Bleacher Report - Articles by Jeff Galloway

Pac-10 Basketball Preview: Part Three—Preseason Honors

Jeff Galloway — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:02:01 -0500

Concluding my three-part Pac-10 Preview with preseason honors.

All-Pac-10 First Team

Guard: Darren Collison, Senior, UCLA

Guard: James Harden, Sophomore, Arizona State

Forward: Chase Budinger, Junior, Arizona

Forward: Jon Brockman, Senior, Washington

Forward: Taj Gibson, USC

All-Pac-10 Second Team

Guard: Tajuan Porter, Junior, Oregon

Guard: Jrue Holiday, Freshman, UCLA

Guard: Patrick Christopher, Junior, Cal

Forward: Jeff Pendergraph, Senior, Arizona State

Center: Aron Baynes, Senior, Washington State

All-Pac-10 Third Team

Guard: Taylor Rochestie, Senior, Washington State

Guard: Nic Wise, Junior, Arizona

Forward: Josh Shipp, Senior, UCLA

Forward: DeMar DeRozan, Freshman, USC

Forward: Quincy Pondexter, Junior, Washington

Pac-10 Player of the Year

James Harden, Arizona State

Pac-10 All-Freshman Team

Guard: Jrue Holiday, UCLA

Guard: Brandon Lavender, Arizona

Guard: D.J. Seeley, Cal

Forward: DeMar DeRozan, USC

Forward: Tyreese Breshers, Washington

Freshman of the Year

Jrue Holiday, UCLA

Defensive Player of the Year

Darren Collison, UCLA

Coach of the Year

Tony Bennett, Washington State

Postseason Predictions

NCAA Tournament: UCLA, Arizona State, USC, Arizona, Washington

NIT Tournament: Washington State, Oregon

Pac-10 Basketball Preview: Part Two

Jeff Galloway — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:04:58 -0500

6. Washington State Cougars

Strengths

Center Aron Baynes and guard Taylor Rochestie are both very efficient players and thrive in coach Tony Bennett's system. Freshman guard Abe Lodwick can hit the three-ball and has great size at shooting guard. He and Rochestie will both be able to stretch the defense. Plus, the same old Washington State style of play is back to drive opponents crazy.

Weaknesses

Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low weren't only All-Pac-10 players—they were the heart and soul of this team. Both were excellent defenders and consistent scorers. Neither will be replaced easily, and Rochestie will have to adjust to running coach Bennett's system. The Cougs will rely heavily on freshmen, especially for frontcourt depth.

Bottom Line

The Cougars aren't the sixth-most talented team in the conference, but I expect them to finish this high due to their discipline and their coach. Tony Bennett's system to slow down the game will limit the athletic issues of his team, and Pullman is always a tough place to play.

Look for the Cougars to make another strong push for an NCAA bid, and they could be the surprise team in the conference.

7. Oregon Ducks

Strengths

5'6" dynamo Tajuan Porter is back and ready to prove he is done with his sophomore slump. The electric Porter is super quick and has unlimited range on his shot. Junior forward Joevan Catron is a monster inside capable of clearing out anyone on the block.

Weaknesses

Malik Hairston is finished in Eugene, and the Ducks will rely on a freshman to replace him. There is a significant lack of scoring in the frontcourt, and depth could be an issue as well. For a team known for its inconsistency, a lack of experience could be a huge problem.

Bottom Line

This team is talented—probably more talented than Washington State, who I picked ahead of them. But their inexperience will lead to inconsistency, along with the fact that their best player is inconsistent (Porter).

If the freshmen can mature quickly and Porter plays to his potential, the Ducks are capable of reaching the upper echelon of the conference and the big dance. As is, I see the Ducks in the NIT this season.

8. Stanford Cardinal

Strengths

Lawrence Hill, Mitch Johnson, and Anthony Goods all have talent. Their problem has been consistency, but if they can play a full season, they'll give the Cardinal a solid core of guys. Johnson has a great assist-to-turnover ratio and will have to manage the game effectively. Hill and Goods can both score in bunches.

Weaknesses

The Lopez twins both left early for the NBA and will be sorely missed. Little-known John Owens and Will Paul will attempt to replace some of what they brought to the table. Experience will be hard to find with the losses of Fred Washington and Taj Finger.

Bottom Line

The Stanford season will hinge on the play of Hill, Johnson, and Goods. If they play well, the Cardinal will make the NIT and could push for the NCAAs. But if they struggle with inconsistency, this could be a long, long year in Palo Alto.

9. California Bears

Strengths

Junior guard Patrick Christopher has the talent to be a star in the Pac-10. He's great off the dribble and can shoot the jump shot. He'll be counted on to provide a lot of offense with the loss of Ryan Anderson.

Point guard Jerome Randle has talent, and the return of Theo Robertson will help the Bears. High school All-American D.J. Seeley can flat-out score. New coach Mike Montgomery has a proven record at Stanford.

Weaknesses

The Bears have a serious lack of frontcourt scoring. Harper Kamp, Jamal Boykins, and Jordan Wilkes are serviceable, but Cal needs some offense from one of them. Randle struggled mightily with turnovers last year, and there is little depth behind him if he has problems controlling the ball.

Bottom Line

The Bears have two very talented players on their roster. The problem is they both play the same position. Seeley and Christopher can both fill it up, but it will be difficult to get them on the floor at the same time. The other four positions, meanwhile, are filled with questions. It will be tough for Cal to make any postseason tournament this year.

10. Oregon State Beavers

Strengths

Not many. Oregon State went winless last year in conference play and didn't bring in any new talent. The Tarver brothers, Josh and Seth, are serviceable players, but only because there's no one better around them. Post Roeland Schaftenaar showed some promise last year.

Weaknesses

Talent. As in, they have none. The Beavers are without question the least talented team in the conference, without a dependable scorer or point guard. They were one of the worst shooting teams in the conference last year, and expect that trend to repeat itself. Marcel Jones, their top player last year, graduated.

Bottom Line

This year will be ugly for Oregon State. The Beavs went winless last year and will threaten to do so again. Without another awful team in conference, look for Oregon State to struggle to pick up a conference win.

