Thursday Take Twos

Tonight resumes the remaining anticlimactic NCAA matches. I say anticlimactic because there is only one double digit seed and most of the teams who prevailed did so by nobody’s surprise.
The most compelling match-up of the Sweet 16 is tonight’s late game between the Duke Blue Devils and Villanova Wildcats. Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds are the solid stars for Villanova and have a chance to reign supreme for the Big East. The ACC is represented by Duke and North Carolina, with the Tar Heels having the easier road to the championship. I like Villanova and a notion they will knock Duke out tonight. The Blue Devils have a ton of momentum heading into the game and it will be great overall contest. Nova is a stronger team without debate. They do not have as many flaws as Duke but the ACC has something to prove this tournament. Duke will come to play. They are well-coached and have a Philadelphia native in Gerald Henderson. Henderson chose Duke after weighing his option of signing with Villanova. Jay Wright deserves credit for his coaching since taking over the Wildcats. They have been legitimate tournament teasers each year. Bragging rights are on the line for Duke and the ACC, but I have an inkling the Big East will come out on top.
Connecticut has done nothing but answer the call after being named a top seed. Memphis may have felt a stigma and snubbed by the selection committee, but just look at how well the Huskies have played the first two rounds. They abolished their opponents each game and look like a team that does not know how to lose. Will the recent recruiting allegations be a distraction? I don’t think it will hurt their chances of overtaking Purdue. Purdue is excellent defensively with the 6 ft 10 inch sophomore, JaJuan Johnson. But the Huskies bring their own version of a beast in Hasheem Thabeet. A.J. Price has been priceless, no pun intended. The guy delivers the goods and has been the team’s mainstay on offense. Thabeet can block as well as anyone in college basketball and should give Johnson a tough time all night.
Pitt plays against a Xavier team who has overextended themselves this March. Head coach, Sean Miller, is a former Panther player who led the school in assists and free throw percentage when he graduated in 1992. Miller was Pitt’s assistant coach four years later and probably wants to prove to his alma matter he can also keep them from reaching the Elite Eight. Pitt’s struggles in this round are well-known in recent years. This is the most physical the Panthers have been though, and their up-front players will be too much for the mid major Xavier.
I am looking forward to the Michigan State-Kansas rematch from January. In that game, the Jayhawks lost despite Sherron Collins’ 25 points and 8 assists. Collins will need another big game, with just as many assists. He also cannot turn the ball over because the Spartans are good at exploiting weaknesses and taking advantage of turnovers. Cole Aldrich is coming off a career tournament game and Michigan State’s handling of the rabid rebounding machine will speak volumes as to which team moves on. I am sticking with the defending national champion Jayhawks. In other words, two Big 10 teams are going down tonight.

In the pros, Lebron James is unstoppable. He excels extremely and excessively and has gotten exponentially better with age. Cleveland is a powerhouse at home and will be a dangerous team in the playoffs. So will the Orlando Magic, who defeated Boston last night. The Celtics are capable of collapsing and choking, as proven by yesterday’s defeat.

Have you heard of Steve Strasburg? I have a feeling you will if you do not know he is the number one college baseball prospect in America. The Nationals have the first pick in the upcoming draft and are expected to go hard after the San Diego State stud pitcher. Strasburg’s fastball last clocked in at 101 mph and the kid is considered the best prospect in the last ten years. Thrilling and exciting indeed.

NFL fans may soon be able to cherish a cramped schedule. Commissioner, Roger Goodell, is trying to saturate the market even more with a 17 or 18 game regular season schedule. Preseason games would be reduced and that is a good idea to me. The more the merrier.

Kim Clijsters is another athlete who is deciding to un-retire. Yes, Kim announced she has a craving to return to the tennis courts. I missed her and felt she left the game too early, so I am all for a comeback attempt. Other players have done it, so the idea is warranted. Speaking of tennis, keep an eye on Russian Vera Zvonareva this tour season. She is ripping through the WTA after being somewhat of a disappointment. I think she will be a contender in the French Open in May. She gave an impressive run as a 20 year old in the Aussie Open and has all the talent to compete with the best.
The Ohio State Buckeye men’s tennis team downed Pepperdine earlier this week for their 9th consecutive victory. The Buckeyes are 17-1 overall, equating to a #6 ranking. Ty Tucker’s team has the #1 ranked player from 2008 in freshmen, Chase Buchanan. Chase made his college debut at second singles against the Waves but suffered a 4-6, 4-6 loss to a junior. Senior, Bryan Koniecko, won last year’s ITA indoor singles title and leads the way for Ohio State this year. Sophomore, Matt Allare is also alluring with his 16 consecutive singles wins. The Buckeyes are all about streaks it seems. They have 81 consecutive home match wins. No other Big 10 team in any sport can claim that!

I was reminiscing about my own college tennis experience. I remember tryouts. They were much different from high school, where summer’s heat still held a heavy and dense pressure in the air. School had not started and everyone was still in vacation mode. I used to have 8am practice in high school and they would last three hours each day leading up to the new school year. I lived for those August morning tryouts. Our coach would display the “challenge” ladder next to the fence on the glossy green courts. Warm-up drills, suicide sprints, ball machine workouts and short court exercise were always on tap. Our team prepared for the start of the regular season in style. We blasted a stereo from court one while doing routine training drills at the baseline or net. In between challenge matches, some of us would brag about summer vacation trips and go on and on about the people we met. We would gossip about teacher and recount previous season memories. Tryouts were never boring back then because we made them exciting. I didn’t think I could be any happier as a student athlete. Until college. That first time approaching a different situation, new coach and unfamiliar teammates was unnerving at first. But once I figured things out on my own I was fine. I took out my Wilson racquet from the bag and tied my white Wilson sneakers. I knew I belonged as soon as my teammates smiled to welcome me to the team. Everyone was great and made me feel accepted. I made instant friendships and thought I was in heaven. Playing everyday before and after class was blissful. I used to sit in the lecture hall during the day and write in a college bound spiral notebook about the workouts I would do. I loved to hit the weight room with the team. One day we would work on shoulders and backs. The next day would be biceps and triceps. Abs with medicine balls, rows and squats, the fun did not end pumping iron. Our team did cross-training too. The college tryout experience was very different but the experience was just as memorable and great. I watch in envy as high school athletes and college players head to the courts this March in hopes of making a team or being the next walk-on star. I hope they appreciate their opportunity. Maybe someday they will too.

Parting points: An excerpt from my favorite poem:
“Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,
Whose only play was what he found himself,
Summer or winter, and could play alone.”- Birches by Robert Frost