National Championship: Michigan vs. Louisville Preview

Men's Basketball National Championship

#4 Michigan Wolverines (31-7, 12-6 BIG 10) vs. #1 Louisville Cardinals (34-5, 14-4 Big East)

The number one overall seed in the tournament has a chance to win the national championship tonight as the #1 seed Louisville Cardinals are playing the #4 Michigan Wolverines at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The Cardinals are coming into this game on a 15-game win streak including winning the Big East Tournament. Louisville defeated North Carolina A&T, Colorado State, Oregon, Duke and Wichita State on their road to today's championship game.

The Wolverines are coming into this game on a 5-game win streak all of which were in the NCAA Tournament. Their last loss was in the BIG 10 Tournament as they lost to the Wisconsin Badgers in the semifinals. They defeated South Dakota State, Virginia Commonwealth, Kansas, Florida and Syracuse on their road to today's championship game. In my opinion they have had the harder road to the championship.

Mitch McGary has been Michigan's key player in the tournament after not being as much of a factor all season for the Wolverines. In the tournament he has averaged 16 points and 11.6 rebounds per game which is much higher than his season average of 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. McGary has been a force inside for the Wolverines after having to rely heavily on their guard play all season long. His added presence has made the team less one-dimensional and he is the main reason that Michigan is playing as well as they have been in the tournament.

Louisville has been playing with the added pressure of trying to win the championship for Kevin Ware. Ware was injured in one of the most freak in-game injuries I have ever seen during the Elite Eight game against Duke. Ware broke his tibia while jumping to block a shot which left most of his teammates and coaches crying after seeing him go down the way he did. Some of his teammates on the bench were even puking due to how bad the injury looked.

Ware wasn't a player that the Cardinals relied on heavily, but the 15 minutes a game he gave his team off the bench allowed Peyton Siva and Russ Smith the chance to rest for a few minutes a game. Ware was wearing his uniform on the bench during the Final Four game against Wichita State.

Due to Ware's injury the Cardinals have had to rely on Siva and Smith for more minutes as they haven't had the option to go to the bench as often. Siva and Smith have been the keys to Louisville's success all season and this game will be riding on their shoulders. The two have combined for about 29 points and 9 assists per game this season.

Michigan will be able to match up well with Louisville's guards as they will be starting Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke. Burke became the first player in Michigan school history to win the Naismith Trophy for Player of the Year. The two combined for over 33 points and 10 assists a game for the Wolverines. Burke went off during the second half of the Sweet 16 game against Kansas as he absolutely torched the Jayhawks defense. Burke finished the game with 23 points and 10 assists, with a huge three pointer with five seconds left to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Wolverines were then able to defeat the #1 seed Kansas Jayhawks in OT.

Hardaway is the son of former NBA great Tim Hardaway who was one of the best point guards during the 1990s. He is joined by another son of a former NBA great in Glenn Robinson III. His father played around the same time as Tim and was a key player for the Milwaukee Bucks during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Both Hardaway and Robinson are potential first round picks in this year's NBA Draft as well as Burke.

The last key player to watch in this game is Gorgui Dieng. Dieng has played very similarly to that of former UConn player Hasheem Thabeet. He isn't going to give you much on the offensive end, but he will bring you defense and rebounding that will definitely affect the outcome of this game. He will have to shut down McGary if the Cardinals are going to come out victorious tonight.

My Prediction: #4 Michigan Wolverines Win 76-73

Player of the Game: Trey Burke

As good as Louisville has been playing I think Michigan is the hottest team in the NCAA right now. Burke has been unbelievable all year and is the best player in the nation. Him, Hardaway Jr., and Robinson III carried the team all season long and with the now added presence of McGary up front the team has been a force.

Louisville will be able to hang with the Wolverines all game long, but I just don't see them having enough to win it all. For the first time in a long time the Big East wasn't the strongest conference in basketball and Michigan will be looking to show that they were a part of the best conference in the country and that they are this year's best team.

Somewhere Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, Jimmy King and Chris Webber will all be smiling tonight.

