5 Questions to the Editor

Tweet tweet. Pay's most recent 2-round mock is HERE. I plan on having my final mock tonight or early tomorrow. Tweet tweet.

I threw out a dozen-or-so draft-related questions to the editor (aka Pay) and let him decide which ones he'd address. Also a few random thoughts of my own (shocker!) might sneak their way in.

Question #1: Which Louisville prospect is most likely lottery bound: Terrence Williams or Earl Clark?
Pay: Two months ago, I would have said Earl Clark. After workouts, Williams' stock has risen because teams love his versatility. He may also be the best defender in this draft class, and he won't last past the 12th pick.
Clement: It's just as likely both slip into the late lottery, potentially even back-to-back, as they both slip into the late teens. Personally, I question what position and what type of shooting range either possesses on the NBA level. Nevertheless, I agree with Pay about Williams (slightly) over Clark. He seems more equipped to be a leader, a scorer, and a defender.

Question #2: Which second round prospect most intrigues you?
Pay: Danny Green. On the right team and in the right situation with the right coaching, he will be an All-Star. If you watched him at Carolina like I did, he's not short of desire and concentrated power of will. Unlike most other second-round talents, Green is a 94-foot player, and he has steadily improved his jump shot, defense, and demeanor in the last four years.
Clement: A lot of teams are desperate for a point guard, or depth at the position, and the first round offers tons of depth at the position. However, if you're willing to sweat it out in the second round, FSU's Toney Douglas (admittedly a combo guard) might be the Mario Chalmers of this draft. He has a knack for scoring but also distributes well and can continue to improve on defense.

Question #3: Who is the "safest" selection outside the top 5?
Pay: Tyler Hansbrough. According to NBA GMs and anyone with a pulse, he's a known quantity who will work hard and never quit.
Clement: Ty Lawson. While I'm not sure if he can be an elite point guard in the NBA, his speed, quickness, clutch shooting, and overall work effort (especially fighting through injuries) will keep him in this league for 10+ years.

Question #4: Which team has been the most difficult to analyze and predict in the top 10?
Pay: Memphis. What will they do at #2? They have a major need at the center position, but they do not seem enamored with Hasheem Thabeet who skipped out on a workout. Increasingly, I believe that they will select the best player available (Ricky Rubio) and trade him to the highest bidder (Minnesota).
Clement: Golden State. At #7, they are Donnie Walsh's biggest nemesis right now (if the affection for Curry is legit, which it clearly appears to be). The Warriors and their front office perplex me more and more, especially since Don Nelson is still calling most of the shots, with a roster that needs to downsize rather than adding another lottery selection. Filled with tweeners galore, I don't believe Stephen Curry would fall past them at 7. However, assuming he's already gone (likely to Minnesota), I have no idea what this team is thinking. NONE.

Question #5: Is Milwaukee better off drafting a rookie point guard (i.e. Johnny Flynn or Ty Lawson) or resigning Ramon Sessions?
Pay: From a dollars and sense perspective, you draft a point guard in the 1st round. But, Scott Skiles seems to really like Sessions, so I expect the Bucks to make every effort to re-sign him. Do not be shocked if the Bucks draft a point guard with the 10th pick and sign Sessions, only to trade Sessions, Ridnour, or the point guard taken with the 10th pick.
Clement: I have always felt Sessions could be a very very good point guard in this league. No, he isn't going to be CP3, Deron Williams, or Derrick Rose; however, I grade him higher than any point guard in this draft (even on their potential). With that being said, Milwaukee has made a mess of their cap and the trade market for the underrated Sessions may not be too strong. With a nucleus of Bogut, Redd, and Villenueva, I'd re-sign Sessions and trade down in this draft (targeting perhaps the aformetioned Terrence Williams or even Gerald Henderson).

