This Week in Sports- A Recap

I have decided to add a new segment of sorts to our blog folks. I realize that so much goes on in sports throughout the week and some of you do not always have the time to keep up. So now, Sunday nights/Monday mornings I will be providing a post that gives a quick rundown of what has happened in the week that I think is cool. Sooooo with that being said, this will be our first “installment”. I will try my best to cover different sports so that everyone can get a taste of what is going on around the sports world.

Women’s Basketball

The biggest news of the week was not the NFL combine. It was not the NBA or men’s college basketball. It came from Sabrina Ionescu! She did something that no other person – not male or female, but PERSON –in Division 1 college basketball history has done. She has now scored 2,000+ points, grabbed 1,000 rebounds, and dished out 1,000 assists. That is nothing short of remarkable. She also broke this record on 2/24/20 which has become a glorified Kobe day. On top of that, Ionescu is also the assists leader in the Pac 12 across both men and women. Breaking a record that NBA Hall of Famer, Gary Payton held previously. She is also the NCAA leader across divisions with a NCAA record 26 career triple-doubles. The record before her was only 12. She doubled that! If you did not know her before you certainly should know her now.

A local team shoutout, the JMU Women’s team played their final game in the Convocation Center, which for those who do not know will not be used anymore for Men’s and Women’s basketball. The new Atlantic Union Bank Center will be home for the Dukes next year and for years to come. The Dukes won both of their final two games, defeating then conference leading Drexel by 30 on Friday and then Delaware on Sunday to send the Convo out on a high note.

Men’s College Basketball

The final few weeks of college basketball are upon us. At this point, teams who have strong tournament resumes look to not add any unnecessary blemishes, while teams on the bubble try to bolster their resumes by upsetting tournament “locks”. This weekend alone we had four top 10 teams lose. Two bubble teams: UVA and TCU got big wins when UVA beat Duke at home and TCU beat Baylor at home. Another bubble team, the Texas Longhorns got a big win beating #22 Texas Tech on the road. Road wins against ranked opponents are what you need to get into the tournament.

The most surprising thing to happen this week was Duke losing not once but twice. Coming into the week Duke was ranked #7. I previously mentioned them losing to UVA which in the grand scheme of things isn’t too bad. BUT…they lost to Wake Forest as well. Wake Forest for those of you who don’t follow the ACC is now 13-15 and 6-12 in the ACC which makes them good for 13th out of 15 teams. The two losses also took them further away from the first place spot in the ACC heading into the postseason tournament. Also, how about the Kentucky Wildcats! If you remember, hopefully you do, but I predicted them to win the SEC. AAAANNNNNDDDDD this week they did it! (I finally got something right) With a record of 24-5 and 14-2 in the SEC, they have won the SEC regular season title outright for the fourth time in six years with 2 games left to be played. More love for Kentucky? Why not? My first player of the week honor goes to Immanuel Quickley of Kentucky who averaged 24 points and 8.5 rebounds on the week including a 30 point outing against Texas A&M and a double-double against Auburn. Solid week all around for Big Blue Nation.

NFL

The NFL draft is around the corner! But before that is the NFL Combine. The NFL Combine is where prospective draftees/potential undrafted free agents audition for the NFL in front of 32 teams, scouts and front offices. Some of the more notable numbers from the combine were: Henry Ruggs of Alabama running a 4.27 forty yard dash, Donovan Peoples-Jones of Michigan jumping a 44.5 inch vertical test, and K’Von Wallace (Richmond native) running a 6.76 cone drill which marked him good for second. Speaking of Richmond natives, Mekhi Becton and Jalen Elliot joined K’Von at the combine and performed very well also. All of these guys made themselves some money this week.

Also this past week NFL teams were allowed to begin designating players for the Franchise or Transition Tag. The Franchise Tag is for players who are unrestricted free agents that only the current team they play on can use. This tag allows the players and team another year together and after that they work on either re-signing a contract or letting the player leave. The Transition Tag is guarantees the players current team the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may make with another team. Both of these tags can only be used once a year. Players like AJ Green of the Bengals, Yannick Ngakoue of the Jaguars, and Bud Dupree of the Steelers are all set to receive the Franchise Tag from their teams. Players like Dak Prescott and Jameis Winston still await their fate. TAMPA PLEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Sorry I get a bit emotional speaking on Jameis and the Bucs.

NBA

The NBA is back in full swing coming off of the All-Star break. As always, lots of great things have happened. We saw Zion vs. Lebron part II where the King came out victorious again, but this time the young rookie outscored him 35 points to 33 respectively. It was clear Lebron is still the man in the NBA in this game as he scored on Zion a few times with ease. I’ll give a shoutout to the Houston Rockets as well. 3-0 on the week with a big win against the Boston Celtics in Overtime. Many people laughed at the small ball idea but the Rockets have been playing ridiculously well since shipping away Clint Capela. Russell Westbrook has shouldered a bit of the load including a 41 point outburst in the win over the Celtics. The true highlight of the week came on Monday, 2/24 when the public memorial service for Kobe Bryant took place. Speeches from his wife Vanessa, Shaquille O’Neal, Diana Taurasi, Jimmy Kimmell and Michael Jordan moved the room as the memorial for Kobe was as beautiful as one could imagine. A performance from Beyonce made the moment even more special. A true hero was celebrated this past week and I couldn’t be more proud of the NBA and everyone who put together the event. Below are some of the moments from the event.

https://youtu.be/5fmIen28Lxk

So that is all for the first edition of the weekly recap. I know not many people get to keep up with all that is going on, but I also do not want to overwhelm anyone with a long read. I try to pick things I think you all will be interested in learning about, but please feel free to offer topics, teams, or specific players and news you want to hear about in each recap. How do you feel about the recap? Let me know in the comments, or just leave me a message. Thank you all again! – Quis

Could Zion Williamson Still Win Rookie of the Year?

