NBA Playoffs Predictions

Let's start with the East.

Derrick Rose goes down... Okay so we can count the Bulls out. Sure they might win their series against the 76ers but they're not beating the Heat in a seven-game series.

The Knicks got waxed by about 40 points in Game 1 against the Heat, let's go ahead and count them out.

The Pacers lost Game 1 at home to a Magic team playing without Dwight Howard... ouch. Yeah, let's count them out as well. Like I said with the Bulls, they might go on to win this series but they're not getting past the Heat either.

The Celtics and Hawks should be a very competitive series. I could see the winner of this series winning the next series as well and playing the Heat in the Conference Finals.

That being said, nobody in the East can beat the Heat. I mean they just beat the Knicks 100-67! A Bulls team with Derrick Rose possibly could have, but that didn't work out.

Now let's look at the West.

Whereas the Heat are the the only team that can make it out of the East, there are six teams that could make it out of the West-- Thunder, Mavs, Spurs, Lakers, Clippers and Grizzlies. 

What a first round series between the Thunder and Mavs, that's a Conference Finals type of a matchup. I expect the Thunder to move through the West and play the Heat in the NBA Finals, but the Mavs will not be an easy first test, as it took a buzzer-beater for the Thunder to take Game 1.

The Clippers-Grizzlies is also a very interesting series, and it is really a toss-up.

The Spurs should have no problem getting past the Jazz and the lakers should have no problem getting past the Nuggets.

Once it is down to the Thunder-Lakers and Spurs-Clippers/Grizzlies, any of these five teams have the ability to win a seven-game series. If I had to pick, I would have to go with the Thunder-Spurs advancing and the Thunder making it out the West. In the NBA Playoffs, unlike the NCAA March Madness, the best teams nearly always win.

So Heat-Thunder in the Finals... big surprise. There is no question in my mind that the Heat are the best team if they are healthy. But with a player like Kevin Durant, if a game is close he just finds a way to win and hits buzzer-beaters with ease. He is as clutch as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan when the game is on the line.

So I am going with the Heat, but saying with Durant anything is possible. Hopefully that qualifies as an answer.

NFL Draft Recap

As an Ohioan living in Northern Virginia, I consider myself both a Redskins and a Browns fan... Clearly I am no fair-weather fan. I'm pretty sure those two teams have gone through more starting QBs than any other in the league over the past 10 years, and they have really struggled offensively for years.

That being said, I am very happy with what both organizations did during the draft. Of course the Skins took RGIII with the second overall pick, and the Browns traded down to grab Trent Richardson with the third overall pick and then took Brandon Weedon later in the first round, which I thought were great moves. The Skins also drafted Kirk Cousins, an interesting pick considering they had already taken RGIII, but I was actually really happy with that pick as well. RGIII and Cousins is already better then the two options they had last year.

Aside from the Skins and Browns, I was impressed with several other teams as well.

I thought the Giants had a great draft considering they had the final pick. They took both David Wilson and Jayron Hosley from Virginia Tech and wide receiver Reuben Randle from LSU, all of whom will instantly make this team even better.

Staying in the division, I thought the Cowboys were smart in trading up to grab Maurice Claiborne, who has Derrelle Revis-like potential.

The team I believe had the best draft was the Colts. Obviously they had the No. 1 pick and were able to get the most heralded QB in NFL Draft history-- Andrew Luck. Then they took Luck's TE and favorite target from Stanford, Coby Fleener, followed by another great TE named Dwayne Allen. Then they stayed with offense and took T.Y. Hilton, a wide receiver from FIU who was one of the best WRs in all of college football that nobody has heard of. They even took another QB, Chandler Harnish, who similarly was one of the best QBs in college football that wasn't well known because he played for Northern Illinois. They drafted some serious talent on offense.

Other interesting picks came from the Lions and Broncos. The Lions picked up WR Ryan Browles. On most teams he would be the No. 1 option, but alongside Calvin Johnson he can do some serious damage. The Broncos picked QB Brock Osweiler. He will be able to learn under Peyton Manning for a couple years and then will be able to take over the team, the perfect position for a young QB.

Poised for victory in NBA Fantasy finals

I consider myself a fantasy phenom. I play fantasy football, basketball and baseball, and more often than not I win. Maybe it takes talent, maybe it doesn't, but I am a flat out fantasy winner.

Paul Pierce has been on fire (Google Images)

That being said, it looks like I am going to win my NBA fantasy championship as I currently hold a 200-point lead with just a few days left in the matchup. But this is no surprise.

I won my first 10 matchups of the regular season. For those of you who don't know how fantasy basketball works, there were 11 regular season matchups this year, each spanning one week. So I did lose in week 11, the final week of the regular season, but I was just resting my players for the playoffs and was satisfied with a 10-1 season (sure, let's go with that).

