Mook vs Tourney Picks

Are you filling out a bracket?
Who do you have in the Final Four?

Whether you like College Basketball or not, you may be filling out a bracket. In fact, you may not even like sports or know what the bracket is for, but you're still filling one out.

i asked my wife if she would fill one out and she said "But i don't know any of the teams"

It doesn't matter really. In fact, it is often the person who has no clue who beats the person who studies and studies the bracket.

Some people- like my friend Ben- picks team based on the mascot, who he thinks would win if they got into a fight.

One year, i had a friend pick based on the most Christian (though not necessarily Christian schools). She had Temple vs Holy Cross in the Final. And she had the Duke Blue devils (#1 overall) losing in the first round...

Others may pick based on favorite colors... or maybe if they have friends who went to a school (i've done that for tie-breakers).

And of course, they give you the seedings, and if you just pick the favorite every time, you'll do pretty well... but you won't get them all right.

And somtimes, those people win it all.


But picking your bracket isn't just luck. There is some skill.
So, here are some tips

First of all the easiest/best way is to watch every game and study everything... but who has time to do that. Not even the so-called "Experts" do- which is why they get so much wrong... but the more exposure you have, the better...  Still, this is just for fun... but the most fun is winning it all.

i have been pretty good at picking bracktes, though sometimes my loyalties get me in trouble.
So, here are my tips

1. Pick your Final Four first.
     You get more points in further rounds. So, you want to be too daring with the teams at the end. Picking upsets will get you some bragging rights at the beginning, but is quite risky when you're risking big points at the end

2. Think thru your top teams first, list them all out... then look at the match-ups. Match-ups of course are important. A team could beat 63 teams in tourney, but the wrong match-up and they're done.

Ranking the teams

1. Coaching/programs
    College sports is more about the coach than the players. That's why the players aren't paid and the coaches get paid millions. There are just some coaches that always win in the tourney and others who just can't coach in the tournament. Some will eventually get their break, but...
for the record, some of the best include
    a. Tom Izzo
    b. Rick Pitino
    c. Tubby Smith (not in this year)
    d. Rick Majerus (not in this year)
    others: Steve Fisher (even if folks say he can't coach), Matt Painter, Steve Lavin... and though i hate to admit it... Coach K

2. A Super-star to carry a team
   Miles Simon, Christian Laetnner, Carmelo, John Wallace, Bryce Drew, Stephen Curry, Magic, Larry Bird... these are the legends...
   This year? Jimmer... Kemba... Sullinger

3. Guard-play... especially the point guard
   You got to avoid turn-overs... you will face pressure... You need someone who can handle the ball and distribute the ball... and who can defend the ball

3b. Shooters
    Since your best shooters are normally your guards, and you good guard play means shooting well, i'll put this as 3b... b/c other people need to shoot well too. You need to be able to hit shots- not just dunks and drives. And 3 point shooting comes up BIG in the tourney. Teams tend to live & die by the 3... look for good 3-pt shooting teams to advance to the sweet 16... then run dry

4. Team Defense
    Offense gets all the play, but defense wins championships... always, in all sports

5. Senior Leadership
    You don't get much of this anymore, but it is still vital. Senior tend to be more hungry, but also more composed. They hit their free-throws, they cover their assignments, they block out, they don't turn the ball over or make stupid mistakes... and they lead!


6. Midwest is Best
    i am biased... but teams from the midwest tend to be more about the fundamental and more tough... which means, better shooters, better defense, better team play


7. Record... especially in the last 3 weeks
   It doesn't really matter if you play an easy schedule, you still have to win. And winning a lot produces a culture of winning. You get used to winning. And if a team has built up some momentum, all the better


Bracket tips

1. a 12 seed always beats a 5 seed. Always! It has happened 23 out of 26 years. That is crazy.
2. 7/10 seeds will likely split... and one or two of those teams will beat the #2 seed
3. 8/9 is a draw. There will be some really good teams there... and really could be one of the top 12 teams, but beating a #1 is hard
4. At least one 10 seed or lower will make it to the sweet 16... usually it seems like a 12 vs 13 happens in rd 2
5. Make a couple set of picks..


i will be making a couple different set of picks... but
here is the one i'll share here

Final Four
1. Purdue
2. Ohio St
3. Pit
4. UConn
Elite 8
5. L'ville
6. MSU
7. Duke
8. Washington
Sweet 16
9. BYU
10. SanDiego State
11. Kansas
12. Notre Dame
13. Xavier
14. Arizona
15. K-St
16. Princeton


i'm least sure about Arizona & K-st - they're both 5 seeds... i could see Wisconsin, Belmont or K-St... and maybe even Utah St getting that spot in the Southwest... they're all good & all have their faults...

i don't like Princeton that much (though i do think Harvard had a case for an at-large bid). And i don't really want to put Notre Dame in there( but that is more of a i don't like Notre Dame thing).

