Last year, the Northern Iowa Panthers basketball team had one of the two best seasons in the team's history. They got over thirty wins, got a MVC Tournament title, was a five seed, got a tournament win over Wyoming and got knocked out by an Elite Eight team in the Louisville Cardinals.
Coming into this year, they lost a lot off of that team. They lost their star, Seth Tuttle, who was an All-American who touched the ball almost every time the Panthers had the ball. They lost point guard Deon Mitchell, who, along with Tuttle, is now playing in Germany. They also lost won of their best three point shooters, Nate Buss. There was no possible way that they would be that good this year, but they had some good players coming back.
They got back key contributors, such as Wes Washpun, sharpshooter Matt Bohannon, breakout freshman Wyatt Lohaus, and Paul Jesperson. They were expected to compete for a MVC crown and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. It looked like they were going to be one of the teams to beat within the first two weeks of the season, as they took down number one North Carolina Tar Heels at home. Later in the non-conference, at the Big Four Classic in Des Moines, they took down heavy favorite Iowa State. Things were looking good for the Northern Iowa Panthers. They looked to be contenders in the Missouri Valley, and perhaps even up for a chance at getting an at-large bid.
They crushed a bad Bradley Braves team at home by thirty-six to start the conference slate. But, they lost at Southern Illinois and then at Missouri State. They beat Drake, but then lost four in a row, including a really bad Loyola team at home. At 2-6, the Panthers did rebound a little, winning two in a row, including a home win today against Southern Illinois.
Right now, they are in seventh place, one game behind Missouri State, but the Panthers play the Bears at home later in February, so they will have a good chance to get payback. At this point in the season, it's just imperative that the Panthers stay out of the bottom four that have to play on Thursday. If you get stuck in that first day, you are not going to win the conference tournament. If you're one through six, it doesn't matter. You just have to win three games in three days. At this point, the Panthers have a 12-11 record, so they will most likely not even play in the CIT or CBI, so they might have to get to ten conference wins. That is very disappointing, as Iowa and Iowa State continue to win, UNI (As well as Drake) have lost a lot this year. Drake was expected, as this was a rebuilding year, but UNI's season was unexpected, and they are looking to turn it around, starting with extending the two game win streak they are on against Evansville at home on Wednesday.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Why Play the Pro Bowl?
The Pro Bowl is a pretty big waste of time. First of all, nobody wants to play in it. Like Tom Brady, after a long season and a rough ending, why would he want to play in the Pro Bowl? Secondly, star players are hurt after a long season. Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, and Carson Palmer are probably three of the biggest examples of stars being hurt. That's down the best receiver in the game, an elite two-time Super Bowl winner and Palmer, who had a great season. Instead, we get Teddy Bridgewater. Around 180 players were named All-Pro. Really. Another reason is that the game is so boring. No one tries.
The Pro Bowl is up there with the NBA All-Star game as the worst All Star games. The NHL and MLB's are far better. The MLB has the Home Run Derby, and the NHL has skills competitions on Saturday night and now a three-on-three tournament the next day.
As an avid MLB fan, I watch at least some of the All-Star game anyways, but I'm not as big of a fan of the NHL. The All-Star game intrigues me, and although I didn't get a chance to see the tournament, Saturday night was a blast, and the John Scott story made it that more interesting
The NFL needs to have skills competitions like they used to. That would allow the fans to see the best compete in things such as the bench press. That gets people excited. If they don't change anything at all, it should be shutdown for good.
The changes they have tried to make have not worked that well. The biggest change, of course, is the fantasy draft. The first year, it was interesting, but the other years it has been meh. The week before the Super Bowl is stupid, because if Super Bowl bound players want to compete, they can't. Wouldn't the Pro Bowl get more viewers if Cam Newton was playing? I would think so.
Of course, they still get good ratings so the NFL most likely won't change anything, so none of what I said before matters. If changes are going to be made, it will happen when the ratings get low if at all.
The Pro Bowl is up there with the NBA All-Star game as the worst All Star games. The NHL and MLB's are far better. The MLB has the Home Run Derby, and the NHL has skills competitions on Saturday night and now a three-on-three tournament the next day.
As an avid MLB fan, I watch at least some of the All-Star game anyways, but I'm not as big of a fan of the NHL. The All-Star game intrigues me, and although I didn't get a chance to see the tournament, Saturday night was a blast, and the John Scott story made it that more interesting
The NFL needs to have skills competitions like they used to. That would allow the fans to see the best compete in things such as the bench press. That gets people excited. If they don't change anything at all, it should be shutdown for good.