Sweet 16 Preview Part 2

Today's Games:

#12 Oregon (28-8, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #1 Louisville (31-5, 14-4 Big East) @ 7:15 on CBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Oregon: Defeated #5 Oklahoma State 68-55 and #4 Saint Louis 74-57
Louisville: Defeated #16 North Carolina A&T 79-48 and #8 Colorado State 82-56

Louisville has had many ups and downs all season long and they got hot at the right point in the season. Oregon came into the tournament without receiving much respect from the selection committee. The entire PAC-12 was shafted with their spots and most of the conference has overachieved thus far in the tournament. Whether or not the Ducks will stop or even slow down one player on Louisville will likely decide whether or not they are going back to Oregon tomorrow.

That one player Oregon should be worrying about is point guard Peyton Siva. Siva has been hot and cold all season and the Cardinals record reflects his overall play. His play towards the end of the season as well as during the Big East Tournament is why Louisville ended up with the number one overall seed in the tournament. As long as he plays well the Cardinals should keep advancing.

My Prediction: #1 Louisville win 80-69

#4 Michigan (28-7, 12-6 Big Ten) vs. #1 Kansas (31-5, 14-4 Big 12) @ 7:37 on TBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Michigan: Defeated #13 South Dakota State 71-56 and #5 Virginia Commonwealth 78-53
Kansas: Defeated #16 Western Kentucky 64-57 and #8 North Carolina 70-58

I picked the Jayhawks to win the national championship early on in the season and stuck with that pick for the tournament. The more and more I watch Michigan play, the more and more I think there might be an upset tonight. The Wolverines have two sons of former NBA players in Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. and along with Trey Burke the three present a lot of problems for opposing teams.

If the Jayhawks are going to win this game and possibly advance even further in the tournament they are going to need Ben McLemore to step it up on the offensive end. He's been one of the best players in the country all season and has disappeared so far in the tournament. In the first two games of the tournament he only has 13 combined points while not making a shot from the field during the round of 32 game against North Carolina.

Jeff Withey has been consistent all season so you can expect the big-man to get you close to a double double every game to go along with his ability to guard the rim. In the last two games Withey has 12 blocks and has made it so opposing teams aren't getting easy buckets around the rim. If Michigan is going to get past Kansas they are going to have to get Withey in foul trouble early so he's not as much of a factor. This game should be the game to watch on Friday night and the winner will likely move on to the Final Four.

My Prediction: #1 Kansas win 69-66

#3 Michigan State (27-8, 13-5 Big Ten) vs. #2 Duke (29-5, 14-4 ACC) @ 9:45 on CBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Michigan State: Defeated #14 Valparaiso 65-54 and #6 Memphis 70-48
Duke: Defeated #15 Albany 73-61 and #7 Creighton 66-50

Michigan State vs. Duke just looks so awesome on paper. These teams are arguably two of the best 10 teams of the last 25 years. Coach K and Tom Izzo are two of the greatest college coaches in the history of the sport both could use another championship to add to their trophy cases.

The Blue Devils are led by Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee. Duke has played much better since Kelly has returned and could possibly make a run to the championship as long as everyone stays healthy. Michigan State is one of the most well-rounded teams in the tournament and receives double digit scoring from four players in Keith Appling, Gary Harris, Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix. They are also one of the best defensive teams in the country.

I'm expecting this game to go back and forth for the full 40 minutes. The coaches will more than likely even each other out as they are easily two of the best five coaches in the nation today. I'm expecting either Kelly or Plumlee to be they key player in this game. The Spartans should be able to keep Curry in check and the Blue Devils will need one of their bigs to step up and carry the load. Duke should win this game, but I'm definitely not ruling out any Tom Izzo led team in March.

My Prediction: #2 Duke win 68-66

#15 Florida Gulf Coast (26-10, 13-5 A-Sun) vs. #3 Florida (28-7, 14-4 SEC) @ 9:57 on TBS

Road to the Sweet 16:
Florida Gulf Coast: Defeated #2 Georgetown 78-68 and #7 San Diego State 81-71
Florida: Defeated #14 Northwestern State 79-47 and #11 Minnesota 78-64

Before this year's tournament started I had no idea that Florida Gulf Coast was a real university. It really sounds like one of those fake schools that movies make up. After two upset performances over Georgetown and San Diego State it is now apparent that this team is for real. Now the small Florida school will have to play against a team that they are all so familiar with.

