Pardon My Bias

courtesy of bullcitystateofmind.com

Last night, Coach Mike Krzyzewski became the winning-est in NCAA Division I basketball by passing the legendary Bob Knight for his 903th career victory. As a North Carolina fan, this will be my one and only ode to anything Duke. Even as a rival fan, I realize the magnitude of what Coach K has done with his 903rd victory. This victory has moved him up to the greatest coach in college basketball history; yes, that means he passes John Wooden.

Coach K has become the picture perfect role model of a basketball coach in this modern day. When Coach K arrived at Duke in 1980, the program was no where. The ACC was also the best conference in all of college basketball with Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina all being powerhouses. After a few seasons of building, Coach K has led Duke to 27 NCAA tournament births in the past 28 years. He also has won 4 national championships, tying him for 2nd with Adolph Rupp of Kentucky and behind John Wooden who won 10 at UCLA.

Coach K has been nothing short of excellent and he has accomplished all his career accolades with the utmost class. His success at Duke also carried him to coach the US National Basketball Team, a program which he rebounded by leading them to the Gold Medal in Beijing after 6 years of disappointment. He was able to get the same kind of respect from superstars who make millions as he was from his own players at Duke, and that really speaks volumes. The man is respected by any person who has any affiliation with basketball. Period.

This is what brings me to my main point. Although Coach K is 6 championships behind John Wooden, I believe his legacy will be greater than Wooden’s as far as basketball goes. The era in which Coach K coached is far more competitive than what Wooden was in. With social media and the internet, any high school player with real talent has the ability to be recognized and recruited by the top programs in the nation. The rise of the AAU circuit has brought so much talent to the recruiting of college basketball. John Wooden had the powerhouse of the west coast at UCLA and could hand pick any players he wanted like Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton.

Coach K has done a remarkable job with recruiting, especially with losing most of his players in one or two years. Wooden had the luxury of keeping his players around for 3 or 4 years. Also, not any player can come play at Duke. Duke holds a certain standard as far as academics as well as image goes. They have that “pretty-boy” Grant Hill and Christian Laettner image, and Coach K has maintained that over the years while continuing to win. There was a reason why Chris Webber and Jalen Rose were not recruited by Duke and were by Michigan. Duke does not recruit everyone from the top recruiting class because they strive to maintain a certain image, and yet the continue to win.

Wooden won 10 championships, and no one will ever take that away from him, but there is no doubt that there was less competition in Wooden’s era than there is now. No one will ever come close to touching Wooden’s record – ever. It’s similar to Bill Russel’s 11 championships. No one will ever touch that record, but the NBA will never have only 8 teams again either (if there is an NBA). Winning the 4 national championships that Coach K has at Duke is an amazing accomplishment. All the stars have to line up just right to win the NCAA tournament in today’s age.

Also in a day where so many legendary coaches like Joe Paterno, Jim Tressle, and Jim Calhoun are being found in the middle of controversy,  Coach K and Duke have seemed to always have done it right. It was found later that even players from John Wooden’s UCLA teams were paid.

In today’s age, it is hard to find a team that has the unity and pride that Duke does. There is a reason why Coach K is seen as a god on Duke’s campus, because the man is an absolute winner and a class act. Hats off to you coach, thanks for reminding college sports that doing things the right way can lead to greatness. A college program does not always have to be entrenched in controversy to gain a few years of success.

It sure has been an exciting March Madness thus far. We’ve had plenty of game winning shots and athletic dunks that got anyone and everyone excited. We saw freshmen like Brandon Knight, Kyrie Irving, Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes step up on the big stage but all fall short of the ultimate goal. We’ve witnessed upper class men like Kyle Singler, Jimmer Fredette, Nolan Smith, and Ben Hansbrough all end their college careers with bitter disappointment. Other players like Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb,  Matt Howard, and Shelvin Mack have stepped up big on the national stage and have their teams just one win away from that National Title. Teams like VCU and Butler shocked the nation by making it all the way to the Final Four while powerhouses like Louisville, Georgetown, and Michigan State weren’t able to make it past the round of 64. When most of the nation made chalk-filled bracket, it was the lower seeds that ultimately prevailed. In fact, this was the first time in 32 years (the first time seeding was done by a committee was in 1979) that neither a #1 or a #2 seed was in the Final Four. Without further adieu, here is a brief preview of the 2011 Men’s National Championship Game.

