CBB Stock Market - March 1st-2nd

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading.

BUY BUY BUY 

Arizona Wildcats - College basketball along with other sports lead to jumping on and off the bandwagon of teams. Arizona... I was on for most of the year and then fell off with Brandon Ashley breaking his foot and now I am back on the wagon!! Nick Johnson is playing at a high level with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson doing some big things inside as well. They are running at a high motor right now and it is very impressive to say the least. In the last three games, Arizona is averaging 84 points a game with wins against Colorado, California and Stanford. They finish tricky with two road games to Oregon where a loss might be possible. If they win these ones, they are a clear one seed in my mind.

Wichita State Shockers - This team is receiving a ton of criticism right now, but they deserve credit. Winning 31 straight games is damn impressive. Who cares they have a weak strength of schedule right now. Can't we just have Wichita State's regular season separated from what they do in the postseason. If they win a couple games in the postseason, I think it is a good season. I realize people think they should not be a one seed and a post is probably coming up about this during the week, but short and sweet, they 100 percent deserve a one seed. Strength of Schedule is important, but it is not the only important stat out there. If the conference tournaments go chalk, we might need a little more of a discussion.

Big 12 = Best Conference - I know people around here want to say the Big Ten, and while I think the conference is very unpredictable, I still think the Big 12 holds the crown. They are like a sandwich with great meat and a good top meat with a soggy bottom. TCU is a godawful basketball program, but other than that, this conference is loaded with talent. Yes Kansas won their 10th straight title, but this conference is nine deep with talent. It will be a hell of a conference tournament with many of them vying for a better position or a spot in the Big Dance.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Saint Louis Billikens - I would not make a big deal about Saint Louis dropping two games this week. They won 19 straight games, fell into a trap against Duquense and lost at one of the toughest gyms in the nation with VCU. They do not have an easy finish to the season as the Billikens take on Dayton at home then a road trip to UMass. Both of those teams need wins when it comes to the tournament. Saint Louis should be able to rite this ship.

SELL SELL SELL 

Michigan State Spartans - Remember what I said about bandwagons? Yeah I am completely off Michigan State's. They do not lose to Illinois at home and expect to be a Final Four team. It feels like this team does not have the chemistry you would expect them to have with seniors like Adrein Payne and Keith Appling. But with all the injuries Michigan State had this year, the Spartans have not put it all together. Would I get back on the wagon if Sparty made a run in the Big Ten Tournament? You bet your ass. Right now, this team is a bit questionable.

Kentucky Wildcats - Another team I am completely off. I went from thinking this is a team that could either lose in the first round or the Elite Eight to being a team that is completely lost right now. John Calipari gets kicked out of the game when his team may have needed him the most trailing South Carolina in a game no NCAA Tournament team should lose on any given Saturday. Kentucky is lost right now, and I do not know what it will take for them to fix things. It does seem like the correct narrative is 'If the Harrison Twins are on, this is a good team.'  But the other narrative is they do not have one strong defender on that roster which is definitely true too.

Ohio State Buckeyes - I am totally out here. This team should be so much better than what they are right now. Ohio State is loaded full of strong talent yet they cannot figure it on the offensive end. Buckeyes dropped road games to Penn State and Indiana this week. In the last five games, Ohio State has averaged 64 points a game. They have two scorers and that's it. If the Buckeyes do not get a third scorer whether it is Aaron Craft, Sam Thompson or Shannon Scott, they will continue to lose basketball games.

Ted Valentine... In General - Can he retire please?  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 

Tuesday: 13. Creighton at Georgetown 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 16. Iowa State at Baylor 6:00 pm ESPN2

               

Wednesday: 11. Louisville at SMU 6:00 pm CBS Sports Network 

                     Dayton at 17. Saint Louis 8:00 pm CBS Sports Network, 

                     3. Arizona at Oregon State 10:00 pm FOX Sports 1

Thursday: 6. Villanova at Xavier 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 20. Memphis at 15. Cincinnati 6:00 pm ESPN

                22. Iowa at 24. Michigan State 8:00 pm ESPN 

Charlie. 

Tom Izzo Dancing on a Ladder? Tom Izzo Dancing on a Ladder

This will be viral by the end of the day. This has all the elements. We have a famous sports figure... Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. We have said famous person doing something stupid... dancing with him putting on some sunglasses meaning the inevitable GIFs will happen at some point.  This is not at practice rather it is a local ad for ladders. Granted these ladders actually look pretty useful. Love how Izzo continues not to take himself too seriously. I think that gets lost sometimes with his hardass nature. He really does not care how he is perceived which is not true for all coaches. Also we need a Michigan State dance-off with Mark Dantonio STAT.  (h/t @lana, RedSox_Thoughts)

Charlie.

