After a recent article on the Iowa Energy, Iowa State fans were left wondering if Stevie Johnson had any interest in the NBDL. Luckily, I was able to catch Stevie, and he gave a great interview about life in basketball after college. Johnson was one of the stars on the best team in Iowa State history leading the second seeded Cyclones all the way to the elite eight in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Below are his current stats with Caja Rioja in Spain.

6'5 235lbs SF (SG/PF)

21 Points Per Game

60% Overall Field Goal Percentage 45% 3 Point Field Goal Percentage

60% Free Throw Percentage

8 Total Rebounds Per Game 3.1 Offensive Rebounds Per Game

1.2 Assists Per Game

Obviously Stevie is having a fantastic season. I translated those statistics from Spanish,but I believe them to be accurate. For a small forward his field goal shooting and offensive rebounding statistics are out of this world, but of course they are very familiar to Iowa State fans. Johnson is known for his excellent shot selection and crashing the offensive glass. Johnson has the speed and athleticism of a perimeter player and the build of a heavy weight boxer. That being said, lets get right to the interview.

Continue reading "Blaze Interview: Stevie Johnson NBDL Bound?"

1. Michael Beasley PF 6-9 235 KSU Fr.

2. Derrick Rose PG 6-4 195 Memphis Fr.

3. Eric Gordon SG 6-4 220 Indiana Fr.

4.  OJ Mayo SG/PG 6-5 210 USC Fr.

5. DeAndre Jordan C 7-0 240 TX AM Fr.

6. Donte Green SF 6-10 230 Syracuse Fr.

7. Brook Lopez C 7-0 260 Stanford So.

8. Jerryd Bayless PG 6-2 182 Arizona Fr.

9. Danilo Gallinari SF 6-8 210 Italy

10. Nicolas Batum SG/SF 6-8 210 France  

11. Hasheem Thabeet C 7-4 260 UConn So.

12. Roy Hibbert C 7-2 270 Georgetown Sr.

13.  JaVale McGee C 7-0 237 Nevada So.

14. Darrell Arthur SF/PF 6-9 230 Kansas So.

15. Kevin Love PF/C 6-9 260 UCLA Fr.

16. Davon Jefferson SF 6-8 210 USC Fr.

16. Tyler Smith SF 6-7 220 Tenn. So.

17. Darren Collison PG 6-1 170 UCLA Jr.

Continue reading "NBA DRAFT: Blaze Mock Draft (March 10)"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/miami_heats_dwyane_wade_throug.

The Heat season is dismal, the injured guard might as well take a breather.

Wade is scheduled to undergo a follow-up procedure on his surgically repaired left knee and will miss the rest of the season.

Wade will have a shock stimulation treatment later this week with a specialized machine referred to as an OssaTron, coach Pat Riley said after Monday morning's shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena. Heat team physician Harlan Selesnick will oversee the procedure, which is designed to increase blood flow in the knee and limit tendinitis.

After the procedure, Wade must refrain from weight-bearing exercises for 30 days. But Riley said Wade would be allowed to swim, ride a stationary bike and do other conditioning activities.

Continue reading "Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade through for the year"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/former_miami_dolphin_qb_trent.p

This will be his second stint in St. Louis. From Reuters-

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The St Louis Rams bolstered their offense on Monday by signing former player Trent Green as back-up to starting quarterback Marc Bulger.

Green, 37, was with the Miami Dolphins last season but his campaign ended prematurely due to a head injury.

*****

The Rams signed Green to a three-year contract but financial terms were undisclosed.

Green is a 10-year NFL veteran who has spent time with four teams, including the Rams in 1999 and 2000.

He suffered a season-ending knee injury during the 1999 preseason and spent the 2000 campaign as a back-up to starter Kurt Warner.

Continue reading "Former Miami Dolphin QB Trent Green signs with Rams"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/clarifying_the_mark_richt_pay.p

If we are #156 in sports blogs, where the heck is Fox Sports?

As everone knows by now, Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt got an $800,000 raise for finishing #2 in the final AP Poll. According to the AP, his salary has increased from $2 million to $2.8 million. Also according to the AP, he is the fifth highest paid coach in the SEC behind Nick Saban, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, and Tommy Tuberville. All of those coaches have won national championships. That being said, here's some quick UGA facts concerning Coach Richt:

Under Mark Richt:

Georgia has a 72-19 record

Won 10+ games in 5 of last 6 years

Won 2 SEC titles

Finished first or tied for first in the SEC East four times

Continue reading "Clarifying the Mark Richt Pay Raise"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/billy_crystal_on_the_yankees_r.

Apparently it is true, Billy will be a Yankee for a day.

TAMPA - Joe Torre may have gone to Hollywood, but comedian Billy Crystal, his longtime pal, apparently is staying true to his pinstripes.

Crystal will join the Yankees as a player - yes, a player - Wednesday, signing a one-day contract that includes an invitation to spring training. According to the Yankees' press release, the "contract" was approved by commissioner Bud Selig.

"I've been waiting 50 years for this call," Crystal said in a statement released by the team. "I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and commissioner Selig. I know this'll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I'm looking forward to helping the younger players. ... which, by the way, is all of them. Oops, I have to go, Scott Boras is on the phone."

Continue reading "Billy Crystal on the Yankees Roster?"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/warrick_dunn_back_to_tampa_bay.

Dunn is headed back to Tampa for what is clearly his swan's song of an NFL career that has been much better than most people think.

