College Basketball: What to watch for this week

I'm The Rabbi, Video Editor of "On The Sportslines". This is the last week of the regular season for the major conferences and for some mid-majors, the start of their conference tournaments. The results of these games will shape the field of 68. Today, we focus on the regular season games that will impact bubble teams and seeding in the marquee conference tourneys.

Monday, 2/28

Kansas State At Texas

Why to Watch: Since I made the College Basketball Primer a week and a half ago, the fortunes of these teams have reversed. K-State has won 4 in row, including a win over Kansas and doing what Texas didn't do in that same time span: beat Nebraska on the road. Now that the Wildcats have firmly positioned themselves in the NCAA's, maybe they can move their seeding up in the Big 12 tourney (they are currently 5th). Texas might be out of running for a #1 NCAA seed with a loss in this game. The Longhorns lost to Nebraska and Colorado in consecutive weeks, after having an undefeated record in-conference until that game in Lincoln.

Tuesday, 3/1

Vanderbilt At Kentucky

This will be a battle for 2nd place in the SEC East, which gets you a bye into the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Kentucky got a huge victory today against Florida at home, and winning against Vandy will establish some good momentum going into the postseason. The Commodores have won 6 out of their last 7, with their only loss coming at home against Tennessee. Vandy and Kentucky are also fighting for a possible Top 4 seed in the NCAA tourney.

Alabama At Florida

Tuesday is an SEC-fest in terms of tournament implications. Due to Georgia's struggles of late, Alabama has moved up in the SEC pecking order when it comes to who's making the tourney from there. However, the Crimson Tide aren't stable in their tournament position just yet, especially after a loss today at Ole Miss. A win over a Top 20 team on the road will create a ton of stability for their postseason spot. While Florida is assured the East's #1 seed in the upcoming SEC tournament, the Gators still have a trip at Vanderbilt in the wings next Saturday. A loss here could leave the SEC East regular-season champs with a 3 game losing streak going into the conference tourney.

Wednesday, 3/2

Cincinnati At Marquette

This week, both teams scored the marquee wins that make the possibility of 11 teams from the Big East getting into the tourney more likely. However, Guard Darius Johnson-Odom and the Golden Eagles need another statement victory this week. That statement is also needed by the road team, the Bearcats. Cincy has won 3 in a row, FINALLY getting one more big road win against Georgetown in that span. The winner here probably becomes the 10th lock from the Big East in the NCAA tournament, the loser may need a solid run in the Big East Tournament to become part of the field of 68.

Utah State At New Mexico State

Why is there a WAC game here in this post? It's because of the Utah State Aggies, that's why. At 25-3, Utah State has a marquee profile. However, they need every single win possible to make sure a conference tournament loss doesn't send them into the NIT. The New Mexico State Aggies want to sew up the #2 seed in the WAC conference tournament, and would make a huge statement to Utah State for a third possible meeting 10 days later in the WAC Tournament Final.

Thursday, 3/3

UCLA At Washington

There are 3 Pac-10 hopefuls for the NCAA's, and these are two of them. The Bruins had a win today over previously streaking Arizona by 22 points, putting them in a tie with the Wildcats for first in the Pac-10. To gain a #1 seed to the Pac-10 tournament at the Staples Center, the Bruins will need a win in order to downgrade the tourney hopes of the Huskies. Washington is still on the right side of the bubble....for now. A loss here will almost force Isaiah Thomas (no relation to you know who, thank God) and Washington to win at least one game in the Pac-10 tourney to cement their NCAA spot. The team from the Pacific Northwest does not want to leave anything to chance.

Saturday, 3/5

Michigan State At Michigan

The Spartans and Wolverines are natural basketball rivals, but they never have been good at the same time. That's still the case as they are both very mediocre. Despite a win today at Minnesota, there have been few times when Michigan has impressed the public with their victories this year. The Wolverines will need to win here and follow that with at least a semi-final run in the Big-10 tournament to give them bubble consideration. The Spartans are currently 16-11 and in my view, will need 20 wins to assure themselves a NCAA tourney spot. Michigan State's roller coaster ride has been up a little more lately, but the Spartans have lost the luster they came in with to start the season. They have Purdue at home tomorrow, Iowa on Wednesday, and this game on Saturday remaining. With a sweep of all three games, the Spartans can gain some shine back.

Texas At Baylor

As mentioned earlier, Texas has lost on the road the previous two Saturdays against inferior opponents. The Bears are a little stronger than Nebraska or Colorado, the two teams that beat Texas. Baylor is 6-7 in-conference (they play Texas A & M tonight) and can not afford to end up with a losing record in the Big 12, which is weaker than it was last year. The bubble may be weak, but if Baylor keeps stumbling (they've lost 3 of their last 4), the Bears will go from Elite 8 in 2010 to no dance in 2011. Baylor played Texas very close on the road in that early February loss. Perhaps with the scene changing to Waco, the result - for Baylor - will change as well.

Duke At North Carolina

Come on, it's the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels! You don't need a reason to watch! This network prime time game will match up the ACC's two best teams. Outside of a blemish at Georgia Tech, no one has figured out North Carolina....except Duke. The Blue Devils won the first matchup between the two back in the beginning of February, when Guard Nolan Smith went for 34 points in a 79-73 victory for the home team. Smith is starting to get mentioned in the national player of the year race. Duke overcame a 14 point deficit at halftime in the UNC game to get the victory that has kept them on top of the ACC for most of the season. A win at home by the Tar Heels will most likely give UNC a share of the ACC Title. I don't think Duke wants to share with anyone.

Sunday, 3/6

Wisconsin at Ohio State

One of the final games of college basketball's regular season will be one of the most intense. The Top 3 this season in the Big-10 (Wisconsin, OSU, and Purdue) have all stayed undefeated at home. The Badgers will try to continue the success they had back on February 12th at home against the Buckeyes. Badger Guard Jordan Taylor had 21 second half points in the Badgers 71-67 "upset". Ohio State remembers that game, and will be looking for payback on Sunday. While improving their NCAA resume is at stake for the Badgers, the Buckeyes will be playing for a #1 seed. Freshman Forward phenom Jared Sullinger and the Buckeyes have struggled a little bit since that game in Madison. A win in Columbus will bring back all the mojo for the Buckeyes, I believe.

Later this week, I will look at the mid-major conference tournaments. College Basketball's postseason will start up this week, and it will be glorious. I love this time of year more than any other. Until next time...I am The Rabbi.

The Biggest Storyline in Baseball for 2011

By Jay Kaplan, OTSL Analyst

As Grapefruit and Cactus League games get underway this weekend, it's time we take a look at what I feel will be the biggest storyline in baseball this season. For me, it will be how a trio of new managers fare stepping into some pretty big shoes left by their predecessors. The men in question are Fredi Gonzalez in Atlanta, Don Mattingly in Los Angeles and Mike Quade in Chicago. The shoes they are stepping into belonged to Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Lou Piniella. Three of the most successful managers of this generation, World Series champions all.

Gonzalez is the only one with Major League level managerial experience, going 276-279 in 3 plus years with the Florida Marlins. Like Joe Girardi before him, there were issues with owner Jeffre Loria that led to his dismissal. The fact that he managed one of baseball’s lowest payrolls to a near .500 record working for as mercurial an owner as Loria is impressive. Being a Cox disciple (he was Atlanta’s 3rd Base Coach from 2003-2006 and a manager in their farm system before that) who is familiar with “The Braves Way” should make for an easy adjustment by the team. A healthy Chipper Jones will go a long way towards that as well.

Donnie Ballgame has never managed at any level. The Dodgers are no doubt hoping Torre’s long time apprentice (he has been both Hittiing Coach and Bench Coach for Torre) has soaked up everything required to finally sit in the Big Chair. Considering all that is going on with the Dodgers off the field, Mattingly will be under the radar unless the Dodgers get off to a horrific start. If that happens, even the McCourts very contentious and public divorce and fight over ownership of the team won’t shield Mattingly for very long.

That brings us to Mike Quade, who finally gets his shot at running an MLB team full time (he finished out the final 37 games of 2010 after Piniella stepped down). In the dictionary next to “Baseball Lifer” there is picture of Quade. He never played a single game at the Major League level but has managed over 2500 games in the minors over 27 years for five different organizations. Quade breaks a Cubs trend of hiring big name managers in this century – Don Baylor, Dusty Baker and Piniella come to mind – but of the three new guys in question, Quade may be on the shortest leash. Everyone knows the Cubs history: over a century since their last title and over 65 years since they last appeared in the Fall Classic (12 years before Quade was even born). It’s why almost everyone was expecting Cubbie legend Ryne Sandberg to get the nod. Quade’s 24-13 finish last year won him the chance to lead one of baseball’s most prestigious franchises, but he needs Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza to anchor the rotation and Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez to drive in runs day in and day out for the Cubs to remain competitive and for him to be more than just a one-shot deal.