Butler (8) Vs. UConn (3)

Both programs and coaches are not strangers to this game. Jim Calhoun of UConn won it 7 years ago and Brad Stevens had this Butler team here just last year. Both teams had similar struggles through the regular season; strumbling through conference play and searching for their identity. UConn limped to a 9-9 record in the incredibly tough Big East and Butler went 13-5 in the relatively weak Horizon league (this includes a 3 game losing streak in early February capped off by a loss to a 9-21 Youngstown State).  Both teams are currently riding 9 game win streaks and UConn is now gunning for its third Tournament Championship this season (following the Maui Invitational and Big East tournament). Both teams usually operate well in a half-court set and do it extremely well but in different ways. UConn penetrates and kicks when necessary while Butler feeds their big man down low, Matt Howard. UConn lives and dies with Kemba Walker while Butler seems to control the pace no matter who they play and they often win in an ugly manner. So who is my pick to cut down the nets?

While both teams are well coached and all the players play their roles to near perfection I have to go with star power. I can’t pick against Kemba, he will simply be too much for Butler to handle. Let’s face it, Butler had the easiest road to the championship game of any Final Four team and they continuously faced fast paced, 3-point shooting teams(sans Wisconsin, who wasn’t that great to being with). Butler was able to slow the game down to their own pace and control the ball. But what happens when they face a team that can effectively play in a half-court set and doesn’t live and die by the 3-pointer?  My prediction is that they will come up short just like last season’s championship game. Duke was a half-court team with enough star power to carry them over Butler and I feel the same will happen this year as both Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb will give Butler plenty of fits.  Kemba and Lamb will get their points but the key for UConn is to hold their own on the glass. They will be undersized against Butler and Alex Oriakhi will need to grab every board he can. While Butler’s players are more experienced, UConn has the more experienced coach and I have a feeling that will play a big role in gameplanning for this game. Let’s also not forget that UConn is 21-0 this season in games outside the Big East regular season and 13-0 in tournament play. UConn wins 71-63.

Here is my bracket for this year…I am just hoping to get at least 50% correct!

http://bluedevilnation.net/2011/02/duke-unc-photo-gallery/ncaa-basketball-feb-09-north-carolina-at-duke-5/

For most of the college basketball season the sport is an afterthought. At least for me. The NFL and NBA are much more interesting until March comes around. That’s when the sport takes over the national stage (and my personal interest) because of the importance of every game. Big games for the regular season title and the conference tournaments start the excitement that culminates in the field of 68. This weekend is the beginning of “March Madness” and I can’t wait.

Duke vs. UNC, Wisconsin vs. Ohio State and Notre Dame vs. UConn. Duke vs. UNC is the marquee match up of the weekend, being one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. Both teams are 13-2 in the conference and you can bet Chapel Hill is ready for a showdown. When these two teams are battling for the title you know you’re going to get a hard fought, well played game that will be entertaining down to the last shot.

I look for Duke to come out hot in Chapel Hill, trying to get the crowd out early and settle down into their game. UNC has the advantage in the frontcourt and you can bet they’re going to try and pound it down low on Dukes weaker big men. In the end I see Duke coming out on top and claiming the title of regular season ACC champions. Duke has too much firepower and senior leadership to lose this game, especially with this being the last regular season game for both Singler and Smith.

College Basketball can be very different from its professional older brother, and that is a good thing. These kids are playing their hardest on every possession, playing as a selfless team. This is a rare thing in sports so enjoy it while it lasts.

That was definitely one of the best BCS title games in recent history; strong defensive play, questionable calls, and a last second field goal culminated in Auburn’s first national championship in 54 years. While Oregon played a pretty good game, they had a definite weakness that was exposed by Auburn. Also, I feel that the NCAA needs to make a firm stand on this tackling rule. When is a player considered down? In addition to this, I’d like to take a look at the players who had either very little impact or left us wanting more.  These are the three things that stood out to me the most from the BCS title game last Monday night.

The 2011 BCS Title Champion Auburn Tigers. Picture courtesy of life.com

You have to hand it to the Auburn defense, holding the Ducks’ offense to only 19 points (a team that average over 40 per game throughout the season), and they were able to contain Heisman candidate LaMichael James. This game was won in the trenches by the Tigers front seven. They contained a running game that average over 300 yards per game to only 75 yards on 32 carries. That’s a 2.3 yards per carry average. James was only able to pick up 49 yards on his 13 carries and was never able to get into the open field. Led by Nick Fairley, the Auburn line dominated Oregon’s line play after play. Even on a crucial series within the Auburn 10 as Oregon trailed 19-11, the Ducks could not punch the ball in, and Auburn made a huge defensive stand that might have won the game for them. The Ducks couldn’t handle the strength and speed of Auburn’s line, and it really showed.

