Built Ford Tough

Michigan's Trey Burke will enter. No announcement yet, although an official announcement should come today or tomorrow: http://www.freep.com/article/20120404/SPORTS06/120404043/Michigan-s-Trey-Burke-expected-to-declare-for-NBA-draft-?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Speaking of, I wonder what Kentucky winning it all this year will do for their recruiting. It is blatantly obvious that they are the go to place for one-and-dones since Cal took over. I read something about how a lot of programs don't even really bother trying to recruit some high school players because they know that they simply can't compete with Kentucky. The thing is, there was this stigma attached to young tams and how you can't win it all by throwing out a lineup full of freshmans and sophomores. Now that Kentucky won it this year with only one senior and no juniors in the rotation does that strengthen their recruiting pitch even more? If winning eliminates the stigma of young teams being unable to win it does not bode well for the rest of the programs who were already at a disadvantage when it came to many of these 0ne-and-done players.

So who makes the playoffs in the East, Buffalo or Washington? Or do both happen and Florida chokes away their spot? In the west? Dallas, LA, SJ, Phoenix? I'm thinking the standings pretty much stay the exact same with Washington in the 8th spotin the East and LA, Phoenix and SJ getting in the West, but SJ moving to 7th and Phoenix falling to 8th.

This is an absolute must lose game for the Raptors. If they win this game they will end up going on a 4 game losing streak because there is no chance in hell the Cavs are going to beat them on Friday with how hard they are tanking. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Cleveland lost every game for the rest of the season. Anyways, a 4 game winning streak at this point of the season would be catastrophic for the tank, especially since they picked up two terrible wins against Denver and New York the other week. As for Philly, I just hope they come out guns blazing since their chances of winning the division are fading with each subsequent egg that they lay. They can't afford to lose games like this if they want to catch Boston.

Raptors tanking sucks. They really need to call up Cleveland and get some advice on how to do it properly. First things first, they need to shut down Bargnani and Calderon pretty soon.

Fair enough. Originally I was going to have Lehigh and Norfolk's upsets as two seperate stories but decided to combine them into one. Then I didn't really know what to include (I'd had most of this written before the final game) but then when I saw both Withey and Davis set records for blocks I decided that was a pretty big story to have two players having such a large impact defensively. I'd honestly be fine with whatever order the 5th/4th/3rd stories were put in. I wouldn't have any of the three in the top 2, but can definitely see were you are coming from if you had it (Marshall's injury) 3rd.

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=392129 I don't believe Chisholm really has many inside sources and I don't believe just because he says something it will happen. He doesn't exactly have a sparkling track record (he said Barbosa would not get traded and would be re-signed among other things). However, I definitely believe this story. The minute the season started and we saw how little of an opportunity Davis got and it was clear that he was the odd man out when Valanciunas comes over next season. I like Davis but it is clear he has no future with this team based on how he has been handled. It is basically him or Amir. One of them has to go and Davis is the logical choice given his playing style (strictly a 4 while Amir can handle some time at the 5) and his value. I can't really blame anybody for it either. He has a future in this league but he just doesn't fit with this team. I can easily see him being dealt around the draft, especially with Colangelo looking to make a move around that time period, which was basically the entire reason behind the Barbosa trade (they have $12M to play with during the draft and you know Colangelo intends to use it someway).

I don't know what he looks like now but if it anything like he looked during his time in the UFC, the opposite is probably true. He may not look like he was carved out of stone anymore like he did when he first came to the UFC, but I would be willing to bet anything that he is more fit now than he was then. He just doesn't look as cut but his cardio, strength, endurace, etc... are all probably better now than they were before. You need to be in peak physical condition to fight at such a high level of MMA like Lesnar did. You also have to take into consideration his diverticulitis which nearly killed him two seperate times. That would obviously factor into a guys appearance. EDIT: Just noticed B's post. Basically, he said the same thing.