The Florida Gators have been playing scary good up to this point. This team is starting to remind me of the team that won it all in 2006 and repeated in 2007. I'm not saying they are as good as them, or that any of their players will end up being Joakim Noah or Al Horford, I'm just saying the way they are getting hot at the right time in the season makes me think they could get past Kansas or Michigan after FGCU.

As great as it is to see a Cinderella team progress in the tournament I just don't think FGCU will be able to keep this up. If they were playing against any other team I'd give them a better chance, but I think the Gators will be out to prove they are the best team in Florida, including Miami.

My Prediction: #3 Florida win 77-68

NCAA Tourney Round of 64 Day 1 Preview

Today should be considered a national holiday. This is one of the only times of the year that it is completely acceptable to gamble with friends, family and coworkers and most of America takes advantage of it. It's sad how I'd rather watch the Selection Sunday process every year than deal with most other sports. The actual selection show has become just as important as the games due to where teams end up being seeded.

All throughout the this year's tournament I'll be giving my predictions on each of the games in what I hope will be a more successful year than last year for me. The four games that have already been played this week are now considered Round 1 so I'll be referring to this round as just the Round of 64 to make it easier. I don't have any huge upsets for today's games, but look back tomorrow as I feel a couple of high seeds will be going home. Here are today's picks.

Thursday's Games:

#14 Valparaiso (26-7, 13-3 Horizon) vs. #3 Michigan State (25-8, 13-5 BIG 10) @ 12:15 on CBS

The Spartans didn't get any help from the selection committee this year. If they had been thrown in in the West bracket I might have had them actually making it to the Final Four. Instead they are stuck having to play both Louisville and Duke before reaching the Final Four. Today's game shouldn't be too hard for Michigan State as they will be the bigger and more physical team. Valpo will play a decent game but will not have enough as they go against one of the BIG 10 powerhouses.

My Prediction: #3 Michigan State win 73-58

#11 Bucknell (28-5, 12-2 Patriot) vs. #6 Butler (26-8, 11-5 Atlantic 10) @ 12:40 on TRU TV

Bucknell and Butler both come from small conferences and every year seem to see them in the tournament come March. I think Butler will be the better team today, but can they get past a possible match-up with Marquette in the Round of 32?

My Prediction: #6 Butler win 68-61

#9 Wichita State (26-8, 12-6 MWC) vs. #8 Pittsburgh (24-8, 12-6 Big East) @ 1:40 on TBS

Pittsburgh has always been one of those teams that seems to underachieve when they are in the spotlight. I'm thinking that without the added pressure of a high seed this year that they are going to make some noise and possibly move on to the Sweet 16 past Gonzaga. The Panthers should take down the Shockers today.

My Prediction: #8 Pittsburgh win 67-60

#13 New Mexico State (24-10, 14-4 WAC) vs. #4 Saint Louis (27-6, 13-3 Atlantic 10) @ 2:10 on TNT

A lot of ESPN's analysts have been high on Saint Louis for the tournament this year. Former head coach Rick Majerus had to step down due to medical reasons before the Billikens season started and later died of heart failure in December. The Billikens played well all season in their coaches absence and will likely continue that today.

My Prediction: #4 Saint Louis win 71-59

#11 Saint Mary's (28-6, 14-2 WCC) vs. #6 Memphis (30-4, 16-0 Conference USA) @ 2:45 on CBS

The Memphis Tigers aren't the same team that they once were when John Calipari coached there, but they had an excellent year in Conference USA. The Saint Mary's Gaels had to win their play-in game on Tuesday night to get there and that win will likely be there only win.

My Prediction: #6 Memphis win 66-64

#14 Davidson (26-7, 17-1 Southern) vs. #3 Marquette (23-8, 14-4 Big East) @ 3:10 on TRU TV

The Golden Eagles of Marquette didn't seem to get a lot of attention this year even though they finished going 14-4 in conference. Vander Blue will be leading the Golden Eagles today as they will likely get the win over the Davidson Wildcats. As good as Davidson might be, they just don't have another Steph Curry suiting up every game.

My Prediction: #3 Marquette win 69-54

#16 Southern (23-9, 15-3 SWAC) vs. #1 Gonzaga (31-2, 16-0 WCC) @ 4:10 on TBS

The Zags have had their greatest season in school history up to this point in earning a number one seed and being ranked first in the nation for the first time in school history. They coasted through the WCC and should be victorious by a large margin today.