The changes they have tried to make have not worked that well. The biggest change, of course, is the fantasy draft. The first year, it was interesting, but the other years it has been meh. The week before the Super Bowl is stupid, because if Super Bowl bound players want to compete, they can't. Wouldn't the Pro Bowl get more viewers if Cam Newton was playing? I would think so.
Of course, they still get good ratings so the NFL most likely won't change anything, so none of what I said before matters. If changes are going to be made, it will happen when the ratings get low if at all.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Number 3 Iowa at Number 8 Maryland
One of the biggest games of the Big Ten season occurs in College Park between the Iowa Hawkeyes 16-3 (7-0) and the Maryland Terrapins 17-3 (6-2). This is the only meeting between the two contenders. The Hawkeyes are coming in extremely hot, winning six of seven games in the Big Ten slate, as well as sweeping Purdue and Michigan State. Maryland looks to get closer to Iowa and Indiana in the Big Ten.
This is a big game for these teams for tournament seeding. According to Jerry Palm's Bracketology, Iowa is a one seed in the West while Maryland is a five seed in the South. This is a win Maryland needs to have, as they have no wins against the top 50 in RPI. Their best RPI win is Princeton, but their best overall win is against UCONN on a neutral floor, with their best Big Ten win being at number 69 Wisconsin. They're really only a five seed because of their top 5 preseason ranking.
Iowa's resume is one of the best if not the best in the nation. They have four top 25 wins, and seven total top fifty wins. They have no bad losses either, as all three losses have come inside the top 34. They even let the Iowa State game get away on the road, a win that could have had the Hawks at one or two in the AP right now, perhaps even the top overall seed.
The players to watch for Maryland is Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone. Trimble averages 14.5 points per game, and Stone gets 13.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Trimble runs the show at the point, and Stone owns the paint. If one doesn't show up, the other picks him up. If neither show up, they have so many other weapons, such as Robert Carter, the second leading scorer, and Rasheed Sulamion, who came over from Duke. The Hawkeyes need to contain them.
The Hawkeyes star is Jarrod Uthoff. Uthoff has 18.9 points, 2.9 blocks and 1.3 assists. He is a Wooden Player of the Year Award candidate. The other is Peter Jok. He averages 14.7 points per game, and is a sharpshooter that has developed a little bit of a post game. Others to watch is Mike Gesell, the senior point guard, and freshman walk-in Nicholas Baer. A lot of firepower should make this a great game.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
The Big Ten Race
The Big Ten race for men's basketball is almost at the halfway point, and the team that have a shot to win it has already trimmed to just a few. A few of them are surprises. The two teams that have not lost yet, are shocks to most people around the Conference and the nation. They are the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers. I covered their resumes in the last article that I wrote, so I'll give you a summary. Iowa has played the toughest conference schedule in the country, has swept Michigan State and Purdue, and beat Michigan. Indiana has played the weakest conference schedule in the Power Five conferences. But, they have crushed these teams, like putting up a hundred against Illinois and beating a pesky Northwestern team by 30. They have their first tests coming up in the next couple of weeks, while Iowa's schedule gets easier after the Maryland game. They play each other twice.
Next up is the Maryland Terrapins. The Terps are 6-2 in conference, leaving them a game and a half behind Iowa and Indiana. Their only losses have come at Michigan and Michigan State. Those are very acceptable losses, as both teams are tourney bound and are tough places to play at. The Iowa game is a must-win. Not only to stay in the conference race, but to bolster their tournament resume. They haven't beaten a RPI Top 50 team yet, and Iowa would be a humongous win for them. Plus, if they lose to Iowa, that gives the Hawkeyes basically a four game lead over them with the tiebreaker. That would all but eliminate them from the regular season title.
Next is the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines are 5-2 in the Conference, with their losses being at Iowa and Purdue. Losses at hostile environments against good teams, so no shame in those losses. But, they might be without their best player in Caris Lavert for the season, and it would be tough to win the title without him. Right now, they are about a seven seed, with their top win being against Maryland at home. They get Indiana at home, and their last game is against Iowa at home. They will need to win these games. They have Indiana as well as Michigan State upcoming on an unusual four game home stand.
