October Madness II in Review

Any fool can come close to predicting the NCAA field on Selection Sunday. This fool, however, tried to do so back in October when the season was just getting under way. Last season, I accurately predicted 32 of the 65 teams. This season, my goal was to guess 40 of the 68 teams and get 10 of the exact seeds. I dubbed it the 40-10 challenge.

Well the field was released this weekend, and the results for me were a mixed bag. I easily surpassed the 40 team test, getting 46 of the entries in the field—a 14 team improvement from last season—but I fell just shy of getting 10 seeds, accurately guessing 7 seeds and missing 12 of them by just one spot.

The best calls:

- Dear Duke, Tennessee, Wofford, Temple, UC Santa Barbara, Kansas, and Xavier: I’m not sure why you bothered playing those 30+ games when I could’ve told you on Halloween exactly where you’d end up. Some people just don’t listen.

- I predicted St.John’s would return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in ten years, and despite playing the toughest schedule in the country, they surpassed even my prediction of an 11 seed by snatching up the 6 in the Southeast Region.

- I also said Texas A&M would make the tourney behind Khris Middleton, something many other prognosticators deemed too difficult. Alas, I was only off by one regarding their seed.

- Having gone to Hofstra, I am very familiar with the Colonial and knew that they were potentially a multi-bid conference this year with George Mason and Old Dominion leading the way (although I too was surprised by VCU’s at-large bid.)

- I had Saint Mary’s as one of my first four out, and sure enough, that’s right where they ended up. Sorry, Gaels.

- Interestingly enough, 4 of the 5 guys on my “All Not Making The Tourney” Team ended up leading their teams into the tourney. At least I believed in the individuals even if I didn’t believe in their team.

More fun, what I screwed up:

- While I accurately called Kansas and Duke getting 1 seeds, my other top seeds didn’t work out quite as well. Michigan State never gelled on their way to getting a generous 10 seed, and Villanova, who looked like a legitimate title contender in early January, dropped 10 of their last 15 on their way to a 9 seed. Another gaffe was getting overzealous about a Memphis revival. I had them as a 3, but they just barely made it as a 12.

- I was right on saying the Big East was wide open (I predicted a record 9 teams would get a tourney bid), but I definitely whiffed when I said it was a down year as far as top talent, saying that the ACC was “tougher top to bottom.” Total NCAA entrants: ACC: 4 Big East: 11. Oops.

- Some teams I ranked highly didn’t even make the tournament. I had NC State and Minnesota as 5 seeds, though I also pointed out that the Gophers would “go as far as (point guard) Al Nolen would take them.” Lo and behold, Nolen was lost for the season in January and things went down hill from there. Last year I said Seton Hall would make it; they did not. This year I said I would not be wrong about them again, and, well, I was. Hey, not everyone from the Big East could make it. Same with Mississippi State, though I gave them a more-than-egregious 4 seed.

- I also was pleasantly surprised when my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions made the field for the first time since I was in high school thanks to a run to the Big Ten Tournament finals. Boston College also made it and Hofstra had a decent year, so in the future I may just keep not being a homer so that I don’t jinx them.

- Worst records by teams I predicted to make it in: NC State 15-16 Seton Hall 13-18 Indiana 12-20 (yuck)

If you’d like some predictions regarding the actual tournament, here are a few thoughts:

- First Round Upsets: Richmond over Vandy, Wofford over BYU, Oakland over Texas (and then to the Sweet 16), Missouri over Cincy

- My Final Four: Ohio State, Duke, Purdue, and St.John’s. Yep, you heard me. I believe in the battle tested Red Storm.

Best of luck to everyone filling out their brackets. Enjoy the tourney.

Super Bowl Preview

Alex: I’m still a little sour from the Patriots premature exit from the playoffs, so it’s been hard for me to get amped up for the game. That being said, fans of the sport have plenty to look forward to: two historic organizations, Dallas’s beautiful stadium, and perhaps the last game we’ll see in a while. At the beginning of the season, like the rest of the TNIB staff, I picked the Packers to win the Super Bowl, so I have to stick with them here, I’m thinking to the tune of 35-27 and I predict this will be the game that we remember Aaron Rodgers for at the end of his career. I also predict Alex Smith is sitting at home praying that during the game nobody mentions the time the Niners picked him number one while Rodgers fell into the 20s.

