Teams to Watch and Final Four Picks

Thought I'd give you an outlook on what I believe is the most wide open NCAA Tournament I've ever seen. I don't know about the rest of you but my bracket might go down to the midnight deadline that is how unsure I am of this whole tournament. So here are a few teams to maybe watch out for and maybe make you re-think your bracket entirely. Don't worry I'll give you my final four picks at the end as well.

South Region Teams To Watch:

Stephen F. Austin: I think going undefeated in your conference throughout the season is very impressive regardless of what conference it is. This is exactly what the Lumberjack's have done this season 18-0 in the Southland conference and a 31-2 overall record. One of those two losses coming to Texas who is the only team they played all year that is in this year's tourney. So you're probably thinking "Oh they only played bad teams, so they can't be that good" but couldn't the same be said for #1 Seed Wichita State? They are a solid all-around basketball team 4 out of their 5 started average double figures in scoring. I think that will be the reason they beat VCU they have so many scoring options and it will really spread out a really good VCU defense. I originally had the Lumberjack's as my double-digit seed to make the Sweet Sixteen but then I got my mind straight. This is VCU's game to lose and Stephen F. Austin might just take advantage of a team that did not look especially good against St. Joe's in the A-10 tourney.

Dayton: The Flyers are put up against the Buckeyes of Ohio State in the "Second" round setting up a battle for Ohio. I really haven't been impressed with Ohio St. all year and their lack of scoring options may prove fatal for them. I think Dayton takes advantage of this lack of scoring and uses their potent offense to beat the Buckeyes. The Flyers also have wins over 3 tourney teams as well (Gonzaga, George Washington, and Saint Louis).

Pittsburgh: They are 9 seed which would make it an upset if they beat Colorado, I'll pretend it's an upset even though Pitt is a better team than Colorado. Also Jamie Dixon scares me.

For all of you who are rooting for Tulsa to beat UCLA, it's obviously not impossible but I think the Bruins are still on a high after beating Arizona in the Pac-12 title that they won't lose to Tulsa.




East Teams to Watch:

Harvard: They're smart and they can play basketball? All five of their starters average double figures so they have a balanced scoring attack against a Cincinnati team that relies mainly on Sean Kilpatrick for scoring. If Cincy can't score watch the Crimson blow em out. I didn't pick them last year and I paid for it so this year I like the Crimson.

Providence: This match-up is tantalizing to say the least. The 11th seeded Friars are up against North Carolina which makes for a great guard match-up between Marcus Paige and Bryce Cotton. Despite the Friars having the lower seed they are an evenly matched team. The key for the Friars I think is getting James Michael McAdoo in foul trouble early and let their offense flow freely from there.

St. Joseph's: A-10 champs indeed but they get the lower seed as their matched up against the Huskies of UCONN. The Huskies leading rebounder is their point guard Shabazz Napier which shows the glaring weakness of no real inside play from the Huskies. The Hawks should be able to key in on this with Halil Kanacevic and Ronald Roberts Jr. That coupled with Langston Galloway the Hawks are in good shape to pull the upset.


Midwest Teams To Watch:

NC State: Yes I'm picking a play-in game team to upset a very good Saint Louis team. Also what is a Billiken? Anyway the Wolfpack have T.J. Warren the ACC player of they year who averages nearly 25 a game. Having that talent alone I think catapults them to the victory. Also the Billikens are 0-2 against AP Top 25 teams this season which doesn't bode well for them either.

Kentucky: Wait Nolan they're an 8 seed that doesn't make it an upset? Correct not in the "second" round but I firmly believe Kentucky will beat Wichita State in the third round and will advance to the Sweet Sixteen. A month ago I would not have said this but after watching the Wildcats in the SEC tournament and watching them almost beat Florida I think this team full of freshman is ready to play in this tourney. I also believe Wichita has not had the experience against exceedingly good competition this season to prove that they are one seed.

I know the Tennessee-Iowa game hasn't been played yet but whatever team wins that game will beat UMass who was overseeded by the selection committee.

West Teams To Watch:

Oklahoma State: This is the one team over a 5 seed that I can see making a Final Four run. They have been scorching hot since Marcus Smart's return from suspension. They are not afraid of any team they are faced with and their backcourt is impeccable. I personally don't have them making the Final Four (I have them losing to Arizona in the third round) but I am a firm believer that they can beat Arizona and anyone that is put in front of them. Who's laughing now Jeff Orr?