My Prediction: #1 Gonzaga win 80-57

#12 Oregon (26-8, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #5 Oklahoma State (24-8, 13-5 Big 12) @ 4:40 on TNT

The Pac-12 didn't get any love this year from the selection committee as Oregon was left with a very low 12 seed. They should have been in the 8 or 9 range at least and will likely not have enough to beat the five seed Oklahoma State. Freshman guard Marcus Smart will likely decide how this game ends. Smart has been the Cowboys' best player all season and if they are going to progress it will be because of him.

My Prediction: #5 Oklahoma State win 72-69

#16 North Carolina A&T (20-16, 8-8 MEAC) vs. #1 Louisville (29-5, 14-4 Big East) @ 6:50 on TBS

No 16 seed has ever defeated a 1 seed in tournament history and I don't expect it to happen today. NC A&T would likely not beat any team from the Big East Conference so I'm expecting Peyton Siva and the Cardinals to walk right through them today. This game should be over by halftime.

My Prediction: #1 Louisville win 78-54

#13 South Dakota State (25-9, 13-3 Summit) vs. #4 Michigan (26-7, 12-6 BIG 10) @ 7:15 on CBS

Nate Wolters had a terrific year for the Jackrabbits this year and could have helped them walk away with an upset had they had an easier opponent. The Wolverines have been one of the best teams all year and should be able to slow down Wolters enough avoid the upset.

My Prediction: #4 Michigan win 72-65

#11 Belmont (26-6, 14-2 OVC) vs. #6 Arizona (25-7, 12-6 Pac-12) @ 7:20 on TNT

The Wildcats have been trying to regain the prominence they once had while Lute Olson was manning the sideline and today will be a step in the right direction for them. Belmont have had a successful season, but they will struggle playing with the larger Wildcats.

My Prediction: #6 Arizona win 70-59

#12 California (20-11, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. #5 UNLV (25-9, 10-6 MWC) @ 7:27 on TRU TV

The Running Rebels were one of the best teams in the late 80s and early 90s and haven't been able reach those heights ever since. California didn't have a great season in a weak Pac-12 so I'm going with UNLV in this one.

My Prediction: #5 UNLV win 70-67

#9 Missouri (23-10, 11-7 SEC) vs. #8 Colorado State (25-8, 11-5 MWC) @ 9:20 on TBS

The Missouri Tigers enjoyed limited success in moving to the SEC this year. Colorado State had a very good season in the MWC and this game appears to be a toss up. I'm giving the slight advantage to the Tigers as they had to play in a deeper SEC.

My Prediction: #9 Missouri win 65-64

#12 Akron (26-6, 14-2 MAC) vs. #5 VCU (26-8, 12-4 Atlantic 10) @ 9:45 on CBS

The VCU Rams went from being in the play-in game to the Final Four in 2011 and haven't been overlooked ever since. Coach Shaka Smart has done a lot with a small school that most didn't really know prior to his four years as head coach. This could be the last season we see Smart behind the VCU bench as other schools could try to persuade him to leave the Rams. I'm expecting them to make easy work of the 12 seed Akron Zips.

My Prediction: #5 VCU win 68-63

#14 Harvard (19-9, 11-3 Ivy League) vs. #3 New Mexico (29-5, 13-3 MWC) @ 9:50 on TNT

Harvard might have the smartest basketball team in the tournament, but they definitely aren't one of the best. They will rely on a four-guard lineup that will likely struggle against the Lobos. New Mexico finished first in the MWC this year in what has started to look like a promising basketball conference. Expect the Lobos to win by double digits.

My Prediction: #3 New Mexico win 74-62

#13 Montana (25-6, 19-1 Big Sky) vs. #4 Syracuse (26-9, 11-7 Big East) @ 9:57 on TRU TV

The last game of the night features the Syracuse Orange who could be on upset alert. As much as I dislike the Orange I just don't see them going out this early in the tournament. Between Michael Carter-Williams and Brandon Triche they should have enough to slow down Montana. The Orange should win a close game as they never seem to make it easy for themselves.

My Prediction: #4 Syracuse win 69-66

1/30 NCAA Predictions

Tonight's NCAA Games:

Northwestern (12-9) @ #1 Michigan (19-1)

Can't see the #1 team in the country going down at home against Northwestern. Come Saturday though they might go down against #3 Indiana.

