89 is not 88

First off, I want to say "Congratulations" to the UConn women's basketball team for winning 89 straight games by defeating #20 Florida State this past week. It is an unbelievable streak that tops the 88 game streak John Wooden's UCLA teams put together from 1971-1974. Of course, ESPN has covered the streak nonstop and I have seen analysts debating which streak is greater. I've heard it both ways but here's my take on the whole thing: I believe UCLA's streak is far more impressive but at the same time the two are not comparable. It's apples and oranges.

UCLA won 88 games in men's basketball during the early 70's which is a remarkable feat that may never be topped. I don't think UConn's streak will be broken for a long time unless Geno can do it again...if they ever suffer a loss. The reason UCLA's streak is so much more impressive is because the men's game is far more competitive than the women's game. Often the 25th ranked team can beat a top 10 team in men's basketball but in the women's game there is no parity. Year in and year out, UConn and Tennessee stay at the top of the polls and a handful of schools such as Stanford, Baylor and Duke remain competitive but UConn has never had a real threat. Baylor gave them a game at the beginning of the year but in UConn's last two games against ranked opponents they beat #10 Ohio State and #20 Florida State by 30+ points. The women's game just isn't as competitive as the men's game and that's why UCLA's streak will always stand out as the premier winning streak in college basketball.

That said, these two streaks are hardly comparable. The men's and women's game are two different things and therefore they are both impressive in their own sense. I can't stand to see people say UConn's is more impressive because the final number isn't everything. What's impressive is the competition the team played and where they won them at. So in my mind, John Wooden's teams still hold the honor for the most impressive win streak.

Seeing Kobe In Person

I'll admit it: I used to be one of those Kobe-haters that hated the guy just because. Just because he was good and I hated people comparing him to Michael Jordan, my favorite NBA player of all-time. However, things have changed and I am no longer a Kobe hater and here is why: the guy is a winner and he plays the right way. Do I think he will ever be as good as Michael? No but I do think he is right up there and he is definitely the best player in the game today. Go ahead and make your case for LeBron but at the end of the day Kobe wins that debate.

Kobe is 32 years old and in his 15th season for the LA Lakers. He is going for his sixth ring this season and the Lakers look like the favorite in the West once again if they can hold off the Spurs. So far this season he is averaging nearly 27, 5 and 5 but rarely has the attention been focused on him. Instead, the media has flocked to Miami to cover the Big Three's every success and failure or headed to Denver to see when Carmelo will be catching a flight to New York. Meanwhile, Kobe and the Lakers have gone about their business out West, compiling a record of 19-7 which is good for first place in the Pacific Division.

What sets Kobe apart is his determination and want to win, which makes him like Jordan. LeBron just doesn't seem to have that. Kobe takes over a game with an assassin's mentality and plays through pain. Never has he allowed people to even think that he quit on his team like LeBron did last year in the playoffs. That could be the reason Kobe has five rings while LeBron is still in pursuit of his first and felt the need to go down to Miami and team up with Bosh and Wade. Much like Jordan, Kobe loves to be the man and relishes the moment when its time to takeover the game.

On Wednesday night I had the chance to go the Lakers-Pacers game down in Indianapolis and it was my first time seeing Kobe in person. In a word, it was incredible. He was quiet in the first half but then there was a stretch in the second half where you could just see him turn it on and by the end of the game he had 31 points and Conseco Fieldhouse was going crazy everytime he put another one in. Two plays stick out in my head from that game, the first being a three from the top of the key where he caught the ball and thought about shooting but then decided against it. He stood there with the ball for about five seconds and then in the blink of an eye he put it up and swished a three. Shooting a shot after thinking about it is not the easiest thing but Bryant made it look easy. Later on in the second half he caught the ball a good five feet above the three point line at the top of the key and without hesitation just drained it. He smiled and ran down the floor as if to say, "This is what I do everyday."