When the New Orleans Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson, it was an early Mardi Gras for the city. Combining a player of Williamson’s caliber with ascending star Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and veteran Jrue Holiday was going to be what it took to catapult the Pelicans into the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. That was until Zion went down with an injury and missed a great portion of the first half of the season. While he sat out with injury, we watched Ja Morant star in Memphis. We watched Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro takeover in Miami. Rui Hachimura in Washington was making a strong case as well. All of this made “experts” begin to question Zion Williamson. “He’s too heavy”, “Out of shape”, “Can he last the wear and tear of the NBA?”, “Can he score from every level?” and so on and so forth. All of the Ja Morant stans within the Association began to voice how all along they would’ve taken Ja first. Well, fast forward and THE Zion Williamson hype train is back. With every performance, he is winning fans over once again. Every dunk, every block, every time he manhandles an established star, we fall in love with this kid more and more. Ja Morant is the current leader on the Rookie Ladder averaging 17.6 points and 6.8 assists all while leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a playoff spot if the season ended today. But, Zion is on his tail. Having missed such a huge chunk of the season, the question become, can he still win Rookie of the Year? If he can, what would it take? I think it’ll take 2 of 3 things to happen.

Make the Playoffs

Currently the Pelicans sit at 25-33 overall which is good for 10th in the West and 3 games out of the 8th spot currently held by the aforementioned Grizzlies. Zion made his debut on January 22 vs. the Spurs and since then the Pelicans have a record of 8-6 after just having lost to the West leading Lakers last night. This record of course will not blow anyone away, however it is a winning one and the Grizzlies who are clinging to the 8th seed have the toughest schedule to finish out the season. IF the Pelicans make the playoffs, Zion Williamson has a more than viable case for Rookie of the Year. But that is only one point of the argument. Clearly his presence is impactful if he can take a team who at one point lost 12 games in a row and was trending toward the bottom of the West to the playoffs . So what else would he have to do?

Continue Efficient Play

In 13 games, Zion Williamson has averaged 23.3 points per game, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. For a rookie these stats are extremely admirable. That 23.3 points per game is good for 1st out of all rookies in front of none other than Ja Morant. His 7.1 rebounds? Also first amongst rookies. Granted, he has a much smaller sample size than some of these rookies, however that is besides the point at this time. Buckets are buckets. Boards are boards. What makes this so much more impressive to me is the efficiency. He is shooting 57% from the field, while shooting almost 42% from three. Zion is not a three point shooter by any stretch as he averages less than a 3 point attempt per game, but when he is taking them, he is making them for the most part so you cannot knock him there. His 23.3 ppg and 7.1 rpg are all coming while he plays 28.5 minutes a game. Mind you an NBA game is 48 minutes long. Stars like James Harden and Lebron James both average about 35 minutes per game or more. 5 rookies average over 30 minutes per game and Zion is not one of them. An uptick in minutes as the season progresses will only boost his stats even more. His player efficiency rating which tracks essentially all a player does into one statistical number is in the top 20 of the NBA. Some players efficiency ratings are inflated like Shamorie Ponds who has the highest rating in the NBA at this time but that is because he has only played in 4 games and that was for less than 2 minutes per game where he has scored 9 points in total and only missed 2 shots. Truthfully, nothing to worry about. But, players like Giannis, James Harden, and Luka Doncic all sit in the top 5 as well. Zion Williamson sits at 16th two spots behind the King, Lebron James. With a rating of 25.50 that puts him well ahead of his rookie counterparts and shows that when he is on the floor he is making the most of his minutes.

Show up Against the Stars

The easiest way to make your mark in the NBA is to show up in Primetime versus the best players in the league. Think Allen Iverson crossing Michael Jordan. We ALL know that game regardless of how old we were at the time. Who are the stars of the NBA? Lebron James, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokoumpo, James Harden, Stephen Curry. There are more but you get it. When you go against guys like this you have to play well. You have to leave a mark, an impression, make a statement of sorts. So far this year Zion has faced James Harden, Giannis, and just recently Lebron. 21 points and 10 rebounds against Harden’s Rockets, even though he lost. 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists against Giannis, but he lost. BUT, what did I say about making a statement? ESPN’s biggest story that night wasn’t him losing to the Bucks, but rather him manhandling one of the NBA’s stars by ripping the ball away (Click the random link floating in the middle of this article. You’ll see it for yourself). Zion’s most impressive showing though came against Lebron James and the Lakers. Yes, they lost. Honestly, the Pelicans may not win these big games just yet, but they do compete. It took a season high, 40 points from Lebron to fend off Zion’s Pelicans. Quick side note: Stephen A. Smith still isn’t impressed with you Mr. James. But in 33 minutes of action Zion scored 29 points, had 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot 8-18 from the field on the game. Even more impressive was the 19 free throws he shot. It was a true showing off how powerful and unstoppable Zion can be when attacking the basket. Zion gets another shot at Lebron at the end of the week. He gets Luka Doncic shortly after that, and in two weeks he will see Kawhi Leonard and company for the first time. If he can make a statement in those games, he is in good shape.

https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=28637196&lang=en
Final Take

Zion Williamson has the talent and seems to be the heir apparent to the throne Lebron James currently holds. Missing almost the entire first half of the season makes it tough to argue for him to win the Rookie of the Year race. Many people thought he might as well sit out the entire season and try for a full season next year. But this guy loves the game and wanted to play. In just 13 short games he has left fans in awe, he has bought more life to a city that has plenty of life already outside of basketball (Mardi Gras is popping off as we speak), and he has positioned himself for stardom. I love Ja Morant and would not mind if he held onto his lead and wins the Rookie of the Year. The way the season is starting to shape up though, each game Zion is gaining. The NBA is a business. They love storylines, they love whatever will keep fans watching. Zion and Ja both will be the faces of the league in years to come, but Zion is THE GUY. If he continues on this path and takes his team to the playoffs, you can count on him to receive this year’s Rookie of the Year. As always, thanks for reading! Be on the lookout for more posts coming from here on out every Wednesday and Sunday. Love you all! – Quis

Recapping NBA All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago was an absolutely beautiful representation of the impact sports can truly have on a city and the world. We witnessed inspired speeches, moving Kobe tributes, and a ton of competition across the board. For a weekend full of fun and excitement, I will try my best to recap the events.