A storyline worth watching this season.

In-Game blog, Knicks vs. Bucks (aka Melo's Knick Debut)

By Jay Kaplan, OTSL Analyst

For those of you who weren't following my in-game updates on Facebook, here are my quarter by quarter posts for the Knicks debuts of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, plus my finally analysis.

FIRST QUARTER:

My take on the First Quarter of the 'Melo era: he and Billups will adjust, but it will take a while before they figure out/learn where to be on the floor. The Knicks starting 5 will be solid every game, but they have practically no depth. Walsh needs to make another deal to get some size. Either way, the Knicks are in trouble if the key cogs in the 2nd unit are Bill Walker and Shawne Williams.

SECOND QUARTER:

Ragged Second Quarter. 'Melo seems to be pressing. The Knicks weren't a good rebounding team before the trade, tonight they seem even worse. When one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA and THE worst scoring team in the NBA is shooting like this against you, that's bad. This is downside of the trade - a bad defense got worse. Brewer and Balkman (who actually can defend perimeter scorers) will rarely play because they have ZERO offensive skills.

HALFTIME NOTES:

Proof that the Knicks new Three Musketeers will need a few games to find some chemistry: they shot a combined 9-26 from the floor. Proof that stars find ways to score even when they don't have their A-

Game: they shot a combined 12-13 from the line.

THIRD QUARTER:

Low scoring Third Quarter. 'Melo forcing it a bit. Billups needs to jack up bricks from beyond the arc less and take it to the cup more. (Billups is a great post-up guard, D'Antoni needs to work that into the 1/2 court sets) STAT taking too many 15-18 foot jumpshots. Fields needs more touches. Defense needs to close out on shooters: Bucks are 9-18 from three and keep the Bucks off the Offensive Boards (they have 11). Douglas has been best Knick tonight: 9-10 FG, 20 points in 18 minutes.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Knicks go almost exclusively with a small lineup to some succes (Amare at the 5, Anthony at the 4, Fields at the 3 with Billups and Toney at the Guards). Amare fouling out hurt. His 5th foul was an ill-advised foray to the hole that resulted in a charge. Help Defense is STILL non-existent. Melo with two HUGE scores late (11points in Quarter). Billups still taking ill-advised 3's, but always clutch at the stripe to ice the game (team goes 12-12 on FT's in 4th). An ugly win to be sure, but a win nonetheless.

FINAL ANALYSIS:

Overall, I give the team a B for their first game with Anthony and Billups. Amare seemed a little out of sorts. Only 19 points - well be low his 26 per game average - and only 13 FGA's. Billups shot selection was questionable (4-12; 1-6 from 3), but as always he was automatic from the line (12-12). Overall, 21 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists (against only 2 turnovers) is a solid game from the Knicks new PG. Anthony was a little erratic through the first 3 quarters, but he came up big in the 4th scoring 11 of his 27 in the final stanza. 10-25 isn't a great shooting night, but the 10 rebounds is nice for a team that doesn't rebound well.

The Defense gets a D- (the only reason it's not an F is because they won). Allowing the NBA's lowest scoring team and one of its worst scoring teams to get 108 points and shoot 11-23 from downtown is terrible, but to allow them 13 offensive rebounds just adds insult to injury. A performance like this against the Milwaukees and Clevelands (the Knicks next opponent) of the league can still result in a win (as we saw tonight), but it will SO NOT fly against a team like the Heat who the Knicks will face on Sunday.

Finally tonight, A+ to Toney Douglas, without whom the Knicks SURELY would have lost. Douglas went 10-12 from the field (3-5 from beyond the arc) scoring 23 points in 29 minutes. Douglas figures to get at least five more minutes per game with Billups now the starting Point Guard. Raymond Felton was averaging 38 minutes per game, Billups will likely average the 33 he played tonight. Billups, unlike Felton, can guard some 2-Guards, so chances are good you'll see Billups and Douglas playing side by side more often as the season goes on. The Knicks small unit (Billups, Douglas, Fields, Anthony and Stoudemire) played well together tonight and could be a nice option against teams without height or that aren't physical.

The newcomers will be learning the Knicks offense on the fly as there isn't going to be much practice time to integrate them, but Anthony and Billups are smart, veteran players who will adapt quickly. It will take at least 10 games for everyone to get comfortable playing together, but it will happen.

That said, no matter how well the offense improves with Billups and Anthony riding shotgun with Amare, until and unless this team acquires some height, some usable depth and a defensive identity they are still a one and done as far as the postseason goes.

College Basketball Primer – Part 5

I am The Rabbi, Video Editor of On The Sportslines. This is the final installment of my 5-part series looking at the world of college basketball, one major conference at a time.

Today, we remind you that there are more than just the Big 6 conferences (someone needs to tell college football that), and focus on the other guys. We are going to take a look at some of the teams that can be considered “Bracketbusters”, and the ones that can actually be a champion just like Butler almost was a year ago.

To be considered here you must have two things going for you: a) a chance to make a legit impact in March or b) a past where everyone knows who you are now, even if you aren’t as good this year. The mid-majors are weaker, so I will be profiling a ton of conference champions of smaller conferences that are performing better than expected.

Gonzaga (19-9, 9-3, RPI 69, Best win Dec 22 Vs. Xavier 64-54, Worst Loss Jan 20 At Santa Clara 85-71)
Standard #1 of thinking is this: Gonzaga always needs to play a hard out-of-conference schedule and pays for it with wear and tear during conference season. Standard #2: You have to play big when you’re in a weak conference, and the 3 straight losses the Bulldogs had in conference play is not acceptable. With Gonzaga and Butler on the bubble, we could see an ultimate ruling on mid-majors scheduling hard opponents. If both make it, maybe pedigree helps. If they don’t, no mid-major is going to impulsively schedule anymore. I think the Zags make it in. To do so they will have to beat conference leader St. Mary’s once, in the regular season or in the conference tourney.

Butler (20-9, 12-5, RPI 44, Best win Dec 23 Vs. Florida St 67-64, Worst Loss Jan 3 At Milwaukee 76-52)
Can Butler’s pedigree get them in the field? It just might. The darlings of last year’s tourney had only 3 losses in conference play last year, but now they have 5. Kind of surprising since returning starters Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack were leaders last year. The Bulldogs still have a chance to make the NCAA tournament though, having won 6 in a row. The overwhelming feeling in most circles though, is Butler will have to make it as an automatic bid. That’s not a given this year for sure.

Conference USA Roundup
This used to be Memphis’ conference, but not anymore. The Tigers have needed a win versus a legit tourney team out of conference, and they just haven’t done that. UAB had built a good conference profile, but when Memphis finished a season sweep of them last week, it brought them a rung down on the bubble ladder. Southern Miss has never won a tournament game. There is a possibility the Golden Eagles could make a return to the tourney to get that elusive win but they need to win out to even have a chance at an at-large. UTEP has used a surprise tourney appearance a year ago to make them the class of the league this year. The Miners may be the best of a bad bunch of mediocre teams. That formula could make the C-USA a one bid league.

Missouri Valley Conference Roundup
The Missouri Valley Conference has produced a lot of legit tourney teams, but for the third straight year this conference is lacking a little something. The top 2 teams are the only teams who could be even considered for an at-large spot. Missouri State had a win streak of 9, and then lost 3 of 5, then won 4 in a row, before a back breaking loss a day ago against Valparaiso (one of the teams ahead of Butler in the Horizon). As for the other team, Wichita State has only losses versus UCONN and San Diego State in non-conference play. The 3 conference losses were all down to the wire as well. Why is Wichita State is not a guaranteed at-large? It is because of a bracket buster loss this weekend versus VCU, the 3rd best team in the CAA. Which leads us to….

The Colonial Athletic Association, the non-Patriot division
Four teams in the CAA have stood out among the rest. My alma mater Hofstra has had their best year since the almost tournament run of 2006. They for sure have one of the 10 best players in the nation in Senior Charles Jenkins (23 ppg and not a single game under 13 points all year), but the resume lacks the big road or non-conference victory needed for an at-large bid. Virginia Commonwealth University got a huge win on Friday against Wichita State, which took the sting out of back to back losses at home versus Old Dominion and George Mason. They have a faint at-large possibility, but only if they make the finals of the CAA. Old Dominion is the reigning conference champ and is a good possibility to make the NCAA’s even if they lose in the conference tourney. Their victory over Horizon Conference leader Cleveland State in today’s bracket buster game could cement that at-large spot.

