2011-2012 College Basketball Preview

Teams on the rise: Mizzou, Xavier, Cincy

Mizzou has veteran guards Kim English and Marcus Demmon, who will light it up from beyond the arc. Losing PF Laurence Bowers is something that can't be overlooked. Xavier has the best mid major player and All American Tu Holloway to lead an always solid team lead by Coach Mack. Brad Releford coming back from injury will be a huge life to to Xavier, and Kenny Frease in the middle will bring down his fair share of boards. Cincy hasn't be talked about at all this offseason, and they will definitely surprise people in the Big East this year. Yancy Gates is a scorer down low, and the Bearcats return their entire back court.

Mid Majors to watch: Harvard, Creighton, Gonzaga

Keith Wright is an absolute monster. Tommy Amaker has done a terrific job rebuilding this program. He is also recruiting nationally, making this program better for the future. Creighton has Doug Mcdermont, a shooting forward who can light it up on any given night. The Missouri Valley Conference will have multiple teams competing for bids. Zaga has always produced solid teams. Veterans Harris and Sacre have a chance to go far with all their guards and shooters spotting up, while they're down low.

All Frosh team

Rivers, Duke

Davis, UK

Beal, Florida

Nash, OKST

Drummond, Uconn

3 to watch: Hood Mississippi St, Dawson MSU, Pangos, Zaga

8 players to breakout

Wright, Harvard

Paul, ILL

Snaer, FSU

Smith, UCLA

Behanan, Louisville

Brown, Texas

Mbakwe, Minnesota

W Barton, Memphis

All Americans

Davis, Uk

Sullinger, OHST

Jones, UK

Barnes, UNC

Holloway, XU

Evaluating the Unbeatens

6 teams are still perfect heading into week 10. We take a look to see who has an easy road, or who might face a setback and suffer their first loss of the season.

(Capital= home team)

LSU

alabama, WESTERN KENTUCKY, ole miss, ARKANSAS

Obviously, the big game this weekend will decide which SEC team will probably end up in the title game. The intriguing game to me is Arkansas at home. If LSU loses to Bama, and Arkansas keeps winning, both teams will have only lost to the Crimson Tide and set up a play in game for Sugar Bowl.

Bama

LSU, mississippi state, GEORGIA SOUTHERN, auburn

Well once again the game of the college football season is Saturday and title hopes lie in Tuscaloosa. If Bama wins, it still has a somewhat challenging schedule, starting with a road game against Mississippi St, which Saban and the Tide can't take lightly. And there's always the Iron bowl to end the season vs Auburn, and you can bet last years defending champs will be sending the house to try and upset the Tide.

Oklahoma St

KSU, texas tech, iowa st, OKLAHOMA

Most of the nation can't wait for the December 3 showdown between the Cowboys and the Sooners. But OSU can't overlook all three of its opponents beforehand. Sure, their offense can run and gun with anyone in the country, but if Weeden and Blackmon are off, can the D make a stop during the crucial stretch in the season? We'll find out.

Stanford

oregon st, OREGON, CAL, ND

The big thing for the Cardinals is the three home games to close out the season, which will be huge if they fall into one of the final 2 BCS spots. The Ducks is the premier game, as the PAC 12 championship is also on the line. Cal and the Irish will be upset minded, but Luck and his vast amount of TE's and RB Taylor will start to wear down those teams.

Boise St

unlv, TCU, sdsu, Wyoming, NM

The Broncos need some blue magic, as at least 3 teams have to lose plus they need some generous help from the BCS computers. Their final "challenging" game left is against TCU, but the Horned Frogs haven't been anywhere near as good as they have the past 2 years, so an easy win for the Broncos is likely.

Houston

aub, tulane, SMU, tulsa

The Cougars still have an outside shot for a Fiesta Bowl Bid. Casey Keenum is a worthy Heisman Candidate, but a weak conference and schedule doesn't help his case or his team's for a BCS bid

NBA Possible Trades

If the NBA ever gets underway this year, it will be an interesting and flustering season of trades, with another huge offseason of free agency about to hit 2012. 3 trades to keep an eye on developing this season.

