My overrated teams are highlighted in Red and I've made some comments on some teams that I expect to have good seasons that are ranked right where they should be. I don't really have an opinion either way with any of the teams with no comments made about them. The underrated teams are highlighted in green.
1. Kansas: with the most experienced and accomplished talent in the country and top recruit Xavier Henry aboard, the Jayhawks deserve to be #1, for now.
2. Michigan State: The Spartans overachieved last season and it showed against UNC. I don't think they're as talented as Kentucky. Two is a bit high, but I can't consider them "overrated" because they return everyone from a team that finished #2 a year ago. They're where they deserve to be, but I'm not sure if they'll stay quite this high all season, however, Tom Izzo will have them in the Top 10 in March, when it matters.
3. Texas: The Longhorns have a lot of freshman talent coming in as well as transfer Jai Lucas from Florida, but it seems like they are overrated every year in basketball. What does Rick Barnes ever do with his talent in March? Even with Kevin Durant, they did nothing. Texas was 23-12 last year. Kentucky was 22-14. The two teams' had similar teams a year ago....do you mean to tell me that Texas has improved more than Kentucky has in the off season? Really? Can anybody tell me with a straight face that Texas improved themselves more than Kentucky did and should be ranked higher? Please, give me a break.
4. Kentucky: It seems crazy to think that the 4th ranked team in the country could be underrated, but the voters of this poll have a sub-500 team from last year ranked because of one great freshman (Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech). With this logic, FOUR great freshman, returning All-American Patrick Patterson, and new head coach John Calipari should make enough impact on a 22-14 team from a year ago to be ranked in the top 2 or 3, at least above a 23-12 Texas team from last season. I feel like most experts think Kentucky is probably the #1 team in terms of talent, but stubbornly pick them lower because they want to believe that this young team is going to be a bust under Calipari. If you want this team to prove something first, I can respect that opinion, but don't also vote for a 12-19 Georgia Tech team in the polls because of one recruit (some are even picking GT as a Final Four team). Be consistent.
5. Villanova: Should win the Big East, and therefore, should be ranked in the Top 5.
6. North Carolina: The defending champs lose 4 out of 5 starters. A team has not won back to back titles after losing 4 starters since UCLA in the 1970's and that shouldn't happen this year either. UNC will always be a factor under Roy Williams and will be a top 10 team when it's all said and done. This team is no where close to the level of talent that there has been in the last several years in Chapel Hill, however, they're still ranked about where they should be.
7. Purdue
8. West Virginia
9. Duke: Duke could trade their entire roster with Central Connecticuit State and would somehow still be ranked in the Top 10. When was their last Final Four appearance anyway? Overrated. Waaay overrated.
10. Tennessee: The Vols have all the talent in the world, but they couldn't even beat last year's NIT version of Kentucky. It will be a major disappointment if Tennessee doesn't earn at least a 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
11. Butler
12. Connecticut
13. California: Don't know much about Cal, but they only beat Murray State by 5 in thier opener. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.
14. Washington
15. Michigan: The Wolverines were 9-9 in Big 10 play last season. Their recruiting class is good, but not good enough to all of a sudden make them a Top 15 team. They're overrated.
16. Ohio State
17. Oklahoma: hard to really say how the Sooners will be without Blake Griffin. Who do they have to replace him to justify being ranked at all? I'm going to say overrated.
18. Mississippi State: Their ranking all depends on the eligibility of Renaldo Sydney. Either way the Bulldogs are a Top 25 team. With him, they could be closer to a Top 10 team. I expect him to eventually be eligible, so I believe that in the end the Bulldogs will be better than this ranking. They're underrated.
19. Louisville: The Cardinals lose their top 2 scorers and rebounders in Terrance Williams and Earl Clark. They also lose veteran point guard, Andre McGee. Freshman Peyton Siva is talented, but won't be able to make up the difference of all the talent that the Cardinals have lost from a year ago. Could this season on the court be any uglier than the off season was for Rick Pitino and the Cards? Maybe not, but the Cardinals have lost a lot more than what they've gained in Siva and it looks like they're a little overrated.
20. Georgetown: The talent is there to be a Top 5 team, however, the talent was there last year too. The Hoyas need to put it together, but they're so loaded that I'm going to have to label them as underrated.
21. Dayton
22. Georgia Tech: I've already rambled enough on the Yellow Jackets. They were 12-19 last year. Not even John Wall all by himself would turn them into a serious contender, and Derrick Favors won't either. They're waaay overrated.
