Bleacher Report - Articles by Steve Auger

Lessons Learned: Sports and Life in Perspective

Steve Auger — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:15:17 -0400

Far too many sports fans are consumed by the fortunes of the teams they live and die with.

Ask any member of Red Sox Nation pre-2004, or engage in a heart-to-heart with a Cubs fan.

Such focus on who won or lost the night before, who’s in a slump and who’s red hot, and how highly ranked your school’s recruiting class is causes us to lose sight of what’s truly important.

Thankfully, those teachings are right there under our noses. All we have to do is look.

The best part is we can learn those lessons from the most unlikely of sources.

In my case, I was schooled by an elderly couple I’ve never met before in my life.

Northeastern Boulevard, located in Nashua, NH, is the typical busy road found in Any Town, USA.

Numerous side roads leading to hundreds of residential homes line one half of the street.

On the other half is a plethora of businesses ranging from industrial and commercial companies to automotive repair shops, a couple of pizza joints, and even a gym.

I’ve been an active member of that gym, Best Fitness, for over nine years.

When I leave the gym to head home, it’s the same routine: Left out of the lot. South on Northeastern. Veer left through the light and head towards the highway. I swear my car knows the way.

The trip is about eight minutes if I make all the lights, 10 if I don’t.

Every so often, on the side of the road, I see an elderly couple. The man is pushing a woman, who I presume is his wife, in a wheel chair.

I’d estimate the couple to be in their late seventies.

They move along at a slow pace. On occasion, the man leans forward to say something to her.

Sometimes they’ll be stopped on the sidewalk, gazing at a brook that runs underneath the street.

A short distance down the road from where they walk is Greenbriar Terrace Healthcare, a rehabilitation center.

Some folks stay there temporarily. Some are residents. Given that the woman is in a wheelchair, I assume she’s either a patient or resident.

Each time I see them, it’s only for a few seconds as I drive by.

But every time I do encounter the couple, a certain feeling of enlightenment fills me. The sensation is one part serenity and the other part envy.

Often I find myself hurrying to get on with the next “thing” in my life. I’m in such a rush to get some place that sometimes I miss out on the journey.

But when I see the couple, I can’t help but feel as though they have it right and a lot of us have it wrong. Very wrong.

This couple probably couldn’t care less that Kobe was hell bent on winning the NBA title this year. Or that the Yankees, desperate to book a return trip to the Fall Classic, spent over $400 million on three free agents this past offseason. Tiger missed the cut at the British Open? There’ll be other tournaments.

What, or should I say who, they care about is each other. Not A-Rod. Not Manny. Not T.O. And definitely not Brett Favre or Scott Boras.

Don’t get me wrong. Sports have their place in society, especially in today’s world.

For many of us, sports became a constant in our lives at a very early age.

Parents teach their young children how to catch a ball in the back yard.

Boys and girls learn the value of teamwork and selflessness playing Little League and youth soccer.

Sports teach us—well, some of us—how to lose with dignity and, more importantly, win with class.

Yet, every time I pass this couple, I focus on who and what matters. Or perhaps I’m reminded of who and what doesn’t matter?

Let’s face it. We live in a non-stop, fast-paced society in which, to some, instant gratification is a birthright.

We can’t even be bothered to get out of our cars to go to the bank, buy coffee, or get a burger.

Pizza can be ordered online. And then delivered to your home. Have we become that lazy?

We “tweet”—don’t get me started on Twitter—the most mundane aspects of our lives.

Is anyone reading this piece really interested if I’m at home folding laundry on the couch while a pot of pasta boils away on the stove?

News casts and news Web sites cover stories about which Hollywood phony just checked into rehab for the sixth time.

It seems as if there are just as many sports stories about athletes under arrest, billionaire owners fighting with millionaire players over money, and PED scandals as there are about game summaries and divisional races.

All the while, society continues to focus on obtaining the best and latest of everything.

Magazines and TV shows preach the value of beauty and the scourge of growing old. And God forbid you’re a few pounds on the heavy side.

Morgan Spurlock once said that other societies value their elders while we hide and shun ours.

He’s right.

Perhaps one day, we as a society will extract our priorities from our backsides and learn the lessons we all need to know.

I can think of two people who already have.

Here’s wishing I never forget that lesson, and, more importantly, from whom I learned it.

Tiger Or Federer: Who's Had The More Difficult Path to Grand Slam Glory?

Steve Auger — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:16:33 -0400

When Tiger Woods steps on the tee Thursday morning at Bethpage Black in the first round of the U.S. Open, he’ll continue his long running stare-down with history.

Given Woods’ career accomplishments and commitment to excellence, many expect history to eventually blink first.

The last time Bethpage Black hosted the U.S. Open was in 2002. When the tournament dust settled, Woods hoisted the championship hardware.

It was his second of three Open victories.

If Woods can turn the trick again this Sunday, he’ll capture his 15^th major and move within three of tying Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18.

But somewhat lost in the shuffle will be the friendly competition Woods and his good buddy Roger Federer are currently waging.

The consistent level of domination displayed by both Woods and Federer begs the question: Who’s had the more challenging time accumulating his major championship trophies?

The obvious answer is Federer. But before detailing why, lets’ delve into the characteristics both players share that make them so dominant.

Both men are in hot pursuit of the all-time major championships records for their respective sports. Adding even more intrigue to the chase is that Woods and Federer just so happen to be locked in a dead heat with 14 trophies each.

After tying the legendary Pete Sampras for the all-time lead with his first French Open crown a few weeks ago, Federer is in a position to unseat Sampras at the very site where Sampras played his most dominant tennis, Wimbledon.

Tennis and golf each require incredible shot making skills under the most crushing pressure. Such a feat is not accomplished without extreme mental focus.

It’s the type of focus that let’s Woods sink a putt on the 18^th hole in the 2008 U.S. Open to force an 18-hole playoff the next day. It’s also the same focus that let’s Federer rally from a two set deficit in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open.

Each man thrives on being the absolute best at his sport.

But that’s where the comparisons end.

Strictly from a physical stand point, tennis is the far more demanding sport.

Tennis players must have supreme conditioning to run around a court for anywhere from three to five hours in some matches.

When it comes to the fifth set of the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon, there is no tie-breaker and the victor must win the set by two games. Those sets in themselves can be endless marathons.

What tennis fan can forget Andy Roddick beating Younes El Anaoui, 21-19, in the fifth set of the 2003 Australian Open quarterfinals? The entire set lasted two hours and 23 minutes.

Golfers, on the other hand, walk the course. Let me repeat that. They walk the course. Did I mention they don’t even carry their own bags?

Sure, there are plenty of summer time tournaments in which golfers will be out on the course in searing heat for hours at a time. But what’s more exhausting, walking around Torrey Pines on a hot summer day or running around Ashe Stadium for over three hours on Labor Day at the U.S. Open?

What’s more, how many golfers need to add Jenny Craig to their payrolls? A lot. Try being a fat guy on the ATP Tour. Aint happening.

When players such as John Daly, Angel Cabrera and Phil Mickelson (20 pounds ago) can all win major championships while at the same time needing Frank Costanza to size them for a “manssiere”, that tells you all you need to know about the necessary fitness level for golf.

This is not to say Woods isn’t in shape. The man is a physical specimen, but that is by choice. Does it help Woods win? Absolutely. Being in tip top shape is a necessity for Federer.

The window tennis players have to compete at the required level to challenge for championships is significantly smaller than golfers.

A tennis player enters his or her prime in their mid twenties. A golfer reaches his or her prime in their early thirties.

Federer, who turns 28 in early August, has won at least one Grand Slam every year since 2003. It’s taken him seven years to amass 14 titles.

Given his age, along with the rise of younger studs like Nadal, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic, Federer realistically has a few more years to compete at the highest level.

Woods, 33, captured his first major at the 1997 Masters. Since then, he’s collected his 14 majors over 13 seasons.

Vijay Singh won the 2000 Masters at age 37 and was triumphant at the 2004 PGA Championship at age 41. Will it really come as a shock if Woods is still winning majors at age 41?

To win in either sport, any champion must be mentally tough.

A golfer, assuming he or she cards a typical round, will hit between 65-75 shots during a round. Therefore, strokes take place every few minutes.

In tennis, players regularly engage in rallies of 20-30 strokes over the span of a minute.

The focus required by a tennis player is that much more intense over a longer period of time. Throw in the physical fatigue resulting from hours on court and focus is that much harder to maintain.

Given the frequency differential of shots between the sports, golfers almost always have several minutes of rest between shots. Tennis players have 25 seconds of rest between points and 90 seconds of rest on change-overs.

Golfers play four rounds in major tournaments. Tennis players must endure seven rounds in Grand Slams.

It’s possible in golf to have a lousy first round, shoot a great round the second day, and live to see the weekend. If a tennis player has a stinker of a first round, he or she is collecting the first round loser’s check and making an early airline reservation.

Perhaps the biggest argument in support of golf is the number of opponents a golfer must best in each tourney. Tennis players only have to defeat the seven players placed in their path to capture a Grand Slam. Golf majors often have fields of over 100 players—this year’s U.S. Open has 157 entrants.

But here’s why that argument doesn’t hold water.

Competitors in both sports certainly have to deal with the intimidation factor, whether it is being paired with Woods on the Sunday of a major or looking across the net of a grass court and seeing Federer. Sometimes a player is beaten before the match or round even begins.

However, golfers have no direct effect on their opponents’ shots. None. Nada. Zip.

If Woods bombs a 337 yard drive in the center of the fairway on a par-5, Mickelson can’t walk over to the ball and kick it into the high rough.

In tennis, players have a chance to dictate the outcome on almost every single point played.

During the upcoming Wimbledon, watch how many times Federer and Roddick win their service games at love simply because their opponent couldn’t handle the power of their serves. Same thing went for Pete Sampras. Pistol Pete had more than his share of love games on the grass resulting from a combination of aces and service winners.

When Woods is struggling to find his game, he only has to right his own ship. When Federer can’t get into his usual groove, not only must he rediscover his stroke, but he also has to solve the onslaught from the guy on the other side of the court.

The bottom line is that when Woods and Federer are both playing at their peak, both men are nearly impossible to beat. When Woods is in a zone, the other golfers are playing for second place. They can only try to keep up.

When Federer is on top of his game, his opponent still has a chance to win points on his own serve and he gets shot after shot to dent Federer’s serve.

Ironically enough, whether Woods wins the U.S. Open or not, the day after the last putt falls at Bethpage, the first balls will be served at Wimbledon.

As for his side competition with Woods? It will literally be Federer’s serve.

But no matter how both combatants fare, one thing is for sure. Federer’s rise to the top has been the far more challenging ascent.

Kobe, the NBA Finals, and Other Thoughts from Around the Sports World

Steve Auger — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:13:00 -0400

The next cab driver I meet that’s as friendly as the cabbie in the Heineken “let a stranger drive you home” commercial will be the first cab driver I meet that’s friendly.

With Nadal out at the French Open, opportunity didn’t just knock on Roger Federer’s door. It kicked the door down. If Federer can capture the trophy at Roland Garros, he’ll tie Pete Sampras for the all-time lead with 14 Grand Slam titles. And he’d do it by winning his first French crown, the only Grand Slam to elude Sampras. How would that be for irony?

Who do you think has grown more tired of discussing his struggles this season, David Ortiz or Dale Earnhardt, Jr.? Both MLB and NASCAR are one third of the way through their schedules and the season probably can’t end soon enough for both stars.

Speaking of Ortiz, now that he’s a shell of his former self, and old teammate Manny Ramirez is under the employ of the Dodgers, is there a better 3-4 combination in all of baseball than Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez?

If Shaquille O’Neal wants to stay ahead of former teammate (and nemesis) Kobe Bryant in the championship ring count, he needs his former coach (and nemesis) Stan Van Gundy and the rest of the Orlando Magic to continue their playoff run. Does this define the adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”

With all due respect to Darrell Waltrip’s accomplishments behind the wheel, the phrase “Boogity, Boogity, Boogity” doesn’t belong in the English language. And NASCAR wonders why its ratings are dropping?

Charles Barkley once said he’s not a role model. Maybe The Chuckster and every professional athlete out there don’t want to be role models. But the fact of the matter is, they all are thrust into that position, unfairly or not.

As the face of the NBA for the next decade, would it really have been that hard for LeBron James to slap Dwight Howard on the back and then walk off the court?

Andy Roddick, much like his compatriot Pete Sampras, is destined to always struggle at the French Open. His game just doesn’t translate to the red dirt. But at least Roddick shook hands with Gael Monfils despite the Frenchman’s antics during their match.

Which team receives less credit for being a dynasty, the San Antonio Spurs and their four titles over nine seasons or the Detroit Red Wings and their soon-to-be five titles over 12 seasons?

While no horse can win The Triple Crown this year, jockey Calvin Borel has a chance to saddle up on all three winners when he rides Mine That Bird in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.

In a sport that conjures up images of old men at the track pouring over a racing form while puffing away on a fat stogie, Borel provides some unexpected intrigue come post time on Saturday.

With all due respect to Matt Hasselbeck, was he the best NFL quarterback EAS could get to peddle their Myoplex protein drink? Matt Hasselbeck? Seriously?

Here’s Rutgers’ non-conference schedule for the upcoming football season: at home versus Howard, Florida International, and Texas Southern. On the road against Maryland and Army. That’s embarrassing. Did their athletic department sign an endorsement deal with Hostess? Sounds like Greg Schiano is worried about bowl eligibility.

In 49 games with the Red Sox last season, Jason Bay hit nine home runs, had 37 RBIs, batted .293, and had an OPS of .897. Through 50 games this season, Bay has blasted 15 home runs, knocked in 49, is hitting .288, and has an OPS of 1.042.

Throw in great defense, no mysterious injuries, and the lack of locker room issues, and Bay has fit in quite well in Boston. Red Sox fans, repeat after me: Manny who?

As I type this, a Brett Favre Wrangler Jeans commercial is airing. He just won’t go away.

The Boston Herald is reporting that Patriots’ safety Rodney Harrison will announce his retirement on Wednesday and join NBC’s broadcast team for the upcoming season. Harrison was suspended in 2007 for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy for using Human Growth Hormone, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

Given the outrage in baseball over PED usage, one has to wonder if Harrison would be welcomed into the announcers’ booth so quickly if he was putting away his bats and glove?

Hopefully the Astana team will straighten out their finances in time for Lance Armstrong to ride in the 2009 Tour de France. Was there anything more fun in the month of July for seven straight years than seeing the French squirm as Armstrong dominated their bike race? Come on, Lance. You look so good in yellow. Be the Ugly American one more time!

Attention Buckeyes, attention. If you want to stop the big-game bashing, then man up and beat USC on Sept. 12. The Trojans are breaking in a new QB and have a totally revamped defense. Plus, you’ve got them at the Horse Shoe. Same goes for you, Notre Dame.

NBA Finals predictions:

· Kobe Bryant has at least one game in which he takes more free throws than the entire Orlando team.

· Jack Nicholson will make a court side spectacle of himself because, well, that’s what he does.

· Dwight Howard will pick up two cheap fouls in the first quarter of Game One in order to set the tone.

· If there’s a Game Seven, Bennett Salvatore will be part of the officiating crew. Right, Commissioner Stern?