Dwight Howard to the Bulls- Howard will be rumored to tons of teams this year, a la Carmelo last year. Howard and Rose would be a viscous alley hoop threat and be the key addition to help get past the Heat in the East. Asik, Gibson, Korver/ Brewer and picks would all be involved. Salary will be very hard for these two teams to make a deal, so definitely look for another team to get involved.

Rumors still are swirling about the Hawks trying to dump Josh Smith. Orlando may try to land him in an attempt to try and build around Howard or the Lakers may make a play in order to gain some young athletic ability to gear up for a championship run.

The Spurs desperately need to get younger and trading a corner stone like Tony Parker is something that may be happening soon. Trading Parker and either Richard Jefferson or Manu will leave the Spurs with enough cap room to pursue Chris Paul, someone who can really help Duncan out in the end of his career.

Freshman Under the Radar

We all know that Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers will be impact players this season, but what about other top Freshman that are getting over looked?

Adonis Thomas Memphis- Now Thomas was ranked in the top 10 for his class, but he is not even close to receiving as much hype as other guys in the top 10. Adonis is a great wing player with great speed and leaping ability to go along with just a decent jumper. He is going to fit in great with a veteran Tigers team that should find themselves in the top 20 for most of the year.

Amir Williams Ohio St- The Big Man on Campus is Sullinger and always will be Sullinger this year, but he is going to have a great front court teammate with him this year in Williams. Amir is just another big body opponents will have to worry about. His low post scoring and free throw shooting isn't there yet, but the Buckeyes will be fine as long as he grabs his fair share of boards with Sully.

Chasson Randle Stanford- Randle went with Stanford instead of staying in state and playing for U of I. He has a chance to be the Cardinal's starting point, as he brings a lot to the table. Chasson has a great body for a point guard and plays hard defensively. He runs the break well and can finish with both hands.

Heisman 2011-2012

Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina- Lattimore was tremendous last year as a true freshman and this year he and his fellow Gamecocks look to build on it. If Stephen Garcia can stay out of trouble and on the field, Marcus will have lots of room to run if the passing game is on.

Andrew Luck QB Stanford- The favorite heading into this season, Luck has all the tools. He can run a pro style offense, he can audible efficiently, he can use his legs to escape pressure and has a rocket arm attached to his body. Luck has it all, but can his receivers give him some help instead of just his tight ends?(see the Orange Bowl)

Trent Richardson RB Bama- The loss of Mark Ingram isn't that tough with Richardson now the starter. He has gotten plenty of reps in his first 2 years, and he starts this year as a Heisman hopeful on a top 5 team.

Kellen Moore QB Boise State- Moore was a finalist last year as a junior, but he will be missing his 2 favorite targets this year. Boise has tough tests against TCU and Georgia, but winning them will surely help increase Moore's chances of leaping to the top of the vote charts.

2 players who could possibly pull a Cam Newton( not the scandal, i mean coming out of nowhere) and lead their team into the polls.

Geno Smith WVU QB- Its been a bad off season in Huntington, but Smith and his legs can turn that frown around come kickoff.

Dan Persa QB NW- Persa and the Wildcats face a tough challenge against BC in the opener. NW needs to get off to a good start to help Persa's campaign for the trophy.

NBA Draft Day

Lots of activity and rumors are swirling around on D-day. Couple of thoughts:

