LA Dominance

For anyone who witnessed young center Andrew Bynum make his return to the Laker lineup against the Denver Nuggets this next statement should come as no suprise: This Los Angelos squad will win this year's NBA championship. Easily too.

The Lakers went 25-7 with Bynum on the sidelines, and feature a loaded lineup and a deep bench. Without Bynum this Los Angelos team under the original Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson, is a top 2 or 3 squad. With their young 7 foot center, the Lakers are nearly unstoppable when healthy. But what can one expect from a team led by the best coach and the best player in the league currently? Phil Jackson's actions and words are backed by 9 championship rings and a lifetime in the NBA as a player and a coach. Kobe Bryant is the closest thing to Michael Jordan since the Airness himself graced the United Center floor. But the talent of the Lakers does not stop at the top. This team goes 10 deep, and if Kobe and Paul Gasol aren't killing you, 6th man Lamar Odom and "The Machine" Sasha Vujacic probably are. Luke Walton can run the triangle offense just as well as anyone, and Jordan Farmar is the point guard of the future.

But names alone do not justify this blogger's bold prediction of a Los Angelos romp to the championship. This team is dangerous offensively, and locks down opposing teams on defense. With 2 7 footers and 6-10 forward Lamar Odom coming off the bench, the Lakers crash the boards hard and more often than not win the battle in the paint. The team's clear cut leader is Kobe Bryant, and at the ripe, old age of 30, he has learned to trust his teammates and force them to play up to his level rather than him playing down to theirs. Above it all is the Zen Master himself, Phil Jackson. Most nights the Lakers not only have the advantage on the floor, but also on the sidelines. Few coaches can matchup with Jackson's coaching prowess and feel for the game. How many people can say they introduced the triangle offense to the world of basketball?

Is this team better than the Kobe and Shaq Laker teams of the early 2000s? In some ways. Chemistry is eons ahead of whatever those Laker squads had going on in the locker room, and these Laker are much deeper than those Lakers. But all other teams beware, the Lakers version 2009 are very good, very deep, and more importantly very hungry. Much like the Celtics of last season, the Lakers are easily the best team in the league and have a chip on their shoulder. The questions still swirl, and the Cavs, Celtics, and Magic are fast closing in on the Lakers of Los Angelos. But to decide to pick the Lakers as the 2009 NBA champions is as simple as looking at the rosters of the aforementioned teams, and then ask oneself; Can they match up with these Lakers?

More often than not the question is a resounding no. Dwight Howard can match up with any big man in the league, but even Superman himself can't keep both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in check. Same goes for Kevin Garnett. Regardless Kobe remains an unstoppable force come the playoffs, and Derek Fisher's experience and toughness rivals any player in the league. And if this squad is playing at home at the Staples Center? No chance. This Laker team is 35-5 at home, and Sasha Vujacic turns into Manu Ginobili at the Staples Center.

So to every other team the gauntlet has been thrown down. Between every elite team and the championship stands the best team with the best player led by the best coach. Who knows, maybe this isn't the year Kobe finally earns a ring without the Big Fella. But I honestly doubt it.
Lakers v Cavs Lakers in 5

Powerhouse Sweet 16

This year's Sweet 16 features 13 of the 16 squads from Big Six conferences, and Cinderella is no where to be seen. The lowest seeded squad is Arizona at the #12 seed, and with 25 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances this Wildcat team is far from your average Cinderella. So here we are, in the round of 16, mere games away from the championship game in Detroit, featuring no Cinderellas but still plenty of firepower and story lines.


Duke v Villanova
Duke is the #2 seed, and ACC power with Coach K at the helm. However these preppy white kids barely got by inconsistent #7 seed Texas in the 2nd round, which leads one to believe that Coach K and his Dukies will have a helluva time stopping an extremely talented and athletic Villanova squad. The 4 guard offense of 'Nova gives defenses fits, and Dante Cunnigham has dominated in the post against both American and UCLA. Villanova shut down UCLA's vaunted offense, stifling Josh Shipp and Darren Collison, while making the Bruins look foolish on defense. If Villanova wins, a Big East team is most likely gaurunteed a spot in the Final Four out of the East region. If Duke can keep it close, and keep 'Nova from shooting the Blue Devil's out of the building they'll have a shot at making it back to the Elite 8. However, 'Nova seems headed back to the Elite 8 with the increasingly hot shooting from their guards and clutch performances by Cunningham.
Pick: Villanova