Where would you have it? I couldn't decide between having it 4th and Kansas' comebacks 5th or the other way around. Obviously, I settled on the other way around. If Kansas wouldn't have made it to the Finals I probably would've had it 4th but with them having 3 huge comebacks and nearly completing a 4th against Kentucky I ultimately put that 4th instead of Marshall.

http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/campus-rivalry/2012/04/02/davis-MOPx-large.jpg The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Kansas Jayhawks 67-59 in the national championship game Monday night to bring a close to the 2012 edition of the NCAA Tournament. The win marked the school's eighth national championship, which ranks second to the UCLA Bruins' 11. Like all NCAA Tournaments, the 2012 edition was filled with fantastic matchups, gigantic upsets, dramatic moments, thrilling finishes and marquee moments that fans have come to expect from March Madness. Every year something happens that is simply unfathomable and results in pure jubilation for one team and heartbreak for another. All tournaments feature so many compelling stories that it is nearly impossible to narrow it down to just 10. Despite that, here is my best effort to bring you what I believe were the top 10 stories of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. 10. Gorgui Dieng's Seven Blocks Lead Lousiville Past Michigan State The West Regional semifinals saw Louisville face Michigan State in a battle of two of the best defenses in the nation. The game would see Louisville's defensive anchor, Gorgui Dieng, put on a shot-blocking clinic against the No. 1 seed Spartans. Dieng would finish with seven blocks and altered countless other attempts. He was a one-man defensive wrecking crew and single-handedly struck fear into the entire Spartan team. With Dieng swatting shots left and right, the Spartans shot a meager 27 percent from the floor and fell to the fourth-seeded Cardinals 57-44. 9. Baylor's Brady Heslip Hits Nine Three-Pointers Against Colorado In a third-round game between the Baylor Bears and the Colorado Buffaloes, Baylor shooting guard Brady Heslip had the the kind of hot shooting streak that we are rarely privileged to see. Heslip would make 9-of-12 three-point field goals, becoming the ninth player in NCAA Tournament history to make nine or more three-pointers in a game and the third to convert those nine threes by shooting 75 percent or better. Heslip would finish with 27 points as Baylor cruised to an 80-63 victory behind the Burlington, Ontario, native's torrid shooting. 8. Indiana Returns to the National Stage Indiana is one of college basketball's most storied programs, but the Hoosiers had fallen on hard times of late. After former coach Kelvin Sampson was found guilty of multiple violations, new coach Tom Crean entered into a program in shambles. And in his first three seasons as coach, the Hoosiers went 28-56. But this season, Indiana, led by Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, finished 27-9 and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. The Hoosiers also managed to pick up their first tournament win since 2007. They would make it to the Sweet Sixteen before falling 102-90 to eventual champion Kentucky. Despite the loss, it was a great season for the Hoosiers who returned to the national spotlight after some of the worst seasons in the school's history. 7. March 13th Play-in Comebacks Most people don't pay much attention to the play-in games. After all, they usually feature mediocre teams that have no chance of making any noise when the "real" tournament begins. However, those people who tuned in on March 13th were treated to some historic comebacks. In the tournament's first game, Western Kentucky found itself trailing Mississippi Valley State by 16 points with 4:51 remaining. The game looked to be over, but Western Kentucky would go on a furious rally and come away with a 59-58 comeback win. This was the largest comeback in the final five minutes in NCAA Tournament history. In the second game of the night, Brigham Young found itself facing a 25-point deficit against Iona. But BYU would fight back and eventually come away with a 78-72 victory. Like the game before, this would also set a record. This time it was for the largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history. Neither team would advance past the second round, but both etched their names in the history books. 6. Ohio Makes Up 25 Percent of Sweet Sixteen The Ohio Bobcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Cincinnati Bearcats and Xavier Musketeers were the four teams that represented the state of Ohio in this year's tournament. All four would manage to advance to the round of 16, marking the first time in the tournament's history that four teams from a single state made it to the Sweet Sixteen. However, they didn't fare well once they got there. Ohio lost in overtime to North Carolina. Xavier's comeback fell short in a 75-70 loss to Baylor. And Ohio State eliminated Cincinnati in a physical affair, becoming the only Ohio team to advance to the Elite Eight. But with its teams making up 25 percent of the Sweet Sixteen, the state of Ohio proved that it is quickly becoming a basketball power. 