Random Thought
After dealing players and picks with the Wizards (notably Randy Foye and Mike Miller), the Minnesota Timberwolves have the 5th and 6th overall picks in tomorrow night's draft. Question now becomess, is Minnesota looking for the best two players available? The best guard and best forward? What if Thabeet slips to them? Do they envision a Thabeet/Jefferson/Love front line? Are they going with the best two guards, regardless of position? Do they really expect to draft four guys in the 1st round? Might they be the team who deals up to #2 with Memphis for Ricky Rubio? If I were the GM in Memphis, I'd get whatever I could from Minnesota (as long as I liked someone enough at #5), take Rubio, and then deal the Spanish phenom to the land of a thousand lakes.

As for the rest of the day, check out the Twitter feed (don't you always?), as I'm off to Transformers 2 right now. And no critics, I'm not expecting the next Godfather, Citizen Kane, or even Terminator 2. Instead, I'm anticipating quite a bit of this...

In a word...HELLO!!!!
Credit: Megan-Fox.net

I know, I'm a sexist pig. I'll listen to the lecture from Jessie Spano later.
Although, she has a checkered past herself, you know.

11 National Championship Game Questions

10 would be too cliche and 12 would be too much. So what do we do? 11!!!

If the Spartans want a realistic chance, exit Thabeet and insert Hansbrough in this picture.
Easier said than done, Clement.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

1) The oddsmakers have UNC as 7 1/2-point favorites. Which side are you on?

2) Which Tar Heel will walk out MOP with a win: Lawson, Hansbrough, Ellington, or Green?

3) Which Spartan will walk out MOP with a win: Lucas, Morgan, Sutton, or Lucious?

4) Which coach is most likely to earn a third, not just second, national championship?

5) Is this UNC team (Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington, Green) better than 2005's (May, Felton, McCants, M. Williams) national championship team?

6) What is the largest halftime deficit the Spartans could realistically overcome? Is their a deficit too large for the Heels?

Izzo better have a Calhoun-type lock on the refs if his team can avoid Lawson drawing double-digit fouls on the entire depth chart of Michigan State.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

7) I hate to say it, but could an injury to Lawson's toe (which seems as close to 100% as possible) be the best shot for the Spartans?

8) How large of an upset would the Spartans pull if they can go Giants over Patriots in a championship game "rematch"? In the span of ten years, is this potential storied upset most comparable to 1999's UConn over Duke (Dookies favored by 7, in case you forgot)? Do you have a better one?

9) Whose 3-point shooting is more important to their team winning? Is there a method to forcing Ellington into early misses in Izzo's playbook?

10) Will this game need an extra session like last year's title game (Kansas vs. Memphis)?

11) Mario Chalmers moment-time. Down 3, and you have the ball, with less than 10 seconds to go. Is Lawson or Lucas passing or taking the shot themselves? (Better question: is either coach calling for the foul?)

I hope all these answers are, in fact, answered. However, I remain Dr. Skeptismo.
We'll hopefully get more from Pay tomorrow - and perhaps myself - as tipoff approaches.
As for my score prediction...let's just say I have one team by 25+. I see shades of Duke/UNLV in '90, not '91.

That should say plenty. And yes, I'm saying the all-time largest margin of victory may be in danger.

Beware Tark. That record may be in trouble. Seriously.
Admittedly, this cover is MUCH better.
Credit: CNNSI.com

InClement Weather: Sweet Sixteen (Thoughts)

No doubt by now you've filled out a bracket (or 12) and begun to overanalyze what lies ahead for us all in the coming weeks.

Take a deep breath and calm down. In fact, enjoy sixteen (or so) thoughts about the bracket.

No, I'm not here to talk bubble either.

Midwest Region
1) Utah is already the most overrated team according to the entire country. Not me. But you say to me: "name on player on their team." That doesn't say anything negative about them; instead, it speaks to the lunacy in picking Arizona to march to the Sweet Sixteen automatically. Despite a load of talent, the Wildcats are undisciplined and unfocused (especially come March Madness in recent years). I would favor Cleveland State over Arizona. And that's not even because of the "hate".

2) Ohio State and Siena is a game you order the Direct Ticket package for, even if you don't know much about either team. It's going to be entertaining as two contrasting styles go to war. Both of these teams can scare Louisville. Big time.

