Time Capsule

I will forever remember this evening as the night that Jerramy hitted on (slurred at) my future wife, immediately prior to this incident. Ah, memories...

Unsigned Seahawks TE Stevens arrested

Jerramy Stevens was arrested early this morning in Arizona and faces charges of driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana, according to the Arizona Republic.
Stevens was taken into custody at approximately 2:30 a.m., according to the paper, after he admitted to drinking four or five margaritas. He was cited for possession of marijuana, which was found in his back pocket, and taken into custody by the Scottsdale Police, the Republic reported.

Is it me, or do all these teams suck?

Like everyone worth a damn, I've been spending the last couple days filling out brackets trying to come up with The Perfect Bracket. My personal bracket-filling process is long, intense, and in-depth, with much time spent pouring over matchups, performing statistical analysis, and breaking down everything from where teams are playing to how hot they are. It's an annual rite for me. Maybe the best word that describes it is "futile", because it is long since I was even remotely competitive in any bracket-filling competition I have entered. I think I peaked in about 4th grade, when I picked teams based on the coolness of their names.

Anyway, while immersed in my annual ritual this year I came to one inescapable conclusion and irrefutable truth: almost all the teams in the tourney suck this year. Seriously, name one team seeded 3 or lower, besides Texas, that has a shot to win? Or even make the Final Four? Let's break it down:

3 seeds: Oregon, Pittsburgh, Washington State, Texas A&M.
The simple fact is none of these teams will make the Final Four because they'd have to go through a 1 or 2 seed (or both) to do it. Oregon has the best shot, but Aaron Brooks is a punk and he'll fold like a chair against tough defense like Wisconsin's. Pittsburgh is overrated and can't get past UCLA. Washington State is a nice story but they peaked in January. Texas A&M is just not very good.

4 seeds (minus Texas): Maryland, Southern Illinois, Virginia.
Maryland peaked too early, as did Virginia, and everyone know that mid-majors like So. Ill. make better runs when they are underdogs rather than when they are favored.

Everyone else: fugedaboutit.

Even some of the 2 seeds are weak, like Wisconsin and Memphis. And Georgetown is getting so much Final Four buzz that there's no way they make a run. Jay Bilas sealed Georgetown's fate by picking them to win it all.

That leaves: Florida, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Ohio State. Parity be damned; this will be the first year in a long time were chalk rules and the Final Four will consist of 3 or 4 number 1 seeds. These teams are just too good to be upset.

On another note, if you age me by about 130 years and slide me into Digger Phelps' chair, no one would know the difference.

WOW, UW Snubbed by NIT

This is just sad.

19-13 Huskies unexpectedly subbed by NIT

The National Invitational Tournament announced the its 32 teams this evening, and the 19-13 Washington men's basketball team was not in the field.
More to come later.

Selection Show Commentary

It's time for the 1st annual NCAA selection show diary. I tried getting in touch with SeargentSuj but he's nowhere to be found. No matter, I have my UNLV hoodie and a bowl of chips and guac and I'm ready to roll.

2:39 Kansas just finished off Texas in overtime. That should wrap up a #1 seed for them. I'll probably pick them to make the final four but they've burned me many many times in the past.

2:43 Seth Davis just made his first stupid comment of the afternoon talking about the 19 year old NBA rule. Now Clark Kellog is yelling and Greg Gumbel appears to be scared.

2:45 Joe Lunardi just gave us his last 4 teams in. I don't care, none of them will do much. Why are we spending so much time talking about Old Dominion? Will any of us remember Old Dominion by next Saturday?

2:49 Hey Nick Fazekas is coached by Jimmy Kimmel!

2:50 John Calipari just called his team great. Really? They don't do much well besides jump. Did he just call Seth Davis a nazi sympathizer?

3:00 Alright here we go. Who are the #1 seeds? I say Kansas, UCLA, UNC and Florida. Wait I'm forgetting someone. Probably Ohio St. And the real #1s are Florida, UNC, Ohio St, and Kansas. That makes sense. Looks like UCLA really blew it when they shit the bed on Thursday.