· Kobe will be at his absolute best when it comes to complaining to the refs.

· LA will win in six.

· The Lakers will vote the Memphis Grizzlies’ front office a ring and a full playoff share for gift wrapping Pau Gasol last season.

· The day after the championship parade, Kobe will announce he’s changing his jersey number (again), refuse to sign any No. 24 jerseys for fans, and swear it’s not about the money.

David Ortiz Reminds Us Why Sports Matter

Steve Auger — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:04:25 -0400

There’s an Aerosmith song that begins with the lyrics, “There’s something wrong with the world today...”

Never before have truer words been spoken.

The United States is caught in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Millions of people are jobless. The Fed expects the unemployment rate to reach a staggering 9.6 percent.

Far too many families have lost or are losing their homes.

Seniors, on the verge of retirement, have seen their nest eggs vanish in the stock market. They are now left to ponder how they’ll survive the rest of their days.

Sports, now more than ever, are so crucial to so many.

They provide an escape, if only for a few hours, from the constant strain of daily life.

Sports have always had a way of returning grownups to their youth.

In their simplest form, sports are a metaphor for so many of society’s good traits: Teamwork. Striving for a common goal. Hard work. Loyalty. Respect. Sportsmanship.

Fans beam with pride over their teams’ accomplishments, and they suffer on the inside with their teams’ failures.

Athletes are heroes to many a sports fan, young and old.

For Boston Red Sox fans, there has been no bigger hero this decade, and in some cases, ever, than David Ortiz.

To Red Sox Nation, Ortiz is more than just a power hitter. He’s been a main cog in Boston’s offense for the past six seasons. He’s feasted on Yankee pitching to no end at the mere sight of the pinstripes. He has an uncanny knack for delivering in the clutch time and time again.

Ask any Sox fan, and he or she will tell you no game is out of reach for Boston if Ortiz is due up in the ninth.

Ortiz has collected 16 walk-off hits in over six-plus seasons with the Red Sox. Ten of those hits left the yard.

Three of those game-enders happened in the 2004 playoffs. Of those three, two came in Games Four and Five of the ALCS, as Boston stared down the barrel of elimination against their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees.

Ortiz is a baseball god who helped lift a long-suffering fanbase to never before imagined heights, all while carrying the hopes and dreams of Red Sox Nation on his broad shoulders.

But mostly, David Ortiz is our guy. He’s one of us.

Make no mistake—the sports world has had its share of maladies, too.

O.J. Simpson now sits in a jail cell where he could very well spend the remainder of his life.

Michael Vick, a hero of many of a youngster, was just released from prison.

Other athletes, such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, armed with egos and arrogance levels exceeded in size only by the financial figures associated with bailout funds, are practically daring the federal government to incarcerate them.

Alex Rodriguez, an admitted PED user, returned to a hero’s welcome from Yankee fans. While all may be well again in the Bronx, A-Rod’s legacy is permanently tarnished.

Another hitting savant, Manny Ramirez, currently serves a 50-game suspension for testing positive for PEDs.

If that isn’t enough, during the offseason, Ramirez and his agent, Scott Boras—perhaps the most despised agent in all of sports—scoffed at a contract offer that exceeded eight figures per year.

They felt insulted. Poor babies. Try telling that to the millions of people currently collecting unemployment checks and scraping by to pay the mortgage and put food on the table.

Matt Jones of the Jacksonville Jaguars was busted on cocaine possession. An NFL player who has the world by the throat, and he’s messing around with cocaine. Yes, cocaine.

Buffalo Bills fans are now embracing the arrival of Terrell Owens.

Sure, T.O. is saying all the right things. But like he did in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas, he’ll act up. Owens will open his enormous pie hole and transform into the locker room disturbance he excels at being. Maybe we’ll be treated to some shirtless sit-ups in his driveway again as his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, justifies his behavior.

The list of sporting knuckleheads is endless.

Yes, there’s plenty wrong with the sports world. But there’s an abundance right about it too.

Enter, David Ortiz.

Throughout baseball circles and to fans everywhere, Ortiz is known as "Big Papi."

He’s the type of player that Boston fans feel like they know, even though very few of them ever will.

But his struggles at the plate this season have been well documented.

Entering Wednesday night’s game against Toronto, Ortiz was homerless on the season through 133 at-bats. That string stretched to 147 at-bats dating back to the end of the 2008 campaign.

Boston manager Terry Francona sat Ortiz for the entire series in Seattle last weekend, just to let him clear his head and hopefully get his mind right.

With each strikeout, groundout, or popup, Ortiz grimaced with disappointment and frustration.

So when Papi strode to the plate with one out in the fifth inning Wednesday night, the fans stood and roared, almost as if they could will their hero to go deep.

With a count of 1-1, Ortiz unleashed a mighty cut upon Toronto pitcher Brett Cecil’s offering.

As the ball ripped a path through the Boston night, fans instantly leaped from their seats, hands raised triumphantly, and cheered in unison.

The Fenway faithful watched as the ball landed in the camera well in straightaway center field, over 400 feet away. With one swing of the bat, the streak was over.

Ortiz, to his delight and that of his teammates and fans, had just crushed his first home run of the season. And if you know anything about the dimensions of Fenway Park, Big Papi was not cheated on that swing.

A British sports writer named Brian Glanville once wrote the following:

“That is why athletics are important. They demonstrate the scope of human possibility, which is unlimited. The inconceivable is conceived, and then it is accomplished.”

Given Ortiz’ history of late-game heroics, is there a quote more suitable for Papi than that?

Doubtful.

Will Wednesday night’s eruption restore the thunder in Ortiz’ mighty bat? Time will tell.

But, at least for one evening, a sports hero stood up to be counted. And in the process, he reminded us all why sports matter.

For Papi’s legion of fans, it wasn’t a moment too soon.

Beleaguered Sports Figures' Voice Mails: Leave a Message at the Beep...

Steve Auger — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:42:53 -0400

In today’s world, where technology seems to improve by the time your lunch break ends, it is easier than ever to screen a phone call.

We have voice mail, caller ID, a roommate willing to tell a little white lie, and I think there are even a few dozen answering machines still in operation.

Thanks to the Internet, we now get our news instantaneously.

With 24/7 news coverage comes an over saturation of some topics, and, some people.

Here’s a list of five sports figures who have had their share of troubles dissected far beyond anything they ever imagined.

We here at the Bleacher Report attempted to contact all five subjects for this article. Alas, we only reached their voice mails. The following transcripts are verbatim:

David Ortiz

Hey, this is Big Papi’s voicemail. I can’ take your call right now because I’m takin’ extra BP.

If you’re calling about my home-run slump, trust me man, I’m gonna hit.

I know I’ve gone 116 at-bats without a jack and it’s frustrating me more than anyone. I know my teammates need me to deliver. You think Tito bats me third in the lineup for no reason?

I’ll tell you, people have short memories. There’s a reason I’m one of the most feared hitters in the game.

I’m the guy that in six seasons since ’03 has hit 231 home runs. That’s 38.5 a year.

I’m the guy that’s also knocked in 731 runs in that same time. That’s 122 a year.

Don’t think I’m just a power hitter though. In three of those six seasons, I hit .300 or better.

Sure I slumped last year, but I missed 53 games and I struggled most of the year with a wrist injury. You try catching up to a 94 mph heater with a bum wrist.

And yeah, I hear a lot of people are saying I can’t hit anymore without Manny behind me in the lineup. You ever hear of Kevin Youkilis?

Youk finished third in the American league MVP voting last year. Now he’s batting clean-up for us.

We got Jason Bay, too. And he’s killin’ the ball, so forget about that protection stuff.

Trust me, man. I’m gonna hit. And when I do, I’m gonna see that ball like it’s a softball.

I’m only 33. I’m not done yet.

Anyone else have a plaque at Fenway Park praising them as the most clutch hitter in Red Sox history? Didn’t think so. Not bad company considering guys like Teddy Ballgame, Yaz, and Jimmie Foxx played for the Sox.

So leave me a message and I’ll get back to you. Unless you’re calling with hitting advice. If you are, get a life!

...beeeeeeeeepp!

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Hey, this is Junior. Me and the boys are out on the track runnin’ laps and workin’ on pit stops.

If y’all are callin’ to tell me I gotta drop Tony Jr. as my crew chief, you can forget it. Man, he’s family. Would you fire your cousin?

Look, Rick owns the company. If he wants to make a change, well, I might not have a choice. But if y’all think he’s gonna make that change without talkin’ to me about it, y’all are crazy.

Trust me man, I don’t need another reminder that I haven’t won in 32 races.

I know I’ve been to victory lane once in the last 109 races, and before that, I went 76 races without a win.

The critics say my win last year at Michigan was a fuel mileage gamble. Jimmie did the same thing during another race last season, yet he was brilliant, whereas I was lucky. Whatever, man!

Hey, I ain't my dad. You think it’s easy racin’ in his shadow?

I want to win for my fans, Tony Jr., my crew, and Rick more than anyone.

We got the best equipment in the business and I know it’s gonna happen. So y’all just be patient.

Anyway, if you’re callin’ about something other than racin’, leave me a message. If not, get a life!

...beeeeeeeeepp!

Roger Federer

Hello, this is Roger. Can’t come to the phone right now because I’m out back on the practice court.

If you’re calling with advice on how to rediscover my game, let me just remind you of a few items.

Since ’03, I’ve won 13 grand slam titles. One more, and I tie Pete Sampras for the all-time record. You do remember Sampras, don’t you? Greek guy. Wicked serve. Yeah, he could play a bit.

I won five straight Wimbledons from ’03 to ’07.

I won five straight U.S. Opens ’04 to ’08.

And I’ve won the Australian Open three times.

Sure, I haven’t won the French, but I’ve lost in the finals three straight years to Nadal, who’s a human buzz saw on clay. Playing Nadal on clay is like being France’s military in a war...you have no shot!

I’ve advanced to the semifinals of the last 19 grand slam tournaments. That’s right, 19 in a row!

Last time I lost in the first round of a grand slam was the ‘03 French.

In ’04, ’06, and ’07, I won three of the four grand slams. And in ’06 and ’07, I lost in the French final.

I held the No. 1 world ranking for 237 weeks. That’s fourth best in men’s history.

I first obtained the No. 1 ranking on Feb. 2, 2004 and I held it straight until Aug. 18, 2008. That’s four and a half straight years.

I’m only 27. I’ve got a few dominating years left. Hell, Agassi made the U.S. Open final at age 35.

Is Nadal in my head a little bit? Probably, but have you seen the guy play? He’s got a stronger will than Rocky!

I just find it amazing that given how much I dominated my sport for five years, people now treat me like I’m some scrub on the Challenger’s Circuit.

Bottom line is I am going to break Pete’s record. And with Wimbledon and the U.S. Open around the corner, I might even do it this year.

So leave me a message and I’ll call you back when I get off the court. Unless you’re calling with match advice. I’ve forgotten more about tennis than you’ll ever know. Get a life!

...beeeeeeeeepp!

Charlie Weis

Hey this is Charlie. Sorry I can’t take your call right now, but I’m out recruiting blue chippers as I try to satisfy the completely ridiculous and unrealistic expectations of Domer fans everywhere.

I’m not sure which set of fans is worse: The ones who actually went to Notre Dame or all the losers who root for us for the same reason other fans bases root for the Yankees, the Lakers, and the Cowboys.

I’m starting to think Lisa Horne was right. Notre Dame fans are delusional.

Look, my first two seasons here, we earned BCS bowl bids. Of course, we lost those two games by an average score of 38-17. And then there’s the little fact that we made those games with the players Ty Willingham recruited.

Up until we slaughtered Hawaii this year, Notre Dame fans everywhere were constantly reminded about our nine game bowl winless streak that started back in 1994.

And during the losing streak, we were never close. Lost those games by an average score of 35-17. But that began long before I started cashing Irish checks.

Speaking of, I know my contract is a sore spot for a lot of folks. Took me only seven games to get it extended through 2015. But hey, if your boss wants to throw a ton of dough at you, how many people are going to turn it down? That’s right, none!

I know, I know, the last two seasons haven’t been ones for the history books.

In ’07, we became the first ND team to lose nine games and we’re the first squad to drop 15 games over a two year stretch.

And I can certainly understand how some of you are upset that last year we lost on Senior Day to Syracuse. Well let me tell you, those guys were good. Easy to see how the Orange managed 10 total wins in four years.

My biggest problem is I’m recruiting against schools like USC, Texas, Florida and LSU. Kids want to go to those schools, not South Bend.

The last time ND won the national championship in 1988, today’s high school seniors weren’t even born. Notre Dame doesn’t mean anything to the blue chippers I need to win big.

But look, we should be a lot better this year. After all, Syracuse isn’t on the schedule.

Leave a message. Or get a life.

...beeeeeeeeepp!

Alex Rodriguez

‘Hey, this is A-Rod’…nah, that’s no good.

‘Hello, this is Alex’…I don’t like that one.

‘A-Rod here’…nah, too abrasive.

‘This is A-Rod in the Boogeydown’…nope.

‘A-Rod in the BX here’…no, too nerdy. Man, I can’t believe how hard it is to make a voice mail message that everyone will like.

‘A-Rod’s voice mail’…no, that screams tool.

‘This is Mr. May’…wait, I hit in October, too.

Hhhmmm…I wonder what Jeter’s voice mail sounds like? Maybe I should call him. Oh that’s right, he refused to give me his cell number.

I don’t know why he’s hacked. He isn’t even the best shortstop on the team. What an ego! Who does Jeter think he is, me?

Maybe I should ask Selena what she thinks? Might be a good way to make peace with her and get her to like me.

‘An A-Bomb for A-Rod’…nah, that’s taken.

‘Bostons^cks!’…oh wait, I forgot about 2004. I’ll just go with the old standby.

‘Hi, you’ve reached the voice mail of Alex Rodri...’ ...beeeeeeeeepp!

College Basketball Bailout: Restoring the Kentucky Wildcats

Steve Auger — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:10:02 -0400

This is the second part in a series designed to examine high-profile college basketball programs that are in need of a bailout. The first part of this series looked at the Arizona Wildcats.

For a team that didn't even make this year's NCAA tournament, the Kentucky Wildcats received as much, if not more, coverage during and after the tournament than the recently crowned national champion North Carolina Tar Heels.

That's what happens when you're Kentucky and you hire John Calipari as the new men’s basketball coach.

In 1998, Kentucky, under first-year head coach Tubby Smith, ascended to the top of the college basketball world by winning their seventh national championship.

But the problem for many in the Bluegrass State is the Wildcats haven’t been back.

Since the last banner-hanging ceremony, Kentucky has advanced to five Sweet 16s and three Elite Eights.

They’ve captured four regular season SEC titles, along with four SEC Tournament championships.

In that time frame, eight Kentucky players—Kelenna Azubuike, Keith Bogans, Joe Crawford, Chuck Hayes, Jamaal Magloire, Randolph Morris, Tayshaun Prince, and Rajon Rondo—have all cashed NBA paychecks.

Current players Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson have both declared for this year’s NBA Draft. To date, neither player has hired an agent; therefore, both are eligible to return to school.

Certainly, most programs in the country would be thrilled to have Kentucky’s résumé of the past 11 years.

Most programs aren’t Kentucky, though.