3) USC ran through the Pac-10 Tournament all the way to their automatic bid, but they'll struggle with BC. If Rice hits his shots early, this game will be over very very early.

4) West Virginia is an up-and-coming team at the perfect time. If Ebanks can control himself against Kansas' bigs in the second round, the Mountaineers can shoot lights out from the beyond the arc and grab an early lead. Then Bob Huggins can switch up his defenses and frustrate you into bad shots. Just ask Pitt.

West Region
5) Nobody deserves BYU/Texas A&M again. Nobody.

6) Purdue and Washington are two teams that I fully expect to battle for a spot in the Elite Eight. Read that again and understand what I'm really saying.

7) Memphis might've gotten the break they needed by receiving the 2-seed. They get to play with a chip on their shoulder and one of the easier halves of their region's bracket. I don't buy Missouri just yet as an Elite Eight team. Despite having a fantastic coach, it won't happen this season for the Tigers.

8) Marquette is now done with that muderous Big East schedule - five-straight ranked opponents - and has (I think) finally adjusted to life with James. Nevertheless, they have a tricky first-round matchup against an underrated Utah State team. Can they win one game without James in the tournament? Of course. 2? Not so fast.

East Region

9) Two very contrasting styles when Wisconsin and Florida State meet up. Leonard Hamilton needs to be prepared for Toney Douglas to see two defenders at all times. If Kitchen attacks the hoop efficiently and the Noles use their size on both sides of the ball early on, the Noles will roll.

10) Texas and Tennessee both appeared to be top 10 squads at different points this season. During others, I wondered seriously if they were worthy of a tournament bid. One of them is bound to pull a major upset. But who? Paging Mr. Abrams and Mr. Chism.

11) Villanova playing in Philadelphia is better than 1-seed. This team is NOT afraid of meeting up with Pitt in the Elite Eight. Not one bit. They also shouldn't discount a scrappy trio of teams (American, VCU, and UCLA) in their way of a potential showdown with Duke. Yes, I actually just called UCLA "scrappy". Compared to the last three years, that's a compliment for this team.

12) Don't fall too in love with Eric Maynor and the VCU Rams pulling the "automatic upset" just yet. Even you Seth Davis. Darren Collison is the better PG on the floor, college-wise, if 100% healthy. Meanwhile, Larry Sanders will have to bang without picking up cheap fouls. While I like the Rams to win - especially if they shoot the 3 well and guard the 3 even better - the Bruins have several key players remaining (especially Collison and Shipp) from a squad that has made 3 straight Final Fours. Beware of Maynor though. Just ask the Patriots of George Mason. If the Rams start well, they don't lose very often.

South Region
13) Butler and LSU won't be able to keep up with UNC for even a half. Nevertheless, I'm interested to see how UNC manages Lawson - whom I expect to be 100% healthy - in their second round matchup. With the look of the draw, they'll need him healthy by the Sweet 16, especially if Gonzaga rolls in the opening weekend (which is far from automatic).

14) Syracuse vs. Oklahoma is a matchup many are already salivating over in the Sweet 16. Something tells me it won't happen, which would be a shame; especially for bleeding heart Orange fans like myself.

15) Look out for Temple, especially if Dionte Christmas can shoot over the Arizona State zone. The Sun Devils gave up big leads in their past two games, losing against USC in the Pac-10 final. While James Harden is the best player on the court, if he's cold early on, I like the Owls to gring this game out and potentially knock out the 6-seed.

16) If you have any ideas for gauging Clemson and Illinois: let me know, please?

Bracket Banter: Thursday Running Blog

3:00 pm: A few highlights from early afternoon action

* #1-seed Kansas was upset by Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big XII tournament. I was more than a little suspect of the recent media-driven fascination with Kansas "deserving" a shot at a 1-seed. Nevertheless, Kansas will be an odd draw wherever they end up. How do you gauge this team? Unfortunately for the Bears, this doesn't get them in the tournament. However, I do want to invoke one team from last season to remind people how dangerous upsets like this are: Georgia.