Now I have to move onto the most controversial play of the game. I’m sure you all know what I’m referring to, so I won’t give a breakdown of the play. Was Dyer down or not? I applaud the officials for swallowing their whistles in real time. This allowed the play to continue, and they could always review it after to see if they got it right. But the question creeps up: when is a player considered down? According to the rule book, if an part of the player (other than the hand or foot) touches the ground then the play is dead. Does the hand include the wrist, or are those two different body parts? Because a look at the replay shows that Dyer’s left wrist touched the ground. So by NCAA rules this means the player is considered down, right? Take a look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqkAEWVNj6I&feature=player_embedded . In the Sugar Bowl just last week, Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams was involved in a similar play. After review, he was ruled down since his wrist touched the ground. I don’t know which play was the correct call, but one was definitely wrong. The NCAA needs to clarify this issue so this play isn’t so controversial in the future.

And lastly, what do we take away from the performance of the Heisman winner? I already talked about how LaMichael James was unable to have an impact, but how about Cam Newton? Frankly I was not impressed by Newton’s performance. Over the past month I have heard people say many great things about how good Newton is on the field. Many analysts said he was Tebow with an NFL arm, some said he could flourish in the NFL, and others said he could be the next Michael Vick. I honestly don’t see any of those three coming true with Cam Newton. He is an athletic player that is a good college quarterback, but he will flounder in the NFL. I saw many plays where he either overthrows or underthrows receivers or made the wrong reads, and this is the college level. Just think about how much harder it gets in the NFL. Newton is not NFL ready, and I hope my 49ers don’t take him in the first round.

Newton won the Heisman. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Auburn’s star quarterback, Cam Newton, was awarded the Heisman Trophy Saturday evening for being college football’s most outstanding player. There is no question that Newton has been the best player in college football this year, and this was backed up by his 729 first-place votes (5^th highest all time). Runner up Andrew Luck of Stanford only received 78 first place votes. Newton has been an absolute beast on the field, finishing the year with 2,589 passing yards and 28 TD passes, and 1,409 rushing yards and 21 rushing TDs. Newton will also lead his team in the national title game against the Oregon Ducks in January.

The question comes up with Heisman Trust and the NCAA. Cam Newton has been well documented to be involved in a scandal, in which his father asked Mississippi State for $180,000 during Newton’s recruitment. The NCAA went against its own rules by not declaring Newton ineligible. With the USC-Reggie Bush scandal barely in the shadows, should the NCAA and Heisman Trust have thought twice about this decision? Is it hypocritical to award Newton the award when he is under the same situation Reggie Bush was? Will the Heisman Trust come back and rescind the Heisman Trophy from Cam Newton if it is later found that he accepted money to play at Auburn? Will the NCAA vacate a possible Auburn National Championship? Should Reggie Bush have a problem with this situation?

The NCAA and the Heisman Trust did the right thing. They had to award Newton because he was the best football player this season. As was the case with Reggie Bush, both players were/are the best players in college football, and the award is given to the best player. The issue comes up with integrity, should a player be awarded after he broke the rules? The NCAA and Heisman Trust better hope that the allegations against Cam Newton are false because neither one can afford another hit like the Bush scandal.

At this point, both are stuck in a limbo. The best thing was to give Cam Newton the benefit of the doubt and award him the Heisman because he deserves it based on his pure talent.  As far as Reggie Bush goes, tough luck, you shouldn’t have cheated. If it is found that Newton accepted money, then Auburn and Newton deserve the same punishment as USC. The fact is that bribery and cheating has gone too far in college football, but this is a trend that has been building since the SMU death penalty in the 1980s. Will it stop? Probably not. Should it be penalized more severely till it’s contained? Absolutely.

This is just an opinion…so please, Pardon My Bias.

Despite mid-majors like TCU and Boise State starting with their highest pre-season ranking, this year’s BCS National Title game will feature two teams from the top two conferences in college football. This season’s title game will feature the SEC’s Auburn Tigers and the Pac-10′s (soon to be Pac-12) Oregon Ducks. Both teams have high powered offenses that can put up points in a hurry and both have surprisingly have defenses that are just as dominant. Both will be going for a perfect season; they’re both just looking for that cherry on top: a BCS National Title.

