Sports InsideOut

1. The Underseeded Wichita State (10 seed) This is just a disgrace.  Number 8 in the country on kenpom.com, the Shockers are way underseeded.  I think that they should have gotten a 4 or 5 seed, and that they are a 2 or 3 seed quality team.  Look for them to beat Dayton easily and then at least give Kentucky a run for their money if they don't take them out. St. Mary's (7 seed) This is another incredibly disappointing seeding. I think this team deserves a 4 seed, and a 7 seed is terrible for not only them but also for Arizona, who could have to play them in the second round (by the way, I would love to see that game, particularly the Lauri Markkanen vs. Jock Landale matchup).  Fun fact: kenpom.com ranks St. Mary's number 14 and Arizona number 20, while St. Mary's is a 7 seed and Arizona is the 2 seed in the same region. SMU (6 seed) Another horrible seed.  SMU deserves a 3 seed, and instead they could match up against Baylor and then maybe Duke in the se...

Although this season has been dominated by blue-blood programs thus far (UCLA, Kentucky, Duke Kansas, North Carolina, etc.), there are plenty of underrated teams who could steal the headlines come March.  Here are my picks to shock the world in this year's March Madness. Wichita State Gregg Marshall is going to make his 6th straight NCAA tournament this year with the Shockers, barring a massive collapse.  Many people might have thought that Wichita State couldn't do it without Fred Van Vleet and Ron Baker, who both graduated last year.  However, the Shockers are once again a really good team that is a major threat to make some noise in the NCAA tournament.  Led by a dominant defense and 6 players who score at least 7.8 points per game, Wichita State is ranked number 13 in the kenpom.com rankings (a Ken Pomeroy computer ratings system that ranks teams based on offensive and defensive efficiency).  The most amazing thing to me about this program is its consiste...

In this post, I'm going to pretend that basketball teams are stocks, and give advice on whether to buy, sell or hold.  I'm picking 5 of the most talked about and well-known teams in the country. Baylor - SELL With Villanova's loss, Baylor should move to #1 in the country, barring a loss to Oklahoma St.  While I think Baylor is really good, definitely a top 10 team, and probably a top 5 team, I don't think they are worthy of the number one spot.  They barely beat Iowa State this week at home, and don't have the elite talent that other top teams do.  While I think they are still a great team, I would sell them as the number one team in the country, because I think they are going to lose a game or two in the near future. Duke - HOLD Duke is ranked number 8 right now.  I think that they have the most talent in the country by far.  Harry Giles has looked very good in limited minutes since returning from his knee injury, and I think that if this team puts it...

College basketball is underway yet again, and there have been quite a few good games thus far.  There have also been several great performances, and a lot of changes in the rankings.  Sorry for the long post, just wanted to detail the first couple weeks of the season.  Here are some of my early season headlines: 1. Great Opening Night Opening night this year in college basketball included a number of freshman debuts, and a few surprising games, but the highlight was the Armed Forces Classic, which had two match-ups of top 12 teams at the time.  #10 Arizona and #12 Michigan State (AP rankings at the time) faced off in the first thriller.  The game wasn't one of great shooting by either team, probably due to some rust and both teams playing great defense.  This didn't stop a highlight show of dunks and great plays by MSU freshman Miles Bridges who showed his powerful strength around the rim.  However, MSU couldn't find another scorer and Arizona'...

1. Oregon is upset early. The Ducks are a good team, but in my opinion, more of a 3 seed than a one seed, although their blowout win over Utah in the PAC-12 title game was nice. The real problem for me regarding their NCAA tourney hopes is how many bad losses they have.  They have 3 losses against teams outside the top 100, and two more against teams outside the top 50.  This doesn't bode well for the NCAA tournament, as teams will only be coming after them even harder, as they are a 1 seed.  I don't think the Ducks make the Elite 8, and although they certainly are not likely to lose in the first round, and I think they almost definitely won't, but of all the 1 seeds in recent years, I think they are most likely to lose of any of them. 2.  The Big Ten has a strong showing. The Big Ten was under seeded this year, with only one team seeded 4 or higher, and teams like Indiana, Michigan St, and Iowa seeded lower than what they were projected to be seeded.  I t...

ACC Championship Game: North Carolina vs. Virginia My Projected Champ: Virginia 65-61 MVP: Malcom Brogdon I'm going with the favorites to make the final in this one.  Virginia will get the win in my opinion, as I really don't like UNC's team this year.  Yeah, they are really good, but how can you expect to contend for a national title with almost no outside shooting.  I think Virginia will cruise through their side of the bracket, and win a close one over the Heels.  The Cavaliers should be able to play a very slow pace, which is definitely the pace they want to play.  According to kenpom.com, they are the slowest paced team in the country, and are also the number one team on the site.  I may be wrong, but I don't sense a good end to the season for the Tar Heels, although their one seed in this bracket should allow them to make the final. Big 12 Championship Game: Kansas vs. Texas Tech My Projected Champ: Kansas 77-74 MVP: Devonte' Graham I did ...

1.  Vandy makes an Elite 8 run. My thinking:  Vandy is a lot better than people think.  Although they were on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament a week ago, I held faith in them and said that they could be a candidate to make the Sweet 16, despite being 16-11 and in the First Four out in Joe Lunardi's tourney bracket.  The Commodores now have a much better chance to get in, with wins this week on the road against Florida (watch this  crazy shot ), and then over Kentucky on Saturday.  These wins should put them in the tournament, barring any collapse.  Additionally, Vanderbilt is #22 on kenpom.com, which is a lot better than their projected tournament seed right now.  They have a lot of shooting talent, a top level big guy, and enough veteran leadership to get the job done. 2. Xavier doesn't make the Sweet 16. My thinking:  The Musketeers are very overrated and inconsistent. According to kenpom.com, they have been one of the ...