This year I skipped the whole preseason prediction process and instead decided to roll right into the regular season. Last night was the official opening night of the college basketball season, and it was a dandy. Two major games, in particular did not disappoint, with one being on the national stage and one being on the international stage in Germany. And then, of course there were other games that stood out to even the most casual fans.

Here is my recap of the night in abbreviated format:

Heavyweight Thrillers

Kentucky 72, Maryland 69

The Wildcats may have a slew of fabulous freshmen, but they are a long way from last year’s squad that won the national championship. The nation’s number one recruit, Nerlens Noel, was limited in all ways, showing raw ability and potential at times, but major inexperience at others. Ryan Harrow and Alex Poythress also struggled, but it was Kyle Wiltjer and Jarrod Polson who stepped up and carried UK to the narrow victory.

Maryland has a future top-10 draft pick in big man Alex Len, who had 23 points and 12 rebounds. The Terps should probably cut down on the number of 3-pointers they shoot, as they only shot 3-19 from beyond the arc on the night. James Padgett and Nick Faust held their own, too against the talented yet undisciplined Wildcats.

Connecticut 66, Michigan State 62

The game of the night came from Germany, where the 2009 Final Four re-match dazzled and entertained our troops stationed overseas. Michigan State started the game about as poorly as possible, trailing by as many as 16 in the first half. The Spartans fought back in typical Tom Izzo fashion, crashing the offensive glass and pounding the ball inside. Michigan State appears to lack leadership without Draymond Green, instead relying on a bevy of underclassmen to lead the charge. Big men Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne are talented and will really determine how far MSU can go this season, but struggled against a sub-par UConn front court.

On the flip side, UConn’s guards, Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, will dictate their success this season. Forward DeAndre Daniels is also intriguing and will generate a lot of buzz. He can undoubtedly play but he is somewhat hesitant to really play physical with his 195lbs frame.

Eyebrow-Raising Upsets

South Alabama 76, Florida State 71

It was close the whole way, but former Miami guard Antoine Allen tipped the game in the Jaguars’ favor as he made four of five 3-pointers en route to 23 points. Florida State could never get into a groove, and Michael Snaer struggled mightily, shooting 2-11 and turning the ball over five times. Terrance Shannon and Okaro White looked good for the Seminoles, but in general the team played sluggish against the upbeat Jaguars.

Bucknell 70, Purdue 65

Purdue may be rebuilding and Bucknell may contend for the Patriot League crown, but this result is still somewhat shocking. A back and forth game the whole night, it never seemed like Purdue had control, even as they held a narrow lead for most of the first half.  Bucknell forward Mike Muscala struggled at times, yet Cameron Ayers picked up the slack, scoring 6 points in 45 seconds early in the second half, shifting momentum over to the visiting team.

The best part of the NBA season is well underway.  The Playoffs have given way to the Finals, and the Draft is a couple weeks away.  With the lottery set and the scouting combine over, NBA teams (other than the Thunder and Heat), incoming rookies, and fans are awaiting the Draft, which is held on June 28th. We are going to sort through the talent and potential of this deep Draft class to show you the franchise players.

Tim Duncan Group (Franchise Players)

Anthony Davis – Placed on the same level as Lebron James and Blake Griffin as a surefire first overall pick who will change the face of a franchise, Anthony Davis will have a tremendous impact on the New Orleans Hornets from day one, just as he did for the Kentucky Wildcats.  NBA comparisons for Davis have been tough to pinpoint, ranging from Marcus Camby to Kevin Durant.  On the defensive end he will compare to Serge Ibaka, a freakishly athletic shot blocking machine with the versatility to guard the 3, 4, and 5.  On the offensive end he can become similar to Chris Bosh, a jump-shooting 4/5 with solid finesse moves around the rim.  If Davis develops and reaches his ceiling, Kevin Garnett 2.0 is not out of the question.

Bradley Beal – Let’s get this out of the way, Bradley Beal will be the best player to come from the 2012 NBA Draft class.  The 6’4” shooting guard is just what he described himself as, a cross between Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen.  A bit of exaggeration? Sure, but if you ever watched him play at Florida you’ve seen an attacking 2 who plays bigger than his height with a pure stroke from NBA 3-point range.  The Bobcats, Wizards, or Cavs (Beal is unlikely to fall out of the top 4) are going to add a playmaker and a foundation for their franchise to their roster.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Known as the hardest worker in the 2012 draft class, MKG will bring a toughness and work ethic on the court and in the locker room to a franchise that’s in need of both.  He’s a relentless player who will do a lot of everything for a team.  He’s reminiscent of Gerald Wallace, an All-Star, and as his offensive game develops, he could develop into a player with a Scottie Pippen-like ability to impact the game on every level.  He might not stick out in year one as a player who can be the foundation for a championship, but as his career progresses, his value to whichever team drafts him will become increasingly evident.