Sorry Kansas. But in the words of JoJo, your hopes for a 1 or 2 seed are just "Too Little, Too Late".
By the way, what's up with the robot by the window?
Credit: Clipov.com

* Virginia Tech took out Miami in a very boring 8/9 matchup. Next up: North Carolina. The real question remains the status of Ty Lawson. Judgment call: he plays 15-20 minutes. Question to Pay: If Ty Lawson doesn't play, could that damage the value of a Hokie win? Enough at least to keep them outside of the bubble still?

* #1-seed Louisville jumped up on Providence early and never sweated during a double-digit victory. Will Providence be the "last" Big East team? Not likely. It looks like the conference will get 7 bids this season, not 10 as some predicted earlier this season.

* Villanova is up 34-22 in the first half against Marquette. Clearly the Golden Warriors are going to suffer as much as 2 or 3-seed lines due to loss of Dominic James. It's a shame considering how entertaining the first two matchups were, with a healthy James, between these two teams. Looking at the recent schedule and subsequent performance, you can't really blame the tournament committee if they make that decision. Villanova has a legitimate chance to cut down the nets in MSG. Seriously.

* Arizona and Arizona State are tipping at 12 noon on the "Left Coast". I'll be interested to see whom that affects more. Arizona can't afford a blowout here. Although the skeptic in me believes they'll make the tournament regardless. Any chance the Sun Devils want to make a statement after their bubble was bursted last season???

* Xavier avoided a letdown in the A10 opener. Sorry, but this conference lost my attention after the Musketeer's run to the Elite Eight last season ended.

Plenty to enjoy the rest of the day.
Oh yeah, Donte Green continues to be a bad memory for Cuse fans.

9:45 pm: Checking back in...

In the words of Trik Turner, "You know I'm down even when them odds are against us. It doesn't even matter, nothing else matters." Of course I'll watch the Cuse, win or lose.

Credit: MTV.com

* Georgia Tech upset Clemson. No surprise as the Tigers start 16-0 and finish 7-8. They did sneak up on a few people last season come bracket time though. Not this season, in my opinion.

* BYU got rid of pesky Air Force in the 2nd half.

* Washington continues to roll. They may be the hottest team west of the Mississippi.

* In case you haven't heard, West Virginia toppled #2-seed Pitt in the first real upset of the quarterfinals, 74-60. This proves Bob Huggins has his team playing rock solid basketball AND that Pitt is a legit Final Four contender. Not expending themselves completely this weekend is a good thing. Of course, this does mean no Pitt/UCONN #3.

* Over/under for Thabeet's blocks tonight is 7. He may have a triple double against the hobbled Onuaku and erratic Jackson/Ongenaet.

* James Anderson hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds to go and the Cowboys took out the Sooners 71-70. Blake Griffin and company are a shaky skaky bet in the coming weeks. I just don't trust this team and this coach to make the Final Four, Terminator and all.

* Missouri, in the "driver's seat" for the Big XII championship, draws Texas Tech and Mike Singletary (aka Mr. 29-points-in-a-row) tonight. Could the Big XII potentially have another "Georgia of 2008" on their hands?

Time to pull my hair out to the tune of Jeff Adrien collecting another W against the Orange.
Stanley Robinson is an annoying ass.

10 Questions to the Editor - Bracket Style

Since Pay is our resident bracket expert, I decided to speak with a friends, a few comments from Fannation, and see if we can't get him to get to the bottom of a couple of pressing questions.

10 to be exact.

Better yet, we're surprising him with them.
Lucky him, right?

Call Me Crazy #1: Is Hasheem Thabeet - despite the dominance of Blake Griffin and sound steadiness of Tyler Hansbrough - the new frontrunner for the Naismith?
Credit: CNNSI.com

ACC Country
1) With FSU enjoying plenty of recent success, who has a tougher road to an at-large birth in the crowded ACC: Virginia Tech or Boston College?
2) Is Maryland only a miracle-run in the ACC Tourney away from returning to the Big Dance?

