Duke 2011-2012 Preview

With Kyrie Irving leaving Duke to join the locked-out NBA, how does Duke Basketball match-up this year? Probably just as well if not better than any year before. Austin Rivers, possibly the most anticipated prospect and number 3 recruit on ESPNU's Top 100, has joined the Blue Devils, and will be a significant factor in Duke's success this season. The son of Doc Rivers, Austin averaged 29.4 PPG last year at Winter Park High School, and offensively was an absolute animal. He "plays without fear of failure," which is an essential trait for any Blue Devil.

This year, Coach K has three strong options at the guard positions. I wouldn't doubt seeing him run a 3-2 on offense with Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins coming back for their junior years. Last year, Curry came off the bench as a strong change-of-pace player, averaging 24.6 MPG and around 9 PPG. Dawkins, on the other hand, is the candidate most likely to play the SF position on defense. He could potentially split a significant amount of time with Curry at the PG/SG spot due to the his inadequate size to play the small forward position. With Dawkins measuring only 6'4", 200 lbs, don't be surprised if 5-star recruit Michael Gbinije takes over in crucial defensive positions.

The one position the Blue Devils lack the explosive strength in this year is at the point. With Rivers gone, they don't have a true point guard, but then again, they only had Rivers for 8 games last year so it shouldn't be too big of a problem. If, however, they do need that classic point guard position filled, freshman Quinn Cook is a viable fill-in. Quinn is one of those Rajon Rondo-esque players with his quickness, speed, and vision. He is a selfless player, always looking for the pass. I expect him to play a critical role as the "4th" guard on the team. He should mix in well, especially since the Blue Devils are stacked with big-time scorers this year (primarily, Rivers, Curry, and Dawkins).

Now onto the front court. What set of three brothers is better than the Plumlee brothers? Let me answer that for you: none. Let's start off with the eldest of the bunch. Miles Plumlee, Sr., is the (NFL) Tim Tebow of Duke Basketball this year. He might not be the most talented on the court, but there won't be a game where you don't see Miles playing his heart out. Miles brings another dimension to the game. It's not his skill set that changes the game, but his intensity. Last year, he only averaged 4.5 PPG and 4.6 RPG. Don't expect a dramatic increase in productivity this year, but look for Miles Plumlee to be the vocal and motivational leader of Duke this year. The junior, Mason, is the most likely to play the big man of this team during the 2011-2012 season. This past season, Mason averaged 8.4 RPG and 7.2 PPG. While his offensive abilities are not the best, the biggest advantage Mason gives the Blue Devils is his offensive rebounding skill. Although the last of the three Plumlee brothers, Marshall, isn't new to the Blue Devil Nation, he is new to wearing the Blue Devil uniform, but that shouldn't change our perspective on him. Marshall joined the Blue Devils as the 35th best recruit and 4th best center in this year's class. He might not have an immediate impact on the team, but he should for years to come. Another big man who could potentially see a starting position in his near future is junior Ryan Kelly who should also see an increase in his average PPG, which stood at 6.6 last year.

As for the rest of the team, Duke has some of

the best talent coming off the bench it has had in recent history. Tyler Thornton looks to be a defensive specialist for Coach K this year. Number 41 on ESPNU's Top 100, Alex Murphy, should get some playing time this year. Josh Hairston will get some time down low alongside the Plumlee brothers. And, finally, Todd Zafirovski will be the handcuff in case of injury or fatigue.

So, what do I think the Duke Blue Devils starting roster looks like? Let's have a look:

Starters:

G-Austin Rivers

G-Seth Curry

G/F-Andre Dawkins

F-Ryan Kelly

F/C-Mason Plumlee

Bench (in order of projected minutes):

1. Miles Plumlee
2. Michael Gbinije
3. Quinn Cook
4. Tyler Thornton
5. Marshall Plumlee
6. Alex Murphy
7. Josh Hairston
8. Todd Zafirovski

Duke might start out as number 6 on the NCAAB Coaches Poll preseason rankings, but expect the Blue Devils to end up number 1 by the end of the season.

Reminder: MLB Free Agency Begins Tonight

Just letting everybody know that at 12 AM EST Wednesday night, free agents will be allowed to sign with other teams. As of right now, all free agents are under an exclusive negotiation window with their former team. Expect an update tomorrow on some minor signings, as most big time players will wait a little to see how the market plays out in the next few days or weeks.

Here are the top 50 free agents of this offseason according to Sports Illustrated's Ben Reiter. It should be an interesting one with Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Jose Reyes leading the way.