Pitt v Xavier
The Pitt Panthers haven't advanced past the Sweet 16 since 1974, but these top seeded Panthers look to buck the trend behind bullish big man DeJuan Blair. Xavier head coach Sean Miller left as the career assists leader at Pitt when he graduated in 1992, but now faces his alma mater in a pivotal Sweet 16 matchup. This is pivotal for both teams, if Pitt can get over the Sweet 16 hump and advance to play the winner of the 'Nova v Duke game this is a squad that has shown that it can bang with the best of them. Not only did Pitt emerge as a #1 seed out of the deep, talented Big East, but their MVP, DeJuan Blair, made UConn center Hasheem Thabeet look weak and foolish in the regular season. However Xavier is very athletic as usual, and is far removed from the mid major Cinderella it once was. Look for Xavier to try to neutralize Blair, and if the Musketeers can keep it a fast paced game look for Xavier to have a chance at pulling the upset.
Pick: Pitt


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WASWhKKQfY



Louisville v Arizona
Arizona is the lowest seeded team left in the tournament, and the #12 seeded Wildcats look to knock off #1 overall seed Louisville. Arizona is no Cinderella, having two lottery picks on the roster (Chase Buddinger and Jordan Hill) and an extremely easy draw so far in the tournament, only having to deal with an overseeded Utah and a suprising Cleveland St. squad. However, Louisville won the Big East for a reason. The Cardinals are deep, talented, and behind Rick Pitino look to finally break through and win a championship.
Pick: Louisville

Kansas v Michigan St.
Defending champs Kansas look to make it back to the big game, and face a Michigan St. team which comes out of the scrappy Big 10 conference. This Spartan team is extremely well tested, having to had play Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan in conference play, all tournament teams. A lot of people had Kansas falling early this tournament, considering the #3 seeded Jayhawks as upset fodder for second round opponent #11 seed Dayton or even first round opponent #14 seed N. Dakota St. However, Bill Self has rallied the troops and has led this young, rebuilding program back to the Sweet 16 with a legitimate chance at an Elite 8 appearance. That being said, this Michigan St. team is a traditional Tom Izzo coached squad. Look for the Spartans to suffocate Kansas with their defense, and the Spartans to advance to the Elite 8.
Pick: Mich. St.

Gonzaga v North Carolina
This matchup in the South region pits mid major powerhouse Gonzaga out of the WAC against a team most would agreeS boasts the best starting 5 in the nation in UNC. With point guard Ty Lawson Ok'ed to play against Gonzaga, UNC will feature Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Tyler Hansborough, and Danny Green. All are capable of a breakout game, and if Gonzaga isn't careful this game could get real ugly real fast. On the flip side, if the Bulldogs sink their 3s (all of their starters can shoot the long bomb) then this is a Gonzaga squad which can pull a big upset and join the Adam Morrison led squad from a few years back. But UNC has too much talent, depth, and
coaching to lose this early, so look for the Tar Heels to advance without too much trouble.
Pick: UNC



Syracuse v Oklahoma
Syracuse continues its magical late season run, which all began with its 6 OT win over UConn in the Big East tournament. Johnny Flynn and Co. ran all over a dangerous Arizona St. team featuring a top 20 player in James Harden, so these Orangemen are no joke. Although this Syracuse team lacks a true superstar, the 2003 championsip team featured Carmelo Anthony, point guard Johnny Flynn is one of the top floor generals in the nation and Eric Devendorf looks to once again channel Gerry McNamara. Unfortunately the Orangemen run into an Oklahoma team featuring the best player in the country in Blake Griffin. Averaging 30 points and 15 boards thusfar in the tournmanet, Griffin has looked every bit the projected #1 overall pick in this year's upcoming NBA draft. If Syracuse holds Griffin to 20 and 15 they might have a chance, and after six OTs can you really doubt the power of Orange?
Pick: Syracuse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcxgDSwK1FI&feature=related

UConn v Purdue
This game features a battle of the bigs, with the 6'10 JaJuan Johnson pitted against a player some experts are calling the next Dikembe Mutumbo, UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. Johnson has experienced a late season surge, and he has the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16. Look for Robbie Hummel and Johnson to give the Huskies all they can handle, but ultimately the 7'3 Thabeet and A.J. Price should be enough to land UConn in the Elite 8.
Pick: UConn

