Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Irvin

NCAA Tournament: Key First-Round Games

Chris Irvin — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:47:52 -0400

After Selection Sunday revealed the first-round matchups for March Madness, what games should you watch for?

Here's the scoop...

Duke vs. Belmont

You wouldn't think that a No. 2 seed's first-round game would be anything exciting—but with Duke's skid to end the regular season, this game could be a thriller.

Belmont has played some strong basketball this season en route to a 25-8 record. But the Bruins haven't really played too many good basketball teams this year.

If Duke can go back to the way they played ball early in the season, the Blue Devils will take some momentum out of the first round.

Purdue vs. Baylor

11th-seeded Baylor has played highly-ranked teams in some very good contests but have come up short, losing to Kansas by 10 and Texas by eight and five.

Purdue has beaten Wisconsin twice and Michigan State. They also played a tough game against Indiana.

I think that if Baylor can learn to win in important games, they can steal this game from Purdue.

USC vs. Kansas State

Kansas State, who beat Kansas earlier in the year before losing to them in the second matchup, has a very strong chance to take this game. This will be a stunning first round matchup: Two teams led by fantastic freshman, and a whole season on the line.

This game could also decide who enters the NBA draft.

The outcome will turn on who puts their team on their back and leads them into the second round. USC, who played good games with Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, and Stanford, will be looking to make the push led by O.J. Mayo. But I think that Michael Beasley will will show why he's in contention for Player of the Year and give Kansas State the first-round win.

MLB: Top 5 What to Watch fors.

Chris Irvin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:35:26 -0400

Spring Training is full of roster and positions surprises. Here are 5 guys that will surprise you in this years upcoming MLB season.

5. Shelley Duncan: This 28 year old outfielder could be a surprise to the Yankees in this upcoming season. Last year in 74 at-bats he hit 7 home runs and drove in 17 runs. Not impressive numbers but not bad for the little bit of time he got. It'll be a hard job trying to get an outfield spot in the Yankees lineup with Abreu, Damon, Matsui, and Cabrera. But if the kid works hard enough he could grab some nice playing time. And possibly some first base action.

4. Jeff Francoeur: This guy isn't a new name to any lineup but he is on this list because I believe that he is going to blow-up this year. Last year his home run total was down and a lot of people criticized whether he could play or not. Even though he only hit 19 home runs last year he still drove in 105 runs. I don't expect him to hit a lot of home runs. I do expect him to drive in a lot of runs and show of his strong arm in the outfield.

3. Evan Longoria: I think that this 22 year old will have the starting third baseman job to himself at some point this year. This kid is young and has a lot of talent. He has hit very well at all levels of the Rays minor league system. Can he get it done in the Bigs? I think so. He has the potential to hit 30 home runs and bat .300. That won't happen this year, but i believe this upcoming season will be the start of a strong career for Longoria.

2. Francisco Liriano: This year will be a come back year for Twins' pitcher Liriano. This 24 year old was bugged the injury all of last season, but was strong in 2006. He has some nice stuff and good velocity(when he's healthy). And if he does stay healthy i would look for a 15 game winner in Liriano.

1. Felix Hernandez: Not that this guy hasn't been strong so far in his career, but injury has definitely held him back some. Talk about dirty pitches watch this guy perform. He has a very strong arm and the potential to be a 20 game winner. And the best part, He's only 21.

NBA Standings: It Can feel Good to Be Bad.

Chris Irvin — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:03:49 -0400

How bad can you be to grab a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Pretty Bad.

If the playoffs were to start today, four teams with records under .500 would make the cut: the Washington Wizards, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks, and the New Jersey Nets.

If that's not bad enough, there is even a race for these playoff spots among teams with losing records. The Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks are only 2.5 games out of the playoffs.

The Miami Heat, a team with only 11 wins, is only 14 games back. That's how ugly the Eastern Conference is.

Now if you shift to the Western Conference.