I respect the way Kobe plays the game because he plays hard and plays on both ends of the floor. I have changed my opinions on him and without a doubt he is head and shoulders above LeBron or anybody else in the league. Scary thing is...Kobe is only 32 years old. There are many more years of this domination to come.

The Greatest Pitching Staff Ever Assembled

In the most surprising news of the baseball off season (sorry Jayson Werth, your insanely large contract with the Nationals that was a couple million too much isn't as big as this) Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for 5 years and $120 million dollars. Lee rejected bigger offers from the Yankees and the Rangers to join Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in arguably the greatest pitching staff ever assembled. The best thing about this deal is that Lee took a smaller deal even though the Yankees dangled more money in front of him. Lee had played in Philly for half a season in 2009 and loved the city. The Phillies let him go after that 2009 season and signed Halladay but Lee loved Philly enough to take less money; refreshing to hear in this day of "who can sign the biggest contract."

With the signing of Lee the Phils have four legit number one starters in one rotation. Some teams in the MLB would kill to have just one of those guys. With this signing, it cancels out the loss of Werth, and makes the Phillies the clear cut favorite for National League. Looking at the Phillies on paper is unbelievable. Here are some samplings from 2010 of the newly dubbed, "Phab Four."

Halladay: 21-10, 219 K's, 2.44 ERA, Perfect Game, Playoff No-hitter, NL Cy Young Award

Lee: 12-9, 185 K's, 18 BB's, 3.18 ERA, Led Rangers to World Series

Oswalt: 13-13 (7-1 w/Philly), 193 K's, 2.76 ERA

Hamels: 12-11, 211 K's, 3.03 ERA

Assuming that Zack Grienke is traded from the Royals in the last big deal of the offseason, the Royals number one starter at this point will be Kyle Davies. Davies is a 26-year-old righthander who posted an 8-12 record with an ERA over 5.00 last season. You think the Royals would love to have one the Phillies starters? The Miami Heat had an impressive offseason by signing Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh but the Phillies offseason may be more impressive with this one signing. It's that big of a deal.

 

Consider that in the NLDS, which the Phillies are almost sure to make, a team only has to win three games to move on to the NLCS. That means that if there was a sweep, Hamels wouldn't even see the mound. This is by far the most impressive pitching staff since I've been born but can they produce the results expected of them? The pressure is on but these four are hardly ever phased by it. Out of the four, Hamels is the only one with a World Series ring but Oswalt and Lee have both been there. Halladay has two Cy Young awards to his name while Lee has one. In the Phillies World Series year Hamels won the NLCS and WS MVP award and Oswalt won the 2005 NLCS MVP award. The group comes in with impressive credentials and it won't be surprising to see them rack up many more in years to come.

Why I Hate College Football Bowl Season

We couldn't get through a year of college football without a heated debate about the BCS vs. a playoff system and this year is no different. This year that one unlucky team that got left out is TCU who went 12-0 but never had a chance of being invited to the BCS Championship Game in Glendale because of all the factors working against them such as their weak conference schedule and their starting position in the BCS rankings. I am a huge college basketball fan and there isn't a better time of year than March Madness. 68 teams (don't ask me about that 96 team tournament thing or I'll get really mad) come together and play a tournament where anything can happen and teams like Butler can become a national sensation. College football doesn't have that and they never will. Bowl season lacks the suspense and the fun that college basketball brings to the table.

Starting on the 18th, bowl season will be off an running and it will last nearly a month, but the funny thing is only three days really matter. Nobody cares about the GoDaddy.com Bowl or the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. There are plenty of pointless bowl games and it has become so watered down that its really not even fun anymore. Boise State lost one game to this season to Nevada and because of that they weren't invited to a BCS bowl. Instead they will be playing in the Las Vegas Bowl...how prestigious. I also read that in Sports Illustrated this past week that Nevada cost each WAC school 1,000,000 dollars by beating Boise State because, had the Broncos made a BCS bowl, they would have earned roughly 10 million dollars for the conference which would have been divided evenly. So to me, Nevada punished themselves for winning a game. How dumb is that?