5. Kendall Marshall's Wrist Injury Kills UNC's Championship Aspirations The North Carolina Tar Heels were considered one of the favorites to reach the Final Four and win it all. They boasted a prolific offense, spearheaded by Cousy Award-winning point guard Kendall Marshall. Marshall set a single-season ACC assist record and was UNC's most indispensable player. Not only was he the best playmaker in college basketball, he was the Heels' unquestioned leader. When he broke his wrist in UNC's third-round game against Creighton, it crushed the Tar Heels' chances. UNC would manage to pick up an overtime win over Ohio in the Sweet Sixteen, despite committing a season-high 24 turnovers and struggling mightily on offense. However, the loss of Marshall was too much to overcome in the Elite Eight. UNC would not score a basket in the final 5:46 as Kansas went on 12-0 run to pick up the 80-67 win. There will be no redemption for this unit. Tyler Zeller graduated, and Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Marshall all declared for the 2012 NBA Draft, which leaves UNC fans with the lingering question of "what if?'' 4. Kansas Jayhawks: Comeback Kids Kansas had a flair for the dramatic. Normally a powerhouse team that dictates the outcome of games, the Jayhawks found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum this year. In their third-round game against Purdue, the Jayhawks found themselves trailing by as many as 11 points. But they managed to fight back and pick up a 63-60 win, despite trailing until the final minute. Luckily for them, that minute was all that they needed. In its Sweet Sixteen matchup with the North Carolina State, Kansas would end up facing another double-digit deficit. This time, it was Jeff Withey's defensive dominance that would prove to be the difference. He blocked 10 shots to help Kansas overcome its abysmal offensive effort and pick up yet another three-point comeback win. Against Ohio State in the Final Four, Kansas once again found itself in a large hole. The Jayhawks scored the game's first basket, but would not see a lead again until the game had just 2:48 remaining. OSU led by as many as 13 points. Kansas led only a grand total of 3:48. Yet, once again, the Jayhawks would squeak out a 64-62 comeback win. Unfortunately for Kansas, its magic ran out when it was unable to complete a fourth double-digit comeback in the finals against Kentucky. 3. Block Party: Jeff Withey and Anthony Davis Set Records Kansas' Jeff Withey was a one-man wrecking crew in the paint. He had 10 blocks against N.C. State in the Sweet Sixteen, one shy of the record for most blocks in an NCAA Tournament game. He also had seven blocks against Ohio State in the Final Four and five against Detroit in the second round. Withey would finish the tournament with 31 blocks, an NCAA Tournament record. Kentucky's Anthony Davis was also establishing records with his shot-blocking prowess. He set a single-season record for most blocks by a freshman with 183. He would block seven shots against Western Kentucky in the opening round, six against both Baylor in the Elite Eight and Kansas in the Finals, and five against Louisville in the Final Four. He would block 29 shots, which tied him with former Florida Gator Joakim Noah for the second-most blocks in tournament history. Add in the shot-blocking abilities of guys like Louisville's Gorgui Dieng and UNC's John Henson, and we fans were treated to a block party seemingly every night of this tournament. 2. No. 15 Seeds Lehigh and Norfolk State Pull Engineer Shocking Upsets Very rarely do we see a No. 15 seed pick up a win in the second round of the tournament. Before this year, it had happened only four times. What was unheard of? Two No. 15 seeds upsetting two No. 2 seeds in the second round. That is exactly what happened this season when Norfolk State beat Missouri 86-84 and Lehigh beat Duke 75-70. While both upsets were complete shocks, the Missouri loss was especially surprising. The Tigers were considered by many to be a Final Four team. Many fans and experts had them going to the Final Four. So when they were knocked out in the second round, it sent a shock wave through a vast majority of brackets. Later that day, when Lehigh beat Duke, the sound of brackets being ripped apart and thrown in the trash could be heard around the world. While neither Norfolk State nor Lehigh was able to pick up another victory (both lost by double-digits in their third-round games), they will be forever etched in history due to their remarkable upsets. 1. Anthony Davis' Great Season Anthony Davis established himself as a force the minute he stepped on the floor for Kentucky. In his first game, he scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked five shots in just 23 minutes. After seeing that performance, everybody knew he was going to be an impactful player. What they didn't know was that they were about to witness one of the greatest individual seasons in college basketball history. I could go on and on about just how great Davis is, but all of his awards speak for themselves. Davis won the following awards: Sporting News Player of the Year CBSSports Player of the Year AP Player of the Year Naismith Player of the Year Freshman of the Year Defensive Player of the Year 2012 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player 2012 NCAA All-Tournament Team Adolf Rupp Trophy winner First Team All-American Pete Newell Big-Man Award SEC Player of the Year SEC Freshman of the Year SEC Defensive Player of the Year First Team All-SEC That is all that needs to be said about this young man. You can also add another accomplishment to that list in June when he becomes the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1129814-brackets-busted-top-10-stories-of-the-2012-ncaa-tournament

