Size does matter..UConn to win it all

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Unfortunately, I did not get to see any of the game yesterday afternoon between the University of Connecticut Huskies and the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Mocs, but the following important revelations came out of this game, and these are the reasons why the Huskies will win this year's tournament.


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1.) Ability to Win Games without Coach Being Present: Many people will look at this, roll their eyes, and say something along the lines of, "Give me a break; they were playing Chattanooga!" This may be true, but before you write off the significance of winning a tournament game without the man who lead you to the tournament, think about this: On the day of Uconn's first game, they found out that the man who had designed all their practices, called all their plays, and took care of all their in-game strategy would not only be absent from the game, but he would also be lying in a hospital bed while they were playing. Any normal adult would have problems concentrating on a game under these circumstances, and yet we seem to forget that these players are kids, some even teenagers. The Huskies, as a group, showed tremendous mental toughness to be able to go out and play one of the best games of the season. They had the third highest margin of victory ever in the NCAA tournament with a fifty-six point drubbing of the Mocs.

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2.) Size Does Matter: The Huskies have one of the biggest teams in the field of sixty-four. Hasheem Thabeet is 7'3", and has consistently dominated the middle. His offense is still suspect, but there is no denying his defensive presence. Teams are afraid to drive the middle because they do not want to get blocked. Thabeet also alters more shots than he blocks. His ability to change people's shots without fouling, and with the skills to keep the ball in bounds and securely in his teammates hands is second to none in college basketball. Jeff Adrien is another bulky Husky player, but one who plays much bigger than he actually is. He is listed at 6'6", but he plays more like a seven footer. He is a chiseled 225 pound beast on the glass. Adrien averaged a double-double (13 pts., 10 reb.), and has had several games where he took over on the boards. Stanley Robinson, the junior forward who spent the first half of the year working hard labor per his coach's request, has hit his stride at the perfect time for UConn. He had his breakout game in the six overtime loss against Syracuse when he scored 29 points and had 14 rebounds. The man known to his teammates as "Sticks" due to the abnormal length of his arms and legs, plays much bigger than his listed height of 6'9". Robinson has the highest vertical leap on the team, and provides a huge energy boost whenever he is on the floor.




3.) Mix of Experience and Youth: One of Connecticut's biggest strengths is the mix of youth, mainly in Kemba Walker, and experience, with tournament veterans like A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet, and Jeff Adrien. Walker has been able to watch and play with these veterans throughout the season, which will make him that much more composed during crunch time of a big tournament game. He also experienced the pressures of a tournament game during the Big East Tournament against Syracuse. While he did not fare well in those pressure situations, there is no doubt that he learned from them, and will benefit during this tournament. A.J. Price has had a tumultuous career at UConn, but that may help him during the tournament. From a serious brain injury to a run in with the law, Price has been through a lot of adversity, and this will only help to lessen the pressure that a normal player would feel at the end of a big game. Price has learned to enjoy his time on the court, rather than get caught up in the tension that comes late in a tournament game. Jeff Adrien is the muscle of the Huskies. Two aspects of his game that can never be thwarted are his hustle and toughness. Adrien will bang with the biggest and best players, and it is a rarity that he comes up on the losing end of the battle.

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With these three characteristics, the UConn Huskies, in this writer's opinion have the best balance and the best overall team in the field of sixty-four. It is a Coach Calhoun staple to have his teams playing their best basketball of the season during the NCAA Tournament, and if he can find a way to make this happen again, then the Huskies will be almost impossible to beat.

Which Team will get Jay Cutler?

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Three years ago, the Denver Broncos pulled a bold move and moved up the draft board to select Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler took over for veteran quarterback Jake Plummer just over halfway through his rookie campaign. He has since shown improvement through his second and third NFL seasons, making the Pro Bowl this past season after discovering in his second year that he suffered from diabetes and with treatment could be healthy again.

At the end of the season, the Broncos were dissatisfied after missing the playoffs for the third straight year. It was evident that defensive upgrades were a must, especially to the front seven. However, the powers that be in the Broncos organization decided that even more change was needed. Mike Shanahan was let go and 32-year-old Josh McDaniels, the former offensive coordinator for the England">New England Patriots">England">New England Patriots, was brought in. Cutler was unhappy about Shanahan's release, but understood it was part of the game. He begged for his quarterback coach, Jeremy Bates, to be kept on staff, but Bates moved on to USC.

