing to a complete player on the roster, but the Tigers have many different skills and talents in their playing rotation. They're capable of winning with defense and rebounding, even when they're not shooting well, because they can make the most of a fast, intense tempo and create easy shots.

Weaknesses: You'd be picking nits calling freshman Derrick Rose a weak spot. He plays heady and now has a full season under his belt. But this is still a sum-of-parts team. Take one or two pieces out of the Memphis puzzle and cracks in the foundation can be exposed, especially if Dorsey disappears or finds foul trouble. Opponents prefer to play zone and take their chances with the Tigers erratic 3-point shooting. The Tigers have been one of the nation's worst free-throw shooting teams all season.


UCLA (34-3)
Coach: Ben Howland, five years at UCLA, four years in NCAA Tournament
How they got here: Automatic bid (Pac-10 champion); West first round: def. No. 16 seed Mississippi Valley State 70-29; West second round: def. No. 9 seed Texas A&M 51-49; West semifinals: held off Western Kentucky 88-78; West final: dominated No. 3 seed Xavier 76-57.

They'll keep winning if: The Bruins have won 14 in a row -- five by a margin of three points or less. So close games don't bother Bruins. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook will be counted on to keep clear heads and control of the ball amidst the heavy Memphis pressure. Kevin Love has become the go-to option for UCLA. He has 87 points and 44 rebounds through four rounds (21.8 ppg, 11 rpg). The talented freshman is unlikely to experience big-game jitters and the rest of the key Bruins cogs have already played in the Final Four. Love is a double-double machine and gifted passer, but he'll have his hand full with Joey Dorsey.

Memorable moment: The Bruins clinched their third straight regular-season Pac-10 title with a 77-67 overtime victory over Stanford at Pauley Pavilion. The game featured a controversial climax when Stanford's Lawrence Hill was called for a foul on a seemingly clean block of a shot by Darren Collison with 2.5 seconds left. Collison made both free throws and the Bruins won in overtime.

Go-to guys: Arron Afflalo was the best pure shooter on the Bruins' back-to-back Final Four teams. But UCLA's current starting unit features as many as four players willing to take the big shot. Freshman center Kevin Love, for instance, hit a difficult, double-clutch 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to set up the comeback win over Cal in March, which was secured when Josh Shipp made an even more difficult -- likely illegal -- basket by floating a shot over the top corner of backboard with 1.5 seconds left.

Strengths: Love is becoming a matchup nightmare. He doesn't often force it but is now hitting from 17 feet and beyond with consistency. The Bruins are balanced offensively, run an efficient fastbreak that can produce points in a hurry and play tough defense. They have a mix of experience and youth and a battle-tested coach. And they are motivated to add their 12th national championship banner.

Weaknesses: UCLA does not boast great depth, especially in the backcourt. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook play heavy minutes and the Bruins cannot afford either to become injured -- Collison in particular has been injury-prone -- or get into serious foul trouble.

Backcourt

Coaching

Intangibles

Ultimate Edge
Matchup Summary

A slight edge to Memphis by virtue of its depth, which UCLA can't match. But UCLA is battle-tested, having been to the Final Four three consecutive seasons. It'll come down to which team can better handle the defensive pressure. It's unlikely to be the prettiest game of the tournament. Expect a low scoring game with lots of missed shots and turnovers.

Team Comparison



North Carolina
Coach: Roy Williams, five years at North Carolina, five years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: Automatic bid (ACC tournament champion); East first round: pounded No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's 113-74; East second round: routed No. 9 seed Arkansas 108-77; East semifinals: crushed No. 4 seed Washington State 68-47; East final: battled past No. 3 seed Louisville 83-73.

They'll keep winning if: Facing an offense as talented and balanced as Kansas, the Tar Heels will need its underrated defense to clamp down on Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, et al. Though Kansas is capable of knocking down the 3s, they're at their best when they're able to attack the basket. Kanas will have to pick its poison trying to contain Tyler Hansbrough or Ty Lawson. Lawson is shooting the ball with a smooth stroke and his quickness is back. He takes a lot of pressure off of Hansbrough and adds immense challenges for any defense trying to slow him down. Few individual defenders in the country have the quickness and lateral agility to stay in front of Lawson. Wayne Ellington's 3-point shooting (42 percent) is critical, but Lawson and sixth man Danny Green are capable of canning a trey or two when left alone.

Memorable moment: The Tar Heels trailed by three points at halftime at Clemson in their conference opener and were down by seven with just 2:41 left in the second half. But the Heels outscored the Tigers 9-2 in the remaining time to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, Clemson took an 88-87 lead when Demontez Stitt hit two free throws with 13.9 seconds left, but Wayne Ellington answered with a 3-pointer with less than a second left to give the Heels a 90-88 victory. It was the first of two overtime wins for Carolina over Clemson, the second coming in Chapel Hill 103-93 in a game that went two extra periods.

Go-to guys: Tyler Hansbrough is a national Player of the Year candidate and averages a double-double -- 23 points, 10.5 rebounds in the regular season -- in leading the Tar Heels in scoring and rebounding for a third consecutive season. Ty Lawson, either off the bench or in a starting role, is a rocket at point guard with his speed and quickness. Wayne Ellington hit a bit of a slump in early February but provides the Heels with an outside shooting threat. Marcus Ginyard is a shut-down defender, and Danny Green is a solid contributor off the bench.

Strengths: North Carolina isn't quite as deep as it was a year ago because of the departure of Brandan Wright and Reyshawn Terry and the loss of Bobby Frasor to a season-ending knee injury. But depth still is a major asset, especially since Quentin Thomas has had exposure at point guard when Lawson was hobbled. Hansbrough stepped up his game even more when Lawson was hurt, and few teams have the strength to slow him down inside. Opponents can't foul him and send him to the free-throw line or he'll kill them there -- 81.3 percent in the regular season. The Heels also are the best rebounding team in the ACC, owning the boards by about 11 rebounds a game over conference foes.

Weaknesses: The Tar Heels really don't have any particular weakness an opponent can exploit. They beat themselves with poor shooting in the home loss to Maryland and were without Lawson in the loss to Duke. Turnovers can be a problem and nearly cost them in both of their overtime wins over Clemson and in a one-point win at Virginia. A team that can control the tempo could have some success against the Heels, but the only team that kept the Heels under 70 points in a game this season (Ohio State) still lost by 11 on its own court. Look for opponents to gang up on Hansbrough inside and hope for the best on the perimeter.


Kansas (34-3)
Coach: Bill Self, five years at school, five years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: Automatic bid (Big 12 tournament champions); Midwest first round: def. No. 16 seed Portland State 85-61; Midwest second round: def. No. 8 seed UNLV 75-56; Midwest semifinals: def. No. 12 seed Villanova 72-57; Midwest final: nipped No. 10 seed Davidson 59-57

They'll keep winning if: Kansas is one of the few teams in the nation as athletic, balanced and deep as North Carolina. Kansas is a bear of a matchup with weapons aplenty -- inside, outside and all points between. They can't sit back and let the Tar Heels dictate tempo, they need to attack. If the Jayhawks are settling for jumpers, they're going to be in trouble. When Kansas doesn't get to the line, it has a tendency to press. To keep the Jayhawks in a good flow, Bill Self will rely on point guard Sherron Collins, whose aggressive take on a point man's duties is contagious. He's helped spark Brandon Rush, one of the most talented players in all of college hoops, to attack more frequently and Kansas is thrilled with the result.

Memorable moment: Darnell Jackson and Rodrick Stewart played against Oklahoma State despite violent deaths of family members in the days leading up to the game. Jackson's cousin died of gunshot wounds, while Stewart's adopted brother and cousin was murdered. Jackson, a starter, responded with a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds). KU finished the regular season with four straight wins, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.5 points.

Go-to guys:
No Kansas player scored more than 25 points in a regular-season game but seven players averaged between 7.3 and 13.4. Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers and Darnell Jackson are all candidates to lead the team in scoring on a given night.

Strengths: Athleticism, depth and balance. Kansas has skilled individual players capable of scoring 25, but the offensive system is more likely to yield three 15-point men. Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers are likely to lead the team in scoring. Do-everything wing Brandon Rush stuffs the stat sheet and contributes without taking 15 shots on most nights. KU doesn't start a true center. That doesn't mean the Jayhawks can't deal with size. Sasha Kaun and Cole Aldrich, who has come on strong since January, give Self the option of attacking teams with great size with this twin-towers approach.

