Don't Believe the Hype

Don’t Believe the Hype

Pick of the Day – Hoyas @ Buckeyes

Georgetown Hoyas @ Ohio State Buckeyes

Buckeyes (+1)

Saturday, March 31st – 6:07 PM ET

The #2 Seed Georgetown Hoyas will wear the away jerseys for the second straight game, as they take on the #1 Ohio State Buckeyes. Big Men, Greg Oden & Roy Hibbert go head to head, signifying one of the best Center matchups in recent memory. It should be one hell of a game!

Bottom Line: I like Geogetown, but just don’t believe the hype surrounding John Thompson III and company. He’s a great coach that has gotten the most out of his guys, but to think Hibbert is on Oden’s level is obsurd. Hibbert uses his height advantage over opponents well, but what will happen when that advantage is null? We’ll see on Saturday, and I don’t think Hoya fans will be excited about the outcome. The only way Georgetown has a chance in this one is if Jeff Green goes off, rarely missing a shot, and Greg Oden spends much of the game in foul trouble, molting on the bench. Even then, I’ll still take Ron Lewis & Mike Connely Jr to pick up the slack, and slay the Hoyas in Game 1 of the FINAL FOUR

Lucky’s Overall Record: 14-6-1

Don’t Believe the Hype: The Georgetown Hoyas are everyone’s sexy pick to slip their way into the NCAA Championship game, but I just don’t see it. Jeff Green is great, but other than him, the Hoyas lack the athletic ability and outright firepower to compete with the Buckeyes, and certainly not the Gators (Shall Florida make it past the Bruins) The guards in OSU are filthy with the ball, and clutch like a Porche. Simply put, I wouldn’t be surprised if the OSU/Hoyas game finsihed up with the Buckeyes up 15. Any team can have a bad day shooting, and Hoyas’ fans, start praying now, because that’s your only shot at sniping the Big Bad Buckeyes in the Final Four.

In other news, what in the hell is the deal with the Media always trying to kill college hoops happiness and excitement by placing Final Four Coaches into new jobs before the season is over. How can you justify even asking a coach that’s playing for a National Championship “Are you interested in the Kentucky job?” Listen, every coach should answer this question the same way. Like this: “I’m interested in coaching basketball, I love it, right now, that’s exactly what I’m doing. Every single year, when the season is over, I entertain the options that I have… After the season. At this moment, I’m one of the 4 coaches lucky enough to still be coaching, which means my season isn’t over. Right now, and as far as I can see, i’m a (INSERT TEAM NAME HERE), and I bleed (Insert Team colors here), I love these kids!” That is a rallying cry, and a speech aimed for success. With all the garbage running around JT3 and Billy Donovan, I wish I could pick up a chair (Bobby Knight-style) and huck it into the media circle… Not in my directon, of course.

ODEN's Sidekicks Kick Ass

ODEN’s Sidekicks Kick Ass

Pick of the Day – Cavaliers @ Pacers

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Indiana Pacers

Cavaliers (-2)

Tuesday, March 27th – 3:30 PM ET

Just fresh out of their home arena, and on to the road, Labron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Indiana to try and take one from the Pacers. First games on a road trip are always important, but the Pacers need wins desperately. This game should be a good one. .

Bottom Line: I think the Pacers lose a grasp on their attention span on a gamely basis. Labron has been playing very well of late, and although Jermaine O’Neal has also been playing ball at an MVP caliber over the last few weeks, his running mates just don’t seem to believe. The last time these two NBA squads went at it, the Cavs won by an 11 point margin. Tonight, I’ll take them by 8 on the road in Indy.

Lucky’s Overall Record: 13-6-1

The Final Four is set and I must say the Buckeyes & Gators look as though they are about to have a rematch of the football championship game. I’m not going to look, but I’m willing to bet that feat is very rare. If that game did take place, it would be the Gators favored this time around, and I have a feeling, the underdog would take home the hardware once again. First and foremost, neither team has easily won their latest games, and I wouldn’t be stunned if either the Buckeyes or Gators failed to make it to the final dance, but if they do, one thing’s for sure, it will be one hell of a game. With the two Florida bigs, Joakim Noah & Al Horford roaming the middle against Greg Oden, I would expect Oden to be held in check. But when pressure is placed on the shoulders of the shoulders of Ron Lewis & Mike Connely Jr they step up and do work. If I had to bet, I’d put my money on the two clutch guards taking home the hardware.