And then the real trouble started. A rumor was leaked to the media that McDaniels had been in contact with the Patriots trying to work a deal that would have sent Cutler to Tampa or Detroit, a first round draft pick to he Patriots, and Matt Cassel to Denver. McDaniels had coached Cassel last year and thought a familiar quarterback would speed the transition. After a series of meetings and text messages, things escalated quickly. Finally, Cutler's agent asked for a trade. As of Friday, March 20, 2009, a source close to the Broncos said there are 10 teams who have called about the availability of Jay. Here is a look at where Jay might be playing next season and the probability of him ending up there.

The following teams already have a solid franchise quarterback and so the likelihood of them ending up with Cutler is very slim, less than 5%. These teams are Atlanta (Matt Ryan), Baltimore (Joe Flaco), Cincinnati (Carson Palmer), Dallas (Tony Romo), Indianapolis (Peyton Manning), England">New England (Tom Brady), New York Giants">New York Giants (Eli Manning), New Orleans (Drew Brees), Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger), and San Diego (Phillip Rivers).

The next tier of teams has a number of teams with a starting quarterback who is probably not as good, or at least not as long term, as Cutler. These teams will have a better chance than the previous tier, but they are not the most likely destinations.

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Miami - Chad Pennington looked promising last year so even though he is getting older, they will probably stick with him. Chance of Jay - 10%

Buffalo - Trent Edwards ousted J.P. Losman to win the starting position there, but some are not sold on Trent yet. Chance of Jay - 10%

Jacksonville - The Jaguars still like David Garrard, so they will probably stick with him. Chance of Jay - 10%

Green Bay - Aaron Rogers played decent this past season and the Packers will not want to give up on him yet. However, it has to be intriguing for them to move up. The only way this deal happens is if Jay drops agent Bus Cook as the Packers aren't very fond of him after the Brett Favre debacle from last season. Chance of Jay - 10%

Seattle - Matt Hasselbeck is a decent quarterback, but he is getting older and missed much of last season with injuries. Concern that he may not be healthy next year and that it might be Seneca Wallace taking the snaps next year might be motivation for the Seahawks to make a move. Chance of Jay - 15%

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St. Louis - The Rams signed Marc Bulger to a big deal 2 years ago. He has struggled since, but it is hard to do much when you are running for your life. The Rams may consider an upgrade at quarterback, but there are many positions they need much worse. Chance of Jay - 15%

Oakland - JaMarcus Russell is still young and showed some improvement last season, but he is not a top tier quarterback yet and the Raiders would love to steal this prospect from their division foes. However, it will take a great offer to get the Broncos to move him within the division. Chance of Jay - 20%

Arizona - Arizona just brought Kurt Warner back for two more years and they have the guy they drafted instead of Cutler 3 years ago waiting in the wings (Matt Leinart). The Cardinals will give it some thought, but this is probably not the direction they will ultimately go. Chance of Jay - 20%

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Houston - Matt Schaub will probably be the starter in Houston, but with the connections between the Broncos and the Texans there is a possibility of a move here, albeit a slim one. Chance of Jay - 20%

Tennessee - After resigning Kerry Collins the Titans are set for now, and with Vince Young waiting in the wings, they will probably pass on Cutler. However, if they decide Vince is not their future, they made offer him as part of a trade to the Broncos. Chance of Jay - 20%

Cleveland - With Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn both on the roster, they have a quarterback situation of their own. However, Cutler is an upgrade over either of those guys, and Quinn played his college ball for McDaniels' former co-worker Charlie Weis, so this remains a possibility. Chance of Jay - 35%

Carolina - The Panthers were glad in 2008 to have Jake Delhomme back from his elbow injury that he sustained in the 2007 season. However, after his dismal performance in the playoffs (5 interceptions), the clamor has grown for a new man to call signals. An interesting possibility might involve Julius Peppers and Jay Cutler swapping teams. Chance of Jay - 40%

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Kansas City - Although they appear set after trading for Matt Cassel earlier this off season, the Chiefs hold the man that started all of this. McDaniels may try to work a deal to get Cassel in his back field while giving Kansas City a promising young quarterback. Chance of Jay - 50%

Philadelphia - The Eagles have Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb on the roster as the quarterback of now and the quarterback of the future. Coach Andy Reid is convinced that McNabb is the answer; however Philly's fans and some of the team would love a young guy like Cutler to come in and lead them to a title. With plenty of trade bait and the pressure from the fans, they might be willing to make a move. Chance of Jay - 50%

The final tier is teams who could really use a quarterback. These teams are in need of a leader and want to find a solution soon. With the draft being thin on quarterbacks who could come in and start right away, they may be moving in that direction.