Definitely. I was waiting for the floater that ended up being launched over the backboard and was somewhat disapointed when it didn't happen. I agree that he didn't have a great tournament and was an inefficient player, but I thought given the matchup and attention he had in this game that he played about as well as you could've hoped for. Davis is just such a force down low defensively, Jones has the size and length to bother him and he was very rarely guarded with single coverage. He always had at least Davis shading over on him. He certainly could've played better and did miss some easy shots, but I thought he did about as well as realisitcally possible tonight. Agreed on both accounts. Robinson struggled a large portion of the tournament and Withey did a fantastic job of anchoring the defense. I don't believe they get by UNC without Withey's presence in that Triangle and 2 defense during the 2nd half. They certainly don't get past OSU without him completely shutting down Sullinger. The thing about Taylor that bugs me is that he has many of the physical traits you would want in a player. Good ball handling, can get into the paint, solid athleticism, above average shooter (although like you said, awful in the tournament), but he just makes so many stupid mistakes out there that is completely ruins all the good things he brings to the table. I honestly think if you put a decent basketball IQ, not even a superb one like a Kendall Marshall or Aaron Craft, but somebody like Lorenzo Brown and you have a top 15-20 pick in the draft. I know it sucks to come this far and lose, but looking at it from a different view point, I would imagine this season would have to be considered a success given the expectations at the start of the season. I didn't think Kansas would do as poorly as many people thought and did think they had the potential to be a #4 seed and possibly make a run to the Sweet Sixteen or, if given a favourable bracket, the Elite Eight, but I never thought they would make it to the National Championship and give Kentucky a scare in the final few minutes. It really was a great season in what was expected to be a relative down year.

I agree with Taylor but can't with Robinson. I realize he struggled with his shot to start the game, but the effort and energy was certainly there. He just couldn't get looks because Davis was almost always shading him and providing Jones with help. I certainly wouldn't put the blame for this loss on Robinson, though. I thought he played a damn good game given what he was up against. Certainly not flawless, but a good one nonetheless. The biggest factor (aside from Kentucky being a better team) was all the easy baskets the team as a whole missed. They were too worried about Davis rotating over to block their shot that they either rushed the shot (bigs getting boards, which includes Robinson) or they just threw something off the backboard and hoped it would fall (manly all their perimeter players). I realize Davis is a huge presence defensively, but you can't let him get in your head like that. Even if you get your shit swatted a few times, you still need to look to finish aggressively.

My post NCAA Tournament wish list: 1. Anthony Davis 2. Bradley Beal 3. Thomas Robinson 4. Harrison Barnes 5. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 6. Jeremy Lamb 7. Andre Drummond 8. Perry Jones III want no part of: Jared Sullinger I really hope that they don't fall past 8 and, despite how much Drummond and PJ3 scare me, I simply can't pass up their potential at that slot in the draft. I know Barnes choked hard in the tournament, but I think he will be a better pro than college player and if anybody is going to be a legitimate #1 option, I think it is him or Lamb. I like MKG's all-around game, but I just don't see the offensive upside to warrant the Raptors picking him if they move into the top 3. I can understand why he is so highly regarded but I don't really view him as a center piece of a franchise and think he will be a complimentary piece. An awesome one, but still a complimentary piece. He is still only 18 years old so I'm certainly not writing him off and would be perfectly fine with drafting him. I know most Raptor fans are hell bent on a wing, but I'd be perfectly fine coming away with Thomas Robinson as well. I think he is going to have a great career and the potential of a Robinson/Valanciunas duo really intrigues me. If he continues to improve his faceup game and his mid range shot, which has come a long way this season, he is going to be great. I'm sure things will change when measurements are released and workouts get underway, but that is my personal board for the Raptors right now.