Can Newton lead his tigers to their first national title in 53 years? Picture courtesy of www.tackonthat.com

The Auburn Tigers literally came out of nowhere this season. A second year coach in Gene Chizik, a junior college quarterback with a cloudy past in Cam Newton, and a tough conference schedule against teams like Alabama and South Carolina. Chizik thought he had a good team, but he did not expect his Tigers to reach this peak, not this season at least. But Cam Newton has been spectacular this year. He has been able to put this team on his shoulders and take everything defenses (and the NCAA) throw at him. Newton threw for 2,589 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions while completing 67% of his passes. But that’s not all, Newton also rushed for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns. He became just the third quarterback in NCAA history to throw for 20 touchdowns and rush for 20 more. The Tigers defense is no slouch either, led by Nick Fairley (SEC leader in sacks: 10.5 and tackles for loss: 21) has been able to shut down the opposition in the 2nd half. Fun fact: In their last two games of the season, the Tigers held high-powered offenses in Alabama and South Carolina to just 2 field goals total. The Tigers possess a never die attitude and have had 4 big come from behind victories against quality opponents this season. The Tigers have a chance to win their first national championship since 1957 and with Heisman hopeful Cam Newton leading them, anything is possible.

Picture courtesy of www.sbnation.com.

The Oregon Ducks overcame some of their own turmoil this season. Following last year’s starter Jeremiah Masoli’s ban from the program man thought the Ducks were no longer a national title contender. Those doubters were so very wrong. Sophmore Darren Thomas stepped right in and showed why he was an even better fit for Chip Kelly’s high-scoring offense (the Ducks averaged 49 points per game this season). Thomas is a better passer than Masoli and his 2,518 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions proves that. It probably doesn’t hurt to have the nation’s leading rusher in your backfield either. LaMichael James is a Heisman trophy finalist and he led the nation with 153 rushing yards per game and 21 touchdowns. James deserves to be called the best running back in the nation and he is an extremely lethal weapon at Chip Kelly’s disposal. And we cannot forget about Kelly himself. Chip Kelly was going to do things his way regardless of the consequences. This started last year when he suspended starting running back LeGarette Blount after his punch thrown at a Boise State player after the game, and it has continued to Chip Kelly’s dismissal of Jeremiah Masoli following his burglary and drug related incidents. Kelly should be commended for his no-nonsense attitude and high standards of ethic by his players. In fact, Kelly was recognized as he was named the National Coach of the Year.  Now let’s see if Kelly can lead his Ducks to their first ever National Title.

While both teams have star players on both sides of the ball, the Ducks have more weapons on the offensive side and they have the more dominating defense. The two-headed monster of Darren Thomas and LaMichael James will be too much for the Tigers defense. I see Cam Newton having a very good game but coming up short in the end. Even though the game is still about a month away my current prediction is the Ducks win a close one, but who knows what things change in the next month.

Regardless of what the polls say, this Duke-Michigan State game features the two best teams in college basketball. Both teams are fresh off Final Four appearances and looking to be there again come March.

Krzyzewski and Izzo are two of the top coaches in basketball. Who will win tonight? Picture courtesy of Lansing State Journal.

Duke is the reigning NCAA champion and they look near perfect so far. At 6-0  the Blue Devils are pressuring their opponents into committing 17 turnovers a game and they are able to hold their opposition to 63.2 points a game while winning by an average of 28 points per game. The Blue Devils have seemed dominant in all 6 games this year as they have only trailed for a total of 2 minutes and 18 seconds and their largest deficit has only been 2 points. They haven’t missed a beat as they have now won 16 straight games dating back to their run last season. With their backcourt of Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving averaging 31.3 points a game and Kyle Singler just matched his career high of 30 points in the Duke win over Oregon. Whit the Plumlee brothers holding down the post, as evidenced by  Mason Plumlee’s 25 point 12 rebound and 5 block performance against Marquette, Duke is riding high and meeting all expectations.

Michigan State has been impressive at times this season, but some of their weaknesses alarm even their coach Tom Izzo.  ”The turnovers and the missed free throws are concerning — very disappointed in our guard play early. … We can use all the million excuses about looking ahead or travel, but I’m very disappointed, ” Izzo said. Michigan state is averaging 17 turnovers a game while only shooting 65% from the free throw line. In addition to this, the Spartan’s strength over the years has been rebounding, this year they have only outrebounded their opponents by 2 rebounds a game. Michigan State is able to accomplish much more than what they are currently showing. Kalin Lucas and Draymond Green need to step up and lead this team on the court.

In my eyes, these are the two best teams in college basketball. Picture courtesy of RedHook blog.

To make matters worse for the Spartans, here are some stats to look at going into this game. Duke is almost unbeatable in the ACC/Big 10 challenge, their record stands at 10-1 all-time in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. Duke has not lost a non-conference game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 10 years. That’s right, the Blue Devils have gone 80-0 at home against non-conference opponents. On top of this, Michigan State will have to cut down their turnovers against a team that loves to press and force turnovers that lead into easy baskets. Izzo may be having more nightmares about his poor backcourt play very soon. My prediction: Duke wins by 10+.

