Posts Tagged ‘final four’

The Final Four

March 31st, 2011 by Leo | Comments Off on The Final Four | Filed in Basketball, College Sports

This weekend hosts the coveted final four as the March Madness run comes to an end.  This years final four consists of the University of Kentucky vs University of Connecticut (8:45 PM ET on Sat. April 2) and Butler vs Virginia Commonwealth University(6:00 PM ET on Sat. April 2).   The winners of these two match-ups will meet on Monday April 4 at 9 PM ET on CBS.

I will give you my prediction on the games but fully admit I am not a basketball expert and many may disagree with my picks.  You are encouraged to make your own comments and thoughts on who you believe will win.  I believe Kentucky and Butler will win their games and Kentucky will win the National Championship.

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It kills me to say this, but Villanova is the truth

November 11th, 2009 by | 7 Comments | Filed in Basketball, College Sports, General

Did you ever have that girl from your neighborhood that you constantly annoyed? Maybe you always told her that she was ugly? Maybe you called her annoying and obnoxious? But why did you make fun of her? Deep down, you loved this girl. No matter how much it burned you to say it, you thought she was attractive. You thought she was a real winner. Welcome to my world, boys and girls. No matter how much it pains me to say this, I have to come clean. As a student at Saint Joe’s, you are constantly told that “Friends don’t let Friends go to Nova”. You hate that they call themselves a “city school” when they reap the benefits of a Main Line location. You hate that they always frown upon the education you receive on City Ave. You hate the idea that they believe that they are God’s gift to the world. And it kills you deep down that they still talk about their National Championship they won on the hardwood almost 25 years ago. But I’ve come to realize that things are changing. I don’t hate Villanova. I’m simply a jealous sports fan. So here it goes…the Villanova Wildcats will get back to the Final Four, and dare I say, are my wildcard pick to win the National Championship this season. Kansas has a deep roster of NBA- ready talent, MSU has a slate of returning starters, and Carolina simply reloaded. But Villanova has the talent and the experience to make the run. And if they did, I would embrace it. Here’s why.

Scottie Reynolds is their leader, their general on the floor. I mean, he’s no Willy Green, but that’s beside the point. Here’s a kid who truly looks like he’s having fun out there on the court. He may not always appear to be the best player out there, but the kid is clutch (maybe you need to see the last shot from the Elite 8 contest with Pitt as a reminder). Now, his game may not translate over to the NBA, but for the system that they operate in Radnor Township, his ability to fly down the court truly makes one believe that Nova can hang with the big boys. But it’s not just Reynolds, it’s Corey Fisher, too. He’s in the same mold as Reynolds, but simply has a better jump shot. Fisher is a kid who was a McDonald’s All-American in high school, only to find himself splitting time with Reynolds during last year’s journey to Detroit. These two will make up the best backcourt in America (and if Jay Wright had his way, he’d probably have 5 starters listed as guards).

They have their role players. Reggie Redding is a stud who is not necessarily known for his offensive abilities. But the kid plays lockdown defense. Now although he’ll miss the first semester due to some… cough…cough…legal problems…cough …cough….Redding will find his way into the starting lineup come January. And believe it when I say it, his ability to immediately step in and provide his abilities will be crucial if the Cats hope of making another run at a trophy. They also have Taylor King. Yep, while SJU is getting transfers from JUCO schools, Nova is picking up 6th men from Duke. Can you understand why some Hawks fans are bitter towards them? King will step in and provide some depth to their front court, an area where they’ll need some improvement if Nova intends on cutting down the nets in Indy this April.

Oh, they have some prime time recruits, too. Maalik Wayns was one of the top 25 high school players in the country last year. A guard out of Roman Catholic, he will be able to provide relief to the efforts of Reynolds and Fisher. Dominic Cheek, a 3-guard out of perennial powerhouse St. Anthony’s, can provide explosiveness at the rim with his powerful ability to finish. Pair this with the services of Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena, returning role players from the 08-09 squad, and you have a force to be reckoned with.

These players are gritty, hard-nosed talents that will do anything to win ballgames. But that’s not even the part of their team that I admire the most. That title would belong to Jay Wright. He’s young, charismatic, and has a personality of a winner (Does the old, bald, and ugly Martelli even compare? Nah, didn’t think so). He has suits that make Frank Sinatra look like a homeless man. He is able to relate with today’s young players. And when you look at the man, the first word that comes to mind is cool. With a coach like that, it makes it easy to root for this particular team. It’s only somewhat of a challenge when that team is Villanova. But even in my case, it’s a no-brainer. That’s why, when push comes to shove, I’ll root for this Villanova team. Because no matter how much I’ll say out loud that this Cats team is ugly, I have the biggest crush in the world.

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