Next is Purdue. Purdue is 5-3, getting swept by Iowa and getting upset by a bad Illinois team on the road. It'll be uphill, needing Iowa to lose four games and winning out as well as needing Indiana to lose three games, as well as Michigan and Maryland losing. Uphill, but not impossible. Their best win is against Michigan at home. They have a tough schedule, playing at Maryland, Indiana for their only meetings, Michigan at Michigan and Michigan State at Mackey Arena. They can shoot, with Kendall Stephens and company, and they also have three seven footers, and Caleb Swanigan, who decommited from Michigan State and is a five star freshman with three point range, and are very dangerous.
The next up is 4-3 Ohio State, which will not win the title. The other is Michigan State, who at 4-4 needs the Hawkeyes to lose five games, which looks doubtful. Could be a threat with Denzel Valentine and Matt Costello to win the Big Ten Tournament and go far in March with Tom Izzo. It will be a good race for the title.
Next up is the Maryland Terrapins. The Terps are 6-2 in conference, leaving them a game and a half behind Iowa and Indiana. Their only losses have come at Michigan and Michigan State. Those are very acceptable losses, as both teams are tourney bound and are tough places to play at. The Iowa game is a must-win. Not only to stay in the conference race, but to bolster their tournament resume. They haven't beaten a RPI Top 50 team yet, and Iowa would be a humongous win for them. Plus, if they lose to Iowa, that gives the Hawkeyes basically a four game lead over them with the tiebreaker. That would all but eliminate them from the regular season title.
Next is the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines are 5-2 in the Conference, with their losses being at Iowa and Purdue. Losses at hostile environments against good teams, so no shame in those losses. But, they might be without their best player in Caris Lavert for the season, and it would be tough to win the title without him. Right now, they are about a seven seed, with their top win being against Maryland at home. They get Indiana at home, and their last game is against Iowa at home. They will need to win these games. They have Indiana as well as Michigan State upcoming on an unusual four game home stand.
Next is Purdue. Purdue is 5-3, getting swept by Iowa and getting upset by a bad Illinois team on the road. It'll be uphill, needing Iowa to lose four games and winning out as well as needing Indiana to lose three games, as well as Michigan and Maryland losing. Uphill, but not impossible. Their best win is against Michigan at home. They have a tough schedule, playing at Maryland, Indiana for their only meetings, Michigan at Michigan and Michigan State at Mackey Arena. They can shoot, with Kendall Stephens and company, and they also have three seven footers, and Caleb Swanigan, who decommited from Michigan State and is a five star freshman with three point range, and are very dangerous.
The next up is 4-3 Ohio State, which will not win the title. The other is Michigan State, who at 4-4 needs the Hawkeyes to lose five games, which looks doubtful. Could be a threat with Denzel Valentine and Matt Costello to win the Big Ten Tournament and go far in March with Tom Izzo. It will be a good race for the title.
Hawkeyes Stay Hot
The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team has picked right off the football team's success, ripping through Big Ten play without a loss. Their resume is great right now. They have the season sweep of the Michigan State Spartans and Purdue Boilermakers, and home wins against the Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers. According to RPI, the Hawkeyes have played the toughest conference schedule in America. They have the best resume in the nation at 16-3 and 7-0 in Big Ten play.
The only other team that is undefeated in conference play is the Indiana Hoosiers. The thing is, they have played the easiest Power Five conference schedule in the country. The highest team that the Hoosiers have played in conference is the sixth-placed Ohio State Buckeyes.
It all starts for the Hawkeyes with National Player of the Year candidate Jarrod Uthoff. This senior has been nothing short of unbelievable. He has averaged 18.7 points per game, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He is only one or two players in America with a stat line like that. He is a nightmare for teams to guard. He is six foot nine, and he can shoot. If there's a man in his face, it means nothing. He will just shoot it over you, whether it's from behind the arc or five feet away in the paint. He is playing himself into an Iowa Hawkeye great, and a potential first round NBA pick. He got the thousand points his career plateau against Rutgers. He didn't know about it until a reporter asked him, and he said "It doesn't mean anything to me. I hope that helps your quotes." Showing he only cares about the team, and is kind of like Marshawn Lynch with the media.
The Hawkeyes start three other seniors, Adam Woodbury, Anthony Clemmons, and Mike Gesell. They have all been really good, and their experience has helped this Hawkeye team immensely. They all have the ability to go off, if Uthoff has a bad game, as shown by Gesell and Clemmons twenty point games against Michigan State and Rutgers respectively. The other starter is junior Peter Jok, who is not only a sharpshooter, he can do work inside. He was once a coveted recruit, coming over from Sudan, he shined as a player in Des Moines. He had offers from big programs, but needed surgery, and he is finally fully healthy, and is turning into an elite Big Ten player. He is showing why he was once a potential five-star recruit, and might be an NBA player. The Hawkeyes also have a strong bench, usually going nine deep with players such as freshman walk-on Nick Baer and sophomore German Dom Uhl.