• With the looming CBA lockout approaching, look for more European and International players to be picked so teams can keep cap space and store them in Europe for a couple of years.
• Trades: I think there will be one major deal that's get done, and i think it will probably include the Suns, Lakers, or the Spurs. The Lakers and Spurs are desperately trying to get a little younger and althetic on the wings. The Suns have tons of value in Arizona product D Williams, but the twolves taking on Nash seems unlikely. Gasol should be staying put also, but Odom should be a little worried.
• Barring a trade, the fun starts after the 2nd pick. The Jazz might trade out, or take Kanter or Knight.
• Players that are rising quick, Klay Thompson and Chris Singleton, who teams might trade up to get.
• AHHH Jimmer! I think a team will get tempted and take him in the lottery. I've also heard the Knicks might try to trade up and get him.
• Kenneth Faried, Kemba Walker, and Kawhi Leonard. Solid players that aren't generating alot of buzz. The latter two are top 10 picks.
• Here's some players that could go from early teens all the way to the mid 20's: Jimmer, Burks, Morris twins, Jordan Hamilton and Jonas Valanciunas. Jonas is projected top 5, but his contract in Europe may have teams take a pass on him.
• Finally, every pick except 1 has been rumored to have trade implications, so look for lots of chatter with each pick. 7-11 should be a really coveted spots as teams will try to add a Klay Thompson or Jimmer or an international big.

NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The order has been determined, and Cleveland comes out a big winner, getting the 1st and 4th picks. The number 1 selection seems certain, but it might get crazy for the rest of the lottery leading up to the June 23rd draft. Top 12 picks coming at you:

1 Cleveland- Kyrie Irving

2 Minnesota- Enes Kanter

3. Utah- Brandon Knight

4. Cleveland- Derrick Williams

5. Toronto- Jonas Valaciunas

6. Wizards- Chris Singleton

7. Sacramento- Kemba Walker

8. Detroit- Tristan Thompson

9. Charlotte- Marcus Morris

10. Milwaukee- Jimmer Fredette

11 Golden State- Kenneth Faired

12 Utah-Bismack Biyombo

Early look to Fantasy Football Big Board

Well, heres to football and hoping something gets sorted out soon. 12 guys who are atop my list, even though we are about 3 months away from the start of fantasy fanatics season.

1 Adrian Peterson

2 Michael Vick

3 Chris Johnson

4 Maurice Jones Drew

5 Jamaal Charles

6 Roddy White

7 Aaron Rodgers

8 Michael Turner

9 Arian Foster

10 Tom Brady

11 Andre Johnson

12 Calvin Johnson

And the correct answer is

The deadline for underclassmen to make the final decision to stay or enter the draft and forgo their eligibility has passed, and there might be a few players who might regret their decisions in June.

Terrence Jones- Jones's decision was factored by the possibly lockout, but with that said, he has to like 4 top freshman coming to Lexington to join him, Darius Miller, and Doron Lamb to be a top 3 pre-season team in every poll.

Shelvin Mack- Butler takes a huge step back in losing Mack and Howard this year. Mack is a second round pick, and he must of thought his stock could have fallen if he had came back for his senior year.

Ashton Gibbs- Gibbs would be making a huge mistake if he stayed. Now that he's back, Pitt will have another top 25 team and compete for the title in the Big East once again, as Jamie Dixon always seems to have veteran and tough built teams.

Tristan Thompson and Corey Joesph- Prime to be national contenders and Big 12 favorites, UT took a major step back as they lose these two and also Jordan Hamilton.

Fantasy Super Heros

4 guys who have started off the season hot and are probably available in your league:

Ike Davis- Davis is in his sophomore year starting at 1b for the Mets, and he has really taken off. Him and his .345 Ba is all the Mets really have to cheer about at this point in the season.

Brett Anderson- Anderson has an ERA just a tad above 1.50 and has gone at least 6 innings in all of his starts. He has always shown talent, but health has derailed his seasons in the past.

Michael Pineda- One of the biggest surprises so far, Pineda has flourished in the Mariners rotation, which he wasn't even suppose to be in. 3-1, 1.78 ERA for the MARINERS?! Holy Hell...

Darwin Barney- Blake DeWitt who? Cubbie fans are loving the tandom of Barney and Starlin in their lineup, with Barney hitting .329 and becoming a solid duo with Castro at the plate at Wrigley. Now if Starlin could learn to field a ground ball....

NFL Draft Mock Top 7 Picks

This year's draft doesn't bring the excitement with possible trades and swapping of picks not going to happen because of the oh-so-exciting Labor Deal issue, but that doesn't mean there's no surplus of talent available. My mock draft for the first 7 picks on Thursday:

1. Panthers-Cam Newton- This guy is the prime example of a hit or miss. He has shown character issues and ran draw plays half the time in college, and now has to be the face of a franchise? With that said, his physical ability and football IQ is hard to ignore, and the Panther's organization really likes him and knows it will be hard to grab another talented Qb later in this draft.

