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.