While people say the Southwest is the easiest bracket, i think it is one of the most difficult. i already talked about the 4/5/12/13 seeds. but...
i really like St Johns, but i like BYU better. i really like BYU, but i like MSU better-slightly. i would have been content with any of those 3 in my Elite 8

i actually also would have picked Butler or Old Dominion for the Sweet 16... but they play each other, then Pit... yes, in that bracket, i rate them like this (Overall): Pit (3), MSU(5), BYU (6), Butler (11), St Johns (12), Old Dominion (14), Wisc (15), K-St (17), Belmont (20)... oh and Florida, the #2 seed (my 32).

Mook vs the Bracktes

As a Purdue fan, I’m pretty happy with our seeding.

It is a pretty tough bracket for Kansas… some real good teams in there… but I’m not afraid of any of them as a Purdue fan.

As a fan of upsets, I’m a lil upset. I don’t like Belmont drawing Wisconsin… I don’t like Butler & Old Dominion playing in the 1^st round or the fact they and George Mason got the hated 8/9 seeds.

MSU as a ten seed who’d have to play an over-seeded Florida looks poised to make another run…

·      Colorado has a legitimate gripe- if UAB, Clemson, Georgia get in

·      I don’t know how Georgia is a ten seed and Bama is not in at all

·      Though I wouldn’t take any of those teams…

·      If I were picking

o   OUT: Georgia, Clemson, UAB, USC

o   IN: Milwaukee, Harvard, Valpo, St Mary’s

o   My First Four Out: Colorado, CSU, Missouri St, Clev St

·      Toughest games for me to pick

o   Wisc vs Belmont

§  I like Wisc as a sweet 16, but Belmont was my first round upset pick

§  K-st/Utah St vs Wisc/Belmont… this is what makes the pick so hard… I could see any of those 4 teams in the sweet 16… well, I could see the 12 & 13 teams both pulling upsets in rd 1… and if they’re playing in rd 2, one of those teams will make it…

o   BYU vs St Johns, BYU/St Johns vs MSU

§  MSU is getting to the sweet 16, can they make it all the way to 8…

§  I like Steve Lavin & Gene Keady to make it to the sweet 16…

§  but this whole year I have been touting Jimmer to carry his team… and while losing Davies hurts, I still want to pick them to the sweet 16 at least

§  I think St John’s got screwed, they should have been a 5 seed at least

o   L’ville vs Kansas (Rd 3)

§  I don’t think Kansas will lose so quickly this year, there is still a lot of talent there, I don’t have them in the final four, but I think they’ll be motivated… but I always pick Pitino’s teams to get to the Elite 8 or Final Four

o   SD St vs UConn (Rd 3)

§  I want to pick Steve Fisher and SD st to the final 8, and I want to pick UConn to the Final 8… one is going to lose… and the other will make the Final Four

·      Teams most screwed

o   8/9 seeds suck. I would rather be a 10 or 11 or 12

§  Butler: first they play Old Dominion, then they’d play Pit

§  George Mason: they win and have to play Ohio St

§  Old Dominion: see Butler

§  Michigan/Tenn  too

o   St Johns: a 6 seed? Playing Gonzaga first… then BYU

o   Texas as a 4 seed: I don’t like Texas, but they deserved better

·      Generous seedings

o   Florida as a 2, while Kentucky is a 4… I thought they’d both be 3’s… with Kentucky getting the edge

o   WV as a 5, while St johns is a 6

o   Penn St as a ten… I thought they were a bubble team

o   Georgia is a ten, I didn’t think they deserved to be in at all!

·      Interesting match-ups

o   Illinois could play UNLV, then Kansas… coached by former coach Lon Kruger and the guy who took over former coach Bill Self

o   Memphis is coached by former Arizona coach

o   Kentucky vs Princeton matches fast vs slow

o   Temple and Penn st play for pride of Pennsylvania

o   Notre Dame vs Purdue in rd 3 a rivalry in Indiana, that Notre Dame has been avoiding

o   Louisville vs Kansas, 2 top programs (rd 3)

·      If it were me I’d create the bracket with match-ups in mind

·      1^st rd games I’m most interested in

o   Purdue vs St Peters (of course)

o   Kentucky vs Princeton

o   Butler vs old Dominion

o   St Johns vs Gonzaga

o   UCLA vs MSU

o   Texas vs Oakland

o   Syracuse vs ISU

o   Richmond vs Vandy

o   Michigan vs Tenn

o   Wisc vs Belmont

o   Arizona vs Memphis

i'll be back with predictions tomorrow

Mook vs Selection Sunday

Get excited.