Pac-10 Basketball Preview: Part One

Jeff Galloway — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:28:31 -0500

Last season was a banner year for the Pac-10, as the conference sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament—with three reaching the Sweet 16 and UCLA reaching the Final Four. The conference was generally considered the toughest in the nation.

With several teams losing established stars, however, look for the conference to step back into the middle of the power conferences this season. There is still a lot of talent on the top teams, but the middle and bottom rungs of the Pac will be significantly weaker than in years past.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. UCLA Bruins

Strengths

The Bruins are simply loaded with talent, especially in the backcourt. All-American point guard Darren Collison spurned the NBA to return for his senior season, giving the Bruins possibly the top point guard in the country. Senior wing Josh Shipp also is back and in the best shape of his career. Shipp will provide UCLA with steady scoring.

Coach Ben Howland also brought in the nation's top recruiting class, led by combo guard Jrue Holiday, who should step into the shooting guard role and contribute immediately. Forwards James Keefe and Alfred Aboya give the Bruins toughness down low, and freshmen J'Mison Morgan and Drew Gordon provide more muscle.

Coach Howland may be the best in the nation.

Weaknesses

The Bruins are extremely young, having lost three starters and their top interior bench player from last season. Freshmen will be required to play huge roles this year, and while they are talented, most of them are still raw.

Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's departures leave the Bruins with almost zero frontcourt offense. Nearly all the scoring will come from the backcourt. Depth could also be an issue, with only 11 scholarship players (one a former walk-on), including two guys who have struggled with injuries this past summer.

Bottom Line

This team has the talent to make a deep run in the tournament. While their inexperience will be a hindrance in the early going, the steady leadership of Collison, Shipp, and Howland will have these young Bruins in position to win a fourth consecutive Pac-10 Championship.

2. Arizona State Sun Devils

Strengths

The Sun Devils have a tremendous 1-2 punch in sophomore wing James Harden and senior forward Jeff Pendergraph. Along with Collison, Harden's decision to return to the Devils was possibly the biggest development in the Pac-10 offseason. He's a big-time scorer and tenacious defender with deceptive athleticism.

Sophomore Ty Abbott is a deadly three-point shooter, and point guard Derek Glasser is a solid game manager. Coach Herb Sendek is one of the best in the conference.

Weaknesses

Other than Pendergraph, the Sun Devils' frontcourt has some glaring weaknesses. Eric Boateng, a transfer from Duke, was inconsistent last year before coming on late in the season. If he can come through, the Sun Devils could go from good to great.

Even if Boateng plays well, there is still a glaring lack of depth in the frontcourt. Luckily for them, UCLA also has some frontcourt weaknesses. Unfortunately, the Devils' problems are bigger.

Bottom Line

Arizona State probably has the second-most talent in the conference and possibly its best player in Harden. Look for the Sun Devils to be the biggest challenger to UCLA's throne. They'll make the tournament for the first time since '03 and could potentially make a deep run.

3. USC Trojans

Strengths

Taj Gibson is an extremely underrated center in the Pac-10. He's slightly undersized but is a beast on the boards and can score in bunches. Guards Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis are both big and quick.

Incoming freshman DeMar DeRozan will challenge Jrue Holiday of UCLA for freshman of the year honors. He's an athletic freak that can put up points in bunches.

Weaknesses

USC's lack of depth could ultimately be their undoing. They have basically no one behind Gibson at center, and he has the unfortunate knack of getting into foul trouble. Untested Kasey Cunningham will man the power forward position with little to back him up. Thankfully, a lack of frontcourt depth is a trend this year in the conference.

Three-point shooting is also an issue for USC. They lack a pure shooter, and without a big man, that could definitely limit their ability to score.

Bottom Line

USC has talent, there's no denying it. The problem is that they don't have the depth behind that talent to make a real run in the conference. They should finish third and easily make the tournament, but don't expect them to challenge UCLA or Arizona State for the top two spots in the conference.

4. Arizona Wildcats

Strengths

Chase Budinger decided to return for his junior season, giving Arizona an all-conference candidate on the wing. Budinger is a good scorer that can jump out of the gym. Point guard Nic Wise is one of the best in the conference. He's a good floor general with a deadly three-point shot. Junior post Jordan Hill is a solid No. 2 scorer that gives the Wildcats some muscle inside.

Weaknesses

Arizona lost its best player from last season, freshman guard Jerryd Bayless. Jawann McClellan was also a reliable scorer that is gone. But Arizona's biggest problem is the sudden loss of coach Lute Olson, who retired due to health issues. No matter who replaces him, Olson was one of the best coaches of all-time and will be missed.

Scoring could be an issue for this team, as Bayless was their leading scorer and no one on the team this year is considered a true scorer.

Bottom Line

The Wildcats will be solid as always. They have good leadership in Wise and Budinger, and both guys are good defenders. Arizona should do well on the glass as well. They don't have the talent of most years, but they have plenty to finish in the top half of the conference and make the Big Dance yet again.

5. Washington Huskies

Strengths

Senior forward Jon Brockman is an absolute monster. He averaged a double-double last year, and look for those numbers to increase this season. He's a physical, tough player that can score inside and hit a jumper. He's also possibly the best rebounder in the Pac-10.

Guard Justin Dentmon is a super-quick defender and good off the dribble. Forward Quincy Pondexter is super athletic and can score off the wing. Coach Lorenzo Romar has a proven track record with the Huskies.

Weaknesses

Outside shooting could be a huge problem for the Huskies. Last year's sniper Ryan Appleby graduated, and neither Dentmon nor backcourt mate Venoy Overton can shoot particularly well.

Besides Brockman and Dentmon, the team is extremely young, and that won't help the fact that Washington teams have had issues with focus and concentration the last couple of years.

Bottom Line

Washington is definitively good enough to make the tournament this year, and they should do so behind Brockman's leadership. There isn't enough talent to make a run at the Pac-10 crown, but they could get as high as third if they find some decent outside shooting and learn to play disciplined basketball.