In the history of the NFL only 23 men have topped 10,000 yards rushing. Quietly, Dunn entered that elite club last year. Only five accomplished that on less than 2460 carries. He split his career between Tampa and Atlanta and now he is undoubtedly planning to end it where he started it.

Dunn just turned 33 and given his experience and third down ability, it is not beyond imagination to see him playing for at least two more years. What would that mean?

If he runs for just 700 yards next year, he will eclipse the likes of Otis Anderson, Eddie George, Tiki Barber and Ricky Waters. A little over a thousand and he passes OJ Simpson. Two decent years and he has the likes of Riggins, Thomas and Harris in his sights.

Continue reading "Warrick Dunn Back to Tampa Bay"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/florida_authorities_decide_not.

The incident happened almost one year ago. From AP-

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Pro golfer Arjun Atwal won't be charged in a street race incident in which the other driver crashed and died.

Prosecutors decided last week not to charge Atwal in the March 2007 death of John N. Park, saying the cars driven by the two men never made contact. Witnesses said Atwal and Park were driving nearly 100 mph in a 45-mph zone when Park failed to negotiate a turn, sending his car airborne into a tree.

"The two racing vehicles did not come into contact with each other," assistant state attorney Robert Eagan wrote Thursday. "There is no evidence that either vehicle was driven in a manner causing the other to brake or evade the other."

Continue reading "Florida authorities decide not to charge Arjun Atwal in fatal street race"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/nhl_hands_steve_ott_threegame.p

The incident happened last Sunday. From AP-

DALLAS -- The NHL suspended Dallas Stars forward Steve Ott for three games without pay Wednesday for his hit to the head of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jordan Leopold.

No penalty was assessed on the play in the first period of Sunday's game, but the suspension came after a review of the play.

Ott appeared to leave his feet to make the hit on Leopold against the boards, and Leopold left the game with a head injury. Leopold missed the Avalanche's Tuesday game against Atlanta.

Ott will miss Thursday's game at Detroit, as well as games against Vancouver and Anaheim before being eligible to return March 22 against Los Angeles.

Continue reading "NHL hands Steve Ott three-game suspension for hit to Jordan Leopold"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/bode_miller_wins_world_cup_kic.

Now here's a sport we talk about much at WizSports: skiing. But we have a great occasion to now.

American skier Bode Miller clinched his second overall World Cup skiing title in four years today. In a sport thoroughly dominated by Europeans, Miller becomes just the second American since the legendary Phil Mahre to capture multiple overall World Cup titles.

Mahre, a Northwest native, captured three consecutive World Cups from 1981-1983.

But it gets even better.

American skier Lindsey Vonn is poised to win the overall women's World Cup title over Germany's Marie Riesch if she can maintain her current 157-point lead in the standings.

Continue reading "Bode Miller Wins World Cup, Kicks Euro Tail!"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/vonn_does_it_us_sweeps_world_c.

This ought to silence the those annoying Swiss cowbells.

Lindsey Vonn captured skiing's overall World Cup title, after finishing 11th in today's slalom event in Bormio, Italy.

As I noted yesterday, this marks only the second time in history that an American man and woman captured the overall World Cup titles in the same year. Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney were the last American duo to accomplish the feat in 1983.

Congratulations, Lindsey!

USA! USA! USA!

Continue reading "Vonn Does It! U.S. Sweeps World Cup Titles!"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/sports_bloggers_are_lowlife_lo.

Bob Costas said so this week. If you want to why, read this Miami Herald article. Better yet, read what I think of Costas. It's also below the fold.

Continue reading "Sports bloggers are low-life losers- Bob Costas"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/college_footballs_best_players.

Matt Hayes from Sporting News has a piece up that is in his words, "list of the best players in the game, pure and simple" in NCAA football.

As with all lists, there will be disagreement but this one is without a doubt the strangest I have seen in some time. Rather than dissect the entire list, I pulled out the quarterbacks. I don't know what criteria was used in the survey to come to this result but it sure seems curious when you look at the hard numbers.

The top quarterbacks, according to Hayes' survey are Pat White (WVa), Tim Tebow (UF), Chase Daniel (Mizzu), Sam Bradford (OK) and Matt Stafford (UGa). These are all fine players and at least four of the five will likely play QB in the NFL.

Continue reading "College Football's Best Players?"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/chan_ho_park_on_the_comeback_tr

The South Korean baseball star is trying to re-establish himself with the Los Angeles Dodgers. From the Chosun Ilbo-

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Park Chan-ho hurled three perfect innings for a personal no-hitter during a spring training baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

Overall, the 35-year-old Park has maintained an immaculate ERA while allowing only two hits and two walks over seven innings in three spring appearances.

*****

Park flies to China on Thursday, where he will start in a friendly game against the San Diego Padres this weekend.

GI at ROK Drop writes-

For the love of God can some one please tell the Chosun Ilbo that pitching three scoreless innings in a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles of all teams is not considered a no hitter.

Continue reading "Chan Ho Park on the comeback trail"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/heavy_rains_close_pompano_park.

What the heck?

Due to heavy rains in the Pompano Beach area during the late afternoon hours, and with the forecast calling for additional downpours in the vicinity, Pompano Park cancelled its live racing for Friday.

Florida gets heavy rains all the time. Horse racing takes place in bad weather(With the exception of lightning), on the surface this news makes little sense. Except that Pompano Park is cutting its racing dates. It looks like the addition of the Racino will only provide a slight reprieve before harness racing dies out in South Florida.

Continue reading "Heavy rains close Pompano Park for a night"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/how_about_them_florida_panther_

They beat the New York Rangers last night to pull within 5 points of the Division lead.