Celebrity All-Star Game

The first event of the weekend was the Celebrity game which took place on Friday. The Celebrity game typically features former NBA and WNBA players, TV personalities, team owners, social media influencer, musicians and so on and so forth. The game has had MVP range from Quavo to Kevin Hart to Famous Los to Brian McKnight and here’s a fun one, Arne Duncan. This year’s game featured the likes of Anthony “Spice” Adams, Chance the Rapper, Jon Batiste, and this year’s MVP, Common. While the game did have it’s entertaining moments on the floor, the real entertainment came between coaches Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon. Two of ESPN’s more outgoing and famous personalities. Stephen A. Smith’s team lost 62-47 and on top of that one of the funniest moments of the game was when he received a technical foul midway through game. Want to hear how Stephen A. felt about the game? I got you covered.

Rising Stars Challenge

Outside of the actual All-Star Game, the Rising Stars Challenge was the one event I looked forward to the most. The Rising Stars Challenge is a game that features some of the NBA’s best young talent. The game became Rookies and Sophomores from the US vs. Rookies and Sophomores from everywhere else in 2015. Prior to this weekend, Team World lead 3-2 in the series. This year’s rosters included players like Trae Young, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson representing the USA. While the World team boasted Luka Doncic, RJ Barrett, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This game featured highlight dunks, deep threes, and a nice dose of healthy one on one competition. The World team had control of the game throughout the first half. Leaning much on RJ Barrett and a Luka Doncic half-court buzzer beater to have a 10 point lead at half. Suddenly, the USA team went on a 27-5 run, with much of this run being spurred by Miles Bridges, the eventual MVP. The US team would go on to win 151-131 and have now evened the score between them and the World to 3-3. RJ Barrett of the World led all scorers with 27 points, while the USA were led by Eric Paschall of the Golden State Warriors who scored 23 points on 10-13 shooting. Here are some highlights below (Warning: It is 9 minutes long)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61Q6y6UzRQM

Saturday Night Events

The moment all of my NBA following friends have been waiting for…the NBA Saturday Events. These include the Skills Challenge, the 3-point Contest, and the very umm..let’s say interestingly decided upon Dunk Contest. The Skills Challenge featured 8 players: Bam Adebayo, Patrick Beverley, Spencer Dinwiddie, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Khris Middleton, Domantas Sabonis, Pascal Siakam, and Jayson Tatum. For those unfamiliar, the Skills Challenge essentially tests players’ ball-handling, passing, and shooting ability in a competition against the clock. From the names listed, you would think a guard would be better served for this competition. However, this year’s Skill Challenge proved how the NBA is changing so much so that 7 foot players can win contests like this. This year’s final was between two big men: Domantas Sabonis and Bam Adebayo, with the latter winning the championship. The 3-point contest also bought some excitement. The 3-point contest featured some of the best snipers in the NBA participating: Davis Bertans, Devonte’ Graham, Joe Harris, Buddy Hield, Zach Lavine, Duncan Robinson, Trae Young, and late addition Devin Booker. Continuing on my streak of bad predictions, I picked Duncan Robinson to win and he didn’t. Last year’s winner, Joe Harris lost in the first round and so did my pick. Devin Booker, Davis Bertans, and Buddy Hield faced off in the final. Bertans came in third with 22, Devin Booker came in second with 26, and Buddy Hield won with 27 made out of the 40 possible. Now onto the Dunk Contest…I wish I would have been able to get my preview out in time because I literally said “I would tell you more about the Dunk Contest but…Derrick Jones Jr. will win so everybody else isn’t worth me writing about.” Now, I was right BUT the issue is should Derrick Jones Jr. have won? Him and Aaron Gordon had an awesome battle for the dunk crown. Aaron Gordon jumped over a guy who is 7’7…Yes 7 feet 7 inches and lost. D-Wade and the rest of the judges have been under a ton of scrutiny for Derrick Jones’ victory.

As you can see, this was a very controversial part of the night. You decide for yourself though friends. Either way, they were both amazing dunkers who both deserved a piece of the victory.

All-Star Game

First, I love what the NBA did with honoring Kobe and Gianna. This was a very good move on their part. The new NBA All-Star game format was a HIT! They made every quarter count by resetting the score after each. The winning team of each quarter made a $100,000 donation to a charity of their choice. To start the 4th quarter they tallied up the cumulative score from the first three quarters and the 4th was untimed and they played to a target score. The target score was 24 points added to whatever the leading score was, another way to commemorate Kobe Bryant. This year’s captains: Lebron James and Giannis Antetokoumpo, picked their teams and faced off Sunday night. This game was everything you could ask for in an All-Star game. The athletes played seriously, especially in the 4th quarter. Kawhi Leonard, who I personally think is the best player in the league right now, started the game off GUNNING! This helped Team Lebron secure a 53-41 victory in the first quarter which got them $100,000 to give to their charity. In the second quarter, Team Giannis woke up and the man himself, Giannis helped secure them a second quarter victory. Fast forward to the start of the fourth, the score read Team Lebron 124- Team Giannis 133. So the Target Score became 157. The intensity ramped up until the end, and this is where my one gripe with the new format came into fruition. With the game sitting at 156-155 in favor of Team Lebron, a foul was called that gave Anthony Davis two free throws and ultimately the opportunity to win the game. Of course he misses the first for some excitement to mount and then wins it by making the second. In a game that is that intense to see it all end with a free throw was very disappointing. I think if they keep a similar format for years to come, they should eliminate that all together. Kawhi Leonard would go on to win the first ever Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP Award and I personally couldn’t have been happier. All together, a great cap to All-Star Weekend. If you are interested in seeing some of your favorite players play harder than they do on a regular basis, here is the final 5 minutes of the game for your personal enjoyment! Thank you again for checking in and reading. Leave your comments on whether or not you enjoyed the All-Star Weekend festivities, if you agreed with the Dunk Contest decision, and how you feel about the format used for the game. As always, love you all. Thank you for reading! -Quis

The First African-American, Female Full-Time Assistant Coach, Jennifer King. Who is She?