During Smith’s nine seasons as coach, Kentucky was always good, but rarely great.

When Smith appeared to have the makings of a great team, they faltered.

After winning the SEC regular season and tournament championships and earning a No. 2 seed in the 2000-01 tournament, the Wildcats lost in the round of 16.

Two years later, Kentucky again won the SEC regular season and tournament titles and earned a No. 1 seed. But they bowed out in the Elite Eight.

The next season, the Wildcats once again were a No. 1 seed; however, they were upended in the second round of the tournament.

Smith departed Lexington after the 2006-07 season, which led to Billy Gillispie’s hiring.

Under Gillispie, Kentucky made the NCAA tournament as a mere No. 11 seed his first year and missed the tournament altogether in his second, and last, season.

That was the first time Kentucky failed to make the NCAA tournament since 1991, when the school was on probation.

So, what’s in the bailout package for the ‘Cats?

Kentucky is synonymous with college basketball excellence. A program with the Wildcats’ pedigree needs a head coach with just as much panache.

Athletic director Mitch Barnhart certainly found his man in Calipari.

Calipari would be comfortable shaking hands and kissing babies whether he’s coaching in Rupp Arena or running for Mayor of Lexington. At Kentucky, the head coach needs to be part coach, part politician, and part schmoozer.

The last big name head coach of the Wildcats was Rick Pitino. Calipari brings as much flair with almost as impressive a résumé as the former Kentucky, and current Louisville, coach.

In college basketball, no matter how well the head man can "X" and "O", if a coach can’t recruit worth a lick, he’s not long for his job.

Exhale Wildcat fans, because if there is one thing Calipari was put on this Earth to do, it is recruit.

A scan of the Memphis rosters for this decade reads like a who’s who of college basketball: Tyreke Evans, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, Darius Washington, Jr., Rodney Carney, and Dajuan Wagner all suited up for the Tigers. Kendrick Perkins and Amar'e Stoudemire committed to Memphis, but entered the NBA Draft instead.

Prior to departing Memphis for Kentucky, Calipari had lined up one of the top recruiting classes in the country, headlined by Xavier Henry and DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins followed Cal to Kentucky, but Henry opted to sign with Kansas.

When Cal was at UMass, he landed such studs as Marcus Camby, Donta Bright, and Lou Roe.

Simply put, Calipari could sell sand to a desert country, so recruiting kids with NBA talent to a school like Kentucky should be the least of his challenges.

Calipari’s first Kentucky recruiting class consists of Cousins, center Daniel Orton, small forward Darnell Dodson, and shooting guard Jon Hood.

Dodson, from Miami-Dade Community College, is a former Memphis recruit who also followed Calipari to Kentucky. Orton and Hood previously committed under Gillispie.

According to Rivals.com, Cousins and Orton are five-star recruits, while Dodson and Hood are four-stars.

Perhaps Calipari’s most challenging recruiting sales pitch will be directed at Patterson and Meeks.

Both have some NBA skills; however, one more year of college basketball certainly couldn’t hurt either player. Neither Meeks nor Patterson is a lock for the first round of the draft.

Meeks is a junior, while Patterson is a sophomore. Should both players choose to come back, Calipari would have the necessary upperclassman leadership his band of newcomers will need.

In order to shore up the backcourt, Calipari is involved with two of the top remaining uncommitted point guards in the country.

John Wall of North Carolina and Eric Bledsoe of Alabama are both five-star recruits, and each has Kentucky on his list of schools.

Wall is Rivals’ No. 1 ranked recruit in the country, while Bledsoe checks in at No. 23.

If Calipari can ink one of those floor generals to go along with his current class, and if either Meeks or Patterson or both return to school, Kentucky will surely be ranked in the preseason polls. A return trip to the NCAA tournament would be inevitable.

Of even greater importance than securing the current recruiting class is to make inroads with the 2010 class.

Rivals.com currently shows no 2010 prospects committed to the Wildcats.

In all probability, Kentucky will suffer heavy NBA defections at the end of the 2009-2010 season, should Patterson return and if Wall commits. Meeks (if he returns) will be a senior, and Cousins is surely a one-and-done candidate.

Having a talented roster is great. Beating other talented teams is what really generates enthusiasm in a program.

The Wildcats will have some excellent opportunities to do so next season. Three of those chances come in the out-of-conference slate.

Kentucky and Connecticut are set to square off in the SEC-Big East Invitational at Madison Square Garden in December, in what is sure to be a big-time clash between two coaches with enormous egos.

Dating back to Calipari’s days at UMass, it is safe to say that he and Jim Calhoun aren’t exchanging fruitcakes at Christmas every year.

The game is scheduled for Dec. 9. A win here thrusts Kentucky back into the national spotlight.

The Wildcats have played the North Carolina Tar Heels the past nine seasons and are scheduled to do so again next year when the Heels pay a visit to Lexington.

Kentucky won the first four matchups but has dropped the last five. What better way to reestablish relevancy than to defeat the defending national champions?

The biggest non-conference game of the year for the Wildcats will be when the Louisville Cardinals, led by former coach Rick Pitino, come calling.

Not only will this game be the yearly battle for state bragging rights, but, like he’ll do with Calhoun, Calipari will also renew hostilities with Pitino, the man who helped him land the UMass job.

Kentucky has won six of the past 10 meetings between these two schools, but they’ve been on the short end of the last two. Calipari would like nothing more than to reverse that trend at Pitino’s expense.

Calipari must also reestablish Kentucky’s dominance in the SEC.

The collapse of the Wildcats has coincided with the rise of the Florida Gators.

Though Florida is coming off two straight NIT appearances, the Gators did win back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.

Over the last 10 seasons, Kentucky leads the series with Florida, 12-10. But their record against the Gators in the past five years is only 3-8.

Florida is not the only SEC team doing damage in the league.

Tennessee, under the guidance of Bruce Pearl, has emerged as a conference power.

The two annual games with the Volunteers will also make for sideline drama as Pearl is yet another coach that has a rocky relationship with Calipari.

Will Kentucky once again become relevant in the college basketball world and return to its past glory?

Given Calipari’s ability to recruit, motivate, and coach, it’s only a matter of time before another national championship banner will hang from the Rupp Arena rafters.

Workout 101: Characters Encountered at the Gym

Steve Auger — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:19:23 -0400

If William Shakespeare was correct, and all the world is a stage, then your local health club might as well be Broadway.

I’ve belonged to the same gym for over nine years, and I’ve seen plenty of folks from all walks of life.

If you spend enough time in the gym, you’ll see a handful of different types of people flocking there daily. That’s not to say every member falls into one of those categories. The vast majority don’t.

Believe it or not, most individuals just go to get a good workout and do something healthy for themselves. Novel concept.

Before dissecting the different types of cooks one’s bound to encounter at the gym, let’s first define what exactly is a gym?

And let’s do it by stating what is not a gym.

A gym is not a hard core joint where bench pressing less than 300 pounds will result in the membership revocation.

A gym is not a place where Muffy and Buffy go for a very light workout with a $250/hour trainer. After which, the next three hours are spent on the massage table, receiving a pedi, and getting an exfoliating facial with cucumber wedges before heading home in time for Oprah.

Simply put, a gym is an establishment with all sorts of devices and machines designed to help one lead a more active, healthy lifestyle. It’s inhabited by men and women, young and old, singles and families.

You’ll find an assortment of free weights, weight machines, and all sorts of cardio machines.

Most gyms offer a variety of aerobics classes, too. If the building is big enough, you might even find a basketball court and/or a swimming pool.

Now that we’ve defined what a gym is, here’s a cast of characters that inhabits Any Gym, USA.

The Fat Guy Lifter

This is the guy who’s pre-workout meal consists of a half bag of potato chips—only a half bag; he’s watching his calories—washed down with two liters of Coke.

Needless to say, this man is big. But in the wrong sense.

Yes, he has big arms and a large upper body, but only in the manner that Dr. 90210 looks at him and sees a down payment for ocean front property.

In some cases, the Fat Guy Lifter can actually lift a lot. But, when you put enough mass behind anything, the object is going to move. That doesn’t mean he’s strong. Just don’t try telling him that.

Between sets, he tends to glare at you with a look that says “I know you’re in awe of me because of how much I can bench.”

In actuality, you’re really wishing he didn’t wear that tank top.

The typical Fat Guy Lifter is nothing more than a wanna-be Tough Guy. Speaking of…

The Tough Guy

Here we have the main staple of any gym.

Arrogance, thy name is Tough Guy.

Most Tough Guys march around the gym like they own the place.

You see, the primary objective of a Tough Guy is to let everyone else in the gym know there’s a Tough Guy working out.

How does one accomplish such a feat when there could be over a hundred people in the gym at once? Here are a few tricks of the Tough Guy trade.

Tough Guys often slam weights after each set. Most weight plates—free weights and machines—are made of steel, cast iron, or some heavy duty metal.

When you don’t re-rack them normally, they tend to make a lot of noise. A lot of noise.

In fact, slamming a loaded barbell on the floor after dead-lifting will echo throughout the entire building. Trust me. I’ve heard this from the opposite side of the gym far too many times.

Also, Tough Guys love to grunt. It completes them.

Due to strenuous exertion, a lot of people make some type of minor grunt when lifting heavy amounts of weight. Tough Guys take it to an extreme.

Some Tough Guys swear like drill sergeants. We’re talking the four-letter big boys.

And they swear loudly. At any time. In front of anyone. A true Tough Guy’s Tough Guy.

In addition, Tough Guys flock to Hot Chicks like buzzards to a corpse.

If you see a Hot Chick working out, there’s always a Tough Guy within earshot. Because naturally, she’s impressed by an F-Bomb after the Tough Guy has just curled 225 pounds for his 794th rep. Aren’t we all?

Lastly, if you have any questions about whether said character is a Tough Guy or not, here’s the ultimate litmus test.

Look to see if he suffers from I.L.S. (Invisible Lat Syndrome).

The sole symptom of I.L.S. is walking with your arms extended from your sides because your upper body is so big, it’s impossible for them to hang freely.

If you can diagnose a case of I.L.S., you’ve stumbled across a Grade ‘A’, 100-percent Tough Guy.

Steroid Freak

No gym is complete without a few Steroid Freaks.

Because after all, let’s face it. The point of working out isn’t about leading a healthy lifestyle. Not even close.

It’s all about how much you can lift and having the biggest arms, natural or otherwise, in the gym.

Here are a few telltale signs of Steroid Freaks.

Check the hairline. That’s not to say all bald guys are on steroids. Clearly, they aren’t.

But if one has a body that would make Vince McMahon throw a contract at him along with a hairline that’s shrinking faster than the stock market, sounds like X marks the spot.

Look at the chest. If it’s shaped like a round, wooden barrel that Friar Tuck used to imbibe a few spirits from, you’re in business.

There’s also the eye test.

If he’s 6’0” feet tall, works out on a regular basis, and isn’t a fat guy, he should probably be packing around anywhere from 170 to 190 pounds.

But if his frame is supporting around 230 pounds, he’s either a freak of nature (not out of the question) or he’s intimately familiar with needles. Probably the latter.

Another hint. Steroid Freaks tend to congregate together since they share the same habit.

Executive Social Butterflies

While most of the other characters listed here can be found at any time and any day, the peak time to catch Executive Social Butterflies occurs Mondays through Thursdays from 5-7 pm.

For the most part, Executive Social Butterflies head to the gym straight from the office, hence, the time frame mentioned above.

You’re probably wondering why they won’t be found at the gym on Friday evenings since most of the free world works on Friday.

Friday night is martini night with their other Executive Social Butterfly friends, therefore, the gym can wait until Monday.

Alone, an Executive Social Butterfly is harmless.

Combine him or her with two or three other Executive Social Butterflies, and now you’ve got a problem. For example:

You’re just about done with your workout. You have one machine left before you hit the treadmill for a half hour, and then you can call it a day.

But that last machine is occupied. Normally that isn’t a problem because of the gym etiquette most people observe. You’d have to wait a few minutes or the other person will let you work in with him or her.

If the machine is taken by an Executive Social Butterfly, well, “Houston, we have a problem.”

And the problem is this:

The Executive Social Butterfly will do a set. The rest period lasts about seven minutes while he or she chit-chats with the other Executive Social Butterflies standing around the machine.

“Boy Gene, tough day on Wall Street today.”

“Tell me about it, Stew. My stock options are totally in the tank. To make things worse, my BMW is in the shop. On top of that, Buffy told me last night that membership dues at the club are going up.”

“Wow, that’s too bad. Will you and Buffy still be able to afford the ocean front summer home on the Vineyard you’re building?”

“We closed last week. My yearly bonus, while down because of the economy, was still enough for us to buy it outright. Mortgages are for poor people.”

(The Executive Social Butterflies burst out in laughter as they’re oblivious to the economic plight of the rest of the nation.)

Blah blah blah blah blah. This moronic banter continues on and on about topics that the average person doesn’t care about and will never experience. The entire exchange takes approximately 11 minutes. Time for his second set.

Meanwhile, you’re fuming as you contemplate how a 25-pound weight plate would look planted upside each of their heads. You could’ve completed your four sets in the time he talked between his first and second set.

The Hot Chick

She is the female version of The Tough Guy.

While the typical Hot Chick doesn’t slam weights every time she finishes a set, she, like the Tough Guy, craves attention. Attention is her drug.

Hot Chicks manage to garner attention using other methods.

Now, let me issue the following disclaimer: There are attractive women (and men) every where you go, so why is the gym any different?

It isn’t, to a point.

What sets the Hot Chick apart from any other attractive woman working out is that she knows she’s hot, she knows that you know she’s hot, and she knows that you know that she knows she’s hot. And you bet she capitalizes on that.

First requirement of being a Hot Chick is she must be in phenomenal shape. Don’t worry. She will be.

Second, once she has ascertained said body, she’s obligated to show it off. Showing skin has been Hollywood’s secret for years, so why not adapt it to the gym?

The typical Hot Chick outfit involves a spandex sports bra as her top combined with spandex workout pants. This outfit allows for a good nine inches or more of abdominal and back reveal.

The goal of such an outfit is two-fold.

Most guys in the gym rubberneck and drool like babies when they see her and a lot of the other women in the gym glare at her like she’s a boyfriend-stealing hussy.

Just for the record, if you are a man or woman who works hard to stay in shape and wants to show off the fruits of your sweat, I’m all for it. I really am. More power to you. There are too many obese people in the USA as it is.

But just don’t think you’re smarter than the rest of us. You’re not. We know what you’re doing. We’re onto your game. Enjoy the attention you’re seeking.

The Naked Locker Room Guy

I understand that in locker rooms, you’re going to come across naked people. That’s the way it is. But quite honestly, some behavior is completely unacceptable. That being said, there are several ways to identify the Naked Locker Room Guy.

He’s usually a minimum 50 pounds overweight. The fatter, the better.

What’s more, he feels it necessary to parade to and from the shower area carrying his towel as opposed to wrapping it around the heaving pile of lard that protrudes from his waist.

When he returns to his locker after showering, he doesn’t hesitate to perform the straight-leg-bend-over in order to dry his feet. As if anyone else in the locker room ever wants any part of that sight. Come on buddy, cut it out.

He takes an inordinate amount of time to get dressed after his shower. This guy’s body is usually so bad that he’s the last one who should be standing there naked any longer than need be.