Anyway, my team returned to dominance in the playoffs, as none of my matchups have even been close. My team is paced by Derrick Rose, who puts up crazy numbers when he actually plays, Paul Pierce, who is having probably his best season ever, Pau Gasol, a steady fantasy star, and Josh Smith, the most underrated player in the NBA.

Also playing well for me this year has been Ty Lawson, Marcin Gortat, Gerald Wallace, Mike Conley and Lou Williams.

Unfortunately I had to drop Jeremy Lin due to his injury, but man was that a good pickup during the regular season. Although his national attention died down after the first couple weeks, his numbers remained really good. Another one of my point guards, D.J. Augustin, has also been battling injury problems all season.

My most recent waiver pickups were Clay Thompson, J.J. Hickson, Glen Davis and Kevin Seraphin. These four guys have been just playing ridiculously well lately, and have added a major boost to my team. Who would've thought that Hickson, a guy the Cavs didn't even want, would become a great player in Portland? And Thompson has been a pleasant surprise as a rookie, and is probably the second-best rookie in the league only behind Kyrie Irving.

Long story short, I am going to win yet another fantasy championship. If only I actually played for money.

Did I mention the Nationals would be good?

Yes, yes I did.

After years of losing seasons, the Washington Nationals are sitting pretty atop their division with a solid record of 12-4. They have far more talent this season both at the plate and at the mound, and it is showing.

 Strasburg continues to impress (Google Images)

In terms of offense, Jayson Werth is looking much better so far this season as he is batting .322. Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche have also looked pretty good so far, batting .294 and .288 respectively. I am still waiting to see Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa to play like they are capable, meaning there is still room for improvement at the plate for the Nats.

The most impressive aspect of this year's team is without question the pitching. Paced by phenom Stephen Strasburg, who has an ERA of 1.08 in four starts, all five starters have played very well. Strasburg has 25 strikeouts compared to just 6 walks in his four outings and is showing no sign of elbow problems. Jordan Zimmerman is also off to a good start with an ERA of 1.29 in three starts. Ross Detwiler has been a pleasant surprise, replacing John Lannon in the rotation. He is leading the team in ERA with 0.56 in three starts.

Gio Gonzalez, the biggest off-season pickup for the Nats, has also been solid on the mound with an ERA of 2.04 in three starts. The other off-season pitching pickup, Edwin Jackson, has not been as steady, with an ERA of 4.26. This is somewhat typical of Jackson, who is a very up and down pitcher, famous for his no-hitter in 2011 with 149 pitches and eight walks. He has potential for great games but is not as consistent as guys like Strasburg and Gonzalez.

This is a talented young ball club with the potential to become even better as the season goes on. I'm not going to guarantee a World Series title or anything crazy like that, but the 12-4 record is no fluke.

Should the NBA regular season be shorter?

How many times have you heard guys saying, "we don't need to be playing our best ball right now, we need to be playing the best in the playoffs?"

The players seem to say things like that every day.

There are 82 games in standard, lockout-free NBA season, and most of the time the playoff seeds are determined long before the 82nd game, aside from maybe the seventh and eighth seeds. Only one instance in my lifetime can I recall an eight seed making it to the finals, most of the time these teams don't even really matter. Unlike the college format in which anything can happen, the best team always wins in the NBA playoffs because it is a seven-game series.

So with the playoff spots being essentially locked up weeks before the final regular season games, teams often don't even try down the stretch. Players like Derek Rose, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Dwayne Wade have been sitting out games just so they can get healthy, knowing their respective teams are already in the playoffs. Similarly, the Spurs have been sitting all of their veteran players lately just because they are older and need to be fresh for the playoffs. So what's the point of playing 82 games when the players aren't even trying right now, aside from those teams fighting for the last couple of playoff spots, which don't really matter anyway.

The answer to that question is probably money, so this isn't something that is going to change.

Regardless, I think the quality of the play would be far better if the season were only 50 games. Maybe players would actually play every game, actually play defense every night, and actually care about winning each game. People complain there's no defense in the NBA. Just watch the playoffs, these guys are freakishly good defenders, but only when they choose to be. If the season were shorter, maybe more games would be played like playoff games.

Shaping up to be best NBA Draft ever

This year's NBA Draft just might be the best draft in the history of the league.

KU's Thomas Robinson (photo courtesy Google Images)

Yes the LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony draft of '03 was pretty good. Certainly the Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton draft of '84 wasn't so bad either, but the 2012 version is has some serious potential.

The first two picks will most likely come from the National Champion Kentucky Wildcats-- Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Both of these guys are rare talents that could be game-changers fro teams in need. Davis is a difference-maker without even scoring due to his presence on defense and rebounding, and Kidd-Gilchrist is an incredible athlete and great play-maker.

Fellow Wildcat Terrence Jones will also be a top-10 pick, as he is a load on the inside.

Baylor's Perry Jones, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Kansas' Thomas Robinson and UConn's Andre Drummond are all big guys with incredible potential. Each one of these guys could be No. 1 picks in other years, as they have that type of potential.

