EBTH is BACK!!!

What, because I haven't posted since Christmas you thought I was done? Ha!

Eric Byrnes still tries hard, baby! So we've got some blogging to do.

The Diamondbacks got the 2008 season started on the right foot Monday, earning a 4-2 win over the Reds in Cincinnati. Byrnesie took a first pitch fastball from Aaron Harang and knocked it out of the park in the third inning, giving the 'Backs a 3-0 lead.

Brandon Webb pitched out of a jam in the fourth inning after giving up two runs. Webb went six innings on the night, allowing just those 2 runs and 3 hits. The Arizona bullpen threw a perfect last three innings, not allowing a baserunner and striking out four as Brandon Lyon closed the door in his first save opportunity with the club.

Outfield Chris Young also homered in the third inning and Jeff Salazar hit a pinch hit homer in the 7th inning to give the D-Backs an insurance run.

Connor Jackson had a hit, an RBI, and a walk batting cleanup. Buster Olney reported yesterday that although Jackson is a Dr. Pepper fiend, he kicked the soda habit in the off-season and is in great shape. Olney also reports that scouts are saying that Chris Young and Stephen Drew appear to be ready to step up their offensive games another notch this season, and Jackson says Justin Upton is going to have an A-Rod-esque career. Certainly reasons to be optimistic in Arizona, as the offense was last in the NL in batting average and OBP last season.

New acquisition Dan Haren will throw for the 'Backs on Wednesday in Cincy.

NCAAFB Replay Officials Miss Another One

On October 21 of this year, in a column of my college football gripes, I led off the article with this on my mind...

Replay Officials: These 90 year old geezers up in the press boxes aren't "real" officials. They are probably doing this for free, yet they are affecting the game in a very, very poor way. The officials on the field don't get to look at the actual replay, instead they call up to the replay official who tells the real official what to do with the review. These guys get to review the play from multiple angles, and they STILL get the call wrong more than 75% of the time. I'm convinced they either A) can't see the screen well enough to tell what the hell is going on, or B) don't know the rules. Case in point, the USF "intentional fumble forward" the other night against Rutgers that took away a touchdown. Upon review it was obvious this was not an intentional fumble, yet they reviewed it and called it one anyway.

Now, realize this was so important to me that it was my single biggest gripe with college football at the time (besides the BCS, which I didn't bother getting into). If I had written down every time I saw a replay official blatantly get a call wrong this season, I could have named upwards of 100 examples of this travesty.

In the first bowl game of the season on Thursday night, the replay officials blew another one. A Utah player fumbled the ball as he dove for the endzone and the ball hit the pylon AFTER leaving the players hands. Touchback, Navy ball, right? Of course not. The play was ruled out at the one yard line on the field (a blown call by the on-field officials, because this was obvious in real time), and then was reviewed, and UPHELD somehow. When they went to review I KNEW they were going to get it wrong. It's like a 90% chance that they blow the call when it gets reviewed.

And what do you know, today the officials admitted that the call was wrong, and it should have been a touchback...

Wake Forest: Mens Soccer National Champions

Do you care? Probably not. Do I care that you don't care. Hell no.

My hometown's university, and the smallest university in BCS conferences, wins the mens soccer national championship today, beating Ohio State at SAS soccer park in my NEW home town, Cary, North Carolina. Great game, great comeback.

Congratulations to my former classmate Sam Cronin, a junior captain for the Deacs.

Wake-2 OSU-1

Best of 'This Is Sportscenter'

You may have seen ESPN's Best of 'This is Sportscenter' last week, a show in which they compiled their favorite Sportscenter commercials from over the years. Out of their 300 commercials, they failed to show one of my all time favorites. So check out this "Big Buddy" Sportscenter commercial and laugh your ass off. "Get up, your parents signed the permission slip."



My other favorites include Dan Patrick's near "perfect show" and Trevor Hoffman having to close out for Kenny Mayne.

Sports are Lame

So you probably noticed I haven't been posting much recently (pause...not), but I have a couple of legitimate excuses for it. First, fuck school, and fuck exams. FINALS=Fuck, I Never Actually Learned Shit. Truer words have never been spoken.

But secondly, sports are lame. I can't remember or imagine a time period in which sports have been less interesting and filled with such terrible publicity.

Sure, I may be a bit bitter because my own personal favorite sports teams are more of an embarrassment than they are a joy to watch and follow. The NC State football team laid an egg in their final game of the season with bowl hopes riding on the line against Maryland...at home no less. The Wolfpack basketball team lost to New Orleans (New Orleans!)....at home, had to get bailed out by the refs to beat Villanova in the final seconds, got destroyed by Michigan State, and then became the first ever ACC team to lose to East Carolina.

The Carolina Panthers are underachieving for the fourth year in a row, and have been starting a 57 year old quarterback for most of the season despite the second lamest offense in the NFL (behind the 0-14 Dolphins, who would actually destroy the Panthers right now). The Charlotte Bobcats are still the Charlotte Bobcats, and lastly, my fantasy football team went down in flames in the second to last week of the season and choked away a playoff spot. Hard times on the east coast, I tell you.

My bias aside though, sports really do suck at the moment. The four major sports leagues all have had or are dealing with serious scandals at the moment. The NFL has Michael Vick, the NBA has Tim Donaghy, the MLB has Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, and college football (the NHL is dead to me) has the BCS.

That's just the starting point however. The New England Patriots are the best team in the history of football and are going to go undefeated and win the Superbowl, it's a shame they are cheaters huh? As if that wasn't bad enough for the league, "Golden Boy" Tom Brady has actually become a non-likable guy in the process, the Dolphins actually signed Ricky Williams on their way to an 0-16 season, and we've seen quarterbacks named Cleo Lemon, Vinny Testeverde, Sage Rosenfells, Gus Frerotte, Chris Redman, John Beck, and Shaun Hill start games this year. Sundays have truly become uninteresting to the point I would rather watch "Take Home Chef" than the Tampa Bay/New Orleans game on FOX.

The college game is in just as bad, if not worse shape. It's tough to care about a sport where winning and losing apparently has absolutely no bearings on who wins the national championship. Want to choke in the last week or two of the regular season? No problem, here's a spot for you in the BCS. Beat nobody all year, lose your biggest game, don't even make it to your conference championship game? No worries, play in the BCS for us, will you? Who the FUCK wants to watch Hawaii/Georgia? Illinois and USC? Virginia Tech and Kansas for gods sake? Hope you don't have a big football party planned for New Years day, unless you're a Texas Tech fan or something. They couldn't even give us ONE good matchup? Would it really have killed them to give us USC and Oklahoma? ESPN doesn't ACTUALLY think I want to watch Rutgers and Ball State on January 5th do they? Don't be surprised when you find me watching CNN trying to figure out who's going to win the New Hampshire primary during the BCS "title" game on the seventh.

Adding to the football mess, you have coaches lying out their asses left and right about leaving/staying at their schools/teams. Pat Forde of ESPN wrote this great article on the coward that is Bobby Petrino. And today we learned that Rich Rodriguez is leaving for Michigan, not sticking around in Morgantown to coach his players in their BCS game. How anyone can pull for or like these guys is beyond me.

The Colorado Rockies almost made the MLB playoffs interesting, but ultimately losing to the Red Sox killed the mood, that's for sure. Red Sox win in a sweep, talk about boring. There's nothing worse for baseball than teams with payrolls in the bajillions winning the World Series. Except for maybe this whole Mitchell Report thing. Finding out that 13 of your MVP's in recent years were cheating can't go over too well in the league's front office. Of course, Andy Pettitte is supposed to be paid $16 million next season to be an average pitcher with a 4+ ERA and a WHIP closing in on 1.5, and thats WITH cheating. What else is wrong with baseball? Well, Alex Rodriguez just signed a $275 million dollar contract. Yep, two hundred and seventy five million dollars to play baseball. Just a guess, but I think that's more money than the Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays have spent combined in the history of their franchises. Annnddd, the Yankees are reportedly STILL trying to sign Johan Santana. Yep, nothing wrong with baseball.