Today is Selection Sunday.

What is Selection Sunday?

Well, it should be a holiday. It should be marked in calendars.

It is mine.

Selection Sunday is the day the brackets are produced. It is the day when certain teams are selected to play in the NCAA tournament, also known as March Madness. And others are not.

It is a particulary fun day for teams on the Bubble and small schools.

The Bubble are teams that may or may not make the tourament. Usualy there are a good ten teams on the bubble with 4-5 making the tourney and 4-5 missing the tourney.

It can all be seen on CBS.

It is also the day seedings are finally revealed and match-ups are made.

We know certain teams will be in, what we don’t know is what they will be seeded. And though we have a good idea about some seedings, we still have no idea who will be placed in which region and what the match-ups will be….

It is a day that creates heart-aches and a day which creates head-aches… as we all try to pick our brackets.

I always have a list of teams I think should make it to the Final Four and Elite 8 and Sweet 16, well before the brackets are produced… but it is rare the seedings work out for me… L

It will be interesting to see what will happen today.

ISU and Butler are in because they won their conference championships… but where will they be seeded?

How about a team like Belmont?

Will anyone else from the Horizon get in?

Personally, I think

·      Valpo

·      Milwaukee

·      Virg Cm

·      Missouri St

·      St Mary’s

Should all get in

And teams like

·      Va Tech

·      Clemson

·      Georgia

·      Bama

·      Colorado

Should be left out

One reason people love the College Basketball Tourney is everyone gets a chance (unlike College Football).

But there is still a bias towards the top conferences and big schools.

Sometimes deservedly so.

But if teams play a good enough schedule, they will get seeded high (like BYU & SD st this season) but if not, they’ll still barely make it or be on the Bubble (like Utah St or Missouri St).

We’ll see what happens today.

Big East should dominate, B1G (BigTen) should get a number of teams too. I don’t think the ACC or SEC should get many, but they probably will. The Colonial (Old Dominion, George Mason, Virg Commonwealth) and Horizon (Butler, Milwaukee, Valpo, Clev St) should get more, but not get many. Atlantic10 at points moved into the upper echelon, but likely will be stuck with 3 seeds, but probably doesn’t deserve more either.

I’m hoping for brackets that can produce a Final Four of

1.     Purdue

2.     Ohio St

3.     Pit

4.     BYU or Louisville

And an Elite 8 of

5.     BYU/L’ville

6.     MSU

7.     UConn

8.     SD St

And a sweet 16 that could include

a bunch of small schools like Butler, OD, GM, Zaga, Richmond, ISU, Belmont…

March Maddness has already been MADD

I turned on the last 3 minutes to see St Johns and Rutgers and saw a crazy finish with the worst officiating ever. I saw the last few seconds of UConn vs Pit, which ended with a shot at the buzzer by Kemba Walker. Then last night saw the last 4 minutes of Washington and Arizona, which ended in a barrage of 3-pointers by Washington to get them to over-time, then a 3pointer by Arizona to tie it with just a few seconds in OT… before Isaiah Thomas nailed a jumper as time expired to win… Yes, it was a crazy week! And we haven’t even started!

I can’t wait!

Mook vs MSU

Losing TWO straight to end the season is never a good way to start the tournament season. Especially, when they are to two subpar teams.

One and Done in the Big Ten Conference Championship, i hope that is not a sign of things to come for the Boilermakers.

Purdue has gone from a potential #1 seed to a potential #4 seed in a week.
Seriously.
How does that happen?
Well, you lose to one of the worst teams in the nation in Iowa. And you don't show up in the conference championships.
A win against Iowa and they are #4... they get to the championship game against Ohio st and they probably have the #1 seed after Notre Dame lost already.

Now?
Well, UConn has gone from a #5 seed to a potential #2 seed with wins over Georgetown, Pitt & Syracuse. The fact those games were close will make them seem even better.
The Big East is proving how good they are.
Meanwhile the ACC looks WEAK. 3 teams in may be generous. (Still they'll probably get 5).
BIG10? Well #2 &#3 lost, #1 barely won, and that Illinois team which was supposed to be good in the preseason looks more and more like an NIT team...but i still think the B1G is perhaps the toughest league...

So, instead of being #4... they may be a #4 seed. And the way teams have been playing this year i think a #13 seed will beat a #4 seed this year. (i think teams seed 8-13 are all pretty even).