CBB Picks: First-Class Weekend

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER 
1. Syracuse at 5. Duke 5:00 pm ESPN - A rematch of arguably the best game of the season. Both teams will be coming off losses in games where they did not play at their very best. Duke's cold streaks against North Carolina's zone has to give you some trepidation heading into this one. While Carolina played a 1-3-1, Syracuse's 2-3 is just as mean and could really affect Blue Devils shooters. Jabari Parker will need to play a complete game. He disappeared last night and it hurt Duke. As for Syracuse, they have been skirting by in the last couple of weeks with similar offensive issues. C.J. Fair reverted back to his old ways of appearing only for short bursts versus the entire game. I like Duke at home in another close one with the difference being Amile Jefferson. DUKE 65-62  

11. Louisville at 7. Cincinnati 11:00 am CBS - Last time these two teams met, the Bearcats nearly blew a 17 point lead in the second half only to have Sean Kilpatrick close out the game. Louisville been red hot with their only loss being to Cincy in the last month or so yet the finish to their season will be brutal. I do not know if it is fair to judge how Louisville is playing right now since it is all against inferior opponents. Cincinnati only fell once to SMU but other than that, it is all cylinders ahead. Russ Smith will need to be involved and not go 6/15 like he did the first time these two teams played in January. Kilpatrick will carry the squad again with a big game inside from Justin Jackson. CIN 68-63

16. Wisconsin at 15. Iowa 11:00 am ESPN - These two have a good rivalry going in the last couple of years. I am fascinated to see what would have happened in early January if Fran McCaffery does not get ejected from the game. Iowa stood a fighting chance in that game, and it completely changed with McCaffery got tossed. People forget how good Deyvn Marble was in that one with 27 points. Wisconsin is red hot in recent weeks with strong play from Frank Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes keeps doing work off the bench. Hayes had eight points the first time these two met, but not as much of a factor as he has been in the last couple games. I have Iowa. I feel like they will rise to the occasion again at home gaining another major win for their resume. IOWA 79-76

6. San Diego State at New Mexico 9:00 pm ESPN2 - This will be worth a bar watch on Saturday night pitting the top two Mountain West opponents. Also these two teams have played some classics in the last couple of years. San Diego State's defense has been stout all year and rarely do they allow 65 points or more. Lobos will have to capitalize on every opportunity they get on Saturday night. As for New Mexico, they can give it to with either Kendall Williams or Alex Kirk inside whom should be healthier. I could see Kirk being a real issue for the Aztecs and will push the home team to victory. UNM 71-69

13. Michigan State at 20. Michigan (Played on Sunday) 11:00 am CBS - This game was a lot more exciting a couple weeks ago. Both teams are in desperate need of a win. Keith Appling played in a win against Purdue having nine assists and it can only be assumed he will be closer to full strength for this one. Michigan has alternated wins for the entire month of February. This should be bode well as they lost the last one. They need to find their offense again because it has suddenly disappear or Indiana unlocked a secret about how to stop them. Michigan State hit a record 17 threes on Thursday night. They beat Michigan for 35 minutes last time and didn't close. They finish the deal Sunday. MSU 67-61

SECOND TIER
19. Texas at 8. Kansas 6:30 pm ESPNU - First time these two teams met Texas threw a #BEATEMDOWN on Kansas. And I think the reverse could happen on Saturday.  Texas holds a team without seniors, we know that, and I have to think this is a problem heading into one of the toughest arenas in all of college basketball. Jayhawks also have scuffled in the last few games meaning they are poised for another outbreak. Kansas rolls in this one. KU 79-62

4. Arizona at Colorado 8:00 pm ESPN - No one can deny Arizona is a different team without Brandon Ashley. They went from contending for the title to maybe being a fringe Elite Eight squad. They need to find some offense inside possibly with Big Zeus or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in conjunction with more consistent guard play. Colorado is warming up and learning how to play without their star, Spencer Dinwiddle as they have won five of their last six. Wildcats were able to squeak one out in Salt Lake City and I cannot see the same thing happening in Boulder. Big time Askia Booker performance. BUFFS 74-65

SMU at 21. UConn (Played on Sunday)  1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - First time around the world learned SMU is a better team than anyone gave them credit for at the beginning of the year. Since then, UConn has been a different team only falling to Louisville, Cincinnati and sweeping Memphis. I think this will be a pissed off Husky team ready to dominate the Mustangs. If Shabazz Napier does not get 30, I will buy everyone whom reads this a coffee. UCONN 81-68

George Washington at 10. St. Louis 7:00 pm No TV - Bilikens survived George Mason on the road this week and it is clear the bulls-eye is directly on their back right now. They needed a big Jordair Jett performance in the second half and overtime to win the game. George Washington has been playing better but they do not seem like a team that can head into the Arch and win this game. STL 69-61