Patrick: I’m sticking with the Packers here. That will make my preseason prediction of a Packers Super Bowl win look pretty good, which I need because, like the rest of the TNIB staff, I was crazy wrong about the AFC. Here’s my prediction: Aaron Rodgers will throw for one million passing yards (give or take a few) and will have two rushing TDs to accompany his 23 passing TDs. Those number work out, right? He’ll also throw one interception, but he’ll do it on purpose. Rodgers will throw a pass directly at James Harrison so he can tackle Harrison and put on his wrestling title belt. 

The Packers will win by a score of 175-7. The Steelers lone TD will be a defensive touchdown scored on a fumble caused, recovered, and returned by Troy Polamalu because even though the Packers will win, Polamalu will always win the hair battle, no matter how glorious Clay Matthews’s hair might be.

Walt: The Packers are pretty much a lock for the “moral” victory award, but I think that’ll have to keep them warm during the cold, snowy Dallas night, because to the surprise of absolutely no one I’m picking the Steelers. Mostly out of pure homerism, but I’m also doing it because, dammit, I wasn’t at TNIB for the beginning-of-season picks and SOMEBODY needs to bring a little variety to these proceedings. Predictions: Pittsburgh will get off to a slow start when the entire O-line injures themselves during the coin toss, but receive a lucky break when Harrison decapitates Rodgers in the second quarter. He’ll be charged the first-ever on-field multi-million-dollar fine, which he’ll pay with spare change from his son’s piggy bank.

The Steelers will oversleep during their halftime nap and miss the third quarter completely, but hold Green Bay off and pull it out at the last second when Randle El completes the gadget play everyone’s been waiting for him to throw all season long. Pittsburgh takes it, 24-17, which everyone will complain about until Roethlisberger single-handedly prevents a lock-out and saves the next season, thereby making him a good person again in the eyes of the world.

Ian: Go Pack Go. Like Alex, I’m still sour from the Patriots’ loss, but the Packers have been my second favorite team since they jettisoned Bart Farve. I hadn’t been super-excited about the game, but Lil’ Wayne’s new freestyle called “Green and Yellow” actually got me pumped up (at least more than the Super Bowl Shuffle would have) and so now I’m ready.

As for the actual game, I can’t see the Steelers’ offensive line, especially without Maurkice Pouncey, holding back the front seven of Green Bay, especially B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews who may be the two best players in the NFL at their respective positions. Roethlisberger may be able to make things happen when his protection fails, but it’s likely that he’ll be so hassled that the Steelers won’t be able to do much on offense. On the other side of the ball, the Packers have so many weapons that they’re tough for any defense to stop, and with the emergence of James “Heart like John” Starks it’s tough to look past them for this game.

*Image courtesy of We’ll Never Forget You Brent

Picked Off: The NHL All-Star Draft

As I was driving around Boston earlier this week listening to the 98.5 (THE SPORTS HUUUBB!) I heard a commercial for the NHL All-Star game being played this Sunday. With only two Bruins in the game and Sidney Crosby boycotting like a child due to concussions despite sharing a locker room with the disgraceful Matt Cooke, I hadn’t been paying much attention. Then the final line of the commercial caught my attention: the teams this year would not be East vs. West, or even North America vs. The World (which I kind of liked) but picked by two captains (hometown rep Eric Staal and Niklas Lidstrom) like they were back in the schoolyard at recess. 

I went from a 1 to Girl Scout Cookie Delivery Day on the scale of excitedness. Not only were they picking teams (meaning someone has to be picked last) but they were televising the draft on Versus Friday night. Despite the fact that hockey players are generally an unsmiling, humorless bunch, this promised to be entertaining television.

The first thing I noticed is just that: captains, the already-picked, the waiting-to-be-picked —nobody looks like they want to be there. It’s as if Gary Bettman sat them down and said, “Look, our ratings suck, sure it’s gimmicky, but we need to try something, so get up there and dance for the cameras.” However, a moment later there is a sound bite of one Team Lidstrom’s players (already-picked) talking about Shea Weber’s slapshot, “He once took a clapper from between the dots…so fast…almost took my head off…I’m glad it didn’t take his head off.”