(By the way, did anyone notice the unusual amount of San Francisco Giants players in the Mitchell report? And how they all sucked anyway? Those late 90's and even later Giants teams were juiced with juicers. Armando Rios, Benito Santiago, Marvin Benard, Barry Bonds, Mark Carreon, FP Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Jason Christianson, Matt Herges, and Matt Williams.......and they still never won anything!!)

Sure, there is college hoops season upon us, but I'm too tired of ESPN dick-sucking OJ Mayo to watch any of it. The Hype Machine gets worse every year. ESPN wants you to believe that OJ Mayo is light years ahead of his peers, and light years ahead of how previous years' standout freshmen were light years ahead of THEIR peers....if that makes sense? (I'm Ron Burgandy?) And I promise you that next year will be the exact same thing. The next great player, blah blah blah. Didn't take them long to forget about Kevin Durant, did it? LeBron? Carmello? Great players come out of high school every year, you just wouldn't know it by watching ESPN.

Anyway, sure I'll tune in to check the score of the Patriots-Jets game tomorrow, but only when I get time in between watching "Superbad" again, listening to Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," hitting the gym, ordering christmas gifts online, and catching up with some old friends. Because I refuse to devote my time to a bunch of half ass sports leagues that only care about money and haven't exactly been fan-friendly as of late.

Frank Thomas: Being Selfish Can Pay Off

I was 7 years old when Major League baseball went on strike, and I really didn’t understand the situation. It was a financial issue but the issue that was then pushed to background is what caused baseball to change forever.

Frank Thomas was arguably the best pure hitter in baseball in 1993, and was on his way to a Hall of Fame career, but something didn't seem right to Thomas. His numbers were the best the game had seen since Ted Williams. His combination of power and average was something baseball hadn’t seen in decades, and his plate discipline put him in a class of his own. Bonds and Griffey were incredible fielders and hitters, but their hitting ability alone didn’t compare to Thomas’.

Before the strike Frank Thomas made it known that he thought Major League Baseball should be testing for performance enhancing drugs, but at the time baseball was dealing with major financial issues so they discarded his idea.

Several years ago, before testing was put in place, Thomas was adamant once again in his belief that baseball was being tainted by performance enhancing drugs. Thomas felt “cheated” because other people were using drugs, but in reality Thomas was a selfish player who wanted credit for the numbers he put up. There was nothing wrong with Thomas’ reasoning and for once his selfishness led him down the correct path.

Thomas at first tried to convince himself that players were just working out harder, and that techniques were more advanced than in the past, but eventually he couldn’t turn his back anymore.

If baseball would have listened to Thomas in 1993, it’s possible that it would not be in this situation today. Thomas was just one player, but he was one of the most powerful voices in the game. He was a superstar that didn’t want his era to be tainted by illegal substances. But Thomas didn’t get his wish.

Since steroids have entered the game Thomas' 500 home runs seem ordinary, and his ability to hit with power to all fields seems average. He is a player that has been taken for granted because people throughout the game have accomplished similar tasks while cheating. Thomas is arguably the best pure hitter of the steroid era, an era in which he clearly didn't get the memo on how to fit in properly.

It is yet to be determined whether or not Thomas will benefit from this era, but in the end Thomas will be able to tell baseball that he told it so. Thomas may be viewed as a player who dominated an era in which he was up against artificially enhanced competition, or he could be viewed as another tainted star from an era filled with an unprecedented amount of cheaters.

Thomas was the only player, not involved in steroid or HGH abuse that spoke to Mitchell about the abuse of performance enhancing drugs in the game. Thomas went against the players union and hopefully more players will follow suit. Thomas was never a leader or the greatest role model for your children but this time he got it right. Thomas is too old to lead baseball into a new era but hopefully people will have learned from his outspoken nature and do something about the biggest problem the game has ever seen.

Thomas’ nick name is “The Big Hurt” and he is attempting to put a big hurt on the steroid era. Although the reasoning behind his actions may be selfish, the actions are correct. If Thomas is punished for what other players in his generation did, then baseball will owe him more than an apology. Thomas saw what many refused to see over 13 years ago, and what many continue to close their eyes to today. As many call Thomas a whiny, selfish, prima dona at least we know he wasn’t cranky and whiny because he had a needle in his ass.

Roger: I Guess Steroids Blur Your Memory

The Mitchell report was released yesterday and when the news came out that Roger Clemens was mentioned as an abuser, throughout the document, I was not surprised one bit. There was a time in my life where I thought Bonds was a hard worker, and that the same could have been said for Clemens, but not anymore. I was being brainwashed and tricked by baseball just like millions of others. I was too stupid to realize that no matter how hard you work, you just simply don’t get better once you turn forty. Living in the city of Chicago I should have known that this was the case after watching Michael Jordan’s career crumble in Washington, and I should have known when Jerry Rice couldn’t make it past forty.

Although Bonds and Clemens work extremely hard, Jordan and Rice may have been the hardest workers in the history of sports, and as Jordan would say “anything you can do, I can do better, I can do anything better than you.”

Clemens responded through his lawyer, denying the claims of course, but I am done being blind. Clemens is playing the victim in this case, but lets be honest fans are the victims.

The difference between Bonds and Clemens is that Bonds was a record setter before he fell to the hand of baseballs most lethal weapon, steroids. There is now a dark cloud over Clemens career after the year 1993; the year which his ERA skyrocketed over four for the first time since his rookie season.

Clemens was a power pitcher who, more than likely, began to lose his best stuff with age. There is no doubt that Clemens is a competitor and that likely drove him to the abuse of performance enhancers, but that is not an excuse. I just wish that he would come clean, because I believe he, and baseball, owe the fans at least that.

Now that Clemens has been connected to Human Growth Hormone and Steroids, shouldn’t he be as scrutinized as Barry Bonds, if not more so? Watching ESPN tonight I began to wonder why these analysts and anchors left the window open for Roger’s innocence. Roger isn’t innocent people, and that is a fact. Clemens may be the worst user of them all, and the best thing for him would be to come clean.

I may now have perfect vision, but there was a point in time when I was blind. I was unable to understand the basic fundamentals of life. Your abilities decline with age and Clemens is not a superhuman, no matter how many fans make him out to be. So Roger put your contacts in and be honest with yourself. You cheated the game and you cheated the fans. Now go look in the mirror and ask yourself if you can save face. If you are as smart as many find you to be, you’ll give us all a pair of glasses and tell us the truth.

On a lighter note...three of the best Youtube clips of all time

The agony in the Viking's announcers voice is downright scary. This 30 yard Josh (?) McCown pass sends the Vikings packing and allows the Packers to sneak in the back door of the 2003 NFL Playoffs. On 4th and 24 no less....



Almost 9 minutes of hilarious Mike Tyson quotes and videos. Check out the bottom line on ESPN when he's talking about his broken back and you'll see a mens college hoops score of Maryland: 96 UNC: 56 pop up. Sorry, Heels fans.



Lastly this, which needs no real explanation. Let's just say Brian Collins had a rough time at the sports desk. "Reggie Miller's lookin' good."