If I ruled college football there would be a playoff system of 16 teams like many have suggested. It makes more sense to give the top 16 teams a fair shot at the title rather than telling 14 teams to go play in another bowl with no reward except pride. Take Virginia Tech for example: they stumbled twice at the beginning of the year and never had a chance to be mentioned for the championship game but they reeled off 11 wins in a row and are playing some really good football. College football doesn't know the term "Cinderella" and that's because they don't allow themselves to. There is rarely a chance for the small school to beat the big school in a postseason game but in college basketball that is all the rage.

It's amazing how every professional sport and college sport has a playoff system but college football can't seem to figure it out. I hope they do soon though because teams will keep getting cheated year after year and the computers will decide teams fates unfairly. The game is supposed to be played on the field...why not let the athletes decide it out there?

Dissecting LeBron's Return

Thursday night on TNT LeBron James made his much anticipated return to Cleveland where he spent seven seasons before leaving the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. When LeBron announced his Decision on ESPN in an hour-long special with Jim Gray, there was an immediate backlash at James and fellow stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. No team in my lifetime has ever received the press that the Heat have so far and, as one could imagine, with every loss comes more speculation as to why they aren't winning.

Of the Heat's Big Three no one has received as much hate as LeBron has since they joined forces. Why is that? Some say LeBron did nothing wrong because he is allowed to leave in free agency. That is true but there are so many reasons why LeBron is wrong. It seemed like a dream situation for LeBron and for Cleveland on Draft day back in 2003; the kid from Akron who had dominated the high school scene and taken over the nation already was going to be drafted number one overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, a franchise desperate for a star player and wins.

LeBron lived up to the hype for the seven years he was in Cleveland, leading the Cavs to the Finals once and rewriting the franchise record books. At times it seemed like he was the only guy the Cavs had on the roster and he single-handedly would propel them to wins but then this summer...he left. He left Cleveland, the city that loved him with all they had. Go to Youtube and watch a clip of LeBron before a game when he was a Cavalier. Fans would mimic him as he threw the powder into the air and teammates would joke around and share a laugh before, during and after the games. With James in a Cavs uniform, Cleveland really did rock. Listen...I've been to Cleveland and it sucks. There's nothing to do and the city is just depressed but LeBron was that bright spot. Many in the city are unemployed, the Browns look like they will never be good again and the Indians seem to have forgotten what winning is but LeBron and the Cavs brought life to the city and to make it even better he was a hometown kid. He was a hero.

Few men have ever experienced the love that LeBron had in Cleveland. Sure, every city loves their star player but not like Cleveland loved LeBron. He was their savior. He was going to bring them a championship and he even went on the record saying that. He wouldn't stop until he got it he said and we believed him. Life was a party with LeBron.

Everything has changed. He betrayed the city and that's not an unfair assessment of the situation. He was a hometown kid who said he would bring a championship to the city and he made a mockery of the city and the team on national television by announcing his Decision for all in a truly selfish fashion. He deserved the chorus of boos that he received from his once loyal fans and he deserved the signs and t-shirts with anti-LeBron phrases and pictures. Never again will LeBron be accepted in that city and I'm not sure he understands that yet. Yes, he scored 38 points but he came out of Quicken Loans Arena a loser in my mind. Maybe he finally understands that the fans aren't joking and that their anger wasn't just one night. They really do hate him.

The hero that the city of Cleveland loved is suddenly the villain that the city of Cleveland hates with all their heart.

More Surgery for Oden, Not as Much Chillin for Bosh

Two recent NBA headlines irked me this week and from different sides of the country. First, from Portland, news came across that center Greg Oden will miss another season, his second since he was drafted in 2007 after one season at Ohio State. His college career was so short that maybe some forgot how dominant and promising he looked. He came into Thad Matta's program along with high school teammate Mike Conley and wingman Daequan Cook. The three led the Buckeyes all the way to the championship game down in Atlanta before falling to Florida. In his lone season in Columbus Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds and was named a First Team All-American at season's end.

