Four and OH!

It is rare that anything happens in life four straight times. It is especially noteworthy in sports. Parody in modern sports often prevents anything from happening in perpetuity.

This is more telling when four straight losses occur. The Buffalo Bills lost four consecutive Super Bowls  from the 1990 through 1993 NFL season. Nick Anderson of the Orlando Magic missed four consecutive free throws at the end of Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. Instead, the Rockets were able to tie the score, send the game into overtime and win en route to an NBA Championship.

Politics is the ultimate sport. Democrat Williams Jennings Bryan had four unsuccessful runs for president - three times as the Democratic nominee (1896, 1900, 1908) and once receiving votes at the Democratic National Convention but failing to secure the party nomination (1912).

FOUR RINGS

Then there is the 0-4 of The Daily Hat Trick. From the Sweet 16 round on, I picked the Connecticut Huskies to lose four straight times, the last time being Monday morning. I was wrong four straight times. The Connecticut Huskies beat the Kentucky Wildcats, 60-54, to win the 2014 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

The was of course another occurrence that marked the fourth consecutive happening. The Huskies won their fourth NCAA Basketball Championship Game in four attempts (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014) - a perfect 4-0 in the final game of the Final Four.

Led by senior point guard Shabazz Napier, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Huskies never trailed in the title game. Second year Head Coach Kevin Ollie won his first NCAA Championship. The incredible run of the eighth seeded Wildcats, who defeated then-undefeated Wichita State, defending National Champion Louisville, 2013 national runner-up Michigan, and #2 seed Wisconsin, came to an end.

This tournament featured more close games than in recent memory. Many deserving teams threw their hats into the ring, but only one team could survive through six rounds of the Big Dance. To the victor goes the spoils. The Huskies have further cemented their brand as an elite college basketball program.

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Image from http://espn.go.com

Path Less Traveled

The 8th seeded Kentucky Wildcats and the 7th seeded Connecticut Huskies will meet tonight in Arlington, Texas to decide the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Champion. UConn defeated the #1 seed Florida Gators in Saturday’s National Semifinal. Kentucky defeated #2 seed Wisconsin later that night. The other #1 and #2 seeds had long since been eliminated from the Final Four discussion. Indeed, a seed is nothing but a number.

Aaron Harrison has been an assassin in this year’s Big Dance. 1

THE BRACKET OF DEATH

Kentucky was the preseason #1 ranked team. They narrowly lost the SEC Tournament Championship Game to Florida, the #1 team in the country at that time. They were seeded 8th in the Midwest Region.

It sounds outrageous on its face until considering that the Region included the likes of defending National Champion Louisville, the number five team in the country at the end of the regular season, yet the fourth seed in the region. How is this possible? Undefeated Wichita State was the #1 seed in the bracket. Who else was in the Midwest region? Nobody special, just 2013 National Runner-Up Michigan and regular Final Four participant Duke, both 26-8 during the regular season.

Indeed, one could look at the Midwest Region and quickly mistakenly assume that the Big Dance shrunk from 68 teams down to 18. That was the gauntlet that the Wildcats ran. It didn’t kill them; it just made them stronger.

Kentucky was the last team cheering when the dust settled. 2

UNDER THE RADAR

Connecticut was the 7th seed in the East Region. The seedings and pairings in that bracket made little sense to me at the start of the tournament. I was not the least bit surprised that both of the top two seeds failed to reach the Regional Finals.

I was stunned that Connecticut, at team with an attacking defense and a gifted point guard, but few shooters, was the team to advance to the Final Four from this region. From the Sweet Sixteen round on, I picked against Connecticut in each game. All three times, I was wrong.

Connecticut is a team with a Head Coach in Kevin Ollie who followed a legendary coach, Jim Calhoun, at a program with eligibility issues. In only his second season, Ollie is a win away from a National Championship. In rubbing out coaches Jay Wright of Villanova, Fred Hoiberg of Iowa State, Tom Izzo of Michigan State, and Billy Donovan of Florida – all successful coaches with either rising stars or past championships – Ollie let his team do the talking for him on the court.