But wait, there's more.

Clearly this is the year of the centers/forwards as North Carolina has three of them as well that will all likely be lottery picks-- Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson.

There's a legitimate chance that no guard is taken in the top 10 picks, that is how deep the center/forward class is this year.

But there are some solid guards as well on the big board. Florida's Bradley Beal, UConn's Jeremy Lamb, Duke's Austin Rivers, UNC's Kendall Marshall and Weber State's Damian Lillard are all outstanding prospects.

In about five to ten years we could be looking back on the '12 draft and realizing it was the best in the history of the league. There's also a chance that seven of the lottery picks will be from Kentucky and North Carolina, which as a Duke fan, makes me happy because they are no longer in college!

April is heaven for sports fans

What do the Final Four, the Masters, Opening Day for baseball, the NBA Playoffs, the NHL Playoffs and the NFL Draft all have in common?

They all take place in April.

The month started off with the Final Four, my personal favorite sporting event of the year. Although all of my favorite teams failed to reach the elite stage in college basketball this year, it is always a great even that I really enjoy. I am certainly no fan of Kentucky, but they were a really fun team to watch, and one of the best teams I've seen at the college level in a long time. It's rare that teams are that strong on both offense and defense.

The Masters just concluded this weekend, and what a show that was. Between Louis Oosthuizen holing out for double eagle and Bubba Watson hitting a snapping wedge around the trees in the playoff to capture the Green Jacket, it was truly a Masters for the ages. Check my blog below for more details about the epic Sunday.

The NHL and NBA Playoffs are both coming up soon. I am not much of a hockey fan, but I was glad to see the Capitals make the playoffs. In terms of the NBA Playoffs, I am actually really excited this year. Assuming that the Heat and Thunder don't fall to lesser opponents early in the playoffs, that will be one of the most exciting championships in a long time. Just think about a series with LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Durant and Westbrook. Wow. That is more of an All-Star game than a championship series. I can't wait.

Also upcoming this month is the NFL Draft. Assuming that the Colts don't do anything crazy and take Andrew Luck with the first pick, the Redskins will be getting Robert Griffin III, one of the most exciting and talented college quarterbacks in my lifetime. I am really happy for the Redskins and the city of Washington for finally getting someone who has the potential to turn the franchise around. They've been through more quarterbacks in the last 15 years than any franchise in the league.

So not a bad month for sports, huh?

Bubba Watson triumphs at the Masters

Wow, what a Masters Sunday that was.

Bubba Watson in his all white Masters gear (Google Images)

Unfortunately, I missed some of the early action because I was playing in my own golf tournament, but I watched all of the drama unfold on the back nine as well as the captivating playoff between Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen.

Early in the final round, it appeared Oosthuizen, a former British Open champion, was destined for the Green Jacket as he holed out for double eagle on the par-5 second, the first ever deuce on the second at the Masters. This gave him the outright lead, a lead which he held most of the day.

However, Oosthuizen's playing partner, Watson, was determined to make a charge, as he rattled off four birdies down the stretch to snatch a share of the lead. Unlike Oosthuizen, Watson was seeking his first major title.

After both players made par on the 72nd hole, the stage was set for a sudden death playoff.

The action returned to the 18th hole. Both players hit great shots but just missed the putts, extending the duel to a second hole. The contenders were carted to the 10th hole, where all golf enthusiasts were about to witness a historic scene.

Despite hitting his tee shot way right into the tress on the lengthy par-4, Bubba pulled out a wedge from 155 yards away and pictured a high hooking shot onto the green. This is a shot only Bubba could even comprehend pulling off, and he had the benefit of being a lefty. Not only did he execute a miraculous 40-yard hooking shot, but he stuck it to about 10 feet from the cup. Considering the stage, this was the greatest shot I have ever witnessed and ultimately proved to be the difference as he captured the elusive Green Jacket.

If Oosthuizen had won, his double eagle would have been eternally glorified, but rather it was Bubba's high snapping wedge around the trees in the playoff that will forever live in Masters lore.

But perhaps the greatest moment of the day was after Bubba sealed his victory and broke down in tears on the 10th green, surrounded by his friends and family. Not represented in this small gathering was his wife and newborn child. A newborn and a Masters title, not a bad Easter Sunday.

During the Green Jacket presentation and his interview with legendary CBS broadcaster Jim Nance, Bubba was once again choked up. The quote of the year was when he tried to speak but simply said, "I never made it this far in my dreams." As an aspiring professional golfer, that quote resonated strongly with me.

What a moment. What a Sunday. What a Masters.

Let's talk about Kobe Bryant

Last night, Kobe Bryant went 3-for-21 from the field, marking his worst shooting performance of his entire career. Not to mention that he was 0-15 in the first half and didn't score his first point until the fourth quarter.

Kobe Bryant was clutch again in the midst of his worst game ever.