SUNRISE - Panthers captain Olli Jokinen had not scored in eight games but had been finding ways to contribute during Florida's five-game win streak.

Friday, Jokinen took a more direct role, scoring the winning goal as the Panthers beat the Rangers 3-2 to stretch their win streak to six games.

It was a matchup between the NHL's two hottest teams, and it was the Panthers who remained doused New York, which had not lost in regulation in 13 games and was 10-0-3 during that five-week stretch.

Does the Sun-Sentinel's Ted Hutton ever study the NHL besides the Florida Panthers. The San Jose Sharks had won 10 games in a row going into last night. That makes them one of the hottest two teams in the NHL, and Florida not.

Continue reading "How about them Florida Panthers?"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/nj_devil_goalie_martin_brodeur.

Only one other goalie has accomplished this feat three or more times. From AP-

DENVER (AP) -- Martin Brodeur made one save using the handle portion of his stick, another by extending his elbow out just in time to deflect away a shot.

"I get lucky on a few," Brodeur said with a grin.

There's a little skill involved, too. Brodeur stopped 24 shots to reach 40 wins for a record seventh time in New Jersey's 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

Goalies with more than one 40 win Seasons

Martin Brodeur 7

Jacques Plante 3

Terry Sawchuk 3

Miikka Kiprusoff 2

Ed Belfour 2

Continue reading "NJ Devil Goalie Martin Brodeur wins his 40th game of the season"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/a_tornado_wasnt_the_only_crash.

The SEC tournament has delivered some very exciting and unlikely basketball. The number one seed Tennessee fell to Arkansas. The number one and two seeds from the SEC west fell in the same day.

Mother Nature started the unlikely series of events. A tornado ripped through downtown Atlanta and caused damage to the Georgia Dome and even more so to several building around it. This caused SEC officials to move the game to the Georgia Tech home arena.

The smaller venue meant that only those directly associated with the teams were allowed entry leaving thousands of fans in bars and hotel rooms to watch a memorable day in SEC sports.

ATLANTA (AP)--No one thought Georgia could win two SEC tournament games in one day.

Continue reading "A Tornado Wasn't the Only Crash in Atlanta This Weekend"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/unbelievable_dawgs_to_the_danc.

In one of the grittiest fights I have witnessed in a long time, the University of Georgia continued its unlikely run and won the SEC Championship.

Georgia started hot and built up a 19 point first half lead. But fatigue was starting to show before halftime and the Razorbacks had cut the lead to ten.

The opening minutes of the second half showed the Bulldogs were running on fumes and Arkansas drew within eight. Then on the shoulders of Terrance Woodbury, the Bulldogs pulled ahead by 13. The razorbacks refused to give up and after a couple of key Georgia turnovers and a timely three point shot, they pulled to within three.

Unfortunately for Arkansas, it took way too much time and like a Rocky Balboa who was clearly getting his ass kicked, the Bulldogs refused to go down.

Continue reading "Unbelievable! Dawgs to the Dance!"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/tiger_woods_stretches_winning.p

By winning tthe Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill today.

Tiger Woods sank a 24-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational, extending his USPGA Tour winning streak to five straight tournaments.

The 13-time major winner fired a final round four-under 66 to reach 10-under 270 overall and beat fellow American Bart Bryant (67) by one stroke.

Woods produced another piece of brilliance by hitting his approach shot to 24-feet at the par-four 18th.

He then sank the curling putt to edge Bryant at Bay Hill.

He carded 66 to finish at 10-under-par 270, posting his sixth consecutive official victory during an amazing six-month winning streak.

Continue reading "Tiger Woods stretches winning streak to five"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/pitt_stuns_georgetown_to_win_b.

Pitt beat Georgetown at Levance Fields and secures the Big East Championship.

There were plenty of souvenirs for the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday night. Levance Fields had a piece of the nets he and his teammates cut down after winning the Big East tournament championship game wrapped around his right ear like a BlueTooth phone. DeJuan Blair was holding the championship trophy with a devilish grin that said nobody was taking it from him.

But was it a huge upset? It's hard for me to say a huge upset when a 26-9 team beats a 27-5 team by less than ten points.

Pitt's biggest problem was playing in the Big East where they were an anemic 10-8. But keep in mind; we're talking Big East basketball not football. They have 5 teams in the Top 25.

Continue reading "Pitt Stuns Georgetown to Win Big East"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/stan_kroenke_mark_warkentien_f.

I would like to take a moment out of my day to make a very special nomination. When you see two people do such a "unique" job with an organization it does not go without notice. So today, I would like to nominate the majority owner (Kroenke) and his esteemed VP of Basketball Operations (Warkentien) for my annual WOMY award. Unfortunately, I doubt either will be able to attend since WOMY stands for Worst Owner and Management of the Year. Congratulations to the entire Denver Nugget staff.

Since Mr. Kroenke was so serious about winning he fired defensive minded head coach Jeff Bzdelik and general manager Kiki Vandeweghe. Bzdelik was fired because the team really didn't take him seriously and the Nuggets had some offensive woes. Now with George Karl they have some defensive woes (and serious ones). Kiki Vandeweghe really wasn't replaced with anyone. Technically the Nuggets are just a disorganized team without a steady hand at the helm. When you have a rich owner not wanting to go into the luxury tax and no clear leader in the front office you have a power struggle.

Continue reading "Stan Kroenke & Mark Warkentien for WOMY"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/blaze_evaluation_2008_nba_mock.