Ollie has outcoached the field while his front court has out-physicaled every tournament opponent. His senior point guard, Shabazz Napier, has out manned everyone in his way. While observers may asked themselves, “How did this happen?”, Ollie’s Huskies simply stick with the coach’s process and make it happen.

Connecticut beat Florida in the regular season, too, with a buzzer beating bucket. They didn’t cut it so close on Saturday.  3

KISS OF DEATH?

I’m 0-3 picking against UConn in this tournament. I’m willing to risk going 0-4. Kentucky is simply too good with too much talent, peaking too rapidly, and tested (while passing the tests) too thoroughly to lose this game tonight. A close game favors Kentucky and I don’t think Connecticut or any team is capable of running away from the Wildcats.

On the other hand, Connecticut has not only won, but put distance between themselves and their tournament foes, all but one of whom was a higher seed. Connecticut has the advantage at point guard. On paper, Kentucky would appear to have the advantage in coaching with John Calipari. However, Coach Ollie has shown us that we, the public, don’t know what his ceiling is. Expect a title game to be as dramatic as the games that led to it and brought these two teams together this evening.

Advantage: Kentucky

Coach Ollie, right, is making a lot of folks proud in the Tri-State area. 4

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1) Image from www.sportsgrid.com
2) Image from www.chron.com
3) Image from www.mail.com
4) Image from www.nydailynews.com

Must See Sports - First Weekend of April 2014

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 5-5
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 28-25
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record (series only): 1-0

Friday, April 4

NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets

The Thunder look unstoppable right now. The Rockets have been streaky of late, particularly against playoff bound opponents. I'll throw my lot in with front-running MVP candidate Kevin Durant (32 PPG, 8 RPG, 6 APG) right now.

Advantage: Thunder

Russell Westbrook and the Thunder ended the San Antonio Spurs' 19-game winning streak on Thursday night. 1

Saturday, April 5

2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Final Four from Arlington, TX

National Semifinal – (7) Connecticut Huskies vs (1) Florida Gators

The Huskies have had a remarkable run to the Final Four. Spearheaded by senior point guard Shabazz Napier (18 PPG, 5 APG, 6 RPG), the Huskies have gone from a good team that had a good regular season to looking like they belong in the Final Four.

That said, Scottie Wilbekin (13 PPG, 4 APG, 2StlPG) and the Gators have a aura of destiny about them. I don't think Connecticut's defenders can keep up with the power of Florida's front court or the dynamics of Wilbekin's ball handling.

Advantage: Florida

National Semifinal – (8) Kentucky Wildcats vs (2) Wisconsin Badgers

Kentucky is the lowest seed in the Final Four. Considering the "Region of Death" from which they advanced, their seeding is nothing but a number. This team is battle tested, having beaten previously unbeaten Wichita State and defending National Champion Louisville.

Wisconsin has had a little roller coaster action in their season, having lost five of six as of early February. They have only lost two games since. This is going to be a Frank Kaminsky (F, Wisc. - 14 PPG, 6 RPG, 2 BlkPG) vs Julius Randle (F, Ky. - 15 PPG, 11 RPG) matchup. Experience under pressure matters and while both star players have passed their testes, Randle and company have withstood more fire during this tournament.

Advantage: Kentucky

Aaron Harrison,center, after hitting the game winning shot against Michigan to advance Kentucky to the Final Four. 2

Sunday, April 6

NBA

New York Knicks at Miami Heat

The good news in Gotham is that the Knicks have clawed their way back into playoff positioning after a first half (really, first two-thirds) of the season that can only be described as disappointing and catastrophic. Winners of 14 of their last 17, the Knicks have come back from the dead and now have a potseason pulse.

The even better news for New York is that the two-time defending champion Heat have been lulled to sleep and/or rested starters against opponents with inferior records. That is the end of the good news. The bad news piles up high and quickly. LeBron James (27 PPG, 7 RPG, 7 APG, 2 StlPG) and the Heatles, winners of four straight, are going to be on national television. The Knicks, were the season to end today, would be Miami's first foe to try to take their title away. Expect the peasant revolt to be crushed.