George Mason (23-5, 14-2, RPI 20, Best Win Feb 15 at VCU 71-51, Worst Loss Nov 21 Vs. Wofford 82-79 (OT))
When someone asks you the question of which team has the longest winning streak in America, this is the answer. George Mason is rolling along, winning THIRTEEN in a row. The Patriots right now have a much stronger resume (due to talent and their own competition) then they had when they got an at-large berth in 2006. 11 of those 13 victories are by double digits as well. GMU, with Senior Cam Long and Junior Ryan Peterson, could be a definite second week team in the NCAA tournament. Could they be more than that? Don’t ask a jaded Hofstra fan that question when he’s still bitter about Hofstra’s exclusion and GMU’s inclusion to the NCAA’s in 2006! I just present the facts.

The Atlantic 10 brings us our next 3 teams. These are the ones who have been the top 3 in the conference all year and are the same 3 who ruled this conference a year ago.

Richmond (20-7, 9-3, RPI 68, Best Win Nov 27 Vs. Purdue 65-54, Worst Loss Nov 18 at Iona 81-77)

This team wouldn’t get a sniff of the tourney under the old format in my book. Having 3 extra teams this year makes a huge difference. The Spiders have a very marginal resume. Their RPI is almost too high, the losses to Iona and Bucknell are hard to ignore and they haven’t beaten any of the Top 5 teams in their conference this season. This team is sorely lacking that signature win they have been looking for. They need to get it soon or they’ll be in the NIT.

Temple (20-5, 10-2, RPI 31, Best win Dec 9 Vs. Georgetown 68-65, Worst Loss Jan 15 At Duquesne 78-66)
Junior Ramone Moore has blossomed into a star this year for the Owls, who look like a comfortable mid-range seed in March. Can they get to the 3rd round or the regionals? Very likely. They played Big East powers Villanova and Georgetown this year, going 1-1. The experience in December could help them get at least one victory in March.

Xavier (20-6, 11-1, RPI 19, Best win Jan 29 At Richmond 85-62, Worst Loss Dec 1 At Miami (OH) 75-64)
The Musketeers were decent, but nowhere near spectacular in non-conference play, going 9-5. Since then, they have won 12 of their last 13. It’s been that run that has made Xavier the power that we have known them to be in late winter/early spring. Tu Holloway, who’s going to be Atlantic 10 player of the year, averages 20+ points and 5+ rebounds a game. Holloway is one of the best sophomores in the game and has raised his play to a high level this year.

The best of the best of the non-Big 6 conferences is the Mountain West, with 3 true tourney teams and 2 beasts. The one team on the outside looking in right now is Colorado State. Their loss Saturday against UNLV may have been a killer, but if they beat either BYU or San Diego State on the road, they’ll definitely be reconsidered. Yeah, good luck. Speaking of UNLV….

UNLV (20-7, 8-5, RPI 26, Best win Dec 21 At Kansas St 63-59, Worst Loss Dec 15 At UC Santa Barbara 68-62)
The Rebels are the forgotten team in this conference, and with good reason (San Diego State and BYU). However, the wins out of conference are impressive. They’ve won at Kansas State, and have beaten Wisconsin and Virginia Tech, both are NCAA tournament teams. Despite their 0-4 record against the Top 2 in their conference, it’s not as bad as it looks. The Runnin’ Rebels have a surprisingly strong profile (thanks to the very strong MWC), to warrant more playing time in March.

BYU (25-2, 11-1, RPI 2 (yes, 2), Best win Jan 26 Vs. San Diego St 71-58, Worst Loss Jan 29 At New Mexico 86-77)
San Diego State may be the better team, but the better player in this conference and maybe the best player on the other side of the Mississippi is Jimmer Fredette. A man who was THIS close to going to the NBA last year but decided to go back to school and has become a legend at BYU. The 2011 version of the Cougars could be the best since Danny Ainge went to school there. This team has some of the best wins of any Western-based school, still has to get over the hump that is their conference rival San Diego State. If they don’t, they’re going to have a tough road to Houston, even with a high seed.

San Diego State (27-1, 12-1, RPI 3, Best Win Dec 1 Vs. St Mary’s 69-55, Worst (only) Loss Jan 26 At BYU 71-58)
They started the year 20-0, and despite the barrage they had to endure from Jimmer Mania in late January, the Aztecs still are fighting for a #1 seed! They can do it too. This team – which leads the nation in wins with 27 – is loaded, with Sophomore F Kawhi Leonard, Senior G D.J. Gay, and Senior F Malcolm Thomas. They have only beaten a single team that has been in the Top 25 all year (Gonzaga), but the Aztecs really can make a run in the NCAA’s. Their coach, Steve Fischer, knows all about great teams getting to the summit of college basketball, like his former team Michigan.

This primer would not be complete without mentioning the teams that are the class of West Coast and Western Athletic conferences.

West Coast Conference

St. Mary’s (22-6, 10-2, RPI 40, Best Win Jan 27 At Gonzaga 73-71, Worst Loss Feb 16 At San Diego 74-66)
The Gaels were almost an at-large shoe-in a week ago. Now, maybe not so much after 2 straight losses to San Diego and Utah State this week. St. Mary’s does have the pedigree of last year’s Sweet 16 run to hang their hat on, but remember, they got excluded from the tourney 2 years ago. Senior Mickey McConnell has gone through both seasons, and he’s hoping this year goes more like last.

Western Athletic Conference

Utah State (25-3, 12-1, RPI 25, Best Win Feb 19 At St Mary’s 75-65, Worst Loss Feb 9 At Idaho 64-56)
The Aggies huge road win over St. Mary’s on Saturday probably cemented their tournament spot. The Aggies wouldn’t be a surprise Sweet 16 team; they have been to the dance before. The 2 losses the Aggies had in non-conference play – to Georgetown and BYU – were amazingly close. This team is one that you should try to see during championship week, because they’re going to be seen a lot in March.

Thanks for reading through this 5-part series. I’ll be checking in often as we head into what is my greatest month of the year, March. Happy Madness to all!

College Basketball Primer- Part 4

I am The Rabbi, video editor of "On The Sportslines". Welcome back to what's been your obsession. If it hasn't, what's wrong with you? This is the latest installment of the College Basketball Primer. Part 4 focuses on the Big 10 and Pac 10, but first, let's recap on what went on this week, as of the first writing....

- UCONN held serve at home against Georgetown, Louisville held serve at home against UCONN, and most surprisingly, West Virginia held serve at home against Notre Dame to get themselves close to being a tournament lock.

- St. John's beat Pitt on a last second runner by Dwight Hardy, giving the Red Storm their FOURTH victory against Top 10 teams at home, and a victory against each of the Top 3 in their conference. Almost time to put them in the field of 68.

- Nebraska got the Big 12 major victory they needed, giving Texas their first Big 12 loss this season. Back to the right side of the bubble for the Huskers? We'll see.

Now, we move on to the Big 10. This is an interesting conference. It's good, but could be much better due to the two major disappointments that have fallen during conference season.

The First Six

Although they had a victory vs Alabama in the early part of the season, teams are embarrassed when they lose to Iowa. Indiana has seen themselves beat two Top 25 teams at home, but they still may not even be NIT material. Northwestern started 8-0 and has since gone 7-10. Not good. Michigan has an overtime loss at Kansas and two single digit losses against Ohio State. Winning 5 of their last 6 can't make up for that bad non-conference schedule for the Wolverines. Penn State may be .500 in conference, but they are just not on the radar for a spot on the bubble.

Minnesota (17-9, 6-8, Real Time RPI 41, Best win Nov 19 Vs. UNC 72-67, Worst Loss Feb 2 At Indiana 60-57)

You need an owner's manual to understand the Gophers. Their 11-1 start included wins over UNC and West Virginia. They lost 3 consecutive road games versus Ohio St., Michigan St., and Wisconsin, then rattled off 4 straight W's. But, once again they fell in the tank losing 5 of their last 6. With the (and I hate to repeat it) weak bubble in 2011, the Gophers are still on the right side of it...for now. With 3 out of their last 4 at home (And the road game being Northwestern), one slip up and we won't see Tubby Smith in a familiar place... March.

Michigan State (14-11, 6-7, RPI 48, Best win Dec 31 Vs. Minnesota 71-62, Worst Loss Feb 2 at Iowa 72-52)

Tom Petty's Free Fallin is becoming the team anthem for the Michigan State Spartans. Can you believe this is the same team that was ranked #2 in the pre-season? This team had Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green, Darell Summers, and ALL the players who went to back to back final fours. Just like Korey Lucious on the court, this team has truly disappeared (well, Lucious got booted off....). The Spartans have looked like a champion on the court, but played like a chump. Why they are still in the mix for an at-large is any one's guess, but they don't have too long to go before they fall out of the conversation.