Nebraska: I love Nebraska and I think they can make a Sweet Sixteen I personally have them losing to Baylor just based on Baylor's size but I would love to be wrong on that pick.

LA-Lafayette: My favorite team in the tourney. They have the potential to be this years Florida Gulf Coast, a very high powered offense. However they are matched up against Doug McDermott and Creighton which is a tough draw. Look for Shawn Long and the RAGIN' CAJUNS to try and run the Jays out of the gym. If they can somewhat neutralize McDermott maybe hold him to 20 or even 25 they have a serious chance in beating this team.

North Dakota State: Got to rep my state. I don't think Oklahoma knows what they're up against here, an very athletic team with TrayVon Wright and Kory Brown. They have an inside presence with Marshall Bjorkland and they have their stud in Taylor Braun a very balanced, smart team that always seems to find a way to win. Boomer Sooner is going down at the hands of the Bison.

I was going to feature New Mexico State just because they have a 7'5" center but I decided to save you some time.



Final Four Picks:

South- Syracuse: Apparently someone forgot about them. Yes they have struggled recently with the loss to NC State in the ACC tournament but, I just can't see a Jim Boeheim team that is not ready to play in an NCAA tournament plus they have a pretty talented group of players. They have a tough road ahead no doubt they have the possibility of facing Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen and then Florida in the Elite Eight. I will be honest I'm not 100% on this selection so I may change it before midnight but for now I got the Orange in Arlington.

West- Arizona: I'm very squeamish when picking Arizona they are just one of those teams that can come out flat and make you look stupid for picking them. Another pick I may have to change before midnight but Arizona is the only sure-fire team I can see going to Arlington. Maybe Wisconsin.

Midwest- Louisville: The fact that they're a 4 seed makes me want to vomit while writing this, what an atrocity. That being said that is the perfect motivational factor for the Cardinals to succeed in this tourney and Rick Pitino will use that as a motivating factor to get this team past Duke, Michigan, Kentucky, Wichita State. There too seasoned as a team to not have them make it to the title game.

East- Michigan State: They're healthy which means they're set to go for the tourney. They looked so good in the Big Ten tourney and that should carry over into the NCAA tourney.



For the championship I got Michigan State v. Louisville with Michigan State winning by a score of 75-65.

There you have it now that you've read this you should be able to win the billion dollars. Or maybe not. Either way may the probabilities be ever in you favor or however that line goes I never saw that movie or read the book for that matter.

-NS(@NolanPSchmidt)

All Generation Team

I thought of this idea the other night and I cannot stop thinking about it. What if I could come up with 12 names from the 2000-2010 and call it the All Generation Team (I call it that compared to All-Decade Team because I'm going to base it off of players I enjoyed watching while growing up and players that have had success as well)? I know hold your applause it's genius (Even thought I'm sure it's been done before) but regardless should be interesting am I right? Now the down-side to this is only picking 12 or 13 names for this list some I'm going to try and pick names that I are deserving hopefully I don't ruffle any feathers with this one but I'm sure I will.

Let's start with the starting 5 shall we....

Point Guard- Allen Iverson: Yes I know AI normally would play shooting guard but hey it's my team, plus he is only 6 ft. tall which is good point guard height. Iverson averaged roughly 27ppg and 6apg for his career. That stat jumped out at me 6 assists per game for his career? I will always remember Allen Iverson as a pure scorer and more of a "pass-second" type of player. I don't blame him for this however when you look at the starting five for the  2001 Philadelphia 76ers (That made the finals) there is no one to write home about in terms of talent besides Iverson such names as: Eric Snow, George Lynch, Tyrone Hill, and "Finger Wag" Mutombo all of those players failed to average double figures in points for their careers. The bench for the Sixers that year wasn't much better either with players like Aaron Mckie and Todd MacCulloch (He plays professional PINBALL now [S/O to Jax]). So do I blame Iverson for being a shoot first players not at all. Awards include an 11x All-Star, Rookie of the Year, 4x Scoring Champion and the 2001 MVP. LeBron James even went on to say Iverson was "Pound for pound the greatest of all-time". The crossover was kind of nasty too I guess.

