So How Is Your Brackets Looking?

So after the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, my bracket is looking like a high-school kid’s algebra test as it is filled with x’s at this point. My carnage ravaged bracket isn’t surprising when I think about it. Every year I believe I have the formula for the perfect bracket and every year it all goes downhill after the first few rounds of games. I may have drunk too much of the Belmont kool-aid that the experts were serving and ended up having the Bruins making a sweet 16 run. After Wisconsin and Jordan Taylor put a beat down on my hometown Bruins my bracket was already done. I got another surprise when Morehead State’s Demonte Harper downed a 3-point bomb on Peyton Siva and the Louisville Cardinals. Now Harper and I know go back to high school and I talked to him before the game. You would think he could have given some type of heads up or something.

The tournament is so much fun because in a year like this, there are no favorites. You could argue that Ohio State, Kansas and Duke are but do you really think any of these teams are unbeatable? This is as an open field as I as I seen in recent years. I doubt that even Joe Lunardi could pick a perfect bracket at this point The NCAA has been watered down with the one-and-done rule to the point where good teams can be borderline great with the given circumstances. Think about this, if most of the underclassmen that have declared over the last four year had to stay in college, how different would the tournament be? Kentucky would feature the likes of John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Terrance Jones. That’s just a scary proposition. Then again maybe Kentucky doesn’t because John Callapari stays at Memphis with Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose at his expense. Ohio State would even bigger inside with Greg Oden (Do you still think he would hurt in some sort of fashion? I do) and better at the point with Mike Conley Jr manning the ship. Things would definitely different that’s for sure.

How about some the controversial calls in this year’s tourney as well? Pitt got jobbed in the Butler game and I don’t care what you say. There is no way those types of calls should determine the outcome of the game as they did but Butler deserves credit for making their free-throws. Memphis fans still think Derrick Williams fouled Antonio Barton, Louisville feel the same about Kenneth Faried’s block on their last second 3-point attempt and what on earth was John Henson thinking for North Carolina? Henson couldn’t figure out if he wanted to be the hero or the goat against Washington as he stole an inbound pass that looked to seal the game then inexplicably touched a half-court heave from Washington’s Isaiash Thomas that had no chance of going in. His mistake gave the Huskies the ball with 0.5 seconds left on the clock and Henson again decided to touch the ball, this time almost receiving a goaltending violation but it wouldn’t have mattered as the Huskies needed a 3-pointer to tie but still you don’t want to chance those type of things John.

As for the rest of my picks, I still have a chance. I did have down a few upsets that happened like Richmond over Vandy. The Commodores are always a safe pick for an upset in the opening rounds. I had George Mason over Villanova. That made since as you had a surging mid-major that has been here before against a down on their luck Wildcats team that the wheels fell off of a long time ago. I still love Jay Wright’s suit selections I must say. Who could have predicted VCU’s run from first four in to Sweet 16 team? The Rams got in and are making the most of it. That is what this entire festival is about. The little team that could and everyone always roots for the underdog. The Sweet 16 is usually the best match-ups of the season and this year looks up to par. When you have Uconn vs. San Diego State, Ohio State vs. Kentucky and BYU vs. Florida you can expect some fireworks.



Stay tuned is all I can say because as more games are played there will be more upsets. Looking at the President’s bracket I’m inclined to think how is he able to pick a 26-2 first round and handle everything else in the world. His bracket was in 98 percentile and he was 431st in ESPN’s bracket challenge. That means that the President is better than me and most people at picking college basketball and I call myself an expert in this field. That’s tells you that this is nothing more than crap shoot. So I finish with the question I began with, how are your brackets looking?

Q and A with Brian "Penny" Collins, former starting point guard for the Belmont Bruins

As I continue you with my series on College basketball in honor of the tournament, I had the opportunity to ask a few quick questions for former Belmont starting point guard Brian “Penny” Collins. Collins is a former Whites Creek High School all-state performer and led Belmont to the NCAA tournament in the 05-06 season averaging 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. Collins and I played together at Whites Creek. He was always a fierce competitor and his basketball I.Q. was through the roof. He earned his nickname of “Penny” with his similar build to Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway but he also had the handling ability and floor awareness that put you in mind of Hardaway. He was always a tough cover for opponents.

He joined Tennessee State University as an assistant grad for in 2007. Collins also conducts the Brian “Penny” Collins Run-N-Gun Basketball Camp in Nashville which he also established in 2007. Collins professional experience includes stints overseas with Finlands’s Kouvot Bears and he was drafted in the 6th round by the Bakersfield Jam of the NBDL. Collins still hold the mark for all-time steals and assists for Belmont’s division I era. He is now entering his second season as assistant coach for the Cumberland Bulldogs. Long story short this man knows basketball and especially Belmont Basketball.



