The Improbable Run

“Arcidiacono passes to Jenkins, this shot for the championship” Obviously now you know the ball swished threw the hoop, Carolina kids crying on the bench while the cats jumped on Jenkins like he was a god. Simply put, Villanova and Jay Wright proved all the doubters wrong.

There has always been a theory for some teams but the main one is really Villanova. Sure they have tough kids from Philly, they are well coached, they shoot well, defend their hearts out and play well in the regular season. But when it comes to the tournament, they would have an early exit because they always underperform, that’s what they do. Two years ago they were a two seed, advanced to the second round before loosing to the eventual champs Uconn. The next year they played NC state and lost in the second round in a heartbreaker. They didn’t play awful by any stretch but they always never seemed to be shooting well in those games and it was always “the other teams night”year in and year out. But this year was different. This Tournament was different. Right when they lost to Seton Hall in the finals in the Big EAST championship, a game which I had attended, it was here we go again another early exit. Then when they found their draw as the last number two seed and potentially having to play a temple or Iowa in the second round, people jumped on early exit for Nova. They also had the likes of Miami and Kansas ready to eat Nova up and spit them right back out. But maybe the old guys for Nova (veteran group) got sick of hearing all of the chirps of them not getting it done when it matters. Ryan Arcidiacono, who has been at Nova as long as Ellis has been at Kansas, along with the crew of Hart, Jenkins, and Ofecu would rise to the occasion and claim the trophy as the best team in the nation. After cruising to a victory over UNC Ashville, they collided with Iowa. Iowa had struggled as of late, but they were a top 10 team for a good portion of their season and may play up to their competition. Wrong. Nova destroyed them 87-68, but the game was over by halftime. Next up was Miami. A team that many liked to beat Nova because of guard play, athleticism and experience. Villanova came out firing and hit three pointer after three pointer. In a game that was supposed to be a close back and forth game, it ended up being 92-69 and ending the canes’ run. Now for the biggest one yet. Kansas. Kansas was the best team in the country in many’s eyes and had a great blend of talent and experience. They were led by Ellis, Selden, Mason, and Graham. They hadn’t lost since Mid-January and came into the game with a lot of swagger. Even though Kansas was slightly the better team, Villanova played hounding defense and got Kansas out of it’s rhythm. The goal to do so was get Ellis off his game and he finished with a season low four points. Every time he got the ball there were three guys surrounding him. It worked, every guy seemed to be off their game. Kansas was held to a season low 59 points. With clutch free throw shooting and timely steals, Villanova snuck by Kansas 64-59 and was off to Houston for the final four. Facing them was another talented big 12 team in Oklahoma led by the best player in the country. They frustrated buddy in to taking tough shots and made the “other guys” on Oklahoma beat them and held Buddy to 9 points. It also helps that they were 71% from the floor and made everything beyond the three point line while Oklahoma couldn’t buy a bucket.  They cruised 95-51 and we in the finals. One more team they conquered. One more win and they are champs. They could taste it. Standing in their way was big bad North Carolina. They were considered to be the most talented team in the country and were led by big man Brice Johnson. One more guy to shut down. Experts were picking UNC and still disrespecting the cats. Brice Johnson, the best big man in CBB had the quietest 14 points ever and was a non factor. The game went back and forth, with unsung heroes like Phil Booth stepping up and giving them big time minutes off the bench and totaling 20 points. Nova was up by 10 with 4 min left and most thought it was over. But senior point guard Marcus paige for UNC willed the team back and tied the game up with a ridiculous double clutch three point shot to tie the game. It would have been Mario Chalmers esc if not for Kris Jenkins. With 4.7 seconds on the clock, Arcidiacono got the ball and got by Berry and seemed like he was going to take the shot, it was his time. But the player who in- bounded the ball Kris Jenkins, the teams best shooter known for his threes received a scoop pass from Arch and shot the ball with his sweet stroke. Swish. Ball Game. If you had told me before the tourney that Nova would win I wouldn’t have believed you. But they proved everyone wrong and they now have the respect that they deserve.