Big East Talk
3) Cincinnati appears to be on the upswing while Georgetown remains stuck in the abyss after a tough loss at the Carrier Dome. Meanwhile, Notre Dame shakes off 7-straight losses - many of them ugly ones - to destroy Louisville. Last night, West Virginia pounds Villanova and reminds us about their dangerous talent. Assuming UCONN, Pitt, Marquette, Louisville, Villanova, and (maybe) even the Cuse are locks for March Madness...what happens to the "rest of the field", including the aformentioneds (Georgetown, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, West Virginia) as well as Providence.

CAA Speak
4) Do you think a darkhorse can emerge come CAA Tournament time, or do you believe VCU/Mason are the odds on favorites - even with a talented Northeastern team tied atop the standings - to cut down the nets in Richmond?

Big Ten Bias
5) Will Penn State right the ship, or are they looking more and more like an early bloomer who will fade well before Selection Sunday?

Missouri Valley Time
6) With an impressive showing Bracketbuster weekend (more below), can Northern Iowa and Creighton secure bids, assuming one of them wins the conference championship over the other?

Pac-10 Pontification
7) I can't figure out this conference one bit. Can we get a sentence or two on the postseason "likelihoods" for Arizona, USC, and Cal?

WCC
8) What's the best case (realistic) scenario for St. Mary's - sans Patty Mills - right now? If he can return before tournament time, how much can the Selection Committee take into account his injury and their play before it? Is that fair to do so?

Free-for-All
9) Who is this year's San Diego (winning their conference tournament unexpectedly and then making noise opening weekend of the tournament)? Maybe Portland/Nevada/Niagara/Belmont? Okay, probably not Belmost.

Bracketbusting
10) What are your favorite Bracketbuster matchups? Who has the most to gain from the weekend's matchups? Who has the most to lose? Individual team or conferences may apply.

Call Me Crazy #2: Is it possible that Ty Lawson - not Psycho T - is the most pivotal Tar Heel for Roy's Boys winning a 2nd national championship?



Good night and good luck, good sir.

Carolina Is Better Without Hansbrough

When you read this headline, you probably asked the following questions:

“Is this guy on crack?”

“He knows we’re talking about Tyler and not Ben Hansbrough, right?”

“Really, … Is this guy on crack or other elicit drugs that severely impair judgment?”

Due to a stress reaction, Hansbrough is out with an indefinite timetable and the unanimous preseason #1 team in college basketball is without two of its starters (defensive ace Marcus Ginyard is out until December). It would be preposterous to even suggest that Carolina is better off without Psycho T, his 22.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and his utterly Caucasian style of celebration. However, they are.

After a catastrophic national semifinal loss against eventual champion Kansas, the Tar Heels faithful were anticipating of its three best players – Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, and Ty Lawson. Following a chain of events that saw Hansbrough indicate that he is coming back for his senior season, Ellington performing miserably in preparation for the draft and Lawson driving under the influence (also suffered an injury during workouts), the only losses for the Heels were reserves Quentin Thomas (graduation) and Alex Stepheson (transfer). Meanwhile, this did not stop Roy Williams and his staff from recruiting, as they anticipated losses and reloaded with the likes of PF Ed Davis (top 15 recruit), PF/C Tyler Zeller (top 25 recruit), PG Larry Drew and SG Justin Watts.

With a team that can go 12 deep, it would have been - even for a master psychologist like Roy Williams - to satisfy all players with the necessary playing time. This playing time will allow, especially in non-conference play will allow for Davis and Zeller to grow at an accelerated pace. That said, if Hansbrough is out for the next month, he will miss games against Kentucky, Michigan State, either Alabama or Oregon as well as a matchup versus either Notre Dame or Texas. In short, that’s a lot of growing up to, but it’s better to grow up in November and December rather than being thrown into the fire when conference play begins and everyone throws their best effort at the unquestioned pre-season #1 team in all of the land. Additionally, time without Hansbrough will allow for Lawson, Ellington and Danny Green (and even Bobby Frasor) to demonstrate their leadership abilities.