2.Broncos- Marcell Dareus- The Broncos have 3-4 solid options here, but Dareus is the right pick. Adding him to the line, plus Dumervil coming back from injury equals a solid pass rush in the 3-4 out in Denver.

3. Bills-Von Miller- I think Miller might be the one who everyone remembers from this draft. His game is very similar to Lance Briggs and can fit into the 3-4 well to help rebuild the Bill's D.

4. Bengals- Blaine Gabbert- The lure of grabbing one of the top Qb's is too much for the Bengals to say no, especially with Carson Palmer still a question mark.

5. Cards- Patrick Peterson- The Cards were hoping for one of the QB's, but Peterson has way to much value to pass up. Peterson may be the next great shut down corner in the league with his size and hands, plus his returning skills are an added bonus.

6. Browns- AJ Green- The city of Cleveland will finally catch a break as Green falls to them. He reminds so many scouts of Calvin Johnson and will be a great target to help develop Colt Mccoy.

7. 49ers- Prince Amukamara- The Niners were atrocious in defending the pass last year, so Prince will fit in. The Niners will hope though that possibly Peterson or Miller falls to them, or might go with Bowers outta Clemson.

2011 NCAAB Early Rankings

Still hungover from Final Four fever? A quick dose of the way too early top 8 to help ease your pain.

1. Kentucky- Coach Cal's class coming in next year is his best so far, with 4 of the top 15 freshman in the country heading to Lexington. Add in upperclassmen Liggins, Vargas, and Darius Miller, plus the possibility Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones returning and this team has all the pieces to be a national contender.

2. UNC- Zeller and Henson have announced they will return, and now the key player is Barnes, who has hinted he will stay. If UNC returns all starters and with plenty of guard talent off the bench, we'll be looking at the ACC favorites. Also look for the talented freshmen PJ Hariston and James McAdoo to look nice in the tar heel blue jerseys.

3. Duke- I got the Devils right behind their rivals. Rivers, Dawkins and Curry will be the best 3 guard rotation in the country and all the Plumlees will be a force down low. Coach K will also get some solid contributions from 2nd year players Hariston and Thornton.

4. Texas- Depending on if Tristian Thompson and Cory Joesph declare for the association, the Horns will be the favorites in the "new" Big 12. Still, Myck Kabongo has all the hype to join past great Texas PGs like DJ Augustin and TJ Ford. A back court with Kabongo, Joesph and Hamilton shooting and penetrating on the perimeter plus Thompson down low is a hard team to match up with.

5. OSU- Aaron Craft will get a lot more credit with John "Threebler" now gone. Buford steps into the go to sharpshooter and keep an eye on freshman Amir Williams down low next to a guy named Jared Sullinger, who should be the pre season favorite for the Naismith award.

6. Syracuse- Another strong recruiting class by Coach Boeheim, who is a top 5 coach for recruiting, specifically for fitting into his 2-3 zone and shooters on the perimeter. The only loss on this team is Rick Jackson, who leaves big feet to fill. Can this be the year the Orange finally get back to the Final Four?

7. Kansas- They always seem to be a top 15 team year in and year out. Morris brothers are gone but Thomas Robinson is ready to burst out. Taylor and Elijah Johnson should have big years, but the big piece is whether Josh Selby comes back next year. I think he can be a top 5 PG in the country with the right attitude and commitment to workouts in the summer.

8. Lousville- The Card's lose Preston Knowles 15 ppg, but Peyton Siva and Terrence Jennings really excite me. Siva showed loads of poise against Big East foes last year, and with freshman Wayne Blackshear and Kyle Kuric with him on the perimeter, Siva now has 3 options: Lob to Jennings, pass it to Kuric for the 3, or drive and take it himself.