~Riley Glenn

BIG BOARD TOP 70

1. Jalen Ramsey CB/S Florida State
2. Myles Jack LB UCLA
3. Laremy Tunsil OT Ole Miss
4. Deforest Buckner DE Oregon
5. Ezekiel Elliot RB Ohio State
6. Joey Bosa DE Ohio State
7. Carson Wentz QB NDSU
8. Jared Goff QB Cal
9. Vernon Hargreaves CB Florida
10. Ronnie Stanley LT Notre Dame
11. Shaq Lawson DE Clemson
12. Darron Lee LB Ohio State
13. Jarran Reed DT Alabama
14. Leonard Floyd EDGE Georgia
15. Laquan Treadwell WR Ole Miss
16. Karl Joesph S West Virginia
17. Eli Apple CB Ohio State
18. Jaylon Smith LB Notre Dame (Injured)
19. Kenny Clark DT UCLA
20. Reggie Ragland LB Alabama
21. Josh Doctson WR TCU
22. Jack Conklin OT Michigan State
23. Taylor Decker OT Ohio State
24. Corey Coleman WR Baylor
25. Kamalei Correa EDGE Boise state
26. William Jackson III CB Houston
27. Ryan Kelly C Alabama
28. Sheldon Rankins DT Louisville
29. Derrick Henry RB Alabama
30. Kevin Dodd DE Clemson
31. Emmanual Ogbah DE Oklahoma state
32. Chris Jones DT Mississippi State
33. Michael Thomas WR Ohio State
34. Jason Spriggs LT Indiana
35. Hunter Henry TE Arkansas
36. Cody Whitehair G Kansas State
37. Noah Spence EDGE Eastern Kentucky
38. Vernon Butler DT Louisiana Tech
39. Andrew Billings DT Baylor
40. Mackensie Alexander CB Clemson
41. Robert Nkemdiche DL Ole Miss
42. Jonathon Bullard DE Florida
43. Kendall Fuller CB Virginia Tech
44. Will Fuller WR Notre Dame
45. Vonn Bell S Ohio State
46. Tyler Matakevich LB Temple
47. Paxton Lynch QB Memphis
48. Kenneth Dixon RB Louisiana Tech
49. Sterling Shepard WR Oklahoma
50. Austin Johnson DT Penn State
51. Connor Cook QB Michigan State
52. Carl Nassib DE Penn State
53. Joshua Perry LB Ohio State
54. Braxton Miller WR Ohio State
55. Jeremy Cash S Duke
56. CJ Prosise RB Notre Dame
57. Joshua Garnett G Stanford
58. Jarell Adams TE South Carolina
59. Pharoah Cooper WR South Carolina
60. Maliek Collins DT Nebraska
61. Shilique Calhoun EDGE Michigan State
62. Darian Thompson S Boise State
63. Keanu Neal S Florida
64. Tyler Boyd WR Pitt
65. Paul Perkins RB UCLA
66. Yannick Ngakoue DE Maryland
67. Deion Jones LB LSU
68. Germain Ifedi OT Texas A&M
69. Alex Collins RB Arkansas
70. Su’a Cravens LB/S USC

Positional Rankings

Qb

1. Carson Wentz 1st round
2. Jared Goff 1st round
3. Paxton Lynch 2nd round
4. Connor Cook 3rd round
5. Dak Prescott 4th round

RB

1. Ezekiel Elliot 1st round
2. Derrick Henry 2nd round
3. Kenneth Dixon 3rd round
4. CJ Prosise 3rd round
5. Paul perkins 3rd round

WR

1. Laquan Treadwell 1st round
2. Josh Doctson 1st round
3. Corey Coleman 1st round
4. Michael Thomas 2nd round
5. Will Fuller 2nd round

TE

1. Hunter Henry 2nd round
2. Jarell Adams 3rd round
3. Nick Vannett 4th round

OT

1. Laremy Tunsil 1st round
2. Ronnie Stanley 1st round
3. Jack Conklin 1st round
4. Taylor Decker 1st round
5. Jason Spriggs 2nd round

