Look Selection Committee! Another away win against a quality opponent!

After hearing for weeks that the Fighting Illini only had to win one more game against a quality opponent to seal their NCAA tournament berth, it’s become a habit of mine to wonder how each successive game impacts their ability to move off the proverbial bubble.  Well surely their convincing 76-66 win over the Stony Brook Seawolves in a raucous Stony Brook Arena would have vaulted them ahead of say Florida or Utah State.

Who cares that Stony Brook’s RPI was a dismal 143? That took guts to get booted out of their own stadium by French Canadian clowns and hit the road as a #1 seed.

Next up on Monday:

Illinois @ Kent State, 22-9, 46 RPI. Must be a Monster Truck Rally at Assembly Hall that day.

By Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net,

INDIANAPOLIS- Big Ten player of the year, and likely national player of the year Evan Turner has become quite the polarizing figure this weekend. The Ohio State swing-man made magical memories for OSU fans on his way to becoming Big Ten tournament MVP. But he also angered many partisans of the teams who were vanquished by the Ohio State Buckeyes; en route to their tournament championship.

If he’s on your side- you love him. Here’s what his coach Thad Matta had to say after the tournament championship game.

“You know, at what point I literally said, hey, take the game over, and that’s when he hit the three off the pull-up. But when you say that to a guy like Evan, he’s so cerebral basketball-wise, he can do it with the pass, you can do it with the defensive stop. But his play-making ability is really good. And just with his size, they had smaller guys on him, they tried Johnson on him there for a while, but it was — when you look at the body of work over the weekend,

I mean, this has to go down as probably — I know I’ve been in this league for six years. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Of course, if you’re playing against Turner, you probably don’t enjoy his body of work so much. I even heard two different nicknames for ET circulating around the BTT. People who love him call him “His Royal Smoothness,” his detractors refer to him as “The Velociraptor.” Evan was candid about his disgust with the Illini trash-talking on Saturday. “They were just running their mouths too much, and that was it.They were hitting shots and front runners, and they were running them off entirely too much. That’s all I’m saying,” Turner re-iterated.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term “front-runner” he means they only talk smack when they’re winning, and remaining quiet when the game is tight.

So what did certain Illinois players say?

Now I can’t verify this, but what I heard from three different reporters who were court-side for Illini-Ohio St, was Illini freshman D.J. Richardson supposedly said: “If I keep spanking you, they’re going to send my black ass to jail.” At Turner. And Turner’s friend/former high school teammate Demetri McCamey added: “You’re going to prison,” at Richardson. Again these are not verbatim QUOTES, just what was SUPPOSEDLY overheard. Neverthless be proud Illini Nation. Your team, a bubble team, was talking smack to the Sporting News player of the year and his potential #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament teammates. As an alum, I find this to be one of the finest Illini moments of 2010 so far.

Of course, Turner is anything but innocent in this exchange, as we saw him make the “grasping money” signal with his hands towards the Illinois bench in one of the overtime sessions.

Whether that signifies the money he’ll soon make in the NBA, that his shot is “so money,” I don’t know. But what I do know is minutes after Ohio State’s 72-53 route at Illinois on Feb. 14, Evan Tweeted “You all witnessed the ‘Valentine’s Day massacre,”’ on his Twitter account after finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. So you could say he started this up a month ago.

(Also, in a semi-related story, Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson drew a technical foul for allegedly saying “he keeps grabbing on my sh#$t” to the referee; in reference to an opposing Minnesota player during the other game Saturday night.)

Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net, an Upper Midwest sports webzine. He’s also a member of the Football Writers Association of America, the United States Basketball Writers Association and a sports writer for the Washington Times.com Communities and Walter Football.com

By Paul M. Banks is Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net,

This year’s NCAA tournament will see Arizona, North Carolina, UCLA and Indiana missing from the dance card. Those four tradition rich programs have produced 22 National Championships and 144 tournament appearances. So what are the benchmarks, the numbers, the standards of entry into the same class as the four historically elite programs I just mentioned?

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, whose program has been in the national conversation for the last 10 years or so, offered a couple definitions. Izzo has led his Spartans to 6 Elite Eights in 9 years, 5 final fours in 11 years. However, his most impressive statistic is the fact that every player he’s coached for all four years at State has been to at least one Final Four.