Illinois (17-9, 7-6, RPI 38, Best Win Jan 2 Vs. Wisconsin 69-61, Worst Loss Dec 18 Vs. UIC 57-54)

For those who care, UIC is the University of Illinois at Chicago. They're 7-21 right now. But now to the true rose of Illinois, the Illini have been a mild disappointment, well actually more of a level 3 disappointment this year. What could have easily been a dark horse final four candidate is barely holding on to relevance in the national scene. Senior Demetri McCamey is kind of the leader and represents this team as a whole. He has shown signs of promise early, but has tailed off throughout the conference season despite still putting up pretty good numbers. Illinois, losers of 6 of their last 9, has better profiles than the other 2 teams above them. However, that's saying very little.

Wisconsin (19-6, 9-4, RPI 18, Best win Feb 12 Vs. Ohio St 71-67, Worst Loss Jan 29 At Penn St 56-52)

When everybody picks their favorites in the Big 10 every year, the Badgers are not there. We're virtually surprised every single year when we see the Badgers have a sustained run at the top of the conference. When will it stop? Not this year, the Badgers with the combo of G Jordan Taylor and F Jon Leuer can give them enough big shots to get to the 2nd weekend of the tournament. A lot of the teams who will get into this tourney have done it on signature home victories...but I do think Wisconsin has enough talent to win at any site in March.

Purdue (21-5, 10-3, RPI 9, Best win Feb 16 Vs. Wisconsin 70-62, Worst Loss Nov 27 Vs. Richmond 65-54)

Purdue is cursed. The Boilemakers were poised for a huge tourney run when star Robbie Hummel went down right near tourney time last year. Purdue was a Sweet 16 team but it could have been more. Purdue was poised for even more this season, then Hummel's pre-season injury turned a Top 5 team to a Top 15 team. I will give this team some credit though, the 'Makers are a very tough team, as seniors Juwan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore have proved to us with their 20 point games night in and night out. However, unlike the unlimited potential of Purdue with Hummel, there is a ceiling with this version of Purdue. Probably another Sweet 16 appearance.

Ohio State (25-1, 12-1, RPI 4, Best win Nov 16 At Florida 93-75, Worst Loss (and only one) Feb 16 Vs. Wisconsin 70-62)

Simply put, I think Ohio State has played like the best team in the country this year. Can they sustain this with the lack of depth on their bench? I have no idea whatsoever. But I do know this fact, there is no player that has impressed me more this year than Jared Sullinger. In the beginning of the season, Sullinger was breaking down D's with 30+ ppg performances. In, conference season Sullinger has been playing like a great teammate and has shown flashes of brilliance to be my player of the year. Sorry Jimmer Fredette, but Sullinger is someone you FEAR when he steps onto the court. The one downside about Ohio State is this: they get tired, and get tired fast. I hope to God this team keeps up their performance all the way to the Final Four in Houston.

And now the Pac-10. The league is not as weak as it was last year, but it's still a distant 6th when it comes to the Big 6 conferences and could be behind conferences this year like the MWC.

The Pretenders

Arizona State has fallen far from the James Harden days, despite getting a big victory today against Washington State. Oregon State has lost 10 out of their last 12 (not like they had a chance at an at-large anyway). Cal has followed 4 straight victories with 4 straight losses as of this writing and they are fighting for .500 and an NIT berth. Stanford beat DePaul in OT and they are not a team you should struggle to beat. USC has lost by 20 to Rider, almost beat Kansas at Lawrence, and actually DID blowout #1 ranked Texas. Yeah, that's a little schizo. Oregon had a small run as a power in basketball, but that was a while ago.

Washington State (17-10, 7-8, RPI 73, Best win Jan 30 Vs. Washington 87-80, Worst Loss Feb 3 At Oregon 69-43)

I'm only putting them on here cause it would have been depressing to put 3 teams for a major conference. The Cougars, who beat a team with a lot of pre-season hype in Baylor during their non-conference season, have tailed off since they started Pac- 10 play. Like it or not West Coasters, a sub .500 record in a 7th or 8th best conference does nothing to get you an at-large. This team could easily win the Pac-10 tournament, but if they don't, it's NIT city for Wazzou.

Washington (18-8, 10-5, RPI 37, Best win Dec 31 At UCLA 74-63, Worst Loss Feb 3 At Oregon State 68-56)

The Huskies are in a major state of limbo. Before the season began, this former Pac-10 favorite has seen both Arizona and UCLA leap over them, and the traditional Pac-10 powers are the only ones solidly in the field of 68. The small wonder, Junior G Isiah Thomas, has led this team in points per game. The Huskies had a bad stretch of losing 3 straight road games against a Pac-10 murderers row: Washington State and the Oregon's (that sarcastic enough?). Washington could be one of the bigger disappointments if they continue on their roller coaster into mid-March.

UCLA (19-7, 10-3, RPI 36, Best win Dec 18 86-79 Vs. BYU, Worst Loss Dec 5 66-57 Vs. Montana)

UCLA has had a very surprising season this year. They are loaded with youth in sophomore Reeves Nelson; they have experience in Junior Malcolm Lee and they have a Final Four veteran at coach in Ben Howland. Winners of 10 of their last 11, they have improved in-season at all positions and have taken what could have been an ultimate bubble team into a tourney team. UCLA looks to me like an #8 or #9 seed that could put the fear of God in a #1 seed in the 2nd, excuse me, now 3rd round of the NCAA tourney.

Arizona (23-4, 12-2, RPI 17, Best win Jan 27 Vs. UCLA 85-74, Worst Loss Jan 2 at Oregon St 76-75)

Sophomore Derrick Williams, with 19 points and 8 rebounds a game, has led this Wildcat team BACK into the tournament picture. They may not be as strong as other conference leaders, but all Arizona seems to do is win lately. They've won 8 straight, 11 of their last 12 and had a non-conference season where they only led twice. Not a lot of people expected somebody like Derrick Williams to be the leader for Pac-10 Player of the Year, and no one expected Arizona to be this strong in conference. I wouldn't pick against this team in the first weekend of the tourney.

Tomorrow, our college basketball preview concludes when we look at 12 teams to look for in March. These smaller conference teams could be shooting up (or down) to Houston in March.

The College Basketball Primer...part tres.



Hello, my name is The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines. Welcome back to the most comprehensive review of the 2011 college basketball season. We gave the East Coast their due on Wednesday, we went to the Midwest and Big 12 yesterday, and today, we tackle the south. We double up today and look at the ACC and SEC. Due to length of time, we will try to make everything a little more concise, and some teams may not get their true due. All I have to say is this: too bad. Next time get more quality wins.

We start with the SEC, which may have a lot of good teams, but not one dominant team. Like a year ago, there is a beauty division (the East), and the Beast division (the West). We'll start with the West.

The SEC West, the other guys.

Auburn just hasn't been a basketball power, and with 9 wins this year, it's really no surprise. LSU has lost 8 in a row as of this writing, and lost by 38 to start their streak. Mississippi St was extremely close to an SEC tourney victory in 2010, but with their 13-12 overall record, and only one significant victory against a tourney team (Florida) puts them in a corner to have to win the SEC tourney. Arkansas has a strength of schedule and RPI in the hundred's, which is a combo that gets you a one way ticket to the NIT. Ole Miss is only 5-6 in conference, but could make that late run if they have more wins like the one they had over Kentucky to start February. And now, the only team important enough for a paragraph....

Alabama (16-8, 8-2, RPI 87, Best win Jan 18 Vs. Kentucky 68-66, Worst Loss Nov 22 Vs. St Peter's 50-49)

Not great, but they have had an amazing in-conference season. That could actually sneak them into the tourney. Both of their conference losses were by 5 or less, and this is the time of the season where people pay attention. Play well late in the year, and they will remember your team and almost ignore a slow start. The Crimson Tide have two 15+ ppg scorers in JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell. However, this team still has a long way to go to be one of 68. They still have a game in Florida left, and they also will be expected to at least win one or two in the SEC tourney, which will get them to at least the semifinals.

And now the SEC East, which is a conference that has 5 tournament hopefuls, and South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been in a decent amount of games, and have actually won at Florida. However, losing 6 of their last 7 games have almost guaranteed that the SEC East will not ALL go to the tourney. But these 5 teams might.