Shooting Guard- Kobe Bryant: Kobe has got rings and that's while I'll give him the starting nod. As of now he has averaged 25 ppg for his career and averaged 35ppg in 05-06. Awards include 5x NBA champ, 2008 MVP, 16x All-Star, and 2x scoring champ. I like to think of #8 "mini-fro" Kobe that's my favorite Kobe when him and Shaq were dominating the NBA in the 00s and that's the main reason why he's in the starting spot.

Small Forward- LeBron James: Do I really need to explain myself on this one??? I didn't think so either.

 

Power Forward- Tim Duncan: I'll say it once and I'll say it again TIM DUNCAN IS THE BEST PF OF OUR GENERATION AND WILL BE THE GREATEST PF OF ALL-TIME ONCE HE RETIRES. Nothing get's me more riled up then when people say that they hate to watch Tim Duncan play because he is "boring" YOU ARE IGNORANT. He doesn't play boring he plays the game the way it should be played: fundamentally and smart. That's my rant I'll be willing to defend Tim Duncan on any level of basketball argument. Ok back to the facts awards include 4x NBA Champ, 2x MVP, Rookie of the Year, 14x All-Star. He's the Spurs all-time leading scorer which is wildly impressive when you look at the players that once played for the Spurs (David Robinson and George Gervin for example). For his career he averages a double-double 21ppg and 12rpg he can still do that on a nightly basis now at the age of 37. Let me say this one last thing since being drafted by the Spurs in 1997 they have won over 50 games every season except one (That one was in 98-99 when there was a lock-out) and they have never had a win percentage under .600 during Duncan's tenure. Apparently winning is boring.

Center- Shaquille O' Neal: The most dominant player I have ever seen play the game of basketball, give that man the ball on the block and he will score with no question asked a true pioneer at the center position. Averaged 24ppg and 11rpg for his career. He is a 4x NBA Champ, 2000 MVP, 15x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champion, and Rookie of the Year. The one and only man that made Kobe Bryant a secondary scoring option which is the hardest thing to do. An unreal talent and an unbelievable personality pick one NBA player that you would want to spend the day with and I would pick Shaq. CAN YOU DIG IT?!


Now time for the bench....

Sixth Man- Tracy McGrady: I've went over my love for T-Mac and his game in a previous blog so I'll keep this one short. Kobe Bryant who is my starting shooing guard once said "The player that gave me the most trouble was Tracy McGrady". Out of all the great players Kobe has played against he picks T-Mac as the one that gave him the most headaches. I think I've made my point.

Back-up PF- Kevin Garnett: Is this a biased pick? Maybe Is it a good pick? Yes. Averages 19ppg and 10rpg for his career. Has one NBA title, one MVP, 15x All-Star Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, and a 4x rebounding champion. Growing up watching KG I know dominant he was in Minnesota and I'm sure most of you know too. He carried those Wolves teams to the playoffs every year they went, even the years they had Cassell and Sprewell he still put the team on his back and got the job done. When The Big Ticket retires I may cry because I feel as though I know him on a personal level after watching him for so long. Wow I just got really emotional with you guys.........

Back-Up C- Dwight Howard: Again another familiar name, so is in depth analysis really necessary? There is just such a small market for good centers in our generation. Who do you want me to put on here? Vlade Divac, Yao Ming there's really only two deserving names here Diesel and DH.

Back-Up PG- Steve Nash: Pretty difficult pick here I mean I could've picked Chris Paul, Tony Parker (Trust me it was hard to leave him off), or even Jason Kidd. I picked Nash because of his passing ability and underrated scoring ability. Has averaged 14ppg and about 9apg for his career. Back to back MVP in 2005 and 2006, 8x All-star, and 5x NBA assist champion. I've never seen a more unstoppable offensive play than Nash and Amare Stoudemire's pick and roll it seemed so easy to stop in theory but yet NOBODY COULD STOP IT.


Back-Up SG- Vince Carter: I'll admit this is a personal pick. He has had a very respectable career however with 20ppg and 8 All-Star appearances. If I can get the Vince Carter that played for the Raptors and the Nets I will be happy. Best Dunker of All-Time

Reserve- Dirk Nowitzki: It's hard putting Dirk as a reserve but there are just better Power Forwards then him. I do love him however: 2011 NBA Champ,2007 MVP, 12x All-Star, 26ppg and 10rpg for his career, and will be the greatest player in Dallas Mavericks history probably for the rest of my lifetime.

Reserve- Paul Pierce: 2008 NBA Champ, 10x All-Star a 21ppg scorer for his career. I think I'd be crazy to leave him off.