Kobe, a 16-year veteran, plays 38.6 minutes per game on a very down Lakers team and admitted fatigue may be becoming a problem. His scoring numbers are actually up this year, but that is because he is just needed more this year on a team without lots of scoring options.

Yet, the fact that he went 3-for-21 was not the story of the game. The story was the fact that he scored all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead three-pointer with just over 20 seconds left in the game, giving his Lakers the win. Granted it was against the struggling New Orleans Hornets, but this game just proves what I have long thought was the case.

If I needed one player to carry my team throughout a grueling regular season- LeBron James is the guy. He is the best all around player in the NBA and really could be the MVP every year.

However, if I needed one player to get me through the playoff- Kobe Bryant. He is without question the most clutch player in the game, and has been for a long time now. In late game situations and in the playoffs, he is just money. After having the worst game of his life last night, he went off for 11 points and hit the game winning shot last night.

Clearly LeBron is the better all-around player, but will he ever be the closer that Kobe has become?

What will be interesting to see is this year's NBA Finals, which the Heat will for sure be playing in, most likely against the Thunder. I am curious to see whether Dwayne Wade or LeBron gets the call in the late game situations in a championship series. We all know this is not LeBron's strength, but it's time this guy proves he can do it.

And speaking of the Thunder, Kevin Durant is the best pure scorer since Michael Jordan, and he may be even better than Jordan in that department by the time he retires, but that argument is for another time.

Kentucky vs. Kansas - A heavyweight title fight

The past two years we have seen Butler reach the Final Four twice and VCU once. Six years ago it was George Mason that broke through and reached college basketball's ultimate stage. But for the first time since 2009, the midmajors failed to become "this year's George Mason."

Anthony Davis, Kentucky's National Player of the Year

This year, four superpowers punched their tickets to New Orleans: Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas and Ohio State. These are four of the most successful programs in the history of the game. These squads have combined for 13 National Championships, and Kentucky and Kansas are the two most winningest programs in college basketball history.

And guess which two moved on to the finals: Kentucky and Kansas.

Kentucky will be looking for their eighth National Title and Kansas will be seeking their fourth. In terms of tradition, there is certainly no underdog in this title fight.

That being said, there is without question an underdog in terms of current personnel: Kansas. This 2012 Kentucky squad is one of the most dominant teams ever in college basketball. Freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are likely the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, and senior big man Terrence Jones will be a lottery pick as well.

Kansas is a team that wasn't expected to do great things this year. They lost several key players, including the Morris twins, and were not ranked in the Top-10 in the preseason polls. Yet, they seem to play with great heart and passion and could perhaps be the team of destiny this year. They have come from behind in nearly every game so far in the tournament only to pull ahead in the final seconds.

The neatest part about this matchup is that the two best players in the country - Anthony Davis and Thomas Robinson - will be facing off in the championship game, a rare occurrence indeed.

Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow and all that NFL chaos

First of all, who actually cares about football right now? It's college basketball season!

Anyway, I figured I would diverge my focus for a few words on what went down during the trade deadline. So what did we learn? We learned that Tebow is so good that he is worth a fourth round draft pick. Not a first round pick, not a second round pick, not a third round pick, but the Broncos dished Tebow out like yesterday's trash for a measly fourth round pick!

And am I surprised? Nope.

Tebow and Sanchez will be teammates next year in New York.

I have never been a big fan of Tebow as an NFL quarterback. He had an all-time great college career, he is a hell of a winner, and is a great role model for his values and the way he goes about his business. However, he is not an NFL quarterback. Yes, he did have a remarkable season last year and carried the Broncos into the playoffs, what he did cannot last. Teams weren't ready for him, but now that teams know what he is going to do, he won't be able to succeed long term as a quarterback. QBs simply have to be able to throw (accurately).

Peyton Manning's future is also a big question mark, but I think the Broncos made the right decision. They had a shot at one of the greatest QBs in history, which they couldn't pass up. Tebow is simply not the QB of the future in Denver, especially with John Elway in charge (he knows a thing or two about passing). So they made a great decision. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. But it was a risk worth taking.

As far as the Jets are concerned, they now have two bad quarterbacks to chose from. One is a great winner but not a good QB, the other is just not a good QB. I'm not sure the Jets can win a championship with either one. Yes teams have won Super Bowls based on defense, but that is rare; ultimately you need a good quarterback to be successful in the NFL. It will be interesting to see who earns the starting job or if they plan on using a two-QB system with Tebow in a Wild Cat.

Did Duke lose...?

OK so this is a little bit delayed... but I have to say a few words about Duke losing to Lehigh.

A little bit of humor to lighten the mood.

To be honest, I wasn't all that surprised. That might sound funny coming from a die-hard Duke fan, but I'm also a realistic fan more than an optimistic one. I knew Duke was not playing well at the end of the season. Even when they one games, they were just barely sneaking by and were not making it look pretty.