Back for Four: UCLA Bruins Basketball Preview

Jeff Galloway — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:56:33 -0500

Fresh off a third consecutive trip to the Final Four—yet still without a title—under Ben Howland, the UCLA Bruins open the 2008-09 season hoping for another run deep into the tournament.

Led by the guidance of Howland, considered by some to be the nation's premier coach, and a star-studded recruiting class, the Bruins and their fans believe that this may finally be the year. But despite a world of talent, the Bruins have some significant obstacles to overcome in order to make a title run.

The fact is that the team lost a ton of talent. First and foremost are the losses of top five NBA Draft picks Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love. In addition, swingman and glue guy Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is now on the Milwaukee Bucks, and fan favorite and center Lorenzo Mata-Real graduated.

That's four of the top six players on last year's team, plus a ton of experience that needs replacing. The recruiting class was the top-ranked in the nation, but all the talent in the world won't make up for maturity and experience.

Here is a position-by-position look at the 08-09 Bruins.

Point Guard

Darren Collison provided a huge lift to UCLA's chances by putting off the NBA Draft to return for his senior season.

Darren is possibly the quickest player in the country when healthy, and his maturity and presence as the leader on and off the court will be a huge help to this otherwise young team. He is unstoppable off the dribble, his shot is reliable beyond the three-point line—even if it is a bit funny-looking—and he can lock up almost anyone on D.

Collison has reached the Final Four in all three of his seasons in Westwood without tasting that ultimate success. It's safe to say that, along with Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina, Collison is probably the hungriest player in the country to win a title. He's a preseason First Team All-American and without question the leader of this team.

Shooting Guard

As if being the No. 1 overall high school player in the country wasn't enough pressure, freshman Jrue Holiday has the task of making people forget about Russell Westbrook. While Westbrook didn't put up great stats, his defensive intensity and freakish athleticism made him a fan favorite—and a top four pick. But Holiday has the moxie to do it.

He's a silky smooth combo guard with great athleticism (not on Westbrook's level, but still above average). He can score in almost any way imaginable. He can get to the hole on anyone, he has a deadly outside shot, and he crashes the offensive glass hard. In addition, Collison called him the most mature freshman he's ever seen.

Holiday should be able to shoulder the pressure of replacing Westbrook by not forcing anything and letting the game come to him. Instead of trying to score 20 a game, he'll be able to help the team in every way imaginable. Just look at his line in UCLA's opener: 12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals. That's production.

But beware: Holiday is perfectly capable of dropping 30 on anyone if they give him the chance.

Small Forward

Along with Collison, senior Josh Shipp is the leader of this team, both on and off the court. After being hampered by injuries for the better part of three years, Shipp is finally healthy and in the best shape of his life. He showed off his new game in the opener, dropping 20 points on only eight shots (7-8).

This leaner, quicker Shipp will not only provide UCLA with more consistent scoring but also should be greatly improved defensively—something Howland preaches constantly to his players.

Power Forward

James Keefe came on at the end of last year, showing the Bruins that all isn't lost without Mbah a Moute. The rising sophomore's shining moment came against Western Kentucky in the Sweet 16, when he dropped 18 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Keefe is not a flashy player, but he is very productive and efficient. He has a good jumper out to 15 feet and can pound down low with the big guys. UCLA would love for him to develop a post game, as they lack a post scorer and he has the best touch of all the big guys.

As is, the Bruins know they can count on Keefe to make a high percentage of shots, grab rebounds, and hustle nonstop—exactly what they need their big guys to do on this team loaded with backcourt talent.

Center

Freshman J'Mison Morgan is expected to get a lot of time, but for now, the job belongs to senior Alfred Aboya. Aboya is similar to Keefe in that he is not flashy but battles down low and can knock down the occasional jumper. He is a ferocious rebounder and defender, which is sometimes his undoing as he commits unnecessary fouls due to "overhustling."

Howland knows that Aboya needs to stay out of foul trouble this year, and whether or not he can will play a big role in how UCLA's season plays out.

Bench: Backcourt

On the rare occasion that Collison comes out of the game, Holiday will be the primary guy to take over the point, sliding down from the two guard spot. In his place will be Michael Roll, a hard-luck junior who has been riddled with injuries. When healthy, Roll is a deadly shooter from deep, and if he can stay healthy, the Bruins will have a great weapon off their bench.

Freshmen Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee will also provide depth at the point (Anderson and Lee) and the two guard (Lee). Both are talented, raw freshmen.

Lee, in particular, is very raw on the offensive side of the ball, but his defense is tenacious—a quality which Howland loves and could earn him some extra minutes. At 6'4", he's long enough to guard a small forward yet quick enough to lock up a point guard.

Anderson is a true point, unlike the combo guard Lee, and will likely sit most of the season in preparation for next year, when Collison and probably Holiday are in the NBA. Josh Shipp can also play at the two when UCLA wants a bigger lineup.

Bench: Frontcourt

The big men off the bench are anchored by a pair of freshmen, J'Mison Morgan and Drew Gordon. Morgan is more of a true center, while Gordon is more of a power forward. As such, Morgan will spot Aboya while Gordon spots Keefe.

Morgan is simply oozing with talent but is probably the most raw player on the roster. He showed great promise in the opener, grabbing nine rebounds in 19 minutes, but his offensive game and conditioning need work. Howland has expressed pleasure in how well Morgan has progressed thus far, so we should see an awful lot of him this year.

Gordon was the first off the bench in the opener, and he is the most polished of the five freshmen after Holiday. He is similar in many ways to Keefe: a low potential player that is very solid in many aspects of the game. He'll give the Bruins a solid jumper, but he's mostly about rebounding and defense.

Finally, Nikola Dragovic is a huge wildcard for this team. The 6'9" Serbian is a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, but problems with injuries and defense have kept him from making an impact. He worked on his D and conditioning throughout the offseason and had a great debut this season, giving the Bruins hope that he can be a major contributor this year.

Coaching

Simply put, Ben Howland may be the best coach in America. He's certainly on the short list—and if he wins a title this year, it may push him to the top.

Howland gameplans as well as anyone, and he was able to instill a toughness not seen by UCLA teams in decades. He brought East Coast basketball to LA, and it has thrived. The players buy into Howland's system of defense first, and it pays off year after year.