Thomas Robinson – Robinson’s ascension at Kansas and, more recently, on the Draft board is a testament to his work ethic and increasing skill on the offensive side of the ball.  Expect that trend to continue into the NBA.  Robinson is a tough player who has some Charles Oakley in him, which every team wants.  As for current NBA comparisons, Robinson brings Blake Griffin and a young Amare Stoudemire to mind.  While not as athletically gifted as either and more interested in defense than both, he will attack the basket and score in a similar fashion.  As his game becomes more refined, Amare Stoudemire circa 2009 to 2011 becomes a legitimate possibility for Robinson.

Coming in Part 2: Potential All-Stars, Sleepers

Image courtesy of the NBA

Four teams remain in what has been one of the most entertaining NCAA tournaments in recent memory. Of the teams that will square off this weekend in the Final Four, none were realistically expected to make it this far. And based on the matchups, it is clear that come Monday night, there will be a basketball powerhouse matched up with a Cinderella.

(4) Kentucky vs. (3) UCONN
These two teams have been basketball powerhouses throughout a good portion of the last decade, and this year has been an opportunity for both to exceed expectations. After Kentucky took the SEC tournament and UCONN the Big East tournament, both entered the big dance fairly “underseeded” according to Dick Vitale, and he was right. Each team has a ton of talent and both are led by guards who are not afraid to take over in crunch time. Brandon Knight has shown his ability to hit clutch shots, as he has already hit two game-winners in this tournament. Kemba Walker may be the most widely-known clutch performer, as he has consistently taken over late in games. If this game goes down to the wire, I fully expect the two of them to try and take over the game, and if that happens, look for Kemba to have the upper-hand. Experience is crucial in the big dance, and Knight may have a ton of talent, but he is still a freshman and extremely inexperienced when pitted against Walker, a senior who has been here before.
A matchup that I am looking forward to is in paint, where rebounding terror Josh Harrellson will look to out-muscle Alex Oriakhi. While neither is extremely talented on the offensive end, look for the two big men to battle non-stop in the paint. Harrellson will have a slight advantage, as Terrence Jones can step in and body up Oriakhi, as well. Connecticut’s X-factor for this game will be Jeremy Lamb, who is extremely talented but will be hounded by Darius Miler or DeAndre Liggins throughout the entire game. If Kentucky has any experience in their rotation, it is between Miller and Liggins, who both are seasoned veterans compared to the younger rotation players that surround them. If they can take Lamb out of his game, Connecticut will have trouble scoring points, and Kentucky will be at an advantage with their plethora of pure scorers. If I had to bet on a team to win, it would be the Wildcats. They can score in so many different ways and their interior defense is good enough where Kemba Walker will not be able to score as much in the paint as he usually does.

(11) VCU vs. (8) Butler
Considered by some to be the mid-major’s championship game, I no longer consider Butler to be a mid-major program. If you can make it to the Final Four in back-to-back seasons, you are no mid-major. VCU, on the other hand, may not have the postseason resume of their opponent, but they definitely have the talent to matchup with anybody, as was evident by their shellacking of Kansas in the Elite Eight. Some combination of Shaka Smart’s coaching and the emergence of VCU’s once-underperforming players has led to a well-rounded Final Four team. Jamie Skeen is my favorite player in the tournament, and can do everything on the floor. He can take his man off the dribble, knock down a three-pointer, and post up smaller defenders. Wake Forest must be kicking themselves for letting him transfer. Of course, he has not faced a player like Matt Howard, who can do everything that I just mentioned for Skeen. When teams like VCU and Butler have these multi-dimensional big men, they pose huge problems for defenders (see the Morris twins from Kansas and Florida’s Vernon Macklin/Alex Tyus). But now that those multi-dimensional players are playing against each other, it will be interesting to see how they adjust their games.
Despite my attention focused on Skeen and Howard, the player that has garnered the most media attention, at least during the Elite Eight, was undoubtedly Joey Rodriguez. The Rams point guard was constantly shown anytime his team did anything remotely good or bad – even when he was on the bench. Sure, he deserves a lot of the attention, but his team is so talented that the other players like Bradford Burgess or Brandon Rozzell deserve some credit, as well. Defending Rodriguez will most likely be Shelvin Mack, a heady point guard who is strong with the ball and poses a difficult matchup for all opponents. But the Bulldogs’ X-factor to me is Shawn Vanzant, who has logged a ton of minutes in the tournament. He will likely be responsible for guarding either Burgess or Rozzell (or both) and if he can provide some baskets to help out Mack, Howard, and Andrew Smith, the Bulldogs will be in good shape. Despite all of the talent and experience those players have for Butler, I still think VCU will come out on top. They have more talent, and unlike Butler’s earlier opponents, they have come out and played 40 minutes of tough basketball in every game. This game will be won or lost in the final seconds, and while both teams know how to win in the postseason, I think Shaka Smart and his team are a little bit hungrier.

