Tuesday, May 5, 2009

NBA Playoffs are in Full Flight: Predictions and Breakdowns

Eastern Conference Semi Finals
Cleveland vs. Atlanta-
The series between the Cavaliers and the Hawks is clearly going to be the least exciting series of all. Simply put, the Hawks have no chance against LeBron James and whoever else is on that team. Joe Johnson played amazing basketball against Miami and once again showed the basketball world that he is one of the premiere shooting guards in the league. However, Cleveland is just too strong on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and will outplay Atlanta throughout the series. Cleveland 4-1
Boston vs. Orlando-
As a Celtics fan I would like to say that the last series against the Bulls was one of the most exciting seven games I have ever seen. With that said I believe Boston is a bit tired and are missing two key players, Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe due to injuries. Orlando will be without Courtney Lee at the guard position and will be forced to play the pathetic JJ Redick. Dwight Howard is a beast and the Celtics will have major problems containing him underneath the basket. Boston is more experience and has home court advantage which comes up big if the series goes to seven games. Rondo will outplay Alston in every game and Pierce will continue to hit big shots, but I don’t believe it will be enough to take down the Magic. Orlando 4-3
Western Conference Semi Finals
Los Angeles vs. Houston
This series is a difficult one to predict and has been overlooked by many basketball fans. LA has been playing great basketball and seems to have dominated the West for a majority of the season. Houston will pose somewhat of a threat to the Lakers because of Yao Ming. Bynum looked just average against Utah and clearly needs to step up more on both sides of the ball. With that said Kobe and Gasol will continue their impressive play and outside of Yao, Houston is too small to contend with the Lakers for seven games. Lakers 4-2
Denver vs. Dallas
The Nuggets have finally broken their first round curse by dismantling the Hornets. Chauncey Billups has made Denver into a serious playoff contender. The Nuggets are a completely different team with him on the court and he is continuing to prove that he is a premiere NBA point guard. The Mavericks looked good against the senior citizen spurs, but they were banged up and out run by Dallas throughout the series. Dallas lacks big men and Chris “The Birdman” Andersen will be flapping his wings after each and every block against Dirk Nowitzki. Denver will continue their playoff run and it will be interesting to see how much money Mark Cuban loses during another Dallas series collapse. Denver 4-2
Eastern Conference Finals-
Cleveland vs. Orlando
The Cavs will dominate the Hawks and get rested before going to battle against Dwight Howard and company. Howard will once again dominate games while absolutely destroying Ilgauskas in the paint. LeBron “The MVP” James will continue his amazing play and should dominate any defender the Magic throw at him. The Cavaliers will most likely come into this series undefeated or with only one loss so this will be their first competitive series. If Orlando can get through Boston, they will give Cleveland a fight but without Jameer Nelson and potentially not having Courtney Lee their bench is not deep enough to win. Cleveland 4-2
Los Angeles vs. Denver
Denver is a very good team, but they are not a great team. However, the Lakers are a great team and they will prove this against the Nuggets. With having home court advantage and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers should get through this series. Their bench is so much deeper and more athletic than the Nuggets and that will be the major difference in this series. I look forward to the matchups in the paint with both of these teams but the difference will be at the perimeter. Ariza, Odom and Bryant will hit big shots and Vujacic will contribute with some solid play. Lakers 4-2
NBA Finals
Los Angeles vs. Cleveland
If these two teams advance to the finals it should be a very exciting series between Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. The Cavs won one more game then the Lakers and therefore will be rewarded with home court advantage. James is the best player in basketball right now and no one can matchup up with his strength and speed on the court. The Cavs are a young, inexperienced team that lack big-time players outside of LeBron. The Lakers have experience and depth to outlast Cleveland throughout a seven game series. LeBron is one roll player away from winning a championship, but will come up short in this series. Lakers 4-2

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Roger Williams Wrestling shows well in important tournament