Maybe it really is just a lack of personality.

However, just as I think that, St. Louis Blues forward David Backes is interviewed and promises that if picked last, “whoever doesn’t take me is getting hit Sunday.” Like I said, this is the best idea the NHL has had since eliminating ties. There were also some amusing asides like Lidstrom deciding to pick stud Brad Richards because he texted him between rounds asking if he’d be OK playing wing instead of center, and Richards gave him the thumbs up; Flyer teammates Claude Giroux and Danny Briere betting who would be getting picked first (hopefully they wagered Sean Avery and Dion Phaneuf’s resident puck bunny Elisha Cuthbert); and a nervous Matt Duchene making an awkward “did we get voted off the island?” joke not once but twice as the remaining players available dwindled down to five. 

The part of the draft that delivered best, however, is the fact that Eric Staal, in front of his hometown fans, actually picked his team as if it was a middle school kickball game while Lidstrom gladly plucked up the more talented roster. Being a Hurricanes forward, Staal, with the first pick overall, goes with Cam Ward, the Hurricanes goalie AKA the mediocre best friend that gets picked way too early because the captain doesn’t want to hurt feelings.

Meanwhile, Lidstrom waited until the fifth round to select Bruins goalie and current league leader in GAA (Goals Against Average) Tim Thomas. He then went on to select Marc Andre-Fleury (fifth in GAA) and Jonas Hiller (league leader in wins). Where does top pick Ward stack up against these guys? Twenty-eighth in GAA! Twelfth in save percentage! Seventh in wins (behind all three Lidstrom goalies)! And while Staal was picking his buddy, Lidstrom used his first pick on Steve Stamkos, who only leads the league in both goals and points.

Staal (who afterward admitted to leaning towards the “hometown boys”) also picked teammate Jeff Skinner, who at 18 is the youngest all-star ever in the history of the four major sports, AKA the kid brother who mom (the Raleigh fans) made him take. Despite having a solid season with 40 points, he has been outscored by all but one forward Lidstrom selected after Skinner was taken, including Anze Kopitar and Loui Eriksson (both with 49 points), Matt Duchene (45) and Martin Havlat (43). To put some salt in the wound, while watching Skinner approach the stage, Lidstrom mused to alternate captain Patrick Kane that he has a kid the same age.

Lidstrom also somehow managed to take the far tougher team with defensemen Duncan Keith, Weber (who fired a puck through the net at the Olympics), Keith Yandle, Brent Burns, and versatile bruiser Dustin Byfuglien. Keep in mind that Lidstrom himself will be playing for them. The only defenseman Staal took in the first six rounds is Zdeno Chara, who, while large, is not a terribly physical player considering his size. Even the rookies knew better: when given the option of representing Team Staal or Team Lidstrom during the Rookie Skill Challenge, Taylor Hall didn’t hesitate to choose Lidstrom while an unimpressed Staal looked on quietly. Hopefully this leads to Hall getting put over the boards on his next trip to Raleigh.

A perfect cap to the evening was Mr. Irrelevant, former Bruin (and reason that Tyler Seguin and next year’s Toronto lottery pick will end up in Boston) Phil Kessel, walking on stage in a dopey daze, ignoring the announcer’s pleas to join him at center stage until he’s already sitting down with the team, then randomly being presented with a new car for being picked last while the rest of the players, Daniel Sedin specifically, stare in disbelief (mind you these are hockey players who make like 1/10th of what NBA or MLB players do).

Overall, just a satisfying hour and a half of television. Hopefully the game this Sunday lives up to the draft.

*Image courtesy of Library and Archives Canada/Jules-Ernest Livernois collection/PA-024066 via Wikimedia Commons

There’s No Such Thing as a “Fun Run”

This Saturday, my friends and I will celebrate our fourth annual holiday party. A relatively small group of us gather at a house where four of my high school friends live together outside of Boston and hold a potluck dinner. We get dressed up, take pictures, have a gift exchange, and play drinking games. It’s the one time all year that we’re all in the same place at the same time.