My prediction: #1 Michigan wins 75-61

South Carolina (12-7) @ #4 Florida (16-2)

#4 Florida has impressed all season, and with Kentucky having a bad season it appears they are the team to beat this year in the SEC. The Gamecocks are coming to Gainesville tonight but expect the Gators to come out victoriously.

My prediction: #4 Florida wins 72-59

#5 Duke (17-2) @ Wake Forest (10-9)

Wake Forest isn't the same team that they were five years ago when they could contend with their fellow North Carolina rivals so expect the Blue Devils to take a win here.

My prediction: #5 Duke wins 70-62

#3 Indiana (18-2) @ Purdue (11-9)

#3 Indiana is on the road against cross state rivals Purdue tonight and could they possibly be looking past the Boilermakers and on to Saturday night? My guess is no, but Purdue will keep it close.

My prediction: #3 Indiana wins 69-67

Quicks Picks:

Rutgers (12-7) @ #24 Cincinnati (16-4)

My prediction: #24 Cincinnati wins 68-57

#17 Missouri (15-4) @ LSU (10-7)

My prediction: #17 Missouri wins 72-64

Texas (9-10) @ #18 Kansas State (15-4)

My prediction: #18 Kansas State wins 70-60

Missouri State (6-15) @ #21 Creighton (18-3)

My prediction: #21 Creighton wins 78-61

#14 Miami (FL) (15-3) @ Virginia Tech (11-8)

My prediction: #14 Miami (FL) wins 74-62

#20 New Mexico (17-3) @ Wyoming (15-4)

My prediction: Wyoming wins 68-65

#10 Oregon (18-2) @ Stanford (12-8)

My prediction: #10 Oregon wins 67-63

Yesterday's NCAA Results: 3-2

Wisconsin (14-7) @ #11 Ohio State (16-4) - #11 Ohio State won 58-49
(Originally predicted #11 Ohio State would win 70-62)

Indiana State (14-7) @ #15 Wichita State (19-3) - Indiana State won 68-55
(Originally predicted #15 Wichita State would win 74-59)

Kentucky (14-6) @ #16 Ole Miss (17-3) - Kentucky won 87-64
(Originally predicted #16 Ole Miss would win 68-66)

#19 NC State (16-5) @ Virginia (15-5) - Virginia won 58-55
(Originally predicted Virginia would win 71-70)

Nebraska (11-11) @ #23 Minnesota (16-5) - # 23 Minnesota won 84-65
(Originally predicted #23 Minnesota would win 76-52)

1/27 NBA & NCAA Results

NBA Games: 

Went 7-3 with my picks my first day in the NBA and today went 4-3 bringing my overall record to 11-6.

Miami Heat (28-13) @ Boston Celtics (21-23) - Celtics win 100-98 in 2OT

As good as the Celtics looked in beating the Celtics I think the real story is the Rajon Rondo injury and where the Celtics will go from here: The Last Day of the Celtics Big 4. Paul Pierce put the Celtics on his back and he seemed to be everywhere at points late in the game. As much as I'm not a big fan of LeBron James or the Miami Heat, I was actually upset to not see LeBron try and win the game. He should be better than he is and I think this is why I'll never consider him to be as great as everyone else does. Instead of driving to the hoop to tie it in 2OT he has Shane Battier shoot a 30 footer after he realizes he doesn't have an open shot. (Originally predicted Celtics would win 101-97)

Oklahoma City Thunder (34-11) @ Los Angeles Lakers (19-25) - Lakers win 105-96

I don't know what's going on in Lakertown right now but I'm starting to think Magic Johnson has taken over the body of Kobe Bryant. Bryant dropped 14 assists and 9 rebounds for the second straight game and it is looking like he's trying to show that this thing can work in LA right now with this team. I can't actually remember the last time Bryant had double digit assists two games in a row. While the Thunder may have lost a game to the Lakers that many thought the Thunder would win pretty easily in, this game was all about Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. If the Lakers can keep this up they could make a run and get themselves back into the playoff picture. (Originally predicted Thunder would win 112-95)

