Round one goes to Wiggins, but get used to this matchup as we’ll be seeing it for years in the NBA. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker have taken turns being crowned the inevitable top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, but now we’ll have a year of college basketball to settle the matter, though Kentucky’s super freshman Julius Randle may have something to say about it as well.
Both Wiggins and Parker were magnificent last night. Parker dominated in the first half and finished 27 points. He’s an all-around great player who can do everything very well from rebounding to draining three-pointers. Then in the second half Wiggins and the Jayhawks took over as Wiggins showed off his incredible athleticism that has people comparing him to Jordan and Lebron. The highlight above gives just a glimpse of what he will be capable of. Wiggins ended up with 22 points.
I had the opportunity to interview both Wiggins and Parker in the past as both of them won the Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award for basketball (Wiggins won the overall award as well). Both are great kids and have a bright future ahead of them.
Jabari Parker
Andrew Wiggins
With these two and Julius Randle, it’s hard to imagine any team in the top three of next year’s NBA Draft being disappointed. In the meantime they can fight it out for the National Championship.
It’s always difficult to predict the four teams out of 68 capable of making it deep in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament we refer to as March Madness. There’s always a bracket busting team that takes out a top competitor or even a Cinderella story making it to the Sweet 16 or even further. However, this year may be a little different and actually attending the games might just provide serious excitement for any fan. Here’s how this non-expert believes it could play out.
Small Schools Getting In
Akron and Bucknell are the most dangerous smaller schools with the ability to make it into the tournament. The reason these two top the list is due to the size advantage they bring to the game. Akron features Zeke Marshall at seven feet tall and Bucknell brings Mike Muscala standing 6’11” tall. This will help even the playing field with any of the larger schools bringing a significant size advantage.
Other small schools with a great chance of making into the tournament include Middle Tennessee State, Belmont, Boise State, Davidson, Valparaiso, Weber State and Louisiana Tech. Although it is unlikely that all these schools will make the dance you always have to be aware of the ones that do sneak into the dance. A small school with momentum would be like the Kia Sorento winning the car March Madness Contest, unlikely but you never know! Make sure you pay attention to all the little guys before filling out your bracket.
Top Teams Most Likely for an Early Departure
1. Kansas
The Jayhawks might take a top seed in the tournament, but they’re not as good as their record shows. They lost to a team with an RPI of 229 and nearly lost to another team they should’ve beaten easily. If they draw a team they don’t match up well against, Kansas could make an early exit.
2. Ohio State
Not considered a top five team, but in the top 20, the Buckeyes struggled in February. If this was any indication about how good they really are, this is another team potentially leaving the tournament early.
3. Florida
Showing their struggles on the road makes it hard to believe the Gators can go anywhere in the tournament. They’re tough to beat at home, but they won’t get a single game on their home court during the tournament. Look for Florida to fall victim to an upset early.
Final Four Predicted
Looking at all the top teams, potential Cinderella stories and those middle seeds with the ability to go deep, picking the Final Four is still difficult. However, an easy pick for one of the final four spots is the Indiana Hoosiers. This team is tough and has been ranked at the top most of the year. Another pick for the Final Four is Michigan. They’re ready to make a run and it seems they’ve already cleared their system of some of the losses.
The other two spots in the Final Four are a bit more difficult to predict. There will certainly be a middle seed, maybe a #5 or #6 involved. The team basketball of Notre Dame could support a deep tournament run, but they won’t be there in the Final Four. However, another Big East team will be out of a two or three seed in Georgetown. That only leaves one spot left and it goes to Saint Louis University.
Amidst a losing season and allegations that he mistreated players, what choice did Mark Mangino have but to resign at Kansas?
Mangino accepted a buyout on Thursday to leave Kansas after eight seasons as the Jayhawks’ coach. He finishes with a 50-48 record, which ranks him only two victories shy of Kansas all-time coaching leader, A.R. “Bert” Kennedy, and led the Jayhawks to back-to-back bowls in 2007 and 2008. That’s a feat never accomplished before in school history.
But Mangino lost the ability to lead his program after several players came forward to complain about his misconduct. He’s been accused of grabbing and poking players, as well as verbally abusing them.
While none of the allegations have been proven yet, Kansas had little choice but to essentially force him out. It was going to be hard for him to get new recruits with this hanging over his head, especially given that the Jayhawks fell apart this year after a 5-0 start.
In the end, this was the only way that the situation was going to play out. Mangino still gets paid while Kansas can attempt to move forward without this hanging over the program’s head.
There is less than three weeks left in the NBA season, and teams are fighting to secure home-court advantage for the gauntlet playoff run. And both conferences have highly contested races for the #2 seed. The Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic are in a virtual tie in the Eastern Conference, while three teams (San Antonio, Houston and Denver) are battling it out in the Western Conference. At stake is the opportunity to play a seventh game in front your raucous fans, and this prize is well worth the grind of the regular season.
All times ET…
NBA Friday, 7:30 PM: Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks (NBA TV) Saturday, 10 PM: Memphis Grizzlies @ Portland Trail Blazers (NBA TV) Sunday, 1 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ Cleveland Cavaliers (ABC) Sunday, 8 PM: San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Hornets (ESPN)
NHL Saturday, 1 PM: New York Rangers @ Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday, 7 PM: Boston Bruins @ Toronto Maple Leafs (CBC) Saturday, 10 PM: Minnesota Wild @ Calgary Flames (CBC) NCAA Tournament Friday, 7:07 PM: (12) Arizona vs. (1) Louisville (CBS) Friday, 7:27 PM: (3) Syracuse vs. (2) Oklahoma (CBS) Friday, 9:37 PM: (3) Kansas vs. (2) Michigan State (CBS) Friday, 9:57 PM: (4) Gonzaga vs. (1) North Carolina (CBS) Saturday, 4:40 PM: (3) Missouri vs. (1) Connecticut (CBS) Saturday, 7:05 PM: (3) Villanova vs. (1) Pittsburgh (CBS) Sunday, TBA: Midwest and West Finals (CBS)
PGA March 27-29, see your local listings for times: Arnold Palmer Invitational, Orlando, FL. (NBC/TGC)
Thanks for ruining the weekend of all hack golfers in the world by defeating golf’s stimulus plan, Tiger Woods, on Thursday. We (I confess that I am a hack golfer) live vicariously through every one of his great shots from the fairway that land smoothly a foot away from the pin on the green. Now, we have to hope for another Phil Mickelson meltdown to bring our attention back to the Accenture Match Play Championship. Hopefully, Shaq will reprise his introduction dance from the All-Star Game before Sunday’s nationally-televised game against the Lakers. I mean the Big Shaqtus can really move on the dance floor.
NBA Friday, 7 PM: Detroit Pistons @ Orlando Magic (ESPN) Friday, 9:30 PM: Cleveland Cavaliers @ San Antonio Spurs (ESPN) Saturday, 7 PM: Orlando Magic @ Philadelphia 76ers (NBA TV) Sunday, 1 PM: Detroit Pistons @ Boston Celtics (ABC) Sunday, 3:30 PM: Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns (ABC) Sunday, 8 PM: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Atlanta Hawks (ESPN)
NHL Friday, 7 PM: Montreal Canadiens @ Philadelphia Flyers Saturday, 7 PM: San Jose Sharks @ Montreal Canadiens Sunday, 1 PM: Philadelphia Flyers @ New Jersey Devils
PGA Feb.27-Mar. 1, TBA: Accenture Match Play Championship (NBC/TGC)