1. Michael Beasley PF 6-9 235 KSU Fr.

2. Derrick Rose PG 6-4 195 Memphis Fr.

3. Eric Gordon SG 6-4 220 Indiana Fr.

4. OJ Mayo SG/PG 6-5 210 USC Fr.

5. DeAndre Jordan C 7-0 240 TX AM Fr.

6. Donte Green SF 6-10 230 Syracuse Fr.

7. Brook Lopez C 7-0 260 Stanford So.

8. Jerryd Bayless PG 6-2 182 Arizona Fr.

9. Danilo Gallinari SF 6-8 210 Italy

10. Nicolas Batum SG/SF 6-8 210 France

11. Hasheem Thabeet C 7-4 260 UConn So.

Continue reading "Blaze Evaluation: 2008 NBA Mock Draft (March 18)"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/oh_baby.php

And I don't mean that in a Dick Vitale, I'm-excited-by-March-Madness way because I'm not.

I mean, my baby. It's on the way. ("It" because we don't know the sex.) In fact, my wife's in early labor now. No worries, every thing is OK. She's OK. Baby's OK. Dad's...well, OK. Just waiting for the real deal (aka: screaming-to-God contractions) to begin.

All it means is that I won't be posting too much for the next couple of weeks, which should please most of you to no end. But I will try a little bit to report on the events in the world baseball.

Now, I'm off to more important things like fetching ice chips, saying "You're doing great, honey!" and keeping family members informed. And, oh yeah, trying to find another #1 starter for my fantasy baseball team since John Lackey went down.

Continue reading "Oh baby!"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/its_on_sort_of.php

Mount St. Mary's defeated Choppin State 69-60 in the first real game of the NCAA Tournament. Well sort of the first game. The winner of this hard fought contest earns the honor of getting their clocks cleaned by North Carolina in the first round. But hey, dancing is dancing, so hats off to MSM.

Neither team belongs in a real NCAA tournament. Between them they tallied 35 losses in weak conferences. Neither team would likely get out of the second round in the NIT but it is what it is. MSM hit only 32% of their shots from the field and Choppin State assisted greatly hitting only 46% from the line.

So anyway, it's on. The NCAA Tournament is the most exciting time of the year for many basketball fans and this year promises to be a great one.

Continue reading "It's On, Sort Of"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/michigan_state_defeats_temple.p

The Owls lack of depth showed early and the Spartans fresh legs kept the pace all in favor of MSU. The Spartans shot 49% from the field and an impressive 16-18 from the stripe compared to Temple's 37% and 13-19 from the foul line.

The Owls had three players in double figures but an awful day shooting by usually productive Dante Christmas and Sergio Olmos combined for a paltry two for 19 from the field.

Continue reading "Michigan State Defeats Temple 72-61"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/kansas_advances_over_portland.p

This was of course no surprise. The Jayhawks were up by 23 at halftime and never really looked back. The second half wasn't quite the beat down but Portland never made a significant run.

Kansas had four players in double digits led by Darrell Arthur who was eight of ten from the field. The only weakness for Kansas was some atrocious free-throw shooting. 46% from line won't get it done.

Continue reading "Kansas Advances over Portland State 85-61"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/georgia_falls_to_xavier_7361.ph

Georgia's miracle run finally ran out of gas but they didn't go quietly.

The Bulldogs hit 53% in the first half and went to the locker room up by nine. More importantly was Georgia's "tireless" swarming defense that held Xavier to 35% from the field.

"Tireless" is the operative word though, because in the send half it was abundantly clear that the Bulldogs were totally exhausted. Xavier, the far more talented and deep team, patiently circled and kept a tempo than ran Georgia down early in the second half.

These teams matched up better than most (including me) would have thought but Xavier's discipline was the real deciding factor. The Bulldogs went to the line only five times while Xavier took the charity toss a whopping 33 times.

Continue reading "Georgia Falls to Xavier 73-61"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/own_a_sports_team.php

Have you ever wanted to own your own sports franchise? Personally, I would really buy into an opportunity to be apart of a sports franchise. I came across a legit idea that I decided to actually promote. If I didn't buy into what these guys were doing 100%, then I wouldn't be pitching their idea for them.

Basically, all you have to do is visit their site and sign up for free. Once they get enough members they are going to sell you a share of the sports franchise for $59.99. At first I kind of thought this might be some kind of scam, but I investigated and found out these people just want to own a team. I think it makes sense for the fan to finally have a say. If you own a share of the company you get to vote on what the franchise does. Vote for the player and the coach you want. If you want you can even vote to fire the coach. The reason I am buying into this is because they are going to reinvest any profits back into the team. This means that nobody is making any money on this deal.

Continue reading "Own A Sports Team"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/marquette_survives_kentucky_74.

The Wildcats and Golden Eagles have met a record ten times in NCAA Tournament history and today's game did not disappoint. The first half wasn't a thing of beauty as both teams seemed off balance but Marquette did take a 33-29 score to the half.

The second half was a street fight. With 1:48 left, Marquette was clinging to a five point lead. By the time is ticked down to 38 seconds, Kentucky pulled to within three on a Joe Crawford 3-pointer from the top of the key (3 of his game high 35 points).

An unforced turnover by Kentucky with 10 seconds to play and the Golden Eagles clutch free throws late (six in a row) sealed the deal.

Continue reading "Marquette Survives Kentucky 74-66"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/unlv_dominates_kent_state_7158.

The Running Rebels dominated the first half 31-10 shooting over 50% while holding Kent State to 28%. UNLV also hit 5 of 11 from the arc while Kent was an awful 1 of 8.