R.I.P....Donta Manuel

Sean Taylor, Pimp C, the BCS...

and Donta Manuel, age 33, brother of former UNC 2005 National Championship basketball team member Jackie Manuel, killed in the line of duty along with 23 year old Johnathon Wallace.

Rest in peace.

College Football: Traditionally Horrible

There has never been a bowl season in my lifetime that has deserved more criticism, and less hype than this one. While pollsters got their way once again, by bumping LSU up 5 spots to number 2 over an idle Georgia, the BCS selection committee made more mistakes than West Virginia did against Pittsburgh. Try and stay with me while I attempt to explain the decisions by the bowl committee. Missouri beat Illinois, on a neutral field, and Kansas, in a game that was more a Kansas home game than a Missouri one, but they lost twice to an Oklahoma team, who is ranked number 3 in the nation; an Oklahoma team that Kansas never had to play because they lost their opportunity to play them when they lost to Missouri. So if Missouri would have lost to Kansas, and Kansas would have lost to Oklahoma than would Missouri be in a BS, I mean BCS, game and Kansas be out? Oh Missouri, what were you thinking by beating Kansas? Why would you do that?

While Missouri is the biggest BCS bowl snub in the truly “fantastic“ history of the BCS, Illinois will be on its way to Southern California to play USC, because of that tradition thing I wrote about before; you know the thing where people look at the past and make decisions based on that, instead of how the current season played out? The BCS committee wanted the Big-Ten vs. Pac-10 showdown, just like in years past but Michigan wasn't eligible, so they passed on more deserving teams, to take a three loss team from the worst power conference in football this season, the Big Ten. A team that as I mentioned before lost to Missouri, had more loses than Missouri and played an easier schedule, by far, than Missouri. I know it is a very complicated system. I can’t be angry about Georgia, Oklahoma or Virginia Tech not playing for the title, because the truth is this year no one really deserves a shot.

One more questions I have surrounding this bowl season is; is it possible for a non-BCS team to make the title game? If it isn’t, then why do they even play division one college football. What is their goal at the beginning of the season? If there is one reason that the BCS is flawed more than any other, it is because more than 75% of college football can never win a national championship. Sure Hawaii would more than likely get rolled over, like a newly paved driveway, by LSU, Georgia or Ohio State. But in a year, where no one is deserving why not give the last undefeated team a shot at it?

In a year where teams lost to far lesser opponents: like LSU losing to Arkansas, Ohio State losing to Illinois, Oklahoma losing to Colorado and Georgia losing to South Carolina, why shouldn’t the team that never had a let down be rewarded? If last season proved anything, it was that a very good non-BCS school, on any given night, can compete with the big boys. Oh, but I forgot the pollsters and BCS committee could never do that, where would the tradition be? Oh, that word makes me more angry than my sister used to when I was younger, and I’ll never truly understand the mentality behind it. No one, outside of fans of those schools, wants to see a team that had a sub-par season playing in a big game because they were good three years ago.

I have accepted the fact that there will never be a playoff system in college football, but who said anything about a playoff system? Just find a way to give every team an opportunity to win it all and I'll be happy. The BCS is a joke, and will continue to be until these problems are fixed, and or abandoned, and to think, I thought the Pollsters were incompetent. If you’re going to use the system, can’t you at least use it correctly and make sure that the top 6 teams, at least, in the country get into one of your treasured bowls? Why is it that if three teams go undefeated that only two can play for the title? If you find me another sport where three teams don’t lose all season and only two get a chance to prove themselves on the field, than I’ll accept this system. You could only address this by some playoff system, so you are saying something about a playoff.

There is no need to watch the bowl games this season because they have no meaning. The only game I am going to turn on is the Hawaii game, because I’d love to see them prove the nation, BCS, and pollsters wrong one more time. If Hawaii wins, being just one year since Boise State upset Oklahoma, will that be enough to change the mind of the BCS. Ohno, I forgot about that tradition word. It sure is a shame that Notre Dame didn’t make it in the top 12 this year. I sure am going to miss that constantly over ranked team come BCS season.

The best thing about the BCS is that the computers still don’t decide anything, well in a way. If it was based on the computer rankings then LSU would be playing Virginia Tech, and if that proves anything it should prove that the computers are as clueless as the pollsters. Oh wait, I’m sure Virginia Tech is greatly improved from their 48-7 loss to LSU in the second week of the season.

In an age where computers are so advanced and technology is so prevalent, you would think that the pollsters would watch a few games and the computer system would actually take into account things that are significant. Hey, nothing’s perfect, but nothing is as tainted as the BCS system, well maybe Barry Bonds' home run record is. BB meet BCS. I bet they would get along great, Barry has great tradition, his dad once played.

Grossman Showing Signs

Although this past weekend may have spelled the end of the Bears season, it also may have started the beginning of Rex Grossman’s future as the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Grossman looked sharp this past Sunday, and after watching Manning struggle lately while being consistently pressured, I am beginning to think that maybe it wasn’t always Rex. Grossman may be pressured more than any quarterback in the NFL, but he appears to be figuring out a few things. Although Ron Turner continues to baffle Bears fans with his horrific play calling in the second half, Grossman made some throws that only a select few quarterbacks in the NFL could make.

It has never been a question of talent with Grossman. His accuracy can be pinpoint and he can throw the ball a mile. He throws one of the prettiest balls in the NFL, but at times his errant decisions have overshadowed his upside. After Grossman was benched it seemed like all the weight was lifted off of his shoulders, and since then he has been a completely different football player.

For the first time, since I was born, the Chicago Bears may have found their franchise quarterback, but before I get ahead of myself he needs to finish this season out strong. If the Bears can find a way to address their offensive line issues, and possibly bring in a big time free-agent receiver, such as Randy Moss, they could quickly rise back to the top of the NFC. Although the Bears defense is aging, and looking warn down; if they sign Mike Brown to a one year contract, and he can stay healthy which is one of the bigger question marks in the NFL, the defense could be formidable enough to win some games.

The Bears have a lot of holes, but there is a chance that one of them is not playing quarterback. Grossman has eliminated mistakes since his return to the lineup, and has impressed Bears fans with miraculous throws, time after time again. Grossman has always had a gun-slinger mentality but it appears that the benching taught him his lesson. The Bears are dead in the water, at least for this season, but they may look back at this a few years from now, and realize that this season was extremely valuable to the building blocks of the organization.

If Grossman continues to play with poise, passion, and determination, while limiting his mistakes, he should receive a one year contract from the Bears and be the starting quarterback on opening day next season. Although he isn’t out of the woods yet, he has quieted a lot of his doubters and made his fans ecstatic. It’s hard not to root for a guy who faced as much scrutiny as he did, and it’s hard not to root for a guy that turns on the patriots cheerleaders (http://kissmesuzy.blogspot.com/2006/11/f-k-it-im-throwing-it-downfield.html.)

The Bears have proven that they are a better team with Grossman at the helm, and if they limited their dropped passes he could be putting up phenomenal numbers. I know there is one Bear who is excited to have Grossman back, and that is Bernard Berrian, who appears to be a budding star once again. Although this season may be as good as lost, it will be very interesting to see how Grossman finishes it out. Besides it can’t get any worse for the guy can it? He has already lost his job, been hated on by every media circuit in America, and been called a mental midget. In the end, although it doesn’t appear to be a fairy tale ending this season, Grossman may in fact have a happy ending to his once miserable story. The scrutiny will, more than likely, never stop for Grossman, but I have a feeling he doesn’t care about that anymore.

By the time the year is over, Rex may have filled the hole he originally dug, and finally figured out how to become that budding star he was once destined to be. If he figures out a way to make it happen, I don't want to say it but I guess I will, "I told you so."