Howland has also shown this year that he is willing to change his philosophies to match his personnel. He has always been a fan of a halfcourt, deliberate offense, but with the excess of guards and athletes on the wings, Howland has publicly said that the Bruins will run this year—and run often.

Making such a dramatic change is not common among coaches nowadays, and it helps Howland stand apart from many of his colleagues.

Overall, these Bruins are as talented as any of the three Final Four teams. The difference, and what could prove to be their undoing, is how young the team as a whole is. With four freshmen expected to play a significant role, the Bruins will need to mature quickly with a tough schedule right from the beginning.

Unlike previous years, a potential undefeated season and No. 1 seed may be unreasonable goals. But this is a team that will get better as the year goes on, and come tournament time, they could be every bit as good as UCLA teams of the past few years. With Collison so hungry for a title, this isn't a team I would bet against come tournament time.

Season Prediction

Pac-10 Champions, No. 2 seed, and a fourth consecutive Final Four before losing to North Carolina.

Los Angeles Dodgers Will Be OK Without Manny Ramirez

Jeff Galloway — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:00:50 -0400

The Dodgers' magical 2008 season ended on Wednesday, and with it came the probable end to Manny Mania. For 12 glorious weeks, Manny and his dreadlocks graced Chavez Ravine, turning the normally laid-back atmosphere crazy with Dodger pride.

He turned an average team into a very good one, and he transformed a tense clubhouse into a carefree one. He was a fan and player favorite, loved by every person in the seats and the dugout.

He told everyone how much he loved the city, the fans, and the team. He said he wanted to retire in L.A., and that he'd "already made $160 million, how much money do I need?" And you know what? It was probably true.

But now, his view seems to have changed. Before leaving Dodger Stadium after the Game Five loss to the Phillies, responded to a question about his future by saying, "Let's see who the highest bidder is." That doesn't sound like a guy who had made more than enough money in his career.

Now, don't get me wrong here. I love Manny as much as any Dodger fan, and I'm not ruling out the possibility of him re-signing with the Blue Crew. But I do know that money talks, and with an agent like Scott Boras, the odds of Manny signing for anything less than four years, $100 million are very small. And the Dodgers just won't pay more than that.

But the Dodgers will be just fine without him. In fact, it may even serve them better to not re-sign him at all. If owner Frank McCourt doesn't want to raise the payroll above $125 million, as expected, then giving $25 million to Manny could actually hurt the team's chances next season.

First, the problem the Dodgers have is that Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, and Derek Lowe are free agents as well. This is compounded by the fact that Blake and Manny combined to cost the Dodgers absolutely nothing this past year. Blake will probably looking for a deal around $8-10 million a year, with Furcal and Lowe probably seeking between $10-15 million.

With the additional expiring contracts of Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent, plus an option to terminate Brad Penny's contract, the Dodgers will have approximately $45 million to spend on re-signing these guys.

It basically comes down to this: Would the Dodgers rather have Manny and only one of the above mentioned guys, or would they rather resign Blake, Furcal, and a top-flight starting pitcher—either Lowe or a guy like CC Sabathia?

If the Dodgers fail to re-sign either Blake or Furcal, there would be a gaping hold on the left side of the infield. And as big of a dropoff Juan Pierre is from Manny, putting Pierre in left would be better than playing Chin Lung Hu or Angel Berroa everyday at short.

But Manny or no Manny next year, there is no diminishing the impact he had on the young core of the Dodgers. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Blake DeWitt, and Russell Martin are the future of this L.A. lineup, and Manny's mere presence for three months gave them a chance to learn from the master of hitting a baseball.

The lessons he has given those guys was apparent during the stretch run, as every one of the youngsters other than Martin (which can be attributed to fatigue) surged in the second half. The growth of these players should be even more apparent next season after a full year of tutelage from Torre and Mattingly. I think it's safe to say that we can expect the young Dodgers to explode at the plate next season.

Even more that that, Manny taught the young guys how to have fun and enjoy the game. All reports from the Dodger clubhouse before Manny's arrival signified that the kids were much too tight and forgetting to have fun. Manny changed all that. His hair, his music, and his overall demeanor were the antidote for those problems this year, and he's left those kids with the blueprint of how to enjoy baseball. And that should make all the difference for the future.

Overall, I would obviously love to see Manny back in blue next year. But the only way that can realistically happen—without damaging the team's chances—is if either McCourt opens his checkbook or Manny lowers his asking price. With the huge expiring contracts of Jason Schmidt and Andrew Jones after the 2009 season, the payroll spike would likely only last one year.

Nearly every Dodger will be under contract after next season, either because they're in long-term deals this year or they're free agents this year. The payroll will probably drop around $20-30 million, which leaves McCourt two options. Either pay up for Manny now, or make a run at someone big next year.

Whatever the outcome, however, I'm confident that Manny's mere presence this year gave the Dodgers hope for the future; whether he's on for the ride or not.

Newsflash: The SEC Isn't Very Good

Jeff Galloway — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:08:19 -0400

For years, the SEC has been thought of as the premier conference in college football. Fans of the conference bristled at even the thought of another conference being mentioned in the same breath as the almighty SEC. And for a good five-plus years, those fans had a reason to boast. The SEC was the best conference in the land.

Not anymore. Seven weeks into the 2008 season, the Big 12 has taken control of the country. And it's not that close.

Now before I get called an idiot, I'm just going to lay out some facts.

Someone name the SEC's best win this year. Alabama over Clemson? Not bad, but Clemson is awful this year. Alabama got way more credit than it deserved just because the useless preseason polls ranked the Tigers in the top 10.

Georgia won at Arizona State, but ASU really isn't that good either. USC decimated them last week, more impressively than Georgia did by a long shot.

That's it. No other win by the SEC this year is even worthy of mention. Meanwhile, they have thrown up these beauties for us to admire:

Arkansas 28, Western Kentucky 24; Arkansas 28, Louisiana Monroe 27; Texas 52, Arkansas 10. Then this beauty: Arkansas 25, AT Auburn 22

Auburn 3, Mississippi State 2; Auburn 14, Tennessee 12...following this: UCLA 27, Tennessee 24.