The game may have shown more of how good Michigan State is than how bad Purdue is.
MSU is one of those teams i never count out come tourney time. And though they looked like a borderline bubble team, they look like they're definitely in now.
And that they could be a team to be reckoned with.

Don't let their record fool you.
Their losses include
1. UConn (by 3 on neutral court)
2. Duke (by 5 at Duke)
3. Syracuse (in NY)
4. Texas
5. @ Ohio st
6. 2 losses to Purdue
7. @ wisconsin (Where no one wins)
8. and 2 close losses to a Michigan team that looks like a tough tourney team too.

Kalin Lucas has been healing all season.
Korie Luscious was kicked off the team and they had to adjust.
And they are historically a team who does better in the tourney than the regular season.
They still have Lucas, Draymond Green & Durrel Summers... and let's not forget: Tom Izzo

Depending on match-ups i have them at least going to the Elite 8
(Purdue, Ohio st, BYU, Pit, L'ville, MSU, SD St, UConn, Butler, St Johns, Duke & Kansas are my top 12... followed by an A-10 team, a Colonial team, K-St, Wisconsin...)

Mook vs the Miami crybabies

"The Miami Heat are exactly what everyone wanted, losing games," ... "The world is better now because the Heat is losing." ~ Dwyane Wade

After their loss to the Bulls (Which was followed by a loss to the Blazers, giving them 5 straight losses before beating the Lakers last night), Coach Eric Spolestra admitted players were in the locker room crying.

Why he would say that I don’t know.

But Dwyane Wade’s quote confirms it anyway.

Hey look, you guys may not be the biggest jerks in the world. You were just three friends who wanted to play together and work together – and who could blame you for that?

But fans don’t like you.

You egged the nation against you afterwards.

And if you don’t like it now- too bad.

I feel bad for you… but I don’t.

The thing is, if you would have come out right away and said you wanted to play together, people would have loved it. They would have appreciated friends wanting to be together. Instead, you made the free agency period a circus. You led teams & fans on. And took video cameras with you.

You didn’t care about the fan. You showed no humility. You brought these things upon yourself.

If you lose this season, then everyone will forget. And then, after you win next season, everyone will love you again.

As for your team…

·      Who really cares about the regular season

·      3 players don’t make a team, and it is showing

·      Losing so many close games, can’t be a good sign

·      Maybe LeBron really can’t close games and is not a winner

As for crying…

·      Be a man

·      Cry in the playoffs, not the regular season

·      Cry because you win, not because you lose.

·      Is this really the worst thing in the world?

As Tom Hanks is infamously known for saying in "A League of their own" 

"Are you crying?... There's no crying in baseball!"

And it should be that in every sport

Do any of you wish you were playing in Chicago with D Rose & Jokiam Noah? Young, talented, winners… they look tough.

Knicks still need another player or two

Celtics still have to be the favorites

Orlando has the best big man, so they can’t be counted out.

And why does everyone forget about Atlanta? 3 on 3 they’d be about as tough to beat as the Heat. I’d take Joe Johnson, Josh Smith & Al Hoford

Man, why do I even care about the NBA?

Mook vs Derron Williams

It has been 2 weeks since the big trade and I haven’t had a chance to write about it.

When I saw the trade I couldn’t believe it.

It just came out of nowhere.

It was a big-time player… and it was the same package almost given up for Carmelo…

Smart move by Utah or crazy move

·      They jumped on the opportunity to build their future, they saw what ew Jersey was offering and seized it - SMART

·      They get 2 and maybe 3 lottery picks + a former all-star. That’s how you rebuild a team - SMART

·      I’m not too sold on Favors, and people are saying this next draft is weak… so it could be risky - CRAZY

·      They were still in the play-off hunt… and Derron Williams is a superstar who could take them pretty far – CRAZY

·      The current roster was good, really good even- but were they good enough to win it all? That’s the whole point isn’t it? Good enough to make the playoffs isn’t the goal - GOOD

·      They should have unloaded Kirlienko in the deal… Provako may have taken on the Russian, they need to unload his contract… and it could have been a good move for him too – Un Smart

Derron Williams is better than Carmelo

For New Jersey, they wanted a superstar and they got him.

But what now?

They gave up their future for one player. Who will they get for Derron Williams to pass to? He needs another player. Brook Lopez is a good center, but not the type of scorer/force you need to win.

Still, the NBA is a super-star league and Derron Williams is a superstar.