Advantage: Heat

Sorry Gotham City, but that's LeBron coming to town, not Batman. 3

MLB

San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
Matt Cain - Giants (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs Zack Greinke (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5Ks, 5.0 IP)

The Dodgers appear to have picked up where they left off after last season. L.A. has gotten off to a 4-1 start. The Giants, on the other hand, had a very disappointing 2013 season with an anemic defense of the their 2012 World Series championship. The Giants have started off 3-1 and, so far, have hit the ball well. How long that lasts remains to be seen.

Advantages: Game - Dodgers, Series - Dodgers 

Yasiel Puig already has a home run and four RBI's this year. 4

Monday, April 7

2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Final Four from Arlington, TX

National Championship Game – To be determined

On Monday, someone will cut down the nets and someone will just be cut down. Log on to thedailyhattrick.com on Monday for the lowdown.

5

Wednesday, April 8

NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers

Winners of 17 of their last 19 (as of 11:00, CDT, last night), the Clippers have proven that their game is more than just "Lob City". Clippers power forward Blake Griffin's (24 PPG, 10 RPG) development has been rapid and breathtaking. They have proven that they can hold their own without point guard Chris Paul (19 PPG, 11 APG, 4 RPG, 3 StlPG). By the way, they'll have Chris Paul for this game.

The Thunder have been similarly dominant. After ending the 19-game winning streak of the San Antonio Spurs last night, they appear to ever-so-slightly be the stronger team in the Western Conference at this time. Russell Westbrook (21 PPG, 7 APG, 6 RPG, 2 StlPG) has played in four straight games, but is day-to-day with nagging injuries. Still, he rose to the occasion last night, dropping 27 points, 6 dimes, and 4 steals in just 31 minutes of play. He'll be up for this game.

I think OKC is the better team on paper, but the Clippers are hot right now and at home.

Advantage: Clippers

The Clippers have danced over the rest of the Pacific Division to a second consecutive division title for the first time in franchise history. 6

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To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from http://blog.mysanantonio.com
2) Image from www.nypost.com
3) Image from http://nba.si.com
4) Image from www.bleacherreport.com
5) Image previously cited in The Daily Hat Trick
6) Image from www.refinedguy.com

Foooooour!

Four men’s collegiate basketball teams have fought their way into the 2014 Final Four. There is a diversity of seeding. There is a diversity of levels of experience. There are diverse paths that led all four teams to college basketball’s signature spectacle in Arlington, Texas. All four teams had just enough to make it.

FLORIDA GATORS

I may have missed badly when I discussed four teams worth watching prior to the tournament selection. I swung and missed with my bracket prediction. However, even a broken clock is right twice per day. So far, so good, with the Florida Gators….

The#1 seeded Gators, who were perfect in Southeastern Conference competition this year, appear to be the strongest teams with the most momentum of the four finalists. Scottie Wilbekin, whose road to the Final Four was a rocky one due to off the court issues, has put this team on his back and picked them up each time it counted most during the Big Dance.

Teams like the Dayton Flyers and UCLA Bruins threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Gators; Florida chomped right through it all. Expect Florida to run another gauntlet when they face Connecticut next Saturday. Expect Coach Billy Donovan to have his team ready.

CONNECTICUT HUSKIES

UConn entered the tournament following a solid but unremarkable regular season. Seeded seventh, the senior laden Huskies did not surprise many people by advancing to the round of 16. What could not have been expected, is how point guard Shabazz Napier caught fire and took over games in tightly contested wins against Iowa State and Michigan State. Their success in the Final Four will boil down to how far Napier and Coach Kevin Ollie can push this team.

WISCONSIN BADGERS

Losers of five of six at one point, after being ranked in the top 10, which Coach Bo Ryan Wisconsin Badgers team is going to show up? If the Frank Kaminsky that vaulted the Badgers past Arizona and Baylor shows up, the Badgers could be playing next Monday night. My concern with this team is that Sam Dekker’s role has gone from that of key scoring player, earlier in the year, to role player. All hands will need to be on deck if Ryan’s Badgers hope to cut down the nets.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Eight seed? What #8 seed? The Midwest region was dubbed “the region of death” for a good reason. The previously undefeated top seed, 2013 Final Four participant Wichita State, was rubbed out in the round of 32. The fifth ranked team in the country, Louisville, was seeded 4^th in the region. The eighth seeded Kentucky Wildcats advanced to the Final Four from this brutal region, the lowest seed among the Final Four teams, and nobody is referencing Cinderella in regard to UK.

