Battle for Atlantis: Previewing Wednesday's Action in the Bahamas

Wednesday in the Bahamas is loaded with college basketball at Atlantis as Wisconsin takes on Alabama-Birmingham, Florida battles with Georgetown, UCLA and Oklahoma square off, and Butler will go for the upset against North Carolina.

Game 1: Butler vs. North Carolina (ESPN 2) 12:00 PM

This game should be interesting as the high-powered Tar Heels will depend on the talent and athleticism of point guard Marcus Paige.  The Brandon Miller-led Bulldogs will try to contain the superstar while hoping to get point production from their own budding stars of Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones. Alexander Barlow will be essential defensively if Butler wants to get the W as he will be tested with defending Paige. I think that the Tar Heels win this one, but are victorious because of a big games from their front court beast Brice Johnson. Expect Butler to expend a lot of their defensive energy attempting to contain Paige, and Roy Williams will take advantage of this, revolving the offense instead around Brice Johnson.

PF Brice Johnson 

 

Game 2: UCLA vs. Oklahoma (ESPN 2) 2:30 PM

This game should also be interesting pinning two well-respected coaches in Steve Alford of UCLA and Lon Kruger of Oklahoma against each other.  For Oklahoma, they cannot rely their offense completely on Buddy Hield, like they usually do, as Alford will take advantage of this and pin down Hield to force other Sooners to try and score. Because of this, expect Kruger to try and get Jordan Woodard and Ryan Spangler some good looks early to open up Hield late in the game. As for UCLA, Alford fields a long and lean lineup led by senior guard Norman Powell and freshman athletic freak Kevon Looney.  They will get a lot of open looks in the paint but their X-factor might be the play of Thomas Welsh and Kevon Looney inside as they can take advantage of less height in the front court of the Sooners.  I like Lon Kruger and the Oklahoma Sooners to shoot the three ball a little better with the likes of Hield, Spangler, and Woodard, as they steal a big one from the Bruins.

PG Jordan Woodard 

 

Game 3: Wisconsin vs. Alabama-Birmingham (Access  TV) 7:00 PM

This one won't be pretty. Wisconsin's front court will absolutely overpower the undersized and small UAB big men. Frank Kaminsky will stretch their defense with his deadly three-point shot, and Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker will punish them inside. Traevon Jackson and Josh Gasser will play mistake-free ball while hitting a couple of key three pointers. Bo Ryan and the feisty Badgers should coast to a win.

C Frank Kaminsky

 

Game 4: Florida vs. Georgetown (Access TV) 9:30 PM

This game may actually be one to watch. The Gators are coming off an embarrassing upset loss at the hands of Miami while Georgetown has experienced a successful start to their 2014-2015 campaign. For Florida, they will be without Eli Carter and Dorian Finney-Smith.  Look for Billy Donovan to run his offense around Chris Walker in the paint and Michael Frazier II around the perimeter. There is no reason the Gators should lose this one as long as Walker and battery-mate Jon Horford can control the inside.  As for the Hoyas, they are looking good with that 3-0 record as we have seen solid performances from Josh Smith, who will be essential guarding Horford and Walker inside for Georgetown. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera will run John Thompson III's offense but I don't think it will be enough to oust Donovan's Gators for a first round upset. Maybe next time, Georgetown.

C Chris Walker

 

 

 

NFL Week 9 Picks

Buccaneers at Browns: This matchup may be more interesting than many think, but I like the Browns at home, where they have been dominant lately. Brian Hoyer is still trying to convince the rest of the country that he deserves to be the top dog in Cleveland and securing a victory against a Tampa Bay team looking to get a top pick in the upcoming draft would further his case against the ultra-athletic and outgoing Johnny Manziel.  Browns win 27-13

Cardinals at Cowboys: I think the Cardinals have gotten quite lucky avoiding Tony Romo, who is hurt and the Cowboys lose a valuable piece of their offense. Todd Bowles will rip a part Brandon Weeden. Look for Bowles and that strong Arizona defense to completely sell out against the run and focus their entire defensive game plan on DeMarco Murray. All Carson Palmer has to do is outscore Weeden, something I think he can do with ease. Cardinals win 20-16

Eagles at Texans: I am going with an upset here, because I think Arian Foster is going to have another unbelievable game and will open up a passing attack in Houston. J.J. Watt will reinvigorate the Texans defense to stop Nick Foles. Texans win 31-27

Jets at Chiefs: The Chiefs are going to win this game at home against a horrible Jets team. The only thing going for the Jets are Rex Ryan and Geno Smith wanting to keep their jobs. I think Jamaal Charles and the offense will have a field day, and Smith will be hassled and throw more turnovers. Chiefs win 24-13

Jaguars at Bengals: This will almost be like a bye week for the Bengals, as they will try to fix their problems against the inexperienced Jacksonville team with a very untalented defense. Bengals win 37-10

Chargers at Dolphins: I like the Dolphins to upset at home against a Chargers team who is still licking their wounds after a huge loss to their divisional rival Denver Broncos. Look for a big game from Ryan Tannehill and a few interceptions from Phillip Rivers. Dolphins win 24-20

Redskins at Vikings: This is a battle between divisional bottom-feeders and I think this will be a rushing war between Alfred Morris and Jerrick McKinnon. The difference in this game is the addition of Robert Griffin III to the Redskins offense who will light up the Vikings depleted secondary. Redskins win 27-17

Rams at 49ers: The Rams were able to sneak a victory at home against the Seahawks, but I am not sure they will be able to take one away on the road against San Francisco. Look for the 49ers to get their running game going to open up Collin Kaepernick and the passing attack late in the game to secure a W. 49ers win 21-13