Now, that he is out of Utah, the world will see it

In my mind, it now goes

1.     Kevin Durrant

2.     LeBron

3.     Dwight Howard

4.     Derron Williams (tie)

5.     Chris Paul (tie)

6.     Derrick Rose (though he is this season’s MVP)

7.     Kobe

Followed by in some order…

Dwyane Wade a pretty good talent if he stays healthy

Blake Griffin amazing, but young

A’mare & Dirk are big guys who can score

Russel Westbrook & Rajon Rondo… young PG’s

Paul Pierce & KG… old vets in Boston

Steve Nash… 2-time mvp

Joe Johnsno & Josh Smith… underappreciated in Atlanta

K Love… double-double machine

Duncan & Ginobli… winners in San Antonio

Gasol & Oden… would be superstars anywhere else...

In other trades, i was surprised the Clippers would trade Baron Davis for Mo Williams... + they gave them a draft pick. Davis has had his problems, but he's great when he wants to be, and he seemed to be clicking with Blake... couldn't they get more from a high draft pick?

Mook vs Jim Tressel

Jim Tressel.

Sigh


You're supposed to be a man of God. A man of integrity.

There is no integrity in what you have expressed. There is no repentance, no admission of wrong.
And there is the issue of what you did.
You concealed truth. You did not honor your contract.
You were supposed to report this... and didn't.

"Tressel's contract, which pays him an estimated $3.5 million per season, requires that he report any -- the word "any" is underlined in the contract -- possible rules or legal infractions immediately."

 And when questioned, you said you were protecting the players. Really? How?

The truth is you thought you could get away with it.

And you did!

Crap.

What a lousy system the NCAA is.

After a week when BYU took a stand and kicked off a player for violating the honor code... Ohio st looked the other way.

Tressel seems like a stand-up guy.
And so, we don't want to lump in with Butch Davis or John Calipari. But he is a cheater.
His teams have been filled with cheaters.

But the NCAA likes that Ohio St makes money.

Jim Treseel won't miss the money he is fined.
The team won't miss him or the players suspended.

Ohio St, well, they just let Tressel and the players get away with it.

i guess if you win, it doesn't matter if you cheat or don't honor your contract.

Why can't he just admit he made a mistake?

for more
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6191585

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=6195223
From his character-based books to his conservative sweater vests, Tressel wanted us to believe that he's a straight shooter who follows the rules.
On Tuesday night, we learned Tressel isn't any different from a lot of coaches in college football. He's apparently more concerned about winning games and championships than following rules and doing things the right way.
In fact, Tressel might be even worse than other coaches who are corrupting college athletics. He won't admit he's wrong even after he has been caught.
Facing the biggest crisis of his career, Tressel never once apologized for knowingly breaking NCAA rules during a news conference on the Ohio State campus on Tuesday night. Worse, Tressel never owned up to not telling his bosses or NCAA investigators that he was aware that at least two of his players might have accepted improper benefits from the owner of a tattoo parlor in Columbus, Ohio.

When Tressel was asked if he was worried the scandal would tarnish his reputation, he said he's always been his biggest critic.
"I don't think less of myself at this moment," Tressel said.
How's that for looking in the mirror?

Mook vs Iowa/Purdue

When i saw Purdue was playing Iowa, i didn't even care anymore. i wasn't going to check if they were on tv, i wasn't going to worry about checking the score. i wasn't going to bother. It was in the bag.

Apparently, the Boilers felt the same way... and thus... a major letdown.

Even when i stumbled upon the game and saw it was tied at half-time, i didn't care... Purdue will take over in the 2nd half... but then i looked to see if there were any upsets going on... and sure enough, there was... with 3:34 left in the game i turned on ESPN3 to watch the end of the game.

And it was a disaster.
Purdue did not look poised.
Smooge was nowhere to be seen.
And the shots looked ugly.
Iowa got the bounces they needed, and Purdue couldn't complete a comeback.
And the Iowa faithful stormed the court.

It's kinda nice to be good enough that when a team beats you the fans storm the court...

but this may have been more about how awful Iowa had been. It was their first win over a ranked opponent in 3 years... and only their 4th big10 win all season.
So, though Iowa had played Ohio st and Wisconsin tough- this was a game Purdue should have won.