Memphis v Missourri
Memphis hasn't lost a Conference USA game in nearly 3 years, but the last time they did lose a conference game current Missourri head coach Mike Anderson was the head coach of UAB, who made the tournament in each of the last 3 years he was there. UAB was also the last school to beat Memphis way back in 2006. John Calipari has the Memphis Tigers back up and running after a near first round shocker against #15 seed Cal St. Northridge, and the athletic Tigers feature the dangerous Tyreke Evans. However, the Missourri squad coached by Anderson did win the Big 12, which also features the likes of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Missourri plays a 40 Minutes of Hell pressure D which can shut down opponents, and also came into the tournament ranked 6th nationally in scoring. If Missourri can slow athletic Memphis down, the Tigers out of Missourri can pull the upset. This one might come down to the wire, and look for Tyreke Evans to make the difference and pull out a gutsy win for Memphis.
Pick: Memphis

Bang the Drum Slowly

Team Korea is in the World Baseball Classic final against the winner of USA v Japan, and the scrappy, talented team out of the Republic of South Korea has taken the WBC by storm. As Korea marched into a Saturday night semifinal match up against Venezuela, the Korean fans, for a few hours, turned Dodger Stadium into downtown Seoul. Beating their drums and waving their thundersticks, this overwhelming show of support and national pride prompted Venezuela's manager Luis Sojo to remark that, "For a minute, I thought we were in Korea."

The national pride displayed by the fans was mind blowing, and a 10-2 beat down of Venezuela proved that this team out of South Korea is no fluke. This Korean team, led by a manager you've never heard of, starring exactly ONE major leaguer. As Korea jumped up, tacking on 7 runs by the 3rd inning, you couldn't help but think of the disparity between major league names on both rosters. Venezuela featured 22 current MLB players. Korea featured an aforementioned 1. Throughout the game the fans never ceased in shouting their national pride loud and proud, and the drums were present throughout the whole game. A constant, pounding presence, which would continue inning after blowout inning.

Funny to think that Korea will be in the WBC final, and the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba will not. Teams studded with MLB All Stars and well known managers and coaches will not be there at the end. But Korea will. And this team is no Cinderella, with talent clearly rivaling those of the teams they defeated to reach the finals. Mexico, Japan, and Venezuela all featured multiple MLB stars, yet game after game, inning after inning, and pitch after pitch, the unknowns from Korea gutted out wins and opened up eyes all around the world.

One might ask, why then are there so few Koreans in MLB? The answer is simple. South Korean players in the Korean Professional League must wait 9 years to free agency, and this free agency does not feature a posting process that brought names like Ichiro Suzuki, Daiske Matsusaka, and Hedeki Matsui from Japan to the US. This WBC has shown the world what Korean players are made of, and this is a good thing. Maybe now more Koreans will jump to the big leagues, and maybe, just maybe, more big league clubs will send scouts to the small Korean peninsula. One must look no further than former All Star Chan Ho Park, whose electrifying run with the Dodgers gave MLB a taste of what could be to come.

So here's to Korea winning it all. And maybe even teaching the rest of the world a lesson or two about passion and dedication.

March Madness

The field of 65 is set for the annual NCAA college basketball tourney otherwise known simply as March Madness. Number 1 seeds went to Louisville, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, and Connecticut, with upsets brewing in multiple match ups. Far from last year's tourney, which featured all the #1 seeds advancing to the Final Four, this year's edition promises an uncertainty and everything from the improbable to the impossible which gave the tournament its moniker.

While a #16 seed may not topple a #1 this year, there remain several upset possibilities in every region. And with the topsy turvy regular season which has featured upsets galore, or extreme parity depending on your viewpoint, including an unranked Michigan squad ( currently a #10 seed) beating then top #5 ranked powerhouse Duke ( now a # 2 seed). With this in consideration, on any given day, between any two given teams, any given player can get hot and lead their team to a monumental team. This is the one time of year when David regularly topples Goliath, where teams like Western Kentucky and Cleveland State have national relevance.

Historically, there has been a major perception that upsets occur more often in certain seeded matchups than others. The #5-#12 or #6-#11 first round game usually produces an upset somewhere in the 4 regions, and this year may be no exception. The #12 seeds this year include well coached, strong basketball programs such as Arizona, Wisconsin, and one of last year's Cinderellas Western Kentucky who hope to make a return visit to the Sweet 16. Expect #12 seed Arizona, led by NBA ready guard Chase Buddinger, to give #5 seed Utah all kinds of trouble and possibly pull the traditional 5-12 upset.