Some unorganized random thoughts: All those missed shots early in the half really came back to bite Kansas in the ass. I didn't think it would matter because I didn't think Kansas would cut the lead down to 6 points. Also, those two missed opportunities in the final minutes (the Johnson travel on the 3 and the Taylor layup that was blocked) really hurt. I can't help but wonder how different the game would've been if those two shots went in. Full credit to Davis and MKG for outstanding defensive plays, though. The biggest missed chance was that Taylor turnover. He is such an infuriating player with his terrible decision making. A very talented guy, but just has too many mental lapses. Doron Lamb does not get nearly enough credit for Kentucky. He was outstanding for them all season long yet all of the publicity went to Davis, MKG or even Jones and Teague. He was without a doubt the 3rd most valuable player on this team. MKG was invisible in the 2nd half, but good on him for coming up with that huge block on Taylor's reverse. Other than that I didn't even notice him in the 2nd, though. Good job from Kansas to make a game out of this late. I love their fight but, like I said earlier, you can't afford to spot this Kentucky team a double digit half time lead and expect to come back and win. Wasn't the best game as there was a lot of sloppy play and poor execution, but it was an entertaining game regardless. I certainly wouldn't consider it a classic or anything like that, but a fun one to watch.

What I said about him is true as well. The vast majority of his points have either come in transition or off broken plays. He isn't doing anything other than outworking other players. He isn't taking advantage of some matchup or anything like that. No special gameplanning would've resulted in him having any different of a half. Not trying to take away from him since he played a good 1st half.

Great move from Taylor to close the half but him turning around and talking smack to Teague is a perfect example of what is wrong with him. He takes things too personally on the floor and tries to go one-on-one way too often, which leads to his typical terrible decision making. Kansas needed to go on a run to close the half if they were to have a chance, though. The only hope they had in winning this game was if they hung around all game and took the lead late, like they did against Purdue and OSU. I really don't see that happening here.

It really is remarkable how much your opinion of him has changed during the course of the year, haha. I remember back in December/ early January how down on him you were and now you are probably the biggest supporter of him on here. Not a knock or anything like that, so don't take it that way. I just love how you have done a complete 180 on him, haha.

Taylor playing like a freshman and Teague playing like a senior. No chance in hell Kansas wins if this trend continues. They need to go on a run badly to finish this half, though. They aren't coming back from a double digit half time hole against this team.

I really don't see why Kansas should be so worried about MKG offensively. He really isn't anything special or somebody that you have to gameplan around to stop. Pretty much all of his baskets come off broken plays or transition. I'd be more worried about Lamb and Miller than I would MKG if we are strictly speaking in terms of offense. MKG's worth is his defensive versatility, rebounding and ability to spark the lethal Kentucky break with a block or a steal. I wonder how he is going to handle the pressure of this game, though. He hasn't exactly had a sparkling track record of performing well in these kind of high profile games. He was a dud in the SEC Finals and back in high school fell apart against St. Anthony's. As much publicity as the battle of the bigs have gotten, and deservedly so, I think the Teague/Taylor matchup could be the difference maker. Part of what has made Kentucky look so unbeatable in the tournament is his improved play; his decision making in particular. Kentucky won't win if Taylor plays poorly like he has for much of the tournament. They need the same kind of game from him that they got in the UNC matchup, perhaps even better. Even though I think Kentucky will win, I wouldn't be surprised if Kansas did. They just seem to have this aura about them right now. Despite how poorly they have played for the vast majority of the tournament, they just seem to always find a way to make the critical plays down the stretch to come up with a win. They can't afford to have another terrible start, though. Kentucky is too good to battle back from another double digit defecit.

Probably not. Yeah his attitude sucked and he wasn't the most efficient player, but he did pretty much maximize his potential. He was severely undersized and battled through so many injuries that I can't really put him on this type of list regardless of his shortcomings. I don't really think he "fooled" very many people. Most acknowledged what he was and his limitations.

Terrence Ross of Washington and Fab Melo of Syracuse are both entering and are both hiring agents. Mike Moser will return to UNLV.

I completely get what you are saying and understand why they were included. I just don't really think guys like Hill or Yao really fooled anyone. Everybody knows that they were great but they were just unlucky with injuries. I can understand the logic you were using, though. If anything, my post was more about the types of players that I would've included had I wrote something like this.

Lol at the Celtics rebounding. Wade misses, misses the tip and still comes up with the board between 4 C's. EDIT: Scratch that, 5 Celtics.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/220220/Davis_This_Is_My_Stage!#ixzz1qp47SOk8 Love it, even if I want Kansas to win.

Filthy block from Bradley on Wade. Unfortunately for Boston, it went right to the corner for a Battier 3, but damn, that was an impressive block.