In my personal bracket, I picked Duke to make it to the Elite Eight before losing to Kentucky. Did I actually expect that to happen. Hell no. As a Duke fan, I felt an obligation to at least pick them that far even though I wasn't expecting it because if they happened to do well, I would look like an idiot. In all honesty I though they would either lose in the second round to Xavier or to Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen. Especially with junior forward Ryan Kelly sidelined with an injury, my hopes weren't too high.

So, a second round loss was pretty much in my mind in terms of expectations. No I didn't foresee an opening game loss to 15th-seeded Lehigh, but it was just one game earlier than what I had in my mind. Yeah it hurt at the time, but I was also glad I would never have to watch that Duke team again. Thanks fellas for putting me out of my misery early.

But that leads me to next year's team, which has major question marks. With Miles Plumlee graduating and Mason Plumlee and Austin Rivers most likely leaving for the NBA, they might be in some trouble. The Plumlees and Rivers were their most consistent and most valuable players this season. Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins, Tyler Thornton and Quinn Cook were all up and down all season. In big moments, it was usually the Plumlees and Rivers who kept Duke alive.

Luckily they will have the third Plumlee available next season, Marshall, replacing his two older brothers. But we haven't seen much of him yet and don't know if he can be a major contributor right away. And in terms of Rivers, there is no way to replace what he provides.

Redskins to get RGIII!

There was only one move that could have rallied all of the Washington area around their annually mediocre NFL squad-- trading up to get the rights to the second pick in the draft. And, much to my shock and excitement, they actually did it.

Robert Griffin III holding his Heisman Trophy (Photo courtesy Google Images)

The Redskins under owner Dan Snyder have tried many questionable things, 99.9 percent of which have been complete failures. There is no guarantee that Robert Griffin, III will be a successful NFL quarterback, but I think Snyder has at last made a great decision, a decision that could turn this franchise around for years to come. A potential reputation-saving decision.

I watched nearly all of Baylor's games this past season and I was thoroughly impressed with RGIII in each game. He has rare talent with his arm, his feet and with his intelligence. Yes the Redskins had to give up A LOT to get him-- three first round picks and a second rounder-- but this time it was worth it.

RGIII could be the face of this franchise for the next dozen years or so, as the Redskins have gone through about 15 starting quarterbacks in the previous dozen years. Sure they have more holes to fill than the QB slot, but this is a huge step forward. More so than anything else, it gets the fans excited about Redskins football again and ticket sales will skyrocket as a result. Also, free agents from around the league will now want to come to D.C. to get a chance to play alongside the young QB.

Just think about it this way-- the two quarterbacks currently on the Skins roster are Rex Grossman, who holds the NFL record for most consecutive games with a turnover, and John Beck, who has never won a game as a starting quarterback. RGIII may have never played an NFL game but he is a proven winner, a Heisman Trophy winner, and a likeable guy who is a popular figure among sports fans.

Top teams fall in Championship Week

Duke, Kansas and Syracuse have now all fallen victim to lesser opponents prior to reaching the championships in their respective conference tournaments.

Florida State took down Duke again (Photo courtesy Google Images)

As a Duke fan, I thought these loses could potentially help Duke move up into the No. 1 seed slot if they went on to win the ACC Tournament, but they soon fell as well. However, they lost to a quality team in Florida State, so they should remain a No. 2 seed.

Of course the Duke loss was a tough blow for me, especially now that they have lost to FSU twice this year, but this is why I love college basketball. Everybody expected Syracuse to beat to Cincinnati-- they didn't-- and everyone expected Kansas to beat Baylor-- they didn't. During Championship Week teams are so hungry to win and state their cases for the Big Dance that anybody can win, you really have to throw the regular season out the window.

The same pretty much goes for the NCAA Tournament, as the best team from the regular season rarely wins. Last year UConn won it all after a mediocre regular season, as they caught fire during the Big East Tournament. The year before Duke won it all with one of their lesser talented teams in recent memory.

That is the beauty of college basketball and March Madness-- anything can happen.

That being said, the two best teams in the country (in my opinion) are Kentucky and UNC, and they are both still alive in their respective tournaments. It's hard to imagine those two teams losing to any team other than each other, and that would be a great national championship if they were to meet in the finals. Nevertheless, I would be just as happy to see both lose in the first round, but that's just me.

Mason tumbles in Richmond to VCU, again

In what is essentially a home tournament every year for the VCU Rams in the Richmond Coliseum, they once again took down the George Mason Patriots, making that three consecutive years in which the Rams eliminated the Patriots in the in the CAA Tournament.

Mike Morrison was the best player on the court for Mason in the loss.

This years' version got off to an embarrassing start for Mason, to say the least. The Rams jumped out to an early 30-4 lead and later led 41-13 in the first half. That's a 28 point differential! Somehow, Mason actually cut it to just six points on two occasions in the second half before falling 74-64, at least making the final margin respectable.