Every so often, two Naked Locker Room Guys will come across each other. This is a recipe for disaster.

They’ll stand there and have a conversation totally naked without making any effort at all to get dressed. Again, no one else in the locker room wants to see that. Believe it or not, it is possible to put your clothes on while communicating with another person at the same time.

Such behavior is intolerable and violators should be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

My dad once taught me that “it takes all kinds.” He’s right.

So the next time you come across a collection of Fat Guy Lifters, Tough Guys, Steroid Freaks, Executive Social Butterflies, Hot Chicks, and Naked Locker Room Guys, mind your surroundings. You’re probably at the gym.

Enjoy your workout. And feel free to laugh at the scenery.

Red Sox Review: Boston Struggles Out of the Gate

Steve Auger — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:20:42 -0400

Like he’s done countless times throughout his career with the Boston Red Sox, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield stepped up for his team yesterday with a nine-inning complete game victory over the Oakland Athletics, 8-2.

The win allowed Boston to salvage the three-game series with Oakland, and, more importantly, end their six-game road trip on a positive note.

To say Boston’s season hasn’t started as they hoped is a bit of an understatement.

The Red Sox currently sit at 3-6, having lost all three series they’ve played. But the schedule makers certainly didn’t do Boston any favors.

The Sox opened the season at home with a three-game series against the defending American League champion, the Tampa Bay Rays.

After winning the opener behind 10 strikeouts from ace Josh Beckett, Boston dropped the next two thanks to strong outings from Tampa starters Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza.

By contrast, Boston starters Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka weren’t effective. Many fans throughout baseball feel the Red Sox have one of, if not, the best starting rotations in either league, so the early pitching struggles come as a surprise.

After the Tampa series, the Sox caught a plane for the West Coast. Their first stop was in Anaheim to play the Los Angeles Angels.

When Boston arrived, the Angels were in a state of shock over the sudden and tragic death of their young pitcher, Nick Adenhart.

The Angels took two-of-three from Boston, including dealing Beckett his first loss of the season in the Sunday finale.

After two games against the A’s, Oakland wasn’t very hospitable to the Sox, either.

For the second straight outing, Lester was roughed as the A’s captured the first game, 8-2.

Things went from bad to worse for Boston when Matsuzaka took the hill in game two.

After his teammates staked him to a 3-0 first inning lead, the Japanese sensation promptly coughed that up by allowing Oakland to put a five-spot on the board in the bottom of the first.

That would be the only inning Matsuzaka pitched that night as he left due to a tired arm. The next day, Boston placed him on the 15-day DL.

Boston’s bullpen was forced to use six different pitchers over the next 10.2 innings of the 12-inning affair.

With the bullpen all but spent, Sox manager Terry Francona needed a long outing from Wakefield heading into the last game of the series.

Boston had lost six of their past seven and Wakefield knew his knuckleball could be the panacea that ailed the Sox.

So when Wakefield met up with Francona prior to the game, he told his skipper, “No matter what, don’t take me out.”

Once he took the hill, Francona had no reason to even consider that prospect, as he watched Wakefield no-hit the A’s through the first 7.1 innings of the game.

As masterful as Wakefield was, Boston maintained a slim 2-0 lead, thanks to a second-inning two-run homer by Mike Lowell.

That all changed in the top of the eighth when Boston erupted for six runs, highlighted by a three-run bomb by J.D. Drew.

Though he lost the no-hitter and allowed single runs in the eighth and ninth, Wakefield cruised home from there.

Who’s Hot

Kevin Youkilis

After Boston jettisoned disgruntled left fielder Manny Ramirez at the All-Star break last year, the big question surrounding the Boston lineup has been, "Who will bat cleanup?" Youkilis has answered that bell.

Coming off his best offensive season in the majors, Boston’s gold-glove first baseman is batting .472 with two homers and five RBI through nine games. He has 17 hits, including three doubles, and has scored eight runs.

Jason Bay

The man who came to Boston in the Ramirez deal has blended in perfectly. Bay is hitting .345 on the year and leads the team in slugging with a .724 mark.

Though he only has 10 hits through the first nine games, six of those hits—three doubles, a triple, and two home runs—have been for extra bases. He’s also second on the team with seven RBI. The Red Sox will need Bay to continue to be a run-producer in the middle of the lineup.

Ramon Ramirez

This right-handed reliever, acquired from Kansas City in exchange for Coco Crisp, was brought in to bolster the late-inning relief corps and help serve as a bridge to lights-out closer Jonathan Papelbon. So far, Ramirez has been all of that.

He’s pitched 5.2 innings in four appearances without surrendering a run. Opponents are hitting a minuscule .063 against the righty. Ramirez has walked a single batter while striking out four.

Who’s Not

Jon Lester

The 6’2” lefty has dropped both of his starts this season and currently sports an ERA of 9.00. He’s struck out 10 batters in 11 innings, however, opponents are batting a whopping .383 against him.

Lester has given up a total of 11 runs in those starts. Many prognosticators felt Lester would be a Cy Young candidate this season. While the year hasn’t started the way he’d like, Boston needs Lester to regain his form and help Beckett stabilize the top of the rotation.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

After pitching in the World Baseball Classic—much to the chagrin of the Red Sox—Matsuzaka hasn’t been the same. He surrendered three home runs to Tampa in his first start before lasting only one inning against Oakland and now finds himself on the DL.

Matsuzaka has an ERA of 12.79 and has walked five in only 6.1 innings of work. He’s allowed nine runs and has a team-worst .438 opponents’ batting average against.

David Ortiz

After a very un-Ortiz-like season last year in which he was plagued by injuries and missed 53 games, Big Papi has yet to get untracked.

Ortiz is batting only .176 and hasn’t hit a home run. Of his six hits, only one—a double in Wednesday’s game—has gone for extra bases. For Boston to compete in the loaded AL East, Ortiz must revert to the form that made him one of the most feared hitters in baseball since 2003.

Dustin Pedroia

After going deep in his first at-bat of the year, the reigning American League MVP has struggled at the plate.

Pedroia’s batting .179 with only seven hits. His lone RBI came on a home run.

Jacoby Ellsbury

Ellsbury’s struggles at the plate represent an enormous reason why Boston’s offense has sputtered so far.

Boston’s center fielder, he of the blazing speed, has yet to come around from the leadoff position. Ellsbury has seven hits on the year—none for extra bases.

For the Red Sox to really click offensively, Ellsbury must get on base and set the table for the rest of the order.

Who’s Next?

After an off-day on Thursday, Boston returns home to begin a nine-game homestand against Baltimore.

After four with the Orioles, Minnesota stops in for a quick two-game set before the hated Yankees arrive in Boston for a three-game showdown next weekend.

Boston currently sits dead last in their division. They’ve been an exceptional offensive team at Fenway Park the past six seasons. Maybe some home cooking will be what they need to wake up the bats.

While it’s still very early in the season, the Red Sox must play well on this homestand to extricate themselves from the cellar and remind the rest of the American League that they will have a say in which teams make the postseason.

This article, and others like it, can be found at The Sports Chat Place.

College Basketball Bailout: Restoring the Arizona Wildcats

Steve Auger — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:08:33 -0400

Unless you’ve been hibernating over the past year, it’s impossible to turn on CNN, log onto msnbc.com, or even open a newspaper—yes, they’re still printed everyday—without reading about the sinking ship that is the U.S. economy.

Job losses are in the millions and mounting. Storing retirement funds under your mattress or in a piggy bank is a safer option than 401Ks. Even Cubs fans are more optimistic than the average consumer.

President Obama and Congress have passed stimulus packages designed to get the economy moving again.

The stimulus packages provide bailouts for the banking industry, the housing market, and the automakers, that is, if those idiots stop flying private planes to Washington right before they stick both hands out and cry poor mouth.

There’s even a section in the stimulus package—the entire document being thousands of pages long—for college basketball.

A quick scan of the hardwood landscape reveals that some of the heavyweights of college hoops are in serious need of a bailout. Big time programs, including past national championship winners, are stuck in deep ruts. Extricating themselves from what seems like bottomless holes is proving to be no small task.

So let’s identify some of these troubled giants, starting with the Arizona Wildcats, and map out a return to glory.

For the 25th straight year, Arizona found its way into the NCAA tournament, much to the screaming and yelling of many that they didn’t deserve the bid and made it only on name reputation.

Since they were a No. 12 seed, it’s fair to suggest they were one of, if not the last, at-large teams selected.

Not only did they receive a bid, but they managed to win two games and advance to the Sweet 16 before being destroyed by Louisville, 103-64.

While their season was certainly filled with ups and downs, it’s hard to feel sorry for a team that counts Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, and Nic Wise in its starting lineup. But a closer look revealed some gigantic cracks in the foundation.

The past year has been anything but sunny in Tucson, despite the state’s excellent year-round weather.

After missing the previous season due to personal reasons, long time coach Lute Olson resigned this past October, but not before dismissing Kevin O’Neill, who coached the team in Olson’s absence. Russ Pennell was named interim coach for this year, even as the school conducted a search for his replacement.

Olson’s resignation cost the Wildcats their prized recruiting class of point guard Abdul Gaddy, wing guard Solomon Hill, and forward Mike Moser. Gaddy committed to Washington, Hill to Southern California, and Moser to UCLA. All three former recruits will now play against Arizona in Pac-10 games next season.

If that wasn’t enough, 7'0" freshman center Jeff Withey transferred to Kansas after one semester in the desert.

To make matters even more difficult, stud point guard recruit Brandon Jennings never made it to campus. When Jennings couldn’t qualify academically, he opted to play professionally in Europe.

Jennings could’ve joined super freshman Jerryd Bayless in the Arizona backcourt, but Bayless bolted for the NBA last season. Instead of harnessing his game, Bayless has only played in 51 games for Portland this year, while averaging a mere 4.4 points per contest.

Also hanging over the program is an NCAA investigation into possible recruiting violations committed on Olson’s watch.

The violations center around Olson asking donors to give money to support a recruiting event Arizona held at the McKale Center.

By NCAA rule, a school or coach can’t arrange financial assistance for the payment of a recruit’s expenses before said student enrolls at the university.

Arizona, national champs in 1997, has been the top program in the western time zone for the past two decades. So, what’s in the bailout package for the ‘Cats?

First, they need to hit a home run with their coaching hire. Stability starts at the top and a known commodity will re-establish instant credibility.

Enter Sean Miller of Xavier.

The 40-year-old Miller accepted the Wildcats head coaching job on Monday.

Miller coached at Xavier for five years. Four of those seasons resulted in NCAA tournament trips, including advancing to the Elite Eight last year.

The coaching search has been a tedious process for Arizona.

Last week, they were publicly turned down by Tim Floyd of USC. The list of candidates the school informally sought is even longer, according to Gary Parrish of cbssportsline.com

Under Olson’s reign, Arizona recruited nationally. Miller must have talented assistants who can convince high school players with NBA skills to be part of a rebuilding process. Tapping into the gold mine of California talent will be critical.

Due to the past uncertainty of the coaching position, Arizona is already behind in recruiting the 2010 class.

A handful of players in their recruiting area have already made verbal commitments to other schools. Among them are Tristan Thompson of Nevada and Daniel Bejarano of Phoenix (both to Texas), Jeremy Tyler of San Diego (Louisville), Patrick Simon of Washington (Washington State), Tyler Lamb of Santa Ana (UCLA), and Dwayne Polee of Los Angeles and Gary Franklin of Santa Ana (both to USC).

Current Wildcats Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger are NBA prospects and both are expected to leave after this season.

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News is reporting that Budinger will declare for the draft this week.

Given this current development, it will be imperative that Miller convinces senior-to-be Nic Wise to stay in school as opposed to turning pro, should Wise not desire to be part of a rebuilding process.

Sophomore Jamelle Horne (6.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) needs to continue to develop the way he has this season. Arizona has a history of athletic wing forwards. Horne needs to be the next one.

The Wildcats always play a tough non-conference schedule. Miller needs to continue that trend.

But it isn’t enough to just play high-profile teams in the non-conference slate. Arizona must win some of those games.

And a win against a big-time school next year, like the 84-67 hurting they put on Kansas this season, will go a long way to remind teams, and potential recruits, that they’re still Arizona.

Winning closer to home, specifically against in-state rival Arizona State and conference foe UCLA, will also go a long way to restore confidence in the program.

Herb Sendek arrived in Tempe to coach Arizona State three years ago. In the seven seasons prior to Sendek, the Wildcats posted a 13-1 record against the Sun Devils.

But Sendek has reversed that trend. He has a mark of 5-2 against Arizona, including five straight wins and a three-game sweep this season.

Ben Howland took over the coaching reigns at UCLA six seasons ago.

While Howland dropped his first four contests against Arizona, he has a mark of 8-1 since that time, including seven in a row over a three year span.

It should also be noted that Howland took the Bruins to three straight Final Four appearances. Arizona’s most recent Final Four run occurred during the 2001 campaign.

While at Xavier, Miller employed a style in which long, athletic players who can handle the ball, drive to the basket, and drain threes, thrived. His teams are also relentless on defense. That style should play well to a Wildcat fanbase that is used to seeing its team get up and down the court.

Returning Arizona to prominence won’t happen overnight. Fans need to be patient.

Miller must be granted at least a couple of recruiting cycles to employ the type of offense and defense he desires. In addition, some of the remaining Arizona players will need to improve their games.

While the task at hand will take time, Miller certainly appears to be a solid choice to restore the Arizona program to its past glory.

John Calipari, Softball, and the Business of Sports

Steve Auger — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:29:38 -0400

The same week that John Calipari left the empire he built in Memphis for the Camelot that is Kentucky, my softball team has its first practice for the upcoming season.

What does one have to do with the other? Simple.

They both serve as a reminder that sports, for better or for worse, have evolved into a business, and big sports have evolved into big business.

This will be my first season playing softball. A handful of my friends have been playing now for a few years.

The league is co-ed and games are every Sunday from mid-April until mid-August. That’s followed by the playoffs, if our team qualifies.

I have no idea how we’ll do, nor do I care.

We could lose a lot more than we win and that will be fine with me.

One thing I’m fairly certain of is at some point during the season, we’ll cross paths with that one guy who takes it way too seriously.

He’ll no doubt get hacked off when a play at the plate doesn’t go his way. And then he’ll talk smack and continue to act like a clown for the rest of the game. Maybe he’ll skip the postgame handshake too?

So why am I bothering to even play, you wonder?

Because, in their simplest form, sports are supposed to be fun.

That brings us back to John Calipari and the fanbases at Memphis and Kentucky.

For nine seasons, Coach Cal was a king in the city of Memphis. High praise considering another “king”—Elvis Presley—spent a fair amount of time there. Perhaps you’ve heard of Graceland?

Calipari resurrected Memphis from a program stuck in the mud to the elite-of-the-elite.

He won 252 games as coach of the Tigers. In the previous nine years, Memphis recorded all of 130 victories.

Over the past four seasons, Calipari really pushed the Tigers into high gear.

His teams set an NCAA record with 137 wins during that four-year stretch.

Memphis reached the Elite Eight twice, lost in the title game last season, and only made it to the Sweet 16 this year. Nothing to be ashamed of considering such programs as Kansas, Duke, and Syracuse also exited this year’s tournament in the round of 16.