And LSU gets heralded as being stronger than ever after barely beating that same Auburn team by five. LSU has also beaten App State and North Texas, plus Mississippi State by 10. And the Tigers were the No. 4 team in the nation?

Then Vanderbilt, the newest reason why the SEC is incredible, lost to Mississippi State 17-14. That's 2-4 Mississippi State, which lost to Louisiana Tech and to Georgia Tech by 31. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, cemented it's reputation by beating previously mentioned Auburn by 1 at home.

The point of all this is that SEC gets its reputation because all of it's teams beat up on each other—and this year, most of the teams aren't very good. But they do have some strength.

Florida is good. I can forgive a bad loss. I can also see that they have destroyed everyone else in their path. The Gators deserve to be ranked highly. Alabama as well. They struggled against Kentucky, but that's to be expected after a huge win at Georgia.

But outside of those two teams, what does the SEC have? A bunch of teams that got their reputation because they beat other teams with the SAME reputation.

Vanderbilt? No thanks. They got their reputation by barely beating a weak non-conference schedule and a then a weak Auburn team at home.

Auburn? They've beaten no one, and just lost to an absolutely pathetic Arkansas team.

LSU? They struggled to beat Auburn and got stomped by Florida.

Tennessee? Don't make me laugh.

Georgia? Maybe...but they got their reputation in the preseason. They have a solid win against ASU, but ASU is the 5th or 6th best Pac 10 team this year.

The fact is that the fourth best team in the SEC—after Florida, Alabama, and Georgia - may well be...Ole Miss. Followed by Kentucky. The SEC and it's fans need to realize that the name of a school doesn't make it a powerhouse.

The SEC is in a down year, and the Big 12 is clearly the class of the nation this year.

Will The Real UCLA Please Stand Up?

Jeff Galloway — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:37:53 -0400

After two games, we haven't learned much about the UCLA Bruins. They came out and stunned Tennessee in the opener, then promptly laid an egg and got blasted by BYU next time out.

Their offense went from decent to atrocious, and their defense went from phenomenal to beyond atrocious. The defense is much harder to figure out, and I'll discuss that later.

But the offensive struggles, particularly running the ball, boil down to one thing; and the one thing that we HAVE learned about UCLA thus far: they may have the worst offensive line (for a BCS school) in history.

The primary culprit for the lack of talent and effectiveness along the o-line is former coach Karl Dorrell. The unit was sorely under-recruited during his tenure as coach, and the cupboard was left completely empty for Rick Neuheisel.

The two bright spots coming into the season were tackles Sean Sheller and Micah Kia, both with size, speed, and NFL potential. Sheller promptly tore his ACL in an offseason ATV accident, and Kia broke his hand prior to the opener and has been ineffective.

Starting center Micah Reed, the only other member of the line with starting experience, sprained his knee in the BYU game, leaving the offensive line to be manned by three sophomores (including a former DT), a freshman, and Kia, who should be nearly full strength by next week. Only Kia has ever started a game prior to this year.

Left guard Darius Savage has potential, but it's just that: potential; meaning it hasn't been fulfilled yet. That's the story up and down the line. Where there's talent, there's no experience, and where there is even a little experience, the talent is lacking.

To make matters worse (if possible), running back Kahlil Bell sprained his ankle against Tennessee, speedy freshman Raymond Carter sprained his MCL against BYU, and touted freshman Aundre Dean sprained his ankle in his only carry against BYU as well. That leaves unproductive Chane Moline and freshman Johnathan Franklin to carry the ball next week against Arizona if none of the top three recover. Franklin has never carried the ball in college.

In terms of the passing offense, Kevin Craft was ok against BYU, considering that he had no time to throw and the receivers were rarely open. He misfired on a few passes, but overall played a decent game.

If the running game even had a pulse, Craft's performance would be good enough to keep the Bruins in nearly any game. WR's Dominique Johnson and Terrance Austin, along with TE's Ryan Moya and Cory Harkey, looked alright against BYU; good enough that we can expect them to produce later in the season in conference play.

As for the defense, I'm not sure what to say. It's easy to say that they were on the field for nearly 40 minutes and they got tired, but that's just not an ok excuse.BYU marched right down the field on it's opening possession for an easy score, with Max Hall going 6-6 and never getting touched.

It seemed more like a matter of confidence. Al Verner, the Bruins top cover corner, got burned with short passes a few times early, and it seemed like he lost the confidence that makes him one of the best corners in the country. The D-Line was miserable in generating a pass rush, which in turn gave Hall all day to throw. That did nothing to help their confidence, and significantly boosted Hall's.

UCLA found out the hard way that football is decided in the trenches. BYU dominated both lines, and in turn dominated the game.

I feel that UCLA's defensive line simply had a bad game, and will bounce back, but it's clear that Neuheisel will need to heavily recruit offensive linemen before the Bruins can hope to compete with a team like BYU, let alone USC.

For now, UCLA needs to give the younger players some looks and reps so that they'll have experience for 2009 and beyond, when UCLA should make a huge leap to the top of the Pac 10.

Hey Jack Del Rio, Meet Maurice Jones-Drew

Jeff Galloway — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:26:36 -0400

For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars have stumbled out of the gate, once again losing to the Tennessee Titans, thanks a pitiful offensive performance. They got next to nothing on the ground, and David Garrard was pressured and on the run the whole game.

Now, I give all the credit in the world to the Titans' defense, but I have a serious issue with Jacksonville's play-calling. Do the coaches even realize that they have one of the most electric players in the league on their team?

Hey Dirk Koetter and Jack Del Rio, meet Maurice Jones-Drew.

Drew was selected 60th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft and promptly led all rookies in TDs and was second in rushing to Joseph Addai. He outplayed that other ex-L.A. college running back, Reggie Bush. He's a touchdown machine, a big play waiting to happen, and a threat to go the distance every time.

So, in a game when the Jaguars are struggling to move the ball with any consistency, their best playmaker touches the ball a total of eight times.

Eight times.