Some thoughts - based on the last 3:34

1. Again, i don't understand why they were shooting so many 3-pointers at the end of the game- much like the Minnesota game. At least against Minnesota you could say they had some big big men.
But it's just like they panic and feel they need to come back quickly. They were only down 4 and had 3+ minutes! They should not have settled for permiter shots, let alone 3-pointers. They could have scored quickly. They could have been poised, calm, confident, relaxed- and put all the pressure on Iowa

2. It's a bit hard to blame them for those shots though- because they were wide open. Most shots were not rushed. They often made the extra pass. But they just weren't hitting. And that's scary. For this team to advance, they need to be able to hit the open shot

3. It shouldn't matter though- because they got JJ.
JJ should be big10 player of the year. If he played in the Big East, he would have been a staple highlight on ESPN and a lottery pick last year. They need to give him the ball and let him take over. They let E'twuan Moore take over against Ohio st and score 38, they need to just pound it inside with JaJuan Johnson.

4. Another disappointing loss. A close one. These guys need to be able to win the close ones. They coulda beat Minnesota, West Virgina, Wisconsin and now Iowa. If they can't win close games, how will they win in the tournament.

The sad part about this loss, was with Duke losing and BYU earlier in the week, Purdue could have- would have been rated #4 in the nation... a # 1 seed was there for them- with just a close game against Ohio St... Now they'll have to win the tourney just to get a #2.
i'm ok with a #2 seed.

My top teams to win it (not necessarily at this moment) are
1. Ohio st
2. Pit
3. BYU
4. Purdue

yes, i'm a bit of a homer. They may be more realistically an Elite 8 team. But they are good. They got good guard play, some good shooters (most of the time), killer defense, senior leadership, and a coach who gets his team far in the tourney + 2 guys who could potentially carry the team.

i hope the game serves as a wake-up call. And they rise to the challenge again.
My hope is still a championship this season... and then Robbie comes back and leads a team with a much-improved, very good LewJack, and solid role players and get back to the Final Four again.

Go Boilers!

Mook vs BYU

Last week BYU put their hopes for basketball national championship in jeopardy by kicking one of their best players off the team.

… because he … broke…

the honor code…

well…

… because he got his girlfriend pregnant.

Interesting enough, though there are a lot of people joking about how they could never live up to the honor code… none of the sports journalists out there seem to be mocking BYU, instead they are praising them.

And rightly so.

In an age where most universities are hiring coaches who knowingly cheat – an paying them handsomely- BYU has decided to live up to their honor code.

In both professional & college sports, an athlete seems to get away with anything- if their good enough. I could use the phrase murder  there- and it would be correct… Players have carried guns, shot people, killed people… no problem. They have caught drink driving- multiple times. They boast of their sexual conquests in most cases, cheat on their wives, suffer divorce, and even commit rape- and there are no consequences.

They cheat, lie, steal… no problem – if you help us win.

The movie “The Program” came out 15+ years ago, and the stuff is still happening- and getting worse.

So, when BYU decided to honor their honor code and put a limit on how far they would let a student go… it was a breath of fresh air.

More than that, it was a stand against wrong. It was holding to standards. IT was holding young men to standards. It was a move that others should emultate.

Now, the BYU coach said “It’s not a matter of right and wrong, but of commitment”

And I think this is why people are rallying behind them.

Davies made a commitment. He knew what he was committing too. He should have known better.

Mistakes are forgivable. His teammates still support him as a person, but they will not have him as a teammate.

As for BYU…

I think they still have a shot at the Final Four.

Before this, who knew of Brandon Davies?

Sure, he was there only good big man, and good big man is pretty essential… but the hopes and dreams of this team was and is riding on a guy named Jimmer.

Jimmer Fredette is a baller. He can shoot, he can score, he can run the point, he can lead. He is a Senior. He is a playmaker. He is a superstar who can carry a team.

When I think of potential Final Four teams,  I look in this order

1.     Coach

2.     Guard-play, esp point guard

3.     Super Star who can carry a team

4.     Match-ups (see 5 vs 12 seeds & 7 vs 10 seeds)

5.     3 point shooting/ shooters (kinda goes with #4)

6.     Team Defense

7.     Senior Leadership

8.     MidWest is Best (see Big10 and Indiana schools)

9.     Record

10. Win-streak

Jimmer is a superstar, guard, senior, shooter… they have a great record, and still can go out on top… we’ll see what match-ups are, but I still got them going pretty far.

Mook vs a crazy college basketball season

It is not that odd for a number 1 team to lose during a week.
It's not even that odd to have a new number 1 3 weeks in a row.

But this season has been nutty!

On Saturday, The number 1, 4, 5, 10,11, 13,14, 17 & 21 teams all lost- in one day!
Plus #6 lost on Sunday... and #15, 18, 22, & 24 lost earlier in the week... that's 14 of the top 24 losing! (And a couple of those teams lost multiple times)

This is not the first time this has happened this season

The week before, the top 4 teams ALL lost during the week (plus the team i had slated as #5) + 9,10,12, 16... that is 7 of the top ten teams losing in a week!