Weaknesses: Rush isn't a prolific scorer, even though he's capable of an explosion if his mid-range shot is falling. But KU has a tendency to go stagnant when the pace slows to a half-court tempo. When Rush is cold, there have been times this season when the Jayhawks stand around and wait for him to create offense. The return of Collins has made the Jayhawks more assertive as a whole, but KU should fret if Rush disappears in the tournament. KU relies on a potent perimeter attack and without it, the offense can be stalled. Witness the loss at Oklahoma State, when KU missed 11 of 13 3-point tries. Darrell Arthur has to guard against overaggressiveness on defense. He fouled out in 17 minutes in that OSU loss.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Friday's NCAA Tournament Games


Detroit, Michigan - Midwest Region
Final 1 2 T
Davidson #10 « 36 37 73
Wisconsin #3 36 20 56

Players of the Game
DAVID - S. Curry (Pts:33, Reb:3, Ast:4)
WI - M. Flowers (Pts:12, Reb:6, Ast:2)


Houston, Texas - South Region
Final 1 2 T
Stanford #3 34 28 62
Texas #2 « 43 39 82

Players of the Game
STAN - B. Lopez (Pts:26, Reb:10, Ast:0)
TX - D. Augustin (Pts:23, Reb:5, Ast:7)


Detroit, Michigan - Midwest Region
Final 1 2 T
Villanova #12 22 35 57
Kansas #1 « 41 31 72

Players of the Game
NOVA - D. Cunningham (Pts:10, Reb:7, Ast:0)
KS - R. Robinson (Pts:15, Reb:3, Ast:5)


Houston, Texas - South Region
Final 1 2 T
Michigan State #5 20 54 74
Memphis #1 « 50 42 92

Players of the Game
MIST - G. Suton (Pts:23, Reb:9, Ast:0)
MEM - D. Rose (Pts:27, Reb:4, Ast:5)













10 Davidson
3 Wisconsin 7:10pm

3 Stanford
2 Texas 7:27pm

12 Villanova
1 Kansas 9:40pm

5 Michigan St.
1 Memphis 9:57pm

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Thursday Night's NCAA Games and Times



Phoenix, Arizona - West Region
Final 1 2 OT T
West Virginia #7 25 39 11 75
Xavier #3 « 32 32 15 79

Players of the Game
WV - J. Alexander (Pts:18, Reb:10, Ast:3)
XAVIER - J. Duncan (Pts:26, Reb:5, Ast:1)



Charlotte, North Carolina - East Region
Final 1 2 T
Washington State #4 21 26 47
North Carolina #1 « 35 33 68

Players of the Game
WAST - A. Baynes (Pts:14, Reb:8, Ast:0)
NC - T. Hansbrough (Pts:18, Reb:9, Ast:1)



Charlotte, North Carolina - East Region
Final 1 2 T
Louisville #3 « 37 42 79
Tennessee #2 30 30 60

Players of the Game
LOU - E. Clark (Pts:17, Reb:12, Ast:2)
TN - C. Lofton (Pts:15, Reb:3, Ast:2)


Recap · GameCenter · Video Highlights

Phoenix, Arizona - West Region
Final 1 2 T
Western Kentucky #12 20 58 78
UCLA #1 « 41 47 88

Players of the Game
WKTY - T. Brazelton (Pts:31, Reb:3, Ast:5)
UCLA - K. Love (Pts:29, Reb:14, Ast:4)



Phoenix, Ariz - West Region
7:10 pm
West Virginia #7
Xavier #3

Charlotte, N.C. - East Region
7:27 pm
Washington State #4
North Carolina #1

Phoenix, Ariz - West Region
9:40 pm
Western Kentucky #12
UCLA #1

Charlotte, N.C. - East Region
9:57 pm
Louisville #3
Tennessee #2

Friday, March 21, 2008

SATURDAY'S GAMES AND TIMES


2:10 - DUKE V'S WEST VIRGINIA

4:20 - KANSAS ST. V'S WISCONSIN

4:40 - PURDUE V'S XAVIER

6:40 - NOTRE DAME V'S WASHINGTON ST.

6;45 - MARQUETTE V'S STANFORD

6:50 - UNLV V'S KANSAS

9:10 - MICHIGAN ST. V'S PITT

9:15 - TEXAS A&M V'S UCLA

highlighted or bold teams are my picks!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

He's a Buckeye!!!!!


HERE IS THE ARTICLE FROM WWW.RIVALS.COM
Mike Farrell
Recruiting Analyst

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the nation's No. 1 high school football player, has finally made his college choice.
When Signing Day arrived in February, the 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from Jeannette, Pa., wasn't ready to make his decision.

As time progressed, he knew he was headed to the Big Ten. However, he had yet to decide between Ohio State and Michigan. After much research and discussion, Pryor announced on Wednesday he's going to be a Buckeye.

"It was just the right fit," Pryor told Rivals.com late Tuesday night. "The coaches, the comfort level, the players and the signing class they had. I am very comfortable with all of it, and I became friendly with the other recruits throughout the process.

"But in the end it came down to what was right for me. And after a lot of thinking, talking and consideration, it came down to Ohio State."

Pryor was concerned about early playing time at Ohio State because the Buckeyes boast all-conference quarterback Todd Boeckman, but the overall fit in Columbus just felt better.



Terrelle Pryor finally ended the suspense and announced for Ohio State Wednesday at his high school.
"I can't see myself sitting and not playing, that's the tough part," Pryor said. "I certainly don't want to redshirt. But being brought along a little slowly might be the best thing for me in the long run, and I have to look at that. I'm not sure if being thrown to the wolves and starting from Day One would be best for me. I know college is a big step up and there's a lot to learn."

There has been talk of Pryor being utilized like Tim Tebow was during his freshman year at Florida.

"If that happens, then that's what happens," he said. "I'm going in to compete as hard as I can and we'll see where I fit in. I trust the coaches to use me the best way they can."

Michigan's zone-read offense under Rich Rodriguez was very tempting to Pryor, especially since Rodriguez has had so much success with it at West Virginia. Without Pryor, it doesn't appear the Wolverines have the type of quarterback necessary to run Rodriguez's scheme effectively.

"Michigan is a great school and it was a tough decision," Pryor said. "I like the coaches there. I've known them since they were at West Virginia. I seriously considered them right up until the end, but Ohio State was where I felt it."

Ohio State hasn't typically run a zone-read offense, which was a concern for Pryor. However, after further research, he feels he'll be a better quarterback in the end because of it.

"Troy Smith ran some zone-read stuff early in his career, and then he developed into a pocket passer and did a lot of stuff out of the shotgun," Pryor said. "He became a better quarterback - not just an athlete - by the time he was done. I feel I can do the same. Both schools said they would utilize my athletic ability in the offense, but I think I can be more well-rounded at Ohio State."

Pryor is happy to be done with the decision.

"This has been very tough," he said. "I didn't really like the attention, and it got worse after I didn't decide. But I had to do what was right for me and my family. I'm excited about the decision."

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Wednesday's NIT Schedule and Times

WEDNESDAY'S NIT SCHEDULE AND TIMES



6:00 pm
Cleveland State
Dayton

7:00 pm
Morgan State
Virginia Tech

7:00 pm
UAB
Virginia Commonwealth

8:00 pm
Santa Barbara
Mississippi

9:00 pm
San Diego State
Florida

9:00 pm
Charlotte
Nebraska

10:00 pm
Utah State
Illinois State

11:00 pm
New Mexico
California

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Tuesday Night's NIT Games and Scores



2nd Hlf 00:50 1 2 T
Alabama State 21 30 51
Arizona State 39 25 64
Final 1 2 T
Stephen F. Austin 25 35 60
Massachusetts « 33 47 80
Final 1 2 T
NC-Asheville 35 31 66
Ohio State « 45 39 84
Final 1 2 T
Robert Morris 40 41 81
Syracuse « 44 43 87
Final 1 2 T
Oklahoma State 19 34 53
Southern Illinois « 26 43 69
Final OT 1 2 OT T
Akron « 27 24 14 65
Florida State 26 25 9 60
Final 1 2 T
Maryland « 33 35 68
Minnesota 32 26 58
Final 1 2 T
Rhode Island 45 28 73
Creighton « 30 44 74

Tuesday Night NIT Schedule
6:00 pm
Stephen F. Austin
Massachusetts

7:00 pm
NC-Asheville
Ohio State

8:00 pm
Robert Morris
Syracuse

9:00 pm
Oklahoma State
Southern Illinois

9:00 pm
Akron
Florida State

9:30 pm
Maryland
Minnesota

10:00 pm
Rhode Island
Creighton

11:00 pm
Alabama State
Arizona State

Monday, March 17, 2008

Join the Sportstalk4us Tournament Bracket Pick em

Go to yahoo.com and enter the bracket challange and join a group. Group name is sportstalk4us and password is sportstalk4us the id# is 126137

Terrelle Pryor to Decide this Week! Don't hold your Breath!