3:04 Here's Jim and Billy. Prepare to be annoyed. Jim tells me that Florida is the story of the tournament. How about we let the game be played before deciding that. I'm sure he already has a corny line ready for when they win it all. I now give you a couple classic Nantz lines:

"And Cleaves has restored the Magic in East Lansing"
"It started in March, ended in April and belonged to May"

Ugghhh

3:09 Ok the Midwest
1.Florida 2.Wisconsin 3.Oregon 4.Maryland

Hey Old Dominion got the #12 seed against Butler. Perhaps we will care about ODU for at least a couple of days. Sarge's Maryland team got the #4 seed. Not too bad but I'm not that high on them. UNLV gets a #7 against Georgia Tech. Ouch, I don't like that matchup. This bracket looks like a cakewalk if Florida decides to show up. Otherwise, who else is out there? Maybe Oregon? ehhh. I like them better than Wisconsin though.

3:17 Here's the West
1.Kansas 2.UCLA 3.Pitt 4.Southern Illinois

The Kentucky/Villanova winner looks like fodder for Kansas. I don't see Kansas losing on the first weekend. UCLA stayed out west, perhpas that will be an advantage for them. Wow, Duke as a #6 seed. I don't think I've ever seen them seeded so low. Gonzaga and Indiana will have a rematch from one of the worst games from last year. If the zags win, they could have another rematch with UCLA. Who'll cry this year? Derek Ravio? I'd like that. If Kansas does lose early this region looks wide open. Could Pitt's big guys expose UCLA? They might have a shot at winning this region.

3:23 And now with the East
1.UNC 2.Georgetown 3.Washington St. 4.Texas

The Marquette/Mich St winner could give Carolina a tough game. USC got a 5? That seems high but they're a solid team. Texas at #4 across from UNC could be a great Sweet 16 game. Christ this is a tough region. Seth Davis just called Oral Roberts to beat Wash St. I think they lose to Vanderbilt but if they coug it in the first round the boys of WUWS will be all the happier. Wow, I'm not sure UNC can get out of this bracket? I think there might be some upsets on the bottom half of the bracket leaving Georgetown to cruise to the Elite 8. Perhaps Georgetown/Texas for a chance at the final 4?

3:33 Finally the South
1.Ohio St 2.Memphis 3.Texas A&M 4.Virginia

I don't love Ohio St. but who's gonna beat them in their half of the bracket? Can the Nevada/Creighton winner beat Memphis? Ohh Texas A&M at 3, I like them. Ohhhh Louisville at #6, I like them too. I'm not too high on Ohio St so I'm gonna say either Louisville or Texas A&M comes out of the bottom half to beat the Buckeyes.

Ok they're done with the bracket. Looks like the ACC got 7 bids, no surprise there. The Pac-10 got 6 seeds. Nice job, too bad the Dawgs weren't one of them. NIT baby!

The mid majors didn't get a ton of bids. I don't care one bit. You know what I hate? Cinderellas. Waaaaaay overrated. It makes for boring games the second weekend. I want to see games like UNC/Texas, Kansas/UCLA or Texas A&M/Memphis. I don't want to see Creighton even though Nate Funke has a cool name.

Everyone is crying about Syracuse not making it. Why do all talking heads love Jim Boeheim so much? What does he do behind the scenes to always get so much love? I thought they sucked this year so I'm not upset that they're out.

Billy Packer just said that he's seen Winthrop a lot of times this year. Fucking liar.

3:47 Time to grill the committee chair. This is usually great. Billy and Jim make retarded points while some sacrificial lamb sits there like a deer in headlights. He's telling us the Kansas would have gotten the #1 seed regardless if they lost today. He's telling us how hard his job was. Shit, I'd gladly sit around and pick basketball teams to be in a tournament then go to dinner. That sounds like fun. Billy is congratulating the guy? What happened there? That was a real disappointment.

Ok, the brackets are set. Later this week, we'll have our draft and bracket pick ems. If we're lucky we'll get some field reports from the Mandalay sports book. Enjoy the tournament.

Another Sure-fire Bust

Even though he cries and plays soft, this is why Josh Mcroberts will get drafted in the lottery.

NBA Draft Preview: Who Will Be A Bust?

Now is the time to do an NBA Draft preview, before someone gets hot for the NCAA tournament and artificially inflates their stock (Bryant Reeves, I'm looking in your direction. It's hard not to, I know....). The consensus seems to be that this is the deepest draft in years. Really? In reality, it's significantly worse than the 2003 draft even before we learn that a few of the top projected picks will stay in college. Below are several highly-rated prospects, ranked in order of possible draft position, evaluated based on what they have done and what the odds they have of reaching their "tremendous upside potential".

