College Basketball Season Outlook 2015-2016

With the college basketball season starting in just a few short weeks, the USA Today Coaches Poll recently released the top 25 best teams in the preseason. There is no surprise that Kentucky is again number 1 in the top 25 poll after another strong recruiting class . New recruits include New Jersey 5 star recruit in point guard Isaiah Briscoe, from Roselle Catholic Highschool. Other recruits include 4 star recruit, Skal Labissiere, Isaac Humphries, Charles Matthews, Mychal Mulder, and Jamal Murray. Key departures include: Karl Anthony Towns, Marcus Lee, Tyler Ulis, Willy Cauley-Stein, and Devin Booker. All were selected in the 1st round of the 2015 NBA draft. Kentucky now looks to remain number 1, even though key losses plague the chemistry. Key players are needed in order to fulfill the expectations after Kentucky's perfect season fell apart last season in the NCAA tournament.
     Perhaps the biggest surprise in the poll is North Carolina Tar Heels coming in at number 2. With the return of Marcus Paige and Kennedy Meeks, along with one of the best recruiting classes in several years, the Tar Heels are poised to finish in the top 10 in the country going into the NCAA tournament. However, with an ongoing investigation over NCAA violations, the season could be destroyed depending on when the NCAA hands down the penalties.
     Maryland University is also a surprise in the poll. Coming in at number 3 in the top 10, the Terraphins are a team to watch in the upcoming season. Melo Trimble, who averaged 16.3 PPG and 3.1 assists per game, and the addition of Rasheed Sulaimon, former Duke shooting guard who was ineligible last season, could easily have one of the most underrated back courts in college basketball. Maryland is also big down low. Damonte Dodd, Diamond Stone and Michael Cicovsky are also a force down low. All 3 are taller than 6'11.
     Duke looks to go on a title defense run this season without Jahlil Okafor. However, the veteran presence in Miles Plumlee and the new young talent coming up are looking to replace Okafor's production. The Duke play style will most likely change because of the lack of size in the post area. Coach K will most likely roll with a 4 guard offense to start off the season, until a proven center emerges to make the offense more conventional.
     Kansas University ranks number 5. After a disappointing season just a year ago, Kansas looks to re emerge as a top program in the AP top 25 poll after another strong recruiting class. The addition of 6'9 5 star recruit Chieck Diallo will help fill the void left by the departure of Cliff Alexander. The agile forward will provide valuable minutes off the bench for the Jay Hawks this season as he looks to learn from Perry Ellis and Jamari Traylor. When he gets the opportunity, Diallo could help the Jay Hawks in the later stretch of the season.
        Other notable teams in the Top 25 that could make a run this season: Villanova- Nova currently ranks number 9 in the preseason rankings. The addition of 5 star recruit Jalen Brunson and the return of Ryan Archidiacono, makes the back court tough to deal with. The defense will most likely improve as the season continues and the chemistry improves. The loss of talented small forward Darren Hilliard could hold the team back this season. The vital hole at small forward and a lack of height could lead to tough games against ranked opponents throughout the height. LSU- LSU currently ranks number 19 in the top 25 preseason rankings. The addition of Ben Simmonds (Projected to be number 1 overall pick in 2016 NBA Draft) and 5 star recruit Antonio Blakeney, will propel LSU into many tough debates this season. The team itself lacks experience, but once the chemistry between Blakeney and Simmonds heats up, the outlook on this team will heat up as well. Another contributor in the offense needs to emerge as well.
     Teams on the bubble that will have good seasons: Cincinnati- After nearly beating Kentucky last season, Cincinnati continues to improve. Farad Cobb and Octavius Ellis will most likely carry the team once again. Although, Cincy right now is unproven, key conference wins could make them a contender leading up to March Madness. Davidson-Davidson is on the outside looking in right now before the season. With 5 players on the roster 6-10 and larger, Davidson could easily be one of the best defensive teams in the country, especially on the defensive and offensive glass. Finding a leader and a high quality scorer is pivotal to Davidson's success this season.
 

