Life is cyclical and a lot of the time, very cruel. For Cassius Winston, this is now an all too real reality following the death of his brother Zachary Winston. This is an unimaginable situation and Cassius handled this situation with all the class and strength in the world.
Not even 24 hours after his brother's death, Winston laced up his basketball shoes and played basketball like he's done so many times before, making defenders look inept and dishing the ball to open teammates. I don't want to assume much around the situation but you have to imagine that playing basketball for a few hours had to be therapeutic for him. I am blown away by the fortitude of Cassius Winston, but yet, my heart breaks for a guy who I've only seen play basketball on TV. The pregame images of him and his youngest brother Khy were very tough to see and even tougher to see were the tears that came from Winston and Coach Izzo during the pregame tribute. Coach Izzo was the same guy who spent hours with Wisnton and his family following the news of Zach's passsing. He also told Winston that he would support him regardless of whether he played in last night's game. Tom Izzo is a great coach but an even better human. He has established a family culture that isn't easily replicated. Say what you want about Tom Izzo, that's fine with me, but I regard him as one of the better people to walk this earth. Tom Izzo urged his players who were all very close with Zachary Winston to "Play with a broken heart" but perhaps his best message came at the end of his post game presser. Also this morning Cassius posted a good bye to his brother on Instagram, which is listed below. I would literally walk through fire for both of these guys, no questions asked. â
-Matt Feuerstein
0 Comments
Drew Brees is a very good quarterback. Drew Brees is probably the best football player ever from Purdue. In many aspects of life, he's a very good person. Now we can add pump up speech giver to that list of things that he's very good at.
Last weekend the Saints were on a bye so Brees elected to head to Indiana to check out his alma mater play. The Boilermakers are banged up and came into Saturday's game with a 2-6 record. None of that mattered after Brees delivered one of the better pregame speeches I've ever heard. It got me pumped from the couch Saturday when I saw it, just pure electricity. I was on the Drew Brees fence before, but now, I'm all in. The dude didn't swear once and still had everyone ready to run through a brick wall. If you haven't heard this yet, it's a must listen. — Ulic Qel-Druma (@LAKingsDru) November 2, 2019
-Matt Feuerstein
MLIVE- The OK Conference was down to its final strike if it was going to pass a realignment proposal in time for the 2020-2021 school year. The latest plan, however, proved to be a hit with the majority of the executive council. The council, consisting of the 49 participating conference principals, approved the proposal Wednesday by a vote of 35-14. It was close - two-thirds majority, or 33 votes, are required to pass it. “I give a lot of credit to our realignment committee for coming up with a plan that followed our bylaws and made sense,” OK Commissioner Dave Feenstra said. “This is a puzzle and a complex process, and it’s a dynamic process that we go through. “We spent 13 hours in realignment committee meetings. Is it perfect? No. It’s not. But we are striving to do what is best of our member schools given the parameters of enrollment, programs and geography.” Two previous proposals were rejected, but not the third, which calls for the elimination of the OK Black while creating six divisions. Five of those divisions will offer eight teams, while the OK Silver will have nine. Obviously, this passed by a narrow margin because no matter what you do, someone is going to feel as though they’re getting the short end of the stick, upset because they’re losing a conference rival, and or, traveling too far. I get all of that. But I would assume that 90% of the people that are super pissed about this, wouldn’t want to spend 13 hours in realignment meetings. Anyway, I'm going to give you a casual West Michigan sports fans recap on each conference with a winner and a loser.
The OK Red has always been the conference with the largest schools in the area and a very high level of competition, nothing changes here besides Jenison joining. None of these teams are unbeatable at every single sport either and the top teams should bring us some great games in every sport. I guess Jenison might be upset that they’re with the big dogs but with their proximity to Grandville and Hudsonville it makes sense, they also were in the Red from 1972-2011, they’ll be fine. Yes Rockford has to travel a little bit but there’s no schools their size on that side of town and the same goes for East Kentwood. Caledonia is another odd man out, but I forgot that they were a school until I saw this so I’m withholding judgement on Scots for now. And near the lakeshore Grand Haven and West Ottawa share similar traits along with enrollment. We (maybe just me) tend to think of conference realignments in just a football sense, but this a good move for everyone. Winners: Big school rivalries Losers: Jenison and Caledonia for being smaller fish in the pond
The OK White losses Cedar Springs, and Ottawa Hills in the realignment and gains three very solid schools in the likes of Bryon Center, East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Christian. This move immediately elevates the quality of this conference in all sports. Minus Greenville, everyone has a hockey team too, so your move Greenville. Speaking of Greenville….oof. Bryon Center will have a bit of a jog to play fellow conference foes but they will survive. EGR and GRC will be able to battle for Plymouth Ave and we will see the return of EGR vs Lowell *insert eye emoji* Northview might not be as happy but they should be able to hang. Forest Hills Northern and Central can continue to live out their Cascade dream. Another solid realignment. Winners: RIVALRIES.. EGR VS LOWELL, EGR VS GRC, FHN VS FHC Losers: lol Greenville. Maybe Northview?