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The Golden Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff were so excited after winning the SWAC Championship they got together by the local vending machines at the DMV to watch Sunday's Selection Show.

• Congrats to Arkansas-Pine Bluff for whipping the Winthrop Eagles 61-44 to ensure the school’s first trip to the Big Dance lasts at least one more game. (Lions Roar)
• Herb Pope, old man name, old man game. Unfortunately, in this day and age, officials don’t allow you to punch another man in the private parts. NIT = No Indecent Tapping. (Gonzo Ball)
• Phillip Williams, who is getting less press than Pope, also went for the sneaky crotch punch in the post in his Jackson State Tigers’ loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs 81-67. Good for the Bulldogs though, would have really liked to have seen them knock off Kentucky on Sunday. (MStateAthletics)
• Hopefully the Illini don’t follow in the footsteps of fellow NIT #1 Seed, Arizona State. If they fall to the Stony Brook Seawolves, at least they can blame the French….Canadian…Mimes. (Hail to the Orange)
• Speaking of all the previous talk about balls. Here’s “Balls Talk” courtesy of Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns. I guess you lead your team to 152 points in a game you can continue to put out these kinds of videos. (Valley of the Suns)
• Lest I forget, it’s St. Patrick’s Day. So here’s something to enjoy if green beer isn’t your style. (Gunaxin)

I’ll admit it. I couldn’t even motivate myself to watch the Memphis Grizzlies’ game last night.  I figured I’d feel better watching the Winthrop-Arkansas Pine Bluff play-in game knowing that none of those players would ever play for my favorite pro team.  I refuse to call it a Chicago Bulls game because Senator, I cheered for the Chicago Bulls, I knew the Chicago Bulls, I consider the Bulls a friend of mine, and the lineup they put out there last night, was not the Chicago Bulls.

To put it in perspective, Brad Miller in his third year in the league signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bulls.  The 2000-2001 Chicago Bulls finished the season a horrific 15-67, finishing 8th in the Central Division. On March 16, 2001, the Bulls lost to the Seattle SuperSonics by ten points (that team no longer exists!) and lost their sixth straight game. The starting five for that game?

Rumored to have run a 5.7 40-yard dash this year.

• Ron Mercer – (in 4th year in league)
• Marcus Fizer – (Rookie)
• Fred Hoiberg – (6th yr)
• Brad Miller – (3rd yr)
• Bryce Drew – (3rd yr)

Can it get any worse? How about the bench…

• Corey Benjamin – (3rd yr)
• Jamal Crawford – (Rookie)
• Dalibor Bagaric – (Rookie)
• Dragan Tarlac – (Rookie)

One would have hoped that this would have signaled the low point for the Bulls franchise for decades to come but at least Marcus Fizer put up 25 points and 10 boards, with Corey Benjamin scoring 13 points off the bench.

I’m not saying that the 2009-2010 Bulls are approaching the level of the lineup thrown together above. But after suffering their 8th loss in a row, Brad Miller has to be wondering what episode of “The Twilight Zone” he landed in. Here’s the active roster from last night’s game against the Grizzlies:

Give him credit. Brad Miller just keeps answering the bell.

• Ronald ‘Flip’ Murray – (8th yr)
• Taj Gibson – (Rookie)
• Jannero Pargo – (7th yr)
• Brad Miller – (12th yr)
• Acie Law – (3rd yr)

And the bench?

• Hakim Warrick – (5th yr)
• Devin Brown – (8th yr)
• James Johnson – (Rookie)
• Chris Richard – (2nd yr/NBDL)

While the Bulls are not at risk of dropping below the 9th slot in the East, they are digging themselves quite the hole to attempt to catch one of the three teams above them with 16 games left in the season.

Right now I would take just seeing some development from our young players with some additional playing time. Well how’d that go you ask? James Johnson and Taj Gibson combined for 52 minutes played and put together this measly stat line: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 12 fouls. How’d that #2 pick who was sent down to the NBDL earlier this month do? 28 minutes, 10 points, 9 boards, 1 assist, 2 blocks and only 3 fouls.