How Many Strike Does He Get?

For the second time this off season Chicago White Sox General Manager, Kenny Williams, swung and missed, but this time he is hearing about it. When Williams signed Mark Buehrle and Jermaine Dye to extensions in the middle of last season, Torii Hunter and Miguel Cabrera were two names he said he was going go get. Kenny has always talked big, but rarely has he delivered.

The White Sox pursuit of All-Star third basemen, Miguel Cabrera, ended abruptly on Tuesday night when the White Sox received news that they had been outbid once again; this time by their division rival, the Detroit Tigers. At the beginning of the off-season Williams made it known that he was going to go after the big fish, but as we have quickly found out he doesn’t know what bait to fish with.

Since being General Manager, Williams has brought the first World Series title to Chicago since Woodrow Wilson was in office, but he has also burnt down White Sox baseball like the Chicago fire did to the city. The White Sox farm system is about as existent as Big Foot, and the team is as old as White Sox owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. Williams went out of his way to push away the greatest player in White Sox history, Frank Thomas, and it now appears he is low balling cult hero, Aaron Rowand, once again.

The White Sox said they were embarrassed last year, and Williams made it seem as if he was going to make sure that this team was drastically improved, but unless he considers losing one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball over the last five years, Jon Garland, and refusing to put an offer on the table to upgrade the horrific outfield, an improvement than maybe I am missing something.

As the White Sox continue to swing and miss on big name players, the White Sox, and their fans continue to feel as embarrassed as David Hasselhoff was on his drinking binge. Williams still refuses to give a five year deal to Rowand, despite the fact that he guaranteed he was going to upgrade the outfield. Williams was willing to give a long term deal to an aging, Torii Hunter, who was coming off of a career year, but he refuses to give a younger, and drastically improving Rowand a similar contract. Williams will now sit back and hope that Rowand’s love for the city will convince him to knock a year off of his deal, but after all the promises Williams has made this off-season maybe it is time to make a move.

Williams has a script that makes as much sense as the movie “Big Fish”, and his inability to get a deal done will soon have the White Sox, and their fans, suffering through another season of misery. Williams will continue to point to the fact that he has added another arm to the bullpen, Scott Linebrink, and solidified the short stop position with All-Star, Orlando Cabrera, but in reality by filling one hole, he opened up another.

The back end of the rotation is weak, to put it kindly, and the middle relief still remains atrocious. They have a short stop who is making 4 ½ million dollars, and isn’t even their starting short stop; they have a left fielder who is now attending counseling to deal with all the pressure he puts on himself when he plays, a centerfielder who proved last season that he can’t hit at the major league level and a DH who is aging quicker than Kenny Williams is destroying this team.

As the White Sox leave the Winter meetings they have more holes than Swiss cheese, but Kenny still won’t budge. If he knows what is right for him, his fan base, and his job he’ll give Rowand the deal he deserves. Even after all the back handed slaps Williams has given Rowand in the last two years, he has still made it clear that he wants to be here, and the city wants him as well.

“Can the kids play Kenny?” The White Sox are a big market team with a small market mentality and until that changes, the team will continue to spiral into a direction it hasn’t since in almost 20 years. The fans have come out in swarms to support the team, but the front office hasn’t supported the fans. With the future of another fan favorite, Joe Crede, up in the air, I can only imagine what will happen if Kenny pulls the trigger and deals the clutch star. Kenny has let it be known that Crede is on the market, because once again he refuses to give a long term contract. Crede is one of two White Sox players that were developed by the organization and have been with the team for more than three seasons.

When the White Sox enter next season with a 1st time full year starter at 3rd base, 2nd base, left field, center field, and at the 5th starter position will Williams continue to feed us lies? Will he continue to tell us that he is attempting to better the embarrassing, 90 loss, team from the year before? If anything, Kenny continues to make things worse, and until he signs Rowand, makes a deal for a starter, and holds on to his All-Star caliber 3rd basemen, Joe Crede, he will continue to be the man who officially ruined White Sox baseball.

I have been saying it all along, even after the White Sox were crowned World Series champions in ‘05, and I will continue to say it in years to come. Kenny Williams is the worst executive in baseball, but hell maybe he’ll get lucky and bump into another World Series one day.

The real question is what is the motto going to be this year Kenny? “It’s a true underdog story?” Or how about, “These kids can’t play, Sorry Ozzie.”

R.I.P. Sean Taylor

Sadness.
ESPN

Maryland > NC State

In case you couldn't figure that one out on your own.

MD-37
NCSU-0

That says it all. Maryland came into Carter-Finley stadium on Saturday and bitch-slapped the Wolfpack to the off-season.

I mean, with your season on the line you expect your team to show up for the game at home, right? If I wasn't so calloused from the first six games of the season, this game would have been up there with disappointments like Ryan Leaf's NFL career, the movie Spiderman 3, 50 cent's "Piggy Bank," and that time there was a 100% chance of 2 feet of snow in high school so I didn't do my English project and then not one damn drop of precipitation fell that night. Damn weathermen.

The University of Maryland at College Park is far, far superior to the North Carolina State University. I'm not kissin' ass I'm just statin' the facts.

Since I don't feel like writing about this, from Pack Pride:

NC State had a chance on Saturday to extend its life. A chance to go to a
bowl game and avoid a losing season.

But instead a lifeless and uninspired Wolfpack team
walked onto the field at Carter-Finley stadium and promptly got
embarrassed. Maryland ran over the Pack by a 37-0 score, ending the
Pack's season with its worst loss all year
and its first shutout since 1995. Showing all the intensity of a mid-week
practice, the Pack failed to do anything right in the blowout loss.

The offense was inept, going for just 10 yards on the ground and converting
one third down opportunity in 11 attempts. The Pack also failed on two
fourth-down conversions on its way to putting up no points. The defense was just
as bad, allowing 252 yards on the ground, 467 total yards and four rushing
touchdowns. The Terrapins put together drives off 88, 63 and 54 yards and the
results may have been worse but the Terps spent the majority of the second half
running the ball to drain the clock.

Yep, at least it's basketball season.

Congrats, Terrapins. Enjoy your bowl game appearance. You earned it, and thanks for putting NCSU fans out of our misery.

http://www.vexrog.blogspot.com/ for an MD fan's hip hop, thought provoking good shit.

Friday Plays: College Hoops

Plays Record: (8-10 - 2.7 Units)

Well had a big day last time around and am hitting stride where I have expected to.

All the following plays are -110

Mississippi State +2 1/2 Over Southern (3 Units) - I love the MVC but I think Southern and the conference is slightly overrated this season. Don't think they win this game and actually think Mississippi State has a chance to win by double digits. Southern doesn't have enough scorers on the offensive side of the ball. Their defense will still be stout but their offense isn't good enough to keep up with a very talented Mississippi State team.

Bradley -2 1/2 Over Iowa (3 Units) - Bradley has looked bad early but this team isn't fooling me. They are superior to a bad Iowa team and shouldn't struggle to score. They are an elite team in the Valley and Iowa is a bad team in the Big Ten. Bradley should easily beat this team by 8 or more.

USC -5 1/2 over Miami (Ohio) (2 Units) - God is Miami of Ohio boring to watch and play against but the the athleticism of USC should easily get them through this game. USC will only get better as the year goes on and I have no doubt that they win this game by DD. If they get frustrated on offense Miami of Ohio could keep it close though and that is why it isn't a bigger play for me.

Kansas State - 3 1/2 over UCF (4 Units) - I don't get this game at all to be honest. K State is coming off their first lost of the season but UCF has ZERO answer for Beasley. He may be the best player in the nation this year and he could carry them to a 3 1/2 point victory over a talented UCF team himself. I think K State wins this game big and responds well from their loss. Lets not forget I think they are a national title caliber team.