In what is, without question, the best rivalry in the CAA, it just seems that VCU has Mason's number in March.

One year ago, the two teams met just once during the regular season, as the Patriots took down the Rams in Richmond just one week before the CAA Tournament. Yet, it was the Rams who won in the Coliseum. This year, the two teams split during the regular season, each winning on their home floor, and, once again, the Rams dominated the matchup in the Coliseum.

Whether it is in the heads of these Mason players, whether it is the overly VCU-favored fans, or maybe a combination of the two, the Patriots just can't get past VCU when it matters. The Patriots last won the Tournament back in 2008, before falling to VCU every year since.

Not only did the loss for Mason essentially eliminate them from even the hope of making the NIT, but it gave VCU a boost in their chances of making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid. And the only thing GMU fans hate as much as Mason losing is VCU winning.

UNC did what they were supposed to do this time... Unfortunately

So did I mention that this Carolina team should have dominated Duke in the first meeting? Yes, yes I did. Well, it just so happened that they chose to dominate Duke in the second game instead. Not many teams can take down Duke in Cameron with ease, but this UNC team has that kind of star power.

Miles Plumlee and his brother Mason carried Duke. (Photo courtesy Google Images)

It amazes me that this UNC team could ever lose a game with as much talent and athleticism and length and size as they have. Kendall Marshall is as good a point guard as there is in the ACC and Tyler Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes is without question the best front line in the country, and all three could play (and possibly start) in the NBA right now.

So, with that being said, as a Duke fan I am very happy to have escaped the regular season with a split with the Tar Heels. I am worried about the possibility of a rematch in the ACC Championship game, but if Duke does in fact reach the conference championship game they will have at least locked up a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance, so not a big deal if they do in fact lose again.

The only devastating aspect of this loss is the fact that I was at the game. Wow, was it painful. It was so bad I considered leaving after halftime. That has to be the first game I've been to in Cameron in which I felt Duke just never had a chance to win. The lone bright spot for the Devils was the play of the Plumlee brothers, who kept them somewhat alive in the second half.

They were badly outplayed from the start and the better team just won the game. Enough said.

NBA All-Star game breakdown

Okay so the West won 152-149. In other words, there was no defense.

It was a record-setting night in terms of total points and for Kobe Bryant who passed Michael Jordan for most points ever in All-Star games after scoring 27 points.

Photo courtesy ESPN.com

But this night was not about Kobe, nor was it about Blake Griffin's high-flying dunks or Russell Westbrook's insanely high energy level.

This All-Star game was a duel between the two best players in the NBA: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The two went back and forth all night, trying to outdo their counterpart. It should come as no surprise that each scored 36 points. LeBron uncharacteristically cashed in on six threes and sparked the East's comeback after trailing by over 20 points. But it was Durant who earned the MVP honors becuase the West did hang on for the victory.

It is my hope that this duel was foreshadowing what we will see in the NBA Finals. Heat-Thunder. They are the two best teams in the NBA with the two best players in the league. A LeBron-Wade and Durant-Westbrook finals would certainly be an entertaining one.

I'm not sure any team is capable of beating the Heat in a seven-game series, but the Thunder would have the best chance of doing so simply becuase Durant is that good. He is the best pure scorer in the league right now without question.

On another note-- with the Olympics drawing near, this might be the best Olympic squad since the "Dream Team" with MJ, Bird and Magic. This version will likely have LeBron, Wade, Durant, Bryant, Rose, Paul, Howard, Carmelo and Griffin. Can somebody say unbeatable?

Mason stumbles on the road again

Coming off five straight wins, including an impressive comeback against VCU and a key win in the ESPN BracketBuster contest, the Patriots once again hit a road block playing outside of Fairfax.

 Mike Morrison was the lone bright spot against Northeastern.

They lost an 85-82 overtime decision against Northeastern Wednesday night, a team that is just 13-15 overall. This is nothing new for the Patriots, however, as they have struggled all season playing away from home. The loss at Delaware on Feb. 1 snapped a six-game winning streak and ended Mason's hopes of an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.

The disappointing Northeastern loss dropped the Patriots to 8-6 in away games, including games played in neutral sites. On the other hand, they are 15-1 in the Patriot Center, coming off a year in which they went undefeated at home, a perfect 14-0. Thus they are 29-1 in their last 30 home games, but for some reason just can't win on the road.

The season got off to a rough start for the Patriots as they suffered really bad losses against Florida International on a neutral site and at Florida Atlantic, setting the tone for the rest of the season in terms of playing on the road.

This problem is not unique to Mason, however, as winning on the road in college basketball is no easy chore. But the teams who earn at-large bids are those who overcome the adversity and take down quality opponents away from home. Nothing impresses the NCAA committee more than beating somebody in their own gym.

Unfortunately for Mason, they have no games left in the Patriot Center. They play at VCU on Saturday in the season finale and then head back to Richmond for the CAA Tournament. Their only hope of reaching the Big Dance is to win three straight games in the tournament, something this team hasn't proven they're capable of doing.