The OK Green is the first conference where we see any super noticeable changes. Bryon Center, Hamilton, Holland Christian and Unity Christian are all out. New to the league are, Grand Rapids Union, Mona Shores, Muskegon and Reeths-Puffer who are all from the soon to be gone OK Black. Also coming to the Green will be Wyoming, on the topic of Wyoming, things have never felt the same since Rogers and Park closed. Union is upset that they’re with the lakeshore teams but their other option is the OK Red… Muskegon belongs here but selfishly it would be fun to see them in the OK Red. The Zeelands are basically the same school and both seemingly good at everything, they will be good. Mona Shores is a sneaky school because I think people sort of forget about them and Reeths-Puffers is not as good version of them. Holland is tough because I feel like they’re not super good at any one sport, they do have a dome so take that how you want. Winners: Any Muskegon, Holland or Zeeland school because this is your lakeshore dream Losers: Union and Wyoming. You guys are not on the lakeshore.
The OK Gold is another new look league (you should start to notice a trend) East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Christian, and Wyoming. Joining the Gold will be Ottawa Hills, Cedar Springs, Kenowa Hills and Catholic Central. Ottawa Hills I don’t think they’re happy but this is really the only place that they fit. Kenowa Hills is a weird school but they should be fine. Thornapple-Kellogg and Wayland are far enough away from GR that you forget about then until they have some sort of studly team. I almost feel like Forest Hills Eastern is the forgotten Forest Hills but it’s just because they’re tucked away in Egypt Valley. I predict that Cedar Springs is very happy to be here because they seem to thrive where ever they go. Catholic Central is on the move again after 4 years in the OK Blue, they seem to be good at literally every sport so they will be fine. South Christian might have a new holy war on their hands? SC is also very good at sports. Winners: Private schools. You know why. Losers: Ottawa Hills. Another one that can go without saying much.
The OK Blue has many moving parts as well. Catholic Central, Sparta and Comstock Park are all gone. Joining the Blue now will be, Fruitport, Holland Christian, Unity Christian, and Hamilton. Spring Lake is kinda good but also not good, they will be ok. I never knew that Coopersville had so many kids, time to step it up Coops. Allendale is just a charter township with a college, they at least get to play Coopersville still. I don’t know enough about Hamilton or Fruitport to comment, best of luck and give me a reason to know you. Holland Christian owes all their clout to Kirk Cousins and the Steigenga family. Unity Christian will be just fine, they’re very solid. By the numbers West Catholic should be in the OK Silver but that would be a joke. They will stay in the Blue and struggle though it. Winners: Proximity. I feel like lots of these schools are somewhat close to each other. Losers: West Catholic. Staying put in the Blue and losing it’s rivalry with Catholic Central.
Finally, the OK Silver conference is the smallest of the OK conferences and will welcome the addition of Sparta and Comstock Park and lose nobody. Why are they not losing anyone? Schools now have the freedom to say no to a conference schedule for football games. Calvin Christian, NorthPointe Christian and Wyoming Lee all decided to no longer play football in the Silver so the OK Conference officials made moves accordingly (I cannot confirm this with officials but if you know you know). Lee gets a pass on that move because I’m just impressed that they’re still kickin so strong. Calvin is good at every other sport besides football, they would have been fine. NPC has a final four appearance in football this century… Don’t want to rag but come on. Hopkins is so far away that it’s inconvenient to go there and they can say the same about Belding. If Hopkins is reading this, please get a bigger press box too. As for Belding, not really a good way to get there either their but facilities are nice. Godwin Heights basketball is what keeps them above Kelloggsville but other than that they are the same school. As for Sparta, they will be the biggest school in the league and will have the best chance to be good. Did not realize how small Comstock Park is, recently fell on hard times in the Blue, the Silver should help. The OK Silver is a weird place.
Winners: Sparta and CP and football schedules. Sparta and CP become big fish and save football schedules. Bonus winner: Golf teams. The OK Silver is so inconsistent for golf that the women’s golf teams have had to play in the OK White in the past. They now should be able to have OK Silver women’s golf. Losers: Wyoming Lee and Kelloggsville. Lee doesn’t seem to be growing and Kelloggsville just cancelled the rest of their football season...oof. -Matt Feurstein
We all know what happened 18 years ago today, I'm not here to break any news or make light of the horrific events that took place. That would be insensitive and just plain wrong. The attacks that took place in New York, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC, drastically changed our country and much of the global landscape. I don't really need to break down what all happened because we all know. However, I am here to appreciate George Bush's first pitch prior to Game 3 of the 2001 World Series.