Georgia (17-8, 6-5, RPI 41, Best win Jan 8 Vs. Kentucky 77-70, Worst Loss Jan 18 Vs Tenn 59-57)

This team actually looks better than their resume indicates. Losses on Nov 20 and 25 at Notre Dame and Temple are the only blemishes on their non conference resume. Trey Thompkins, Travis Leslie, and Gerald Robinson are still juniors, meaning they may have the experience but they may have arrived on the main stage a year early. Fun fact about the Bulldogs: All their losses have been by single digits except one, a 2 OT game vs Florida where they lost by 13. Good resume profile.

Tennessee (16-10, 6-5, RPI 25, Best win Dec 11 V Pitt 83-76, Worst Loss Dec 31 V College Of Charleston 91-78)

This team should NOT be a tourney team, however, look at the victories! The Pitt game which was in Pittsburgh, Villanova at a neutral site, Memphis (who's been fighting tooth and nail themselves for a spot), and a win at Georgia. Led by the experience of Scotty Hopson and the explosiveness of Tobias Harris, the Vols are a team that have gotten past the Bruce Pearl suspension in season and could be a dangerous team to get out in the NCAA tourney. However, a win against Vanderbilt or in their season finale against Kentucky could render their SEC tourney performance meaningless. Speaking of those Cats....

Kentucky (18-7, 6-5, RPI 14, Best win Dec 31 At Louisville 78-63, Worst Loss Feb 1 At Ole Miss 71-69)

They looked a little better before the conference season, but they are still Sweet 16 material. Terrence Jones and Brevin Knight are Diaper Dandies (sorry Dickie V); they are PERFECT fits for the John Calipari system. However, the Cats do show their youth in their inability to win conference games on the road. They have only won once on the road, and that was against the bottom feeding Gamecocks. All of a sudden, a team that bullied the SEC last year is sort of being taken down to size for a little bit.

Vanderbilt (19-6, 7-4, RPI 15, Best win Jan 22 Vs St Mary's 89-70, Worst Loss Jan 8 At South Carolina 83-75 (OT)

When you watch them on TV, you can see the reason why Kevin Stallings' program has remained on top over the last few years. Winners of 7 of their last 9, the Commodores are a much better team that only had one truly legitimate non conference win (although that was UNC), and now may be more than just an Elite 8 team, they are a dark horse final 4 candidate. John Jenkins is almost a 20 ppg sophomore setting up a future run of SEC dominance (or bad NBA early pro experience), and now Vandy may truly be the best of the SEC bunch. They'll be playing this next team to close their season....

Florida (20-5, 9-2, RPI 12, Best Win Feb 1 Vs Vanderbilt 65-61 (OT), Worst Loss Dec 20 Vs Jacksonville 71-68 (OT)

They look a lot better than the team that lost to UCF and Jacksonville in 2010. Now, the Gators are FINALLY in their second reloading since the back to back championships of '06 and '07. Florida doesn't have a star, they have 4 starters that average double digits. They don't scare you when you see them to start, but when you play them, you worry big time. Others should worry Florida has hit their stride because they have won 10 out of their last 12.

Now to the ACC....can you say top heavy? Unlike previous years, after Duke and UNC, there's no real #3.

The Bottom Half

Wake Forest is in major rebuilding mode because they've only beaten 3 major conference teams all season. You might hear the name Glen Rice Jr. in future seasons, but he and Georgia Tech are on the sidelines right now. Despite winning At Virginia Tech in their first conference game, the Virginia Cavaliers still find themselves 3-8 in conference. North Carolina State is gonna watch their coach Sidney Lowe go to the unemployment line after on and off the court problems. Miami (FL) has won 4 of their last 5, but they lost 6 of 7 before and have no legit non conference victories. Maryland might get back into the fold, but the preseason NIT showed their inexperience, and sadly that was their best chance to get a better profile out of conference.

6. Clemson (17-9, 6-6, RealtimeRPI.com RPI 79, Best Win Jan 29 Vs Florida St. 62-44, Worst Loss Feb 17 At NC State 69-61)

That loss on Feb 17th may have been a killer too. The Tigers were expected to be around during the season, and they've been...well, around. They have a better conference record than Miami and Maryland, but they also are a team that has few legit non conference victories with Seton Hall the best of them. If Clemson wants to make another big dance, Senior Jerai Grant will have to step up and they may need to run the table to Greensboro where the ACC tournament will take place. That includes beating Duke at Cameron Indoor.

5. Boston College (16-9, 6-5, RPI 42, Best win Nov 25 Vs Texas a&m 67-65, Worst Loss Feb 1 Vs UNC 106-74)

There may not be a worse home loss this season than that aforementioned monstrosity of a game on Feb 1. Remember when I said the move to 68 would boost some crappy profiles? Here's an example. The Eagles, who have lost games non conference to Yale and Harvard, are a projected NCAA tournament team, and lord I don't know why. Guard Reggie Jackson (no relation to Mr. October) has averaged 18.5 points a game. This team needs that "wow win" to make me believe they're a tournament team, even if they have to wait till mid March to do it.

4. Virginia Tech (17-7, 7-4, RPI 57, Best Win Jan 20 At Maryland 74-57, Worst Loss Dec 5 Vs. Virginia 57-54)

There was a LOT of hype going into this team into the season. Everybody said that Seth Greenberg would have no worries about being considered from the bubble, like they had over the last few years. Well....it may happen again. The non conference schedule was a killer for this team as the Hokies whiffed against Kansas St, UNLV, and Purdue (first two losses don't look good right now). The Hokies have rebounded with a very good conference season, and their most impressive game may have been a loss they had by 3 at Chapel Hill in January. However, this Hokie team may need that big win, like they've had in years past, to make them one of 68.

3. Florida St (18-7, 8-3, RPI 51, Best win Jan 12 Vs. Duke 66-61, Worst Loss Jan 3 At Auburn 65-60).

The ultimate "yeah, but team". As much as I like Junior Chris Singleton, the rest of the team has made what could easily be the third best in the ACC a roller coaster. The Seminoles have had a good conference season, yeah but their best road victory was against Miami. FSU has to be the 3rd best team in conference, yeah but what 3rd best team in the ACC in previous years has not had an RPI over 50. I like the Seminoles, and barring major late season stumbles, we'll see them in the tournament, but anybody not named UNC or Duke has yet to show me signs that they can even win a game in the NCAA's.

2. North Carolina (19-6, 9-2, RPI 13, Best win Feb 6 Vs. Florida St 89-69, Worst Loss Jan 16 At Georgia Tech 78-58)

All the hype (and the preseason Top 10 ranking) focused on the Preseason All American Harrison Barnes. Although Barnes has performed like a true superstar, we're being proved that NO Freshman should be considered one of the top 10 players in the country. He hadn't played a game in college! Tyler Zeller is surprisingly the team leader in ppg this season, so UNC has truly been a team. Unfortunately, they lost two games in the beginning of the season at the Puerto Rico Tip Off to wear off many good preseason vibes. The Heels have only lost 4 games since then, but North Carolina has played a little below expectations as of late. However, a Top 4 seed still awaits them in March.

1. Duke (24-2, 11-1, RPI 6, Best Win Feb 9 V. UNC 79-73, Worst Loss Jan 30 At St John's 93-78)

Nolan Smith has played like the leader of the Blue Devils and is the front runner for ACC player of the year, but HOW good would this team be with super Frosh Kyrie Irving? After Duke's prize recruit went down in Mid December, invincible Duke was just very good Duke. In their loss to Florida St, the Blue Devils learned sometimes they'll get knocked down with this team's makeup in a tough game. Their loss to St. John's proved a lot more though. It showed to the Tourney committee, that the Devils are a strong #2 seed rather than the last #1 seed they were a year ago. There is some good though; Duke has blazed through who they should beat at many times this year, although they have 2 road tests coming up: Va Tech and UNC on consecutive Saturdays.

That does it, Part 4 will focus on the tens. The Big 10 and Pac 10. Till then, enjoy your Saturday Basketball slate.

Ah The Things that February Brings

By Jay Kaplan, OTSL Analyst

According to my best friend (whom the rest of you may know as the host of “On The Sportslines”), February is the start of six months of sports doom and gloom with a brief interlude for three days at the end of April. As a die-hard and dyed-in-the-wool football fan who eats, sleeps and breathes all things pigskin, her perspective is understandable (by the way, those three days in April are the NFL Draft) and she’s not alone with it.

She’s almost as big a Yankee fan as I am (I get the nod on that one because I was born and raised in the borough in which the Pinstripers play) and they get plenty of love from her during baseball season, but for her – and no doubt many football fans like her – our National Pastime is merely a distraction to Pass-The-Time till NFL training camps start in August (like her, I too am keeping my fingers crossed that Billionaire Owners and Millionaire players can figure out how to cut up that Gazillion dollar pie so that training camps actually will start in August).