G/C

1. Ryan Celly 1st round
2. Cody Whitehair 2nd round
3. Joshua Garnett 2nd round
4. Nick Martin 3-4 round

DE

1. Deforest Buckner 1st round
2. Joey Bosa 1st round
3. Shaq Lawson 1st round
4. Kamalei Correa 1st round
5. Kevin Dodd 1st round
6. Emmanual Ogbah 2nd round
7. Noah Spence 2nd round
8. Jonathon Bullard 2nd round
9. Carl Nassib2nd round
10. Yannick Ngakoue 3rd round

DT

1. Jarran Reed 1st round
2. Kenny Clark 1st round
3. Sheldon Rankins 1st round
4. A’shawn Robinson 2nd round
5. Christian Jones 2nd round
6. Vernon Butler 2nd round
7. Andrew Billings 2nd round
8. Robert Nkemdiche 2nd round
9. Austin Johnson 2nd round
10. Maliek Collins 2nd round

ILB

1. Jaylon Smith 1st round
2. Reggie Ragland 1st round
3. Tyler Matakevich 2nd round
4. Kentrell Brothers 3rd round
5. Scooby Wright III 4rd round

OLB

1. Myles Jack 1st round
2. Darron Lee 1st round
3. Leonard Floyd 1st round
4. Joshua Perry 2nd round
5. Deion Jones 3rd round

CB

1. Jalen Ramsey 1st round
2. Vernon Hargreaves 1st round
3. Eli Apple 1st round
4. William Jackson 1st round
5. Mackensie Alexander 2nd round

S

1. Jalen Ramsey 1st round
2. Karl Joesph 1st round
3. Vonn Bell 2nd round
4. Jeremy Cash 2nd round
5. Darian Thompson 2nd round