An Unfortunate Truth

Duke is good.

You won't find many people who hate the basketball team from Durham, NC as much as I do, but I'll at least admit it (sometimes) when they are good. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from the Blue Devils this season. Their team remains largely the same as last year, when they finished a very mediocre 8-8 in the ACC, a definite down year for the Dookies.

A few things have led to their apparent revival, however.

Point man Greg Paulus was bothered by an injured foot for the first half of last season, but played well down the stretch and really came into his own as a shooter. Fully healthy from the beginning this season, he's seeing the floor well and looks like he's really taken over as a leader in this group. Senior DeMarcus Nelson and sophomore Gerald Henderson are athletic freaks and really helping the Devils get out and run, something Coach K certainly wants to do to improve on the team's last place scoring finish at just 70 points per game last season. Henderson has already made an appearance on Sportscenter's top play list, coming in at number one with a nasty dunk in the Illinois game. Sophomore Jon Scheyer is back, and while he may still be a poor man's JJ Redick, he's shown the ability to do more than just spot up this season. In typical Duke fashion, he'll do what it takes to win, including getting down on the blocks and fighting for rebounds and playing defense.

Perhaps the most important factor in Duke's success this year is post man Lance Thomas' improvement. He's shown good offensive skills, surprisingly putting the ball in basket at a very effective rate thus far, even when guarded well on the inside. Newcomer Kyle Singler is a much heralded PF/SF guy who has played much older than his freshman status so far also. Not the most athletic guy in the bunch, Singler has great shooting touch and good offensive skills. He can pass the ball with good vision and has long arms that help him rebound the ball down low. He may not be an incredible professional prospect but he does everything well in the college game and adds another scoring threat to this team. In fact, he may add more to this team that Josh McRoberts ever did.

With so many scoring options, this Duke team can be tough to guard. You have Paulus, Nelson, Scheyer, Singler, and Taylor King all jacking up three-pointers and making them at a stupidly high rate. They can run the floor, shoot the ball, and with Thomas and Brian Zoubek banging down low, they can get the job done on the inside as well.

With a revived offensive game and still smothering defense, this Duke team appears ready to give Carolina a run for their money in the ACC regular season.

Today's Matchup: Eastern Washington vs Virginia Tech

Eastern Washington Eagles vs Virginia Tech Hokies, 1:45 AM ET, Anchorage, Alaska
Great Alaskan Shootout, First Round

Virginia Tech made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 11 years last season, finishing with 22 wins and a third place finish in the ACC that capped the careers of backcourt stars Jamon Gordon and Zabian Dowdell. Also gone is senior center Coleman Collins. With some big shoes to fill, 6-7 senior Deron Washington is going to have to really step up this season as a leader, along with 6-6 junior AD Vasallo as the Hokies only return 40% of their scoring. Washington is a freak athlete who is the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder at 12 points and 5.5 boards per game in his junior year. He can play inside and out and has the ability to lead this team with his scoring ability. Vasallo is a big guard and more of a spot up shooter, hitting 43% of his three point attempts last season. Both Vasallo and Washington will be looked to for points more this season. Seven freshmen join the squad and two of them figure to make an impact right away. The most heralded is 6-7 bull Jeff Allen who will bang down low. Ranked as one of the top 20 power forward prospects in the country, he can be a difference maker on the inside. At point guard, Las Vegas prospect Hank Thorns averaged 28 points and 12 rebounds as a senior in high school, but only checks in at a mere 5 foot 9. Filling out the last starting spot, Cheick Diakite is a 6-9 junior with some good experience and had 33 blocked shots last season. The Hokies slid by Elon in their opener way back on November 9, 69-64. Frosh Allen led the way with 19 pts and 10 rebounds in his debut and Washington chipped in 14 and 10. Thorns had 4 assists and no turnovers in his debut, as well. The team shot 47% from the field.

Eastern Washington enters this season with a new head coach and a largely different looking core of players. Rodney Stuckey, possibly the Big Sky's best player ever, left EWU after just two seasons for the NBA. Kellen Williams is the teams only returning starter, and as a 6-5 post player, he's undersized but can get the job done. He was good for 8 pts and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. Adris DeLeon is a 6-0 JUCO point man from Idaho who'll be thrown into the mix right away. Milan Stanojevic is another JUCO guard who is known as a deep shooter. Brandon Moore returns from last year and is a big post player at 6-9, 245 lbs. He was good for 6 and 3.5 last season and has some good upside. Trey Gross is a 6-3 true freshman guard who figures to get into the mix as another scorer, something the Eagles are desperate for this season. It showed in their opener, as they lost to Washington State 68-41 on the road as they shot just 29%. They got blown out by New Mexico also, 92-57 in a game in which they were outrebounded 42-23. The Eagles then beat UC Riverside at home despite shooting just 33% and scoring 59 points. They did play tough at Washington however, losing 82-68 and scoring 41 points in the second half. The Eagles are going to get outrebounded, outshot, and played all year long it appears.

Virginia Tech has more proven scoring options and shouldn't have a hard time winning, though they are making a long, long trek to Alaska. The Freshman for them played well in game one and they've had plenty of time to prepare for this tournament. Jeff Allen and Washington should have solid games down low and if they shoot the ball reasonably well, they could run away with this. The Eagles have some good playing experience in them already this year with four games played, but haven't looked very competitive. They don't have any go to guys for points and it's a crapshoot who is going to put the ball in the basket every night for them. VT is a 14 point favorite.

Back After A Slight Break: Picks

Plays Record: (5-9 - 9.4 Units)

Time to get the season started I have a pretty good feeling for a lot of the teams right now. And have my biggest play of the year so far going tonight.

Marquette +4 1/2 Over Duke (5 Units) - Well I know this team very well and after their poor shot selection, and their early season wake up calls by lesser opponents, Crean has this team playing great basketball. Duke has looked very stout this season but they have had a ton of open looks; something they won't have against Marquette. Marquette's perimeter defense may turn out to be the best in the nation and Duke is a perimeter oriented team. Jerel McNeal is the best defensive player in the Big East, and he is one of the best defensive players in the country. Marquette dominated Oklahoma State yesterday and their team has more depth, which should help with three games in three days, and is more athletic then the Duke team. Dominic James shot the ball very well last night which should scare opponents because if he is knocking down the outside jump shot he is nearly unguardable. I think Marquette wins this game outright by 4-8 and this is a Duke line for sure.

Louisville -3 Over UNLV (3 Units) - A lot of over reacting to the Louisville injuries. As I said this team has a ton of depth and can now score with balance. With part of their inside game on the shelf the outside game needs to pick it up but that is easily possible. This is one of the best 5 teams in the nation and they should rally around each other and win this game easily.

Syracuse -2 1/2 Over OSU (3 Units) - I love 'Cuse this year and think they are a very talented team. They will be a VERY good team at the end of the year, and although they will be very inconsistent early they should be able to beat the inexperienced OSU team. OSU is going to be very average this year and will not get into the tournament while 'Cuse will be a threat come tourney time.

Illinois -5 Over Okie State (2 Units) - Laying a lot of chalk today but I think Illinois is highly underrated this year. I think they are a top 25 team and will be a threat in the Big Ten easily. After watching them play a few times they have a lot of balance throughout the team and they seem like they have played together for their whole lives.