Here is the article from www.rivals.com
Rivals.com recruiting staff
It's finally over, or at least it will be by the end of the week.
The recruiting process for Jeannette, Pa., quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the nation's No. 1 player, will end this week when he announces where he will play college football. Pryor has said publicly it is down to two schools, but won't say which two. Here's Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Mike Farrell's take on the situation.
Pryor led his basketball team to a 76-72 overtime win over Strawberry Mansion in the Pennsylvania Class AA title game Saturday.
"I spoke to Terrelle late Sunday night after hearing about the Associated Press article where he said he was deciding this week," said Farrell. "I knew he was going to say something about his football recruiting situation after that game, but wasn't sure if he was going to narrow things down, give a date of his decision or what. We had discussed some things off the record; he just didn't want it out there and he had some good reasons. I think he knew last week."
The timing of the 6-foot-6, 235-pounder's public comments shouldn't be overlooked according to Farrell.
"Terrelle was hoping he would be playing for a state title in basketball on Penn State's campus on Saturday, so there were certain things he didn't want public last week and still doesn't really want out there," Farrell continued. "He has done his research. He has talked to the coaches - as well as players and recruits - from his top two teams. Now it seems like he's ready to get it over with even though he has until April 1."
Farrell feels the two schools he's choosing between are obvious.
"To me, it's Ohio State and Michigan," Farrell said. "Had he eliminated Penn State before the basketball title game in State College, things could have gotten a little ugly or at least distracted the basketball team. There could have been some signs, some hecklers, just some general distractions that he didn't want. I also don't think he has ever wanted to disrespect Penn State in any way. Some of the things he's said about Penn State like not liking the area and such, that's just who he is ? he's honest and tells it like it is. He loves coach Tom Bradley and has great respect for Joe Paterno, he's always said that. I know he really wanted to win the state title and didn't want his football issues to get in the way of things for his basketball teammates."
Pryor scored 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead his team to a 76-72 overtime win over Strawberry Mansion in the Class AA title game Saturday. Shortly thereafter, he told the AP he's going to sign his letter of intent and end the recruiting process.
"He didn't even remember saying that he narrowed it down to two or whatever and didn't know who he said it to, but he said it was accurate," said Farrell. "He has a great deal of respect for all the coaches that have recruited him, so he doesn't want to say one team finished second or third. I expect to see four hats (Oregon, Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State) on the table if he does the hat deal when deciding, but he's down to two for sure.
"He wouldn't tell me which two though, and I didn't press him," Farrell said. "But look at it this way. He waited until after he finished his game at Penn State to make this announcement, and he was on campus strictly for hoops - which means he never took his planned official visit to Happy Valley. He has never been to Oregon, so that leaves Ohio State and Michigan."
Ohio State and Michigan look to be the final two for Pryor.
Pryor will talk to the head coaches at his final two schools this week before deciding.
"He spoke to Joe Paterno Sunday night and I got the impression that coach Paterno was not one of those two head coaches," Farrell said. "I think he talks to Rich Rodriguez and Jim Tressel this week, talks it over one more time with his family and then decides."
Farrell said Pryor had hoped to visit Penn State as well as take day trips to Ohio State and Michigan with his mother before deciding.
"He said that's not happening now," Farrell continued. "He said it's his decision and his parents are backing him all the way. Is there a chance he sneaks in a visit to Penn State between now and when he decides? There's always that chance, but it didn't sound like it was in the plans reading between the lines."
If Penn State is truly out, is Pryor's father, Craig, OK with that? After all, it was Craig who wanted his son to delay signing so Penn State could get an official visit.
"I think he wanted to take his time and make sure he was making the right choice," Farrell said. "He respected his family's input, which is why he held off on Signing Day. His dad wanted him to give another look to Penn State. I know Terrelle talked to a few Western Pennsylvania guys currently on Penn State's team recently about the coaching situation up there and the atmosphere. He did some research on his own, and I think his dad is good with that."
So if it's Ohio State and Michigan, who wins?
"To me, I'd be stunned if he picked anyplace but Ohio State," Farrell stated. "He did say he was still doing research on Michigan and that he didn't know, as of Sunday night, where he was going. But I think he's pretty sure. He took that one-day trip to Ohio State for a basketball game recently, and he's friendly with Ohio State signees like Michael Brewster and J.B. Shugarts. He really likes the area, the coaching staff and everything. There have been stunning decisions before and I've been wrong before, but Ohio State is my guess and has been for a long time."
Did Pryor ever attempt to get to Penn State for that official visit?
"I think he was going to take it the same weekend his father, Craig, had emergency heart surgery a couple of weekends ago," Farrell said. "There was a small window of opportunity to visit Penn State, but it didn't happen."
As for a date for the decision, Pryor indicated to Farrell he was still unsure of the particulars.
"I got a text from him Monday morning telling me I'd know when he does," Farrell said. "He's trying to work that out with his coach and principal. It is looking like it will be either Thursday or Friday of this week. He knows he's going to have to do a news conference, although he'd rather just pick a school and end this.
"A lot of people said he did this for the attention, but I know that's not true. He barely spoke to any media following Signing Day and some of the criticism really hit him hard. Once he decided to delay his decision, he wanted to wait until basketball was over to choose. It's over now, and it's decision time."
And so the Terrelle Pryor saga, arguably the most hyped college football recruiting decision in history, is coming to an end.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Terrelle Pryor, is he Worthe all of the Hype?

The number 1 football recruit and 28th ranked basketball recruit in the class of 2008 according to rivals.com was recently in the news again, but this time it was for a brawl that occurred after his basketball team's game against Pittsburgh North Catholic. Pryor was evidently held back by an assistant coach as players began to fight after they shook hands. This isn't the first time that Terrelle has been around a bad situation. In October, he was escorted out of Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania for disorderly conduct.
Yes, he is just an 18 year old kid, but isn't that a blip on the radar screen if you are a college coach recruiting this young man? Obviously not, because he is still being hounded by Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State. I am concerned, because I am an Ohio State fan and I have always thought that Jim Tressel recruited well rounded student-athletes. Ohio State fans already know what it is like to have a pre-madonna. (Maurice Clarette)
Watch some of his highlights from football and basketball games and see what you think. Bumping into players on purpose, taunting players, jumping on the scores table after a big dunk, etc.. Some players do get emotional and that is fine, but some athletes can go to far.
Do not get me wrong. He is a tremendous athlete! 6-6, 225 and awesome athletic ability. My concern is how is he going to handle 102, 000 at the Horseshoe, or The Big House? Classes, student life, practice, teammates, and most importantly, authority?
The red flag should have been raised when he decided not to sign and visit other schools. That is fine, but these schools are holding a scholarship for him and one of them will get burned when he doesn't sign with them. He has until April 1st to make his final decision, but by then all of the supposed instant impact players are already enrolled in their schools and have started Spring practice. Which brings up another reason of concern. Why isn't he enrolling early, so he can participate in Spring practice? Most of us would say because of basketball, which he is still playing. That is just a question to ponder because if I thought that football could possibly be my profession, I would want to get a head start and get to practice early. Maybe he thinks he does not need to enroll early because he is good enough to step on the field already.
Pryor will be at Penn State Saturday for an unofficial visit as Jeannette plays in the Pennsylvania state finals. Whoever lands Terrelle Pryor will have to wait and see whether he is over hyped or not, but for now, I think he will need a lot of guidance.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

MLB 08 THE SHOW..... Awesome baseball game for sports gamers!




MLB 08 THE SHOW..... Awesome baseball game for sports gamers!
by Taddo
created March 11, 2008

The 2008 MLB season approaches, I have been hungry for some baseball myself. I ran out to the nearest Gamestop store and asked for a good baseball game for the Playstation 3. I had two to choose from, MLB 2K8 or MLB 08, so I chose MLB 08 and what a choice it has turned out to be for myself. I have only played a few games, but the last game I played, I decided to let it play out and what I mean by that is I did not push the continue button (X) right away. Needless to say, this is where all of the extra animation and detail came in to play.

The crowd is hitting a beachball around and they go after foul balls and catch homeruns. You can hear their chants, heckling, booing and they will leave if you are getting blown out. The neatest thing the crowd does is hang 'k" signs on the wall for each strikeout.