Teams to watch

Mizzou- If Kim English and Laurence Bowers return for their senior years, the Tigers will have 2 scorers in Enlgligh and Denmon to go with an all senior starting lineup to run, "the fastest 40 minutes in basketball."

Xavier-Tu Holloway is back to take the A-10 by storm again. He has pieces around him also and it wouldn't surprise me if they climb into the top 10.

Butler Part III?

Butler gave us a thrilling ride once again, even without top play maker Gordon Hayward, who left for the NBA after last year's run. This year's team once again showed the toughness and mentality Butler brings and shows going into every tournament game: We can play with and beat anyone. Even though coming up a win short in two straight tournaments has to be unbearable to the B-Town players, they will be back, rest assure. But back how far? Losing key players like Senior leaders Matt Howard, Vanzant, Hahn, and possibly Shelvin Mack will hurt Butler for next year. The youth, however, on this team has to excite any fan dreaming of another Butler run in a couple of years. We saw Andrew Smith step up and show he can rebound against some of the country's elite. Khyle Marshall and Chrishawn Hopkins really have loads of potential. Marshall was an offensive rebounding machine while Hopkins provided tons of energy off the bench. You will hear their names in the tourney down the road, guaranteed. Returning role players like Stigall and Nored give the Bulldogs still that hard nosed personality heading into next year. Plus, the future looks promising with recruiting. Brad Stevens has built Butler into a program that can now take away in state recruits from IU, Purdue and ND. Next year Butler doesn't haven't the talent to go as far as this year, but a future with Hopkins and Marshall, plus pipeline recruits coming in equals an underdog powerhouse growing in B-Town. But hey, every March Madness needs some Bulldog Fever.

MLB 2011 Season Predictions

Baseball season is officially here. Here are my picks in the Awards, Trade Rumors to watch until July, and Division and World Series Picks.

AL MVP-Adrian Gonzalez BOS- He’s ready to explode at Fenway, especially with that short right field fence.

NL-Albert Pujols STL- Albert will set himself up for a big offseason with plenty of zeros coming his way.

ROY

AL-Kyle Drabek-TOR- A key piece in the Roy Halladay trade, Drabek has stuff likened to Mike Mussina.

NL Brandon Belt-Giants- SF was so impressed with this kid they moved Aubrey Huff to RF for him. Belt, along with Posey is a scary thought for NL West pitching for years to come.

CY Young AL-David Price- Man on a Mission

NL- Cliff Lee- Lee has to feed off opponents being worn out every night by the Phil's staff. Can 4 pitchers win 15+? It’s a realistic possibility.

Most Improved AL- Chone Figgins-Its hard to imagine Figgins will hit .259 again. I like a nice bounce back season with 50+ bases stolen and a batting average around .300

NL- Chipper Jones- I'm going to go with Chipper, seeing this Braves team has a legit chance to challenge Philly and Jones will provide that leadership and power in the middle of the order.

Players on the move?

Prince Fielder- With him becoming a Free agent next year, the Brew Crew loaded up with pitching to try and make a run. If they're out of contention in July, Prince is going to get shopped.

Aramis Ramirez- I really like the Cubs to contend for the division this year, but there might be a point when Jim Hendry decides to blow up the roster.

Grady Sizemore- Its hard to imagine the Indians trading this guy away, but injuries and a new contract coming up might scare the Indians.

Predictions

AL West Texas NL Giants

Central White Sox NL Cards

East Boston NL Phillies

Wild Card Yankees NL Braves

Champ Boston Braves

Staying or Going?

With the NCAA tourney coming to a close, the NBA draft now comes into the picture. Underclassmen now make the decision whether to throw their name into the draft or stay in college for at least one more year.

Sullinger-He already said that he will be back for one more year, but will the lure of all those zeros make him back out of his comments? I think he sticks by his comments, and even with the loss of Deibler and Lighty, another top 10 recruiting class comes in to make OSU the early favorite in the Big 10

Barnes- He said before the start of this year he would likely stay 3 years, but his stock in the second half of the season has jumped higher than Rebecca Black and Mac Miller's popularity combined. If he comes out he's a lock for top 5.