The Trail Blazers owned the first pick in 2007 and worked out Oden and Kevin Durant and, after weeks of mulling it over, Portland selected Oden with their pick. Oden missed his first season because of knee surgery and through 2010 has only played 82 games for the Blazers. To put that in perspective, after this season the Blazers will have played 328 games since drafting Oden. What makes it even more painful is that Durant, who was selected second, is a legitimate star for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the scoring champion last season and has played for USA Basketball. Oden meanwhile has gone through a couple knee surgeries and instead of being labeled as a future star he is now considered a guy that could just "contribute" and be a good "role player" for the Blazers.

It is sad to see because for some reason we all love Greg Oden. He's not a punk or an idiot and he hasn't been involved in any off-the-court issues. Yet now I'm beginning to worry we may never get to see his talents unfold before us in the NBA.

On the other coast, down in South Beach, the Heat have won a few games lately and on Wednesday night they demolished the Suns 123-96. Chris Bosh, quiet for much of this young season and basically a non factor for the Heat, put up 35 points in the win. After the game Bosh was asked about coach Erik Spoelstra and he said the Heat played better because they went back to work in practice. "We got back to getting after it again; I guess [Spoelstra] felt he was loosening up a little bit too much," Bosh said. "He knows he has to meet us halfway. He wants to work; we want to chill."

What did he just say????

The players want to chill. Chill as in not practice too hard and just have a few days off. Sorry Bosh, but that aint the way this whole thing works. I never heard Michael Jordan say he just wanted to chill. Kobe Bryant never seems to have a problem meeting his coach halfway. Don't forget Bosh plays alongside LeBron James who earlier this year criticized Spoelstra because he "played too many minutes." The Celtics put together three all-stars and won a championship right away and that's because those guys worked. The Heat will not win a championship if the stars don't figure out what it takes. Remember, only Dwyane Wade has won a championship and he was with Shaq that year. These guys still have alot to figure out before we anoint them the kings of the NBA.

Assembling the All-Time NBA Team

Just for fun let's discuss the All-Time NBA team. So much debate goes into who is the best player to ever play the game (it's Michael Jordan for anybody who needs to know) and as I tried to assemble this team no position came easy. Who is your center??? Bill Russell? Kareem? Wilt? You can hardly cut one of those guys, but that's what has to be done to do this. What I did was make a 12-man roster like an NBA team uses today. There are no active players on this roster. All players must be in the Hall of Fame to be eligible for the team. I note the starters and then the bench players and then picked my coaches. So here it goes...the NBA's All-Time Team:

Point Guard: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1979-1991, 1996)

Magic led the Showtime Lakers of the 80's and helped the franchise to six titles during that time. Magic was named to the All-Star team 11 times and was the league MVP three times along with three Finals MVP awards. At 6'8" Magic was taller than most guards, yet he handled the ball so well, dishing out 11 assists per game for his career.

Career Stats: Points- 19.2    Rebounds- 7.2     Assists- 11.2     Steals- 1.9

Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (1984-1998), Washington Wizards (2001-2003)

MJ's storied career with the Bulls is highlighted by the two 3-peats in the 90's along with Scottie Pippen and he is considered by many the greatest player of all time. Jordan collected five MVPs, six Finals MVP's, was a 14-time All-Star, and was named to the All-NBA First Team ten times. Jordan was an offensive force but also a defensive stopper. He averaged over two steals per game and was named to NBA All-Defensive Team ten times over his career.