March Madness Projections

As the season starts to wind down in February, and the NCAA tourney begins to heat up, there are many story lines being brought into play. The Kentucky Wildcats are looking to enter the tournament undefeated, which would be the best feat for a college basketball team in over several decades. The contributed success could be given to the stacked lineup, which has an NCAA leading 9 upcoming NBA players. The system implemented for the Kentucky program insures equal playing time as well as a strong balance on the defensive and offensive sides of the game.

Virginia is currently 2nd in the nation behind the top defense in the NCAA. All year long, they been near the top of the AP top 25 rankings after starting the season 19-0, a late January loss to the Duke Blue Devils dropped them two spots to number 4. Virginia is one of the hottest teams in the country right now, and they look to continue their hot streak into the NCAA tourney.

Gonzaga is currently ranked 3rd in the rankings, and may be considered one of the most surprising teams in the top 5. However, a star studded back court that includes Kevin Pangos have propelled them to a 26-1 start.

Duke is ranked 4th in the country. Many argue that duke should be ranked higher in the standings because of their success this season against top 10 ranked teams this season, but 2 bad losses keep them out of the top 3 spots. The bright spot for the Blue Devils this season have been Jahlil Okafor, who solidified himself as the top scoring big man in the NCAA, and star guards Quinn Cook and Justice Winslow who have combined to score nearly 24 points per game.

Villanova has emerged as the quietest top 5 team in the rankings as the season slowly begins to wind down. They have received the fewest criticism thus far in the season, and their experienced team helped them to a 24-2 start to the season. Up and down the lineup the roster is stellar, which only got better as the season progressed. The play of Pinkston and Ochefu have considered Nova to have the most feared front court in the NCAA.

March Madness Projections
1 seeds Kentucky, Duke, Virginia, Villanova
Each of these teams played well in stronger schedules and conferences, which is why Gonzaga will be seed #2.
2 seeds Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas
3 seeds Notre Dame, Louisville, Utah, Wichita State
4 seeds Maryland, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Arkansas
5 seeds Oklahoma, North Carolina, SMU, Ohio State
6 seeds West Virginia, Baylor, VCU, Butler

Who squeaks in?
1 Seton Hall
The upset against Villanova earlier in the season could prove to be enough to get them in the tournament. Expect a 9 seed.
2 Providence
Providence played a tough schedule this year, but through the years, a strong finish to the season has propelled them into the tournament. They are currently outside the bubble looking in at 18-8
3 Temple
They are currently 19-7 but a few key wins can get them back into the tourney. The most notable upset this season: Kansas Jayhawks.

Biggest Snubs: Who is out?
1 Florida
After having a great season last year, and doing well in the tournament last year, the Gators failed to replace Scottie Wilbekin and now see their hopes of getting in go down the tubes. Gators are currently under .500 for the first time in several years
2 UCONN
The reigning National Champs have had a disappointing season following tough losses to unranked teams. Unless the Huskies do well in the conference tournament, they are most likely out of the picture this season.
3 Michigan
Following the departure of player of the year canidate Nik Stauskus last season, the Wolverines struggles against a dominant Big 10 conference. In the NCAA tournament last season, the hot end to the season helped them into the elite 8.

Stuart Scott

This week, we as a nation said goodbye to one of the most influential people of this era due to cancer. Stuart Scott died from cancer at the age of 49 and looking back, his life was filled with inspiration and he taught people to never give up. He fought cancer for over 7 years and when he died, he wanted everyone to know that he didn't lose to cancer, he simply beat it by living his life the way he wanted to live it. Stuart Scott was an analyst for ESPN, but he did more for people than his job required. He would spend his time talking to people, cheer them up, and let them know about his journey and how he managed to cope with cancer.
      As a analyst and reporter on sportscenter, Stuart Scott made many remarkable feats including interviewing the San Antonio Spurs when they won the NBA Finals last season. Of course that is not all of his accomplishments. He has made an impact on the entire community with his motivational speeches and words of encouragement to those in need of support and those struggling with cancer.
This is one quote from one of the many people who shared his love and his moments with him:

"I will miss Stuart Scott. Twenty years ago, Stu helped usher in a new way to talk about our favorite teams and the day's best plays. For much of those twenty years, public service and campaigns have kept me from my family -- but wherever I went, I could flip on the TV and Stu and his colleagues on SportsCenter were there. Over the years, he entertained us, and in the end, he inspired us -- with courage and love. Michelle and I offer our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and colleagues," President Barack Obama.