This freshman-laden team appeared to turn a corner in the SEC tournament and is not turning back. They’ve been battle tested and are accustomed to pressure after narrowly winning in instant classics against Louisville and Michigan. Wisconsin has not played a team playing at the level that the Wildcats are playing at right now. After a roller coaster regular season and questions about the wisdom of heavily recruiting freshmen not likely to return for a sophomore season, Coach Calipari appears to be ready for another “last laugh” in the NCAA Tournament.

ONE SHINING MOMENT

For all of the criticism about how weak the SEC is in basketball relative to the other power conferences, and all-SEC championship game is not far-fetched. On the other hand, the title matchup could be the first involving a team departed from the Big East after last season. And what about Wisconsin? Could Bo Ryan be rewarded for his years of patience and diligence with a National Championship. To be determined in Arlington, TX….  

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

Must See Sports – Fifth Weekend of March 2014

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 4-4
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 23-20
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record (series only): 0-0

Baseball is back. The Final Four will be decided. It’s a great weekend to be a sports fan!

Thursday, March 27

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

South Regional Semifinals

(11) Dayton Flyers vs (10) Stanford Cardinal

Stanford has demonstrated the potential to get hot and it is happening. Dayton has no consistent scorers and nobody to step up and stop Stanford’s post game. The Flyers’ 15 minutes are up.

Advantage: Stanford

(4) UCLA Bruins vs (1) Florida Gators

UCLA 6’9” point guard Kyle Anderson(15 PPG, 7 APG, 9 RPG)  has been a BALLER. He has helped lead this year’s surge at UCLA. Kyle Anderson, meet Scottie Wilbekin (13 PPG, 4 APG, 2 StlPG) and Coach Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators and their lockdown defense.

Advantage: Florida

West Regional Semifinal

(6) Baylor Bears vs (2) Wisconsin Badgers

I never know which Wisconsin (and which Sam Dekker – 13 PPG, 6 RPG) is going to show up. Too often, this season, when the Badgers have been riding high, they unexpectedly nosedive. The Bears, after a rough start to the season, have been on fire, winners of 12 of their last 14 going back to mid-February. Equally important, I can expect the physical, aggressive Cory Jefferson (14 PPG, 8 RPG) to show up for Baylor. Wisconsin’s only chance is if they can bottle Jefferson up.

Advantage: Baylor

(4) San Diego State Aztecs vs (1) Arizona Wildcats

Don’t expect a lot of scoring in this game. San Diego State employs a ball attacking defense. The problem for them is that teams at the level of the Arizona Wildcats tend to be prepared for their brand of attack and protect the ball better. In addition, I think Arizona’s game in the paint trumps that of the Aztecs. In a low scoring game, I think that is where the difference lies.

Advantage: Arizona

The Sweet 16 round is when things get real. 1

Friday, March 28

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Midwest Regional Semifinals

(11) Tennessee Volunteers vs (2) Michigan Wolverines

The Vol stops here.

Advantage: Michigan

(8) Kentucky Wildcats vs (4) Louisville Cardinals

This is the biggest game of the coming weekend, including the regional finals. It is also in the toughest region. I think the winner of this game eventually advances to the Final Four. The John Calipari vs Rick Pitino storyline gets people’s attention. But I think the difference is the experience of the defending champion Cardinals over the much younger, cross-state rival Wildcats.

Advantage: Louisville

East Regional Semifinals

(7) Connecticut Huskies vs (3) Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State is outstanding on paper and if this game were played on paper, I would expect them to win big. However, big players make big plays to advance their teams in March. UConn point guard Shabazz Napier (18 PPG, 5 APG, 6 RPG) has been playing out of his mind of late. I like Connecticut’s momentum over Iowa State’s consistency in a minor upset in this game.

Advantage: Connecticut

(4) Michigan State Spartans vs (1) Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia has been one of the best teams in the country all year. Michigan State seniors Keith Appling (12 PPG, 5 APG) and Adreian Payne (17 PPG, 7 RPG) have sniffed and almost tasted a championship in the past two seasons, coming up short. Sophomore Gary Harris (17 PPG, 4 RPG, 2 StlPG) is the catalyst who could get MSU and Coach Tom Izzo over the hump.