Sunday's Best

Sunday’s Best

Pick of the Day – Bulls @ Pacers

Chicago Bulls @ Indiana Pacers

Bulls (-2)

Sunday, March 25th – 3:30 PM ET

While the Pacers surely destroyed the Heat last time I picked against them (Friday) I don’t think they have two in a row in them, especially against a pretty talented and tough Bulls squad. But Check it out as the Bulls go into Indiana to battle against the Pacers in an Eastern Conference showdown.

Bottom Line: A 20 peicing of the Heat on Friday? Yep. A second win in a row against an Eastern Power? Not a chance. There’s a reason the Pacers stink this season, and its not because they get lucky often. The Bulls are 3-1 in their last 4 road games, and something tells me the Pacers won’t be much of a speed bump in the Running of the Bulls.

The Sweet 16 treated me well, as I went 3-1 during Friday’s contests. The only game I missed was the Tar Heels/Trojan game, as Carolina barely pulled away at the end, USC just couldn’t get it done in the last minute and a half, making a very close game turn into a 10 point cover by the Heels. Honestly, i thought the game was covered easiliy, but sometimes that’s what happens in hoops. But Oregon won, and tried to lose their cover late, but pulled it out with two clutch “gambling man’s” free throws with a second left. Vanderbilt & Butler both covered easily against the big bad 1 and 2 seeds, but neither got the roll with their last shot. Tomorrow i expect North Carolina to cover the 3 point spread over Georgetown while the Oregon/Florday game is too tough for me to put my money on, though I do like the money line on Oregon, but I’m not risking it. In the NBA I actually like the spread on a couple games, though. I like Detroit (-5) over Milwaukee on the road. I’ll also take the Suns (-6.5) over the Kings in Sacramento. That leaves me with the chance at 4 possible wins tomorrow. Check it out!

Fantasy Keeper League Advice; Receivers

Fantasy Keeper League Advice; Receivers

Pick of the Day – Wizards @ Sonics

Washington Wizards @ Seattle Sonics

Wizards (+4)

Wednesday, March 21st – 10:00 PM ET

The Seattle Sonics host the Washington Wizards in Sea-Town on Wednesday Night. The Sonics are above .500 at home, while the Wizards have really struggled on the road, going 11-20 thus far. Look for Antawn Jamison make his mark on this game for the Wiz.

Bottom Line: I like the Wizards in this one, if only because the Sonics shant be 4 point favorites against anyone. I know the Wiz struggle on the road, but since Jamison’s return, Washington has been playing pretty solid basketball, something Seattle has forgotten how to play. Gilbert Arenas is still having problems with his on again off again shooting stroke, but every single top flight point guard in the league seems to have their best game against Seattle. That being said, I see the Wiz pulling this out on the roade, for only their 12th win away this season. The Wiz are only 5-4 in their last 9, but lost those 4 games by a total of 8 points, never once losing by more than 3. So take the Wiz with the spread, they’ve made that bet safe over their last 9 games.

Fantasy Keeper League Advice; Receivers: First of all don’t forget to check out my NCAA Tournament Bracket as I stil have 11 of the 16 teams left. Now for the good stuff. I know many Dynasty (full roster) Keeper League’s are being drafted right now, and one ridiculous theme I’ve seen holding true in many drafts is 30+ year old receivers really tumbling down draft boards. In one league I drafted, Brandon Marshall went a couple rounds ahead of Hines Ward, and 10 picks before Darrell Jackson. It wasn’t just a one time thing, as players like Joey Galloway, TJ Housmandzadeh, and Torry Holt are getting picked way below their value, and TJ’s only 29. So, listen to me closely, take full advantage of the ignorance or wide receiver age. Remember, picking a 30 year old receiver is like taking a 27 year old running back, that’s how many years you have left, 3 to 4. It’s not rocket science, running backs free fall from 30 to 31 and receivers often play past 35, but 34 is still a pretty productive year for receivers (see Marvin Harrison). Don’t be afraid to take receivers who are aging, but don’t expect to get 3 more productive seasons from a 34 year old either. Be smart with age, but don’t overdo it and start taking players who have “future” over guys who are “Pro Bowlers”. In one league, I have TJ, Ward, D-Jack, Galloway, (16 team league, none selected before the 4th round) and a couple young guys like Mark Bradley (highly underrated with Mushin slowing down) and Bryant Johnson near the end of the 20 round draft. Don’t forget about age in full roster keeper leagues, but then again, don’t let it run your draft, either. Get the value! That’s always rule #1!