While students were away from campus, the wrestling team was hard at work. The first major tournament after the holidays had the team travel to the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia for a very important tournament.
The Hawks first faced the Apprentice school and immediately got out to an early lead. When the match was all said and done, the Hawks had dominated the competition 40-6. Next up was the division II opponent, Gannon University. The Gannon team had been competing at a very high level all season long and after a grueling match, escaped with a 27-9 win over the Hawks.
After the loss, the team faced Division I opponent, the Duquesne Dukes. The Hawks were immediately up to the opposition and split the first two matches. During the 141 and 149 pound competition, the Dukes moved ahead with back-to-back wins. After the two losses, the Hawks found their stride and were able to win three straight matches. Chris Nadeau, at the 174 pound division was able to get the victory by fall for the Hawks. After losing at 184 and winning at 197, the Hawks were up 21-19 with just one match remaining. Dan Woods proved to be the hero of the day coming up huge for his team while wrestling up from his normal 197 pound division. Woods eventually won the match 5-1,which gave the Hawks the impressive 24-19 win.
Next up in the tourney was the division III opponent Brockport University, ranked 19th in the country. After strong matches in the lighter weight classes by both schools, the Hawks entered the final two matches with a one-point lead. After a defeat in the 197 division, Nick Cambi moved up to heavyweight while giving up more than 50 pounds to his opponent. Cambi wrestled well against his heavier opponent but eventually lost in overtime.
After defeating Wesleyan University at home, 24-13, RWU hosted the New England Dual Championship. The tournament featured15 schools from the area and was sure to be an eventful weekend. In the end, the Hawks finished seventh in the Championship bracket, while Johnson & Wales finished first.
After the New England Duals, RWU traveled to Cambridge, Mass., where they defeated MIT and Bridgewater State College. After the back-to-back wins, the team traveled to Hunter College in New York for the Metro Conference Challenge.
Andrew Hawley immediately got his team out to an early lead by pinning his opponent early on in the match. After dropping the next three matches, Nadeau stepped up by winning his match which started the streak for his team. The Hawks went on to win the final three matches of the round and moved on to face The College of New Jersey. The Hawks struggled against New Jersey and in the end were defeated, 31-6. In the last match of the day RWU faced New York University. Andrew Hawley, Nadeau, Woods and Phil Kelly all wrestled well for the team while earning the win. However the Hawks lost the overall match to New York, 23-15.
Phil Kelly, a sophomore from Quincy, Mass., has been recognized as the New England wrestler of the week as well as being named the RWU male athlete of the week. Kelly had a brilliant streak going 3-0 on the mat that consisted of two pins and a major win over the top ranked heavyweight in the country.
"Over the past few months, we have been up and down as a team," said Andy Jackson. "We will continue to work hard throughout the season and expect to finish off the year competing at a high level."
The Hawks' season record now lies at 13-7 and the will next travel to Rhode Island College where it will face the University of Southern Maine on Feb. 7.

Roger Williams Women's basketball experiencing many ups and downs

Since the start of the new year, the women's basketball team has been on somewhat of a roller coaster ride, filled with some impressive wins and some devastating losses.
On Jan. 2, the team hit the road to take on the Connecticut College Camels where they hoped to end their six game losing streak. The Hawks kept the score close throughout the first half and most of the second half before turnovers got the best of them.
In the end, the team did see all 10 players who got on the court score a point. Casey Anderson led the way, posting a double consisting of 12 points and 11 rebounds. The final score read 66-72 in favor of the Camels.
After dropping three straight games to Rhode Island College, Nichols College and Western New England College, the Hawks were determined to end their slide. The team traveled to Boston to take on the Wentworth Institute of Technology.
The game was close throughout both half's of play and remained that way late into the second half. With little time remaining, Jackie Criss drove into the lane for an attempted layup. The shot was just off the mark but was rebounded by Paige Congdon who was able to put the ball in for the score. It marked Congdon's eighth offensive board of the game and allowed the RWU to escape with the last second victory, 65-63.
After back-to-back TCCC victories on the road for the Hawks, the New England College Pilgrims traveled to Bristol. The Hawks began to get it going midway through the second half going on a dominating run against the competition. The score was 45-28 in favor of RWU going into the second half and the team never looked back. Babin once again played aggressive ball on both ends of the court putting up a career high 24 points and 14 boards. Criss finished with 19 and Anderson chalked up 12 on way to the team's third straight victory.
The streak ended for the team while on the road against Trinity College and continued with a home game against Endicott and a road contest with Colby Sawyer. The Hawks will next square off against Salve Regina at home on the 4th and then at the University of New England this Saturday.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Another Day, Another Year, Another "BCS Buster" filled season