P.S. As I wrote this, I watched Ben Smith and the Jacksonville Dolphins knock off the Arizona State Sun Devils on the road in the opening round of the NIT. What a finish, can’t wait for the rest of March Madness!

A couple of weeks ago I comprised a comprehensive list of the greatest college backcourts of the 21st century. In response, I experienced a number of healthy attacks as well as some reluctant support. But most so, the list sparked an ongoing and spectacularly fun debate. The issue of most contention: my overemphasized formula that teams with the best guards always win in March…

So I figured, why don’t we go ahead and try applying this formula to this year’s tournament? And thus, my list of the best guards heading into March Madness 2010 was born. Let’s say, at the minimum, if 3 of my top 4 backcourts make the elite 8, the formula will be accepted for at least one more season. Sound fair? Eh, who cares. Here it is.

Disclaimer: These are not the best teams or even my picks for the tournament. This list only addresses my rather subjective assessment of the best guard play in college basketball, mind you, with the most important games still left to play.

1. Kansas Jayhawks (32-2)
Sheron Collins is the best guard in the country. It is easy to put him at number one because he has experience, durability, poise, and has shown he can be clutch in the tournament (i.e. 2008 against Memphis- steal, three, pass to Chalmers). This backcourt is too deep with a lot of next level potential.
Sherron Collins: 15.3 ppg, 4.4 apg
Xavier Henry: 13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 41.6% 3PT
Tyshawn Taylor: 7.7. ppg, 3.3 apg
Brady Morningstar: 4.3 ppg, 3 apg

2. Kansas State Wildcats (26-7)
I love the speed of this backcourt. They’ve shown themselves to be a formidable opponent to the Big 12’s best- kept it really close with Kansas in 2 of 3 and beat Baylor twice (the next best Big 12 backcourt). They’re very capable of (and will have to rely on) riding these two to the Final Four.
Jacob Pullen: 18.9 ppg, 2 spg, 3.6 apg
Denis Clemente: 16 ppg, 4.2 apg

3. Kentucky Wildcats (32-2)
The most talented of any of the duos. If they both stayed another year, I’d certainly have to place them at number one. But, undeniably, their youth and inexperience could be their downfall. I’d still expect them going on a run to the Final Four or even a championship, but with that being said.. they haven’t played any team as talented as Texas all season. Oh yeah, and they have DeMarcus Cousins to pass to.
John Wall: 16.9 ppg, 6.4 apg, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 spg
Eric Bledsoe: 10.8 ppg, 3 apg, 3.1 rpg

4. Duke Blue Devils (29-5)
By their scoring numbers, Scheyer and Smith could easily be number one on this list. Neither of the two, however, are the greatest penetrators or the best inside the lane. Nonetheless, Scheyer is one of the elite perimeter shooters in the country. With a seemingly easy draw, they could be well on their way to Lucas Oil Stadium and the Final Four.
Jon Scheyer: 19 ppg, 5.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 3.7 rpg
Nolan Smith: 17.3 ppg, 2.9 apg

5. Villanova Wildcats (24-7)
Nova has always relied on their guards. Scottie Reynolds is one of the nation’s best perimeter scorers and I’ve always thought Corey Fisher was an incomparably tough gamer. They work well enough with each other to go deep, but the team relies so heavily on them (like Kansas State) that they could be upset early.
Scottie Reynolds: 18.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 40% 3PT
Corey Fisher: 13.7 ppg, 4 apg, 2.9 rpg
Corey Stokes: 9.5 ppg, 4 rpg
Reggie Redding: 7.6 ppg, 42.1 % 3PT

6. Ohio State Buckeyes (27-7)
You may not agree with me on this, but ask any NBA scout and they’ll tell you this backcourt has more NBA talent than you’d think. We know about Turner by now, but there is also Diebler- a 6′7″ lights out shooter with another year to make his case for the draft. And Buford is a surprising 6′5″. The Buckeyes may have problems with depth as well as ball control on offense, and they do have a tough draw, but don’t be surprised if Turner wills his team to the Elite 8.
Evan Turner: 20.3 ppg, 5.9 apg, 9.2 rpg, 1.9 spg
Jon Diebler: 12.9 ppg, 42.3% 3PT
William Buford: 14.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.3 apg
David Lighty: 12.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg

7. Baylor Bears (25-7)
The bottom of the South region is exciting. Two of the best backcourts in the land (‘Nova and Baylor) could face off in the Sweet 16. Both of these teams will live and die by their guard play, and in Baylor’s case its allowed them to remain competitive in every single game this season- they’ve never lost by more than 7 points!
LaceDarius Dunn: 19.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 42.6% 3 PT
Tweety Carter: 15.7 ppg, 6.4 apg

8. Maryland Terrapins (23-8)
A tough road for Maryland with Michigan State and Kansas on the horizon, but you can’t deny the numbers Grevis Vasquez has put up this year and the underrated Eric Hayes who happens to be one of the best three point gunners in the land. Remember the last time Maryland had a better backcourt.. What were those guys names? Dixon? Blake?
Grevis Vasquez: 19.5 ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 spg
Eric Hayes: 11.1 ppg, 3.9 apg, 45% 3PT
Sean Mosley: 10.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg

9. BYU Cougars
Plain and simple, they got jipped with a 7 seed. Although they got a draw against arguably the worst 10 in Florida, BYU deserved better. They’ll have a tough time advancing to the Sweet 16 with Kansas State awaiting. But I can assure you, if they win first round and compete with K State, everyone in the country will know Jimmer Fredette.
Jimmer Fredette: 21.8 ppg, 4.7 apg, 44.8% 3PT
Jackson Emery: 12.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.7 spg, 43% 3PT
Tyler Haws: 11.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg

10. Oklahoma State Cowboys (22-10)
They have a potential top 5 pick in the best scorer in the country. Anderson will have a chance to display is ability in the best first round matchup of the tourney (vs. Ga Tech). It behooves me to include a team of this talent, with the NCAA ppg leader and 3 guards as their top 3 scorers.
James Anderson: 22.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Keiton Page: 10.7 ppg, 2.8 apg
Obi Muonelo: 13.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 43.3% 3PT

HONORABLE MENTIONS
-Syracuse Orangemen (28-4)
Andy Rautins: 11.7 ppg, 5 apg, 2.1 spg
Scoop Jardine: 8.8 ppg, 4.6 apg
Brandon Triche: 8.1 ppg, 3 apg

-Wisconsin Badgers (23-8)
Trevon Hughes: 15.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 spg
Jason Bohannon: 11.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 40.3 3PT
Jordan Taylor: 10.2 ppg, 3.6 apg

-Michigan State Spartans (24-8)
Kalin Lucas: 14.9 ppg, 4 apg
Durrell Summers: 10.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Chris Allen: 9.1 ppg, 41% 3PT

-Temple Owls (29-5)
Ryan Brooks: 14.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg,
Juan Fernandez: 12.7 ppg, 3.6 apg, 46.1% 3PT
Ramon Moore: 7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg

I love Stacey King.  At first he was just a few scattered catchphrases with very little real analysis, and that was fine.  He wasn’t great, and his rapport with Neil Funk was fractured at best.  He has come a long way from those days though.  In just two short years he has developed a repertoire of great gimmicks and catch-phrases, and his banter with Neil Funk has become hilarious.

Obviously his best moment this season, other than every poster-signing he’s done, was his famous memo comment.  You didn’t get the memo?  Well here’s the remix:

h/t: Mouthpiece Sports

Today, after finally sobering up, I went to the Chicago Cubs’ ESPN page and came across an interesting article in the fans favorites section: a run down of the position battles in various spring training camps. To no surprise I found the Cubs fifth starting rotation spot on the list. To my dismay, I found the Cubs fourth starting rotation spot on the list. Now feeling a little worried, I was terrified not to see anyone challenging Carlos Marmol for the closer job on the list.

For those casual Cubs fans that do not know why I would worry about a relief pitcher with an incredible slider and a terrific 10.6 K/9 ratio, let me remind you that this guy has been a head case for years. He is a converted outfielder/catcher that three years to prove himself in a setup role and already lost the closer job once in spring training.