1. Greg Oden
It's hard to judge a man who is hurt so badly he shoots free throws with his off-hand, but he has shown that he can be taken out of games by physical opponents. Fightling for position and showing passion have nothing to do with his injured hand. His physical gifts assure him of a certain level of success in the NBA, barring injury, and he can be a dominant defender. But are is gifts significantly greater than Michael Olowokandi's? He will be an above-average NBA center, think Tyson Chandler with a few more dunks, but not an all-timer. In today's NBA, that makes him a #1 pick.

2. Kevin Durant
What can't he do? Offensively, you have to look a ways backward for a good comparison. Many people mention Carmelo Anthony, but Durant far surpases Anthony's skills at the same age. Anthony wasn't a top-5 pick until everyone saw his play in the NCAAs. What sets him apart is his rebounding abilities, which Anthony never had. He's more like a Glenn Robinson, who was POY and led Purdue to a #1 seed (and historic flameout), although Durant has more athleticism and that alone will make him a better pro than the Big Dog. Here's the real #1 pick.

3. Julian Wright
Wright is often called "versatile" and "unselfish", which are kisses of death for an NBA career. Scouts also often add "when he wants to" before describing his potential, which is another big red flag. Wright can be a very nice role player, maybe even a third fiddle on a good team, but he will need a defined roll and he is not an alpha dog. His demeanor on the court suggests he would flourish in such a role. Is that what you want out of a #3 pick? Since the owner of the #3 pick is usually a bad team then adding Wright won't help, much like the then-horrible Grizzlies selecting Shane Battier. Julian will have a solid NBA career, but not with the team who drafts him.

4. Brandan Wright
All potential, no delivery. Scouts love his size, length, athleticism, etc: all the measurables. But watch him on the court and you get the feeling he should be doing more. He can't shoot free throws, which is usually an indicator of how much a players works on his game, and he plays next to Tyler Hansbrough who does all the dirty work. Wright is a classic example of potential-driven hype.

5. Joakim Noah
Noah plays with more passion for a high-lottery pick than anyone in a long time. But how good will he be? Well, he doesn't appear to be improved from last season. And he's called the NBA "a joke". So we have a strange dichotomy: he plays with all the passion and fervor anyone could ask for, but off the court he doesn't seem to have the same fire to improve. In addition, he's another player who gained a reputation based largely on a hot streak: the 2006 NCAAs. I don't trust his commitment to basketball, particularly NBA basketball which he has called "a joke". He could be Marcus Camby if he lands on the right team, but only if he lands ont he right team. Most likely he'll get drafted by a bad team, get poisoned by the NBA atmosphere, and fade away with unfulfilled potential.

6. Al Horford
Horford might be a better pro than his teammate Noah. The NBA is moving to smaller, faster teams and Horford could be a force. He's Udonis Haslem with a bit more talent and shot-blocking ability, and like Haslem he could flourish in the right system. With a strong motor and a will to improve, he'll be in the league long enough to find that system.

7. Spencer Hawes
This is another guy who will stick around in the league for a long time, and eventually find the right situation to flourish. He's as skilled as any center in the last twenty years, but he clearly needs more strength and weight. Once he becomes an NBA-ready rebounder, which is probably 2-3 years of physical development away, he can be the centerpiece of a beautiful motion offense on a team with a few shooters, a slasher, and a rugged rebounder/defender. His work ethic is unquestionable (people aren't born with the ability to finish moves with both hands like he can), so it's only a matter of time before he becomes an effective NBA center, barring injury. Until then, however, he's a poor man's Andrew Bogut.

8. Yi Jianlian
"The best Chinese center since Yao Ming". There are other Chinese centers since Yao Ming? He's supposedly a shooter/ballhandler 7-footer who's dominating Chinese basketball. China has a billion people, and the only one who plays in the NBA is 7'6". Not good odds. This reeks of a desperate attempt to find "the next Yao". This is a guaranteed wasted pick, so he'll likely go to the Oklahoma City Sonics.