Quick Picks

Quick Picks

Pick of the Day – Miami @ Pacers

Miami Heat @ Indiana Pacers

Heat (-2.5)

Friday, March 23rd – 7:00 PM ET

The drooping Pacers host the suddenly solid Heat in and Eastern Conference battle in Indiana on Friday Night. Shaquille O’Neal looks to continue his recent dominance while the other O’Neal, Jermaine, looks to carry his Pacers to a home win.

Bottom Line: I’ve got to be honest, if the Heat were 10 point favorites in this one, I’d rather take them than the Pacers. Indiana has been terrible. In fact, I wouldn’t bet on them straight up against The Ohio State Buckeyes… Football team. Strong statement, sure, but I hear Troy Smith can get buckets.

The Sweet 16 doesn’t often have blowouts. For tonights’ NCAA games, I like the underdogs to cover, aside from the Oregon games, as I expect them to win and cover against UNLV.

NCAA Tourney; Finally Getting It Right

NCAA Tourney; Finally Getting It Right

Pick of the Day – Kings @ Hawks

Sacramento Kings @ Atlanta

Hawks (+3.5)

Monday, March 19th – 7:00 PM ET

While I never feel safe betting on the Atlanta Hawks, sometimes the money is right, and you just have to take the plunge. Atlanta hosts an underachieving Sacramento Kings team in Atlanta tonight, looking to make it 5 home wins in a row. Look for Josh Smith to keep his team close with his elite athleticism.

Bottom Line: Surely, both these teams have had their struggles, but lately its been the Kings scraping the bottom of the NBA sewer. Ron Artestis busy beating and God knows what to dogs and girlfriends alike. And to make matters worse, the Kings still sucked when Ron-Ron was gone, and they have sucked even more since he came back. The Hawks on the other hand, have won 4 of their last 6 and look to make it 5 home wins in a row tonight. Any other foe in the NBA, I’d say the Hawks get too excited and blow it, but with the Kings in town, the nickel spot seems like easy cookin’.

NCAA Tourney; Finally Getting It Right The NCAA Tournament hasn’t had the huge upsets that the Big Dance usually has, but there’s a very good reason for that. Finally, after years and years of expecting smaller conferences to suck it up come Tourney Time, the NCAA Tourney Committee finally pulled their heads out from their collective butts and started seeding teams based one how well they play basketball instead of how well they’re known by the public. Sure, there’s been some mistakes in seeding, but overall, this is the best seeding job I’ve seen. Teams like Butler & Southern Illinois finally got their high seeds, while big conference junkies like Arizona, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Villanova, etc. received bottom half seeds, right where they belonged. If anything, college basketball has learned from Team USA’s struggles in Olympic competition. A team full of the best players in the world just can’t take home the gold anymore. First, they’ll have to learn to play as a team. In college hoops, all the grandest talent funnels into the Pac 10, ACC, Big 10, SEC, but that doesn’t mean all the best teams reside in Big Conference Programs. Basketball is a team sport, and if 7 guys can put fourth the effort and believe in a system, they always have a chance to beat the best talent in the world. That’s something that makes College Hoops great; the best players don’t always beat the best teams. For once, Nice job tourney committee. By the way, I still has 11 of the 16 NCAA Teams left in my bracket. Not too shabby.