The NFL is starting to finally get it. I’m not sure if it is Jay-Z, climate change, or if grown adults are finally starting to understand you do not have to be a white man to coach football after 100 years. Either way, we have reason to celebrate! Jennifer King is set to become the first African American female coaching full-time in the NFL! This is not just headline material. This is not just something we should forget. Women all around for years have wanted opportunities like this. In 2017, Collette Smith was the first African-American, female assistant as an intern for the New York Jets, but she did not stick around past that. Just this year we saw Katie Sowers, San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant become the first Female and openly gay coach in Super Bowl history. Oh and she was the first female coach to last more than a full season on an NFL coaching staff. I have always been a big proponent of the idea of giving people a chance to prove they are just as good, if not better. I mean that is truly the only way to judge one’s capabilities. Ron Rivera and the Washington Redskins got it right.

So who is Jennifer King? King is a 35 year old, who was born in North Carolina and was a softball and basketball player during her time at Guilford College. While in college she won the top athletics honor, the Nereus C. English Athletic Leadership Award and the school’s 2005 Best Undergraduate Female Athlete Award at Guilford College. She has a long, successful history coaching up to this point. While being an assistant for the Greensboro College Women’s Basketball team, King helped lead the team to a 176-70 record, including four conference championships and three tournament championships. She would later become the Head Coach at Johnson & Wales and within two years, won a National Championship. She also played football in the Women’s Football Alliance where she won a National Championship for the New York Sharks. She spent time coaching football at Dartmouth College as an offensive assistant, and also coached in the AAF briefly as an assistant wide receivers coach. In 2016 she met Ron Rivera, then coach of the Carolina Panthers, and current Washington Redskins Head Coach. He later hired her as a wide receivers coaching intern during his time in Carolina. Now here we are today, Rivera hiring her as a full-time assistant coach.

As you can see, Jennifer King has a very strong resume. Her experience with coaching and being around multiple sports is something not even many men can say they have. It is something that will pay dividends for her and can catapult her to higher positions as time passes. A decision like this is bigger than just football. It is one that everyone should be aware of and marvel at. Hopefully we will not have to wait too long for more moves like this to occur. I wish Jennifer King the best of luck and I firmly believe she will be in the league for a long, long time. – Quis

A Letter to Kobe

“Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in your head that tries to hold you back because it knows if you continue you will change.” -Kobe Bryant

Dear Kobe,

It is rare that one man can make the world stand still as many times as you. Whether it’s one of your 36 game winners, your 81 point performance, or the day you played your final game dropping 60 points. You inspired an entire generation of athletes for so long. I still remember where I was for your final game. I still remember being a 10 year old boy when you scored 81 points. As I grew up playing the game, I realized just how insane that is. Scoring 20 points is a task for your average basketball player, but you quadrupled that. But that is just the thing. You were not average. Not your average basketball player, not your average human, not your average father. Before I continue, I must admit that at one point in time I was always on the other side of the Kobe is better than Jordan or Lebron argument. All of your fans are so passionate that playing devil’s advocate became a hobby of sorts. However, as I got older and more serious with basketball I learned countless things from you. Your mentality, perseverance, and passion just to name a few. You taught myself and the entire world what true love is. When you played the game, the amount of energy you exerted wasn’t just because you wanted to show that you were better than everyone else —though that was a big part of it — but rather, it was because of how much joy playing basketball brought you. This joy can be seen by the smirk you’d make after hitting a shot other athletes wouldn’t dare. I could only imagine what you were thinking when you’d hit that smirk. You looked as though you were thinking, “You’re surprised. I’m not. I was made for this.” This is true love.

Every time you went down with an injury and people thought you would never be the same, your love for the game and for being great overtook all the doubt you faced. You never flinched in a moment of pressure. You embraced it. You made uncomfortable situations normal. To me, this is a prime example of life and all that one can face. No matter how much you prepare for something, you ultimately will never know what may come your way but if you work hard and trust your preparation, no moment will be too big. If you prepare to be successful, you will never be surprised by success. True love. Thank you Kobe. You are the ultimate competitor, the ultimate teacher, and example of what we all should strive to be. You inspired the world through action and your legacy will forever live on. You put your all into everything you ever did, and you deserve this peace. You inspired the young boy who only ever wanted to be as great of a basketball player as you. Though that did not turn out to be my calling, I’ll be yelling “KOBE!” each time I throw paper balls away for the rest of my life. Like you insinuated in your quote at the top of this, I will always push through the pain, struggle, and doubt because I know what is on the other side. Thank you 8, thank you 24! Rest in Paradise. – Quis

Mid-Year Update on CBB Predictions

Alright folks, if you have been following the blog since it’s start, you probably remember my very first post where I gave my thoughts on the NCAA preseason top 25 along with some predictions of major conference winners and conference players of the year. Let’s just say I was wrong about A TON. If you have been keeping up with the madness, you already know College Basketball has been all over the place. If you have not, hopefully you get a decent idea of what’s happening from this post.

Before we get too deep, there are a few changes that have happened to teams or players who received a lot of love in our first post. I was very high on Memphis, but they lost James Wiseman thanks to the NCAA playing bully. Cole Anthony, my projected ACC conference player of the year has been out since early December and UNC, my projected ACC Conference Champion have struggled mightily without him. So let’s just act as though that prediction never occurred. Okay? Cool.

