the week that was

Let me first start off by talking about the Duke vs Wake Forest game. That was a very frustrating game for me to watch. I'm going to be honest though, as poorly as Duke played I was encourage at how much heart they showed in coming back and making it a game. This pains me to say, but the better team on that night won. 

This was the first time I've watched Wake Forest play and I have a few thoughts on the game:

 

1) Wake is a huge team! The smallest starter they have is 6'2, and he's their best scorer! Their size was a big factor is shutting Duke down on the perimeter. Duke's shooters were bothered all night by Wake's size. Although Duke was outmatched size-wise, they still out rebounded the Demon Deacons by four, the biggest factor of their size was on Duke's guards.

2) Duke doesn't quit. This has been a staple of Coach K's teams for years but this squad showed maturity in not folding. No one, and I mean NO ONE, outside of Singler and Gerald Henderson did much of anything in the second half and Duke still almost won.

3) Brian Zoubek is a waste of space. This guy is 7'0 tall and plays like he's a 180 pound 6'3 wimp! How bad do you have to be that your coach doesn't even trust you to be in on the last play against a team with Wake Forest's size?

4) The last play. That play infuriated me! Duke made one heck of a comeback and then lost on a lay up! That's fundamental stuff right there and Duke had a mental breakdown at the worst possible time. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

5) What a great defensive game. Both teams were very solid defensively, as evident by the final score. Wake was especially impressive. They forced Duke into many uncharacteristic turnovers and kept the Blue Devils out of rhythm most of the game.

6) Gerald Henderson is blossoming into a superstar. Watching this guy attack the hoop is one of my favorite things in sports right now. He reminds me of a raw Grant Hill during his early Duke years. This guy is a freak athlete (see: reverse and-1 dunk vs Wake in the 2nd half). 

7) I almost feel sorry for Virginia. UVA has to play Duke coming off of a loss, at Cameron Indoor. Coach K's teams have a history of playing great basketball coming off of a loss, unfortunately for Virginia, they are the next opponent or the Blue Devils. Look for this game to be a blowout. 

8) Does no one want to be #1? In the span of four weeks there has been four different #1 teams. Next up looks to be UConn who's next game is against a red-hot Louisville team. I think we will see a fifth #1 in five weeks come February 9th.

In more basketball news, Lipscomb is on the road this weekend in Florida with games against Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast. Riding a two game win streak into the Stetson game we're looking to build on the momentum we've gained the past week and continue our stellar play. 

Look for Adnan Hodzic and Josh Slater to once again lead the charge for the Bisons in these two games. Also keep an eye out for Michael Teller, he is a great shooter who is due for a big night.

Hope you got your fill of basketball, I'll be back post-Super Bowl with my thoughts on that game as well as the commercials. 

This weekends predictions:

Lipscomb-70, Stetson-65

This week in sports

Let me first say that this blog is about sports, mainly football, basketball and baseball (my three favorite). I am a die hard Duke basketball, Lipscomb Basketball, Red Sox and University of Tennessee (football only) fan, so I will be speaking at length about those teams. Everything I share on here is my opinion, I like to think I'm always right, but as my friends like to constantly remind me, I'm not. 

Just to clear the air before I begin my thoughts on this week, I realize that my list of favorite teams is eclectic. I assure you that I have reasons for all of them and have not wavered from cheering for them even during hard times (UT anyone?). I will discuss how I came about liking those teams at a later date.

Now, this week is a big week in the sports for me. Super Bowl week, Duke is #1 again, and Lipscomb is on a two game win streak heading into this weekends games. 

Let me first begin with the Super Bowl. The Steelers and their #1 defense vs the feel good story of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals. As a neutral fan of the NFL I like to watch players, so for me this Super Bowl I will be rooting for the Cardinals. How could you not? Unless you are a Steelers fan or have some random reason for not liking the Cardinals (Matt Leinart perhaps?) I don't see how you can't be pulling for the underdogs. They have a QB in Kurt Warner who everyone thought his better years were behind him, an over achieving defense that always seems to come up with the big stop, and the best wide receivers in the league. Don't believe me? Youtube Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and watch their highlights. (Speaking of Larry Fitzgerald, check out this Rick Reilly article on ESPN)   On the other side you have the grind it out offense run by Big Ben (from my home state of Ohio) and a defense that is lights out. 

On paper the Steelers are a run-away favorite, in my opinion, but that's why the game is played on the field and not paper. But as the Cardinals have proven all year, and as the Giants proved last year, it's all about when you get hot and start clicking as a team that counts. My prediction for the game is a 20-13 Cardinals upset. 

Speaking of clicking as a team, how about Duke? The Blue Devils are a great defensive team and looking like a Final Four team. I realize that being ranked #1 means nothing unless it's at the end of March madness, but I find great satisfaction in the ranking after hearing nothing but UNC all pre-season and most of the first two months of the season. This week presents a huge test with a road game at last weeks #1 team, Wake Forest. I am very excited about this game and think it'll come down to who controls the pace. I think Coach K will have this team ready and their defense will again be their best offense. Final score, Duke 83, Wake Forest 80. 

Staying with the Basketball theme, my other favorite college team, Lipscomb, has put together two solid games in a row. After a five game losing skid, all of which were lost in the last couple of minutes and one at the buzzer, it looks as though this young team is finally starting to put it together. We ( I say "we" because I am the manager for the team) head to Florida this weekend for two games against Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast. The game Saturday against Stetson has some added incentive for us as this was the team that sent us on our five game skid and a win on their home court would be a first for Lipscomb. From there we head Fort Myers where we will have to watch the Super Bowl in our hotel Sunday night. Monday night we'll face a decent Florida Gulf Coast team. Being four games under .500, every game is a big one for Lipscomb. 

The biggest issue this year for LU is consistency. On any given night this team can beat anyone in the Atlantic Sun, and on any given night anyone in the A-Sun can beat them. When this team is clicking, they are a very, very good team. But as with most young teams, learning to play consistently night in and night out is key. I'm hoping that we can put it all together these last two months of the season and make it into the big dance.

Those are my thoughts on this week for now, check in later in the week to see how my prediction on the Duke game went. Until then, enjoy sports fans.