Career Stats: Points- 30.1     Rebounds- 6.2     Assists- 5.3     Steals- 2.3

Small Forward: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics (1979-1992)

The Hick from French Lick went up against Magic's Lakers several times during the glory days of the 80's and Bird's Celtics won three championships in that time. Bird was the Finals MVP twice to go with his three league MVP awards. Bird's shooting was unmatched, especially from behind the arc. His defense also was recognized as he was named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team three times. He was also a 12-time All-Star.

Career Stats: Points- 24.3     Rebounds- 10.0     Assists- 6.3     Steals- 1.7

Power Forward: Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics (1980-1993)

After much debate McHale gets the starting job for the power forward position. Statistically speaking he is not as good as others but what sets him apart is his rings and the fact that he played on one of the greatest teams ever. McHale was with Bird for the three championships and won two Sixth Man of the Year awards. He was also selected to the All-Defensive First team three times.

Career Stats: Points- 17.9     Rebounds- 7.3     Assists- 1.7     Blocks- 1.7

Center: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1975), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-1989)

The center position was the hardest to pick but Kareem is the best. He dominated the floor on both ends and won championships while doing it. He won one championship with the Bucks and five with the Lakers. Kareem won six MVP awards and was the Finals MVP twice. He also was named to 18 All-Star games and won the Rookie of the Year award in 69-70.

Career Stats: Points- 24.1     Rebounds- 10.9     Assists- 3.5     Steals- 1.0     Blocks- 2.6

Off the Bench

Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics (1950-1963), Cincinnati Royals (1969-70)

Career Stats: Points- 19.0     Rebounds- 5.1     Assists- 7.9

Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970), Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974)

Career Stats: Points- 25.7     Rebounds- 7.5     Assists- 9.5     Steals- 1.1

Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers (1976-1987)

Career Stats: Points- 23.1     Rebounds- 7.0     Assists- 4.0     Steals- 1.9     Blocks- 1.6

Karl Malone, Utah Jazz (1985-2003), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-2004)

Career Stats: Points- 25.0     Rebounds- 10.1     Assists- 3.6     Steals- 1.4

Wilt Chamberlain, PHI/SF Warriors (1959-1965), Philadelphia 76ers (64-68), LA Lakers (70-73)

Career Stats: Points- 30.1     Rebounds- 22.9     Assists- 4.4

Bill Russell, Boston Celtics (1956-1969)

Career Stats: Points- 15.1    Rebounds- 22.5     Assists- 4.3

Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974)

Career Stats: Points- 27.0     Rebounds- 5.8     Assists- 6.7     Steals- 2.6

Coach: Phil Jackson, Chicago Bulls (1989-1998), Los Angeles Lakers (1999-Present)

Alright so I made an exception on the whole "gotta be retired" thing with the coach but that's because Phil Jackson is that good. He has coached the Bulls in the Jordan-era, the Lakers in the Shaq and Kobe-era and is now working on another 3-peat with the Kobe-led Lakers. He has been able to mesh superstars with each other and has won three titles in a row three times.

Career Stats: 11 NBA Championships (6 with Bulls, 5 with Lakers)

Picking this team was, by no means, an easy task. When comparing statistics it's amazing how close some players are to one another. Truth is, you could take five guys off that bench and put them as the starters and you might have just as good or a better team. Also, picking only 12 guys is just not fair. Where is Elgin Baylor, Elvin Hayes, and Moses Malone? What about Isiah and Walt Frazier? Bob Pettit at power forward maybe? The list goes on and on but it's so hard to narrow it down to twelve players. These are the 12 I would take and the five I would put out on the floor to start the game. Let me hear who you would start though. Let the debate begin...

Not You Cam Newton

Everyone knows the story of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton by now. A Florida recruit who was kicked out for troubles with the law, Newton dominated at Blinn Junior College before coming to Auburn this season and making SEC defenses look silly. Newton has run all over the field and shown off his arm as well, leading the Tigers to an undefeated record and number 1 ranking. His name has come up in all the Heisman talk and as of now he is the frontrunner for college football's most prestigious award.