The Reiter 50 Free Agents

Big "East" Update

It's been awhile since we've updated the Big East situation and I guess this is the perfect time for one. As reported by many, the Big East has or will very shortly extend invitations to 6 schools. 3 of them will be for all sports (SMU, Houston, UCF), while the other 3 will be solely for football (Boise State, Navy, Air Force). Some say the official announcement of Big East admission could come as soon as Friday. This is certainly huge news for a conference that has lost some of its top members (Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia), but it doesn't mark the end of changes. It makes no sense for any of these 6 schools to reject the invitation, as they are all looking to get into a BCS Conference. If these reports are true, I fully expect all six to accept and join the Big East.

So with all the confusion going on, I'd like to show you the projected Big East Football and Basketball members, assuming the six schools accept.

Football (11) : Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers, USF, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, SMU, Boise State, Navy, Air Force

Basketball (16) : Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers, USF, Cincinnati, Villanova, St. Johns, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Depaul, Notre Dame, Marquette, Providence, UCF, Houston, SMU

This obviously would not be the end of expansion/changes, because the Big East would never stop at 11 teams for football. The 16 in basketball is normal, but it could move up to 18.

So the Big East has a few options to make this work:

a. Simply add Villanova as a football member and make a 12 team league.

b. Add Temple to the Big East as just a football school.

c. Add Temple as a full member and look for a "basketball only" school to bring the league to 18.

d. Add Temple and another school as full members, as well as Villanova as a football member to bring the league to 14 and 18 respectively.

e. Add a football only school.

There are so many different scenarios and as a supporter to of the Villanova to Big East Football movement, I am all for option a. I think the most realistic option is c however, because Temple would bring a lot of strength to the conference as both a basketball and football school.

Stay tuned to The Point After, as the Big East looks to move further out West.

25 Predictions for the Rest of the NFL Season

Only one team is undefeated (Packers) and only one team has just one loss (49ers). The scary part is that there are about 10 teams that I can write off for the rest of the season, in that they have basically no chance to make the playoffs. That means, that 22 teams have shown me enough to consider them in playoff "contention", showing just how level the playing field is this season.

I have made 25 bold predictions and I will grade myself at the end of the season!

1. The Cincinnati Bengals make the playoffs.

2. The NFC East Champion wins just 10 games.

3. At 10-6, the Lions will finally make the playoffs.

4. The Chiefs win the AFC West.

5. The NFC East will produce just one playoff team, while the North will have three.

6. The 49ers will clinch the division before December.

7. Aaron Rodgers wins the MVP award easily, as the Pack win 15 games.

8. Cam Newton leads the league in passing yards.

9. The Bills falter and miss the playoffs.

10. That spot will go to the New York Jets.

11. The AFC North will have two teams make it to the playoffs: Steelers and Bengals.

12. Indianapolis wins a game before Week 13.

13. Miami wins the "Suck for Luck" race.

14. The bottom three teams in the NFC West (Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams) will struggle to get 10 wins combined.

15. Demarcus Ware shatters Michael Strahan's sack record, as he records 24 sacks.

16. Chris Johnson finishes with more 100 yard rushing games than Ray Rice.

17. LeSean McCoy leads the league in rushing yards and scores over 15 rushing TDs.

18. The Saints win the NFC South.

19. The Texans finally make the playoffs.

20. Tim Tebow starts just 3 more games this season.

21. Rex Grossman finishes the season as the starting QB.

22. Chad Ochocinco doesn't break 300 receiving yards.

23. My AFC playoff teams: Patriots, Steelers, Texans, Chiefs, Jets, Bengals

24. My NFC playoff teams: Packers, Saints, 49ers, Eagles, Lions, Bears

25. The New York Jets play the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl.

Rutgers 2011-12 Preview

Alright, so I know most of you are Villanova alums, students, or fans, but I am a proud Rutgers student and so thankful for the collective effort of our guys never giving up and Villanova's miscues that resulted in Rutgers Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Rice's first signature win On The Banks.

The hero from that game, Jonathan Mitchell, has since graduated and is now playing overseas in Spain. Along with JMitch, Rutgers lost both players from its starting backcourt in James Beatty and Mike Coburn. Also gone is guard/forward Robert Lumpkins, who played a fifth year as a graduate student at Rutgers after coming over from New Mexico State, where he played three years. He began his collegiate career at a Texas junior college.