The next game is a big one. They will go on the road on Thursday against currently ranked number seven Maryland Terrapins. Iowa will most likely be in the top five, maybe even cracking the top three. Maryland could stay in the top ten. If Iowa wins this game, they will be way ahead in the Big Ten race. This is their toughest game left, with at Indiana being the next toughest. Iowa has played the tougher half of their schedule so far 7-0, which is amazing. They are on track to earn a top two seed and get to play in Des Moines, which will be two home games. They will play a small school, and then play a game against a good team.
Fun Fact: Football, Men's Basketball and wrestling are all ranked in the top ten for the first time since the mid-80's. Amazing, and all three should have success for a while.
It all starts for the Hawkeyes with National Player of the Year candidate Jarrod Uthoff. This senior has been nothing short of unbelievable. He has averaged 18.7 points per game, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He is only one or two players in America with a stat line like that. He is a nightmare for teams to guard. He is six foot nine, and he can shoot. If there's a man in his face, it means nothing. He will just shoot it over you, whether it's from behind the arc or five feet away in the paint. He is playing himself into an Iowa Hawkeye great, and a potential first round NBA pick. He got the thousand points his career plateau against Rutgers. He didn't know about it until a reporter asked him, and he said "It doesn't mean anything to me. I hope that helps your quotes." Showing he only cares about the team, and is kind of like Marshawn Lynch with the media.
The Hawkeyes start three other seniors, Adam Woodbury, Anthony Clemmons, and Mike Gesell. They have all been really good, and their experience has helped this Hawkeye team immensely. They all have the ability to go off, if Uthoff has a bad game, as shown by Gesell and Clemmons twenty point games against Michigan State and Rutgers respectively. The other starter is junior Peter Jok, who is not only a sharpshooter, he can do work inside. He was once a coveted recruit, coming over from Sudan, he shined as a player in Des Moines. He had offers from big programs, but needed surgery, and he is finally fully healthy, and is turning into an elite Big Ten player. He is showing why he was once a potential five-star recruit, and might be an NBA player. The Hawkeyes also have a strong bench, usually going nine deep with players such as freshman walk-on Nick Baer and sophomore German Dom Uhl.
The next game is a big one. They will go on the road on Thursday against currently ranked number seven Maryland Terrapins. Iowa will most likely be in the top five, maybe even cracking the top three. Maryland could stay in the top ten. If Iowa wins this game, they will be way ahead in the Big Ten race. This is their toughest game left, with at Indiana being the next toughest. Iowa has played the tougher half of their schedule so far 7-0, which is amazing. They are on track to earn a top two seed and get to play in Des Moines, which will be two home games. They will play a small school, and then play a game against a good team.
Fun Fact: Football, Men's Basketball and wrestling are all ranked in the top ten for the first time since the mid-80's. Amazing, and all three should have success for a while.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Divisional Round Picks
Chiefs-Patriots
The Chiefs are hurt, and the Patriots are getting healthy. I have to take the Patriots at home, Tom Brady is an easy pick over Alex Smith.
Patriots 27-21
Packers-Cardinals
The Cardinals won 38-8 in Arizona when they played week 16. The Cards have Carson Palmer and David Johnson, who be too much for the Pack to handle. Aaron Rodgers keeps it close. But same venue, same teams and a banged up o-line for Rodgers and a healthy Cards team gives Carson Palmer his first playoff victory.
Cardinals 31-20
Seahawks-Panthers
Two talented and young QB's in Cam Newton and Russell Wilson make this close. But the Panthers good defense will make more plays than the Legion of Boom.
Panthers 17-13
Steelers-Broncos
The Steelers will be without Antonio Brown, the best receiver in football, and leading rusher DeAngelo Williams. Ben Roethlisberger will play, not at a hundred percent. The Broncos have noodle armed Peyton Manning, a terrible cold weather and Playoff quarterback. Manning will throw picks, but the Broncos defense is solid. The Steelers went for 34 in Week 15 at home, but with a healthy Big Ben, Williams, and Brown. I would pick the Steelers with Brown, but my homerism isn't great enough to pick them to win.
Broncos 23-20
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