Reserve- Mark Madsen: Every team needs a motivator and a guy that will be the first one off the bench to give high fives during a time-out and Mad Dog is the Greatest of All-Time in that respect.

 













Well that's all I got for today. If I forgot someone you think is deserving honestly let me know I'm sure I did. Thanks for reading

-NS (@NolanPSchmidt)
 

The Emergence of Blake Griffin

I said a while back I'd do a full blog on Blake Griffin and I completely apologize for not getting to it I kind of forgot about it. I'm sure all of you were so eager to read my thoughts and were let down when I did not post anything (In reality it's the complete opposite I'm sure) but none the less here it goes.

I have been known in the past to have a strong dislike for Blake Griffin's basketball ability, as recently as this past November or so I've been vocal in saying that Blake Griffin does nothing but dunk, sure he's a terrific athlete but he has no ability besides dunking the basketball and I'm sure others would agree with me in saying that. This is because ESPN and other sports media outlets focus only on the "highlight plays" rather than the games themselves. This is good to a degree but can also be a fault as well and in Blake Griffin's case it is a fault. I started to really focus on Blake Griffin and his whole body of work as a basketball player once Chris Paul went down due to injury. I started noticing astounding "ticker stats"(Stats you would see on a ticker on ESPN for example: Points, rebounds, assists) from Griffin after Paul got injured. This surprised me because as an ignorant fan of Blake Griffin's I wondered how he could score 34 in a game just based on dunks? I then decided to dig a little deeper into Blake Griffin and I came to the realization that maybe this man that I once thought could only dunk improved in various facet's of his game. However when I looked at his season statistics they are not that different from his previous season, a slight increase in points per game 24 this season from 18 the previous year, also a small improvement in his rebounds per game roughly 10 per game this season compared to 8 last year. So on paper not a super improvement so what was causing these great statistics? I had to find out for myself.

I sat down one Thursday evening and watched a Warriors-Clippers game on TNT just to see how Blake could be doing what he had been doing recently. Then I finally found out, I was no longer an "ignorant" Blake Griffin fan. He had indeed improved in nearly every area of his game. He had become a much better post defender(which is good considering he was an awful defender throughout his first 3 seasons) for one but it wasn't his defense that caught my eye it was the fact that he had developed a jump-shot ranging to about the top of the key. He had also developed post moves that would make Kevin McHale proud (or maybe not since he coaches a team looking up at the Clippers in the West). I was now enlightened into how much he had improved and then I also looked how much of a catalyst he had become for the Clippers in Paul's absence. Let's just take a gander at Blake Griffin's statistics during Chris Paul's absence:

January: 26ppg, 8rpg on 56% shooting

February: 30ppg, 11rpg on 55% shooting....wait what?

Games in which Chris Paul missed: 28ppg, 9rpg

Impressive February is it not? Now stats do not matter if the team doesn't win which makes this even more impressive. In the 19 games that Chris Paul has missed this season the Clippers are 14-5 (41-20 overall) and those 14 wins included a 6 game winning streak. How could this be? How could the Clippers succeed with out their leader and best player Chris Paul? Who could they rely on? DeAndre Jordan? Jared Dudley? HEDO TURKOGLU???????? None of the above Blake Griffin is the main reason the Clippers succeeded and continue to succeed this season. I think Blake Griffin finally matured as a player and because of this the Clippers are still a legitimate threat in the Western Conference. If Griffin would've played like the Blake Griffin of his first 3 seasons the Los Angeles Clippers would be fighting for a playoff spot and would not be in the position they are now. He took the leadership position on that team and was able to keep them afloat.





With all this being said I believe Blake Griffin has molded himself into a superstar in the NBA something NBA fans have been waiting to see since he came out of Oklahoma in 2009. Once he gets more exposure and ESPN starts showing his overall game rather than just his highlight plays people will start to realize that he is force to be reckoned with. I know either Kevin Durant or LeBron "The Dark Knight" James (I would love to rage on the topic of SportsCenter reporting on THE TYPE OF MASK LEBRON IS GOING TO WEAR FOR THE HEAT'S NEXT GAME but I'll hold my comments) will win the MVP but I leave you with this question: Does Blake Griffin after all he's done for the Los Angeles Clippers this season deserve MVP considerations? Just something to ponder as you wait patiently for my next blog entry.....

-NS(@NolanPSchmidt)