As for the returning players and newcomers, each was instructed to find a summer league in order to prepare for the season. Six of the seven freshmen played together with returning players junior forward Austin Johnson and sophomore guard Austin Carroll for Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning in the Jersey Shore Basketball League. Joining them was former McDonald's All-American forward Wally Judge, who is sitting out this year after transferring from Kansas State to Rutgers. As per NCAA rules, no more than two returning players are allowed to play on the same summer league team. This resulted in junior forward Dane Miller suiting up for Investor Savings Bank, the JSBL champion. Carroll's classmate, sophomore forward Gilvydas Biruta opted not to take summer classes at Rutgers, instead returning home to represent his native Lithuania in the U20 European Championships. Lastly, sophomore Mike Poole and second semester freshman Kadeem Jack took their talents to New York City, where Poole showcased his talents at Nike Pro City at Baruch College and Jack played in the Dyckman outdoor summer league.

As for the newcomers, they got the opportunity to play with each other as well as Johnson and Carroll at the JSBL. While it was evident that the first years had not played with each other, it was also very clear that they could ball. The athleticism the freshman guard trio of Myles Mack, Jerome Seagears, and Eli Carter showed had Rutgers fans in awe, something the Scarlet Knights have not had in a long time. In addition, forwards Greg Lewis and Derrick Randall proved to be legitimate Big East bodies down low, and will provide instant front court depth, something that will be necessary with the recent injury to Kadeem Jack. Malick Kone figures to be in the mix as he brings a very well-rounded game to Rutgers.

A lot of questions have come up about the leadership. With no scholarship seniors, who will be the leaders of the ballclub? Well, the team does in fact have two seniors in redshirt senior Charlie Rigoglioso and senior Mike Kuhn. Both walk-ons have played basketball their entire time at Rutgers, with Rigoglioso having a brief stint at Moravian. The two figure to show the freshmen the ropes and lead the "Bomb Squad" while sporting new numbers this year. Rigoglioso has given up #15 to Derrick Randall, while Mike Kuhn has traded his #22 to Kadeem Jack and will now wear #44.

While there are a lot of new faces, it appears that Coach Rice has the personnel that he needs to run his system. The system that led to three consecutive NEC championships, including two NCAA tournament appearances, while at the helm of Robert Morris. The Scarlet Knights will run the floor in an uptempo offense and look to pressure the ball a lot on defense. Look for the same switching in positions 1-4 that was seen last year as well, which should create a lot of mismatches and favorable opportunities for Rutgers. This will in turn lead to everyone getting a good amount of playing time, however, as is usually the case some will play more than others.

This year figures to be an exciting one On The Banks, but the team's success will hinge on the freshmen's ability to buy-in to Coach Rice's intensity, attention to detail, and being locked in at all times. It will ultimately be upto the returning players to lead by example and hope that their work ethic rubs off on the younger guys. Climbing the ladder in the Big East is a daunting, yet not impossible task.

Overall outside the top 6 teams, the Big East is expected to be wide open. Rutgers was picked 11th by the coaches at Big East Men's Basketball Media Day, the highest they have been picked since the league expanded to 16 teams prior to the 2005-06 campaign. Like I said above, the team will only go as far as the players are willing to take it. The returning players know what is expected of them. The returning players worked very hard this summer, trying to take their games to the next level in an effort to help Rutgers return to the Big Dance, something that hasn't happened since a March 1991 loss to Arizona State in Atlanta.

The Scarlet Knights are back in action on Sunday, November 6 in their exhibition against Rutgers-Newark. Their first regular season game is Friday, November 11 at the RAC, when they take on the Dartmouth Big Green.

While the starting lineup is anyone's guess at this point with so many new faces, I'll take a crack at it myself...

G Myles Mack

G Mike Poole

F Dane Miller

F Gilvydas Biruta

F Austin Johnson

There you have it.. your 2011-12 Rutgers Scarlet Knights Men's Basketball team.

Superbowl Teams Back on Top

Last year, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers won the Superbowl after needing to win their Week 17 bout vs. the Bears just to get into the playoffs. The Pack have quickly become the league's most complete team, combining a star-studded group with great depth all over the field. At 7-0, the Packers won't have any trouble getting into the playoffs this season. They are still the favorites to win it all, but there's one team creeping back into relevance.


No, it is not the Philadelphia Eagles, fresh off of a romp over the inconsistent Dallas Cowboys.

No, it is not the New Orleans Saints, who proved they are still vulnerable after losing to the winless Rams.

No, it is not the Jets, who have been mediocre in the young season.

And no, it is not the New England Patriots, who have now conceded the top spot in the AFC.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back and stronger than ever. Yes they are much older and definitely not as skilled as they were in the past few years, but no team is more fundamentally sound in football. The defense is back to its overpowering ways and with the emergence of Mike Wallace as the best deep threat in football, this team is for real.