My friend Dan, who is enrolled in med school in Ft. Lauderdale, recently flew back up for winter break, and one of the first topics that came up was how excited we were for the holiday party. We discussed the custom photo cake that I ordered, amusing stories from past parties, and how amped we were to watch Ohio face off against Troy in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (wake me when it’s New Year’s Day).

Then he hits me with this: “I don’t know how much I can drink, though. I’m running a 5K the next morning.”

As it turns out, at least four or five of my friends are voluntarily getting up early on the Sunday morning after the holiday party to go run around the city streets. Did I mention it’s December in Boston? This got us on the topic of 5Ks and running for sport in general, something that I admit I will never understand. Every time I’ve gone running in my life has been either to train for an actual sport or I was playing said sport. Running is just as tiring as playing a sport, yet there is no winner or score or dynamic aspect to it beyond the moment you realize “crap, I have to turn around and do that whole distance again to get home,” and it motivates people to wear bizarre, otherwise socially unacceptable clothing.

That’s not to say I can’t admire people that do enjoy running. I know some people that train for and run marathons. I think these people are certifiably insane, but, damn, they are impressive too. I look at them the same way I look at snake handlers, sword swallowers, and guys who can pull tractors with their teeth—that is amazing that you can do that, but I have no interest in joining you. But a 5K is not a marathon. I asked my friend Greg, another 5K-er, how long this race on Sunday actually is.

“A 5K is 3.5 miles,” he said.

“That’s it?” I replied. “I could run that.”

“Yeah. Anyone can do it. That’s the point.”

If anyone can do it, then where is the sense of accomplishment that would come with a marathon or even a half-marathon? If it’s something that you can roll out of bed hungover and do, why bother?

Now, it can be worth doing something that we wouldn’t usually do or might be outside our comfort zone if it raises money for a good cause. So I asked Dan if he was raising money for a foundation and he said that the race costs around $25 to run.

“What does that go to?” I asked.

“No, that’s just how much it costs to participate.”

So, wait. Not only are they getting up bright and early to run a moderate distance in the cold, but they’re paying someone to do it? And that person isn’t a charity? Why wouldn’t you just walk down to the local basketball courts, play a game of pickup ball, and drop off a donation of blankets to the Salvation Army on your way home? That sounds like a far more productive morning to me than this adventure into the land of hypothermia, dry heaves, and leg cramps.

Knowing how skeptical I was of the situation, Greg, Dan, and their cohorts tried to use the one angle that they thought would convince me this was a good idea.

“Usually the 5K ends near a local bar where everyone gets together and drinks afterword,” they said.

Well, that sounds a bit more enticing, adding a social aspect to the event, but after thinking about it for a moment, I asked, “Couldn’t I just sleep in and meet you all at the bar instead of running there?”

“Yeah, you could.”

“Better yet, I could eat and drink with my friends the night before at a holiday party rather than
pant heavily into a pint surrounded by sweaty strangers.”

I suppose I can see some of the upside of running. You can do it by yourself wherever and whenever. It builds up your cardiovascular system and maybe in other people it promotes the endorphins I get from doing sports (or as I call it, running with a purpose). The summer after I finished college, I lived by the boardwalk in Long Beach, New York, one of the most beautiful places to go running that I know of, and from time to time I would jog to one end of the boardwalk and back if I didn’t have the opportunity to work out any other way. But I just can’t abide paying a stranger twenty-five bucks for the privilege of waking up early on a Sunday to run a few miles in the dead winter.

Especially if it might lead to a subdued holiday party the night before.

*Photo Courtesy of Slightly North via Creative Commons License

NFL Picks: Midseason Check-up

Alex: It looks like we were right about the west divisions being a crap shoot. In the AFC, the Chargers look like a mess, but after pulling out a win against Tennessee, I won’t rule out their typical second half surge, especially with Vincent Jackson’s return on the horizon. A record of 9-7 could win the division. In the NFC, I stand by my selection of Seattle, especially since 8-8 could win over there. What I feel great about is that I was the only one to pick the Steelers, Giants, and Falcons to all win their divisions. I also feel good about the Patriots, though omitting the Jets from the playoffs could prove to be an oversight, but somebody good is going to miss the AFC playoffs. My NFC wild card picks, however, are a mess. I totally whiffed on the Cowboys; I should’ve known better. They have an awful secondary and the worst O-line in the NFL. The Lions, however, I insist would’ve been in the mix had Stafford and others not gotten hurt, and for you gamblers out there, the Lions, while only 2-5, are 6-1 against the spread.