Yet, as soon as Newton's name came up in the Heisman talk, so did a whirlwind of talk that Newton's father, a minister in Georgia demanded money for his son's commitment. The Newtons deny any wrongdoing but the latest report is that Cecil Newton wanted six figures for his son's commitment to Mississippi State. Surely, there will be an investigation into the matter but it is truly a shame that this talk didn't come up until Cam Newton's finest hour.

I want to believe that Newton didn't do anything wrong. I want to believe that there is a player out there who has a clean record and actually is a good role model. Reggie Bush handed his trophy back in earlier this year, baseball players keep getting caught using steroids, college recruits accept money from agents then lie about it and Gilbert Arenas keeps guns in his locker. What's wrong with athletes? Is the fame just too much for them? It seems hard to find somebody with star status that hasn't done something stupid off the field and just when the nation gets fired up about Cam Newton these allegations come in. For once I would like to believe that the athlete is really a good guy with a clean record. Don't let us down Cam.

The World of Wadley College Basketball Preseason Top 25

1. Duke Blue Devils (ACC)- The defending champs return key pieces in Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and the Plumlee brothers but what could be the difference maker is transfer Seth Curry (younger brother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry) and freshman Kyrie Irving.

2. Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten)- After a Final Four appearance last year the Spartans want a title in 2011. Point guard Kalin Lucas will run the show again while Durrell Summers will be on the wing. Draymond Green and Delvon Roe should play larger roles this season.

3. Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12)- The Morris twins are back along with Tyshawn Taylor. Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed and Travis Releford will provide scoring but the Jayhawks season really depends on whether or not Josh Selby will be eligible.

4. Syracuse Orange (Big East)- No more Wes Johnson but Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph is a pretty good core. Stud 7-foot freshman, Fab Melo, should see significant minutes.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten)- Jared Sullinger is the real deal and the Buckeyes could ride the freshman big man all the way to Houston. William Buford turned in a good sophomore campaign but will be relied on even more now that Evan Turner is gone. Reliable seniors Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale and David Lighty are back as well.

6. Pittsburgh Panthers (Big East)- Four starters return for the Panthers who are always a tough, grind-it-out team. Sharpshooter Ashton Gibbs was voted the Big East's Most Improved Player last season after averaging 15.7 ppg and is back as a junior along with three key players in the frontcourt: Dante Taylor, Gary McGhee and Nasir Robinson.

7. Kansas State Wildcats (Big 12)- The beard is back! Jacob Pullen that is, the senior guard who averaged 19.3 points and 3.4 assists per game last year as K-State made it to the Elite 8 before falling to Butler. Pullen, along with forwards Curtis Kelly and Wally Judge, hope for a return trip to the Elite 8 and possibly a trip to Houston.

8. Kentucky Wildcats (SEC)- John Calipari is basically starting over after five of his players were drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft but he has a solid squad assembled for this year's run. Like Kansas, Kentucky's success will largely be based on whether or not freshman Enes Kanter is eligible. Brandon Knight and Doron Lamb are the backcourt of the future.

9. Villanova Wildcats (Big East)- Scottie Reynolds is gone but there is so much left at Nova that the Cats should have another deep tourney run come March. There is an abundance of talent at the guard spot, similar to the Final Four team from a few years back so it may come down to how well big men Mouphtaou Yarou and JayVaughn Pinkston play.

10. Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten)- This may be a little bit high but the Illini have all the pieces for a tremendous season. If the veterans (Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis) can mesh with the super sophomores (Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson) and the stud freshmen (Jereme Richmond, Crandall Head and Meyers Leonard) then this could be a season like '05.

11. North Carolina Tar Heels (ACC)- Harrison Barnes is the scorer the Heels needed last season and he should light up Chapel Hill right away. Tyler Zeller needs to stay healthy and John Henson should be improved as a sophomore. UNC needs a reliable ball handler to have success.