The players animations are the most lifelike I have ever seen in a game. The batters all have their own music walking up to the plate, their own swing styles, some have pinetar all over their helmets. The batters will interact with their base coaches, throw their helmets and bats down, or in the dugout depending on their mood, they may lay them down for the batboy to get. They often break their bats against power pitchers and some will even let go of their bat when they take a huge cut and miss the ball. Players will spit, that's right spit, jump over the foul lines (pitchers superstitions), throw scuffed balls back to the umpire for a new ball, reach into the crowd to rob foul balls and homeruns. There are so many more, I see something new each time I play.

The stadium graphics are outstanding. I played at the Reds home field and you can see the river flowing in the background. I had a ball disappear in the ivy at Wrigley Field.

This is only from exebition games. There are many more styles of play that I have yet to discover, but I plan to very soon.

The best thing about this game is that it is more lifelike and not an arcade game. You are not going to hit a lot of homeruns and score a lot of runs. The play by play is very good. I would highly recommend this game to any baseball fan that loves video games.

Monday, March 10, 2008

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK TOURNAMENT SITES AND DATES, PLUS A LOOK AT THE EARLY TOP 4 SEED PREDICTIONS

HERE ARE THE DATES AND SITES FOR THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS:

2008 Conference Tournament Brackets
Conference Dates/Champ Conference Dates/Champ
ACC March 13-16 MEAC March 10-15
Am. East March 7, 9-15 MVC Drake
A-Sun Belmont MWC March 12-15
A-10 March 12-15 Northeast March 6, 9, 12
Big 12 March 13-16 Ohio Valley Austin Peay
Big East March 12-15 Pac-10 March 12-15
Big Sky March 8, 11-12 Patriot March 5, 9, 14
Big South Winthrop SEC March 13-16
Big Ten March 13-16 Southern March 7-10
Big West March 12-15 Southland March 13-16
Colonial March 7-10 Summit March 8-11
C-USA March 12-15 Sun Belt March 5, 9-11
Horizon March 4, 7-8, 11 SWAC March 12-15
MAAC March 7-10 WAC March 11, 13-15
MAC March 12-15 West Coast March 7-10
Dates, sites and brackets

Key Dates
3/16/08 Selection Sunday
4/7/08 National Championship
4/27/08 NBA Draft early entry deadline
6/16/08 Early entry withdrawal deadline
4/6/09 2009 Championship
4/5/10 2010 Championship

HERE ARE THE TOP 4 SEEDS IN EACH REGION:
Top four seeds by region
Seed East Midwest South West
1 NORTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE MEMPHIS UCLA
2 GEORGETOWN KANSAS TEXAS DUKE
3 WISCONSIN NOTRE DAME LOUISVILLE XAVIER
4 STANFORD PURDUE GONZAGA UCONN

Bubble teams
Last four in: New Mexico, Western Kentucky, Arizona State, Ole Miss
Last four out: Dayton, Oregon, Virginia Commonwealth, Ohio State

Sunday, March 9, 2008

The Latest Bubble Watch of who is in and who is out in College Basketball

College Basketball Bubble Watch
Bubble watch: Calculating at-large possibilities
It's Championship Week. There's no reason to dawdle. Let's get straight to the updated look at the at-large picture.
Here are the teams that are "locks" or "should be in"s from the six biggest conferences:

ACC: Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, Miami
Big East: Georgetown, UConn, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Marquette, West Virginia
Big Ten: Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State
Big 12: Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Baylor
Pac-10: UCLA, Stanford, Washington State, USC
SEC: Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State

Assuming there are no surprise automatic-bid winners from these leagues, that means 21 of the 34 at-large bids are accounted for, leaving 13 up for grabs.
Next, three leagues are in very good shape to get two teams in:

WCC: Gonzaga, Saint Mary's
Missouri Valley: Drake, Illinois State
Mountain West: BYU and (right now) UNLV

That would leave 10 at-large bids. That number could drop, though, if any of the following teams don't win their conference tournaments:
C-USA: Memphis (lock)
Horizon: Butler (lock)
Sun Belt: South Alabama (should be in)
MAC: Kent State (should be in)
A-10: Xavier (lock)
CAA: VCU (bubble candidate)
SoCon: Davidson (bubble candidate)

The most likely scenario right now is that seven or eight bids will remain, assuming two or three of those teams won't win their respective conference tourneys.
From the remaining teams, Arizona, Arizona State, UMass, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Kentucky look to be best-positioned right now, but most of those teams face extremely important quarterfinal games in their conference tourneys, so that picture could change in a hurry.
If all those teams do hang on to their current position, that leaves a maximum of four bids -- and more likely just one or two -- for the following group of teams (listed in alphabetical order): Dayton, Florida, Houston, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio State, Oregon, Saint Joe's, Syracuse, Temple, UAB, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Western Kentucky. Davidson and VCU also are possibilities.
As always, the records listed are Division I only, per NCAA Tournament selection guidelines.
to read more click here

HERE ARE THE TEAMS THAT ARE AT THE TOP OF THE BUBBLE AS OF NOW!
Leading contenders ...
Arkansas
Record
20-10, 9-7 SEC
Pros
An RPI and SOS hovering around the top 40. 5-4 vs. RPI top 50, 8-6 vs. RPI top 100. Wins of note: Vanderbilt, Baylor, Mississippi, Mississippi State and VCU.
Cons
A 5-9 record on the road -- lost last five road games. Four losses to teams outside the RPI top 100.
Outlook
The black eye on the Razorbacks' resumé is their inability to win away from home. But when compared to what else is out there they should garner a bid. At least one win in the SEC tourney should clinch it.
Last game
def. Auburn 77-64
Remaining schedule
March 13-16 -- SEC Tournament
Kentucky
Record
18-12, 12-4 SEC
Pros
An SOS in the top 15. An RPI hovering around the top 50. Winners of 11 of their past 13 to reach 12 wins in SEC play. Wins of note: Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida.
Cons
All their top victories came at home. A dismal out-of-conference mark that included losses to San Diego and Gardner-Webb. A 4-7 record vs. the RPI top 50 and 5-9 against the top 100.
Outlook
Their only losses in the past 13 are at Vandy and at Tennessee. They're in the exact opposite boat as Mississippi, which dominated out of conference and struggled in the SEC. The selection committee may take into consideration they were adjusting to a new coach early in the season and some injury issues.
Last game
def. Florida 75-70
Remaining schedule
March 13-16 -- SEC Tournament
Baylor
Record
21-9, 9-7 Big 12
Pros
Won four of past five games. An RPI and SOS ranked solidly in the top 40. Wins of note: Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Kansas State and swept Texas Tech.
Cons
A non-conference SOS in the triple-digits. Stretch in which they lost six of seven Big 12 games. A 3-8 mark vs. the RPI top 50.
Outlook
The Bears seemed to have found their footing again after that little rough patch. Their record against the RPI top 50 isn't pretty, but there aren't many bubble teams who fare much better in that department. If they can get at least one win in the Big 12 tourney, they should feel pretty good about their chances of garnering a bid.
Last game
def. Texas Tech 86-73
Remaining schedule
March 13-16 -- Big 12 Tournament
Kansas State
Record
20-10, 10-6 Big 12
Pros
An SOS that ranks in the top 25. An RPI just outside the top 40. Finished third in Big 12. Wins of note: Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Cons
A 5-8 mark away from home. A 6-9 mark vs. the RPI top 100. Lost five of last eight games.
Outlook
They've won their last two following a four-game losing streak, but the victories came vs. Big 12 cellar dwellers Colorado and Iowa State. They're in an OK position for a bid, but they'd do themselves well to pick up a couple wins in the Big 12 tourney.
Last game
def. Iowa State 73-69
Remaining schedule
March 13-16 -- Big 12 Tournament

Ohio State
Record
19-12, 10-8 Big Ten
Pros
Strong non-conference and overall schedule. An RPI just inside the top 50. Wins of note: Michigan State, Purdue, Syracuse and Florida.
Cons
A 3-9 record vs. teams in the RPI top 50. Losses at Iowa and Michigan.
Outlook
The Buckeyes have likely played their way into the Dance with back-to-back victories vs. Top 25 teams following a four-game losing streak. Their schedule is among the toughest in the nation, but it didn't help that up until the last week they had basically lost all of those tough games on top of losses to Iowa and Michigan.
Last game
def. Michigan State 63-54
Remaining schedule
March 13-16 -- Big Ten Tournament
Massachusetts
Record
21-9, 10-6 Atlantic 10
Pros
Hovering around the top 40 in the RPI. Six-game win streak. Wins of note: Dayton, Syracuse, Houston and swept Rhode Island.
Cons
A so-so SOS. They were struggling in conference play for a time -- losing five of seven -- but current win streak has pushed their conference record well above .500. Swept by Saint Joseph's.
Outlook
They're definitely winning at the right time, but not safe just yet. A lot could still depend how the A-10 tourney plays out. For instance, how would a third loss to Saint Joseph's impact them?
Last game
def. G. Washington 67-63
Remaining schedule
March 12-15 -- A-10 Tournament
TO READ MORE ON THE CONTENDERS CLICK HERE

North Carolina Claims the ACC Title by Defeating Duke 76-68




Here is the article from www.espn.com and scores from around the top 25.


