Then There Were Four

After the up and down college basketball season, we are down to just four teams. Kentucky and Louisville will go at it later today. The tip is at 6:09. It should be a very interesting game. Kentucky won the game played earlier in the year 69-62. Louisville will have a hard time guarding Anthony Davis in the post. Both teams have explosive play makers. This should be a great game. In order for Louisville to win, Kyle Kuric must have a great game. It should be very exciting, but I like Kentucky got come out on top. The game that interests me most is the Kansas/Ohio State matchup. These two teams went at it earlier this season at the Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. The Jayhawks won that game. However, Jared Sullinger did not play. This game will come down to the guard play of Kansas. Tyshawn Taylor will be the key for Kansas. This game will come down to the wire, but I see a Kansas/Kentucky finals. This will be a great day for college basketball fans.

60 Down, 8 To Go

It has been a very exciting NCAA Tournament, and now we are down to eight teams. In the South Region, Kentucky will battle the red hot Baylor Bears for a right to go to the Final Four. This should be a very fun game to watch. Both teams are very athletic. In the end, I like Kentucky to move on to the Final Four. The East Region will be a battle between two powerhouses in Syracuse and Ohio State. This will be the game that 'Cuse will miss Fab Melo the most. However, I think Dion Waiters will have a huge game and lead the orange to New Orleans. The West Region will be a very interesting matchup between Louisville and Florida. Kyle Kuric and Gorgui Dieng will both have big games. Billy Donovan has never beaten Rick Pitino. Tonight will not be the night that he gets his first win against Pitino. Chane Behanan will be the secret for the Cardinals. The West Region will be a tossup game between UNC and Kansas. Kansas' Travis Releford will need to do a good job on covering Harrison Barnes. This game will be very close, but I like Kansas. Jeff Withey, arguably one of the most underrated players, will have a monster game. Hopefully, this Elite Eight will be as exciting as the other rounds.

Peyton Place

Earlier today, Peyton Manning announced he will be playing with the Broncos. This likely forces Tim Tebow out of Denver. Manning told his agent to negotiate a deal with Denver today. It will be hard to see Manning in a different uniform. The interesting thing is what number Manning will wear. Number 18 is retired in Denver because of Frank Tripucka back before the merger. Manning will be throwing to Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. The Broncos defense has proven itself, so this team could be a real contender. It will be fun to see how this all plays out during training camp.

Round of 64 Recap

The Second Round of the tournament was very exciting and full of upsets. The two big stories were that #2 seeded Duke and #2 seeded Missouri both went down. Norfolk State stunned Missouri 86-84 to move on and play Florida. Lehigh shocked Duke in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was the first time in 11 years that a #15 seed has taken down a #2 seed. Vanderbilt held off Harvard's late run to beat the Crimson. Saint Louis surprisingly knocked off Memphis. They will take on Michigan State. The defending champs went down. Connecticut just could not handle Royce White and the Iowa State Cyclones. That basically sums up the Round of 64.

NBA Now

The NBA has had a big day. The main story is that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni resigned. He had been with New York since the start of the 2008-09 season. The Knicks have lost 8 of their last 10 games. He did not have respect in the locker room and was feuding with Carmelo Anthony. D'Antoni was against the Carmelo trade last year. Mike Woodson will take over for the rest of the year at the head coaching position. In other news, Monta Ellis was traded to the Bucks. The Golden State star will join Brandon Jennings in that Bucks backcourt. They should be a fun team to watch. I will like to see how this plays out. This sure was an eventful day in the NBA.

Tournament Challenge

As you well know, the NCAA Tournament brackets came out last night. The overall #1 seed is Kentucky. They went 31-2 throughout the season. They ended their stellar season with a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament Finals. They will be looking to bounce back in the tourney. They are in the South Region along with Duke and Indiana. The other #1 seeds are Syracuse of the East Region, Michigan State of the Midwest Region, and North Carolina of the West region. I will be updating on my thoughts and analysis of the games throughout the tourney. My picks will be up on ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge. The group name is MM8 Challenge. Test yourself to see if you can take down M Dog. Feel free to join and try to defeat me this March Madness Season.

Battle in the Big Apple

After a very interesting Big East Tournament, it has come down to the #4 seed Cincinnati and the #7 seed Louisville in the finals. Cincy beat Georgetown in a 2OT thriller. They went on to stun syracuse. Louisville beat Seton Hall handily to start things off. They then surprised Marquette with a big win. Last night they knocked Notre Dame off to secure a spot in the finals. It should be a great game tonight. Both teams can shoot the ball well. Peyton Siva has played very well in this Big East Tournament. It should be a great game, but I think the Cardinals will come out on top. Kyle Kuric will be the key for Louisville. Tonight's game will be a great ending to a great Big East Tournament.

Peyton and Colts to Part

It is official, Peyton Manning will not be in a Colts' uniform again. Peyton and the Colts parted ways earlier today. Manning has been a Colt for 14 years and has been the face of the franchise. There was a lot of emotion in that press conference room. Irsay said the move was not about money. Manning has just got on the free agent market as we speak. There are a couple teams that are interested in Manning. Personally, I think the Cardinals are the best fit. Him and Larry Fitzgerald together would be scary. Manning will go down as one of the best players to ever play the game. It is sad to see his Colts career end like this. It has been an emotional day for the NFL and for the city of Indianapolis.

St. Patrick's to Close

A national high school basketball powerhouse in St Patrick's, Elizabeth, NJ, will shut its doors next year. The school is closing because of low SAT scores and not enough students. The enrollment was 151 people. St. Patrick's is where Al Harrington, Kyrie Irving, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist went to school. It is part of one of the best high school basketball rivalries in the country between them and St. Anthony's. Former coach, Kevin Boyle, left St. Pat's this year to coach at Montverde Academy down in Florida. The Celtics are just one of many Catholic schools in the Metropolitan Area to close in the last couple of years such as St. Mary's, Paterson Catholic, and Kemba Walker's old high school, Rice. The students in Elizabeth are going through a tough time, so I want to wish the people at St. Patrick's the best.