March is here and I am loving all the College basketball. This is my favorite time of year with the surprises, upset and domination of some team. This year at least ten teams could win the National Championship. There isn't one really dominant team. I am going to try to breakdown the field before they are are announced and give some tips on who to watch and who could surprise many. Also at the bottom of the page I have created a Bracket Challenge through USA Today where we can compete against each other.
The Contenders
(Written before brackets were announced)
I know I said 10 teams could win but for this purpose I picked out the strongest 5:
Kansas- the deepest team and the have the most experience. Sherron Collins and Cole Alrdich have already won a title and this team is about as deep as the championship squad from two years ago. Achilles heel-young players can be inconsistent which can be trouble in a tight game.
Kentucky-The best starting five in the country. Wall, Patterson and Cousins can dominate teams from the inside and outside. This team totally is fueled by Wall. They feed off his energy and his ability to completely dominate games when he wants to. Achilles heel-This is one of the worst defensive teams John Calipari has ever coached. At times there is not a commitment to that end of the floor as we have seen in years past from his Memphis and UMass squads. Also the Cats at times play down to the level of their competition, not a good sign in a one and done situation. Another trait that this Kentucky team has is missing free throws, in a close game that will come back to bite them
Syracuse- The Orange were ranked number 1 for the first time in 20 years in the regular season, then they went and promptly lost to Louisville and the Georgetown in the Big East tourney. Syracuse match-up zone can be devastating, especially since they have a lot of length at all five positions. Achilles heel- Potential injury to their starting center. Arninze Onuake hurt his quad in Syracuse's loss in the Big East tournament. They need to control the paint not only in their zone, but offensively this is his best year ever. Hopefully he's healthy because with Rautins and Wes Johnson, Syracuse could be cutting down the nets in Indy.
West Virginia-Your typical Bob Huggins team. Big, strong, lots of length, very athletic and play in your face defense, and grind it out offense. Achilles heel- The Mountaineers offense is a lot screens to try and get their shooters free. They don't have a guy that can consistently breakdown a defense.
Ohio St.- This is my sleeper pick. The Buckeyes have the best player in the country in Evan Turner (more on him later) a solid coach who has led a team to a Final Four before in Thad Matta. Achilles heel- Their depth is real issue. OSU only goes about seven deep and that could be their downfall the longer the tournament goes on.
Upset Specials
Here are some teams that could make a sweet sixteen run depending on the match ups:
Butler, Cornell, Murray St., UTEP, BYU and my personal favorite Baylor.
Players To Watch:
ET Phone Home
Evan Turner is the best player in college basketball today. Think of Magic Johnson but only two inches shorter. Because of Ohio St. low graduation rate they loss a scholarship from the NCAA, and that prevented OSU from recruiting a point guard. Thad Matta went to Turner and told him he was going to be the team's lead guard. All the 6'7 Turner did was put up two triple-doubles in two weeks, fracture his back on a dunk, come back to average 19 ppg, almost 6 assists, 9 rebounds and nearly 3 steals. ET can get any shot on the court he wants and still gets his teammates involved. Turner is they type of player that can carry his team to a championship.
The Great Wall Of Big Blue
John Wall is one of the most electrifying a players in college basketball. Wall probably is the fastest player in all of college basketball, especially with the ball in his hands. J-Dub picks his spots to take over a game, and even has a flair for the dramatics. He has made the game-winning shot and blocks for UK to preserve wins. Wall averaged 17 ppg and 6 assists a game.
Go Wes Young Man
Wesley Johnson is Syracuse go to guy. The Iowa State transfer has truly excelled with Jim Boheim and the Orange. Not since Carmelo Anthony has a Syracuse player had such an impact nationally. Johnson is long and athletic and projected to be a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft. All Johnson did was average 16 points and 8 rebounds to lead Syracuse to the first regular season #1 ranking in twenty years.