23. Illinois
24. Clemson
25. Minnesota: Tubby Smith has had his share of off-court problems this off season, but he always seems to get things under control as the season goes on and finds ways for his teams to make the NCAA Tournament. This year should be no different.
Not ranked and should be: Cincinnati and South Carolina
The Bearcats return top scorer Yancey Gates and add one of the best recruits in the nation, Lance Stephenson. Not a single vote? This team is definitely better than Georgia Tech and a handful of other ranked teams. The Bearcats are the most underrated team in the country. If the football team doesn't make it to the BCS Title game, their fans can jump off that bandwagon and jump right back onto the basketball bandwagon that they rode on during the Bob Huggins era. Mick Cronin appears to have the Bearcats back. As for the Gamecocks, they return two studs that turned down the NBA last season. One of them, Devan Downey, could be the best Point Guard in the nation behind John Wall.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Jacobs NFL Picks
As the second half of the 2009 NFL season is quickly approaching, I have to been asked to contribute to this site by giving my NFL picks each week. I participate in numerous betting pools on the NFL, and while I am no expert, I seem to do rather well in them thus making me Wildcat Wrap's NFL gambling man. Here's a look at week 10's biggest games:
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers:
line: Steelers by 7
Prediction: The Bengals and Steelers seemed to have had an identity crisis this year, both are playing like their opponents going into this game, with the Bengals playing rough defense and grinding it out with the run and the Steelers throwing the ball 40 times a games trying to out score their teams with little defense. While scoring alot of points can get you wins, the two most important keys to success in the NFL are running the ball and stopping the run. The Bengals have the edge in both, I'm taking the Bengals by 6 in a season sweep of the Steelers.
Philadelphia Eagles at San Diego Chargers:
line: Chargers by 2
Prediction: The Eagles have been wildly inconsistent this year, which always makes me wonder which Eagles team will show up from game to game. But, I have NEVER understood the hype that always surrounds the Chargers, with people calling them contenders every year and they never live up to the hype. Sure they win a playoff game every once in a while, but Phillip Rivers talks too much and LT is getting old, I'm taking the Eagles by a field goal.
Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers:
line: Cowboys by 3
Prediction: The Packers only change to stay with the white hot Cowboys is the rowdy Lambeau crowd. DeMarcus Ware and company should have their way all day with the Packers ridiculously bad offensive line, Cowboys by 10.
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts:
line: Colts by 3
Prediction: As much as I would love to say that I think the Colts are going to put a stop to the current rise of the evil Patriots back to their Super Bowl contender status, I cannot. I know the Colts are still undefeated, but they have limped by in their last fews games, while the Patriots have dominated and looked like the Patriots of old. The Colts are overdue for their first loss of the season, Patriots by 7.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers:
line: Steelers by 7
Prediction: The Bengals and Steelers seemed to have had an identity crisis this year, both are playing like their opponents going into this game, with the Bengals playing rough defense and grinding it out with the run and the Steelers throwing the ball 40 times a games trying to out score their teams with little defense. While scoring alot of points can get you wins, the two most important keys to success in the NFL are running the ball and stopping the run. The Bengals have the edge in both, I'm taking the Bengals by 6 in a season sweep of the Steelers.
Philadelphia Eagles at San Diego Chargers:
line: Chargers by 2
Prediction: The Eagles have been wildly inconsistent this year, which always makes me wonder which Eagles team will show up from game to game. But, I have NEVER understood the hype that always surrounds the Chargers, with people calling them contenders every year and they never live up to the hype. Sure they win a playoff game every once in a while, but Phillip Rivers talks too much and LT is getting old, I'm taking the Eagles by a field goal.
Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers:
line: Cowboys by 3
Prediction: The Packers only change to stay with the white hot Cowboys is the rowdy Lambeau crowd. DeMarcus Ware and company should have their way all day with the Packers ridiculously bad offensive line, Cowboys by 10.
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts:
line: Colts by 3
Prediction: As much as I would love to say that I think the Colts are going to put a stop to the current rise of the evil Patriots back to their Super Bowl contender status, I cannot. I know the Colts are still undefeated, but they have limped by in their last fews games, while the Patriots have dominated and looked like the Patriots of old. The Colts are overdue for their first loss of the season, Patriots by 7.
Brown's Picks - NFL Midseason Awards
The NFL has hit the halfway mark, so I thought I would give me rundown of NFL Midseason Award Winners.
