Another weekend has passed and more sports stories surface. Here is what I learned last weekend.
1. Michigan State had a chance to win the Big Ten outright but just couldn't get it done. They had a 2 game lead with 2 games to play and all they had to do was win one and the title was theirs alone. Unfortunately, the 2 teams that stood in their way were no cupcakes. They had to play at Indiana, which is always a difficult place to play, and at home against Ohio State. Indiana is playing as well as anyone in the country right now and the only team that has defeated top ranked Kentucky. They have knocked off 3 Top 5 teams this season in Bloomington including the aforementioned Wildcats, The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State. Ohio State was looking at the MSU game as a revenge situation after State bullied them in Columbus. It was tough to see Draymond Green lose his final home game and I certainly feel terrible for him and the other seniors. Usually a 15-point lead at home is a lock. Hopefully Green and the Spartans will get the last laugh come Tournament time.
2. MSU forward Branden Dawson left Sunday's game with a knee injury and it was later revealed that he had a torn ACL. That is a serious blow to the Spartans title chances. He is a very athletic forward who is a beast on the offensive glass. He has the ability to play lock down defense and can change games with his freakish athleticism. Dawson was the 3rd leading scorer for the Spartans and he will be sorely missed as the NCAA Tournament approaches.
3. Duke is who I thought they were. Pretenders. They live by the 3 and die by the 3 (as many teams do). When you make 3's, you can be in the game with anyone. When those 3's don't fall, you get pounded and beat up by the better teams (as was evident Saturday). Duke doesn't have an inside game to lean on when the jumpers don't fall. Their game is to spread you out defensively, attack the gaps and kick it out to jump shooters. I don't begin to tell anyone that I am a Duke or North Carolina fan. As a matter of fact, I don't like either one. However, in watching both of their head to head games this season, the Tar heels are a much more talented team (and I don't think it is close). Duke was lucky to win the game in Chapel Hill. Carolina figured them out, adjusted, and exposed them for the nation to see.
4. Rory McIlroy is now the world's top ranked golfer. He had to earn it as a hard charging Tiger Woods was making his move. Tiger had the putter working all day as he rolled in a long eagle putt at the 3rd and made another eagle at the 18th. He had command of his game hitting whatever shot he wanted to with precision. He finished with a final round 62 to post -10. McIlroy was 6 groups behind Tiger and knew what was happening. He heard the gallery roar as Woods made his 8-foot eagle putt and knew that that wasn't the type of noise they make for birdies. Rory was on the 13th green staring down a birdie putt of his own and when it dropped in dead center, it was game on. Just like a true champion, McIlroy answered the bell and closed the door to win by 2 shots. Who knows how long he will maintain the top ranking in the world but he seems to be a genuinely nice guy and I cannot wait to see what the Masters holds.
5. Northwestern still has a chance to make it to the March Madness for the first time in school history. They dodged two VERY large bullets this weekend as Creighton held off Illinois State and Murray State avenged their only loss of the season against Tennessee State. If either had lost, someone's bubble would have burst, as they would have stolen NCAA bids. That bubble could easily be Northwestern's. First and foremost, the Wildcats need to handle their own business and beat Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament. Then beating Michigan would go a long way to solidifying a bid. They played Michigan very tough this year losing both games in OT. If they are to make their first Big Dance, they need the teams that are supposed to win their conference tournaments to actually win them so no automatic bids are stolen. I am looking at you Long Beach State.
Let me know what you learned.
Here is a video that doesn't have anything to do anything. I just thought it was funny. SHEED!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Z-CV2EWZo&feature=related
1. Michigan State had a chance to win the Big Ten outright but just couldn't get it done. They had a 2 game lead with 2 games to play and all they had to do was win one and the title was theirs alone. Unfortunately, the 2 teams that stood in their way were no cupcakes. They had to play at Indiana, which is always a difficult place to play, and at home against Ohio State. Indiana is playing as well as anyone in the country right now and the only team that has defeated top ranked Kentucky. They have knocked off 3 Top 5 teams this season in Bloomington including the aforementioned Wildcats, The Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State. Ohio State was looking at the MSU game as a revenge situation after State bullied them in Columbus. It was tough to see Draymond Green lose his final home game and I certainly feel terrible for him and the other seniors. Usually a 15-point lead at home is a lock. Hopefully Green and the Spartans will get the last laugh come Tournament time.
2. MSU forward Branden Dawson left Sunday's game with a knee injury and it was later revealed that he had a torn ACL. That is a serious blow to the Spartans title chances. He is a very athletic forward who is a beast on the offensive glass. He has the ability to play lock down defense and can change games with his freakish athleticism. Dawson was the 3rd leading scorer for the Spartans and he will be sorely missed as the NCAA Tournament approaches.
3. Duke is who I thought they were. Pretenders. They live by the 3 and die by the 3 (as many teams do). When you make 3's, you can be in the game with anyone. When those 3's don't fall, you get pounded and beat up by the better teams (as was evident Saturday). Duke doesn't have an inside game to lean on when the jumpers don't fall. Their game is to spread you out defensively, attack the gaps and kick it out to jump shooters. I don't begin to tell anyone that I am a Duke or North Carolina fan. As a matter of fact, I don't like either one. However, in watching both of their head to head games this season, the Tar heels are a much more talented team (and I don't think it is close). Duke was lucky to win the game in Chapel Hill. Carolina figured them out, adjusted, and exposed them for the nation to see.
4. Rory McIlroy is now the world's top ranked golfer. He had to earn it as a hard charging Tiger Woods was making his move. Tiger had the putter working all day as he rolled in a long eagle putt at the 3rd and made another eagle at the 18th. He had command of his game hitting whatever shot he wanted to with precision. He finished with a final round 62 to post -10. McIlroy was 6 groups behind Tiger and knew what was happening. He heard the gallery roar as Woods made his 8-foot eagle putt and knew that that wasn't the type of noise they make for birdies. Rory was on the 13th green staring down a birdie putt of his own and when it dropped in dead center, it was game on. Just like a true champion, McIlroy answered the bell and closed the door to win by 2 shots. Who knows how long he will maintain the top ranking in the world but he seems to be a genuinely nice guy and I cannot wait to see what the Masters holds.
5. Northwestern still has a chance to make it to the March Madness for the first time in school history. They dodged two VERY large bullets this weekend as Creighton held off Illinois State and Murray State avenged their only loss of the season against Tennessee State. If either had lost, someone's bubble would have burst, as they would have stolen NCAA bids. That bubble could easily be Northwestern's. First and foremost, the Wildcats need to handle their own business and beat Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament. Then beating Michigan would go a long way to solidifying a bid. They played Michigan very tough this year losing both games in OT. If they are to make their first Big Dance, they need the teams that are supposed to win their conference tournaments to actually win them so no automatic bids are stolen. I am looking at you Long Beach State.
Let me know what you learned.
Here is a video that doesn't have anything to do anything. I just thought it was funny. SHEED!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Z-CV2EWZo&feature=related
No comments:
Post a Comment