Patrick: Not too bad with my picks, I guess. If last week’s game against the Steelers was any indication, the Saints are about to pick things up and, most importantly, play defense like we all know they can. I probably shouldn’t have picked the Bengals, but whatever. As much of a mess as that team is, I’ll still root for a team with both Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. That’s just fun. Also, Dhani Jones wears really fly bow ties. At least I picked the Ravens for one of the wildcard spots. Either them or the Steelers will win that division, while the other gets one of the wildcards. I was dead wrong about the Panthers also, but that’s okay because I feel like the Bucs have a real shot at one of the NFC wildcards. I hope that happens, because then maybe someone in Florida will finally be able to watch a Bucs game on TV. I still feel good about the Rams taking the NFC West because the Seahawks and everyone else in that division couldn’t beat the 1-8 WSU Cougars. I propose we give the NFC West division to the AFC West, and let the Chiefs and Raiders both make the playoffs.

Ian: This is a mess. I think I can get a pass for the Cowboys and Vikings picks, as they have the talent, but complete breakdowns due to penalties and poor coaching are pretty hard to predict. I’d like to assume that if someone is one of the lucky 32 who gets to be an NFL head coach that they kinda know what they’re doing. But I have no excuse for my Broncos and 49ers picks other than “The divisions are awful, so it’s a crapshoot” and “Hey, I picked Bradford in the TNIIB Fantasy league.” I guess six of my picks have a shot. I don’t have much faith in the Bengals or Redskins either.

October Madness II

Last fall, I made two sets of predictions: first I tried to guess every matchup for the FBS bowl season. That went very poorly. Then I tried to predict the NCAA Men’s Tournament field in October. This went a little bit better, as I predicted 32 of the 65 teams in the field, and even nailed a handful of seeds exactly. While the football experiment went so badly that I decided not to punish you all with a repeat performance, I had fun picking the tournament field, and this year 68 teams get to go instead of 65 (thankfully not 96). My goal this year: 40 teams, 10 exact seeds. We’ll call it the 40-10 Challenge.

I’ve also decided, as a means to help aid my quest for the 40-10, that I will forgo tossing my personal affections into my picks. So Penn State, Hofstra, and Boston College will all not be found below. Sorry, locals; it hurts me too.

East Regional—Newark, NJ1.

Michigan State: My top overall seed. Kalin Lucas, Delvon Roe, Durrell Summers, Korie Lucious…Tom Izzo made a wise choice returning to East Lansing; there’s more talent there than with the Cavs.

16.Sam Houston State vs. Quinnipiac: Two teams that almost qualified last year get rewarded with a battle to face Izzo’s Spartans.

9. San Diego State: Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Aztecs will have one of the country’s most experienced and dangerous front courts.

8. Maryland: The Terrapins are a bit of an unknown after losing three seniors that averaged double digits scoring, including emotional leader Greivis Vasquez, but Sean Mosley is a leader and Jordan Williams could be the Terps’ next star.

5. Texas: Rick Barnes lost three starters from last year’s underachieving squad, but stellar freshman Tristan Thompson should help soften the blow.

12. Play-in Game! Washington State vs. Indiana: The Cougars could be fighting for the Pac-10’s dignity as a major conference while Tom Crean could be on the verge of making the Hoosiers a March mainstay once more.

13. Akron: Zeke Marshall should develop in the middle and Brett McKnight provides veteran leadership to the MAC champs.

4. Syracuse: No Big East team lost more than the Orange, but with Rick Jackson, Kris Joseph, and Scoop Jardine still in the mix, they’ll find themselves near the top of the conference again. Look out for the latest Melo in upstate New York, freshman center Fab Melo.

3. Ohio State: The Buckeyes lose Evan Turner, but return everyone else, and add an awesome freshman class led by Jared Sullinger.

14. Western Kentucky: One of the most consistently dangerous mid-major programs, the Hilltoppers could make early noise this year in the Puerto Rico tip-off with UNC and Minnesota as possible opponents.