Broncos at Patriots: These passing attacks will go toe to toe in this game, the only difference is that the Broncos have more support from the defense. Tom Brady will pour his heart out and give it his all but Peyton Manning will rip through the Patriots horrible secondary. Broncos win 38-35

Raiders at Seahawks: This shouldn't be hard for Seattle. The talent gap between these two teams is gigantic and the Seahawks will take advantage of this old and tired defense, and overpower the Raiders under-average offense. Seahawks win 24-9

Ravens at Steelers: The Steelers are on a roll, with Ben Roethlisberger giving one of the most complete performance the NFL has ever seen. That said the Ravens are being overlooked by the rest of the league and will be a threat to the Steelers. The Ravens will be focused on the Steelers loss to Cleveland to see how they can exploit their weaknesses. I like the Ravens with an upset on the road. Ravens win 34-31

Colts at Giants: The Colts will win this ballgame solely because of the matchup of Andrew Luck against the Giants defense. He will also receive support from Ahmad Bradshaw. The key for the Giants is their offense. I don't think they will do enough to get the primetime upset at home. Colts win 35-24

Reviewing Preseason College Basketball AP Top 25

The college basketball season is rapidly approaching and the Associated Press just released its preseason top 25 poll. I will go spot by spot and preview each team and if they are in the right spot.

1. Kentucky Wildcats: John Calipari brings back yet another stacked recruiting class led by five stars  center Karl Towns and point guard Tyler Ulis. This comes with the return of the Harrison brothers, Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress. Kentucky belongs in the conversation for best team in America, but with all this youth, you have to wonder how long it will take for the growing pains to finally wear off. But then again, John Calipari has been successful many times with very young lineups, including last season.
PG: Andrew Harrison
SG: Aaron Harrison
SF: Alex Poythress
PF: Karl Towns
C: Willie Cauley-Stein
Bench: Anthony Lee, Tyler Ulis, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker, Dominique Hawkins

2. Arizona Wildcats: The Wildcats of the southwest join their fellow cats at the top of the poll in large part due to the amount of impact players they return. Even with the losses of stars Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon, they return T.J. McConnell, Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. It also helps when you bring in arguably one of the best freshman in Stanley Johnson. Any Sean Miller-led team should be in the discussion for top team in America, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Wildcats of Arizona in the Final Four, which would make it Sean Miller's first.
PG: T.J. McConnell
SG: Stanley Johnson
SF: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
PF: Brandon Ashley
C: Kaleb Tarczewski
Bench: Gabe York, Elliot Pitts

3. Wisconsin Badgers: The surprise Final Four-bound team from a year ago brings back every impact player except sharpshooting specialist and tough player Ben Brust, who graduated. They return two of the top players in the country in center Frank Kaminsky and forward Sam Dekker. They also return clutch shooter and team leader Traevon Jackson, son of Ohio State legend Jim Jackson. The Badgers will rely on Josh Gasser, the defensive stalwart and efficient shooter to pick up the offensive slack that Brust leaves behind him. There is a question regarding who takes the final starting spot, which will likely be a toss up between bruising forward Nigel Hayes and speedy sharpshooting guard Bronson Koenig. The Badgers boast one of the top starting fives in the nation and have one of, if not the most consistent coach in Bo Ryan. CBS Sports College Basketball Analyst and ESPN contributor Doug Gottlieb has the Badgers as his top team in the nation.
PG: Traevon Jackson
SG: Josh Gasser
SF: Sam Dekker
PF: Nigel Hayes
C: Frank Kaminsky
Bench: Bronson Koenig, Duje Dukan, Vitto Brown, Jordan Hill

4. Duke Blue Devils: Coach K brings in two of the top recruits in the nation which includes the number one overall recruit: center Jahlil Okafor. Joining him as top-rated freshmen are point guard Tyus Jones, shooting guard Grayson Allen, and forward Justice Winslow. Duke does lose superstars Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood. Duke will once again compete for bot the ACC title and national title as long as Coach K is still at the helm.
PG: Tyus Jones
SG: Quinn Cook
SF: Justice Winslow
PF: Amile Jefferson
C: Jahlil Okafor
Bench: Rasheed Sulaimon, Grayson Allen

5. Kansas Jayhawks: Bill Self did a nice job in recruitment as he picked up a huge commitment from big man Cliff Alexander, who will slide in nicely for the loss of star Joel Embiid. Another five star freshman coming to KU is Kelly Oubre and four star point guard Devonte Graham. Self will have a hard time putting a starting five together but there is no doubt that there is a lot of talent in Lawrence. Kansas is in line to win yet another Big 12 title and compete for the national championship.
PG: Devonte Graham
SG: Wayne Selden Jr.
SF: Kelly Oubre
PF: Perry Ellis
C: Cliff Alexander
Bench: Frank Mason, Jamari Traylor

6. North Carolina Tar Heels: Roy Williams is one of the best coaches in college basketball and actually all six coaches that have their teams in the top six are probably the best coaches in college basketball as long as you save room Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo, and Billy Donovan. (you will hear him next) I think that North Carolina brings back the best player in college basketball in point guard Marcus Paige. He also hit it big with the recruitment of shooting guard Justin Jackson, who will be a key contributor if Roy William's Tar Heels want to reach the Final Four.
PG: Marcus Paige
SG: Justin Jackson
SF: J.P. Tokoto
PF: Brice Johnson
C: Kennedy Meeks
Bench: Joel Berry,