Earlier in the season:

a    #2, #3, #4, #5,#8,#9,#10,#11,#12,#13,#16, #17,#19,#20, #22, #24, #25 all lost

that's     17 of 25

 4 of the top 5

7 of the top 10

10/13

14/20

Maybe it's because the big East beat up on each other. Maybe there is more parity. Mid-majors can beat the big dogs. And the conferences are pretty even from top to bottom.

It looks like anyone could win this year. Ohio st looks pretty dominant. BYU has the superstar. i'm still holding out for Purdue. They got the Senior leadership, the good coach, great defense, amazing guard play, a couple guys who can take a game over... Robbie Hummel or not, they are still poised to make a championship run.
It has been a fun college basketball season. i hope they let some small school into the tourney (With good seedings)- like Butler, Valpo, Cleveland State, Witchita St, VCU, Old Dominion, Missouri St, George Mason, Richmond - and see what they can do... and i hope the BigTen still gets represented well - if MSU gets in, i'd still say they have a great chance at sweet 16 and even Elite 8.


i love sports. i love college basketball!

Mook vs the Melodrama

The trade finally happened.
In the end

The Nicks get
1. Melo
2. Chauncy Billups
3. Corey Brewer
& 3 scrubs

with the Nuggets getting
1. Wilson Chandler
2. Danillo Galinari
3. Raymond Felton
4. draft picks


That's not a bad deal for the Nuggets - considering how much they save financially, and the youth they get.
It's nothing like New Jersey was reportedly offering- but that was ridiculous. It would have gone down as the worst trade ever. Remember the HErshel Walker trade, that gave the Cowboys all those draft picks that made them a dynasty, that's what that trade would have done.

i don't really know if any of those players are really that good outside of D'Antoni's system, but we'll see.

If the Nicks were smart, they would have just waited and got him next year as a FA. They should have traded Felton Anthony Randolph & draft picks for Steve Nash.


Now, some may say all the stars are in the East on 4,5,6 teams. And though a couple super-stars are important, it doesn't make a team, especially, if they don't play defense.

If the NBA was NBA Jam, it may be different

Top NBA duos

1.     Kobe & Pau Gasol

2.     A’mare & Anthony

3.     LeBron & Dwyane Wade

4.     Chris Paul & David West

5.     KG & Paul Pierce

6.     D Rose & Boozer

7.     Joe Johnson & Josh Smith/Al Hoford

8.     Blake Griffin & Baron Davis/Eric Gordan

9.     Duncan & Ginobli

10. Derron Williams & Milsap

11. Dwight Howard & Jameer Nelson

12. Durant & Westbrook

13. Dirk & Kidd

14. Monta ellis & Steph Curry

15. Kevin Martin & Luis Scolia

3 on 3

1.     Kobe, Gasol & Oden/Artest

2.     LeBron, Wade, Bosh

3.     Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Hoford

4.     Paul Pierce, KG, Rondo/Allen

5.     Duncan, Ginobli, Tony Parker

6.     Blake, Gordan, Baron Davis

7.     D rose, Boozer, Jokiam Noah

The Knicks had to make this trade though. Trading some good role players for a super-star is a no-brainer. But not sure if they'll be able to make the other moves to make them a winner.

Mook vs boys wrestling girls

Yesterday, John Piper tweeted this
 This student won a match he never wrestled. He conquered a sick system. Real men don't fight girls. http://dsr.gd/hIBByh

Today Rick Reilly wrote this piece http://es.pn/gdhdcG 

Two very opposing views on the same thing i guess.

Reilly's column makes me angry. It makes me sick in my stomach and brings a burning sensation in my chest.

It may be true that religious conviction in itself is not something to be lauded. People do some evil things in the name of faith.

Yet this boy should be lauded that he put a value of respecting someone above gaining respect.
He understood his boundaries & principles and stood by them.
There were likely many reasons he had for not fighting, but the one he took stance on - is something to be lauded.

Violence against women is a serious problem.
She may consent to the fight. That's ok.
He doesn't want to engage in physical battle for other reasons.
Once a man hits a woman, he has given over a foothold.
He does not want to even entertain the thought. And he should be lauded for that.

The thing is- i don't think he is looking for applause. i think he is standing up for something he believes in - and something others should too.

i don't know the kid, so i could be wrong.
Maybe he is using it to hide.
Maybe he really disrespects women.
But it doesn't seem like it.

Women complain chivalry is dead, not realizing it is because they killed it.

But this isn't about that either.

Wrestling should be male-male and female-female.

But this isn't about that either.