1. Titans: Laremy Tunsil OT Ole Miss- He is a generational talent at tackle and having marcus mariota having Tunsil and Lewan holding the edge down is a dream come true. Ramsey could be the pick but since Mariota is the future they have to keep him upright so tunsil is the pick.
2. Browns: Carson Wentz QB NDSU- He checks off all the boxes except one. He has size, speed,a big arm, and he is very intelligent. But he didn’t play the competition. He blew scouts away at his combine, so if the browns can look past who he played, they can take a great QB and start to build around him.
3. Chargers: Jalen Ramsey CB/S FSU- He is the best athlete and football player. The game comes easy to him and this would be the best case scenario for the chargers. He would replace eric weddle, and if Ramsey plays safety, he will be a perennial pro bowler and hall of famer.
4. Cowboys: Deforest Buckner DE OU- He is very consistent and dominant. You could say that they go with jack or elliot but they need a big defensive player because they didn’t resign hardy and since I don’t trust Randy Gregory, Buckner is the pick.
5. Jaguars: Myles Jack LB UCLA- The most versatile athlete in the class who has the biggest star potential. He is a nasty linebacker who can run sideline to sideline and also can cover like a corner. He is a special athlete who will give a jaguars team who lacks big time defensive talent a game changing player.
6. Ravens: Joey Bosa DE OSU- The most hyped up player in the draft and even though I don’t think he is the best player, he is a very powerful player who would be a great pick for the ravens. He is a player with great length,technique, and versitle.
7. 49ers: Jared Goff QB CAL- Him and Wentz are neck and neck for the number 1 quarterback in the draft. He is an effortless thrower of the football and throws the ball with great accuracy. His footwork isn’t great but he is a teddy Bridgewater type who will be a great QB, also being a great fit with San Fransisco.
8. Eagles: Ezekiel elliot RB OSU- He is one of the best players in the draft and if the Eagles draft him, he will be a nightmare to deal with for the rest of the NFC EAST. He is an all around back who will balance their offense and give the offense a matt forte type. He is the best player available so that’s the pick. He would be a slam dunk pick for the eagles who have found their RB.
9. Buccaneers: Ronnie Stanley LT Notre Dame- He is an athletic freak who happens to play tackle. He has long arms and is very athletic, and has the potential to be a franchise left tackle. He isn’t the strongest guy, but he has the ability to be a big time player. He would be a nice pick for Tampa bay, as having him and smith as their tackles would be great to have so they can protect Winston for years to come.
10. Giants: Darron Lee LB OSU- He isn’t the biggest guy but he is a fast, athletic linebacker who is just a playmaker. He would be a great fit for the giants. The giants could also go with Leonard Floyd, Shaq Lawson, or Vernon Hargreaves. I really don’t have a clue who they are going to take because they have so many options.
11. Bears: Vernon Hargreaves CB Florida- He is the best man to man cover corner in the draft. He would be a great fit with the bears who need a corner with Kyle fuller. They could also go linebacker or EDGE rusher but Hargreaves would be the best player on the board.
12. Saints: Sheldon Rankins DL Louisville-  Coming into the draft, he was considered a “sleeper” that could sneak into the first round. Now he is in the thick of things for being a first rounder. He is a solid all around player with being a good pass rusher for a DT and a solid run stuffer. He would be a nice addition for a putrid defense.
13. Dolphins: Shaq Lawson DE Clemson- He is an all around solid defensive end. He is good against the run and a solid pass rusher. He is a young pass rusher that the dolphins lack with them having old rushers like Cameron Wake(35 years old) and mario williams (31 years old). They also lost Olivier vernon and Derrick Shelby. A player that might not be a star but definitely a solid player for a 10-12 year starter.
14. Trade*Seahawks: Jack Conklin OT Michigan state- The Seahawks lost Russel Okung in free agency to the broncos and let’s be honest, one of the 4 tackles in the draft won’t be their at 26. So if they want to keep Wilson upright, they needed to trade up and get their guy. Conklin is a tough kid who will be a leader and solid starter on this team.
15. Rams: Laquan Treadwell WR Ole Miss- A team in the rams who don’t have a quarterback. But picking Paxton Lynch here would be a major reach for me as I gave him a second round grade. So they will go with a big target for their future quarterback and that is Treadwell. He is a competitive kid, he uses his body well and he has a big catch radius. He isn’t guy but he is a very good route runner and possession receiver.
16. Lions: A’Shawn Robinson DT Alabama- A big body for the lions out of Alabama. He uses his body and arms really well but he is not great with leverage. He is a little overrated but Ngata won’t be their forever so they take the athletic Robinson.
17. Falcons: Taylor Decker OT OSU- He is a monster with size at 6’8 but is slow feet will have him be a right tackle. He is nasty and would be a great complement to Jake Matthews at Right tackle. The falcons still need to do more to protect Matt Ryan, and even though rusher is a bigger need, they take the best player on the board.
18. Colts: Reggie Ragland LB Alabama- He is a classic thumper linebacker and could be a leader for the colts defense. The colts need to protect Luck, but the four top tackles are gone and taking one would be a reach. Ragland is just a great football player and a good fit with the colts.
19. Bills: Jarran Reed DT Alabama- He is the best run stuffer in the draft and the better of him and A’shawn Robinson. He isn’t going to blow you away but he is a strong dude. He is big but not the best athlete. He would be a solid pick for the bills.
20. Jets: Leonard Floyd EDGE Georgia- He is falling a little bit in my mock just because his tape doesn’t match up with his unbelievable physical skills. He would give the jets a nice complement to their star guys on the line.
21. Redskins: Vernon Butler DT Louisiana Tech- He is just a big dude who would be a nice fit with the redskins. The redskins are losing their starting defensive tackles so they can plug a new guy in. Their are so many I just picked one which was Butler over UCLA’S Kenny Clark.
22. Texans: Corey Coleman WR Baylor- He is a very explosive vertical threat that the texans lack alongside Hopkins. He needs to work on his hands and route running but he is an electrifying prospect.
23. Vikings: Josh Doctson WR TCU- He is the best wide receiver in 50/50 balls and has great size. He isn’t the fastest guy but he has a great work ethic and one of the safest players in the draft.
24. Bengals: William Jackson III CB Houston- He is a long, Athletic cornerback that would be a solid pick for the bengals. They don’t really have any major needs so they can take the best player.
25. Steelers: Eli Apple CB OSU- He just seems like a steelers corner and I have had him mocked here for a while. He is long and tough against the run. He would be a great pick for them.
26. Trade** Raiders: After trading back and gaining a third round pick, they will take a position of need and that’s Karl joesph. He is reckless with his body, but that’s what makes him special. He is just a playmaker. He had a knee injury but he has a raider mentality and would be a great fit.
27. Packers: Kamalei Correa EDGE Boise State: An athlete that is new to the game of football. He is an underrated player who could surprise people and sneak into the first round. He could develop into a stud edge rusher because of his competitiveness.
28. Chiefs: Mackensie Alexander CB Clemson: The chiefs lost a starting corner in free agency so why not replace him? He didn’t get any interceptions and is small, but he is just a good football player and will make a great duo with Marcus Peters.
29. Cardinals: Noah Spence EDGE Eastern Kentucky: He is a quick, athletic edge rusher with big time potential. He is a project, but if Arians and his coaching staff keeps Spence focused, he could be a big time rusher.
30. Panthers: Jason Spriggs LT Indiana: He is not a tackle, he is an athlete, a workout warrior. He doesn’t play up to his athleticism at times, but he has big potential. The panthers showed an obvious need for talent on the O-line in the super bowl, so they will address it in the first round.
31. Broncos: Paxton Lynch QB Memphis- This would be a reach, but a necessary one. They have Mark Sanchez as their quarterback, so that has to change. A player similar to Brock Osweiler, he can develop for a year and fill in as the quarterback of the future.