Knight and Jones- The scary and ironic thing about this is Calipari will probably encourage them to go this year, just to make room for the #1 recruiting class in the nation. Now that they've reached the Final Four, Knight and Jones are lottery bound.

Same Butler, New Bulldogs

Butler launched onto the scene last year, become America's darling with a young coach and players who hustled and fought on every possession. This year's team may not have as many offensive threats with the loss of Gordon Hayward and Avery Jukes, but key roles players like Mack, Howard, and Nored have kept the Bulldog toughness intact. This years team focuses more on defense, especially helping on the weak side and switching on pick and roles. Coach Stevens has really elevated the communication on both sides of the floor, especially when it comes to defense. On the other side of the ball, Matt Howard is still a presence is the post, except he isn't usually found there alot. Now, with the development of a 3 point shot, Howard gives another long range shooter to go with Shelvin Mack and Zach Hahn. Sophomore Andrew Smith has shown significant improvement down low, which means Howard can play outside in the 4 -out offense. Smith and Howard will have their hands full with Florida's bigs, but the key to me is if Vanzant and Mack manage to slow the break of the Florida guards.

Mock NBA Draft

Heres a very early look to the top 15 picks in June:

1.Cavs- Kyrie Irving-Duke

2.Twolves- Harrison Barnes-UNC

3. Wizards- Derrick Willaims- Zona

4. Kings- Perry Jones-Baylor

5 Raptors- Terence Jones- Kentucky

6 Jazz- Enes Kanter-

7 Pistons- Jared Sullinger-OSU

8 Cavs- Jonas Valanciunas

9 Bucks- Jordan Hamilton-TEXAS

10 Bobcats- Kemba Walker-UCONN

11 Warriors-Kawhi Leonard-SDST

12 Rockets- John Henson-UNC

13 Jazz- Jimmer Fredette-BYU

14 Suns-Kenneth Faried-Moorehead St

Pujols Possible Suitors

Well, the Lebron like sweeptakes for #5 begins this spring and will continue all the way to around early December for a total of 9 months. Here's a look at the suitors who could sign Albert next year, not named the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cubs- I think most people would be in agreement that the Cubs will be throwing the kitchen sink at this guy, especially to get him away from a division rival. Lots of contracts come off the books for the Cubbies and he would be the most anticipated athlete to come to Chicago since Cutler....o wait...lets go Jordan after his first retirement.

Nationals- The Nats got the dough, but can they convince Albert to come to a struggling franchise? A lot will depend on how they do this year, especially with the addition of Jayson Werth.

Mets- People are speculating already 30- plus million a year for Pujols. The Mets, i can see, can go closer to high 30's and possible 40.

Yanks- You can never really count these guys out. Even with Teixeira, they might find a taker for him or move him to DH.

Teams on Upset watch in March

As the tourney approaches, the teams on the bubble are pushing hard to earn those last spots. But what about those teams who are probably safe for their spot in March? Here's 3 teams who could go down in the first round.

Arizona- Zona is a very solid team, don't get me wrong. But they haven't beaten a single ranked team all year. D. Williams is a top 10 player in the nation, but is he enough to carry the wildcats? If he gets in foul trouble, I wonder if Fogg and Horne will have what it takes to step up and show upperclassmen leadership.

UConn- Another team with a star and not much supporting cast. Kemba is Kemba, doing what he does. But the emergence of Lamb and Oriakhi will determine if this team can really compete with the nation's best in the tourney, as Kemba can't score every point.

Louisville- Another Big East team that has some faults. Leadership has done the disappearing act and then reappearing occasionally. Knowles and Siva are 2 of the better guards in the Big East, but toughness will be a deciding factor come March.

MLB Breakout Players

Heading into spring training, here's some players to watch for this spring during camp and then during the dog days of summer.

Domonic Brown-PHI-OF- The favorite to take over Jayson Werth's spot in left field, Brown brings speed and power to the gaps to this already dangerous Phil's lineup. Brown might hit in the two spot, or possibly hit at No. 8 to jump start the bottom of the lineup.

