I know Kentucky has their moments when they make every one of their fans want to pull their hair out, but they should be in the Elite 8 as along as John Calipari can keep his band of future draft picks focused on the task at hand.
Maybe they'll cross paths with Temple or Wisconsin in the Sweet 16. The Owls or Badgers will undoubtedly try to control the tempo to keep John Wall from turning the court at the Carrier Dome into his personal speedway, but who do the Owls, Badgers or even potential Cinderella Cornell have that can bang with DeMarcus Coursins, Patrick Patterson and Daniel Orton for 40 minutes and live to tell about it?
The other side of the region sees the West Virginia Mountaineers, who should've been a 1 seed, and a grab bag of teams that I still can't really get a hold on.
Maybe New Mexico can keep Bob Huggins rugged crew from meeting the Wildcats, but outside of the Lobos there's not a team that's just oozing with the potential or the personnel to beat the Mountaineers.
6th seed Marquette is tough as they nails but the suddenly streaking Washington Huskies might be the team to knock them off the slippery slope they've been camping out on the past couple of weeks. Clemson and Missouri will be one of the most entertaining first round games on style of play alone. Neither of them though have enough to beat the Mountaineers or the Lobos.
The Winner: Kentucky. Can you show me a point guard in this region capable of sticking with John Wall for 40 minutes? No. Is there a front line that can battle with Kentucky's for a full 40 minutes? Probably not. The Wildcats will cut down the Carrier Dome nets after having a battle royal with West Virginia in game that will not be for the faint of heart. Isn't it fitting these two will get together in a Big East team's arena?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The West Region
Jim Boeheim's probably not the biggest fan of having to possibly play a regional final in the mountains on the other side of the country but the Orange have a pretty favorable draw.
I'm sure they'll be looking to exercise some tournament demons against Vermont in the first round and things could get a little hairy in the second round against either Gonzaga or the steel trap that is the defense of Florida State depending on whether or not Arinze Onuaku can give them productive minutes as he continues to recover from that injured quad.
This is definitely one of Boeheim's best squads though and the duo of Andy Routins and Wesley Johnson along with some help from Rick Jackson should figure things out to get the Orange to the second weekend.
Assuming the Orange make it to Salt Lake City, there's no telling who they'll see in the Sweet 16.
Butler and Vandy have both had great seasons. However, they're just as capable of losing to UTEP and Murray St. as they are of beating them. (UTEP's front line of Derek Caracter and Arnett Moultrie is just the kind that can give Butler nightmares and there's just something about Vandy that makes me nervous this time of year.)
A look to the bottom part of the region seems pretty boring at first glance until you realize Frank Martin's Kansas State team,(26-7), is probably the most under the radar 2 seed in recent memory. Sharp-shooter Jimmer Fredette and 7th seed BYU will be a tough out for anybody they come across, and 6th seed Xavier is about as fun to play with this time of year as an angry bunch of scorpions.
I like Jamie Dixon and the tough minded Pitt Panthers as the 3 seed. Let's be real though, the Panthers have probably over-achieved this year and their time to win the title was snuffed out last year in Boston with a mad dash to the bucket by Villanova's Scottie Reynolds.
The Winner: Syracuse. I reserve the right to change my mind if an announcement comes down that Onuaku can't play. If he does make a return to the lineup though, the Orange will find a way to outlast a gritty Kansas State team in another hotly contested game that will probably push the fiery Frank Martin to the verge of simultaneously hyperventilating and having a brain aneurysm.
I'm sure they'll be looking to exercise some tournament demons against Vermont in the first round and things could get a little hairy in the second round against either Gonzaga or the steel trap that is the defense of Florida State depending on whether or not Arinze Onuaku can give them productive minutes as he continues to recover from that injured quad.
This is definitely one of Boeheim's best squads though and the duo of Andy Routins and Wesley Johnson along with some help from Rick Jackson should figure things out to get the Orange to the second weekend.
Assuming the Orange make it to Salt Lake City, there's no telling who they'll see in the Sweet 16.