Kent State played much better in the second half actually outscoring the Rebels but in the end the deficit was too much to overcome.

UNLV's Joe Darger was 7-10 from the field including 4-7 from the three point line. UNLV, as a team was perfect from the free throw line except for Cory Baily being 0-2.

It doesn't get any easier for the Running Rebels; next up is Kansas.

Continue reading "UNLV Dominates Kent State 71-58"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/pittsburg_takes_care_of_oral_r.

Pittsburg went in at the half with a 23 point lead. Both teams shot well from the arc hitting a combined 11-25 but Pitt dominated the boards and took 20% more shots in the half.

Oral Roberts played a much better second half but it wasn't enough to cover the ground lost in the first half smack down. The Golden Eagles had four players in double digits but the Panthers had five.

Pittsburg looked solid in every aspect but it was Oral Roberts, so take that for what its worth. If the Panthers can get by Michigan State next, they will likely collide with Memphis.

Continue reading "Pittsburg Takes Care of Oral Roberts 82-63"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/baylor_falls_to_purdue_9079.php

The fact that Purdue won this game wasn't a surprise. The way they did was.

The Boilermakers led by 19 at the half on a dominating shooting performance. Purdue hit on 26 of 54 shots including 6-14 three pointers. Baylor shot horribly going 13-44 including a forgettable 2-11 from the arc.

Baylor starts a high flying almost five-guard line up but the Purdue defense rose to the occasion and showed very good speed and lane discipline. Baylor's Curtis Jerrells did put up a game high 27 points but he got little help.

Purdue was solid across the board; 49% from the field, 45% from the arc and 83% from the line. They have Xavier next who survived a scare from 14 seed Georgia earlier today.

Continue reading "Baylor Falls to Purdue 90-79"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/stanford_crushes_cornell_7753.p

This was another 1st round game that was actually over at halftime. Stanford went in with a 21 point lead and had stuffed Cornell to the tune of only 17 points. You don't win many games at this level when you only post 17 points in an entire half.

Once again, the second half was a better game but I don't think Stanford was playing exactly "lights out", if you know what I mean. The Cardinal dominated this one in every aspect; shooting over 50% from the field including 45% from the arc. The Big Red actually had more shots but a combination of a stifling Stanford defense and just poor shooting made that a mute point.

The Cardinal took care of business and looked pretty solid doing it. Stanford's next step is Marquette who beat Kentucky today. Marquette will offer a much different challenge to the boys from Stanford; a real defense.

Continue reading "Stanford crushes Cornell 77-53"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/duke_barely_survives_belmont_7.

In the first half, this was really a victory for Belmont. Even though Duke went in with a 42-35 lead, Belmont had the lead in shooting percentage and three point shooting. Free throws and rebounding was keeping Duke a slim lead.

The second half was even more drama. With 5:30 left Duke led 63-62. The pesky and ferocious Bears would not go away. With 2.7 seconds left Duke's DeMarcus Nelson missed a free throw.

On a wing and a prayer, Belmont launched a half court shot that barely missed and so Duke advances. The Bear's 10-15 from the stripe was really the difference because even in the last two minutes, these kids did not waiver.

Coach K will learn from this scare and he had better because without a couple of fortuitous calls this was an upset for the ages.

Continue reading "Duke Barely Survives Belmont 71-70"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/washington_state_rallies_to_be.

Washington State was getting all they wanted and more. Winthrop went into the half tied and had out-shot the Cougars across the board.

Then the Cougars attacked in the second half on a 42-11 run.

Washington State simply overwhelmed Winthrop in the second half. This should never have been as close as it was in the 1st half and the second proved that point pretty clearly.

After a tie at half time the Cougars ran up a 31 point lead in the second half. That's pretty much an ass whipping where I come from.

Continue reading "Washington State Rallies to Beat Winthrop 71-40"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/texas_am_takes_down_byu_6762.ph

This was an 8 / 9 seed match-up which is always hard to call. I was torn on this one in my bracket because the Aggies clearly have more athleticism but BYU's discipline and three point shooting could not be dismissed.

Ultimately, I went with Snowman and the Aggies. Good thing because this was a really good game.

The Aggies were out rebounded and out shot on every level; 54 to 46 shots from the field. A&M was however more efficient with their opportunities; they were 10% better from the field and a full 20% better from the arc.

The prize for their hard fought victory is UCLA. Barring an earth-shattering upset, we'll see you next year my dear Aggies.

Continue reading "Texas A&M Takes down BYU 67-62"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/usc_stunned_by_kansas_state_80.

An eleven seed beating a six seed by 13 is supposed to be an upset and it actually was but K-State owned this game from the beginning. They took a 10 point lead into the half and fought off every come back attempt USC could mount in the second half.

The key to this game wasn't shooting although Kansas State out shot the Trojans 48% to 42% from the field because they actually stunk at 57% from the free throw line compared to USC's 70%.

The key was rebounding and Kansas State owned the boards all night with a +13 rebound advantage. That is dominating at this level.

Obviously an eleven seed winning in the first round is big news but it also means that it will likely face only teams above a six seed the rest of the way.

Continue reading "USC Stunned by Kansas State 80-67"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/hello_world.php

Now Tiger Woods and I finally have something in common: We now both have kids named: Sam!

Yeah, but Tiger's kid is a girl and mine is a boy, so in your ear Tiger! (Just kidding!) A very healthy boy, too. Samuel Albert (after my dad) weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz., measured 20.5" and came into the world on March 18, 2008, at 11:02pm PST.

