This is it! My favourite time of year. The time of year where I make sure to clear my schedule, study the brackets, load the fridge with munchies and beverages and basically put my life on pause for the duration of arguably the greatest tournament in all of sports (sorry Olympics, World Cup). By the end of it, my eyes feel like their going to pop out of my head from over use and fresh air becomes a distant fading memory but it's totally worth it.

This season's tournament promises to be as wide open as one come remember. There is no such thing really as clear cut favourites and upsets are sure to occur and one or two Cinderella's will steal the show.

I'm gonna break things down for all the blogging world to see, fearless predictions and players to watch. If my picks are right, I'll gladly say 'I told you so' if I'm way off I welcome all y'all vilifying me mercilessly. LET THE MADNESS BEGIN!

Continue reading "Let The Madness Begin 2009 NCAA Tournament is about to pop off"

It's been almost two years since the mayhem of the 2007 Draft, when the question on everyone in Rip City was Oden? or Durant? As everyone knows and really, everyone expected, the Blazers chose Greg Oden, the towering behemoth center out of Ohio St. NBA history has always taught us that a dominant big man is the ultimate blue print to an NBA Championship.

Well, after missing his entire rookie season with microfracture knee surgery, Oden has been, well, pretty disappointing. We all knew he was raw and would need time to develop, especially at the offensive end but Oden is barely blocking a shot a game and is foul-prone almost every given night. Worst of all is that he seems to be getting increasingly discouraged. Everyone knows how dangerous a fragile psyche can be to a pro athlete.

Continue reading "If Only We Got the Second Pick"

As excited as I was anticipating the start of the NCAA Tournament, this season's version has been, well, disappointing to say the least. There have been hardly any close games or great finishes, especially after the first round.

Since that exciting second day which ended with the double OT game between Ohio St. and Siena, the only great finish that comes to mind is Dmitri Goodson's end to end bank that led the Zags past Orlando Mendez-Valdez and Western Kentucky (and straight into a powder blue whooping in the sweet 16). Further more, the only really great game since was the all Big East battle between Villanova and No.1 Pitt in the East Regional Final. 

This game had everything, intensity, passion, was well played and most of all went right down to the wire. Despite struggling all game with a sore hand, it was Scottie Reynollds, typifying Nova's toughness by not only taking the big shot but hitting it and sending the Wildcats to their first Final Four trip since 1985.

Continue reading "March Madness? More Like March Mildness"