What I Got Right

UVA FANS!! Hey guys. A few of you had choice words for my prediction that you all were overrated and lucky to be ranked in the top 15. Where are the Hoos now? 12-6 overall, 4-4 in the ACC and unranked. Those 4 ACC losses have come in the last 5 games. So yes, 1-4 in your last 5. Their best win of the year came against UNC and they suck now as stated previously. Granted, they had Cole Anthony at the time. UVA is missing a guy that can do it all. I predicted this. Mamadi has his moments, Braxton Key as well, but point guard Kihei Clark is who has to be better for them to have a chance. He had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in their loss to NC State. Doesn’t look too bad. But that is just the thing, he didn’t look too good either. 3 for 9 from the field, 3 fouls, and 3 turnovers all in 37 minutes which is the most minutes anybody played for UVA that game. A good friend of mine who happens to be a UVA fan says they struggle to close out games. That is where your point guard has to shine and keep the team together. Kihei, it’s on you. Cool? Cool. But I told y’all this way back when, so I hope you did not put too much stock in these guys.

What else was I right about? FLORIDA. I’m on record of having said I didn’t believe in the hype. Florida started the season at a preseason ranking of #6 and just like UVA they now sit at 12-6. The main difference between them and UVA is they just beat undefeated Auburn, but other than that there has not been much else to like. They are 7-1 at home so I guess that is a positive. Transfer, Kerry Blackshear has looked good but we expected that. It is everybody else around him. They turn the ball over a good amount and don’t get many assists. They also sit well outside the top 40 in points scored per game. Not great for a preseason top 10 team. Lucky for them, they face #1 Baylor this weekend with a chance to upset and show the world they still have some left. Most of my Conference Player of the Year predictions are still being hashed out. So far, Cassius Winston, Tres Tinkle, Anthony Edwards, and Markus Howard are all still at the top of their respective conferences and have a chance to win the award. Markus Howard leads the NCAA in scoring which I also predicted so if you all are betting folks, your palms should start itching soon on Markus Howard. Michigan State is in the lead in the B10 and Kentucky is only a game out of the SEC conference lead so we can confidently say we were right about them as well.

What I Got Wrong

If you know me, you know sometimes admitting I am wrong is a task in itself. Reading through my first post and then looking at the landscape of College Basketball made me realize why I do not bet the little money I have on sporting events. Needless to say, I was wrong about almost everything else I said. Sorry guys. As stated earlier, UNC was my worst prediction. They are not a good basketball team currently. But I get a pass because of the Cole Anthony injury. I predicted Boogie Ellis of Memphis to be a big surprise this year. Boogie, the former Duke commit has been a surprise, but for all the wrong reasons. He is averaging a whopping 6.2 points per game while shooting 28% from the field and the 3-point line. He started the season strong, but has steadily fallen off as the season has progressed. Safe to say I was wrong about that one. Next, Tristan Clark. I predicted Tristan Clark from Baylor to win the Big 12 player of the year. It hurts because, prior to his knee injury, he was a literal monster. He was scoring in double figures each game and blocking shots left and right. However, this season he is yet to find his footing. Baylor is the #1 team in the country at the time but their projected leader for the season can’t find his way off the bench. Instead, Jared Butler has taken over the reigns. Arizona, Villanova, and Kansas were also teams I said would win their conferences. Now, none of them are out of the running yet, but man at times they make me look like I don’t know anything about basketball. One game they dominate, next game no-show. All three of these teams have potential to beat anybody and many of their losses are close ones to good teams, but if you look at how they lost, it is just baffling. Arizona has a loss to St. Johns… not okay. Villanova has an embarrassing early season loss to a pretty decent Ohio State team, but they got flat out destroyed. Ironically, meshing all three of these teams together is that they have all lost to Baylor who I don’t think anyone predicted to be this good. But hey, that’s CBB for you.

Moving Forward

I have said College Basketball is chaos this season. It has been very exciting to watch, but depressing for anybody who may have a favorite team that they root for. I for one have given up on watching my Michigan Wolverines with the idea that we will ever win another game this year. If we win, great. If not, great. Since we all know I have been wrong before, I want you to take these end of the year predictions with a grain of salt. Let’s start with a bold (not really) prediction. UNC won’t win the ACC even with Cole Anthony scheduled to return in the near future. Kansas despite their recent fight and suspension of two key guys, will still win the Big 12. Instead of Tristan Clark, my new prediction for Player of the Year is Tyrese Haliburton from Iowa State. He is a skilled, playmaker with tons of NBA potential. I am standing by Villanova winning the Big East as well as Michigan State winning the surprisingly stacked Big Ten. Lastly, I showed a ton of love to Kentucky in my first post and I will take that a step further and say they will be playing in this year’s National Championship. I’ll bet pushups with you.

I hope you all enjoyed this sort of recap/bashing of my own predictions. I got a lot of laughs out of looking back and seeing where I went wrong and where I was right. Share the link if you like it, I will post the link to the original post as well so you can look back and follow along, or if you never read it you can start all over with me. I appreciate the support and you all taking the time to read my thoughts. Much love! – Quis

First Post: https://quistakes.home.blog/2019/10/30/my-first-post-college-basketball-top-25-my-projections/

My Thoughts on the CFB Playoff Games and a Look at the NFL Playoff Picture

Happy New Year everyone! The new year and decade has officially begun and with that I have more and more content to bring to you. This is our first post of 2020 so let’s make it count. Last weekend we saw the College Football Playoff, and the NFL Playoff seeding were also set. A lot to be excited about. Let’s get into it all.

CFB Playoff

LSU vs. Oklahoma was a game that many did not expect Oklahoma to win to begin with. Even still, there was no way we could have predicted what actually happened. From the start, Oklahoma was over matched. I had said Oklahoma needed to establish themselves running the football early to have a chance. They did the exact opposite. First play. Sack. Second play. Run stopped for -1 yards. Third play. Run stopped after 1 yard. Then Punt. Okay cool, game over. The sack set the tone and you could tell from there on LSU was going to be the aggressor. They played like the favorite. To make matters worse, LSU’s first possession took 53 seconds before they scored a touchdown. That was the tale of the night. Joe Burrow, quarterback for LSU, lit fire to Oklahoma. He finished the game with 7 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing. So 8 touchdowns…yeah crazy and the 7 passing touchdowns were all in the first half of the game. His receivers showed that they are in a tier that only Alabama may be able to rival. The LSU secondary solidified themselves as one of the best in the country. This team is the real deal. As far as Oklahoma goes, this one hurts all around. They have some players that are extremely talented on both sides of the ball and their coach Lincoln Riley knows what he is doing. It pains me to see Jalen Hurts go out like he did. He is one of the biggest competitors college football has seen. He’s overcome adversity time and time again, but this time it was just too much. Much success to him as he prepares for the draft. Same for Ceedee Lamb who is one of the most exciting receivers in College Football.