Detroit Pistons (17-27) @ Orlando Magic (14-29) - Pistons win 104-102

J. J. Redick could be making his way to a contender in the coming weeks after he put on quite a shooting display for the Magic. Even though the Magic lost this game they aren't actually going anywhere this season so right now they shouldn't be too upset. Orlando should consider trading Redick and anything else that other teams might consider picking up for draft picks and trying to rebuild in the upcoming drafts. As of right now they have one first rounder this year, two in 2014 and two in 2015. If they are able to gain another one they could try and build a new young team in the draft because as of right now the team they are putting on the court aren't exactly exciting. At least they have Disney World. (Originally predicted Magic would win 104-101)

New Orleans Hornets (Pelicans) (15-29) @ Memphis Grizzlies (28-15) - Hornets win 91-83

As much as I didn't give the Lakers much chance of winning their game I really didn't expect the Hornets to win this game. Coming in to the fourth quarter of this game the Grizzlies were up four but then they fell apart and only scored 15 in the fourth quarter. This is just one of those games that the Grizzlies should win. Go Pelicans I guess. (Originally predicted Grizzlies would win 106-90)

Atlanta Hawks (25-19) @ New York Knicks (27-15) - Knicks win 106-104

I think Carmelo Anthony is happy to have Raymond Felton back from injury right now. In Felton's second game back from injury he was able to add 12 points and 10 assists to a Knicks team that has really missed his play. As good as it is to see Felton back this game was all Carmelo. Anthony shot above .500 from the field and managed to make 9/12 three pointers finishing with a game high 42 points. The Hawks put up a fight all game and this matchup could possibly be seen again later in the year come playoff time. (Originally predicted Knicks would win 108-103)

Phoenix Suns (15-30) @ Dallas Mavericks (19-25) - Mavericks win 110-95

Dirk Nowitzki led his team to victory with 18 points and did it while passing Allen Iverson on the all-time scoring list. Nowitzki now stands at number 18 all-time and next up on the list of people to pass is former Knicks legend Patrick Ewing. This game was also the 1,000 career game of Shawn Marion's career. Marion added 18 points and 9 rebounds in a game against his former team. The Suns were led by point guard Goran Dragic, 18 points and 8 assists, who has been the teams only real bright spot so far this season. (Originally predicted Mavericks would win 103-96)

Portland Trail Blazers (22-22) @ Los Angeles Clippers (33-13) - Clippers win 96-83

No Paul, no problem. The night before the Trail Blazers were able to win at home and the Clippers paid them back with a win of their own at home. LaMarcus Aldridge continues to show why he was picked for the all-star game this season as he had another double-double for the Trail Blazers, scoring 21 points and adding 11 boards. I'm starting to think that the Clippers second team could possibly beat a few teams in the NBA on a regular basis right now. Not many teams can get by without an MVP candidate but the Clippers are seeming to do fine without him at this point. Both Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford have been playing great basketball in his absence and this is allowing Chris Paul to get as healthy as possible before his return. (Originally predicted Clippers would win 107-98)

NCAA Games: 

In my first day of doing NCAA men's basketball picks I went 6-4.

Rutgers (12-7) @ UConn (13-5) - UConn win 66-54

It really does suck to see this team playing the way that they are and knowing that come March everything they do won't matter. As someone that grew up loving the Huskies, this season is probably the lowest point for this team that I can remember. (Originally predicted UConn would win 71-62)

#13 Michigan State (17-4) @ #7 Indiana - Indiana win 75-70

Two great teams, with two great coaches, in what this year is the best conference in men's college basketball. If you missed today's game you'll have another opportunity to watch these two teams throw down come February 19th at Michigan State. (Originally predicted Indiana would win 76-69)

#2 Michigan (19-1) @ Illinois (15-6) - Michigan win 74-60

I really expected Michigan to choke in this game. A lot of the top teams in the country have been falling this week and I was thinking the trend was going to continue. Michigan will likely be the #1 team in the country when the polls come out Monday. The way this season has been going, how long will they actually hold onto that spot. (Originally predicted Illinois would win 77-73)

Quick Results:

Seton Hall (13-7) @ St. John's (13-7) - St. John's win 71-67 
(Originally predicted St. John's would win 70-64)

Virginia Tech (11-8) @ Clemson (11-8) - Clemson win 77-70
(Originally predicted Virginia Tech would win 66-64)