THIRD TIER
23. UCLA at Stanford 5:00 pm ESPN2 - Must-win for Stanford whose hanging onto the bubble right and last time these two met, the Bruins ran them out of the game putting up 91 points. Even though it is tough to win at Maples for a road team, Stanford does not play defense and UCLA is a good offense team. No upset here. UCLA 89-73

St. John's at 9. Villanova 12:30 pm FOX Sports 1 - Johnnies have yet to lose in the month of February facing their toughest task, a road game in Philadelphia. If they were to win, it will definitely help their bubble case in a major way. Villanova did not play well the first time they saw St. Johns in early January shooting only 35 percent including doing nothing from three. They will need to do a little bit more on Saturday. James Bell was a non-factor in the first meeting and that does not happen in this one. NOVA 69-62

2. Florida at Ole Miss 11:00 am CBS - Quick #HotTake: Marshall Henderson could not handle Kentucky at home, and Florida will frustrate the hell out of him. UF 70-54

Minnesota at 24. Ohio State 5:00 pm Big Ten Network - Quick #HotTake: Gophers are on the wrong side of the bubble and do not see Columbus being nice to them. OSU 61-51

Charlie.

CBB Stock Market: February 14-16

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

UConn Huskies - People really should take a look at the Huskies' resume right now. They have only lost four games in conference with UConn winning the last seven of eight. Shabazz Napier had 34 points in an overtime win against Memphis on Saturday putting them in position to have a chance at taking the AAC crown. Huskies still have home games against SMU and Cincinnati with a road trip to Louisville in the final weekend of the season. This is a team that can make a run into the tournament with their guard play and solid interior play as well. Keep an eye on these Huskies.

Florida Gators - Even though they are number two in the nation, it is pretty clear this is the number one team in the nation. Florida won both at Tennessee and Kentucky this week including holding their guard against the Wildcats in the second half. In another year of parity, this is the best team in the nation without question. They have the leadership, size and guard play to get Billy Donovan his third National Championship. Just because they play in the weak SEC means virtually nothing to me. They can play with everyone in the league. I would be interested to see what their record would look like if they were at full strength for the year.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - How about Tim Miles? He has made people believers in Nebraska basketball for maybe the first time ever. They earned a road win against Michigan State on Sunday making the Huskers 6-6 in Big Ten conference with some people thinking they might have NCAA Tournament aspirations. It is not unrealistic at this point with them playing five of their last seven at home with their only difficult game being against Wisconsin in the final game of the season. They have road games against Illinois and Indiana. I mean Nebraska does have a chance here. It is probably unrealistic but as JP said from Angels in the Outfield, 'It could happen.'

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Close calls at home - Three teams in the top 15 nearly lost at home this week. One of them did with Michigan State. Duke beat Maryland by two points with a bad call at the end of the game. St. Louis escaped VCU at home but granted, that would not have been a bad home loss. Syracuse needed a game-winning steal at the end of the game to beat NC State. It is that time of the year when teams are desperate needing a win meaning home upsets are going to happen every now and again.

Michigan State Spartans - Everyone is pointing out the fact they are 3-4 in their last seven games, but this team is not healthy at all. This feels like the classic team that gets hot at the right time and makes its way to the Final Four. Tom Izzo did this before with teams, and let's not forgot, this is a real good team unit when they are all at full strength. Keith Appling and Branden Dawson will be back for the month of March and if the injury bug is done with Michigan State, they are dangerous as anyone. Not that you care my power rankings for March right now would be... Florida, Michigan State (IF healthy), Syracuse, Kansas and Arizona.

SELL SELL SELL 

Pac-12 officials - Just a horrible display of officiating in the Arizona-Arizona State game. Jim Burr would be proud. Jahii Carson put an exclamation point on Arizona State's double-overtime win, but he hung at the rim for at least five or six seconds. Fans also rushed the court early, but technically that was not a technical which I have no idea why. Carson should have gotten the technical meaning Arizona getting two shots and the ball back with under one second left. Wildcats might not have won the game, but they still got screwed overall. Kind of hoping we get a rematch of these two teams in the Pac-12 Tournament so Arizona can give them a 'Ball Don't Lie.'  

Pittsburgh Panthers - A dirty little secret about this team is they have not beat anyone this year worth a dam. They had close losses to Syracuse and North Carolina, but close losses only count in horseshoes. Looking at Pitt, their best win might be their road win against NC State... YIKES. That's not good at all. They honestly do not play a tough team for the rest of the season unless you call Florida State at home a tough game. Pitt will need to do some work in the ACC Tournament to get a better seed because when it all comes down to it, Pitt could be looking at an eight to ten seed.  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Tuesday: 9. Villanova at Providence 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 19. Texas at 17. Iowa State 6:00 pm ESPN2
              18. Kentucky at Ole Miss 6:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday: 11. Creighton at Marquette 7:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
                      4. Arizona at Utah 9:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
                    23. UCLA at California 9:30 pm Pac-12 Network 

Thursday: 5. Duke at North Carolina 8:00 pm ESPN, 25. Gonzaga at BYU 10:00 pm ESPN2

Charlie. 