North Carolina scores final 10 points to overcome Duke
UNC Wins Third Straight Game at Cameron

Team Stat Comparison
NORTH CAROLINA DUKE
Points 76 68
FG Made-Attempted 31-76 (.408) 25-76 (.329)
3P Made-Attempted 5-11 (.455) 10-29 (.345)
FT Made-Attempted 9-12 (.750) 8-9 (.889)
Fouls (Tech/Flagrant) 13 (0/0) 15 (0/0)
Largest Lead 14 2

Game Leaders
NORTH CAROLINA DUKE
Points D. Green 18 G. Paulus 15
Rebounds T. Hansbrough 15 G. Henderson 9
Assists T. Lawson 3 J. Scheyer 4
Steals T. Lawson 3 J. Scheyer 1

Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
TEAM CONF W-L TOTAL W-L
#1 North Carolina 14-2 29-2
#5 Duke 13-3 26-4
Clemson 9-6 21-8
Virginia Tech 9-6 18-11
Maryland 8-7 18-12
Miami (FL) 8-8 21-9
Wake Forest 7-9 17-12
Florida State 7-9 18-13
Georgia Tech 7-9 14-16
Virginia 4-11 14-14
North Carolina State 4-12 15-15
Boston College 4-12 13-16
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Danny Green and North Carolina made themselves comfortable when it counted on Duke's famously hostile home court. Because they did, the top-ranked Tar Heels claimed another league title -- and maybe the inside track to a close-to-home postseason path.
Green had 18 points to make up for a shaky outing last time against the Blue Devils, and North Carolina scored the final 10 points of its 76-68 victory over Duke (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) on Saturday night to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship.
Tyler Hansbrough finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds while surpassing the 2,000-point mark for his career in his third straight victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and Wayne Ellington added 16 points for the Tar Heels (29-2, 14-2).
The Tar Heels have been extremely successful against the Blue Devils when ranked No. 1. North Carolina improved to 8-1 all-time when top-ranked against rival Duke with the victory Saturday.
North Carolina blew an early double-figure lead and briefly trailed before closing strong, holding the Blue Devils scoreless for the final 5 1/2 minutes to earn its eighth straight victory and the top seed in the ACC tournament in Charlotte. The win could also be a big step toward the No. 1 seed in the Charlotte-based East Regional.
"Our perimeter guys took it personally tonight," said Green, who was 1-for-10 in the last Duke game. "We wanted to come out and knock down shots, play smarter, play better and take the crowd out of the game. We kept our poise when they came back."
Greg Paulus scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half for the Blue Devils (26-4, 13-3), who rallied from a 14-point first-half hole but missed their final 11 shots in slipping to the No. 2 seed in the league tournament.
Duke had 15 shots blocked -- seven by Green and five by Deon Thompson -- and was held to a season-worst 32.9 shooting in having its four-game winning streak ended and losing at home for the first time since last February's Maryland game.
"We've been drilling [defense] since the first day," coach Roy Williams said. "It's a challenge to try to be a really good defensive team. Sometimes, you get lucky and they miss shots as well. The statistics show that we've gotten better defensively. It's something that you have to be good at if you want to reach those big-time dreams that we have."
Jon Scheyer added 14 points, and his stickback with just over 5 1/2 minutes remaining gave Duke its only lead of the second half at 68-66 -- but that was the Blue Devils' last field goal of the game. Duke had good looks on three straight trips downcourt after that but came up empty on each, and that allowed North Carolina to take control down the stretch.
"I still thought we were doing really good things. We just couldn't get that thing in the hole there," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We were still making winning plays -- plays that could win. Obviously, they didn't turn out to be winning plays."
Ellington drove the left side for a layup to tie it at 68 with 3 minutes left and start North Carolina's game-closing 10-0 run, and on the next possession Hansbrough stuck back Green's miss to put the Tar Heels ahead to stay. They went on to finish 13-0 in road games and 8-0 in ACC games away from the Smith Center -- both school records.
"We've been there before -- been there plenty of times," Ellington said. "Stay patient and do what we have to do. We stopped them and then executed our offense and pulled out the win."
Ty Lawson, who missed the previous meeting with a sprained left ankle, finished with 10 points for the Tar Heels, who earned their first victory in a winner-take-all regular-season finale with Duke since 1985. They won their 26th regular-season conference championship and third in four years under Williams, and have won three straight at Cameron for the first time since 1994-96.
"I'm undefeated here, and I want to come here and win and keep the streak going," said Lawson, a sophomore.
It was sweet revenge for Ellington and Green, who were roundly blamed for the Tar Heels' 89-78 loss last month in Chapel Hill after they were a combined 4-for-24 shooting in that No. 2-vs-No. 3 matchup. With the stakes even higher, they were significantly sharper, making a combined 14-of-28 attempts.
The Tar Heels raced out to an early 29-15 lead on the strength of Green's hot hand -- he was 6-for-8 at the break.
"They had a tough game the first time we played them," Hansbrough said. "He hit some big shots and that gave him confidence."
Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson each scored 10 for Duke, which got back in the game by opening the second half on a 17-9 run.
"I think we definitely used too much emotion, just raw emotion, throughout the course of the game," said Duke's DeMarcus Nelson, held to six points on 3-of-12 shooting on Senior Night. "When you play against a team like that, you've got to have some poise. And we stressed coming into this game and approaching it like any other game, and I think everybody was ready to play. But I think we might have played on raw emotion, and it drained us."

Final 1 2 T
North Carolina #1 (29-2) « 42 34 76
Duke #6 (26-4) 31 37 68

NC:D. Green 18 Pts
NC:T. Hansbrough 15 Reb
NC:Q. Thomas 3 Ast DUKE:G. Paulus 15 Pts
DUKE:G. Henderson 9 Reb
DUKE:J. Scheyer 4 Ast



PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Duke North Carolina

G. Paulus
T. Hansbrough
Pts Rebs Ast Pts Rebs Ast
15 1 2 16 15 1


North Carolina Tar Heels
STARTERS M FG FT TR A PF PTS
T. Hansbrough, F 37 8-21 0-0 15 1 3 16
W. Ellington, G 35 6-14 2-2 3 2 2 16
M. Ginyard, G-F 27 1-6 0-0 3 2 3 2
D. Thompson, F 24 2-7 3-6 9 0 1 7
Q. Thomas, G 17 1-3 2-2 2 3 0 5
BENCH M FG FT TR A PF PTS
D. Green, G-F 25 8-14 0-0 8 1 2 18
T. Lawson, G 23 4-10 2-2 3 3 1 10
A. Stepheson, F 6 1-1 0-0 2 0 1 2
W. Graves, F 6 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
S. Wood, F Did Not Play
M. Campbell, G Did Not Play
M. Copeland, F Did Not Play
J. Wooten, G Did Not Play
J. Tanner, G Did Not Play
P. Moody, F Did Not Play
G. Little, G Did Not Play
Totals 31-76 9-12 45 12 13 76
40.8% 75.0%
Complete Box Score


Duke Blue Devils

STARTERS M FG FT TR A PF PTS
K. Singler, F 37 3-10 2-2 8 2 2 10
D. Nelson, G 35 3-12 0-0 6 3 0 6
G. Paulus, G 32 5-14 1-1 1 2 3 15
G. Henderson, G 29 3-12 2-2 9 1 1 10
L. Thomas, F 12 2-7 1-2 4 0 2 5
BENCH M FG FT TR A PF PTS
J. Scheyer, G 32 5-12 2-2 4 4 2 14
B. Zoubek, C 9 3-4 0-0 3 0 3 6
N. Smith, G 8 1-4 0-0 0 0 1 2
D. McClure, F 4 0-0 0-0 2 1 0 0
T. King, F 2 0-1 0-0 2 0 1 0
M. Pocius, G-F Did Not Play
J. Davidson, G Did Not Play
S. Johnson, F Did Not Play


Scores from Saturday around the top 25

Saturday, March 8th
1 North Carolina 76 Final
5 Duke 68

California 80 Final
2 UCLA 81

UAB 56 Final
3 Memphis 94

6 Kansas 72 Final
Texas A&M 55

7 Stanford 64 Final
USC 77

8 Wisconsin 65 Final
Northwestern 52

13 Louisville 52 Final
10 Georgetown 55

Richmond 61 Final
11 Xavier 86

Illinois-Chicago 50 Final
12 Butler 66

Cincinnati Postponed
14 Connecticut

16 Vanderbilt 73 Final
Alabama 78 OT

19 Notre Dame 67 Final
South Florida 60

20 Marquette 72 Final
Syracuse 87

Creighton 67 Final
21 Drake 75

Washington 73 Final
22 Washington St. 76 2OT

24 Brigham Young 61 Final
TCU 54

LSU 75 Final
25 Mississippi State 84

Friday, March 7, 2008

Big Weekend for College Basketball and there is more than just Duke vs North Carolina this weekend!