Offensive MVP: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings
At age 40, Brett Favre looks as good as he did in his prime. He has the Vikings atop the NFC North with a 7-1 record. His stats are pretty impressive: 16 TDs, 1 INT, 1,925 yards, and a passer rating of 106. The Vikings looks like they are the real deal in the NFC and Brett Favre seems to be the reason.
Defensive MVP: Darren Sharper, New Orleans Saints
Sharper has been a major reason why the New Orleans Defense is much improved this year, and a big factor in why the Saints are undefeated. He leads the league in interceptions with 7 with 3 of those going back for Touchdowns. This guy seems to always be around the ball and his play will be key to the Saints going deep into the playoffs.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings
The first round pick has been a great weapon for the Vikings. He only has 3 receiving Touchdowns, but he has been very effective in the return game. He has almost 900 yards and 2 touchdowns returning kicks this year. Part of the reason this award goes to Harvin is because not many rookies of stood out this year.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills
You may not have heard of this rookie from Oregon because he plays for the Buffalo Bills who are having a dreadful season. Byrd is tied for the league lead in interceptions with 7. He has been a standout on a defense that has been pretty abysmal.
Coach of the Year: Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts
With the retirement of Tony Dungy and an almost complete overhaul of the offensive staff before the season, many were wondering how the Colts would be affected. Apparently, they haven't noticed. Caldwell has picked up right where Dungy left off and has the colts at 8-0, tied for the best record in the league. This is not new territory for the Colts, but I definitely didn't think they would be undefeated at this point in the season. We'll see what the Colts are made of this Sunday when Indy plays host to the Patriots.
Surprise Team of the Year: Cincinnati Bengals
This may be a homer pick, but I don't think many people expected the Bengals to be sitting at 6-2 and leading the AFC North at the midway point of the season. They are 4-0 in the Division and have a chance to sweep the Steelers for the first time since 1998 if they can win Sunday in Pittsburgh. Cedric Benson has been ridiculous this year and has firmly supplanted his name in the MVP discussion. This team is legit and should make some noise in the postseason.
Tomorrow I will have an extended version of Brown's Picks, including NFL, College football, and the start of NCAA basketball picks.
Cats in the NBA; 11/11/2009
Keith Bogans (SA)- 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Chuck Hayes (HOU)- 6 points, 8 rebounds
Jamaal Magloire (MIA)- no game
Jodie Meeks (MIL)- 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Nazr Mohammed (CHA)- 13 points, 8 rebounds
Randolph Morris (ATL)- 0 points
Tayshaun Prince (DET)- DNP (injured)
Rajon Rondo (BOS)- 14 points, 11 assists
Jodie Meeks (MIL)- 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Nazr Mohammed (CHA)- 13 points, 8 rebounds
Randolph Morris (ATL)- 0 points
Tayshaun Prince (DET)- DNP (injured)
Rajon Rondo (BOS)- 14 points, 11 assists
News and Notes
- Be sure to check out tomorrow's edition of "Brown's Pick's" for this week's college football games (and maybe even a few basketball picks).
- A UofL basketball preview will also be appearing soon on the site.
- You can also expect NFL picks sometime soon, maybe this week.
- And at some point (maybe tomorrow evening), I will break down the College Hoops Top 25 and give you my most overrated and underrated teams.
- Then of course, Friday is GAMEDAY! A busy weekend may prevent me from the necessary coverage that should be given to the first regular season game of the Calipari era, but hopefully someone else can step up.
- Also, a BIG game for Bengals fans on Sunday! The Wildcat Wrap of the Vandy football game will also include a wrap up of the Bengals-Steelers game and will be posted either Sunday night or Monday morning.
- Next week we'll also start to cover the KHSAA State Football Playoffs.
A few other points of interest:
- Every college basketball game I've watched so far, they have EXTENSIVELY talked about the Cats. It's great to be back!
- UNC has now come within 2 games of UK in All-Time wins, however, the race to 2,000 still appears to be the Cats' race to lose.
- The Cats were picked on the insanely premature edition of ESPN's Bracketology as a #1 seed facing an in-state team in the first round, the Murray State Racers.
- Murray State only lost at 12th ranked California by just 5 points the other night. Way to go Racers, representing the state very well!
- Last but not least, the Morehead game isn't going to be that easy...they're very good. I feel bad for Eastern as they appear to be well behind their other 2 in-state conference rivals this season.