Just as the whole country was reeling in the weeks following the attacks, as was the sports world and more specifically the New York sports scene. To have President Bush at the game was crazy and to have him throw out the first pitch? Insane. There were rumors of other terrorist attacks happening at the game, snipers on the roof and secret service members dressed as umps. The presidential staff didn't even want Bush to throw out the first pitch because of security concerns. Despite all of that and even wearing a bullet proof vest under his jacket, President Bush toed the rubber and threw an absolute dart to the plate. His pitch looked better than most Tigers relievers this season (that's the only joke I'll make). To say that this was a performance that we needed would be an understatement, it was everything and then some. Bush showed the resolve of all the American people and that we could get back up and carry on with life. He gave the middle finger to Osama Bin Laden and every other terrorist in the world. If Bush standing on the mound or the 'USA' chant at the end doesn't give you chills, I don't know what will. ESPN made a pretty great 30 for 30 short film that dives deeper into this story that is worth the watch. Stuff like this is awesome because regardless of political affiliation, religious background or race, it is in moments like these that we are one united nation. At the end of the day, we are back-to-back world war champs who drive Chevys, eat way too many hot dogs and have never lost a Super Bowl. No act of terror or person can take that from us. God bless America. Never Forget. -Matt Feuerstein
It’s a bit overdue, but after letting the clouds of dust settle and taking a big drink of the Honolulu blue Kool-Aid, I’ve finally been able to organize some thoughts regarding Detroit’s newest batch of rookies from this year’s draft.
1.) Bob Quinn does not give a DAMN about your mock draft. Quinn has proven during his short time as GM in the Motor City that he and his scouts will take high-character players that fit their ideal scheme, even if it means “reaching” for guys that “experts” may have pinned low on their draft boards. Case in point: Jahlani Tavai. Detroit used its second-round pick to take the relatively under scouted and underrated linebacker out of Hawaii. Many Lions faithful, including myself, were stunned by the decision. With high profile athletes like Greedy Williams (swing and a miss) and DK Metcalf still available, why take a guy with injury issues and subpar athleticism? The answer to that question is scheme fit and toughness. Matt Patricia, much like his sensei Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, looks for the grinders who are versatile and do their job. The big names and the flashy highlight reels don’t always win games, but the hard workers who buy into a system do. A big bruiser in the box alongside the speedy Jarrad Davis should do just fine. These are the picks that prove why Bob Quinn has a job in Detroit’s front office and the rest of us are just armchair coaches. 2.) Matt Patricia is building a new defense from the ground up. Five of the nine players selected in the draft play on the defensive side of the ball. This is a team that has cracked the top ten just once in the past 25 years for defensive yards and points allowed. Patricia, being a defense minded coach, is clearly looking to change that. Rookies like Austin Bryant and PJ Johnson should come into camp and provide great depth to an already solid front four, especially with the free agency addition of Trey Flowers. Third-round pick Will Harris out of Boston College offers playmaking ability and speed in the secondary to compliment Tracy Walker. This could also open up opportunities for Defensive Coordinator Paul Pasqualoni to move Quandre Diggs all over the field and make opposing QB’s lives a nightmare.
3.) Will TJ Hockenson finally break the first-round curse?
The opening night in Nashville had all the drama that Goodell could have hoped for. The first surprise of the night came when Oakland took Clelin Ferrell with the fourth overall pick. For the Lions, this meant their odds to land SEC defensive player of the year Josh Allen or LSU stud Devin White (again, swing and a miss) increased ever so slightly. The Buccaneers crushed the Devin White dream quickly by taking him with the next pick, and the Giants pulled another Giants move by taking Daniel Jones immediately after. Unfortunately, the Jaguars made the smart pick and took Allen, prioritizing best available player over need. This left the Lions with no other choice but to take the next safest pick at 8 – Hockenson. Fans don’t need reminding of Detroit’s poor history of first round decisions, especially at the tight end position. But the reality is, TE was far and away the team’s weakest link last year and needed to be addressed immediately. Free agent signing Jesse James was a start, but Hockenson provides the full package of athleticism, pass-catching, and blocking ability. All great teams seem to have a guy like this, Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski seem to come to mind. Many fans were hoping to hear Ed Oliver’s name called instead, but this pick just doesn’t make sense. Attitude issues and the front four being the strongest position group on the team are just a couple of the many reasons why. One other viable option for Quinn would have been to trade down, but he seemed determined to make Hockenson the cornerstone of this draft class. I have full faith it will pan out.
4.) Amani Oruwariye was the Lions’ biggest steal of the Draft.
The corner out of Penn State was a projected second-rounder with upside potential. Detroit nabbed him with their fifth-rounder. As I said earlier, projections clearly do not carry much weight, as owners and general managers know a heck of a lot more than Mel Kiper Jr and others. Regardless, I’m excited about Oruwariye because of his length, speed, and big play potential. He established the reputation of a shutdown corner in the Big Ten for a reason. The hypothesis for his dramatic slide is that teams were afraid due to his inability to tackle, but I think this is a frame of mind that could easily be coached to him by Patricia and Co. He could be the solid CB2 the Lions have been searching for. 5.) Where does Detroit go from here? Priority number one is to address TJ Lang’s replacement at left guard. There are a lot of unknowns at this point in OTAs, but UDFA Beau Benzchawel and second year Tyrel Crosby would be my uneducated picks to start. The news of Tampa Bay releasing perennial pro bowler Gerald McCoy proves to be a very intriguing prospect for Bob Quinn. If the price is right, the team has the cap space to sign the vet to a one- or two-year deal and turn a great defensive line into an awesome one. Finding another weapon for Matthew Stafford to throw to would also be a step in the right direction. A healthy Kerryon along with CJ Anderson should mean an established running game, and another dynamic threat on the outside to complement would be ideal. Behind Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr, the WR position remains fairly unknown. As summer approaches, football season grows closer. There’s no better feeling than that folks. Here’s to hoping for an injury free offseason. Go Lions. -Connor Brazeau It was quite the opening round for the tradition unlike any other in Augusta. There are quite a few familiar faces at the top of the leaderboard who played some great golf. Particularly, youngster Bryson DeChambeau was on fire down the final stretch, birdying each of his last four holes.