This is about respect.
She may want to fight him.
She may feel slighted.
But he showed respect. He gave respect. His statements about her as a wrestler were respectful. His decision to not fight was out of respect.

i respect women enough, that i will not look at them lustfully. i will not look at pornography, nor will i watch a scene of a movie or tv show with a scantly-clothed woman. i will not allow another man to physically assault a woman, nor will i stand for verbal abuse or abuse of any sort.

When i play sports with girls, i don't let them do anything, but i play with respect.
When a friend would steal a ball from a girl, i wouldn't let him get an easy basket. i would run hard, jump high, block the shot (which is hard for me as 5'6") and if i gave a hard foul, i gave a hard foul.


Reilly mocks the thing.
If the 12 year old boy offered to wrestle him, would he engage? Would he use his strength against him, even though there was consent? Or would he refuse, noting he doesn't want to beat up on a kid? Wouldn't that by hypocrisy?


The boy not fighting shouldn't be under the microscope.


The comment in the Reilly article that is sad and should be questioned is the quote from the father
"She's my son. She has always been my son."

She may be a tomboy. She may be athletic.
But she is not your son.
She is your daughter.
She will always be your daughter.
She has never been your son.
That is disrespect.

If my daughter wants to play sports, i will play with her. i'll be happy.
i have said i want a son to play sports with, and my wife has said Halle can play.
And she can. and i think she will because she knows how much i like it.
But she will never be my son. If i have 4 girls and one likes sports more. She will still be my daughter.

Ugh.
Mike Greenberg in his book "My wife thinks I'm an Idiot" talks about hos sports is great - b/c it is something so trivial and meaningless, that we can wrap our lives around it to take away from the misery surrounding us. And if our team loses, it's not really the end of the world.

i love when faith comes out in sports
something like this.

but when an article shows the depravity of this world, it sickens my heart.

Instead, i guess i should hope that i would make decisions based on faith and conviction and not on what the world deems acceptable.

Mook vs NBA All-stars

i don't know how Kevin Love was left off the initial all-star game. The guy is a double-double machine. He leads the league in Rebounds.

In the end, i think they got it right. Sure, there were a few guys who are having great seasons, but there are only so many players who can play for the West.

It got me thinking... what if the nba did the all-star game like the NHL...

LeBron & Kobe pick

Kobe picks: Dwight Howard (best available big man)

LeBron picks 2: Dwyane Wade (his good buddy) & A’mare Stoudamire (should be mvp this year)

Kobe gets 2: Chris Paul (who’s been amazing) and Durant

LeBron: D Rose ( no hard feelings) & Blake Griffen (want to see him dunk for me)

Kobe’s 2: Kevin Love (he’ll rebound and won’t get in the way of our scoring) and Dirk (let’s get the big men)

LeBron: Derron Williams (he’ll nail the open 3) and Kevin Garnett to stop the big men

So far

Team Kobe                                      Team LeBron

PG    Chris Paul                               D Rose                        Derron Williams

G       Kobe                                      D Wade

SF     Durant                                    LeBron

PF     Dirk                                        Blake Griffin            KG

C       D Howard            K Love      A’mare

Kobe: Russel Westbrook & Pau Gasol

LeBron: Tim Duncan & C Bosh (his friend)

Kobe: Rajon Rondo & Manu ginobli

LeBron: Melo & LaMarcus Aldridge

Kobe: Nash & Paul Pierce

LeBron: Monta Ellis

Now

Team Kobe                                                             Team LeBron

PG  Chris Paul    Rondo            Nash                     D Rose             Derron Williams

G     Kobe           Westbrook                                   D Wade            Monta Ellis

SF   Durant         Ginobli          Paul Pierce            LeBron             Melo

PF   Dirk             Pau Gasol                                    Blake Griffin   KG                    Bosh

C     D Howard   K Love                                         A’mare            Duncan             Aldridge

Top 25 players this season

1.     A’mare                       

2.     Chris Paul                

3.     Durant            

4.     D Rose                

5.     Derron Williams       

6.     LeBron                   

7.     Dwight Howard       

8.     Blake Griffin            

9.     Dwyane Wade        

10. K Love                   

11. Russel Westbrook  

12. Kobe                     

13. Dirk              

14. Ginobli      

15. Duncan      

16. Rajon Rondo       

17. KG       

18. Paul Pierce     

19. Steve Nash       

20. LaMarcus Aldridge     

21. David West        

22. Monta Ellis      

23. Pau Gasol      

24. Kevin Martin    

25. Melo     

with apologies to Luis Scolia and Paul Milsap... sorry i can't get myself to apologize to Zach Randolph