For Tigers fans though, the last four seasons have been bliss.

Each time their hoops heroes took the court, a win seemed inevitable.

The confidence exuded by the fans and the players was exceeded by only that of their coach.

The Memphis Tigers, and their larger-than-life coach, had united a city.

The sport of college basketball in Memphis was exactly what it should be. Fun. It was a lot of fun.

On the other hand, 423 miles to the northeast of Memphis sits Lexington, KY, home of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Throughout the country, there are several states where college basketball is more than just a sport that starts in late fall and continues through, hopefully, the end of March.

Make no mistake. The Commonwealth of Kentucky is at the top of that list.

In this state, Indiana and North Carolina to name two others, college basketball is a religion. The offseason doesn’t exist. Not when there’s recruiting and transfers and scheduling to follow.

For the past decade, Kentucky has been caught in a slow descent from the top of the hill.

In 1998, Tubby Smith coached the ‘Cats to their second national championship in three years. The victory was also the third straight year Kentucky played for college hoops’ top prize. Only a loss to Arizona in 1997 prevented the Wildcats from pulling off the three-peat.

But that was then and this is now.

And since that time, the Wildcat faithful haven’t enjoyed the “now” all that much.

It’s probably fair to say that some Kentucky fans have been as blue as the Wildcats’ away uniforms.

Now before you get the wrong idea, Kentucky’s program hasn’t been in shambles by any stretch of the imagination.

Since the national championship in 1998, the Wildcats have advanced to the Sweet 16 five times and the Elite Eight three times.

They’ve won four regular season SEC championships and four SEC tournament championships.

During that stretch, the following Kentucky players have earned NBA paychecks: Kelenna Azubuike, Keith Bogans, Joe Crawford, Chuck Hayes, Jamal Magloire. Randolph Morris, Tayshaun Prince, and Rajon Rondo. Current players like Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks are certain to be taken when they eventually declare for the draft.

OK, so with results like that, where’s the slow decline?

Well that’s just it. A lot, if not most programs, would be satisfied with success like that.

But this is Kentucky and Kentucky measures success by Final Four visits and national championships.

So after 10 seasons, Tubby Smith departed for Minnesota.

Enter Billy Gillispie.

No mention of Gillispie’s tenure is warranted based on the fact that it only lasted two seasons. That should tell you how his job performance was gauged.

Desperate to "hit a grand slam" with a coaching hire that would restore Kentucky basketball to its rightful perch, athletic director Mitch Barnhart set his gaze upon John Calipari.

Memphis fans, confronted with the possibility of losing their coach, had to ponder why Cal would leave a program that has dominated the college basketball landscape for the past four seasons?

It made no sense.

Cal had money, prestige, success, and he was the biggest fish in the pond.

And, with a recruiting class that would make most coaches lick their lips set to arrive at the start of the next school year, Memphis’ reign was sure to continue.

No way Cal leaves for Kentucky. No way.

But just then, to the chagrin of one fanbase and the elation of another, the business of sports reared its ugly head.

This was Kentucky calling. The job Cal referred to as the "Notre Dame” of college basketball.

Kentucky is one of five jobs—North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, and Kansas being the others—that a coach just doesn’t say no to.

Calipari is one of the most polarizing figures in college basketball.

In a way, he’s just like Notre Dame Football. People either love him or hate him. Middle ground is not an option when it comes to an opinion of Coach Cal.

But this isn’t about trashing or defending Calipari.

When objectively looking at the option dropped square in his lap, how was he supposed to say no?

Put yourself in Calipari’s position, but within your current profession.

You aren’t just great at your job, you excel at it. Your company reaps the benefits of having you as one of its top employees.

And you are rewarded for your efforts. Handsomely.

But then, one of the giants of your industry approaches you with an offer. They ask you to perform the exact same job with the exact same results. Except do it at their offices and for their employees.

Name your price. Pick your benefits. Done and done.

By taking that offer, you’ll reach the top of your profession.

Don’t you almost have to say yes?

Sure, you’ll be leaving an already highly successful business. You currently have a very comfortable life. You don’t want for anything financially.

And maybe best of all, you’re viewed by the people around you as a savior who can do no wrong.

But alas, there’s no replacement for climbing the mountain and reaching the top of your industry.

That’s all Calipari did despite what Memphis fans wanted.

Like that, the nine years of college hoops fun stopped being fun and started being a business. Just like it always is.

And it’s not just college hoops, but all sports.

Johnny Damon and Roger Clemens, heroes to Red Sox fans everywhere, donned the laundry of the hated New York Yankees. And now they’re loathed. Forever.

Jerry Rice traveled across the bay to suit up for the Raiders. Is he no longer the San Francisco Treat?

Jason Giambi, while with Oakland, couldn’t beat the Yankees. So he joined them. Traitor.

Bill Parcels, former New York Giants coach, later held the same title for their arch rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Like Parcells said, you are what you are.

Fans of teams and members of those organizations all crave the same on-field success. But one group pays to see that success while the other group cashes a check because of it.

And therein lays the difference. The business of sports.

Some fans can’t understand the difference while some fans choose to ignore it.

Memphis fans will hopefully move on and embrace the new coach, whenever he’s hired.

And I’m sure I’ll run into that one jerk on the softball field.

At some point, I’m certain that I and all the Memphis fans will share the same thought. “This isn’t as much fun as it should be.”

Calipari’s Kentucky press conference took place on Wednesday, Apr. 1. No fooling.

The weather forecast in Memphis for that day called for sunny skies.

You’ll have to forgive Tigers’ fans if they only saw clouds on the horizon.

Midwest Regional Final Preview: Louisville Vs. MSU For a Spot In The Final Four

Steve Auger — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:40:51 -0400

Michigan State Spartans (30-6, 15-3 Big 10) vs. Louisville Cardinals (31-5, 16-2 Big East)

Sunday, Mar. 29, 2009 – 2:20 PM EST

The Midwest Regional final features the No. 2 seed, Michigan State, against the No. 1 seed, Louisville.

Louisville will attempt to become the third Big East team to reach the Final Four this year, joining conference foes Connecticut and Villanova. Standing in their way will be the Spartans, in what’s sure to be a game between two schools that value defense.

The Cardinals, as with all Rick Pitino teams, love to use pressure defense to harass teams into turnovers, which they cash into easy baskets. Louisville brings the pressure constantly in an effort to make their opponents feel it in their legs by the time the game draws to a close.

Michigan State, on the other hand, plays tough man-to-man defense. It seems like Tom Izzo’s kids start guarding their men during the pre-game lay-up lines.

Offensively, these teams are another story.

The more points for Louisville, the better.

The Cardinals never met a three-point shot they didn’t like. When your roster has players like Terrence Williams, Preston Knowles, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee, all of whom drain threes at better than 37.6 percent, it’s hard to argue with that strategy.

Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels join Williams to form one of the more athletic front lines in the entire nation. Clark and Williams are both rebounding machines, as they each haul down over 8.5 boards per contest.

The Spartans are a much more conservative offense. They lack the punch and explosiveness that Louisville possesses.

For Michigan State, Goran Suton, Delvon Roe and Raymar Morgan will need to score in the post, and battle the Cardinals on the back boards.

Guards Durrell Summers and Kailin Lucas both drain threes at better than 38 percent. They’ll both need to find the range from behind the arc, especially if the Cardinals are on from three.

The key to the game will be how well Lucas handles the Cardinals’ pressure. If he takes care of the basketball, and limits his turnovers, that will allow the Spartans to run their offense, and more importantly, keep Louisville out of transition.

Current line: Louisville -6.5

Michigan State is 18-12-1 against the spread, with a record of 3-2 as an underdog.

Louisville is 22-13 against the spread, with a record of 19-12 as the favorite.

Louisville can beat teams playing different styles of basketball. Michigan State can struggle to score. Tempo will be the key. If Michigan State can keep the game in the 60s, they have a chance.

Steve’s pick: Louisville -6.5

East Regional Final Preview: A Big East Brawl for a Spot in the Final Four

Steve Auger — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:07:54 -0400

Villanova Wildcats (29-7, 13-5 Big East) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (31-4, 15-3 Big East)

Saturday, Mar. 28, 2009 – 7:05 PM EST

The East Regional final features the No. 3 seed Villanova Wildcats against the No. 1 seed Pittsburgh Panthers.

For as dominant as the Big East has been all season, it’s only fitting that the league is guaranteed a Final Four berth when these two teams square off tonight in Boston.

Villanova and Pittsburgh met only once during the regular season, a 67-57 home victory for the Wildcats.

The Panthers led by five at the half, 31-26. But Villanova blitzed them in the second twenty minutes, 41-26, to pull away for the win.

Neither team shot well from the floor and they were both less than stellar from the free throw line.

The key to the game wasn’t so much what Villanova did well, but more what Pitt didn’t do well, specifically DeJuan Blair.

The Panthers big man spent most of the game in foul trouble.

Blair finished with only seven points, eight boards, and four fouls in just 20 minutes of game time.

Pitt’s offense, and defense, just isn’t the same without Blair clogging the lane on both ends of the court.

Sam Young (14 points, nine rebounds) and Levance Fields (11 points, four assists) played fairly well. They received help from teammate Bradley Wanamaker, who chipped in 13 points.

For the Wildcats, Reggie Redding had the big game (18 points, seven boards). Senior Dante Cunningham scored 15 and hauled down five caroms.

Scottie Reynolds scored 10 points in the win.

When these two old conference foes cross paths on the biggest stage tonight, the stakes will be much higher.

Pittsburgh will need the real DeJuan Blair to make an appearance.

Jay Wright is hoping that his guards will carve up the Pitt defense the way they destroyed Duke on Thursday night.

Current line: Pittsburgh -2.0

Villanova is 17-14 against the spread with a record of 5-4 as an underdog.

Pittsburgh is 16-12-1 against the spread with a record of 13-11 as the favorite.

Villanova has been playing as well as any team in the tournament. Pittsburgh has been redefining the phrase “survive and advance.”

Steve’s pick: Villanova +2.0

West Regional Final Preview: UConn Vs. Missouri for a Spot in the Final Four

Steve Auger — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:18:01 -0400

Missouri Tigers (31-6, 12-4 Big 12) vs. Connecticut Huskies (30-4, 15-3 Big East)

Saturday, Mar. 28, 2009 – 4:40 PM EST

The West Regional final features the No. 3 seed Missouri Tigers against the No. 1 seed Connecticut Huskies.

Both teams have played extremely well to reach this point in the tournament.

UConn hasn’t really been tested through any of its first three games.

Missouri continued to prove the doubters wrong by winning the battle of the Tigers as they hung 102 points on Memphis, one of the best, if not the best defensive teams in this year’s tournament.

Simply put, this game will be won by the team that can dictate its will on the other.

As the Tigers have shown all season, they aren’t adverse to make the game a 94-foot affair and working the scoreboard like a pinball machine.

Missouri’s constant pressure forces other teams’ guards into making quick decisions that lead to turnovers. The Tigers then capitalize on those turnovers by cashing in at the offensive end.

Depth is not a problem for the Tigers. They currently have nine players that average between 28 and 11 minutes per game.

Combined with that depth is leadership. The starting lineup consists of seniors DeMarre Carroll, Leo Lyons, and Matt Lawrence and juniors Zaire Taylor and J.T. Tiller.

The Tigers will also look to convert from three-point land as well. Carroll, Lyons, and Lawrence all shoot better than 38.5 percent on triples. Kim English is no slouch either at 37.3 percent.

While Missouri wants to play at 100 mph all the time, UConn doesn’t exactly prefer to play games in the 60s.

The Huskies also look to convert fast-break opportunities. And with guards like A.J. Price, Craig Austrie, and Kemba Walker, pushing the ball up-court isn’t a problem.

But when a team has the imposing front line that UConn does—Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and Stanley Robinson—punishing teams in the paint while running half court sets isn’t a bad alternative.

The difference maker for UConn on the defensive end is the 7’3” Thabeet. He’s a shot blocking machine at 4.4 bpg. As impressive as his block are, Thabeet’s mere presence alters so many more shots.

If Missouri is going to try and run the ball down UConn’s throat, the Huskies could do a lot worse than having Thabeet as the last line of defense.

If Thabeet can control the game from the defensive end, Missouri will be in for a long afternoon.

Current line: Connecticut -5.5

Missouri is 17-9-1 against the spread with a record of 3-2 as an underdog.

Connecticut is 15-14 against the spread with a record of 11-13 as the favorite.

At this point in the tournament, with a Final Four berth at stake, Missouri isn’t going away.

Steve’s pick: Missouri +5.5

Sun Sets on Devils as Orange Advances to Sweet 16

Steve Auger — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:38:18 -0400

For the first time since 2004, the Syracuse Orange has advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament with a 78-67 victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils.

The No. 3 seed Syracuse and the No. 6 seed Arizona State, both in the South Bracket, squared off in a game between two of the better zone defenses in all of college basketball.

Syracuse used their vaunted 2-3 zone to entice the Sun Devils into hoisting a barrage of three-point shots.

Arizona State normally attempts 19 threes per game. But on this day, they launched 35 shots from beyond the arc, connecting on 13, or 37.1 percent.

Rihards Kuksiks (6-of-13) and Ty Abbott (6-of-10) were both sensational, as they combined to sink 12 of the Devils’ 13 three-point attempts. Both players scored 20 points to lead the attack for ASU.

Not to be outdone, Syracuse was even better percentage-wise from behind the line.

The Orange, led by Eric Devendorf’s 21 points, including 5-of-11 on threes, drained 45 percent (9-of-20) of their threes.

Devendorf received plenty of help from his teammates.

Andy Rautins, who went scoreless against Stephen F. Austin in Round One, rediscovered his shooting stroke as he torched the Devils for 17 points, highlighted by nailing three of his seven three-point shots. For good measure, Rautins also grabbed four rebounds and dished out five assists.

As well as Devendorf and Rautins tickled the twine from long distance, the Orange used their inside strength to dominate.

Arinze Onuaku scored 12 points down low while Rick Jackson had 13 points to go along with a game-high eight rebounds. The duo combined for 11 close-range baskets as they dominated the front line of the Sun Devils.

Arizona State received barely any low post production from their big man, senior Jeff Pendergraph.

In what turned out to be his final collegiate game, Pendergraph had a nightmare of an afternoon.

The California native scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds before fouling out in only 24 minutes of action.

Credit Syracuse’s zone for Pendergraph’s troubles, though.

In the first half, the Sun Devils simply couldn’t penetrate the zone in order to get clean looks from the inside.

If not for the hot hand of Kuksiks, the Orange would’ve led by greater than nine, 41-32, at halftime.

With a little over 10 minutes reaming in the game, Pendergraph picked up his fifth foul. At the time, Syracuse had a 12-point lead and appeared ready to put away the Sun Devils for good.

But to ASU’s credit, they made a charge.

Syracuse, who once possessed a 15-point lead, clung to life as Arizona State had cut the margin to 61-57 with six minutes remaining.

But like they had all game long, Devendorf and Rautins answered the bell.

The duo sank three three-point shots in a 9-2 run that pushed the lead back out to 70-59 and Syracuse cruised home from there.

Much like he did in their first-round win over Temple, Arizona State sensation James Harden struggled to find his game.

The sophomore scored on 10 points, of which six of those came from the free throw line.