I will never convince her (I’ve stopped trying) – or a lot of my other sports-loving friends – otherwise, but I think February is the most underrated sports month on the calendar. Scoff if you wish, but once that hairball in your throat clears, try to keep an open mind and actually consider the knowledge I’m about to drop on you.

February brings the birthdays of two presidents who were pivotal players in our nation’s history (still hate the fact that they combined the birthdays into one “holiday”) plus a Hallmark manufactured holiday that only the Greeting Card, Chocolate and Flower industries really get something out of. Spoken like a true hopeless romantic right?

That “holiday” is a two-pronged reminder for guys like me. Prong One: make sure you do right by your significant other (Yes, even I follow the advice of that prong, my previous comments notwithstanding – I may be crazy, but I’m not dumb). Prong Two: pitchers and catchers are reporting, which means baseball season is almost here.

Baseball was my first sports love and as we all know, first loves have a special place in our hearts. Thus every Valentine’s Day, whether I’m with someone or not, I get a little giddy knowing that baseball is on its way back into my life. The old line “Hope springs eternal” gets batted around ad nauseum like a bag full of fungos at this time of the sports year, but the truth of it is in no way trite. Pitchers and catchers reporting is a baseball fan’s Ground Hog Day; it means that Old Man Winter has one foot out the door. Considering the Winter we’ve had, who wouldn’t get a little giddy at that prospect – or any others that will be reporting to camps in the next few days?

February also brings basketball, basketball and more basketball. The NBA reaches its midway point and not long after, puts on the best All-Star extravaganza of all the major sports. The Dunk Contest, Three-Point Shootout, Rookie-Sophmore game all lead up to the best pickup/playground basketball game put on by the best athletes on the planet.

I enjoy the NBA, but I LOVE college basketball and February reminds me why. Conference play heats up, Part One of the sport’s greatest rivalry happens (North Carolina vs. Duke) and terms like “Bracketology”, “Tournament Resume” and “RPI” are all over every sports media outlet (including our own “On The Sportslines” Blog: http://onthesportslines.blogspot.com/2011/02/college-basketball-primer-part-1-hello.html) leading up to Selection Sunday and the Madness of March.

This month is as good a time as any to check in with the NHL. It marks the beginning of the second half of the season and that means the push towards the post-season is underway. There is a reason it’s called the “Coolest Game on Ice”. Get to know guys like “Sid The Kid”, “Ovie”, “Geno”and “King Henrik”. It’ll be worth your while.

February also kicks off NASCAR season which begins with stock car racing’s own Super Bowl, the Daytona 500. While I can’t claim to be a huge fan, I do check in on Daytona during that Sunday. Hey, anything referred to as the Super Bowl of any sport deserves a modicum of attention.

Football is going to remain in the news for the rest of this month due to the Labor Crisis facing the sport, which will not exactly make fans like my BFF (or even me) happy since we don’t forsee a positive outcome to that mess any time soon.

With that in mind, give some consideration to those things that February brings to the world of sports. Who knows, at best you may find some interim sports happiness; at worst, your level of gloom-age and doom-age may drop to acceptable levels. Happy February.

College Basketball Primer - Part 2

Hello, I am The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines and lover of March Madness. Today, we go into part 2 of our series, which focuses on The Big 12. This is a conference that may not be as strong as a whole compared to the Big East, but it surely is as good (or maybe even better) when we get to the top of the conference. As always, we'll start on the bottom and work our way to the top.

The Lonely 3 (Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa State)

These 3 teams are already stuck on the needing to get an automatic bid train. Oklahoma has struggled in the two years since Blake Griffin became awesome in the NBA. Texas Tech hasn't been the same since Bob Knight left. A win over Baylor is Iowa State's only victory in conference this year. All three don't have the talent to beat the upper echelon in the Big 12, although they may get one over in the tournament.

9. Oklahoma State (16-9, 4-7, RPI 54, Best win Feb 2 Vs. Missouri 76- 70, Worst Loss Jan 29 At Texas Tech 75- 74 (OT)

Remember when I said we have a soft bubble? If the Cowboys were fighting for a field of 65, they would already be thinking auto bid. As is, they are close to execution of an at large bid. This is another team, that has feasted on a weak non conference schedule, starting 13-2. This is a team that has only won twice, all season in true road games, and a team that just wasn't even close in two tries when they faced off against true Big 12 power Texas. Senior Marshall Moses is about to see his Cowboy career end in an NIT berth if the true path of this team keeps up.

8. Colorado (16-10, 5-6, RPI 92, Best win Jan 12 at Kansas St 74-66, Worst Loss Nov 28 At Harvard 82-66)

They built a quiet buzz in the beginning of the season, winning against Kansas St (actually ended up sweeping them), and beating Missouri when they were a Top 10 team. It's gotten worse for the Buffaloes since then. They've lost 6 out of their last 8, and only have wins against Kansas St and Iowa St in that time. As much as this team has tried, they've seemed to follow up a very good run from December to mid January (only losing once), and made themselves looking like the same old Buffaloes basketball of the last decade. All this despite the 19.5 points and 6 rebound efforts per game this season of sophomore Alec Burks.

7. Kansas State (17-9, 5-6, RPI 40, Best win Feb 14 Vs Kansas 84-68, Worst Loss Jan 12 Vs. Colorado 74-66)

In a huge shocker (ok, maybe not so shocking), Kansas State's preseason Top 5 ranking has gone to this, a possible stumbling out of the tournament. Just this week, the Wildcats finally gave themselves a statement victory, a victory that they finally weren't expected to get. Jacob Pullen's club (the preseason player of the year is actually down in ppg this season) has gone through a better stretch as of late (4 of 6), but that just seems like a letdown. This was a team that was one game away from the Final Four last year, and this year it just seems like the Wildcats are gonna be a one and done, if they even MAKE the tourney.

6. Nebraska (17-8, 5-6, RPI 85, Best win Jan 29 Vs Texas A & M 57-48, Worst Loss Nov 19 Vs. Davidson 70-67)

This team also started 13-2 against very weak competition. The second half of the season has not been kind to what is a decidedly improved Husker team. However, almost like Colorado and Oklahoma State, this team has folded when it was forced to play up at tough places like Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor. Like Colorado, that weak schedule is the reason why the RPI is in the 80's. That's not good. Nebraska is still a possibility to make the NCAA tourney, but they have to win at least 4 games out of their last 5 and get at least a semifinal run in the Big 12 Tourney.

5. Baylor (17-8, 6-5, RPI 64, Best win Feb 5 at Texas A & M 76-74 (OT), Worst Loss Jan 15 at Iowa St 72-57)

There was much higher expectations for this club, one that was a Top 25 club in the beginning of the season, and one that was so close to a final 4 last year. Now, despite the talent of last years stars LaceDarius Dunn and Quincy Acy, this team is miles away from the cohesiveness of 2009-10. Surprisingly enough, this team has actually looked a little better in conference, but they have lost games at Iowa State and Kansas State that they should have won. Now, all of a sudden, a Bears team they should be thinking Final four is still figuring out how to cement their name in the field of 68.

4. Missouri (20-6, 6-5, RPI 27, Best win Dec 22 Vs Illinois 75-64, Worst Loss Jan 8 At Colorado 89-76)

Missouri is still solidly in the tournament, but note this fact: not a single road conference win all year! They have a good win streak at home, but the road record needs to be rectified a little bit, unless the Missouri Arena is a first round site (I checked, it's not). The non conference season has been what's seemingly boosted the Tigers high RPI. Wins over tournament locks like Vandy and Old Dominion, along with a great game at Georgetown which ended in an OT loss is what is making this team like a true star. As for the conference season, it may be brought out of mediocrity with a road victory or a win at home in their regular season finale versus Kansas.

3. Texas A & M (20-5, 7-4, RPI 28, Best Win Jan 15 Vs. Missouri 91-89 (OT), Worst Loss Jan 29 At Nebraska 57-48)

Where do the Aggies come from every year? Hasn't Acie Law graduated a long time ago? This year's version has a team filled with underclassmen like 15 ppg sophomore Khris Middleton and forward David Loubeau. However, this team is one of the many boom or bust teams in this tourney. They can make themselves a Sweet 16 team easily (they had a 16-1 start accentuated with wins over tourney teams Washington and Temple), but then they can fall on their face (a 3 game losing streak). One thing is for sure: with not one, but two 20+ point losses to rival Texas, it seems like the Aggies may be a tourney team, but they do have a ceiling of who they can beat.