Trade**** Seahawks trade up to pick 14 and give up the 26 overall and 90th picks to the Raiders.

Before the year, I make predictions and had beliefs about certain things and now I am reflecting on how accurate I was.

Right: Kansas – I was dead accurate on this team before the year. I said that they were the best team in the country and they would win the national championship. I said they had it all depth , shooting, size, veterans, and talent. I stand by that and right now they are my pick to win it all.

Wrong: Maryland- I had such high expectations for this awfully talented team. They had 5 great players at all five positions and I thought Carter, Suilimon, and Layman would be great compliments to stars Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone. I had Final Four dreams. I might have bitten off more then I could chew. I expected Trimble to play better and by me watching him more closely, he has been a solid floor general, great passer, but hasn’t had the clutch “it factor” he had last year. Diamond Stone on the other hand has been solid but not as consistent where he either gets 20-15 or 8-4.

Right: North Carolina- I liked this team a lot going into the year but I had reasonable expectations, unlike others who thought that UNC was the best team in the country. They have great depth and they have Brice Johnson, but they are an on and off team and have too many times that their offense goes cold. They are great in transition but rely on offense to give them momentum. I had them going to the final four and I am sticking with that.

Wrong: Providence-A couple months ago, I made bold predictions and one of them was that providence would make it to the final four. It could still happen but it’s a long shot. They have Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil but the rest of the team isn’t on par and it’s a two man show. They have really struggled down the stretch… They will make the tournament but won’t do much once they get there.

Right: Big 12- Before the year, I said time and time again the big 12 will be once again dominate. I had higher hopes for Iowa state who has a great team, but Oklahoma has lived up to my expectations with being a top 10 team, West Virginia has been consistently great, Baylor, Iowa state, and Texas have been having good years, and Texas Tech will make the Tourney after having NIT questions coming into the year. Best, deepest conference in the country.

Wrong: LSU – I thought this team could make a run this year. They were hyped up by the media and Ben Simmons “the best prospect since lebron” led the way. They had Quarterman, and Hornsby and had another top 15 recruit, Antonio Blakeney, Joining the squad. But this team has underperformed due to lack of leadership, effort, chemistry, and the fact that this team was not that talented. This proves one man can’t do it all.

Right: Michigan State- This team was ranked 13 coming into the year but I was scared to death of them. They lost their leaders in trice and Dawson but still had their core in Valentine, Forbes and costello. They also had Davis coming to East Lansing. Imagine this team if Caleb Swanigan hadn’t changed his mind and de-committed from Sparty. I liked this team before the year and I love them now. I didn’t see Valentine and Forbes playing this well though…

Wrong: Wichita state- Similar situation to Providence….I picked them to go to the final four because of Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet even though they had lost Tekele Cotton, Seth Davis’ “Glue Guy”. Both those guys have played up to standards but the others have been lacking behind. This team will be an 8-9 seed or might not even make the tournament. Yikes! That was a clunker pick.