For those of you that want statistical proof, look at Marmol’s splits and scroll down to the situational numbers below his performance against players on the right side and left side of the plate, below his monthly performances, and far below his performance against each team.

Look at his performance with bases loaded and scoring position with two outs. Pitching with the bases loaded in a position (where it is impossible to pass the buck) he held runners to a .077 batting average…but allowed runners to walk across home plate six times in 19 plate appearances. That means he allowed an on base percentage of .350. This is pitiful compared to the league’s top closers and is awfully close to one of last season’s worst, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Brad Lidge.

His numbers become even more terrifying when he is presented with the too often predicament of having runners in scoring position with two outs. He was in this position 50 times in 2009. He walked the batter 12 of those times. Combined with the nine hits he allowed, he allowed opponents a .442 on base percentage or an almost 50 percent chance of keeping the inning alive.

Now, if we had a terrible starter I could avoid purchasing Chicago Cubs tickets to his start (if I did not have season tickets, which I do not); however, if our closer is a head case who loses control of his pitches every time the pressure kicks up a notch I cannot avoid catching an end of a blown game. Hopefully I am reading a little too much into the nitty-gritty and the 15 saves in 19 opportunities is a far more relevant and telling stat.

No buy-in?  An offer of an NQTC T-shirt as a prize that I may or may not follow-through on?  You know what those things mean, don’t you?  They mean that its time for our annual NQTC tourney challenge bracket.  The winner will get an NQTC t-shirt (I swear I’ll hook it up this time, and I’ll even get two so Seth can get his for winning last year).   If anyone else has any good ideas for a prize, let me know.  Anyways, here’s the link to join:

NQTC Tourney Challenge

The password is “Chicago”.  Oh and I will be entering one as well.  Without Illinois in the tournament to screw up my bracket (yeah I pick them to go way farther than they should every year) I may have a shot this time around.

The f$%&ing selection committee can’t seem to get anything right.  Those idiots in their ivory tower stare at computers all damn weekend for one weekend a year and then make horrible decisions.  Florida?  Really?  Florida?  And Utah State?  How do they justify putting Minnesota in over Illinois, when Illinois finished better in the Big Ten?

Okay okay.  That was my initial reaction.  The reality is that Minnesota earned their way in by playing as well or better than the Illini in the tourney while adding a win in Champaign to their resume late in the season.  Utah State and Florida did not deserve to be there, but Illinois really hurt themselves by losing 5 of 6 down the stretch; essentially melting down when the eyes of the college basketball world were upon them the last few weeks of the season.  So if the selection committee isn’t to blame, then who is?

Maybe Bruce Weber shouldn’t get a pass, as the team took the floor night in and night out looking less than motivated.

McCamey, the supposed leader of the team, definitely deserves some share of the blame.  His atrocious defense and lack of any real leadership qualities besides a decent jump shot and streaky passing skills were a problem.

Davis and Tisdale?  I would have to say that one of my worst moments of the season was a few weeks ago when the Illini were on national television and I heard Steve Lavin explain how the Illini big men play “more of a European style of basketball”.  Ouch.  One big man like that can be effective, but two?  Who will rebound?  No one apparently, as the Illini got beat on the offensive glass all season long.

I will tell you one thing that deserves no blame at all, but instead a round of applause: The Illini home crowd.  Game in and game out, even when the team did not show any heart, Assembly Hall was jumping with crazy passionate fans ready to go balls out for their team.  They deserve a lot of credit, and possibly an apology from the entire team.  Not every team has that kind of support, there were a lot of road games this year where the Illini looked up and saw empty arenas.  Not in Champaign.

I’m not going to follow the Illini’s “miracle” run in the NIT this year, but there is some Illini news that might cheer you up.  One of our top recruits coming in next year, the 7-foot Meyers Leonard, led his high school team to a state championship.  Here is a beautiful highlight of him putting the ball on the floor and throwing down a nasty dunk from his Illinois state championship run:

He better not be “European-Style”. We already have two of those.