How to Ruin a Basketball Season in 40 Minutes

And to think, just a few days ago before NCSU's home opening win vs William and Mary I was pondering writing an article about how I was feeling extremely proud to be a part of the NC State Wolfpack going into this college basketball season. For one of the few times in my life, I was truly feeling pride in my school. Pride that had carried over from last season's run to the ACC Championship game in March. One weekend and a home loss to New Orleans, this hoops team has me rethinking all of that.

With a minute remaining and a 61-56 lead over the UNO Privateers, the unthinkable happened. Courtney Fells was called for an incredible intentional foul after trying to force a jump ball when a UNO player drove to the basket. Two free throws were awarded, and made, and the Privateers were given possession of the ball down just 61-58 now. A layup with 44 seconds left cut the lead to one and put the Wolfpack in serious danger. A blown Wolfpack possession led to two more Privateer free throws and the lead at 62-61 before Gavin Grant hit a layup with seven seconds remaining that looked to be the game winner. After a mad scramble for the ball near halfcourt as UNO tried to desperately get a basket to win the game, TJ Worley of New Orleans picked up the loose ball, dribbled to a few feet left of center of the top of the three-point line, and banked in a three pointer to win the game with 1.7 seconds remaining. The shot had no business going in. One word to describe it: Sickening.

But the disaster started much earlier than this final minute. In the first half, the Wolfpack went almost six full minutes without scoring a point, a time frame marked on both ends by a pair of freshman JJ Hickson dunks. The stretch included five straight missed free throws and 0-6 shooting from the field. A couple of minutes after the stretch had ended and Hickson had dunked twice in a span of a minute thirty seconds, Hickson received the ball again at the foul line. He dribbled low, crossed over, and performed the nastiest spin move by a big man college hoops has seen, and threw down a monstrous dunk. The RBC Center exploded. UNO dribbled down the floor to a defeaning roar from the NC State crowd only to have the officials stop the game. After a minute of discussion by the officials and confusion among people in the crowd, the basket was incredibly waved off due to "offensive basket interference." The refs claim JJ dropped the ball in the basket and hung on the rim before the ball had gone through the hoop. A sure top 10 Sportscenter highlight was erased from the records.

A couple of other notable things that contributed to this collapse: the Wolfpack shot just 10-19 on free throws, they were outrebounded by four, and only forced eight turnovers by the Sun Belt squad from Naw'lins. The Privateers were held to just 35% shooting which may lead you to think that good defense was played, but you'd be wrong. The Wolfpack fell for every head fake and tried to block every shot, leading to open looks and layups for the team in royal blue.

Perhaps most importantly, however, was that Ben McCauley, who averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds a game last season, played just 9 minutes and scored 2 points. After the game, veteran senior leader Gavin Grant alluded to possible internal conflicts on the team over playing time.

"It seemed like, I don’t know, just inside the team issues that we’ve got to work on," Grant said post-game. He also mentioned team issues over playing time that he wouldn't talk to the media about.

If it's true that some players are unhappy with playing time, this team could be headed for disaster. A team that played almost six guys exclusively last season now has several more scoring options including an ACC POY candidate in Hickson. It's up to coach Sidney Lowe to get this in control and sharing the ball. This is a team with top 20 talent, and if they manage to screw this season up, it's going to set the program back for years. As a Wolfpack student, I won't be able to take it anymore.

Of course, this can all be fixed with some wins. Finish up the rest of the non-conference schedule strongly with wins over Michigan State, Davidson, Cincinnati, and Seton Hall, and they're golden going into the ACC opener against rival North Carolina. Taking it one day at a time, though, they need to take care of business against Rider on Thanksgiving day on the road in the Old Spice Classic, and it will certainly help morale if they do it in impressive fashion.

I'll be alright with this loss to New Orleans, as long as Gavin Grant was counting this as one of the four losses he predicted in the off-season.

Today's Matchup: Winthrop vs Illinois-Chicago

Winthrop Eagles vs Illinois-Chicago Flames, 3:30 EST, St. Thomas, USVI
Paradise Jam Tournament, Day One

Winthrop became the first ever Big South Conference team to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament last season with a win over Notre Dame on the first day of the big dance. A successful season for the program, going 29-5 and a perfect 14-0 in conference play. Gone is their head coach (Witchita State) but back are two all-conference senior guards in the backcourt. Forgive me for being biased, but Chris Gaynor (high school classmate) was named the Mid-Major MVP last season after scoring 8 ppg and leading the Eagles with a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio. His game isn't judged by stats, but by wins. Joining him is senior Michael Jenkins, who was named first team all-conference after scoring 15 points a game, grabbing 3 boards, and handing out 3 assists per contest. He is one of the league's better shooters, connecting on 41% of his 3-PT attempts. Returning from last season's team also is forward Taj McCullough. Coming off the bench for 18 minutes a game, he scored 8 points and pulled in 4 rebounds a game, and has great quickness for an inside guy. Big things are expected out of him. The center position figures to go to 6-9 JUCO transfer Andy Buechert who is supposed to have a nice offensive game. Also joining the mix is 6-7 freshman Charles Corbin who logged 28 minutes in the opening win. Winthrop beat Division II Queens University in game one at home, but it was closer than expected at 68-61. Gaynor led the way with 17 points, but the team had just 9 assists to 19 turnovers. They were outscored 40-35 in the second half as they made just 7-20 shots in the final 20 minutes.

Illinois-Chicago has a rough season last year and just as bad of an off-season. A sick coach, a shot player, sexual-assault allegations, and several players just quitting, this team went through alot. The good news, however, is that they have their coach back this time around and also return several good players with experience. Junior 5-10 guard Josh Mayo is the leading returning scorer at 12 ppg and is a good shooter. He can play either the point or shooting guard position but will probably play more at the two to take advantage of his scoring ability and was voted 2nd team pre-season All-Conference. Senior Robert Bush, a 6-4 guard, started the final nine games last season and averaged almost 10 points per contest and coach Jimmy Collins says he could be the best player on the team. Bush will miss tonight's game due to a knee injury and because of that 6-4 guard Spencer Stewart will start at point guard. The sophomore has played well through two games thus far. Down low, the nation's fourth leading shot blocker returns in 6-11 junior Scott VanderMeer. He averaged just 5 points and 5 rebounds per game but is a game changer on the defensive side of the ball. Joining him on the blocks is 6-7 sophomore in Jeremy Buttell, a textbook low post moves guy from Texas Tech. Guard Karl White and wingman Tori Boyd provide depth and scoring options. UIC beat Bradley in their opener at home on Saturday 84-75. Josh Mayo scored a career high 34 points in the victory. The team shot 54% from the field and a scorching 9-13 from 3-PT range. They won despite 21 turnovers. They also pounded Illinois-Springfield 81-55 at home.

The Flames have been red hot from the field, shooting almost 60% from 3-PT range in two games. If they keep that up, they'll be tough to beat. The guards in this matchup will be fun to watch. If Winthop can hold Mayo in check, they could be in good shape. It would be a start, at least. Michael Jenkins will have to score for the Eagles and McCullough will have his hands full with VanderMeer down low. This game could go either way. Winthrop is a 3 point favorite.