Butler and Vandy have both had great seasons. However, they're just as capable of losing to UTEP and Murray St. as they are of beating them. (UTEP's front line of Derek Caracter and Arnett Moultrie is just the kind that can give Butler nightmares and there's just something about Vandy that makes me nervous this time of year.)
A look to the bottom part of the region seems pretty boring at first glance until you realize Frank Martin's Kansas State team,(26-7), is probably the most under the radar 2 seed in recent memory. Sharp-shooter Jimmer Fredette and 7th seed BYU will be a tough out for anybody they come across, and 6th seed Xavier is about as fun to play with this time of year as an angry bunch of scorpions.
I like Jamie Dixon and the tough minded Pitt Panthers as the 3 seed. Let's be real though, the Panthers have probably over-achieved this year and their time to win the title was snuffed out last year in Boston with a mad dash to the bucket by Villanova's Scottie Reynolds.
The Winner: Syracuse. I reserve the right to change my mind if an announcement comes down that Onuaku can't play. If he does make a return to the lineup though, the Orange will find a way to outlast a gritty Kansas State team in another hotly contested game that will probably push the fiery Frank Martin to the verge of simultaneously hyperventilating and having a brain aneurysm.
The Midwest Region
I don't think it's quite as murderous as everybody is making it out to be, but I think it's safe to assume Bill Self won't be sending any thank you cards to the selection committee.
Ohio State and Georgetown are the toughest 2/3 seed combination in the field. After that though, there's a slew of teams who could pose a threat to Kansas but they either have glaring flaws or can be wildly inconsistent.
I know Maryland has Gary Williams and a player with the machismo of Tony Montana in Grevis Vasquez, but they don't matchup with the Jayhawks. Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans have become a permanent staple in the month of March, but there's something a little different with this year's version of the Spartans as opposed to the group that went to the title game last season.
6th seed Tennessee already has a win over Kansas this season, but they've got their hands full with a scary San Diego State crew in the first round and will probably be staring directly at Georgetown in the second round if they survive Steve Fisher's band of athletic Aztecs. 10th seed Georgia Tech, led by the monstrous tandem of Derek Favors and Giani Lawall, definitely looks the part getting off the bus. Talented and physically imposing as the Yellow Jackets may be though, they turn the ball over way too much and just have far too many moments when they just can't seem to get out of their own way.
The Winner: Kansas. The Jayhawks should get to the Elite 8 without too much stress. It'll get sticky their though where they'll face either Brandon Roy-clone Evan Turner and Ohio State or jack-of-all-trades big man Greg Monroe and the Hoyas who will be as dangerous as anybody left in the field if they're still alive at that point. Whether it's the Buckeyes or the Hoyas, expect freshman Xavier Henry to be the key in a Jayhawks win in what could turn out to be one of the best Elite 8 games of recent memories.
Ohio State and Georgetown are the toughest 2/3 seed combination in the field. After that though, there's a slew of teams who could pose a threat to Kansas but they either have glaring flaws or can be wildly inconsistent.
I know Maryland has Gary Williams and a player with the machismo of Tony Montana in Grevis Vasquez, but they don't matchup with the Jayhawks. Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans have become a permanent staple in the month of March, but there's something a little different with this year's version of the Spartans as opposed to the group that went to the title game last season.
6th seed Tennessee already has a win over Kansas this season, but they've got their hands full with a scary San Diego State crew in the first round and will probably be staring directly at Georgetown in the second round if they survive Steve Fisher's band of athletic Aztecs. 10th seed Georgia Tech, led by the monstrous tandem of Derek Favors and Giani Lawall, definitely looks the part getting off the bus. Talented and physically imposing as the Yellow Jackets may be though, they turn the ball over way too much and just have far too many moments when they just can't seem to get out of their own way.
The Winner: Kansas. The Jayhawks should get to the Elite 8 without too much stress. It'll get sticky their though where they'll face either Brandon Roy-clone Evan Turner and Ohio State or jack-of-all-trades big man Greg Monroe and the Hoyas who will be as dangerous as anybody left in the field if they're still alive at that point. Whether it's the Buckeyes or the Hoyas, expect freshman Xavier Henry to be the key in a Jayhawks win in what could turn out to be one of the best Elite 8 games of recent memories.
