by Nick Brower | Apr 3, 2018 | SPORTS
Villanova turned in another great performance last night as cruised past Michigan 79-62 to win the Men’s National Title last night. I’m personally crushed, as I had Michigan winning it all in my original bracket. That makes it two titles in the past three years and cements Villanova in college basketball’s history. They have undoubtedly been the best program in recent history. In the past five years they have won two national championships, four Big East titles, 165 wins and were a top two seed in the tournament all five seasons. They were above and beyond the best team throughout March and became one of four teams since 1985 to win all of its tournament games by double-digits. The Wildcats stayed true to their game and shot every team out of the gym like they had done all season long. The team set an NCAA record for 3-pointers made this year. They always have at least four shooters on the court and most of the time all five players are comfortable behind the arc. Jay Wright proved that he is one of the best coaches in the country. People are already calling for him to make the jump to NBA but I just don’t see it. Why would he leave Nova after building the program to where it is now? He’s in great position to continue this success for years to come with a culture that has kept many veterans with few one-and-dones. Plus, these days coaches at big programs are making just as much, if not more, as some coaches in the NBA. He’d be stupid to leave, regardless of his talent as a coach.
Donte Divincenzo was the hero of Nova, turning in 31 points off the bench. He would take home the Most Outstanding Player award. While he had the night of his life on the court, it didn’t end there. He had a spike in social media traffic and many people found some derogatory tweets on his account. Divincenzo has accepted that the account was his and it has not been actively used since he came to Villanova. The tweets mainly came from the time he spent in high school and contained several uses of the N-word and homosexual slurs. Villanova first told reporters that the account was hacked but they retract that statement after they found out they weren’t new tweets (dumbasses). Divincenzo has told reporters he doesn’t remember using those slurs in any tweets. It’s a shame that this will be what he is remembered for instead of his great performance, but there is no place for slurs like those in the world and he should hold himself to a higher standard.
by Nick Brower | Apr 3, 2018 | SPORTS
After the first weekend of baseball we have now seen Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher and as the DH for the Angels. He did not disappoint at either position. He singled in his very first at-bat and went on to go 1-5, but his swing looks promising. He made solid contact three times, putting the ball in play at 95, 102, and 104 mph. He has a smooth lefty swing that is quick and compact and is sure to deliver results as he gets more Major League at bats. He looks even more promising as a pitcher. Ohtani made his first start on Sunday and looked dominant. He struck out six over six innings with a fastball sitting around 98 and devastating breaking stuff. He only gave up three hits, one being a home run, and one walk and received the win. Sooner than later, the Angels will be faced with a big question. Do they continue to play him both ways? Can his body handle the grind of pitching and DH’ing? And if not, is he more valuable on the mound or at the plate? The early returns would say he is more valuable on the mound. He has the potential to be dominant in a time in baseball where starting pitching is at a low. Sure, there are some amazing aces, but there isn’t a lot of above average starters in the game right now while there are a lot of great hitters from the left side. In a perfect world Ohtani will continue to do both and excel, but this isn’t a perfect world. One thing is for sure, the Angels will be on the hot seat all year long with how they handle the situation.
by Nick Brower | Apr 3, 2018 | SPORTS
Bryce Harper has always been a fast starter. He has had great Aprils the past three seasons. In 2015 he smacked five home runs in April on his way to an MVP season. The last two Aprils he hit nine a piece, but injuries slowed down his season. This year, he’s hit three already in just four games and is yet to strike out while slashing .417/.550/1.167. The question is, which Harper will we see this year? When he’s healthy, he is automatically in the MVP discussion. His swing is that elite and he is one of the most exciting personalities in the league. But can he stay on the field this year? The Nationals have a great roster again, but they’ll be no threat to other NL powerhouses without Harper for any extended periods. But Bryce’s heath will have a bigger influence on baseball at large than the Nationals. Harper is in his contract year and has the potential to shatter the free agent records for the biggest deals of all time. If he is healthy and puts up MVP-like numbers this year like we all expect him to, he could be looking at a $400 million pay day next winter. There’s no doubt he’s worth it in today’s market and there will be plenty of teams willing to dish out a long term deal for the young superstar. But another injury-riddled season could scare some of those teams off. He needs to prove he can be healthy, even if that means toning it down a touch. I don’t want to see Harper running through any walls this year, he’s too valuable to the game. Let’s see if we get 2015 Bryce again, I hope he sets the league on fire.
by Nick Brower | Mar 30, 2018 | SPORTS
Well we’ve finally reached the Final Four. If you’re bracket is still in good shape, God bless you. Mine has a lone survivor in Michigan. The tournament has been full of drama, close games, and upsets so far. #11 Loyola-Chicago has orchestrated the majority of those upsets and joins a few other #11 seeds as the highest seed to reach the Final Four in the history of the tournament (George Mason in 2006 most recently). They will face #3 Michigan on one side of the bracket at 6:09 tomorrow evening. On the other side, we have two #1 seeds in Villanova and Kansas facing off at 8:49. Both games are sure to be exciting as no one wants to go home at this point. They are so close they can taste it. Let’s breakdown both games.
