Throwback Saturday Part X

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. Kemba Walker (pictured above) was the face of the 2011 NCAA Tournament. Who will be the face of the 2012 version of March Madness?

By Josh Kramer

Two and a half months later and “Throwback Saturdays” are still going strong.  Welcome to edition ten of our weekly throwback day. What was happening on March 24, 2011?  How about on March 24, 2010?  I have a gut feeling that March Madness was discussed in some facet.  Let’s take a look back and see what the major happenings were and how accurate I was with my analysis.

One year ago..

Sweet 16: Day 1 Predictions

Here is a snippet..

Connecticut vs San Diego State:  Can you say Kemba?  UConn has won 7 straight and are a perfect 10 and 0 in tournament play on the year heading into tomorrow’s showdown with a very talented and higher seeded San Diego Aztecs team.  Now I realize that most of the national media has been grilling the Big East.  I mean who wouldn’t.  The conference began the tourney with 11 teams and only 2 still remain as we begin the Sweet 16.  Let me state though, both of the teams still standing went 9 and 9 in conference play.  Name me another team that is still standing in this bracket that went 500 in conference play.  I will do one even better.  Name me a team that did not finish in the top 4 of their conference that is still alive.  But back to the topic at hand.  San Diego State is also on a hot streak of their own having won 7 consecutive games.  43, 25, and 30 sums it up for me though when looking at this matchup  (Jimmer’s point totals vs SDSU this year). Though the Aztecs play very solid defense and also have a very well-rounded scoring attack, they have failed to slow down teams with elite scorers all year.  Good luck slowing down Kemba.  At least one Big East team will find their way into the Elite Eight.  And it will be the UConn Huskies as they gut out 3 point victory behind the Kemba Show.

BYU vs Florida:  On paper, this game appears to favor the Cougars.  They put up over 80 points a game.  They have the edge on the boards.  And I could go on.  But not so fast.  BYU has not been the same since the dismissal of starting center Brandon Davies for breaking University rules.  Well this will be the first NCAA Tournament game where this vacancy in the paint really hurts.  It will also be the first game in the tournament where BYU plays a team seeded higher than 11^th.  The Gators are very deep and talented, and will be the loan SEC team to nab a spot in the Elite Eight.  The Jimmer Show has to end at some point.  Plus Bobby Knight laid out how you stop Jimmer on SportsCenter.  You better believe that Florida Coach Billy Donovan took notes on what the legend said.  I am going to stick with my original pick in this one as well. Gators by 2 in a thriller (To finish reading this post, click this link).

Throwback Saturday Part II

Photo courtesy of zimbio.com. One year ago to the day, I predicted Kemba Walker (pictured above) would win the Naismith National Player of the Year Award in College Hoops. I was wrong, but Kemba currently is outdoing Jimmer Fredette at the professional ranks.

By Josh Kramer

“To know your future, you must know your past.” Welcome to the second edition of “Throwback Saturday.”  It is always fun to look back and reminisce.  And if you are not a fan of looking back, well, this post is not for you I guess.  So what was happening in the wide world of sports on January 28, 2011?  What was happening on January 28, 2010?  Let’s take a trip back and find out.

Two years ago..

23=Amazing

Here is a little snippet.

Roger Federer last evening clinched a birth in the Australian Open semifinals.  He did not play his best tennis, but woke up when he needed to and took care of the very talented Nikolay Davydenko.  Federer was the only player ranked in the top 4 to take care of business and stay alive.  Djokovic and Nadal both were unsuccessful in their quests to make it to the semis of the first Grand Slam of the year.

But isn’t consistency Roger’s middle name?  The man has made 23 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals!  Now take that in for a minute.  That means that Federer has not been knocked out of a Grand Slam tourney before the semifinals for 6 years.  No wonder he holds the all time record with 15 Grand Slam titles.

So is the number 23 synonymous with greatness?  Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time Michael Jordan sported the number 23.  Arguably, the best basketball player on the planet now sports the number 23, Lebron James (To finish reading the post, click this link).

Food for Thought 1-17-2012

Photo courtesy of cbssports.com. Not too many people are talking about Creighton star sophomore Doug McDermott (pictured above). Soon enough, everyone will be talking.