With the Bruins enjoying so much success of late and making their run into the NCAA tournament, I figured this was the perfect time to gauge his outlook for this current edition of Belmont.





Q. What do you think of Belmont’s chances this year in the tournament?



A: I think this is the best possible bracket for them to play in. They will have problems against the more athletic teams in the field as in Kentucky and so forth but the way the bracket shapes up for them, it gives them a chance of advancing.




Q. Hypothetically speaking, do you think if Belmont advances as far as the sweet 16 that it would help as far as for the exposure of the program goes?



A. Definitely. I believe the run we made in 06 gave the program tons of exposure. I can remember watching ESPN and the commentator saying “Not Belmont downs or horses but the school of Belmont.” But now we are viewed as a legitimate basketball school. The exposure of the tournament makes the possibilities endless.



Q. How do you think the run your senior team made at Belmont affected the school?



A. I think it helped in a big way. It opened doors as far recruiting is concerned. Coach Byrd is now being able to land players such as Kerron Johnson out of Huntsville, AL who beat out DeMarcus Cousins for Mr. Basketball in that state. Look at Ian Clark and Mitch Hedgepeth, I believe the recruitment of all those good players are directly related to the success that we had in the tournament and the exposure that it brought the program.



Q. What are some the best aspects of Coach Rick Byrd



A. Well to me Coach Byrd is the best I’ve had the chance to play for. His preparation for opponents is the best I’ve ever seen. He goes out and gets players that fit his program and that’s why he able to continue his success. He is a very detailed and meticulous coach and again one the best I’ve ever been around.



If you like what you heard from Collins here, you can listen to more of his commentary on sports radio 560 AM WNSR radio on Fridays between 12:30-1:30 as he steps in talks college basketball.



Go Bruins!

Q and A with Morehead State Standout and NCAA tourney player Demonte Harper

I was blessed with the opportunity of interviewing my former fellow Whites Creek alum and current Morehead State standout Demonte Harper. For those who haven’t been watching, Harper was named OVC conference tournament MVP after he scored 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the championship game against Tennessee Tech. Harper and fellow senior Kenneth Faried (Who is the leading the nation in rebounding at 14.6 a clip) lead the 13th seeded Eagles against in-state rival and 4th seeded Louisville in the Southwest regional being held in Denver. The Eagles (20-15) are in the tournament for the second time in three years.

My fondest memories of Harper are as a freshman at Whites Creek. He was a tall and lanky kid whose body had not quite caught up with him as far as height is concerned. I was a senior at the time and in some type of scheduling quirk, I had gym class with him. We played some inspired games and I could tell at that time that he had a chance to be a very good player. He would always play me tougher than the others in gym and that was including some other seniors that were so lucky to have gym like me as a senior. After I graduated and went on to college I lost contact with him. I heard about his success at my old high school as the team had made it to the state championship but I wasn’t able to attend those games as much as I had wanted too. A few years went by and as I am now finishing up school (I know it’s been awhile) I noticed that Demonte had earned a starting spot for Morehead State and was putting up some solid numbers for them as well. Harper’s minutes and points have increased every year for him, going from 3.7 points a game in 19 minutes as a freshman to 16 points a game in 37 minutes per contest as a senior. He showed off his scoring ability as he exploded for 35 points against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars this season and dropped another 34 on Austin Peay.

It is a feel good story for me as far as being able to see him fulfilling the potential I noticed in him as a high-school freshman. It makes me proud as a former Whites Creek basketball alum to see Harper keeping the tradition of Whites Creek Cobra basketball alive.

Harper with the block in the above photo.

Now for a few questions on Harper as Morehead State as they prepare for battle against the Cardinals this Thursday.



Question: What is your first take on Louisville?



Answer: They are similar to us in that they like to get up and down the floor like us and it should make for an exciting game.




Q: Do you think playing in the high altitude of Denver will affect your teams approach, as you guys usually go about 7 deep?



A: Maybe a little bit. Coach (Donnie Tyndall) has instructed us to drink more water but other than that I think we will be ok.



Q: Do you think you guys will be rusty since you haven’t played in two weeks?



A: We had a few days off but we have had some tough practices and I definitely think we will be prepared.



Q: Did playing Louisville and going 1-9 in 37 minutes two years ago as a sophomore help as far as scouting and experience are concerned?