2. Kansas (24-2, 9-2, RPI 1, Best win JAn 29 Vs Kansas St 90-66, Worst Loss Feb 14 At Kansas St 84-68)

Hide your kids, hide your wife, Kansas is back. Although they're not as strong as that team that blazed into the tourney last year (despite that whole Northern Iowa 2nd round roadblock), they still have the team that can get back to the final four. Why? One word: twins! Wait, what is this a Coors Light Commercial? The Brothers Morris (Marcus and Markieff) average 30 ppg and 10 rpg, so they do carry a certain star quality to them, and a leadership on this team of stars. There is an issue this team has shown to me lately, and that's their inability to rise to the occasion, especially right after they were named #1 in the polls and got shellacked by Kansas State. While this team has been Top 6 all season, they've never felt like the best team in the country to me. Not to say they can't win the NCAA tourney, they just need to work a little more in bigger games.

1. Texas (23-3, 11-0, RPI 8, Best win Jan 22 At Kansas 74-63, Worst Loss Dec 5 At USC 73-56)

Talk about a role reversal. Last year Texas started hot but once mid January hit, the Longhorns stumbled into mediocrity and found themselves in one and doneville in the NCAA's. This year, since that USC loss in December, they've only lost once, by 1 vs UCONN in OT. Texas is undefeated in conference play, the only team in the Big 6 conferences to stay undefeated as of this writing. Unlike, say 90% of the teams that will be in tourney this year, the road profile is hella strong. All of their conference road wins are by double digits, including against teams 2 and 3 on this list, Kansas and A & M. Texas and my pick for Big 12 player of the year, G Jordan Hamilton, is changing a lot of people's minds on this team's postseason aspirations. Anything less than a Final Four right now for this club may be a surprise for a lot of people.

Tomorrow, we double up. We talk about the ACC and SEC, both having semi-down years, but still have a decent array of tourney hopefuls. Until then...

The College Basketball Primer- Part 1

Hello, my name is The Rabbi, video editor of On the Sportslines.
Today, and for the next 5 days, we will take a look of the college basketball landscape to this point. The tournament is just a month away folks, and for most, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year, the time to really see basketball at its finest.

There are two things you need to know before we get started. Number 1 is the new amount of teams in the tournament: 68. There will now be an opening round that will consist of two days and 4 games on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the now 2nd round commences.

Those two days will consist of 2 types of games: games between the last 4 in to make the field and games between #16 seeds. The three extra teams that wouldn’t have been in before has made for a weaker bubble. That is the 2nd thing you need to know. Teams that would be considered out of the big dance picture by now are squarely in the bubble mix (or actually are in!), and inflated profiles of lackluster teams look a lot better.

Part 1 of our journey through Pre-Tourney land takes us to the Big East. Last year 8 of the Big East’s 16 teams made the tourney. This year the Big East is going to bring even more. While the league may not be as strong as a whole, it is certainly deeper. We will break this into three categories of teams: The Big 7 (the 7 teams who seem to be locks and have been top 25 mainstays all season), the 4 that are right there (tournament teams now, but could always fall back with some bad losses, although there’s an 8th team looking to join the Big 7), and the Other 5 (they need to win the Big East Tourney for any slight chance). We will preview those first 2 groups by team, but the other 5 will go first as a whole.

The other 5 (Depaul, Seton Hall, Providence, Rutgers, and USF): Just no legitimate way any of these 5 can play their way to an at large. Depaul doesn’t have a Big East win, Seton Hall only has 11 wins, South Florida only has 8, Rutgers has only one win in their last 6 (and that was a miracle 4 point play against Villanova), and Providence has not won a road game this season. While each are going to enjoy the spoiler role until the Big East Tournament, the chance of running the table to win 5 games in 5 days for a Big East tourney victory are highly unlikely. Now we move on to the big(ger) boys.

11. Marquette (15-11, 6-7, RPI (as of Sunday, from Jerry Palm) 57- Best win: 79-57 Vs. Notre Dame Jan 10, Worst Loss: Vs. Gonzaga 66-63 Nov 23):

15-11 may not seem good enough but consider this. Gonzaga was supposed to be a much better team than they actually were this year, and I consider this their worst loss cause there really isn’t a bad loss in the bunch. They haven’t really lost to anyone they were supposed to beat. Last night their loss to St. John’s could be considered the worst cause they put up minimal effort at home. This team has got three leaders in G Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder, and F Darius Johnson Odom. All three upperclassmen are the building blocks to a nice run in the end, but I hate to say if there’s a team who’s going to get flagged for making the Big East too excessive in the NCAA Tourney, they’re it.


10. Cincinnati (19-6, 6-6, RPI 55, Best win: 66-46 Vs. Xavier Jan 6, Worst Loss: 66-55 Vs. West Virginia Jan 29)

Without a win at St John’s on Jan 22nd, the Bearcats would have NO significant wins against the Big East. Cincy has been a big time bottom feeder. This team started 15-0 and has since gone 4-6. The fact that the RPI for this 6 loss team is in the 50’s shows Cincy fails the “who did you actually beat” test. With only one game left versus the Other 5 group mentioned in the beginning of this article, the ‘Natti could be the 2010-11version of the Pre- New Year paper tigers of College Basketball.

9. West Virginia (16-9, 7-5, RPI 22, Best win Jan 8 at Georgetown 65-59, Worst Loss Jan 19 Vs. Marshall 75-71)

Who is left from the Final Four team of a year ago that lost to Duke? Joe Missoula and Truck Bryant and that’s really it. However, the numbers seem to suggest the Mountaineers, despite only cracking the Top 25 recently, are heading back to the Big Dance. Are they even close to duplicating last year’s success? Absolutely not. Despite losing 3 of their last 4 though, and playing Notre Dame and Pitt their next two games which could easily make it 5 of 6, I feel 2 wins in the Big East tourney put them back in the postseason. If they can win one of the aforementioned games, they may not even need that much to lose their bubble tag.

8. Syracuse (8-6, 20-6, RPI 21 Best win Feb 2 at UCONN 66-58, Worst Loss 90-68 vs. Seton Hall)

When you look at this team with its 17-0 start, you think the dominance of last year. When you look at the 3-6 record since, you realize this is probably closer to the Orange people thought about in the preseason. With the growing of stars in seniors Kris Jackson and Scoop Jardine, there’s a disappointing air that goes along with the fact that this team fell into their expectations of a middle of the road Big East squad. Unlike the team we mentioned before, Cincinnati, the Orange have enough quality wins to start the year to cement their big dance spot, along with bonus wins we didn’t expect, like that win at UCONN.

7. UCONN (19-5, 7-5, RPI 13, Best Win Jan 8 At Texas 82-81 (OT), Worst Loss at St John’s 89-72)

Again, picked to finish actually lower in the pack, the UCONN Huskies have been a nice story thanks to G Kemba Walker. 22 ppg this season, although Kemba more often than not has fallen below that number in conference play. The Big East is tough, and despite the significantly improving play of Alex Oriaki, the Huskies are still too young behind their star junior. The expectations of being a national title contender early into the season have fallen, but a nice finish to the season as the Huskies might have a good road to get to another Sweet 16.

6. St. John’s (16-9, 8-5, RPI 17, Best win Jan 30 V Duke 93-78, Worst Loss at Fordham 84-81)

This is the team poised to break into that elite group of 7, and is actually better in conference than 2 of the 7 (Syracuse and UCONN). I thought an NCAA berth for a team that hasn’t seen the light of Tourney day in a decade was off the radar, and early this season I thought same old Johnnies after the back to back losses versus St Bonaventure and Fordham, but boy was I wrong. Since then, Steve Lavin’s group with TEN seniors has beaten FOUR current Top 12 teams, three by double digits. The other problem of beating legit teams on the road is fading as well. Over the last week they beat two of the teams in that “others” group: Cincy and Marquette. St John’s has swept those three “others” on the road. Despite St John’s pitfalls in the past (and panelist Jay Kaplan has seen the highs and lows), this team has 3 games against the Bottom 5 left in their season. Couple that with a few tourney wins, and the Red Storm will get to the Tourney Promised Land, finally.

5. Villanova (20-6, 8-5, RPI 20, Best win Jan 22 At Syracuse 83-72, Worst Loss Feb 9 At Rutgers 77-76)

The Wildcats don’t have Scotty Reynolds anymore (we’re sure, we checked the NBDL and we found him), but that doesn’t mean they lost talent. Truth of the matter is the Wildcats almost mirror last year’s team. But that’s not a good thing. Last year’s team started strong. This year’s team started 16-1. Last year’s team struggled down the stretch. This year’s team is currently 4-5 after that hot start. However, the two Corey’s (Stokes and Fisher, not Haim and Felman), are seniors who do not want to see an opportunity to miss a sweet 16 go by. The signs of this team not being like last year can be seen in that Syracuse win on the 22nd of last month.