I’m a pretty fortunate guy, as my Thursday classes end at 11:30, meaning I was able to take in pretty much the entirety of Round 1 on the Masters mega-broadcast. However, I found myself unable to truly enjoy and appreciate all the solid play on the links. The reason? My first randomized golfer pick of the 616 PGA majors pool, Hideki Matsuyama, had a DREADFUL start. More on this in a moment. When I first got the news of Matsuyama being my go-to guy for the Masters, I wasn’t necessarily excited. I knew he was a relatively young up-and-comer with a lot of promise, but I was hoping for a better odds-on favorite such as Rickie Fowler or Tiger. Upon further research, he seems to be the pride and joy of Japan in the PGA. Logically though, this means the expectations are even greater for Matsuyama as well. I can only imagine the pressure that comes with a burden such as the one he bears. It can’t be easy carrying the weight of an entire nation on your shoulders. Back to day one of the Masters. Matsuyama started his opening round with three straight bogeys. THREE! He recovered on the back end of on the front nine, birdying hole five and par-ing out the rest of the way. Just when Hideki started to get my hopes up, he decided to double bogey hole ten and bogey eleven. Dagger. But the rollercoaster of emotions didn’t stop there. Hideki showed his toughness and perseverance by picking up two key birdies down the stretch to end +3 on the day. Not ideal, but it still leaves room for a sliver of hope. I’ll admit, I was frazzled after his performance. I began thinking irrationally, especially after Chad from the UP’s pick (DeChambeau) ended his round on such a heater. Perhaps I let the high stakes involved in the 616 pool get the best of me ($5 is a big deal people). Then my thoughts cleared up a bit, and my history major instincts took over. I got to thinking: The last time Japan jumped out to a hot start in a competition, it did not end well… At all. Yes, I’m talking about Pearl Harbor. The Japanese empire thought they had World War II in the bag after opening with such a big lead. But, to quote Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Japan had simply “Awaken a sleeping giant.” Clearly, Matsuyama has learned from the past and applied it to his golf game. He knows that it isn’t about how you start, but how you finish that matters the most. Thus, it makes perfect sense why he purposely botched the first round on Thursday. Just enough so that he could lay in the weeds near the bottom third of the pack, yet still stay within arm’s length of the leaders. Chess when everyone else is playing checkers. Let me be the first one to apologize, Mr. Matsuyama. I was at first blind to your brilliant strategy, but I now see the works of one of the greatest Masters victories coming to fruition. You can’t call it a comeback unless you start the game down at first. So I end this blog wishing the sincerest of luck to the rest of the field in the tournament from here on out. You’ll need it, because you have now awakened the sleeping giant that is Hideki Matsuyama. -Connor Brazeau
All off season, the media predicted a grim outlook for the “Toothless” Tigers’ 2019 season. Nick Castellanos, Christin Stewart, and Niko Goodrum have something to say about that.
No one, not even the most optimistic fans, could have predicted the hot start Detroit has cooked up to begin the year. The pitching staff has been outstanding. The offense, which still needs to correct some issues, has been adequate up to this point. The big questions surrounding the upkeep of this early season success are:
Tigers pitching currently ranks 2nd in the league for team ERA (2.30), 1st for saves (7), 3rd in fewest walks allowed (24), and 2nd in opponent’s batting average (.188). Those stats are a ridiculously good, if not unmaintainable, output. Jordan Zimmerman seemed to find the fountain of youth this past off season after two great starts to begin the year, taking a perfect game bid all the way to the seventh inning in the season opener at Toronto (Writer’s note: As I am currently typing this, Zimm has surrendered a lead off homer to former Tiger Leonys Martin and four more runs to the Indians through 5 innings… I am a JINX). Matthew Boyd has continued to build on his solid but quiet 2018 campaign by throwing more strikeouts than any other pitcher in the MLB with two starts, save reigning NL Cy Young winner Jacob DeGrom. Matt Moore, Tyson Ross, and Spencer Turnbull have also turned in solid starting efforts to begin their 2019 season as well. While these are all promising signs toward a positive year despite the rebuild, Detroit’s hitters are going to need to start pulling their own weight. Which brings me to my answer for question two: Maybe. Stewart has showed flashes of the great baseball player that GM Al Avila would like to build his team around. Yes, he is batting a rough .176 and has struggled at times at the dish. But, for every struggle he has had early on, he seems to have double the amount of crucial plays for the team. No moment is too big for him, as evidenced by his two strike, two out 7th inning grand slam against the Royals to take the lead.
Goodrum and Castellanos are also steady, reliable bats in the middle of the lineup. However, the production of these two along with Stewart has been adequate at best. Adequate just isn’t going to cut it as the season progresses, especially when they are the only trustworthy players Detroit has to put at the plate right now.