The formula for success in the NCAA tournament has remained constant, regardless of talent level or program size. Great guard play and veteran experience and leadership tend to give a team the edge, with 3 point shooting a HUGE factor in the outcomes of most early round games. This was evidenced by last year's surprise Davidson, which was led by Stephon Curry. They missed the tournament this year, but they proved with good guard play and 3 point shooting a team can advance far beyond the restraints of its talent level. This makes teams like #6 seed UCLA, featuring a veteran guard corps led by Darren Collison and Josh Shipp and a team 3 point percentage of over 40%, and #4 seed Gonzaga, with every starter capable of draining the long bomb, terrors to play in this single elimination format.

Although the NCAA format for deciding the basketball national champion is the fairest way, at least compared to the other NCAA sports, to crown the national champ, the best team does not win all the time. In 1996, with #13 seed Princeton out of the Ivy League facing defending champs UCLA, the Ivy League boys took down the Bruins on the strength of what CBC commentator Gus Johnson would later claim as, "Guys who never made 3s were making 3s. It seemed like every player who played for Princeton that day had the best of their career." The George Mason team, which won the Patriot League to enter the tournament, advanced to the Final Four, and in the process destroyed millions of brackets, will always remain a great story and set a new standard for mid majors across the country. But no one will say that they were better than the UConn squad, which featured future NBA stars such as Hakim Warrick, who they upset to reach the Final Four. Perhaps they were better that day, but if those two teams met 10 times UConn would likely win 9 out of the 10. But that remains the beauty of March Madness. You don't have to best team with the best players or the best coach to win. If #3 seed Kansas stumbles and loses, again, to a #14 seed, this year's edition is North Dakota State, no will say that North Dakota St. is a better team and more talented then the Jayhawks. They were simply the better team on that day.

So when filling out your brackets keep in mind that its not the seeding or the talent level which is the predictor of winners and losers. Watch out for where the venue of the game is located. Fan support can mean the difference between a 1 point win and a 1 point loss, and this same support can lift a #11 seeded VCU squad over an experienced UCLA team on any given day. Keep in mind that someone can get hot and shoot their team to an undeserved upset. Names like Syracuses's latest reincarnation of Gerry McNamara, Devandorf, and Purdue's sharpshooter, Robbie Hummel, will be kicked around about million times from now until the end of the tournament if their teams advance on virtue of the 3. And above all never expect anything. While last year all the top seeds advanced, this year has featured upsets left and right, and one again, the moniker March Madness is not simply a token title. Just like George Mason shocked the world two years ago, a team like Cleveland State may do the improbable. Remember, anything may be improbable but nothing is impossible.

And if anyone's looking for a $5 pool to join, see Eugene Park, for those who go to Northview High School, for a bracket.

GAME OF THE YEAR

Syracuse 127 UConn 117. This instant classic went to six...count 'em SIX overtimes becoming the second longest game in Division I basketball history. The game counted for the longest in Big East history, and the game was rebroadcast on ESPN Classic later that same day.

For those who watched the game, when Syracuse guard Devendorf, sending out echoes of Gerry McNamara throughout Madison Sqaure Garden, grabbed a home run pass, tipped by two players, and sank a desperation 3 from NBA range, it was for intents and purposes over. Watching live, the shot looked good, but replay revealed that the ball was on his fingerprints when the clock hit all zeros. To think, if only Devendorf had clipped his fingernails the shot might have been good. To be honest, maybe the ball had physically left his fingers, by the slimmest of margins, but nonetheless the refs made the only call possible by the human eye and instant replay.