Now, don't get me wrong here; Fred Taylor is a solid running back. But he's lost a step. If holes aren't being opened, he's not going to juke and outrun defensive backs or even linebackers. Jones-Drew can. But he doesn't have much chance if he gets eight touches and only five carries over 60 minutes.

Jacksonville's play-calling today was an absolute joke. They have one of the top-10 playmakers in the league in their backfield, and they just kept him tucked away on the bench, watching Taylor and Garrard get swallowed up by faster, quicker defenders.

Jacksonville was a sleeper pick by many to win the Super Bowl this season. They've still got a phenomenal defense, and they are still very much in the game. But this will be a long season, offensively, unless Del Rio and Co. remember their explosive running back. Maybe he'll get up to double-digit touches next week.

But if today was any hint, I doubt it.

Are the East Carolina Pirates the Real Deal?

Jeff Galloway — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:50:27 -0400

Coming into this season, it was all about BYU and Utah. The two Mountain West darlings were the ones destined to finish the regular season playing for a BCS bid. Utah has certainly lived up to it so far, knocking off Michigan in the big house. As for BYU, well, they've struggled, but remain undefeated. So far, so good.

But it's time for them to move over. They've already been replaced as the best "mid-major" in the country.

America, meet the East Carolina Pirates.

To finish off last season, East Carolina made some noise by knocking off 24th ranked Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl.

To start of this season, the Pirates shocked the world by beating No. 17 Virginia Tech at it's own game: defense and special teams.

And now, they've done it again.

ECU went out this weekend and flat out dominated West Virginia. That's No. 8 West Virginia, quarterbacked by a leading Heisman trophy candidate and led by a youtube sensation in the backfield. That's reigning Fiesta Bowl champion West Virginia.

Don't forget, last year this ECU team with first round pick RB Chris Johnson lost by 41 points to the Mountaineers. A year later, ECU won by 21. How did it happen?

One word: defense. They say defense wins championships and offense gives us upsets. The truth is, however, that defense can keep you in any game against any opponent. If you have the size, speed, and talent on defense, there is absolutely no limit to how high you can go.

For three plus years, I've followed West Virginia fairly extensively; I'm a football guy and I've been intrigued and fascinated by the spread option. And in those three years, never, NEVER, have I seen the Mounties' offense so thoroughly dominated.

Pat White accounted for 170 yards. Total. He's had games where he passed AND ran for 170 yards each. The Pirate defense was in the backfield the whole game, and White was running for his life all day long.

The vaunted WVU offensive line was completely over-matched by the ECU defensive line. Holes were few and far between for White and Devine. White had little or no time to throw, and his WRs were rarely open. It was one of the most electrifying displays of defense I've seen in a long time.

Utah, Boise State, and Hawaii have all had one thing in common: a high flying offense that could supposedly keep up with anyone. We know it worked for Utah and BSU. Hawaii, not so much.

But no matter who ECU plays, they will ALWAYS be in the game. They're the first mid-major to have a true BCS quality defense; and one of the best in the country at that.

With a talented, veteran quarterback in Patrick Pinkney, ECU looks primed to crash the BCS. And whoever they play had better watch out.

UCLA-Tennessee Aftermath: What's Next for the Bruins?

Jeff Galloway — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:03:22 -0400

Following UCLA's stunning overtime victory over the 18th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, expectations have soared for this young Bruins team. But while positive thinking and "relentless optimism" were the main reasons for the upset on Monday, here are two words of advice for Bruin fans: Slow down.

The point is, despite the great win, the Bruins still have tons of holes and issues. Primarily, the injury bug struck again in a big way against the Vols.

Senior captains RB Kahlil Bell and TE Logan Paulsen were both injured, as was senior WR Marcus Everett. All three are starters, and all three were to play big roles in the offense this year. Paulsen is out for six to eight weeks, while the forecast on Bell and Everett is still unclear.

The Bruins do have talent at these positions that can step up, but the leadership is something that this team needs on the field.

A surprising concern was the run defense. The pass rush was phenomenal and mostly came from DTs Brian Price and Brigham Harwell. Yet the Vols racked up 177 yards on the ground, averaging an absurd 5.2 yards per carry. Tackling was the culprit, but the Tennessee RBs got to the second level too often.

In order to keep up with spread-option Pac-10 teams such as Oregon and Washington, or just smashmouth power teams like USC, the run defense will have to improve.

Finally, the offense. Everyone is talking about how Kevin Craft is the new savior of the program—and maybe he is. But he will need help, and the running game was completely nonexistent.

Bell was able to pound out two to three yards every run due to his experience and patience, but the young backs (Raymond Carter, Aundre Dean, etc.) don't have that patience. As the primary back, Carter got stopped behind the line multiple times.

This isn't necessarily Carter's fault—the run blocking was pitiful—but a savvy veteran like Bell is what UCLA needs to be able to move the ball on the ground. If Bell's ankle keeps him hobbled for a while, the ground game will continue to struggle.

One more tidbit about the special teams: With the blocked punt and the FGs in OT, to the naked eye it seemed as though UCLA dominated the special units. Not so fast, my friend. Tennessee completely dominated both the kick and punt return games. The Vols broke off several long returns, and the Bruins got nothing at all.

Don't forget, the Vols' game tying field goal was really the result of a poorly executed squib kick that gave Tennessee the ball near midfield.

But I don't want to be a killjoy. The season started out much better than I, or any Bruin fan, could've hoped. Any honest Bruin will tell you that we just hoped for a competitive performance. We got that and more.

It's great to see the Bruins playing with toughness and passion—two things often missing in the Karl Dorrell era. The O-line played above expectations, and the freshmen were phenomenal across the board, SS Rahim Moore and WR Taylor Embree in particular.

While this stunning win may not mean a Pac-10 championship is on the way this year, it shows that Dan Guerrero made the right call with Rick Neuheisel. The coaching staff is tops in the country, and the talent is getting there. There'll be some growing pains this year, but in 2009 and beyond—look out country.

The football monopoly in LA is (nearly) over.

Midseason Review: Los Angeles Dodgers

Jeff Galloway — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:31:24 -0400

Expectations were high as the Dodgers reported to Spring Training this past spring. The team was loaded in young talent, and the pitching staff seemed to be among the strongest in the league.