Not a single hitter in the lineup is even close to batting .300, which isn’t a great recipe for success. Speedy second baseman Josh Harrison currently has a sub .160 average. That needs to change. Especially when he is the clear-cut choice to hit lead off. If Harrison can start being a consistent weapon on the base path, that may just be the boost that Detroit needs to jump start the offense and score some runs more consistently. Another player the team desperately needs back is JaCoby Jones. Mikey Mahtook has been BAD, still searching for his first hit in 2019 through eleven games. Jones should provide at least somewhat of a jolt in the batter’s box, as well as some solid speed and defense to anchor the outfield. One thing I would really like to see manager Ron Gardenhire do is begin Miguel Cabrera’s transition to permanent DH in the lineup. These first few games for the former triple crown winner have been tough to watch. Injuries and age have certainly taken their toll, and surely the concern for safety of his family during the tumultuous political climate in Venezuela isn’t helping. I think solely focusing on hitting would be beneficial to one of the greatest hitters in the game and should bring him back to productive form. One last prospect that I am still excited about is Victor Reyes. The youngster spent the entire year in the majors last year due to MLB rules, but began this year with the Mudhens in Toledo to get some much-needed experience. Like Stewart this year, Reyes showed some serious potential last year which included athleticism in the field and some really good plate appearances. If he succeeds early in Triple A and the roster needs one more player to spark the lineup and the season goes on, look to him to be their guy. I advise Tigers fans to continue their cautious optimism after the expectation-exceeding start. The team has a stretch against a few divisional foes mixed in with a quick inter-league series against the Pirates. After that, the team visits the defending Boston Red Sox at Fenway near the end of April. After these games, we should get a very telling answer as to how Detroit’s season will pan out. Here’s to hoping the Tigers provide us with a competitive, entertaining summer at the very least.
-Connor Brazeau
Just being able to type the words "Michigan State Final 4" preview got me pumped up. The Spartans are back in the final 4 for the first time since the 2015 season where they lost to the eventual champions Duke, in the semifinals. This is the eighth trip for the Spartans under coach Tom Izzo. Waiting for Michigan State is a match up with No. 3 Texas Tech, winners of the Big 12 regular season title and the West Region.
Losing two lottery picks? No biggie. Losing Joshua Langford for the season, Nick Ward for the home stretch of Big 10 play and Kyle Ahrens for the rest of season? That ain't no problem. This Michigan State team has had almost every excuse to not be here still, but here they remain. I said back at the beginning of the season that this team would go as far as Cassius Winston would take them, and Winston has brought them to the final 4. How Did They Get Here Michigan State defeated upset minded Bradley on the opening day of the NCAA tournament (which feels like a month ago now) as Winston scored a cool 26 points as he took control late in the game. In the round of 32 the Spartans beat fellow Big 10 foe, Minnesota to advance to the Sweet 16 and exorcised any first weekend demons that remained. During the Sweet 16 freshmen Gabe Brown and Aaron Henry combined for 35 points to lead Michigan State past LSU. In the Elite 8 MSU met God's team er I meant Duke. After a seesaw of a game, Kenny Goins called game and the Spartans cucked ESPN for another week of non stop Zion coverage. Check out the highlights from the Elite 8 win.
Get To Know Texas Tech
Texas Tech made quick work of the West region as they handled teams like Buffalo, Michigan and Gonzaga en route to the Final 4. When people think of Tech basketball they still associate them with Bobby Knight even though he hasn't been there in over a decade. This Red Raider team, is build on their current lore as they are in the schools first ever Final 4. Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard is one of the hottest coaches in college basketball and has become a Sean McVay of sorts. Beard has the Raiders playing ELITE defense, we're talking defense that's better than Michigan's. Jarrett Culver leads the Red Raiders on offense as one of the best kept secrets in all of basketball, he is also a projected lottery pick. Texas Tech also has a bevy of depth with timely offense, this could be someone's worst nightmare this weekend. Best And Worst Case Scenarios For MSU The stingy Texas Tech defense is no big deal at all for Cassius Winston and the rest of the Spartans and just as he has done all season long, Winston gets buckets. Between Matt McQuaid and Aaron Henry, MSU is able to keep Jarrett Culver in check. Forwards Kenny Goins, Xavier Tillman and Nick Ward own the glass on offense and defense, allowing the Spartans to dictate the game on both ends of the floor. Cassius Winston finally meets his match as Chris Beard comes up with the perfect game plan to debilitate Winston. Role players aren't able to step up and score buckets on their own, putting MSU in a bad spot. Texas Tech's athletic big men own the boards creating second chances and eliminating transition opportunities for the Spartans. Jarrett Culver shows America why he's a top 15 draft pick and the Spartans fall. Predictions On the other side of the bracket Virginia, the lone No. 1 remaining, will play Auburn. Auburn is in their first ever Final 4 whereas Virginia returns for the first time since 1980-something. Virginia is just too fundamental to lose this game here. Auburn I thinks says f*** it let's shoot as many 3s as possible and I just don't see that working. FINAL SCORE: 71-63 Virginia wins. For the Michigan State and Texas Tech game, we're going to see some pretty crisp basketball and it will ultimately come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes. Cassius Winston gets help from his team and they squeak out another close one late. FINAL SCORE: 66-64 MSU wins. That leaves us with MSU-UVA for the natty on Monday night. Again another match up of very fundamental teams and what Duke fans like to call "boring basketball". But only these two teams remain so who cares. I'm all in on Michigan State winning the natty this year and I can't be told otherwise. Now that I've said this, I fully expect to have my heart ripped out as soon as Saturday night. Anyway, Michigan State grinds out another win to give the Big 10 its first title since 2000. FINAL SCORE: 72-68. -Matt Feuerstein
Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year, this weekend is why I watch non-stop college basketball from November until now. So buckle up, it's go time. The big dance starts tomorrow, but first take a minute to read the most laid back and informative preview to ever exist
The East region is home to the top overall seed of Duke. Duke is crazy good and is basically an NBA roster with a few role players. While they are most bettors pick to win it all, winning this region won't necessarily be a cake walk. Virginia Tech actually won its lone matchup with Duke during the regular season so that could be a huge Sweet 16 match up. Michigan State is also pretty solid but are a little banged up right now, they could threaten for the regional title. LSU is good but their coach Will Wade is currently suspended after a wire tap sting where he was allegedly talking about paying recruits, but that's neither here nor there. Check out some more info on this region. Best Players In The East Zion Williamson, Duke- If you don't know who Zion is by now maybe March Madness isn't for you.... RJ Barrett, Duke- Barrett is a very solid guard who will likely be a top 5 draft pick, but has sorta been overshadowed by Zion Williamson this season, which is crazy because he's averaging 22 points a game. Naz Reid, LSU- Naz is a freak of an athlete, but more importantly he fits the mold of the modern big man who can shoot and bang on the block. Cassius Winston, Michigan State- Winston was the Big 10 player of the year and is the undoubted leader of the Spartans, who is averaging 18.9 points per game. Winston has been a catalyst all season long for the green and white. Best First Round Game No. 7 Louisville vs, No. 10 Minnesota- Pitino. Revenge. Game. For the casual basketball fans who might not know, former Louisville coach Rick Pitino, his son is the current head coach of the Golden Gophers. The elder Pitino was fired and left on some bad terms, so there's plenty of bad blood between the two. I can't wait to see Rick's little greasy face in the stands to watch his son, Richard Pitino take down the Cardinals. Giant Killers No. 12 Liberty- The Flames are 28-6 and have super even scoring all over the court. They open a only a 7 point underdog and the 5-12 match ups always get interesting. No. 11 Belmont- This is a team that received an at-large bid from the Ohio Valley Conference so the committee obviously thinks very highly of them. They have momentum after their play in game win and play a Maryland team that struggled in the Big 10 tourney. No. 14 Yale- I watched the second half of the Ivy League championship where Yale took over the game to earn their bid to the big dance, they know how to close out games. LSU is still in turmoil with the Will Wade situation.. Not saying this is a lock, just don't say I didn't tall ya. The South is paced by No. 1 seed Virginia, who became the first ever No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed when they lost to UMBC last season. There's no way that lightning strikes twice in the same place right? All jokes aside, I do think that Virginia has a much better chance to make the Final Four compared to last year. Purdue and Carsen Edwards will look to show people that they're better than their early Big 10 tourney exit. Lastly, Tennessee has been a monster all season and are just as dangerous as any No. 1 seed, oh and the defending National Champs are here. Best Players In The South Grant Williams, Tennessee- Williams is a two-time SEC player of the year, which is some pretty solid work if you ask me. He's also a Naismith award finalist who's averaging 19 points per game, you tell me if he's good at basketball. Carsen Edwards, Purdue- If it wasn't for Cassius Winston, Edwards would have been the Big 10 player of the year as he averaged 23 points per game and lead his team to a share of the regular season conference title. This guy can fill the stat sheet. Kyle Guy, Virginia- This man has in the gym range as a shooter and he knows it. Guy is very good at moving without the ball, which gets him great looks and helps his team. Make sure to watch him closely when he's on the court. Phil Booth, Villanova- The senior guard has won two national championships in his career and now leads the Wildcats in the tourney for one last ride. Booth leads his team in assists and points per game. If I'm Purdue, this is the last guy I want to see in the round of 32. Best First Round Game No. 6 Villanova vs. No. 11 Saint Mary's- Saint Mary's upset Gonzaga in their conference championship game, so they are super hot. Villanova is rebuilt from last year's title run but people are very skeptical of them. I think that the winner of this game could make some noise all the way to the Sweet 16. Worth noting that No. 7 Cincinnati vs No. 10 Iowa could be a pretty entertaining game. And the first team to 50 will win the game between No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Oregon. Giant Killers No. 13 UC Irvine- The Anteaters have won over 30 games, including 16 straight as they face Kansas State. KSU enters the game a little banged up, this could be the perfect scenario for UC Irvine. No. 14 Old Dominion- Old Dominion won the regular season and conference tourney in the C-USA, so they are very accustomed to winning. Purdue's Carsen Edwards takes a lot of dumb shots and if his teammates can't score enough to bail out the Boilermakers, they will be in trouble. No. 12 Oregon- Oregon played in a really bad Pac 12 and they won their conference tourney to qualify for the big dance. But the Ducks beat the "best" Pac 