There's hope in Washington for the Nationals

The Nationals' legitimacy as a Major League franchise has been in question ever since they returned to D.C. in 2005. With die-hard Redskins and Capitals fans (and maybe even Wizards fans) throughout the Washington region, Nats fans are hard to come by these days.

However, those fans have reason for optimism in 2012.

Stephen Strasburg (photo courtesy Google Images)

In terms of starting pitching, the club added starting pitchers Gio Gonzalez from the A's and Edwin Jackson from the Cardinals. Gonzalez was a big-time pickup, as he is certainly one of top-15 pitchers in baseball. These guys will be added to the rotation with Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman and John Lannan.


I would expect a Strasburg-Gonzalez-Zimmerman-Jackson-Lannan rotation.

The Nats also will have solid relief pitching as they retained Tyler Clippard and closer Drew Storen, both of whom are very talented. In addition, they picked up Brad Lidge, one of the best closers ever in baseball.

Outside of the pitchers, the squad also has some very solid bats. Key contributors Michael Morse, Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa are all returning in 2012, along with the stars Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth. Werth struggled last season by his standards, but perhaps he will be more comfortable in D.C. this season, especially now that he has a much improved supporting cast.

The baseball world will also be exposed to 19-year-old Bryce Harper for the first time. He is currently listed as a right-fielder, the same position as Werth, so he will likely be asked to move around as he gradually gets playing time as the season goes on.

This is a well-rounded, deep team that can actually make some noise in the league, so don't be surprised when you hear about the Nats' success in the next few months.

Sherrod Wright buzzer-beats VCU

With 3.8 seconds left on the clock and George Mason trailing by two points in-bounding the ball from the opposite baseline, the chances of escaping with a victory were slim to none.

But don't tell that to Sherrod Wright.

Wright, the redshirt sophomore guard, recieved the ball from senior leader Ryan Pearson just inside of the half-court line, turned, took three dribbles, and launched. Nothing but the bottom.

“I made the shot of my dreams,” said Wright during the post-game press conference.

Sherrod Wright (right) and Paris Bennett celebrate the win.

This was by far the best Mason game I've ever been to, and how fortunate for me that it came at the end of my senior year. It's hard to believe the BracketBuster game Saturday will be my last game ever as a Mason student.

But let's get back to Sherrod Wright.

With all of the hype surrounding the Mason-VCU rivalry entering the game and with the two squads dead-locked for first place in the CAA prior to the tip, the Patriots' epic comeback was all the more impressive.

Although Wright's shot will be the one remembered for years to come, the Patriots were down by five points with 30 seconds left, and VCU went 5-of-6 from the free throw line over the last 30 seconds. I'm no math wiz, but down five, five free throws... that means Mason scored 11 points in the final 30 seconds. Wow.

With four different players -- Wright, Pearson, Vaughn Gray and Vertrail Vaughns -- all knocking down big-time shots, it was truly a team comeback for the ages.

After the game, head coach Paul Hewitt said (women: stop reading here), “This is the best Valentine’s Day I’ve had in a long time,” and I'm sure all of the Mason faithful agree.

Now does it compare to the Duke comeback against arch-rival UNC? Maybe not, but it sure was close. And I'm glad my teams came out on top in both instant classics.

Maybe Duke did have a chance after all...

Okay, so I said Duke had absolutely no chance to beat Carolina... unless they made lots of threes. As it turns out, even though Duke did win the game, I was correct. And if you don't believe me, feel free to read the post below.

Austin Rivers with the buzzer beater - Photo courtesy Google Images

Actually, I was as correct as anybody could ever be, considering Duke got badly outplayed and really should have lost had it not been for the aid of 14 three-pointers, plus the greatest trey in Duke basketball recent history.

By my estimation, this was the greatest Duke-UNC game of all time. There have been some great ones no doubt. Certainly many great ones occurred long before I was born, but I am a pretty vigorous studier of the history of the game, especially when it comes to Duke. Plus, I have been to about 10 Duke-UNC games in my life. I was even at the previously considered "best game" in 1995 when Jeff Capel hit a half-court buzzer beater to send the game into overtime, before Carolina won in double OT.

Obviously the best game in the rivalry depends on which shade of blue you prefer, but for those of us rocking royal blue today in honor of last night's miracle performance, this was undoubtedly the best game ever in the storied history of the rivalry.

So I've been talking for a while now and haven't even mentioned the guy who hit the shot... Austin Rivers. Wow, 29 points and six threes in his first (and probably last) visit to the Dean Dome. On a team full of veteran guards like Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins, it was the freshman Rivers who put the team on his back throughout the game and especially down the stretch when Duke trailed by double-digits.

That team from Chapel Hill will be out for blood (royal blue blood) when they come to Cameron Indoor in March, so I am a little worried. But this time, I am not going to say Duke has no chance.