You will see that if the postseason started today, then two teams with records over .500 would not make the playoffs: the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trailblazers.

If these same two teams were in the Eastern Conference, they would easily make the playoffs as of right now. The Nuggets would be in fourth place and the Trailblazers would be in sixth.

In the Western Conference, the eighth-place team is 16 games over .500. In the Eastern Conference, the eight seed is 11 games under .500.

The Eastern Conference is a weak league that probably will not improve in the near future. Maybe the Nuggets and Trailblazers should think about a team move.

Phoenix Suns: Shaquille O'Neal Trade a Good Move?

Chris Irvin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:30:02 -0400

A lot of people have criticized the Suns for making the move on Shaq. People are saying that he wasn't worth the price of Shawn Marion. Critics are saying that Amare is enough, and that Shaq isn't the player he used to be. This is what makes him a perfect fit for the Phoenix. Suns.

The Suns don't need Shaq to score 25 points a game like he used to do when he was in his prime. That is what Stoudemire is for. Amare is the post presence that the Suns need, and when he is at the top of his game he is a force to be reckoned with.

Another thing critics are saying is that if the Suns have Shaq then why don't they give him more post touches. It's not necessary. He is averaging 11 points with the Suns. Not bad, neither is the 11 rebounds he's putting up. That is what the Suns really need him to do. He has been a complete animal on the boards since coming to the Suns. This allows the Suns to get out and run. Shaq has been said to be one of the best post passers in the game today.

I believe that all of these critics are wrong, and I was one of those critics. I myself did not believe that Shaq was going to have any impact on this team especially for the $20 million they have to pay him for the next two years. Am i saying he deserves this money? No, not yet, but maybe.

In a recent interview Steve Nash was saying how he was trying to find a was to incorporate Shaq into the lineup. Don't worry about it, Steve. Just wait it out for now. You might have found yourself the piece to get yourselves past the block in the West...the Spurs.

Are the Rockets for Real?

Chris Irvin — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 04:53:15 -0400

An 18 game win streak and being the third best team in the West would make you say that this team is for real, but how long can the Houston Rockets keep on this tear?
With the loss of their dominant center Yao Ming, who was averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds, can the Rockets continue their stellar play?

It's no question that the Rockets will be a playoff team this year, but the real question is how far can they go. They rely on their big man, and Yao Ming has suffered four leg injuries in the past two years. This could be from the excessive use that the Rockets have on him.
Can you blame them?—What's more attractive then a 7 foot 6 center. What's not attractive is the fact that Houston will be without Ming for the rest of the season.

You can't question Tracy McGrady. Everyone knows he will come to play every night and try to keep this push going, but someone else needs to step up. Luis Scola might just be that guy. The rookie from Argentina is averaging 9 points and 5 rebounds per night—they are not Yao Ming numbers, but it is a start.

The Rockets championship hope is going to come down to who will step it up in the latter half of the season. If the answer is no one, then the Houston rockets are a lost cause.

Duke-UNC: Another Display of Duke Outshooting UNC?

Chris Irvin — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 12:47:09 -0500

What's not to love about two Hall of Fame coaches feuding about what the other says?
What's not to love about a bunch of talented college kids with a lot of heart going at it in a heated battle?
The Duke UNC rivalry is one of the best in sports. Second to maybe the Yankee's-Red Sox. What makes this game even more attractive is the fact that the ACC title is on the line also.

Last time these two teams met Duke took the game 89-78. Duke shot lights out having six players in double figures. They shot 13-29 from beyond the arc. Their defense wasn't bad either, Duke had six blocked shots and eleven steals.

On the UNC side they shot only 2-17 from beyond the arc—and had only three steals. I wouldn't count on another poor shooting performance from the UNC guards.

In this game I would look for even more intensity than the first time. The game is in Cameron, the Crazies will be going nuts and so will the players.
Look for both teams to push the ball and try to get out to an early lead.
Both are looking for momentum into the tournament and both teams have a lot to lose.