9. Brook Lopez
Another big man with potential, and most likely P.J. Brown at best. With so many big guys in the lottery, that means some really excellent players will be taken by some pretty good teams in the mid-to-late teens. Does that make this a deep draft? No, it makes it a deceptively shallow draft with a bunch of possible stiffs at the top. It's guaranteed that at least 5 of the top 10 taken in this draft will be disappointments at best. Lopez is a strong candidate.

10. Thaddeus Young
Now we start to get into the glut of swingmen who would be #5 picks in normal years but this year will get pushed because of all the big man "talent". Young's negatives are strength and the lack of a position. "Lack of a position" is a term that idiots use to inadvertently reveal their incompetence. What position does Dwayne Wade play? What position does Dirk Nowitzki play? Young has as much potential as Julian Wright in the right system.

11. Chase Budinger
Talented... Athletic... Great shooter... Not to be dismissive, but haven't we heard this before from players out of Arizona? Well, we have. But that's not a bad thing because Zona alumni are all over the NBA. Budinger can be an impact player in the NBA as it moves back to a faster pace with his shooting ability and size. By "impact" I mean that he'll be the x-factor in some games, but won't be able to overcome too much attention by the opposition. In other words, a strong role player for a good team but a sub-third fiddle. Like Kyle Korver.

12. Al Thornton
An athletic defender with improving offensive skills. Can anyone peg him for sure? No, but he'll almost certainly end up better than....

13. Corey Brewer
Classic. Inflated stock due to a hot streak on a good team in March, followed by an "inconsistent" season. The reason? He was never very good to begin with. I think he has a birthmark on his ass that resembles the word "bust".

There you go, I got you through the lottery. This is the time of year when everyone can be an NBA superstar, and no one will be a bust. History shows us otherwise. The key is figure out who will be the bust before drafting him (>cough<>cough<). Ahem, excuse me. Anyway, watch out for the player not on anyone's list who rises based solely on being hot during the next couple weeks. That guy is going to be a bust, too.

consolation....

Coug'in It!

What does it really mean to "Coug It"!

Check for yourself, but my definition is a huge loss to the DAWGS in the PAC 10 Tourney!!

Cougars Blow!

The next George Mason?

Pundits across the land have scoured the college basketball landscape looking for the next George Mason. The bracket buster. The Cinderella. The team we'll all be talking about this March around the water cooler.

WUWS is here to tell you to stop the search. We've found them.

They've got everything we look for in a Cinderella. They've got great guard play. They have a team laden with upperclassmen. They have a coach who has been there before. This year's Cinderella team is Florida. Yes, Florida. Florida will make a dramatic run through the tournament and stun the masses.

No, you say. They lost three games in a row just last week. No team has won two years in a row in 15 years. You may even argue that their star player is just too ugly for CBS to allow it to win 6 games in a row. But you would be wrong.

Florida has, like, 9 players that are sure-fire first-round draft picks as soon as they deign to declare for the draft. At least three of the players have fathers that were African tennis stars. Over the last year, that has a ridiculously strong correlation with NCAA postseason success.

So after looking at the evidence, it is clear Florida will be this year's Cinderella team. But how far will their run go? A championship? Or will their run be stopped by prohibitive favorite Winthrop? Only time will tell....

Mancini Goal Champions League Roma vs Lyon

If you all missed Sportscenter Top 10 last night, do yourself a favor and YouTube #2. Mancini from Roma does like 5 step-overs in a row to burn the defender, then scores. Super dope!

We must protect this house...

...or some shit like that. These uniforms are ugly. Under Armour better be paying these schools enough money to buy Reggie Bush's family a bigger house to justify these abominations.

Odd?......

Duckett to visit Seahawks

The Seahawks have scheduled a visit from T.J. Duckett, a running back from Washington. Duckett is expected to arrive later this week.
He is an unrestricted free agent who has been in the league five years. He was a first-round pick by Atlanta in 2002 and traded to Washington before last season and carried 38 times for 132 yards in 2006.

Maybe some O-line help? Possibly a little depth in the secondary? Or how about a 5th or 6th running back, that sounds nice...

WUWS NCAA Tournament Preview Capsule: Georgia Tech

Team: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference

Current Record: 20-10, (8-8)

Notable Wins: at Memphis, Duke, UConn, North Carolina, Boston College

Times I've seen them on TV: enough

Tournament Resume:

Georgia Tech is a young team coming together at the right time. With convincing victories over Boston College and North Carolina in it's last two games, Paul Hewitt's Yellow Jackets have solidified their position in the tournament (barring a collapse in the first round of the ACC tournament) and have shown themselves to be a team that can play with anyone on a given night.