Mom is doing fantastic and Dad is too, though a little sleep would be nice! (Yeah, good luck with that, eh?)

Man, this kid has big hands--perfect for gunning runners out at home, snapping off curveballs or slinging it like Favre. ;-)

Thanks to all those who gave us their best wishes and congratulations the other day. It was all very much appreciated!

Continue reading "Hello, World!"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/wisconsin_handled_csu_fullerto.

Fullerton shot better in the first half but the Badgers stayed in it and free throws took them in with a 30-28 lead.

On the first play of the second half, CSUF tied the game but then the Badgers got serious. By the 9:00 minute point they had charged to an eleven point lead.

By the :48 point Wisconsin was up an insurmountable 14 points.

This posts Wisconsin against Kansas State next. Now that could be a hell of a game; which of course is the idea.

Continue reading "Wisconsin Handled CSU Fullerton 71-56"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/ncaa_tournament_couple_of_less.

First, trying to post on every game in a field this big could lead to unemployment.

Second, unemployment is bad.

So, here's my solution. I will still post all of the scores but will provide my enlightened insight on only one game per region.

PS: Thanks to the many emails pointing out that Pittsburg(h) has an "h" on the end. So please cut me some slack; I am a product of the Public School system.

So far today:

Tennessee 72 - American 57

Butler 81 - South Alabama 61

Davidson 82 - Gonzaga 76

Georgetown 66 - MBCU 47

Miami 78 - St. Mary's 64

Texas 74 - Austin Peay 54

Continue reading "NCAA Tournament - Couple of Lessons Learned"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/west_region_wrecks_everybodys.p

Well, at least wrecks most West Regionals for the Sweet 16 picks.

Western Kentucky stunned Drake on a last moment shot in overtime. Like that wasn't bad enough, just a couple of hours later San Diego toppled UConn.

The great story here is that either a 12 or a 13 seed is guaranteed a spot in the Sweet 16.

Is there any better reason than this to have this same madness for NCAA football?

Continue reading "West Region Wrecks Everybody's Brackets"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/east_regional_team_to_watch.php

Butler took care of business against South Alabama 81-61. This was a seven seed beating a ten seed so no big deal, right? They are also from less than premier conferences, so again, no big deal right?

That's why I'm here sports fans. This is a big deal and I'll tell you why.

This win by Butler places them up against Tennessee next. If you've been saving your lunch money, bet on Butler. This team is better, much better than a seven seed.

South Alabama was 26-7 and had held opponents under 70 points 21 times on the season and Butler had all but disposed of them in the first half; going in with a 17 point lead. This is an important distinction because South Alabama got to the dance on defense; fast, athletic defense.

Continue reading "East Regional Team to Watch"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/michelle_wie_withdraws_from_sa.

She was due to play her second LPGA tournament of 2008 next week. Not any more.

LOS ANGELES - Michelle Wie withdrew from the Safeway International on Friday after tweaking an injury to her left wrist during practice last week.

"I am extremely disappointed to miss the 2008 Safeway International," Wie said. "I'm so grateful to Tom Maletis and the entire tournament staff for offering me this great opportunity, and hope to be back again next year.

The 18-year-old Wie received a sponsor exemption to play in the event next week at Superstition Mountain in Arizona. She has played one tournament this year, finishing 20 strokes winner Paula Creamer in the Fields Open in Hawaii late last month.

Continue reading "Michelle Wie withdraws from Safeway"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/the_midwest_region_is_a_total.p

The higher seeded team in all four games on Friday played poorly. Yeah, that crumpled piece of paper you saw lofting across my office being chased by a stream of cursing was my bracket.

Each of these games warrants a closer look but I think the one that stands out to me was the Vanderbilt train wreck.

Siena matched up well against the Commodores and I expected a good basketball game. What I saw was a team that gave up at halftime. I went to grad school at Vandy and watching a team that I have followed for years come out so flat in the second half was disheartening.

The things that have always been the trademark of Vanderbilt basketball; discipline and perimeter shooting were both absent. Siena went to the line 25 times where they promptly sunk 88%. On the other hand the Commodores shot an amazingly horrible 20% from three-point range and 66% from the line.

Continue reading "The Midwest Region is a Total Mess"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/the_south_region_quietly_moves.

Of all of the madness from yesterday, the South regional has hardly been mentioned. That's because the higher seeded team has won every game.

While all of press is about stories like West Virginia, Siena, San Diego, etc..., the South is marching on. I know that anything can happen but barring a real upset, Texas and Memphis are on a collision course. And this folks will make the OK Corral look like a game of paper, scissors, rock.

Texas is hitting .491 from the field and .455 from the arc. Memphis is matching them with .519 and .450 respectively. They are both loaded with athleticism, speed and court smarts. Again, anything can happen but I want to see this game.

Continue reading "The South Region Quietly Moves on"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/capitals_alex_ovechkin_scores.p

At the same time Washington drew closer to a Eastern conference playoff berth. From AP-

ATLANTA - Alex Ovechkin became the NHL's first 60-goal scorer in 12 years by netting two Friday night in the Washington Capitals' comeback 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers.

Ovechkin beat goalie Kari Lehtonen in the first period and then brought the Capitals within 3-2 at 11:30 of the third period with his 60th.

No one in the NHL had hit the mark since the 1995-96 season when Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr both did it. Ovechkin's previous best was 52 goals, accomplished in his rookie season of 2005-06.