Bracket Bums

Bracket Bums

Round 1

MIDWEST

Florida 1
——————–Florida 1
Jackson State 16
———————————-Florida 1

Arizona 8
——————–Purdue 9
Purdue 9
——————————————Florida 1

Butler 5
——————–Butler 5
Old Dominion 12
———————————Maryland 4

Maryland 4
——————–Maryland 4
Davidson 13

—————————————————Florida 1

Notre Dame 6
——————–Winthrop 11
Winthrop 11
———————————-Oregon 3

Oregon 3
——————–Oregon 3
Miami (Ohio) 14
——————————————-Oregon 3

UNLV 7
——————–Georgia Tech 10
Georgia Tech 10
——————————Georgia Tech 10

Wisconsin 2
——————–Wisconsin 2
Texas A&M CC 15

WEST

Kansas 1
——————–Kansas 1
Play-In-Game 16
———————————Kansas 1

Kentucky 8
——————–Villanova 9
Villanova 9
——————————————Kansas 1

Virginia Tech 5
——————–Virginia Tech 5
Illinois 12
——————————Southern Illinois 4

Southern Illinois 4
——————–Southern Illinois 4
Holy Cross 13

———————————————————-UCLA 2

Duke 6
——————–Duke 6
VCU 11

——————————–Duke 6

Pittsburgh 3
——————–Pittsburgh 3
Wright State 14
——————————————-UCLA 2

Indiana 7
——————–Gonzaga 10
Gonzaga 10

———————————-UCLA 2

UCLA 2
——————–UCLA 2
Weber State 15

EAST

North Carolina 1
——————–North Carolina 1
Eastern Kentucky 16
——————————North Carolina 1

Marquette 8
——————–Marquette 9
Michigan State 9
——————————————–North Carolina 1

Southern Cal 5
——————–Southern Cal 5
Arkansas 12
———————————-Texas 4

Texas 4
———————–Texas 4
New Mexico St. 13

—————————————————North Carolina 1

Vanderbilt 6
——————–Vanderbilt 6
George Washington 11
———————————-Vanderbilt 6

Washington State 3
——————–Washington State 3
Oral Roberts 14
———————————————–Georgetown 2

Boston College 7
——————–Boston College 7
Texas Tech 10
——————————-Georgetown 2

Georgetown 2
——————–Georgetown 2
Belmont 15

WEST

Ohio State 1
——————–Ohio State 1
C. Conn St. 16
———————————Ohio State 1

BYU 8
——————–Xavier 9
Xavier 9
——————————————–Ohio State 1

Tennessee 5
——————–Tennessee 5
Long Beach 12
——————————Virginia 4

Virginia 4
——————–Virginia 4
Albany 13

———————————————————-Texas A&M 3

Louisville 6
——————–Stanford 11
Stanford 11

——————————–Texas A&M 3

Texas A&M 3
——————–Texas A&M 3
Penn. 14
——————————————-Texas A&M 3

Nevada 7
——————–Creighton 10
Creighton 10

———————————-Memphis 2

Memphis 2
——————–Memphis 2
North Texas 15

NCAA Championship:
North Carolina Tarheels 1 over the UCLA Bruins 2

Snub Me in the Face

What Are They Thinking?

Pick(S) of the Day – Mavs @ Warriors & Rockets @ Suns

Dallas Mavericks @ Golden State Warriors

Mavericks (-6)

Monday, March 12th – 10:30 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks are trying to make an amazing run to 70 wins while the recently “smashed by the Blazers yesterday” Golden State Warriors see if they can’t act as some sort of poorly shaped road block on the Mavs free-way path. Baron Davis is back playing ball, so the Warriors are better, but do that have a chance?

Bottom Line: The Mavericks are too damn good to lose to the Warriors, I don’t care if Michael “Air” Scottie Abdul Jabbar found his way into a Warrior jersey. After getting 20 peiced by the Trailblazers, of all teams, yesterday, I can’t expect much of a fight coming from the Golden State. Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard have been unreal for a Mavericks team that has lost less games in their last 40 contests than they lost in their first 4 games of the season. Both teams played last night, but the Mavs felt fine resting their starters as they destroyed the Lakers by 36, while the Warrior got handled by the terrible Blazers. This game should be fun.

Houston Rockets @ Phoenix Suns

Suns (-6)

Monday, March 12th – 10:00 PM ET

The Phoenix Suns come into this home game with the Houston Rockets getting 3 days rest after their most recent 4 game win streak. During the streak, the Suns have looked beatable, so the Rockets look to take advantage of a struggling Suns team in this one.

Bottom Line: I will be surprised if a Rockets team that just won a smash mouth physical game against the Magic yesterday, can come back in one day and stay with a rested run and gun Suns team in Phoenix. Amare Staudamire will have his way with Yao and the rest of Houston’s so called Big Men, while Steve Nash and guard company will happily take advantage of Houstons inability to get out to the 3 point line and guard shooters. Look for Houston to shoot their way out of this contest early, even with T-Mac going off with the licence to shoot whenever he wants. I don’t expect this one to be close.