And yes, I will be at that game.

Duke vs. UNC

I have been a die-hard Duke fan all of my life, so it pains me to say this... there is absolutely no way Duke should beat UNC tomorrow night. Of course anything can happen - that's the beauty of college basketball - but UNC is just too good and Duke really isn't playing well right now at all.

With the team Carolina has with Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Tyler Zeller and Kendall Marshall, they should never lose a game. I fully expected this team to go undefeated this year, but (as usual) UNC has games in which they just don't show up (a.k.a. the Florida State game). But, there is no chance of this happening against Duke.

Austin Rivers -- Photo courtesy Google Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, Duke does not look good right now, mainly defensively. The guards - Austin Rivers, Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins - are all offensive-minded players who aren't great defenders. They continuously get beat off the dribble, forcing the bigs to help off their man. Then comes the other problem in the Duke D; they are not rotating well after the big man goes to help. This has led to lots of wide open layups, quite unusual for a Duke team.

Duke's only hope to topple this UNC team that basically already has an NBA roster is to knock down threes, lots of threes. They will need to catch fire tomorrow night. But, to be honest, I am just praying that it's not a blowout, especially since they are already coming off of a loss to Miami on Sunday.

And it all comes down to this... Super Bowl XLVI

I am no Patriots fan. And I am certainly no Giants fan.

However, I'm sure Patriots and Giants fans alike can agree that the references to the '08 Super Bowl are getting old, to say the least. As a practicing sports journalist, I understand that storylines and making connections to the great history of the game are ever important, but enough is enough.

Photo retrieved from Google Images

Once the Conference Championship matchups were set--Ravens-Patriots and 49ers-Giants--there was essentially no hope. The Super Bowl was destined to be one of two things: "The Harbaugh Bowl" or "The Rematch." To be honest, I was hoping for the former because that would have at least made for a justified media hysteria, and it's just an intriguing story. "The Rematch," on the other hand, is an over-emphasized story that really has nothing to do with the guys who will be on the field Sunday.

Aside from my little rant about the media, there is a game to be played.

Who would have thought it would be Eli who would be playing in his second Super Bowl in the house that Peyton built against Peyton's former rival, Tom Brady? Seemingly out of nowhere, Eli has become one of the game's elite quarterbacks armed with three outstanding receivers--Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham. With the double-teams and covering packages that are expected from the Patriots' secondary on Nicks and Cruz, look for Manningham to have a big game. Plus, with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs getting back into form lately, the G-Men's offense has been almost unstoppable.

Not to mention their elite defensive front line with guys like Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.

With all that being said, it must seem like I am picking the Giants to win. False. The Patriots have one thing the Giants don't... Tom Brady.

Patriots win 28-24.

Why Lamar?

And George Mason will play... Lamar??

As both a fan and a reporter for the Mason men's basketball team, I was of course hoping for a big-time Brackebuster matchup. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they lack any quality wins outside of CAA competition, and they were relying on this game to give them that crucial marquee victory. Although they have a solid 18-5 record and are alone in first atop the CAA standings at 10-1, they had one of the weaker strengths of schedule in country prior to entering conference play.

Teams like Mason who often float under the radar depend on the Bracketbuster game to elevate their RPIs every year. Last year the Patriots got a good draw playing at Northern Iowa, just one year removed from taking down Kansas in the Big Dance. This year, however, the Patriots drew Lamar.

Lamar is 13-8 overall and are just 4-3 in the Southland Conference, not to mention they have dropped three of their last five decisions. So how did Mason, a known commodity in college basketball who is in first in what is considered an elite mid-major conference draw a team that is in sixth place in an almost unheard of conference?

Some of the blame can be placed on the Patriots for not scheduling tougher games earlier in the season, but Lamar was certainly not what the players and fans were hopeful for, as a win will do nothing for their RPI and a loss would essentially destroy any chance at an at-large bid.

Of course none of this RPI talks even matter if the Patriots take care of business in the CAA Tournament, but that is never an easy task in a highly competitive conference.

Welcome to Simply Sports

My name is Josh Apple, and this is my new sports talk blog. I already have a personal website titled Josh Apple's Golf Career, which tracks my journey toward becoming a professional golfer. Simply Sports, however, it designed rather to give me an outlet to voice my many sports opinions. I'll be talking about golf, of course, as well as basketball, baseball, football and maybe occasionally I have a comment about that game with the puck. I am a college sports enthusiast, but I still love pro sports as well.

I am also a gifted Fantasy Sports player, if such a thing is possible. I participate in fantasy football, basketball, baseball and sometimes golf. And, more often than not, I do win my league regardless of the sport.

So, what makes me qualified to voice my opinions on sports? Well, aside from being a future professional golfer and an avid sports fan, I am a sports journalism student at George Mason University and am in my last semester. I am the Sports Editor of our student media website, Connect2Mason, and have had several sports writing gigs in the past.

Hope you check back again soon.