Minimally I expect it to get them to the Final Four. Virginia is a low scoring team without a strong offensive post presence. This feeds right into the Spartans’ strengths.

Advantage: Michigan State

Gary Harris may be the missing piece in Michigan State's championship puzzle. 2

Saturday, March 29

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

Regional Finals

To be decided by the winners of the Regional Semifinals….

Sunday, March 30

Major League Baseball

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres

Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-0, 0.00 ERA) – Dodgers vs Andrew Cashner – Padres

Although the regular season started last weekend in Australia for the Dodgers against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday will kick off the MLB season, stateside.  The Dodgers dominates the Padres and the National League West last year and that domination will continue into Sunday.

Advantages:  Game – Dodgers, Series – Dodgers  

Ryu and the Dodgers are out to finish what they started last season. 3

Tuesday, April 1

NBA

Houston Rockets at Brooklyn Nets

The Nets went from a catastrophic start to the season to chasing down the Toronto Raptors for the Atlantic Division title. Still, with Kevin Garnett (7 PPG, 7 RPG) out of the lineup and Dwight Howard (19 PPG, 12 RPG, 2 BlkPG) coming to town, these scales tip toward the Rockets.

Advantage: Rockets   

If Garnett can get back to the Nets' lineup healthy before the playoffs, there could be some interesting second round games in the Eastern Conference. 4

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from www.rhodyrampage.com

2) Image from http://bigstory.ap.org

3) Image from www.rantsports.com

4) Image from http://sports.yahoo.com

Death by Choking

Dr. Henry Heimlich devised an abdominal thrust technique to relieve victims of choking during the mid-1970s. Today, it is a nearly universally known first-aid practice for such an emergency. It appears, however, that the memo did not make it to the high seeds in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

PREMATURE DEATH

Early round upsets are a staple of the NCAA Tournament. The single-elimination format of the tournament and the five-on-five nature of basketball, which enable one or two standout players to dictate the outcome of a game, facilitate an atmosphere in which lesser known, smaller basketball programs pull off unexpected surprise upsets each year. The “12-5” upset (in which a 12 seed upsets a 5 seed in a Region) is not a surprise anymore; it’s expected.

Still, upsets are called “upsets” because they are unexpected, an exception to the rule. In the second and third rounds of this year’s tournament, however, they became the trend. Only one 5^th seeded team, the Saint Louis Billikens, advanced to the third round of the dance, meaning three 12 seeds won in the round of 64.

Dayton was just getting started. 1

THE USUAL UPSETS

Once is a coincidence. Twice is a pattern. Three times is a trend. The second and third rounds (rounds of 64 and 32) of the Big Dance saw 13 lower seeded teams defeating higher seeds among the 48 games played. Some of the pairings were close in seeding, such as 9^th seeded Pittsburgh eliminating 8^th seeded Colorado. Many of the lower seeded advancers could have never been foreseen by anyone outside of communities and fan bases of those schools.

So called “12-5” victors North Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin, and Harvard, while not shocking, did buck the odds.  However, nobody could have envisioned a scenario in which traditional powerhouse and 3^rd seeded Duke, led by Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, would have ever lost to little known, Mercer (let alone lose by seven points). The second round delivered its annual quota of upsets.

OVERCONFIDENT, UNDERPREPARED, MISSEEDED

The third round, however, delivered an upset overload. By the end of the weekend, a #1 seed, two #2 seeds, and a three #3 seeds had been eliminated. This defies any precedent or conventional wisdom regarding the NCAA Tournament.

What happened? Duke had no excuse for its loss. Mercer had no place on the same court with Duke. The Blue Devils failed to execute and Coach K, uncharacteristically, failed to prepare his team. The name on the players’ chests went to their heads and they paid a price.  This was illustrated by the thrashing delivered to Mercer in the third round by (11^th seeded) Tennessee.