Jury still out on…: California, Vanderbilt , Kentucky

Right: Award predictions- I was right on a lot of award predictions before the year. I picked Buddy Hield to win POY, Coach of year to be Bill Self, National champs to be Kansas and Freshman of the year to be Jamaal Murray. Murray might not win, but he is in the running… I was dead-on pre-season… If you want to see my predictions before the year click the link below.

College basketball preview

I will go through each top 25 team and say if they are a contender or pretender

1. Kansas- Contender: They are definitely are contenders as they have depth, talent, a blend of youth and experience, and ability to close games. Mix that with a great coaching staff and you have a team with the capability of going to the final four.
2. Michigan state- Contender: This team is also very capable of making a run. In East Lansing, there is a saying, December, January, February, Izzo. He has always been great in march, but he has at his display his best shooting team ever with bryn Forbes and Denzel Valentine, and still has great big in Deyanta Davis and Matt Costello, Mr. Hustle.
3. Villanova – Contender…I guess? I really can’t get a hold of this team. They play great and have players like Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart. But when they have played big time competition, ( Virginia, Providence, Oklahoma, Xavier) they have lost. They also have bad history in the tourney with early exits. But this is a very good team and have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they could make a run.
4. Virginia- Contender: This team is clicking at the right time….Brogdon playing like a stud and Perrentes shooting lights out, them playing great defense as well, gives them a great shot at making a run.
5. Xavier: Pretender- I like this team I really do, They have depth like no other team in the country. Sumner, Davis, Macura, Farr, Reynolds, Bluett etc. But I don’t have the feeling that they have “the guy” to get them a bucket when they need one. Happened against Seton Hall and I believe it will happen in the tourney. Sweet 16 team in my opinion
6. Oklahoma: Pretender: This team does have the potential to be a final four. They have the best player in basketball in Buddy Hield, and they have great seniors in Jordan Woodard, Cousins, And Spangler. But their inconsistent shooting and the fact that they rely on the three ( 40% of points) makes me believe they could get upset.
7. North Carolina: Contender- They along side Michigan state and Kansas have the best and most talented teams in the country. They have brice johnson and marcus paige and that’s all they need to make a run. But they also have Jackson, Meeks, Britt, and Berry.
8. Oregon: Pretender- This team is a very good team. But these kind of teams without a player you can point to as ” a problem” will cause them trouble in the tourney. I simply don’t trust this team.
9. West Virginia: Pretender- This team relies on the forcing turnovers and against a team like Kentucky, who has three point guards, will be able to pick apart this team because West Virginia relies on their defense to generate offense….To rich for my blood.
10. Indiana: CONTENDER- This team is a final four team hands down. They have everything…shooters, a big man, better defense, and leadership. They have Yogi Ferrel who can facilitate the ball and shoot it and they have a number of shooters around him. Then they have Thomas Bryant  who can be a rim protector. Watch out for this team in march.

Rest of top 25….

11.Miami- Pretender

12. Utah- Contender

13.Purdue- Contender

14. Lousiville- Ineligible

15. Arizona- Pretender

16.Kentucky- Contender

17.Texas a&m: pretender

18. Maryland – Pretender

19. Duke- Contender

20. Iowa- Pretender

21. Iowa state – Contender

22. Baylor- Pretender

23. Texas – Pretender

24. California – Contender

25. SMU – Ineligible

Kansas vs Kansas State: This game is really tempting the take the wildcats because of how well they play against Kansas and how they play above their talent level against big time opponents ( Oklahoma). But for how well Kansas has played of late and how this is a chance to really extend themselves from the rest of the pack. I think KU will pull away late.

Kansas 77 – KState 72

Duke vs Louisville: Louisville may be a kryptonite to duke. Duke is a high powered offense with allen and Ingram, but Louisville is a stingy defense and they play very well on their home court, so they get the win.