A: Definitely, when I played them as sophomore I got a feel for their style of play. This time I should be ready to make more of a contribution




Q: How does it feel to be playing in the hotbed of college hoops in Kentucky?



A: It can be overwhelming to play in front of 20,000 people as we did when we traveled to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, but this is an experienced team that isn’t afraid of the moment.



Q: Did playing Florida to within 6 points of the win help build confidence in playing another big time program such as Louisville?



A: We played them tough but we just had a bad shooting night. Things could have been different had we shot better. It does give us confidence knowing that we are a capable team



Q: They say momentum is the most underrated aspect of the tourney, you guys won 13 of 14 entering the tourney, and does it give you guys an extra bump entering the big dance?



A: Yeah definitely, I think the momentum we are taking with us in the tournament will carry over and give us an additional boost.



Q: How was it to be to get the chance to play in-front of friends and family in OVC tourney here in Nashville? And speaking of Nashville as you being a native of the city did you feel any extra pressure to perform and represent for your city?



A: It was the greatest feeling in the world man. I played in the in the OVC tournament the last three years that it was held in Nashville and so its no pressure to me. I’m just happy to be able to perform in front on my family and friends.





Q; You have scored at least 25 points in your last two games, what has been your key to success in those games?



A: Just being aggressive man. I actually rather make my teammates better if it’s my scoring, rebounding or passing, just whatever I can do to help the team win.



Q: What current NBA player do you think your games most resembles?



A: I would say Derrick Rose. I know I am not as fast as he is (Chuckles) but our styles are similar in attacking the rim and getting up and down the floor.



Q: How do you and Kenneth Faried compliment each others game?



A: I think we compliment each other a lot. He is the best rebounder I have ever had the chance to play with. In my opinion I definitely think he is a first-round NBA pick. Maybe even lottery pick.




Q: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans in the city of Nashville?



A: Thanks for all the love and support from the city.

Tiki Barber coming out of retirement?



After an unceremonious and abrupt end to his NFL career, former all-pro running back Tiki Barber confirmed via twitter that he will be making a comeback to the NFL at age 36. He is the Giants all-time rushing leader. Barber retired in 2006 after straining his relationship with the New York Giants organization. He would go on to become a football analyst for NBC and made disparaging comments about his former head coach Tom Coughlin and QB Eli Manning. The Tiki and Eli saga played out publicly as both lashed out at each other various times during 2007.




After his retirement Barber made the successful transition onto T.V as NBC's correspondent for "The Today Show" and "Football night in America/Sunday Night Football". He also was the host of NBC's pre-show for the 66th annual Golden Globe awards with former "Dancing with the Stars" champion Brooke Burke. Barber also published a book titled "My life and the game beyond".



Barber led the league with 1,662 yards in his last year in the league. He has been rumored to want to play with his brother Ronde Barber and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I will say that Tiki was a great running back in his prime, but this will be almost impossible for him to comeback and be effective at age 36. Most running backs are not around at his age but maybe because he took a few years off he can pull this off. I question his motivation also behind such a change of heart move. This is a guy who said he wanted nothing to do with football anymore as an analyst for NBC. Could this be financially motivated? Barber was due $9.3 million when he retired in 2006.







What do you all think about Tiki's return?

NBA Power Rankings March 8, 2011: Crygate Edition

What a roller coaster week in the league we just witnessed. The season is now a month and half away from the playoff and all the personnel moves have been made. ”Crygate” has dominated the headlines as Miami has become completely unglued at this point. I will touch on that subject in just a moment. The LA Lakers have finally decided its time to play basketball and have quietly posted seven straight wins. Their domination of the San Antonio Spurs Sunday served notice that the two-time defending champs are still the team to beat in the west. I knew how much that game meant to Kobe when I saw him jutting his jaw out (This jaw thing Kobe is doing is becoming his signature I guess like Michael Jordan’s tongue wag) and talking trash to the Spurs bench.

Now I could spend this entire column dissecting what’s wrong with Miami but it’s not enough time in a day for that. What I see on the court from them is a team lacking confidence in late game moments, which is flat out insane when you think about it. Lebron James and Dwayne Wade have been among the best at knocking down game-winners in their career. According to 82game.com, Lebron has 17 career game winning shots and D-wade has 11. Even newly acquired Mike Bibby has 8. It also seems very questionable that Wade is not touching the ball in clutch moments. The moment of truth that I predicted has finally came to bear its ugly head. Lebron and D-wade are struggling to figure out who team its going to be. Wade made the following statements after their loss to the Bulls: “I’m used to coming down in the fourth, having the ball, making mistakes, getting a chance to make up for them, etc.” I don’t know but to me it sounds like he wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game. Lebron has always been and always will be the best player on his team. He is the best player on the planet right now and is use to having his way with teammates. Lebron and Wade have to learn to trust one another in those moments. It shouldn’t matter who takes the shot as long as IT’S THE RIGHT SHOT. They also seem to lack ball movement in those crunch time moments, rather just relying on isolation plays for James and Wade. Teams know this and crowd who ever has the ball in those final seconds. In the game against Chicago, if Wade or Bosh had cut to the basket they could have had an open shot if Lebron was able to get the pass off. That goes back to the coaching as well as Spolestra has to have more imagination in his play-calling because smart teams know what is coming and how to defend it.