It wasn't the clutch shots, or even the big time players making big time plays which made this Big East tournament game "one of the greatest college basketball game EVER". It was that a combined 8 regulars from both teams fouled out. It was Syracuse point guard Johnny Flynn playing 67 minutes. It was everyone on their feet for all 6 OTs and nobody leaving. Or maybe it was Syracuse walk on Justin Thomas coming into a Big East tourney quarterfinal game after not playing a single second. Or perhaps that UConn's interior defense looked like a sieve after Hasheem Thabeet fouled out. It could have been Hall of Fame coaches Jim Boeheim and Jim Calhoun, with 1598 victories and 3 national titles between the two, facing off matching wits with the lowest of the reserves running the court. But most likely it was the heart and passion with which players from both teams displayed in fighting till the final whistle. In a game which ran 3 hours and 46 minutes, and stretched over 6 extra overtimes, none of the players ever gave the indication of giving up. It wasn't for anything of much importance, at least nothing like an NCAA berth at stake. Both squads stood as virtual locks into the field of 65. It was playing basketball for the sake of the game. The game was played to win, pure and simple. For once we saw a group of basketball players playing simply to win the game. Not to win a contract, a big endorsement deal, or anything else other than to WIN.













For those at home, the game served as a sweet reward to those who stayed up to nearly 2 AM to finish out the game. Watching overtime after overtime after overtime. Seeing walk on Justin Thomas come into the 5th overtime waving his arms around on defense, jumping around and infecting the other Syracuse players with a newfound energy was in a word, joy. To see the nation's young players playing with such passion and energy, fighting through fatigue and injury, was enough to bring even the most cynical of sports fans to tears.

So here's to the Orangemen and their future play. Here's to Justin Thomas. Here's to Johnny Flynn. Here's to Devendorf pulling a McNamara in the NCAA Tournament. And here's to basketball, long live the game.

Clip of the Week

Mike Sexton makes a BRILLIANT call against Mike Matusow. Daniel Negreanu didn't even see this one coming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6sv1lwWg7Q&feature=related

"Its a Miracle"

The men who play for the Netherlands this World Baseball Classic had no expectations. Their best potential player, Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens, opted not to play, saying that, "I don’t want to go there for one game and come back." They were group of misfits, outcasts, and youngsters. No one expected them to compete, not with a group of has beens featuring the likes of washed up major leaguers Randall Simon and Sidney Ponson. This was a team with a no name manager and roster full of players from the Hoofdklasse, the Dutch professional league, where salaries average out to about $2000 a month.

Their opponent was a powerhouse Dominican Republic squad which featured MLB All Stars David Ortiz, Jose Reyes, Carlos Marmol, and Hanley Ramirez, and led by former major leaguer and former Expos and Giants manager Felipe Alou. To say that this was a lopsided battle would be an understatement.

Players from the Hoofdklasse don't get hits off an All Star reliever in extra innings. They don't win games behind starting pitching led by an overweight pitcher who ate his way out of the majo leagues, and they certainly don't beat a national team from a country dubbed the Baseball Republic.

But somehow they did. Led by a few has beens and a bunch of never wases, the Dutch managed to pull the greatest upset in international baseball history prompting the "no name manager" to say that, “It’s a miracle. That’s all I can tell you. Our guys came together as a team, and miraculously we won. It’s not because we’re better than they are. They’re one of the best teams in the world. Collectively we just played hard, and it happened. I can’t tell you. Other than it’s a miracle.”

At Hiram Bithorn Stadium, this overmatched, undertalented Dutch team beat a powerhouse squad featuring numerous All Stars in front of a hostile crowd, yet the euphoria goes far beyond this upset of epic proportions. It was chance for redemption for some, a chance to prove themselves for others. This redemption comes for former All Star Randall Simon who is now known best as the guy who slugged the sausage race participant in Milwaukee a few summers ago. It comes for a pitcher, once promising, who is now out of a job as he neglected to grow up and simply couldn't push the plate away. The chance to prove remains for the many youngsters on the roster who are chasing major league dreams and others who wouldn't stand a chance to crack the roster of most other teams in the WBC.

After their first victory over the Dominican Republic, a 3-2 victory behind Sidney Ponson, most wrote the victory off as opening game rust for the powerful Dominican squad. No more. With their 2-1 win in 11 innings, the Dutch have eliminated one of the most talented teams in the WBC and move onto the second round in Miami. More importantly, this vindicates the WBC, and adds renewed fevor to a lagging tournament.

Games like this give hope to underdogs everywhere, not to sound cliche. This wasn't even a case of David v Goliath. At least David had a sling shot. This was heart over talent, this was Princeton over UCLA, George Mason in the Final Four, and "Do you believe in miracles?!" all rolled into one. This was epic, as epic as a baseball game can be.

So here's to the Netherlands. Here's to Randall Simon, Sidney Ponson, and Yurendell DeCaster. Here's to the little guy. Go Dutch.