California (11-8) @ Colorado (14-6) - Colorado win 81-71
(Originally predicted Colorado would win 68-63)

Iowa (13-7) @ Purdue (11-9) - Purdue win 65-62
(Originally predicted Iowa would win 67-66)

#17 Creighton (18-3) @ Southern Illinois (8-12) - Creighton win 81-51
(Originally predicted Creighton would win 81-60)

Florida State (11-8) @ #25 Miami (FL) (15-3) - Miami (FL) win 71-47
(Originally predicted Miami (FL) would win 74-63)

George Mason (12-8) @ Northeastern (13-7) - Northeastern win 71-51
(Originally predicted George Mason would win 70-67)

1/27 NBA & NCAA Predictions

NBA Games:

I went 7-3 yesterday with my NBA picks.

Miami Heat (28-12) @ Boston Celtics (20-23)
Oklahoma City Thunder (34-10) @ Los Angeles Lakers (18-25)

I think when the NBA made their schedule for today's games on ABC they thought these games would be possible previews of the conference finals in both the East and West. Now the two most successful teams of all time are fighting for a chance at the eight spot in their conferences and the two teams that met in the NBA Finals last year could be set for a rematch this upcoming June.

My predictions: Celtics win 101-97 and Thunder win 112-95

Detroit Pistons (16-27) @ Orlando Magic (14-28)

Two really bad teams that have no star power and aren't going to be improving anytime soon. The Pistons only starter remaining from their 2004 championship is Tayshaun Prince and this team is nothing like it once was almost a decade ago. The Magic traded away Dwight Howard before the season started and it looks like they also traded away their season as well.

My prediction: Magic win 104-101 in a game that I hope people aren't forced to watch

New Orleans Hornets (14-29) @ Memphis Grizzlies (28-14)

The soon to be Pelicans will be visiting a team that no one wants to seem come the playoffs. The Grizzlies for some reason are still overlooked when people discuss contenders and this might finally be their year. This game probably won't be a close one, sorry Unibrow.

My prediction: Hornets lose 106-90, but this loss isn't as bad as finding out they are will be Pelicans next season

Atlanta Hawks (25-18) @ New York Knicks (26-15)

Both teams are currently fighting for position for the playoffs in the East and I see no reason for why either team would miss the playoffs at this point. While the Knicks failed to show up against the 76ers on Saturday, I see them turning it around in today's game.

My prediction: Knicks win 108-103

Phoenix Suns (15-29) @ Dallas Mavericks (18-25)

Remember when both the Suns and Mavericks were competiting deep into the playoffs in the Western Conference? Let's hope their fanbases do too because it's not looking good for either of these teams this year. The Suns have a lot of nice young pieces to build around but they don't have a star to put them around. The Mavs just look old right now and seem to be way too focused on the possibility of picking up Dwight Howard this upcoming offseason.

My prediction: Mavericks win 103-96 in the battle of I wish Steve Nash was still here

Portland Trail Blazers (22-21) @ Los Angeles Clippers (32-13)

I got yesterday's game between these two teams right when I pick the home Trail Blazers to defeat the Clippers. Today I'm going with the home team again and thinking the Clippers will pull this one out. I just don't see this team even without CP3 losing twice in a row to a team that isn't better than them.

My prediction: Clippers win 107-98

NCAA Games Quick Picks:

Seton Hall (13-6) @ St. John's (12-7) - St. Johns wins 70-64
#13 Michigan State (17-3) @ #7 Indiana (17-2) - Indiana wins 76-69
Virginia Tech (11-7) @ Clemson (10-8) - Virginia Tech wins 66-64
Rutgers (12-6) @ UConn (12-5) - UConn wins 71-62
California (11-7) @ Colorado (13-6) - Colorado wins 68-63
Iowa (13-6) @ Purdue (10-9) - Iowa wins 67-66
#2 Michigan (18-1) @ Illinois (15-5) - Illinois wins 77-73 (Upset Alert)
#17 Creighton (17-3) @ Southern Illinois (8-11) - Creighton wins 81-60
Florida State (11-7) @ #25 Miami (FL) (14-3) - Miami (FL) wins 74-63
George Mason (12-7) @ Northeastern (12-7) - George Mason wins 70-67