By Josh Kramer

This weekend was one for the ages in sports.  A perfect time for my 800th career post on “TheSportsKraze.” Great NFL playoff action, college basketball upsets galore, and so much more.  There is so much going on in sports right now and sadly I am only able to hit on a few things.  Here is what has caught my attention.

Jimmer Show Part II?

Last year, Jimmer Fredette taught America “How to Jimmer.”

Weekly Nickel 6-20-2011

Photo courtesy of draftpacks.com. My main event for this week in the wide world of sports is none other than the NBA Draft, set for Thursday night.

By Josh Kramer

Last week was absolutely wild.  A Stanley Cup Game 7.  Riots in Vancouver.  A 22-year-old making a mockery of golf on the big stage. Plus there was continued hope,  and then loss of hope from the NFL regarding a possible CBA.  What should you be looking forward to this week?

“Next Year’s Best Name in College Hoops”

Earlier today, highly touted JUCO star God's Gift Achiuwa (pictured above) out of Erie (N.Y.) Community College committed to St. John's for next season.

I realize that the NFL Draft is only a few hours away.  I will be glued to my television set just like everyone else in hopes that my team will set themselves up well for the future.  Lets hope that future is sooner rather than later (things are beginning to look that way).  But in College Hoops today, Steve Lavin and the Johnnies received a big time commitment.

“A Look Ahead in College Hoops”

I am already looking ahead to next year's College Basketball Season. One of the major questions in my eyes is whether UConn Head Coach Jim Calhoun (pictured above) will be back manning the sidelines for the Huskies next season.

So possibly the worst National Championship Game of all time ended what was arguably the wildest/most exciting version of March Madness in the history of College Basketball on Monday Evening.  Connecticut, a team that finished 9th in the Big East, going 9 and 9 overall, brought home their 3rd National Championship.

“Sweet 16: Day 1 Predictions”

I expect the clock to strike Midnight tomorrow night for the Jimmer Show.

The madness resumes tomorrow evening with 4 big time games.  And it cannot come soon enough.  Out of the 8 teams that play tomorrow, I correctly picked 6 of them in my bracket.  Plus all 4 of the teams I predicted to move on to the Elite Eight in my bracket are still in tact.  Here is a closer look into each of tomorrow’s matchups.

“Madness Highlights Thus Far Part II”

Duke has been pronounced as the favorite with the return of super freshman Kyrie Irving (pictured above). Irving is an outstanding player but I am still not entirely sold on the Blue Devils.

The 2nd and 3rd rounds sure have lived up to the hype this year.  MoreheadState, Richmond, Butler and more.  The upsets have been galore, and many games have come down to the final seconds.  What more could you really ask for? Since my last update, here are my thoughts for the Saturday and Sunday games thus far.

“Madness Highlights Thus Far”

UConn star Kemba Walker made a name for himself in Maui. He continued his great play throughout the regular season and wowed New York in the Big East Tournament. Now he looks to take his team to the Final Four.

As if there is anything else going on in the wide world of sports that is on the same wave length as the NCAA Tournament right now.  Sure there is the Roger Goodell versus Kevin Burnett bickering, Spring Training, and NBA Action.  But none of these things compare to the first Thursday of the NCAA Tournament.  And yes I said the first Thursday, because it is no longer the first round technically.  It is the start of Round 2.  Whatever it is the start of, you got to love it.

No predictions today.  I will let my bracket play out a little.  But I wanted to check in and let you know my initial thoughts of this year’s edition of March Madness.

“Food for Thought 3-15-11”

I am not sure how Florida Coach Billy Donovan (pictured above) and the Gators received a number 2 seed. But you can count on the Southeast Region to be a wild one.

It is an extreme chore not to focus all of my attention on the NCAA Tournament.  And I will admit, the majority of my thought over the past 24 hours has been focused on the Madness.  How should I fill out my bracket?  Will it be an upset city marathon like last year?  Or will all the parity hype just be for not?  Well there is one thing I do know.  The Southeast Region will by far be the most unpredictable.  Since viewing the Selection Show on Sunday, I was utterly shocked at the way this region came out.