*****

Continue reading "Capitals Alex Ovechkin scores 60th goal of the season"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/finally_an_upset_in_the_south.p

Not really. A five beating a four is hardly a shocker.

The Stanford victory over Marquette was some fun basketball to watch unless you were Stanford Coach Trent Johnson. The offense for the Cardinal was hitting on all cylinders but the defense was atrocious and almost cost them the game late.

Stanford allowed 73 shots by Marquette. Any one of 28 missed shots would have won the game for the Golden Eagles.

If you want to stay in this thing, you'd better tighten that "D" Coach Johnson.

Continue reading "Finally an Upset in the South?"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/more_drama_in_the_west.php

The West Region has been and continues to be a source of intrigue in this tournament. Duke fell to seven seed West Virginia. This actually wasn't a big surprise given how Duke has played in this tournament. They apparently left their three-point shot at home.

Xavier looked very solid against Purdue and actually might be the hottest team in the West right now. Hey, my bracket is shot; I can say all kinds of crazy stuff now. Seriously though, in terms of experience, speed and balance, they match up well against anyone.

My game of the day was the UCLA - Texas A&M game. The bottom line up front is that the Aggies choked. The Bruins did not play well (maybe Duke-itis?). In fact, save for a six foot guard named Darren Collison, UCLA could have been embarrassed. Collison tossed a game high 21 points and freshman Kevin Love dominated the boards to keep the Bruins in the game.

Continue reading "More Drama in the West"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/sweet_16_the_west_is_settled.ph

The West offered its share of drama but the Sweet 16 teams are finally locked in. UCLA and Xavier shouldn't surprise anyone but who expected Western Kentucky and West Virginia?

West Virginia will no-doubt pull the patented "Bob Huggins choke" against a superior team in Xavier; so I guess that isn't a total choke. I remind you that Huggins has been to the dance 16 times and has reached the final four once in 1994 where his team was quickly dispatched.

UCLA is a different story. The Bruins performance against Texas A&M exposed some serious flaws. Western Kentucky wasn't supposed to be here, so they have nothing to lose. Also, WKU is a much better shooting team that the Aggies and unless UCLA reverses course, this could be the upset of the tournament to this point.

Continue reading "Sweet 16: The West is Settled"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/sweet_16_the_midwest_is_settle.

The Midwest was another regional that experienced a couple of interlopers into the Sweet 16 that were likely not on too many brackets. Honestly, who had Davidson and Villanova in the Sweet 16?

So, how did this happen and what does it mean for future games?

Villanova upset Clemson and then beat Siena by 12. Siena shot a blistering 37% from the field and an equally bad 66% from the line. Villanova should not expect that gift from anyone the rest of the way. This is particularly true with Kansas who may have the most balanced team in the entire tournament.

Davidson is a slightly different story however. They beat Gonzaga in the first round but a 10 seed beating a 7 seed is hardly earth-shattering news. Today, they went into halftime against Georgetown down by 11. The Hoyas responded with a total collapse in the second half and Davidson's Stephen Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half.

Continue reading "Sweet 16: The Midwest is Settled"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/sweet_16_the_south_is_settled.p

The South Regional played out pretty much as expected. We ended up with the Number one, two, three and five seeds in the Sweet 16.

How they got here however might be an indicator to future performances.

Michigan State cruised through the first round and beat Pitt by 11 in the second round. No problem for a five seed coasting into the Sweet 16.

Every other team however, had a much different experience.

Memphis barely survived a late push from Mississippi State. Stanford went to the final second against Marquette and Texas did everything possible to blow a game that they once had a 17 point lead in.

The South will be interesting because the teams are fairly well matched and all of them are talented and confident.

Continue reading "Sweet 16: The South is Settled"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/sweet_16_the_east_is_settled.ph

The East was a perfect win for the seeding committee. We have the top four seeds colliding (the only part of my bracket that is healthy). Other than a scare to Tennessee by Butler, the others have arrived here in fairly dominating fashion.

North Carolina has posted a margin of victory of 35 in the first two rounds, Washington State 25 and Louisville 28. That's cruising to most of us.

The East is a perfect bracket and as such very difficult to predict what might happen. You can't pick an upset because there really aren't any. Predicting the favorite is also fraught with peril.

For instance, North Carolina has given up more points than Washington State has scored in any game in the tournament. Couple this with WSU's stifling of Notre Dame to the tune of allowing just 41 points. Can the unstoppable offense of Carolina overcome the unsurpassable defense of Washington State?

Continue reading "Sweet 16: The East is Settled"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/tiger_woods_five_pga_tour_tour.

He finished the final round with a score of 68 or -15 for four day. With one hole to go, Geoff Ogilvy leads Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, and Jim Furyk by one shot. Woods is two behind, but Goosen and Furyk are in the clubhouse.

Due to rain both Saturday and Sunday, this weekend's WGC- CA Championship had to be finished on Sunday. Three weeks till Tiger tees it up at The Masters. Will another streak start then?

Continue reading "Tiger Woods five PGA Tour tournament winning streak is over"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/canseco_implicates_arod_of_tak.

When Jose Canseco talks, people listen.

Therein lies the problem.

Canseco's first book, "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big", rocked MLB's world with it's thunderous accusations and naming of famous names. Likely looking to capitalize on that poorly written, media-hyped piece of sun-dried tripe, Canseco is back for Round 2 with "Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball", due out April 1.

