We have an amazing week of College Basketball ahead and I foresee Jay Wright (pictured above) leading his Villanova squad to 2 major victories. Expect Nova to be in the top 10 come Monday.
I will admit that I enjoyed All Star Weekend more than I normally do. The Dunk Contest had a little spice to it, unlike last year’s fiasco. Though it did seem a bit rigged to go in Griffin’s favor. JaVale McGee put on a pretty strong showing in his own right. Then the game. Though very boring for a while, really picked up in the 4th. The play of the game in my eyes was when Kobe flushed home the dunk on the break in King Jame’s grill. And then he gave him a little pat on the butt. Kobe sent a message last night to the Heat, Celtics, and other contending teams. The Lakers will be ready come playoff time. You can count on it.
The great thing about sports is they will never leave you hanging. Every week there is intriguing stories and exciting games taking place. Well this week will be no different.
5. Let the NFL Labor talks continue. I believe today is Day 4, of the heated discussions. Now this is not a very exciting part of the sporting avenue, but intriguing, and very important to the future of our sporting world as we know it. The NFL is the most popular sport we have in the US. People will not be happy come September if they are unable to witness some big play NFL Football come Sundays. So though this is not exciting, it must get ironed out and is something that people should keep their eye on. Plus, once the CBA get fixed, which I am confident it will, we will get to find out the future of players such as Carson Palmer, Kevin Kolb, and many more.
4. Opening Day is just 37 days away. Spring Training is underway. Make sure to follow your teams via Twitter and their respective sites. This is the time of year when you really get to learn about what the future holds for your franchise in that some young talents are with the big team at this point. And though the majority of them will not make the Opening Day roster, now is the time to really get a closer look at the next big thing for your respective team.
3. The NHL truly needs Sid “the Kid” Crosby. And tonight’s marquee matchup will lose much of it tradition luster with the lack of Crosby’s presence on the ice. The Capitals head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pens. If the season ended today, this would be a first round postseason matchup. Hard to believe, but true. You better believe the NHL wants Sid “the Kid” to go head to head with Mr. Ovechkin come playoff time. At this time though, Crosby needs to rest his head. Look for Ovechkin and the Capitals to take advantage of the shorthanded Pens tonight and steal one on the road.
2. The “Decision” Part II is still not solved at the moment that I am writing this. It could be once I am done posting though. Either way, the ineptitude to get a deal done between the Nuggets and the state of New York is starting to become a real nuissance. It took away some of the thunder from what was a very exciting All Star Weekend. As I have been saying all along though, no matter how inept Knick’s management has been in recent memory, book Melo a spot in the Mecca. Carmelo will be a Knick by Thursday. Lets just hope that the Knickerbockers do not give up their entire roster to get him.
But lets get back to real business. Watching the stars go at it last night got me extremely excited for April, May, and June. Kobe seemed to be sending a message to many members of the Eastern Conference All Stars, namely King James. There are many big games this week. But my game of the week will be happening in the Windy City for a 2nd consecutive week.
The traveling All Stars from Miami will be looking to create some breathing room as they take on Derrick Rose and the streaking Chicago Bulls. Expect Chicago to send a message for a 2nd consecutive Thursday. They took down the Spurs with relative ease this past Thursday in front of the home crowd and I expect the same sort of outcome this week. Rose and the boys already took down the Heat at home a little over a month ago. Look for them to move to 2 and 0 on the year against a potential late round playoff foe.
1. “It is totally awesome baby.” Or at least it is totally crazy. Last week, all 4 of the top 4 teams went down. St. John’s knocked of their 3rd top 10 opponent. And many teams created a bubble or burst their own bubble. This is the time of year where the term “must win,” becomes a reality.” If you thought last week was good. Wait till you see what is in store for this week. Joe Lunardi will have a completely different look to his field once this wild week finishes.
The week starts off with a bang as two of the elite teams in the country square off in the fighting city of Philadelphia.
Syracuse at Villanova: This should be a great matchup. Many who are not Big East fanatics are unaware that Jay Wright, the Head Coach of Villanova, owns Syracuse. Syracuse plays an amazing 2/3 zone which dares their opponents to shoot from long range and really tests their oppositions patience forcing them to really execute to get buckets on the offensive end. Luckily for Nova, they shoot the ball very effectively from the perimeter and have some wily veterans spread throughout their lineup. Look for them to handle business at home tonight.
Then there is Monster Saturday. This Saturday will be the best day of College Ball we have had up to this point in the season. 4 matchups pitting ranked foes. 4 matchups with huge not only conference implications but tournament seeding implications.
BYU at San Diego State: Jimmer Mania has taken the country by storm. But do not sleep on a San Diego State team that has flown under the radar pretty much all year. Look for the Aztecs to exact some revenge over their conference foe, as they hold Jimmer under 30 points. I would still like somebody to “Teach Me How to Jimmer” though.
Syracuse at Georgetown: It is hard for me to say this. But look for Syracuse to drop their 2nd game of the week when they head to the Nation’s capital. It takes an experience poised team who can shoot from the perimeter to handle the very tough Cuse 2/3 zone. Well Georgetown has experience and the ability to shoot from downtown. Hoyas win a nail biter.
Florida at Kentucky: Kentucky already lost a heartbreaker down in Gainesville. You better believe that they are hungry for some revenge. Did any of you get to see the beating that they put on South Carolina on Saturday? There is a reason why John Calipari has never lost a game at home in his tenure with the Wildcats. UK may be the toughest team in the country, when they play at home. Thank god for everyone else, the NCAA Tournament is not played at Rupp. UK wins a key SEC game and remains unbeaten at Rupp.
St. John’s at Villanova: The Johnnies have already knocked off 3 top 10 opponents this year, and 5 teams ranked in the top 15. Here is another chance for them to knock off an elite foe. The Red Storm appear to be a top 10 caliber team when they play at home, but they are quite beatable on the road, going just 4 and 5 on the year. Nova on the other is extremely tough at home. Look for them to protect their home court and slow down the Red Storm. Nova wins a typical physical, up and down, Big East Battle.
So there you have my thoughts on the top 5 sporting events for this upcoming week. Hope you enjoy.
Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.
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TheSportsKraze 