Friday Look Ahead: What else but Duke-UNC Round 2?
This is a great article for the weekend by Gary Parrish
http://CBSSports.com

Here's the Friday Look Ahead

Game worth flying to see in person: It's always big, a North Carolina-Duke game. But do you know when it's really big? When it's in the final weekend of the regular season. And for the ACC title. And (perhaps) for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And when Ty Lawson is back healthy after missing the previous meeting. And when Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski are just weeks removed from bickering in the media. And man oh man, Cameron Indoor Stadium sure is gonna be fun Saturday night! And I'm so excited about it that I was considering camping out in Krzyzewskiville before the game until I remembered how nice the beds are at the local Marriott.

Game worth driving to see in person: So seriously, how big is UNC-Duke? So big that Louisville and Georgetown are playing Saturday for the Big East title, and that showdown has second-billing. March Madness, indeed.

Game worth watching on TV: A pair of projected lottery picks will be on display Saturday when Stanford visits Southern California. One of them is Brook Lopez, the Cardinal's talented big man. The other is O.J. Mayo, USC's electric guard who is averaging 26.4 points in his past five outings while helping the Trojans solidify themselves as an NCAA Tournament team as he finishes his one season of college basketball.

Some non-BCS love: Memphis will host UAB on Saturday. If the Tigers win they will complete their second straight perfect run through Conference USA. If the Blazers win they will enhance their status as an NCAA Tournament team. And if we're lucky no fans will be assaulted this time, regardless of the outcome.

I personally think Ohio State vs Michigan State would be worth score watching because if the Buckeyes can knock MSU off, then they could possibly get in the NCAA Tournament. Florida vs Kentucky would be worth score watching because the winner will probably get in, especially Florida.

Here are my predictions for this weekend's big games:
#6DUKE VS #1NORTH CAROLINA SAT. 9:00 PM (N.C. 77 Duke 65)
FLORIDA VS KENTUCKY (Florida 65 Kentucky 59)
OHIO STATE VS #17MICHIGAN ST. SUNDAY 12:00 pm(OSU 54 MSU 71)
#12LOUISVILLE VS #11GEORGETOWN SAT. 12:00 PM (Louisville 77 Georgetown 70)
#7STANFORD VS USC SAT. 2:00 PM (USC 65 Stanford 60)

LeBron Drops 50 on the New York Knicks



Simply Amazing!!!
LeBron scores 50 in near triple-double, leads Cavaliers past Knicks

Source: CBSSports.com wire reports
-- The "MVP!" chants weren't enough for one fan, who had to come on the court to LeBron James how much he appreciated the superstar's spectacular performance.
That only made one of the best nights of James' career even better.
James had 50 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to win over the Madison Square Garden crowd and lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-105 victory against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
He shot 16-for-30 from the field, including 7-for-13 from 3-point range, in his second 50-point game this season. He exited with fans standing and chanting "MVP!" in the final minute. One fan in a Cavaliers jersey ran onto the floor toward the Cleveland bench, even saying a few words to James, before being turned away by security and arrested.
"I've dreamed about playing well in this building and it's overtaken of how I could ever dream about," James said. "To get a standing ovation in the greatest basketball arena in the world, it was a dream come true for me. It's one of the best things that ever happened to me."
It could have been scary, with 17-year-old Anthony Erskine from Mount Vernon, N.Y., coming right up to James to talk to him on the bench after James had departed for good with 23 seconds left.
"It was a great feeling. You get a fan to come down there to express the way he feels about you ... told me I was his favorite player, that never happens," James said. "I respect him, I respect his pride and for him to come out there and tell me something like that face to face, it's like the (most) unbelievable thing that ever happened to me."
Erksine said he's been a fan since James was a senior in high school, in 2002.
"I never got a chance to see him in person, and that's my favorite player. I want to be just like him. I never got a chance to meet him. So I finally got a chance to meet him in person," Erskine said.
"I never thought I would get a chance to see him again, so I figured 'Why not?' "
James said he was never afraid when he saw Erskine coming.
"I'm 6-9 and 260," James said. "I'm all right."

The NBA's scoring leader had 45 points in a victory against the Knicks in Cleveland on Nov. 2. He fell two points shy of Kobe Bryant's NBA-best this season. The Lakers' star had a 52-point game on Sunday against Dallas.
James became the first player with at least 50 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a game since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Jan. 19, 1975.
"You can't take it for granted because he's that good. He's just a great player," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "I try not to because coaching a guy like that, working with a guy like that, it's probably a once in a lifetime deal. You just try to take advantage of every second that you're with him."
Damon Jones added 15 points and Devin Brown had 14 for the Cavs, who won their third straight.
Jamal Crawford scored 25 points, Nate Robinson added 24 and Eddy Curry had 20 for the Knicks, who dropped their fourth in a row. Cleveland outscored New York 35-23 in the final quarter, with James hitting four 3-pointers.
The Cavs are still trying to mix in four newcomers from a trade while playing without Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic, three key members of their rotation. In the meantime, they've got James to carry them.
Shaking off an injury to his right pinkie early in the game, James scored 15 points in the third quarter, then turned the Knicks back in the fourth with his improved perimeter game.
New York trailed only 99-98 with under 4½ minutes left before James drilled back-to-back 3-pointers. He nailed another 3 to make it 110-99 with 2:08 to go, and added one more for good measure about a minute later.
"The 3-ball for him, that's the shot that you would hope that he takes," said Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, who compared James' performance to some of those from Michael Jordan. "However, when he makes them like that, he's virtually unguardable because he's big, he's strong, he's fast and he's unselfish, also. He'll give the ball up."
James banged his right pinkie on the rim on a dunk attempt midway through the first quarter and had it examined during the ensuing timeout, but it barely slowed him. James scored 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the first half, tossing in a fallaway 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Cleveland a 58-54 lead.

Scoreboard
Final 1 2 3 4 T
Cleveland (35-26) « 27 31 26 35 119
New York (18-43) 27 27 28 23 105

CLE:L. James 50 Pts
CLE:J. Smith 11 Reb
CLE:L. James 10 Ast NY:J. Crawford 25 Pts
NY:D. Lee 8 Reb
NY:N. Robinson 4 Ast

PLAYERS OF THE GAME
E. Curry 20 pts, 5 rebs, 2 ast
L. James 50 pts, 8 rebs, 10 ast

Cleveland Cavaliers
STARTERS M FG FT TR A PF PTS
L. James, SF 44 16-30 11-16 8 10 3 50
B. Wallace, C 35 1-4 5-8 7 2 3 7
A. Varejao, C 35 4-9 0-0 7 1 4 8
D. West, SG 29 4-10 0-0 2 3 1 10
D. Brown, SG 23 5-9 2-2 1 1 1 14
BENCH M FG FT TR A PF PTS
W. Szczerbiak, SF 26 1-7 4-4 1 2 0 7
J. Smith, PF 22 4-6 0-2 11 2 5 8
D. Jones, PG 22 5-8 0-0 2 2 2 15
D. Jones, PF 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Z. Ilgauskas, C Did Not Play
E. Snow, PG Did Not Play
K. Dickens, SF Did Not Play
S. Pavlovic, SG Did Not Play
B. Thomas, SG Did Not Play
D. Gibson, PG Did Not Play
Totals 40-83 22-32 39 23 20 119
48.2% 68.8%
Complete Box Score
New York Knicks
STARTERS M FG FT TR A PF PTS
J. Crawford, SG 37 9-16 3-4 2 3 2 25
D. Lee, PF 37 7-10 3-4 8 0 4 17
N. Robinson, PG 36 10-18 2-2 3 4 2 24
E. Curry, C 35 5-8 10-14 5 2 4 20
Q. Richardson, SF 21 0-4 0-0 1 1 5 0
BENCH M FG FT TR A PF PTS
W. Chandler, SF 36 4-9 2-2 5 2 4 11
J. Jeffries, PF 17 0-2 1-2 3 1 2 1
R. Morris, C 12 3-5 1-4 7 0 2 7
M. Rose, PF 5 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 0
F. Jones, SG 5 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 0
S. Marbury, PG Did Not Play
J. James, PF Did Not Play
Z. Randolph, PF Did Not Play
R. Balkman, PF Did Not Play
M. Collins, PG

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The All-Time Greatest NFL Free Agents


Below are 10 greatest players to hit the open market since 1993, which was the first year of free agency in its current form:
What do you think? Anyone you would add, or drop to this list?