Aside from the annoyingly long title, the title also gives you something to laugh at, too: "The Battle to Save Baseball" part. It seems Canseco himself, an admitted and long-time steroid user, is attempting imply that he's somehow rescuing the game he helped to smear across the front pages and drag through the mud. And now he's here to right a wrong, rescue the game and lift up the fans. Hallelujah! We've been saved! Canseco The Savior! Just a few days after Easter, too. But hey, who's counting!

Continue reading "Canseco Implicates A-Rod of Taking 'Roids, Hitting on His Wife"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/nfl_considering_early_start_fo.

They don't want to go head to head with the Republican convention.

The NFL's Thursday night season opener will match the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants and the Washington Redskins, with the game possibly starting an hour-and-a-half earlier to avoid clashing with the Republican National Convention.

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The game is now scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 4 -- the concluding night of the Republican convention -- and will be televised by NBC. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday that the NFL is talking with the network about changing the game's starting time to 7 p.m.

McCain is guaranteed the nomination. How many people outside the media and very hardcore party members are going to be paying attention to the convention? Just leave the game where it is.

Continue reading "NFL considering early start for season opener"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/shaquille_oneal_wants_to_be_gm.

Once his playing career is over. From the Orlando Sentinel-

BOSTON - Center Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Miami Heat to the Phoenix Suns last month, but the Orlando Magic -- the team with whom he started his high-profile career -- never seem far from his thoughts.

Wednesday was no exception.

O'Neal, who was in Boston preparing to play the Celtics Wednesday night, said after a morning practice that he hopes to take over management of the Orlando Magic when he retires as a player following the 2009-10 season.

He also expects to bring Grant Hill -- former Magic player and current teammate with the Suns -- along to help him.

Continue reading "Shaquille O'Neal wants to be Orlando Magic GM"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/stick_a_fork_in_them_the_flori.

The cats lost to Atlanta last night 3-2. This defeat was the nail in the coffin for the Panthers post season playoff hopes.

Florida hasn't made the playoffs in eight years. The longest non-playoff streak in the NHL at present. Half the teams in the league make the playoffs every year, and some how Florida keeps missing the boat.

This year should have been the perfect opportunity. The Southeast Division is weak, and the conference not a whole lot stronger. Florida has the personnel to win- Tomas Vokoun in Goal and Craig Anderson is more than a solid backup, Olli Jokinen is one of the top scorers, behind him we had Nathan Horton, Jozef Stumpel, Stephen Weiss, Richard Zednik, David Booth(who I think can be a bigger scoring threat than Jokinen once he gets more experience), Rostislav Olesz and solid defensemen in Jay Bouwmeester, Bryan Allen and more.

Continue reading "Stick a fork in them- The Florida Panthers are through for 2007-08"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/opening_day_is_almost_here.php

Considering it's currently snowing outside of my office window here in Seattle, making it seem more like the end of November vs. the end of March, I just thought I'd let every one know that Atlanta and Washington kickoff the domestic version of Opening Day this Sunday night.

Heck, we barely get snow here in November/December/January let alone March. So much for global warming.

Well, Merry Christm...er, here's to great baseball season from the Great Northwest!

Continue reading "Opening Day is Almost Here?"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/arizona_pitcher_doug_davis_has.

He got biopsy results this week that resulted ina cancer diagnosis. From AP-

PHOENIX - Diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis decided he wanted to keep pitching until his April 10 operation.

And he said he expects to pitch again soon after that.

"It's going to take me down for a while but not out for good," said Davis, who spoke at a news conference after facing the Colorado Rockies in a Chase Field exhibition Friday night.

*****

Doctors discovered a lump in Davis' throat during a routine physical on Feb. 6, Davis said. On Wednesday, biopsy results revealed it to be cancerous.

Continue reading "Arizona Pitcher Doug Davis has cancer"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/woody_williams_released_by_hou.

The 41-year-old had an ERA of over 11 in spring training this year. From AP-

HOUSTON - Woody Williams was put on unconditional release waivers Saturday by the Houston Astros, who owe the pitcher $6.5 million.

The 41-year-old right-hander was 8-15 with a 5.27 ERA last season and had an 11.32 ERA in spring training this year. He gave up five runs and five hits in three innings Friday during a 10-0 exhibition loss to Detroit.

First baseman Lance Berkman questioned the timing.

"Possibly a bit premature," he said. "The game is completely different in the regular season than it is in spring training, especially from a guy like Woody who has been around the block a few times."

Continue reading "Woody Williams released by Houston, plans to retire"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/the_return_of_grace_park.php

I'm not talking about the actress on Battlestar Gallactica. From the Arizona Republic-

Back injuries have ruined Grace Park's past three seasons on the LPGA Tour, but you can always count on her to go low at least once during the Safeway International, displaying the game that once made her one of the tour's top talents.

It happened again Saturday when Park shot a bogey-free round of 65, jumping from a tie for 68th to a tie for 20th at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club at 7-under 209.

Continue reading "The return of Grace Park?"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/even_from_3000_miles_away.php

Opening Night gives me goosebumps.

No other major sport can or will ever rival Opening Night in baseball.

And the DC'ers have a beautiful new ballpark!

Continue reading "Even from 3,000 miles away..."

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/bush_throws_out_first_pitch_li.

President Bush threw out tonight's pitch to a 50% boos and 50% yeas.

To those who booed: I don't give a damn what your politics are, but this is the President of the United States. Be he (and maybe someday, she) a Republican or Democrat, he deserves your respect. Be respectful back and either a) clap, even if you don't mean it, or b) shut your yap and just stand there.

But nobody wants to hear about your political opinions at the ballpark. Period.

Continue reading "Bush Throws Out First Pitch, Liberals Respond As Expected"