Today's Matchup: Clemson at Mississippi State

Clemson Tigers at Missippii State Bulldogs, 8:00 EST, Starkville, Mississippi

This is Clemson's second go-round in our "Matchups" column this hoops season, the first team to be able to claim that fact. Clemson has a chance to compete for an ACC title this season and they'll get their first test tonight on the road against a tough SEC opponent. Clemson throttled Furman in their opener over the weekend, 91-46. Looking to improve on a school record 25 wins from last year, they could use a big win tonight. Using a three guard lineup, Clemson's backcourt is a quick, lights out shooting group. Freshman Demontezz Stitt scored 12 points in his debut, shooting 6-10 from the field but turning the ball over four times compared to one assist. Playmaker KC Rivers and Cliff Hammonds can handle the ball if needed, however, and Stitt should get better as the year goes on. Rivers and Hammonds are two prolific three point shooters, and they combined for 29 points, 9 assists, and 0 turnovers in the opening game. Hammonds is one of the most experienced players in the country, averaging 30+ minutes in each of his first three seasons and also averaging double figures scoring each year. The Tigers aren't hurting down low either, with senior James Mays and sophomore sensation Trevor Booker. Both are ferocious rebounders and efficient scorers, and can be counted on each night to produce on both ends of the court. Booker led the team in blocks last season and against Furman had 8 points, 4 assists, and 5 blocks to his credit. The Tigers shot 54% on the game but were below 30% from the outside, something I don't expect much of this season. They outscored Furman 66-14 in the paint.

Mississippi State made a run at the NIT title last season, finishing 21-14 and 8-8 in SEC play. They lost four guys to transfers, but also return four starters including two All-SEC players from a season ago. Versatile junior point guard Jamont Gordon made first team All-SEC last season, averaging 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, notching a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio down the home stretch of the sesason. He's joined by 6-8 senior postman Charles Rhodes, whos 14 ppg and 6 rebounds earned him second team All-SEC honors. Rhodes is a beast in the paint and will look to improve his offensive range this season, though he did shoot 55% from the field. Gordon and Rhodes are joined by two all-SEC freshman selections from last season in the starting lineup. Barry Stewart, a 6-2 sophomore guard, hit 40% of his three-point attempts last year while scoring almost 10 ppg. He improved all season long. Also a freshman All-SEC selection was 6-4 Ben Hansbrough, North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough's little brother. Ben was another good shooter last season and handled the ball at times. Now that he'll play mostly the two position, he should see an increase in scoring. MSU beat Louisiana Tech 75-45 in their first game at home this season, turning the ball over just an incredible four times during the game. They shot poorly from the field though, just 38% and got outrebounded 52-46. On defense however, they held their opponent to just 27% shooting and forced 22 turnovers.

This should be one of the best games of this young season so far. Both teams have good guard play and solid post players. Gordon will probably be the best player on the floor tonight, but he's followed closely by CU's Rivers, Hammonds, and Mays. Shooting 38% won't get the job done against an offensively gifted Clemson team for the Bulldogs tonight. This game will probably be decided by how well Clemson handles the atmosphere and defense of the MSU, since they haven't been tested by an SEC caliber "D" this season. If anyone can hanlde it though, it's Clemson. Last season Clemson knocked off Mississippi State 69-66 at home in the NIT while shooting 44%. The Bulldogs are looking for revenge at home this year, but this is going to be a battle. Clemson has a couple of injury questions. James Mays hasn't practiced the last two days and is questionable. Starting forward Sam Perry may have minor knee surgery and is doubtful tonight.

Today's Matchup: William & Mary at NC State

William & Mary Tribe at North Carolina State Wolfpack, 7:00 EST, Raleigh, NC

NC State was a pleasant surprise last season, making the most out of a team that really only went six guys deep and lost their only point guard to injury for half the season. Finishing strong at 20-16 and a run to the ACC Championship game, the Pack are poised for a big season and start the year in the top 25 in the AP Poll. Senior wingman Gavin Grant stepped up his game last year, scoring 15 points per contest and becoming a clear leader of this team. In the off-season, Grant predicted the Wolfpack won't lose more than four games this season, so he has big expectations to fulfill. Last year's ACC Rookie of the Year runner-up, forward Brandon Costner, is back and brings his 17 ppg and 7 reb to the table again. He has great shooting touch and hit 38% of his 3 PT attempts a year ago. He'll be counted on as a scorer once again, but will get to utilize his outside game a little bit more thanks to frontcourt teammates of Ben McCauley (14 pts, 5 reb) and McDonald's All-American freshman J.J. Hickson, a terrorizing rebounder and athlete down low. McCauley, a junior, may be the team's smartest player and does everything well. Also returning is sharp shooting athlete Courtney Fells. At 6-5 playing the shooting guard position, Fells has good size and has the offensive talent to take over games. Coach Sidney Lowe wants him to prove that this time around, one upping his 11 ppg last season, though he may not get 34 minutes per game again with State's improved depth. They Pack lose senior guard Engin Atsur to graduation, but bring in three new capable point men. Iowa State transfer Farnold Degand will start tonight and has great quickness up and down the court. Tennessee transfer Marques Johnson will be eligible in mid-December, and freshman Javy Gonzalez is coming off an injury but will play some tonight. Be excited, Pack fans.

The Tribe from William & Mary made strides last season, finishing at 15-15. Gone, however, is leading scorer and rebounder Adam Payton. Returning though are four starters and several other guys who have some playing experience in the CAA. Nathan Mann, a 6-2 senior guard, averaged 9 ppg last season and is primarily a three point threat though he did become a penetrator at times last year (no Phil Jackson). Sophomore David Schneider, a 6-3 point man, was named to the All-CAA rookie team last year and should improve on his 8 ppg and 69 assists from his freshman season as he'll be relied on to score more this time around. Laimis Kisielius, a 6-8 senior forward from Lithuania, is a versatile guy who was second on the team in scoring last year with 11 ppg. He's a fourth year starter and a versatile guy in the frontcourt. He can step outside (he hit 40% of his 3 PT attempts last season) and can also pass the ball and play some defense. Peter Stein (6-9) is another big body returning starter down low and while he is more of a role player, he did shoot 57% from the field last season whie averaging just 5.5 points per game. He may be looked to more this year. Alex Smith is a 6-5 junior who can bang down low and grabbed 3.5 rebounds a game last season. William and Mary opened their season at Georgetown and hung tough for 33 minutes or so before losing 68-53. Kisielius led the way with 16 pts but hit just 1-7 3-PT attempts. In fact, as a team, the Tribe shot just 36% on the game and hit only 9-33 3-PT attempts. A good sign is they only turned it over 11 times.

NC State creates mismatches for the Tribe at almost every position. They have superior size and athleticism that will help them win this game. The Wolfpack are breaking in a new point guard but should be one of the most efficient teams on offense this year with three low post scoring machines and several wingmen who have experience handling the ball and can put it in the basket as well. Look for NC State to push the tempo a bit tonight and smother the Tribe with stingy defense, causing turnovers that lead to easy points. NCSU is a 16 point favorite.

Today's Matchup: Indiana State at Butler

Indiana State Sycamores at Butler Bulldogs, 7:00 EST, Indianapolis, IN

Indiana State returns some good but young players from a 13-18 team that finished tenth in the Missouri Valley last season. Along with a new coach, they do return four guys who started at least large portions of the year. Highlighting this group of players is the point guard, senior three year starter Gabe Moore. The 6-1 veteran led the team in scoring at 11.5 ppg last season and also led the entire conference with 37.5 minutes player per game. He's a versatile guy who can play some defense as well, finishing sixth in the league in steals per game at 1.7. He'll be relied on heavily to help out the younger guys on this team, including backcourt sophomore mates Cole Holmstrom and Marco Stinson. Both players averaged 9 points a contest in their freshman campaigns and were the top two three-point shooters on the team. In a game against Drake, Stinson set a school record with nine 3-PT field goals. Freshmen Aaron Carter and Lamar Lee will look to get some playing time and can also shoot the ball. On the blocks the Sycamores return two guys who got valuable experience last season. Six foot eight junior Jay Tunnell was good for 9 ppg and 5 reb while All-Valley bench man Adam Arnold scored 6 points and grabbed 6 boards a game. ISU beat Oakland City 78-45 last week as Stinson, Holmstrom, and Tunnell all reached double figure scoring. They shot 46% from the field and 3-PT land in the game, had 18 offensive boards, and only turned the ball over 12 times. A good start to the year.