So what about the other game? The Michigan fan in me is beyond ecstatic! Now that’s out of the way. Ohio State lost to Clemson in what was a far more entertaining game than the former. Ohio State jumped out early, but they did not extend the lead nearly enough to hold off an offense as explosive as Clemson. There were a few controversial calls that Ohio State fans would argue took the game out of their control. I won’t say they are wrong, however there was a time I remember when a guy named JT Barrett got stopped short on 4th down against my Wolverines and you were gifted a first down that led to a game winning touchdown. So in short, too bad. Yes, it was 2016 and yes, I’m still bitter. Anyhow, Clemson was down 16-0 at one point. This team hadn’t trailed a game at halftime since September of 2018 but found themselves down 16-14 coming out of half. On this night, they stayed poised and roared back. Ohio State out-gained them 495 yards to 396 yards. The difference? Clemson scored touchdowns while Ohio State kicked field goals. Clemson protected the football while Ohio State gave it away. Clemson committed 6 penalties for 47 yards while Ohio State committed 8 for 77. You get it? That folks is how you lose football games. Ohio State had a chance at the end. As I sat watching the game I said Justin Fields would have to win the game with his arm. Was I right or was I right? Instead of winning it, he lost it throwing an interception to Clemson’s Nolan Turner at the end. Karma. Go Tigers!

NFL Playoffs

The NFL playoff field is set. In the AFC there are the #1 Ravens and #2 Chiefs who get first round byes. Followed by the Titans who will face the Patriots and the Bills who will face the Texans. On the NFC side you have the #1 49ers and the #2 Packers who get first round byes. Followed by the Saints who will face off against the Vikings and the Seahawks who will face off against the Eagles. I must say this is a solid field. The AFC favorites have to be the Ravens. They are a juggarnaut right now. But, the Chiefs still believe they should have been playing in the Super Bowl last year, and we cannot pretend the defending champion Patriots are going to give up without a fight. They have a winning formula if nothing else. The upstart Bills will be a tough matchup for anyone, though I don’t see them making it out this year. The Titans have been a pleasant surprise since switching to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback and if the Texans can protect Deshaun Watson he can make a lot of magical things happen on the football field. Should be a ton of fun to watch. I have the Ravens coming out of the AFC this year when it is all said and done. How fun would Patrick Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson be? WOW.

On the NFC side, the 49ers are the #1 seed and of course the odds on favorite. The 49ers defense is dangerous and the offense does more than enough to not lose them games. The NFC is packed with elite or close to elite quarterbacks however which is why I don’t see the 49ers making it our. The Saints have Drew Brees, the Packers have Aaron Rodgers, the Seahawks have Russell Wilson, the Eagles have Carson Wentz, the 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo and the Vikings have Kirk Cousins? Hey he’s good I guess. In the playoffs, one thing always pays to have and that is experience. Sorry Kirk Cousins and Jimmy G. This fight will be won by either the Packers, Saints, or Seahawks. Seattle and New Orleans both have top 10 offenses. The Packers are pretty middle of the road both offensively and defensively. The Saints have the edge defensively on both teams, so long as the secondary can make enough plays. Saints to the super bowl, I believe in Drew Brees and Sean Payton.

Previewing this Year’s NBA Christmas Day Games

The biggest day in the NBA outside of opening day and the finals is upon us. The NBA so graciously gifted us a series of quality NBA games and one not so much for our viewing pleasure on Christmas day. If you need to know what to expect, you’ve come to the right place. If you don’t need to know but found your way here, please stay. You are here now. Here is the rundown:

Celtics vs. Raptors – 12:00 PM

The first game of the day features the defending champion Raptors and the 2nd place team in the East, Celtics. This game has Eastern Conference Finals potential. The Celtics are led by Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum who is coming off a career high 39 point outing against the Hornets where 22 of those came in the fourth quarter. Many people thought the Celtics may not be as good without Kyrie Irving or Al Horford, but I’d argue they look even better. Brad Stevens has this team playing together and they are tough defensively. Toronto has been a pleasant surprise as well. It is tough winning the title and then losing your best player. Most teams would not be able to recover from that. The Raptors however have done just that. Bigger contributions from Kyle Lowry and massive improvement from last year’s Finals breakout star, Pascal Siakam have these Raptors right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors will be without Siakam, but I still expect this game to be competitive as ever. To add fuel to the fire, the Raptors haven’t lost to the Celtics when playing in Toronto since 2015-2016. My prediction: Celtics by 7.

Bucks vs. 76ers – 2:30 PM

The second game of the day is another Eastern Conference slugfest. The Milwaukee Bucks have Giannis Antetokoumpo. Is he the new king in the NBA? He sure thinks so. His average of 31 points and nearly 13 rebounds helps back it up. What he just did to Lebron and the Lakers would suggest a slight changing of the guard. If he continues to shoot the ball from 3 the way he has as of late, he just might be. The Bucks, however are more than just Giannis. They have a bevy of players that make them a tough out each and every night. So much so that they have only lost 4 games this season. That is good enough for the best record in the league. Kris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and Brook Lopez all average double figures along with Giannis. Off the bench they have Wes Matthews, Kyle Korver, and Donte DiVencenzo to pair with Robin Lopez. Is it championship or bust for the Bucks? It’s looking more and more like it. Their opponent out of Philadelphia are one of the more interesting teams in my opinion. For one, they haven’t played a Christmas Day game in a long time. If you keep up with the NBA, you know that is because the Sixers haven’t been very good until recently. They have all the talent in the world, but at times don’t put it all together. The 76ers big three features Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris. Three guys who could all be considered top 30 players in the league. The Bucks are first in points scored, the 76ers are third in points allowed. Who will prevail? My take: Bucks by 10.