Hayes and Jackson Power Wisconsin over Michigan State

The month of January was not kind to Wisconsin Badgers basketball. They won at Illinois to begin February but faced a showdown with Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. Wisconsin had lost three straight at home and faced one of the top teams in the country, Michigan State, on Sunday afternoon. Badgers ended the home losing streak by winning 60-58, and they started to develop some momentum going forward this month with another big effort from Nigel Hayes, shutting down Gary Harris and Traevon Jackson's confidence pays off for a change.

It is pretty clear watching Wisconsin play over the last month that Hayes, the 6'7 freshman from Ohio, is going to be a star on this team. He won Freshman of the Week for the third time this season and is rapidly improving by the game. Hayes is a tough player to guard because while he is undersized to play the four, he is built like a defensive end meaning Hayes can out physical most people inside.  He showed against Michigan State the ability to face up to the basket and make things happen as well as nearly every time he did some sort of post move, Hayes drew a foul on a Michigan State defender.

In recent weeks, Hayes going to the free throw line 12 times could spell trouble for this team. For the season, Hayes shoots a mere 58 percent from the free throw line. He is not a good shooter by any means therefore if he goes to the line more than 10 times a game, there is a need to be better. Hayes did just that on Sunday afternoon missing only four of his 12 free throw attempts.  Most of his points came from the line as Hayes once again finished with double-digit scoring with 14, but that is very important he may have found his stroke at the free throw line. Hayes' last three games see him averaging 15 points a game and shooting 72 percent from the field. It is evident Hayes is pushing hard to be considered for Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten.  

Gary Harris is one of the best players in the country. Wisconsin's defense is not what it used to be in years past. Many people assumed Harris would have a big game against this Wisconsin team, but he had only six points on 3/20 shooting. Wisconsin finally held a star player in check for most of the game. Sure, Adreian Payne went off for 24 points, but they cut off Harris from scoring. Badgers' perimeter defense was as good as I have seen this season. They forced Harris into several bad shots, and he never found a rhythm in the game. We can wonder if things would have been different if Keith Appling played, but missing 17/20 shots is not completely point guard driven. Wisconsin caused Harris to have a bad game, and with the next couple games deal with facing good guards, it will be interesting to see if shutting down the top guards become a trend.  

Another major criticism with this team has been the play of Traevon Jackson. On this blog, we refer to it as 'Good Traevon' or 'Bad Traevon.' This was the definition of a good Traevon game. He did not too much as Jackson only shot the ball five times. He had seven points, eight assists and five rebounds filling up the box score rather than just shooting the ball countless amounts of time. Jackson beat Harris off the dribble for the game-winning shot with two seconds. He might not be the player Wisconsin fans want taking the last shot of the game, but the thing about game-winners is once a player knows he can do it, he tends to repeat his success. I am not completely sold on Jackson turning the corner, but if he keeps stringing together good starts, I will be inclined to do so.  

This could be the start of payback week for Wisconsin as they face rival Minnesota on Thursday who they fell to earlier this season, and head to Ann Arbor Sunday to see if they can do to Michigan, what the Wolverines did to Wisconsin... Beat them on the road. Revenge tour could be in full force, and it might be led by the young man from Ohio.  

Charlie.   

CBB Picks: Rematch Weekend

Since college football and National Football League is done, we have been making picks for college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
10. Michigan at 17. Iowa 1:00 pm ESPN - One of the big narrative right now in college basketball is 'Iowa cannot beat good teams.'  There is no evidence against it honestly. They have come close to a sweep against Ohio State, road win against Wisconsin, Michigan State at home, but they have not finished. Two games featured the Hawkeyes going on epic cold streaks to finish the game. That cannot happen against Michigan, a team that burned them late in the game in their first meeting. Wolverines bounced back from their first B1G loss with a 29 point drubbing of Nebraska earlier this week. I believe in you Iowa, and I think Aaron White comes off his cold streak to have a big game. IOWA 78-73

9. Michigan State at Wisconsin (Played on Sunday) 12:00 pm CBS - As I mentioned in my Wisconsin-Illinois recap, the notion of 'Bo owns Izzo' is deader than a strip club at 3:00 pm on a Wednesday. Michigan State has won the last five games against Wisconsin. Badgers could be catching Sparty at the wrong time with Adreian Payne returning from injury. Payne poises a huge problem for Wisconsin. Wisconsin will need another big effort from Sam Dekker, and Traevon Jackson will need to play within himself if Keith Appling plays or not. I cannot fathom Wisconsin losing four straight at home. They find a way to squeak this one out. Maybe a clutch Ben Brust three at the end. UW 70-68