He was given the perseverance award at the ESPY's last year, and his speech brought many people to tears. He spread his words of motivation through his ESPY's speech and used Jimmy V's iconic theme of "Don't Give Up and Don't Give Up." Moments of silence was held in many NFL, NBA and college basketball games including his alma mater North Carolina.

NFL Investigating Patriots

Following the 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday evening, the NFL has decided to investigate the Patriots role in the Colts' struggles. The claim that was made was that the Patriots intentionally deflated the footballs to below regulation size. The deflated footballs provide an unfair advantage to the opposing team and directly affects the passing game. It is said that a deflated football is easier to catch and provides a better grip, however, deflated footballs lead to below average throws and lobbed passes. The NFL states in their rulebook that:

"Once the balls have left the locker room, no one, including players, equipment managers, ball boys, and coaches, is allowed to alter the footballs in any way. If any individual alters the footballs, or if a non-approved ball is used in the game, the person responsible and, if appropriate, the head coach or other club personnel will be subject to discipline, including but not limited to, a fine of $25,000."

The penalty associated with this type of crime could be a loss of draft picks in the upcoming draft, as well as a suspension for anyone involved with deflating the footballs, including head coaches and any other coaches who had any connections to the footballs. The rules also state that the head referee checks each game ball before it enters the field of play, which means if there was any question, the investigation should be focused on the referees for not doing their jobs. The scandal is thought to occur in the 3rd quarter. The real question is, how would they have time to deflate the footballs? If every player, coach and personnel was in the locker room for halftime, how could the footballs be deflated? 

      If the Patriots are found guilty following the investigation, it wouldn't be the first time the Patriots were caught for cheating. Back in 2007, Bill Belichick was accused of taping teams practices and using the footage to create play schemes that would help them beat the opponent. Of course, later that season, the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl. So it raises the question regarding the deflate-gate and how it is connected to the Super Bowl. People immediately connect the 2 scandals together and automatically assume that a team who cheats like the Patriots don't deserve to make the big stage because they want to see a different team in it. In response to the allegation, star quarterback for the Patriots Tom Brady replied with this:

I think I've heard it all at this point ... it's ridiculous. I don't even respond to stuff like this.

The game conditions in Gilette Stadium the whole game was heavy downpours along with over 10mph winds which could have impacted the size of the football.  The New England Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl in 2 weeks, and it will be the Patriots first trip back to the Super Bowl since 2007.

Referee Pete Morelli Had Four Penalties In Key Play

Following the Lions 24-20 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, the whole country turns its eye on the controversial no call following the possible defensive interference. It was originally called on the field as Defensive Interference and was deserving of an automatic first down but the flag was picked up by other members of the referee crew. Many factors played into the ruling but the persuasion by the Cowboys personnel seemed to contribute mightily on the decision. The star wide receiver stormed onto the field and argued the call right before the flag was picked up, but the actions by Dez Bryant was deserving of a misconduct penalty, which would give the Detroit Lions a first down anyway. But instead the jurisdiction was not given and no penalties were enforced, and the Lions had to stay on the field with 4th and 1 and needed to convert in order to keep momentum. An A gap blitz by the middle linebacker was too much for Detroit's O line, and Stafford was sacked and they turned it over on downs.
      In college rules, the play between Pettigrew and Hitchens is considered illegal because face guarding was not allowed, however, in the NFL the concept is completely legal and no penalty could be handed down if it were ever to happen again. In the NFL rule books, it states in terms of positioning to the ball, that contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver's opportunity to make the catch. In the play, Hitchens did not turn his head completely around when the ball arrive, and he was playing the man and not the ball. He grabbed the bottom of Pettigrew's jersey to catch up after he was beat at the line of scrimmage and prevented him from catching the ball cleanly.
     The views of the referee who made the call blows this story out of proportion because his views distort the actuality of the play itself when it happened live. He stated that the contact was far less than he expected, however, from his vantage point there was a lot of contact against the man that prevented the receiver from making the catch.