Chicago - Sometimes it seems that the Bears just don't want to get better. They haven't had a pro bowl quarterback for about 20 years. A few years ago they refused to upgrade Rex Grossman. Last year, they decided that this was a necessary upgrade, but Kyle Orton may not be the answer either. Jay would be the best quarterback the Bears have had in a long time... possibly ever. Don't expect this news though. Chance of Jay - 50%

Minnesota - If only the Vikings had a quarterback last year, they would have been favored to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Instead, they were beaten in the first round of the playoffs. The Vikings did acquire Sage Rosenfels from the Texans, but they will explore Cutler as an option. Unfortunately for Viking fans, they probably don't have the ammunition they would need to make this trade happen. Chance of Jay - 60%

Tampa Bay - If Tampa had a young quarterback and a second round pick, they would be all over the Broncos trying to make this deal. They would love to have Jay instead of Luck McNown. Maybe they will find a way to make a three way deal, but it could be tricky for them. Chance of Jay - 60%

Washington - Jason Campbell has played well at times and not so well at others. The Redskins say that they are satisfied with him, but some signs say otherwise. They have worked big deals with the Broncos before and are known for trying to build the team through trades and signings as opposed to the draft. Chance of Jay - 70%

San Francisco- The 49ers drafted Alex Smith hoping he would be their quarterback of the future. He and Shaun Hill are neck in neck in a race to see who will be starting this year. Adding Cutler may be what the 49ers need to make a push at the NFC West. They could move one of their quarterbacks along with some draft picks and have a starter set for next season. Chance of Jay - 75%

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Detroit - What does Detroit have to offer? They have two of the first twenty draft picks this year. They would love Jay Cutler in the motor city. He would be able to throw to Calvin Johnson and the Broncos would be able to select whoever they wanted in the draft. The only problem is that they wouldn't probably have a starting quarterback this season. Chance of Jay - 80%

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New York Jets - The Jets made a big deal last year to get a quarterback who wanted out of his current situation who was represented by Bus Cook. Will they do the deal again? It is rumored that the Broncos want a first and second round pick plus a young quarterback. The Jets have Kellen Clemens who they have little confidence in and a couple of younger guys who aren't ready to be starters yet. The Jets will either make this trade or try drafting someone. Chance of Jay - 85%

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The final team in this debacle is the Broncos themselves. McDaniels has made statements that Cutler is their quarterback of the future or Cutler has demanded a trade. Chris Simms, the backup quarterback, would probably love it if Cutler leaves and he was given a chance to compete for the starting spot. Could things be smoothed over? Will Cutler and McDaniels make up? Can the rest of the team put this distraction behind them and play football? Only time will tell. However, in my humble opinion, Jay will be wearing a Broncos uniform next year. Chance of Jay - 95%

2009 NCAA Sweet 16 Bracket Powerhouses

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The 2009 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 bracket has pretty much no outsiders in it. The only double digit seed in the Sweet 16 is a traditional powerhouse and former national champion. The only other seed lower than a 4 in the NCAA Sweet 16 bracket is the champion of the Big 10 tournament. The2009 NCAA Sweet 16 Bracket Filled with Powerhouses top 12 teams in the nation, a.k.a. all the 1-3 seeds, are all still alive in the Sweet 16. Despite all the favorites winning so far, most of them had to undergo a scare or two first before going to the 2009 NCAA Sweet 16 bracket.

The only team to really dominate both of their NCAA Tournament games so far is Connecticut, from the West Region. Connecticut will have the first game in the Sweet 16 this week, on Thursday night at 7:07 in Glendale. Connecticut will take on the second lowest seeded team left, fifth seeded Purdue, which held off Northern Iowa and Washington.