In the immediate, the injuries all but force Green from his preferred sixth man role which saw a giant leap in his production. This situation also forces the hand of a more welcomed yet significant problem. Unlike last year, the Tar Heels will have three able-bodied point guards in Lawson, Frasor and Drew. If the Heels play their cards right, they can pace Lawson, who was only “quick” as opposed to “blazing” towards the end of the season as he recuperated from an injury. Assuming Hansbrough’s stress reaction does not get aggravated and rehabilitates effectively, the Tar Heels will take a team with two to three additional key contributors over the loss of their best player during non-conference play.

PHSports Staff Picks & Predictions: NCAA Tournament

Here they are (just in time)…the PHSports Staff Picks for March Madness!!!!

Before you start laughing, or hyperventilating if you remembered to actually fill out the $5-million bracket, I have to admit that we here at PHSports have been on a a bit of roll as of late (except for that whole Super Bowl-ordeal) predicting key games. Not to mention, several of us at least ½, if not ¾ of last year's Final Four squads (including a Florida pick or two to repeat in '07).

So sit back and relax…and watch us pick either UNC or UCLA to cut down the nets. JUST like EVERYBODY else!!!!

Do YOU trust this man with your team's Final Four aspirations?
Credit: CollegeInsider.com

Note: If you’re feeling a little down in-between games, feel free to check out:
-Players we LOVE in March Madness
-Upsets we LOVE in March Madness
-Games we LOVE in March Madness
-A Dozen Thoughts on the Bracket and Selection Sunday

Paymon’s Picks:
Final Four: UNC (East), Kansas (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA (preseason pick)
MOP: Darren Collison

Top Sleeper: Oral Roberts
Under the Radar: Michigan State
Underrated: Davidson
Overrated: Oklahoma

1^st -Round Upset I Love : St. Joseph's over Oklahoma
2^nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving : Tennessee v. Butler/South Alabama
Final Comment : I'm not terribly enthused about this tournament field. I expect upsets to be few and far between in the 1st round, allowing for more upsets to occur in the later rounds. Though history deems it unlikely, this will be a tournament dominated by the elite teams. If that is the case, UCLA - a team with Final Four pedigree - finally has a dominant interior force to balance their fantastic guard play.

Clement’s Picks
Final Four: UNC (East), Wisconsin (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: North Carolina
MOP: Ty Lawson

Top Sleeper: George Mason (duh)
Under the Radar: Kent State
Underrated: Michigan State
Overrated: Clemson

1^st-Round Upset I Love: Boise State over Louisville
2^nd-Round Matchup I’m Craving: Pittsburgh v. Michigan State
Final Comment: This is a boring boring boring bracket. Note to the committee: stop servicing the ratings and big-wigs and STOP pairing mid-majors early in order to eliminate as many as possible before the second weekend.

Note: This is the first year in the nearly a decade I haven't taken my pre-season pick (this year it was Kansas) to cut down the nets in April. Honestly, I can't take a Bill Self-coached team in April (I still don't know how I did it back in October). I just can't!

Armin’s Picks
Final Four: UNC (East), Vanderbilt (Midwest), Memphis (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA
MOP: Kevin Love

Top Sleeper: St. Joseph’s
Under the Radar: Butler
Underrated: Western Kentucky
Overrated: Georgetown

1st-Round Upset I Love: George Mason over Notre Dame
2nd-Round Matchup I’m Craving: Duke v. Arizona
Final Comment: This tournament is RIPE with potential upsets, but the top seeds will prevail.

Sum’s Picks
Final Four: Tennessee (East), Kansas (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA
MOP: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Top Sleeper: St. Joseph’s
Under the Radar: Mississippi State
Underrated: Arkansas
Overrated: Duke

1st-Round Upset I Love: Mason over Notre Dame (What can I say? I'm a homer!)
2nd-Round Matchup I'm Craving: St. Joe's vs. Louisville
Final Comment: With such a top-heavy tourney, if anyone other than a 1 or 2 seed wins it all, that'll be an upset.

The majority of our staff is CAA-biased. Obviously.
However, we're also steadfast in taking Mason over the Harongodys.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Want to chime in your own opinions??? Well GO FOR IT!!!! COMMENT!

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