1. Reggie White, defensive lineman
Signed with Packers in 1993
The first year of free agency in the NFL saw one of the best defensive players in history make a surprising move that helped return the Packers to championship form. White signed a four-year, $17 million contract with the Packers in 1993.
White would play six seasons in Green Bay, recording 68½ sacks and winning defensive player of the year honors in his final season with the Packers in 1998. The Packers reached the postseason in all six of White's season with the team. His Super Bowl-record three sacks in Super Bowl XXXI against the Patriots helped give the Packers their first Super Bowl title in 29 years.

2. Deion Sanders, cornerback
Signed with 49ers in 1994 and Cowboys in 1995
Sanders made free-agent magic for two teams in back-to-back seasons. After five seasons with the Falcons, he parted ways with the team and signed a one-year contract with the 49ers in September of 1994. In 14 games with the 49ers that season, Sanders had six interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and was named the defensive player of the year as the 49ers won their fifth Super Bowl title.
After the Cowboys saw the 49ers end their two-year reign as Super Bowl champions, the Cowboys signed Sanders to a long-term deal in September of 1995. Sanders would help lead the Cowboys to their third Super Bowl title in four seasons. He played five seasons in Big D.

3. Curtis Martin, running back
Signed with Jets in 1998
Then-Patriots head coach Bill Parcells selected Martin in the third round in the 1995 draft. When Parcells eventually wound up with the Jets, he knew he had to have his man. In '98, the Jets signed Martin to a six-year, $36 million offer sheet, and when the Patriots declined to match, New York ensured the services of a player who would wind up as the league's fourth-leading rusher of all time.
After rushing for 1,000-plus yards in each of his first three seasons with New England, Martin turned that trick in seven straight years with New York. In 2004 at age 31, he totaled a league-best 1,697 yards, becoming the oldest player in NFL history to lead the league in rushing.

4. Marcus Allen, running back

Signed with Chiefs in 1993
After 11 sometimes tumultuous seasons with the Raiders, Allen found a new NFL life when he signed as an unrestricted free agent in 1993 with one of Oakland's most-hated rivals -- the Kansas City Chiefs.
Allen teamed with Joe Montana to pay immediate dividends. Allen would lead the AFC with 15 total touchdowns (12 rushing, 3 receiving) and helped lead the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game that season. In all, Allen scored 47 of his 145 career total TDs in five seasons as a Chief, before retiring following the 1997 season.

5. Adam Vinatieri, place-kicker
Signed with the Colts in 2006
If you can't beat them (consistently), then take away their players. The Colts' signing of Vinatieri was not only a major addition for Indianapolis (which had grown wary of unpredictable PK Mike Vanderjagt), but hurt the rival Patriots, who had won three Super Bowls the previous five years.
Vinatieri, a one-time rookie free-agent find (signed by the Patriots in 1996), was very pivotal during Indianapolis' Super Bowl run in '06. He set an NFL playoff record by scoring 49 points in the same postseason (14 field goals, 7 PATs), including all of the Colts' points in a 15-6 victory at Baltimore in the AFC divisional playoffs.

6. Priest Holmes, running back
Signed with Chiefs in 2001
Talk about making the most of a career. Holmes was an undrafted free agent signed by Baltimore in 1997 and was a very productive player, starting against the Giants in Super Bowl XXV. But in 2000, the same year the Ravens won that NFL championship, the organization drafted RB Jamal Lewis with the fifth overall selection, and it was Lewis who gained 100-plus yards rushing in the Super Bowl.
Holmes was signed by the Chiefs in '01, and a good career became great before injuries in recent years forced him to retire. It's worth noting that in his first four seasons with the Chiefs, Holmes totaled 5,482 yards rushing, caught 225 passes for 2,163 yards and scored 76 touchdowns in 54 games. In his four seasons with the Ravens (1997-00), Holmes ran for 2,102 yards, caught 88 passes for 585 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 48 games.

7. Plaxico Burress, wide receiver

Signed with Giants in 2005
Burress assured his place on this list with 35 seconds remaining in Super Bowl XLII. And this is a guy who had no receptions in his first postseason game with the Giants back in 2005 against the Panthers. Burress has 3,227 receiving yards and 29 TD receptions in three seasons after signing a six-year, $25 million contract with the Giants prior to the 2005 season.
Burress predicted a Giants win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, and then hauled in the game-winning TD pass from Eli Manning in the final minute to help give the Giants the Super Bowl title.

8. Lorenzo Neal, fullback
Signed with Chargers in 2003
It would be wrong to just focus on Neal's days in San Diego, but we'll use that as a jumping-off point because that's where the former Fresno State product currently resides. The well-traveled fullback has been a free agent (and once-traded) sensation for many teams (Saints, Jets, Buccaneers, Titans, Bengals and Chargers) after beginning his career with New Orleans in 1993. The veteran has paved the way for 11 straight 1,000-yard rushing performances (including the last five by RB LaDainian Tomlinson) and has been named to four Pro Bowls (including 3 straight with the Chargers).

9. Mike Vrabel, linebacker
Signed with Patriots in 2001
Who knew that a relatively obscure signing would turn into one of the most important players for the team of this decade. With the Steelers' surplus of outside linebackers, Vrabel became a free agent following the 2000 season. He signed a three-year, $5.29 million contract with the Patriots.
In seven seasons with the team, Vrabel has collected 44 sacks, including 12½ sacks during the 2007 season in which he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Also in New England, Vrabel has caught 10 passes (including playoffs), with all 10 going for touchdowns. He has TD receptions in both Super Bowl XXXVIII versus Panthers and Super Bowl XXXIX versus the Eagles.

10. Steve Hutchinson, guard
Signed with Vikings in 2006
It wasn't long ago that Seahawks LT Walter Jones and then-teammate Hutchinson were considered the best left side in the league, helping RB Shaun Alexander capture NFL MVP honors in '05. But inexplicably in '06, Seattle opted to designate Hutchinson a "transition" player rather than give him the "franchise" tag, and the crafty Vikings signed the blocker extraordinaire to a seven-year, $49 million offer sheet that was virtually impossible for the Seahawks to match.
And because there's no compensation for a transition player (opposed to a pair of first-round draft choices for a franchise player), it's the Vikings who are now in the discussion (with LT Bryant McKinnie and C Matt Birk) as the team with the best left side in the league -- one that now paves the way for RB Adrian Peterson.

source: www.espn.com

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Brett Favre Walks Away a Legend







The NFL has lost one of its best ever players, spokesman, idol, etc... Brett Favre decided to finally walk away from football after 17 seasons. I think it was a good decision on his part to go out now after the year he just had in the NFL. Some may say that they would not of retired after the interception he threw in the New York Giants game that ultimately lost the game for the Packers. I do agree that he probably would of stayed if Green Bay would of went and got Randy Moss. Either way, I will miss his smile, enthusiasm, kid-like play, and the way he carried himself as a professional athlete. The NFL, Green Bay Packers, and all football fans will miss him every Sunday. He will go down in my book as one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. Enjoy the pictures and hope you read the article.
to read the article from www.cnnsi.com click here
The Gunslinger Retires

Brett Favre leaves the NFL with his name atop several career passing categories. In 2007, he set the record for passing TDs (442), passing yards (61,655) and wins by a starting QB (160) and interceptions (288). Including the playoffs, he played in 275 consecutive games.• Favre's career stats

Most TD passes TDs

Brett Favre 442
Dan Marino 420
Fran Tarkenton 342
Peyton Manning 306
Most passing yards Passing yards
Favre 61,655
Marino 61,361
John Elway 51,475
Warren Moon 49,325
QB wins by starter Wins
Favre 160
Elway 148
Marino 147
Tarkenton 125
Interceptions INTs
Favre 288
George Blanda 277
John Hadl 268
Vinny Testaverde 267
to read the article from www.espn.com click here

Monday, March 3, 2008

Some Photos of the Top Coaches Around the Country, Guess What Caption Goes Where?












