In honor of the first RFS “Pickstravaganza”, here’s a highlight reel from one of the most dominant athletic squads in college basketball history. Clyde the Glide and Akeem the Dream… beautiful.
Too bad Guy V. Lewis couldn’t teach Akeem to box out.
As always, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Looking at past results, that may actually be a good thing. The spreads are what I got online from Vegas.com (DannySheridan.com – my usual source – wasn’t posting spreads yet).
(1 unit) North Carolina – 10.5 vs. Kentucky
(1 unit) Northeastern – 1.5 vs. UNC-Wilmington
(1 unit) James Madison + 17.5 @ Old Dominion
(1 unit) Minnesota - 3 vs. Arizona St
(2 units) LSU – 17.5 @ Tulane
(1 unit) St. Joe’s – 3.5 vs. Drexel
(1 unit) Ball St - 5 vs. Indiana St
(3 units) Kansas – 9.5 @ DePaul
(2 units) TCU + 16 @ Oklahoma
(1 unit) Gonzaga – 1.5 vs. Texas
(3 units) Southern Illinois - 9 vs. Saint Louis
(2 units) St. Mary’s + 3 @ Seton Hall
(1 unit) Hofstra – 14.5 vs. Georgia St
(4 units) Kansas St + 3 @ Colorado St
(2 units) Rutgers + 5 vs. Nebraska
(1 unit) Indiana – 9 vs. Charlotte
(1 unit) Wichita St + 4.5 @ Syracuse
(1 unit) Georgetown + 7.5 @ Duke
(1 unit) Pacific + 19 @ Texas A&M
(1 unit) Manhattan + 27.5 @ Memphis
I think UNC is ready to make a statement, even though I also think they’re overrated.
I think Northeastern is ready to prove that college basketball is a home court game.
I think James Madison is getting a helluva lotta points and that even though I don’t know anything about them… if they don’t actually have James Madison himself playing for them I’m comfortable with the pick.
I would normally stay away from this game, but in honor of the Pickstravaganza I’m willing to go on the record that Minnesota’s coaching turmoil will cause the troops to rally (note – scientists have concluded that exactly 50% of the time the opposite happens).
I think LSU is pissed about the Wichita State loss and is looking to make a statement.
I think I’m picking too many damn games when I pick St. Joe’s over Drexel. But who can argue against the Palestra?
I think I hate picking against the Valley, but Indiana State wasn’t worth a damn without David Moss last year, and I don’t think they added anybody of significance this year. I respect the fairly close game at Indiana, but I’m not sold. Ball State rolls.
I think Kansas is a complete freaking wild card because of their style (fast and loose) and their personnel (underclassmen). Part of me looks at this game and says “they’re gonna come out flat after beating Florida”. But the other part of me says “they rebounded from the Oral Bob loss, are juiced from the Florida win, and they’re ready to make a statement about their claim to #1 votes in the polls”. If the 3s are falling at better than 35%, I say it’s Kansas by 20.
I think Oklahoma is a terrible team in search of identity. I don’t know anything about TCU, but I’m willing to go on the record against OU – a dangerous proposition with a BCS team… at home… with a new coach…. that came from Duke and isn’t used to losing…
I think I flipped a coin to pick Zaga over the Horns. But I’m fine with that. By any possible measure, Zaga is the better team… but UT has more physical ability in the form of Durant et al. The coaching mismatch is a joke – Mark Few is Randall P. McMurphy and Rick Barnes is Martini (see One Flew Over the Cuckoo’ Nest if you don’t know what I’m talking about.. Seriously – just watch Rick Barnes’ facial expression at the end of the game, and tell me you can’t see him saying “I bet five cents” while grinning in a lobotomical fashion. I don’t even know if lobotomical is a word, but it fits. See my CHN #4 for more rant on Texas.
I think Southern Illinois is the best half-court defensive team I’ve seen since… maybe ever, on a pound-for-pound basis. Seriously – some people don’t like their style, but if you’ve got a son that’s learning how to play basketball… make him watch a Salukis game. Ball pressure, ball tracing, trapping, help-side rotation… it’s all there. Mullins is a prototype PG, and Young and Tatum are warriors. What makes it tough is that all of these guys from Mullins to Falker to Shaw are offensively challenged. I think I hate picking them to cover 9 (since that’s equivalent to 15 points for a team that can score more easily), but they’re another statement team.
I think St. Mary’s is a decent team going on the road against a Seton Hall team that got the shee-ite kicked out of it in the NCAA tournament by Wichita State.
I think Hofstra is a dark horse that isn’t being treated like one. I don’t know Georgia State, but the Pickstravaganza dictates my opinion on this one. Write it down now, Hofstra will make noise in the NCAA tournament coming out of the CAA.
I think I’m out of my mind, leaning this hard into Kansas State. They looked abso-freaking-mutha-freaking-lutely HORRENDOUS against Cal. Seriously. The Wildcats’ point guard in particular. He can’t be a PG by trade, because I’ve never seen a D-1 (or D-3, for that matter) PG spend that much time trying to look good while achieving so little – i.e. he spends a ridiculous amount of time on lateral, behind-the-legs, behind-the-back dribbling instead of doing his job, which is to advance the ball and start the offense. But… the ‘Cats still have hosses. 7’3” Jason Bennett looks like a teenager in terms of coordination getting up and down, but he blocks a ton of shots and alters even more. In addition, Cartier Martin is the real deal. And most of all… I have it on good authority that Bob Huggins is a mean sonuvabitch, and that after a 35 point loss at Cal – CAL – I’m willing to bet that Huggy Bear has already asked each player to complete a final will and testament just in case they look like crap against Colorado State. Then again… they could be ready to pack it in and wait for Bill Walker. But you know what I think.
I think I was shocked that Nebraska beat Creighton. But I also think they’re overrated, and I think that Rutgers is pissed off about being a Big East team that’s been embarrassed by MVC teams. Another statement game. Rutgers runs away in Piscataway.
I think Indiana has some momentum after a nailbiter at (overrated) Duke. I initially picked Charlotte to cover this one, but Kelvin’s gonna get the kids on a roll.
I think I’d rather pick my nose with a razor blade than pick against Wichita State. Watch out for Paul Harris on ‘Cuse… but if ‘Cuse insists on playing their matchup zone… all the Shocks have to do is knock down the 3s – and 8 of their top 10 guys can shoot it. This is a statement game for both teams.
I think I’m out of my mind picking Georgetown at Duke. Georgetown has struggled, and there’s no bigger home-court advantage in basketball than Cameron Indoor. That being said… if G’Town hadn’t struggled recently this would be a 3 or 4 point line since Duke doesn’t have anyone who can control Roy Hibbert inside.
I think I hate picking against Texas A&M again, and I don’t know anything about Pacific except that they’re a quality program that – over the last 3 years anyway – is one of the best passing offenses I’ve ever seen. I love aTm’s program and I think they’re going to do great things. But 19 against a quality team ? Tough. Then again… maybe they continue their AVERAGE 31 point margin of victory. Insane.
I think I don’t know anything about Manhattan. I assume Bobby Gonzalez didn’t leave the cupboard completely bare before he jumped to Seton Hall, but I don’t know. And I know that Calipari is the big bad mofo of C-USA with Memphis. But I know that I like a bunch of NYC kids with 27.5 points.
Good luck, and Digg this if you can. The RFS Cumulative Prognostication is heading into uncharted waters…
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