Eighty games into the season, similar things are being said. The Dodgers have a lot of young talent, and a very solid pitching staff.

The only problem is that they're 37-42. The poor start for the Dodgers is somewhat mystifying on the surface.

The obvious cause for the problems is their lack of power, which has definitely had an impact. LA is last in the league in both extra base hits and home runs.

However, things are looking up in Dodgertown. Dynamic leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal is nearing a return after missing 45+ games.

The youngsters have started to hit more consistently, especially James Loney and Russell Martin. And finally, this team is simply too talented to keep losing.

With the NL West in a down-year, look for the Dodgers to overcome their issues and claim the division title.

Offense:

Coming into the season, Andrew Jones and Rafael Furcal were supposed to be the veteran leaders of this young team.

However, the two have missed a combined 75+ games due to injury, and before going down, Jones was hitting a sizzling .176 with two HR's and six RBI's.

Injuries also derailed 3B's Nomar Garciaparra and Andy LaRoche.

With so many veterans disabled, the Dodgers have been hard pressed to score runs.

There have been bright spots, however. One is the continued progression of All Star catcher Russell Martin. Martin, still only 25, is hitting .315 with eight HR's and 37 RBI's.

1B James Loney has also had a solid year, hitting over .300 with seven HR's. Matt Kemp, Blake Dewitt, and Andre Ethier have all showed glimpses of the future.

Overall, the year has been a disappointment for the Dodgers offense, but the future looks bright.

Grade: B-

Pitching:

As expected, the pitching staff has kept the Dodgers afloat. Some of the key contributors, however, have been extremely unexpected.

Expected ace Brad Penny was 5-9 with an ERA around six before shoulder stiffness pushed him to the DL. Middle reliever Scott Procter had struggled all year before being pushed to the DL himself.

Japanese import Hiroki Kuroda was pitching well before he too landed on the DL.

In their place, the Dodgers staff has been anchored by Chan Ho Park, Corey Wade, and Eric Stults. Who?

Park, after nearly seven years of mediocrity, has rediscovered himself in LA. In three starts, Park is 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA; he has a 2.52 ERA overall.

Wade is a rookie called straight from Double-A; he has an ERA of 2.5 in over 20 appearances, and has been the most consistent reliever this year.

Stults, another rookie, has made two starts, is 2-0, and has an ERA of .60. In his most recent start, he threw a four-hit shutout against the division leading White Sox.

Chad Billingsly, Derek Lowe, and Takashi Saito have been not as good as hoped, but still solid. Same goes for Jonathan Broxton.

The Dodgers staff is hitting it's stride. If Kuroda and Penny come back healthy, Torre will have that good old problem of too many worthy starters.

Grade: A-

Dodgers-Cardinals: Clayton Kershaw as Good as Advertised

Jeff Galloway — Sun, 25 May 2008 19:09:08 -0400

Dodger fans had all heard the hype. Mid-to-high 90s fastball, knee-buckling curve, great command, great makeup. The next Valenzuela. The next Koufax.

Clayton Kershaw didn't quite reach those lofty standards Sunday, but give the guy a break. It was only his major league debut. Kershaw, the 20-year old former first-round pick, threw six stellar innings, but didn't factor into the decision as the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 4-3.

Kershaw gave up five hits and two runs, struck out seven and walked only one, thoroughly confusing the Cardinals all day long. He missed a chance to pick up a win when a combination of Corey Wade, Joe Beimel, and Jon Broxton blew the save in the seventh. He nonetheless made quite an impression in his debut.

Kershaw provided the crowd some excitement when he struck out the first batter he faced. He only made one mistake: a hanging curveball to Albert Pujols in the first inning. Other than that, he changed speeds effectively, located both his fastball and curve well, and showed some real guts getting out of a two-on one-out jam in the sixth. He blew away Ryan Ludwick twice, and absolutely froze Troy Glaus on a 72 mph curve to end a threat in the first.

Kershaw's greatest attribute at this stage of his career is his ability to change speeds. With a mid-90s fastball, mid-80s changeup, and a mid-70s curve with a very deceptive motion, Kershaw is the type of pitcher that could succeed even without great command. But he showed Sunday that he has both the command and makeup to be one of the greats. It may be early in his career, but it is so far, so good for Clayton Kershaw.

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: UCLA vs. Western Kentucky

Jeff Galloway — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:40:03 -0400

Following a too-close-for-comfort 53-49 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies, the UCLA Bruins are set to take on the red-hot Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

The Hilltoppers have won of eight games in a row and 19 of their last 20.

In the first round, the Hilltoppers knocked off another potential Cinderella, five-seed Drake, in the most thrilling game of the tourament so far. Western Kentucky followed that up with a 10-point victory over the upstart San Diego Toreros.

The Hilltoppers have the talent to keep up with UCLA, especially in the backcourt with Ty Brazelton and Courtney Leethe. But the Bruins' physical defense should wear Western Kentucky out.

Playing in the Sun Belt, Western Kentucky has not played against a defense anywhere close to as tough as UCLA's.

The Bruins play 40 minutes of hard-nosed, physical man-to-man defense. Even the biggest and most seasoned players get worn down by the end of games.

Plus, the Bruins' defense has been top-notch during the tournament, allowing only 78 points total in two games thus far.

Offensively, the Hilltoppers will have no answer for Kevin Love. Love was quiet against Texas A&M's big front line until the game's final minutes, but the Hilltoppers don't have anywhere near the size of the Aggies.

Expect UCLA to feed Love the ball early and often, and expect 20 points minimum from the Pac-10 player of the year.

Prediction: UCLA tops the Hilltoppers, 68-55.

NCAA Basketball: The RPI Needs to Go

Jeff Galloway — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:42:12 -0400

After looking at the profiles and rankings of many bubble teams over the weekend, only one thing was made clear about the selection process: the RPI needs to go.

It does for college basketball the exact same thing that the BCS does for college football. It merely plugs numbers into a formula and spits out results, who should and who should not play for a national title.

But the difference is, we don't need computers for the NCAA tournament.