The 3^rd seeded Syracuse Orange were unceremoniously bounced from the tournament by the 11^th seeded Dayton Flyers, fresh off of an upset of 6^th seeded Ohio State. Syracuse got off to a 25-0 start this season. Whether an injury to a key role player upset the apple cart, other teams found a way to bust their 2-3 zone defense, or (more likely) the team spent too much time reading its own press clippings, the Orange rapidly tailed off after suffering its first regular season loss and never appeared to recover.

Finally, the Wichita State Shockers, 35-0 entering yesterday’s third round matchup with 8^th seeded Kentucky, was the first #1 seed to be eliminated. The Shockers lost by two to the Wildcats in arguably the best college basketball game played all season. What cannot be ignored, however, is that Kentucky, ranked in the top 25 for most of the season and having reached the championship round of the SEC Tournament, was seeded 8^th in the Midwest Region.

In fact, the Midwest Region appeared to be more madness than method. The Louisville Cardinals finished the regular season ranked #5 in the country. Yet they were seeded #4 in a 17-team region in a 68-team tournament. In contrast, lower ranked Villanova, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Michigan were all #2 seeds. Nova and Kansas have been eliminated from the tournament.

The impact of the questionable seeds in the Midwest extends beyond bruised egos from perceived slights. They result in unfairly difficult matchups for all teams involved. A #1 seed is supposed to be a smooth path to the regional semifinals (Sweet 16) barring shoddy play. The Shockers play was outstanding, but against a Kentucky team that would not stun any observers by reaching the Final Four. Likewise, Kentucky had to face an undefeated team in its second tournament game.

3

CHOKE CITY

Notwithstanding the over-concentration of talent in the Midwest Region, the teams that experienced unexpectedly early exits have only themselves to blame. The Big Dance gives each team one chance to advance. Teams with better records and more celebrated talent unable to crush low-seeded peasant revolts need not be considered to cut down the nets on the first Monday in April.

  

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

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1) Image from http://cleveland.cbslocal.com  
2) Image from www.washingtonpost.com
3) Image from www.gamedayr.com

Take a Flyer!

Early round upsets in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament are nearly as certain as the sun rising in the east. Yesterday was no exception. The 11th seeded Dayton Flyers puled off a stunning upset of the 6th seeded Ohio State Buckeys, 60-59, in the second round of the South Region bracket. Vee Sanford made a layup in the final second of the game to give Dayton the win and advance them to the round of 32.

There is plenty to cheer about in Dayton, Ohio, though the same can't be said for fans of their cross state rival in Columbus. The Dayton Flyers cheerleaders are the subject of today's Chick Pic!

Now THAT is a visually appealing center-court. 1

The Flyers are flying on the court as well as the sidelines. 2

Reading is fundamental at Dayton. 3

Men's basketball is a game that's played above the rim. So is cheerleading for the ladies. 4

It's official! March Madness is in full swing! 5

1) Image from www.flickr.com
2) Image from Kyle Okita of www.sportspagemagazine.com
3) Image from www.sfgate.com
4) Image from www.thesportsbank.net
5) image from http://cleveland.cbslocal.com

Must See Sports – Fourth Weekend of March 2014

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 5-1
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 19-16
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record (series only): 0-0

March Madness is here!!!

Thursday, March 20

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

East Region – Second Round

(10) St. Joseph’s Hawks vs (7) Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut has Shabazz Napier at point guard and has played solid D all year. Give me UConn.

Advantage: Connecticut


Midwest Region – Second Round

(12) North Carolina State Wolfpack vs (5) St. Louis Billikens

N.C. State got red hot in the ACC Tournament. St. Louis has been ice cold of late. N.C. State forward T.J. Warren (25 PPG, 7 RPG) has been on fire lately and will bring it to a Billikens team that is ripe for an upset. Still, I like the Atlantic 10 regular season champions and their defense. The late coach Jim Valvano is not walking through the door and I think the Wolfpack’s Cinderella’s run is over.

Advantage: Saint Louis


(10) Arizona State Sun Devils vs (7) Texas Longhorns

Texas has been all brawn and no skill all year.  Simply put: they can’t shoot. They can clobber inferior opponents in the paint on both sides of the court. Arizona State is a bit more balanced offensively and tested against tough Pac-12 competition. Their greatest weakness is against strong shooting teams. Texas is not that. Give me the “underdog” 10th seed.