Harden converted only two of 10 shots and failed to connect on all five of his three-point attempts.

And now Sun Devil fans have to wonder if they’ve seen the last of Harden, who’s a prime candidate to enter this year’s NBA Draft.

Syracuse iron man point guard Jonny Flynn rebounded nicely from a sloppy seven turnover performance against SFA with seven assists and only two turnovers with 11 points.

The Orange now set their sights on a trip to Memphis for Friday’s South Regional semifinals against the No. 2 seed Oklahoma Sooners.

Fanbases of both the Orange and the Sooners remember the last time these two schools tangled in the NCAA tournament.

In 2003, led by freshman sensation Carmelo Anthony, third-seeded Syracuse defeated No. 1 seed Oklahoma in the East Regional final to earn a Final Four berth. Syracuse would eventually capture the national championship that season.

This time around, Jim Boeheim’s squad will have their hands full as they attempt to solve the puzzle that is low post beast, and probable National Player of the Year, Blake Griffin.

Pac-10 Preview: UCLA-Washington State For a Spot In The Semis

Steve Auger — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:45:00 -0400

Washington State Cougars (17-14, 0-10) vs. UCLA Bruins (24-7, 13-5)

Thursday, March 12, 2009 – 8:30 PM PST

The last quarter final game of the Pac-10 tournament features the No. 7 seed Washington State Cougars against the No. 2 seed UCLA bruins.

The two teams split the season series with each winning on the other’s home court. Both games were as close as can be with UCLA prevailing 61-59, and Washington State edging out an 82-81 triumph.

In the first encounter, the Bruins built up a 13-point halftime lead and survived a run by the Cougars to hold on for the win.

The Cougars held a 30-22 rebounding on the Bruins, but UCLA sizzled from behind the three-point line. The Bruins sank nine of their 16 attempts.

Nikola Dragovic had the hot hand for UCLA as he led all scorers with 20 points, including six threes. He was the only Bruin in double figures.

Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday, and Alfred Aboya all scored eight points in the win.

For the Cougars, Caleb Forrest had 19 points while Aron Baynes—15 points, 10 boards— notched a double-double.

In the second contest, both teams shot well from the floor but the Cougars shot exceptionally well. They converted 58.8 percent of their shots.

Their sharp shooting also extended beyond the three-point line as they nailed eight of 15 attempts.

Taylor Rochestie was a one-man wrecking crew for the Cougars. The senior scored a game-high 33 points, including five of his seven three-point shots, and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.

Rochestie had plenty of help as Klay Thompson had 15, Baynes was good for 13, and Forrest contributed 12 points.

Dragovic again led the way for the Bruins with 23 points. Collison scored 20 and dropped eight dimes and Aboya had the double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. Josh Shipp scored 14 in the losing effort.

Current line: UCLA -8.5

Washington State is 13-16 against the spread with a record of 5-7 as an underdog.

UCLA is 16-12 against the spread with a record of 15-11 as the favorite.

The Bruins are looking to make it to their fourth Final Four in a row. Winning the Pac-10 tournament would be a good spring board into the NCAAs.

This game will be close throughout but UCLA, with the crowd behind them, will pull away late.

Steve’s pick: UCLA -8.5

NCAA Pac-10 Preview: USC Trojans and Cal Golden Bears Play Rubber Match

Steve Auger — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:36:12 -0400

USC Trojans (18-12, 9-9) vs. California Golden Bears (22-9, 11-7)

Thursday, March 12, 2009 – 6:00 PM PST

The third quarter final game of the Pac-10 tournament features the No. 6 seed USC Trojans against the No. 3 seed California Golden Bears.

These two teams split the season series with each winning on its home court.

USC was a 73-62 winner at the end of January and Cal turned the tables on the Trojans, 81-78, a month later.

In the first game, Cal only connected on 40.7 percent of their shots. They were a dreadful 2-of-16 from three-point land.

The Trojans would’ve won by a very comfortable margin if they shot better than 58.6 percent from the free throw stripe.

USC had four players reach double figures led by DeMar DeRozan’s 19.

Taj Gibson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 boards while Dwight Lewis also scored 12. Daniel Hackett finished with 14 points.

For the Bears, Jamal Boykin scored 18 to go along with 10 boards.

Jordan Wilkes just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. Jerome Randle finished with 12 points and five dimes.

The second contest went to overtime before Cal emerged victorious.

Once again, the Trojans cost themselves at the free throw line converting only 57.1 percent. In such a close game, a few more free throws would’ve earned USC the road win.

Patrick Christopher had the huge game for Cal with 29 points.

Randle had 15 points and eight assists while Theo Robertson finished with 10 points.

Hackett led USC with 26 points while Gibson was right behind him with 21 points and 12 boards.

Lewis and DeRozan both finished with 10 points.

Current line: California -1.5

USC is 12-13 against the spread with a record of 4-5 as an underdog.

Cal is 14-11-1 against the spread with a record of 7-5 as the favorite.

Expect a close game between these two schools. But with the tournament being played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the Trojans will have a home court advantage.

Steve’s pick: USC +1.5

Pac-10 Preview: Sun Devils Try to Stick Fork In Wildcats' NCAA Bubble

Steve Auger — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:25:44 -0400

Arizona Wildcats (19-12, 9-9) vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (22-8, 11-7)

Thursday, March 12, 2009—3:00 PM PST

The first quarterfinal game of the Pac-10 tournament features the No. 5 seed Arizona Wildcats against the No. 4 seed Arizona State Sun Devils.

The Sun Devils swept both meetings with their inter-state rivals, winning 53-47 at the McKale Center and then edging out the Cats again, 70-68, at home.

The first game was as ugly as the score indicates.

Both teams shot under 30 percent from the floor. In addition, they both were even more horrific from beyond the arc as each squad sank less than 18 percent of their threes.

Getting the job done for the Sun Devils was their dynamic duo, and one of the best inside-outside combinations in the country, of James Harden and Jeff Pendergraph.

Harden led all scorers with 21 points. Pendergraph notched a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

For the Wildcats, their two star forwards, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger, spear-headed the attack.

Hill, with 16 points and 15 boards, had a double-double of his own, while Budinger scored 14 and grabbed eight boards.

The second contest proved to be a much more offensive minded affair.

Although Arizona State committed nine more turnovers than Arizona, this game simply boiled down to making shots.

And the Sun Devils—53.3 percent—sank their shots at a better rate than the 41 percent of the Wildcats.

Harden—18 points, nine boards—was once again the go-to guy, but he did have a little more help.

Pendergraph recorded his second double-double in as many meetings with Arizona by scoring 16 points and hauling in 12 caroms. And Rihards Kuksiks proved to be a vital third scoring option with 17 points.

Arizona had four players in double figures led by Nic Wise’s 17 points to go along with seven assists.

Budinger came up huge for his team, scoring 13 points to go with nine boards, six assists, and four steals.

Hill and Kyle Fogg each scored 14 in a losing effort.

Current line: Arizona State -3.5

Arizona is 17-14 against the spread with a record of 7-6 as an underdog.

Arizona State is 16-8 against the spread with a record of 11-8 as the favorite.

The Wildcats enter the Pac-10 tournament with a front row seat squarely on the dreaded NCAA bubble while the Sun Devils are playing for seeding.

Arizona will be highly motivated to extend their 24-year NCAA tournament appearance streak. And what better way to do that than by claiming a few highly ranked scalps.

If Arizona can get by Arizona State, No. 1 seed Washington will likely be waiting in the semifinals. Win both of those games and the Wildcats can size themselves for a pair of dancing shoes.

Steve’s pick: Arizona +3.5

Pac-10 Preview: Washington State Goes Duck Hunting Against Oregon

Steve Auger — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:14:46 -0400

Oregon Ducks (8-22, 2-16) vs. Washington State Cougars (16-14, 8-10)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 – 8:30 PM PST

The second game of the opening round of the Pac-10 tournament features the No. 10 seed, the Oregon Ducks, against the No. 7 seed, the Washington State Cougars.

The Cougars swept the season series from the Ducks. They won the first game at Oregon, 74-62, and then annihilated the Ducks, 67-38, at home.

Washington State, long known for their tenacious defense and deliberate offensive pace, held the Ducks to only 38.9 percent from the floor and 17 first half points.

Rebounds, assists, and turnovers were close between the two schools. Free throws, however, were not.

Oregon was only 13-of-21 from the stripe but the Cougars were perfect on the night. They sank a remarkable 28-of-28 attempts.

Taylor Rochestie had 30 points for the Cougars. Aron Baynes recorded a double-double—19 points and 12 boards—and Klay Thompson notched 15 points.

Tajuan Porter and Lekendric Longmire each scored 15 points for the Ducks. Joevan Catron just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.

The Ducks got off to another rough start in the second game, trailing 29-15 at the half.

Washington State held the Ducks to an abysmal 20.8 percent shooting for the game, including only 22.2 percent on threes.

The Cougars on the other hand, were extremely efficient from the floor, making 56.8 percent of their shots and a sizzling 69.2 percent on their threes.

Drew Wiley was the only Duck to crack double figures. And he just barely made it with 10 points.

For the Cougars, Thompson had 25 points, Rochestie 16, and Baynes scored 11 and grabbed nine boards.

Current line: Washington State -8.5

Oregon is 9-18 against the spread with a record of 5-15 as an underdog.

Washington State is 12-16 against the spread with a record of 7-9 as the favorite.

Oregon struggled all season long. They only managed two conference wins, and those came after they dropped the first 14 Pac-10 games they played. The Cougars will win this game. The only question is by how much.

Steve’s pick: Washington State -8.5

Pac-10 Preview: Oregon State Shoots for a Stanford Sweep

Steve Auger — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:24:13 -0400

Stanford Cardinal (17-12, 6-12) vs. Oregon State Beavers (13-16, 7-11)

Wednesday, March 1, 2009 – 6:00 PM PST

The first game of the opening round of the Pac-10 tournament features the No. 8 seed Oregon State Beavers against the No. 9 seed Stanford Cardinal.

The Beavers, having beaten Stanford twice in the regular season, will look to make it three in a row as these two teams open the Pac-10 tournament on Wednesday evening from the Staples center in Los Angeles.

Neither game was close as OSU first won at Stanford, 77-62, in late January, and then followed that up with a 66-54 home win about a month later. Stanford did play the first game without senior point guard Mitch Johnson, who was out with a calf injury.

In the first game, the Beavers jumped out to an early 16-2 lead and never looked back.

Oregon State was hot from the floor—62 percent—and from behind the three-point line—50 percent—to subdue the Cardinal.

Stanford, on the other hand, was anything but hot. They managed to shoot only 42.6 percent from the floor and 24.6 percent on threes.

Calvin Haynes led the Beavers’ attack with 25 points. Seth Tarver scored 19 points and snagged six rebounds while Roeland Schaftenaar dropped 18 points.

For Stanford, Anthony Goods scored 15 points. Landry Fields notched a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The second game was similar to the first.

Oregon State was once again sinking shots—53.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent from behind the arc—while Stanford was not—41.7 percent and 36.4 on threes.

While both teams were even on the glass in the first game, this time around, Oregon State dominated the back boards, 32-20.

The Beavers had a 29-17 halftime lead, which accounted for the margin of victory.

Schaftenaar scored 26 points to go along with five rebounds. Haynes notched 17 with five boards of his own.

Jeremy Green led the Cardinal with 19 points while Fields scored 17.

Current line: Stanford -6.5

Oregon State is 11-14 against the spread with a record of 11-10 as an underdog.

Stanford is 16-11 against the spread with a record of 11-7 as the favorite.

Unless the book makers know something the rest of us don’t, this spread doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The Beavers swept the season series, and won both games by double figures, yet, they’re an underdog?

Tough to say if OSU will get the win, as it’s hard to beat a team three times in one year, but this has the makings of a close game.

Steve’s pick: Oregon State +6.5

Charleston-Chattanooga: SoCon's Final Two Battle for a Spot in the Dance

Steve Auger — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:12:46 -0400

Chattanooga Mocs (17-16, 11-9) vs. College of Charleston Cougars (26-7, 15-5)

Monday, March 9, 2009—7:00 PM EST

After dispatching the tournament favorite Davidson Wildcats, the College of Charleston Cougars, the No. 3 South seed, take on the Chattanooga Mocs, the No. 1 North seed, with an NCAA tournament berth at stake.

This will be the second time this year these teams have squared off.

The Cougars won the first meeting, 86-77, back in late February on the Mocs' home floor. Bobby Cremins’ bunch will need to lean on that experience since the SoCon tourney is being played at Chattanooga this year. Needless to say, Charleston will be playing an away game.

Charleston comes into the game piping hot. They’ve won eight in a row and 10 of their last 11 overall.

Chattanooga dropped their last three regular season games, but they’ve rebounded with two wins to reach the tournament final. Charleston, because of seeding, had to play an extra game to reach this point, so the Mocs should have fresher legs. Don’t underestimate how tough it will be for Charleston to not only battle the crowd, but also to play their fourth game in four days.

In the only meeting between these teams this year, Chattanooga outshot the Cougars percentage-wise from the floor and from behind the three-point line, although Charleston did convert three more threes than the Mocs.

The one area that cost Chattanooga the game was in the turnover department.

The Cougars took good care of the ball, finishing with only 10 on the game. Chattanooga, however, had 18 giveaways. Providing a team as offensively talented as Charleston with eight extra possessions is a recipe for disaster.

Chattanooga will have to do a much better job of handling the ball tonight.

Andrew Goudelock led the way for Charleston with 21 points and four assists. He had help from Donovan Monroe, 18 points, and Antwaine Wiggins, who finished with 16 points and five rebounds

Dustin Scott, eight rebounds, and Jermaine Johnson, seven boards, led the Cougars on the glass.

Chattanooga had four players score in double figures. Kevin Goffney was the high man with 26 points, while Stephen McDowell pumped in 15.

Nicchaeus Doaks had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Khalil Hartwell had 12 points and six rebounds.

Current line: Charleston -2.5

Chattanooga is 8-12 against the spread with a record of 3-5 as an underdog.

Charleston is 13-12 against the spread with a record of 8-10 as the favorite.

The Cougars are the more talented team. As long as they can control their emotions and endure the runs and lift the Mocs will receive from their fans, Charleston can size themselves for dancing shoes.

Steve’s pick: Charleston -2.5

Davidson Wildcats and Charleston Cougars Gun for a Spot in the SoCon Final

Steve Auger — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:57:43 -0400

College of Charleston Cougars (25-7, 15-5) vs. Davidson Wildcats (26-6, 18-2)

Sunday, March 8, 2009 – 6:00 PM EST

This is the first semifinal game of the Southern Conference tournament between the No. 3 South seed, the College of Charleston Cougars, and the No. 1 South seed, the Davidson Wildcats.

These teams will meet for the third time this season. They split the first two games with each winning on the other’s court. Both games were tight affairs with Davidson emerging, 79-75, while Charleston won, 77-75, and broke Davidson’s 43-game league winning streak in the process.

In Davidson’s win, Stephen Curry was a one-man wrecking crew. He scored 29 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out nine assists while playing 39 of a possible 40 minutes. Curry didn’t have to do it all alone, though.

Will Archambault (14 points, seven boards) and Stephen Rossiter (11 points, eight boards) also contributed to the road win.