11. Seton Hall: I was wrong on the Pirates last year; so help me god, I won’t be wrong again. New coach Kevin Willard, former Louisville assistant under Pitino, has one of the best offensive teams in the country, and a wide open Big East.

6. Virginia Tech: The Hokies lost nobody from last year’s 25-9 squad and are led by phenomenal talent Malcolm Delaney. They shouldn’t be left sweating on Selections Sunday again.

7. Butler: Last year’s Final Four darlings shouldn’t fall too far back, but Gordan Heyward’s early escape to the NBA does hurt a bit. Detroit has the talent to challenge in the Horizon, but nobody in conference can match their depth.

10. Clemson: The Tigers lost their coach (Oliver Purnell) and star (Trevor Booker), but have everyone else back, including seniors Demontez Stitt and Jerai Grant.

15. Coastal Carolina: The Chanticleers just missed out on a trip to the NCAAs last year, but a pair of former Gamecocks, Chad Gray and Mike Holmes, should be more than enough to get them there this year.

2. Kansas State: Frank Martin is developing the Wildcats into a perennial powerhouse, and Jacob Pullen should compete for Big 12 Player of the Year.

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State of Major High School Basketball

With prospects that arrive and depart from campus within a year, college hoops stars are often gone before we get to know them. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m always interested in where these guys came from as much as where they end up going. I decided to dig into three recent recruiting classes to see what the numbers tell us about where the future stars of the NCAA tourney and the NBA are coming from.

I went to the excellent website Rivals.com and looked at their top 150 prospects for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 recruiting classes (the John Wall/Sophomores, incoming freshmen, and current high school seniors) and broke them down by home state. The numbers, I must warn, will be slightly skewed because there are some powerhouse prep schools located in states where basketball doesn’t necessarily otherwise thrive. For instance, New Hampshire has twelve top 150 prospects over the three year spread, placing them in the middle of the pack statewise, however all twelve went to prep schools and were from other states, including a whopping eight that attended Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro. However, if we’re thinking about what we’re tracking here, this is where these guys play ball, where they train, where they are coached, and where they compete, so by that token, the numbers are 100% accurate.
The numbers: 1. California: 42Texas: 423. North Carolina: 364. Virginia: 285. Georgia: 276. Illinois: 247. Florida: 228. Maryland: 169. Indiana: 1510. New York: 1411. New Jersey: 13Tennessee: 1313. New Hampshire: 1214. Alabama: 10Nevada: 10 Michigan: 10Ohio: 1018. Pennsylvania: 9Mississippi: 9Washington: 9 21. Massachusetts: 822. Missouri: 6South Carolina: 6Arizona: 625. Connecticut: 5Minnesota: 527. Arkansas: 4Kentucky: 4Oregon: 4Wisconsin: 4West Virginia: 432. Iowa: 3District of Columbia: 3Utah: 3Louisiana: 336. Oklahoma: 2New Mexico: 238. Rhode Island: 1Kansas: 1Canada: 141. Colorado: 0Nebraska: 0Montana: 0Wyoming: 0Hawaii: 0 Maine: 0Vermont: 0Idaho: 0North Dakota: 0South Dakota: 0Delaware: 0