As for the crying thing, give me a break. The last thing any player should be doing is crying after losing a regular season game. This wasn’t a NBA finals game, this wasn’t even a playoff game. The biggest rub I have about this situation is that the coach comes out and publicly announces that his team was shedding tears in the locker room. Do you think Phil Jackson or Greg Popovich would come out and admitted that for everyone in the world to ridicule? Me neither. Coach Erik Spolestra has made a crucial mistake in my opinion. Can’t you just imagine Kevin Garnett having a word or two when these teams play? Yep, me too (I would pay any amount of money to hear what he says to Bosh when they play again!). You never want your team be known as soft and now they will forever have to carry that burden with them. Maybe crying was their way or showing how much they care about their season but I reiterate you never want your team to show weakness. The Heat still have the 6th best record in the league at 43-20 and are in first place in the Southeast division. Remember way back at the beginning of the season when they started 9-8 and the bandwagon wheels begin to fall off? They promptly went 21-1 over there next 22 games. They have too much talent not to compete but the expectations they have made for themselves may be to much for them to win a championship this year.

Now to the rankings:

1. Los Angeles Lakers (45-19) – The Lakers just destroyed the best team in the league in the San Antonio Spurs. That win served notice to the league that the championship still goes through Hollywood, like it or not. The Spurs big 3 version of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan were held to just 22 points. Andrew Bynum was a beast on the boards as he just inhaled any missed shot they came in his direction and finished with 17 rebounds. Kobe has that look in his eyes as Lakers haven’t lost since the all-star break. The Lakers showed how good they can be against the Spurs and the league better concern themselves with the champs once again.

2. Dallas Mavericks (45-17) - Every year there is a team who has a bunch of wins in the regular season just to fall flat on their face in the playoffs. I hate to say it but that is what this team puts me in mind of but I have to keep them here because they just keep winning. Their lost Sunday to surging Memphis is just their second in 18 games. The Lakers are creeping up on the Mavs for second place in the conference as they are just percentage points behind them. A bright spot for Dallas though is the return of Roddy Beaubois as he has scored 28 points in 29 minutes. Talk about efficiency.

3. Chicago Bulls (43-18) - These guys just don’t let up defensively. Coach Tom Thibodeau deserves a lot of credit for making them into one of the stingiest teams in the league. They added to Miami’s misery this weekend by beating them Sunday. Derrick Rose seems to be able to step his level of play up in late game situations as well as the Bulls defense. Sometimes it’s the little things in games and Joakim Noah’s block-out of Lebron and Erick Dampier was a thing of beauty. It allowed Luol Deng to get the ball and get fouled in which led to the ensuing game winning free-throws. This is mentally tough team and they proved it against Miami.

4. San Antonio Spurs (51-12) The Spurs took one on the chin against L.A and therefore take a big drop in the rankings. San Antonio looked old, weak in the post and overmatched against the Lakers. Even though they have the best record in the NBA and the inside track to home court advantage, I just don’t see how they could beat the Lakers four out of seven. Tim Duncan scored a measly TWO POINTS against the Lakers and never looked comfortable against L.A’s front line. They were only out rebounded 49-43 but it seemed like it way worse than that. Who knows, maybe this was just a bad day at the office for the Spurs but whew did they ever stink in that game.