Maiden Post
I have slacked in my duties far too long. I was supposed to be the Director of Information Technology for this newly-emerging site. Have I done anything w/ that? Nope. I was also supposed to be the Director of Advertising. Have I done anything w/ that? Nah. I am pleased to announce that I have actually done something.....wildcatwrap.com has recently submitted an application to feature Google AdSense. Basically, that means non-intrusive ads will be on this site. Could be annoying to some of you, but at least the creator of this site will get paid for his hard work. Maybe if we can get 2.5 million ad clicks, he can buy a new UK coffee table or something. Also, for more breaking news, Wildcat Wrap now has a site counter. The admins will no longer have to wonder how popular this site is. We'll be able to login and see the tens of visitors we get every month. Exciting. Have a good evening.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Picking the Western Division and All-SEC team
As promised yesterday, here are my picks for the the SEC West:
1. Mississippi State (AP ranked 18th): The Bulldogs are the only team from the SEC that return all 5 starters from an NCAA tournament team a year ago. They return Jarvis Vanardo, one of the best shot blockers in the nation. They also landed one of the nation's top recruits in Freshman Forward Renaldo Sydney, who is facing similar eligibility problems as John Wall but has yet to be cleared by the NCAA. As long as Sydney becomes eligible before their February 16th matchup at home against Kentucky, the tandem of Vanardo and Sydney will give Patrick Patterson, Demarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and Perry Stevenson their toughest fight of the season. No team in the SEC, nor the country, has the depth down low that the Cats do but Mississippi State has enough talent down low to make Kentucky depend on the guard play of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe to win this one. (3 Seed, NCAA)
2. LSU: The Tigers lose Marcus Thornton but return Tasmin Mitchell from last year's SEC regular season champion. A lot of people are picking LSU to finish as low as 5th in the division, but the Tigers were the class of the SEC a year ago, winning 27 games and giving North Carolina their toughest game and biggest scare in the NCAA Tournament. They lose a lot, but they return enough talent to finish 2nd in the weaker side of the SEC and squeak into the NCAA Tournament as one of the last teams in. (13 Seed, NCAA)
3. Arkansas: In John Pelphrey's second season at Arkansas, they entered SEC play undefeated with wins over two top 5 teams, Texas and Oklahoma, but the Razorbacks were the best example of why the conference wasn't as bad as people thought it was a year ago. After going through a tough non-conference schedule undefeated, the young Hogs team fell apart and went 2-14 in SEC play. A year older and more experienced and in their third year under Pelphrey, expect the Hogs to play a lot better in SEC play this season and finish in the top 3 of the West. The talent is there to make the NCAA Tournament, but I'm not ready to put them there after only winning 2 conference games a year ago. They'll make strides this season and earn a trip to the NIT. (NIT)
4. Alabama: The rest of the SEC West is a crap shoot and really the only team that stands out is Mississippi State. The rest of the Western Division could finish in any order but I pick Alabama fourth because they return their leading scorer and also because of the impact that new head coach Anthony Grant will have. Grant is a disciple of Billy Donovan, comes from VCU, and is one of the highest rising young coaches in the game. He will at least take the Crimson Tide to some form of postseason play. (NIT or CBI)
5. Ole Miss: A 16-15 record a year ago was a huge step back for Andy Kennedy's program, but the Rebels did have a lot of injuries and could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in the West. Their season depends on how they are able to recover from those season ending injuries from last season and if super sophomore, Terrico White, can continue to develop into a future NBA shooting guard. (CBI)
6. Auburn: The Tigers were a pleasant surprise last year and barely missed the NCAA Tournament, but they lose nearly all key players from that team and it should be a rebuilding year for Auburn. (SEC Tourney, 1st round loss)
And now, here is the Wildcat Wrap All-SEC Team:
PG: John Wall (UK)
SG: Tyler Smith (UT)
SF: Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)
PF: Jarvis Vanardo (MSU)
C: Demarcus Cousins (UK)
Honorable Mention: PG Devan Downey (USC), PF Patrick Patterson (UK), PF Renaldo Sydney (MSU), C A.J. Ogilvy (Vandy), C Wayne Chism (UT)
Yeah, I gave the nod to Vanardo on the 1st team simply because he will put up better numbers with Miss. State than Patterson will on a team loaded full of NBA lottery picks. No disrespect meant at all towards Patrick, he will still have a great year and improve in the Dribble Drive Offense. Patterson and Devan Downey would be 1st team picks in any other conference and could both definately prove me wrong with not only SEC honors, but even All-American honors when it's all said and done.