Rockets vs. Warriors – 5:00 PM

Bad game alert! This game was supposed to be James Harden and Russell Westbrook dueling it out against Stephen Curry, D’Angelo Russell, and Draymond Green. The Rockets and Warriors have met 4 out of the last 5 times in the postseason. This was a potential sneak peak Western Conference playoff matchup. That was until Steph Curry went down, D’Angelo Russell started shooting everything and I mean everything, and Draymond showed that he really doesn’t have the same impact without guys like Steph and Klay. The Warriors have some young talent but it is just that. Young. Talent. Not NBA stars like the Rockets. James Harden is arguably the most skilled offensive player we have ever seen. When he has the ball in his hands it is pure magic what he can do. Couple that with Russell Westbrook and this team will just be far too much for the Warriors. Want to know how not important this game is? Draymond Green was surprised this game was still on for today. That is enough for me to know this won’t be worth watching. Rockets by 14.

Clippers vs. Lakers – 8:00 PM

THE GAME OF THE DAY. The King vs. The Klaw. The Battle of LA. The New Look Lakers vs. The New Look Clippers. The Clippers getting attention in LA? Never heard of it. That was until Kawhi came to town. That was until Paul George joined him. That was until Patrick Beverly bought the grit and toughness we haven’t seen in the NBA since they used to try to hurt Michael Jordan every play. The Lakers and the Clippers meet in prime time on Christmas Day. Lebron James and Anthony Davis just missed a game, but don’t worry they won’t miss this one. Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played back to back games all season due to “his knee”. But you better believe he will be there tonight. Patrick Beverly has a sore groin. Good luck keeping him off the floor. I am getting excited just writing about this one. The NBA features the best players in the world, they can turn it on when they want. Expect this one to be exciting. Expect Lebron to have something to prove as he has been tested by Giannis and now will be tested by Kawhi. Two players that people are trying to give his crown away to. Lakers coach, Frank Vogel was instrumental in the takeoff of Paul George’s career having coached him in Indiana. This game just has instant classic written all over it. The Clippers won the first matchup of the season. Stephen A. Smith argued Kawhi took Lebron’s heart in that game. Will they guard one another? Who really runs LA? We’ll see what happens. My guess: Lakers by 3.

Pelicans vs. Nuggets – 10:30 PM

The night cap features a game that originally was expected to be an exciting game of young star talent. The Pelicans being placed here is a complete result of the Zion Williamson effect. The issue, the Pelicans have no Zion Williamson. They still get up and down the floor though. Brandon Ingram is the early vote for Most Improved Player as he is averaging 25 points per game and 7 rebounds. The Pelicans have Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick. Their 8 wins isn’t a testament to the talent they have. With Zion they could have at least 8 more wins. The Nuggets are one of those teams that are very good, yet they do not get much attention. Part of it is because they do not have a huge marketable star. Another part is they play in Denver. Another part is they are in the West with the Lakers, Rockets, Clippers, Mavericks. Funny thing, the Nuggets are 2nd in the West only behind that Lakers team. The Nuggets core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Will Barton, and Paul Millsap are more than formidable. They want to make noise in the West this season come playoff time. You get your shot on National TV to make a statement. Nuggets by 10.

My Biggest Surprises of the NFL Season

With three weeks left in the NFL regular season, the pretenders and contenders have separated themselves. Some of our favorite teams have already eliminated themselves from playoff contention… and yes, I am sad. Jameis just can’t not throw picks each and every game, but hey, maybe next year. Jameis’ pick problem is no surprise, however, there are a lot of very intriguing things that have happened this season that I did not see coming. Let’s get into them.

Dallas and Philadelphia

Let’s get the big one out the way. Cowboys and Eagles fans let’s be real for a moment: you are two of the luckiest teams in the NFL. Thanks to the weak division that feature two teams who have a combined 6 wins, the Cowboys and Eagles who at this point are both not deserving of a playoff spot have life. That in itself is a surprise, but even more so these are two teams that people thought were easily playoff contenders. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, that offensive line, and a pretty solid defense was supposed to catapult the Cowboys back to glory. You fooled us, again. The Zeke holdout, the Dak contract, the Jason Garrett vs. Jerry Jones feud has done nothing but make the Cowboys a clown show. NFL.com had them preseason ranked at 8 in the NFL. This was supposed to be the year Dallas. Before this week, they hadn’t won a game vs. a team over .500. Now they are 7-7 going into a showdown with Philadelpha. And speaking of Philadephia, the Eagles aren’t much better. Instead of this being a same ol’ same ol’ situation like Dallas, the Eagles fall from grace is very surprising. 2 years ago they won the Super Bowl. Last season they were 9-7 and made it to the divisional game before losing to the New Orleans Saints in a close one. Carson Wentz was supposed to be the guy. He’s finally back and he was supposed to be the savior and MVP he appeared to be before the injuries. But he isn’t. He has looked lost on several occasions. They have injuries which are hard to overcome, but they do not do enough to help themselves. The defensive secondary has always been a weakness, but that coupled with an offense that has become predictable and off balance has bought them to 7-7. They lost to the Dolphins for crying out loud. The Cowboys and Eagles were supposed to be at the top of the NFC. Instead, they are fighting to win the NFC East. Whoever loses out, misses the playoffs. May the best(?) team win.

Pittsburgh Steelers

In the offseason when the Steelers let Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell walk, people thought they were all but done. The Steelers are one of the most recognizable and consistent franchises in the NFL, so this was a big deal. Then Big Ben went down and the flood gates were supposed to be open. Then more injuries to promising young talents in JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner was the final straw. Right? Wrong! The Pittsburgh Steelers sit at 8-6 and are second in the AFC North. Two names can be attributed to this success: Mike Tomlin and Minkah Fitzpatrick. If I had a vote, Mike Tomlin would win Coach of the Year, he is literally doing more with less. He has played 2 quarterbacks now that, if we are all being honest, don’t deserve to start in the NFL yet he is beating teams. The trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick made this defense DANGEROUS. Defense is about two things, toughness and swag. Sounds like the old school Steelers to me. Fitzpatrick bought the toughness and the swag to this defense and they are flying all over the place. It certainly helps your offense when the defense goes out and can score points for you. The Steelers have been nothing short of resilient. What a story.