Tech's up-and-down season started with a bang, with 5 straight victories, including Purdue at home and Memphis on the road. What followed was typical of a talented young team. The Yellow Jackets, who's top two scorers are freshmen, struggled on the road while looking like a top 25 team at home. Adding to the inconsistency during this stretch was the loss of Lewis Clinch due to suspension for violating school rules. I assume they're talking about those school rules against serial rape or murder, because otherwise I can't see suspending your teams leading scorer over the first ten games. Especially when a guy named Mouhammad Faye (affectionately nicknamed Al Gay-da by his teammates) is tagged to replace him.

Still, over the course of the season Hewitt got his team to gel together and got some big performances off the bench from guys like Anthony Morrow and Mario West. Winning 7 of their last nine games has likely put Georgia Tech back into the NCAA tournament and has the Yellow Jackets looking like a dark horse contender for the Final Four.

Outlook:

So, why are these Yellow Jackets so dangerous in the tournament. Two names.

Javaris and Thadeus.

If those names make you think of ancient Greek warriors, you're on the right track. Neither of these guys will hesitate to impale you with a javelin, then drag your bleeding corpse around campus behind a chariot.

Javaris Crittenton has the size and athletic ability that teams drool over at the point guard position. He has great point guard instincts and a natural ability to get the ball into the paint and get fouled. Early in the season he had a tendency to get a little flashy and committed some turnovers, but his game has settled down of late and he's turned into a real court leader.

Thaddeus Young was one of the most highly regarded freshmen coming into this season and for the most part has lived up to expectations. He's a natural small forward with exceptional athleticism that makes him great at attacking the basket, pressure defense and offensive rebounding. He also has great hands and a sweet touch around the basket. His outside shooting can be a little inconsistant, but his decision making has omproved over the course of the season and he's shown a high level of basketball IQ. Only his ball handling is really lacking at this point in his development.

Prediction:

Final Four

Soccer Transvestism linked to Suicide and Awesome Movies

Recent study shows a 100% correlation between kid actors that play tranny soccer players and suicide. Rodney Dangerfield is also dead.

8 days till Selection Sunday

I told you, Julian Wright is not afraid of Kevin Durant.

Kansas gives me a hard on, I'm not ashamed to admit it.

WUWS NCAA Tournament Preview Capsule: Washington

Team: Washington
Conference: Pac-10
Current Record: 17-12 (7-10)
Notable Wins: Nichols State, Northern Iowa, Eastern Washington
What stands in their way: The Pac-10 Tourney
How you ask? By winning the Pac-10 Tourney of course.
How you ask? No idea, but this team is chalk full of talent, and who knows, all you need is three wins right?

Besides, if someone on this blog figures the Hoyas can win a national championship, well we all know that the Dawgs have just as good of shot. (except the big east blows)

WUWS NCAA Tournament Preview Capsule: Georgetown

Team: Georgetown

Conference: Big East

Current Record: 23-7 (9-6)

Notable Wins: More mediocre Big East teams than I care to count

While the other "contributors" to this blog write fluff pieces about their homoerotic mascot fantasies, I'm going to give you analysis that you can take straight to the bank, or a sports book, or straight to hell for all I care.

Georgetown is going to win the national championship.

Senior leadership - check

Good guard play - check

An oversized stiff in the middle- check

Yeah, they've got it all, but thats not why they're going to win it. The last 22 national champions have all shot over 40% from the field for the season. The Hoyas are destroying that mark, shooting 51.2% - 3rd best in the nation! That's higher than Josh Heytvelt on a Friday night. And that's why they're going to win the national championship.

So unless you think 22 years of history is complete hogwash, count on the Hoyas to win the whole thing. And while you're at it, you might want to check out Texas A&M too. No, not that Texas A&M, the one from Corpus Christi. That powerhouse from the South shoots even better than Georgetown!

Alaskan High School Students Exploit Loophole, Fast-Track Path To Heaven

Bong Hits 4 Jesus!!!

NCAA Tourney Ratings Expected To Drop

Indeed...