66 louisville – 62 Duke

Xavier at georgetown: This is the shot for Georgetown to save their season and can really be a bid stealer from a more deserving team because usually the last thing you see is the thing that will resinate with you and the same will occur with the NCAA. But that is only IF they win this game and I think they pull it off against a slightly overrated but deep xavier team. Georgetown by a layup.

Xavier 76 – Georgetown 78

Miami vs North Carolina: This, in which a week ago was a great resume win, is now a must win to keep up in the ACC which is now Miami’s to lose. I think UNC does win because they are the deeper more talented team.

78 UNC – Miami 73

Oklahoma vs West Virginia: Oklahoma has gone through a little bit of a cold start to February with Kansas and Texas Tech. West Virginia is cruising along as usual with their pressure defense and they will force enough turnovers to win the game.

Oklahoma 70 – West Virginia 74

other games

Baylor 71 – Texas 75

Butler 65 – Villanova 71

Kentucky 80 – Texas A&M 72

Purdue 77 – Indiana 81

Oregon st 64 – Oregon 70

Let’s break down this game position by position and who has the advantage

quarterback: this isn’t even close….cam newton is on a different level than any other quarterback in the NFL and Peyton manning who is still a genius but has a noodle arm. This is cams year and he will dominate this game. Even though Peyton is all time great, the advantage goes to the panthers.

Running back: this one was pretty easy. The panthers are very good at moving the ball on the ground and the edge will go to Stewart and cam over CJ Anderson and Ronnie Hillman

wide receivers: the Broncos have the more talented, big name guys like Thomas and sanders but the panthers receivers have had better production. Ted ginn, Corey brown, and Devin funchess have all played well but the Broncos have big times names. Draw

tight end: is this a question ? Panthers

offensive line: the biggest weak link to this Broncos team is the o- line with lack of depth. The panthers have protected cam all year so they get the nod.

Dline: Von Miller. Demarcus ware. Derek Wolfe. Malik Jackson. Kawann short and Charles Johnson are great but the Broncos pass rush is unbelievable.

linebackers: the Broncos have great athletes that can run sideline to sideline but luke kuechly and Thomas Davis are pro bowl players and are great athletes.

Secondary: the no fly zone of the Broncos with Harris, talib, Stewart, and ward. Best in the NFL. The panthers secondary is banged up outside of stud Norman.

Game: panthers 27 – Broncos 17: the panthers seemed destined to win and there offensive attack and turnover causing machine defense, the panthers will force turnovers and win by 10.

7 Maryland vs 11 Michigan State- Michigan state is really sliding after starting the year amazingly with losing at home to Iowa and Nebraska and on the road at a struggling Wisconsin team. Maryland has been cruising along after that tough loss against Michigan. Despite marylands great starting five, the fact is michigan state is home and Tom Izzo will be ready for this game… michigan state 75 – 72 maryland

other games

villanova 4 defeats 16 providence 81 -73

3 Kansas defeats texas 90 – 77

Temple beats 8 SMU 77-75

24 south carolina beats Tennessee 66-63

1 Oklahoma beats 13 baylor 83 – 77

vanderbilt beats 23 kentucky

Cal beats 12 arizona 68 – 62

Duke beats NC state 71 – 67

Record- 2-14

Pick- #1

MVP: Delaine Walker

Recap: The Titans season in 2015 was more about seeing what they had in Marcus Mariota then necessarily winning. His rookie debut was one of the best ever and then after that was a series of injuries and lack of talent surrounding him which lead to him struggling a little bit. But Marcus Mariota flashed enormous potential and proved that he could be a pocket passer with having huge games against Tampa bay, New orleans, and others. Mariota wasn’t the problem. The talent or lack there of was the problem for the titans and that is why the GM was given his walking papers. The organization did the right thing by drafting mariota and now there options are wide open for the future. There top needs are to protect mariota and after that they could trade back and take Ezekiel Elliot. They so many options with drafting mariota and now they can build their organization around him.

Draft Pick: Laremy Tunsil