Andrew Goudelock was the high man for Charleston with 22 points and seven rebounds while Jermaine Johnson notched a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Tony White, Jr. scored 10 points and Dustin Scott hauled in 11 boards in the loss.

The key to victory for Davidson was their defense, as they held Charleston to only 37.3 percent shooting from the floor, while they made 46.3 percent of their own shots.

The Cougars turned the table on the Wildcats in the second game, as they held Davidson to only 38.3 percent shooting.

But the biggest key to Charleston’s win was the fact that they owned the back boards. They crushed Davidson in the rebounding department by a 51-31 margin.

White, Jr. led the charge for the Cougars with 19 points while Johnson recorded another double-double with 11 points and 12 caroms.

Scott had 14 points, Donovan Monroe scored 10, and Jeremy Simmons pulled down 12 rebounds.

Curry had another big offensive night for Davidson with 25 points but only made seven of 23 field goal attempts including just four of 13 on threes.

Bryant Barr scored 16 while Andrew Lovedale contributed 13 points for the Wildcats.

Current line: Davidson -9.0

Charleston is 12-12 against the spread with a record of 4-2 as an underdog.

Davidson is 13-16-1 against the spread on the season with a mark of 10-15 as a favorite.

The rubber match between these two schools figures to be a highly entertaining, high-scoring affair. Both teams have a plethora of players capable of scoring in the high teens on any given night. But Davidson has Curry, while no other team in the league does. He’ll find a way to be the difference in a close game.

Steve’s pick: College of Charleston +9.0

Kansas-Texas Tech: Jayhawks Out for Blood against Red Raiders

Steve Auger — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:14:49 -0500

No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks (24-5, 13-1) at Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-17, 2-12)

Wednesday, March 4, 2000—9:30 PM EST

The Kansas Jayhawks, in search of a share of the Big 12 regular season championship, venture to Lubbock, Tex. on Wednesday night for a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Given that his team was decimated by the NBA draft after last year’s national championship, Kansas coach Bill Self has to be satisfied to find the Jayhawks right where they’re accustomed to being: atop the Big 12 standings.

The only blemish on the record for the Jayhawks is a two-point road loss to Missouri, which they made up for with a 25-point beatdown when the Tigers visited Lawrence.

Though they didn’t return a lot of experience, Kansas has it where they need it most, with an experienced point guard in Sherron Collins and a dominating big man in Cole Aldrich.

Collins is everything a coach wants in a floor general. He’s the team's leading scorer at 18.5 ppg, drains threes at a clip of 40.2 percent, and when the game hangs in the balance, he knocks down free throws at a rate of 81.4 percent.

And Collins knows how to involve his teammates in the offense as the junior averages five assists per contest.

Anchoring the front-line for Kansas is the walking double-double known as Aldrich. The sophomore scores 15.1 ppg, and hauls down 10.8 rebounds per outing—tops on the team.

In addition to Collins, Brady Morningstar (45.8 percent), Tyrel Reed (39.6), and Travis Releford (37.5) are all deadly from behind the arc.

For the Red Raiders, the finish line to the season can’t arrive soon enough.

Texas Tech has only three wins in its last 17 games. Not exactly what Pat Knight had in mind.

If the Red Raiders are going to snap their six-game losing streak, they’ll need big games out of John Roberson (14.3 ppg) and Alan Voskuil (13.8 ppg).

Roberson is a decent three-point shooter (36.1 percent) while Voskuil excels at making triples, as he connects on 43.8 percent of his shots from behind the arc.

Nick Okorie (11.2 ppg) and Mike Singletary (10.7 ppg) will also need to contribute offensively if the Raiders are to pull the upset.

One area of concern for Texas Tech is rebounding. Singletary leads the team with 5.4 per game, but after that the next highest is Voskuil at 4.1 rpg. The Red Raiders will be forced to crash the offensive glass which will leave them susceptible to the Jayhawks' vaunted running game.

Current Line: Kansas -11.0

Kansas is 16-8 against the spread on the season, with a record of 14-6 as the favorite.

Texas Tech is 8-15 against the spread, with a mark of 6-10 as an underdog.

Kansas has been on a roll as of late, that is, if you want to call almost the entire season “as of late.” Knowing that one more victory assures the ‘Hawks of the overall top seed in the Big 12 tournament, Kansas will be out for blood against Texas Tech.

Steve’s Pick: Kansas -11.0

Wofford-Charleston Preview: Dogs and Cats In a Rematch

Steve Auger — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:09:12 -0500

Wofford Terriers (14-12, 10-7) at College of Charleston Cougars (21-7, 13-5)

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 – 7:00 PM EST

The Wofford Terriers, fresh off of a 15-point pounding of Western Carolina, travel to Charleston on Thursday night seeking to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Cougars.

With a win, Charleston will sweep the season series from the Terriers—they won a tightly contested contest, 65-63, back in January.

The loser of tonight’s contest will have a winning streak snapped.

Both teams have won three straight and five of their last six.

Charleston stands a half game behind The Citadel for second place in the South Division although the Bulldogs hold the tie-breaker over the Cougars after sweeping both games this season.

Andrew Goudelock (10 points), Dustin Scott (12 points, seven rebounds), and Donavan Monroe (10 points) paced the offense for the Cougars. Jeremy Simmons chipped in eight points and a team high nine rebounds.

For the Terriers, Tim Johnson had a monster game scoring 21 points and hauling in 17 rebounds. Noah Dahlman was right behind Johnson with 19 points and seven boards while Jason Dawson had 16 points and four steals.

With the exception of field goal percentage—Charleston shot it better, 49.1-to-40.3—the stats for this game were all relatively even except for one.

Wofford missed eight of their 16 free throw attempts. In what turned out to be a two-point game, the Terriers left a win at the free throw line.

Current line: Charleston -8.5

Wofford has a record of 11-10-1 against the spread with a mark of 8-5 as an underdog.

Charleston is 10-10 against the spread with a mark of 6-8 as a favorite.

Charleston needs this game just a bit more. And besides, they’ll have the home crowd behind them. The Cougars will get the win but they won’t cover.

Steve’s pick: Wofford +8.5

Furman-Citadel Preview: Bulldogs Look To Put Bite On Paladins

Steve Auger — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:19:57 -0500

Furman Paladins (6-20, 4-13) at The Citadel Bulldogs (18-10, 13-4)

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 – 7:05 PM EST

The Citadel Bulldogs play host to the Furman Paladins on Thursday night as they attempt to keep pace with Davidson in a battle for first place in the South Division.

The Bulldogs enter the game as one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won 10 straight and 11 of their last 12.

Davidson, winners on Wednesday night against UNC-Greensboro, clinched a tie for the division as they improved to 16-2 in league play. The Citadel needs to win out and hope Davidson drops their remaining two contests in order to catch the Wildcats.

When these two teams met earlier in the season, The Citadel pulled out a five point overtime win, 74-69.

Cameron Wells (22 points, six rebounds), Zach Urbanus (20 points, six assists), and Demetrius nelson (17 points, eight rebounds) led the offense for the Bulldogs.

Furman had four players in double figures led by Jordan Miller and Justin Dehm, each with 17 points.

Statistically, The Citadel dominated the game.

They outshot Furman, 52.9 percent to 37.7 percent and out-rebounded the Paladins, 38-26.

But they had twice as many turnovers as Furman, 18-9, and those extra possessions are what kept the Paladins in the game.

If The Citadel plays the same type of game this time around but reduces their turnovers, they should have no problem handling Furman.

Current line: The Citadel -11.5

Furman has a record of 9-10-1 against the spread with a mark of 7-9 as an underdog.

The Citadel is an outstanding 15-6-1 against the spread with a mark of 2-3-1 as a favorite.

The Citadel needs this game to keep pace with Davidson. They’ll get the win and the home crowd will help them to cover.

Steve’s pick: The Citadel -11.5

A College Basketball Fan's Wishlist of Non-Conference Matchups

Steve Auger — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:38:03 -0500

Historically in college basketball, the month of February is all about positioning.

As the regular season winds down and the conference tournaments approach, the handful of top teams in the country maneuver themselves in an effort to claim the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

At the same time, other teams, not so secure in the belief that an NCAA bid awaits, make their final push to claim a highly ranked scalp or two in their conference that will all but sew up a tournament berth and extricate them from the dreaded bubble.

But every February, as the conference battles come to a head, a handful of high profile teams always venture outside of league play to slug it out with other big name schools in a made-for-TV gig.

This February has been no different. A handful of clashes, such as Memphis at Gonzaga, Michigan at UConn, and Notre Dame at UCLA all occurred on the first weekend of the month.

Last week brought Duke and St. John’s from Madison Square Garden. And of course, the mid-majors got into the act with the Bracket Busters weekend as a way to show the rest of the country they can ball with the best of them too.

So with the annual excitement of out-of-conference games this late in the season, let’s take a look at some of those games that should occur every year.

Maryland-Georgetown

This match-up has all the ingredients in what should be a great rivalry.

High profile conferences? ACC and Big East at your service.

Big name coaches? Gary Williams and John Thompson III (following in the steps of JT II) can X and O with the best of them.

Basketball pedigrees? Both teams have been the last one standing at the end of March.

Drama and intrigue? For starters, the schools are a mere 12 miles apart. Sounds like it has some UNC-Duke flavor to it.

One school is private while the other is a state school—again, a UNC-Duke characteristic and we all know how heated that rivalry is.

What’s more, both schools have Baltimore—as fertile a recruiting ground as there is in the nation—in their back yards. So this match-up provides the drama of pursuing the same kids off the court and winning with them on the court.

As far as an out-of-conference rivalry goes, this one screams of Kentucky-Louisville potential.

UCLA-Gonzaga

Now in his sixth season at Westwood, Ben Howland has resurrected the Bruins and restored them as the premier program in the western time zone as well as one of the best in the country.

From 2006-2008, Howland led the Bruins to back-to-back-to-back Pac 10 titles and back-to-back-to-back Final Four appearances, including a title game loss in 2006 to Florida.

California is one of therecruiting hotbeds in the land so Howland has no shortage of talent-rich blue chippers to restock his team with year after year. While expecting the Bruins to make a Final Four run every season isn’t very realistic, expecting them to have a say in the Pac 10 pecking order year in and year out, is.

Gonzaga, while still a mid-major based on their conference affiliation, is anything but. Mark Few has himself an honest-to-goodness program up in the Great Northwest.

It seems like every year, Gonzaga is primed to have their best team ever and finally break through with a Final Four berth. While that has yet to happen, other mid-majors still point at the Zags and ask “why not us?”

Since Gonzaga doesn’t encounter a whole lot of resistance in the West Coast Conference—all due respect to St. Mary’s—Few has adopted an approach of “take on all comers” in the out of conference slate. Need proof? Look no further.

The Zags tangled with Oklahoma State, Maryland, and Tennessee in an early season tournament, followed that up with road games at Washington State and Arizona, a visit from UConn, hit the road again to play Utah and Tennessee, and then, in the middle of conference play, Memphis came calling.

Surely catching a flight to LA is much faster than heading to Tennessee?

UConn-UMass-Boston College

UMass and B.C. already play each other every year for state bragging rights but since both programs have had some hard times over the past decade, the game’s meaning has lost some luster.

Throw UConn into the mix and here’s why this works.

The Huskies, with two NCAA championships in the last 10 years and a Hall of Fame coach in Jim Calhoun, bring star power into any game they play.

Boston Collegeis an underrated program that has had its share of success as evidenced by knocking off UNC and Duke this year after being picked second to last by the ACC media.

Derek Kellogg has had some struggles in his first year as head coach of the Minutemen. But if there’s a guy who can right the ship, it’s him.

Remember, Kellogg, a native of Springfield, Mass., played there under former coach John Calipari when UMass began their run in the 1990s. He then spent eight years coaching under Calipari on the Memphis bench.

With Kellogg, widely considered one of the best recruiters in the country, at the helm, Minutemen fans have to feel good about the direction of the program.

Now, here’s where it gets juicy.

Boston College had a very public and very messy divorce from the Big East. As a former conference foe, the Huskies would like nothing more than to deliver a few beatings to B.C. as payback for back stabbing the Big East.

UConn and UMass used to play. That all changed amid some friction between Calhoun and Calipari, so the series was never renewed.

College basketball isn’t exactly the religion in the Northeast that it is in other parts of the country. But, if these three teams played a round robin each year, the winner could claim the unofficial title of King of New England Hoops a la the Big Five games in Philadelphia.

Memphis-UConn

Speaking of Calipari and Calhoun, isn’t it about time to make this happen again? Even if there’s too much ego involved to make it an annual game, at least sign a deal for a home-and-home series.

Calipari, like him or not, is one of the best coaches in the game. He is also a master recruiter. He’s taken two non-BCS conference schools—Memphis and UMass—to the Final Four.

Calhoun’s resume clearly speaks for itself. And as noted above, given the frosty relationship between the two, don’t these teams need to face each other on the other’s home court? The post game handshake would be sure to elicit many a flash bulb.

USC-Notre Dame

This match-up is one of the most storied and heated rivalries in college football. So why not translate that tradition to the hardwood?

Both programs are on the upswing. Tim Floyd has shown the ability to recruit top flight talent—see O.J. Mayo and DeMar DeRozan—while Mike Brey has turned the Irish into a tough out in the Big East year after year.

Here’s the best part.

Since the end of the college football season coincides with the start of the college hoops season, the athletic departments at both schools could rework their schedules to make these games take place on the same weekend.

Both games could happen at the same school or the schedule could be constructed so that when USC visits Notre Dame in football, the Irish are catching a flight to SoCal for hoops and vice versa.

Arkansas-Memphis

The city of Memphis is situated in the southwest corner of Tennessee, or, right along the Arkansas border. Nothing like a good, old fashioned border war to stoke the competitive flames. It works for Missouri and Illinois and it can work here.

Memphis is home to some of the best high school basketball in the entire country every year and recruiting is the life blood to any successful program.

Under Coach Cal, Memphis has shown no fear of playing anyone out-of-conference.

Think back to the mid-1990s and surely one of the images ingrained in the head of every college hoops fan has to be Nolan Richardson, Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, and 40 Minutes of Hell.

Watching the Hogs race up and down the floor as they competed with Kentucky for SEC supremacy was hoops heaven.

Ironically, Arkansas has handed the job of resurrecting a once-proud program to one of the Kentucky Untouchables, John Pelphrey. And what better way to create some buzz than by picking a fight with the established powerhouse, a short 319 miles away.

Duke-Kentucky

Say the following words to any Kentucky fan: “1992 East Regional Final” and watch as the steam radiates from his or her scalp.

This was the classic game when Christian Laettner hit a turn around jumper at the buzzer to send Duke to the Final Four and break the hearts of the Kentucky faithful in the process.

Oh yeah, there was also a little incident involving Laettner, which many a Kentucky fan thinks he should’ve been tossed from the game for.

To refresh your memory, Laettner stepped square on the chest of Kentucky freshman Aminu Timberlake after a dead ball. Laettner was hit with a technical but he remained in the game and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

If revenge is a dish best served cold, Kentucky played the part to perfection six years later.

These two teams met again in the 1998 South Regional Final. Duke had a 17-point lead with 9:38 to play and seemed well on their way to another Final Four at the expense of the Wildcats.