Carlos Santana-CLE-C- When he came up last year, Carlos really adjusted nicely to the big leagues and proved he was the Indian's catcher of the future. The big question is whether he will be healthy enough after a devastating knee injury last year, but a full recovery is expected by opening day.

Brett Anderson-SP-Oak- Staying healthy was the issue last year for Brett. This year he goes into camp completely healthy and looks to show flashes of being a true ace this year. He might be a dark horse for Cy Young, but health is the main concern.

Logan Morrison-OF-FLA- Morrison will get overshadowed by fellow sophomore teammate Mike Stanton. Logan is a very patient hitter, who draws a ton of walks and runs the bases well. He and Stanton lead a young, talented OF for Florida.

"Jimmers" to Look For

We all know the new Stephen Curry re-incarnated by now: Jimmer. But you may want to know these names as well, as they are all capable of taking over games and leading their teams to upsets, possible in March.

Rat McCallum-PG-Detroit- The Freshman is only averaging 14.5 ppg, but this former top 20 nationally ranked recruit has deep range from three and great ball skills. Detroit could make a lot of noise in the Horizon tournament.

Charles Jenkins-PG-Hofstra- If this guy was on a power conference team, he would be getting as much love as Kemba and Fredette. Hofstra is still in the race for their conference title, and they are definitely an upset pick in March as long as he's on the team.

Klay Thompson-SG-Wash St- Thompson is one of the most underrated players in the NCAA. This kid can do it all. What makes him scary is that his scoring skills added to his big body makes him an impossible matchup for opponents.

Tu Holloway-PG-Xavier- Tu bursted onto the scene when him and former teammate Jordan Crawford almost upset KSU last year in the tourney. He's back this year, and his 3 point shot is something opposing teams have to contain.

Nfl Draft: Players to keep an eye on

Here's 3 players who could make an impact right away while going mid to late first round:

1. Drake Nevis-DT-Lsu- The senior is known for his pass rush ability, but he needs to improve his run defense. Can start immediately on a D-line in the NFL.

2. Mikel Leshoure-RB-Ill- His stock is rising quickly, and he could be a top 20 pick by April. Size could be an issue but his 40 time should carry him into the 1st round.

3. Mike Pouncey-OL-FLA- Mike as been called better than his twin brother Maurice, who is on the Super Bowl bound Steelers and made the pro bowl as a rookie. Pretty exceptional comparison.

Bears Offseason

Well, season over. Now on to the off season and some moves Da bears might make.

1. Draft- It seems like 5 years ago when the Bears had a first round pick. I see them going for a defensive lineman early and also some secondary help. An OL player will be taken early, and a receiver is a possibility also.

2. Through free agency, i think the Bears have to look for a reliable, veteran backup to Cutler. Seneca Wallace or Kerry Collins would be a good fit. Richard Seymour would be nice,with Tommie Harris losing production but he's going to want a lot of dough. A CB like Ike Taylor would really bring some veteran leadership to help Bowman and Moore.

3. The Bears don't have any major free agents, but resigning Olin Kreutz and Corey Graham( who was outstanding on special teams) should be at the top of the list. Extensions for Olsen and Forte could happen too with their deals ending soon.

MLB Off Season Assessment

Here's a quick run down of the winners and losers this winter:

Winners-

Red Sox- Clearly adding two bats like Crawford and Gonzalez to an already star-studded lineup makes them instant title contender.

Phillies- Words can't even describe how scary this rotation is, and come October, the Phils will have an ace on the mound every game for them. The only caution mark will be if they all can stay healthy.

White Sox- I got to give my Sox some love, as they return Paul Konerko and add Dunn to the middle of the lineup, plus adding some bullpen help to keep up with the Twins and Tigers in the AL central.

Losers-

Angels- The Halos basically missed out on every big name they went after, from Crawford, to Lee and also Beltre.

Yankees- The need to acquire Cliff Lee after the Bo Sox got two, big lefties in their lineup was immense. Missing out on him leaves C.C. as the only line of defense for the Bronx.