In the early matchup Loyola-Chicago will have to play their best game yet to keep their dream alive against Michigan. Loyola-Chicago’s strength has to be their versatility. They can put five guys on the court at all times that can all pass, dribble, shoot and defend multiple positions. The problem is, so can Michigan. I think the difference maker here is Mo Wagner. The Ramblers are weakest in the paint and if Wagner can work down low and assert some physicality the Wolverines will be able to control the game. Look for Michigan’s permitter defense to continue to be great as well as Simpson, Matthews and Abdur-Rahkman can all cause problems for ball handlers. In the end, I think Michigan handles business and moves on to the Championship. It has been a magical run for Loyola-Chicago, but history shows that midnight usually strikes in the Final Four for our Cinderellas.
In the late game we’ve got a matchup of two powerhouse programs. The Wildcats are playing great ball once again on the backs of their superstar guard Jalen Brunson. Brunson has been historically efficient this season from the point guard position and always has Villanova playing well on the offensive end. Nova’s ability to switch all screens also makes them a defensive juggernaut. Their length and athleticism across the board makes life miserable on opposing offenses. Nova has plenty of shooters too and can chase a team right out of the gym from behind the arc if they get hot. Kansas can also shoot the lights out of the building. Devonte Graham and Malik Newman have this offense firing on all cylinders. With both teams shooting the ball so well, I think it will come down the play in the paint. Udoka Azubuike has been playing great as he is returning to full health and has the ability to dominate down low. If he can assert his will, the Jayhawks will be moving on. And I think he will. Expect a big night from Azubuike, who will be playing in front of his mother for the first time, and expect Kansas to move on.
So there you have it, I’ve got Michigan and Kansas moving on and battling for the Championship on Monday. Make sure to check back here Monday afternoon to see if I was right and I’ll get you all set for the Championship game no matter who is playing in it.
by Nick Brower | Mar 30, 2018 | SPORTS
With the Warriors’ loss to the Bucks last night, Houston has officially clinched the one seed in the West and will have home-court advantage throughout the Western playoffs. Another win this weekend will lock in the best overall record, securing home-court in the Finals as well, if they should make it. This breaks the Warrior’s three year streak of being the regular season kings of the West. It was a tight race until Houston began to pull away in March thanks to a slew of injuries for Golden State. Houston still probably would have won the West even if Golden State was healthy. The offense led by Harden and CP3 is by far the most efficient and powerful in the league and their defense has been much better than in years past, ranking in the top ten. They will still have to prove themselves in the postseason, but securing home court is a huge step in the right direction. Since the playoffs were expanded to the 16-team format, 56% of the 68 teams to compete in the Finals were one-seeds. An incredible 84% of teams were either one or two seeds. Having home court has proven to be crucial in making it to the Finals and now the Rockets are all set to make their run. If we do see the Houston-Golden State matchup we all expect in the Conference Finals, that last home game might end up being decisive. With only seven games left in the regular season, the Rockets can rest, get their rotation set and get ready for the battle ahead.
by Nick Brower | Mar 30, 2018 | SPORTS
George Springer led off for the Astros in Arlington yesterday against the Rangers just like he did for most of last season. And just like last season, he started the Astros season with a leadoff home run. He ended last year on a crazy tear with eight extra-base hits and 29 total bases in the World Series (both records) and apparently the winter wasn’t long enough for him to cool off. Springer took the third pitch of the game and smacked it into the right-field seats. Houston went on to win the game 4-1 while Springer made history. According to Elias, Springer is the first player to ever hit leadoff home runs in consecutive season openers. It is also the first time the defending World Series champs have started the next season with a leadoff home run. What was that I was saying about history in baseball? Oh yeah, it’s awesome, and I love when new stuff happens. If you don’t get it, check out my last post. Opening Day definitely did not disappoint this year and if it is any indication of what’s to come, we’re in for one hell of a season.