By Paul M. Banks Founder/President of The Sports Bank.net

INDIANAPOLIS- Ohio State’s Evan Turner is likely going to sweep the national college basketball player of the year awards. He truly is royally smooth on the court. On Friday, in the Big Ten quarterfinals, his 40-foot buzzer beater to eliminate Michigan was the lead national story in almost every sports outlet. “I got 150 texts about it when I got back to my phone in here,” Turner said said Saturday.

But even “His Royal Smoothness” can get rattled by trash talk sometimes. And after his Buckeyes beat the Illinois Fighting Illini 88-81 in double overtime, Turner discussed how the trash talking by his opponents got under his skin.

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Dwight: Stan, I just wanna hug 'em and squeeze 'em and I'm gonna call him Derrick!

When Derrick Rose suffered his second injury this season at the hands of Dwight Howard in last night’s 111-82 loss to the Orlando Magic it became painfully obvious (emphasis on ‘pain’) that the Bulls’ playoff hopes are slipping away fast.  If the Bulls were to somehow make it into the playoffs and wind up playing the Magic again in the first round, I think it would be prudent for Gar/Pax/Angelo to see if Julius Peppers would not at least entertain the idea of donning a Bulls jersey and acting as an on-court bodyguard for Derrick Rose when he enters the paint against the gentle giant who doesn’t know his own strength, likes to wear cartoon superhero outfits, and is always grinning like he just learned how to tie his velcro basketball shoes.

I’m getting kind of sick of the Bulls shying away from criticizing Howard. Vinny was quoted basically saying it was Derrick’s fault: “”It looked like Dwight went up and Derrick lost his balance again.” Next time Joakim Noah shows up to practice with a black eye are we going to hear Vinny say “looks like Jo was doing some laundry and just fell down some stairs again”?

And where does Dwight Howard get off telling Derrick Rose how to drive in the lane to avoid injury?! Next time, why don’t you avoid fouling Derrick and just block the damn ball Dwight?! Quit pretending this is an episode of SlamBall on SpikeTV. Full body contact may be allowable when you’re playing on trampolines but it’s not acceptable in the NBA. Just because your shoulders are 6 feet wide doesn’t mean you should have fouls called any differently.

After I let the anger subside, I started to wonder how we can turn this travesty into a positive for both the Bulls and the NBA. As a part of the NBA’s ongoing “Read to Achieve Program”, the NBA could use NBA players to help teach literary classics to grade school students.  Enjoy the preliminary storyboards for the NBA’s newest production of, “Of Mice and (Super)Men”.

Dwight: Stan, why doesn't Derrick like it when I pet him when he's in the paint?

Stan: No, Dwight. I ain't mad. I never been mad, an' I ain't now. That's a thing I want ya to know.

Only one person who partook in online betting would have had any success last week.  Congratulations to StevieY for guessing (yeah guessing) that the Wings would beat the Hawks.  I wouldn’t exactly hire him to run my sportsbook, but he is definitely the cream of the crop this week.  We also welcome back Javier Sandooski this week, who managed to sit out last week’s bloodbath.  March Madness has begun, so expect many more college basketball picks the next few weeks.

Friday 3/12 at 1:25pm – Illinois @ Wisconsin (CBB)

• StevieY19 (15-9) Wisconsin over Illinois – Can Illinois play its way into the field of 64? Should I say 65? I don’t think so. If you’re from a major conference you have a bye into the field of 64, right? I’m reverting to the old lingo until they expand to include all 300+ teams in the future.  Anyway, Wisconsin outlasts the Illini in a close one.
• South Side Sheik (12-12) Wisconsin over Illinois – I’ve been a homer throughout these picks and it’s gotten me nowhere. For the last two to three weeks Illinois has faced “must wins” to get off the bubble and into the tourney. This is another one of those “must wins” and I don’t think the result will be much different. I see Bo Ryan having his guys ready to play and not content with their current seed in the bracket whatever that may be.
• Stormin Norman (11-13) Illinois over Wisconsin – I have been a homer my whole life and it’s gotten me nowhere.  Unfortunately I don’t have the common sense of the Sheik.  I think McCamey will show why he was named to the All-Big Ten First Team.  Also, its tough to win 2 in a row, and I don’t know if the Badgers have what it takes.
• His Jesusness Shuttlesworth (1-3) Wisconsin over Illinois: The Illini have lost 5 of 6. Wisconsin is overrated, but the Illini need McCamey at his best AND Davis/Tisdale shooting flawlessly to beat any legitimate opponent. The odds just aren’t in their favor.
• Javier Sandooski (10-8) Wisconsin over Illinois: As Corey Bradford said of the Illinois team, this team is painful to watch.  This game will be no exception.  They will go down quietly without a fight and it will be another March where I have no rooting interests except for gambling purposes.