Also, be sure to check out our preview of our lil brother 65 miles to the West. That's right, we will have a UofL preview coming up in the next couple of days by an actual UofL fan, Neal Thompson (the same guy who created a facebook group trying to ban me and my "biased and ridiculous opinions" from facebook. Let's see what he has to say about his Cards...
1. Mississippi State (AP ranked 18th): The Bulldogs are the only team from the SEC that return all 5 starters from an NCAA tournament team a year ago. They return Jarvis Vanardo, one of the best shot blockers in the nation. They also landed one of the nation's top recruits in Freshman Forward Renaldo Sydney, who is facing similar eligibility problems as John Wall but has yet to be cleared by the NCAA. As long as Sydney becomes eligible before their February 16th matchup at home against Kentucky, the tandem of Vanardo and Sydney will give Patrick Patterson, Demarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and Perry Stevenson their toughest fight of the season. No team in the SEC, nor the country, has the depth down low that the Cats do but Mississippi State has enough talent down low to make Kentucky depend on the guard play of John Wall and Eric Bledsoe to win this one. (3 Seed, NCAA)
2. LSU: The Tigers lose Marcus Thornton but return Tasmin Mitchell from last year's SEC regular season champion. A lot of people are picking LSU to finish as low as 5th in the division, but the Tigers were the class of the SEC a year ago, winning 27 games and giving North Carolina their toughest game and biggest scare in the NCAA Tournament. They lose a lot, but they return enough talent to finish 2nd in the weaker side of the SEC and squeak into the NCAA Tournament as one of the last teams in. (13 Seed, NCAA)
3. Arkansas: In John Pelphrey's second season at Arkansas, they entered SEC play undefeated with wins over two top 5 teams, Texas and Oklahoma, but the Razorbacks were the best example of why the conference wasn't as bad as people thought it was a year ago. After going through a tough non-conference schedule undefeated, the young Hogs team fell apart and went 2-14 in SEC play. A year older and more experienced and in their third year under Pelphrey, expect the Hogs to play a lot better in SEC play this season and finish in the top 3 of the West. The talent is there to make the NCAA Tournament, but I'm not ready to put them there after only winning 2 conference games a year ago. They'll make strides this season and earn a trip to the NIT. (NIT)
4. Alabama: The rest of the SEC West is a crap shoot and really the only team that stands out is Mississippi State. The rest of the Western Division could finish in any order but I pick Alabama fourth because they return their leading scorer and also because of the impact that new head coach Anthony Grant will have. Grant is a disciple of Billy Donovan, comes from VCU, and is one of the highest rising young coaches in the game. He will at least take the Crimson Tide to some form of postseason play. (NIT or CBI)
5. Ole Miss: A 16-15 record a year ago was a huge step back for Andy Kennedy's program, but the Rebels did have a lot of injuries and could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th in the West. Their season depends on how they are able to recover from those season ending injuries from last season and if super sophomore, Terrico White, can continue to develop into a future NBA shooting guard. (CBI)
6. Auburn: The Tigers were a pleasant surprise last year and barely missed the NCAA Tournament, but they lose nearly all key players from that team and it should be a rebuilding year for Auburn. (SEC Tourney, 1st round loss)
And now, here is the Wildcat Wrap All-SEC Team:
PG: John Wall (UK)
SG: Tyler Smith (UT)
SF: Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)
PF: Jarvis Vanardo (MSU)
C: Demarcus Cousins (UK)
Honorable Mention: PG Devan Downey (USC), PF Patrick Patterson (UK), PF Renaldo Sydney (MSU), C A.J. Ogilvy (Vandy), C Wayne Chism (UT)
Yeah, I gave the nod to Vanardo on the 1st team simply because he will put up better numbers with Miss. State than Patterson will on a team loaded full of NBA lottery picks. No disrespect meant at all towards Patrick, he will still have a great year and improve in the Dribble Drive Offense. Patterson and Devan Downey would be 1st team picks in any other conference and could both definately prove me wrong with not only SEC honors, but even All-American honors when it's all said and done.
Also, be sure to check out our preview of our lil brother 65 miles to the West. That's right, we will have a UofL preview coming up in the next couple of days by an actual UofL fan, Neal Thompson (the same guy who created a facebook group trying to ban me and my "biased and ridiculous opinions" from facebook. Let's see what he has to say about his Cards...
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