The second Sweet 16 game on the bracket is from the East, where top seed Pittsburgh will be looking to avoid a third straight major scare in Boston. All that stands between the Panthers and a long awaited trip to the Elite 8 is Xavier, which has been to the Elite 8 twice in this decade.

To end the Thursday night Sweet 16 action in the East and West, Missouri and Memphis are expected to light up the scoreboard in West, while Duke and Villanova clash in the East.

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On Friday, the 2009 Sweet 16 bracket picture is complete in the South and Midwest. Louisville plays the first Sweet 16 game of the night in Indianapolis, against the "Cinderella" of the tournament, 12'th seeded Arizona. In the South, Oklahoma attempts to cool off Syracuse in Memphis.

At night, North Carolina attempts to stop Gonzaga from their first Elite 8 appearance since their rise to power began in 1999. Michigan State and Kansas cap off the Sweet 16 bracket at the same time.

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The term "upset" all but doesn't exist anymore in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, especially if the four number 1 seeds advance out of the Sweet 16 bracket. Every time a favored team has been tested - and they have, even though the final scores may not reflect it - they have pulled away by the end.

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Louisville, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Duke, Memphis, Missouri, Gonzaga and more have already been tested at least once in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, and marched on to the Sweet 16 portion of the bracket. Two more passed tests and they are on to Detroit for the final weekend.

Which NCAA Basketball #1 Seed Has the Best Chance of Winning it All?

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It's every sports fan's favorite time of year once again - the NCAA tournament. Nothing is more exciting, dramatic,
and competitive than this 65-team tournament. While the Super Bowl is probably more exciting in terms of a one-
game event, the tournament runs three weeks, all of which have their share of upsets and drama. I am not an expert on the entire field of sixty-five, but based on what I know about the number one seeds, here are my predictions.

Louisville

The number one overall seed in the tournament is Louisville, and with good reason. Louisville struggled at times to score earlier in the year, but now it seems that coach Pitino's masterful ability is really shining through, and Louisville, in my opinion, is the clear pick for the number one overall seed. No Big East team is better top-to-bottom, and North Carolina does not remember how to play defense. Louisville uses Pitino's typical high-pressure full-court defense, and it has the depth to sustain the pressure the entire game. Louisville, like all Big East teams, played a brutal schedule, meaning that it has had those intense end-game experiences that championship caliber teams are made of. The one flaw that this team has is the lack of a consistent star player. Terrence Williams is NBA-material and has dominated games in the past, but his shooting can go cold at times, and this is when Louisville is vulnerable.

North Carolina

The regular season winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference (probably the nation's second best conference) was North Carolina. How did they do it? Run-and-gun fast break basketball, combined with veteran leadership from player of the year candidate Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson allowed this team to score tons of easy buckets. This might be the best starting five in the country in terms of future NBA potential, but the big flaw with this team is that it sometimes falls asleep on defense. If coach Roy Williams can get this team to be more consistent on defense, and if Ty Lawson's injured ankle heals, the rest of the teams in the tournament will start getting scared. But, if that doesn't happen, this team might be seeing an early exit.

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Pittsburgh
The best big man in the nation whose name is not Blake Griffin is Dejuan Blair. Despite his short stature compared to most college big men, Blair really knows how to use his body around the hoop to dominate the game. Combined with Levance Fields who has a knack for getting in the lane and making the big shot, and this team can really be a huge threat. The downside is that this team does not have much beyond its starting five, and it only plays adequate, not championship caliber defense. Expect Pittsburgh to make it to the Elite Eight or Final Four, but don't expect a National Championship.

Connecticut

At the beginning of the season, Connecticut was looking nearly unstoppable. This team features a deep roster and can play championship caliber defense, however, it will be missing one of its key players in Jerome Dyson, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The big man in the middle, Hasheem Thabeet, will ensure that opponents will have a difficult time scoring around the basket, but as Dejuan Blair showed earlier this season, Thabeet is not invincible. The key for UCONN will be finding who can step up to fill Jerome Dyson's production, and this team has the depth necessary to do so.

Overall

Overall, this year does not feature a clearcut number one team that has dominated the competition all year long. The picture is rather murky. While Louisville seems very likely to reach the Final Four, all the rest of the number one seeds have significant flaws which have buried number one seeds early on in past tournaments. This year's tournament should be exciting like all others, and probably will feature a Final Four and championship matchup that few expect.This year should be another crazy tournament.