5. Boston Celtics (46-15) The Celtics just keep chugging along under the radar while Miami and L.A dominate the headlines. The Celtics have gotten a nice boost from Nenad Kristic of all people as he is averaging 12.2 points since he came to the team. That is big for the C’s as Glen “Big Baby” Davis recently was hit with the knee tendonitis that could sideline him for the next week. They also added the recently cut Miami point guard Carlos Arroyo for some back court depth. They will now have to work on making their new additions (Kristic, Jeff Green and Arroyo) fit in. Just look for more of the same until playoff time from the Celtics

Other news and notes:

Kevin Love ties double-double record: Shaq couldn’t do it, neither could Dwight Howard, Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlin or even the great Bill Russell. Hopefully that can put into context what Love is accomplished here. The previous record by Moses Malone has stood since 1979. It’s an incredible feat and will be that much better if he is able to break Malone’s record. The man has played possessed this year and was three rebounds short of recording his fourth straight 20-point 20-rebound game. He should get the record against the Pacers (Roy Hibbert has never put up much of a fight on the boards) Can you imagine the difference he could provide for a team that needs rebounding (Miami, Philadelphia or Dallas) and a little offense. I think its time that we gave this man a nickname, he has clearly earned it. And please don’t give me a goofy white guy name either just because he happens to be white and playing in the NBA (A la White chocolate, Ghost rider, etc). I will have to think about that and come up with one.

New York Knicks taking form – The Knicks are looking like a team that could surprise a higher seeded team in the playoffs this spring. They put 131 points on Utah last night in their victory and showed what they could be when clicking. Notice I didn’t say clicking on all cylinders as they didn’t have starting PG Chauncey Billups who is still recovering from Dwight Howard’s mammoth knee to his thigh. Carmelo had 34 points and Stoudemire just abused the Jazz post going off for 31 of his own. This is a dangerous team. They have a deadly perimeter scorer in Melo, who also can knock down the clutch shot when needed and with Stoudemire on the block you can’t double team him. Another big surprise I noticed with the Knicks is their shooting stroke. These guys can fill it up with Landry Fields, Shawne Williams and Toney Douglas. They shot 13-26 behind the three point line and again that with one with one all time shooting greats in Billups sitting on the bench. When this team is able to get some more depth to add to the talent they already have, they will be title contenders, let me be the first to say it.

The Tragic Stabbing death of MTSU's Tina Stewart



The Middle Tennessee State University women basketball team was shell-shocked with the news of the stabbing death of guard Tina Stewart by her own teammate Shanterrica Madden. Authorities are reporting that an argument led to the confrontation. “There was an argument,” Murfreesboro Police Spokesman Kyle Evans said. “During that argument, Madden stabbed the victim. Stewart had multiple trauma injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival.




This is such a tragedy for everyone involved. A minor argument that led to a person taking another ones life never makes any sense. A mother and father lose their daughter over an asinine disagreement. I personally just don't understand how two teammates could be allowed to argue to the point that one kills another? Where were her teammates? I'm not one to pass judgement on anyone but these questions have to be asked. The team will be hard pressed to recover from such a dramatic turn of events and also losing two of its players. How do you recoup and recover from something so devastating to the entire university? Stewart was a 21 year old junior and Memphis native who was just beginning to come into her own as a basketball player. This is a team that is 23-6 and the number 1 seed in the Sun Belt conference tourney that is slated to begin this Thursday. I feel for the players and coaches as their season now will be under siege by every media outlet trying to milk this story for everything its worth.



The team can either go in two directions in this type of situation. They can use this troubling tragedy to galvanize and play for the memory of their fallen teammate, or they could succumb to adversity there facing along with the pressure of being the top seed in their conference. I know I and the entire state of Tennessee will be rallying for these young ladies. She was a wonderful, vibrant young woman and a gifted athlete,” MTSU President Sidney McPhee said in a press conference from the lobby of MTMC Wednesday night.

Rest in peace Tina Stewart, may your death not go in vain but be celebrated for all of your accomplishments.

Serena Williams blood clot scare



The last we saw of tennis superstar Serena Williams was her dazzling in a red dress and attending the Elton John academy awards viewing party. She also made an appearance at Graydon Carter's Vanity Fair celebration later. So it makes this story that much more stunning as reports have surfaced that she suffered a pulmonary embolism last week. That is medical jargon for blood clot and it’s located in her lungs. According to People magazine and Yahoo.com, Williams saw doctors at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for the problem. It was later discovered when she returned from New York for doctor's appointments relating to her foot issues.




A statement made by Williams representatives states "Monday Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment at Cedars [Medical Center] for a hematoma she suffered as a result of treatment for a more critical situation," Nicole Chabot, told People magazine.



The former top ranked Williams has been sidelined since July 7, 2010 when she was cut by a glass at a Munich restaurant. Many questioned the injury initially when it was reported because the fuzzy details surrounding it.





Williams had an excepted return date set for the French Open, which begins May 17th but now that definitely is in doubt. This latest issue for Williams pushes her health to the forefront and tennis at a distant second. Let’s all wish for speedy recovery for women’s tennis biggest star.





Sources: People Magazine and Yahoo.com