Advantage: Arizona State

UConn will go as Shabazz Napier goes. 1

Friday, March 21

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

South Region – Second Round

(10) Stanford Cardinal vs (7) New Mexico Lobos

This game could swing either way but I find that Stanford is often reliant on taking jump shots set up by isolation without a strong offensive rebounding component. New Mexico is a patient defensive team that moves the ball around on offense. They take their fair share of jumpers also, but get their fair share of second chance opportunities and give up very few. The Lobos have also taken two of three against top 10 ranked Mountain west Conference rival San Diego State. The Cardinal is 1-2 against the top 10.

Advantage: New Mexico


(12) Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks vs (5) Virginia Commonwealth Rams

Both of these teams like to press and trap their opponents on defense and both do it well. I like shooters in mid-major contests and Jacks wait patiently to take smart shots and shoot the ball well. I like this potential 12-5 seed upset because SFA is just the kind of team that a recent Final Four team like VCU could overlook and underestimate, notwithstanding the proven coaching skills of Rams coach Shaka Smart.

Advantage: Stephen F. Austin


Midwest Region – Second Round

(11) Tennessee Volunteers vs (6) Massachusetts Minutemen

Tennessee is going to get a glimpse of the ball-attacking defense and up tempo offense of UMass, led by point guard Chaz Williams (16 PPG, 7 APG). Tennessee will depend on junior forward Jarnell Stokes (18 PPG, 13 APG) to clog up the lane a pick up second half points for the Volunteers. I think Massachsetts is ultimately going to prove to be too athletic for a Tennessee team that had to scratch and claw just to get into the Big Dance.

Advantage: Massachusetts

Can Shaka Smart coach the Rams to the Final Four, again, now that VCU is the hunted and not the hunter? 2

Saturday, March 22

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – Third Round

Check with the Hat Trick on Saturday morning for Third Round NCAA Tournament previews.

Sunday, March 23

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – Third Round

Check with the Hat Trick on Saturday morning for Third Round NCAA Tournament previews.

Tuesday, March 25

NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks

The contrast between Eastern Conference and Western Conference NBA basketball is striking. The Mavs winning percentage is close to .600 and they are battling for the final playoff spot in the West. The New York Knicks were 21-40 earlier this month and now are only four games back of the final spot in the East. Life is not fair.

As much as point guard Monta Ellis (19 PPG, 6 APG) has injected into the Dallas offense, returning this recent NBA champion (2011) to relevance, the Thunder are just too hot and too loaded for the Mavs right now.

Advantage: Thunder

Monta Ellis, left, has been the catalyst to spring Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs back into the playoff picture. 4

Wednesday, March 26

NBA

Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers

If the Heat are intent on catching the Pacers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, they will help their chances by winning their last two matchups against the Pacers in the regular season.

Unfortunately for The Heatles, the Pacers are ridiculously good at home. Should Andrew Bynum (9 PPG, 6 RPG, 1 BlkPG, 18 MPG) be back in the lineup for the Pacers by next Wednesday, the Heat will have an even steeper hill to climb as Miami struggles in the paint as it is.

Advantage: Pacers

The Pacers cheerleaders have had no reason to fake their enthusiasm this year. 3

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

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Billionaire's Bracket

Many of you have probably heard about investor Warren Buffet's offer to pay a billion dollars to anyone who can correctly pick a perfect NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket. Never let it be said you never got anything valuable from the Hat Trick. My bracket is out there for the benefit of you, the reader!
Don't forget a kickback or two to yours truly if you happen to win!

For what it's worth....

Four to Watch

Selection Sunday is just two days away. The annual ritual of 68 teams getting a chance to dance for the NCAA Men’s Basketball championship is upon us, once again. Many will try, most won’t come close.

Rather than waiting for the brackets to be released, the Daily Hat Trick is going to point out its four strongest contenders to win it all on the first Monday in April. Without knowing which teams will be in which brackets, it is probable that these teams will not all be in the Final Four. They are the teams, having watched them all season, that I think have the best chance to make it through to the end of the dance.