The Steelers seem to always find a way to be in playoff contention year after year, but the amazing part is that they've done so with a very similar core. Roethlisberger continues to be one of the elite quarterbacks in the game, while Hines Ward and Heath Miller provide consistent production as secondary and tertiary options. On defense, we've heard names like Farrior, Woodley, Harrison, Polamalu, Keisel, Taylor, Gay, Foote, Timmons, Clark, and Hampton for years. I know the Ravens have boasted one of the best defenses in the game for the past ten years, but the Steelers, in my opinion, have the best defense in the NFL of the past decade.

Despite getting embarassed by the Ravens 35-7 in Week 1, the Steelers have bounced back and are playing great football now. They face a huge rematch next week against Baltimore, but I guarantee this game will be a lot closer. This game will be played at Heinz Field and I expect the Steelers to take care of business against their biggest rivals.

As of right now, we are right where we left off at the end of last season. The top two teams in the league are the Pack and the Steelers. Of course once the playoffs start anything can happen (Seahawks defeating the Saints), but don't be surprised if you see a rematch of Superbowl XLV in a few months.

Cardinals Freese Rangers

Their star player missed 4-6 weeks with a fractured wrist. They entered the month of September with a 72-64 record. In fact, on September 1, 2011, they were 9.5 games behind the NL Wild Card leading Atlanta Braves, who were 80-55 at the time.They closed the regular season out by winning 7 of their last 10. They pulled off the win against the once-thought-to-be-unbeatable Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS after starting the series down 1 game to 2 games. Then, they knocked out the powerful Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. And finally, they came back in game 6 of the World Series to take it to a 7th game, and go on to win that one. They took home the Commissioner's Trophy. They were the underdogs. They were the St. Louis Cardinals.

But who could have ever counted the Cardinals out of these playoffs? If there was one team to be afraid of throughout the playoffs this year, it was the men in red (and no, not the Philadelphia Phillies). The St. Louis Cardinals were driven. They had nothing to lose. Not Fear, or anxiety, or over-confidence crossed their minds. After game 3 of the NLDS, Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols told the media, "Listen, we flip the page and come back ready to play with the same energy we've been having the last six weeks. We've been in this situation before." And, boy, were they in that situation plenty of times after.

The defining moments of the Cardinals playoff run were the Game 6 heroics by hometown kid, David Freese; it wasn't just the one homerun that made his impact so significant, it was the lead up to the at-bat. Up by 3 runs in the 7th, the Texas Rangers were in full control of the game. Even ESPN's NFL Expert Analyst @AdamSchefter tweeted the morning after, "So when I turned off the World Series in the 7th inning, with the Rangers holding a commanding three-run lead, what'd I miss?" Here's where I think the New York Times says it best:

A few batters later, Freese went on to tie up the game by driving in 2 runs on an outfield knock. The Rangers were 1 strike away from being crowned champions, but only ended up winner of the AL. The last time a team was one strike away from the championship and blew the lead: 1992. According to Kyle Kepner, the Blue Jays later went on to win the series shortly afterwards (2-innings to be exact). So, how does this add to Freese's drama? Not only was he the first batter in almost 20 years to take the lead on what could have been the final strike of the Series, but he was the first batter EVER to win the game for the team that was down to its last strike. Talk about "Being Clutch".

To top it all off, the Cards weren't down to their last strike once, but twice. Berkman tied it up in the 10th with a blooper to center. One inning later, with the score still tied, Freese takes the plate with the count full, and we all know what happens from there...

The Rangers were stunned, frozen. While the Cardinals were hot the whole ride through, the rangers kept losing heat and momentum. Less than 24 hours later, the Commissioner's Trophy was awarded to the birds. After the big Game 7 victory, Freese was easily named the World Series MVP. If there was any team that deserved this ring, it was the St. Louis Cardinals, and if there was any player who deserved the MVP award, it was the new Mr. October. Nobody could freeze Texas like David Freese.

EDIT: Interesting statistic... The Rangers gave up the lead 5 times to the Cardinals throughout the course of Game 6 of the World Series

Villanova 2011-2012 Preview

Amidst the chaos of the conference frenzy, one thing has been made clear for Villanova basketball fans: we must now relish the next two seasons. Fortunately, due to Big East restrictions, Syracuse and Pittsburgh won’t be shifting to the ACC for another couple of seasons. Additionally, with news out that West Virginia has been accepted into the Big 12, the Big East Conference, which sent 11 teams to the NCAA Tournament last season, is in shambles.