1. My dad leaves and we finally beat some top 25 teams.
2. You can't see the T painted on my chest can you.
3. What? You've never seen a black man in a red suit.
4. Quit laughing at me, I am not wearing my white suit.
5. I wish Kelvin good-luck, but this is my team now.
6. That's right, I am GOD, and my 800 wins proves it.
7. Take that ref, oh, that's not my middle finger.
8. Hey Kentucky look at me now baby.
9. I wish Tubby would of stayed, then I wouldn't be in this shit hole.
10. How many fingers am I holding up.
11. Hey, don't tell anyone, but I didn't miss coaching at all this year.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

UFC 82: Silva vs Henderson


This fight below, shows that Spider Silva could be the next dominant UFC Champion. With this win by submission, makes him even more dangerous than anyone ever thought. Overall, UFC 82 wasn't even close to 81, but since it was near my hometown in OHIO, I had to watch it. You can too below!!!!
to read more about the fight click here
Upcoming UFC Title Fights
Class Title Bout Event
205 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Forrest Griffin TBA
170 Matt Serra Georges St. Pierre UFC 83, 4/19/08
155 B.J. Penn Sean Sherk UFC 84, 5/24/08

UFC 82 Silva vs Henderson

ROUND 2 Part 2 The end for Henderson!!! Silva dominates

UFC 82 Silva vs Henderson

ROUND 2 Part 1

UFC 82 Silva vs Henderson

ROUND 1 part 2

UFC 82 Silva vs Henderson

ROUND 1 part 1

Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Latest List of NFL Free Agents that have Signed

A Complete list of all Free Agents who have Signed as of Saturday March 1st, 2008
2007 Team - 2008 Team
Flozell Adams OT UFA 6-7 340 10 Cowboys - Cowboys
Ethan Albright C UFA 6-5 257 13 Redskins - Redskins
Jared Allen DE UFA 6-6 270 4 Chiefs - Chiefs
Derek Anderson QB RFA 6-6 229 3 Browns - Browns
Charlie Anderson LB UFA 6-4 243 4 Texans - Dolphins
Stacy Andrews OT UFA 6-7 342 4 Bengals - Bengals
Richard Angulo TE UFA 6-8 266 4 Jaguars - Jaguars
Nnamdi Asomugha CB UFA 6-2 210 5 Raiders - Raiders
Michael Bennett RB UFA 5-9 207 7 Buccaneers - Buccaneers
Josh Brown PK UFA 6-0 212 5 Seahawks - Rams
Isaac Bruce WR Released 6-0 188 14 Rams - 49ers
Tedy Bruschi LB UFA 6-1 247 12 Patriots - Patriots
Antoine Cash LB RFA 6-1 223 2 Buccaneers - Buccaneers
Antonio Chatman WR UFA 5-8 183 5 Bengals - Bengals
Chris Clemons LB UFA 6-3 240 4 Raiders - Eagles
Ricardo Colclough CB Released 5-11 195 4 Browns - Panthers
Todd Collins QB UFA 6-4 228 13 Redskins - Redskins
Dustin Colquitt P RFA 6-3 210 3 Chiefs - Chiefs
Karlos Dansby LB UFA 6-4 250 4 Cardinals - Cardinals
Andre Davis WR UFA 6-1 195 6 Texans - Texans
John Engelberger DE UFA 6-4 260 8 Broncos - Broncos
Jeff Faine C UFA 6-3 291 5 Saints - Buccaneers
Alan Faneca G UFA 6-5 307 10 Steelers - NY Jets
Jonathan Fanene DE RFA 6-4 291 3 Bengals - Bengals
Justin Fargas RB UFA 6-1 220 5 Raiders - Raiders
Jeff Feagles P UFA 6-1 215 20 NY Giants - NY Giants
DeShaun Foster RB Released 6-0 222 6 Panthers - 49ers
Tony Gilbert LB UFA 6-0 244 5 Jaguars - Jaguars
John Gilmore TE UFA 6-5 257 6 Bears - Buccaneers
Martin Gramatica PK UFA 5-8 175 8 Saints - Saints
Roderick Green LB UFA 6-2 274 4 49ers - 49ers
Jordan Gross OT UFA 6-4 300 5 Panthers - Panthers
Rex Grossman QB UFA 6-1 217 5 Bears - Bears
Ken Hamlin FS UFA 6-2 209 5 Cowboys - Cowboys
Albert Haynesworth DT UFA 6-6 320 6 Titans - Titans
Shaun Hill QB UFA 6-3 235 6 49ers - 49ers
Brad Hoover FB UFA 6-0 245 8 Panthers - Panthers
Larry Izzo LB UFA 5-10 228 12 Patriots - Patriots
Scott Jackson G RFA 6-4 300 3 Texans - Texans
Nate Jackson TE UFA 6-3 235 5 Broncos - Broncos
Tommy Kelly DE UFA 6-6 300 4 Raiders - Raiders
Travis Kirschke DE UFA 6-3 298 11 Steelers - Steelers
L.P. Ladouceur C RFA 6-4 255 3 Cowboys - Cowboys
Mike Lehan CB UFA 6-0 190 5 Dolphins - Dolphins
Cleo Lemon QB UFA 6-2 215 4 Dolphins - Jaguars
Jamal Lewis RB UFA 5-11 245 8 Browns - Browns
Damione Lewis DT UFA 6-2 301 7 Panthers - Panthers
Ryan Lilja OG UFA 6-2 290 4 Colts - Colts
Sean Locklear G UFA 6-4 308 4 Seahawks - Seahawks
Kawika Mitchell LB UFA 6-1 253 5 NY Giants - Bills
Scott Mruczkowski OL RFA 6-5 318 3 Chargers - Chargers
Muhsin Muhammad WR Released 6-2 215 12 Bears - Panthers
J.T. O'Sullivan QB UFA 6-2 227 5 Lions - 49ers
Lonie Paxton C UFA 6-2 260 8 Patriots - Patriots
Jerry Porter WR UFA 6-2 220 8 Raiders - Jaguars
Chris Redman QB UFA 6-3 223 5 Falcons - Falcons
J.R. Reed S RFA 5-11 202 4 Eagles - Eagles
Tutan Reyes OL UFA 6-3 310 8 Jaguars - Jaguars
Allen Rossum CB Released 5-8 178 10 Steelers - 49ers
Sean Ryan TE UFA 6-5 265 4 NY Jets - Dolphins
Asante Samuel CB UFA 5-10 185 5 Patriots - Eagles
Asante Samuel CB UFA 5-10 185 5 Patriots - Eagles
Justin Smiley G UFA 6-3 311 4 49ers - Dolphins
Justin Smith DE UFA 6-4 275 7 Bengals - 49ers
Derek Smith LB Released 6-2 237 11 49ers - Chargers
Dwight Smith S Released 5-10 201 7 Vikings - Lions
L.J. Smith TE UFA 6-3 258 5 Eagles - Eagles
Keith Smith CB UFA 5-11 192 4 Lions - Lions
Isaac Sopoaga DT UFA 6-2 325 3 49ers - 49ers
Randy Starks DT UFA 6-3 312 4 Titans - Dolphins
Terrell Suggs LB UFA 6-3 260 5 Ravens - Ravens
Thomas Tapeh FB UFA 6-1 243 4 Eagles - Vikings
Zach Thomas LB Released 5-11 228 12 Dolphins - Cowboys
Dontarrious Thomas LB UFA 6-2 241 4 Vikings - 49ers
Reggie Torbor LB UFA 6-2 250 4 NY Giants - Dolphins
Marcus Trufant CB UFA 5-11 197 5 Seahawks - Seahawks
Lawrence Tynes PK UFA 6-1 202 4 NY Giants - NY Giants
Billy Volek QB UFA 6-2 214 8 Chargers - Chargers
Mike Wahle G Released 6-6 304 10 Panthers - Seahawks
Dante Wesley CB UFA 6-1 210 6 Panthers - Panthers
Travelle Wharton OL UFA 6-4 312 4 Panthers - Panthers
Ernest Wilford WR UFA 6-4 223 4 Jaguars - Dolphins
Jimmy Wilkerson DE UFA 6-2 290 5 Chiefs - Buccaneers
Corey Williams DT UFA 6-4 313 4 Packers - Browns
Madieu Williams S UFA 6-1 203 4 Bengals - Vikings
Gibril Wilson S UFA 6-0 209 4 NY Giants - Raiders
Brian Young DT UFA 6-2 298 8 Saints - Saints