12 teams along the way, they now play a Wisconsin team that struggles to score consistently. North Carolina finds themselves as the No. 1 seed in the midwest region, this is a UNC team that beat Duke twice during the season and just barely lost in the ACC tournament championship game, they hang with anyone in the country. Challenging the Tar Heels will be the likes of Kentucky and Houston. Kentucky's young guys have finally started to play at an elite level and Houston wants to make people forget about last year's loss to Michigan at the buzzer. Best Players In The Midwest Coby White, UNC- He might be one of the best freshmen that nobody is talking about this season. Averaging 16.3 points per game, White has led the Tar Heels for much of the season playing well beyond his experience. Dedric Lawson, Kansas- The Jayhawks have been riddled with injuries and off the court issues this season so the performance of Dedric has flown under the radar of sorts. Lawson puts up all-American type numbers and is super reliable. Fletcher Magee, Wofford- You've probably never heard of Magee or his school but let me tell you, they're both legit. Fletcher has made 502 3-pointers in his career, three more and he'll be the all-time leader in the NCAA. Tyler Herro, Kentucky- Herro is one of those freshmen who have started to play like a seasoned veteran and he was a big part of Kentucky's mid-season resurgence. Watch for him to make some big plays late in games. Best First Round Game No. 7 Wofford vs. No. 10 Seton Hall- This is a very intriguing match up, one team is a stud mid major team and another is a middle of the pack Big East team. With that being said either of these teams can win and the winner could really push Kentucky to it's limits in the round of 32. And go ahead and take the over in this game. Giant Killers No. 12 New Mexico State- The Aggies went 30-4 this season and dominated the WAC, their team is very deep and huge up front, Aubrun is neither of those. I like NMSU in particular because they are playing closer to home and didn't play Sunday, more rest and less travel usually is helpful. No. 13 Northeastern- The Huskies are in the midst of an eight game winning streak where they won the CAA tournament and have a non conference win over Alabama. Led by talented guard Vasa Pusica, they could stumble upon a Kansas team throwing a pitty party for themselves. No.7 Wofford/No.10 Seton Hall- Either of these could get past Kentucky and if they do, the sky will be the limit. But Kentucky won't necessarily bow out, they will have to earn it. Finally in the West region we have Gonzaga as the last No. 1 seed. The Zags were upset last year by Florida State, so this post season will take on a whole new importance. There's plenty of talent all over this region, whether it be Michigan, Texas Tech or another smaller guy like Buffalo or Nevada, The wealth is well spread here, so it really is anyone's region. Best Players In The West Ja Morant, Murray State- If you haven't seen Ja play this season, you NEED to tune in when he plays Marquette because he can ball. Morant draws Russell Westbrook comparisons with maybe even more upside and he's a stellar dunker. Markus Howard, Marquette- Howard checks in at 5'11'' but scores like he's 6'7'' averaging 25 points per game. Howard is what I like to call a 'Walking Bucket' because all he does is score with ease, he's another must watch player. Jarrett Culver, Texas Tech- Culver averaged 18.5 points per game as a sophomore and played a big role in his team's success which has flown under the radar for much of the season. Right now Culver is a projected lottery pick. Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga- Rui went to great lengths to expand his game from last season and it's very apparent as he scores 20 points per game. He scored 20 when the Zags beat Duke earlier this season, that production will have to stay consistent. Best First Round Game No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Murray State- Ja Morant vs Markus Howard round one? The committee finally did something right. Jokes aside, this probably will be the most watched first round game and for good reason. I usually really like the No. 12 seed teams but I just worry about the front line of Murray State compared to the Marquette bigs. Marquette in a wild one. Giant Killers No. 12 Murray State- Even though I really like Marquette, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Racers make a run. Ja Morant is a lottery pick type guy who finds ways to make everyone around him better. Plus, who says no to more Ja? No. 14 Vermont- Maybe it's the magic of their 2005 upset over Syracuse that still lingers or maybe it's the fact that they have beat other tourney teams like Yale and Northeastern. All I know is that this Vermont team is legit, as they are lead by Anthony Lamb (21.4 PPG) I definitely wouldn't want to play them. No. 7 Nevada- The Wolf Pack actually have a decent resume, with only a few bad losses which is a big reason why they fell to a No. 7 seed. I know what you're thinking, "these guys aren't really underdogs anymore" well in a sense they are because they have kind of become the basketball version of UCF. They glamour for recognition that they don't deserve quite yet. If they beat Michigan in the round of 32 then we can talk. The Way I See It Either Michigan State or Michigan will make the Final Four, but not both of them Virginia will make the Final Four An ACC team will win the National Championship At least 1 No. 11 seed or higher will make the Sweet 16 Seeds really don't matter, your match ups are far more important Get ready for tomorrow with the best Bill Raftery and the best moments of March Madness.
-Matt Feuerstein
Hands down, this is my favorite and the very best time of the year in regards to sports. Nothing beats watching 3 different basketball games at a time and doing absolutely nothing from Thursday to Friday. Ever since Michigan State's 2005 Final Four run, I have been all in on March Madness and the heart break that comes with it. So by all means, I don't expect anything less this year. Michael Scott is and will be a big time mood as always.