So for now, let’s forget about this whole conference mess and focus on the upcoming Big East season. The conference has a whole different look as many programs graduated big-time players, headed by Connecticut’s loss of Kemba Walker. Georgetown loses Austin Freeman and Chris Wright as well. Each team had its losses, but as usual, each team had a solid recruiting class. Connecticut brings in a stud in Andre Drummond, who many believe could be the first overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, if there is a season that is.

Let’s shift our spotlight towards the Villanova Wildcats. Many of our readers are students or alumni of Villanova and are wondering what to expect after a quiet recruiting class. Let me just say this to start, I believe that the Wildcats will be a more fundamentally sound basketball team, led by its defense. I understand that the Corey brothers (Fisher and Stokes) are gone, as well as Antonio Pena, but the inconsistencies of those players hurt the team. There is no doubt that their contributions will be missed, as 3/5 of the starting lineup is gone; however, there is optimism.

I would argue that, last year, Maalik Wayns was the best player wearing Villanova across his chest, closely followed by Mouphtaou Yarou. In basketball, numbers lie more than ever, and with Fisher and Stokes taking most of the shots. Fisher and Stokes led the team in scoring, both averaging around the 15 mark. Wayns scored 13.8 per game last year, but the stat that I believe is misleading is the 39.9% field goal percentage. After his freshman season, in which Maalik looked out of control and flustered at many times, Wayns really took a stride forward. He took right under 11 shots a game, which I believe will increase to around 16 this season. Maalik has to focus on getting to the hole instead of settling for a jump shot. Wayns had a noticeable improvement from freshman year to sophomore year in terms of his jumper, but he is most effective going to the hoop, shown by his increased production and 5 free throws attempted per game.

My favorite player on the team is Mouphtaou Yarou and he continues to impress me. Yarou is fairly new to basketball and boy will the Big East have problems with him this year. I expect big things from the big man, as he becomes the #2 option. I believe that he is capable of averaging a 12-10 every night, but he must improve his positioning on rebounding. There is no doubt in my mind he has worked hard this off-season, so there is a good chance you’ll be hearing “Wayns to Yarou!” a lot this year.

The 2011 recruiting class has no headline name or star player, but it is a solid group of freshman. We can add Jayvaughn Pinkston to the list as well, who will probably the biggest difference maker among the group. Pinkston was suspended last season, but reinstated by Jay Wright. Pinkston adds some size, along with a smooth shooting stroke. He’s got a big frame, but he’s quick enough to make plays both off the dribble and in the post.

Tyrone Johnson, who stands at 6’3, is a pretty big point guard. He’s got long arms and has the makings to be a good lead guard, due to his passing and dribbling skills. Achraf Yacoubou is a 6’3 shooting guard, who is a tough player. He is a valuable rebounder out of the 2 spot, as well as a good scorer. He will benefit most playing with a good point guard who can feed him the ball slashing to the hoop.

Markus Kennedy is a big dude, no other way to say it. He’s 6’9, 270 lbs. and provides some much needed size for Villanova. He is a good offensive player and is a solid post presence. His big problems have been with conditioning; however, a year with Jay Wright will benefit him tremendously. Last but not least, we have 6’5 Darrun Hilliard. Darrun, who plays the wing, is definitely a downgrade from the perimeter compared to Corey Stokes, but he finds ways to contribute to the team. He’s a hard worker and has a “high basketball I.Q.”

These five newcomers will probably all be in the rotation, but expect Kennedy, Pinkston, and Johnson to play big-time minutes. The biggest question marks on the team are Dominic Cheek and James Bell. Can these two contribute heavily? Only time will tell, but I’d like to see both players make improvements offensively. Cheek had a terrible sophomore season, but with his athletic ability, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be an above-average player. He needs to be more confident in his shot and start knocking them down. James Bell impressed me in his freshman year, but he still is a raw offensive player. He must hit those open jumpers in order to be effective. Both players are solid defensively, but they’ll need to make adjustments offensively in order to stay in the rotation.

I think Villanova is a top 40 team in the league right now, but has the potential to be better. They certainly won’t contend for a title this year, but they will challenge the elite of the Big East.

With all that being said, here is my projected starting lineup:

Maalik Wayns, G

James Bell, G

Dominic Cheek, G

Jayvaughn Pinkston, F

Mouphtaou Yarou, C

Here’s the rest of the team, in order of projected minutes:

Tyrone Johnson, G

Markus Kennedy, C

Achraf Yacoubou, G

Maurice Sutton, C

Darrun Hilliard, G

Dallas Ouano, G *

Nick McMahon, G

* - Denotes Senior