4. Louisville (19-6, 8-4, RPI 24 Best win Jan 29 At UCONN 79-78 (2OT), Worst Loss Dec 14 Vs. Drexel 52-46)

Interesting team here. I feel nothing either way about this team. They can make the Elite 8 and I wouldn’t be shocked. They could be gone in the first weekend and I wouldn’t be shocked. They’re almost like whichever way the wind blow, that’s how they perform. This team is much better than the 8th seeded team on the court last year, but how much? When you looked at the aforementioned UCONN game, they played like an Elite 8 team. Even in very close losses against the next 2 teams on our list, they played like an Elite 8 team on the road. This team, especially since a loss in mid- January at Providence has played much better. The question is: how much?

3. Georgetown (20-5, 9-4, RPI 4, Best win Jan 29th At Villanova 69-66, Worst Loss Jan 8 Vs. West Virginia 65-59)

This is where you start thinking Final Four Teams. Candidate #1 is the team with the 2nd hardest schedule in America (them and St. John’s have been bouncing back and forth for that honor), but has played as well as anyone in the country this past month. Consider this: they haven’t lost in a month, have beaten three ranked teams on the road, and took one of their four league losses and avenged it with a 25 point drubbing (sorry Hoyas, you won’t have a chance to avenge the other 3). Austin Freeman is one of the true seniors in America who is excelling in the guard position, and since mid-January, upperclassmen Chris Wright and Jason Vaughn have been a solid supporting cast for the Super Senior. They, like Villanova will remember their 2010 tourney experience to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.

2. Notre Dame (21-4, 10-3, RPI 9, Best win Jan 24 At Pitt 56-51, Worst Loss Jan 10 At Marquette 79-57)

Candidate #2 is a team that is finally free of Luke Harangody (again, we checked, he has moved on). However, the collection of talent left behind has come up and surprised us all, especially in league play. Who had Ben Hansbrough making a name for himself, getting under his Brother Tyler’s shadow? Who had Carleton Scott nearly doubling his PPG from last year and becoming a legit threat? Notre Dame has parlayed their experience into a team that has pulled off some major wins, including UCONN and the previously mentioned Pitt game. There is a good buzz for this team, that maybe, just maybe, there is a #1 seed as the true pot of gold at the end of this Irish rainbow. Only issue of some concern is all 4 of their losses have come by double digits.

1. Pittsburgh (23-2, 11-1, RPI 6, Best win Jan 12 At Georgetown 72-57, Worst Loss Dec 11 Vs. Tenn 83-76)

While their spot in the polls and standings is not a surprise, it’s still impressive. Pittsburgh has been status quo in what’s been a topsy-turvy Big East. Pitt has never been below the Top 8 in the polls all year, more importantly, not a loss outside of the city of Pittsburgh all year. The Panthers are a consistent ball club that’s had a Top 4 spot cemented in the Big Dance since January, but now comes the push for a #1 seed. To do that Ashton Gibbs and company are going to have to win important road games (they got St John’s and Louisville on the road last 2 weeks), and they will have to most likely win the Big East tourney. Do that, and Pitt maybe can finally grab that elusive Final Four they’ve been waiting so long to go to.

Tomorrow, we review the Big 12. Believe me folks when I tell you this about the conference, it’s lonely at the top.

Steelers 24, Packers 19.

I'm The Rabbi, video editor of On The Sportslines and why the hell am I picking the Steelers to get their Stairway to Seven?

I honestly have no idea. When it was 2 weeks ago, I almost thought there was no way a Packers team, playing an indoor game, would be tamed by a defense that has had their lapses in the postseason.

Then I had a thought. Experience DOES count in this situation. This is not the same team that got there in 2008 BUT they have one major factor that's still around: the QB.

Ben Roethlisberger, owner of a 11-3 record this season, knows how to win this game. Unlike others, I believe the Steelers offense, and especially their running game can establish a little something against the Packers. Then they can turn it loose when they have to. I think Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders get big catches i big spots. They are a huge distraction to go to the more top guys (Ward, Miller, and Wallace).

More importantly, I think the pressure gets to Rodgers. I remember five years ago when Ben Roethlisberger got into the big game against Seattle, was favored, had an offense who put up ridiculous numbers throwing in the postseason...and he sucked. Had the worst QB rating to win a super bowl. Why are we so quick to assume Rodgers is gonna step up here? I can't compare it to Drew Brees making his first start last year because Brees was a QB for 10+ years in the league! Rodgers is only completing his 3rd season at the helm.

It seems like a hunch in a few ways, but I am going to go for it. The Steelers win the Super Bowl 24-19, Ben is the MVP when he throws a TD in the 4th quarter to Antonio Brown. The Steelers will further etch themselves are THE team in the NFL in Super Bowl XLV.

And if they don't, this post is getting deleted, so there! Just kidding.

MY SUPER BOWL PREDICTION
BY: Steve Ferguson, OTSL Analyst

Here's my prediction as to who will win the Super Bowl between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers and why?

To me this the Super Bowl has a chance to be the most competitive Super Bowl we may see for a long time. Sure the Giants-Patriots Super Bowl was a great one as was the Colts-Saints one last year.

But here's why this one could be decided at the gun!

In other words this one has a chance to be a historically tremendous game with everything football fans want to see.

Here's why:

*Both teams are excellent defensively (No. #1 versus No. #2)

Pittsburgh has Polamalu, the X-factor on defense who can rip an opposing QB's soul out with his all-around ability and mobility not to mention his uncanny timing and vision to intercept passes and disrupt an offense. Add the intimidating presence of James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley with the savvy of James Farrior and this is a dangerous defense.

Green Bay has Clay Matthews who is a great pass rusher and sack-artist. Add B.J. Raji to the mix, a nose tackle with speed to make great plays and a secondary lead by the venerable Charles Woodson and the speedy cover corners who can tackle very well and this defense is almost as tough to deal with.

*Both teams have extremely mobile quarterbacks who make plays with their legs and throw very accurately on the run. In other words both of them can make incredible plays and find receivers when least expected. Ben Roethlisberger, the 6'5" 245 behemoth Pittsburgh QB who is as strong and tough as Paul Bunyan with legs like tree trunks and a relentless, never-say-die attitude to make plays and escape the pocket. He seems to always come up with a huge play at the right time.

Aaron Rodgers, the coolest customer under pressure in the NFL at the quarterback position for the Green Bay Packers with a laser for a throwing arm and speed to escape from anyone. He, too makes amazing decisions with lightning quick precision and incredible decisiveness. Only Michael Vick has better ability to escape the rush than him!

*Both teams have terrific wide receivers:

*Pittsburgh is led by Hines Ward. Physical, tough and sometimes even dirty but when you add his tenacity and uncanny ability to make big plays and his competitiveness it spells winner. Add Mike Wallace who's nickname should be 60 seconds because it seems that's all he needs to break away and burn you deep as a defender. Don't forget Heath Miller, Roethlisberger's favorite target with his sure hands, strength and speed and this is a dangerous group.

Green Bay doesn't have slouches at this position either. Donald Driver can rival Hines Ward and he's hungry for a championship NOW. They've got James Jones and a couple of other speed demons who make big plays too and they can't be underestimated.

Now in the secondary this is where Green Bay has the edge. If Pittsburgh can't pressure Rogers he may have a field day throwing against this secondary. They can be had and they are usually guilty of interference, holding and generally don't tackle very well. .

Pittsburgh has the edge at the running back spot with Rashard Mendenhall. He has bludgeoned and gashed up everyone including the Jets for almost 130 yards. James Starks of the Packers may be an x-factor (just ask the Atlanta Falcons) but I believe the Steelers will stop him because he won't surprise them the way he did Atlanta. Besides Pittsburgh is great at shutting a running game down (Just ask the Jets the first half of last Sunday's game.).

Who will win? I believe it comes down DIck Labow versus Don Capers.

Because this is Dick Labow's last game and he has been the teacher to Capers who is the student I believe Pittsburgh will win a one or two point game. I believe this game will come down to the last possession much like the Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl.

Pittsburgh's experience will probably offset Green Bay's enthusiasm to win the big game. After all it is hard to go against a team that's won 6 Super Bowls and will be going for their third one in 6 years versus a team that hasn't been to the big dance in a while. If Aaron Rodgers had been there just once before to the Super Bowl I'd go with the Pack.

But with that being said the final score will probably wind up being:

Pittsburgh: 26...........Green Bay 24

Rodgers will have a chance to make his legacy in Green Bay. Unfortunately for the Cheese Heads this is the wrong opponent to try this with. He will have his day but this Sunday probably won't be it despite his best efforts.

Roethlisberger will win his 3rd Super Bowl and get in the conversation of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks with Brady and Manning despite all of his off-the-field transgressions.