Kentucky would have none of it though, as the Cats stormed back to win, 86-84, and advance to their third straight Final Four. The Wildcats, in Tubby Smith’s first season as head coach, cut down the nets for their second title in three years.

This match-up represents a who’s who of hoops. Two programs that are college basketball royalty. Duke and Kentucky. Kentucky and Duke.

Kentucky is first on the all-time wins list while Duke is fourth.

The ACC and the SEC.

Cameron Indoor Stadium and Rupp Arena.

The Cameron Crazies and Ashley Judd.

Two of the most passionate fan bases in all of college hoops.

So Coach K and Coach Gillispie, if you’re reading, make this one happen.

UNC-Greensboro-Davidson Preview: Wildcats Shoot For Season Sweep Of Spartans

Steve Auger — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:18:42 -0500

UNC-Greensboro Spartans (4-26, 3-15) at Davidson Wildcats (22-6, 15-2)

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009 – 7:00 PM EST

The Davidson Wildcats welcome the UNC-Greensboro Spartans to Belk Arena on Wednesday night as they’ll not only attempt to sweep the season series from the Spartans, but with a win, the Wildcats will clinch a share of the South Division title.

Davidson currently holds a two-game lead over The Citadel. Each school has three conference games remaining.

When these two teams met back earlier this month, Davidson walked away with a 75-54 victory. Stephen Curry was his typical self as he poured in 29 points, grabbed eight boards, and dished out three assists to lead the Wildcats to victory.

Steve Rossiter (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Andrew Lovedale (12 points, 10 rebounds) both notched double-doubles in the win.

While neither team shot the ball particularly well form the floor, the free throw line, or from beyond the arc, this game hinged on two key areas.

First, Davidson crushed the Spartans on the glass. Led by Rossiter and Lovedale’s 23 total boards, the Wildcats out-rebounded Greensboro, 51-34.

To demonstrate just how dominant Davidson was on the back boards, consider that they had had more offensive rebounds than Greensboro had defensive rebounds.

The other area that defined the outcome of the game was in the turnover department. The Spartans committed 20 giveaways, or seven more than Davidson. Of those 20 turnovers, seven of them were steals by Davidson.

One area in which the Spartans performed well was in turning back 10 Davidson shots. Greensboro will need another solid shot blocking effort but it will be crucial to control the blocks and turn them into possessions as they attempt to stay with Davidson offensively.

One area of concern for Davidson will be the health of Stephen Curry. He returned to action last Saturday against Butler after spraining his ankle in a game against Furman. Curry missed a contest versus The Citadel. Without their leader, the Wildcats were blown out by the Bulldogs, 64-46.

In the Butler game, Curry did manage to score 20 points but only managed to hit six of 23 shots, including two of 13 from three.

Current line: Davidson -27.0

UNC-Greensboro is 9-14 overall against the spread with a record of 9-13 as an underdog.

Davidson is 11-14-1 this season against the spread with a record of 9-13 as a favorite.

Unless Davidson lets five scrubs from an intramural team play in its place, they’ll win this game easily. The only question is by how much.

Steve’s pick: UNC-Greensboro +27.0

Cheating Isn't Just In Sports: An Expose On Fabrications Of Society (Satire)

Steve Auger — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:37:19 -0500

Open any newspaper—that’s just an expression since we get our news online now—and it seems like every day, another athlete is making headlines for cheating.

The latest head scratcher comes in the form of Alex Rodriguez.

Come to find out, for at least three seasons, A-Rod’s homeruns were accompanied by a little extra oomph—performance enhancing drugs.

Sadly, in sports today, this scenario is all too believable.

Take a look around and you’ll discover that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, two of the greatest* (there’s the asterisk) baseball players ever, are in the process of becoming intimately familiar with the word perjury.

The list goes on.

Shawnee Merriman’s sack dance contained a little extra kick. Rodney Harrison used HGH to heal faster from an injury. The Patriots employed cameras where they shouldn’t have been.

Even new University of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin, who hasn’t coached a game yet, has already committed three minor recruiting violations.

And you know that come July, at least one cyclist will get busted for doping at the Tour de France.

As sporting fans are left to hang their heads and question if their favorite player is clean or not, I began to ponder what other sacred trusts have been betrayed by those who earn their living in the public eye?

So I made a few phone calls and talked to some of my contacts, because, after all, we here at The Bleacher Report (I know, shameless plug) go to any and all lengths to unearth the truth.

Strap yourself in as you prepare to read these shocking results:

While Frosted Flakes might indeed be grrrrreat, Tony the Tiger was actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Not only was she a natural brunette with a dye job and hair extensions, but Cindy Brady never, ever sold a single sea shell by the sea shore. Not once.

Batman referred to the Boy Wonder as Weakling-partner-who-causes-me-to-fight-my-share-of-bad-guys-and-then-rescue-his-sorry-butt-because-he-couldn’t-fight-his-way-out-of-an-ant-colony, but they settled on Robin because the other name took way too long to say in the heat of battle.

The Road Runner was actually on the payroll of the ACME Company. His contract called for ACME to deliberately supply Wile E. Coyote with defective equipment leading to his demise at the end of every cartoon. Upon uncovering this truth, Coyote and his team of high-priced Hollywood lawyers sued ACME for deliberate negligence.

Coyote now claims to suffer constant back spasms and has arthritis in both knees as a result of one too many falls from the top of a 5,000 foot high cliff. The parties settled out of court for what is believed to be a 10 figure payment. As part of the settlement, Coyote had to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

G.I. Joe, whose claim to fame is being a real American hero, was actually Australian. Like fellow countrymen Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman, he has an uncanny ability to hide his accent. Joe admitted to the ruse at this year’s Australian Open when a U.S. reporter interviewed him during a change-over as he watched the men’s final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Despite all of the money his TV show father had, Ricky Schroder never owned a Silver Spoon—they were all chrome.

Long before his legal troubles began, O.J. Simpson always rented cars from Avis while on vacation, despite his slew of Hertz commercials.

Holly Hobby has spent her entire adult life pimping the Easy Bake Oven and her prowess as some type of master chef; yet, she was denied admission to the Johnson and Whales College of Culinary Arts in Rhode Island and has no formal cooking training.

In 2004, Smokey the Bear was fined $15,000 and spent 10 days in jail after park officials discovered he abandoned his camp site without properly extinguishing a camp fire. Smokey blamed the incident on a long night of marshmallow roasting. When he came to the next morning, he was lost in the middle of the woods with marshmallow stuck to his face and surrounded by seven empty jars of honey.

Tweety Bird was legally blind and wouldn’t know a cat from an elephant.

Barbie had previously been picked up three times for solicitation. After a long stint in rehab—and with some help from Dr. Drew—she finally kicked her meth habit. After two years of being clean and sober, she met Ken. You know the rest of the story.

Word around Hollywood is that, while making niceties on the red carpet, Scooby Doo and the Jetson’s dog, Astro, were bitter rivals. They both were represented by the same management agency and when each canine’s career took off, jealousy quickly ensued. Both dogs constantly badgered Hanna-Barbera to redo his contract every time the other received an extension.

And finally, this past weekend, I had a drink at the Boston bar that the show Cheers was patented after and, much to my astonishment, not a single soul in the joint knew my name.

What’s next? I suppose WWE storylines are scripted?

Charleston-Appalachian State Preview: Cougars Try To Topple Mountaineers

Steve Auger — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:02:00 -0500

College of Charleston Cougars (18-7, 10-7) at Appalachian State (10-14, 7-9)

Monday, Feb. 16, 2009 – 7:30 p.m. EST

The College of Charleston Cougars, coming off of a devastating home loss to The Citadel on Saturday, venture to Boone, N.C. for a Monday night game with the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

The Cougars blew an eight point first half lead against the Bulldogs and then watched as The Citadel pulled away in the second half for the 14-point win and a sweep of the season series.

The loss proved even more costly since Davidson star Stephen Curry suffered an ankle injury in a game on Saturday. The Cougars could’ve pulled closer to the Wildcats in an effort to overtake them for first place.

Much like they did in their first game against the Bulldogs, Charleston shot poorly—6-of-21—from three-point range. Unlike the prior game, The Citadel hammered Charleston on the backboards, 38-21. To complicate matters, the Cougars’ defense was lacking as the Bulldogs made 51 percent of their shots.

Appalachian State, returning home after three straight road games, also enters the contest on a down note having dropped two in a row and three of their last four. The Mountaineers trail Samford by a half game for third place in the North Division.

This will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Charleston notched an eight point victory, 88-80, in the first game.

Two critical factors, overall field goal percentage and three point shots, determined the outcome of the first game between the two teams.

The Cougars made 55.6 percent of their overall shots including a blistering 52.4 percent—11-of-21—of their triples.

Leading scorer Andrew Goudelock bagged 33 points for the Cougars. The sophomore guard was 12-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. And just for good measure, the sharp shooter was perfect from the free throw line, making all three of his attempts.

Not to be outdone, the Mountaineers had five players score in double figures, with a high of 15 points from Donald Sims.

If Appalachian State plans to turn the tables on Charleston, they’ll need to buckle down on defense and not allow the Cougars to convert at such a high rate.

And when they’re on offense, they’ll need to improve on their own three-point shooting as they managed a meager 30 percent in the first encounter.

Current line: Appalachian State -1.5

Charleston is 8-10 against the spread with a record of 3-2 as an underdog.

Appalachian State is 8-10 against the spread with a record of 3-2 as the favorite.

After suffering a tough loss in such a big game on their home floor, will Charleston be motivated to play a team that it already beat this season?

The Mountaineers on the other hand, will certainly be looking for payback. They’ll get it.

Steve’s pick: Appalachian State -1.5

DePaul-Louisville Basketball: Cardinals Out To Make Demons Blue

Steve Auger — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 02:08:39 -0500

DePaul Blue Demons (8-17, 0-12) at Louisville Cardinals (18-5, 9-2)

Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009 – 4:00 PM EST

The No. 5 Louisville Cardinals welcome Big East doormat the DePaul Blue Demons to Freedom Hall on Sunday afternoon for the only regular season match-up between the two schools.

After starting the Big East portion of their schedule with nine straight wins, the Cardinals have lost two of their last three. And both losses have been in convincing fashion. The first was a 17-point thumping at home to Connecticut and the most recent loss was a 33-point beating at the hands of Notre Dame.

Louisville’s front line of Earl Clark (13 ppg, 8.6 rpg), Terrence Williams (12.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg), and freshman sensation Samardo Samuels (12.2 ppg, 5 rpg) is one of the most athletic and versatile in all of college basketball.

While Clark and Williams don’t shoot it from three exceptionally well, they do combine for 7.6 apg.

The back court of Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith each average a little over 7 ppg. Smith is also one of the best three-point shooters on the team converting at a rate of 39.5 percent. Preston Knowles and Will Scott also excel from long-range.

Louisville, as it does to every opponent will look to force turnovers through full-court pressure and turn those turnovers into points.

DePaul is having a season to forget, to say the least.

The Blue Demons are currently riding a 12-game losing streak, all in conference play. And they’re average margin of defeat is 15 points.

Offensively, DePaul is a three-man show. Dar Tucker (18.45 ppg), Mac Koshwal (13.5 ppg), and Will Walker (12.8 ppg) are the only legitimate scoring threats for the Blue Demons. No other player averages more than 3.7 ppg.

Koshwal (10 rpg) is a monster on the glass while Tucker grabs 5.1 boards per contest.

Matija Poscic leads DePaul in three-point shooting, but only at a clip of 33.3 percent.

And DePaul doesn’t share the ball exceptionally well as Michael Bizoukas is the team leader in assist but only at a rate of 2.1 per game.

Current line: Louisville -21.5

Louisville is 12-10 overall against the spread with a mark of 4-6 as the favorite.

DePaul is an awful 4-15 overall against the spread with a record of 3-12 as an underdog.

Louisville is sure to be in a foul mood after the thrashing they received at the hands of the Irish. And unfortunately for DePaul, the Blue Demons stand to be on the receiving end of the Cardinals’ wrath.

Steve’s pick: Louisville -21.5

South Florida-Notre Dame Preview: Irish Look to Take Bulls by the Horn

Steve Auger — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:34:03 -0500

South Florida Bulls (8-15, 3-8) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-10, 4-7)

Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009 – 2:00 p.m. EST

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, fresh off their stunning annihilation of the Louisville Cardinals, play host Sunday afternoon to the South Florida Bulls.

Prior to Monday’s contest versus the No. 5 ranked Cardinals, Notre Dame had been in a free fall. The Irish had dropped their last seven contests, six of which were league games, and the most recent loss was a 26-point drubbing at the hands of UCLA.

With their season sinking, and having already lost an overtime affair to Louisville at Freedom Hall, the Irish resurrected their tournament hopes.

Luke Harangody, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, is a walking double-double. He averages 24.6 ppg and 12.8 rpg.

The big man also shoots 79.7 percent from the free throw line and, though he’s only taken 19 of them, he buries three-pointers at a 36.8 percent clip.

What makes Notre Dame’s offense so dangerous is that the Irish have the outside shooters to match Harangody’s inside production.

Kyle McAlarney—16 ppg, 3.6 apg—converts threes at an astonishing 45.2 percent. Not far behind McAlarney is senior Ryan Ayers—10.6 ppg—at 42.7 percent from behind the arc.

In addition to McAlarney and Ayers, junior point guard Tory Jackson—11 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 5.7 apg—shoots 35.6 percent while Luke Zeller converts at 35.2 percent.

The Bulls, currently thirteenth in the Big East, have had plenty of time to dwell on their 15-point home loss to Providence this past Tuesday.

Prior to that, the Bulls got their biggest win of the season when they handed Marquette its first conference loss of the year in a thrilling one-point victory at the Sun Dome.

South Florida has lost four of its last five, but a win over the Irish would be another step in the right direction.

Though they only have three conference wins—two against lowly DePaul and the other against Marquette—the Bulls haven’t been the automatic push over that they have in the past.

They lost single-digit games to Syracuse, West Virginia and Villanova, and their 14-point home loss to Louisville was more competitive than the score indicates.

Their offense revolves around scoring whiz Dominique Jones, who averages 18.6 ppg to go along with 5.1 rpg and 3.9 apg. At 6’-4”, Jones leads the team in rebounding.

Senior guard, Jesus Verdejo, is second on the team at 13.7 ppg.

Augustus Gilchrist, a blossoming 6’10” freshman, is a future star for the Bulls. The frosh contributes only 9.8 ppg but had a high of 22 this season. Although, Gilchrist needs to improve upon his 4.7 rpg.

For South Florida to pull an upset, Jones and Verdejo will have to light up the scoreboard and Gilchrist, along with Alex Rivas Sanchez and Eladio Espinosa, will have to contain Harangody inside.

The Irish and the Bulls will meet for the only time in the regular season.

Current line: Notre Dame -13.5

Notre Dame is only 5-11 overall against the spread with a mark of 4-6 as the favorite.

South Florida is 8-9 overall against the spread with a record of 5-7 as an underdog.

With Notre Dame riding high after their victory over Louisville, this contest appears to be a classic trap game. But given that Notre Dame is in a dog fight to earn an NCAA berth, the Irish won’t have a letdown and they’ll get the job done.

Steve’s pick: Notre Dame -13.5