23. Gonzaga at 24. Memphis 8:00 pm ESPN - These two teams do this made-for-ESPN February non-conference game. It is good exposure for both teams especially Gonzaga. West Coast Conference is not really what it used to be, and everyone forgets about the Zags when talking about teams out west. Bulldogs have battled all sorts of injuries all season, but they are at full strength heading into this one. Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr. would be ill-advised to get into an up-and-down game with this team. Memphis blew out Rutgers and has won five of their last six games. I expect a strong Joe Jackson performance along with Austin Nichols contributing a big game giving the home team a much-needed resume builder. MEMP 73-67

SECOND TIER
4. Wichita State at Northern Iowa 8:00 pm ESPN2 - If Wichita State gets past Northern Iowa, they might be on an undefeated path. CBS Eye on College Basketball podcast pointed out the Shockers will be double-digit favorites the rest of the season after this one. Northern Iowa has not been good this season with going 5-6 in Missouri Valley play including losing four of its last five. Although I expect they will treat this one like their Super Bowl, but I cannot bet against the Shockers. They have shown too much toughness down the stretch in big games to lose this one against an inferior team in a tough road environment. WSU 78-72

12. Creighton at St. John's (Played Sunday) 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Weird weekend for the Jays. They have a game on Friday and Sunday which is virtually unheard of plus they played St. John's last week where Dougie McBuckets hit a game-winner. Although since then, the Johnnies are red hot shooting the lights out which could be trouble for a Creighton team that does not play much defense. Red Storm were close to beating Bluejays on the road, and I think D'Angelo Harrison goes for 30 in a great battle with McDermott in another upset win for St. John's. STJ 77-74

15. Texas at Kansas State 12:30 pm ESPN3 - These two played a classic last time around with Texas' Johnathan Holmes hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater about a month ago. Kansas State has fallen on hard times losing their last three of four, but all of those games on the road. Wildcats have yet to lose at home in the Big 12. Thomas Gipson had a big game the last time these two played, and I believe he will be a factor again in this one. Kansas State is a different team at home, and that will show through again as Texas is due for a game where they look a little pedestrian. KSTATE 75-61

7. Cincinnati at SMU 6:30 pm ESPNU - Two of the bigger surprises so far this season especially Cincinnati. Bearcats gained another tough win on Thursday against UConn with tough defense and clutch free throws setting up their showdown with the Mustangs.  SMU could use this win for their resume, but the Ponies are hot winning seven of their last eight with a fanbase believing in this team meaning Cincinnati will be heading to a hornet's nest.  Good thing for the Bearcats, Sean Kilpatrick has found his stroke again. He struggled against SMU the first time around, but I doubt it happens again. The senior has 25+ points in three of his last five games. I expect a big effort from him, and Cincy stays unbeaten. CIN 62-56

THIRD TIER
Baylor at 21. Oklahoma 6:00 pm ESPN2 - After beating Oklahoma State, Oklahoma dropped their last two games falling to Iowa State and West Virginia both on the road. They head home to take on Baylor, a team in desperation of a win. Bears were able to score one against Oklahoma State last week, and they will need to do it again Saturday.  Baylor suffered a two-point loss to these Sooners in January where they let Buddy Hield go off in the second half with 19 points. Kenny Cherry is still bothered by an ankle injury, and that makes me less confident in Baylor's chances in this one. Boomer Sooner in another double-digit loss for Baylor. OKLA 78-66

Seton Hall at 6. Villanova (Played Friday) 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Seton Hall scored a big road win against Xavier last Saturday and look to break their alternate win/loss streak which is currently at six. Pirates are 4-5 in conference and more healthy than they were against Villanova the first time they played this season. With how well the Pirates took care of Xavier from three, Wildcats might need an alternative way to score points. I cannot pick against Nova at home, but I do think it will be a close on in Philly. NOVA 73-68

13. St. Louis at LaSalle 4:00 pm ESPN2 - On paper, this looks like it might have some upset potential. But then you take in consideration, La Salle is one of the worst offenses in the nation plus they have dropped four of the last five. Including with that, they face St. Louis whose one of the best defenses in the nation. Billikens keep rolling on. STL 68-52

Charlie.

Closing Time: Nike's CBB Throwbacks are Awesome

God bless ya Nike. They are not buying into the sleeved jerseys as that is Adidas' baby and that's perfectly okay with me. They decide to go old school with some of their biggest teams on the roster as Michigan State, Kentucky, Duke, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse, and North Carolina all get new jerseys. Spartans are the only ones where the jersey is actually new as Nike is still trying to make bronze happen with Sparty. I do not know if I like Syracuse's or Ohio State's the best. Both are very slick, and I do not mind the shorts being a different color. I also love North Carolina going back to the heel on the short plus the Carolina blue triangle running up the short. All of theses are great. Good night Tappers. (H/T @nikebasketball) 

Charlie.