65 teams get a chance to go all the way, and could a computer really tell us who numbers 65 and 66 are?

In football, it makes sense. With only two teams playing for the title, the computers are needed to avoid bias. But for the tournament, I don't think many people are going to fix the selection process so that they get in as a 13 seed.

That being said, let's move on to some interesting RPI cases this year. First, let's compare three teams.

Team A: 18-13 (9-10 in conference). RPI: 58. SOS: 33

Team B: 18-14 (9-11). RPI: 38. SOS: 2

Team C: 19-12 (9-10). RPI: 82. SOS: 87

Team C beat Team B twice (home and away) and split with team A (won at home).

Team A is Oregon, a nine seed. Team B is Arizona, a 10 seed. Team C is Arizona State, left out.

Without the computers, Arizona State clearly has the best profile of those three teams.

The Sun Devils demolished Xavier (a third seed) by 22 points. In the current system, teams get more credit for losing to a good team, as Arizona did multiple times, than beating a pretty good team.

I agree that close losses to No. 1 seeds should be taken into account. But a team's profile shouldn't be based on the fact that they almost beat Memphis or Kansas.

Second, I need someone to explain this for me. On February 11th, Kentucky was ranked 87th in the RPI. They then went on the road to Vanderbilt, a good but not great team.

They lost by 41.

When the RPI was re-published the next week, Kentucky had risen 16 spots. They lost to a pretty good team by 41 points, and jumped 16 spots. Any system that causes that to happen is severely flawed.

Cases like these jumped out everywhere this weekend. Check out profiles of teams that got in and teams that didn't. Almost all of the numbers are the same; except for the RPI.

So while the committee may say the RPI isn't that big of a deal, it clearly is. It's time to get rid of it. We simply don't need it.

Eli Comes Through; Favre Blames Sports Illustrated

Jeff Galloway — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:42:19 -0500

In one of the least suprising stories of the NFL season, a Manning is in the Super Bowl. In one of the most suprising stories, it's Eli, not Payton, that will be taking the field in Glendale. That's right, one of the most noted chokers in football in the last three years, the guy who has been blamed for keeping the Giants from the Super Bowl, has made it. The question is, how?

Even Eli's not sure. "I'm really not sure how this happened, to be honest," Manning said after leading a stunning upset of the Packers in Green Bay last weekend. "Every time I threw the ball, I was ready to make a tackle. I thought they were all going the other way."

And really, who can blame him for that? As long as Eli's been in the league, people have doubted his ability to lead his team to a championship. Every big game in his career, Manning has found a way to choke. Even in games that don't matter, Eli somehow loses the game. Take the final regular season game this season. Eli played a phenomenal game, then threw a horrible interception in the 4th quarter, which led to New England's winning touchdown. One pass erased all the good that he had done to that point. He was ready for it to happen again.

He had one possible explanation, however. "Maybe I hung around Brett (Favre) too much this week," he said after the game. "It seemed like I gave my choking habits to him. I mean, he's one of the best, most clutch QB's in NFL history, and he throws up that lame duck in overtime. That's something I would do."

Favre said he didn't blame Manning for the loss. "He played a great game; I don't blame him for my problems," he told reporters. "You know I really blame? Sports Illustrated. Those morons put me on the cover the week before the NFC Championship? C'mon, what were they thinking? Everyone knows the curse that comes with that. They should've put Eli on it instead. At least that way no one would've blamed the magazine when he choked away the game."

"He's probably right. Only one of us could blow the game, and clearly the SI curse is stronger than I am. I couldn't compete with that," Manning replied. "I didn't even need to be on it to lose. Why not use Andy Roddick, he already blew it in the Australian Open. He couldn't choke again."

However Eli managed it, don't expect the same luck next week against the Pats. Unless, of course, Madden '09 comes out 6 months early with Brady as the coverboy.

UCLA Basketball: No Need to Panic

Jeff Galloway — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:11:47 -0500

National title contenders for the past 2 seasons, the UCLA Bruins entered this season also dreaming of the possibility of a perfect Pac-10 season.

The league is arguably the toughest in the country, but the Bruins and their fans believed that they were good enough to get through unscathed.

Following the stunning loss last Saturday to rival Southern Cal, the questions surrounding the team have changed from positive to negative.

Here's how I answer those questions: Calm down, people.

Any logical fan knew going into the season that it would be nearly impossible to sweep the Pac-10. The league is simply too strong. The Bruins were going to lose a game at some point. So why not now? They're currently 16-2 (4-1 in league) and are still in first place. They are strongly in the hunt for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and can still get the #1 overall seed. They are ranked #8 in the nation.

People, the serious doubts about this team need to stop.

One bad game shouldn't erase what this team has done up to this point. They blew out Washington State, a top 5 team. They swept the Bay Area schools on the road. They beat Michigan State without Darren Collison. One loss shouldn't change that.

That being said, however, there are still areas that the Bruins need to work on in order to make another Final Four run.

First and foremost is their outside shooting. The only true shooter on the team is Michael Roll, and he is now out until February or March with a foot injury. Josh Shipp is shooting well in his absence, but the shooting ends there.

Teams have been zoning the Bruins all year with success. The only way the Bruins have been able to bust zones has been through backdoor lobs and the occasional penetration. But that hasn't been consistent enough, the Bruins have to start shooting the ball better to make a run in March.

Secondly is their post passing. Granted, UCLA has been without a true post player in Howland's tenure, but Kevin Love has to get the ball more. He doesn't even have to shoot. Playing inside-out will free up UCLA's shooters for open looks.

The guards look lost when trying to feed Love the ball. The passes are often deflected out of bounds, or just outright stolen. Only about 1 of 2 post feeds even makes it to Love. If the Bruins can start effectively feeding the post, that should lead to an improvement in terms of outside shooting, since the guards will be getting wide open looks.

Overall, the Bruins have had a successful season to this point. Granted, many people had the Bruins at 18-0 right now, but a loss or two isn't going to kill them. As long as they can learn from these games and show up every night, it's hard to see them losing between now and the NCAA tournament. If they can learn to feed the post better, then look out world. That could lead to banner #101 coming to Westwood in early April.