#7 DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Only one team has been perfect, so far, this season, but Duke appears to be the best. They are the most consistent team in the field. They have one of the best coach, some argue the best, in the country in Hall of Fame Coach Mike Krzyzweski. Super Freshmen forwards Jabari Parker (19 PPG, 9 RPG) and Rodney Hood (17 PPG, 4 RPG), alone, are a difficult force for most of the top teams to overcome. This is not taking into account its seasoned senior leadership. Duke has the most right of any team (and fans) to have a “championship or bust” mentality entering the tournament. I expect Duke to have a #1 seed.

Rondey Hood can put it in the basket and take one for the team. One moment C.J. Fair's (Syracuse) sack is in his face and the next moment Duke puts the game away because of the called charge on Fair. 1

#11 SYRACUSE ORANGE

I expect people to disagree with me and I understand why. Syracuse went into a late season tailspin, losing 4 out of 5 after starting off 25-0. However, under the coaching of Jim Boeheim, the sharp execution of their vaunted 2-3 zone defense, and the overflow of talent on this team, it could be good that Syracuse look its lumps during the season as opposed to during the tournament. It is better for a team to know its most exploitable weaknesses now, when a team can still live to fight another day following a loss.

Boeheim will not go down quietly. 2

#1 FLORIDA GATORS

This team is #1 for a reason: they are that good. It is awfully hard to be beaten if an opponent can’t score. That is how the Gators, winners of 24 consecutive games, have dominated this season, including a perfect, 18-0, record in SEC competition. Head Coach Billy Donovan continues to show each year that he can put the right pieces in places with any roster he recruits and become an impenetrable source of frustration for opposing offenses. Scoring is not this team’s dominating characteristic, but they have proven, against quality opponents, that they are capable of scoring points in bunches when the need arrives to turn up the heat.      

Everything seems more fun in Florida. 3

#5 LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

The defending national champions are not bulletproof. However, they are experienced. They know how to win. Most important: they have Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Pitino. This team demonstrated, last season, that it can win in the postseason in spite of unexpected hurdles like injuries and upstart opponents. Point guard Russ Smith (18 PPG, 5 APG) has been up-and-down like a carousel horse. He is the senior leader. He absolutely must be dialed in during the later rounds for the Cardinals to have chance to repeat as champions.

Rick Pitino, left, knows he has to help keep Russ Smith, right, focused.

OTHER CONTENDERS

The elephant in the room is the #2 Wichita State Shockers. A Final Four team from a year ago, the Shockers have gone 34-0 under Head Coach Gregg Marshall. They will be the first team since the 1991 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels to enter the Big Dance with a perfect record. However, their Missouri Valley schedule is child’s play compared to the teams they will face in the Sweet Sixteen round and later. Senior forward Cleanthony Early has proven to be versatile and battle tested. However, the 2014 Shockers are not. None of their games have been against teams that were ranked when they played, though the did beat Saint Louis, Alabama, and Tennessee earlier this year.

The #3 Villanova Wildcats, #4 Arizona Wildcats, and #6 Virginia Cavaliers have all shown flashes of championship potential. However, Villanova’s only quality win was over Kansas earlier this season. Arizona is without their big, scoring forward Brandon Ashley (12 PPG, 6 RPG), who broke his foot in a February loss at California. And Virginia, with the nation’s #1 defense, has no consistent offensive scoring threats in the post – none! N..O..N..E!

Finally there are the #10 Kansas Jayhawks. A week ago, I would have had this team in that aforementioned Four to Watch. But the back injury to forward (and possible first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft) Joel Embiid (11 PPG, 8 RPG, 3 BlkPG) is a gamebreaker for the Jayhawks in an already competitive field.

Cleanthony Early wants a second shot at the Final Four. 5

BRACKET TIME!

This is not the year to “go chalk” with your tournament brackets. You may have noticed the absence of #8 Michigan (last year’s runner up), #8 San Diego State (tied with Michigan in this week’s AP Poll), or #12 Wisconsin, which has shown flashes of championship ability under Coach Bo Ryan. That’s because my eye test tells me that they don’t have a chance to win the whole tournament in spite of having tournament-level talent and regular season success. You may disagree with my assessments, but trust your own. The margin between winning and losing at the top will be thin. This is the year to erase your chalk!

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.


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