Tappers Viewer Guide to Survive NFL-Less Weekend.

This will be the first weekend without true football since late August. I am assume there are many of you whom are having the shakes just thinking about it. Not helping is the weather in most parts of the United States is absolutely unbearable. You need some help to figure out what to watch, and that's why I am going to assist you in finding some options to watch tonight.

College Basketball - I would not say this is the best weekend for college basketball, but at least Michigan-Michigan State figures to be an awesome game. Florida State-Duke tend to always play close ones. There is enough there to wet your palate. Also if you are a fan of Marquette or Wisconsin, both teams are in action Saturday afternoon.

Senior Bowl - If you are really needed a fix of football, this is probably your best bet. Get your best scouting hat on, and start looking for players that can help your team. In the next month, I will probably utter 'player x would look great in the Green and Gold.' It is like clockwork.

NBA - Not the greatest weekend for NBA, but you do have Clippers-Bulls playing on Friday night with Minnesota-Golden State for the night owls. On Sunday, San Antonio plays Miami and hopefully each team will be playing at full strength. If you really want to torture yourself, you stay for Lakers and Knicks later that day.

NHL - There are multiple outdoor games this weekend as Anaheim and Los Angeles play on Dodger Stadium which will look crazy, but be fun in the late afternoon on Saturday. On Sunday, we have New York Rangers playing New Jersey Devils at Yankee Stadium. I assume for the second, the weather will not be an issue.

Farmer's Insurance Open - While Tiger Woods is not off to the best of starts, there is still a loaded field of talented golfers plus if you live in Wisconsin like I do, the weather will look much nicer in San Diego than it does right now. As of three o clock on Friday, Marc Leishman is in the lead and Jordan Spieth is making a push at the leaderboard.

Australian Open - We have two Australian Open finals if you are into watching things late into the night. Consider like the Hawaii football game of television viewing this weekend. You get Rafael Nadal playing on Sunday, and you have two tennis players trying to become first-time major winners in Stansis Wawrinka and Dominika Cibulkova.

Winter X-Games - Getting sort of fired up for the Olympics? This would be a good pregame for it even though some of the greats are not participating. Plus next month you are not seeing Moto-X grace Sochi so you better get your fill this weekend.

There is NFL this weekend?  The Pro Bowl?  Oh that's... still a thing... Well I guess you could watch that too.

Have a good weekend,

Charlie.

CBB Picks: B1G Showdown, Ghost of Michael Snaer

Since college football and basically National Football League is done, we have been making picks for college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

First Tier Games 
21. Michigan at 3. Michigan State 6:00 pm ESPN - Crazy to think the first time ever, two teams are 6-0 facing off each other in the Big Ten against each other. John Beilein deserves to be Coach of the Year thus far, and Nik Stauskas is red hot right now. Michigan seems to be getting a team effort versus two guys like Mitch McGary and Trey Burke carrying the team like they did last night. They faced rival Michigan State, and they are hurting right now. Sparty will be without Branden Dawson as he broke his hand in frustration and Adreian Payne will also be missing in this one. Gary Harris needs to put himself on the map in this one, and I am not sure he is ready for the moment. I am riding the Wolverines' hot streak. MICH 74-68

4. Villanova at Marquette 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Hmm. The homer in me wants to believe Marquette will play like they did at the end of the second half led by unsung heroes John Dawson and Steve Taylor Jr. The realist in me says this team has not proven they made the turn just yet, and need to be a team like Villanova, who is probably a little overrated given their ranking. Marquette needs to be better at guarding the perimeter as Villanova has four players shooting over 35 percent from 3-point land. My worry about Marquette in this one is James Bell and Darrun Hillard will go off against Marquette's guards, but I do think they can contain JayVaughn Pinkston. I am taking the Wildcats. I don't want to, but until Marquette can beat a high quality opponent, I cannot pick them. NOVA 69-64

Florida State at 15. Duke 11:00 am ESPN - In recent years, Seminoles have been a throne in Duke's side whether it be at home or in Cameron Indoor. Leonard Hamilton does a great job with this team getting them prepared to deal with the Duke environment. This Florida State team nearly beat Michigan and Florida in the non-conference meaning they can compete with this Duke team. I do think Blue Devils figured it out a bit in the last couple of games especially Jabari Parker as he went for 17 and 15 against Miami. He will need to be a factor in this one. I think Florida State's size keeps them in this game, and Duke escapes with a last-second three. DUKE 73-71

Second Tier Games 
Texas at 24. Baylor 12:30 pm ESPN3 - Texas deserves all the credit in the world this season. Rick Barnes' job is saved because Longhorns' head honchos have to see what he is doing without having any seniors, and no matter the result in this one, Texas deserves to be ranked. I do think Texas is running into a buzzsaw. Baylor lost their last three games plus another one to boot in the Big 12. This is a must-win for them, and I fail to see how Baylor does not capitalize at home in this one. BAY 73-64