Call me crazy but I have been pulling for underdog teams my whole life and love seeing “BCS Buster” schools emerge during the course of a college football season. This year intrigued me on a new level because of two teams, BYU and Utah. BYU has especially caught my attention because going into last night’s showdown with TCU they were already ranked as the 9th best team in the nation. I also had my calendar marked and ready for their potentially major Holy War matchup at the end of the season with Utah.
However, all was lost last night as I sat on my couch, sipping on a few beers while the Cougars got annihilated by TCU. The Horned Frogs defense was dominate and their offense was able to get it going and played great against what I thought was a strong Cougars defense.
BYU ruined a great chance at not only a BCS Bowl bid, but even a potential BCS Championship birth. Whatever they do during the rest of their season, they will most likely have to settle for another Las Vegas bowl game and only have themselves to blame for their lack of play on a Thursday night in October.
That leaves me and fellow “BCS Buster” fans with Utah and Boise St. as our underdogs for the remainder of the season. Sure, Ball St. is undefeated, but I feel more comfortable rooting for Tulsa because at least I know what state they hail from. Anyways Utah has a real shot at being 11-0 when they face BYU, but has a bit too far to climb in the rankings. The Broncos always interest me and I will root for them and the Utes to shake up the rankings each and every Sunday.
Sit back, watch and enjoy the “BCS Buster” component of College Football unfold throughout the remainder of the season. Regardless of what happens, this season has been great and will continue to keep me and college football fans across the country interested and excited for every game.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Giants and Cowboys

As a Giants fan I have to say this last week of football play brought me pleasure and grief. For starters the G-Men lost to the pathetic Browns in a downright AWFUL game. The entire team (except Steve Smith) played poorly, Manning looked like early last seasons quarterback and the secondary was destroyed by big Braylon Edwards. With that said, they are still 4-1 and I feel they should rebound and be 6-1 when they host the Dallas Cowboys in a few weeks. Now I was also brought some happiness because the Cowboys had just a horrible horrible weekend. First they lost in OT to the Cardinals. Then Tony Romo was diagnosed with a broken pinkie and Felix Jones was out with a bad hammy. Then the bad boys of this Dallas team added even more problems to their mid season disaster. T.O. complained in his usual fashion and Pacman was suspended for another one of his stupid decisions, further proving the point that he is just an absolute idiot. I will give Jerry Jones just a little credit and say that Roy Williams is a nice pickup, but the price was a bit steep. Also, be ready for more complaining, grumbling and criticizing from Mr. Owens, when his 33% play ratio decreases (can't believe he complains about not getting the ball). Please sit back and watch the Dallas Cowboys fall apart on all levels, at least they have a new stadium to get excited about.

ALCS Game 4

Last nights Red Sox game left me pissed off, frustrated and just downright unhappy. Its tough for me to watch the Rays manhandle the Sox like they did last night and pretty much the entire series. Its especially difficult because i still think of the Rays as a AAA team who should be getting stomped on by a powerhouse franchise such as the Boston Red Sox. However, this team is more like the MLB TAMPA BAY RAYS filled with strong hitters and very good young pitching. I hate to say it, but Boston does not look good and will have a very hard time coming back to win this series. Forget about the pitching for a moment, the hitting needs to wake up immediately and start scoring some runs. The hitters need to give the starters some support early on in the game. Game 4 is tomorrow night and Daisuke needs to pitch just as well as he did in game 1. And ya Beckett lets get going already, 8 earned runs is just not gonna cut it.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

2009 Fantasy Basketball Rankings

We are entering the middle of October, which means the start of a new NBA season is just around the corner. I love basketball and last year's season was especially exciting with the Boston Celtics bringing home the Championship trophy. This time of year also signifies the beginning of fantasy basektball leagues. I want to take some time to talk about my top 5 players at each position and where they should be picked when you conduct your fantasy drafts.