Butler had an amazing season a year ago, notching a school-record 29 wins and reaching the sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament as a five seed after being ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll at one point during the year. Although their coach left them for Iowa, he left them in great shape. A pair of all-conference guards return to the lineup this season that make Butler the clear runaway favorite to win the Horizon league. A.J. Graves became a household name last year in March when he led this Butler squad with 17 ppg. He's been described as a Steve Nash type of player and is the conferences pre-season POY. Joining him in the backcourt is Mike Green. Green, a 6-1 senior, scored 14 points a contest last year and showed the ability to get to the basket and play down low, grabbing 6 rpg and getting to the foul line for 264 FT attempts. Pete Campbell, a 6-7 shooter, came off the bench last season to score 9 ppg and hit an amazing 52% of his three point attempts. The Bulldogs will have to fill to open frontcourt spots left by graduating big men. Senior 6-7 forward Drew Streicher will fill one of the spots in the lineup most likely, and freshman Matt Howard is a tough, hard worker down low and could be an efficient scorer. Butler got a win on the road at Ball State last week, beating the Cardinals 61-45. Campbell hit five three-pointers to lead the way with 17 points and Howard added 14 pts on 5-9 shooting. They shot 45% on the game and turned it over just 11 times.

This game should be played very efficiently, and somewhere with scores in the 60's. Butler won't turn the ball over very often and shoots the ball well from the field. If Indiana State can up their 46% effective FG shooting from last season, they may be able to hang around in this one. Gabe Moore will have to play a good game at point for the Sycamores, on both sides of the ball.

Today's Matchup: Rhode Island at Brown

Rhode Island Rams at Brown Bears, 7:00 EST, Providence, RI

Rhode Island and coach Jim Baron were a bit of a surprise last season. Picked 11th in the Atlantic 10 pre-season, they finished 19-14 overall and 10-6 in conference play, tied for fourth place. Baron was named coach after changing his team's style of play to a more up tempo pace and the Rams return four starters for this season's campaign. Leading the way is first team All-A 10 selection Will Daniels. The 6-8 forward/wingman contributed 17 points and almost 6 rebounds a year ago in his junior season. He got some great experience over summer playing at Nike camps and is poised for another big season. Perhaps looking to overtake him as the team's leading scorer however is the coach's son, 6-2 junior guard Jimmy Baron. Baron hit 48% of his 3 PT attempts in his sophomore year and chipped in 14 ppg. He set a career high in Rhode Island's opening game against FAU, pouring in 30 points. Parfait Bitee is a 6-2 senior who should get a lot of time at the team's only possible question mark, the point guard position. Bitee played well in exhibitions and the opener however, and his experience should be a plus. He's more of a defensive stopper than a ball handler, however. Joe Mbang, a 6-6 senior, can play down low and out on the wing, scoring 8 ppg last season. Kaheim Seawright, a 6-8 junior, scored 11 points and grabbed 7.5 rebounds in his sophomore year, finishing seventh in the conference in rebounding. Also fixing to contribute on the blocks is JUCO transfer Jason Francis and his 280 pound body. Rhode Island beat FAU 90-63 in their home opener, led by Baron's 30 points and shot a lights out 51% as a team from the field.

Brown comes home tonight for their home opener after splitting games in the state of Michigan with an impressive win over Eastern Michigan and a loss to the Wolverines of UM. The Bears are an experienced team, with senior guards Mark McAndrew and Damon Huffman leading the way. McAndrew, a first team all-Ivy league selection last season, is the leading returning scorer in the league and between the two of them they are scoring 40 points a game so far this season. Both are prolific three point shooters. Against Eastern Michigan, McAndrew hit five of six three-point attempts and Huffman hit his first six tries from long range. Senior 6-9 center Mark MacDonald scored 13 points and grabbed six boards against Michigan and junior forward Chris Skrelja is a good rebounder and can pass too, netting 8 assists against EMU to go with 9 rebounds. The Bears were outrebounded by Michigan 34-24 and were beat in large part due to Michigan's great shooting that included 50% overall FGs as well as a 12-24 effort from the three-point arc. Brown finished with a 6-4 home record last season.

Last season these two teams battled it out in a great game at URI. Both Jimmy Baron and Damon Huffman hit eight three pointers in a 72-68 Rams win. URI has won 11 of the last 12 meetings in this rivalry but tonight's game may come down to who gets the hot hand from the outside, though Rhode Island does have an advantage on the inside as well. Rhode Island is a 5.5 point favorite.

Today's Matchup: North Carolina vs Davidson

North Carolina Tar Heels vs Davidson Wildcats, 7:00 EST, Charlotte, NC (Bobcats Arena)
Televised Nationally on ESPN

All the North Carolina Tar Heels did last season was win 31 games, win the ACC Championship, and reach the elite 8. Not too shabby for a team with three freshmen in it's starting lineup. At times, the Heels had almost too much talent on the floor, not having a decided go to guy when they need points the most and thus they struggled in a couple of close games. With Rey Terry and Brandon Wright gone, no incoming freshmen, and a more experienced team, there are almost no faults with this year's club. Leading the way down low is pre-season player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough. The 6-9 junior forward averaged 18 points and 9 boards a game and is nicknamed "Pyscho T" because of his work ethic and all-out play on the court. At point guard, Ty Lawson is very similar to former Tar Heel Ray Felton. An explosive athlete with a great handle, Lawson has the ability to take over games offensively when he wants, and he'll show that more this season. Sophomore Wayne Ellington was a streaky but deadly shooter at times last season and he'll get his 12 ppg again this year. Roy Williams trusted him with clutch shots quite a few times last season. Finally getting his chance to shine this year is sophomore forward Deon Thompson. Thompson sat behind Wright in the rotation last season but showed off some of the best low post moves and shooting touch in the country when he got into the game. He has the ability to put up better stats than Hansbrough. Rounding out the Heels rotation is defensive stopper Marcus Ginyard on the wing, a coaches son type of player in guard Bobby Frasor, senior point man Quentin Thomas, and scoring minded wing Danny Green. All would be starters for most other teams in the country. This team is deep and loaded at every position and poised for a big year.

This Wildcats team is no joke. After going 29-5 last season and 17-1 in the SoCon, they return every scholarship player including five starters. Freshman sensation Stephen Curry was amazing, finishing ninth in D1 ball scoring at 21.5 ppg and was a definite go-to man late in the year, averaging better than 26 per contest over the last six games. In the season ending loss to Maryland in round 1 of the NCAA tournament, Curry went for 30 points. An incredible shooter, he hit 40% of his three point attempts while setting a freshman D1 record with 122 treys made on the year. Curry wasn't doing it all on his own, however. Senior point man Jason Richards was outstanding, adding 13 points a game but also handing out better than 7 assists every time out, good for second in the entire country. He'll shoot the three too if you leave him open. So the backcourt is very, very good, but the frontcourt is nothing to scoff at either. Seniors Thomas Sander and Boris Meno combined for 24 points and 14 rebounds as second options in the offense. Wingman Max Paulhus Gosselin is a defensive catalyst and William Archambault is a wing athlete who can score. Davidson scored 120 points in their opening win vs Emory, hitting 19 of an amazing 46 three point attempts. Curry led the way with 27, hitting 10 of 15 field goals, showing no signs of slowing down. They show 50% from the field and had 32 assists to just 13 turnovers. Emory is