9. Wisconsin at Purdue 4:00 pm Big Ten Network - You could look at this game two ways if you are Purdue... One, you are playing a Wisconsin team that cannot play defense, and maybe Purdue's offensive woes can be fixed playing them. Two, you are playing a pissed off Wisconsin team that is ready to break their losing streak. Purdue is not a bad team, but they are not a good team either. I would be shocked if they beat Wisconsin. Badgers score enough points, and the defensive holds strong. UW 74-61

20. Pittsburgh at Maryland 5:00 pm ESPN2 - What's up lookahead game?  This has all the makings of Pittsburgh laying an egg. Terrapins are not a good team, but at the same point, they have talented players like Dez Wells who can win them basketball games. Pittsburgh knows they are welcoming Duke on Monday night in a much anticipated game meaning their head might not be there for this one. I would put some chips on Maryland winning this one at the always tough College Park. MARY 64-57

Third Tier Games 
2. Syracuse at Miami 12:00 pm CBS - An old Big East matchup that is now an ACC matchup. Whenever a team is undefeated this late in the season, a bulls-eye developed on the team. Miami would love nothing more than to end the Orange's unbeaten streak. But at the same time, this Hurricane team likely cannot handle a full 40 minutes of the suffocating 2-3 zone, they need to play a perfect game. It is not happening. CUSE 65-53

Utah at 1. Arizona (Played on Sunday) 7:00 pm FOX Sports 1- Improved year for Utah as they are playing well and beating some good teams in the process yet they have not seen a great team like Arizona. Wildcats will have no issues in this game. ARIZ 77-63

Tennessee at 6. Florida 3:00 pm ESPN - This used to be a high-profile SEC game, and now it is just sort of there. I think people have forgotten about Florida due to the SEC being a mediocre conference besides the Gators and Kentucky. Tennessee does have the size to compete with Florida as Jarnell Stokes and Jerrone Maymon can both be factors if they stay out of foul trouble. It is the guard play I am unsure about, and what probably gets the Gators the win. FLA 72-68

Charlie.

CBB Weekend Picks: Needing a FOX Sports Stream

As I settled in to watch Marquette take on Xavier, the Butler-DePaul game was still ongoing. I thought 'Well they will probably flip us to the other game, or we will just miss a little bit of the game.' The game happened to go two overtimes, and FOX Sports 1 where the MU-Xavier game was on alerted the audience it would go to FOX Sports 2, a channel normal digital Time Warner Cable customers do not get in their package. This would not be a problem if FOX Sports had a viable streaming option, but that is not the case. This is officially a problem for FOX Sports.

If they want to contend with ESPN like they say they do, FOX needs to have a respectable streaming option. They have FOX Sports Go, but as Awful Announcing points out, this is not really a legitimate choice right now.  WatchESPN is such an awesome tool. Every game is partially on there if it is on ESPN. Sometimes they do not show ESPNU games, but other than that, if it is on ESPN, you have it a stream of it. Even the major ABC events like the NBA Finals, were on WatchESPN this past summer. FOX does not have anything close to do that, and when they tried to do it for San Francisco-Green Bay which did not work out well. When it started ESPN3 had some major issues, but it did not take long for them to fix those issues. ESPN3 made sure I could watch Marquette games when I went to Eau Claire, it was vital.

The reason why this is a problem is more and more of the younger generation do not have cable. They have Roku, Apple TV, XBox 1, Playstation 4 are all options people are using instead of paying for cable. If FOX wants to appeal to the 18-30 demo (The same demo whom has some issues with ESPN lately, see Tebow, Tim), they need to at least have a streaming option. The fact they are the last ones in the group even if CBS and NBC Sports have some flaws, they still stream a ton of their important content. FOX needs seriously improvement in this category.

Games to watch
20. Iowa at 3. Ohio State (Played Sunday) 12:30 pm CBS - One team is coming off a loss, the other team gets their fiery head coach back. First time Iowa has been on national television since the Luke Recker days? As much as the guy irks me, Iowa does not really have an answer for Aaron Craft. I think he can get his hands all in this game plus they have enough big men to compete with the Hawkeyes. OSU 74-69

25. Kansas State at 18. Kansas 1:00 pm ESPN - Big game for Kansas. They picked up a nice road win against Oklahoma this week with the Jayhawks not getting much from Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. That's important for Kansas to win without those guys doing much. Kansas State is a little undersized and they have only won at Lawrence twice in the last 20 years. I am taking Kansas by double digits. KU 79-63
 