I'm back!
Thank you to all of those who were original fans of this blog and thank you to everybody who followed "In the trenches" at 1033espn.com. Due to what I'll call a corporate squeeze, "In the trenches" was temporarily silenced.
Howeva!
I am bringing back the same colorful insight and hard hitting opinions that were on that blog together with the open canvas that is mosvoice. After seeing even more of the ugly side of the media business and putting my pen down for a while, you can expect a renewed intensity and an even more insightful and entertaining blog.
There's a lot that's happened in the world of sports over the past few months. Tiger Woods tried to convince us all he was a sex addict after his wife discovered his healthy appetite for loose women. (Spare me Tiger! You're not an addict, you're just like the rest of us heterosexual males in this country. You just happen to have the star power and financial resources that allowed you to have unlimited access to women who were more than happy to put you down as a notch on their salacious belts.)
The Saints won the Super Bowl despite every talking head on television trying to crown Peyton Manning as the best quarterback to ever put on an athletic support. Alabama beat Texas to win the BCS National Championship. (Stop crying Longhorn fans! Take it up with your coaching staff for using your slightly built quarterback as the primary running threat against one of the most physical defensive units in the country.)
Mike Leach got canned by the brass at Texas Tech because he put the son of a famous former football player in an equipment shed and then he refused to apologize for it. Then somebody had it in so bad for him that a video of him of in dropping a salty post-game rant on his team after a ho hum win over Baylor was posted all over the net. (It's must see footage by the way.)
Ben Roethlisberger is looking more and more like a sex offender everyday. The Eagles, despite what Andy Reid says, are dangling Donovan McNabbb. Instead of paying Thomas Jones, the Jets felt an obviously declining LaDanian Tomlinson was a better choice to have on their football team.The Mavericks have a backbone now after bringing in the rugged Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood along with DeShawn Stevenson in exchange for headcase Josh Howard and a few spare parts. We still have no idea if Brett Favre is going to play again, and the NFL world will descend on Gainesville later today to see the new and improved throwing motion of the demigod we know as Tim Tebow.
There are plenty of other things I could touch on and I'm sure I'll get to them at some point.
With that said, I say thank you again to any and everybody who's supported either of my blogs.
Now let's get to the what my initial thoughts are on those brackets for the NCAA Tournament.
Howeva!
I am bringing back the same colorful insight and hard hitting opinions that were on that blog together with the open canvas that is mosvoice. After seeing even more of the ugly side of the media business and putting my pen down for a while, you can expect a renewed intensity and an even more insightful and entertaining blog.
There's a lot that's happened in the world of sports over the past few months. Tiger Woods tried to convince us all he was a sex addict after his wife discovered his healthy appetite for loose women. (Spare me Tiger! You're not an addict, you're just like the rest of us heterosexual males in this country. You just happen to have the star power and financial resources that allowed you to have unlimited access to women who were more than happy to put you down as a notch on their salacious belts.)
The Saints won the Super Bowl despite every talking head on television trying to crown Peyton Manning as the best quarterback to ever put on an athletic support. Alabama beat Texas to win the BCS National Championship. (Stop crying Longhorn fans! Take it up with your coaching staff for using your slightly built quarterback as the primary running threat against one of the most physical defensive units in the country.)
Mike Leach got canned by the brass at Texas Tech because he put the son of a famous former football player in an equipment shed and then he refused to apologize for it. Then somebody had it in so bad for him that a video of him of in dropping a salty post-game rant on his team after a ho hum win over Baylor was posted all over the net. (It's must see footage by the way.)
Ben Roethlisberger is looking more and more like a sex offender everyday. The Eagles, despite what Andy Reid says, are dangling Donovan McNabbb. Instead of paying Thomas Jones, the Jets felt an obviously declining LaDanian Tomlinson was a better choice to have on their football team.The Mavericks have a backbone now after bringing in the rugged Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood along with DeShawn Stevenson in exchange for headcase Josh Howard and a few spare parts. We still have no idea if Brett Favre is going to play again, and the NFL world will descend on Gainesville later today to see the new and improved throwing motion of the demigod we know as Tim Tebow.