After failing miserably in the first two rounds of the tournament, I return to make some more bold predictions. I was pretty successful on the individual game previews from last week’s post, so I examine two of the games that I think will be especially fun to watch.

(1) Ohio State vs. (5) Kentucky
This is a game between two programs that I despise; but I cannot dispute the fact that they are tremendous basketball teams. Ohio State is still my pick to win the national championship because of the vast array of talent on the roster. Jared Sullinger is the name everybody knows, but the player I think could really excel in this game is David Lighty. One of the more versatile players in the nation, Lighty is going to get a chance to shine as he battles the incredibly young and inexperienced Kentucky underclassmen. A fifth-year senior, Lighty knows what to expect, and he will be ready to fight. I also expect a lot of help from Aaron Craft, one of the best defenders the Big Ten has to offer. I think he can really disrupt Brandon Knight, who is the key for Kentucky. Knight has had a nice first two rounds, and he is undoubtedly the engine that makes this Wildcats team run. I believe Lighty will hound Terrence Jones all night, so look for Knight to try and do damage everywhere on the floor. DeAndre Liggins, one of the most experienced Wildcats, will have an impact, as well, but I really don’t see them being able to pull this one out. The Buckeyes just have too much firepower, which is saying a lot when playing against a team as talented as Kentucky.

(3) BYU vs. (2) Florida
This is the game I have been waiting for. Two of the more exciting teams in college basketball match up in what is sure to be a barn-burner. Between Jimmer, Chandler Parsons, and the rest of the high-scoring athletes on both teams, there is sure to be a lot of scoring and a lot of intensity from the start. What intrigues me is what Florida decides to do about guarding the best scorer in college basketball (actually, I think Andrew Goudelock is a better pure scorer, but that’s for another time). Florida has two quick guards in Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker, and I fully expect Boynton to try stopping Jimmer first. Outside of The Jimmer, there are a lot of athletes on Florida’s roster that will have advantages against BYU, but at the same time the Cougars have a slew of shooters that, if left open, will knock down every shot. The Gators are not as disciplined as the Cougars, but they have the athletes and the big bodies to get through to the Elite Eight. Vernon Macklin should have a decent advantage on Noah Hartsock underneath, and I still cannot figure out who is going to guard Parsons; he is so versatile and a threat to hit shots from anywhere on the floor. If BYU can stop the athletes from Gainesville, they may be able to sneak on to the next round. But Florida poses so many mismatches that it will be difficult to win, even with The Jimmer leading the charge. Fredette will have a monster game and will keep it close, but in the end I think BYU will fall just short.

As a student of the University of Kentucky and an avid sports fanatic, I always pick up a school newspaper on my way to class to catch the latest headlines. Today, as no surprise, the front page of the Kentucky Kernel featured an article about the men’s basketball team being ranked No. 1 for the first time since 2003. So far, the Cats have a record of 19-0 and hope to continue to improve that record tonight against the South Carolina Gamecocks. When I turned to the back page of the Kernel to finish the article, I spotted a meaningful, refreshing editorial. (See below)

http://kykernel.com/2010/01/25/calipari-fills-role-as-uk-ambassador/

Going undefeated and earning the ranking of No. 1 is truly a remarkable accomplishment, especially when the teams starts three freshmen. But this season, Coach John Calipari and his team have accomplished something much more significant. Calipari, along with the help of his team and many others, raised over $1 million to aid in Haiti earthquake relief.  “Hoops for Haiti” was a successful event that reminds us that the University of Kentucky is able to do more than produce successful basketball teams.  “Hoops for Haiti” reminds us that our talented athletes can do more than make ESPN’s highlight reel. Our athletes, most of whom are still boys growing into young men, wish to help others and represent UK in the best way possible. So, thank you Coach Calipari and congratulations to you and your team for accomplishing such outstanding feats within your first year at the University of Kentucky!

This is Kentucky Basketball