North Carolina at 2. Syracuse 11:00 am ESPN - I honestly do not know what to hell to think about this one. Tar Heels have beaten these teams this year but losing to slums like Miami and Wake Forest. Orange have actually beat some teams this year unlike others where they feast on cupcakes. Syracuse's zone is not as good as its been in years past yet North Carolina is going to force so many bad shots in this game. Orange pulls away in the last couple minutes of the game. CUSE 71-62

15. Colorado at Washington (Played Sunday) 2:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - This is my upset special of the weekend. Washington has six losses already meaning they need a win. Huskies pushed Arizona on the road last week, and this is their first big home opponent. Lock it up, Washington. UW 65-62

Minnesota at 3. Michigan State 1:15 pm Big Ten Network - I do not know if this will be close, but Golden Gophers start a stretch that is Sparty, Ohio State, Iowa and Wisconsin, all ranked three in the top ten. Best of luck Goldy. MSU 75-59

Charlie.

Quick New Year's Day Bowl Thoughts

This has become an annual tradition where I forget to post my bowl picks for New Year's Day. I was too lazy on New Year's Eve not to post something ready for Wednesday morning. I watched most of three of the games and a little bit of the other ones. My bowl record will be what I had in the confidence picks for Sportandfashion-news and I will give a couple quick thoughts about the games because I know you want to know I care about these bowl games along with a prediction for tonight's game.

North Texas 36 UNLV 14
- The beginning of my usual New Year's Day collapse. I have no idea why I thought UNLV was the better  team in this one.

- North Texas defense looked really good in this one. Their offense did not have a very impressive game, but they shut down the Runnin' Rebels.

- Thank goodness for Utah State or the Mountain West would have been shutout of bowl wins including them getting their asses kicked in three of them.

LSU 21 Iowa 14
-NO DREW TATE MOMENT :(

- Pretty boring game, but Iowa definitely had a chance to tie this one up multiple times in the second half, they could not get put points on the board.

- Jeremy Hill is a beast going for over 200 yards including a 27 yard touchdown run with about two minutes left to go in the game.

Nebraska 24 Georgia 19
- Ameer Abdullah with another big game for the Cornhuskers and if he stays next year, there could be some rumblings for Heisman next year.

- 99 yard touchdowns are always cool and proved to be the difference in this one scoring a win for the Big Ten against the SEC.

- WE NEED A GRUDGE MATCH NEXT YEAR.

South Carolina 34 Wisconsin 24 
- I wrote about this here. 

Michigan State 24 Stanford 20 
- There are three games this season where my confidence pick was different than how I felt before the game started... Utah State, Ole Miss and Michigan State. I switched my pick after Max Bullough's suspension.

- I would put this right up there with the best games I watched all season. It had everything you wanted from a football game. Sparty really has something going here with their football team and think they can be a threat for years.

- I would love to see Michigan State against Auburn or Florida State. I think they would give both teams a game without question. Their offense has came together to help out their terrifying defense.

- Not a good look at all for David Shaw and his playcalling. He really needs to start thinking about an offensive coordinator.

UCF 52 Baylor 42 
- It really stunned me Baylor played like absolute shit. Their defense had improved from years past, and it seemed like they were over getting completely boat raced by competent offenses.

- People really disrespected Central Florida and Blake Bortles all season including me. UCF is the real deal, and George O'Leary has done a wonderful job building this program.

- I had no idea why Sean McDonough kept being up the resume scandal that was about 10 years stale. Build a bridge, get over it.

Sugar Bowl 
Oklahoma vs. Alabama 7:30 pm ESPN - The narrative has begun about Alabama not really wanting to be there tonight but let's be honest, does Oklahoma really deserve to be there?  Sooners finished strong, but given what we saw from the Big 12 last night, I think it is fair to say we could see a game over by halftime. A.J. McCarron already came out and denied a Senior Bowl request meaning he will want to have a big game plus I expect Nick Saban to showcase him as much as possible plus Saban's defense can force some turnovers on this Oklahoma offense. I would be shocked if the Crimson Tide do not win by more than double-digits. BAMA 38-17

Bowl Record: 18-11

Charlie.

Don't Bet Against Rich Homie Quan

In the last couple of months, I really got behind Michigan State football. I will write a little bit more about this game later today, but let's start with the most important thing that happened, Michigan State had rapper Rich Homie Quan on the sideline. Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio invited him to the sideline as the players and the coach have gotten behind his song, 'Type Of Way' leading to Dantonio dancing after big Spartans win. It is truly great and today he got to break it down with the team.



I really hope this means we are seeing different hip-hop artists on the sidelines moving forward with different teams. It is something we can all dream of right now. It seems like the step forward. Hopefully Quan sticks with his pledge to be a 'Spartan for life' and not pull a Lil Wayne liking half of every professional and collegiate sports.  (H/T @cjzero, zerotolerance_ for the pictures)

Charlie.