Sunday 3/14 at 2:30pm — Celtics @ Cavs (NBA)

• StevieY19 (15-9) Cavs over Celtics – This is a big game for the Celtics too, I feel. I really have no idea if there are big games before the playoffs, but the Celtics could use a win over a non-terrible team for the first time since the middle of last month.  Too bad, Cavs win.
• South Side Sheik (12-12) Cavs over Celtics – Lebron will be back and the Cavs guards will abuse Rondo and Allen throughout to make up for the possible absence of Antawn Jamison. If Jamison is back, which is probable, then it’s just another weapon for the likely Eastern Conference Champs.
• Stormin Norman (11-13) Cavs over Celtics – LeBron’s return will be the difference.  All the other arguments about Antawn’s injury and how KG and Pierce get up for big games will be irrelevant.  The only team I could see myself picking to beat the Cavs at home right now is the Lakers, and the Celtics ain’t the Lakers.
• His Jesusness Shuttlesworth (1-3) Lakers over Magic- Celtics over Cavs: This clearly isn’t the smart pick- its instead a gut feeling. I don’t think Paul Pierce will return to form either. I’d say 3 days in Boston and a home win against a lowly Indiana team may allow the Celtics to regroup. Ray always plays well against Cleveland and the Sheed/KG tandem could dominate either an irrelevant Antawn or a young JJ Hicks.
• Javier Sandooski (10-8) Cavs over Celtics: LeBron is back.  Isn’t that enough?  If not, just know that it’s now March and he will kick it into overdrive as he prepares for the playoffs.  He’s been amazing all season, but watch – the show starts now.

By Paul M. Banks, President of The Sports Bank.net

Regarding college basketball in the state of Illinois, it is the worst of times. And it’s again the worst of times. We may get zero teams in the NCAA tournament. And it’s all over from the Wisconsin border to the edge of the state that neighbors Kentucky. SIU was on the national stage for much of the 2000s, today they’re irrelevant. DePaul has been a joke for decades. Chicago St. is quite possibly the worst team in all of Division I. Loyola and UIC bring nothing of significance to the table; ditto for all the remaining direction schools. But two schools, Illinois and Northwestern, spent a lot of time this season within field of 65 tournament bracket projections. Not so much anymore.

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With all that money the Bears are paying him, you think the Bulls could rent Julius Pepper to be a 6'7", 280 lb power forward that could give them about 15 minutes a night?

I’m not going to sugarcoat it folks. The Bulls don’t look good. Most of their average or above-average defenders are injured, and now they are allowing teams to put up point totals usually reserved for Madison Square Garden. Here’s some NBA links to ease the sting of our slide out of the 8th seed:

• Before there was Derrick Rose, there was Ronnie Fields. The clips of Farragut games on the WGN news at 9 with Ronnie and Kevin Garnett were must-see TV. The first and only time I remember being astounded by high school basketball highlights. (SLAM)
• James Johnson has caught a lot of grief for not producing right away. But hey, sometimes it just takes time. Speaking of, sounds like Jordan Hill may be in the process of shaking off his own bust label down in Houston. (Red 94)
• Taj Gibson seemed to be genuinely hobbled by his plantar fasciitis last night against the Jazz. It’s time for Julius Peppers and his creatively worded contract to suit up for the Bulls. I’m sure we can convince him it’s a civic obligation that would be appreciated more than a few bottles of champagne. (I94 Sports)
• Notice the Bulls are not on this list of NBA Title Contenders. (Docksquad Sports) Remember folks those moves were made to position us for this offseason. I’d rather see the Bulls give more playing time to James Johnson and give Taj some rest. Vinny::Plantar Fascia as Dusty Baker:Shoulder or Elbow Ligaments.