Bracket Challenge
I have setup a league to play March Mania. You can sign up and pick against me:) Not bragging but I am pretty good. Here is the link: http://marchmania.usatoday.com/Secure/Contests/CollegeBasketballBracket/standings.aspx?FantasyTeamId=88205
The Contenders
(Written before brackets were announced)
I know I said 10 teams could win but for this purpose I picked out the strongest 5:
Kansas- the deepest team and the have the most experience. Sherron Collins and Cole Alrdich have already won a title and this team is about as deep as the championship squad from two years ago. Achilles heel-young players can be inconsistent which can be trouble in a tight game.
Kentucky-The best starting five in the country. Wall, Patterson and Cousins can dominate teams from the inside and outside. This team totally is fueled by Wall. They feed off his energy and his ability to completely dominate games when he wants to. Achilles heel-This is one of the worst defensive teams John Calipari has ever coached. At times there is not a commitment to that end of the floor as we have seen in years past from his Memphis and UMass squads. Also the Cats at times play down to the level of their competition, not a good sign in a one and done situation. Another trait that this Kentucky team has is missing free throws, in a close game that will come back to bite them
Syracuse- The Orange were ranked number 1 for the first time in 20 years in the regular season, then they went and promptly lost to Louisville and the Georgetown in the Big East tourney. Syracuse match-up zone can be devastating, especially since they have a lot of length at all five positions. Achilles heel- Potential injury to their starting center. Arninze Onuake hurt his quad in Syracuse's loss in the Big East tournament. They need to control the paint not only in their zone, but offensively this is his best year ever. Hopefully he's healthy because with Rautins and Wes Johnson, Syracuse could be cutting down the nets in Indy.
West Virginia-Your typical Bob Huggins team. Big, strong, lots of length, very athletic and play in your face defense, and grind it out offense. Achilles heel- The Mountaineers offense is a lot screens to try and get their shooters free. They don't have a guy that can consistently breakdown a defense.
Ohio St.- This is my sleeper pick. The Buckeyes have the best player in the country in Evan Turner (more on him later) a solid coach who has led a team to a Final Four before in Thad Matta. Achilles heel- Their depth is real issue. OSU only goes about seven deep and that could be their downfall the longer the tournament goes on.
Upset Specials
Here are some teams that could make a sweet sixteen run depending on the match ups:
Butler, Cornell, Murray St., UTEP, BYU and my personal favorite Baylor.
Players To Watch:
ET Phone Home
Evan Turner is the best player in college basketball today. Think of Magic Johnson but only two inches shorter. Because of Ohio St. low graduation rate they loss a scholarship from the NCAA, and that prevented OSU from recruiting a point guard. Thad Matta went to Turner and told him he was going to be the team's lead guard. All the 6'7 Turner did was put up two triple-doubles in two weeks, fracture his back on a dunk, come back to average 19 ppg, almost 6 assists, 9 rebounds and nearly 3 steals. ET can get any shot on the court he wants and still gets his teammates involved. Turner is they type of player that can carry his team to a championship.
The Great Wall Of Big Blue
John Wall is one of the most electrifying a players in college basketball. Wall probably is the fastest player in all of college basketball, especially with the ball in his hands. J-Dub picks his spots to take over a game, and even has a flair for the dramatics. He has made the game-winning shot and blocks for UK to preserve wins. Wall averaged 17 ppg and 6 assists a game.
Go Wes Young ManWesley Johnson is Syracuse go to guy. The Iowa State transfer has truly excelled with Jim Boheim and the Orange. Not since Carmelo Anthony has a Syracuse player had such an impact nationally. Johnson is long and athletic and projected to be a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft. All Johnson did was average 16 points and 8 rebounds to lead Syracuse to the first regular season #1 ranking in twenty years.
Bracket Challenge
I have setup a league to play March Mania. You can sign up and pick against me:) Not bragging but I am pretty good. Here is the link: http://marchmania.usatoday.com/Secure/Contests/CollegeBasketballBracket/standings.aspx?FantasyTeamId=88205
Marchin On is league name
sports is the password
Good luck!!
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