There are plenty of other things I could touch on and I'm sure I'll get to them at some point.
With that said, I say thank you again to any and everybody who's supported either of my blogs.
Now let's get to the what my initial thoughts are on those brackets for the NCAA Tournament.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
In The Trcnches @ 1033espn.com!!!!!!
By: Ryan "Big Mo" Mosley
To anybody who hasn't noticed yet, I'm doing a complete college football preview now on my "In The Trenches" blog @ 1033espn.com
Just go to 1033espn.com and click on the "In the Trenches" blog in the Sports Desk.
As always, feel free to send any questions and comments you might have to the comments section of my blog on 1033espn.com or to ryan_mosley99@yahooo.com
To anybody who hasn't noticed yet, I'm doing a complete college football preview now on my "In The Trenches" blog @ 1033espn.com
Just go to 1033espn.com and click on the "In the Trenches" blog in the Sports Desk.
As always, feel free to send any questions and comments you might have to the comments section of my blog on 1033espn.com or to ryan_mosley99@yahooo.com
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
IT'S OFFICIAL at 1033ESPN.COM!
I just started "In the Trenches" on 1033ESPN.com yesterday. It's going to have everything and anything that is college football and hopefully it will serve every fan of every conference. Don't worry, I will keep giving you the goods right here on mosvoice. I just want to say thank you to all the followers and supporters up to this point. As long as you guys keep reading and leaving your comments, I promise to keep putting everything I have into my writing.
I will post here on mosvoice in the near future, but for the next few days or so, you can see my Top 25 for the month of June and what I have to say about each team at this early point in the summer..........
http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espn1033/specialFeature?id=trenches
Thanks again for all the support,
Ryan Mosley of 103.3 FM ESPN
I will post here on mosvoice in the near future, but for the next few days or so, you can see my Top 25 for the month of June and what I have to say about each team at this early point in the summer..........
http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espn1033/specialFeature?id=trenches
Thanks again for all the support,
Ryan Mosley of 103.3 FM ESPN
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
JUNE 1ST IS THE BIG DAY EVERYBODY
It's almost that time of year people!
I know I've been quiet for a minute, but I got tied up with the Mavs and their playoff run. As far as they're concerned, I told you the Spurs were tailor made for them. (A hobbled Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili in street clothes due to a stress fracture and a bench full of senior citizens, What more could the athletically challenged Mavericks ask for in a 1st round opponent?)
I know I've been quiet for a minute, but I got tied up with the Mavs and their playoff run. As far as they're concerned, I told you the Spurs were tailor made for them. (A hobbled Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili in street clothes due to a stress fracture and a bench full of senior citizens, What more could the athletically challenged Mavericks ask for in a 1st round opponent?)
The Nuggets, as we all saw in a brief 5 game series, were a different breed that the Mavs had no answer for. For the record, the Nuggets didn't beat the Mavs because they were these so called "Thugs" that everybody at my radio station keeps trying to make them out to be. (It's amazing how everybody wants the Mavs to sign the Birdman now.) It's because they were just flat out better than the Mavs and they ran their asses off the court.
I'm doing my best not to deep fry everybody who's been calling them Thugs, but I'm not sure I can hold out much longer! I know we're about to start the Conference Finals in the NBA and the Finals will follow soon after that, but we're on the verge of the most wonderful time of the year. (And I'm not talking about Jesus's Birthday!)
JUNE 1ST IS THE DAY TO REMEMBER EVERYBODY!
It will mark the start of may wall to wall coverage of the upcoming college football season. There will be interviews with some of your favorite college and pro athletes as well as some of the biggest names in college football coverage. There will be a top 25, offensive and defensive players to watch, story lines to watch for during the season, statements to live by when watching things unfold throughout the year, conference by conference breakdowns, games to watch and everything else in between.
It's college football season people. Get with the program! That's if you haven't already done so.
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