12. Missouri Tigers (Big 12)- Mizzou will once again wreak havoc with their high pressure defense which should produce easy buckets for the backcourt duo of Marcus Denmon and Kim English. Michael Dixon, Laurence Bowers and Justin Safford all return as well but freshmen Phil Pressey and Tony Mitchell need to play well for the Tigers to go deep into March.

13. Florida Gators (SEC)- Five starters returning is never a bad thing and the Gators should challenge Kentucky for the SEC East crown. The backcourt duo of Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker is arguably the best in the conference. In the frontcourt the Gators have Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus and Chandler Parsons.

14. Gonzaga Bulldogs (WCC)- It's all about sophomore Elias Harris in Spokane. As a freshman he averaged 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. We're accustomed to seeing Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and this year shouldn't be any different.

15. Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten)- Yes, losing Robbie Hummel was a killer to a team that was going to contend for the national title but JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore won't go down easy. Johnson put up numbers of 15.5 points and 7.1 boards per game while Moore averaged 16.4 points.

16. Baylor Bears (Big 12)- The Bears were a great story last year but now it's time to show they are for real and not just a one year act. If LaceDarius Dunn is allowed to play then Baylor should challenge for the Big 12 title. Like last year, the frontcourt is scary with all the length. Freshman Perry Jones will have an immediate impact playing next to Quincy Acy and Anthony Jones.

17. Memphis Tigers (C-USA)- The Tigers return Wesley Witherspoon and Will Coleman, two upperclassmen who will need to gel with a host of incoming freshmen. It will be interesting to see how coach Josh Pastner does with a roster that he can truly say is his.

18. Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten)- Bo Ryan always gets the most out of his players and this year will be no different. Jon Leuer posted numbers of 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while Jordan Taylor was a solid point guard (10 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.6 apg). Keaton Nankivil is also back and freshman Ben Brust can fill it up.

19. Georgetown Hoyas (Big East)- Had Greg Monroe returned the Hoyas would be significantly higher but four starters return so the cupboard is not bare for John Thompson III. Austin Freeman, Chris Wright and Jason Clark all averaged double figures while Julian Vaughn started 34 games.

20. Butler Bulldogs (Horizon)- Last year was magical and this year could have been a repeat if Gordon Hayward had chosen to stay. However, Hayward is on the Jazz and the Bulldogs are adjusting to life without him. Matt Howard will man the post while Ronald Nored and Shelvin Mack will team up in the backcourt.

21. Washington Huskies (Pac 10)- The Huskies will run away with the Pac 10 and are the only team from the conference that will even be mentioned on the national scene. The conference is that bad but the Huskies actually do have some talent behind Abdul Gaddy and Isaiah Thomas.

22. Virginia Tech Hokies (ACC)- Malcolm Delaney chose to come back for his senior year and that meant the Hokies could make some noise in March. Delaney averaged 20.2 points per game along with 4.5 assists. Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson are good complimentary pieces.

23. Tennessee Volunteers (SEC)- Who knows what will come of the Bruce Pearl situation but the Vols do have talent down in Knoxville. Scotty Hopson, Cameron Tatum and Renaldo Woolridge welcome the addition of elite recruit Tobias Harris.

24. Temple Owls (Atlantic 10)- The Owls have talent all over the floor but the two key pieces for a fourth straight NCAA bid are Juan Fernandez and Lavoy Allen. Fernandez averaged 12 points and 3 assists while Allen averaged a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

25. Texas Longhorns (Big 12)- The Horns had a terrible collapse last season after earning their first number 1 ranking in January. Hopefully some players have matured and the team can play consistent ball this year. J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton are two players to keep an eye on.