Snub Me in the Face?: Why don’t you just punch my dog right in the ovaries? That’s how the best team not in the Dance feels right now. And who is that team you ask? Well, the Florida State Seminoles, that’s who. FSU’s ability to beat the best teams in the best conference in the Nation should have gotten them a bid to the Big Dance. I know there’s teams out there that deserve to be in the Big Show more than Illinois, Xavier, and definitely Arkansas, like Air Force easily, as not only did they have a winning record against the top 100, (7-5) but they were ranked all year long, while faltering at the end. And surely Syracuse deserves a look, if not an invite, because they beat teams like Georgetown, Villanova, and Marquette on way to an 8-8 record against the Top 100. Surely both those squads are better than Illinois’ 1-6 against the top 25 and Arkansas’ 7-9 SEC record. Yikes. But truly, can you name a team that won 20 games, beat Florida, Duke, Maryland, and Virginia Tech, and had 4 losses to Boston College(two times) Virginia, and Clemson by a combined total of 9 points, and didn’t make the Tourney. Hell, I think the Seminoles deserve a better seed than the Blue Devils. Sure, FSU finished 7-9 in conference, but hell, that got Arkansas in, and who did the Razorbacks beat? Exactly. And they were in the SEC for God’s sake. Did I mention Al Thorton, kid is a beast. It’s too bad, really. Hey, committee… Pull hard at the shoulders, maybe that will get your heads out of your butts! But hey, they didn’t get to the final in their Tourney, they just lost a good game to the best team in the country in the semi-finals. I’m not here to say any conference is better than any other conference, but the ACC is way the hell better than the SEC. In fact, it’s the best conference out there. So, ugh, I guess I am here to say it, but good luck arguing with me, because I’m right about this one.

2007 NFL Mock Draft by Lucky Lester

While I’ve read a couple absolutely ridiculous Mock Drafts, right now anyone’s set of picks is worth a shot, I guess. However, I’d like to think I have a little more rationale when it comes to this type of thing, so pay attention to something my peers seem to lack, a bit of reason to go with every selection. For now, without any research on who anyone is talking to, interviews, or any other garbage, these picks make sense to me, based on needs, off-season trends, and team draft trends. Here ya go… Enjoy.

  1. Oakland Raiders:
  2. Detroit Lions:
  3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
  4. Cleveland Browns:
  5. Arizona Cardinals:
  6. Washington Redskins:
  7. Minnesota Vikings:
  8. Houston Texans:
  9. Miami Dolphins:
  10. Atlanta Falcons:
  11. San Francisco 49ers:
  12. Buffalo Bills:
  13. St. Louis Rams:
  14. Carolina Panthers:
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers:
  16. Green Bay Packers:
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars:
  18. Cincinnati Bengals:
  19. Tennessee Titans:
  20. New York Giants:
  21. Denver Broncos:
  22. Dallas Cowboys:
  23. Kansas City Chiefs:
  24. New England Patriots (via Sea):
  25. New York Jets:
  26. Philadelphia Eagles:
  27. New Orleans Saints:
  28. New England Patriots:
  29. Baltimore Ravens:
  30. San Diego Chargers:
  31. Chicago Bears:
  32. Indianapolis Colts:

PICK of the DAY

PICK of the DAY

Pick of the Day – Mountaineers @ Cardinals

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Louisville Cardinals

Cardinals (-3.5)

Thursday, March 8th – 7:00 PM ET

Looking to punch their ticket to the Big Dance, the Mounties came out firing last night, hitting a conference tourney record 17 threes in a rout. Today, the get to duel it out with the red hot Cardinals. What a game.

Bottom Line: The Mountaineers won’t stand a chance in this NCAA showdown. One thing that often happens after a record setting shooting spree, the record team slows down in the next game. It happens everywhere, and I hope it doesn’t kick the Mounties out fo the big dance, but the best team here is Louisville, and they are hot. Not only will they win this one, they’ll push it all the way to their conference championship on the way to a nice Big Dance showing. Rick Patino knows how to coach them kids, never doubt that.