"The back judge threw his flag for defensive pass interference," Morelli said in a pool report. "We got other information from another official from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn't warrant pass interference. He thought it was face guarding."

The result of the referee's inadvertent decision cost the Lions the chance to end their postseason slump as they were tied for the longest drought in NFL history. Their last win came in 1992, which is one of the longest stretches ever to not win a postseason game. Dallas will move on to play Green Bay Packers next week, while the Panthers take on the Seahawks.

Villanova Loses First Game of Season

After starting of the season 13-0, which is tied for best career start for the program, Villanova went down with the defeat in over time against Seton Hall. It took more than regulation to defeat Villanova, but Seton Hall was able to win 66-61. Many factors played into this game. One factor that contributed to this game is Villanova played away from home in a jam packed arena in Newark, NJ. Throughout the game, it was visible that the crowd played a role in Seton Hall's success, as this was the first time a Seton Hall game was sold out in over 20 years.
        The biggest worry all day for the Wildcats was covering the Seton Hall Pirates best player Sterling Gibbs. He wrecked the Wildcats defense and scored 20 points on 8-20 shooting. (40%). He also contributed to the offense and dished out 4 assists. He was contained pretty well in the second half, as he was doubled nearly every time he touched the ball.
       For the Wildcats, the leading scorers was junior forward Daniel Ochefu with 19 points and senior guard Darrun Hilliard II with 14. The most notable player that struggled in the game was JayVaughn Pinkston and Ryan Arcidiacono, who contribute significantly on the offensive side of the game. But the major weakness Villanova had all season continued today, as they lacked points off the bench, and continuously turning the ball over. Nova turned it over 16 times, but they had about 4-5 in the overtime period which proved to be very costly. In just of series of 30 seconds, Seton Hall was able to capitalize off Nova's turnovers and convert it into points down the other end. The 3 guys coming off of Nova's bench scored a total of 15 points, which is below average in many close games. Seton Hall had Khadeen Carrington, who was a great compliment to Sterling Gibbs, and expose the Villanova defense. He had a total of 17 points, and torched the defense in the final minutes of the game. Seton Hall also kept the number of turnovers in the game. They only had 11, with many coming in the first half. Looking ahead following the win, they play Xavier, Creighton, and Butler in Big East play and look to extend their 12-2 record on the season. Following the loss, Jay Wright will have to have his team bounce back against #15 St. John's, DePaul and Xavier. They have to avenge their loss in order to stay near the top of the AP Rankings.

Torture Report

After reading the article posted by cnn.com, I believe the torture report will affect the CIA's image going forward because the type of acts referenced in the report is simply not tolerated at all in modern day society. This report was just released nearly 13 years after the 9/11 attacks. So why does it take this long to expose the CIA? Just the fact that the CIA used these techniques are simply shocking.
     If you look within the report some of the techniques stated include waterboarding, mock executions, rectal feeding, sleep deprivation, and threats of rape. These techniques go against the constitution of the United States, as well as the Declaration of the United States. Not only did it go against people's basic rights, but it was also a violation of freedom, as expressed in the Declaration. The CIA had no right to forcefully interrogate people, especially to the point of death. It was completely illegal, and I believe the government has the right to send any people  involved in this to trial, to eliminate the possibility of future corruption. This type of corruption occurs in other countries as well, but as a country that prides itself on being free.
     This is not the first time U.S. Congress wanted to reform the CIA. Back in the 1970's, it was discovered that Sen. Frank Church's representatives had been involved in assassination attempts and spied on U.S. citizens. This led to reform Congress was able to pass Foreign Intelligence Act. This type of reform could be used in conjunction with the 8th amendment of the constitution. Although the amendment specifically addresses cases in Supreme court, it should be extended into the Intelligence Organization as well. The amendment prevents cruel and unfair punishment, and should be applied to this case as well. Reform is needed for a better CIA, and it all starts at the hands of the U.S. government, and once they do this, the country will be more united.