What I learned:There was no surprise at the top with large states known for their athletics, and Texas and California lead the way. Colleges like UCLA and University of Texas benefit from this “hometown” advantage in recruiting.
Interestingly, though, there didn’t appear to be as much of a “hometown” advantage as in football. The University of Kansas flourishes because of their ability to recruit nationally. Likewise, schools with prominent hoop histories are like Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky, and UConn are forced to draw from all over the country to keep their rosters stocked.
The same high/prep schools kept popping up. Among the schools that had seven or more prospects over the three years are: Hargrave Military Academy (VA), Oak Hill Academy (VA), Brewster Academy (NH), and Findlay Prep (NV). That means in any given year, these teams are fielding full rosters of Division I major conference talent players. Other schools with four or more prospects: DeMatha (MD), South Kent (CT), Rice (NY), Chicago/Whitney Young (IL), Word of God Christian Academy (NC), Quality Education Academy (NC), Arden/Christ School (NC), St.Patrick’s (NJ), Christian Life Center (TX), and Mater Dei (CA).
Likewise, certain cities kept popping up. Cities that had three or more high schools sending prospects: Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Raleigh, Chicago, Richmond, Atlanta, Memphis, Jackson (MS), Portland (OR), Washington (DC), Seattle, Birmingham, Phoenix, Baltimore, Charlotte, and New York. Memphis, Chicago, and Dallas were the most prominent. Notable exceptions: Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis/St.Paul, and Oklahoma City.
I also noticed that some programs that not so long ago were considered upstarts are now regularly are attracting top talent. Gonzaga, Butler, and Xavier are dipping from the same pool as Michigan State, Memphis, and Syracuse. They can not be considered underdogs any longer.
I found it interesting that some colleges with past prestige would struggle to recruit in their own cities. In places like Texas where cities like Dallas and Houston are fertile recruiting grounds, there are multiple programs finding success. Last year alone, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, UTEP, Houston, and North Texas all made the NCAA tourney. By the same token, the city of Memphis supplies talent to in-state powerhouses like Vandy, Tennessee, and Memphis. The two notable exceptions? What about DePaul in Chicago and St. John’s in New York? St. John’s has struggled to attract local talent with guys like Lance Stephenson (Cincinnati), Durand Scott (Miami), and Tobias Harris (Tennessee), but this year coach Steve Lavin has them on the brink of returning to success. DePaul, meanwhile, has a new coach in Oliver Purnell, but is much further away from competing. If Purnell can get a little something out of what he’s got, DePaul could find themselves at the epicenter of Midwest hoops. They may want to hurry up though; next year’s class is particularly deep, but the city’s top three prospects have already committed to Kentucky, Louisville, and Illinois.
Speaking of Kentucky, does anyone recruit more widely than John Calipari? This year’s freshmen include top 100 prospects from Oregon, Florida, California, and Virginia. Next year’s class already is drawing top 20 talent from Indiana, New Jersey, Illinois, and Oregon.
Know a great prep matchup coming to your area? Post it in the comments. And keep your eyes open in the coming weeks for our massive NCAA hoops preview as well.

**Photo Courtesy of  Chris Fleck via Creative Commons License

Starter: Mark Dantonio

Who Is He? Can a coach be a starter? Sure! Dantonio is the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. He’s also served previously as the head coach at Cincinnati before Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator at Ohio State under Jim Tressel. Up until a few days ago, his tenure at Michigan State had been relatively mild with an overall record of 43-34 and 1-3 in bowl games.

Benchwarmer: Reggie Bush

Who he is: Reginald Alfred Bush is the 3rd down/backup running back for the Saints. His salary this year is $8 million (up from 2.6 million last year) with the opportunity for another three million in bonuses. This came after modifying his original six-year, $52.6 million dollar deal. His base salary goes up to $11.8 million next year. Saints starting running back Pierre Thomas, on the other hand, will make just under $1.7 million this year. In case you’re curious, Thomas has 20 touchdowns over the past two years to Bush’s 14. He also USED TO BE a Heisman winner.

Preseason Playoff Picks 2010

There’s No “I” in Blog recently turned one year old, so we’ve decided to celebrate our birthday by doing what we did for our very first post: clumsily scrawling our NFL preseason playoff picks for all to (attempt to) read. Football season is almost here! Hooray!

We all like the Colts, Patriots, and Packers to win their divisions. Alex thinks the Saints will fall off a bit and go something around 9-7, while Ian and Patrick have them winning the NFC South. The other divisions are pretty much up for grabs, either because they’re pretty good (NFC East, AFC North) or because they’re terrible (both AFC and NFC West). Ian believes Mike Singletary and his floor-bound pants will lead the 49ers to the playoffs, Alex thinks Golden Tate’s love for maple bars is reason enough to pick the Seahawks, and Patrick picked the Rams because why not? The NFC West sucks so horribly.

None of us think Rex Ryan’s F-bombs will lead the Jets to the playoffs, but we all picked the Packers to win the Super Bowl. Even though making these picks might make us all be totally wrong and look like idiots, the Packers pick gives me an excuse to link to this awesome Brent Favruh shirt.