Enough chatter about me, let's talk about MSU vs UM, Big 10 and the seeding.
Yesterday, the Michigan State Spartans defeated the Michigan Wolverines for the third, I repeat the THIRD time this season time to win the the Big 10 tournament title. UM was trying to go for their 3rd straight tourney title, Sunday's match up was also the third time that UM blew a second half lead against the Spartans.
Is there something wrong with the Wolverines? Of course not, they just don't match up well against this Spartans team. Which is funny to me because last season was the exact opposite situation. In regards to the Wolverines, they have talented athletes all over the court whether it be Poole, Livers, Brazdeikis or Matthews and a great point guard in Simpson. But those guys become lightly limited when the big man on the court doesn't have a Mo Wagner type skill set. Last year Wagner was able to play with his back to the basket, shoot from the perimeter and put the ball down and get to the basket at will. Teske, who has made great leaps as a player, still isn't Mo Wagner and because of that, the UM offense plays right into the Spartan's defensive game plan.
During yesterday's game Brazdeikis did everything that he could to will his team to victory as he lead his team in scoring with 19, but in the end it just wasn't enough. The Wolverines often found themselves settling for deep 3s and only had 3 offensive rebounds to Michigan State's 11. The games only real controversy came after Aaron Henry hit 1 of 2 free throws to put the Spartans up 63-60. Michigan State with 2 fouls to give until the Wolverines would be shooting free throws elected to foul Michigan's, Jordan Poole at the 9 second mark. On the the ensuing inbound play this happened.
I'll go ahead and say it, yes it looks like Winston probably fouled Poole. BUT, had the foul been called it would have been on the floor as he wasn't in a shooting motion yet. So hypothetically, UM could have inbounded from the sideline and tried one last time to tie the game up but instead, Poole air balled his attempt and Kenny Goins went on to hit 2 free throws. Ball game.
As for the Spartans, I'm not sure if there could be a better game to epitomize their season more than this one. No Langford since December 28th, Nick Ward missing 5 Big 10 games, Cassius Winston is battered and bruised and to watch Kyle Ahrens go down in such an agonizing way, that's some rough stuff. The Kyle Ahrens injury was just rough all around because of what the kid has been through, multiple broken legs, a broken wrist, missed all of last season with a foot injury, this season he's dealt with almost debilitating back pain but it was an ankle injury that finally took him down. But to see his teammates and coaches visibly upset, that shit really hurt to see, but more importantly speaks to the amount of respect that everyone has for him.
The Spartans could have easily folded after the Ahrens injury, just mailed it in and called good until their first NCAA tournament game, nobody would have blamed them. But they didn't. Their comeback was led by senior Matt McQuaid who told his injured teammate and great friend Ahrens, "I'm going to go off for you." And go off he did. McQuaid netted a game and career high 27 points and Cassius Winston closed out the game just as he has done all season. The Spartans didn't particularly get a great offensive game from Goins but he stayed engaged on defense, Aaron Henry doesn't realize he's playing well beyond his years and Xavier Tillman gets better with each day. This Spartans team doesn't blow you away by any means, they just simply do the little things right. And talk about a picture being worth a 1,000 words, here's Ahrens returning to the bench after x-rays came back negative for any breaks. Many Spartan fans believe that his return to the bench jump started the Spartans in their rally yesterday, I'd say that I agree with that. Remember, players play, tough players win.
Shifting gears, let's talk about the NCAA tournament as a whole. Overall the committee got the right teams in the bracket that deserved to be there, as you can see in the bracket below. My only issue with the committee is how some of the teams were seeded. Some people thought that if MSU was able to win the Big 10 tourney they could be in the conversation to be the final #1 seed. Well they won and are viewed as the #6 best seed in the field but somehow they got lucky enough to be in the #1 overall seed's region. Whereas UM, who has no Big 10 titles and lost to MSU 3 times, is a #2 seed in the same region as Gonzaga. But if you're Michigan how can you not be getting ready to hang another Final 4 banner? The seeding doesn't really add up to me, therefore I legitimately think that they mixed up the two Michigan schools, it's the only logical scenario. Another big thank you to the committee for giving both UM and MSU Thursday games after being the very last game of the day on Sunday. That's another thing I want to bring up, it's time for the Big 10 to move the championship game up to Saturday. That way in the future, teams don't get screwed by having a short turn around to Thursday games. I get the tradition that comes with the Big 10 but it's probably time to let that go because it's clear that the committee has already made up their minds prior to the Big 10 Championship. But hey biiigggg shoutout to the Big 10 for getting 8 teams in the big dance this year. Don't fact check me but I think that's the most teams of any conference. Bring on Zion, I'm not even that worried about him (yet). *insert the eyes emoji* because we could see MSU vs UM round 4 in the Final 4. Check back later this week for some predictions, upset alerts and players to watch! -Matt Feuerstein |
Authors
Featuring coverage from the Brothers Johnson. Low on the Depth Chart takes a more of an analytical approach to sports. Archives
May 2019
|