PG-

1. Chris Paul- Definetly the leader at this position, he was ranked the #1 player at the end of last year. He is a guaranteed 20ppg, 10ast and even had a steal in all 82 games (draft 1-3)

2. Dwyane Wade- When healthy he is a premier fantasy player. He good at the olympics and will now get to play with Shawn Marion and rookie Michael Beasley (7-9)

3. Steve Nash- Is a very consistent player who will help your team significantly with assists. He also has a very strong 50% fg from the pg position.

4. Deron Williams- Has a chance to pass Nash this year, but he still is developing as a pg. Will get double digit assists and should continue to progress as a 3point shooter. (12-14)

5. Baron Davis- Has a great season last year and is now playing for the LAC. This will help Baron now that they have added Camby and he will love playing with Corey Maggette (12-14)



SG-

1. Kobe Bryant- Hands down the best player at this position. If you draft him you are getting a risk free player who will pul up great stats. He will remain healthy and is ready to go (1-4)

2. Danny Granger- Emerged last year as a major fantasy threat. He is a dynamic player that can fill multiple categories for your team. He should only get better. (9-11)

3. Kevin Martin- Has been getting better and better each year. He is a great shooter and will help fill all of your shooting categories. He also plays strong D. (26-28)

4. Andre Iguodala- Is very close to become a great fantasy player. He continues to become a better 3-point shooter and needs to start lowering his to's. (27-29)

5. Paul Pierce- Still one of the best sg's in the game. He does play on a great team and his numbers have taken a hit, but an increase in fg% and a decrease in to's has occured. (28-30)



SF-

1. Lebron James- Clearly the best SF out of the group who is still getting better. Now has a PG in Moe Williams which will help but he still needs to get his FG% up. (1-4)

2. Shawn Marion- Has always been a high ranking player and will not get a full year in Miami. It is also a contract year for Marion so I expect big numbers out of him. (6-8)

3. Caron Butler- Is a very versatile player who when healthy is a top 10 fantasy player. He plays on a good team and without Arenas until December look for him to score alot. (9-11)

4. Josh Smith- The upside with Smith is huge, you get a great defender who has the skills to score 20ppg. Lets see if his offense catches up to his defense. (18-20)

5. Rudy Gay- Is coming of a terrific sophmore season and should continue to get better. He is making a charge towards the top of this list and will fill numerous stat categories. (29-31)



PF-
1. Dirk Nowitzki- Dirk still remains at the top of this list. He can score at will, grab some boards and will have a good FG%. He's 3-point attempts will decrease but he still a great player. (4-6)
2. Elton Brand- He looks healthy and is ready to have a huge season with the Sixers. Andre Miller will help get him the ball and I expect a big year out of him. (5-7)
3. Kevin Garnett- The top 3 PF's are so strong and are all very close in talent. Garnett comes in a bit behind the other 2 because of the team he plays on, still a very steady fantasy threat. (5-7)
4. Chris Bosh- He is a great shooter with a very high FG%. He lacks the big time rebounds but should get some help in the paint with Jermaine O'neal heading north of the border. (12-14)
5. Carlos Boozer- I love Boozer, I think he is a great athlete and an all around superb player. He plays for a good team and will continue to put up big numbers (20ppg 10rpg). (22-24)

C-
1. Amare Stoudamire- The best player at this position by a large measure. He is young and will continue to get better, his FG% is amazing and he is a dynamic player in many ways. (1-4)
2. Marcus Camby- He is coming of a huge season and is now a member of the LAC. This will hurt him a bit, but Camby will contiune to rack up the blocks and the boards. (12-14)
3. Pau Gasol- Once he got traded he really became a top tier player. He will continue to play great ball but if Bynum is healthy Gasol may take a bit of a fantasy hit. (20-23)
4. Tim Duncan- Mr. Consistency has been a fantasy stud for years. When you draft Duncan you know exactly what you are getting and that is a great thing. (20/10 2 blk) (24-26)
5. Dwight Howard- He is a great young player who is just a monster at the fantasy level. His FG% and turnover ratio are terrible but will help you in many other stat categories. (28-30)