Randy Moss Just Doesn't Get It

Since NFL Draft Day back in 1998 Randy Moss, new wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans, has had a label that follows him around wherever he goes: Problem Guy. Randy Moss is a problem guy for whatever team he is on and has been since he began his career for the Minnesota Vikings 12 years ago. Nothing has changed for Moss, who was released by the Vikings last week for several reasons, one being lack of production on the field and another being an outburst directed towards a local restauranteur. Moss reportably walked up to the buffet, waved his arms and said, "I wouldn't feed this s--- to my dogs." A number of Vikings scolded Moss and not long after coach Brad Childress waived him. Moss also had an outburst at the media saying that he wouldn't answer any more questions this year.

This is the Randy Moss we're used to seeing. I almost thought he was a changed man in New England because I hardly heard from him unless it was something on the field. However, as soon as Moss was away from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick we were reminded of the true Randy Moss. The Randy Moss who wasn't allowed into Florida State because of a failed drug test, the Randy Moss who "plays when he wants to play" and the Randy Moss who hit a police officer with his car and then was busted for possession of marijuana.

Some guys just don't get it. You can give them a million chances but they will screw up time and time again. No doubt Moss is one of the best, if not thee best, wide receiver of this generation but his off the field antics overshadow his play at times. He is nearing the end of his career and it would be nice to see him go out in a good way but then again...this is Randy Moss we're talking about here.

Instant Replay in the MLB

It's been a constant debate all year and it's heating up even more now that the miscues are coming in the MLB Playoffs. What should Major League Baseball do about instant replay? Umpires have been making mistakes since the game was invented but with instant replay on television and the constant media attention these games get, the blown calls are seen easier by the fans and are blown out of proportion even more by the media showing the highlight over and over.

The one that we will be talking about for years is Jim Joyce's "safe" call that ruined Armando Galarraga's perfect game with two outs in the ninth. Joyce obviously blew the call and felt badly about it after seeing the replays but there is no way to correct that mistake. Galarraga will probably never throw another game like that in his life. That was his one shot and with just one out to go it was taken from him. Recently, umpires have blown several calls that have affected the Divisional Series games. In San Francisco the Giants got a huge break when Buster Posey was called safe at second when he was out and then came around on the next play to score the game's only run. Joe Maddon was ejected after the Ranger's Michael Young went around on check swing that would have been strike three but was called safe. Young promptly sent the next pitch over the centerfield fence for a three run homer.

I believe that instant replay should be used in the MLB. Don't get me wrong, I'm a baseball fan and like the "purity" of the game but it's time for a change. These blown calls are seriously changing a game's course and it's time to institute the replay in a few areas. Bud Selig and the front office need to make it available for safe/out calls, fair/foul calls and if it hit the batter or not. There should never be instant replay for ball/strike calls but for the other three areas most definitely.

It's uncertain when the MLB will make this move but I would say it's almost certain that we see it sometime in the next five years. It is much needed, that's the one sure thing.

The Sad Summer of LeBron

What is LeBron James thinking?? I don't have to remind you of this summer's events such as the hour-long, egocentric, narcissistic interview with Jim Gray dubbed "The Decision" or the jersey-popping hype show that took place in Miami just days later. No, I don't have to remind you of that because we all saw it, we all "witnessed" it. Recently, in his latest blunder, LeBron told the media that all the hate that has been thrown at him since he left Cleveland is a racist thing. Yeah, you're right LeBron. It's because you're black.
When Charles Barkley heard of this he said, "It's like watching a movie. Just when you think it couldn't get any stupider, it gets more stupid." Amen Chuck.

Whoever advises LeBron isn't giving him very good advice. He said last week that if he had to do it all over again he would do the hour show to announce his decision and give the money to kids. For some reason it doesn't seem like he did that for the kids. Now LeBron comes out and brings up the race issue which is possibly the worst thing he could have done. The media has dissected this Heat team from every angle and they are always hunting for stories. They are already under a microscope and what LeBron did by saying it's a race issue is equivalent to throwing meat to a pack of hungry dogs.

It's sad to watch this iconic man make mistake after mistake. LeBron has lost fans, credibility and respect because of the way he has gone about things. The only thing that can save him now is a good season on the court.