Boise State’s painful overtime loss to Nevada has delivered a fatal blow to the Bronco’s National Title hopes. Boise had its 24 game winning streak snapped and they can only blame themselves. Boise State built a 24-7 lead at halftime to only watch it slip away in the 2nd half. The Bronco defense could not stop the Wolfpack in the 4th and they gave up 17 points before kicker Kyle Brotzman missed a 26 yard field goal with 2 seconds to play in regulation. And Brotzman wasn’t finished yet, he managed to miss a 29 yard field goal in overtime and this allowed the Wolfpack come down and kick their own 34 yard field goal for the victory. The fact of the matter is that Boise State’s high powered offense could not generate any points in the 2nd half as the Wolfpack really clamped down.

Kellen Moore looks on after Boise State's overtime loss to Nevada. Will Moore return for his redshirt senior season? Picture courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.

Where does this leave Boise’s bowl game hopes? Well Boise will definitely be disappointed with the fact that they will not be participating in the National Title game, but they should not hang their head in defeat. They should be proud of their accomplishments and try to run the table next season in the MWC. While I was never a fan of Boise State being in consideration of the title game, there’s no point to kick a dog while its down. Just as much as Boise State’s weak schedule can help them if they go undefeated it can hurt them if they lose at all.  If the Broncos lose even 1 game at any point during the season they can kiss their chances at that national title good-bye. While I still don’t believe an undefeated Boise State or TCU team is more deserving than 1 loss SEC, Big 12, or PAC-10 team, going undefeated would be a great feat in itself. But for now it’s Bye Bye Boise, better luck next season.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.

The Duke Blue Devils are back on top of the college basketball world. They were the last man standing after March Madness this past year, the question is: can they do it again? There is no question that the Blue Devils lost some valuable leaders in Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas, and Brian Zoubek. But I feel that they more than make up for it in terms of talent. The Blue Devils have added top high school PG Kyrie Erving and Seth Curry (younger brother of Stephen Curry) in addition to bringing back sophmores Andre Dawkins, Mason Plumlee, and Ryan Kelly. And let’s not forget about their leaders; Seniors Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith provide plenty of experience and swagger as they look to lead this new look Duke team back to the glory land. What the Blue Devils lost in experience they make up for in athleticism, shooting, and defensive prowess.

Last year’s national championship Blue Devil team was not the most talented in college basketball, but they were definitely the “best team” in terms of their chemistry and willingness to accept any role. After the departures of Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek, the Duke interior might seem rather weak. Thomas and Zoubek played a big role in Duke’s title run due to their rebounding (offensive and defensive) and post defense. But Duke faithful should not worry; Mason and Miles Plumlee are more then adequate to fill the void. Not only are the Plumlee brothers more athletic than their predecessors but they are just as physical and rebound with reckless abandon (as seen in their time on the court during the NCAA tournament). The Plumlee brothers along with Ryan Kelly should provide Duke with plenty of offensive ability and rebounding.

Kyrie Irving and Miles Plumlee will play big roles this season. Picture courtesy of Starnewsonline.com

The next big loss the Blue Devils suffered this past year was the graduation of Jon Scheyer. While Scheyer was not your prototypical  point guard, he provided ball handling and great shooting. He wasn’t the quickest or the best ball handling point guard in Duke history but he was able to put the team on his back numerous times and bailed the team out with timely shooting. So how does Duke plan on replacing Scheyer? With top recruit Kyrie Irving, that’s how. Kyrie Irving is the first true freshman to start for Duke since Jason Williams back in 1999. Kyrie Irving has already displayed his court vision, flair, passing and scoring ability in his first two game at Duke. He is definitely something special and many say that he is the best player on Duke’s team (over Singler and Smith).

Seniors Smith (left) and Singler (right) are the heart and soul of the 2010-2011 Blue Devils. Picture courtesy of goduke.com

Speaking of Singler and Smith, don’t expect them to slow down much. While their numbers may decrease a little, that is more of a testament to how deep this Duke team really is. Their senior leadership and experience will go far in helping this Duke team attempt to repeat. With shooters like Andre Dawkins and Seth Curry knocking down big 3′s this Duke team only needs to answer one question this season. Can they put their egos aside, accept their roles, and gel as well as last year’s team? It remains to be seen, but as a Duke fan…my answer is no doubt about it as long as Coach K is in charge.

This is just an opinion…so please Pardon My Bias.