Los Angeles Rams

Nobody saw this coming. The young, talented, and high-powered Rams were supposed to be getting revenge this year. They took the league by storm until the Patriots sent them right back to square one after a Super Bowl anihilation. Thanks New England, you ruined the Rams. The Rams have big money quarterback, Jared Goff. A brilliant minded coach. A superstar running back. Oh and Aaron Donald! Sounds like a nice little quartet to me. On top of that they have a talented receiving core and they traded for arguably the best corner in the game. Yet, the Rams are 8-6 and third in the NFC West. It doesn’t seem that bad on the surface, but just watching the Rams this year you can tell something is missing. The Cowboys destroyed them Sunday in a game that was never close from the start. They are well on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff race. They need to win and some folks have got to lose. Their next few games will be huge. After a loss to Dallas, a loss at San Fransisco or a loss at home against the Cardinals would mean it is all over. For a team with this much talent, both of these games are winnable. The 49ers game will be the toughest, especially after what just happened to them. Best case scenario, the Rams find their form and win out then get some help from other teams on the Wild Card bubble. Worst case, they lose either of these final two and miss the playoffs a year after going to the Super Bowl. Either way, not exactly the way you saw this season playing out for the Rams.

Baltimore Ravens

Two words: BIG TRUSS!! The Baltimore Ravens are THE most exciting football team in the NFL. The Ravens have been historically good so their record is not what is the big surprise. It has been how they play and how they have taken over the league. They are young and full of swag. From Lamar Jackson to Justin Tucker, the Baltimore Ravens are what America needs. The people said Lamar Jackson wouldn’t be a quarterback in the league; the people said John Harbaugh was crazy for giving up Joe Flacco to start him; the people said Hollywood Brown was too small to play receiver in the NFL. So on and so forth. The people were wrong about this Ravens team. Lamar Jackson leads the league in passing touchdowns and has just surpassed Michael Vick as the all-time, single-season rushing leader at quarterback. What is even more amazing is watching the camaraderie this team has. Mark Ingram has become the hype man of the century. John Harbaugh trusts Lamar Jackson with this offense. I mean, they even have a package that features RGIII who everyone has tried to write off (the “Heisman Package” features Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram, and RGIII). You see everyone on their sidelines cheering each other on no matter the situation and the swagger this team has just oozes out from player to player. The Ravens are for real! This is not a game, this should no longer be a surprise. Everyone has been put on notice.

As always, thank you for the love and support. Love always! – Quis

Is There a Clear Cut Favorite in CBB This Season?

*Clears throat* I AM BACK! It has been far too long friends. I apologize. I really do, I had to get my mind right and I am not going to lie to you, I started to take in so many games and so much news I could not keep up! I assure you more content is coming out over this holiday season so I hope you all are as excited as I am. But enough of me talking about me. Let’s talk sports.

College basketball is in full swing and man what is going on? Nobody wants to lock up the #1 spot and throw away the key! So truly, is there a favorite as of now to win the title? Short answer is no. Long answer… The Week 7 rankings just dropped and there are very few undefeated teams left. There are even fewer undefeated teams left with actual impressive wins. Louisville came into last week 9-0 at #1 but lost to Texas Tech at home. Ohio State also came into last week 9-0 but lost to Minnesota on the road. Maryland also lost to Penn State at home . That was 3 of the top 6 teams in the poll taking a loss. Auburn is still undefeated but their best win at this moment is against the University of Richmond. In 7 weeks of the AP poll, there have been 5 different teams to sit at #1. Duke and Louisville are the only teams to hold the spot longer than a week. Now it is Kansas’ turn. That says something to me about the state of college basketball. The tide is shifting, the tables are starting to balance out. The days where dominant freshman recruiting classes run through the season until tournament time are long gone. The last time we had an undefeated team in the NCAA tournament was 2014-2015 Kentucky. They didn’t even win it all that year. An undefeated champion hasn’t occurred since 1975-1976 when the Indiana Hoosiers coached by Bobby Knight and led by Scott May and Kent Benson (you’ll have to look them up just like me or take another look at the cover photo of this blog for reference). If I asked you who the best team in college basketball is right now, there would be tons of different answers. Is that a bad thing? No, not at all. This is what separates collegiate sport from professional sport. There is no such thing as a super team in college. You never know what will happen night in and night out, especially with conference play just beginning.

Power 5 schools had to fight through non-conference play and not just with one another. We saw Kentucky lose to Evansville at HOME; Duke lost to Stephen F. Austin at HOME; Dayton put everyone on notice in Maui with their ability to hang with the big boys. They beat a team from the ACC and the SEC before falling in a close one to Kansas. Michigan who has jumped onto the scene after big wins in Atlantis over UNC and Gonzaga have now lost 3 of their last 4 games. Speaking of UNC… Yeah, no. What is happening? I picked them to win the ACC, and as if they don’t already look bad, Cole Anthony is out indefinitely with an injury. Roy’s boys are in trouble. Michigan State who started the year #1 has 3 losses. Duke has had some bounce back since losing but they still lack a go-to scorer on the wing. Kansas who I spoke of earlier hasn’t lost since week 1, but they also have not truly been tested other than Dayton. They get Villanova later this week so we will see if they are made to last.

So yes, there is no clear #1 in CBB and that is okay! I love it this way. Imagine March Madness if it started today. Anyone can win and that is what makes college so great. We loved those dominant Kentucky teams. We loved the Fab Five, we loved the UVA comeback story. But this… this is so chaotic yet so beautiful at the same time. This is what college basketball is meant to be. There is your long answer.

Leave a comment under this post or on my social media saying who you think is the best team right now. I look forward to reading all the responses. As always, love you all! -Quis

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